Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Won Beom Jung, Geun Ho Im, Haiyan Jiang, Seong-Gi Kim
Summary: The study demonstrated that early BOLD responses in the mouse somatosensory network reflect the direction of information flow, indicating that high-field fMRI can be utilized for systems-level network analyses.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
P. Pinti, M. F. Siddiqui, A. D. Levy, E. J. H. Jones, Ilias Tachtsidis
Summary: Our research group has developed broadband Near Infrared Spectroscopy (bNIRS) instruments, with the unique capacity of monitoring brain haemodynamics/oxygenation and metabolism. The integrated analysis of bNIRS and EEG signals on healthy adults during a visual stimulation task shows the feasibility of statistically localizing haemodynamic and metabolic activity in the occipital cortex. The fusion of haemodynamic and metabolic measures using bNIRS offers additional information on brain functioning and the bNIRS metabolic signal is a unique marker of brain activity, closely coupled to the neuronal EEG response.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Hang Hu, Rachel E. Hostetler, Ariel Agmon, Eunji Cheong
Summary: Oscillations of extracellular voltage in the mammalian brain play important yet not fully understood roles in normal and abnormal brain function. This study reports the discovery of ripplets, fast oscillations at around 400 Hz, in the thalamorecipient layer of the mouse somatosensory cortex. Ripplets are an intrinsic cortical response to synchronized thalamocortical activity and could provide increased bandwidth for sensory information encoding and transmission.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Won Beom Jung, Haiyan Jiang, Soohyun Lee, Seong-Gi Kim
Summary: In order to advance fMRI-based brain science, it is important to analyze fMRI activity at the circuit level. This study combines whole-brain fMRI with neuronal silencing to dissect the responses and circuits of the somatosensory network.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Patrick J. Drew
Summary: In the brain, increases in neural activity lead to changes in local blood flow through neurovascular coupling. However, the traditional explanation that increased blood flow supplies the metabolic needs of active neurons is inconsistent with a large body of evidence. Neurovascular coupling is irregular or absent in many brain regions and states, and increased respiration can improve brain oxygenation without changes in blood flow. Simulation studies suggest that low blood flow areas are inevitable due to the brain's vascular architecture and cannot be eliminated by functional hyperemia. This article discusses potential alternative functions of neurovascular coupling such as supplying oxygen for neuromodulator synthesis, regulating brain temperature, signaling to neurons, optimizing cerebral vascular structure, accommodating non-Newtonian blood flow, and driving cerebrospinal fluid circulation.
TRENDS IN NEUROSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Mathematical & Computational Biology
Dominik Schmidt, Gwendolyn English, Thomas C. Gent, Mehmet Fatih Yanik, Wolfger von der Behrens
Summary: The study aimed to identify features in mouse electrocorticogram recordings that indicate anesthesia depth by using machine learning techniques. The interhemispheric somatosensory coherence was found to be the most informative and reliable feature for determining anesthetic depth.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROINFORMATICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Adam Institoris, Milene Vandal, Govind Peringod, Christy Catalano, Cam Ha Tran, Xinzhu Yu, Frank Visser, Cheryl Breiteneder, Leonardo Molina, Baljit S. Khakh, Minh Dang Nguyen, Roger J. Thompson, Grant R. Gordon
Summary: Functional hyperemia, the process of increasing local cerebral blood flow to meet regional energy demand, is mediated by astrocyte Ca2+ signaling and shows distinct early and late components. Astrocyte Ca2+ plays a fundamental role in amplifying functional hyperemia during sustained neuronal activation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Tao Gong, Steve C. N. Hui, Helge J. Zollner, Mark Britton, Yulu Song, Yufan Chen, Aaron T. Gudmundson, Kathleen E. Hupfeld, Christopher W. Davies-Jenkins, Saipavitra Murali-Manohar, Eric C. Porges, Georg Oeltzschner, Weibo Chen, Guangbin Wang, Richard A. E. Edden
Summary: The neurometabolic changes as a function of age were investigated in a large cohort of male and female subjects using consensus-recommended magnetic resonance spectroscopy quantification methods. The results showed that certain metabolites in different brain regions had significant correlations with age, while no age correlations were found for other metabolites. These findings provide a normative foundation for future research on the neurometabolic time course of healthy aging using MRS.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Konrad Kaminiow, Izabella Rygula, Justyna Paprocka
Summary: There are over 150 inherited metabolic disorders that can present as ataxia in children. Neuroimaging studies and genetic studies are essential for diagnosis. Prompt treatment can positively influence neurodevelopment.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lorenz A. Fenk, Juan Luis Riquelme, Gilles Laurent
Summary: A study found that the coordination between the two sides of the claustrum in bearded dragons differ during slow-wave sleep and REMP sleep. During slow-wave sleep, the claustra activity is independent, while during REMP sleep, they are precisely coordinated but not synchronous, with one side leading the other by about 20 ms.
