Brain Cognitive Function Research Articles

Relationship between circadian rhythm and brain cognitive functions.

Circadian rhythms are considered a masterstroke of natural selection, which gradually increase the adaptability of species to the Earth's rotation. Importantly, the nervous system plays a key role in allowing organisms to maintain circadian rhythmicity. Circadian rhythms affect multiple aspects of cognitive functions (mainly via arousal), particularly those needed for effort-intensive cognitive tasks, which require considerable top-down executive control. These include inhibitory control, working memory, task switching, and psychomotor vigilance. This mini review highlights the recent advances in cognitive functioning in the optical and multimodal neuroimaging fields; it discusses the processing of brain cognitive functions during the circadian rhythm phase and the effects of the circadian rhythm on the cognitive component of the brain and the brain circuit supporting cognition.

Current and emerging artificial intelligence applications for pediatric abdominal imaging.

Artificial intelligence (AI) uses computers to mimic cognitive functions of the human brain, allowing inferences to be made from generally large datasets. Traditional machine learning (e.g., decision tree analysis, support vector machines) and deep learning (e.g., convolutional neural networks) are two commonly employed AI approaches both outside and within the field of medicine. Such techniques can be used to evaluate medical images for the purposes of automated detection and segmentation, classification tasks (including diagnosis, lesion or tissue characterization, and prediction), and image reconstruction. In this review article we highlight recent literature describing current and emerging AI methods applied to abdominal imaging (e.g., CT, MRI and US) and suggest potential future applications of AI in the pediatric population.

Neuroprotective effect of hesperidin against emamectin benzoate-induced neurobehavioral toxicity in rats

Emamectin Benzoate (EMB) is an avermectin insecticide widely used in agriculture and veterinary medicine. Hesperidin (HSP) is a flavanone glycoside predominantly found in citrus fruits and has various beneficial health effects. The current research was conducted to study the neurobehavioral toxic effects of EMB in rats and also to evaluate the protective effect of HSP against these toxic effects. Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 equal groups: control group, EMB group, HSP group, and EMB + HSP group. EMB (8.8. mg/kg) and/or HSP (100 mg/kg) were administered daily by gavage for 8 weeks. The behavioral assessment demonstrated the adverse effects of EMB on the behavioral, motor, and cognitive brain functions. Exposure to EMB also decreased the activity of antioxidants (catalase and reduced glutathione) and increased the malondialdehyde level in nervous tissue. Moreover, EMB increased the level of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β) and decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in rats' brains. On the other hand, concurrent administration of HSP ameliorated the toxic effects of EMB as indicated by improvements in neural functions and reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation. The study concluded that exposure to EMB induces toxic effects in the brain of rats and that HSP has a protective effect against these toxic effects.

FNIRS STUDY OF EFFECTS OF FOOT BATH ON HUMAN BRAIN AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION

As a nondrug complementary therapy and healthy leisure physiotherapy method, foot bath (FB) is gaining acceptance and popularity in many areas. The significance of this research is to study the close and complex connection between FB stimulation and the human brain using fNIRS neuroimaging techniques. Participants were placed under two different conditions (normal and foot bath) and instructed to perform Stroop task of color word matching. Research on the behavioral results of the subjects showed that FB can effectively regulate the efficiency of humans in the process of performing tasks in a natural state. The fNIRS findings showed that the PFC in the FB condition was weakly activated compared to the normal condition. FB can realize the natural and healthy regulation of human brain cognitive function, which will have an impact on many production activities in human daily life.

Correlation between hydration status and memory in nursing students

Hydration status is a significant component to keep the functions of bodywork system. Memory is one of the cognitive brain functions which enables human to do daily activities optimally. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between hydration status and memory in nursing students. This research employed a comparative analytical method and involved 152 students. The measurement of hydration status was carried out by calculating urine specific gravity using a urinometer while the Everyday Memory Questionnaire (EMQ) was used to measure memory. The independent t-test employed to identify the relationship between hydration status and memory. This research reveals that there is a significant difference between the value of average memory score in students who do not suffer from dehydration and that in students who suffer from dehydration (p=0.003; t=3.040). Maintaining the balance of dehydration status is crucial to make the memory work optimally.

