Search

Time is an important dimension of brain function, but little is yet known about the underlying cognitive principles and neurobiological mechanisms. The field of timing and time perception has witnessed tremendous growth and multidisciplinary interest in the recent years with the advent of modern neuroimaging and neurophysiological approaches. In this article, I used a data mining approach to analyze the timing literature published by a select group of researchers (n = 202) during the period 2000-2015 and highlight important reviews as well as empirical articles that meet the criterion of a minimum of 100 citations. The qualifying articles (n = 150) are listed in a table along with key details such as number of citations, names of authors, year and journal of publication as well as a short summary of the findings of each study. The results of such a data-driven approach to literature review not only serve as a useful resource to any researcher interested in timing, but also provides a means to evaluate key papers that have significantly influenced the field and summarize recent progress and popular research trends in the field. Additionally, such analyses provides food for thought about future scientific directions and raises important questions about improving organizational structures to boost open science and progress in the field. I discuss exciting avenues for future research that have the potential to significantly advance our understanding of the neurobiology of timing, and propose the establishment of a new society, the Timing Research Forum, to promote open science and collaborative work within the highly diverse and multidisciplinary community of researchers in the field of timing and time perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Single-cell sequencing (SCS) is a technique used to analyze the genome, transcriptome, epigenome, and other genetic data at the level of a single cell. The procedure is commonly utilized in multiple fields, including neurobiology, immunology, and microbiology, and has emerged as a key focus of life science research. However, a thorough and impartial analysis of the existing state and trends of SCS-related research is lacking. The current study aimed to map the development trends of studies on SCS during the years 2010-2022 through bibliometric software. Methods: Pertinent papers on SCS from 2010 to 2022 were obtained using the Web of Science Core Collection. Research categories, nations/institutions, authors/co-cited authors, journals/co-cited journals, co-cited references, and keywords were analyzed using VOSviewer, the R package "bibliometric", and CiteSpace. Results: The bibliometric analysis included 9,929 papers published between 2010 and 2022, and showed a consistent increase in the quantity of papers each year. The United States was the source of the highest quantity of articles and citations in this field. The majority of articles were published in the periodical Nature Communications. Butler A was the most frequently quoted author on this topic, and his article "Integrating single-cell transcriptome data across diverse conditions, technologies, and species" has received numerous citations to date. The literature and keyword analysis showed that studies involving single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) were prominent in this discipline during the study period. Conclusion: This study utilized bibliometric techniques to visualize research in SCS-related domains, which facilitated the identification of emerging patterns and future directions in the field. Current hot topics in SCS research include COVID-19, tumor microenvironment, scRNA-seq, and neuroscience. Our results are significant for scholars seeking to identify key issues and generate new research ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a pioneering investigation into affective pragmatics through the perspective of Darwinian Biolinguistics, an interdisciplinary field at the nexus of biological and linguistic principles. Anchored in Darwin's theory of evolution and the latest developments in neurobiology, this study delves into the influence of biological factors---especially those pertaining to the brain's emotional processing on pragmatic communication. The research posits that human emotional responses, inherent in our biological constitution, profoundly influence the usage and interpretation of language in social interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a pioneering investigation into affective pragmatics through the perspective of Darwinian Biolinguistics, an interdisciplinary field at the nexus of biological and linguistic principles. Anchored in Darwin's theory of evolution and the latest developments in neurobiology, this study delves into the influence of biological factors--especially those pertaining to the brain's emotional processing on pragmatic communication. The research posits that human emotional responses, inherent in our biological constitution, profoundly influence the usage and interpretation of language in social interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: autism; schizophenia; psychosis; social cognition; neurocognition; neurobiology EN autism schizophenia psychosis social cognition neurocognition neurobiology N.PAG N.PAG 3 02/12/21 20210210 NES 210210 Although Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) and Schizophrenia Spectrum Conditions (SSC) are recognized as distinct diagnostic categories with independent features, they share a history of clinical entanglement stemming from overlapping symptomatology, particularly in the area of social behavior ([1]). Meanwhile, the papers by Maat et al. and Abu-Akel et al. demonstrate that the presence of cross-diagnostic symptoms along the autism-psychosis spectrum may produce novel cognitive effects in autistic people not seen in autism alone. The cognitive differences characterizing the autism-psychosis spectrum are supported by an underlying neurobiology that five papers in this collection seek to better understand. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Articulography and functional neuroimaging are two major tools for studying the neurobiology of speech production. Until now, however, it has generally not been feasible to use both in the same experimental setup because of technical incompatibilities between the two methodologies. Methods: Here we describe results from a novel articulography system dubbed Magneto-articulography for the Assessment of Speech Kinematics (MASK), which is technically compatible with magnetoencephalography (MEG) brain scanning systems. In the present paper we describe our methodological and analytic approach for extracting brain motor activities related to key kinematic and coordination event parameters derived from time-registered MASK tracking measurements. Data were collected from 10 healthy adults with tracking coils on the tongue, lips, and jaw. Analyses targeted the gestural landmarks of reiterated utterances/ipa/and/api/, produced at normal and faster rates. Results: The results show that (1) Speech sensorimotor cortex can be reliably located in peri-rolandic regions of the left hemisphere; (2) mu (8-12 Hz) and beta band (13-30 Hz) neuromotor oscillations are present in the speech signals and contain information structures that are independent of those present in higherfrequency bands; and (3) hypotheses concerning the information content of speech motor rhythms can be systematically evaluated with multivariate pattern analytic techniques. Discussion: These results show that MASK provides the capability, for deriving subject-specific articulatory parameters, based on well-established and robust motor control parameters, in the same experimental setup as the MEG brain recordings and in temporal and spatial co-register with the brain data. The analytic approach described here provides new capabilities for testing hypotheses concerning the types of kinematic information that are encoded and processed within specific components of the speech neuromotor system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widely acknowledged cognitive theory of depression, developed by Aaron Beck, focused on biased information processing that emphasizes the negative aspects of affective and conceptual information. Current attempts to discover the neurological mechanism underlying such cognitive and affective bias have successfully identified various brain regions associated with severally biased functions such as emotion, attention, rumination, and inhibition control. However, the neurobiological