Review
Neurosciences
Kelley C. C. Atkinson, Marvellous Osunde, Seema K. K. Tiwari-Woodruff
Summary: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) with mitochondrial energy production failure. Mitochondrial morphology changes and impaired transport contribute to neurodegeneration and disability in MS. Current methodologies for studying mitochondria in MS only provide a partial understanding, and cell-specific studies in animal models are needed for a comprehensive understanding.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Andreea Hertanu, Lucas Soustelle, Julie Buron, Julie Le Priellec, Myriam Cayre, Arnaud Le Troter, Valentin H. Prevost, Jean-Philippe Ranjeva, Gopal Varma, David C. Alsop, Pascale Durbec, Olivier M. Girard, Guillaume Duhamel
Summary: This study investigated the association of ihMT signals with demyelination and remyelination in the acute cuprizone mouse model using multimodal MRI. The results showed that the ihMT high-pass T1D-filters were sensitive markers of demyelination and remyelination, and correlated well with histology. The ihMT band-pass T1D-filter was less sensitive to myelin changes and may be influenced by other pathological processes.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Chris W. J. van der Weijden, Emma Biondetti, Ingomar W. Gutmann, Hildebrand Dijkstra, Rory McKerchar, Daniele de Paula Faria, Erik F. J. de Vries, Jan F. Meilof, Rudi A. J. O. Dierckx, Valentin H. Prevost, Alexander Rauscher
Summary: Myelin is a protective sheath made of phospholipid bilayer and water that wraps around axons. Non-invasive quantitative myelin imaging methods are needed for evaluating myelin damage, assessing the efficacy of remyelination therapies, and monitoring brain maturation in children. Different MRI and PET techniques have been developed for myelin imaging based on various biophysical principles. This review provides an overview of these techniques, including image acquisition, data analysis, and validation status, and concludes that quantitative susceptibility mapping, inhomogeneous magnetization transfer for MRI, and C-11-MeDAS for PET are the most promising techniques.
Article
Neurosciences
Sarah Joost, Felix Schweiger, Friederike Pfeiffer, Carolin Ertl, Jonas Keiler, Marcus Frank, Markus Kipp
Summary: This study investigated the ultrastructural changes of the axon-myelin interface in the cuprizone model and found remarkable similarities between the cuprizone model and multiple sclerosis in terms of myelin characteristics. This suggests that the cuprizone model is a valuable tool to study early pathologies during lesion formation in multiple sclerosis.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Yuki Kanazawa, Masafumi Harada, Yo Taniguchi, Hiroaki Hayashi, Takashi Abe, Maki Otomo, Yuki Matsumoto, Masaharu Ono, Kosuke Ito, Yoshitaka Bito, Akihiro Haga
Summary: This study developed a novel method using quantitative parameter mapping magnetic resonance imaging (QPM-MRI) to visualize contrast according to myelin components in the human brain. The method was validated through experiments with healthy volunteers and a clinical case analysis. The results showed that the method effectively demonstrated myelin-weighted contrast and had quantitative characteristics.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Nikkita Khattar, Curtis Triebswetter, Matthew Kiely, Luigi Ferrucci, Susan M. Resnick, Richard G. Spencer, Mustapha Bouhrara
Summary: The study found that increased iron content in the brain is associated with decreased myelin content, with iron content significantly higher in most structures with advanced age, and a trend towards higher iron content in men compared to women. Brain myelination continues until middle age, followed by degeneration at older ages.
Article
Immunology
Allison Y. Louie, Justin S. Kim, Jenny Drnevich, Payam Dibaeinia, Hisami Koito, Saurabh Sinha, Daniel B. McKim, Katiria Soto-Diaz, Romana A. Nowak, Aditi Das, Andrew J. Steelman
Summary: Recent data suggest that myelin may be altered by physiological events occurring outside of the central nervous system, which may cause changes to cognition and behavior. Similarly, peripheral infection by non-neurotropic viruses is also known to evoke changes to cognition and behavior.
