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NeuroSci, Volume 5, Issue 2 (June 2024) – 10 articles

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13 pages, 1109 KiB  
Review
In the Brain, It Is Not All about Sugar
by Bernardo C. Antunes, Tomás Mateus and Vanessa A. Morais
NeuroSci 2024, 5(2), 209-221; https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci5020016 - 19 Jun 2024
Viewed by 2595
Abstract
The maintenance of energetic homeostasis relies on a tight balance between glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. The case of the brain is a peculiar one, as although entailing a constant demand for energy, it is believed to rely mostly on glucose, particularly at [...] Read more.
The maintenance of energetic homeostasis relies on a tight balance between glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. The case of the brain is a peculiar one, as although entailing a constant demand for energy, it is believed to rely mostly on glucose, particularly at the level of neurons. Nonetheless, this has been challenged by studies that show that alternatives such as lactate, ketone bodies, and glutamate can be used as fuels to sustain neuronal activity. The importance of fatty acid (FA) metabolism to this extent is still unclear, albeit sustaining a significant energetic output when compared to glucose. While several authors postulate a possible role of FA for the energetic homeostasis of the brain, several others point out the intrinsic features of this pathway that make its contribution difficult to explain in the context of neuronal bioenergetics. Moreover, fueling preference at the synapse level is yet to be uncovered. In this review, we discuss in detail the arguments for and against the brain usage of FA. Furthermore, we postulate that the importance of this fuel may be greater at the synapse, where local mitochondria possess a set of features that enable a more effective usage of this fuel source. Full article
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8 pages, 754 KiB  
Communication
Characterization of Anti-GAD65-Associated Neurological Syndromes: Clinical Features and Antibody Titers
by João Moura, Firmina Sambayeta, Ana Paula Sousa, Paula Carneiro, Esmeralda Neves, Raquel Samões, Ana Martins Silva and Ernestina Santos
NeuroSci 2024, 5(2), 201-208; https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci5020015 - 17 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1806
Abstract
Introduction: Anti-GAD65 antibodies are associated with several neurological phenotypes. Antibody titers are increasingly recognized as useful in diagnosis and prognosis. Objective: To describe a Portuguese cohort of patients with anti-GAD65-associated neurological syndromes. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all patients with positive anti-GAD65 antibodies and [...] Read more.
Introduction: Anti-GAD65 antibodies are associated with several neurological phenotypes. Antibody titers are increasingly recognized as useful in diagnosis and prognosis. Objective: To describe a Portuguese cohort of patients with anti-GAD65-associated neurological syndromes. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all patients with positive anti-GAD65 antibodies and associated neurological syndromes followed in a tertiary referral center. Results: Nineteen anti-GAD65 antibody-positive neurological patients were identified, 62.3% female, with a mean age of onset of 56.0 (SD = 13.3) years. Comorbid autoimmune disorders were present in seven patients. Six patients had limbic encephalitis (31.6%), four had epilepsy (21.1%), four had cerebellar ataxia (21.1%), and three had stiff-person syndrome (15.8%). Two patients presented with isolated cognitive dysfunction (executive and mnesic) in the absence of other neurological symptoms. The mean follow-up time was 24.0 (14.0–42.0) months, at the end of which the mean modified Rankin Scale (mRS) value was 2.0 (1.0–4.0). Screening for malignancies was negative in all patients. Serum quantitative analysis was carried out in 18 patients, 10 of whom showed titers above previously defined cut-off points (>10,000 IU/L for ELISA and >20 mmol/L for RIA). Quantitative CSF analysis was performed in nine patients, with four showing above-threshold titers. There was no association between anti-GAD65 levels and clinical phenotype or the final mRS values. High-dose intravenous methylprednisolone and oral prednisolone were the most common acute and chronic treatment regimens, respectively. Conclusion: Anti-GAD65 antibodies are associated with varied neurological syndromes, and antibody titers alone should not be used to exclude a disease. Full article
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9 pages, 1810 KiB  
Communication
Systemic Tumors Can Cause Molecular Changes in the Hippocampus That May Have an Impact on Behavior after Chronic Social Stress
by Olatz Goñi-Balentziaga, Alina Díez-Solinska, Garikoitz Beitia-Oyarzabal, Maider Muñoz-Culla, Garikoitz Azkona and Oscar Vegas
NeuroSci 2024, 5(2), 192-200; https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci5020014 - 6 Jun 2024
Viewed by 886
Abstract
Evidence indicates that chronic social stress plays a significant role in the development of cancer and depression. Although their association is recognized, the precise physiological mechanism remains unknown. In our previous work, we observed that OF1 males subjected to chronic social defiance exhibited [...] Read more.