End-Of-Life Care in Dementia among Asian, A Scoping Review

INTRODUCTION: Dementia is a neurocognitive disease characterised by a progressive deterioration of brain cognitive function. Dementia in the advanced stage should be treated as other terminal diseases. However, there is still a lack of acknowledgement regarding the end-of-life (EOL) care of people with dementia in Asian populations. This study aims to elucidate the components of EOL care in advanced dementia from the Asian perspective. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review methodology framework was used to guide and conduct this scoping review. Databases of Pubmed, EBSCOhost, and Ovid Scholars were systematically searched using MeSH heading of end-of-life, palliative, dementia, and individual name of Asian countries. RESULT: Fourteen articles met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies involved interviews or questionnaires to the caregivers, the patients, and the healthcare professionals. The studies were done mostly in Taiwan and Japan and one from Indonesia. The studies reported themes that were categorised into life sustenance treatments and medications, advanced directives, the burden of the caretakers, and the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the healthcare providers or the family members. CONCLUSION: Major barriers in delivering EOL care to advanced dementia patients include knowledge, skills, communication, attitude, and beliefs, especially among developing countries in Asia. More education and awareness are needed amongst the healthcare providers and the public regarding this matter to ensure proper EOL care in advanced dementia patients.

Epac: new emerging cAMP-binding protein

The well-known second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) regulates the morphology and physiology of neurons and thus higher cognitive brain functions. The discovery of exchange protein activated by cAMP (Epac) as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rap GTPases has shed light on protein kinase A (PKA)-independent functions of cAMP signaling in neural tissues. Studies of cAMP-Epac-mediated signaling in neurons under normal and disease conditions also revealed its diverse contributions to neurodevelopment, synaptic remodeling, and neurotransmitter release, as well as learning, memory, and emotion. In this mini-review, the various roles of Epac isoforms, including Epac1 and Epac2, highly expressed in neural tissues are summarized, and controversies or issues are highlighted that need to be resolved to uncover the critical functions of Epac in neural tissues and the potential for a new therapeutic target of mental disorders.

Особенности показателей церебральной оксиметрии при различных видах комбинированной анестезии у детей с врожденной хирургической патологией

Актуальность. В последнее десятилетие ближняя инфракрасная спектроскопия приобрела популярность в отделениях новорожденных. С учетом современного международного опыта в представленной работе проведена оценка особенностей церебральной оксиметрии у детей с врожденными пороками развития хирургического профиля при различных видах комбинированной анестезии. Цель исследования: оценить состояние церебральной оксигенации у новорожденных и младенцев с врожденными пороками развития при различных видах анестезиологического сопровождения. Материалы и методы. В ретроспективное исследование были включены 150 новорожденных и младенцев с врожденными пороками развития хирургического профиля в зависимости от анестезии (ингаляционное + региональное; ингаляционное + внутривенное и тотальное внутривенное обезболивание). Анализировались показатели церебральной оксиметрии по сравнению с показателями периферической сатурации, артериального давления, парциального напряжения СО2, О2 в крови, рН. Результаты. Минимальный показатель церебральной оксиметрии отмечен с левого полушария мозга у детей I группы — 50,57 ± 16,66, что может быть неблагоприятным прогностическим фактором в дальнейшем восстановлении и влиянии на когнитивные функции головного мозга ребенка. Через 1 час после операции дети I группы, получавшие комбинированную анестезию севораном с региональным обезболиванием, демонстрировали худшие показатели церебральной оксиметрии по сравнению с детьми II и III групп (rSO2 правого полушария в I группе — 56,84 ± 12,27, rSO2 левого полушария в I группе — 57,53 ± 13,32, р = 0,0001; 0,0028), в то время как различия в показателях II и III групп не выявлены (р = 0,4167; 0,4029). Выводы. Ближняя параинфракрасная спектрометрия зарекомендовала себя как простой, целесообразный и полезный метод контроля за состоянием насыщенности кислородом головного мозга. При выборе комбинированной анестезии ингаляционным методом с региональным обезболиванием у детей с врожденными пороками развития для проведения оперативного лечения следует более тщательно контролировать церебральную оксигенацию с дополнительным контролем периферической сатурации, артериального давления, парциального напряжения СО2, О2 в крови и рН.