mechanisms of how individuals in depression develop this selective processing toward negative is still under question. This paper introduces a neurological framework centered around the frontal-limbic circuit, specifically analyzing and synthesizing the activity and functional connectivity within the amygdala, hippocampus, and medial prefrontal cortex. Firstly, a possible explanation of how the positive feedback loop contributes to the persistent hyperactivity of the amygdala in depression at an automatic level is established. Building upon this, two hypotheses are presented: hypothesis 1 revolves around the bidirectional amygdalohippocampal projection facilitating the amplification of negative emotions and memories while concurrently contributing to the impediment of the retrieval of opposing information in the hippocampus attractor network. Hypothesis 2 highlights the involvement of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in the establishment of a negative cognitive framework through the generalization of conceptual and emotional information in conjunction with the amygdala and hippocampus. The primary objective of this study is to improve and complement existing pathological models of depression, pushing the frontiers of current understanding in neuroscience of affective disorders, and eventually contributing to successful recovery from the debilitating affective disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decreased tolerance in response to specific every-day sounds (misophonia) is a serious, debilitating disorder that is gaining rapid recognition within the mental health community. Emerging research findings suggest that misophonia may have a unique neural signature. Specifically, when examining responses to misophonic trigger sounds, differences emerge at a physiological and neural level from potentially overlapping psychopathologies. While these findings are preliminary and in need of replication, they support the hypothesis that misophonia is a unique disorder. In this theoretical paper, we begin by reviewing the candidate networks that may be at play in this complex disorder (e.g., regulatory, sensory, and auditory). We then summarize current neuroimaging findings in misophonia and present areas of overlap and divergence from other mental health disorders that are hypothesized to co-occur with misophonia (e.g., obsessive compulsive disorder). Future studies needed to further our understanding of the neuroscience of misophonia will also be discussed. Next, we introduce the potential of neurostimulation as a tool to treat neural dysfunction in misophonia. We describe how neurostimulation research has led to novel interventions in psychiatric disorders, targeting regions that may also be relevant to misophonia. The paper is concluded by presenting several options for how neurostimulation interventions for misophonia could be crafted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep is conserved across species, and it is believed that a fixed amount of sleep is needed for normal neurobiological functions. Sleep rebound follows sleep deprivation; however, continuous sleep deprivation for longer durations is believed to be detrimental to the animal's wellbeing. Under some physiologically demanding situations, such as migration in birds, the birth of new offspring in cetaceans, and sexual interactions in pectoral sandpipers, animals are known to forgo sleep. The mechanisms by which animals forgo sleep without having any obvious negative impact on the proper functioning of their neurobiological processes are yet unknown. Therefore, a simple assay is needed to study how animals forgo sleep. The assay should be ecologically relevant so it can offer insights into the physiology of the organisms. Equally important is that the organism should be genetically amenable, which helps in understanding the cellular and molecular processes that govern such behaviors. This paper presents a simple method of sociosexual interaction to understand the process by which animals forgo sleep. In the case of Drosophila melanogaster, when males and females are in proximity, they are highly active and lose a significant amount of sleep. In addition, there is no sleep rebound afterward, and instead, males engaged in sexual interactions continue to show normal sleep. Thus, sexual drive in the fruit flies is a robust assay to understand the underlying mechanism by which animals forgo sleep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Blast induced Traumatic Brain Injury (bTBI) has become a signature casualty of military operations. Recently, military medics observed neurocognitive deficits in servicemen exposed to repeated low level blast (LLB) waves during military heavy weapons training. In spite of significant clinical and preclinical TBI research, current understanding of injury mechanisms and short- and long-term outcomes is limited. Mathematical models of bTBI biomechanics and mechanobiology of sensitive neuro-structures such as synapses may help in better understanding of injury mechanisms and in the development of improved diagnostics and neuroprotective strategies. Methods and results: In this work, we formulated a model of a single synaptic structure integrating the dynamics of the synaptic cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) with the deformation mechanics of the synaptic cleft. The model can resolve time scales ranging from milliseconds during the hyperacute phase of mechanical loading to minutes-hours acute/chronic phase of injury progression/repair. The model was used to simulate the synaptic injury responses caused by repeated blast loads. Conclusion: Our simulations demonstrated the importance of the number of exposures compared to the duration of recovery period between repeated loads on the synaptic injury responses. The paper recognizes current limitations of the model and identifies potential improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are considered separate entities, but the two spectra share important similarities, and the study of these areas of overlap represents a field of growing scientific interest. The PANSS Autism Score (PAUSS) was recently developed specifically to assess autistic symptoms in people living with SSD reliably and quickly. The aims of the present systematic review were to provide a comprehensive assessment of the use of the PAUSS scale in available literature and to systematically analyze cognitive, functional and neurobiological correlates of autistic symptoms measured with this instrument in SSD. The systematic literature search included three electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus and PsycINFO) as well as a manual search in Google Scholar and in reference lists of included papers. Screening and extraction were conducted by at least two independent reviewers. Out of 213 identified records, 22 articles referring to 15 original studies were included in the systematic review. Studies were conducted in several different countries by independent groups, showing consistent scientific interest in the use of the scale; most works focused on cognitive and functional correlates of ASD symptoms, but some also considered neurobiological features. Results of included studies showed that autistic symptoms in people with SSD are consistently associated with worse cognitive performance, especially in the social cognition domain, and with worse psychosocial functioning. However, the presence of autistic symptoms appears to also have a protective role, particularly on functioning, in subjects with more severe psychotic symptoms. Further exploring the impact of autistic symptoms could be of significant scientific and clinical interest, allowing the development of tailored interventions to improve treatment for people living with SSDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over a century the nervous system of decapod crustaceans has been a workhorse for the neurobiology community. Many fundamental discoveries including the identification of electrical and inhibitory synapses, lateral and pre-synaptic inhibition, and the Na+/K+-pump were made using lobsters, crabs, or crayfish. Key among many advantages of crustaceans for neurobiological research is the unique access to large, accessible, and identifiable neurons, and the many distinct and complex behaviors that can be observed in lab settings. Despite these advantages, recent decades have seen work on crustaceans hindered by the lack of molecular and genetic tools required for unveiling the cellular processes contributing to neurophysiology