Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jerome Ribot, Rachel Breton, Charles-Felix Calvo, Julien Moulard, Pascal Ezan, Jonathan Zapata, Kevin Samama, Matthieu Moreau, Alexis-Pierre Bemelmans, Valentin Sabatet, Florent Dingli, Damarys Loew, Chantal Milleret, Pierre Billuart, Glenn Dallerac, Nathalie Rouach
Summary: This study found that astrocytes control critical-period closure in the mouse visual cortex, involving regulation of the extracellular matrix to promote interneuron maturation. Unconventional astrocyte connexin signaling inhibits the expression of extracellular matrix-degrading enzyme MMP9 through a pathway involving RhoA-GTPase activation. Astrocytes are not only involved in influencing the activity of single synapses, but are also key elements in the experience-dependent wiring of brain circuits.
Article
Cell Biology
John Hageter, Jacob Starkey, Eric J. Horstick
Summary: Using larval zebrafish as a model, this study explores how visual experience affects the functionality of thalamic neurons and their role in critical period timing. The findings demonstrate the complexity of visual plasticity and emphasize the importance of inhibitory signaling in establishing critical period.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Maria I. Perica, Beatriz Luna
Summary: Adolescence is a critical period of neurocognitive development, with prolonged maturation of the prefrontal cortex and improvements in executive function. Stress experienced during adolescence can affect critical period plasticity mechanisms and cognitive outcomes, with acute stress enhancing cognition and excitatory processes in specific contexts, while chronic stress dampening excitatory and inhibitory processes and impairing cognition.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Na Li, Qiong Liu, Yimu Zhang, Zhongyi Yang, Xuefeng Shi, Yu Gu
Summary: In mouse dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), a critical period for ocular dominance (OD) plasticity has been identified from eye opening to puberty. There is an innate process of OD formation from contralateral to equal bias in dLGN binocular neurons. Inactivation of primary visual cortex (V1) has different effects on OD bias and plasticity in dLGN, with short-term inactivation reversing the formation of equal OD bias and long-term inactivation retaining dLGN development to an immature stage.
Article
Biology
Ming-fai Fong, Kevin R. Duffy, Madison P. Leet, Christian T. Candler, Mark F. Bear
Summary: Research has shown that temporary inactivation of the non-deprived eye is sufficient to promote full recovery from amblyopia in older patients, indicating that eye connections have plasticity beyond the critical period.
Article
Neurosciences
Yeri J. Song, Bo Xing, Aaron J. Barbour, Chengwen Zhou, Frances E. Jensen
Summary: This study found alterations in GABA(A) receptor-mediated inhibitory synaptic transmission in Fragile X syndrome models, affecting the maturation of E-I circuitry and synaptic plasticity, leading to impaired critical period and auditory deficits in the auditory cortex.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Thomas C. Brown, Aaron W. McGee
Summary: Abnormal visual experience during developmental critical period degrades cortical responsiveness. Monocular deprivation (MD) during this period affects the tuning of responsive neurons and alters the composition of visual circuitry. MD reduced the number of contralateral neurons and increased the number of ipsilateral neurons, impaired matching of preferred orientation for binocular neurons, and decreased the percentage of neurons responsive to spatial frequencies for the deprived eye.
Article
Neurosciences
Yoshi-Taka Matsuda, Hiroyuki Miyamoto, Rolf H. Joho, Takao K. Hensch
Summary: Experience-dependent plasticity in the visual cortex is influenced by the postnatal development of inhibitory circuits, specifically those involving the K(v)3.1 potassium channel. Disruption of this channel affects the inhibitory function of GABA subtypes. Loss of K(v)3.1 in mice results in a slowed rate of ocular dominance changes, which can be restored by enhancing GABA transmission.
NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Jiangping Chan, Xiangwen Hao, Qiong Liu, Jianhua Cang, Yu Gu
Summary: This study investigated how extending the critical period affects binocular matching and demonstrated the potential of pharmacological intervention to rescue deficits in binocular integration. It also found that maintaining an optimal plasticity level during adolescence is crucial for systemic maturation.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Liming Tan, Dario L. Ringach, S. Lawrence Zipursky, Joshua T. Trachtenberg
Summary: Vision is essential for the formation and improvement of binocular neurons, enhancing their tuning properties from eye opening to critical period closure. Visual input strengthens and sharpens ipsilateral eye cortical responses, gradually changing the neuron population in the binocular pool prior to critical period onset.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sarah D. Ackerman, Nelson A. Perez-Catalan, Marc R. Freeman, Chris Q. Doe
Summary: The study identifies a critical period in a developing Drosophila motor circuit and demonstrates the essential role of astrocytes in proper critical period termination. Changes in activity during the critical period regulate dendrite length, complexity, and connectivity of motor neurons, while astrocyte ablation prolongs this critical period. Additionally, genetic screening reveals astrocyte-motor neuron signaling pathways that ensure timely critical period closure and proper locomotor behavior.
Article
Biology
Brian A. Cary, Gina G. Turrigiano
Summary: In juvenile rats, sleep and wake states did not significantly drive changes in synaptic strength within the neocortex. The synaptic strength remained stable across sleep and wake periods, suggesting that sleep does not lead to widespread downscaling of synaptic strengths in juvenile animals. It remains to be seen whether this stability across sleep and wake generalizes to the fully mature nervous system.
Article
Neurosciences
Jing Zheng, Wenqiu Zhang, Longqian Liu, Maurice Keng Hung Yap
Summary: The decline of visual plasticity restricts the recovery of visual functions in adult amblyopia. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been shown to be effective in treating adult amblyopia by enhancing functional recovery and visual plasticity. This study found that low-frequency rTMS reinstated the amplitude of visual evoked potentials and increased the expression of synaptic plasticity genes and the number of dendritic spines in amblyopic rats. Furthermore, histological investigations revealed reduced levels of inhibition and perineuronal nets in the visual cortex.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Sophia Vinogradov, Matthew V. Chafee, Erik Lee, Hirofumi Morishita
Summary: Emerging research on neuroplasticity processes in psychosis spectrum illnesses highlights their importance in pathophysiology and treatment considerations. These processes involve neuronal ensembles, environmental inputs, and pathological mechanisms, with a focus on the prefrontal cortex's role in these illnesses.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elim Hong
Summary: Social conflict leads to the formation of a hierarchical system with winners and losers. A recent study uncovers the molecular mechanism behind the behavioral switch between these states.
Review
Neurosciences
Laura Baroncelli, Claudia Lunghi
Summary: Brain plasticity refers to the ability of synaptic connections in the brain to adapt their function and structure based on experience such as environmental changes, sensory deprivation, and injuries. Despite being more prominent in the developing nervous system, studies have shown that the adult cerebral cortex also retains a significant degree of plasticity. Strategies to enhance this plastic potential could lead to novel therapeutic approaches for treating amblyopia and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Additionally, understanding how the visual system adjusts to neurodegenerative conditions and the crucial role of spared plasticity in visual system for sight recovery is important for treating blindness.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
M. Agostini, F. Amato, M. L. Vieri, G. Greco, I. Tonazzini, L. Baroncelli, M. Caleo, E. Vannini, M. Santi, G. Signore, M. Cecchini
Summary: GFAP has attracted attention as a promising biomarker for pathologies affecting the human central nervous system, with potential applications in clinical diagnostics for multiple brain-pathology biomarkers.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gianluca Pietra, Tiziana Bonifacino, Davide Talamonti, Giambattista Bonanno, Alessandro Sale, Lucia Galli, Laura Baroncelli
Summary: RP is a genetic disorder that causes progressive degeneration of retinal photoreceptors. While there is currently no cure, recent research focuses on preserving existing photoreceptors or substituting light-responsive elements to improve residual visual sensitivity in RP. Visual recovery also depends on the integrity of the visual system beyond photoreceptors.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Elsa Ghirardini, Francesco Calugi, Giulia Sagona, Federica Di Vetta, Martina Palma, Roberta Battini, Giovanni Cioni, Tommaso Pizzorusso, Laura Baroncelli
