-
Sensory Integration: A Novel Approach for Healthy Ageing and Dementia Management Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-18 Ongart Maneemai, Maira Cristina Cujilan Alvarado, Lina Graciela Calderon Intriago, Alicia Jeanette Donoso Triviño, Joicy Anabel Franco Coffré, Domenico Pratico, Kristof Schwartz, Tadele Tesfaye, Takao Yamasaki
Sensory processing is a fundamental aspect of the nervous system that plays a pivotal role in the cognitive decline observed in older individuals with dementia. The “sensory diet”, derived from sensory integration theory, may provide a tailored approach to modulating sensory experiences and triggering neuroplastic changes in the brain in individuals with dementia. Therefore, this review aimed to investigate
-
Infratentorial Relapsing Neuroglial Tumors in Adults: Management and Unsolved Issues—A Systematic Review Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-18 Lara Brunasso, Chiara Avallone, Ada Maria Florena, Giovanni Grasso
(1) Background: Gangliogliomas are rare tumors accounting for about 0.4% of all central nervous system tumors. They are usually located in the temporal lobes of children and young adults, though such tumors in the infratentorial region and adult-age patients rarely reported. (2) Methods: A systematic review on ganglioglioma with infratentorial location in the adult population was conducted in accordance
-
Correction: Hansen et al. Persisting Verbal Memory Encoding and Recall Deficiency after mGluR5 Autoantibody-Mediated Encephalitis. Brain Sci. 2023, 13, 1537 Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-18 Niels Hansen, Kristin Rentzsch, Sina Hirschel, Jens Wiltfang, Björn H. Schott, Berend Malchow, Claudia Bartels
Affiliations: In the published publication [...]
-
Food Finding Test without Deprivation: A Sensorial Paradigm Sensitive to Sex, Genotype, and Isolation Shows Signatures of Derangements in Old Mice with Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology and Normal Aging Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-18 Daniela Marín-Pardo, Lydia Giménez-Llort
The Food Finding Test (FFT) olfactory paradigm without overnight food deprivation examined olfaction in aged (16-months-old) animals. Ethograms of three goal-directed behaviors towards hidden food (sniffing, finding and eating) elicited in male and female 3xTg-AD mice for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and their age-matched C57BL/6 wild-type counterparts with normal aging were meticulously analyzed with
-
APOEε4 Carriers Exhibit Objective Cognitive Deficits: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Single Center Trial Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-15 Yanfang Zeng, Wenying Du, Mingkai Zhang, Ariel Walker, Ying Han, Yuchuan Ding
Objective: To explore the association between the apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype and objectively assessed cognitive function. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 537 participants underwent a neuropsychological assessment for cognitive function and blood testing for APOE genotype. Based on cognitive test results, participants were stratified into two cohorts: Cognitively Unimpaired participants
-
Effects of Various Caffeine Doses on Cognitive Abilities in Female Athletes with Low Caffeine Consumption Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-15 Houda Bougrine, Achraf Ammar, Atef Salem, Khaled Trabelsi, Haitham Jahrami, Hamdi Chtourou, Nizar Souissi
Caffeine (CAF), a prevalent psychoactive stimulant, is believed to potentially enhance cognitive ability. However, studies on the effects of various doses are limited and yield inconsistent results, particularly in female athletes. Therefore, we aimed to assess the association between three different dosages of CAF intake (low, moderate, and high) and cognitive skills in female athletes with low CAF
-
Bimodal Transformer with Regional EEG Data for Accurate Gameplay Regularity Classification Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-15 Jinui Lee, Jae-Ho Han
As games have been applied across various fields, including education and healthcare, numerous new games tailored to each field have emerged. Therefore, understanding user behavior has become crucial in securing the right players for each type of game. This study provides valuable insights for improving game development by measuring the electroencephalography (EEG) of game users and classifying the
-
Immersive Virtual Reality for Treatment of Unilateral Spatial Neglect via Eye-Tracking Biofeedback: RCT Protocol and Usability Testing Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-15 Alex Martino Cinnera, Valeria Verna, Matteo Marucci, Aurora Tavernese, Luisa Magnotti, Alessandro Matano, Chiara D’Acunto, Stefano Paolucci, Giovanni Morone, Viviana Betti, Marco Tramontano