and behavior. In this perspective paper, we argue that the recently sequencedmarbled crayfish, Procambarus virginalis, is suited to become a genetic model system for crustacean neuroscience. P. virginalis are parthenogenetic and produce genetically identical offspring, suggesting that germline transformation creates transgenic animal strains that are easy to maintain across generations. Like other decapod crustaceans, marbled crayfish possess large neurons in well-studied circuits such as the giant tail flip neurons and central pattern generating neurons in the stomatogastric ganglion. We provide initial data demonstrating that marbled crayfish neurons are accessible through standard physiological and molecular techniques, including single-cell electrophysiology, gene expression measurements, and RNA-interference. We discuss progress in CRISPR-mediated manipulations of the germline to knock-out target genes using the 'Receptor-mediated ovary transduction of cargo' (ReMOT) method. Finally, we consider the impact these approaches will have for neurophysiology research in decapod crustaceans and more broadly across invertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Down syndrome, partial trisomy 21, and absence of Alzheimer's disease: the role of APP. Keywords: Down syndrome; dementia; pathology; animal models; neurobiology; neurodegeneration; trisomy EN Down syndrome dementia pathology animal models neurobiology neurodegeneration trisomy 1 4 4 12/13/21 20211209 NES 211209 The Cornish physician John L. Down published a paper entitled "Observations on an ethnic classification of idiots" (Down, [3]) (Figure 1), describing a condition referred to as a "mongoloid idiot." Down syndrome, dementia, pathology, animal models, neurobiology, neurodegeneration, trisomy The current Research Topic "Down syndrome, Neurodegeneration and Dementia" highlights basic and translational research in DS. [Extracted from the article]

The computational underpinnings of positive psychotic symptoms have recently received significant attention. Candidate mechanisms include some combination of maladaptive priors and reduced updating of these priors during perception. A potential benefit of models with such mechanisms is their ability to link multiple levels of explanation, from the neurobiological to the social, allowing us to provide an information processing-based account of how specific alterations in self-self and self-environment interactions result in the experience of positive symptoms. This is key to improving how we understand the experience of psychosis. Moreover, it points us toward more comprehensive avenues for therapeutic research by providing a putative mechanism that could allow for the generation of new treatments from first principles. In order to demonstrate this, our conceptual paper will discuss the application of the insights from previous computational models to an important and complex set of evidence-based clinical interventions with strong social elements, such as coordinated specialty care clinics (CSC) in early psychosis and assertive community treatment (ACT). These interventions may include but also go beyond psychopharmacology, providing, we argue, structure and predictability for patients experiencing psychosis. We develop the argument that this structure and predictability directly counteract the relatively low precision afforded to sensory information in psychosis, while also providing the patient more access to external cognitive resources in the form of providers and the structure of the programs themselves. We discuss how computational models explain the resulting reduction in symptoms, as well as the predictions these models make about potential responses of patients to modifications or to different variations of these interventions. We also link, via the framework of computational models, the patient's experiences and response to interventions to putative neurobiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthcare workers are at a high risk of psychological morbidity in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is significant variability in the impact of this crisis on individual healthcare workers, which can be best explained through an appreciation of the construct of resilience. Broadly speaking, resilience refers to the ability to successfully adapt to stressful or traumatic events, and thus plays a key role in determining mental health outcomes following exposure to such events. A proper understanding of resilience is vital in enabling a shift from a reactive to a proactive approach for protecting and promoting the mental well-being of healthcare workers. Research in the past decade has identified six areas that provide promising leads in understanding the biological basis of individual variations in resilience. These are: (1) the key role played by the monoamines noradrenaline and serotonin, (2) the centrality of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in influencing stress vulnerability and resilience, (3) the intimate links between the immune system and stress sensitivity, (4) the role of epigenetic modulation of gene expression in influencing the stress response, (5) the role played by certain neuropeptides as a natural "brake" mechanism in the face of stress, and (6) the neurobiological mechanisms by which environmental factors, such as exercise, diet, and social support, influence resilience to subsequent life events. Though much of this research is still in its early stages, it has already provided valuable information on which strategies – including dietary changes, lifestyle modification, environmental modification, psychosocial interventions, and even pharmacological treatments – may prove to be useful in fostering resilience in individuals and groups. This paper examines the above evidence more closely, with a specific focus on the challenges faced by healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and provides suggestions regarding how it may be translated into real-world interventions, as well as how the more tentative hypotheses advanced in this field may be tested during this critical period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of emergence in the creation of consciousness has been debated for over a century, but it remains unresolved. In particular there is controversy over the claim that a "strong" or radical form of emergence is required to explain phenomenal consciousness. In this paper we use some ideas of complex system theory to trace the emergent features of life and then of complex brains through three progressive stages or levels: Level 1 (life), Level 2 (nervous systems) , and Level 3 (special neurobiological features) , each representing increasing biological and neurobiological complexity and ultimately leading to the emergence of phenomenal consciousness, all in physical systems. Along the way we show that consciousness fits the criteria of an emergent property—albeit one with extreme complexity. The formulation Life + Special neurobiological features → Phenomenal consciousness expresses these relationships. Then we consider the implications of our findings for some of the philosophical conundrums entailed by the apparent "explanatory gap" between the brain and phenomenal consciousness. We conclude that consciousness stems from the personal life of an organism with the addition of a complex nervous system that is ideally suited to maximize emergent neurobiological features and that it is an example of standard ("weak") emergence without a scientific explanatory gap. An "experiential" or epistemic gap remains, although this is ontologically untroubling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural attachment (CA) refers to processes that allow culture and its symbols to provide psychological security when facing threat. Epistemologically, whereas we currently have an adequate predictivist model of CA, it is necessary to prepare for a mechanistic approach that will not only predict, but also explain CA phenomena. Toward that direction, we here first examine the concepts and mechanisms that are the building blocks of both the prototypical maternal attachment as well as CA. Based on existing robust neuroscience models we associate these concepts and mechanisms with bona fide neurobiological functions to advance an integrative neurobiological model of CA. We further discuss the unresolved relationship of CA to other similar socio-cognitive concepts such as familiarity. Overall aim of the paper is to highlight the importance of integrating CA theory to computational approaches to culture and evolution (such as predictive processing computations explaining niche construction), as this will allow a dynamic interpretation of cultural processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits the proposal for the classification of meditation methods which we introduced in our initial 2013 publication, “Toward a Universal Taxonomy and Definition of Meditation”. At that time, we advanced the thesis that meditation methods could be effectively segregated into three orthogonal categories by integrating the taxonomic principle of functional essentialism and the paradigm of Affect and Cognition; and we presented relevant research findings which supported that assertion. This iteration expands upon those theoretical and methodological elements by articulating a more comprehensive Three Tier Classification System which accounts for the full range of meditation methods; and demonstrates how recent neuroscience research continues to validate and support our thesis. This paper also introduces a novel criterion-based protocol for formulating classification systems of meditation methods, and demonstrates how this model can be used to compare and evaluate various other taxonomy proposals that have been published over the past 15 years.

