Search

BACKGROUND: Exercise helps prevent and retard cognitive decline related to Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and age. However, whether exercise prevents cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease is related to the neuromorphological changes of the hippocampus is still unclear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of long-term aerobic exercise on learning and memory ability and neuromorphology of the hippocampus in mice with Alzheimer’s disease and its neuromechanism on Alzheimer’s disease. METHODS: Twelve wild-type mice aged 3 months were divided into two groups (n=6 per group): a wild exercise group and a wild control group. Mice in the wild exercise group were given an exercise intervention for 5 months, and mice in the wild control group had no intervention. Twelve APP/PS1 double transgenic mice with Alzheimer’s disease were divided into two groups (n=6 per group): a model exercise group and a model control group. Mice in the model exercise group were given an exercise intervention for 5 months, and mice in the model control group had no intervention. After the exercise intervention, the memory ability of mice was tested through the eight-arm maze test. Neuromorphological changes of the hippocampus in mice were observed using Nissl staining under transmission electron microscope. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The results of the eight-arm maze test showed that the memory ability of mice in the wild exercise group was better than that in the wild control group and the model exercise group (P < 0.05), and the memory ability of mice in the model exercise group and the wild control group was better than that in the model control group (P < 0.05). The results of Nissl staining showed that the Nissl bodies with clear nuclei and nucleoli were clearly visible in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, CA3 and CA1 areas of mice in the wild exercise group and the wild control group. In the mice with Alzheimer’s disease, the Nissl bodies in the hippocampus, especially in the dentate gyrus and CA3 areas, were fuzzy, and the nuclei and nucleoli were difficult to distinguish. In particular, in the model control group, the structure of nerve cells was relatively fuzzy, some neurons were seriously damaged, nerve cells arranged loosely with large spacing interval. Under the transmission electron microscopy, the number of synapses in the hippocampal dentate gyrus was decreased in the model control group compared with the wild control group. Some synaptic clefts, presynaptic membrane, and postsynaptic membrane were blurred, and there were fewer vesicles in the presynaptic membrane. The density of postsynaptic dense zone was lower. Compared with the model control group, the number of synapses in the hippocampal dentate gyrus was increased in the model exercise group. The distribution of synaptic vesicles in the presynaptic membrane was dense and uniform, and the density of postsynaptic dense zone was increased. To conclude, exercise can improve the structure of hippocampal nerve cells in Alzheimer’s disease mice to a certain extent, which may be one of the neuromechanisms by which exercise improves the learning and memory ability of Alzheimer’s disease mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Eye tracking has attracted the attention of Chinese scholars because it can objectively, timely and non-invasively reflect the eye movement and attention characteristics of autistic patients, which makes up for the lack of objectivity of traditional measurement methods. However, there is yet no visualization analysis of literature on eye tracking in autistic patients. OBJECTIVE: To perform the visualization analysis of relevant Chinese and English literature on eye tracking in autism and to understand the research overview, hot spots and trends in this field. METHODS: Literature related to eye tracking in autistic patients were searched in Web of Science Core Collection database and CNKI database from their inception to November 5, 2021. Bibliometrics and visualization analysis of key node information in the literature was conducted using CiteSpace software (R5.8.R1). The main observation indexes were node centrality, co-occurrence frequency or co-citation frequency, and burst time. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A total of 1 458 papers were included in the Web of Science core Collection database, the first of which was published in 1994, and 210 papers were included in the CNKI database, the first of which was published in 2007. The international author with the most publications is JOHNSON MH who is from the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, and the institution with the most publications is University College London. In China, Chen Shunsen who is from the Institute of Applied Psychology of Minnan Normal University has published the most papers, and the institution with the most publications is the Institute of Applied Psychology of Minnan Normal University. There are some differences between domestic and international research hotspots. Domestic researchers mostly focus on the attentional bias behavior pattern of children with autism towards external social cues, and their results mainly show that children with autism have attentional bias of negative emotional cues and eye attention bias. International researchers not only focus on the visual patterns of processing social cues in children and infants with autism, but also use brain imaging technology to study the underlying neural mechanisms of abnormal visual behavior patterns. The main research results are that the abnormal attention pattern of autism patients is mainly related to the activation of amygdala, occipito-temporal lobe and fusiform gyrus. Further research on biomarkers related to autism is required to provide objective indicators for early diagnosis and intervention of autistic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuropathic pain (NP) is a chronic health condition that presents a significant burden on patients, society, and even healthcare systems. However, in recent years, an emerging field in the treatment of neuropathic pain – optogenetic technology has dawned, heralding a new era in the field of medicine, and which has brought with it unlimited possibilities for studying the mechanism of NP and the treatment of research. Optogenetics is a new and growing field that uses the combination of light and molecular genetics for the first time ever. This rare combination is used to control the activity of living cells by expressing photosensitive proteins to visualize signaling events and manipulate cell activity. The treatments for NP are limited and have hardly achieved the desirable efficacy. NP differs from other types of pain, such as nociceptive pain, in that the treatments for NP are far more complex and highly challenging for clinical practice. This review presents the background of optogenetics, current applications in various fields, and the findings of optogenetics in NP. It also elaborates on the basic concepts of neuropathy, therapeutic applications, and the potential of optogenetics from the bench to the bedside in the near future.

