Search

The brain is inherently asymmetrical. How that attribute, manifest both structurally (volumetric, cytological, molecular) as well as functionally, relates to cognitive function, is not fully understood. Since the early descriptions of Paul Broca and Marc Dax it has been known that the processing of language in the brain is fundamentally asymmetrical. Contemporary imaging studies have corroborated early observations, and have also revealed significant functional links to multiple other systems, such as those sub serving memory or emotion. Recent studies have demonstrated that laterality is both plastic and adaptive. Learning and training have shown to affect regional changes in asymmetry, such as that observed in the volume of the planum temporale associated with musical practice. Increasing task complexity has been demonstrated to induce recruitment of contralateral regions, suggesting that laterality is a manifestation of functional reserve. Indeed, in terms of cognitive function, successful aging is often associated with a reduction of asymmetrical activity. The goal of this review is to survey and critically appraise the current literature addressing brain laterality, both morphological and functional, with particular emphasis on the asymmetrical plasticity associated with environmental factors and training. The plastic recruitment of contralateral areas associated with aging and unilateral lesions will be discussed in the context of the loss of asymmetry as a compensatory mechanism, and specific instances of maladaptive plasticity will be explored.

Coffee is the most widely consumed source of caffeine worldwide, partly due to the psychoactive effects of this methylxanthine. Interestingly, the effects of its chronic consumption on the brain’s intrinsic functional networks are still largely unknown. This study provides the first extended characterization of the effects of chronic coffee consumption on human brain networks. Subjects were recruited and divided into two groups: habitual coffee drinkers (CD) and non-coffee drinkers (NCD). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was acquired in these volunteers who were also assessed regarding stress, anxiety, and depression scores. In the neuroimaging evaluation, the CD group showed decreased functional connectivity in the somatosensory and limbic networks during resting state as assessed with independent component analysis. The CD group also showed decreased functional connectivity in a network comprising subcortical and posterior brain regions associated with somatosensory, motor, and emotional processing as assessed with network-based statistics; moreover, CD displayed longer lifetime of a functional network involving subcortical regions, the visual network and the cerebellum. Importantly, all these differences were dependent on the frequency of caffeine consumption, and were reproduced after NCD drank coffee. CD showed higher stress levels than NCD, and although no other group effects were observed in this psychological assessment, increased frequency of caffeine consumption was also associated with increased anxiety in males. In conclusion, higher consumption of coffee and caffeinated products has an impact in brain functional connectivity at rest with implications in emotionality, alertness, and readiness to action.

It remains unknown why on similar acute/subacute painful conditions, pain persists in some individuals while in others it resolves. Genetic factors, mood, and functional alterations, particularly involving the mesolimbic network, seem to be key. To explore potential susceptibility or resistance factors, we screened a large population of rats with a peripheral neuropathy and we isolated a small subset (

