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La neuroeducació comparteix la importància i la necessitat de vincular el coneixement neurocientífic per a l'enriquiment de l'epistemologia i la pràctica docent; diverses experiències educatives han acceptat el valor transcendental de les emocions per a l'assoliment d'aprenentatges significatius i emocionals. Per tal d'aconseguir en la comunitat docent una alfabetització conceptual neurocientífica per entendre a partir del coneixement neurocientífic diferents resultats positius de les experiències educatives integrades al factor socioemocional, es presenta una revisió bibliogràfica sobre el coneixement neurofisiològic que permet entendre com aprèn el cervell juntament amb la relació unidireccional de el suprasistema emocional-cognitiu. Així mateix, la plasticitat cerebral i les neurones mirall són determinants per a l'aprenentatge d'habilitats socioafectives que permeten el desenvolupament de persones sanes i implicades en la millora de la societat. Actualment, cal entendre l'educació com un entorn de desenvolupament social amb un enfocament emocional, a través de pràctiques educatives coherents amb la naturalesa social del cervell, que ha presentat una evolució biològica lenta i desfasada per a l'actual realitat social vertiginosa, afrontada amb dificultats. situacions socials com la violència, l'estrès i la depressió. Es conclou, gràcies a la correspondència dels avenços teòrics de les neurociències amb l'educació de la formació educativa adaptada a la neurofisiologia cerebral., La neuroeducación comparte la importancia y necesidad de la vinculación de saberes neurocientíficos para el enriquecimiento de la epistemología y práctica docente; diversas experiencias educativas han aceptado el valor transcendental de las emociones para el logro de un aprendizaje significativo y emocional. Con los objetivos de lograr en la comunidad docente una alfabetización conceptual neurocientífica para comprender desde saberes de la neurociencia diferentes resultados positivos de experiencias educativas integradas al factor socioemocional, se presenta una revisión bibliográfica sobre conocimiento neurofisiológico que permite entender cómo aprende el cerebro junto a la relación unidireccional del suprasistema emocional-cognitivo. Así mismo, la plasticidad cerebral y las neuronas espejo son decisivas para el aprendizaje de habilidades socio-afectivas que permitan el desarrollo de personas sanas que se impliquen en la mejora de la sociedad. Actualmente se presenta la necesidad de entenderse la educación como un entorno de desarrollo social con enfoque emocional, mediante prácticas educativas coherentes a la naturaleza social del cerebro quien ha presentado una evolución biológica lenta y anticuada para la actual realidad social vertiginosa, que enfrenta situaciones sociales difíciles como lo son la violencia, estrés y depresión. Se concluye, gracias a la correspondencia de los avances teóricos de las neurociencias y la educación el deber ser la formación educativa adaptada la neurofisiología cerebral., Neuroeducation shares the importance and necessity of linking neuroscientific knowledge for the enrichment of epistemology and teaching practice; several educational experiences have accepted the transcendental value of emotions for the achievement of meaningful and emotional learning. In order to achieve in the teaching community a neuroscientific conceptual literacy to understand from neuroscientific knowledge different positive results of educational experiences integrated to the socioemotional factor, a bibliographic review on neurophysiological knowledge is presented that allows understanding how the brain learns together with the unidirectional relationship of the emotional-cognitive suprasystem. Likewise, brain plasticity and mirror neurons are decisive for the learning of socio-affective skills that allow the development of healthy people who are involved in the improvement of society. Currently, there is a need to understand education as an environment of social development with an emotional approach, through educational practices coherent to the social nature of the brain, which has presented a slow and outdated biological evolution for the current vertiginous social reality, facing difficult social situations such as violence, stress and depression. It is concluded, thanks to the correspondence of the theoretical advances of neurosciences and education, that educational training should be adapted to the brain neurophysiology.

In this study, we examine the suitability of desorption electro-flow focusing ionization (DEFFI) for mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) of biological tissue. We also compare the performance of desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) with and without the flow focusing setup. The main potential advantages of applying the flow focusing mechanism in DESI is its rotationally symmetric electrospray jet, higher intensity, more controllable parameters, and better portability due to the robustness of the sprayer. The parameters for DEFFI have therefore been thoroughly optimized, primarily for spatial resolution but also for intensity. Once the parameters have been optimized, DEFFI produces similar images to the existing DESI. MS images for mouse brain samples, acquired at a nominal pixel size of 50 µm, are comparable for both DESI setups, albeit the new sprayer design yields better sensitivity. Furthermore, the two methods are compared with regard to spectral intensity as well as the area of the desorbed crater on rhodamine-coated slides. Overall, the implementation of a flow focusing mechanism in DESI is shown to be highly suitable for imaging biological tissue and has potential to overcome some of the shortcomings experienced with the current geometrical design of DESI.

Treballs Finals de Grau d'Enginyeria Biomèdica. Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut. Universitat de Barcelona. Curs: 2022-2023. Tutor/Director: Sala Llonch, Roser, Laredo Gregorio, Carlos, 1H MRS is conceived as a pioneer methodology for brain metabolism inspection and health status appraisal. Post-processing interventions are required to obtain explicit metabolite quantification values from which to derive diagnosis. On the grounds of addressing and covering such operation, multiple software packages have been recently developed and launched leading to an amorphous assortment of spectroscopic image processing tools, with lack of standardization and regulation. The current study thereby intends to judge the coherence and consistency of compound estimation outputs in terms of result variability by intercorrelation and intracorrelation analyses between appointed programs, being LCModel, Osprey, TARQUIN, and spant toolbox. The examination is performed on a 83-subject SVS short-TE 3T SIEMENS PRESS spectroscopic acquisitions’ collection, including healthy controls and HCV-infected patients assisted with DAA treatment. The analytical core of the project assesses software performance through the creation of a Python script in order to automatically compute and display the results sought. The statistical tests providing enough information to draw substantial conclusions stem from extraction of coefficient of determination (R2 ), Pearson’s coefficient (r), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) together with representation of boxplots, rainclouds, and scatter plots easing data visualization. A clinical implementation is also entailed on the same basis, whose purpose is to reveal actual DAA treatment effect on HCV-infected patients by means of metabolite concentration alteration and hypothetical restoration. Conclusions declare evident and alarming variability among MRS platforms compromising the rigor, sharpness and systematization demanded in this discipline since quantification results hold incoherences, although they do not seem to affect or oppose medical determinations jeopardizing patient’s health. However, it would be interesting to extend the analysis to a greater cohort of subjects to reinforce and get to more solid resolutions.

Treballs Finals de Grau d'Enginyeria Biomèdica. Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut. Universitat de Barcelona. Curs: 2022-2023. Tutor/Director: Sala Llonch, Roser, Orozco López, Modesto, The human brain is organized in a hierarchical structure of distinct but closely connected levels. Although our knowledge about each individual level is extensive, what remains unknown is a comprehensive understanding of how events in low levels propagate through higher levels. This is a challenge for neuroscience. This project focuses on low-level protein events. Its aim is to simulate the dynamics of a subset of central nervous system proteins as their mobility and flexibility are essential for neurological signal transduction. In particular, it is centred on the subset of CNS proteins related to Parkinson’s disease. By reproducing their dynamics, the process of signal transduction in the brain can be better understood, as well as helping in the design of neuro-active drugs for Parkinson’s disease. This document provides a detailed description of the development of the project to obtain the dynamics of the proteins of study. The scope of the project goes from generating a list of proteins of interest, running and validating their dynamics and uploading the data to an open access database. A total of 49 simulations were successfully obtained and uploaded. These simulations can be further studied to understand protein functions in neurological pathways as well as study possible drug binding interactions.