BACKGROUND: Virtual reality is an important assistive technology of upper limb motor function rehabilitation in recent years. The possible mechanism has become one of the research hotspots in the field of neural rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the application status and possible mechanism of virtual reality technology in post-stroke functional rehabilitation of the hemiplegic upper limb, as well as its future development. METHODS: We searched the articles in PubMed, Web of Science, WanFang and CNKI with the keywords of “stroke; brain hemorrhage; brain infarction; virtual reality; upper limb; hand; motor function; rehabilitation; neurorehabilitation; mechanism” in English and Chinese, respectively. The search time was from June 2000 to December 2019. Eventually, 102 articles that met the criteria were recruited. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Combined with conventional rehabilitation, virtual reality can significantly improve the motor function of the hemiplegic upper limb in post-stroke patients, and do better in improving patients’ compliance and saving labor cost than conventional training. However, there is insufficient clinical evidence to prove that virtual reality training alone is superior to conventional rehabilitation. The training effect may be affected by different factors in different stages of post-stroke patients. Virtual reality training may activate sensorimotor center by visual feedback and achieve motor recovery through improving cortical reorganization. Due to the imperfection of current theoretical models, further researches are expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ephedrine is thought to exert behavioural effects primarily through actions on the central nervous system. However, the neuromechanism underlying the effects of ephedrine addiction still remains unclear. Our study aimed to establish chronic ephedrine addiction models in rhesus monkeys and to investigate the neuromechanism of chronic ephedrine addiction using the behavioural methods combined with resting-state blood oxygenation level dependent-functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI). Monkeys in the ephedrine addiction group (n = 6) received intramuscular injections of ephedrine using a dose escalation method, with a chronic model established in 8 weeks, while in the control group (n = 4), monkeys received a pure 0.9% saline injection. The weight and behaviors of the monkeys were observed throughout the treatment. All monkeys underwent the brain MR scans for two times (before treatment and after treatment had been discontinued). After molding, the weight of the ephedrine group was significantly reduced, while the weight of the control group increased significantly. Compared with the control group, the ephedrine addicted monkeys showed more abnormal behaviors related to addiction. In fMRI study, the ephedrine addicted monkeys showed more increased brain activation than that of the control group, mainly including the prefrontal cortex(PFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), the left ventral tegmental area(VTA), right insula, right amygdala, hippocampus, left thalamus, and left cerebellum.We hypothesize that the principal neuromechanism underlying chronic ephedrine addiction involves multiple abnormal brain neuron circuits, mainly in the PFC and the limbic system, and is closely related to addictive behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acupuncture is widely used to treat functional dyspepsia with satisfactory outcomes. Combination of the He and Mu acupoints is commonly used and has a synergistic effect on functional dyspepsia; however, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, a randomized controlled parallel clinical trial is currently underway at Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China. This trial is designed to explore the efficacy of and central responses to the He-Mu point combination in patients with functional dyspepsia using functional magnetic resonance imaging. A total of 105 patients with functional dyspepsia will be allocated into 3 groups: the low-He point group (puncturing at Zusanli (ST36)), Mu point group (puncturing at Zhongwan (CV12)), and He-Mu point combination group (puncturing at ST36 and CV12). Every participant will receive 20 sessions of manual acupuncture for 4 weeks. The needles will be inserted perpendicularly to a depth of 1 to 2 cun. The angle of rotation and twisting will range from 90 to 180 degrees, while lifting and thrusting will range from 0.3 to 0.5 cm. The various manipulations will be performed 60 to 90 times per minute. The needles will remain in place for 30 minutes, during which manipulation will be applied every 10 minutes. Magnetic resonance imaging will be performed before and after 20 sessions of acupuncture. The primary outcome is symptom improvement according to the Chinese version of the Nepean Dyspepsia Index. Secondary outcomes include the Leeds dyspepsia questionnaire, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and visual analogue scale scores before and after 10 and 20 sessions of acupuncture. Needle sensation and adverse events will be used to assess the therapeutic effects. This study will promote more widespread awareness of the benefits of acupoint combination in the clinical setting and provide a further explanation of the neuromechanism by which acupuncture at the He-Mu point combination for functional dyspepsia. Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-IOR-15006402.

