Article
Behavioral Sciences
Corinna Y. Franco, Jessica R. Petok, Jason Langley, Xiaoping Hu, Ilana J. Bennett
Summary: The study reveals age-related differences in implicit associative learning and microstructural changes in the basal ganglia and hippocampus during the learning process. Restricted diffusion in the caudate is related to early IAL, while hindered diffusion in the globus pallidus is related to late IAL, with these correlations independent of age.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Beatriz Ruiz-Saez, Manuela Martin-Bejarano Garcia, Ana Martinez de Aragon, Mario Gil-Correa, Helena Melero, Norberto Antonio Malpica, Santiago Jimenez de Ory, Berta Zamora, Sara Guillen, Pablo Rojo, Lola Falcon-Neyra, Alberto Alvarez, Pilar Fernandez, Maria Luisa Lorente-Jareno, Jose Tomas Ramos, Talia Sainz, Carlos Velo, Maria Luisa Navarro, Maria Isabel Gonzalez-Tome
Summary: Brain atrophy has been observed in perinatally HIV-infected patients despite treatment, indicating potential neurological consequences of the infection. This study aimed to evaluate cortical thickness and subcortical gray matter volumes in PHIV patients and found thinner cortices and lower subcortical GM volumes in certain brain regions compared to HIV-negative controls. While no differences were found in neuropsychological performance or psychopathological symptoms, neuroimaging revealed structural alterations in PHIV patients. More research is needed to understand the impact of HIV on brain structure and identify potential risk and protective factors in these patients.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Dalit Cayam-Rand, Ting Guo, Anne Synnes, Vann Chau, Connor Mabbott, Isabel Benavente-Fernandez, Ruth E. Grunau, Steven P. Miller
Summary: In very preterm-born children, neonatal thalamic growth and WMI volume predict school-age thalamic volumes. An interaction between FA and WMI impacts school-age thalamic volume, affecting cognition and motor outcomes.
ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Byung-Hoon Kim, Hesun Erin Kim, Jung Suk Lee, Jae-Jin Kim
Summary: The study revealed reduced small-world property of grey matter network in patients with schizophrenia, particularly in the default mode network, salience/ventral attention network, and visual network. Furthermore, an altered relationship between small-world properties and social anhedonia scale scores was found in the cerebellar lobule in patients with schizophrenia.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Lidon Marin-Marin, Victor Costumero, Cesar avila, Christos Pliatsikas
Summary: This study investigates the non-linear effects of bilingual experiences on regional grey matter volume in the brain. The results show a non-linear relationship between bilingualism score and inferior frontal gyrus volume, as well as linear increases in putamen and cerebellum volumes as a function of bilingualism score.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jenna L. Merenstein, Jessica R. Petok, Ilana J. Bennett
Summary: This study revealed that older adults show worse learning performance and increased brain activity related to implicit associative learning in certain brain regions compared to younger adults at different stages of a task. However, when considering the stage of learning, there were no significant age group differences in learning performance or brain activity.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Zsofia Giricz, Akos Pertich, Attila Oze, Andras Puszta, Agnes Feher, Gabriella Eordegh, Jeno Kobor, Katalin Bihari, Eva Palinkas, Gabor Braunitzer, Attila Nagy
Summary: In contrast to the decreased performance of adult migraine patients in the Rutgers Acquired Equivalence Test, no significant difference was found between pediatric patients and controls in any phase of the paradigm. Children living with migraine without aura do not exhibit the same cognitive deficits in the Rutgers Acquired Equivalence Test as their adult counterparts.
Article
Neuroimaging
Celine Charroud, Luca Turella
Summary: The study found general atrophy in subcortical regions of Parkinson's disease patients at baseline and 48 months, with reduced volume in the thalamus and increased volume in the pallidum potentially related to decline in motor skills. VBM and volumetry methods provide complementary aspects of brain degeneration in PD.
NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Arooj Nawaz, Osman Hasan, Shaista Jabeen
Summary: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a widely accepted treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). Traditional DBS is always ON and can cause side effects. Closed-loop DBS allows adjusting stimulation according to patient needs, addressing this problem.
NEURAL COMPUTATION
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Bradley G. Goodyear, Faranak Heidari, Richard J. M. Ingram, Filomeno Cortese, Nastaran Sharifi, Gilaad G. Kaplan, Christopher Ma, Remo Panaccione, Keith A. Sharkey, Mark G. Swain
Summary: Magnetic resonance imaging revealed structural and functional changes within the brains of inflammatory bowel disease patients, in regions known to be involved in processing brain signals associated with behavioral symptoms, anxiety, pain, stress, and cognitive deficits.
INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Vinzenz Fleischer, Dumitru Ciolac, Gabriel Gonzalez-Escamilla, Matthias Grothe, Sebastian Strauss, Lara S. Molina Galindo, Angela Radetz, Anke Salmen, Carsten Lukas, Luisa Klotz, Sven G. Meuth, Antonios Bayas, Friedemann Paul, Hans-Peter Hartung, Christoph Heesen, Martin Stangel, Brigitte Wildemann, Florian Then Bergh, Bjoern Tackenberg, Tania Kuempfel, Uwe K. Zettl, Matthias Knop, Hayrettin Tumani, Heinz Wiendl, Ralf Gold, Stefan Bittner, Frauke Zipp, Sergiu Groppa, Muthuraman Muthuraman
Summary: This study investigated the predictive value of subcortical gray matter volumes for fatigue severity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that volumes of the caudate, putamen, pallidum, and pons were predictive factors for fatigue severity, and subcortical structures such as the putamen and pons played a central role in the brain network of patients with fatigue worsening. These findings suggest an early involvement of specific brain regions in the development of fatigue in MS.
ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neuroimaging
Jordan Hassett, Helen Carlson, Ali Babwani, Adam Kirton
Summary: Perinatal stroke has different effects on basal ganglia development, with the volume of the non-dominant hemisphere associated with clinical motor function. Symmetrical basal ganglia volumes are correlated with age and motor function.
NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Xingguang Luo, Xiandong Lin, Jaime S. Ide, Xinqun Luo, Yong Zhang, Jianying Xu, Leilei Wang, Yu Chen, Wenhong Cheng, Jianming Zheng, Zhiren Wang, Ting Yu, Reyisha Taximaimaiti, Xiaozhong Jing, Xiaoping Wang, Yuping Cao, Yunlong Tan, Chiang-Shan R. Li
Summary: This study investigated the association between cortical and subcortical gray matter volumes and the kinectin 1 gene (KTN1) in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The results showed that four KTN1 variants were significantly associated with ADHD risk in males, affecting the volumes of basal ganglia, hippocampus, and TIV, but not in females.
CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY AND MENTAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Zdenek Wurst, Barbora Bircak Kuchtova, Jan Kremen, Anastasiya Lahutsina, Ibrahim Ibrahim, Jaroslav Tintera, Ales Bartos, Marek Brabec, Tanya Rai, Petr Zach, Vladimir Musil, Nicoletta Olympiou, Jana Mrzilkova
Summary: The volume reduction of gray matter structures is accompanied by an asymmetric increase in white matter fibers in Alzheimer's disease patients. This study used diffusion tensor imaging to investigate white matter structure changes in the motor basal ganglia in Alzheimer's disease patients. Measurements were taken in ten patients and ten healthy controls, revealing a decrease in the number of tracts and general fractional anisotropy in the right caudate nucleus of Alzheimer's disease patients. An increase in the left and right putamen was observed. Furthermore, a decrease in structural volume was observed in the left and right putamen.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Gianpaolo Antonio Basile, Marina Quartu, Salvatore Bertino, Maria Pina Serra, Marcello Trucas, Marianna Boi, Roberto Demontis, Alessia Bramanti, Giuseppe Pio Anastasi, Demetrio Milardi, Rosella Ciurleo, Alberto Cacciola
Summary: This study successfully reconstructed the fiber bundles of the human subthalamic area and created a large-scale normative population atlas using an optimized tractography protocol. This atlas is of great significance in both clinical anatomy and functional neurosurgery, as it improves our understanding of the complex morphology of this important brain region.
BRAIN STRUCTURE & FUNCTION
(2022)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Manon Dubol, C. Neill Epperson, Julia Sacher, Belinda Pletzer, Birgit Derntl, Rupert Lanzenberger, Inger Sundstrom-Poromaa, Erika Comasco
Summary: Increasing evidence suggests that ovarian hormones influence the brain structure, chemistry, and function of women in their reproductive age, potentially shaping their behavior and mental health. Specifically, these hormones fluctuations appear to have modulatory effects on the reactivity and structure of cortico-limbic brain regions.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Christina Paula Plamberger, Helen Elisabeth Van Wijk, Hubert Kerschbaum, Belinda Angela Pletzer, Georg Gruber, Karin Oberascher, Martin Dresler, Michael Andreas Hahn, Kerstin Hoedlmoser
Summary: The study found that women using OCs and naturally cycling women in the luteal phase showed higher levels of fast sleep spindle density, while women in the follicular phase of the natural cycle showed lower levels. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between endogenous progesterone levels and fast spindle density in women during the luteal phase.
JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Esmeralda Hidalgo-Lopez, Belinda Pletzer
Summary: The study suggests that different phases of the menstrual cycle can affect the brain activation and connectivity patterns in women, especially during verbal working memory tasks. Variations in hormone levels during different phases may lead to changes in top-down regulation of the brain, affecting cognitive function and neural network activity.
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Eefje S. Poppelaars, Johannes Klackl, Belinda Pletzer, Eva Jonas
Summary: The study found that delta-beta amplitude-amplitude correlation (AAC) and phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) did not significantly change in response to stress and were not correlated with stress responses. However, baseline AAC was found to be associated with more adaptive endocrine stress responses.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Belinda Pletzer, Eefje S. Poppelaars, Johannes Klackl, Eva Jonas
Summary: The study reveals gender differences in gonadal hormone responses to social evaluative stress, with testosterone levels significantly reduced after 20 minutes and estradiol levels showing two peaks at 15 and 30 minutes. Some participants responded to stress with a decrease in estradiol levels, while others showed an increase. These gonadal stress responses appear to be largely independent of the cortisol response to stress.
STRESS-THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON THE BIOLOGY OF STRESS
(2021)
Article
Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology
Maria Huber, Sebastian Roesch, Belinda Pletzer, Julia Lukaschyk, Anke Lesinski-Schiedat, Angelika Illg
Summary: Cochlear implantation may improve global cognition in older adults with late-onset hearing loss, but not significantly in verbal and figural episodic memory, and executive functions. After 12 months, the study group showed significant improvement in global cognition compared to the control group.
Article
Biology
Esmeralda Hidalgo-Lopez, Peter Zeidman, TiAnni Harris, Adeel Razi, Belinda Pletzer
Summary: Hidalgo-Lopez et al. utilized spectral dynamic causal modelling to investigate changes in effective connectivity related to menstrual phase and hormonal levels in healthy women. Their findings provide additional insights into how the brain responds to hormone fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Shanice Menting-Henry, Esmeralda Hidalgo-Lopez, Markus Aichhorn, Martin Kronbichler, Hubert Kerschbaum, Belinda Pletzer
Summary: Recent research suggests that hormonal contraceptive users have reduced accuracy in recognizing emotions compared to naturally cycling women, and show alterations in amygdala volume and connectivity at rest. However, resting brain characteristics did not mediate oral contraceptive effects on emotion recognition performance. Sex and oral contraceptive use were found to moderate brain-behavior associations, with different patterns observed in different contraceptive users.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Isabel Noachtar, Ti-Anni Harris, Esmeralda Hidalgo-Lopez, Belinda Pletzer
Summary: This study investigated the sex differences in brain activation during different navigation strategies. The findings suggest that men rely more on spatial networks while women rely more on verbal networks.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Nicole Petersen, Adriene M. Beltz, Kathleen V. Casto, Caitlin M. Taylor, Emily G. Jacobs, Inger Sundstroem-Poromaa, Belinda Pletzer
Summary: The neuroscience of hormonal contraceptives is a crucial yet emerging field. Although limited in size and scope, existing studies emphasize the complex effects of hormonal contraceptives on the nervous system, which can vary due to individual differences, contraceptive type and formulation, and timing of use. Neuroscientists can provide individuals with knowledge about the biopsychological effects of hormonal contraceptives through rigorous randomized controlled trials, large-scale studies examining population-level trends, and dense imaging or intensive longitudinal studies assessing individual-level effects.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Esmeralda Hidalgo-Lopez, Jonas Engman, Inger Sundstrom Poromaa, Malin Gingnell, Belinda Pletzer
Summary: This study investigated the effects of hormonal contraceptives on mood side effects and found that they caused increased connectivity within the default mode network and decreased connectivity within the executive control network. Mood lability was the most consistent and prominent side effect.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Sarah R. Schmid, Christopher Hoehn, Kathrin Bothe, Christina P. Plamberger, Monika Angerer, Belinda Pletzer, Kerstin Hoedlmoser
Summary: The study investigated the effects of short-wavelength light from smartphones on sleep and circadian rhythms using a full sample of 33 men. The results showed that smartphone reading without a filter reduced slow-wave sleep, cortisol awakening response, and evening melatonin increase, with positive affectivity predicting better subjective sleep quality in the evening.