Article
Neurosciences
Jaya Shanker Tedla, Devika Rani Sangadala, Ravi Shankar Reddy, Kumar Gular, Snehil Dixit
Summary: This review examines the effect of High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) on cognitive functions, finding that anodal HD-tDCS stimulation is significantly effective in treating disordered consciousness and improving memory, speech, cognition, and execution.
Article
Psychology, Biological
Angelica Kaufmann, Albert Newen
Summary: This paper surveys evidence from various fields of psychology and concludes that the language-of-thought (LoT) is a common representational format in biological cognition. The LoT format is characterized by properties such as discrete constituents, role-filler independence, predicate-argument structure, logical operators, inferential promiscuity, and abstract content. Researchers should take the explanatory power of LoT-based architectures seriously.
BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Kentaro Miyamoto, Matthew F. S. Rushworth, Nicholas Shea
Summary: The ability of the mind to conceptualize what is not present is crucial for reasoning counterfactually and predicting the future. However, the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying this ability are not well understood. The frontopolar cortex (FPC) is involved in tracking and evaluating alternative choices, while the anterior lateral prefrontal cortex (alPFC) compares simulations of possible future scenarios and evaluates their reward values. These brain regions together facilitate the construction of suppositional scenarios.
TRENDS IN COGNITIVE SCIENCES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aylin Apostel, Jonas Rose
Summary: The study found head-direction cells, but not place cells, in the hippocampal formation of quails, shedding light on the poorly understood avian hippocampus.
Review
Psychology, Clinical
Chris D. Frith
Summary: Consciousness, a feature of animals with complex nervous systems, is primarily a biological rather than a physical problem. This review considers level of consciousness, contents of consciousness, and meta-consciousness, discussing current theories on the neural and cognitive mechanisms involved in producing these aspects. Research in this area is flourishing, successfully delineating these mechanisms in surprising detail.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Psychology, Developmental
Angela Nyhout, Caitlin E. V. Mahy
Summary: This study reviews research on children's episodic memory and future thinking and proposes a framework to explain the relationship between the two. The authors argue that further research is needed to understand how memory and future thinking are related during development.
DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Experimental
David C. Rubin
Summary: The proposed model integrates episodic, semantic, and other forms of memory into a conceptual space defined by three dimensions. It contrasts different types of memory and evaluates existing evidence to study human memory. The model provides a framework to understand various phenomena related to memory and proposes new perspectives for memory research.
MEMORY & COGNITION
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Davide Sattin, Francesca Giulia Magnani, Laura Bartesaghi, Milena Caputo, Andrea Veronica Fittipaldo, Martina Cacciatore, Mario Picozzi, Matilde Leonardi
Summary: The immense amount of knowledge on human consciousness has led to a variety of viewpoints, making it challenging to compare and synthesize recent scientific perspectives. This study aimed to collect and synthesize various theories on consciousness published between 2007-2017, revealing heterogeneity in the analyzed theories. The research focused on neural correlates of consciousness in sub-cortical and cortical structures, with diverse definitions and new sub-classifications emerging.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Nikola Andonovski
Summary: This paper presents a modeling account of episodic representation, arguing that the episodic system constructs mental models that preserve the spatiotemporal structure of represented domains. These mental event models can be used in various cognitive contexts and facilitate reasoning about the represented events.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alice Cancer, Marinella De Salvatore, Elisa Granocchio, Luca Andreoli, Alessandro Antonietti, Daniela Sarti
Summary: A computerized rhythmic intervention called Rhythmic Reading Training (RRT) was developed to improve the reading skills of children with dyslexia. An experimental study was conducted to assess the contribution of the visual component in the training. The results showed that both auditory and visual conditions of RRT significantly improved reading, phonological, rhythmic, and attentional abilities, with no additional contribution from the visual component.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Review
Psychology, Social
Brendan Bo O'Connor, Zoe Fowler
Summary: This article discusses the influence of episodic representation on moral cognition and evaluates the theoretical connections between the two. The research reveals that episodic representation plays an important role in moral decision-making, but there are still gaps and unresolved questions in existing studies. The authors argue that a comprehensive model of moral cognition should include the episodic memory system, further explore its direct impact on moral thought, and better understand its interactions with other mental processes to shape our sense of right and wrong.
PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Yoni Zion Amir, Yaniv Assaf, Yossi Yovel, Liad Mudrik
Summary: The debate on the dissociation between phenomenal (P) and access (A) consciousness is widely discussed. Previous empirical evidence for P-without-A consciousness is indirect, as participants already have access to their phenomenal experiences when reporting them. However, using a novel paradigm, we show that participants can retrospectively judge the quality of stimuli despite lacking online access to them, indicating that P and A consciousness can be empirically distinguished.
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Leonard Dung, Albert Newen
Summary: The science of animal consciousness investigates the distribution and quality of conscious experience in different animal species. A two-tier account is proposed to distinguish and address both questions, using ten dimensions of consciousness and cognitive capacities as operationalizations. This framework achieves three valuable aims: separating strong and weak indicators of consciousness, including differences in specific contents and in the processing of those contents, and combining evidence from each dimension to derive a multi-dimensional consciousness profile for different species.
Article
Biology
Helen M. Ditz, Julia Fechner, Andreas Nieder
Summary: Neural recordings from crows during a numerosity task reveal the presence of two subsets of neurons involved in complex cognition, namely projection neurons and inhibitory interneurons. Understanding the computational principles of these neural circuits can provide insights into abstract conceptual representation and maintenance in birds.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Lena Steindorf, Jan Rummel, C. Dennis Boywitt
Summary: This study examined the Unconscious Thought Theory through analyzing data from multiple experiments. The findings suggested that less problem deliberation is associated with better performance in certain situations. Additionally, the study found that explicit thought awareness diminishes the Unconscious Thought Effect, which is an interesting discovery.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Xiaomei Lin, Tianyuyi Feng, Erheng Cui, Yunfei Li, Zhang Qin, Xiaohu Zhao
Summary: This study successfully established a rat model based on the genetic-environmental interaction, which exhibited phenotype characteristics similar to human AD in terms of cognitive function, brain microstructure, and immunohistochemistry. The genetic factor (APP mutation) and the environmental factor (acrolein exposure) accounted for 39.74% and 33.3% of the AD-like phenotypes in the model, respectively.
Article
Neurosciences
Gustavo Guimara Guerrero, Giovanna Bignoto Minhoto, Camilla dos Santos Tiburcio-Machado, Itza Amarisis Ribeiro Pinto, Claudio Antonio Federico, Marcia Carneiro Valera
Summary: The present study evaluated the influence of head and neck radiotherapy on the behavior and body weight gain in Wistar rats. The results demonstrated that different doses of radiation induced depressive behavior in the animals, and that the weight gain tended to be lower in the irradiated groups.
Article
Neurosciences
Ziwei Gao, Chao Lu, Yaping Zhu, Yuxin Liu, Yuesong Lin, Wenming Gao, Liyuan Tian, Lei Wu
Summary: This study reveals the underlying mechanisms of the rapid antidepressant effects of merazin hydrate (MH), which activates CaMKII to promote neuronal activities and proliferation in the hippocampus.
Article
Neurosciences
Kathleen E. Murray, Whitney A. Ratliff, Vedad Delic, Bruce A. Citron
Summary: Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic disorder that affects approximately 30% of Veterans deployed to the Persian Gulf. This study found that exposure to toxicants during the Gulf War resulted in long-term changes in the morphology of dentate granule cells and that treatment with Nrf2 activator could improve neuronal health in the hippocampus.
Article
Neurosciences
Jing Li, Yan Zou, Xiangchuang Kong, Yangming Leng, Fan Yang, Guofeng Zhou, Bo Liu, Wenliang Fan
Summary: This study examines the functional connectivity changes in individuals with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) at the integrity, network, and edge levels. The findings reveal reduced intranetwork connectivity strength and increased internetwork connectivity in SSNHL patients. These alterations are associated with the duration of SSNHL and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory scores. The study provides crucial insights into the neural mechanisms of SSNHL and the brain's network-level responses to sensory loss.
Review
Neurosciences
Didier Majou, Anne-Lise Dermenghem
Summary: In the early stages of SAD, memory impairment is strongly correlated with cortical levels of soluble amyloid-beta peptide oligomers. A beta disrupts glutamatergic synaptic function and leads to cognitive deficits. This article describes the pathogenic mechanisms underlying cerebral amyloidosis, involving amyloid precursor protein synthesis, A beta residue clearance processes, and the role of specific molecules.
