Article
Clinical Neurology
Mohd Faizal Mohd Zulkifly, Ornela Merkohitaj, Juergen Brockmoeller, Walter Paulus
Summary: The study investigated the impact of caffeine on brain plasticity and found that it increased motor cortex excitability in caffeine-naive subjects, enhanced PAS 25 effects, and affected alertness and motor evoked potentials under light deprivation. Time of day had no effect on tACS-induced plasticity in caffeine consumers.
CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Andrea Casarotto, Elisa Dolfini, Luciano Fadiga, Giacomo Koch, Alessandro D'Ausilio
Summary: This study investigated the role of the PMv-M1 functional connectivity in driving grasping actions, and found that PMv-M1 cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (cc-PAS) specifically modulated precision grip but not power grip. These findings suggest an important role of the PMv-M1 functional connectivity in the neural mechanisms underlying grasping actions.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Yan-Fang Sui, Liang-Qian Tong, Xiang-Yu Zhang, Zhen-Hua Song, Tie-Cheng Guo
Summary: This study investigated the effects of PAS with different stimulation positions on patients with cerebral infarction, and found that bilateral stimulation group had the best outcomes. PAS stimulation on the contralesional or ipsilesional side can change the excitability of the motor cortex, affecting the recovery of upper limb function.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Shane M. Fresnoza, Giorgi Batsikadze, Lynn Elena Mueller, Constanze Rost, Michael Chamoun, Walter Paulus, Min-Fang Kuo, Michael A. Nitsche
Summary: Dopamine plays a crucial role in neuroplasticity and has dosage-dependent effects on motor cortex plasticity. Different dosages of dopamine precursor such as L-DOPA can either impair, abolish, preserve, or reverse plasticity in healthy individuals. Similarly, selective D1-like and D2-like receptor activation has excitatory and inhibitory effects on plasticity. However, the effects of nonselective dopamine agonists like apomorphine on plasticity have not been extensively explored in humans.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Petyo Nikolov, Thomas J. Baumgarten, Shady S. Hassan, Sarah N. Meissner, Nur-Deniz Fuellenbach, Gerald Kircheis, Dieter Haessinger, Markus S. Joerdens, Markus Butz, Alfons Schnitzler, Stefan J. Groiss
Summary: The study revealed reduced synaptic plasticity of the primary motor cortex in patients with hepatic encephalopathy (HE), likely caused by disturbances in glutamatergic neurotransmission due to hyperammonemia in HE patients. This decrease in synaptic plasticity may provide a link between molecular level changes and early clinical symptoms of the disease.
CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Ryoki Sasaki, Wei-Yeh Liao, George M. Opie, John G. Semmler
Summary: Repetitive paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation can enhance the plasticity of the primary motor cortex. The orientation of the TMS coil and muscle activation can affect the activity of I-waves, but their influence on M1 plasticity with iTMS is still unclear.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Asha Kishore, Praveen James, Traian Popa, Arun Thejaus, Parvathy Rajeswari, Gangadhara Sarma, Syam Krishnan, Sabine Meunier
Summary: The study showed that cerebellar stimulation can modulate the plastic response to PAS, and the M1 response of Non-Responders to PAS can be restored after cerebellar stimulation. This suggests that individual responses to plastic modulation may be influenced by the cerebellar neural system.
CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Markus Pohjonen, Anna-Lena Nyman, Erika Kirveskari, Jari Arokoski, Anastasia Shulga
Summary: High-frequency peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) paired with paired associative stimulation (PAS) can enhance motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitude and improve muscle activity and independence in incomplete spinal cord injury patients. The intensity of PNS affects the outcome of PAS, with PNS intensity lower than baseline producing significant MEP potentiation.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sonia Turrini, Francesca Fiori, Emilio Chiappini, Emiliano Santarnecchi, Vincenzo Romei, Alessio Avenanti
Summary: Cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (ccPAS) is an effective method for inducing associative plasticity in the brain. This study investigated the physiological changes during ccPAS administration and found both facilitatory and inhibitory effects. Monitoring motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) online could provide insights into the effectiveness of the protocol.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Akira Yamashita, Takenobu Murakami, Noriaki Hattori, Ichiro Miyai, Yoshikazu Ugawa
Summary: The study demonstrated that PCMS with supramaximal PNS intensity increased CMEP amplitude, and its facilitatory effect was greater than those of weaker PNS intensities for PCMS. Sham TMS with supramaximal PNS showed no changes in CMEP after intervention. The PNS intensity influences the magnitude of synaptic plasticity induction between CSTs and SMs at the spinal level, with supramaximal intensity being the most effective for inducing long-term potentiation-like effects.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Giacomo Guidali, Michela Picardi, Chiara Gramegna, Nadia Bolognini
Summary: Mirror PAS (m-PAS) can induce a new, atypical pattern of cortico-spinal excitability by repeatedly pairing TMS pulses and visual stimuli depicting finger movements. This technique can drive new associations between action perception and motor programs, which can be measured both at a neurophysiological and behavioral level.
Article
Neurosciences
Richy Yun, Andrew R. Bogaard, Andrew G. Richardson, Stavros Zanos, Steve I. Perlmutter, Eberhard E. Fetz
Summary: Cortical stimulation can cause excitability changes in both hemispheres, showing potential for clinical rehabilitation of motor function. The effects of delivering CS during different phases of contralateral and ipsilateral limb movement were investigated, with results suggesting that changes in interhemispheric coherence may be indicative of interhemispheric communication.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hisato Nakazono, Katsuya Ogata, Akinori Takeda, Emi Yamada, Shinichiro Oka, Shozo Tobimatsu
Summary: The study demonstrated that by modulating the phase of tACS and rPPS, the cross-synaptic efficacy induced by rPPS could be enhanced, with a stable increase in single-pulse MEPs observed particularly in the peak condition of beta tACS.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Samantha N. Sallie, Saurabh Sonkusare, Alekhya Mandali, Violeta Casero, Hailun Cui, Natalie V. Guzman, Michael Allison, Valerie Voon
Summary: Response inhibition is impaired in neuropsychiatric disorders, including addiction. Cortical paired associative stimulation can enhance response inhibition performance in healthy individuals. However, this effect is not observed in chronic alcohol users.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Sonia Turrini, Francesca Fiori, Emilio Chiappini, Boris Lucero, Emiliano Santarnecchi, Alessio Avenanti
Summary: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies have shown that cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (ccPAS) can strengthen connectivity between the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and the primary motor cortex (M1) by modulating convergent input over M1 via Hebbian spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP). The authors tested 60 right-handed young healthy humans using dual coil TMS and ccPAS over the left PMv and M1 to probe and manipulate PMv-to-M1 connectivity, and found that ccPAS acts locally over M1 by gradually increasing motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) induced by paired PMv-M1 stimulation. Moreover, ccPAS reduced the magnitude of short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) without affecting intracortical facilitation (ICF), highlighting the physiological basis of ccPAS.
Article
Neurosciences
Karolina Armonaite, Lino Nobili, Luca Paulon, Marco Balsi, Livio Conti, Franca Tecchio
Summary: This study investigates the changes in local neurodynamics during different sleep stages and wakefulness. The results suggest that despite the reduced complexity of neurodynamics during sleep, the relationships between local neurodynamics remain consistent across different sleep stages.