Objective: To investigate the effect of acupuncture on Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with tremor and its potential neuromechanism by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).Methods: Forty-one PD patients with tremor were randomly assigned to true acupuncture group (TAG, n = 14), sham acupuncture group (SAG, n = 14) and waiting group (WG, n = 13). All patients received levodopa for 12 weeks. Patients in TAG were acupunctured on DU20, GB20, and the Chorea-Tremor Controlled Zone, and patients in SAG accepted sham acupuncture, while patients in WG received no acupuncture treatment until 12 weeks after the course was ended. The UPDRS II and III subscales, and fMRI scans of the patients' brains were obtained before and after the treatment course. UPDRS II and III scores were analyzed by SPSS, while the degree centrality (DC), regional homogeneity (ReHo) and amplitude low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) were determined by REST.Results: Acupuncture improved the UPDRS II and III scores in PD patients with tremor without placebo effect, only in tremor score. Acupuncture had specific effects on the cerebrocerebellar pathways as shown by the decreased DC and ReHo and increased ALFF values, and nonspecific effects on the spinocerebellar pathways as shown by the increased ReHo and ALFF values (P < 0.05, AlphaSim corrected). Increased ReHo values were observed within the thalamus and motor cortex of the PD patients (P < 0.05, AlphaSim corrected). In addition, the default mode network (DMN), visual areas and insula were activated by the acupuncture with increased DC, ReHo and/or ALFF, while the prefrontal cortex (PFC) presented a significant decrease in ReHo and ALFF values after acupuncture (P < 0.05, AlphaSim corrected).Conclusions: The cerebellum, thalamus and motor cortex, which are connected to the cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTC) circuit, were modulated by the acupuncture stimulation to alleviate the PD tremor. The regulation of neural activity within the cognitive brain regions (the DMN, visual areas, insula and PFC) together with CTC circuit may contributes to enhancing movement and improving patients' daily life activities.

Little is currently known about the longitudinal developmental patterns of hubs in the whole‐brain white matter (WM) structural networks among toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study utilized diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and deterministic tractography to map the WM structural networks in 37 ASD toddlers and 27 age‐, gender‐ and developmental quotient‐matched controls with developmental delay (DD) toddlers aged 2–3 years old at baseline (Time 1) and at 2‐year follow‐up (Time 2). Furthermore, graph‐theoretical methods were applied to investigate alterations in the network hubs in these patients at the two time points. The results showed that after 2 years, 17 hubs were identified in the ASD subjects compared to the controls, including 13 hubs that had not changed from baseline and 4 hubs that were newly identified. In addition, alterations in the properties of the hubs of the right middle frontal gyrus, right insula, left median cingulate gyri, and bilateral precuneus were significantly correlated with alterations in the behavioral data for ASD patients. These results indicated that at the stage of 2–5 years of age, ASD children showed distributions of network hubs that were relatively stable, with minor differences. Abnormal developmental patterns in the five areas mentioned above in ASD may contribute to abnormalities in the social and nonsocial characteristics of this disorder. Autism Res2018, 11: 1218–1228. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Lay Summary: This work studied the longitudinal developmental patterns of hubs in the whole‐brain white matter (WM) structural network among toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The findings of this study could have implications for understanding how the abnormalities in hub organization in ASD account for behavioral deficits in patients and may provide potential biomarkers for disease diagnosis and the subsequent monitoring of progression and treatment effects for patients with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of acupuncture on Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with tremor and its potential neuromechanism by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods: Forty-one PD patients with tremor were randomly assigned to true acupuncture group (TAG, n = 14), sham acupuncture group (SAG, n = 14) and waiting group (WG, n = 13). All patients received levodopa for 12 weeks. Patients in TAG were acupunctured on DU20, GB20, and the Chorea-Tremor Controlled Zone, and patients in SAG accepted sham acupuncture, while patients in WG received no acupuncture treatment until 12 weeks after the course was ended. The UPDRS II and III subscales, and fMRI scans of the patients' brains were obtained before and after the treatment course. UPDRS II and III scores were analyzed by SPSS, while the degree centrality (DC), regional homogeneity (ReHo) and amplitude low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) were determined by REST. Results: Acupuncture improved the UPDRS II and III scores in PD patients with tremor without placebo effect, only in tremor score. Acupuncture had specific effects on the cerebrocerebellar pathways as shown by the decreased DC and ReHo and increased ALFF values, and nonspecific effects on the spinocerebellar pathways as shown by the increased ReHo and ALFF values (P < 0.05, AlphaSim corrected). Increased ReHo values were observed within the thalamus and motor cortex of the PD patients (P < 0.05, AlphaSim corrected). In addition, the default mode network (DMN), visual areas and insula were activated by the acupuncture with increased DC, ReHo and/or ALFF, while the prefrontal cortex (PFC) presented a significant decrease in ReHo and ALFF values after acupuncture (P < 0.05, AlphaSim corrected). Conclusions: The cerebellum, thalamus and motor cortex, which are connected to the cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTC) circuit, were modulated by the acupuncture stimulation to alleviate the PD tremor. The regulation