Article
Psychology, Clinical
A. J. Culbreth, E. K. Schwartz, M. J. Frank, E. C. Brown, Z. Xu, S. Chen, J. M. Gold, J. A. Waltz
Summary: This study found that patients with schizophrenia show reduced reward-seeking behavior and a bias toward loss avoidance learning. However, there was no significant difference in exploratory behavior between patients and controls. Perceptions of relative uncertainty were associated with activity in the rostrolateral prefrontal cortex.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Xinqi Zhou, Ting Xu, Yixu Zeng, Ran Zhang, Ziyu Qi, Weihua Zhao, Keith M. Kendrick, Benjamin Becker
Summary: Social deficits and dysregulations in dopaminergic midbrain-striato-frontal circuits are common symptoms across psychiatric disorders. The present study investigated the effects of the AT1R antagonist losartan on social reward and punishment processing in humans. The findings suggest that losartan modulates approach-avoidance motivation and emotional salience during social punishment versus social reward by influencing the core nodes of the midbrain-striato-frontal circuits.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Merridee J. Lefner, Alexa P. Magnon, James M. Gutierrez, Matthew R. Lopez, Matthew J. Wanat
Summary: This study investigates the impact of temporal delays on reward preference by examining rats' preference for different flavored rewards during a free-feeding test, finding that temporal delays enhance preference for initially less desirable rewards.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Jason Smucny, Laura M. Tully, Amber M. Howell, Tyler A. Lesh, Sheri L. Johnson, Randall C. O'Reilly, Michael J. Minzenberg, Stefan Ursu, Jong H. Yoon, Tara A. Niendam, J. Daniel Ragland, Cameron S. Carter
Summary: The study found that individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder exhibit opposite patterns of activation during reward anticipation, but show no significant differences during reward receipt.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cathy S. Chen, R. Becket Ebitz, Sylvia R. Bindas, A. David Redish, Benjamin Y. Hayden, Nicola M. Grissom
Summary: In value-based decision-making tasks, individuals may make decisions based on the feature dimension that reward probabilities vary on. However, in complex, multidimensional environments, stimuli can vary on multiple dimensions simultaneously, making it unclear which feature deserves the most credit for outcomes. This study found that sex was associated with divergent strategies for sampling and learning about the world in mice, with female mice acquiring correct image-value associations more quickly than males.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laurens Winkelmeier, Carla Filosa, Renee Hartig, Max Scheller, Markus Sack, Jonathan R. Reinwald, Robert Becker, David Wolf, Martin Fungisai Gerchen, Alexander Sartorius, Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, Wolfgang Weber-Fahr, Christian Clemm von Hohenberg, Eleonora Russo, Wolfgang Kelsch
Summary: The authors used a hierarchical approach to investigate brain mechanisms for history informed updating of future predictions. Through behavioral modeling, systems fMRI, and cellular coding, they identified the circuits responsible for cognition and revealed the contributions of different brain areas in olfactory reinforcement learning. The findings validate the use of a cross-scale approach in understanding higher cognitive functions in rodents.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Johannes W. de Jong, Kurt M. Fraser, Stephan Lammel
Summary: Ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons encode reward prediction errors, but their release in the nucleus accumbens is involved in reinforcement learning, motivation, aversion, and incentive salience. The contrast between the homogeneous role of dopamine neuron activity and the heterogeneous functions of dopamine release raises questions about how VTA dopamine activity translates into NAc dopamine release.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Simon Desch, Petra Schweinhardt, Ben Seymour, Herta Flor, Susanne Becker, Markus Ploner
Summary: Active decision-making and unpredictability enhance the perception of pain relief, and this effect is more pronounced in individuals with high novelty-seeking traits. Dopaminergic signaling plays a key role in modulating the perception of pain relief, while the effect of opioidergic manipulation is not significant.