Article
Neurosciences
Zongpeng Sun, Artur Schneider, Mansour Alyahyay, Golan Karvat, Ilka Diester
Summary: The study suggests that optogenetics can help restore sensation, and the primary somatosensory cortex and its projections to the striatum play differential roles in the neural processing of vibrotactile detection.
Editorial Material
Oncology
Kai Huang, Xiaoxuan Liu, Gang Han, Yubin Zhou
Summary: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell-based immunotherapy has shown promising results in cancer treatment, but safety issues and lack of strict antigen specificity still exist. The combination of nanotechnology, optogenetics, and immunoengineering can potentially develop controllable CAR T cells for personalized therapy.
CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Martin Regensburger, Laura Krumm, Manuel Alexander Schmidt, Andreas Schmid, Imke Tabea Spatz, Dominique Cornelius Marterstock, Christoph Kopp, Zacharias Kohl, Arnd Doerfler, Thomas Karrasch, Beate Winner, Jurgen Winkler
Summary: SPG11 patients exhibit altered body composition, adipokine levels, and hypothalamic volume, indicating a link between obesity and hypothalamic neurodegeneration in SPG11.
Article
Pediatrics
Wiktoria Kempinska, Karolina Korta, Magdalena Marchaj, Justyna Paprocka
Summary: Neurometabolic disorders are a group of diseases that commonly occur in neonates and infants due to the lack or dysfunction of specific enzymes or cofactors necessary for biochemical reactions. This leads to a deficiency of essential metabolites in the brain, resulting in certain neurological diseases. Microcephaly, a condition characterized by a smaller than normal head size, is often a visible sign of neurodegenerative disorders.
Article
Neurosciences
Scott L. Brincat, Jacob A. Donoghue, Meredith K. Mahnke, Simon Kornblith, Mikael Lundqvist, Earl K. Miller
Summary: Research shows that visual working memory storage is largely independent between the left and right cerebral hemispheres, but memory integration involves transfer and convergence across hemispheres. During memory transfer, synchronization between the two hemispheres peaks at specific frequencies, facilitating the transfer of memory traces.
Article
Neurosciences
Kevin C. Stieger, James R. Eles, Kip A. Ludwig, Takashi D. Y. Kozai
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
James K. Trevathan, Anders J. Asp, Evan N. Nicolai, Jonathan M. Trevathan, Nicholas A. Kremer, Takashi D. Y. Kozai, David Cheng, Mike J. Schachter, Jonathan J. Nassi, Stephani L. Otte, Jones G. Parker, J. Luis Lujan, Kip A. Ludwig
Summary: This manuscript outlines an approach combining chronic behaving single-photon microendoscope recordings in a pathological mouse model with electrical stimulation of a common deep brain stimulation (DBS) target to study neuromodulation therapy. The authors present detailed steps necessary for this approach and discuss key considerations for extending it to other DBS targets. They also make recommendations based on their experience in implementing and validating the required procedures.
JOURNAL OF NEURAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
James R. Eles, Kevin C. Stieger, Takashi D. Y. Kozai
Summary: This study investigates the neural response to different Temporal Patterns (TP) of intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) at a network level in mice through in vivo two-photon imaging. It was found that stimulation with the same average frequency and total charge injection but distinct TP recruits different sets of neurons, while neuronal calcium and glutamate response entrain to the bursting TP pattern, showing a potential link between TP and inhibitory-excitatory tone. This suggests that TP could be a valuable parameter to modulate network activity in ICMS therapies beyond just rate coding.
JOURNAL OF NEURAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Alexander John Poplawsky, Bistra Iordanova, Alberto L. Vazquez, Seong-Gi Kim, Mitsuhiro Fukuda
Summary: Functional MRI responses are primarily driven by the postsynaptic activities of synaptically-evoked inhibitory neurons, possibly through NMDA receptor-dependent calcium signaling that is not wholly dependent on nitric oxide.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Mitchell Dubaniewicz, James R. Eles, Stephanie Lam, Shanshan Song, Franca Cambi, Dandan Sun, Steven M. Wellman, Takashi D. Y. Kozai
Summary: The study investigated the effects of HOE-642 on microglial interactions with intracortical microelectrodes using two-photon microscopy in vivo. While HOE-642 did not affect the migration of microglia processes and soma in response to electrode implantation, it significantly reduced the radius of microglial activation and the encapsulation of implanted devices, suggesting a potential treatment to attenuate the glial response and scar formation.
