Article
Neurosciences
Ji Zhou, Sebastian Hormigo, Muhammad S. Sajid, Manuel A. Castro-Alamancos
Summary: Conflicting goals can affect actions, but the same action can have different consequences depending on the situation. In a study with mice, adding a rule that punishes unsignaled actions delayed the timing of signaled actions, indicating increased caution. Caution was influenced by task signaling, contingency, and reinforcement type. Interestingly, caution persisted in avoidance motivated by danger but was only temporary in approach motivated by reward. Caution developed independently of the frontal cortex or basal ganglia output circuits.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Gal Nir-Cohen, Tobias Egner, Yoav Kessler
Summary: Goal-directed behavior relies on maintaining and updating relevant goals in working memory. This study aimed to uncover the neural processes involved in procedural information (task goals) and found that opening the gate to procedural working memory involved activity in medial pFC, PPC, BG, thalamus, and midbrain, while closing the gate involved frontoparietal and BG activity. Task switching was associated with medial pFC/ACC, PPC, and BG activity, and cue conflict was associated with PPC and BG activity during gate closing. These findings contribute to our understanding of working memory and its gating mechanisms.
JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Yarden Cohen, Elad Schneidman, Rony Paz
Summary: The study found that neurons in the cingulate cortex mainly rotated towards the rule, while neurons in the putamen showed an increase in magnitude, indicating strengthening of confidence for the newly acquired rule-based policy. Additionally, neural representation at the end of a session predicted next-day behavior, reflecting overnight retention. The novel framework for characterization of neural dynamics suggests complementary roles for the putamen and the anterior cingulate cortex.
Article
Neurosciences
Elena Borra, Dalila Biancheri, Marianna Rizzo, Fabio Leonardi, Giuseppe Luppino
Summary: This study analyzed and compared the crossed corticostriatal (CSt) projections in the striatum of nonhuman primates. These projections are robust and mainly originate from motor, prefrontal, and cingulate areas. The findings provide the anatomical basis for the bilateral distribution of motor, motivational, and cognitive signals.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Domenica Veniero, Joachim Gross, Stephanie Morand, Felix Duecker, Alexander T. Sack, Gregor Thut
Summary: The activation of the Frontal Eye Fields can shape visual cortex activity and perception through mechanisms of oscillatory realignment at the beta frequency.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ryota Kai, Kuniyuki Takahashi, Kazuki Tainaka, Yuriko Iwakura, Hisaaki Namba, Nae Saito, Toshikuni Sasaoka, Shun Yamaguchi, Hiroyuki Nawa, Arata Horii
Summary: This study investigated the cerebrocortical mechanisms underlying sensory reweighting after unilateral labyrinthectomy in mice. The results showed that the somatosensory system can compensate for vestibular dysfunction, and the medial prefrontal cortex and agranular insular cortex contribute to the integration of sensory and motor functions to restore balance.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Rachel Rac-Lubashevsky, Michael J. Frank
Summary: The study found that different gates in the hierarchical cortico-striatal system have distinct EEG correlates, and switching between gates is related to increases in the motor decision threshold. Neural signatures of gate switching can be decoded from EEG, linking gating operations to prioritization in working memory. This study also provides a novel link between working memory gating and prioritization through enhanced neural coding.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Hua Tang, Vincent D. Costa, Ramon Bartolo, Bruno B. Averbeck
Summary: This study examines the activity of ventral and dorsal corticostriatal circuits in supporting goal-directed behavior. The amygdala, ventral striatum, orbitofrontal cortex, and lateral prefrontal cortex were analyzed while monkeys performed a task. The results suggest that information about stimuli and their value is encoded in the amygdala before options are presented and this information is passed to the LPFC for action execution. The ventral circuit maintains learned value information while the dorsal circuit is involved in action selection.
Article
Neurosciences
Dorota Frydecka, Blazej Misiak, Patryk Piotrowski, Tomasz Bielawski, Edyta Pawlak, Ewa Klosinska, Maja Krefft, Kamila Al Noaimy, Joanna Rymaszewska, Ahmed A. Moustafa, Jaroslaw Drapala
Summary: Schizophrenia patients perform worse in probabilistic reinforcement learning tasks compared to healthy controls. There is no significant association between genetic polymorphisms and reinforcement learning in schizophrenia patients, but the DAT1 rs28363170 polymorphism affects performance in healthy controls.
Article
Neurosciences
Suzanne N. Haber, Julia Lehman, Chiara Maffei, Anastasia Yendiki
Summary: This study explores the role of the zona incerta (ZI) in mediating top-down and bottom-up control, and its potential for deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder. It reveals that the ZI is a hub for connecting cognitive control areas and subcortical structures, such as the lateral habenula and substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Charalampos Papadimitriou, Charles D. Holmes, Lawrence H. Snyder
Summary: The study finds that the dynamics of memory cells during spatial memory periods are more complex than previously thought. They suggest that memory may be supported by multiple attractor networks working in parallel, with each network having its own characteristic mean turn-off time that gradually frees up mnemonic resources over time.
