Hasil untuk "Neurophysiology and neuropsychology"

Hyun-Suk Lee, Mark Snyder, Hyun Euh

Building on previous research and theory on volunteerism, three pre-registered studies used message matching techniques to investigate the effects of self-focused messages (emphasizing the benefits to the volunteers) and other-focused messages (emphasizing the benefits to the recipients) and social status in promoting volunteerism. Participants, randomly assigned, read either self-focused messages or other-focused messages that contained information about an opportunity to volunteer to help people in poverty. Then, they completed a set of self-report measures on the prospect of volunteering, intentions to volunteer, attitudes toward volunteering, empathy toward the recipients, and anticipated costs of becoming a volunteer. They also reported their perceived social status and household income. However, we did not find evidence that matching self-focused messages to individuals of higher status and other-focused messages to lower status individuals promoted volunteerism. The overall pattern of results suggests only limited effects of message matching with self- and other-oriented motivations across individuals with differing socioeconomic backgrounds. Building on this overall pattern of findings, we discussed the roles of social status, volunteer experience, and persuasive messages in promoting volunteerism.

Dhanya Parameshwaran, Supriya Bhavnani, Debarati Mukherjee et al.

Monitoring cognitive development in early childhood enables detection of problems for timely intervention. However, currently recommended methods require lengthy evaluations of task performance, and are resource intense. Here we examined whether 3 minutes of resting-state EEG (rs-EEG) recorded in 70 33–40-month-old children using a 14-channel portable EEG device in low-resource households could classify performance on five domains of developmental outcomes (cognition, receptive language, expressive language, fine motor and gross motor coordination) as measured by the Bayley’s Scale of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd Edition (BSID-III). Applying supervised learning models to a combination of spectral features and novel time-domain features derived from EEG data, we predicted BSID-III domain scores with moderate accuracy (AUCs ranging from 0.70 to 0.84 and F1-scores ranging from 0.58 to 0.76). While spectral frequencies significantly correlated with cognitive and language domain scores, time-domain features describing amplitude variability were more significantly correlated and contributed more substantially to model outcomes. Model performance was reliable even with a subset of 4 channels. Overall, this study provides a first demonstration that rs-EEG from low electrode configuration devices can serve as a quick and reliable indicator of cognitive developmental outcomes and aid in identifying those requiring support during early childhood.

Ilgiz Gareev, Ozal Beylerli, Elmar Musaev et al.

Objective: Spontaneous (non-traumatic) intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is one of the major causes of global death. The purpose of our bioinformatics analysis was to detect viable pathophysiological targets and small-molecule drug candidates and to identify the precise secondary mechanisms of brain injury in ICH. Methods: The GSE24265 dataset, consisting of data from four perihematomal brain tissues and seven contralateral brain tissues, was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and screened for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ICH. Online analysis tool GEO2R and Drug Susceptibility Assessment Module within the ACBI Bioinformation tool was used for data differential expression analysis. TargetScan, miRDB, and RNA22 were used to investigate the miRNAs regulating the DEGs. The functional annotation of DEGs was performed using Gene Ontology (GO) resources, and the cell signaling pathway analysis of DEGs was performed using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). DAVID is used to perform GO function enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis of candidate target genes. Enrichment analysis was performed for delving the molecular mechanism of DEGs, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks and microRNA (miRNA)-messenger RNA (mRNA) networks were used to reveal the hub nodes and the related interaction relationships. Hub genes and miRNA-mRNA interaction of PPI network were identified by STRING version 12.0 online software and Cytoscape. Next, the DEGs were analyzed using the L1000CDS2 database to identify small-molecule compounds with potential therapeutic effects. Results: A total of 325 upregulated genes and 103 downregulated genes associated with ICH were identified. The biological functions of DEGs associated with ICH are mainly involved in the inflammatory response, chemokine activity, and immune response. The KEGG analysis identified several pathways significantly associated with ICH, including but not limited to cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and MAPK signaling pathway. A PPI network consisting of 188 nodes and 563 edges was constructed using STRING, and 27 hub genes were identified with Cytoscape software. The miRNA-mRNA network with high connectivity contained key 27 mRNAs (from C-C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5), C-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CCL8), …., to dishevelled-associated activator of morphogenesis 1 (DAAM1), and FRAT regulator of WNT signaling pathway 1 (FRAT1)) and 135 candidate miRNAs. These genes and miRNAs are closely related to secondary brain injury induced by ICH. In addition, a L1000CDS2 analysis of six small-molecule compounds revealed their therapeutic potential. Conclusions: Our study explores the pathogenesis of brain tissue injury promoted by neuroinflammation in ICH and extends the clinical utility of its key genes. At the same time, we constructed a miRNA-mRNA network which may play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of ICH. In addition, we obtained six small molecule compounds that will have anti-inflammatory effects on ICH, including Geldanamycin, Dasatinib, BMS-345541, Saracatinib, and Afatinib.