Accepted Manuscript, BACKGROUND: Lateralized dysfunction has been suggested in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, it is currently unclear whether OCD is characterized by abnormal patterns of brain structural asymmetry. Here we carried out what is by far the largest study of brain structural asymmetry in OCD.METHODS: We studied a collection of 16 pediatric datasets (501 patients with OCD and 439 healthy control subjects), as well as 30 adult datasets (1777 patients and 1654 control subjects) from the OCD Working Group within the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta Analysis) Consortium. Asymmetries of the volumes of subcortical structures, and of measures of regional cortical thickness and surface areas, were assessed based on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans, using harmonized image analysis and quality control protocols. We investigated possible alterations of brain asymmetry in patients with OCD. We also explored potential associations of asymmetry with specific aspects of the disorder and medication status.RESULTS: In the pediatric datasets, the largest case-control differences were observed for volume asymmetry of the thalamus (more leftward; Cohen's d = 0.19) and the pallidum (less leftward; d = -20.21). Additional analyses suggested putative links between these asymmetry patterns and medication status, OCD severity, or anxiety and depression comorbidities. No significant case-control differences were found in the adult datasets.CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest subtle changes of the average asymmetry of subcortical structures in pediatric OCD, which are not detectable in adults with the disorder. These findings may reflect altered neurodevelopmental processes in OCD., This research was funded by the Max Planck Society (Germany). Additional funding was from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (KAKENHI Grant No. 18K15523 [to YA], KAKENHI Grant No. 16K04344 [to YH], KAKENHI Grant Nos. 16K19778 and 18K07608 [to TNakam], and KAKENHI Grant No. 26461762 [to AN]); the Carlos III Health Institute (Grant No. PI14/00419 [to PA], Grant No. PI040829 cofunded by European Regional Development Fund [to LL], Grant No. FI17/00294 [to IM-Z], Grant No. PI16/00950 [to JMM], and Grant Nos. CPII16/00048, PI13/01958, and PI16/00889 cofunded by European Regional Development Funds [to CS-M]); the Ontario Mental Health Foundation (Research Training Fellowship [to SHA]); Alberta Innovates Translational Health Chair in Child and Youth Mental Health (to PDA), the Ontario Brain Institute (to PDA); the National Institute of Mental Health (Grant No. K23MH104515 [to JTB], Grant No. K23-MH092397 [to BPB], Grant No. K23MH082176 [to KDF), Grant No. R21MH101441 [to RM], Grant No. R01MH081864 [to JO and JP], and Grant No. R01MH085900 [to JO and JF], Grant No. R21MH093889 [to HBS]); Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (Grant No. 2011/21357–9 [to MCB], Grant No. 2011/21357–9 [to GFB], Grant No. 2011/21357–9 [to MQH], and Grant No. 2011/21357–9 [to ECM]); the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant No. 320030_130237 [to SB; principal investigator, Susanne Walitza]); the Hartmann Müller Foundation (Grant No. 1460 [to SB]); the David Judah Fund at the Massachusetts General Hospital (to BPB); EU FP7 Project TACTICS (Grant No. 278948 [to JB]); the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81560233 [to YC] and Grant No. 81371340 [to ZW]); the International OCD Foundation (Grant No. K23 MH115206 [to PG]); the Wellcome Sir Henry Dale Fellowship (Grant No. 211155/Z/18/Z [to TUH]); the Jacobs Foundation (to TUH); the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (2018 NARSAD Young Investigator Grant No. 27023 [to TUH]); the Agency for Medical Research and Development (Grant No. JP18dm0307002 [to YH]); the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (to FJ-F); the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany (Grant No. BMBF-01GW0724 [to NK]); the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Grant No. KO 3744/7–1 [to KK]); the Helse Vest Health Authority (Grant Nos. 911754 and 911880 [to GK]); the Norwegian Research Council (Grant No. HELSEFORSK 243675 [to GK]); the Marató TV3 Foundation (Grant Nos. 01/2010 and 091710 [to LL]); the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (Grant No. 2017 SGR 881 [to LL] and 2017 SGR 1247 from the Generalitat de Catalunya [to JMM]); Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Grant No. PDE/BDE/113604/2015 from the PhD-iHES Program [to RM], Grant No. PDE/BDE/113601/2015 from the PhD-iHES Program [to PSM]); the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Grant Nos. 22591262, 25461732, and 16K10253 [to TNakao]); the Government of India Department of Science and Technology (DST INSPIRE Faculty Grant No. -IFA12-LSBM-26 [to JCN] and Grant No. SR/S0/HS/0016/2011 [to YCJR]); the Government of India Department of Biotechnology (Grant No. BT/06/IYBA/2012 [to JCN] and Grant No. BT/PR13334/Med/30/259/2009 [to YCJR]); the New York State Office of Mental Health (to HBS); the Italian Ministry of Health (Grant No. RC13-14-15-16A [to GS]); the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (Grant No. UL1TR000067/KL2TR00069 [to ERS]); the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (to SES); the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (to SES); the British Columbia Provincial Health Services Authority (to SES); the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (Grant No. NWO/ZonMW Vidi 917.15.318 [to GAvW]); the Wellcome-DBT India Alliance (Grant No. 500236/Z/11/Z [to GV]); the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders (Grant No. 13dz2260500 [to ZW]).