of neural activity within the cognitive brain regions (the DMN, visual areas, insula and PFC) together with CTC circuit may contributes to enhancing movement and improving patients' daily life activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ventricular arrhythmia is one of the common cardiological diseases which originates from the ventriculus cordis, with high death rate and harm to peoples's health. So far, it is considered that the ventricular arrhythmias induced by the organic or non-organic heart diseases would be closely related to the neurological regulations, especially for the functions of central nervous system; The ventricular arrhythmias induced by Heart failure or myocardial infarction could be more likely related to the neuroendocrine system; and the ventricular arrhythmias induced by brain injury or stress might be directly related to the cross-linked autonomic nervous. Ventricular arrhythmia electrical storm belongs to the acute severe clinical syndrome that could cause severe hemodynamic disorder which need to be taken the electrical shock for emergency, and the main factor is considered to be the over-excited state of sympathetic nerve. With the deepening research and practice, the mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmia will have a better understanding and its means of prevention will also be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This is the first case for transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation in post-stroke insomnia patient by fMRI. • The results indicated that taVNS has provided a potentially useful and safe new technique for PSI patients. • The neural mechanism probably is due to regulate the FC of default mode network, visual cortex and emotional circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In harsh and unpredictable environments, individuals tend to engage in activities that yield immediate rewards as delayed benefits can be unavailable. Substantial evidence suggests that a harsh and unpredictable childhood environment is associated with overeating. However, the neuromechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate amygdala connectivity in relation to environmental harshness and unpredictability (EHU) from an evolutionary perspective and examine their relationship with overeating in children. Eighty-five children aged 8 to 12 years were scanned using a magnetic resonance imaging machine to assess resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the two subregions of the amygdala (i.e., centromedial amygdala [CMA]; basolateral amygdala [BLA]). Self-reports of EHU and parental reports of overeating, including food responsiveness and enjoyment of food, were obtained cross-sectionally. Furthermore, findings indicated that children completed high- and low-calorie food portion choice tasks in the absence of hunger at 12 months of follow-up. EHU was positively associated with parental reports of overeating, including food responsiveness and enjoyment, as well as children's selection of high-calorie food portion sizes. Moreover, static RSFC analyses revealed that EHU was negatively associated with bilateral BLA-left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) connectivity, while dynamic RSFC analyses found that EHU was negatively associated with right CMA, left inferior parietal lobule, and right CMA-right precuneus connectivity. Particularly, the left BLA-left IFG connectivity mediated the association between EHU and parental reports of food responsiveness. EHU was negatively associated with amygdala connectivity, which is implicated in the intrinsic processing of emotional regulation. Furthermore, deficits in emotional regulation resulted in increased energy intake. These insights provide a new perspective for understanding the developmental neuromechanisms underlying obesity. • Self-report of EHU is associated with parental reports of overeating for children. • EHU is associated with bilateral BLA- left IFG connectivity. • EHU is associated with right CMA-left IPL, right CMA-right precuneus connectivity. • Left BLA-left IFG connectivity mediates the relation of EHU and food responsiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is currently known about the longitudinal developmental patterns of hubs in the whole-brain white matter (WM) structural networks among toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study utilized diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and deterministic tractography to map the WM structural networks in 37 ASD toddlers and 27 age-, gender- and developmental quotient-matched controls with developmental delay (DD) toddlers aged 2-3 years old at baseline (Time 1) and at 2-year follow-up (Time 2). Furthermore, graph-theoretical methods were applied to investigate alterations in the network hubs in these patients at the two time points. The results showed that after 2 years, 17 hubs were identified in the ASD subjects compared to the controls, including 13 hubs that had not changed from baseline and 4 hubs that were newly identified. In addition, alterations in the properties of the hubs of the right middle frontal gyrus, right insula, left median cingulate gyri, and bilateral precuneus were significantly correlated with alterations in the behavioral data for ASD patients. These results indicated that at the stage of 2-5 years of age, ASD children showed distributions of network hubs that were relatively stable, with minor differences. Abnormal developmental patterns in the five areas mentioned above in ASD may contribute to abnormalities in the social and nonsocial characteristics of this disorder. Autism Res 2018, 11: 1218-1228. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: This work studied the longitudinal developmental patterns of hubs in the whole-brain white matter (WM) structural network among toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The findings of this study could have implications for understanding how the abnormalities in hub organization in ASD account for behavioral deficits in patients and may provide potential biomarkers for disease diagnosis and the subsequent monitoring of progression and treatment effects for patients with ASD., (© 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)