Article
Neurosciences
Carlos Alexandre Gomes, Katharina M. Steiner, Nicolas Ludolph, Tamas Spisak, Thomas M. Ernst, Oliver Mueller, Sophia L. Goricke, Franziska Labrenz, Winfried Ilg, Nikolai Axmacher, Dagmar Timmann
Summary: The study found that cerebellar diseases directly affect the integrity of white matter in the brain and are related to behavioral performance in motor tasks.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2021)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Erin Mathews, Kevyn Dewees, Deborah Diaz, Carlita Favero
Summary: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) encompass a range of deficits in physical, mental, and behavioral functions caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. Research shows that alcohol leads to significant white matter abnormalities in various brain regions, affecting neural pathways and guidance cue mechanisms. Further study is needed to understand how prenatal alcohol exposure impacts the formation of neural connections and functional connectivity disruption in FASD.
EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Developmental Biology
Preeti Kar, Jess E. Reynolds, Melody N. Grohs, W. Ben Gibbard, Carly McMorris, Christina Tortorelli, Catherine Lebel
Summary: The study found that young children with PAE exhibit higher FA and lower MD in brain structures, consistent with studies in newborns but contrasting with those in older age groups with PAE. Further research is needed to understand the trajectory of white matter development and how the observed differences in young children relate to those observed in older age groups.
DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Kaila M. Bianco, Ian Fuelscher, Jarrad A. G. Lum, Mervyn Singh, Peter G. Enticott, Karen Caeyenberghs, Christian Hyde
Summary: Functional neuroimaging consistently suggests the involvement of the fronto-basal ganglia-cerebellar circuit in procedural learning. This study investigates the role of white matter fiber pathways connecting regions within this network in explaining individual differences in procedural learning. The results show a positive relationship between fiber density in certain segments of the superior cerebellar peduncles and the rebound effect on the serial reaction time task, suggesting the importance of white matter organization in the basal ganglia-cerebellar circuit for individual differences in procedural learning.
Article
Neurosciences
Preeti Kar, Jess E. Reynolds, William Ben Gibbard, Carly McMorris, Christina Tortorelli, Catherine Lebel
Summary: Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with alterations in brain white matter microstructure. Children with prenatal alcohol exposure show slower white matter development in certain brain regions, which may have implications for cognitive and behavioral learning.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Anisha Narayan, Mikaela A. Rowe, Eva M. Palacios, Jamie Wren-Jarvis, Ioanna Bourla, Molly Gerdes, Annie Brandes-Aitken, Shivani S. Desai, Elysa J. Marco, Pratik Mukherjee
Summary: Children with Sensory processing dysfunction (SPD) show altered microstructural integrity in cerebellar white matter, which is associated with complex sensory behavior and attention. Reduced integrity in SCP and MCP correlates with abnormal auditory behavior, multisensory integration, and attention, while decreased CP integrity is related to abnormal tactile and auditory behavior.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Rui Li, Qi Li, Xiaolei Chu, Lan Li, Xiaoyi Li, Juan Li, Zhen Yang, Mingjing Xu, Changlu Luo, Kui Zhang
Summary: This study establishes a behavioral model to investigate the role of the cerebellar cortex in associative learning and memory. The results show that successful conditioning can be achieved in certain experimental groups, suggesting the importance of the cerebellum in eyeblink conditioning.
OPEN LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Lauren R. Borchers, Lisa Bruckert, Rajpreet Chahal, Dana Mastrovito, Tiffany C. Ho, Ian H. Gotlib
Summary: During adolescence, lower FA levels in certain parts of the cerebellum (SCP and ICP) may be associated with changes in internalizing and externalizing symptoms, with a more significant impact on females than males. The organizational properties of cerebellar peduncles may serve as a sex-specific marker for symptom changes, warranting further exploration in future studies.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Yuke Zhong, Hang Liu, Guohui Liu, Yi Liang, Chengcheng Dai, Lili Zhao, Hongyu Lai, Lijuan Mo, Changhong Tan, Fen Deng, Xi Liu, Lifen Chen
Summary: This study used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate white matter alterations in the cerebrum and cerebellum in Parkinson's disease patients with resting tremor. The results showed better white matter integrity in the cerebrum and cerebellum, suggesting a potential association between white matter and resting tremor in this disease.