Review
Behavioral Sciences
John G. Howland, Rutsuko Ito, Christopher C. Lapish, Franz R. Villaruel
Summary: Emerging evidence suggests that the rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a crucial role in adapting behavior to changing information. The mPFC subregions, such as the dorsal and ventral mPFC, have specific functions in regulating action control and translating affective signals. However, these subregions also interact and influence each other in the modulation of adaptive behavior.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Min Liu, Shouhong Mu, Weikai Han, Xu Tan, E. Liu, Zhaofang Hang, Shaowei Zhu, Qingwei Yue, Jinhao Sun
Summary: The study demonstrated that methamphetamine (MA) increases c-Fos expression and synaptic plasticity in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and dorsal striatum (DS). MA activates projection neurons from the OFC to the DS and affects conditioned place preference (CPP) scores. The study also showed that DA release in the OFC is increased in the MA group, and D1R neurons in the OFC-DS pathway play a role in MA addiction.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Anesthesiology
Laura Sirucek, Rebecca Christine Price, Wiebke Gandhi, Marie-Eve Hoeppli, Emma Fahey, Annie Qu, Susanne Becker, Petra Schweinhardt
Summary: Endogenous opioids mediate the pleasurable responses to positively reinforcing stimuli such as palatable food, and are also involved in the pleasant feeling evoked by pain relief. The use of an endogenous opioid antagonist, naltrexone, decreases the pleasantness of pain relief, indicating that endogenous opioids play a role in mediating the rewarding nature of pain relief in humans.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Albert J. Fenoy, Paul E. Schulz, Marsal Sanches, Sudhakar Selvaraj, Christina L. Burrows, Bashar Asir, Christopher R. Conner, Joao Quevedo, Jair C. Soares
Summary: This study demonstrates that deep brain stimulation to the superolateral branch of the medial forebrain bundle is an effective therapy for treatment resistant depression, with sustained antidepressant effects observed for up to 5 years. Evaluation of modulated fiber tracts reveals significant prefrontal/orbitofrontal connectivity to the target region in all responders.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Olivier Rampin, Audrey Saint Albin Deliot, Christian Ouali, Jasmine Burguet, Elisa Gry, Gaelle Champeil Potokar, Nathalie Jerome, Olga Davidenko, Nicolas Darcel, Vincent Bombail, Philippe Andrey, Isabelle Denis
Summary: Food odour coding is crucial for food intake, and dopamine plays a regulatory role in food odour information processing in the ventral striatum.
Article
Neurosciences
Jesus Pujol, Laura Blanco-Hinojo, Gerard Martinez-Vilavella, Joan Deus, Victor Perez-Sola, Jordi Sunyer
Summary: The study found that childhood obesity may be associated with functional alterations in the brain's reward system, leading to behavioral control disorders. Obese children showed weaker connectivity in the reward system and structural changes similar to those seen in obsessive-compulsive disorder and Prader-Willi syndrome.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Judith Gruber, Ruth Hanssen, Mishal Qubad, Aicha Bouzouina, Vivi Schack, Hannah Sochor, Carmen Schiweck, Mareike Aichholzer, Silke Matura, David A. Slattery, Yurdaguel Zopf, Stephanie L. Borgland, Andreas Reif, Sharmili Edwin Thanarajah
Summary: Type 2 diabetes and major depressive disorder (MDD) are highly comorbid and leading causes of disability. This review discusses the potential molecular mechanisms underlying their association by examining the effects of insulin on dopaminergic signaling and behavior in the brain. It also explores the impact of insulin resistance on depressive symptoms and anhedonia, and its relevance for treatment strategies.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Luana Nyiro, Tobias Potthoff, Mette Hobaek Siegenthaler, Fabienne Riner, Petra Schweinhardt, Brigitte Wirth
Summary: This study validated the German version of the Young Spine Questionnaire (G-YSQ) in children and adolescents, showing good construct validity and test-retest reliability, while indicating a need for improvement in responsiveness.