Functional constipation; Functional dyspepsia; Functional gastrointestinal disorders Estreñimiento funcional; Dispepsia funcional; Trastornos gastrointestinales funcionales Restrenyiment funcional; Dispèpsia funcional; Trastorns gastrointestinals funcionals Objective Many studies have been published on disorders of the gut–brain interaction (DGBI) in Asia and Western Europe, but no previous study has directly assessed the difference between the two regions. The aim was to compare the prevalence of DGBI in Asia and Western Europe. Methods We used data collected in a population-based Internet survey, the Rome Foundation Global Epidemiology Study, from countries in Western Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) and Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore). We assessed DGBI diagnoses (Rome IV Adult Diagnostic Questionnaire), anxiety/depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-4, PHQ-4), non-GI somatic symptoms (PHQ-12), and access to and personal costs of doctor visits. Results The study included 9487 subjects in Asia and 16,314 in Western Europe. Overall, 38.0% had at least one DGBI; younger age, female sex, and higher scores on PHQ4 and PHQ12 were all associated with DGBI. The prevalence of having at least one DGBI was higher in Western Europe than in Asia (39.1% vs 36.1%, OR 1.14 [95% CI 1.08–1.20]). This difference was also observed for DGBI by anatomical regions, most prominently esophageal DGBI (OR 1.67 [1.48–1.88]). After adjustment, the difference in DGBI prevalence diminished and psychological (PHQ-4) and non-GI somatic symptoms (PHQ-12) had the greatest effect on the odds ratio estimates. Conclusion The prevalence of DGBI is generally higher in Western Europe compared to Asia. A considerable portion of the observed difference in prevalence rates seems to be explained by more severe psychological and non-GI somatic symptoms in Western Europe.

Fa un parell de mesos, a finals de febrer, vaig participar com a convidat en una taula rodona al Foro de la Cultura de Valladolid. Amb el títol general d'Odiad, malditos, l'objectiu era debatre, des de molts àmbits del coneixement, sobre les diverses manifestacions de l'odi, la intolerància i la discriminació, i analitzar la capacitat que tenim per construir espais de convivència i respecte.

L'adolescència és una etapa crucial de la vida, un espai de canvi i transformació durant el qual es basteix el que serà la joventut i l'edat adulta. Biològicament, el sentit adaptatiu de l'adolescència és deixar enrere els comportaments infantils, quan es depèn de tot i per a tot dels adults, per ser un adult més, en igualtat de drets i responsabilitats. Es produeixen canvis morfològics i fisiològics que afecten profundament el cervell. Progressivament van madurant les capacitats cognitives i es modifiquen els patrons de comportament, sovint de manera asincrònica. Es reestructuren moltes xarxes neuronals, seguint programes biològics i genètics, però també en interacció dinàmica amb l'ambient. S'estableixen multitud de connexions neurals noves que permeten emmagatzemar els aprenentatges i les experiències propis de l'edat i que construeixen els nous patrons de conducta, alhora que també es produeix un procés d'eliminació controlada d'altres connexions neurals, bàsicament les que mantenien els comportaments infantils, un procés que es coneix amb el nom de poda neural. Tots aquests processos, tanmateix, no es produeixen de manera aïllada, sinó que se sustenten en les experiències viscudes durant la infantesa i la preadolescència. Aquest article desgrana alguns dels punts clau del desenvolupament cerebral i mental dels adolescents, i exposa la importància de mantenir-los estimulats, de donar-los suport emocional sense sobreprotegir-los, d'oferir-los bons exemples i d'ajudar-los a mantenir-se allunyats de l'estrès crònic.

Obesity is a preventable risk factor for cerebrovascular disorders and it is associated with cerebral grey and white matter changes. Specifically, individuals with obesity show diminished grey matter volume and thickness, which seems to be more prominent among fronto-temporal regions in the brain. At the same time, obesity is associated with lower microstructural white matter integrity, and it has been found to precede increases in white matter hyperintensity load. To date, however, it is unclear whether these findings can be attributed solely to obesity or whether they are a consequence of cardiometabolic complications that often co-exist with obesity, such as low-grade systemic inflammation, hypertension, insulin resistance, or dyslipidemia. In this narrative review we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the potential impact of obesity and a number of its cardiometabolic consequences on brain integrity, both separately and in synergy with each other. We also identify current gaps in knowledge and outline recommendations for future research.

Contains fulltext : 248376.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) For many traits, males show greater variability than females, with possible implications for understanding sex differences in health and disease. Here, the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Consortium presents the largest-ever mega-analysis of sex differences in variability of brain structure, based on international data spanning nine decades of life. Subcortical volumes, cortical surface area and cortical thickness were assessed in MRI data of 16,683 healthy individuals 1-90 years old (47% females). We observed significant patterns of greater male than female between-subject variance for all subcortical volumetric measures, all cortical surface area measures, and 60% of cortical thickness measures. This pattern was stable across the lifespan for 50% of the subcortical structures, 70% of the regional area measures, and nearly all regions for thickness. Our findings that these sex differences are present in childhood implicate early life genetic or gene-environment interaction mechanisms. The findings highlight the importance of individual differences within the sexes, that may underpin sex-specific vulnerability to disorders.

Totes les enquestes i estudis que es fan sobre la sensació subjectiva de benestar i salut mental indiquen que, aquestes darreres dècades, la sensació d'estrès ha anat incrementant d'una manera lenta i progressiva, però inexorable, en totes les poblacions on s'ha analitzat. Segons l'Índex global d'emocions publicat per Gallup el 2021, el 40% dels adults van respondre que el dia anterior a l'enquesta havien notat en algun moment un nivell agut o molt agut d'estrès. És, per tant, un tema clau de cara al benestar personal i social, que cal abordar des de tots els angles. Què és l'estrès i quins efectes té sobre el cervell?

Des del punt de vista evolutiu, es considera que les persones, els Homo sapiens, disposem de dues adaptacions biològiques crucials per a la supervivència: la capacitat del cervell per adquirir aprenentatges nous tota la vida mitjançant la plasticitat neuronal, la qual cosa ens permet adaptar-nos a situacions noves i canviants, i una enorme capacitat de socialització que incrementa la fortalesa del conjunt gràcies al suport que ens podem donar els uns als altres. Totes dues característiques han estat afavorides per la selecció natural com a mecanismes de supervivència en el nostre llinatge i tenen, per tant, una base biològica i genètica. En l'àmbit educatiu, fa temps que es fan estudis neurocientífics per comprovar la validesa i, sobretot, l'adaptació de les propostes pedagògiques més habituals al funcionament del cervell des d'un vessant científic. No es tracta d'establir una nova pedagogia mitjançant el que comunament s'anomena neuroeducació -la utilització dels coneixements i les descobertes en neurociència en el camp de l'educació-, sinó d'enfortir les propostes pedagògiques des d'unes aportacions acadèmiques complementàries. Dos dels aspectes que destaquen en aquests treballs són, precisament, la plasticitat neuronal que permet adquirir coneixements nous i la importància dels aprenentatges socials, com a espècie social que som. En aquest context, la neurocientífica i psicòloga Sara De Felice i els seus col·laboradors, del University College de Londres i la Universitat de Kent, han publicat un estudi a la revista Philosophical Transactions B que permet explicar per què, tot i que aprenem moltes coses de les altres persones, aprenem molt millor quan ho fem amb altres persones. És a dir, de manera social o col·laborativa.

Los llamados superancianos son las personas con más de 80 años cuyas capacidades cognitivas corresponden a las de alguien 20 o 30 años más joven. Los científicos acaban de descubrir que tienen neuronas más grandes de lo normal en cierta parte de su cerebro.

En el decurs d'una generació, la generalització de l'ús de les xarxes socials entre persones de totes les edats i condicions culturals i socioeconòmiques ha canviat radicalment el panorama de les interaccions socials. Des de fa gairebé dues dècades és possible relacionar-se amb qualsevol persona de qualsevol edat i indret del món a qualsevol hora del dia o de la nit, de manera personal o del tot anònima. La primera generació que s'ha trobat aquest nou panorama són els adolescents actuals, que ho van començar a viure ja des de la infantesa. ¿Pot influir l'ús indiscriminat de les xarxes socials en el cervell dels adolescents i, per extensió, en la seva manera de ser? I, en cas afirmatiu, ¿de quina manera? És la pregunta a la qual han intentat respondre la psicòloga Eva Tezler i els seus col·laboradors de la Universitat de Carolina del Nord, als EUA. En concret, van decidir investigar si el fet de consultar sovint les xarxes socials implicava alguna diferència en l'activitat i el desenvolupament cerebral dels adolescents respecte als que només les utilitzen de tant en tant. Les conclusions de l'estudi, que s'han publicat a la revista JAMA Pediatrics, són categòriques. Hi ha diferències significatives, però encara no es pot dir quines conseqüències podran tenir a mitjà i a llarg termini, si és que n'acaben tenint.

