Cerebral Hemispheres Research Articles

Single dopaminergic neuron DAN-c1 in Drosophila larval brain mediates aversive olfactory learning through D2-like receptors.

The intricate relationship between the dopaminergic system and olfactory associative learning in Drosophila has been an intense scientific inquiry. Leveraging the formidable genetic tools, we conducted a screening of 57 dopaminergic drivers, leading to the discovery of DAN-c1 driver, uniquely targeting the single dopaminergic neuron (DAN) in each brain hemisphere. While the involvement of excitatory D1-like receptors is well-established, the role of D2-like receptors (D2Rs) remains underexplored. Our investigation reveals the expression of D2Rs in both DANs and the mushroom body (MB) of third instar larval brains. Silencing D2Rs in DAN-c1 via microRNA disrupts aversive learning, further supported by optogenetic activation of DAN-c1 during training, affirming the inhibitory role of D2R autoreceptor. Intriguingly, D2R knockdown in the MB impairs both appetitive and aversive learning. These findings elucidate the distinct contributions of D2Rs in diverse brain structures, providing novel insights into the molecular mechanisms governing associative learning in Drosophila larvae.

A voxel-based magnetic resonance study of cortical gray matter structures in intermittent exotropia

Objective: To explore the changes in gray matter volume of the cerebral cortex in patients with intermittent exotropia (IXT) using the voxel-based analysis and to analyze the correlation between these changes and clinical manifestations. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A collection of 15 consecutive patients diagnosed with IXT at Tianjin Eye Hospital from March 2021 to May 2022 formed the exotropia group, which comprised 8 males and 7 females, with an average age of (23.5±5.2) years. Ten healthy individuals, 3 males and 7 females, with an average age of (27.0±7.5) years, were selected as the control group. All participants underwent assessments of exotropia severity and Titmus stereoacuity. Three-dimensional high-resolution brain images were obtained through MRI scans. Voxel-based morphometry was employed to preprocess the MRI data, and the SPM toolbox in MATLAB was utilized to analyze differences of images between the two groups. Regions of interest (ROI) with structural abnormalities in the gray matter volume analysis were selected, and the ratio of gray matter voxel values in the ROI to the mean gray matter voxel values of the whole brain for each participant was calculated using the MarsBaR software. The correlation between this ratio and exotropia severity as well as the common logarithm of Titmus stereoacuity was analyzed. Results: The differences in age, gender distribution, and refractive error between the two groups were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). However, there were statistically significant differences in the degree of strabismus and Titmus stereoacuity (both P<0.001). Compared to the control group, patients in the strabismus group exhibited decreased gray matter volume in several brain regions, including the wedges of the medial surface of the cerebral hemisphere (decreased by 89 voxels), the left lingual gyrus (decreased by 176 voxels), the left calcarine sulcus V3 area (decreased by 30 voxels), the central anterior gyrus of the right frontal lobe (decreased by 192 voxels), the gray matter of the left hippocampal gyrus (decreased by 20 voxels), and the bilateral lateral geniculate nuclei (decreased by 100 and 40 voxels on the left and right sides, respectively). These differences were all statistically significant (all P<0.001). Additionally, there was an increase in gray matter volume in several brain regions, including the bilateral caudate nuclei (increased by 60 and 76 voxels on the left and right sides, respectively) and the left precentral gyrus (increased by 36 voxels). These differences were also statistically significant (all P<0.001). A group-level analysis identified 10 brain regions with structural differences between the two groups, which were used as ROI. The gray matter volume ratio was negatively correlated with the degree of exotropia (all P<0.05) in the ROI of the left wedges (r=-0.670), left calcarine sulcus V3 area (r=-0.610), and left lingual gyrus (r=-0.684). The gray matter volume ratio was negatively correlated with lgTS (all P<0.05) in the ROI of the left wedges (r=-0.568) and the central anterior gyrus of the right frontal lobe (r=-0.563). Conclusions: Patients with IXT exhibit decreased gray matter volume in the horizontal connection areas between the primary visual cortices V1 and V2. The reduction in gray matter volume of the lingual gyrus and the dorsal visual pathway V3 area becomes more pronounced with increasing exotropia severity, while the gray matter volume of the precentral gyrus (BA6 area) decreases with worsening stereoacuity.

Early effect of onabotulinumtoxinA on EEG-based functional connectivity in patients with chronic migraine: A pilot study.