Article
Anesthesiology
Xaver Fuchs, Martin Diers, Joerg Trojan, Pinar Kirsch, Christopher Milde, Robin Bekrater-Bodmann, Mariela Rance, Jens Foell, Jamila Andoh, Susanne Becker, Herta Flor
Summary: The mechanisms underlying chronic phantom limb pain (PLP) are complicated and not fully understood. This study found that PLP intensity is associated with lower heat pain thresholds, especially in the face, which may be related to central nervous system changes in PLP.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PAIN
(2022)
Article
Anesthesiology
Wiebke Gandhi, Cecile C. de Vos, Susanne Becker, Richard D. Hoge, Marie-Eve Hoeppli, Petra Schweinhardt
Summary: The motivational aspects of pain avoidance are understudied in humans, but the patterns of neural activation associated with altered pain avoidance in patients with migraine suggest a link to individual pain coping capacity.
Article
Anesthesiology
David Guillen, Alexandros Guekos, Nadia Graf, Barry Kim Humphreys, Cynthia Peterson, Petra Schweinhardt
Summary: In this large dataset of neck pain patients, pain duration was not found to be an important predictor of treatment outcome. These findings may have implications for the interaction between healthcare professionals and chronic patients.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PAIN
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Martin Diers, Bertram Krumm, Xaver Fuchs, Robin Bekrater-Bodmann, Christopher Milde, Joerg Trojan, Jens Foell, Susanne Becker, Gerhard Ruemenapf, Herta Flor
Summary: This study examined the prevalence of phantom limb pain in amputees and identified different factors associated with phantom limb pain and residual limb pain. Clinical/demographic variables and perceptual variables were found to be major contributors to phantom limb pain.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anke Langenfeld, Brigitte Wirth, Andrea Scherer-Vrana, Fabienne Riner, Kyra Gaehwiler, Paola Valdivieso, B. Kim Humphreys, Felix Scholkmann, Martin Flueck, Petra Schweinhardt
Summary: The aim of this study was to compare back muscle oxygenation and perfusion as well as muscle endurance in chronic non-specific low back pain patients and asymptomatic controls, and to investigate factors associated with muscle endurance. The study found differences between the two groups in muscle endurance, pain intensity, and subcutaneous tissue thickness, but not in muscle oxygenation and perfusion. Physical activity and BMI were associated with muscle endurance.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Review
Anesthesiology
Laura Sirucek, Robert Philip Ganley, Hanns Ulrich Zeilhofer, Petra Schweinhardt
Article
Clinical Neurology
A. Guekos, A. C. Grata, M. Hubli, M. Schubert, P. Schweinhardt
Summary: This study aimed to replicate a published study and assess the nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) response to painful heat. The results showed that tonic heat did not influence NWR magnitude, but different stimulation methods affected NWR response rates.
CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anesthesiology
Robin Lutolf, Iara De Schoenmacker, Jan Rosner, Laura Sirucek, Petra Schweinhardt, Armin Curt, Michele Hubli
Summary: This study investigated central sensitization in patients with chronic neuropathic pain by using conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and temporal summation of pain (TSP). The results showed that the measures of CPM and TSP were related to the intensity of spontaneous pain, but did not differ between patients and healthy controls.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PAIN
(2022)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Gil Sharvit, Petra Schweinhardt
Summary: This review discusses recent neuroimaging studies that measure the effects of social manipulations on pain perception. It focuses on the social influences of pain and the neurobiological mechanisms underlying social modulations on pain. The findings highlight the important role of social factors in pain processing and perception.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Simon Desch, Petra Schweinhardt, Ben Seymour, Herta Flor, Susanne Becker, Markus Ploner
Summary: Active decision-making and unpredictability enhance the perception of pain relief, and this effect is more pronounced in individuals with high novelty-seeking traits. Dopaminergic signaling plays a key role in modulating the perception of pain relief, while the effect of opioidergic manipulation is not significant.