About one-third of stroke survivors present unilateral spatial neglect (USN) that negatively impacts the rehabilitation outcome. We reported the study protocol and usability results of an eye-tracking (ET) biofeedback immersive virtual reality (iVR) protocol. Healthy controls and stroke patients with and without USN underwent a single session of the three iVR tasks. The system usability scale (SUS)
-
Effects of a Diabetic Microenvironment on Neurodegeneration: Special Focus on Neurological Cells Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-15 Vishal Chavda, Dhananjay Yadav, Snehal Patel, Minseok Song
Diabetes is a chronic metabolic condition associated with high levels of blood glucose which leads to serious damage to the heart, kidney, eyes, and nerves. Elevated blood glucose levels damage brain function and cognitive abilities. They also lead to various neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, including chronic neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. High neuronal glucose levels can cause
-
Autistic Traits and Somatic Symptom Disorders: What Is the Link? Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Barbara Carpita, Benedetta Nardi, Valeria Tognini, Francesca Poli, Giulia Amatori, Ivan Mirko Cremone, Stefano Pini, Liliana Dell’Osso
Alterations in sensory processing, a key component of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), have recently attracted increasing attention as they result in peculiar responses to sensory stimuli, possibly representing a risk factor for the development of somatic symptom disorder (SSD). Contextually, other features also associated with ASD, such as alexithymia, camouflaging and altered verbal, and non-verbal
-
Gene Expression of GABAA Receptor Subunits and Association with Patient Survival in Glioma Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Rafael Badalotti, Matheus Dalmolin, Osvaldo Malafaia, Jurandir M. Ribas Filho, Rafael Roesler, Marcelo A. C. Fernandes, Gustavo R. Isolan
Rapid neuronal inhibition in the brain is mediated by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) activation of GABAA receptors. The GABRA5 gene, which encodes the α5 subunit of the GABAA receptor, has been implicated in an aggressive subgroup of medulloblastoma (MB), a type of pediatric brain tumor. However, the possible role of GABAA receptor subunits in glioma remains poorly understood. Here, we examined the expression
-
The Association among Hypothalamic Subnits, Gonadotropic and Sex Hormone Plasmas Levels in Alzheimer’s Disease Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Edward Ofori, Anamaria Solis, Nahid Punjani, on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
This study investigates the sex-specific role of the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Gonadal axis in Alzheimer’s disease progression, utilizing ADNI1 data for 493 individuals, analyzing plasma levels of gonadotropic and sex hormones, and examining neurodegeneration-related brain structures. We assessed plasma levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), progesterone (P4), and testosterone
-
On the Move: Correlation of Impaired Mobility with Spatial Navigation Ability in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Alexis N. Chargo, Taylor N. Takla, Nora E. Fritz, Ana M. Daugherty
Spatial navigation ability is essential for independent living, and it relies on complex cognitive and motor processes that are vulnerable to decline in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). The role of mobility in the physical act of navigation has been well documented; however, its association with cognitive processing that supports efficient navigation and recall of the environment is unknown
-
Cognitive, Emotional, and Daily Functioning Domains Involved in Decision-Making among Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Federica Alfeo, Tiziana Lanciano, Chiara Abbatantuono, Giorgia Gintili, Maria Fara De Caro, Antonietta Curci, Paolo Taurisano
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional or prodromal stage of dementia in which autonomies are largely preserved (autonomies are not particularly affected). However, this condition may entail a depletion of decision-making (DM) abilities likely due to a gradual deterioration of the prefrontal cortex and subcortical brain areas underlying cognitive–emotional processing. Given the clinical
-
Terahertz Radiation Modulates Neuronal Morphology and Dynamics Properties Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Shaoqing Ma, Peng Ding, Zhengxuan Zhou, Huilong Jin, Xiaoli Li, Yingwei Li
Terahertz radiation falls within the spectrum of hydrogen bonding, molecular rotation, and vibration, as well as van der Waals forces, indicating that many biological macromolecules exhibit a strong absorption and resonance in this frequency band. Research has shown that the terahertz radiation of specific frequencies and energies can mediate changes in cellular morphology and function by exciting
-
An Analysis of the Correlation between the Asymmetry of Different EEG-Sensor Locations in Diverse Frequency Bands and Short-Term Subjective Well-Being Changes Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-11 Betty Wutzl, Kenji Leibnitz, Masayuki Murata
