Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cameron T. Ellis, Lena J. Skalaban, Tristan S. Yates, Vikranth R. Bejjanki, Natalia Cordova, Nicholas B. Turk-Browne
Summary: The hippocampus is essential for human memory and supports statistical learning. Infants' hippocampal function is recruited for statistical learning around 3 months, regardless of age. In addition, statistical learning is clearer in the anterior hippocampus than the posterior hippocampus.
Article
Biology
Valeria Oliva, Ron Hartley-Davies, Rosalyn Moran, Anthony E. Pickering, Jonathan Cw Brooks
Summary: Shifting attention away from a threatening event can decrease pain perception. This phenomenon may involve neural pathways connecting the anterior cingulate with the locus coeruleus and periaqueductal grey-rostral ventromedial medulla, with potential roles for noradrenergic and opioidergic modulators.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Xue Jiao, Ming Yuan, Qiuju Li, Yufei Huang, Miaomiao Ji, Jing Li, Shumin Yan, Hao Sun, Xinyu Wang, Zangyu Pan, Qianhui Ren, Dawei Wang, Guoyun Wang
Summary: This study used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate brain morphological alterations and regional dysfunctions in patients with adenomyosis-related pain. The results showed changes in multiple brain regions associated with pain as well as anxiety and depression symptoms.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Granit Kastrati, Jorgen Rosen, William H. Thompson, Xu Chen, Henrik Larsson, Thomas E. Nichols, Irene Tracey, Peter Fransson, Fredrik Ahs, Karin B. Jensen
Summary: Genetic influences have been found in specific brain regions involved in nociceptive processing, such as the midcingulate cortex and posterior insula. Additionally, genetic contributions to large-scale functional connectivity during nociceptive processing have been identified.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Yuyang Zhu, Yituo Wang, Pinhong Chen, Yu Lei, Feng Yan, Zheng Yang, Liu Yang, Lubin Wang
Summary: Decision making under acute stress is common in daily life. Neuroticism has been found to modulate risky decision-making behaviors, but the neural correlates underlying this association remain unclear.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Wei Huang, Hongmei Yan, Chong Wang, Xiaoqing Yang, Jiyi Li, Zhentao Zuo, Jiang Zhang, Huafu Chen
Summary: The proposed deep learning-based framework consists of a latent feature extractor, a latent feature decoder, and a natural image generator, aiming to accurately reconstruct natural images from brain activity by extracting and predicting latent features of natural images. This approach shows promise for decoding brain activity, achieving comparable reproduction of presented images in both high-level semantic category information and low-level pixel information.
NEUROSCIENCE BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Lu Zhang, Lorenzo Pini, DoHyun Kim, Gordon L. Shulman, Maurizio Corbetta
Summary: Recent evidence suggests that spontaneous brain activity patterns and connectivity in the visual and motor cortex code for natural stimuli and actions, respectively. This study examines whether replay patterns occur in resting-state activity in high-order cognitive networks not directly processing sensory inputs or motor outputs. The results show that spontaneous activity patterns in human attention networks code for hand movements.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Gustavo S. P. Pamplona, Julio A. D. Salgado, Philipp Staempfli, Erich Seifritz, Roger Gassert, Silvio Ionta
Summary: Fundamental human feelings such as body ownership and vicariousness are based on multisensory integration, with behavioral links between the two demonstrated. This study revealed the neural effects of altered body ownership on vicarious somatosensation, highlighting the importance of temporal evolution of neural responses and extending the impact of body-related processing to other psychological domains.
Article
Neurosciences
Granit Kastrati, William H. Thompson, Bjorn Schiffler, Peter Fransson, Karin B. Jensen
Summary: This study investigated changes in brain network integration/segregation during thermal pain using high temporal resolution methods. The results showed that the brain shifts from a segregated state to an integrated state when processing painful stimuli. Different brain networks were associated with pain ratings at different time points, but the association weakened when measured at lower temporal resolution. Moreover, the increased integration associated with pain can be partly explained by increased between-network connectivity. These findings highlight the importance of studying the relationship between pain and brain network connectivity at a single time point scale.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Nicholas J. Pondelis, Eric A. Moulton
Summary: Understanding the mechanisms of eye pain is crucial for the treatment of neuropathic eye conditions.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Anesthesiology
Han Tong, Thomas C. Maloney, Michael F. Payne, Christopher D. King, Tracy Ting, Susmita Kashikar-Zuck, Robert C. Coghill, Marina Lopez-Sola
Summary: Adolescence is a sensitive period for both brain development and the emergence of chronic pain, particularly in females. This study compares pain perception and brain responses in female adolescents and adults and finds that adolescents show greater sensitivity to low-pain and stronger pain-evoked brain responses.