Min Jiang, Rui Ding, Yanli Zhao et al.

Risk-taking often occurs in childhood as a compex outcome influenced by individual, family, and social factors. The ability to govern risky decision-making in a balanced manner is a hallmark of the integrity of cognitive and affective development from childhood to adulthood. The Triadic Neural Systems Model posits that the nuanced coordination of motivational approach, avoidance and prefrontal control systems is crucial to regulate adaptive risk-taking and related behaviors. Although widely studied in adolescence and adulthood, how these systems develop in childhood remains elusive. Here, we show heterogenous age-related differences in the triadic neural systems involved in risky decision-making in 218 school-age children relative to 80 young adults. Children were generally less reward-seeking and less risk-taking than adults, and exhibited gradual increases in risk-taking behaviors from 6 to 12 years-old, which are associated with age-related differences in brain activation patterns underlying reward and risk processing. In comparison to adults, children exhibited weaker activation in control-related prefrontal systems, but stronger activation in reward-related striatal systems. Network analyses revealed that children showed greater reward-related functional connectivity within and between the triadic systems. Our findings support an immature and unbalanced developmental view of the core neurocognitive systems involved in risky decision-making and related behaviors in middle to late childhood.

Ulf Ziemann

Iris Tang

Alexander Weigard, Dora Matzke, Charlotte Tanis et al.

The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is a longitudinal neuroimaging study of unprecedented scale that is in the process of following over 11,000 youth from middle childhood though age 20. However, a design feature of the study's stop-signal task violates ''context independence'', an assumption critical to current non-parametric methods for estimating stop-signal reaction time (SSRT), a key measure of inhibitory ability in the study. This has led some experts to call for the task to be changed and for previously collected data to be used with caution. We present a cognitive process modeling framework, the RDEX-ABCD model, that provides a parsimonious explanation for the impact of this design feature on “go” stimulus processing and successfully accounts for key behavioral trends in the ABCD data. Simulation studies using this model suggest that failing to account for the context independence violations in the ABCD design can lead to erroneous inferences in several realistic scenarios. However, we demonstrate that RDEX-ABCD effectively addresses these violations and can be used to accurately measure SSRT along with an array of additional mechanistic parameters of interest (e.g., attention to the stop signal, cognitive efficiency), advancing investigators’ ability to draw valid and nuanced inferences from ABCD data. Availability of data and materials: Data from the ABCD Study are available through the NIH Data Archive (NDA): nda.nih.gov/abcd. Code for all analyses featured in this study is openly available on the Open Science Framework (OSF): osf.io/2h8a7/.

Miriam S. Menken, Pedro J Rodriguez Rivera, Amal Isaiah et al.