We focus on finding a correlation between the asymmetries of electroencephalography (EEG) signals and subjective well-being (SWB) when changed on short time scales via environmental conditions. Most research in this field focuses on frontal alpha asymmetry. We systematically examine different sensor locations and filter the sensor data into the delta band, the theta band, the alpha band, the beta band
-
Emotion Classification Based on Transformer and CNN for EEG Spatial–Temporal Feature Learning Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-11 Xiuzhen Yao, Tianwen Li, Peng Ding, Fan Wang, Lei Zhao, Anmin Gong, Wenya Nan, Yunfa Fu
Objectives: The temporal and spatial information of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals is crucial for recognizing features in emotion classification models, but it excessively relies on manual feature extraction. The transformer model has the capability of performing automatic feature extraction; however, its potential has not been fully explored in the classification of emotion-related EEG signals
-
Neurofilaments Light Chain in Neurodegenerative Dementias: A Review of Imaging Correlates Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Chiara Gallingani, Chiara Carbone, Manuela Tondelli, Giovanna Zamboni
Neurofilaments light chain (NfLs) are currently recognized as a marker of axonal injury and degeneration. Their measurement in biological fluids has a promising role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of the therapeutic response in neurological diseases, including neurodegenerative dementias. In recent years, their relationship with clinical phenotypes and measures of disease severity has
-
The Use of CGH Arrays for Identifying Copy Number Variations in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Agata Kucińska, Wanda Hawuła, Lena Rutkowska, Urszula Wysocka, Łukasz Kępczyński, Małgorzata Piotrowicz, Tatiana Chilarska, Nina Wieczorek-Cichecka, Katarzyna Połatyńska, Łukasz Przysło, Agnieszka Gach
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) encompass a broad group of neurodevelopmental disorders with varied clinical symptoms, all being characterized by deficits in social communication and repetitive behavior. Although the etiology of ASD is heterogeneous, with many genes involved, a crucial role is believed to be played by copy number variants (CNVs). The present study examines the role of copy number
-
Correlations of Plasma Biomarkers and Imaging Characteristics of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Qianqian Kong, Xinxin Xie, Ziyue Wang, Yi Zhang, Xirui Zhou, Lingshan Wu, Zhiyuan Yu, Hao Huang, Xiang Luo
Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), which is a group of pathological processes affecting cerebral microvessels, leads to functional loss in the elderly population and mostly presents as cognitive impairment and gait decline. CSVD is diagnosed based on brain imaging biomarkers, but blood biomarkers are of great significance for the early diagnosis and progression prediction of CSVD and have become
-
Autoimmune Neuromuscular Disorders: Emerging Insights and Future Frontiers Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Vincenzo Di Stefano, Filippo Brighina
In recent years, our knowledge rapidly increased with respect to the immunology and immunological aspects of neuromuscular disorders [...].
-
Subject-Independent Emotion Recognition Based on EEG Frequency Band Features and Self-Adaptive Graph Construction Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Jinhao Zhang, Yanrong Hao, Xin Wen, Chenchen Zhang, Haojie Deng, Juanjuan Zhao, Rui Cao
Emotion is one of the most important higher cognitive functions of the human brain and plays an important role in transaction processing and decisions. In traditional emotion recognition studies, the frequency band features in EEG signals have been shown to have a high correlation with emotion production. However, traditional emotion recognition methods cannot satisfactorily solve the problem of individual
-
Do Individual Differences in Perception Affect Awareness of Climate Change? Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-09 Enrico Cipriani, Sergio Frumento, Simone Grassini, Angelo Gemignani, Danilo Menicucci
One significant obstacle to gaining a widespread awareness of the ongoing climate change is the nature of its manifestations in relation to our perception: climate change effects are gradual, distributed, and sometimes seemingly contradictory. These features result in a lag in collective climate action and sometimes foster climate skepticism and climate denial. While the literature on climate change
-
Timing of Deep and REM Sleep Based on Fitbit Sleep Staging in Young Healthy Adults under Real-Life Conditions Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Charlotte von Gall, Leon Holub, Amira A. H. Ali, Simon Eickhoff