JOURNAL OF NEUROINFLAMMATION
(2023)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Akifumi Hagiwara, Kotaro Fujimoto, Koji Kamagata, Syo Murata, Ryusuke Irie, Hideyoshi Kaga, Yuki Someya, Christina Andica, Shohei Fujita, Shimpei Kato, Issei Fukunaga, Akihiko Wada, Masaaki Hori, Yoshifumi Tamura, Ryuzo Kawamori, Hirotaka Watada, Shigeki Aoki
Summary: This study used quantitative synthetic MRI to investigate changes in tissue characteristics and volumes of the brain according to age. The reference values obtained for different age groups can help differentiate brain disorders from healthy brains.
INVESTIGATIVE RADIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Sharada Balaji, Poljanka Johnson, Adam Vladimir Dvorak, Shannon Heather Kolind
Summary: Myelin water imaging (MWI) has been extensively applied in neurological syndromes, including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, cerebral small vessel disease, leukodystrophies, and HIV. MWI can detect alterations in myelin content, which tend to correlate with cognitive scores and clinical presentation. It has also been associated with genetic variation in the APOE and PLP1 genes, indicating genetic factors related to myelin health. MWI provides valuable insight into the pathophysiology and disease mechanisms of various neurological syndromes.
CURRENT OPINION IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Juliane Bauch, Andreas Faissner
Summary: Oligodendrocytes play an important role in myelination in the central nervous system. The glycoproteins tenascin-C (Tnc) and tenascin-R (Tnr) regulate the differentiation and regeneration of oligodendrocytes, affecting the formation and thickness of myelin sheaths. Results from experiments using Tnc and Tnr knockout mice show increased number of myelin sheaths and thickness in the absence of these proteins.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Malena Beecken, Louise Baumann, Elise Vankriekelsvenne, Katerina Manzhula, Theresa Greiner, Leo Heinig, Steffen Schauerte, Markus Kipp, Sarah Joost
Summary: The Cuprizone mouse model is widely used in studies on de- and remyelination, but different experimenters using different concentrations of Cuprizone result in considerable variability in demyelination levels, and the reasons for this are unknown. In this study, we tested whether different Cuprizone formulations from different vendors and manufacturers influenced Cuprizone-induced histopathological hallmarks. The results showed that all tested formulations induced demyelination, astrogliosis, microgliosis, axonal damage and a moderate drop in body weight at the beginning of the intoxication period, but two formulations performed weaker than the others. Therefore, the choice of Cuprizone formulation may contribute to the considerable variability in experimental outcomes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eystein Oveland, Intakhar Ahmad, Ragnhild Reehorst Lereim, Ann Cathrine Kroksveen, Harald Barsnes, Astrid Guldbrandsen, Kjell-Morten Myhr, Lars Bo, Frode S. Berven, Stig Wergeland
Summary: By analyzing two different experimental models of multiple sclerosis using quantitative proteomics in the frontal cortex, new protein alterations were discovered as potential diagnostic, prognostic, or treatment targets. While there were some overlapping proteins between the two models, significant differences were also observed, such as the upregulation of legumain in multiple sclerosis patients, which may be associated with lesion activity.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Yanan Liu, Hongbin Fan, Xinyu Li, Jing Liu, Xuebin Qu, Xiuxiang Wu, Meiying Liu, Zhian Liu, Ruiqin Yao
Summary: The study suggests that Trpv4 regulates mitochondrial function through the SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway, further triggering Nlrp3 inflammasome activation. Knockdown of Trpv4 and Nlrp3 by siRNA can alleviate demyelination and inflammation.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neuroimaging
Menno D. Stellingwerff, Petra J. W. Pouwels, Stefan D. Roosendaal, Frederik Barkhof, Marjo S. van der Knaap
Summary: Leukodystrophies are genetic diseases that affect the white matter of the central nervous system. Different disorders target different components of white matter. They are usually progressive and fatal, but recent advances in therapy offer hope. Quantitative MRI can provide objective and noninvasive measures of white matter involvement, aiding in the evaluation and monitoring of leukodystrophies.
NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Markus Kipp
Summary: Neurological and psychiatric disorders show distinct myelin abnormalities, which are closely related to dysfunction of oligodendrocytes and alterations in myelin structure. Astrocytes, playing vital roles in the development and maintenance of neurons and oligodendrocytes, emerge as potential key players in the onset and progression of these disorders. The cuprizone model provides insights into the functions of astrocytes in myelin-related disorders.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
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
Biophysics
Rachel L. C. Barrett, Diana Cash, Camilla Simmons, Eugene Kim, Tobias C. Wood, Richard Stones, Anthony C. Vernon, Marco Catani, Flavio Dell'Acqua
Summary: In this study, an optimization strategy for ex vivo diffusion imaging was developed to improve image quality and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The strategy successfully enabled the acquisition of high-resolution diffusion data with improved SNR efficiency and allowed for faster acquisitions in preclinical experiments.
NMR IN BIOMEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Dorothea L. Floris, Han Peng, Varun Warrier, Michael V. Lombardo, Charlotte M. Pretzsch, Clara Moreau, Alex Tsompanidis, Weikang Gong, Maarten Mennes, Alberto Llera, Daan van Rooij, Marianne Oldehinkel, Natalie J. Forde, Tony Charman, Julian Tillmann, Tobias Banaschewski, Carolin Moessnang, Sarah Durston, Rosemary J. Holt, Christine Ecker, Flavio Dell'Acqua, Eva Loth, Thomas Bourgeron, Declan G. M. Murphy, Andre F. Marquand, Meng-Chuan Lai, Jan K. Buitelaar, Simon Baron-Cohen, Christian F. Beckmann
Summary: Using deep learning on brain images, the authors found that both autistic males and females tend to have neuroanatomy more similar to males, as well as social cognitive features and gene expression patterns associated with male characteristics. These neurophenotypes provide important insights into the biological mechanisms underlying autism.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Sarah Baumeister, Carolin Moessnang, Nico Bast, Sarah Hohmann, Pascal Aggensteiner, Anna Kaiser, Julian Tillmann, David Goyard, Tony Charman, Sara Ambrosino, Simon Baron-Cohen, Christian Beckmann, Sven Bolte, Thomas Bourgeron, Annika Rausch, Daisy Crawley, Flavio Dell'Acqua, Guillaume Dumas, Sarah Durston, Christine Ecker, Dorothea L. Floris, Vincent Frouin, Hannah Hayward, Rosemary Holt, Mark H. Johnson, Emily J. H. Jones, Meng-Chuan Lai, Michael Lombardo, Luke Mason, Bethany Oakley, Marianne Oldehinkel, Antonio M. Persico, Antonia San Jose Caceres, Thomas Wolfers, Eva Loth, Declan G. M. Murphy, Jan K. Buitelaar, Heike Tost, Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, Tobias Banaschewski, Daniel Brandeis
Summary: This study aimed to assess reward processing in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in response to social and monetary rewards. The results showed that individuals with ASD exhibited hypoactivation in the right ventral striatum during reward anticipation compared to typically developing participants. However, there was no significant hyperactivation during the delivery of rewards. These findings do not support current theories linking atypical social interaction in ASD to specific alterations in social reward processing.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
(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
Psychiatry
Amanda Kiemes, Maria Elisa Serrano Navacerrada, Eugene Kim, Karen Randall, Camilla Simmons, Loreto Rojo Gonzalez, Marija-Magdalena Petrinovic, David J. Lythgoe, Diana Rotaru, Davide Di Censo, Lydiane Hirschler, Emmanuel L. Barbier, Anthony C. Vernon, James M. Stone, Cathy Davies, Diana Cash, Gemma Modinos
Summary: This study found that specific disruption of cortical inhibitory interneurons in mice can reproduce some of the neuroimaging findings in patients with psychosis, linking inhibitory interneuron deficits to non-invasive measures of brain function and neurochemistry that can be used across species.