Bullying victimization is associated with a doubled risk of attempting suicide in adulthood. Two longitudinal brain morphometry studies identified the fusiform gyrus and putamen as vulnerable to bullying. No study identified how neural alterations may mediate the effect of bullying on cognition. We assessed participants with caregiver-reported bullying (N = 323) and matched non-bullied controls (N = 322) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study dataset to identify changes in brain morphometry associated with ongoing bullying victimization over two years and determine whether such alterations mediated the effect of bullying on cognition.Bullied children (38.7% girls, 47.7% racial minorities, 9.88 ± 0.62 years at baseline) had poorer cognitive performance (P < 0.05), larger right hippocampus (P = 0.036), left entorhinal cortex, left superior parietal cortex, and right fusiform gyrus volumes (all P < 0.05), as well as larger surface areas in multiple other frontal, parietal, and occipital cortices. Thinner cortices were also found in the left hemisphere, particularly in the left temporal lobe, and right frontal region (all P < 0.05). Importantly, larger surface area in the fusiform cortices partially suppressed (12–16%), and thinner precentral cortices partially mitigated, (7%) the effect of bullying on cognition (P < 0.05). These findings highlight the negative impact of prolonged bullying victimization on brain morphometry and cognition.

Dalin T. Pulsipher, Lisa D. Stanford

Electrical status epilepticus in slow wave sleep (ESES) is typically characterized by neuropsychological deterioration to varying extents. While the syndrome is self-limiting for some, for others it has a swiftly declining course that requires aggressive neurosurgical intervention. Here, we present a patient with ESES secondary to a large left middle cerebral artery stroke in utero who experienced behavioral and neuropsychological deterioration that rapidly progressed. Collectively, her neuropsychological status, EEGs, MRIs, and nature of her ESES warranted a left hemispherectomy to prevent further decline. The patient was seen for four neuropsychological evaluations. Over time, neuropsychological test scores did not adequately capture her degree of impairment and change. Behavioral observations during evaluations and parental reports played a critical role in determining her initial decline and mild post-surgical improvement. For all practitioners, this report illustrates one extreme of ESES. It also illustrates, particularly for neurologists and neurosurgeons, the importance of behavioral observations relative to test performances.

Behzad Salmani, Jafar Hasani, Zahra Zanjani

Aim and Background: Because of the similarity between some signs of panic disorder (PD) and COVID-19, individuals with PD like individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are vulnerable to negative outcomes of the pandemic. However, previous studies did not adequately address the impacts of COVID-19 on this disorder. Regarding the importance of cognitive mechanisms for both disorders, examining the cognitive impacts of COVID-19 is especially critical. The study aims to compare individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder (PD), and nonclinical samples in terms of obsessive beliefs and COVID-19 stress, two years after the beginning of the pandemic. Methods and Materials: In a survey, 127 individuals were recruited through purposive sampling. After being taken for the clinical interview, they were divided into OCD (n=42), PD (n=40), and nonclinical (n=45) groups. Participants responded to the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ-44), COVID-19 Stress Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), and Scheffe posthoc tests. Findings: There were no significant differences between clinical groups based on any obsessive beliefs. In terms of socioeconomic outcomes and traumatic stress components of COVID-19 stress, there were no significant differences between clinical and nonclinical groups. However, individuals with OCD and PD obtained meaningfully higher scores in xenophobia and obsessive checking/ reassurance-seeking components, respectively, than other groups. Even two years after the beginning of the pandemic, clinical groups were significantly more concerned about the danger and contamination of COVID-19 than the nonclinical group. Conclusions: Obsessive beliefs in individuals with PD are comparable to individuals with OCD during the pandemic. Also, individuals with PD engaged more in obsessive checking/ reassurance-seeking than individuals with OCD and the nonclinical group; it could burden extensive costs for the therapeutic system during the pandemic.

Melis Orhan, Nicole Korten, Almar Kok et al.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic gives us the unique opportunity to study the course of psychiatric symptoms and resilience in older adults with bipolar disorder (OABD) whilst experiencing a collective long lasting stressor. The aim of this study was to investigate the course of depressive, manic and anxiety symptoms in OABD during the first six months of COVID-19 and how loneliness and mastery are associated with this course. Mastery is defined as the control one experiences over one’s life and environment. Resilience is defined as adaptation to challenging life conditions encompassing several aspects of personal resources. Methods In April 2020 (n = 81), June 2020 (n = 66) and September 2020 (n = 51), participants were included from the Dutch Older Bipolars (DOBi) cohort study. Results Depressive, manic and anxiety symptoms increased over all timepoints. Participants with a higher sense of mastery experienced a greater increase in depressive and anxiety symptoms. Loneliness did not interact with the course of these symptoms. Conclusions OABD were resilient in the first months of COVID-19 outbreak, however depressive, manic and anxiety symptoms increased as the pandemic continued. Treatment strategies in coping with long lasting stressful events should include the focus on sense of mastery.