Article
Anesthesiology
Brigitte Wirth, Petra Schweinhardt
Summary: Non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) is a multidimensional biopsychosocial condition that requires assessment and prioritization of multiple contributing dimensions. Personalized management involves assessing pain mechanisms, psychosocial factors, and comorbidities, and choosing appropriate treatment modalities and plans. In research, accurate patient characterization and inclusion of patient-relevant outcomes are important.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PAIN
(2023)
Editorial Material
Anesthesiology
Gisele Pickering, Mary O'Keeffe, Kirsty Bannister, Susanne Becker, Sonia Cottom, Felicia J. Cox, Elon Eisenberg, David P. Finn, Thomas Graven-Nielsen, Mira Meeus, Andre Mouraux, Thomas Toelle, Luis Garcia-Larrea, Brona M. Fullen
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PAIN
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Alexandros Guekos, David M. Cole, Monika Dorig, Philipp Stampfli, Louis Schibli, Philipp Schuetz, Petra Schweinhardt, Michael L. Meier
Summary: Cortical reorganization and its potential pathological significance in chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients are increasingly studied. This study aimed to investigate the sensory organization of the healthy back before exploring potential sensory map reorganization. Using a novel pneumatic vibrotactile stimulation method, the cortical representations of paraspinal sensory afferents were studied in detail. The results showed that brain activity patterns in different areas of sensorimotor cortices process sensory input from the back in a dermatomalmanner. These findings provide a basis for testing the cortical map reorganization theory and its relevance in CLBP.
Article
Neurosciences
Song Xue, Feng Kong, Yiying Song, Jia Liu
Summary: This study used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the relationship between individual's spontaneous neural activity and social interaction anxiety in a nonclinical population. The results showed that social interaction anxiety was correlated with the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in several brain regions, and that emotional intelligence partially mediated this relationship. This study provides evidence for the neural basis of social interaction anxiety in the normal population and highlights the role of emotional intelligence in this anxiety.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Katsuyuki Yamaguchi, Takuya Yazawa
Summary: This study provides morphometric data on the development of the human medullary arcuate nucleus (AN) by examining the brains of preterm and perinatal infants. The results show that AN morphology demonstrates asymmetry and individual variability during the fetal period. The volume and neuronal number of AN increase exponentially with age, while neuronal density decreases exponentially. The AN may undergo neuron death and neuroblasts production after mid-gestation.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Zhan Zhou, Weixin Dai, Tianxiao Liu, Min Shi, Yi Wei, Lifei Chen, Yubo Xie
Summary: Studies have shown that propofol-induced neurotoxicity is caused by disruption of mitochondrial fission and fusion, leading to an energy supply imbalance for developing neurons. Healthy mitochondria released by astrocytes can migrate to compromised neurons to mitigate propofol-induced neurotoxicity, but the exact mechanisms involved still need further clarification.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
An Chen, Song Hao, Yongpeng Han, Yang Fang, Yibei Miao
Summary: This study explores the efficacy of two forms of BCI attention training games and finds that physical games may be more effective than video games. The research also offers valuable insights for future game design from a neuroscience perspective.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Lina Liu, Luran Liu, Yunting Lu, Tianyuan Zhang, Wenting Zhao
Summary: This study reveals that GDI1 serves as a potential diagnostic biomarker for AD and inhibition of GDI1 can attenuate Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. The findings offer new insights for the treatment of AD.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Zahra Gholami, Ava Soltani Hekmat, Ali Abbasi, Kazem Javanmardi
Summary: This study investigated the effects of alamandine on allodynia in a rat model and found the presence of MrgD receptors in the vlPAG and RVM regions. Microinjection of alamandine resulted in a significant increase in paw withdrawal threshold and could be blocked by an MrgD receptor antagonist. Upregulation of MrgD receptor expression following allodynia induction suggests a potential compensatory mechanism in response to pain.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Mingliang Xu, Lei Xia, Junjie Li, Yehong Du, Zhifang Dong