The pioneer works of Marc Dax and Paul Broca on the association between left hemisphere injuries and speech impairments, revealed one of the most intriguing properties of the brain - asymmetry. Since then, lateralized features have been observed in virtually all phylogenetic branches, suggesting evolutionary conservation, although its adaptive role is still not clear. In humans, the field remains greatly shaped by early observations on language, but the advent of brain imaging revealed that functional and structural laterality is not only widespread, extending to memory, decision-making and emotion, but also that it is plastic. In this review, we systematize information regarding structural and functional hemispheric asymmetries of the healthy brain and their associations with cognition and behavior. We briefly explore evolutionary theories and the pathways for asymmetry development, but mostly we focus on central nervous system asymmetries of the adult human, bridging towards the laboratory rodent for mechanistic explanations.

The mammalian nervous system is possibly the most fascinating product of evolution. It is inherently complex, but our knowledge on its intricacies has been increasing over decades. In this chapter an overview of the mammalian nervous system development from the neural plate and of the resulting anatomical organization, is provided. Functional aspects of each region will also be presented. Finally, a brief description of the main technical approaches used in neuroscience will be discussed.

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the most debilitating psychiatric conditions, having a dramatic impact on patients’ daily living. In this work, we aimed to explore resting-state functional connectivity in OCD patients, using an independent component analysis. Eighty individuals (40 patients and 40 healthy controls) performed a resting state fMRI protocol. OCD patients displayed reduced functional connectivity (FC) in visual and sensorimotor networks. In addition, patients displayed decreased FC between sensory networks and increased FC between default-mode and cerebellar networks., Pedro Silva Moreira was supported by the FCT fellowship grant with the number PDE/BDE/113601/2015 from the PhD-iHES program; Paulo Marques was funded by the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian (Contract grant number: P-139977; project “Better mental health during ageing based on temporal prediction of individual brain ageing trajectories (TEMPO)”); Ricardo Magalhães was supported by the FCT fellowship grant with the number PDE/BDE/113604/2015 from the PhD-iHES program; Madalena Esteves was supported by the FCT fellowship grant with the number SFRH/BD/52291/2013 from the PhDOC program. The present work was supported by SwitchBox-FP7-HEALTH2010-grant 259772-2 and co-financed by the Portuguese North Regional Operational Program (ON.2 – O Novo Norte) under the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN), through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER).

Mechanisms underlying affective and cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease (PD) remain less studied than motor symptoms. Nucleus accumbens (NAc) is affected in PD and due to its well-known involvement in motivation is an interesting target in this context. Furthermore, PD is frequently asymmetrical, with side-specific deficits aligning with evidences of accumbal laterality. We therefore used a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model to study the role of left and right NAc dopamine depletion in a battery of behavioral tasks. 2 months old male rats were used in all experiments. Habitual-based and goal-directed decision-making, impulsivity, anxiety- and depressive-like behavior and motor performance were tested 3 weeks after left (6-OHDA L) or right (6-OHDA R) NAc lesion was induced. Upon contingency degradation, 6-OHDA R decrease their lever press rate less than Sham and 6-OHDA L, indicating an impairment in the shift from habit-based to goal-directed strategies. On the other hand, 6-OHDA L lesions lead to increased rates of premature responding when delays where increased in the variable delay-to-signal test. Importantly, in both paradigms task acquisition was similar between groups. In the same line we found no differences in the amount of sugared pellets eaten when freely available as well as in both general and fine motor behaviors. In conclusion, left and right NAc play distinct roles in the contingency degradation and impulsivity. More studies are needed to understand the mechanisms behind this functional lateralization and its implications for PD patients.