In this pilot prospective cohort study, we aimed to evaluate, using high-density electroencephalography (HD-EEG), the longitudinal changes in functional connectivity (FC) in patients with chronic migraine (CM) treated with onabotulinumtoxinA (OBTA). OBTA is a treatment for CM. Several studies have shown the modulatory action of OBTA on the central nervous system; however, research on migraine is limited. This study was conducted at the Neurology Unit of "Policlinico Tor Vergata," Rome, Italy, and included 12 adult patients with CM treated with OBTA and 15 healthy controls (HC). Patients underwent clinical scales at enrollment (T0) and 3 months (T1) from the start of treatment. HD-EEG was recorded using a 64-channel system in patients with CM at T0 and T1. A source reconstruction method was used to identify brain activity. FC in δ-θ-α-β-low-γ bands was analyzed using the weighted phase-lag index. FC changes between HCs and CM at T0 and T1 were assessed using cross-validation methods to estimate the results' reliability. Compared to HCs at T0, patients with CM showed hyperconnected networks in δ (p = 0.046, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC: 0.76-0.98], Cohen's κ [0.65-0.93]) and β (p = 0.031, AUC [0.68-0.95], Cohen's κ [0.51-0.84]), mainly involving orbitofrontal, occipital, temporal pole and orbitofrontal, superior temporal, occipital, cingulate areas, and hypoconnected networks in α band (p = 0.029, AUC [0.80-0.99], Cohen's κ [0.42-0.77]), predominantly involving cingulate, temporal pole, and precuneus. Patients with CM at T1, compared to T0, showed hypoconnected networks in δ band (p = 0.032, AUC [0.73-0.99], Cohen's κ [0.53-0.90]) and hyperconnected networks in α band (p = 0.048, AUC [0.58-0.93], Cohen's κ [0.37-0.78]), involving the sensorimotor, orbitofrontal, cingulate, and temporal cortex. These preliminary results showed that patients with CM presented disrupted EEG-FC compared to controls restored by a single session of OBTA treatment, suggesting a primary central modulatory action of OBTA.

Family and parenting factors are associated with emotion regulation neural function in early adolescent girls with elevated internalizing symptoms.

A prominent tripartite model proposes that parent role modeling of emotion regulation, emotion socialization behaviors, and the emotional climate of the family are important for young people's emotional development. However, limited research has examined the neural mechanisms at play. Here, we examined the associations between family and parenting factors, the neural correlates of emotional reactivity and regulation, and internalizing symptoms in early adolescent girls. Sixty-four female adolescents aged 10-12 years with elevated internalizing symptoms completed emotional reactivity, implicit (affect labeling) and explicit (cognitive reappraisal) emotion regulation tasks during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Positive family emotional climate was associated with greater activation in the anterior cingulate and middle temporal cortices during emotional reactivity. Maternal emotion regulation difficulties were associated with increased frontal pole and supramarginal gyrus activation during affect labeling, whereas supportive maternal emotion socialization and positive family emotional climate were associated with activation in prefrontal regions, including inferior frontal and superior frontal gyri, respectively, during cognitive reappraisal. No mediating effects of brain function were observed in the associations between family/parenting factors and adolescent symptoms. These findings highlight the role of family and parenting behaviors in adolescent emotion regulation neurobiology, and contribute to prominent models of adolescent emotional development.

Forebrain commissure formation in zebrafish embryo requires the binding of KLC1 to CRMP2.

Formation of the corpus callosum (CC), anterior commissure (AC), and postoptic commissure (POC), connecting the left and right cerebral hemispheres, is crucial for cerebral functioning. Collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP2) has been suggested to be associated with the mechanisms governing this formation, based on knockout studies in mice and knockdown/knockout studies in zebrafish. Previously, we reported two cases of non-synonymous CRMP2 variants with S14R and R565C substitutions. Among the, the R565C substitution (p.R565C) was caused by the novel CRMP2 mutation c.1693C>T, and the patient presented with intellectual disability accompanied by CC hypoplasia. In this study, we demonstrate that crmp2 mRNA could rescue AC and POC formation in crmp2-knockdown zebrafish, whereas the mRNA with the R566C mutation could not. Zebrafish CRMP2 R566C corresponds to human CRMP2 R565C. Further experiments with transfected cultured cells indicated that CRMP2 with the R566C mutation could not bind to kinesin light chain 1 (KLC1). Knockdown of klc1a in zebrafish resulted in defective AC and POC formation, revealing a genetic interaction with crmp2. These findings suggest that the CRMP2 R566C mutant fails to bind to KLC1, preventing axonal elongation and leading to defective AC and POC formation in zebrafish and CC formation defects in humans. Our study highlights the importance of the interaction between CRMP2 and KLC1 in the formation of the forebrain commissures, revealing a novel mechanism associated with CRMP2 mutations underlying human neurodevelopmental abnormalities.