Summary: CTD is an X-linked metabolic disorder caused by mutations in the SLC6A8 gene, leading to intellectual disability, autistic behavior, and epilepsy. There is no effective treatment for CTD, making research on novel intervention strategies a major scientific challenge. Animal models are crucial for studying the disease mechanisms and developing therapeutics, with rodent models showing promise in recapitulating human CTD phenotypes.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Annamaria Del Franco, Giuseppe Ambrosio, Laura Baroncelli, Tommaso Pizzorusso, Andrea Barison, Iacopo Olivotto, Fabio A. Recchia, Carlo M. Lombardi, Marco Metra, Yu F. Ferrari Chen, Claudio Passino, Michele Emdin, Giuseppe Vergaro
Summary: Impaired cardiac energy metabolism is proposed as a common mechanism in various heart failure causes, with researchers focusing on the energy-depletion hypothesis. The creatine kinase system plays a vital role in the heart, with creatine levels reflecting disease severity, contractile dysfunction, and myocardial remodelling in heart failure.
HEART FAILURE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Raffaele Mazziotti, Elena Scaffei, Eugenia Conti, Viviana Marchi, Riccardo Rizzi, Giovanni Cioni, Roberta Battini, Laura Baroncelli
Summary: Autistic traits exist as a continuum dimension in the population, with ASD as the extreme end of the spectrum. Evidence suggests that neuroanatomical and neurofunctional characteristics in relatives of individuals with ASD represent an intermediate neurobiological pattern. This highlights the potential of utilizing quantitative measures of autistic traits in the general population as biomarkers for early identification of ASD-related pathophysiological processes. Additionally, fNIRS shows promise as a tool for assessing brain function, with potential applications in differential diagnosis, treatment analysis, and personalized medicine for various neurological conditions.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Eugenia Conti, Elena Scaffei, Chiara Bosetti, Viviana Marchi, Valeria Costanzo, Valerio Dell'Oste, Raffaele Mazziotti, Liliana Dell'Osso, Claudia Carmassi, Filippo Muratori, Laura Baroncelli, Sara Calderoni, Roberta Battini
Summary: Accumulating evidence suggests that functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) can provide insights into neural circuit organization and cortical activity in the developing brain. fNIRS measures neurovascular coupling to study brain functions through changes in cerebral blood flow and oxygenation levels. The interest in identifying fNIRS as a potential biomarker for early diagnosis and treatment outcome in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) is reflected in the increasing number of scientific publications on this topic. This systematic review focuses on the clinical applications of fNIRS in NDDs, particularly in preschool children. The selected studies indicate that fNIRS shows promise in identifying early quantitative biomarkers for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through resting-state functional connectivity and task-evoked brain activation.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Didi Lamers, Silvia Landi, Roberta Mezzena, Laura Baroncelli, Vinoshene Pillai, Federica Cruciani, Sara Migliarini, Sara Mazzoleni, Massimo Pasqualetti, Maria Passafaro, Silvia Bassani, Gian Michele Ratto
Summary: This study investigates the effects of mosaic PCDH19 expression on cortical networks in relation to PCDH19 epilepsy. The results show that a focal mosaic mutation of PCDH19 disrupts cortical networks and leads to disruptions in sleep patterns.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Laura Baroncelli, Stefanie Auel, Lena Rinne, Ann-Kathrin Schuster, Victoria Brand, Belinda Kempkes, Katharina Dietrich, Michael Mueller
Summary: Rett syndrome is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the MECP2 gene. Antioxidant treatment has shown some therapeutic benefits, but long-term treatment may lose efficacy and worsen metabolic disturbances.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mariacristina Gagliardi, Sara Chiarugi, Chiara De Cesari, Giulia Di Gregorio, Alessandra Diodati, Laura Baroncelli, Marco Cecchini, Ilaria Tonazzini
Summary: The study presents a method to obtain stable and cytocompatible crosslinked chitosan nanoparticles for intranasal drug delivery. The nanoparticles showed a stable size and surface charge, and exhibited good cytocompatibility in vitro. This synthetic system has potential as a drug carrier for intranasal delivery.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Mariacristina Gagliardi, Agnese Vincenzi, Laura Baroncelli, Marco Cecchini
Summary: Small hydrophilic drugs are commonly used in systemic administration but have limitations due to poor absorption and fast clearance. Nanoencapsulation of these drugs in compartmented particles, such as liposomes or extracellular vesicles, can enhance their biodistribution, targeted delivery, and pharmaceutical efficacy. In this study, we developed polymeric stabilized reversed micelles as a system for encapsulating hydrophilic drugs. The optimized preparation procedure and stabilization strategy improved the stability of the micelles. These micelles showed potential as drug carriers, with the ability to load and deliver creatine. The results suggest that this system can be further explored for different drug cargoes.