[Epub ahead of print], Chronic pain is frequently accompanied by the manifestation of emotional disturbances and cognitive deficits. While a causality relation between pain and emotional/cognitive disturbances is generally assumed, several observations suggest a temporal dissociation and independent mechanisms. We therefore studied Sprague-Dawley rats that presented a natural resistance to pain manifestation in a neuropathy model (spared nerve injury [SNI]) and compared their performance in a battery of behavioral paradigms-anxiety, depression and fear memory-with animals that presented a pain phenotype. Afterward, we performed an extensive volumetric analysis across prefrontal, orbitofrontal and insular cortical areas. The majority of SNI animals manifested mechanical allodynia (low threshold [LT]), but 13% were similar to Sham controls (high threshold [HT]). Readouts of spontaneous hypersensivity (paw flinches) were also significantly reduced in HT and correlated with allodynia. To increase the specificity of our findings, we segregated the SNI animals in those with left (SNI-L) and right (SNI-R) lesions and the lack of association between pain and behavior still remains. Left-lesioned animals, independent of the LT or HT phenotype, presented increased anxiety-like behaviors and decreased well-being. In contrast, we found that the insular cortex (agranular division) was significantly smaller in HT than in LT. To conclude, pain and emotional disturbances observed following nerve injury are to some extent segregated phenomena. Also, HT and LT SNI presented differences in insular volumes, an area vastly implicated in pain perception, suggesting a supraspinal involvement in the manifestation of these phenotypes., This work has been funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme (COMPETE) and the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020) under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement (project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000023). It was also funded by National and International funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the scope of the projects POCI-01-0145- FEDER-007038 and PTDC/NEU-SCC/5301/2014 and by the IASP Early Career Research Grant 2015. Researchers were supported by FCT grant numbers PD/BD/114117/2015 (MRG via Inter-University Doctoral Programme in Ageing and Chronic Disease, PhDOC), SFRH/BD/109111/2015 (AMC via PhD Program in Health Sciences), SFRH/BD/52291/2013 (ME via PhDOC), SFRH/BD/89936/2012 (SB via PhD Program in Health Sciences (Applied)), PDE/BDE/113604/2015 (RM via PhD Program in Health Sciences (Applied)), PDE/BDE/113601/2015 (PSM via PhD Program in Health Sciences (Applied)) and SFRH/BPD/80118/2011 (HA). ARS integrated the Master Programme in Health Sciences of the School of Medicine, University of Minho., info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion

Background: Laboratory practice commonly implies rodent anesthesia. Such is instrumental not only for animal welfare, but also for standardized assessment of new anesthetics. New method: We developed and validated a grading system for a temporal follow-up of anesthesia. The Minho Objective Rodent Phenotypical Anesthesia (MORPhA) scale was tested in mice (C57BL/6 J) and rats (WistarHan) anesthetized with ketamine/dexmedetomidine (ket/dex). The scale comprises 12 behavioral readouts organized in 5 stages – (i) normal/(ii) hindered voluntary movement, elicited response to (iii) non-noxious/(iv) noxious stimuli and (v) absence of response – evaluated at regular time-points. Progression across stages was monitored by electroencephalography (EEG) in rats during anesthesia induction and reversal (atipamezole) and during induction with a second anesthetic drug (pentobarbital). Results: Higher anesthetic doses decreased the time to reach higher levels of anesthesia during progression, while increasing the time to regain waking behavior during reversal in both mice and rats. A regular decrease in high frequencies (low and high gamma) power was observed as the MORPhA score increased during anesthesia induction, while the opposite pattern was observed during emergence from anesthesia through reversion of dex effect. Comparison with existing methods: Degree of anesthesia in laboratory rodents is normally evaluated by testing loss of reflexes. While these are useful endpoint assessments, they are of limited application to study induction/ reversal kinetics or factors affecting individual susceptibility. MORPhA allows graded standardized assessment of this progression in a biologically-relevant fashion. Conclusions: The devised anesthetic scale is of simple application and provides a semi-quantifiable readout of anesthesia induction/reversal., This work was supported by FEDER funds, through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme (COMPETE), and by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) [projects POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007038 and PTDC/NEU-SCC/ 5301/2014]. Researchers were supported by FCT [grant numbers SFRH/BD/52291/2013 to ME via Inter-University Doctoral Programme in Ageing and Chronic Disease, PhDOC; PDE/BDE/113601/2015 to PSM via PhD Program in Health Sciences (Applied), Phd-iHES; SFRH/ BPD/80118/2011 to HLA; SFRH/BD/88932/2012 to JS and IF/01799/ 2013 to IS].

