Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francesco Errico, Luana Gilio, Andrea Mancini, Tommaso Nuzzo, Mario Stampanoni Bassi, Laura Bellingacci, Fabio Buttari, Ettore Dolcetti, Antonio Bruno, Giovanni Galifi, Roberto Furlan, Annamaria Finardi, Anna Di Maio, Massimiliano Di Filippo, Diego Centonze, Alessandro Usiello
Summary: The neuroinflammatory process in multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with changes in synaptic transmission and levels of excitatory amino acids. This study found that levels of L-aspartate (L-Asp) were reduced in the cortex and spinal cord of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model for MS. Additionally, CSF levels of L-Asp were decreased in MS patients and showed a positive correlation with inflammatory biomarkers.
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Jan Remsik, Jessica A. Wilcox, N. Esther Babady, Tracy A. McMillen, Behroze A. Vachha, Neil A. Halpern, Vikram Dhawan, Marc Rosenblum, Christine A. Iacobuzio-Donahue, Edward K. Avila, Bianca Santomasso, Adrienne Boire
Summary: Cancer patients with neurologic sequelae of COVID-19 have meningeal inflammatory cytokines without viral neuroinvasion, mainly driven by type II interferon and correlated with the degree of neurological dysfunction. The neuroinflammatory process persists weeks after recovery from acute respiratory infection, leading to long-term neurocognitive dysfunction. Anti-inflammatory treatments may play a role in managing neurological complications of COVID-19 infection.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mari Spildrejorde, Athina Samara, Ankush Sharma, Magnus Leithaug, Martin Falck, Stefania Modafferi, Arvind Y. M. Sundaram, Ganesh Acharya, Hedvig Nordeng, Ragnhild Eskeland, Kristina Gervin, Robert Lyle
Summary: A study using a multi-omics approach found that prenatal paracetamol exposure may have a detrimental effect on brain development.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Natalia Czarniak, Joanna Kaminska, Joanna Matowicka-Karna, Olga Martyna Koper-Lenkiewicz
Summary: Cerebrospinal fluid plays a crucial role in protecting the central nervous system by providing support, absorbing shocks, and transporting nutrients and waste products. This review provides an overview of cerebrospinal fluid history, production, circulation, main components, and the roles of blood-brain barrier and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier in maintaining homeostasis. The utility of Albumin Quotient evaluation in the diagnosis of CNS diseases is discussed. The importance of research on cerebrospinal fluid for improving disease management and discovering new treatment options is highlighted.
Article
Cell Biology
Nicholas L. Weilinger, Kai Yang, Hyun B. Choi, Christopher J. Groten, Stefan Wendt, Madhuvika Murugan, Leigh E. Wicki-Stordeur, Louis-Philippe Bernier, Prashanth S. Velayudhan, Jiaying Zheng, Jeffrey M. LeDue, Ravi L. Rungta, John R. Tyson, Terrance P. Snutch, Long-Jun Wu, Brian A. Macvicar
Summary: Neuronal death during cytotoxic edema is influenced by the opening of large conductance Pannexin-1 channels. Blocking these channels reduces and delays neuronal death. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during neuronal swelling activates Panx1 currents, and scavenging ROS is neuroprotective. Microglial processes, attracted by Panx1 opening and ATP release, have a neuroprotective effect on swelling neurons.
Article
Neurosciences
Yasco Aracava, Edson X. Albuquerque, Edna F. R. Pereira
Summary: This study provides the first demonstration that (R,S)trihexyphenidyl (THP) can suppress action potential-dependent synaptic transmission via a mechanism independent of NMDAR, mAChR, and α7 nAChR inhibition.
Article
Neurosciences
Madeline Peterson, Molly B. D. Prigge, Erin D. Bigler, Brandon Zielinski, Jace B. King, Nicholas Lange, Andrew Alexander, Janet E. Lainhart, Jared A. Nielsen
Summary: The study found no significant increase in extra-axial cerebrospinal fluid volume in autistic individuals beyond the age of four, compared to controls.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Isis Nem de Oliveira Souza, Robin Roychaudhuri, Jacqueline de Belleroche, Jean-Pierre Mothet
Summary: Free D-amino acids (D-AAs) are a novel class of signaling molecules with important roles in various organs. They have implications in neuropathologies such as schizophrenia, epilepsy, and chronic pain. Recent research has shown the essential role of D-serine, D-aspartate, and D-cysteine in the healthy development and function of the central nervous system.