SrSNet: Accurate segmentation of stroke lesions by a two-stage segmentation framework with asymmetry information

Ischemic stroke is a common neurological disease with a high mortality rate. Accurate stroke segmentation is crucial to evaluating patients’ disease outcomes. Stroke segmentation suffers from variable lesion size and noise interference due to similar image contrast characteristics of tissue structures. In this work, we propose a novel two-stage framework named Segmentation–reSegmentation Net (SrSNet) that mainly considers the bilateral symmetric comparison of brain hemispheres to locate pathological abnormalities. The whole framework includes two stages, the coarse segmentation stage and the fine segmentation stage. In the coarse segmentation stage, the brain images are first divided into three patches according to their spatial information to learn the local-level feature and then fed into a 2D Triplet Multi-scale Symmetric Transformer (TMSFormer) with a feature fusion module. This module facilitates the TMSFormer to generate detailed coarse segmentation results. In the fine segmentation stage, we refine the coarse segmentations with a 2D ResUNet. Extensive experiments are conducted using the two ischemic stroke lesion segmentation datasets, and the results are compared with other advanced models. Experiment results on two datasets show that SrSNet achieves state-of-the-art (SOTA) performance. Moreover, on the Ischemic Stroke Lesion Segmentation 2022 (ISLES’22) dataset, the recall score for stroke lesions that the maximum cross-sectional diameter is larger than 5 cm is 83.80%, and the recall score for strokes that the number of lesions of more than five is 79.05%. Overall, our method provides a potentially successful tool for improving the diagnosis of ischemic stroke.

Investigating the Link Between Subjective Depth Perception Deficits and Objective Stereoscopic Vision Deficits in Individuals With Acquired Brain Injury.

Individuals with acquired brain injury have reported subjective complaints of depth perception deficits, but few have undergone objective assessments to confirm these deficits. As a result, the literature currently lacks reports detailing the correlation between subjective depth perception deficits and objective stereoscopic vision deficits in individuals with acquired brain injury, particularly those cases that are characterized by a clearly defined lesion. To investigate this relationship, we recruited three individuals with acquired brain injury who experienced depth perception deficits and related difficulties in their daily lives. We had them take neurologic, ophthalmological, and neuropsychological examinations. We also had them take two types of stereoscopic vision tests: a Howard-Dolman-type stereoscopic vision test and the Topcon New Objective Stereo Test. Then, we compared the results with those of two control groups: a group with damage to the right hemisphere of the brain and a group of healthy controls. Performance on the two stereoscopic vision tests was severely impaired in the three patients. One of the patients also presented with cerebral diplopia. We identified the potential neural basis of these deficits in the cuneus and the posterior section of the superior parietal lobule, which play a role in vergence fusion and are located in the caudal region of the dorso-dorsal visual pathway, which is known to be crucial not only for visual spatial perception, but also for reaching, grasping, and making hand postures in the further course of that pathway.

Roles of the Default Mode Network in Different Aspects of Self-representation When Remembering Social Autobiographical Memories.

Autobiographical memory (AM) is episodic memory for personally experienced events, in which self-representation is more important than that in laboratory-based memory. Theoretically, self-representation in a social context is categorized as the interpersonal self (IS) referred to in a social interaction with a person or the social-valued self (SS) based on the reputation of the self in the surrounding society. Although functional neuroimaging studies have demonstrated the involvement of the default mode network (DMN) in self-representation, little is known about how the DMN subsystems contribute differentially to IS-related and SS-related AMs. To elucidate this issue, we used fMRI to scan healthy young adults during the recollection of AMs. We performed multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) and assessed functional connectivity in the DMN subsystems: the midline core, medial temporal lobe (MTL), and dorsomedial pFC (dmPFC) subsystems. The study yielded two main sets of findings. First, MVPA revealed that all DMN subsystems showed significant classification accuracy between IS-related and nonsocial-self-related AMs, and IS-related functional connectivity of the midline core regions with the retrosplenial cortex of the MTL subsystem and the dmPFC of the dmPFC subsystem was significant. Second, MVPA significantly distinguished between SS-related and nonsocial-self-related AMs in the midline core and dmPFC subsystems but not in the MTL subsystem, and SS-related functional connectivity with the midline core regions was significant in the temporal pole and TPJ of the dmPFC subsystem. Thus, dissociable neural mechanisms in the DMN could contribute to different aspects of self-representation in social AMs.