SCHIZOPHRENIA BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Biology
Jadna Bogado Lopes, Anna N. Senko, Klaas Bahnsen, Daniel Geisler, Eugene Kim, Michel Bernanos, Diana Cash, Stefan Ehrlich, Anthony C. Vernon, Gerd Kempermann
Summary: By continuously tracking the behavioral activity of mice in an enriched environment for 3 months and using ex vivo structural magnetic resonance imaging, it was found that behavioral activity can shape the connectivity of the mouse brain. Furthermore, there are differences in brain structural covariance between mice with different behavioral trajectories.
Article
Immunology
Amalie C. M. Couch, Shiden Solomon, Rodrigo R. R. Duarte, Alessia Marrocu, Yiqing Sun, Laura Sichlinger, Rugile Matuleviciute, Lucia Dutan Polit, Bjorn Hanger, Amelia Brown, Shahram Kordasti, Deepak P. Srivastava, Anthony C. Vernon
Summary: Research found that prenatal exposure to elevated interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels is associated with increased risk for psychiatric disorders. The study used human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived microglia-like cells and neural progenitor cells to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of IL-6 response. The results showed that IL-6 had different effects on different cell types and induced the secretion of various cytokines.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matthew R. Bruce, Amalie C. M. Couch, Simone Grant, Janna McLellan, Katherine Ku, Christina Chang, Angelica Bachman, Matthew Matson, Robert F. Berman, Richard J. Maddock, Douglas Rowland, Eugene Kim, Matthew D. Ponzini, Danielle Harvey, Sandra L. Taylor, Anthony C. Vernon, Melissa D. Bauman, Judy van de Water
Summary: Maternal immune dysregulation is a prenatal risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Maternal autoantibodies (aAbs) may disrupt metabolic signaling and induce neuroanatomical changes in the brains of exposed offspring. Rats exposed to MAR-ASD aAbs present with alterations in behavior, brain structure, and neurometabolites, reminiscent of findings observed in clinical ASD.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Eugene Kim, Ines Carreira Figueiredo, Camilla Simmons, Karen Randall, Loreto Rojo Gonzalez, Tobias Wood, Brigida Ranieri, Paula Sureda-Gibert, Oliver Howes, Carmine Pariante, N. I. M. A. NIMA Consortium, Ofer Pasternak, Flavio Dell'Acqua, Federico Turkheimer, Diana Cash
Summary: It has been found that neuroinflammation is crucial in various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Recent studies have shown that diffusion MRI (dMRI) can detect changes in microglial density and morphology related to neuroinflammation, but these studies were mostly conducted ex vivo or in extreme animal models. In this study, the utility of established dMRI methods to detect neuroinflammation in a clinically relevant animal model of sickness behavior was investigated. The results demonstrated that diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) indicated widespread increases in diffusivity in the brains of rats with a lipopolysaccharide challenge. These findings confirm the sensitivity of dMRI to neuroinflammatory processes and contribute to the development of a noninvasive indicator of neuroinflammation for early diagnosis and treatment monitoring in neurological and psychiatric diseases.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Federico E. Turkheimer, Mattia Veronese, Valeria Mondelli, Diana Cash, Carmine M. Pariante
Summary: Current research suggests that immune mediators related to chronic somatic disorders have significant effects on brain function in mood disorders. Anti-inflammatory therapies are being explored as adjunctive treatments to standard antidepressants to improve efficacy, especially in non-responsive patients. Biomarkers are needed to personalize these therapies for optimal outcomes, along with a better understanding of the interaction between peripheral immunity and brain function. This proposal presents a modified model of periphery-brain interactions, suggesting that brain barriers play a crucial role in the pathophysiology and treatment resistance of mood disorders, particularly in patients with mild peripheral inflammation.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