Effects of maternal folic acid supplementation during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy on neurocognitive development in the child: an 11-year follow-up from a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundMaternal folic acid (FA) supplementation before and in early pregnancy prevents neural tube defects (NTD), but it is uncertain whether continuing FA after the first trimester has benefits on offspring health. We aimed to evaluate the effect of FA supplementation throughout pregnancy on cognitive performance and brain function in the child.MethodsFollow-up investigation of 11-year-old children, residing in Northern Ireland, whose mothers had participated in a randomised trial of Folic Acid Supplementation in the Second and Third Trimesters (FASSTT) in pregnancy and received 400 μg/day FA or placebo from the 14th gestational week. Cognitive performance (Full Scale Intelligence Quotient, Verbal Comprehension, Working Memory, Perceptual Reasoning, and Processing Speed) was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. Neuronal function was assessed using magnetoencephalographic (MEG) brain imaging.ResultsOf 119 mother-child pairs in the FASSTT trial, 68 children were assessed for neurocognitive performance at 11-year follow-up (Dec 2017 to Nov 2018). Children of mothers randomised to FA compared with placebo scored significantly higher in two Processing Speed tests, i.e. symbol search (mean difference 2.9 points, 95% CI 0.3 to 5.5, p = 0.03) and cancellation (11.3 points, 2.5 to 20.1, p = 0.04), whereas the positive effect on Verbal Comprehension was significant in girls only (6.5 points, 1.2 to 11.8, p = 0.03). MEG assessment of neuronal responses to a language task showed increased power at the Beta (13–30 Hz, p = 0.01) and High Gamma (49–70 Hz, p = 0.04) bands in children from FA-supplemented mothers, suggesting more efficient semantic processing of language.ConclusionsContinued FA supplementation in pregnancy beyond the early period currently recommended to prevent NTD can benefit neurocognitive development of the child. MEG provides a non-invasive tool in paediatric research to objectively assess functional brain activity in response to nutrition and other interventions.Trial registrationISRCTN ISRCTN19917787. Registered on 15 May 2013.

Simvastatin impairs hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cognitive function in mice

Lipophilic statins which are blood brain barrier (BBB) permeable are speculated to affect the cholesterol synthesis and neural functions in the central nervous system. However, whether these statins can affect cholesterol levels and synaptic plasticity in hippocampus and the in vivo consequence remain unclear. Here, we report that long-term subcutaneous treatments of simvastatin significantly impair mouse hippocampal synaptic plasticity, reflected by the attenuated long-term potentiation of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials. The simvastatin administration causes a deficiency in recognition and spatial memory but fails to affect motor ability and anxiety behaviors in the mice. Mass spectrometry imaging indicates a significant decrease in cholesterol intensity in hippocampus of the mice receiving chronic simvastatin treatments. Such effects of simvastatin are transient because drug discontinuation can restore the hippocampal cholesterol level and synaptic plasticity and the memory function. These findings may provide further clues to elucidate the mechanisms of neurological side effects, especially the brain cognitive function impairment, caused by long-term usage of BBB-permeable statins.

Interplay of Good Bacteria and Central Nervous System: Cognitive Aspects and Mechanistic Considerations.