Zhenghui Qin, Chenliang Zhou, Xiaochan Xiao et al.

Abstract Background Sepsis is considered to be a high-risk factor for cognitive impairment in the brain. The purpose of our study is to explore whether sepsis causes cognitive impairment and try to evaluate the underlying mechanisms and intervention measures. Methods Here, we used cecum ligation and puncture (CLP) to simulate sepsis. Open field, Novel Objective Recognition, and Morris Water Maze Test were used to detect cognitive function, long-term potentiation was used to assess of synaptic plasticity, and molecular biological technics were used to assess synaptic proteins, ELISA kits were used to detect inflammatory factors. Metformin was injected into the lateral ventricle of SD rats, and we evaluated whether metformin alleviated CLP-mediated cognitive impairment using behavioral, electrophysiological and molecular biological technology experiments. Results Here we report hippocampal-dependent cognitive deficits and synaptic dysfunction induced by the CLP, accompanied by a significant increase in inflammatory factors. At the same time, metformin was able to improve cognitive impairment induced by CLP in adult male rats. Conclusion These findings highlight a novel pathogenic mechanism of sepsis-related cognitive impairment through activation of inflammatory factors, and these are blocked by metformin to attenuate sepsis-induced neuronal injury and cognitive impairment.

Katarina Begus, Elizabeth Bonawitz

Active learning is a critical component of human development, however, the mechanisms supporting it are not fully understood. Given that early learning experiences may affect both infants' immediate learning success, as well as their motivation to learn, it is particularly important to investigate the mechanisms of active learning in this period, when the foundations of learning habits and curiosity are built. Traditional behavioural approaches of studying infant learning face challenges that emerging tools from neuroscience may help relieve. We introduce one such tool, EEG theta oscillations, and propose this neural marker has great potential for offering novel insights into active learning. Theta activity, recorded prior to or during learning, has been shown to be predictive of learning success. We argue that this involvement in memory formation, combined with theta activity’s tight association with reward processing, makes theta oscillations a uniquely suited tool for the investigation of motivational mechanisms underlying active learning. We outline research questions as well as methodological approaches pertinent to infant learning and suggest how and why theta oscillations may offer complementary insights. As such, we aim to bridge the gap between cognitive and neural approaches, and advance our knowledge of active learning in development more broadly.

Cynthia O’Donoghue, Cara Meixner

Across the continuum of care, providers representing multiple professions (i.e., rehabilitation, medical, mental health) influence post-acute care planning for persons with brain injury, yet insufficient evidence informs how decisions are made. The need to understand provider decision-making is paramount, particularly for a person with brain injury whose sequelae necessitates integrated, interprofessional care. Using vignettes drawn from authentic scenarios, this qualitative study investigated case management decisions made by providers serving individuals with varying neurobehavioral needs. Responses to three open-ended scenarios concerning neurobehavioral service provision were collected, coded, and analyzed in accordance with rigorous qualitative conventions. Participants (n = 84) represented an array of organizations serving persons with brain injury. The results revealed two courses of action: dominant and supporting. Although most respondents indicated integrated care as the ideal pathway, their concretized recommendations yielded actions focused on a single referral within the traditional medical model rather than an interdisciplinary approach. While integrated, interprofessional treatment and working across systems are considered optimal, this study suggests that in the current practice such a model is still evolving. This duel between “ideal” and “actual” highlights the need for further study, as well as resources to support best practices in rehabilitation and recovery.

Amandine E. Grenier, Danielle S. Dickson, Corey S. Sparks et al.