Evidence indicates that chronic social stress plays a significant role in the development of cancer and depression. Although their association is recognized, the precise physiological mechanism remains unknown. In our previous work, we observed that OF1 males subjected to chronic social defiance exhibited anhedonia, and those who developed tumors in the lung showed anxiety-associated behaviors. In this study, we observed that tumor-bearing OF1 mice presented higher levels of 3-HK, and this increase may be due to IDO. No differences in hippocampal catecholamine levels were observed. Our results suggest that a systemic tumor can induce molecular changes in the hippocampal kynurenine pathway that may impact behavior. Full article
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8 pages, 1929 KiB  
Communication
Frequency Domain Template Subtraction Approach to Attenuate Maternal Electrocardiogram in Fetal Electrocardiogram
by Susan Wang, Pooneh Roshanitabrizi, Anita Krishnan and R. B. Govindan
NeuroSci 2024, 5(2), 184-191; https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci5020013 - 25 May 2024
Viewed by 793
Abstract
We develop a frequency domain template subtraction approach to attenuate the maternal ECG in the abdominal ECG measured from pregnant women. The proposed approach was tested on five public fetal ECG datasets simultaneously measured with ECG from the fetal scalp. The method’s performance [...] Read more.
We develop a frequency domain template subtraction approach to attenuate the maternal ECG in the abdominal ECG measured from pregnant women. The proposed approach was tested on five public fetal ECG datasets simultaneously measured with ECG from the fetal scalp. The method’s performance was compared with the template subtraction approach in the time domain using the accuracy and association metrics. The accuracy was calculated by counting the number of fetal complexes in the processed data that coincided with the fetal complexes in the scalp fetal ECG. The association is quantified as the coherence between the processed data and the gold standard. The maximum coherence values calculated for each approach were compared using the paired t-test. Our results showed no difference in the accuracy between the frequency and time domain approach (p = 0.733). However, the association was higher between the frequency domain data and the gold standard compared to the template subtraction data and the gold standard (p = 0.049), indicating that the frequency domain approach yielded a signal that resembled that of the scalp ECG compared to the time domain approach. Full article
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15 pages, 7708 KiB  
Article
Influence of Temporal and Frequency Selective Patterns Combined with CSP Layers on Performance in Exoskeleton-Assisted Motor Imagery Tasks
by Cristian David Guerrero-Mendez, Cristian Felipe Blanco-Diaz, Hamilton Rivera-Flor, Pedro Henrique Fabriz-Ulhoa, Eduardo Antonio Fragoso-Dias, Rafhael Milanezi de Andrade, Denis Delisle-Rodriguez and Teodiano Freire Bastos-Filho
NeuroSci 2024, 5(2), 169-183; https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci5020012 - 11 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1274
Abstract
Common Spatial Pattern (CSP) has been recognized as a standard and powerful method for the identification of Electroencephalography (EEG)-based Motor Imagery (MI) tasks when implementing brain–computer interface (BCI) systems towards the motor rehabilitation of lost movements. The combination of BCI systems with robotic [...] Read more.
Common Spatial Pattern (CSP) has been recognized as a standard and powerful method for the identification of Electroencephalography (EEG)-based Motor Imagery (MI) tasks when implementing brain–computer interface (BCI) systems towards the motor rehabilitation of lost movements. The combination of BCI systems with robotic systems, such as upper limb exoskeletons, has proven to be a reliable tool for neuromotor rehabilitation. Therefore, in this study, the effects of temporal and frequency segmentation combined with layer increase for spatial filtering were evaluated, using three variations of the CSP method for the identification of passive movement vs. MI+passive movement. The passive movements were generated using a left upper-limb exoskeleton to assist flexion/extension tasks at two speeds (high—85 rpm and low—30 rpm). Ten healthy subjects were evaluated in two recording sessions using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) as a classifier, and accuracy (ACC) and False Positive Rate (FPR) as metrics. The results allow concluding that the use of temporal, frequency or spatial selective information does not significantly (p< 0.05) improve task identification performance. Furthermore, dynamic temporal segmentation strategies may perform better than static segmentation tasks. The findings of this study are a starting point for the exploration of complex MI tasks and their application to neurorehabilitation, as well as the study of brain effects during exoskeleton-assisted MI tasks. Full article
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11 pages, 523 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Myofascial Stretching on Mechanical Nociception and Contributing Neural Mechanisms
by Abigail W. Anderson, Arthur Soncini, Kaitlyn Lyons and William J. Hanney
NeuroSci 2024, 5(2), 158-168; https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci5020011 - 11 May 2024
Viewed by 1241
Abstract
Myofascial stretching is often prescribed in the management of musculoskeletal pain. However, the neural mechanisms contributing to a decrease in pain are unknown. Stretching produces a sensation that may act as a conditioning stimulus in a conditioned pain modulation response. The purpose of [...] Read more.