Sleep timing is controlled by intrinsic homeostatic and circadian components. The circadian component controls the chronotype, which is defined by the propensity to sleep at a particular clock time. However, sleep timing can be significantly affected by external factors such as the morning alarm clock. In this study, we analysed the timing of deep and REM sleep as well as the composition of REM sleep
-
Adapting to Changes in Communication: The Orbitofrontal Cortex in Language and Speech Processing Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-08 Xiaoming Jiang, Xiquan Ma, Ryan Sanford, Xun Li
Despite most studies on the neurobiology of language demonstrating the central part of the perisylvian network involved in language and speech function, this review attempts to complement this view by focusing on the role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). This region is primarily involved in goal-directed adaptive behavior. Recently, there has been increasing evidence that the OFC is involved in language
-
Dopamine Concentration Changes Associated with the Retrodialysis of Methylone and 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) into the Caudate Putamen Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-08 Robert Goldsmith, Amal Aburahma, Jon E. Sprague
Structural modifications to synthetic psychoactive cathinones (SPCs), a class of drugs that contain a β-keto modification of the phenethylamine pharmacophore of amphetamine, induce differences in dopamine transporter (DAT) activity. Here, in vivo retrodialysis was utilized to deliver the SPCs 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV, a DAT inhibitor) or methylone (a DAT substrate) into the caudate putamen
-
Dissociation between Selecting and Orienting Attentional Reading Deficits: A Study in Adults with Epilepsy Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-05 Eric Siéroff, Yael Slama, Jordane Manouvrier, Agathe Laurent
Word reading requires a range of spatial attention processes, such as orienting to a specific word and selecting it while ignoring other words. This study investigated whether deficits of these spatial attention processes can show dissociations after hemispheric lesions. Thirty-nine patients with left or right focal epilepsy and 66 healthy participants had to read aloud four-letter words presented
-
Cognitive Biases and Socio-Occupational Functioning Mediate the Relationship between Executive Functions and the Severity of Psychopathology among Young Adults with Psychotic-like Experiences: 1-Year Follow-Up Study Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-05 Aleksandra Arciszewska-Leszczuk, Andrzej Cechnicki, Dorota Frydecka, Dawid Kruk, Łukasz Gawęda
The aim of this study was to investigate whether Trail Making Test (TMT) performance is associated with the severity of psychopathological symptoms related to psychosis among young adults with elevated level of psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), and whether this relationship is mediated by cognitive biases and socio-occupational functioning. A total of 187 subjects from a larger population of 6722
-
The Left Amygdala and Right Frontoparietal Cortex Support Emotional Adaptation Aftereffects Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Xinqi Su, Ruilin Fu, Huiling Li, Nan Jiang, Aqian Li, Jingyu Yang, Leilei Mei
Adaptation aftereffects—in which prolonged prior experience (adaptation) can bias the subsequent judgment of ambiguous stimuli—are a ubiquitous phenomenon. Numerous studies have found behaviorally stable adaptation aftereffects in a variety of areas. However, it is unclear which brain regions are responsible for this function, particularly in the case of high-level emotional adaptation aftereffects
-
Impacts of Self-Administered 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) Alone, and in Combination with Caffeine, on Recognition Memory and Striatal Monoamine Neurochemistry in Male Sprague Dawley Rats: Comparisons with Methamphetamine and Cocaine Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Robert W. Seaman, Kariann Lamon, Nicholas Whitton, Brian Latimer, Agnieszka Sulima, Kenner C. Rice, Kevin S. Murnane, Gregory T. Collins
Recent data suggest that 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) has neurotoxic effects; however, the cognitive and neurochemical consequences of MDPV self-administration remain largely unexplored. Furthermore, despite the fact that drug preparations that contain MDPV often also contain caffeine, little is known regarding the toxic effects produced by the co-use of these two stimulants. The current study
-
The Effects of a Novel Treatment for Hemianopic Dyslexia on Reading, Symptom Load, and Return to Work Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Georg Kerkhoff, Antje Kraft
Reading disorders are frequent in homonymous hemianopia and are termed hemianopic dyslexia (HD). The existing treatment methods have shown improvements in reading speed, accuracy, and eye movements during reading. Yet, little is known about the transfer effects of such treatments on functional, reading-related tasks of daily life, e.g., reading phone numbers, finding typing errors or text memory. In