Multiplication tables are typically memorized verbally, with fluent retrieval leading to better performance in advanced math. Arithmetic development is characterized by strategy shifts from procedural operations to direct fact retrieval, which would not necessitate access to the facts’ conceptual meaning. This study tested this hypothesis using a combination of event related brain potentials (ERP) and behavioral measures with 3rd-5th grade children and young adults. Participants verified the solutions to simple multiplication problems (2 × 3 = 6 or = 7) and the semantic fit of word-picture pairs, separately. Children showed an N400 effect to multiplication solutions with larger (more negative) amplitude for incorrect than correct solutions, reflecting meaning-level processing. A similar ERP response was observed in the word-picture verification task, with larger negative amplitude for word-picture pairs that were semantically mismatched compared to matched. In contrast, adults showed a P300 response for correct solutions, suggesting that they treated these solutions as potential targets in over-rehearsed mathematical expressions. This P300 response was specific to math fact processing, as the word-picture verification task elicited a classic N400 in adults. These ERP findings reveal an overlooked developmental transition that occurs after fifth grade, and speak to theories of arithmetic that have been based primarily on adult data.

Ron Nudel, Camilla A. J. Christiani, Jessica Ohland et al.

Abstract Background One of the most basic human traits is language. Linguistic ability, and disability, have been shown to have a strong genetic component in family and twin studies, but molecular genetic studies of language phenotypes are scarce, relative to studies of other cognitive traits and neurodevelopmental phenotypes. Moreover, most genetic studies examining such phenotypes do not incorporate parent-of-origin effects, which could account for some of the heritability of the investigated trait. We performed a genome-wide association study of receptive language, examining both child genetic effects and parent-of-origin effects. Results Using a family-based cohort with 400 children with receptive language scores, we found a genome-wide significant paternal parent-of-origin effect with a SNP, rs11787922, on chromosome 9q21.31, whereby the T allele reduced the mean receptive language score by ~ 23, constituting a reduction of more than 1.5 times the population SD (P = 1.04 × 10−8). We further confirmed that this association was not driven by broader neurodevelopmental diagnoses in the child or a family history of psychiatric diagnoses by incorporating covariates for the above and repeating the analysis. Conclusions Our study reports a genome-wide significant association for receptive language skills; to our knowledge, this is the first documented genome-wide significant association for this phenotype. Furthermore, our study illustrates the importance of considering parent-of-origin effects in association studies, particularly in the case of cognitive or neurodevelopmental traits, in which parental genetic data are not always incorporated.

Saied Jalal Aboodarda, Selina Fan, Kyla Coates et al.

Abstract Background The recovery of neurophysiological parameters at various time intervals following fatiguing exercise has been investigated previously. However, the repetition of neuromuscular assessments during the recovery period may have interfered with the true corticomotor excitability responses. In this experiment, fatiguing contractions were combined with a single post-fatigue assessment at varying time points. Ten participants undertook 5 bouts of 60-s maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) of the elbow flexors, separated by 20 min. Before and after each 60-s fatiguing exercise (FAT), participants performed a series of 6-s contractions at 100, 75 and 50% of their MVC during which transcranial magnetic, transmastoid electrical and brachial plexus electrical stimuli were used to elicit motor evoked potentials (MEP), cervicomedullary motor evoked potentials (CMEP) and compound muscle action potentials (Mmax) in the biceps brachii muscle, respectively. Post-FAT measurements were randomly performed 0, 15, 30, 60, or 120 s after each FAT. Results MVC force declined to 65.1 ± 13.1% of baseline following FAT and then recovered to 82.7 ± 10.2% after 60 s. The MEP·Mmax−1 ratio recorded at MVC increased to 151.1 ± 45.8% and then returned to baseline within 60 s. The supraspinal excitability (MEP·CMEP−1) measured at MVC increased to 198.2 ± 47.2% and fully recovered after 30 s. The duration of post-MEP silent period recorded at MVC elongated by 23.4 ± 10.6% during FAT (all P < 0.05) but fully recovered after 15 s. Conclusions The current study represents the first accurate description of the time course and pattern of recovery for supraspinal and spinal excitability and inhibition following a short maximal fatiguing exercise in upper limb.