Article
Neurosciences
Aloise Mabondzo, Rania Harati, Lea Broca-Brisson, Anne-Cecile Guyot, Narciso Costa, Francesco Cacciante, Elena Putignano, Laura Baroncelli, Matthew R. Skelton, Cathy Saab, Emmanuelle Martini, Henri Benech, Thomas Joudinaud, Jean-Charles Gaillard, Jean Armengaud, Rifat Hamoudi
Summary: Creatine transporter deficiency (CTD) is a genetic disorder that impairs the uptake of creatine into the brain, leading to intellectual disability. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of dodecyl creatine ester (DCE) in a mouse model of CTD and identified biomarkers associated with cognitive improvement. The findings shed light on the pathogenesis of CTD and provide insights for potential treatments.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Elsa Ghirardini, Giulia Sagona, Angel Marquez-Galera, Francesco Calugi, Carmen M. Navarron, Francesco Cacciante, Siwei Chen, Federica Di Vetta, Lorenzo Dada, Raffaele Mazziotti, Leonardo Lupori, Elena Putignano, Pierre Baldi, Jose P. Lopez-Atalaya, Tommaso Pizzorusso, Laura Baroncelli
Summary: This study found that the absence of cellular creatine affects the function of specific neurons, which may be one of the causes of Creatine Transporter Deficiency (CTD). Additionally, the study identified a potential therapeutic approach targeting these neurons to improve CTD symptoms.
ACTA NEUROPATHOLOGICA COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Elena Scaffei, Raffaele Mazziotti, Eugenia Conti, Valeria Costanzo, Sara Calderoni, Andrea Stoccoro, Claudia Carmassi, Raffaella Tancredi, Laura Baroncelli, Roberta Battini
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a challenging neurodevelopmental condition to detect in young females due to the heterogeneity of the behavioral phenotype and the capacity of camouflage. Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive tool that can quantify cortical hemodynamic responses (HDR) and potentially serve as a biomarker for ASD in females. A case-control study on high-functioning preschooler females with ASD demonstrated the feasibility of using visual fNIRS measurements to discriminate between ASD and typical subjects based on signal features such as vHDR amplitude and lateralization. The level of response lateralization was also found to be correlated with the severity of autistic traits, highlighting the importance of sensory symptoms in ASD.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Simona Cintoli, Claudia Radicchi, Marianna Noale, Stefania Maggi, Giuseppe Meucci, Gloria Tognoni, Ubaldo Bonuccelli, Alessandro Sale, Nicoletta Berardi, Lamberto Maffei
Summary: The study aimed to test the effects of physical and cognitive training on neuropsychiatric symptoms and quality of life in patients with mild cognitive impairment.
Results showed that after 7 months of training, participants in the training group exhibited a significant reduction in neuropsychiatric symptoms and a significant increase in quality of life compared to the control group.
AGING CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