The human gastrointestinal tract hosts trillions of microorganisms that is called “gut microbiota.” The gut microbiota is involved in a wide variety of physiological features and functions of the body. Thus, it is not surprising that any damage to the gut microbiota is associated with disorders in different body systems. Probiotics, defined as living microorganisms with health benefits for the host, can support or restore the composition of the gut microbiota. Numerous investigations have proved a relationship between the gut microbiota with normal brain function as well as many brain diseases, in which cognitive dysfunction is a common clinical problem. On the other hand, increasing evidence suggests that the existence of a healthy gut microbiota is crucial for normal cognitive processing. In this regard, interplay of the gut microbiota and cognition has been under focus of recent researches. In the present paper, I review findings of the studies considering beneficial effects of either gut microbiota or probiotic bacteria on the brain cognitive function in the healthy and disease statuses.

Interpretable Machine Learning Models for Three-Way Classification of Cognitive Workload Levels for Eye-Tracking Features.

The paper is focussed on the assessment of cognitive workload level using selected machine learning models. In the study, eye-tracking data were gathered from 29 healthy volunteers during examination with three versions of the computerised version of the digit symbol substitution test (DSST). Understanding cognitive workload is of great importance in analysing human mental fatigue and the performance of intellectual tasks. It is also essential in the context of explanation of the brain cognitive process. Eight three-class classification machine learning models were constructed and analysed. Furthermore, the technique of interpretable machine learning model was applied to obtain the measures of feature importance and its contribution to the brain cognitive functions. The measures allowed improving the quality of classification, simultaneously lowering the number of applied features to six or eight, depending on the model. Moreover, the applied method of explainable machine learning provided valuable insights into understanding the process accompanying various levels of cognitive workload. The main classification performance metrics, such as F1, recall, precision, accuracy, and the area under the Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC) were used in order to assess the quality of classification quantitatively. The best result obtained on the complete feature set was as high as 0.95 (F1); however, feature importance interpretation allowed increasing the result up to 0.97 with only seven of 20 features applied.

Brain structural and functional substrates of ADGRL3 (latrophilin 3) haplotype in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Previous studies have shown that the gene encoding the adhesion G protein-coupled receptor L3 (ADGRL3; formerly latrophilin 3, LPHN3) is associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Conversely, no studies have investigated the anatomical or functional brain substrates of ADGRL3 risk variants. We examined here whether individuals with different ADGRL3 haplotypes, including both patients with ADHD and healthy controls, showed differences in brain anatomy and function. We recruited and genotyped adult patients with combined type ADHD and healthy controls to achieve a sample balanced for age, sex, premorbid IQ, and three ADGRL3 haplotype groups (risk, protective, and others). The final sample (n = 128) underwent structural and functional brain imaging (voxel-based morphometry and n-back working memory fMRI). We analyzed the brain structural and functional effects of ADHD, haplotypes, and their interaction, covarying for age, sex, and medication. Individuals (patients or controls) with the protective haplotype showed strong, widespread hypo-activation in the frontal cortex extending to inferior temporal and fusiform gyri. Individuals (patients or controls) with the risk haplotype also showed hypo-activation, more focused in the right temporal cortex. Patients showed parietal hyper-activation. Disorder-haplotype interactions, as well as structural findings, were not statistically significant. To sum up, both protective and risk ADGRL3 haplotypes are associated with substantial brain hypo-activation during working memory tasks, stressing this gene’s relevance in cognitive brain function. Conversely, we did not find brain effects of the interactions between adult ADHD and ADGRL3 haplotypes.

Quantum Cognition and the Mind

Clues from psychology indicate that human cognition are not only based on classical probability theory as explained by Kolmogorov’s axioms but additionally on quantum probability. Quantum probabilities lead to the conclusion that our brain adapted to the Everett many-worlds reality trough the evolutionary process. The Everett many-worlds theory views reality as a many-branched tree in which every possible quantum outcome is realized. In this context, one of the cognitive brain functions is to provide a causally consistent explanation of events to maintain self-identity over time. Causality is related to a meaningful explanation. For impossible explanations, causality does not exist, and the identity of the self breaks. Only in meaningful causal worlds may personal identities exist.