The authors discuss two papers on right inferior frontal cortex (rIFC) such as "Ten years of inhibition revisited," by D. Swick and C. H. Chatham and "A functional network perspective on response inhibition and attentional control," by M. Erika-Florence and colleagues. The authors explores the argument of the two papers in which it says that the study of Swick and Chatham argue that rIFC instead monitors for cues that signal a change of action.

The task of preventing suicide in older adults is an important social burden as older adults aged above 65 are exposed to singular psychological aspects that increase suicide risks. Moreover, when an older adult corpse is found, the medico-legal inspection represents a fundamental tool to identify the exact cause of death, classifying or excluding it as suicide. In this scenario, this review aims to explore the neurobiological factors that could be related to suicidal behavior in older adults. A further goal of this review is the exploration of the medico-legal aspects surrounding older adult suicides, clarifying the importance of forensic investigation. Particularly, this review examines issues such as neurotransmitter imbalances, cognitive impairment, neuroinflammation, psychosocial factors related to geriatric suicide, and neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, medico-legal aspects such as policy considerations, legal frameworks, mental health assessments, ethical implications and forensic investigation were explored. Considering the importance of this phenomenon, especially in western countries, a need has emerged for focused screening tools on suicidal behavior among older adults, in order to contain it. Therefore, this review makes an exhaustive appraisal of the literature giving insights into the delicate interplay between neurobiology as well as mental health in relation to older adult suicide within a medico-legal context. The comprehension of different aspects about this complex phenomenon is fundamental to propose new and more effective interventions, supporting tailored initiatives such as family support and improving healthcare, specifically towards vulnerable ageing societies to reduce older adult suicide risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become a signature wound of recent military activities and is the leading cause of death and long-term disability among U.S. soldiers. The current limited understanding of brain injury mechanisms impedes the development of protection, diagnostic, and treatment strategies. We believe mathematical models of blast wave brain injury biomechanics and neurobiology, complemented with in vitro and in vivo experimental studies, will enable a better understanding of injury mechanisms and accelerate the development of both protective and treatment strategies. The goal of this paper is to review the current state of the art in mathematical and computational modeling of blast-induced TBI, identify research gaps, and recommend future developments. A brief overview of blast wave physics, injury biomechanics, and the neurobiology of brain injury is used as a foundation for a more detailed discussion of multiscale mathematical models of primary biomechanics and secondary injury and repair mechanisms. The paper also presents a discussion of model development strategies, experimental approaches to generate benchmark data for model validation, and potential applications of the model for prevention and protection against blast wave TBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binge drinking has significant effects on memory, particularly with regards to the transfer of information to long-term storage. Partial or complete blocking of memory formation is known as blackout. Youth represents a critical period in brain development that is particularly vulnerable to alcohol misuse. Animal models show that the adolescent brain is more vulnerable to the acute and chronic effects of alcohol compared with the adult brain. This mini-review addresses the neurobiological underpinnings of binge drinking and associated memory loss (blackout) in the adolescent and young adult period. Although the extent to which there are pre-existing versus alcohol-induced neurobiological changes remains unclear, it is likely that repetitive binge drinking in youth has detrimental effects on cognitive and social functioning. Given its role in learning and memory, the hippocampus is a critical region with neuroimaging research showing notable changes in this structure associated with alcohol misuse in young people. There is a great need for earlier identification of biological markers associated with alcohol-related brain damage. As a means to assess in vivo neurochemistry, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has emerged as a particularly promising technique since changes in neurometabolites often precede gross structural changes. Thus, the current paper addresses how MRS biomarkers of neurotransmission (glutamate, GABA) and oxidative stress (indexed by depleted glutathione) in the hippocampal region of young binge drinkers may underlie propensity for blackouts and other memory impairments. MRS biomarkers may have particular utility in determining the acute versus longer-term effects of binge drinking in young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Olfactory dysfunctions decrease daily quality of life (QOL) in part by reducing the pleasure of eating. Olfaction plays an essential role in flavor sensation and palatability. The decreased QOL due to olfactory dysfunction is speculated to result from abnormal neural activities in the olfactory and limbic areas of the brain, as well as peripheral odorant receptor dysfunctions. However, the specific underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear. As the olfactory tubercle (OT) is one of the brain's regions with high expression of endogenous opioids, we hypothesize that the mechanism underlying the decrease in QOL due to olfactory dysfunction involves the reduction of neural activity in the OT and subsequent endogenous opioid release in specialized subregions. In this review, we provide an overview and recent updates on the OT, the endogenous opioid system, and the pleasure systems in the brain and then discuss our hypothesis. To facilitate the effective treatment of olfactory dysfunctions and decreased QOL, elucidation of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the pleasure of eating through flavor sensation is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attachment is one of the foundational themes in the history of the psychological development of human beings. For this reason, we assume that it must be approached by taking into account multiple scientific perspectives. The present review aims at analyzing the state of the art regarding the genetic, neurobiological and cognitive mechanisms underlying the development of attachment bonding, considering the child as the frame of reference. We hypothesize that attachment may be present in prototypical forms even in the prenatal period, thus our analysis has a temporal origin in the intrauterine period preceding birth. The intrauterine period is assumed to be a period of maximum sensitivity to stimuli and in particular to those coming from a potential primary caregiver: the biological mother. We conclude with a