Des de la dècada del 1960, i especialment des que el 1968 els Beatles van anar a l'Índia a fer un curs de meditació transcendental, moltes tècniques orientals de relaxació, com el ioga, el taitxí i la mateixa meditació transcendental, han anat guanyant adeptes a tot el món. Per exemple, es calcula que a l'estat espanyol aproximadament el 12% de la població practica o ha practicat ioga, segons un informe del 2020 de la consultoria Deloitte i EuroActive, una associació internacional de promoció de l'esport. A aquestes pràctiques se'ls atribueixen diversos beneficis corporals, mentals i cerebrals, entre els quals hi ha la capacitat d'induir estats de relaxació i d'alterar l'estat emocional a través del control conscient de la respiració. Respirar, tanmateix, és un acte instintiu que realitzem des del naixement. A través de la respiració els pulmons absorbeixen oxigen i desprenen diòxid de carboni. Un cop dins el cos, l'oxigen es combina amb altres molècules per generar energia metabòlica, que és indispensable per sobreviure. I, com a conseqüència d'aquest procés, es genera diòxid de carboni, que cal eliminar constantment. Sent respirar un acte que iniciem de manera purament instintiva, ¿com és possible que la respiració conscient permeti alterar aspectes mentals aparentment complexos, com els associats a la relaxació i als estats emocionals? Els neurocientífics Wenyu Tu i Nanyin Zhang, de la Universitat Estatal de Pennsilvània, als EUA, han trobat una resposta. Segons han publicat a la revista eLife, quan respirem no només se'ns activen les zones que de manera automatitzada controlen la respiració sinó també zones implicades en la gestió emocional.

Objective: This research aims to study structural brain changes in patients with persistent olfactory dysfunctions after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: COVID-19 patients were evaluated using T1-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) on a 3T MRI scanner, 9.94 ± 3.83 months after COVID-19 diagnosis. Gray matter (GM) voxel-based morphometry was performed using FSL-VBM. Voxelwise statistical analysis of the fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity was carried out with the tract-based spatial statistics in the olfactory system. The smell identification test (UPSIT) was used to classify patients as normal olfaction or olfactory dysfunction groups. Intergroup comparisons between GM and DTI measures were computed, as well as correlations with the UPSIT scores. Results: Forty-eight COVID-19 patients were included in the study. Twenty-three were classified as olfactory dysfunction, and 25 as normal olfaction. The olfactory dysfunction group had lower GM volume in a cluster involving the left amygdala, insular cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, frontal superior and inferior orbital gyri, gyrus rectus, olfactory cortex, caudate, and putamen. This group also showed higher MD values in the genu of the corpus callosum, the orbitofrontal area, the anterior thalamic radiation, and the forceps minor; and higher RD values in the anterior corona radiata, the genu of the corpus callosum, and uncinate fasciculus compared with the normal olfaction group. The UPSIT scores for the whole sample were negatively associated with both MD and RD values (p-value ≤0.05 FWE-corrected). Interpretation: There is decreased GM volume and increased MD in olfactory-related regions explaining prolonged olfactory deficits in post-acute COVID-19 patients.

Background The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a membrane-bound, multifunctional protein mainly expressed in neuronal tissues. Recent studies indicate that the native trafficking of PrPC can be misused to internalize misfolded amyloid beta and α-synuclein (aSyn) oligomers. Objectives We define PrPC's role in internalizing misfolded aSyn in α-synucleinopathies and identify further involved proteins. Methods We performed comprehensive behavioral studies on four transgenic mouse models (ThySyn and ThySynPrP00, TgM83 and TgMPrP00) at different ages. We developed PrPC-(over)-expressing cell models (cell line and primary cortical neurons), used confocal laser microscopy to perform colocalization studies, applied mass spectrometry to identify interactomes, and determined disassociation constants using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy. Results Behavioral deficits (memory, anxiety, locomotion, etc.), reduced lifespans, and higher oligomeric aSyn levels were observed in PrPC-expressing mice (ThySyn and TgM83), but not in homologous Prnp ablated mice (ThySynPrP00 and TgMPrP00). PrPC colocalized with and facilitated aSyn (oligomeric and monomeric) internalization in our cell-based models. Glimepiride treatment of PrPC-overexpressing cells reduced aSyn internalization in a dose-dependent manner. SPR analysis showed that the binding affinity of PrPC to monomeric aSyn was lower than to oligomeric aSyn. Mass spectrometry-based proteomic studies identified clathrin in the immunoprecipitates of PrPC and aSyn. SPR was used to show that clathrin binds to recombinant PrP, but not aSyn. Experimental disruption of clathrin-coated vesicles significantly decreased aSyn internalization. Conclusion PrPC's native trafficking can be misused to internalize misfolded aSyn through a clathrin-based mechanism, which may facilitate the spreading of pathological aSyn. Disruption of aSyn-PrPC binding is, therefore, an appealing therapeutic target in α-synucleinopathies.

The functional and pharmacological significance of the dopamine D4 receptor (D4R) has remained the least well understood of all the dopamine receptor subtypes. Even more enigmatic has been the role of the very prevalent human DRD4 gene polymorphisms in the region that encodes the third intracellular loop of the receptor. The most common polymorphisms encode a D4R with 4 or 7 repeats of a proline-rich sequence of 16 amino acids (D4.4R and D4.7R). DRD4 polymorphisms have been associated with individual differences linked to impulse control-related neuropsychiatric disorders, with the most consistent associations established between the gene encoding D4.7R and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance use disorders. The function of D4R and its polymorphic variants is being revealed by addressing the role of receptor heteromerization and the relatively avidity of norepinephrine for D4R. We review the evidence conveying a significant and differential role of D4.4R and D4.7R in the dopaminergic and noradrenergic modulation of the frontal cortico-striatal pyramidal neuron, with implications for the moderation of constructs of impulsivity as personality traits. This differential role depends on their ability to confer different properties to adrenergic α2A receptor (α2AR)-D4R heteromers and dopamine D2 receptor (D2R)-D4R heteromers, preferentially localized in the perisomatic region of the frontal cortical pyramidal neuron and its striatal terminals, respectively. We also review the evidence to support the D4R as a therapeutic target for ADHD and other impulse-control disorders, as well as for restless legs syndrome.

Podem tenir moltes emocions diferents. Hi ha especialistes que parlen de més de cinc-centes, però n'hi ha sis que són bàsiques i transversals: la por, la ira, la tristesa, l'aversió o el fàstic, l'alegria i la sorpresa. Les emocions ens fan sentir vius, però cal saber pilotar-les per gaudir-les sense que ens dominin.

Durant la segona etapa de la gestació al cervell en desenvolupament, tenen lloc complexos processos. En aquesta etapa es comencen a formar els solcs i les circumvolucions de la superfície cerebral. En nounats nascuts abans de terme, aquests processos esdevenen fora de l'úter i es postula que això pugui condicionar una disrupció del procés normal de maduració cerebral. Investigadores del grup NeoNeuro de l'hospital Sant Joan de Déu estan investigant la maduració cerebral dels nadons prematurs i treballen en la creació d'un atles morfomètric dels solcs cerebrals segons les setmanes d'edat gestacional. Per donar suport al projecte, s'ha treballat en la millora d'una aplicació web de segmentació de solcs cerebrals implementada a Python desenvolupada prèviament. Aquesta aplicació permet segmentar, en diferents plans ecogràfics, els solcs presents a cada nounat. Es presenten quatre millores, dues a nivell d'interfície amb l'usuari, per facilitar la feina al personal mèdic a l'hora de fer la segmentació, i dues a nivell de processament d'imatge, per millorar els resultats a l'hora de segmentar els solcs. Durante la segunda etapa de la gestación en el cerebro en desarrollo, tienen lugar complejos procesos. En esta etapa se empiezan a formar los surcos y las circunvoluciones de la superficie cerebral. En neonatos nacidos antes de término, estos procesos acontecen fuera del útero y se postula que esto pueda condicionar una disrupción del normal proceso de maduración cerebral. Investigadoras del grupo NeoNeuro del hospital Sant Joan de Déu están investigando la maduración cerebral de los recién nacidos prematuros y trabajan en la creación de un atlas morfométrico de los surcos cerebrales según las semanas de edad gestacional. Para apoyar el proyecto, se ha trabajado en la mejora de una aplicación web de segmentación de surcos cerebrales implementada en Python desarrollada previamente. Esta aplicación permite segmentar, en diferentes planos ecográficos, los surcos presentes en cada neonato. Se presentan cuatro mejoras, dos a nivel de interfaz con el usuario, para facilitar el trabajo al personal médico a la hora de realizar la segmentación, y dos a nivel de procesado de imagen, para mejorar los resultados a la hora de segmentar los surcos. During the second stage of gestation in the developing brain, complex processes take place. At this stage, the sulci and convolutions of the brain surface begin to form. In neonates born before term, these processes occur outside the uterus and it is postulated that this may lead to a disruption of the normal process of brain maturation. Researchers from the NeoNeuro group at Sant Joan de Déu Hospital are investigating brain maturation in premature newborns and are working on the creation of a morphometric atlas of the brain sulci according to the weeks of gestational age. To support the project, we have been working on the improvement of a web application for brain sulcus segmentation implemented in Python previously developed. This application allows the segmentation of the sulci present in different ultrasound planes. The present study presents four improvements, two focused in the user interface, to facilitate the work of the doctors when performing the segmentation, and two focused in image processing, to improve the results of the sulci segmentation.