-
Epigenome Defines Aberrant Brain Laterality in Major Mental Illnesses Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Hamid Mostafavi Abdolmaleky, Shabnam Nohesara, Sam Thiagalingam
Brain-hemisphere asymmetry/laterality is a well-conserved biological feature of normal brain development. Several lines of evidence, confirmed by the meta-analysis of different studies, support the disruption of brain laterality in mental illnesses such as schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and autism. Furthermore
-
The Long and Winding Road to Real-Life Experiments: Remote Assessment of Executive Functions with Computerized Games—Results from 8 Years of Naturalistic Interventions Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Melina Vladisauskas, Gabriel O. Paz, Verónica Nin, Jesús A. Guillén, Laouen Belloli, Hernán Delgado, Martín A. Miguel, Daniela Macario Cabral, Diego E. Shalom, Anna Forés, Alejandra Carboni, Diego Fernández-Slezak, Andrea P. Goldin
Mate Marote is an open-access cognitive training software aimed at children between 4 and 8 years old. It consists of a set of computerized games specifically tailored to train and evaluate Executive Functions (EF), a class of processes critical for purposeful, goal-directed behavior, including working memory, planning, flexibility, and inhibitory control. Since 2008, several studies were performed
-
Neurorehabilitation including Virtual-Reality-Based Balance Therapy: Factors Associated with Training Response Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Evelyne Wiskerke, Jan Kool, Roger Hilfiker, Martin Sattelmayer, Geert Verheyden
Background: Virtual reality (VR) therapy is increasingly used and has shown encouraging effects. Yet, it is unknown which patients respond best to VR-based balance therapy as part of neurorehabilitation. Methods: Data from 30 persons with stroke and 51 persons with multiple sclerosis who performed three to four weeks of VR-based balance therapy during in-patient rehabilitation were analysed. Participants
-
Clivus-Cervical Stabilization through Transoral Approach in Patients with Craniocervical Tumor: Three Cases and Surgical Technical Note Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-05 Gervith Reyes-Soto, Alfonso Corona De la Torre, Kaori Guadalupe Honda Partida, Renat Nurmukhametov, Manuel De Jesus Encarnacion Ramirez, Nicola Montemurro
Craniocervical tumors lead to cervical pain, instability, and neurological symptoms, reducing the quality of life. Effective surgical intervention at the craniocervical junction (CCJ) is critical and complex, involving comprehensive approaches and advanced reconstructive techniques. This study, conducted at Mexico City’s National Institute of Cancerology, focused on three surgical cases that occurred
-
Cortical Sensorimotor Integration as a Neural Origin of Impaired Grip Force Direction Control following Stroke Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-05 Christian Schranz, Na Jin Seo
(1) Background: Stroke is a major cause of disability worldwide. Upper limb impairment is prevalent after stroke. One of the post-stroke manifestations is impaired grip force directional control contributing to diminished abilities to grip and manipulate objects necessary for activities of daily living. The objective of this study was to investigate the neural origin of the impaired grip force direction
-
Adherence to Epilepsy’s Medical Recommendations Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-05 Anna Jopowicz, Agnieszka Piechal, Elżbieta Bronisz, Iwona Kurkowska-Jastrzębska
The primary problem in the treatment of epilepsy is poor seizure control. Several studies have shown that non-adherence to doctors’ recommendations regarding drug dosage, time of drug administration as well as lifestyle modifications are the most frequent causes of the persistence or reoccurrence of seizures, other than cases of misdiagnosis and poor drug selection. The aim of this study was to assess
-
Hypnotic Modulation of Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Activity Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-04 Giuseppe De Benedittis
Hypnosis, a time-honored therapeutic approach, has gained widespread recognition for its effectiveness in addressing a range of psychological and somatic disorders. While its primary effects are mediated by central top–down mechanisms, hypnosis also exerts peripheral influence by modulating the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Psychophysiological measures, such as heart rate (HR) and its variability
-
Association of the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio with 90-Day Functional Outcomes in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-04 Licong Chen, Lulu Zhang, Yidan Li, Quanquan Zhang, Qi Fang, Xiang Tang