JOURNAL OF NEURAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Qianru Yang, Alberto L. Vazquez, Xinyan Tracy Cui
Summary: Advancements in in vivo imaging technologies, such as two-photon microscopy, have improved our understanding of biomaterials in the brain, but chronic studies show limitations in high-resolution imaging due to inflammatory responses caused by craniotomy and foreign biomaterial insertion. Microprisms offer a unique vertical view breaking through this imaging depth limitation, but responses to microprism implants in vivo remain unclear. Analysis of microglial/macrophage activation and morphology after microprism implantation revealed changes in cell density and processes, indicating eventual inactive phenotypes. Long-term observations using microprisms showed sustained microglial/macrophage responses to injuries, suggesting feasibility for inflammatory response characterizations at deeper depths than traditional methods.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nicholas F. Fitz, Kyong Nyon Nam, Cody M. Wolfe, Florent Letronne, Brittany E. Playso, Bistra E. Iordanova, Takashi D. Y. Kozai, Richard J. Biedrzycki, Valerian E. Kagan, Yulia Y. Tyurina, Xianlin Han, Iliya Lefterov, Radosveta Koldamova
Summary: The study demonstrates that different isoforms of the APOE lipoproteins activate microglia in pre-clinical mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, affecting their response to A beta.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Kevin C. Stieger, James R. Eles, Kip A. Ludwig, Takashi D. Y. Kozai
Summary: This study demonstrates that stimulation waveform alters the pattern of activation of different but overlapping populations of excitatory neurons at commonly used frequencies for sensory restoration.
JOURNAL OF NEURAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xin Sally Zheng, Qianru Yang, Alberto Vazquez, Xinyan Tracy Cui
Summary: This study is important for understanding the challenges of chronic microstimulation in terms of stability and safety. Silicon arrays coated with PEDOT/CNT or PC and IrOx were implanted into the cortex of GCaMP6s mice and electrical stimulation was applied for up to 12 weeks. The neuronal responses to stimulation were quantified using two-photon imaging and mesoscale fluorescence microscopy, and the performance of the electrodes over time was characterized. The results showed dynamic changes in stimulation stability over time and revealed the advantage of PC coated electrodes in terms of energy efficiency compared to IrOx coated electrodes. Abnormal cortical responses were also observed in some mice, suggesting the need for further investigation of potential neuronal damage and redefining the safety limit of stimulation.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Minjie Wu, Noah Schweitzer, Bistra E. Iordanova, Edythe Halligan-Eddy, Dana L. Tudorascu, Chester A. Mathis, Brian J. Lopresti, M. Ilyas Kamboh, Ann D. Cohen, Beth E. Snitz, William E. Klunk, Howard J. Aizenstein
Summary: This study explored the interactive effects of small vessel disease (SVD) and amyloid-beta (Aβ) pathology on hippocampal functional connectivity and volume in cognitively normal older adults. The results showed that in older adults with white matter hyperintensities (WMH+), higher Aβ burden was associated with increased hippocampal local connectivity and lower gray matter density in the medial temporal lobe (MTL). In older adults without WMH, higher Aβ burden was associated with increased hippocampal distal connectivity and no changes in MTL gray matter density. These findings provide support for a hippocampal excitotoxicity model linking SVD to neurodegeneration and the progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD).
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Sajishnu P. Savya, Fan Li, Stephanie Lam, Steven M. Wellman, Kevin C. Stieger, Keying Chen, James R. Eles, Takashi D. Y. Kozai
Summary: This study investigates the dynamics of astrocytes within the first 2 weeks after implantation of an intracortical microelectrode into the mouse brain using two-photon microscopy. The highly dynamic behavior of astrocytes during this period, including process extension, soma migration, morphological activation, and device encapsulation, is distinct from other glial cells and plays a crucial role in the tissue response to intracortical devices. Understanding and characterizing astrocyte reactivity will contribute to the development of more effective interventions to improve the functional performance of neural interfacing technology.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Keying Chen, Franca Cambi, Takashi D. Y. Kozai
Summary: Intracortical microelectrodes play an important role in neuroprosthetic applications and the study of neurological disorders. This study shows that enhancing oligodendrocyte activity with a drug called Clemastine improves the quality and detectability of recorded signals and enhances the health and functionality of neurons near the implant. The findings suggest that therapeutic strategies targeting oligodendrocytes can enhance the integration of functional device interfaces with brain tissue.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Christopher Hughes, Takashi Kozai
Summary: The study evaluated the effects of bio-inspired dynamic modulation of stimulation intensity and/or frequency on neural activity. The results showed that dynamic stimulation can induce distinct onset and offset responses, reduce neural activity depression, and decrease charge injection in brain-computer interfaces for sensory feedback.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Keying Chen, Camila Garcia Padilla, Kirill Kiselyov, Takashi D. Y. Kozai
Summary: Long-term implantation of intracortical microelectrodes can cause focal brain injury and impair the autophagy-lysosomal pathway, leading to tissue degeneration.