Background and Purpose The enzyme α/β‐hydrolase domain containing 6 (ABHD6), a new member of the endocannabinoid system, is a promising therapeutic target against neuronal‐related diseases. However, how ABHD6 activity is regulated is not known. ABHD6 coexists in protein complexes with the brain‐specific carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1C (CPT1C). CPT1C is involved in neuro‐metabolic functions, depending on brain malonyl–CoA levels. Our aim was to study CPT1C–ABHD6 interaction and determine whether CPT1C is a key regulator of ABHD6 activity depending on nutritional status. Experimental Approach Co‐immunoprecipitation and FRET assays were used to explore ABHD6 interaction with CPT1C or modified malonyl–CoA‐insensitive or C‐terminal truncated CPT1C forms. Cannabinoid CB1 receptor‐mediated signalling was investigated by determining cAMP levels. A novel highly sensitive fluorescent method was optimized to measure ABHD6 activity in non‐neuronal and neuronal cells and in brain tissues from wild‐type (WT) and CPT1C–KO mice. Key Results CPT1C interacted with ABHD6 and negatively regulated its hydrolase activity, thereby regulating 2‐AG downstream signalling. Accordingly, brain tissues of CPT1C–KO mice showed increased ABHD6 activity. CPT1C malonyl–CoA sensing was key to the regulatory role on ABHD6 activity and CB1 receptor signalling. Fasting, which attenuates brain malonyl–CoA, significantly increased ABHD6 activity in hypothalamus from WT, but not CPT1C–KO, mice. Conclusions and Implications Our finding that negative regulation of ABHD6 activity, particularly in the hypothalamus, is sensitive to nutritional status throws new light on the characterization and the importance of the proteins involved as potential targets against diseases affecting the CNS., We thank Dr. Gemma Fabriàs and Alexandre García from the Research Unit of BioActive Molecules (Institut de Química Avançada de Catalunya, IQAC) for technical assistance in the analysis of endocannabinoid levels. We also thank Prof. Kenneth Mackie from the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington (USA), for providing ABHD6 antibody for western blotting assays in brain tissue. This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) (SAF2017‐83813‐C3‐3‐R to N.C. and R.R.‐R.), Joint Bilateral Project Japan‐Spain/AEI (PCI2018‐092997/AEI to R.R.‐R.) and Fundació La Marató de TV3 (Grant 87/C/2016 to N.C.). A.F. and C.R. are recipients of a fellowship from the Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de la Recerca (AGAUR) in Catalonia.

Imaging genetic studies aim to test how genetic information influences brain structure and function by combining neuroimaging-based brain features and genetic data from the same individual. Most studies focus on individual correlation and association tests between genetic variants and a single measurement of the brain. Despite the great success of univariate approaches, given the capacity of neuroimaging methods to provide a multiplicity of cerebral phenotypes, the development and application of multivariate methods become crucial. In this article, we review novel methods and strategies focused on the analysis of multiple phenotypes and genetic data. We also discuss relevant aspects of multi-trait modelling in the context of neuroimaging data.

Emerging evidence points to coordinated action of chemical and mechanical cues during brain development. At early stages of neocortical development, angiogenic factors and chemokines such as CXCL12, ephrins, and semaphorins assume crucial roles in orchestrating neuronal migration and axon elongation of postmitotic neurons. Here we explore the intrinsic mechanical properties of the developing marginal zone of the pallium in the migratory pathways and brain distribution of the pioneer Cajal-Retzius cells. These neurons are generated in several proliferative regions in the developing brain (e.g., the cortical hem and the pallial subpallial boundary) and migrate tangentially in the preplate/marginal zone covering the upper portion of the developing cortex. These cells play crucial roles in correct neocortical layer formation by secreting several molecules such as Reelin. Our results indicate that the motogenic properties of Cajal-Retzius cells and their perinatal distribution in the marginal zone are modulated by both chemical and mechanical factors, by the specific mechanical properties of Cajal-Retzius cells, and by the differential stiffness of the migratory routes. Indeed, cells originating in the cortical hem display higher migratory capacities than those generated in the pallial subpallial boundary which may be involved in the differential distribution of these cells in the dorsal-lateral axis in the developing marginal zone.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique opportunity to investigate the psychological impact of a global major adverse situation. Our aim was to examine, in a longitudinal prospective study, the demographic, psychological, and neurobiological factors associated with interindividual differences in resilience to the mental health impact of the pandemic. Methods: We included 2023 healthy participants (age: 54.32 ± 7.18 years, 65.69% female) from the Barcelona Brain Health Initiative cohort. A linear mixed model was used to characterize the change in anxiety and depression symptoms based on data collected both pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. During the pandemic, psychological variables assessing individual differences in perceived stress and coping strategies were obtained. In addition, in a subsample (n = 433, age 53.02 ± 7.04 years, 46.88% female) with pre-pandemic resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging available, the system segregation of networks was calculated. Multivariate linear models were fitted to test associations between COVID-19-related changes in mental health and demographics, psychological features, and brain network status. Results: The whole sample showed a general increase in anxiety and depressive symptoms after the pandemic onset, and both age and sex were independent predictors. Coping strategies attenuated the impact of perceived stress on mental health. The system segregation of the frontoparietal control and default mode networks were found to modulate the impact of perceived stress on mental health. Conclusions: Preventive strategies targeting the promotion of mental health at the individual level during similar adverse events in the future should consider intervening on sociodemographic and psychological factors as well as their interplay with neurobiological substrates.

BackgroundDisruption in white matter integrity has been consistently observed in individuals with psychosis. However, whether such abnormalities are already present at illness onset or are related to downstream processes remains elusive. The study of adolescents with a recent onset of psychosis provides the opportunity to evaluate white matter integrity proximally to disease onset.MethodsTwenty-six adolescents (aged 15.9 ± 1.3 years) with a first episode of psychosis (FEP) (less than 6 months duration) were compared with 26 age and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) (16.8 ± 2 years). In participants with a FEP, clinical diagnoses were confirmed after a minimum of 1 year follow-up (main categories: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or schizoaffective disorder). Anatomical images and diffusion tensor sequences were acquired using a 1.5T scanner. Whole brain, voxel-wise group differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) were investigated between participants with a FEP and controls.ResultsRelative to HC, FEP participants displayed decreased FA in the right posterior cingulate gyrus, encompassing the right superior and posterior corona radiata, and the right parahippocampal gyrus, including the cingulum and fornix. FEP patients showed no areas of increased FA relative to HC. The results remained significant after controlling for medication, cannabis use and intelligence.ConclusionOur findings indicate that adolescents with recent onset of psychotic disorders show decreased white matter integrity in circuits implicated in cognitive functions and emotion regulation.