Review
Behavioral Sciences
John P. O'Doherty, Sang Wan Lee, Reza Tadayonnejad, Jeff Cockburn, Kyo Iigaya, Caroline J. Charpentier
Summary: The brain is proposed to act as a Mixture of Experts, with different expert systems proposing action strategies based on reliability. The anterior prefrontal cortex is suggested to play a specific role in this process, favoring simpler expert systems. Research indicates that this reliability-based control mechanism may be domain general.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Clement M. Garin, Marie Garin, Leonardo Silenzi, Rye Jaffe, Christos Constantinidis
Summary: The size of the prefrontal cortex in humans is not disproportionately enlarged compared to other catarrhini species. However, humans have the most relatively enlarged frontal and parietal lobes in an infraorder exhibiting a disproportionate expansion of these areas.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Adam J. Culbreth, Zuzana Kasanova, Thomas J. Ross, Betty J. Salmeron, James M. Gold, Elliot A. Stein, James A. Waltz
Summary: The study found that brain responses to different forms of salience were detected, and there were no significant differences in salient event activation between SZ patients and controls in several regions, but there was a significant correlation between the magnitudes of salience contrasts and positive symptoms in SZ patients.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Shan Zhong, Jeong Woo Choi, Nadia G. Hashoush, Diana Babayan, Mahsa Malekmohammadi, Nader Pouratian, Vassilios Christopoulos
Summary: This study develops a computational theory that models the mechanism of action regulation and explains how disruption of this mechanism can lead to motor deficits in Parkinson's disease patients. The results suggest an integrated mechanism of action regulation that affects both action initiation and inhibition. The model provides insights into the circuit computations underlying action regulation and has implications for therapeutic interventions for diseases involving this circuit.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Howard J. M. Warren, Gabriela Ioachim, Jocelyn M. Powers, Patrick W. Stroman
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the utility of data-driven analyses of fMRT data in examining pain processing in FM patients, compared to conventional model-driven approaches. The results showed that data-driven analyses identified significant group differences in pain processing that traditional model-driven analyses did not, suggesting that data-driven approaches can enhance the understanding of pain processing in both healthy controls and clinical populations.
JOURNAL OF PAIN RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Martin E. Johansson, Ian G. M. Cameron, Nicolien M. Van der Kolk, Nienke M. de Vries, Eva Klimars, Ivan Toni, Bastiaan R. Bloem, Rick C. Helmich
Summary: This study conducted a clinical trial and found that aerobic exercise can improve motor symptoms and cognitive control in patients with Parkinson's disease. It also showed positive effects on the structural and functional changes in the brain, suggesting that aerobic exercise can stabilize disease progression in the corticostriatal sensorimotor network.
ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Jocelyn M. Powers, Gabriela Ioachim, Patrick W. Stroman
Summary: This study examined the integration of cognitive and emotional communication in brainstem regions involved in pain modulation by comparing data from previous studies on affective modulation of pain. The results indicate differences in functional connectivity in relation to emotional, autonomic, and pain processing before, during, and after noxious stimulation, providing insights into healthy pain processes and the cognitive and emotional appraisal of predictable noxious stimuli.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Gabriela Ioachim, Howard J. M. Warren, Jocelyn M. Powers, Roland Staud, Caroline F. Pukall, Patrick W. Stroman
Summary: Chronic pain associated with fibromyalgia (FM) affects a large portion of the population, but the underlying mechanisms leading to this altered pain are still poorly understood. Recent evidence suggests that the changes in pain processing in FM may be linked to autonomic and homeostatic dysregulation in the central nervous system, thus requiring further investigation in the brainstem and spinal cord.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jos IJspeert, Renee Lustenhouwer, Renske M. Janssen, Jay J. Han, Maya N. Hatch, Ian Cameron, Rick C. Helmich, Baziel van Engelen, Philip van der Wees, Alexander C. H. Geurts, Nens van Alfen, Jan T. Groothuis
Summary: This study aimed to examine the ability of the Reachable Workspace (RWS) to quantitatively detect limitations in upper extremity active range of motion in patients with Neuralgic Amyotrophy (NA), and correlate these with other upper extremity functional outcome measures.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Rosemarie H. M. J. M. Kroon, Johanna G. Kalf, Rutger L. Meijers, Bert J. M. de Swart, Ian G. M. Cameron, Jonne Doorduin, Nens van Alfen, Baziel G. M. van Engelen, Corinne G. C. Horlings
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the application of QMUS in OPMD. The results showed that QMUS can detect muscle pathology and can be used as a longitudinal imaging biomarker in OPMD. AEI and muscle thickness were significantly correlated with clinical data. Deterioration in AEI and decreased muscle thickness were observed over time.