Article
Neurosciences
Rachel L. Kember, Emily E. Hartwell, Heng Xu, James Rotenberg, Laura Almasy, Hang Zhou, Joel Gelernter, Henry R. Kranzler
Summary: The study found that genetic pleiotropy is a factor in the co-occurrence of substance use disorders (SUDs) with other psychiatric disorders and SUDs. Polygenic risk scores were used to evaluate the genetic pleiotropic effects of 4 major substance-related traits. The results showed that in individuals of African ancestry, genetic risk scores for SUDs were associated with their respective primary DSM diagnoses, while in individuals of European ancestry, genetic risk scores for SUDs were associated with multiple substance-related phenotypes.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Linh M. Duong, Alice B. S. Nono Djotsa, Jacqueline Vahey, Lea Steele, Rachel Quaden, Kelly M. Harrington, Sarah T. Ahmed, Renato Polimanti, Elani Streja, John Michael Gaziano, John Concato, Hongyu Zhao, Krishnan Radhakrishnan, Elizabeth R. Hauser, Drew A. Helmer, Mihaela Aslan, Elizabeth J. Gifford
Summary: The study found that Gulf War Illness (GWI) is highly prevalent among veterans deployed to the 1990-1991 Gulf War, presenting as a chronic multisymptom illness with a complex and uncertain etiology and pathophysiology. The study also revealed that GWI phenotypes varied by demographic and military characteristics.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Franca Tecchio, Federica Giambattistelli, Camillo Porcaro, Carlo Cottone, Tuomas P. Mutanen, Vittorio Pizzella, Laura Marzetti, Risto J. Ilmoniemi, Fabrizio Vernieri, Paolo Maria Rossini
Summary: Stroke is a major cause of disability due to its motor and cognitive effects. It is crucial to understand the changes in the brain during the early stages of stroke in order to target rehabilitation procedures effectively. This study investigated the excitability properties of the primary motor cortex in stroke patients and found relevant changes in both TMS-evoked potentials and motor-evoked responses. The results suggest an overexcitable lesioned hemisphere in the acute phase, which may affect intracortical inhibitory networks and hinder recovery from stroke sequelae.
Article
Substance Abuse
Henry R. R. Kranzler, Richard Feinn, Heng Xu, Brendan L. L. Ho, Divya Saini, Olivia R. R. Nicastro, Anya Jacoby, Sylvanus Toikumo, Joel Gelernter, Emily E. E. Hartwell, Rachel L. L. Kember
Summary: This study investigated the impact of genetic risk for substance use disorders (SUDs) on the onset and progression of substance use. The results showed that European-ancestry individuals and males had an earlier onset and quicker progression of substance use, and the polygenic risk scores (PRSs) had predictive value for substance use milestones and symptom progression. In African-ancestry individuals, PRSs also predicted some substance use milestones, albeit to a lesser extent due to a smaller discovery sample.
Article
Substance Abuse
Heng Xu, Sylvanus Toikumo, Richard C. Crist, Klaudia Glogowska, Zeal Jinwala, Joseph D. Deak, Amy C. Justice, Joel Gelernter, Emma C. Johnson, Henry R. Kranzler, Rachel L. Kember
Summary: This study used multi-trait analysis to identify novel loci associated with substance use disorders in European and African populations. The results showed that multi-trait analysis can improve the genetic modeling of substance use traits and uncover genes that were not previously linked to substance use. Additionally, it enhanced the effectiveness of polygenic risk scores.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Sarah M. C. Colbert, Frank R. Wendt, Gita A. Pathak, Drew A. Helmer, Elizabeth R. Hauser, Matthew C. Keller, Renato Polimanti, Emma C. Johnson
Summary: Previous studies have suggested that autozygosity decreases over generational time. However, these studies had small samples and lacked diversity, limiting the generalizability of their findings. This study utilized large cohorts of diverse ancestries from the US and the UK to partially support the hypothesis. The results showed a decreasing trend of autozygosity over time, with differences observed between countries and the potential influence of socioeconomic factors.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Substance Abuse
Peter J. Na, Janitza Montalvo-Ortiz, Ismene Petrakis, John H. Krystal, Renato Polimanti, Joel Gelernter, Robert H. Pietrzak
Summary: This study examined the nature and predictors of alcohol consumption in US veterans over a 10-year period. The findings showed that over one in four US veterans consumed alcohol at an at-risk-to-excessive level. Younger age, lower agreeableness and conscientiousness, greater dysphoric arousal symptoms, and not being engaged in mental health treatment were identified as risk factors for chronic at-risk-to-excessive alcohol consumption in veterans.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
David A. A. Baranger, Alexander S. Hatoum, Renato Polimanti, Joel Gelernter, Howard J. Edenberg, Ryan Bogdan, Arpana Agrawal
Summary: The integration of multi-omics information can be useful for interpreting findings from GWAS, but it does not reliably increase novel gene discovery in brain-related GWAS.
GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rosanna Squitti, Claudio Catalli, Laura Gigante, Massimo Marianetti, Mattia Rosari, Stefania Mariani, Serena Bucossi, Gioia Mastromoro, Mariacarla Ventriglia, Ilaria Simonelli, Vincenzo Tondolo, Parminder Singh, Ashok Kumar, Amit Pal, Mauro Rongioletti
Summary: Alzheimer's disease (AD), a type of dementia, has an unclear cause. A meta-analysis confirmed the involvement of copper (Cu) in AD, showing decreased Cu levels in AD brain specimens and increased Cu levels in serum/plasma samples. Non-bound ceruloplasmin Cu (non-Cp Cu) was proposed as a biomarker for a Cu subtype of AD (CuAD subtype). Evaluating non-Cp Cu reliability in classifying AD subtypes based on cognitive profiles confirmed its significance and identified potential therapeutic options.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Massimo Bertoli, Angela Tataranni, Susanna Porziani, Patrizio Pasqualetti, Eugenia Gianni, Joy Grifoni, Teresa L'Abbate, Karolina Armonaite, Livio Conti, Andrea Cancelli, Carlo Cottone, Franco Marinozzi, Fabiano Bini, Federico Cecconi, Franca Tecchio
Summary: This study tested the effectiveness of a fatigue relief treatment in multiple sclerosis patients by modulating the cortical motor circuitry. The treatment led to positive effects on fatigue symptoms and altered the symmetry of the brain's hemispheres. This research provides new insights into the mechanisms of neuronal functional patterning.
Article
Neurosciences
Maria Rita Pagliara, Federico Cecconi, Patrizio Pasqualetti, Massimo Bertoli, Karolina Armonaite, Eugenia Gianni, Joy Grifoni, Teresa L'Abbate, Franco Marinozzi, Livio Conti, Luca Paulon, Antonino Uncini, Filippo Zappasodi, Franca Tecchio
Summary: This study investigates the homology of the corticospinal tracts (CSTs) between the dominant and non-dominant hemi-bodies, with a focus on brain functionality and neuronal projections' integrity. The Frechet distance between the morphologies of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) is used as an indicator of CST homology. The results indicate that the intra-side Frechet distance is higher for the dominant side compared to the non-dominant side.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Miguel Tabanez, Ilma R. Santos, Juliane M. Ikebara, Mariana L. M. Camargo, Bianca A. Dos Santos, Bruna M. Freire, Bruno L. Batista, Silvia H. Takada, Rosanna Squitti, Alexandre H. Kihara, Giselle Cerchiaro
Summary: As people age, they become more susceptible to neurodegenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease. This study found that the antioxidant hydroxytyrosol can regulate metal levels and improve learning performance in a rat model of AD.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Joy Grifoni, Marco Pagani, Giada Persichilli, Massimo Bertoli, Maria Gabriela Bevacqua, Teresa L'Abbate, Ilaria Flamini, Alfredo Brancucci, Luca Cerniglia, Luca Paulon, Franca Tecchio
Summary: According to the WHO, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an elective therapy for people with PTSD. This pilot study assessed the feasibility, safety, acceptance, and efficacy of EMDR enriched with sound stimulation and musical reward. Results showed that EMDR+ is a relevant personalization of EMDR, particularly for music-sensitive individuals, consolidating the therapeutic alliance for trauma treatment through multisensory communication.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Brendan Stiltner, Robert H. Pietrzak, Daniel S. Tylee, Yaira Z. Nunez, Keyrun Adhikari, Henry R. Kranzler, Joel Gelernter, Renato Polimanti
Summary: A latent class analysis identified three polysubstance addiction (PSA) subgroups among individuals with cocaine use disorder (CoUD), demonstrating differences in age, sex, and racial-ethnic distribution. The high PSA subgroup of CoUD was associated with increased risk of various comorbidities including antisocial personality disorder, agoraphobia, mixed bipolar episode, posttraumatic stress disorder, antidepressant medication use, and sexually transmitted diseases.