BackgroundBrain electrical stimulation techniques take advantage of the intrinsic plasticity of the nervous system, opening a wide range of therapeutic applications. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an approved adjuvant for drug-resistant epilepsy and depression. Its non-invasive form, auricular transcutaneous VNS (atVNS), is under investigation for applications, including cognitive improvement.ObjectiveWe aimed to study the effects of atVNS on brain connectivity, under conditions that improved memory persistence in CD-1 male mice.MethodsAcute atVNS in the cymba conchae of the left ear was performed using a standard stimulation protocol under light isoflurane anesthesia, immediately or 3 h after the training/familiarization phase of the novel object-recognition memory test (NORT). Another cohort of mice was used for bilateral c-Fos analysis after atVNS administration. Spearman correlation of c-Fos density between each pair of the thirty brain regions analyzed allowed obtaining the network of significant functional connections in stimulated and non-stimulated control brains.ResultsNORT performance was enhanced when atVNS was delivered just after, but not 3 h after, the familiarization phase of the task. No alterations in c-Fos density were associated to electrostimulation, but a significant effect of atVNS was observed on c-Fos-based functional connectivity. atVNS induced a clear reorganization of the network, increasing the inter-hemisphere connections and the connectivity of locus coeruleus.ConclusionOur results provide new insights in the effects of atVNS on memory performance and brain connectivity extending our knowledge of the biological mechanisms of bioelectronics in medicine.HighlightsatVNS, delivered immediately after NORT training phase, improves memory persistenceatVNS did not promote significant changes in brain c-Fos densityatVNS induced a significant reorganization of c-Fos-based functional brain networkatVNS produced an enhancement in correlated activity between hemispheresatVNS did not engage the prefrontal-retrosplenial axis, characteristic of the DMN

How the brain represents gender identity is largely unknown, but some neural differences have recently been discovered. We used an intrinsic ignition framework to investigate whether there are gender differences in the propagation of neural activity across the whole-brain and within resting-state networks. Studying 29 trans men and 17 trans women with gender incongruence, 22 cis women, and 19 cis men, we computed the capability of a given brain area in space to propagate activity to other areas (mean-ignition), and the variability across time for each brain area (node-metastability). We found that both measurements differentiated all groups across the whole brain. At the network level, we found that compared to the other groups, cis men showed higher mean-ignition of the dorsal attention network and node-metastability of the dorsal and ventral attention, executive control, and temporal parietal networks. We also found higher mean-ignition values in cis men than in cis women within the executive control network, but higher mean-ignition in cis women than cis men and trans men for the default mode. Node-metastability was higher in cis men than cis women in the somatomotor network, while both mean-ignition and node-metastability were higher for cis men than trans men in the limbic network. Finally, we computed correlations between these measurements and a body image satisfaction score. Trans men's dissatisfaction as well as cis men's and cis women's satisfaction toward their own body image were distinctively associated with specific networks in each group. Overall, the study of the whole-brain network dynamical complexity discriminates gender identity groups, functional dynamic approaches could help disentangle the complex nature of the gender dimension in the brain. H2020 Excellent Science, Grant/Award Number: 945539; H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Grant/Award Number: 888692; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Grant/Award Numbers: PGC2018-094919-B-C21, PID2019-105772GB

L'adolescència és una mena de tsunami emocional, d'alts i baixos. I tot plegat té una explicació: els grans canvis que es produeixen al cervell en aquesta etapa. Uns canvis tan importants que es poden comparar amb els d'una metamorfosi.

Brain volumetric software is increasingly suggested for clinical routine. The present study quantifies the agreement across different software applications. Ten cases with and ten gender- and age-adjusted healthy controls without hippocampal atrophy (median age: 70; 25–75% range: 64–77 years and 74; 66–78 years) were retrospectively selected from a previously published cohort of Alzheimer’s dementia patients and normal ageing controls. Hippocampal volumes were computed based on 3 Tesla T1-MPRAGE-sequences with FreeSurfer (FS), Statistical-Parametric-Mapping (SPM; Neuromorphometrics and Hammers atlases), Geodesic-Information-Flows (GIF), Similarity-and-Truth-Estimation-for-Propagated-Segmentations (STEPS), and Quantib™. MTA (medial temporal lobe atrophy) scores were manually rated. Volumetric measures of each individual were compared against the mean of all applications with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland–Altman plots. Comparing against the mean of all methods, moderate to low agreement was present considering categorization of hippocampal volumes into quartiles. ICCs ranged noticeably between applications (left hippocampus (LH): from 0.42 (STEPS) to 0.88 (FS); right hippocampus (RH): from 0.36 (Quantib™) to 0.86 (FS). Mean differences between individual methods and the mean of all methods [mm3] were considerable (LH: FS −209, SPM-Neuromorphometrics −820; SPM-Hammers −1474; Quantib™ −680; GIF 891; STEPS 2218; RH: FS −232, SPM-Neuromorphometrics −745; SPM-Hammers −1547; Quantib™ −723; GIF 982; STEPS 2188). In this clinically relevant sample size with large spread in data ranging from normal aging to severe atrophy, hippocampal volumes derived by well-accepted applications were quantitatively different. Thus, interchangeable use is not recommended.

[eng] Aging is a normal biological process characterized by a decline at molecular, brain and behavioral level with consequences on cognition and daily functioning. Lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity or stimulating brain activities might enhance neuroprotective benefits when applied single or in combination in healthy adults. Current literature also focuses on understanding the role of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness in those benefits as well as better describing the cascade of changes related to exercise. Therefore, the main aims of this dissertation are: 1) To examine the role of physical activity, grouped as exercise and non-exercise, in the promotion of molecular, brain, psychological health and cognitive benefits; 2) To examine the role of cardiorespiratory fitness in the promotion of these neuroprotective benefits as well as in the exercise-cognition relationship; 3) To identify potential sex-differences in the role of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness; 4) To examine the effect of 12-weeks 5 days per week of aerobic exercise, computerized cognitive training and their combination on molecular and brain health and assess their role in the intervention-related cognitive benefits. Projecte Moviment consists of a 12 weeks 5 days randomized controlled trial, which allowed us to identify intervention-related changes in physically inactive healthy older adults as well as the role of other variables of interest. We recruited 109 participants and assessed them within 2 weeks before and after the intervention; 82 showed >80% adherence out of the 92 who finished the intervention. Moreover, we designed a cross-sectional strategy to describe the physical activity-cognition relationship in a sample that included 115 low to high fit participants. The assessment protocol included a battery of neuropsychogical and psychological health tests, physical activity questionnaries and fitness test, antropometric measures and cardiovascular risk factors, blood test, and neuroimaging. Results were reported in 3 different papers and the main findings are: 1) We specifically related sportive physical activity, and not non-sportive physical activity, to benefits on cognitive performance as well as markers of inflammation, brain volume and psychological health. 2) We determined that cardiovascular health might be a key factor in the exercise-related benefits, specifically in men. 3) We identified that sex matters in the understanding of exercise and cardiorespiratory fitness benefits. 4) Cardiorespiratory fitness-related benefits in brain volume, executive function and sleep quality in men might be mediated by inflammatory markers. 5) Although after 12-weeks of aerobic exercise and combined training we did not detect significant changes in the targeted molecular and brain volume outcomes that might explain the detected cognitive benefits, significant increases in physical activity outcomes were negatively related to changes in SDF1-α and ICAM-1 levels. 6) We identified that 12-weeks, 5 days per week of home-based multimodal computerized cognitive training enhanced the volume of the precuneus, despite the lack of transfer to our cognitive assessment. Projecte Moviment adds crucial evidence for research and clinical practice to better understand how lifestyle behaviors enhance neuroprotective benefits at late-life., [cat] L’envelliment és un procés biològic normal caracteritzat per un deteriorament a nivell molecular, cerebral i conductual amb conseqüències en la cognició i el funcionament quotidià. Els comportaments relacionats amb l’estil de vida com l’activitat física o activitats d’estimulació cognitiva podrien tenir beneficis neuroprotectors quan s’apliquen individualment o en combinació en adults sans. La literatura actual també se centra en entendre el paper de l’activitat física i la capacitat cardiorespiratòria en aquests beneficis, així com en descriure millor la cascada de canvis relacionats amb l’exercici. Per tant, els principals objectius d’aquesta tesi són: 1) Examinar el paper de l’activitat física, agrupada com a exercici i no exercici, en la promoció de beneficis cognitius i de salut molecular, cerebral i psicològica; 2) Examinar el paper del fitness en la promoció d’aquests beneficis neuroprotectors, així com en la relació exercici- cognició; 3) Identificar les possibles diferències de sexe en el paper de l'activitat física i el fitness; 4) Examinar l’efecte de 12 setmanes, 5 dies per setmana d’exercisi aeròbic, entrenament cognitiu computeritzat i la seva combinació en els nivells de factor de creixement cerebral, marcadors inflamació i volum cerebral i avaluar el seu paper en els beneficis cognitius relacionats amb la intervenció. El Projecte Moviment consisteix en un assaig controlat aleatoritzat de 12 setmanes i 5 dies per setmana que ens va permetre identificar els canvis relacionats amb aquestes intervencions en adults sans físicament inactius. Vam reclutar 109 participants i els vam avaluar durant les dues setmanes d’abans i després de la intervenció; dels 92 que van acabar la intervenció, 82 van mostrar >80% d'adherència. A més, vam dissenyar una estratègia transversal per descriure la relació activitat física-cognició en una mostra que incloïa 115 participants de baix i alt estat físic. El protocol d’avaluació incloïa una bateria de proves neuropsicològiques i de salut psicològica, qüestionaris d’activitat física i proves de condició física, mesures antropomètriques i factors de risc cardiovascular, anàlisi de sang i exploracions de neuroimatge. Els resultats es van informar en 3 articles diferents i les principals troballes són: 1) Vam relacionar específicament l’activitat física esportiva, i no la no esportiva, amb beneficis en el rendiment cognitiu, així com amb marcadors d’inflamació, volum cerebral i salut psicològica. 2) Vam identificar que la salut cardiovascular podria ser un factor clau en els beneficis relacionats amb l’exercici, específicament en els homes. 3) Vam identificar que el sexe és important en la comprensió dels beneficis relacionats amb l'exercici i la capacitat cardiorespiratòria. 4) Els beneficis relacionats amb la salut cardiorespiratòria en el volum del cervell, la funció executiva i la qualitat del son en homes podrien estar mediats per marcadors inflamatoris. 5) Tot i que després de 12 setmanes d’exercici aeròbic i d’entrenament combinat no vam detectar canvis significatius en les variables moleculars i cerebrals analitzades que podrien explicar els beneficis cognitius detectats, els augments significatius en les variables d’activitat física es van relacionar negativament amb els canvis en nivells de SDF1-α i ICAM-1. 6) Es va identificar que 12 setmanes, 5 dies a la setmana d’entrenament cognitiu computerizat multimodal des de casa van millorar el volum del precuneus, tot i la manca de transferència dels beneficis cognitius. El Projecte Moviment aporta evidència rellevant per a la investigació i la pràctica clínica en relació als beneficis neuroprotectors que comportaments relacionats amb l’estil de vida poden tenir en l’envelliment