reframing of the state of the art and propose that future research work would benefit from a superordinate model of attachment, capable of containing and regulating all its components and variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder characterized by the presence of positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms that lacks a unifying neuropathology. In the present paper, we will review the current understanding of molecular dysregulation in schizophrenia, including genetic and epigenetic studies. In relation to the latter, basic research suggests that normal cognition is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms and its dysfunction occurs upon epigenetic misregulation, providing new insights into missing heritability of complex psychiatric diseases, referring to the discrepancy between epidemiological heritability and the proportion of phenotypic variation explained by DNA sequence difference. In schizophrenia the absence of consistently replicated genetic effects together with evidence for lasting changes in gene expression after environmental exposures suggest a role of epigenetic mechanisms. In this review we will focus on epigenetic modifications as a key mechanism through which environmental factors interact with individual's genetic constitution to affect risk of psychotic conditions throughout life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In its initial formulation, the concept of basic symptoms (BSs) integrated findings on the early symptomatic course of schizophrenia and first in vivo evidence of accompanying brain aberrations. It argued that the subtle subclinical disturbances in mental processes described as BSs were the most direct self-experienced expression of the underlying neurobiological aberrations of the disease. Other characteristic symptoms of psychosis (e.g., delusions and hallucinations) were conceptualized as secondary phenomena, resulting from dysfunctional beliefs and suboptimal coping styles with emerging BSs and/or concomitant stressors. While BSs can occur in many mental disorders, in particular affective disorders, a subset of perceptive and cognitive BSs appear to be specific to psychosis and are currently employed in two alternative risk criteria. However, despite their clinical recognition in the early detection of psychosis, neurobiological research on the aetiopathology of psychosis with neuroimaging methods has only just begun to consider the neural correlate of BSs. This perspective paper reviews the emerging evidence of an association between BSs and aberrant brain activation, connectivity patterns, and metabolism, and outlines promising routes for the use of BSs in aetiopathological research on psychosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Global research hotspots and future research trends in the neurobiological mechanisms of late-life depression (LLD) as well as its diagnosis and treatment are not yet clear. Objectives: This study profiled the current state of global research on LLD and predicted future research trends in the field. Methods: Literature with the subject term LLD was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection, and CiteSpace software was used to perform econometric and co-occurrence analyses. The results were visualized using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and other software packages. Results: In total, 10,570 publications were included in the analysis. Publications on LLD have shown an increasing trend since 2004. The United States and the University of California had the highest number of publications, followed consecutively by China and England, making these countries and institutions the most influential in the field. Reynolds, Charles F. was the author with the most publications. The International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry was the journal with the most articles and citations. According to the co-occurrence analysis and keyword/citation burst analysis, cognitive impairment, brain network dysfunction, vascular disease, and treatment of LLD were research hotspots. Conclusion: Late-life depression has attracted increasing attention from researchers, with the number of publications increasing annually. However, many questions remain unaddressed in this field, such as the relationship between LLD and cognitive impairment and dementia, or the impact of vascular factors and brain network dysfunction on LLD. Additionally, the treatment of patients with LLD is currently a clinical challenge. The results of this study will help researchers find suitable research partners and journals, as well as predict future hotspots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past decades have seen an explosion of studies on empathy in various academic domains including affective neuroscience, psychology, medicine, and economics. However, the volumes of research have almost exclusively focused on its evolutionary origins, development, and neurobiological bases, as well as how the experience of empathy is modulated by social context and interpersonal relationships. In the present paper, we examine a much less attended side of empathy: why it has a positive impact on others? After specifying what the construct of empathy encompasses, we briefly review the various effects of empathy on health outcomes in the domain of medicine. We then propose two non-mutually exclusive mechanistic explanations that contribute to explain the positive effects of physician empathy on patients. (1) The social baseline theory (SBT), building on social support research, proposes that the presence of other people helps individuals to conserve metabolically costly somatic and neural resources through the social regulation of emotion. (2) The free energy principle (FEP) postulates that the brain optimizes a (free energy) bound on surprise or its complement value to respond to environmental changes adaptively. These conceptualizations can be combined to provide a unifying integrative account of the benefits of physicians' empathetic attitude on their patients and how it plays a role in healing beyond the mere effect of the therapeutic alliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial vision systems cannot process all the information that they receive from the world in real time because it is highly expensive and inefficient in terms of computational cost. Inspired by biological perception systems, artificial attention models pursuit to select only the relevant part of the scene. On human vision, it is also well established that these units of attention are not merely spatial but closely related to perceptual objects (proto-objects). This implies a strong bidirectional relationship between segmentation and attention processes. While the segmentation process is the responsible to extract the proto-objects from the scene, attention can guide segmentation, arising the concept of foveal attention. When the focus of attention is deployed from one visual unit to another, the rest of the scene is perceived but at a lower resolution that the focused object. The result is a multi-resolution visual perception in which the fovea, a dimple on the central retina, provides the highest resolution vision. In this paper, a bottom-up foveal attention model is presented. In this model the input image is a foveal image represented using a Cartesian Foveal Geometry (CFG), which encodes the field of view of the sensor as a fovea (placed in the focus of attention) surrounded by a set of concentric rings with decreasing resolution. Then multi-resolution perceptual segmentation is performed by building a foveal polygon using the Bounded Irregular Pyramid (BIP). Bottom-up attention is enclosed in the same structure, allowing to set the fovea over the most salient image proto-object. Saliency is computed as a linear combination of multiple low level features such as colour and intensity contrast, symmetry, orientation and roundness. Obtained results from natural images show that the performance of the combination of hierarchical foveal segmentation and saliency estimation is good in terms of accuracy and speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses papers in "Frontiers in Psychiatry" about the contribution of brain reward and stress systems in addiction, including a review of addiction as a disorder mediated by pathophysiological reductions in brain reward function and concurrent recruitment of brain stress circuits, papers that explored the neurobiology of addiction to various drugs of abuse and papers on the individual differences among addicts.