Ayushe A. Sharma, Rodolphe Nenert, Jane B. Allendorfer et al.

Cannabis use is associated with changes in brain structure and function; its neurotoxic effects are largely attributed to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabidiol. Whether such effects are present in patients with epilepsy exposed to a highly-purified cannabidiol isolate (CBD; Epidiolex®; Greenwich Biosciences, Inc.) has not been investigated to date. This preliminary study examines whether daily CBD dose of 15–25 mg/kg produces cerebral macrostructure changes and, if present, how they relate to changes in seizure frequency. Twenty-seven patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy were recruited from the University of Alabama at Birmingham CBD Program. Participants provided seizure frequency diaries (SF), completed the Chalfont Seizure Severity Scale (CSSS) and Adverse Events Profile (AEP), and underwent MRI before CBD (baseline) and after achieving a stable CBD dosage (on-CBD). We examined T1-weighted structural images for gray matter volume (GMV) and cortical thickness changes from baseline to on-CBD in 18 participants. Repeated measures t-tests confirmed decreases in SF [t(17) = 3.08, p = 0.0069], CSSS [t(17) = 5.77, p < 0.001], and AEP [t(17) = 3.04, p = 0.0074] between the two time-points. Voxel-level paired samples t-tests did not identify significant changes in GMV or cortical thickness between these two time-points. In conclusion, short-term exposure to highly purified CBD may not affect cortical macrostructure. Keywords: Cannabidiol (CBD), Treatment-resistant epilepsy (TRE), Voxel-based morphometry (VBM), Cortical thickness, Seizure frequency

Michela Balconi, Giovanni Lecci, Verdiana Trapletti

The present paper explored the relationship between emotional facial response and electromyographic modulation in children when they observe facial expression of emotions. Facial responsiveness (evaluated by arousal and valence ratings) and psychophysiological correlates (facial electromyography, EMG) were analyzed when children looked at six facial expressions of emotions (happiness, anger, fear, sadness, surprise and disgust). About EMG measure, corrugator and zygomatic muscle activity was monitored in response to different emotional types. ANOVAs showed differences for both EMG and facial response across the subjects, as a function of different emotions. Specifically, some emotions were well expressed by all the subjects (such as happiness, anger and fear) in terms of high arousal, whereas some others were less level arousal (such as sadness). Zygomatic activity was increased mainly for happiness, from one hand, corrugator activity was increased mainly for anger, fear and surprise, from the other hand. More generally, EMG and facial behavior were highly correlated each other, showing a “mirror” effect with respect of the observed faces.

Li Xing'an, Zhang Yingjiu, Xie Peng et al.

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cooperation of constituents of the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) with chaperone proteins in degrading proteins mediate a wide range of cellular processes, such as synaptic function and neurotransmission, gene transcription, protein trafficking, mitochondrial function and metabolism, antioxidant defence mechanisms, and apoptotic signal transduction. It is supposed that constituents of the UPS and chaperone proteins are recruited into aggresomes where aberrant and potentially cytotoxic proteins may be sequestered in an inactive form.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To determinate the proteomic pattern of synthetic proteasome inhibitor (PSI)-induced inclusions in PC12 cells after proteasome inhibition by PSI, we analyzed a fraction of PSI-induced inclusions. A proteomic feature of the isolated fraction was characterized by identification of fifty six proteins including twenty previously reported protein components of Lewy bodies, twenty eight newly identified proteins and eight unknown proteins. These proteins, most of which were recognized as a profile of proteins within cellular processes mediated by the UPS, a profile of constituents of the UPS and a profile of chaperone proteins, are classed into at least nine accepted categories. In addition, prolyl-4-hydroxylase beta polypeptide, an endoplasmic reticulum member of the protein disulfide isomerase family, was validated in the developmental process of PSI-induced inclusions in the cells.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>It is speculated that proteomic characterization of an isolated fraction of PSI-induced inclusions in PC12 cells might offer clues to appearance of aggresomes serving as a cellular defensive response against proteasome inhibition.</p>