Article
Mathematical & Computational Biology
Matthew Ricci, Junkyung Kim, Fredrik Johansson
Summary: The cerebellar Purkinje cell controls eyeblinks and can learn, remember, and reproduce the timing of stimuli in a classical conditioning paradigm. Previous models suggest that the perception of time is represented in upstream networks, but direct stimulation of the Purkinje cell during conditioning still results in a well-timed response. Furthermore, experimental findings indicate that the acquired Purkinje cell response is insensitive to variations in the temporal structure of probe stimulation, motivating the development of alternative models.
FRONTIERS IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Carla E. M. Golden, Victoria X. Wang, Hala Harony-Nicolas, Patrick R. Hof, Joseph D. Buxbaum
Summary: Mutations and deletions in the SHANK3 gene cause Phelan-McDermid syndrome, characterized by intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. Studies on both patients and rat models with Shank3 deficiency show reductions in brain volume and white matter alterations.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Sungeun Hwang, Chang-Hyun Park, Regina Eun-Young Kim, Hyeon Jin Kim, Yun Seo Choi, Sol-Ah Kim, Jeong Hyun Yoo, Ki Wha Chung, Byung-Ok Choi, Hyang Woon Lee
Summary: Structural changes were observed in cerebellar white matter in CMT patients with NEFL mutations, while abnormal diffusion tensor imaging findings were found in specific cerebellar regions associated with NEFL and GJB1 mutations. The presence of cerebellar ataxia was linked to cerebellar white matter abnormalities in the NEFL subgroup, highlighting the importance of neuroimaging in detecting these abnormalities in CMT patients.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jeonghwan Lee, Gawon Ju, Jung-Woo Son, Chul-Jin Shin, Sang Ick Lee, Hyemi Park, Siekyeong Kim
Summary: This study investigated the impact of chronic alcohol consumption on white matter pathways using probabilistic tractography. Although no significant difference was found in diffusion parameters between alcohol-dependent men and healthy drinkers, findings indicated a positive correlation between axial diffusivity in the right cingulum-angular bundle and alcohol abstinence period, suggesting resilience in white matter of patients with alcohol dependence. Additional longitudinal studies with multimodal methods and neuropsychological tests may further enhance understanding of changes in white matter pathways in patients with alcohol dependence.
Article
Neurosciences
Alexander Rau, Wolfgang H. Jost, Theo Demerath, Elias Kellner, Marco Reisert, Horst Urbach
Summary: This study analyzed diffusion microstructure imaging (DMI) in patients with suspected atypical Parkinson syndromes and healthy controls. The results showed widespread axonal loss in PSP patients, and the ROI-based approach had the highest accuracy in identifying PSP in the thalamus and frontal white matter.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Deidre E. O'Dell, Bernard G. Schreurs, Carrie Smith-Bell, Desheng Wang
Summary: The study shows that PNN is fully developed in the deep cerebellar nuclei of rats by P18. Degradation of the PNN may erase sex differences in delay conditioning, indicating a role in cerebellar learning in the DCN.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MEMORY
(2021)
Article
Substance Abuse
Nadine M. Lindinger, Joseph L. Jacobson, Christopher M. R. Warton, Susan Malcolm-Smith, Christopher D. Molteno, Neil C. Dodge, Frances Robertson, Ernesta M. Meintjes, Sandra W. Jacobson
Summary: The study examined the neural networks involved in affective appraisal in children with fetal alcohol syndrome/partial FAS and found that these children exhibited higher brain activity when processing neutral faces and lower brain activity when processing angry faces. This suggests less efficient neural processing of complex emotions and altered processing of angry stimuli in children with FAS and PFAS.