The emergence of two distinct leadership roles, the task leader and the socio-emotional leader, has been documented in the leadership literature since the 1950s. Recent research in neuroscience suggests that the division between task-oriented and socio-emotional- oriented roles derives from a fundamental feature of our neurobiology: an antagonistic relationship between two large-scale cortical networks - the task-positive network (TPN) and the default mode network (DMN). Neural activity in TPN tends to inhibit activity in the DMN, and vice versa. The TPN is important for problem solving, focusing of attention, making decisions, and control of action. The DMN plays a central role in emotional self- awareness, social cognition, and ethical decision making. It is also strongly linked to creativity and openness to new ideas. Because activation of the TPN tends to suppress activity in the DMN, an over-emphasis on task-oriented leadership may prove deleterious to social and emotional aspects of leadership. Similarly, an overemphasis on the DMN would result in difficulty focusing attention, making decisions, and solving known problems. In this paper, we will review major streams of theory and research on leadership roles in the context of recent findings from neuroscience and psychology. We conclude by suggesting that emerging research challenges the assumption that role differentiation is both natural and necessary, in particular when openness to new ideas, people, emotions, and ethical concerns are important to success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a first step toward the comprehension of neural activity, one should focus on the stability of the possible dynamical states. Even the characterization of an idealized regime, such as that of a perfectly periodic spiking activity, reveals unexpected difficulties. In this paper we discuss a general approach to linear stability of pulse-coupled neural networks for generic phase-response curves and post-synaptic response functions. In particular, we present: (1) a mean-field approach developed under the hypothesis of an infinite network and small synaptic conductances; (2) a "microscopic" approach which applies to finite but large networks. As a result, we find that there exist two classes of perturbations: those which are perfectly described by the mean-field approach and those which are subject to finite-size corrections, irrespective of the network size. The analysis of perfectly regular, asynchronous, states reveals that their stability depends crucially on the smoothness of both the phase-response curve and the transmitted post-synaptic pulse. Numerical simulations suggest that this scenario extends to systems that are not covered by the perturbative approach. Altogether, we have described a series of tools for the stability analysis of various dynamical regimes of generic pulse-coupled oscillators, going beyond those that are currently invoked in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explanatory models of the mind inform our working assumptions about mental illnesswith direct implications for clinical practice. Neurobiological models assert that the mind can be understood in terms of genetics, chemistry, and neuronal circuits. Growing evidence suggests that clinical deployment of neurobiological models of illness may have unintended adverse effects on patient attitudes, public perception, provider empathy, and the effectiveness of psychiatric treatment. New approaches are needed to find a better language for describing (let alone explaining) the experience of mental illness. To address this gap, we draw upon interdisciplinary sources and semiotic theory to characterize the role of metaphor in the conceptualization and communication of psychopathology. We examine the metaphors recruited by contemporary neurobiological models and metaphor's role in facilitating descriptive clarity or evocative creativity, depending on intention and context. These multiple roles reveal the implications of metaphorical reasoning in clinical practice, including cognitive flexibility, personalized communication, and uncertainty tolerance. With this analysis, we propose a clinical approach that embraces the meta-process of ongoing novel metaphor generation and coelaboration, or languaging metaphors of psychopathology. Our goal is to bring attention to the value of employing ever-evolving, shapeable metaphorical depictions of psychiatric illness: metaphors that enable a capacity for change in individuals and society, reduce stigma, and nurture recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mural cells are critical components of the cerebral vasculature. They are categorized into three primary subsets: arteriole smooth muscle cells (aSMCs), pericytes (PCs) and venule smooth muscle cells (vSMCs). It is well known that aSMCs can directly regulate cerebral blood flow (CBF) with their own contraction and dilation mechanisms. On the other hand, the direct involvement of PCs or vSMCs in CBF regulation is controversial. This ambiguity is largely due to the lack of specifically manipulable tools to isolate their function. To address this issue, we employed a set-subtraction approach by using a combination of tTA-mediated gene induction and Cre-mediated gene excision. We developed transgenic mice expressing optical actuators, channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) and photoactivated adenylyl cyclase (PAC) in smooth muscle actin (SMA)-negative mural cells that lack the machinery for SMA-mediated vasoregulation. Using these mouse models, we assessed CBF alterations in response to optical stimulation using laser Doppler techniques. Our results showed that optical stimulation induced notable CBF changes in both models. This study provides evidence for the potential regulatory role of PCs and vSMCs in cerebral hemodynamics and introduces powerful tools to specifically manipulate these cell types in vascular neurobiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sets out the neurobiological underpinnings of the core theoretical claims of psychoanalysis. These claims concern (1) innate emotional needs, (2) learning from experience, and (3) unconscious mental processing. The paper also considers the neurobiological underpinnings of the mechanisms of psychoanalytic treatment—a treatment which is based on the aforementioned claims. Lastly, it reviews the available empirical evidence concerning the therapeutic efficacy of this form of treatment.