Neuroprotective effects of insulin like growth factor-1 on engineered metal nanoparticles Ag, Cu and Al induced blood-brain barrier breakdown, edema formation, oxidative stress, upregulation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase and brain pathology.

Military personnel are vulnerable to environmental or industrial exposure of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) from metals. Long-term exposure of NPs from various sources affect sensory-motor or cognitive brain functions. Thus, a possibility exists that chronic exposure of NPs affect blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown and brain pathology by inducing oxidative stress and/or nitric oxide production. This hypothesis was examined in the rat intoxicated with Ag, Cu or Al (50-60nm) nanoparticles (50mg/kg, i.p. once daily) for 7 days. In these NPs treated rats the BBB permeability, brain edema, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) immunoreactivity and brain oxidants levels, e.g., myeloperoxidase (MP), malondialdehyde (MD) and glutathione (GT) was examined on the 8th day. Cu and Ag but not Al nanoparticles increased the MP and MD levels by twofold in the brain although, GT showed 50% decline. At this time increase in brain water content and BBB breakdown to protein tracers were seen in areas exhibiting nNOS positive neurons and cell injuries. Pretreatment with insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in high doses (1μg/kg, i.v. but not 0.5μg/kg daily for 7 days) together with NPs significantly reduced the oxidative stress, nNOS upregulation, BBB breakdown, edema formation and cell injuries. These novel observations demonstrate that (i) NPs depending on their metal constituent (Cu, Ag but not Al) induce oxidative stress and nNOS expression leading to BBB disruption, brain edema and cell damage, and (ii) IGF-1 depending on doses exerts powerful neuroprotection against nanoneurotoxicity, not reported earlier.

Neuromorphic Implementation of a Continuous Attractor Neural Network With Various Synaptic Dynamics

A continuous attractor neural network (CANN) configured with various synaptic dynamics can implement many brain cognitive functions. Corresponding neuromorphic implementation can be beneficial to carry out these cognitive computations in real-time. Herein, we present a neuromorphic implementation of the CANN of spiking neurons on the field-programmable gate array (FPGA), in which the synaptic strength of local excitation and global inhibition can be configured to achieve winner-take-all (WTA) competition. In contrast to previously reported neuromorphic CANN, in addition to fast-linear synapses, recurrent connections can also be implemented with slow-nonlinear synapses. This endows the proposed CANN on the FPGA with the capability of performing neural computations that require slow and nonlinear temporal dynamics, such as decision making and working memory. Circuit simulations on the hardware reproduced gradually ramping neural activities observed in decision-making experiments and multiple sustained activities observed during the delay in working memory experiments, especially the fade-out and merging of activity bumps in the latter task. Theoretical analysis illuminated the underlying mechanisms of decision making and working memory on the FPGA. The unstable two-bump steady state of the CANN is responsible for the two-alternative decision making, similar to the saddle-node structure in the reduced two-variable decision model. Meanwhile, the stable uniformly distributed N-bump steady states account for the multiple-item working memory, similar to the multistability in previous mean-field models. Furthermore, the asymmetrical N-bump unstable steady states exhibit attractor dynamics underlying the fade-out and merging of activity bumps. The consistency between simulations on the hardware and the theoretical analysis demonstrated that the neuromorphic CANN is endowed with attractor dynamics relating to slow and nonlinear neural computations and has the potential to implement sophisticated cognitive functions by configuring various synaptic dynamics. This implementation shows promise for integrating the cognitive platform due to its characteristics of various dynamics and flexible configurations.