ALCOHOL-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Substance Abuse
Sandra W. Jacobson, H. Eugene Hoyme, R. Colin Carter, Neil C. Dodge, Christopher D. Molteno, Ernesta M. Meintjes, Joseph L. Jacobson
Summary: This study examined the evolution of physical phenotypes of FAS and PFAS children, finding that the phenotype was stable in about half of FAS children and about one-third of PFAS children, but more variable in others. Puberty poses classification challenges due to variability in physical features, making diagnostic examinations more sensitive in early childhood.
ALCOHOL-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Amanda H. Mahnke, Georgios D. Sideridis, Nihal A. Salem, Alexander M. Tseng, R. Colin Carter, Neil C. Dodge, Aniruddha B. Rathod, Christopher D. Molteno, Ernesta M. Meintjes, Sandra W. Jacobson, Rajesh C. Miranda, Joseph L. Jacobson
Summary: The study assessed infant plasma miRNAs from alcohol-exposed cohort and found that PAE altered 27% of miRNA expression, potentially predicting neurobehavioral issues. It also discovered that alcohol exposure affected correlated expression of miRNAs across chromosomes at 2 weeks, best described by three-factor models at 2 weeks and 6.5 months.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Joanah Madzime, Martha Holmes, Mark F. Cotton, Barbara Laughton, Andre J. W. van der Kouwe, Ernesta M. Meintjes, Marcin Jankiewicz
Summary: Children with perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus (CPHIV) show differences in white matter integrity compared to children who are HIV-unexposed and uninfected (CHUU). Additionally, perinatally HIV-exposed, but uninfected (CHEU) children have higher white matter integrity in certain networks compared to CHUU children.
BRAIN CONNECTIVITY
(2022)
Article
Substance Abuse
Stevie C. Biffen, Neil C. Dodge, Christopher M. R. Warton, Christopher D. Molteno, Joseph L. Jacobson, Ernesta M. Meintjes, Sandra W. Jacobson
Summary: The study found that adolescents with FAS showed more transfer-related errors when one finger was stimulated, while those with PFAS or heavily exposed nonsyndromal individuals appeared to be spared. FLT performance partially mediated the effects of FAS on perceptual reasoning and executive function. PAE during childhood was associated with smaller CC volumes and more transfer-related errors in adolescence.
ALCOHOL-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Xi Yu, Jade Dunstan, Sandra W. W. Jacobson, Christopher D. D. Molteno, Nadine M. M. Lindinger, Ted K. K. Turesky, Ernesta M. M. Meintjes, Joseph L. L. Jacobson, Nadine Gaab
Summary: Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with reading deficits in adolescents, affecting both brain function and structure. Adolescents with facial dysmorphology show distinctive neural correlates of reading disabilities compared to those without facial dysmorphology.
Article
Substance Abuse
Michael Shmueli, Mattan S. Ben-Shachar, Joseph L. Jacobson, Ernesta M. Meintjes, Christopher D. Molteno, Sandra W. Jacobson, Andrea Berger
Summary: In this study, event-related potentials were examined in alcohol-exposed adolescents during numerical comparison tasks and physical tasks. The results showed that alcohol-exposed individuals performed poorer in numerical comparison and had longer reaction times when numbers were close in value. At the neurophysiological level, higher levels of prenatal alcohol exposure were associated with smaller P2p amplitude, and only the typically developing and nonsyndromal HE groups exhibited smaller P300 amplitude in the incongruent condition in the physical task.
ALCOHOL-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Substance Abuse
Nadine M. Lindinger, Joseph L. Jacobson, Neil C. Dodge, Susan Malcolm-Smith, Christopher D. Molteno, Ernesta M. Meintjes, Sandra W. Jacobson
Summary: This study found that individuals with full fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) have greater difficulty in interpreting facial emotions compared to those with non-syndromal heavily exposed (HE) and healthy controls, both in childhood and adolescence. In contrast, individuals with partial FAS (PFAS) showed improvement in their ability to interpret facial emotions during adolescence, indicating a developmental delay.