TRENDS IN MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Ares Orlando Cuellar-Santoyo, Victor Manuel Ruiz-Rodriguez, Teresa Belem Mares-Barbosa, Araceli Patron-Soberano, Andrew G. Howe, Diana Patricia Portales-Perez, Amaya Miquelajauregui Graf, Ana Maria Estrada-Sanchez
Summary: Previous research mainly focused on the function of presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons, relegating astrocytes to a secondary role of ensuring neurotransmission. Recent evidence suggests that astrocytes actively contribute to and regulate neuronal transmission. This review compares glutamatergic components in neurons and astrocytes to explore how astrocytes modulate or influence neuronal transmission. Despite knowing their role in synaptic modulation, the specific contributions of astrocytes to physiological and pathological conditions remain unclear. Understanding the role of astrocytes in neuronal processing could lead to new therapeutic applications.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rostislav A. Sokolov, Irina V. Mukhina
Summary: Calcium is a crucial intracellular messenger in the brain that regulates various cell processes. In this study, the researchers used a fluorescent probe to investigate spontaneous Ca2+ events (SCEs) in neurons during culture maturation. They found that SCEs exhibited three different amplitude distributions and were dependent on extracellular Ca2+, neuronal network activity, and specific receptors and channels.
ARCHIVES OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Xianjie Cai, Qingyuan He, Wei Wang, Chunlin Li, Hui Wang, Feng Yin, Tong Li, Dongsheng Kong, Yanxing Jia, Hongfeng Li, Junhao Yan, Xunbin Wei, Qiushi Ren, Yajuan Gao, Shuangfeng Yang, Huaiyu Tong, Yun Peng, Hongbin Han
Summary: In this study, a new method was developed to accelerate the drainage of brain interstitial fluid (ISF) in the extracellular space (ECS). The method involved a minimally invasive surgery that implanted a branch of the external carotid artery in the epidural space, resulting in a pulsation effect on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The results showed that the drainage of ISF from the caudate nucleus to the ipsilateral cortex was significantly accelerated, along with increases in the volume fraction of the ECS and molecular diffusion rate. This study provides a new perspective on the treatment of brain diseases through the brain ECS.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Johanna Oechtering, Therese Lincke, Sabine Schaedelin, Bernhard F. Decard, Aleksandra Maceski, Annette Orleth, Stephanie Meier, Eline Willemse, Arabella Buchmann, Michael Khalil, Tobias Derfuss, Pascal Benkert, Ingmar Heijnen, Axel Regeniter, Stefanie Muller, Lutz Achtnichts, Patrice Lalive, Anke Salmen, Caroline Pot, Claudio Gobbi, Ludwig Kappos, Cristina Granziera, David Leppert, Regina Schlaeger, Johanna M. Lieb, Jens Kuhle
Summary: In early multiple sclerosis, intrathecal IgM synthesis is strongly associated with spinal cord manifestation and more pronounced neuroaxonal injury, suggesting a distinct clinical phenotype and pathophysiology.
ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Jing Wang, Nicolas Serratrice, Cindy J. Lee, Florence Francois, Jonathan V. Sweedler, Jean-Luc Puel, Jean-Pierre Mothet, Jerome Ruel
Summary: D-serine has been found to play a crucial role in the cochlea, promoting the activation of NMDARs and having a significant impact in pathological conditions. This discovery may present a new druggable target for treating sensorineural hearing disorders.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Jessica Brown, Elena Camporesi, Juan Lantero-Rodriguez, Maria Olsson, Alice Wang, Blanca Medem, Henrik Zetterberg, Kaj Blennow, Thomas K. Karikari, Mark Wall, Emily Hill
Summary: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies involve the aggregation of tau into different forms. Specific tau species secreted into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. This study demonstrates that CSF-tau significantly modulates neuronal function, causing increased excitability, altered synaptic plasticity, and changes in hippocampal oscillations. The findings suggest a novel method to understand the functional effects of CSF-tau and its potential therapeutic implications for tauopathies.