The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), an inflammatory marker, plays an important role in the inflammatory mechanisms of the pathophysiology and progression of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The aim of this study was to identify the potential factors associated with functional prognosis in AIS. A total of 303 AIS patients were enrolled in this study; baseline information of each participant, including
-
Using Electroencephalogram-Extracted Nonlinear Complexity and Wavelet-Extracted Power Rhythm Features during the Performance of Demanding Cognitive Tasks (Aristotle’s Syllogisms) in Optimally Classifying Patients with Anorexia Nervosa Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-04 Anna Karavia, Anastasia Papaioannou, Ioannis Michopoulos, Panos C. Papageorgiou, George Papaioannou, Fragiskos Gonidakis, Charalabos C. Papageorgiou
Anorexia nervosa is associated with impaired cognitive flexibility and central coherence, i.e., the ability to provide an overview of complex information. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate EEG features elicited from patients with anorexia nervosa and healthy controls during mental tasks (valid and invalid Aristotelian syllogisms and paradoxes). Particularly, we examined the combination
-
Morphosyntactic Abilities and Cognitive Performance in Multiple Sclerosis Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Panagiotis Grigoriadis, Christos Bakirtzis, Elli Nteli, Marina-Kleopatra Boziki, Maria Kotoumpa, Paschalis Theotokis, Evangelia Kesidou, Stavroula Stavrakaki
While cognitive abilities in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) have been studied in detail, little is known about linguistic abilities in PwMS and their relation to cognitive impairment. In this cross-sectional explorative study, we aim to investigate the morphosyntactic abilities of PwMS alongside their cognitive performance. Furthermore, we explore the effect of clinical factors, namely, the
-
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Multiple Sclerosis Disability: A Prospective Study Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Vitalie Vacaras, Andreea-Cristina Paraschiv, Silvina Iluț, Cristiana Vacaras, Cristina Nistor, Gheorghe-Eduard Marin, Andra Maria Schiopu, Dorian-Traian Nistor, Ștefan Cristian Vesa, Dafin Fior Mureșanu
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating central nervous system disease that leads to neurological disability. Brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNFs) are neurotrophins involved in neurodegenerative disorders. This study analysed the relationship between serum BDNF, neurological disability and different MS treatments. We included 63 people with MS (PwMS), with relapsing-remitting MS or clinically
-
A Systematic Review of the Neurocognitive Effects of Psychedelics in Healthy Populations: Implications for Depressive Disorders and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-03 Mario Renato Velit-Salazar, Paulo R. Shiroma, Eloise Cherian
Objective: This study aims to provide an overview of pharmacological trials that examine the neurocognitive effects of psychedelics among healthy individuals and patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) was used as a guide to structure and report the findings for this review. A literature
-
Stereotactic Electroencephalogram Recordings in Temporal Lobectomy Patients Demonstrates the Predictive Value of Interictal Cross-Frequency Correlations: A Retrospective Study Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-26 Anish Vinay Sathe, Mahdi Alizadeh, Emily Johannan, Christian Raimondo, Michael Sperling, Ashwini Sharan, Michael Kogan
Background: Positive correlations between low- and high-frequency spectra from stereotactic electroencephalogram (SEEG) recordings have been implicated in pathological brain activity interictally and have been used for ictal detection in both focal and network models. Objective: We evaluated SEEG signals in patients who ultimately underwent temporal lobectomy to evaluate their utility in seizure localization
-
Exploring Abnormal Brain Functional Connectivity in Healthy Adults, Depressive Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder through EEG Signals: A Machine Learning Approach for Triple Classification Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Jiaqi Fang, Gang Li, Wanxiu Xu, Wei Liu, Guibin Chen, Yixia Zhu, Youdong Luo, Xiaodong Luo, Bin Zhou
Depressive disorder (DD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), two prominent mental health conditions, are commonly diagnosed using subjective methods such as scales and interviews. Previous research indicated that machine learning (ML) can enhance our understanding of their underlying mechanisms. This study seeks to investigate the mechanisms of DD, GAD, and healthy controls (HC) while constructing
-
Expectancies of the Effects of Cannabis Use in Individuals with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-02 Sonja Elsaid, Ruoyu Wang, Stefan Kloiber, Rebecca Haines-Saah, Ahmed N. Hassan, Bernard Le Foll