Article
Neurosciences
Jing Li, Yi Shan, Xiaojing Zhao, Guixiang Shan, Peng-Hu Wei, Lin Liu, Changming Wang, Hang Wu, Weiqun Song, Yi Tang, Guo-Guang Zhao, Jie Lu
Summary: This study investigates changes in brain anatomical structures and functional network connectivity after chronic complete thoracic spinal cord injury (cctSCI) and their impact on clinical outcomes. The findings reveal alterations in gray matter volume and functional connectivity in specific brain regions, indicating potential therapeutic targets and methods for tracking treatment outcomes.
Article
Neurosciences
Anllely Fernandez, Katherine Corvalan, Octavia Santis, Maxs Mendez-Ruette, Ariel Caviedes, Matias Pizarro, Maria -Teresa Gomez, Luis Federico Batiz, Peter Landgraf, Thilo Kahne, Alejandro Rojas-Fernandez, Ursula Wyneken
Summary: This study reveals the importance of SUMOylation in modulating the protein cargo of astrocyte-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) and its potential impact on neurons.
Article
Neurosciences
Anika Luettig, Stefanie Perl, Maria Zetsche, Franziska Richter, Denise Franz, Marco Heerdegen, Ruediger Koehling, Angelika Richter
Summary: This study found that changes in c-Fos activity during short-term stimulation of the entopeduncular nucleus (EPN) are associated with improvement in dystonia, and also discovered that the cerebellum may be involved in the antidystonic effects.
Article
Neurosciences
Yanlin Tao, Wei Shen, Houyuan Zhou, Zikang Li, Ting Pi, Hui Wu, Hailian Shi, Fei Huang, Xiaojun Wu
Summary: Depression has a higher incidence in women compared to men, and this study investigated the impact of sex on depressive behaviors and underlying mechanisms using a corticosterone-induced depression model in mice. The results showed sex-specific anxiety and depression behaviors in the model group, as well as differences in protein expression and neurotransmitter levels between male and female mice. These findings enhance our understanding of sex-specific differences in depression and support tailored interventions.
Review
Neurosciences
Dnyandev G. Gadhave, Vrashabh V. Sugandhi, Chandrakant R. Kokare
Summary: This article discusses the characteristics and importance of the tight junctions of endothelial cells in the CNS, which act as a biological barrier known as the blood-brain barrier (BBB). It focuses on overcoming the challenges of delivering therapeutic agents to the brain in neurodegenerative disorders, particularly multiple sclerosis, through the use of biomaterials. The article also highlights the current limitations of animal models for studying multiple sclerosis and suggests a potential future research direction.
Article
Neurosciences
Li-Min Mao, Khyathi Thallapureddy, John Q. Wang
Summary: Propofol can enhance synapsin phosphorylation and modulate synaptic transmission in the mouse brain. The study reveals the potential role of synapsin as a substrate of propofol and its effects on neurotransmitter release machinery.
Article
Neurosciences
Syed Maaz Ahmed Rizvi, Abdul Baseer Buriro, Irfan Ahmed, Abdul Aziz Memon
Summary: This study explores the effects of prolonged mask usage on the human brain by analyzing EEG and physiological parameters. The results show that the mean EEG spectral power in alpha, beta, and gamma sub-bands of individuals wearing masks is smaller than those without masks. The performances on cognitive tasks and oxygen saturation level differ between the two groups, while blood pressure, body temperature, and heart rate are similar. The analysis also reveals that the occipital and frontal lobes exhibit the greatest variability in channel measurements.
Article
Neurosciences
Rui-Fang Ma, Lu-Lu Xue, Jin-Xiang Liu, Li Chen, Liu-Lin Xiong, Ting-Hua Wang, Fei Liu
Summary: This study observed changes in brain infarction and blood vessels in rats during neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (NHIE) modeling using Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography (TCD). Longer duration of hypoxia was associated with more severe nerve damage. TCD can dynamically monitor cerebral infarction after NHIE modeling, which may serve as a useful auxiliary method for evaluating animal experimental models.
Article
Neurosciences
Yuxiang Dai, Chen Yu, Lu Zhou, Longyang Cheng, Hongbin Ni, Weibang Liang
Summary: Overexpression of CXCR4 in glioma is correlated with patient survival, and its inhibition can reduce invasion and migration of glioma cells. Inhibiting Nur77 also decreases cancer progression associated with CXCR4.