Por lo que sabemos hasta ahora, la covid-19 apenas tiene consecuencias neurológicas importantes cuando los infectados son niños y niñas. Sin embargo, eso no significa que su cerebro vaya a salir indemne de la pandemia. Sobre todo porque las restricciones que les imponemos sí podrían afectar al desarrollo de su cerebro. Y, con él, a su vida mental posterior, puesto que es en el cerebro, en sus conexiones neuronales, donde se generan y gestionan todos nuestros comportamientos.

La nostra història és fascinant. No em refereixo només a la trajectòria vital de cadascú, perquè totes ho són. Ni tampoc als fets històrics que ens han conduït on som, el coneixent dels quals és indispensable per gestionar el futur col·lectiu. Em vull referir a una història encara més antiga, la que compartim com a espècie, que sens dubte ens agermana a tots. La història evolutiva de l'espècie humana és llarga i enrevessada, amb molts protagonistes que, com diu el poema que encapçala aquest escrit, no tornaran mai, però llurs vides van donar el seu fruit en nosaltres. Des de parents llunyans que van viure fa sis o set milions d'anys fins a l'Homo sapiens modern, passant pels australopitecs, els Homo habilis, els Homo erectus, els Homo heidelbergensis, els Homo neanderthalensis...

Growing evidence implicates the gut microbiome in cognition. Viruses, the most abundant life entities on the planet, are a commonly overlooked component of the gut virome, dominated by the Caudovirales and Microviridae bacteriophages. Here, we show in a discovery (n = 114) and a validation cohort (n = 942) that subjects with increased Caudovirales and Siphoviridae levels in the gut microbiome had better performance in executive processes and verbal memory. Conversely, increased Microviridae levels were linked to a greater impairment in executive abilities. Microbiota transplantation from human donors with increased specific Caudovirales (>90% from the Siphoviridae family) levels led to increased scores in the novel object recognition test in mice and up-regulated memory-promoting immediate early genes in the prefrontal cortex. Supplementation of the Drosophila diet with the 936 group of lactococcal Siphoviridae bacteriophages resulted in increased memory scores and upregulation of memory-involved brain genes. Thus, bacteriophages warrant consideration as novel actors in the microbiome-brain axis., This work was partially funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Madrid, Spain) through the project PI15/01934, PI18/01022, PI21/01361) to J.M.F.-R. and the project PI20/01090 (co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. “A way to make Europe”) to J.M.-P., the grants SAF2015-65878-R from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Prometeo/2018/A/133 from Generalitat Valenciana, Spain and also by the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) funds, European Commission (FP7, NeuroPain #2013-602891), the Catalan Government (AGAUR, #SGR2017-669, #2017 SGR- 734, ICREA Academia Award 2015 to R.M. and ICREA Academia Award 2022 to J.M.F.R.), the Spanish Instituto de Salud Carlos III (RTA, #RD16/0017/0020), the European Regional Development Fund (project No. 01.2.2-LMT-K-718-02-0014) under grant agreement with the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT), and the Project ThinkGut (EFA345/19) 65% co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Interreg V-A Spain-France-Andorra programme (POCTEFA 2014-2020). CIBERobn is also co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. We also acknowledge the funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (RTI2018-099200-B-I00), and the Generalitat of Catalonia (Agency for Management of University and Research grants (2017SGR696) and Department of Health (SLT002/16/00250)) to R.M M.A.-R. is funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Río Hortega (CM19/00190). J.M.-P. is funded by the Miguel Servet Program from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII CP18/00009), co-funded by the European Social Fund “Investing in your future.” A.C.-N. is funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Sara Borrell. MMG was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities RTI2018-094248-B-I00.