Interhemispheric inhibition and gait adaptation associations in people with multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease that damages the myelin sheath within the central nervous system. Axonal demyelination, particularly in the corpus callosum, impacts communication between the brain's hemispheres in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Changes in interhemispheric communication may impair gait coordination which is modulated by communication across the corpus callosum to excite and inhibit specific muscle groups. To further evaluate the functional role of interhemispheric communication in gait and mobility, this study assessed the ipsilateral silent period (iSP), an indirect marker of interhemispheric inhibition and how it relates to gait adaptation in PwMS. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), we assessed interhemispheric inhibition differences between the more affected and less affected hemisphere in the primary motor cortices in 29 PwMS. In addition, these same PwMS underwent a split-belt treadmill walking paradigm, with the faster paced belt moving under their more affected limb. Step length asymmetry (SLA) was the primary outcome measure used to assess gait adaptability during split-belt treadmill walking. We hypothesized that PwMS would exhibit differences in iSP inhibitory metrics between the more affected and less affected hemispheres and that increased interhemispheric inhibition would be associated with greater gait adaptability in PwMS. No statistically significant differences in interhemispheric inhibition or conduction time were found between the more affected and less affected hemisphere. Furthermore, SLA aftereffect was negatively correlated with both average percent depth of silent period (dSP%AVE) (r = -0.40, p = 0.07) and max percent depth of silent period (dSP%MAX) r = -0.40, p = 0.07), indicating that reduced interhemispheric inhibition was associated with greater gait adaptability in PwMS. The lack of differences between the more affected and less affected hemisphere indicates that PwMS have similar interhemispheric inhibitory capacity irrespective of the more affected hemisphere. Additionally, we identified a moderate correlation between reduced interhemispheric inhibition and greater gait adaptability. These findings may indicate that interhemispheric inhibition may in part influence responsiveness to motor adaptation paradigms and the need for further research evaluating the neural mechanisms underlying the relationship between interhemispheric inhibition and motor adaptability.

Distinct neurological phenotypes associated with biallelic loss of NOTCH3 function: evidence for recessive inheritance.

NOTCH3 variants are known to be linked to cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL). However, some null NOTCH3 variants with homozygous inheritance cause neurological symptoms distinct from CADASIL. The aim of this study was to expand the clinical spectrum of this distinct condition and provide further evidence of its autosomal recessive inheritance. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed on a proband who exhibited livedo racemosa, ataxia, cognitive decline, seizures, and MRI white matter abnormalities without anterior temporal pole lesions. Segregation analysis was conducted with Sanger sequencing. WES of the proband identified a novel homozygous NOTCH3 null variant (c.2984delC). The consanguineous parents were confirmed as heterozygous variant carriers. In addition, three heterozygous NOTCH3 null variants were reported as incidental findings in three unrelated cases analyzed in our center. The findings of this study suggest an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern in this early-onset leukoencephalopathy, in contrast to CADASIL's dominant gain-of-function mechanism; which is a clear example of genotype-phenotype correlation. Comprehensive genetic analysis provides valuable insights into disease mechanisms and facilitates diagnosis and family planning for NOTCH3-associated neurological disorders.

Revisiting the microsurgical anatomy of the sagittal stratum and surgical implications: fiber microdissection and tractography study.

The term "sagittal stratum" was coined by Heinrich Sachs in 1892 to define a parasagittally oriented white matter layer at the temporo-occipital cortex. Although this term has been widely used for more than 100 years, the description, classification, borders, and involved fibers of the structure vary among authors and remain imprecise. Through fiber microdissection and tractography, the authors aimed to define the sagittal stratum and resolve the uncertainty by revealing the relationship of this structure to other cerebral white matter pathways and the orientation of fibers in it. Twenty postmortem human cerebral hemispheres were prepared according to Klingler's method. Fiber dissections were performed under a surgical microscope and with microsurgical techniques. The results of dissection at each step were photographed with 2D and 3D imaging techniques, and 3D photogrammetry techniques were used to create a 360° model. Diffusion tensor imaging and 7T high-resolution MRI were used to confirm the findings. This study revisited the 3D organization of white matter tracts in the sagittal stratum through fiber microdissection and tractography. The microneuroanatomical structure of the sagittal stratum and its special organization with fibers from all three fiber systems are demonstrated. The authors' findings revealed that the sagittal stratum has two layers consisting of four different fiber tracts. Its external layer consists of a long association fiber and a commissural fiber, while its internal layer consists of intertwined projection fibers, including temporo-parieto-occipitopontine fibers and the posterior thalamic peduncle. Detailed microdissection also showed the location of the posterior thalamic peduncle in the most medial site of all posterior hemispheric projection fibers. The structure of the sagittal stratum is distinctive in that it contains all three main fiber systems: association, commissural, and projection. Because of its expansive location in the temporal and occipital lobes, it can be damaged by most neurosurgical pathologies and procedures. The authors emphasize the significance of preserving the sagittal stratum during surgical interventions while also challenging the notion of a "silent" brain, suggesting that the current inability to fully comprehend cerebral function contributes to this misconception. Detailed knowledge of the complex white matter anatomy of the sagittal stratum can guide neurosurgeons in surgical planning and the selection of appropriate surgical approaches with intraoperative orientation for safe surgery and less comorbidity.