Article
Neurosciences
Ashley C. Parr, Heidi C. Riek, Brian C. Coe, Giovanna Pari, Mario Masellis, Connie Marras, Douglas P. Munoz
Summary: Genetic variation in dopamine function may affect mixed-strategy decision-making in Parkinson's disease patients. Patients with higher dopamine transmission scores showed better performance, and genetic variation modulated cognitive aspects of performance beyond motor function.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Renske M. J. Janssen, Renee Lustenhouwer, Edith H. C. Cup, Nens van Alfen, Jos Ijspeert, Rick C. Helmich, Ian G. M. Cameron, Alexander C. H. Geurts, Baziel G. M. van Engelen, Maud J. L. Graff, Jan T. Groothuis
Summary: This study compared the effects of multidisciplinary rehabilitation with usual care on the functional capability of the shoulder, arm, and hand in patients with neuralgic amyotrophy. The results showed that multidisciplinary rehabilitation was more effective in improving shoulder functional capability and reducing pain and fatigue.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Patrick W. Stroman, Jocelyn M. Powers, Gabriela Ioachim
Summary: This paper demonstrates a novel network analysis method for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. The method combines structural equation modeling (SEM) and physiological response modeling to explain interconnected regions' blood oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) responses. The results show that the method can estimate both input and output signaling of each region and provide weighting factors for the influence of input signals on output signaling. The results also suggest that individual differences in nociceptive processing are mediated by differences in descending regulation of spinal cord neurons under the influence of certain brain regions.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Helena Cockx, Robert Oostenveld, Merel Tabor, Ecaterina Savenco, Arne van Setten, Ian Cameron, Richard van Wezel
Summary: This study aimed to assess the ability of fNIRS to detect the leg area of the primary motor cortex (M1) and distinguish it from the hand area. It also evaluated the differentiation capability of fNIRS between automatic and non-automatic movement processes. The results indicated that fNIRS is sensitive to leg activity in M1, but with lower sensitivity compared to finger activity, and rigorous correction for systemic fluctuations is necessary.
Article
Neurosciences
Elena Koning, Jocelyn M. M. Powers, Gabriela Ioachim, Patrick W. W. Stroman
Summary: The somatosensory system plays a crucial role in processing pain signals. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate neural connectivity in the brainstem and spinal cord in response to painful and innocuous stimuli. The results showed differences in functional connectivity between specific regions during pain and innocuous conditions, indicating individual differences in pain experience. These findings contribute to our understanding of pain processing at the level of the brainstem and spinal cord.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Renee Lustenhouwer, Ian G. M. Cameron, Nens van Alfen, Ivan Toni, Alexander C. H. Geurts, Baziel G. M. van Engelen, Jan T. Groothuis, Rick C. Helmich
Summary: This study aimed to determine whether abnormal cerebral sensorimotor representations associated with peripheral nerve damage in neuralgic amyotrophy (NA) can be changed by specialized multidisciplinary outpatient rehabilitation. The results showed that the multidisciplinary rehabilitation group demonstrated significant clinical improvement on the Shoulder Rating Questionnaire, while both groups showed improvement in task performance and increased activity in visuomotor occipito-parietal brain areas specific to the affected upper extremity. This study suggests that abnormal cerebral sensorimotor representations can recover towards normality after peripheral nerve damage.
NEUROREHABILITATION AND NEURAL REPAIR
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Renee Lustenhouwer, Ian G. M. Cameron, Elze Wolfs, Nens van Alfen, Ivan Toni, Alexander C. H. Geurts, Baziel G. M. van Engelen, Jan T. Groothuis, Rick C. Helmich
Summary: Neuralgic amyotrophy is a common peripheral nerve disorder characterized by pain and weakness in the shoulder muscles. This study reveals that cerebral alterations in visuomotor brain areas contribute to residual motor dysfunction and persistent pain in neuralgic amyotrophy. These findings suggest that targeting visuomotor integration in rehabilitation interventions may help improve sensorimotor function in patients with this condition.
BRAIN COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jocelyn M. Powers, Gabriela Ioachim, Patrick W. Stroman
Summary: Research has found that music-induced analgesia affects individuals' pain perception and brain connectivity, but these effects vary depending on individual pain sensitivity. Music analgesia can be used as an adjunct to pain management, but it provides only moderate pain relief and should be combined with lifestyle changes and pharmaceutical intervention.
FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Lindsey R. Yessick, Caroline F. Pukall, Gabriela Ioachim, Susan M. Chamberlain, Patrick W. Stroman
Summary: This study examined spinal cord/brainstem functional connectivity in women with PVD for the first time, revealing altered connectivity related to pain modulation. Results suggest that women with PVD exhibit changes in pain processing and an insufficient response in the pain modulation system.
FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Jose Sanchez-Bornot, Roberto C. Sotero, J. A. Scott Kelso, Ozguer Simsek, Damien Coyle
Summary: This study proposes a multi-penalized state-space model for analyzing unobserved dynamics, using a data-driven regularization method. Novel algorithms are developed to solve the model, and a cross-validation method is introduced to evaluate regularization parameters. The effectiveness of this method is validated through simulations and real data analysis, enabling a more accurate exploration of cognitive brain functions.