Aquesta tesi que es presenta és un treball d’aproximació a una antropologia essencial fonamentada en una mirada multidimensional de l’individu segons la proposta antropològica dels escrits de l’Antic Testament, i la seva correlació amb les troballes neuro- biològiques d’avui. Neix de l’interès essencial de conèixer qui és aquest ésser humà del que Déu es recorda. (Sl 8,5) “Què és l’home perquè te’n recordis”. El primer capítol pretén fer una revisió de les diferents concepcions antropològiques fonamentals al llarg de la història. Aquestes mirades han sofert diversos biaixos que han caracteritzat la definició de la persona humana d’acord amb certs perspectivismes o reduccionismes tradicionals, a consideracions de caràcter històrico culturals o bé a pre- concepcions dialògiques molt definides, que han acabat per situar la persona humana entre el cos i l’anima o entre la fisicitat i l’espiritualitat, o entre la ment i el cervell. Les antropologies considerades deixen d’abastar àmbits i dimensions específiques de l’individu que el fan ser com és. En un segon capítol és fa una aproximació amb detall a la perspectiva judeocristiana que ens ofereix l’estudi dels textos bíblics ja posa en evidència que la persona és definida a partir de quatre dimensions que responen a mots hebreus concrets, el basar, el nephesh, el leb i la ruah, que semblen explicar la fisicitat, la identitat anímica, el raonament i l’esperit humà. S’estudia aquest vincle terminològic a partir del gènesi i la creació humana i especialment el llibre dels Salms, prototipus de llibre de pregaria i de relació amb Déu del creient, on es posen de relleu aquestes quatre dimensions. Posteriorment, una aproximació a l’antropologia biologista mira d’esbrinar l’evolució del cervell humà com a paradigma del desplegament de les capacitats plenament humanes i diferenciadores de les altres espècies. De l’estudi del sistema nerviós central, i a la llum de les troballes neurobiològiques d’avui, es descriuen les diferents xarxes neurals evolucionades, des del primer i arcaic cervell reptilià, el cervell límbic dels primers mamífers, el cervell cortical dels primats i el cervell “de luxe” o transcendent, ben diferenciats tot i que increïblement relacionats, i que permeten correlacionar les seves funcions amb aquestes dimensions humanes descrites en la literatura judeocristiana de les escriptures. Finalment es posen en relació aquestes dues preconcepcions antropològiques amb la finalitat de veure-hi un sentit darrer, tot i proposant una antropologia essencial en quatre dimensions, explicada a partir de textos bíblics i descrita neurobiològicament. Algunes conclusions a les que arriba la tesi són que certament podem descriure una antropologia de quatre dimensions tot i relacionant aquest reduccionisme biologista amb el paradigma judeocristià. Una segona conclusió és que estem describint una antropologia en evolució, no tancada, que permet el desplegament permanent de l’ésser humà evolutivament parlant. Finalment, i fruit d’aquestes reflexions, intuïm que tal i com les neurones són cèl·lules pensades per a respondre, es fa suggerent la idea d’una espiritualitat i vivència transcendent en la persona creient que vagi més enllà de la interioritat i la contemplació, i que l’amor esdevé el vincle que relliga les dimensions humanes fent possible el necessari equilibri de la persona de la que Déu es recorda. Esta tesis que se presenta es un trabajo de aproximación a una antropología esencial fundamentada en una mirada multidimensional del individuo según la propuesta antropológica de los escritos del Antiguo Testamento, y su correlación con los hallazgos neurobiológicos de hoy. Nace del interés esencial de conocer quién es ese ser humano del que Dios se acuerda. (Sal 8,5) “Qué es el hombre para que te acuerdes de él?”. El primer capítulo pretende realizar una revisión de las diferentes concepciones antropológicas fundamentales a lo largo de la historia. Estas miradas han sufrido varios sesgos que han caracterizado la definición de la persona humana de acuerdo con ciertos perspectivismos o reduccionismos tradicionales, a consideraciones de carácter histórico culturales o bien a preconcepciones dialógicas muy definidas, que han acabado por situar a la persona humana entre el cuerpo y el alma o entre la fisicidad y la espiritualidad, o entre la mente y el cerebro. Las antropologías consideradas dejan de abarcar ámbitos y dimensiones específicas del individuo que le hacen ser como es. En un segundo capítulo se hace una aproximación con detalle a la perspectiva judeocristiana que nos ofrece el estudio de los textos bíblicos ya pone en evidencia que la persona es definida a partir de cuatro dimensiones que responden a palabras hebreas concretas, bazar, nephesh, leb y ruah, que parecen contar la fisicidad, la identidad anímica, el razonamiento y el espíritu humano. Se estudia este vínculo terminológico a partir del Génesis y la creación humana y especialmente el libro de los Salmos, prototipo de libro de oración y de relación con el Dios del creyente, donde se ponen de relieve estas cuatro dimensiones. Posteriormente, una aproximación a la antropología biologista trata de averiguar la evolución del cerebro humano como paradigma del despliegue de las capacidades plenamente humanas y diferenciadoras de las demás especies. Del estudio del sistema nervioso central, y a la luz de los hallazgos neurobiológicos de hoy, se describen las diferentes redes neurales evolucionadas, desde el primer y arcaico cerebro reptiliano, el cerebro límbico de los primeros mamíferos, el cerebro cortical de los primates y el cerebro “de lujo” o trascendente, bien diferenciados aunque increíblemente relacionados, y que permiten correlacionar sus funciones con estas dimensiones humanas descritas en la literatura judeocristiana de las escrituras. Finalmente se ponen en relación estas dos preconcepciones antropológicas con el fin de ver un sentido último, proponiendo una antropología esencial en cuatro dimensiones, explicada a partir de los textos bíblicos y descrita neurobiológicamente. Algunas conclusiones a las que llega la tesis son que ciertamente podemos describir una antropología de cuatro dimensiones relacionando este reduccionismo biologista con el paradigma judeocristiano. Una segunda conclusión es que estamos describiendo una antropología en evolución, no cerrada, que permite el despliegue permanente del ser humano evolutivamente hablando. Por último, y fruto de estas reflexiones, intuimos que tal y como las neuronas son células pensadas para responder, se hace sugerente la idea de una espiritualidad y vivencia trascendente en la persona creyente que vaya más allá de la interioridad y la contemplación, y que el amor se convierte en el vínculo que religa las dimensiones humanas haciendo posible el necesario equilibrio de la persona de la que Dios se acuerda. This thesis is a work of approach to an essential anthropology based on a multidimensional view of the individual according to the anthropological proposal of the Old Testament writings, and its correlation with today's neurobiological findings. It is born from the essential interest in knowing who this human being is. (Ps 8: 5) "What is a human, that you should remember him?" The first chapter aims to review the different fundamental anthropological conceptions throughout history. These views have suffered from various biases that have characterized the definition of the human person according to certain traditional perspectives or reductionisms, from historical cultural considerations to very definite dialogical preconceptions, which have ended up placing the human person between the body and the soul, physicality and spirituality, or between mind and brain. The anthropologies considered no longer cover specific areas and dimensions of the individual that make him the way he is. In a second chapter he gives a detailed approach to the Judeo-Christian perspective offered by the study of biblical texts and highlights that the person is defined from four dimensions that respond to specific Hebrew words, bazar, nephesh, leb and ruah, which seem to explain physicality, psychic identity, reasoning, and the human spirit. We study this terminological link from genesis and human creation, and especially the book of Psalms, a prototype book of prayer and relationship with God of the believer, where these four dimensions are highlighted. Subsequently, an approach to biological anthropology seeks to find out the evolution of the human brain as a paradigm for the deployment of the fully human and differentiating capabilities of other species. From the study of the central nervous system, and because of today's neurobiological findings, the different evolved neural networks are described. From the first and archaic reptilian brain, the limbic brain of the first mammals, to the cortical brain of primates and the “luxury” or transcendent brain, well differentiated but incredibly related, and that allow to correlate its functions with these human dimensions described in the Judeo-Christian literature of the scriptures. Finally, these two anthropological preconceptions are related in order to see a final meaning, while proposing an essential anthropology in four dimensions, explained from biblical texts and described neurobiologically. Some of the conclusions reached by the thesis are that we can certainly describe a four-dimensional anthropology while relating this biological reductionism to the Judeo-Christian paradigm. A second conclusion is that we are describing an evolving anthropology, not closed, that allows the permanent deployment of human beings evolutionarily speaking. Finally, and because of these reflections, we sense that just as neurons are cells designed to respond, it suggests the idea of a transcendent spirituality and experience in the person believing that it goes beyond the interiority and the contemplation. In addition, love becomes the bond that binds the human dimensions making possible the necessary balance of the person whom God remembers

The brain and skeletal systems are intimately integrated during development through common molecular pathways. This is evidenced by genetic disorders where brain and skull dysmorphologies are associated. However, the mechanisms underlying neural and skeletal interactions are poorly understood. Using the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome (DS) as a case example, we performed the first longitudinal assessment of brain, skull and neurobehavioral development to determine alterations in the coordinated morphogenesis of brain and skull. We optimized a multimodal protocol combining in vivo micro-computed tomography (μCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (μMRI) with morphometric analyses and neurodevelopmental tests to longitudinally monitor the different systems' development trajectories during the first postnatal weeks. We also explored the impact of a perinatal treatment with green tea extracts enriched in epigallocatechin-3-gallate (GTE-EGCG), which can modulate cognition, brain and craniofacial development in DS. Our analyses quantified alterations associated with DS, with skull dysmorphologies appearing before brain anomalies, reduced integration and delayed acquisition of neurodevelopmental traits. Perinatal GTE-EGCG induced disparate effects and disrupted the magnitude of integration and covariation patterns between brain and skull. Our results exemplify how a longitudinal research approach evaluating the development of multiple systems can reveal the effect of morphological integration modulating the response of pathological phenotypes to treatment, furthering our understanding of complex genetic disorders. This research was funded by research grants from CRG Awards BrainFace, the Jerome Lejeune Foundation (3M180477), KU Leuven BOF (C24/17/061 and STG/15/024), Grup de Recerca Consolidat en Antropologia Biològica, GREAB (2017 SGR 1630) and a 2-year doctoral fellowship from the Marie-Marguerite Delacroix Foundation to SL

L'esclerosi múltiple és una malaltia neurodegenerativa que afecta el sistema immunitari i al sistema nerviós central. L'anàlisi de xarxes en arquitectures multicapa en cervells pot donar informació sobre l'estat d'una persona respecte a la malaltia, més inclús que l'anàlisi de xarxes d'una sola capa. L'anàlisi junt amb tècniques d'Aprenentatge Automàtic pot estalviar temps i recursos en la classificació entre cervells sans i no sans, i la classificació dels grups dels cervells no sans. En aquest projecte s'ha obtingut una precisió del 86% en la classificació. L'anàlisi també pot reflectir les zones del cervell més característiques respecte a la malaltia. La esclerosis múltiple es una enfermedad neurodegenerativa que afecta al sistema inmunitario y al sistema nervioso central. El análisis de redes en arquitecturas multicapa en cerebros puede dar información sobre el estado de una persona con respecto a la enfermedad, más incluso que el análisis de redes de una sola capa. El análisis junto con técnicas de aprendizaje automático puede ahorrar tiempo y recursos en la clasificación entre cerebros sanos y no sanos, y la clasificación de los grupos de los cerebros no sanos. En este proyecto se ha obtenido una precisión del 86% en su clasificación. El análisis puede reflejar también las zonas del cerebro más características respecto a la enfermedad. Multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the immune system and the central nervous system. Network analysis in multilayer architectures in brains can provide information about a person's condition regarding the disease, even more than singlelayer network analysis. Analysis along with Machine Learning techniques can save time and resources in the classification of healthy and unhealthy brains, and the classification of groups of unhealthy brains. In this project an accuracy of 86% in the classification task was obtained. The analysis may also reflect the most characteristic areas of the brain with respect to the disease.