Monografia apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa para obtenção do grau Licenciada em Terapêutica da Fala A origem do tratamento da gaguez remonta à época da Grécia clássica. Desde então surgiram várias tentativas terapêuticas para reduzir ou eliminar a gaguez. São numerosas as associações, grupos de investigação, livros, teorias, etc., sobre a origem como o tratamento da gaguez (Le Huche, 2006). A gaguez é um problema frequente em todo o mundo. Afecta aproximadamente 1% da população mundial. Classicamente gaguez é definida como um problema de fala. De uma maneira mais moderna diz-se que se trata de uma alteração da influência verbal (Le Huche 2006). É importante reconhecer o esforço dos investigadores na tentativa de descobrir a causa da gaguez. A crença de que só se poderia tratar da gaguez quando fosse conhecida a sua origem motivou grandes nomes da área da investigação, sendo eles próprios gagos, como Van Riper, Johnson, Sheehan, Gregory, entre outros. Mesmo estas pesquisas não tendo atingido o principal objectivo a que se propunham, trouxeram grandes contribuições e foram muito importantes para que se chegasse às percepções que hoje temos respeito da gaguez (Goldefel, 2003). A gaguez é um fenómeno muito complexo que supera a capacidade explicativa. As definições da OMS¹ ocultam a controvérsia que acompanha este problema de fala desde que se descobriu. Esta patologia surpreende pela quantidade assombrosa de excepções e irregularidades. Carece de um tratamento eficaz (Zamora, 2007). Este trabalho assenta no estudo de caso de um adulto, detentor de gaguez desde os 5 anos de idade. Inicia com uma breve revisão bibliográfica sobre a temática em estudo e, posteriormente, é feita a descrição do paciente, bem como de todos os métodos e técnicas adoptadas na intervenção terapêutica. Finalmente serão discutidos os resultados da mesma. É de realçar que um estudo de caso é apenas uma análise única e específica e, por isso, não pode ser generalizada. The origin o f treatment of disfluency begins whith the era of classical GREECE. Since then there are several therapeutic attempts to reduce or eliminate disfluency. There are many associations, research groups, books, theories, etc., both related with the origin and treatment of disfluency (Le Huche 2006). Disfluency is a very common problem worldwide. It affects approximately 1% of world population. Classically disfluency is defined as a problem of the rhythm in speech. In a more modern way it is said that this is a change in verbal fluency (Le Huche, 2006). It is important to recognize the efforts of researchers in an attempt to discover the cause of disfluency. The belief that a disfluency could only be treated when his origin had been found led big names in research area, being themselves stutterers, as Van Riper, Johnson, Sheehan, Gregory among others. Although these studies have not attained the main objective that was proposed, they brought great contributions and were very important to reach the perceptions that we have today about disfluency (Goldefel, 2003). Disfluency is a very complex phenomenon that surpasses the explanatory ability. The definitions of OMS² hide the controversy that accompanies this problem of speech since it was discovered. This astonishing pathology surprise by the amount of exceptions and irregularities. Lacks and effective treatment (Zamora, 2007). This work is based on case study of an adult, holding disfluency since 5 years of age. Begins with a brief review on the subject under study and, subsequently, is the description of the case of the patient, as well as the methods and techniques adopted in the therapeutic intervention. Finally the results will be discussed. It is noteworthy that a case study is only a single and specific analysis and, therefore, cannot be generalized.