Intergenerational transmission is a crucial aspect of human development. Although prior studies have demonstrated the continuity of psychopathology and maladaptive upbringing environments between parents and offspring, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear. We have begun a novel neuroimaging research project, the Transmit Radiant Individuality to Offspring (TRIO) study, which focuses on biological parent-offspring trios. The participants of the TRIO study were Japanese parent-offspring trios consisting of offspring aged 10-40 and their biological mother and father. Structural and functional brain images of all participants were acquired using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Saliva samples were collected for DNA analysis. We obtained psychosocial information, such as intelligence, mental health problems, personality traits, and experiences during the developmental period from each parent and offspring in the same manner as much as possible. By April 2023, we completed data acquisition from 174 trios consisting of fathers, mothers, and offspring. The target sample size was 310 trios. However, we plan to conduct genetic and epigenetic analyses, and the sample size is expected to be expanded further while developing this project into a multi-site collaborative study in the future. The TRIO study can challenge the elucidation of the mechanism of intergenerational transmission effects on human development by collecting diverse information from parents and offspring at the molecular, neural, and behavioral levels. Our study provides interdisciplinary insights into how individuals' lives are involved in the construction of the lives of their descendants in the subsequent generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A lack of cross-disciplinary unanimity prevails within addiction research. Theories addiction through the three-stage brain disease model contest other theories that substance use disorder is of behavioural or genetic origin. The reverberations of this lack of consensus are noticeable throughout addiction research and within the foundations of disease modelling. The availability of methods to investigate substance use disorder are inconsistent and sometimes unrepresentative. This review discusses theories of addiction aetiology, available models for addiction research and the strengths and limitations of current practical experimental methods of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolonged bed rest causes a multitude of deleterious physiological changes in the human body that require interventions even during immobilization to prevent or minimize these negative effects. In addition to other interventions such as physical and nutritional therapy, non-physical interventions such as cognitive training, motor imagery, and action observation have demonstrated efficacy in mitigating or improving not only cognitive but also motor outcomes in bedridden patients. Recent technological advances have opened new opportunities to implement such non-physical interventions in semi- or fully-immersive environments to enable the development of bed rest countermeasures. Extended Reality (XR), which covers augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR), can enhance the training process by further engaging the kinesthetic, visual, and auditory senses. XR-based enriched environments offer a promising research avenue to investigate the effects of multisensory stimulation on motor rehabilitation and to counteract dysfunctional brain mechanisms that occur during prolonged bed rest. This review discussed the use of enriched environment applications in bedridden patients as a promising tool to improve patient rehabilitation outcomes and suggested their integration into existing treatment protocols to improve patient care. Finally, the neurobiological mechanisms associated with the positive cognitive and motor effects of an enriched environment are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Openness is a multifaceted behavioral disposition that encompasses personal, interpersonal, and cultural dimensions. It has been suggested that the interindividual variability in openness as a personality trait is influenced by various environmental and genetic factors, as well as differences in brain functional and structural connectivity patterns along with their various associated cognitive processes. Alterations in degree of openness have been linked to several aspects of health and disease, being impacted by both physical and mental health, substance use, and neurologic conditions. This review aims to explore the current state of knowledge describing the neurobiological basis of openness and how individual differences in openness can manifest in brain health and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of psychedelics to persistently treat substance use disorders is known since the 1960s. However, the biological mechanisms responsible for their therapeutic effects have not yet been fully elucidated. While it is known that serotonergic hallucinogens induce changes in gene expression and neuroplasticity, particularly in prefrontal regions, theories on how specifically this counteracts the alterations that occur in neuronal circuitry throughout the course of addiction are largely unknown. This narrative mini-review endeavors to synthesize well-established knowledge from addiction research with findings and theories regarding the neurobiological effects of psychedelics to give an overview of the potential mechanisms that underlie the treatment of substance use disorders with classical hallucinogenic compounds and point out gaps in the current understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the neurobiology of Functional Neurological Disorders (FND), i.e., neurological disorders not explained by currently identifiable histopathological processes, in order to focus on those characterised by impaired awareness (functionally impaired awareness disorders, FIAD), and especially, on the paradigmatic case of Resignation Syndrome (RS). We thus provide an improved more integrated theory of FIAD, able to guide both research priorities and the diagnostic formulation of FIAD. We systematically address the diverse spectrum of clinical presentations of FND with impaired awareness, and offer a new framework for understanding FIAD. We find that unraveling the historical development of neurobiological theory of FIAD is of paramount importance for its current understanding. Then, we integrate contemporary clinical material in order to contextualise the neurobiology of FIAD within social, cultural, and psychological perspectives. We thus review neuro-computational insights in FND in general, to arrive at a more coherent account of FIAD. FIAD may be based on maladaptive predictive coding, shaped by stress, attention, uncertainty, and, ultimately, neurally encoded beliefs and their updates. We also critically appraise arguments in support of and against such Bayesian models. Finally, we discuss implications of our theoretical account and provide pointers towards an improved clinical diagnostic formulation of FIAD. We suggest directions for future research towards a more unified theory on which future interventions and management strategies could be based, as effective treatments and clinical trial evidence remain limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The endocannabinoid system has been implicated in the neurobiology of opioid use disorder. While the CB1 receptor antagonist rimonabant has been shown to block some of the behavioral effects of opioids, studies suggest that the treatment environment (i.e., receiving treatment in the drug-associated environment, and/or novelty) can influence its effects. In the present study, we investigated the role of the treatment environment in the effects of rimonabant on the expression of morphine-induced