Introducció: La microbiota intestinal és un òrgan format pel conjunt de microorganismes que viuen a l’intestí de l’individu i s’adquireix en les primeres etapes de la vida. La formació del tipus de microbiota intestinal s’ha vist influenciada per factors interns i externs a l’hoste. Un dels principals factors és la dieta, ja que de la manera com s’alimenti al cos, es determinarà el funcionament d’aquest. La microbiota intestinal està lligada en el funcionament dels sistemes de l’ésser humà com el sistema immunitari, el sistema neurològic, el sistema digestiu, fins i tot, arribant a afectar a la part emocional. Per aquest motiu, l’educació nutricional és el pilar fonamental per assolir una vida saludable, amb una microbiota intestinal adequada. Objectius: Dissenyar una intervenció d’educació per la salut per millorar la microbiota intestinal amb la modificació d’hàbits saludables en persones amb molèsties gastrointestinals corregint els factors que hi afecten. Metodologia: És una intervenció dissenyant activitats d’educació sanitària sobre coneixements i recomanacions de la microbiota intestinal. Està dirigida als usuaris que acudeixen al CAP de Balaguer per molèsties gastrointestinals i pels pares/mares dels alumnes de les escoles de Balaguer. S’ha elaborat amb l’ajuda de recerca bibliogràfica i anàlisi de l’evidència científica al respecte. Avaluació: Per avaluar el programa s’empraran diferents qüestionaris; un qüestionari anirà dirigit als usuaris que acudeixin al CAP per alteracions gastrointestinals sobre la simptomatologia que tenen i els hàbits de vida que segueixen abans i després de la intervenció. També, hi haurà una graella de dades amb uns indicadors per valorar si aquests s’han assolit o no. Es valorarà el grau de satisfacció dels individus que hi hagin participat, l’adherència a la dieta mediterrània dels usuaris a partir del test Predimed. I també, per valorar l’impacte de les intervencions abans, durant i després del programa, s’avaluaran les necessitats del disseny del programa, el seu procés i l’eficàcia que hagi tingut al final. Introducción: La microbiota intestinal es un órgano formado por el conjunto de microorganismos que viven en el intestino del individuo y se adquiere en las primeras etapas de la vida. La formación del tipo de microbiota intestinal se ha visto influenciada por factores internos y externos en el huésped. Uno de los principales factores es la dieta, ya que de la forma en que se alimente en el cuerpo, se determinará el funcionamiento del mismo. La microbiota intestinal está ligada al funcionamiento de los sistemas del ser humano como el sistema inmunitario, el sistema neurológico, el sistema digestivo incluso llegando a afectar a la parte emocional. Por ese motivo, la educación nutricional es el pilar fundamental para alcanzar una vida saludable, con una microbiota intestinal adecuada. Objetivos: Diseñar una intervención de educación para la salud para mejorar la microbiota intestinal con la modificación de hábitos saludables en personas con molestias gastrointestinales corrigiendo los factores que afecten a la misma. Metodología: Es una intervención diseñando actividades de educación sanitaria sobre conocimientos y recomendaciones de la microbiota intestinal. Está dirigida a los usuarios que acuden al CAP de Balaguer por molestias gastrointestinales y por los padres/madres de los alumnos de las escuelas de Balaguer. Se ha elaborado con la ayuda de investigación bibliográfica y análisis de la evidencia científica al respecto. Evaluación: Para evaluar el programa se emplearán distintos cuestionarios; un cuestionario irá dirigido a los usuarios que acudan al CAP por alteraciones gastrointestinales sobre su sintomatología y los hábitos de vida que siguen antes y después de la intervención. También habrá una tabla de datos con unos indicadores para valorar si éstos se han alcanzado o no. Se valorará el grado de satisfacción de los individuos que hayan participado, la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea de los usuarios a partir del test Predimed. Y también, para valorar el impacto de las intervenciones antes, durante y después del programa, se evaluarán las necesidades del diseño del programa, su proceso y eficacia que haya tenido al final. Introduction: The intestinal microbiota is an organism formed by the set of microorganisms that live in the intestine of the individual and is acquired in the early stages of life. The formation of the type of intestinal microbiota has been influenced by internal and external factors in the host. One of the main factors is diet, since the way the body is fed will determine how it functions. The intestinal microbiota is linked to the functioning of human systems such as the immune system, the neurological system, the digestive system, even affecting the emotional part. For this reason, nutritional education is the fundamental pillar to achieve a healthy life, with an adequate intestinal microbiota. Objectives: To design a health education intervention to improve the intestinal microbiota with the modification of healthy habits in people with gastrointestinal discomfort, correcting the factors that affect it. Methodology: It is an intervention designing health education activities on knowledge and recommendations of the intestinal microbiota. It is aimed at users who come to the CAP of Balaguer for gastrointestinal discomfort and parents of students from schools of Balaguer. It has been elaborated with the help of bibliographic research and analysis of the scientific evidence on the subject. Evaluation: To evaluate the program different questionnaires will be used; a questionnaire will be addressed to users who come to the CAP for gastrointestinal disorders about their symptoms and lifestyle habits before and after the intervention. There will also be a data table with indicators to assess whether these have been achieved or not. The degree of satisfaction of the individuals who have participated, the adherence to the Mediterranean diet of the users from the Predimed test will be evaluated. And also, to assess the impact of the interventions before, during and after the program, the needs of the program design, its process and efficacy at the end will be evaluated.

Background and Objective: Brain atrophy and cognitive impairment in neurodegenerative diseases are influenced by sex. We aimed to investigate sex differences in brain atrophy and cognition in de novo Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.Methods: Clinical, neuropsychological and T1-weighted MRI data from 205 PD patients (127 males: 78 females) and 69 healthy controls (40 males: 29 females) were obtained from the PPMI dataset.Results: PD males had a greater motor and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder symptomatology than PD females. They also showed cortical thinning in postcentral and precentral regions, greater global cortical and subcortical atrophy and smaller volumes in thalamus, caudate, putamen, pallidum, hippocampus, and brainstem, compared with PD females. Healthy controls only showed reduced hippocampal volume in males compared to females. PD males performed worse than PD females in global cognition, immediate verbal recall, and mental processing speed. In both groups males performed worse than females in semantic verbal fluency and delayed verbal recall; as well as females performed worse than males in visuospatial function.Conclusions: Sex effect in brain and cognition is already evident in de novo PD not explained by age per se, being a relevant factor to consider in clinical and translational research in PD.

En este proyecto se estudian las distintas metodologías de pre-procesado de imágenes tau-PET que cuantifican la cantidad y distribución de proteína tau dentro del cerebro. Se estudian los métodos de registro para agregarlas a imágenes de RM que se usan en la praxis usual dentro del campo de la neuroimagen así como técnicas innovadores planteadas dentro del grupo de investigación de la Unidad de Memoria del Hospital Sant Pau. Finalmente, se proponen modelos de regresión lineal para estudiar las capacidades clasificativas y predictivas de la medida de SUVr para el diagnostico de posibles pacientes. In this project, some of the most used pre-processing techniques for tau-PET imaging are studied. This imaging technique provides information on the quantity as well as topographical distribution of tau protein throughout the brain structure. Furthermore, we characterize the state-of-the-art registration process configurations, as well as novel techniques developed inside the Sant Pau Hospital Memory Unit, in order to align tau-PET images to MRI scans. Finally, we propose different logistic regression models in order to assess the classification and prediction capabilities of the SUVr measure for the diagnosis of potential patients.