ACTA NEUROPATHOLOGICA COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Wei Jiang, Zhenwu Luo, Sophie Stephenson, Hong Li, Clara Di Germanio, Philip J. Norris, Dietmar Fuchs, Henrik Zetterberg, Magnus Gisslen, Richard W. Price
Summary: Untreated HIV-infected individuals show increased plasma LPS, neuroinflammation, and blood-brain barrier dysfunction, while healthy or treated HIV-infected individuals do not exhibit these changes. Plasma LPS levels are directly correlated with various markers of inflammation in both plasma and CSF, as well as with BBB permeability, but not with CSF NfL in HIV-infected subjects.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Bahne Hendrik Bahners, Gunnar Waterstraat, Silja Kannenberg, Gabriel Curio, Alfons Schnitzler, Vadim Nikulin, Esther Florin
Summary: The subthalamic nucleus (STN) receives input from various cortical areas via the hyperdirect pathway (HDP), which is important for deep brain stimulation (DBS). Cortical responses evoke three different latencies, and the medium-latency responses may represent antidromic cortical activations via the HDP. These responses can be used as biomarkers for evaluating the efficacy and side effects of DBS.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Helge Jorn Zollner, Thomas A. A. Thiel, Nur-Deniz Fuellenbach, Markus S. Joerdens, Sinyeob Ahn, Lena M. M. Wilms, Alexandra Ljimani, Dieter Haeussinger, Markus Butz, Hans-Joerg Wittsack, Alfons Schnitzler, Georg Oeltzschner
Summary: Using GABA-edited MRS, this study investigates metabolic abnormalities in the cerebello-thalamo-cortical system of HE patients, finding changes in GABA+ levels in the cerebellum and motor cortex that are closely linked to disease severity, CFF, motor performance, and blood ammonia levels.
METABOLIC BRAIN DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Serge Pinto, Adelheid Nebel, Jorn Rau, Robert Espesser, Pauline Maillochon, Oliver Niebuhr, Paul Krack, Tatiana Witjas, Alain Ghio, Marie-Charlotte Cuartero, Lars Timmermann, Alfons Schnitzler, Helke Hesekamp, Niklaus Meier, Julia Muellner, Thomas D. Haelbig, Bettina Moeller, Steffen Paschen, Laura Paschen, Jens Volkmann, Michael T. Barbe, Gereon R. Fink, Johannes Becker, Paul Reker, Andrea A. Kuehn, Gerd-Helge Schneider, Valerie Fraix, Eric Seigneuret, Andrea Kistner, Olivier Rascol, Christine Brefel-Courbon, Fabienne Ory-Magne, Christian J. Hartmann, Lars Wojtecki, Anne Fradet, David Maltete, Philippe Damier, Severine Le Dily, Friederike Sixel-Doering, Petra Benecke, Daniel Weiss, Tobias Waechter, Marcus O. Pinsker, Jean Regis, Stephane Thobois, Gustavo Polo, Jean-Luc Houeto, Andreas Hartmann, Karina Knudsen, Marie Vidailhet, Michael Schuepbach, Gunther Deuschl
Summary: This study compared speech intelligibility assessment and other outcomes between subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) and best medical treatment (BMT) in early-stage Parkinson's disease patients over a 2-year period. The results showed no significant differences in speech intelligibility and patient-reported outcomes between the STN-DBS and BMT groups, but there was a trend towards worsening in both groups.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Carlos Trenado, Matthias Boschheidgen, Karim N'Diaye, Alfons Schnitzler, Luc Mallet, Lars Wojtecki
Summary: Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) is effective in treating motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD), but its impact on high cognitive processes such as metacognition remains unclear. This study found no significant effect of STN-DBS on reversal learning (RL) or metacognition.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Neuroimaging
Matthias Sure, Sean Mertiens, Jan Vesper, Alfons Schnitzler, Esther Florin
Summary: The stun effect from deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients can temporarily improve motor symptoms. However, the network changes induced by the stun effect have not been well characterized. This study investigated whether the DBS-related stun effect also modulated resting-state networks (RSNs) and found that it alters different functional RSNs throughout the brain.
NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Bahne H. Bahners, Rachel K. Spooner, Christian J. Hartmann, Alfons Schnitzler, Esther Florin
Article
Clinical Neurology
Marius Kroesche, Silja Kannenberg, Markus Butz, Christian J. Hartmann, Esther Florin, Alfons Schnitzler, Jan Hirschmann
Summary: This study investigated the spectral properties of atypical parkinsonism (APS) by measuring resting-state magnetoencephalography in patients with corticobasal syndrome (CBS), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), and healthy controls. The results showed that APS was associated with spectral slowing, with a shift in beta peaks towards lower frequencies in the frontal areas. Additionally, increased theta/alpha power was observed in both APS and PD compared to controls. The findings suggest that spectral slowing might be an electrophysiological marker of neurodegeneration and could aid in the differential diagnosis of parkinsonian syndromes in the future.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Jeroen G. V. Habets, Rachel K. Spooner, Varvara Mathiopoulou, Lucia K. Feldmann, Johannes L. Busch, Jan Roediger, Bahne H. Bahners, Alfons Schnitzler, Esther Florin, Andrea A. Kuehn
Summary: An open-source tool called ReTap was developed to predict finger tapping scores in Parkinson's disease patients. The tool successfully detected tapping blocks in over 94% of cases and extracted clinically relevant kinematic features per tap. The study demonstrated that ReTap can provide accessible and reliable finger tapping scores, which may have important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease.
Article
Neurosciences
Rachel K. Spooner, Bahne H. Bahners, Alfons Schnitzler, Esther Florin
Summary: Research shows that optimal contact orientations in subthalamic deep brain stimulation can lead to larger cortical responses and smoother hand movements in patients with Parkinson's disease. These findings have clinical implications for optimizing DBS parameter settings to alleviate motor symptoms.
NPJ PARKINSONS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Julia Henkel, Christian Hartmann, Valentina Niccolai, Ruben van de Vijver, Alfons Schnitzler, Katja Biermann-Ruben
Summary: Parkinson's disease not only affects the motor system, but also language abilities, particularly syntactic subordination. This study found that patients with Parkinson's disease showed a significant reduction in subordinating structures compared to a healthy control group, while the number of non-embedding sentences remained unaffected. Additionally, the medication status of levodopa did not have a significant effect on language abilities. These results suggest a contribution of the basal ganglia to language processing, which is not dopamine dependent.
Article
Neurosciences
Frederick Benjamin Junker, Tobias Schmidt-Wilcke, Alfons Schnitzler, Joachim Lange
Summary: This study explores the nonlexical components of language decoding using Morse code as a model. Magnetoencephalography was employed to investigate the brain regions associated with Morse code decoding and word comprehension. The findings provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying language decoding.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Anne A. Koy, Andrea Kuehn, Petra Schiller, Julius Huebl, Gerd-Helge Schneider, Matthias Eckenweiler, Cornelia Rensing-Zimmermann, Volker Arnd K. Coenen, Joachim Krauss, Assel Saryyeva, Hans Hartmann, Delia Lorenz, Jens Volkmann, Cordula Matthies, Alfons Schnitzler, Jan Vesper, Alireza Gharabaghi, Daniel Weiss, Andrea Bevot, Warren Marks, Angela Howser, Elegast Monbaliu, Joerg Mueller, Reinhild Prinz-Langenohl, Veerle Visser-Vandewalle, Lars Timmermann
Summary: This study assessed the efficacy and safety of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in pediatric patients with dyskinetic cerebral palsy (DCP). The results showed that DBS significantly improved dyskinesia, but other outcome parameters did not change significantly. Investigations of larger homogeneous cohorts are needed to further ascertain the impact of DBS and guide treatment decisions in DCP.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Johannes L. Busch, Jonathan Kaplan, Bahne H. Bahners, Jan Roediger, Katharina Faust, Gerd-Helge Schneider, Esther Florin, Alfons Schnitzler, Patricia Krause, Andrea A. Kuehn
Summary: Stimulation-induced beta power suppression is superior to directional beta power in selecting the most effective contact for programming deep brain stimulation systems in patients with Parkinson's disease.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2023)
Letter
Psychiatry
Ana S. Costa, Carolin Balloff, Julia Bungenberg, Simone C. Tauber, Ann-Kathrin Telke, Carolina Bandlow, Stefan J. Groiss, Christian J. Hartmann, Saskia Elben, Iris-Katharina Penner, Sven G. Meuth, Alfons Schnitzler, Kathrin Reetz, Philipp Albrecht
PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Marius Kroesche, Silja Kannenberg, Markus Butz, Christian J. Hartmann, Esther Florin, Alfons Schnitzler, Jan Hirschmann
Summary: This study identified spectral slowing, particularly affecting the frontal beta oscillations, in patients with atypical parkinsonian syndromes. This finding may serve as an electrophysiological marker for the differential diagnosis of Parkinson's disease in the future.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2023)