Article
Neurosciences
Ali Khatibi, Shahabeddin Vahdat, Ovidiu Lungu, Jurgen Finsterbusch, Christian Buechel, Julien Cohen-Adad, Veronique Marchand-Pauvert, Julien Doyon
Summary: This study investigated the role of the spinal cord in human motor learning and found that there are changes in spinal cord activation and functional connectivity during the learning process. The subjects showed improved motor performance in the sequence task, which was associated with decreased co-contractions and increased reciprocal activations between wrist muscles. The early learning phase was characterized by activation in the C8 level, while a more rostral activation in the C6-C7 was found during the later learning phase. Increased spinal cord functional connectivity with brain networks, including the motor cortex, superior parietal lobule, and cerebellum, supported motor sequence learning at different stages.
Article
Neurosciences
Yu Zhang, Loic Tetrel, Bertrand Thirion, Pierre Bellec
Summary: This study introduces a multidomain brain decoder using deep learning to understand the relationship between brain activity and cognitive functions. The model shows high decoding accuracy across multiple cognitive tasks and various cognitive domains, indicating potential applications in neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ting Xu, Gregory Kiar, Jae Wook Cho, Eric W. Bridgeford, Aki Nikolaidis, Joshua T. Vogelstein, Michael P. Milham
Summary: This article presents an integrative toolbox called Reliability eXplorer (ReX) that aids in examining individual variation and reliability in neuroscience biomarker discovery. Additionally, the article introduces a two-dimensional field map-based approach called gradient flows, which is implemented in ReX to identify and represent the most effective optimization direction for measuring individual differences.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Heekyeong Park, Katherine L. Forthman, Rayus Kuplicki, Teresa A. Victor, Hung-Wen Yeh, Wesley K. Thompson, Martin P. Paulus
Summary: The study found that higher genetic loading for neuroticism is associated with attenuated anticipatory responsiveness in reward/punishment processing, with altered sensitivity to valences. This may limit the influence of positive and negative outcomes on mood states, contributing to affective dysfunctions in individuals with mood, anxiety, and addictive disorders.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Frantisek Vasa, Harriet Hobday, Ryan A. Stanyard, Richard E. Daws, Vincent Giampietro, Owen O'Daly, David J. Lythgoe, Jakob Seidlitz, Stefan Skare, Steven C. R. Williams, Andre F. Marquand, Robert Leech, James H. Cole
Summary: Current neuroimaging acquisition and processing approaches focus on quality over speed, but rapid processing of neuroimaging data can lead to new paradigms such as adaptive acquisition. This study evaluated the impact of rapid processing on manually labelled T-1-weighted MRI scans and applied it to multicontrast EPImix scans, demonstrating the feasibility of deriving quantitative information from neuroimaging scans processed within minutes. Further research is needed to explore adaptive multimodal imaging and individualized neuroimaging examinations using this approach.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Tanja Jaeckle, Steven C. R. Williams, Gareth J. Barker, Rodrigo Basilio, Ewan Carr, Kimberley Goldsmith, Alessandro Colasanti, Vincent Giampietro, Anthony Cleare, Allan H. Young, Jorge Moll, Roland Zahn
Summary: Self-guided psychological intervention with additional fMRI neurofeedback targeting self-blaming emotions showed potential in reducing symptoms in non-anxious MDD patients. However, further studies are needed to confirm these findings.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Michael Detyna, Rodrigo Sanchez-Pizani, Vincent Giampietro, Eleanor J. Dommett, Kyle Dyer
Summary: This article discusses the implementation of HyFlex teaching at King's College London in response to Covid-19 restrictions. It provides insights into the conceptualization and technical factors of this teaching approach, as well as the pedagogical challenges and solutions. The article emphasizes the importance of appropriate training and support for successful implementation.
LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Rheumatology
Jennifer G. Cox, Marius de Groot, James H. Cole, Steven C. R. Williams, Matthew J. Kempton
CLINICAL RHEUMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Marie-Stephanie Cahart, Owen O'Daly, Vincent Giampietro, Maarten Timmers, Johannes Streffer, Steven Einstein, Fernando Zelaya, Flavio Dell'Acqua, Steven C. R. Williams
Summary: This study compared the reliability of conventional single-band fMRI and different multiband (MB) fMRI acquisitions with and without in-plane acceleration across multiple scanning sessions. It found that for cortical areas, MB factor 4 without in-plane acceleration had the highest reliability, while for subcortical areas, conventional single-band fMRI was more reliable.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Biological
V. Kumari, E. Antonova, S. Mahmood, M. Shukla, A. Saifullah, R. Pandey
Summary: There is increasing evidence that mindfulness training/practices have beneficial effects on sensory and cognitive processing, emotion regulation, and mental health. This study examined the associations between dispositional mindfulness, alexithymia, and sensory processing. The results showed a negative association between dispositional mindfulness and alexithymia, and a stronger startle habituation in individuals with higher dispositional mindfulness. These findings suggest a similar startle habituation pattern in individuals with high dispositional mindfulness as in those with moderate mindfulness meditation practice intensity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Caroline D. Rae, Stephen R. Williams
Summary: The ISMRM study group has made recommendations for reporting methods in magnetic resonance spectroscopy and the Journal of Neurochemistry has decided to promote the use of a checklist based on these standards. This aims to enhance reproducibility and reliability of scientific research, facilitate the work of reviewers, and contribute to the education of the scientific community.
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Christopher Roberts, Ahmed Albusoda, Adam D. Farmer, Qasim Aziz
Summary: This study aimed to determine whether individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have lower pain thresholds compared to healthy individuals. The results showed that reduced rectal pain threshold is more common in IBS patients than in healthy controls. Further research is needed to understand the pathophysiological and therapeutic implications of rectal sensitivity in IBS.
NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Timothy Lawn, Daniel Martins, Owen O'Daly, Steve Williams, Matthew Howard, Ottavia Dipasquale
Summary: Placing a patient under anesthesia is crucial in surgical practice, but the mechanisms by which anesthetic drugs affect consciousness are poorly understood. Using REACT, a multi-modal imaging technique, this study investigated how different levels of propofol-induced sedation affect neurotransmission-related functional connectivity. The results showed that propofol increased GABA-A and noradrenaline transporter-enriched functional connectivity in occipital and somatosensory regions, respectively. During auditory stimulation, the dopaminergic network exhibited reduced functional connectivity, particularly in bilateral temporal and mid/posterior cingulate cortices, with an interaction between auditory stimulation and level of consciousness observed in the right temporal cluster. By integrating micro- and macro-scale systems, this study provides evidence for direct GABAergic and indirect noradrenergic and dopaminergic-related network changes under propofol sedation, highlighting the utility of REACT in exploring the molecular substrates of consciousness and cognition.
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Satyam Chauhan, Ray Norbury, Kaja Christina Fassbender, Ulrich Ettinger, Veena Kumari
Summary: Chronotype refers to the expression or representation of various mechanisms of circadian rhythms, such as body temperature, cortisol secretion, cognitive functions, eating and sleeping patterns. It is influenced by internal (e.g., genetics) and external factors (e.g., light exposure), and has implications for health and well-being. Existing models of chronotype have primarily focused on the sleep dimension and have not considered the social and environmental influences. We propose a multidimensional model that integrates individual, environmental, and social factors to determine an individual's true chronotype with potential feedback loops. This model has relevance in both basic science and understanding the health and clinical implications of different chronotypes, as well as designing preventive and therapeutic approaches for related illnesses.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Steven C. R. Williams, Ndaba Mazibuko, Owen O'Daly, Christian Zurth, Fiona Patrick, Christian Kappeler, Iris Kuss, Patricia E. Cole
Summary: This study compared the effects of two androgen receptor inhibitors, darolutamide and enzalutamide, and placebo on blood flow in the brain. Enzalutamide reduced cerebral blood flow, while darolutamide did not significantly affect it.
Article
Psychiatry
Krupa Vakani, Martina Ratto, Anna Sandford-James, Elena Antonova, Veena Kumari
Summary: There is limited research on the cognitive impact of COVID-19, and this study aimed to address this gap by evaluating cognitive function in COVID-19 patients compared to non-COVID patients. The results showed that while there was limited cognitive impact in the COVID group overall, they exhibited larger intra-individual variability in processing speed. Those who required hospitalization due to COVID-19 and experienced long-COVID symptoms displayed cognitive impairment in attention and executive function. The findings suggest the importance of repeated cognitive assessments and remediation efforts for these individuals.
EUROPEAN PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rakesh Pandey, Satchit Prasun Mandal, Meenakshi Shukla, Vishnukant Tripathi, Elena Antonova, Veena Kumari
Summary: Dispositional mindfulness reduces the risk of mental health problems by reducing maladaptive emotion processing styles and associated negative affect.