behavioral sensitization. Methods: Adult female Swiss mice were submitted to a behavioral sensitization protocol, during which they received morphine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) in the open-field apparatus, and were subsequently treated with vehicle or rimonabant (1 or 10 mg/kg, i.p.) either in the open-field, in the home-cage or in an activity box (novel environment). The expression of conditioned locomotion (increased locomotor activity in the open-field apparatus in the absence of morphine) and of morphine-induced behavioral sensitization (increased locomotor activity in animals sensitized to morphine) was evaluated during asubsequent saline and morphine challenge, respectively. Results: Animals treated with morphine expressed behavioral sensitization, showing a significant increase in locomotor activity over time. Animals sensitized to morphine and treated with vehicle in the home-cage expressed conditioned locomotion, an effect that was blocked by home-cage treatment with rimonabant. During a saline challenge, only animals sensitized to morphine and treated with saline in the homecage expressed morphine-induced conditioned locomotion. All morphine-treated animals that received saline during the treatment phase (control groups) expressed behavioral sensitization during the morphine challenge. Treatment with rimonabant in the open-field and in the activity box, but not in the home-cage, blocked the expression of morphine-induced behavioral sensitization. Discussion: Our findings suggest that CB1 receptor antagonism can modulate conditioned responses to morphine even when administered in the home-cage. However, exposure to the drug-associated environment or to a novel environment is necessary for the expression of rimonabant's effects on morphine-induced behavioral sensitization during a morphine challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a model organism, Drosophila is uniquely placed to contribute to our understanding of how brains control complex behavior. Not only does it have complex adaptive behaviors, but also a uniquely powerful genetic toolkit, increasingly complete dense connectomic maps of the central nervous system and a rapidly growing set of transcriptomic profiles of cell types. But this also poses a challenge: Given the massive amounts of available data, how are researchers to Find, Access, Integrate and Reuse (FAIR) relevant data in order to develop an integrated anatomical and molecular picture of circuits, inform hypothesis generation, and find reagents for experiments to test these hypotheses? The Virtual Fly Brain (virtualflybrain.org) web application & API provide a solution to this problem, using FAIR principles to integrate 3D images of neurons and brain regions, connectomics, transcriptomics and reagent expression data covering the whole CNS in both larva and adult. Users can search for neurons, neuroanatomy and reagents by name, location, or connectivity, via text search, clicking on 3D images, search-by-image, and queries by type (e.g., dopaminergic neuron) or properties (e.g., synaptic input in the antennal lobe). Returned results include cross-registered 3D images that can be explored in linked 2D and 3D browsers or downloaded under open licenses, and extensive descriptions of cell types and regions curated from the literature. These solutions are potentially extensible to cover similar atlasing and data integration challenges in vertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific reductionism, the view that higher level functions can be explained by properties at some lower-level or levels, has been an assumption of nervous system analyses since the acceptance of the neuron doctrine in the late 19th century, and became a dominant experimental approach with the development of intracellular recording techniques in the mid-20th century. Subsequent refinements of electrophysiological approaches and the continual development of molecular and genetic techniques have promoted a focus on molecular and cellular mechanisms in experimental analyses and explanations of sensory, motor, and cognitive functions. Reductionist assumptions have also influenced our views of the etiology and treatment of psychopathologies, and have more recently led to claims that we can, or even should, pharmacologically enhance the normal brain. Reductionism remains an area of active debate in the philosophy of science. In neuroscience and psychology, the debate typically focuses on the mind-brain question and the mechanisms of cognition, and how or if they can be explained in neurobiological terms. However, these debates are affected by the complexity of the phenomena being considered and the difficulty of obtaining the necessary neurobiological detail. We can instead ask whether features identified in neurobiological analyses of simpler aspects in simpler nervous systems support current molecular and cellular approaches to explaining systems or behaviors. While my view is that they do not, this does not invite the opposing view prevalent in dichotomous thinking that molecular and cellular detail is irrelevant and we should focus on computations or representations. We instead need to consider how to address the long-standing dilemma of how a nervous system that ostensibly functions through discrete cell to cell communication can generate population effects across multiple spatial and temporal scales to generate behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundBlast induced Traumatic Brain Injury (bTBI) has become a signature casualty of military operations. Recently, military medics observed neurocognitive deficits in servicemen exposed to repeated low level blast (LLB) waves during military heavy weapons training. In spite of significant clinical and preclinical TBI research, current understanding of injury mechanisms and short- and long-term outcomes is limited. Mathematical models of bTBI biomechanics and mechanobiology of sensitive neuro-structures such as synapses may help in better understanding of injury mechanisms and in the development of improved diagnostics and neuroprotective strategies.Methods and resultsIn this work, we formulated a model of a single synaptic structure integrating the dynamics of the synaptic cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) with the deformation mechanics of the synaptic cleft. The model can resolve time scales ranging from milliseconds during the hyperacute phase of mechanical loading to minutes-hours acute/chronic phase of injury progression/repair. The model was used to simulate the synaptic injury responses caused by repeated blast loads.ConclusionOur simulations demonstrated the importance of the number of exposures compared to the duration of recovery period between repeated loads on the synaptic injury responses. The paper recognizes current limitations of the model and identifies potential improvements.

Visual information is fundamental to how we understand our environment, make predictions and interact with others. Recent research has underscored the importance of visuo-perceptual dysfunctions for cognitive deficits and pathophysiological processes in schizophrenia. In the current paper, we review evidence for the relevance of high frequency (beta/gamma) oscillations associated with the visuo-perceptual dysfunctions in schizophrenia. In the first part of the paper, we examine the relationship between beta/gamma band oscillations and visual processing during normal brain functioning. We then summarize studies employing EEG/MEG which demonstrate reduced amplitude and synchrony of high-frequency activity during visual stimulation in schizophrenia. In the final part of the paper, we identify neurobiological correlates as well as offer perspectives for future research to stimulate further inquiry into the role of high-frequency oscillations in visual processing impairments in the disorder.