Myofascial stretching is often prescribed in the management of musculoskeletal pain. However, the neural mechanisms contributing to a decrease in pain are unknown. Stretching produces a sensation that may act as a conditioning stimulus in a conditioned pain modulation response. The purpose of this study was to compare immediate changes in pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) during a low-intensity stretch, moderate-intensity stretch, and cold water immersion task. A secondary purpose was to examine if personal pain sensitivity and psychological characteristics were associated with the responses to these interventions. Twenty-seven (27) healthy participants underwent a cross-over study design in which they completed a cold water immersion task, upper trapezius stretch to the onset of the stretch sensation, and a moderate-intensity stretch. A significant condition x time effect was observed (F (8,160) = 2.85, p < 0.01, partial eta2 = 0.13), indicating reductions in pain sensitivity were significantly greater during a cold water immersion task compared to moderate-intensity stretching at minutes two and four. Widespread increases in heat pain threshold and lower pain-related anxiety were moderately correlated with the response to the cold water immersion task but not stretching. Moderate-intensity stretching may not elicit a conditioned pain modulation response possibly because the stretch was not intense enough to be perceived as painful. Full article
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17 pages, 2376 KiB  
Article
Cytotoxic Effect of Amyloid-β1-42 Oligomers on Endoplasmic Reticulum and Golgi Apparatus Arrangement in SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells
by José J. Jarero-Basulto, Yadira Gasca-Martínez, Martha C. Rivera-Cervantes, Deisy Gasca-Martínez, Nidia Jannette Carrillo-González, Carlos Beas-Zárate and Graciela Gudiño-Cabrera
NeuroSci 2024, 5(2), 141-157; https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci5020010 - 7 May 2024
Viewed by 2250
Abstract
Amyloid-β oligomers are a cytotoxic structure that is key for the establishment of the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). These structures promote subcellular alterations that cause synaptic dysfunction, loss of cell communication, and even cell death, generating cognitive deficits. The aim of [...] Read more.
Amyloid-β oligomers are a cytotoxic structure that is key for the establishment of the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). These structures promote subcellular alterations that cause synaptic dysfunction, loss of cell communication, and even cell death, generating cognitive deficits. The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic effects of amyloid-β1-42 oligomers (AβOs) on the membranous organelles involved in protein processing: the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi apparatus (GA). The results obtained with 10 μM AβOs in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells showed that oligomeric structures are more toxic than monomers because they cause cell viability to decrease as exposure time increases. Survivor cells were analyzed to further understand the toxic effects of AβOs on intracellular organelles. Survivor cells showed morphological alterations associated with abnormal cytoskeleton modification 72–96 h after exposure to AβOs. Moreover, the ER and GA presented rearrangement throughout the cytoplasmic space, which could be attributed to a lack of constitutive protein processing or to previous abnormal cytoskeleton modification. Interestingly, the disorganization of both ER and GA organelles exposed to AβOs is likely an early pathological alteration that could be related to aberrant protein processing and accumulation in AD. Full article
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13 pages, 1984 KiB  
Article
Effect of Enriched Environment on Cerebellum and Social Behavior of Valproic Zebrafish
by Bernardo Flores-Prieto, Flower Caycho-Salazar, Jorge Manzo, María Elena Hernández-Aguilar, Alfonso Genaro Coria-Avila, Deissy Herrera-Covarrubias, Fausto Rojas-Dúran, Gonzalo Emiliano Aranda-Abreu, Cesar Antonio Pérez-Estudillo and María Rebeca Toledo-Cárdenas
NeuroSci 2024, 5(2), 128-140; https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci5020009 - 22 Apr 2024
Viewed by 2159
Abstract
The etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been linked to both genetic and epigenetic factors. Among the epigenetic factors, exposure to valproic acid (VPA), an antiepileptic and mood-modulating drug, has been shown to induce characteristic traits of ASD when exposed to during [...] Read more.
The etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been linked to both genetic and epigenetic factors. Among the epigenetic factors, exposure to valproic acid (VPA), an antiepileptic and mood-modulating drug, has been shown to induce characteristic traits of ASD when exposed to during embryogenesis. Conversely, in animal models, enriched environment (EE) has demonstrated positive behavioral and neural effects, suggesting its potential as a complementary treatment to pharmacological approaches in central nervous system disorders. In this study, we utilized zebrafish to model ASD characteristics induced by VPA and hypothesized that sensory stimulation through EE could ameliorate the behavioral and neuroanatomical features associated with ASD. To test this hypothesis, we assessed social behavior, cerebellar volume, and Purkinje cell populations via histology and immunohistochemistry after exposing the fish to EE. The results revealed that zebrafish exposed to VPA exhibited social deficits, reduced cerebellar cortex volume, and a decrease in c-Fos-positive cells in the Purkinje layer. In contrast, VPA-exposed fish treated with EE showed increased socialization, augmented cerebellar cortex volume, and an elevation in c-Fos-positive Purkinje cells. These findings suggest that alterations induced by VPA may be ameliorated through EE treatment, highlighting the potential therapeutic impact of sensory stimulation in conditions related to ASD. Full article
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14 pages, 778 KiB  
Article
Comparing Self-Report vs. Performance Measures of Attentional Control and Efficiency
by Mohammad Ahsan Khodami, Luca Battaglini, Maryam Jansarvatan, Sofia Kireeva and Seiran Bagheri
NeuroSci 2024, 5(2), 114-127; https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci5020008 - 4 Apr 2024
Viewed by 2714
Abstract
Background: The Attention Control Scale (ATTC) is a widely used self-report measure of attentional control capacities. However, research questions whether it accurately substitutes for objective attention control tasks. This study investigated ATTC’s correlation with the Attention Network Test (ANT) across alerting, orienting, and [...] Read more.
Background: The Attention Control Scale (ATTC) is a widely used self-report measure of attentional control capacities. However, research questions whether it accurately substitutes for objective attention control tasks. This study investigated ATTC’s correlation with the Attention Network Test (ANT) across alerting, orienting, and executive control networks. We also used the Inverse Efficiency Score (IES) as an additional factor to check ATTC using ANT. Methods: We administered 143 participants who completed the ATTC questionnaire and ANT behavioral test assessing network efficiencies. Results: The results showed non-significant ATTC-ANT correlations across all networks. In an additional analysis, while the ATTC demonstrated factorial validity, subjective control was disconnected from actual attention regulation efficiency. A small male advantage emerged for executive control. Conclusions: Dissociations likely stem from attention complexity and method variances rather than overlap. The findings do not support the ATTC as a stand-alone proxy for performance-based measurement. Multifaceted assessments are essential for comprehensively capturing attentional control. Full article
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16 pages, 808 KiB  
Article
“I Wouldn’t Even Know What to Ask for”: Patients’ and Caregivers’ Experiences of Psychological Support for Huntington’s Disease in Italy
by Nicolò Zarotti, Barbara D’Alessio, Marta Scocchia, Melissa Casella and Ferdinando Squitieri
NeuroSci 2024, 5(2), 98-113; https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci5020007 - 28 Mar 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1201
Abstract
People with Huntington’s disease (HD) often experience psychological difficulties linked with disease progression and the adjustment to living with a chronic condition, which are also frequently shared by their informal caregivers (e.g., partners). Although limited, the current literature on psychological care for people [...] Read more.
People with Huntington’s disease (HD) often experience psychological difficulties linked with disease progression and the adjustment to living with a chronic condition, which are also frequently shared by their informal caregivers (e.g., partners). Although limited, the current literature on psychological care for people with HD shows that interventions have the potential to drive improvements in mental health and quality of life. However, the experience of accessing and receiving psychological support for HD remains unclear across several countries. This study adopted a qualitative design to explore the experiences of psychological support for HD from the perspectives of patients and caregivers living in Italy. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 14 participants—7 patients with early-manifest HD and 7 partners acting as their caregivers. The resulting data were analysed through thematic analysis. Four overarching themes were identified: (1) the availability of psychological support for HD, (2) barriers to accessing psychological support, (3) enablers to accessing psychological support, and (4) the future development of public psychological provision for HD. In Italy, patients and caregivers perceive public psychological support for HD as unavailable or inadequate, and private therapy is often seen as unaffordable. Barriers such as distrust in public healthcare and preconceptions about therapy may limit access, while advice from HD organisations and seeking therapy for other reasons may act as enablers. A strong emphasis is put on the need for accessible public psychological support throughout all the stages of the condition. Full article
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