Previous research has indicated that anticipating positive effects from cannabis use may be linked with increased frequency of cannabis consumption, yet these expectancies remain poorly understood in adults with social anxiety disorder (SAD). Thus, our study aimed to investigate the expectancies of the effects of cannabis use in 26 frequently using adults with SAD (age: 27.9 ± 7.3 years; 54% female)
-
White Matter Integrity and Motor Function Disruption Due to Traumatic Brain Injury in Piglets: Impacts on Motor-Related Brain Fibers Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-02 Madison M. Fagan, Kelly M. Scheulin, Sydney E. Sneed, Wenwu Sun, Christina B. Welch, Savannah R. Cheek, Erin E. Kaiser, Qun Zhao, Kylee J. Duberstein, Franklin D. West
Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) often induces significant disability in patients, including long-term motor deficits. Early detection of injury severity is key in determining a prognosis and creating appropriate intervention and rehabilitation plans. However, conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, such as T2 Weighted (T2W) sequences, do not reliably assess the extent of microstructural
-
Measurement of Functional Brain Network Connectivity in People with Orthostatic Tremor Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-27 Connor J. Phipps, David Whitney, James Shou, Diego Torres-Russotto, David E. Warren
Orthostatic tremor is a rare movement disorder characterized by a sensation of unsteadiness and leg tremor while standing. It has been hypothesized that the disorder is attributable to dysregulation of a central oscillatory network in the brain. This putative network includes primary motor cortex, supplementary motor area, cerebellum, thalamus, and pontine tegmentum. We studied this brain network by
-
Can Brain Volume-Driven Characteristic Features Predict the Response of Alzheimer’s Patients to Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation? A Pilot Study Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-28 Chandan Saha, Chase R. Figley, Brian Lithgow, Paul B. Fitzgerald, Lisa Koski, Behzad Mansouri, Neda Anssari, Xikui Wang, Zahra Moussavi
This study is a post-hoc examination of baseline MRI data from a clinical trial investigating the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a treatment for patients with mild–moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Herein, we investigated whether the analysis of baseline MRI data could predict the response of patients to rTMS treatment. Whole-brain T1-weighted MRI scans of 75 participants
-
Sensitivity and Specificity of Qualitative Visual Field Tests for Screening Visual Hemifield Deficits in Right-Brain-Damaged Stroke Patients Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Maria De Luca, Fabrizio Zeri, Alessandro Matano, Concetta Di Lorenzo, Maria Paola Ciurli, Martina Mulas, Virginia Pollarini, Stefano Paolucci, Davide Nardo
A timely detection of visual hemifield deficits (VHFDs; hemianopias or quadrantanopias) is critical for both the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients. The present study determined the sensitivity and specificity of four qualitative visual field tests, including face description, confrontation tests (finger wiggle), and kinetic boundary perimetry, to screen large and dense VHFDs in right-brain-damaged
-
Short- and Long-Term Outcomes of an Adventure Therapy Programme on Borderline Personality Disorder: A Pragmatic Controlled Clinical Trial Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Alba Gabarda-Blasco, Aina Elias, Mariona Mendo-Cullell, Laura Arenas-Pijoan, Carles Forné, David Fernandez-Oñate, Laura Bossa, Aurora Torrent, Xavier Gallart-Palau, Iolanda Batalla
Adventure Therapy (AT) is a therapeutic intervention utilizing the natural environment and adventure activities as tools for psychotherapeutic interventions. It has been demonstrated to be appropriate for the intervention of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). This study aims to evaluate the response to AT treatment compared with the response to treatment as usual (TAU), based on cognitive
-
Akkermansia muciniphila Is Beneficial to a Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease, via Alleviated Neuroinflammation and Promoted Neurogenesis, with Involvement of SCFAs Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Chen-Meng Qiao, Wen-Yan Huang, Yu Zhou, Wei Quan, Gu-Yu Niu, Ting Li, Mei-Xuan Zhang, Jian Wu, Li-Ping Zhao, Wei-Jiang Zhao, Chun Cui, Yan-Qin Shen
Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota may represent potential strategies for Parkinson’s disease (PD) treatment. Our previous research revealed a decreased abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila (Akk) in PD mice; however, whether Akk is beneficial to PD is unknown. To answer this question, the mice received MPTP intraperitoneally to construct a subacute model of PD and were then supplemented
-