ALCOHOL-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
R. Colin Carter, Marjanne Senekal, Christopher P. Duggan, Neil C. Dodge, Ernesta M. Meintjes, Christopher D. Molteno, Joseph L. Jacobson, Sandra W. Jacobson
Summary: The study found that gestational weight gain and dietary intakes of energy, choline, and iron can modify fetal vulnerability to prenatal alcohol exposure related growth restriction. Screening programs for pregnant women at higher risk of having a child with FASD are needed to identify alcohol-using women who could benefit from nutritional interventions.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Isaac L. Khobo, Marcin Jankiewicz, Martha J. Holmes, Francesca Little, Mark F. Cotton, Barbara Laughton, Andre J. W. van Der Kouwe, Allison Moreau, Emmanuel Nwosu, Ernesta M. Meintjes, Frances C. Robertson
Summary: Despite early combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), children with perinatally acquired HIV (CPHIV) still have poor cognitive outcomes. A set of multimodal MRI measures can distinguish CPHIV from controls and provide insights into the effects of HIV on the brain.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2022)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Samuel Getaneh Bayih, Marcin Jankiewicz, A. Alhamud, Andre J. W. van der Kouwe, Ernesta M. Meintjes
Summary: The study introduces a self-navigated 3D-EPI sequence for prospective motion-corrected functional MRI without additional hardware or pulses. By updating the FOV and recovering image quality for each volume acquisition, the method effectively corrects motion artifacts.
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Nadine M. Lindinger, Sandra W. Jacobson, Landi Davidson, Simone Conradie, Neil C. Dodge, Christopher D. Molteno, Ernesta M. Meintjes, Nadine Gaab, Joseph L. Jacobson
Summary: Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can have a negative impact on reading comprehension skills. In adolescence, reading comprehension relies heavily on linguistic comprehension abilities, especially as word reading becomes automatic and text complexity increases. Therefore, reading-impaired adolescents affected by PAE will benefit from intervention programs targeting vocabulary knowledge, language structure, verbal fluency, and reading comprehension skills.
SCIENTIFIC STUDIES OF READING
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
R. Colin Carter, Neil C. Dodge, Christopher D. Molteno, Ernesta M. Meintjes, Joseph L. Jacobson, Sandra W. Jacobson
Summary: This study examined the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on iron homeostasis, growth, and neurobehavior. The results showed that PAE was associated with growth restriction, deficits in visual recognition memory and processing speed, and higher levels of emotionality and shyness. Changes in maternal hemoglobin and ferritin levels appeared to exacerbate these effects. Causal inference analyses also suggested that alterations in maternal ferritin and hemoglobin:log(ferritin) mediated a significant portion of PAE-related growth restriction. These findings highlight the potential role of iron homeostasis alterations in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Alexia C. Edwards, Sandra W. Jacobson, Marjanne Senekal, Neil C. Dodge, Christopher D. Molteno, Ernesta M. Meintjes, Joseph L. Jacobson, R. Colin Carter
Summary: Prenatal alcohol exposure causes growth restriction that worsens in the first year of life. The impact of postnatal nutrition and alcohol exposure via breastmilk on growth remains unknown. This study aims to compare infant feeding practices between heavy drinkers and abstainers/light drinkers to determine their roles in fetal alcohol growth restriction and the impact of postnatal alcohol exposure on growth.
Article
Neurosciences
Abdulmumin Ibrahim, Fleur L. L. Warton, Samantha Fry, Mark F. F. Cotton, Sandra W. W. Jacobson, Joseph L. L. Jacobson, Christopher D. D. Molteno, Francesca Little, Andre J. W. van der Kouwe, Barbara Laughton, Ernesta M. M. Meintjes, Martha J. J. Holmes
Summary: Successful prevention programmes have reduced the risk of infant HIV infection in South Africa. However, the effects of HIV and ART exposure on the developing brain are not well understood.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)