Summary: This study found that DHF effectively alleviates sevoflurane-induced cognitive impairment in developing mice by restoring the balance between tau O-GlcNAcylation and phosphorylation. Therefore, DHF has the potential to be a therapeutic agent for treating cognitive impairment associated with anesthetics, such as sevoflurane.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Tsubasa Mitsutake, Hisato Nakazono, Takanori Taniguchi, Hisayoshi Yoshizuka, Maiko Sakamoto
Summary: The posterior parietal cortex plays a crucial role in postural stability, and transcranial electrical stimulation of this region can modulate physical control responses. This study found that cathodal stimulation significantly decreased joint angular velocity in multiple directions, while there were no significant differences with transcranial random noise stimulation.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Xishuai Yang, Wei Zhang, Xueli Chang, Zuopeng Li, Runquan Du, Junhong Guo
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of low-dose rituximab (RTX) in patients with muscle-specific kinase antibody positive myasthenia gravis (MuSK-MG). The results showed that low-dose RTX treatment led to significant improvements in clinical symptoms and quality of life for patients with MuSK-MG.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Jian Zhang, Shunyuan Guo, Rong Tao, Fan Wang, Yihong Xie, Huizi Wang, Lan Ding, Yuejian Shen, Xiaoli Zhou, Junli Feng, Qing Shen
Summary: This study established an Alzheimer's disease (AD) model of zebrafish induced by AlCl3 and found that marine-derived plasmalogens (Pls) could alleviate cognitive impairments of AD zebrafish by reversing athletic impairment and altering the expression levels of genes related to oxidative stress, ferroptosis, synaptic dysfunction, and apoptosis.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Lu Li, Jiaqi Ren, Qi Fang, Liqiang Yu, Jintao Wang
Summary: ICU-AW is a common and severe neuromuscular complication in critically ill patients. Electrophysiological examination is essential for accurate diagnosis and early prediction of the disease. This study aimed to establish and validate an ICU-AW predictive model in SIRS patients, providing a practical tool for early clinical prediction.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Ahmad Alipour, Roghayeh Mohammadi
Summary: The present study aimed to investigate the separate and combined effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the primary motor cortex (M1) and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F3) regions on pain relief in patients with type-2 diabetes suffering from neuropathic pain (NP). The results showed that tDCS had the potential to induce pain relief in patients with type-2 diabetes suffering from NP. The mean perceived pain intensity in the posttest was lower in the M1 stimulation group than in the F3 stimulation group. However, more trials with larger sample sizes are necessary to define clinically relevant effects.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Eduardo J. Fusse, Franciele F. Scarante, Maria A. Vicente, Mariana M. Marrubia, Flavia Turcato, Davi S. Scomparin, Melissa A. Ribeiro, Maria J. Figueiredo, Tamires A. V. Brigante, Francisco S. Guimaraes, Alline C. Campos
Summary: Repeated exposure to psychosocial stress alters the endocannabinoid system and affects brain regions associated with emotional distress. Enhancing the effects of endocannabinoids through pharmacological inhibition induces an anti-stress behavioral effect, possibly mediated by the mTOR signaling pathway.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Giulia Agostoni, Luca Bischetti, Federica Repaci, Margherita Bechi, Marco Spangaro, Irene Ceccato, Elena Cavallini, Luca Fiorentino, Francesca Martini, Jacopo Sapienza, Mariachiara Buonocore, Michele Francesco D'Incalci, Federica Cocchi, Carmelo Guglielmino, Roberto Cavallaro, Marta Bosia, Valentina Bambini
Summary: This study found a general impairment in humor comprehension in individuals with schizophrenia, with mental jokes being more difficult for both patients and controls. Humor comprehension was closely associated with the patients' overall pragmatic and linguistic profile, while the association with Theory of Mind (ToM) was minimal. Another notable finding was the increased appreciation of humor in individuals with schizophrenia, who rated jokes as funnier than controls did, regardless of whether they were correctly or incorrectly completed. The funniness ratings were not predicted by any measure, suggesting a dimension of humor untied to cognition or psychopathology.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Neurosciences
Xiuping Gong, Qi Li, Yang Liu
Summary: This study demonstrates that Sev targets CREBBP to inhibit ALG13 transcription, leading to hippocampal damage and cognitive impairment.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)