The Prognostic Role of Candidate Serum Biomarkers in the Post-Acute and Chronic Phases of Disorder of Consciousness: A Preliminary Study Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Rita Formisano, Mariagrazia D’Ippolito, Marco Giustini, Sheila Catani, Stefania Mondello, Iliana Piccolino, Filomena Iannuzzi, Kevin K. Wang, Ronald L. Hayes
Introduction: Serum biomarkers, such as Neurofilament Light (NF-L), Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP), Ubiquitin C-terminal Hydrolase (UCH-L1), and Total-tau (T-Tau) have been proposed for outcome prediction in the acute phase of severe traumatic brain injury, but they have been less investigated in patients with prolonged DoC (p-DoC). Methods: We enrolled 25 p-DoC patients according to the Coma
-
Construction and Analysis of a New Resting-State Whole-Brain Network Model Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Dong Cui, Han Li, Hongyuan Shao, Guanghua Gu, Xiaonan Guo, Xiaoli Li
(1) Background: Mathematical modeling and computer simulation are important methods for understanding complex neural systems. The whole-brain network model can help people understand the neurophysiological mechanisms of brain cognition and functional diseases of the brain. (2) Methods: In this study, we constructed a resting-state whole-brain network model (WBNM) by using the Wendling neural mass model
-
Determinants of the Quality of Life in Patients with Drug-Resistant Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: A Comparison of the Results before and after Surgery Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Aleksandra Bala, Agnieszka Olejnik, Michał Kułak, Andrzej Rysz, Tomasz Dziedzic, Arkadiusz Nowak, Andrzej Marchel, Przemysław Kunert
Drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy is associated with a reduction in the quality of life of patients. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of life before and after the surgical treatment of epilepsy and to assess factors that may affect the well-being of patients after surgery. The study involved 168 patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy. All of them were examined twice:
-
The Associations of Exposome Psychopathology: A Network Analysis in a Non-Clinical Sample Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Maksymilian Rejek, Błażej Misiak
Background: The intricate correlation between environmental exposures and mental health outcomes is increasingly acknowledged in psychiatric research. This study investigated the relationship between cumulative environmental risk factors, as represented by the exposome score (ES), and various domains of psychopathology within a non-clinical sample using a network analysis. Methods: We recruited 1100
-
Oxygen–Glucose Deprivation Increases NR4A1 Expression and Promotes Its Extranuclear Translocation in Mouse Astrocytes Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Kengo Moriyama, Asako Horino, Kuniko Kohyama, Yasumasa Nishito, Tomohiro Morio, Hiroshi Sakuma
Hypoxic–ischemic brain injury induces metabolic dysfunction that ultimately leads to neuronal cell death. Astrocytes, a type of glial cell, play a key role in brain metabolism; however, their response to hypoxic–ischemic brain injury is not fully understood. Microglia were removed from murine primary mixed glial cultures to enrich astrocytes. Next, we explored genes whose expression is altered following
-
Clinical Potential of Transcranial Focused Ultrasound for Neurorehabilitation in Pediatric Cancer Survivors Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-27 Paul VanGilder, Justin Tanner, Kevin R. Krull, Ranganatha Sitaram
Cancer survivors are at a high risk for treatment-related late effects, particularly neurocognitive impairment in the attention and executive function domains. These can be compounded in pediatric populations still undergoing neural development, which has increased interest in survivorship studies and neurorehabilitation approaches to mitigate these effects. Cognitive training regimens have shown promise
-
In Vitro Pharmacological Modulation of PIEZO1 Channels in Frontal Cortex Neuronal Networks Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-27 Pegah Haghighi, Mandee K. Schaub, Adam H. Shebindu, Gayathri Vijayakumar, Armaan Sood, Rafael Granja-Vazquez, Sourav S. Patnaik, Caroline N. Jones, Gregory O. Dussor, Joseph J. Pancrazio
PIEZO1 is a mechanosensitive ion channel expressed in various organs, including but not limited to the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, bone, and skin. PIEZO1 has been implicated in astrocyte, microglia, capillary, and oligodendrocyte signaling in the mammalian cortex. Using murine embryonic frontal cortex tissue, we examined the protein expression and functionality of PIEZO1 channels in cultured networks
-
Recent Advances in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Brain Tumors Brain Sci. (IF 3.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-28 Alberto Delaidelli, Alessandro Moiraghi
Brain tumors represent some of the most aggressive malignancies [...]