English Vocabulary Teaching from a Cognitive Perspective

As a higher cognitive function of the human brain, language development is inextricably linked to brain cognition. Cognitive research provides a theoretical basis and methodology for language development and learning. Three meta-linguistic cognitive factors, phonological-orthographic and morphological awareness, are effective predictor variables and important influencing factors for vocabulary learning and further literacy development. A view of vocabulary learning based on cognitive linguistic theory can effectively change English teaching practice.

Modeling Cognitive Activity of the Human Brain by the Mathematical Apparatus of Quantum Mechanics

This paper discusses the possible approaches to modeling the cognitive activity of the human brain using the mathematical apparatus of quantum mechanics (primarily – potential wells and virtual particles) in terms of the theory of information representations. The article briefly describes the proposed theory of information representations, draws analogies, and identifies common features of information representations of the human mind and Feynman’s virtual particles. The human mind is represented as a one-dimensional potential well with finite walls of different sizes and internal potential barrier simulating the boundary between consciousness and subconsciousness. This creates a foundation for a mathematical apparatus that can make it possible to forecast particular cognitive functions of the human brain. The results of these studies can be used to create predictive models of various cognitive disorders (diseases) and to be used in diagnostics.

The influence of learning ability of irradiated and intact rats-parents on higher brain function of their offspring

The ability to train the offspring of male rats irradiated at a dose of 0.5 Gy was studied. Cognitive (memorable) brain functions were evaluated by their ability to develop and reproduce a conditioned reflex of active avoidance. It is established that the initial state of cognitive functions of the brain of parents affects the development of these functions in the offspring. Taking into account this factor will allow to avoid methodological errors, consisting in the random formation of groups, unequal in the initial psychophysiological parameters. The expediency of such a previously not used approach is demonstrated on the model of irradiation in a small dose (0.5 Gy) of male germ cells. It is established that the intensity of the radiation effect on this criterion can vary significantly with different approaches to the formation of groups of parents.

Клінічний аналіз вітальних показників у новонароджених і немовлят із хірургічною патологією при різних видах анестезіологічного супроводу

Congenital defects are more common in newborns and children of the first year of life and require surgical correction in the first hours, days of life. Surgical interventions against the background of serious diseases and malformations can lead to catabolic stress, circulatory and respiratory disorders, metabolism, water-electrolyte, protein and acid-base states, which are reflected in the indicators of vital functions. Purpose — to conduct a clinical analysis of indicators of vital functions in newborns and infants with congenital surgical pathology with various types of combined anesthesia. Materials and methods. A retrospective study included 150 newborns and infants with congenital malformations of the surgical profile, depending on the anesthesia (inhalation + regional anesthesia — group І (50 newborns); inhalation + intravenous anesthesia — group ІІ (50 newborns); total intravenous — group III (50 newborns)). The parameters of peripheral and cerebral oximetry, blood pressure, heart rate and respiration were analyzed. Results. The minimum indicator of cerebral oximetry was noted in the left brain hemisphere of children of the ІІ group — 50.57±16.66, which may be an unfavorable prognostic factor in further recovery and influence on the cognitive functions of the child's brain. Peripheral saturation did not critically decrease at all stages of observation. With the exception of the resulting decrease in the indicator in children of group I compared with group III at the stage of induction into anesthesia (97.79±2.45 versus 98.79±1.63, at p=0.0194, respectively) and at the most painful moment of surgical intervention (96.29±3.47 versus 98.10±2.47, with p=0.0368). In children who received combined intravenous anesthesia with two drugs, there was an increase in mean arterial pressure from the beginning of surgical treatment to the child's recovery after surgery (49.49±10.71; 56.18±8.05, respectively, at p<0.01). Conclusions. Among the surveyed groups, the most vulnerable to pathological changes in vital function indicators were children for whom anesthetic support was provided by inhalation anesthesia with sevoran with regional anesthesia. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of these Institutes. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies. No conflict of interest was declared by the author. Key words: newborns, infants, congenital malformations, combined anesthesia, vital indicators.