Evaluating the glymphatic system via magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging along the perivascular spaces in brain tumor patients.

To investigate glymphatic system function in patients with brain tumors, including both primary and secondary tumors, using diffusion tensor imaging along perivascular spaces (DTI-ALPS). We retrospectively analyzed the MR DTI of 24 patients with unilateral brain tumors and compared them with age and sex-matched controls. We compared the DTI-ALPS index of the ipsi- and contralateral brain hemispheres. The region of interest was placed in the periventricular vessels adjacent to the lateral ventricles. Differences between sex, age, and kind of tumor (primary or brain metastasis) were evaluated. Correlations between DTI-ALPS index and age and the tumor's apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were also investigated. The DTI-ALPS index was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the tumor-affected hemisphere (mean = 1.26 ± 0.24) than contralateral (mean = 1.43 ± 0.28). A comparison with healthy controls revealed no significant difference on the matched ipsilateral side. However, the DTI-ALPS index of the contralateral side of the patients was larger than the HC. Additionally, no statistically significant differences were found when analyzing the DTI-ALPS index vs. age, sex, and tumor entity. Additionally, we did not find a correlation between the DTI-ALPS index and patient age or tumor ADC. The decreased DTI-ALPS index in the tumor-affected hemisphere may be related to impaired glymphatic system function. However, cancer is often a systemic disease; thus, the DTI-ALPS index from the contralateral brain hemisphere may not generally be considered as a normal control. Nonetheless, the DTI-ALPS index does not only reflect diffusion in the perivascular spaces but it can also be influenced by factors such as axonal degeneration. Therefore, it does not directly reflect brain waste clearance and changes in the index should be interpreted carefully.

Motor imagery-based brain–computer interface rehabilitation programs enhance upper extremity performance and cortical activation in stroke patients

BackgroundThe most challenging aspect of rehabilitation is the repurposing of residual functional plasticity in stroke patients. To achieve this, numerous plasticity-based clinical rehabilitation programs have been developed. This study aimed to investigate the effects of motor imagery (MI)-based brain–computer interface (BCI) rehabilitation programs on upper extremity hand function in patients with chronic hemiplegia.DesignA 2010 Consolidated Standards for Test Reports (CONSORT)-compliant randomized controlled trial.MethodsForty-six eligible stroke patients with upper limb motor dysfunction participated in the study, six of whom dropped out. The patients were randomly divided into a BCI group and a control group. The BCI group received BCI therapy and conventional rehabilitation therapy, while the control group received conventional rehabilitation only. The Fugl–Meyer Assessment of the Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) score was used as the primary outcome to evaluate upper extremity motor function. Additionally, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans were performed on all patients before and after treatment, in both the resting and task states. We measured the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), z conversion of ALFF (zALFF), and z conversion of ReHo (ReHo) in the resting state. The task state was divided into four tasks: left-hand grasping, right-hand grasping, imagining left-hand grasping, and imagining right-hand grasping. Finally, meaningful differences were assessed using correlation analysis of the clinical assessments and functional measures.ResultsA total of 40 patients completed the study, 20 in the BCI group and 20 in the control group. Task-related blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) analysis showed that when performing the motor grasping task with the affected hand, the BCI group exhibited significant activation in the ipsilateral middle cingulate gyrus, precuneus, inferior parietal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and contralateral middle cingulate gyrus. When imagining a grasping task with the affected hand, the BCI group exhibited greater activation in the ipsilateral superior frontal gyrus (medial) and middle frontal gyrus after treatment. However, the activation of the contralateral superior frontal gyrus decreased in the BCI group relative to the control group. Resting-state fMRI revealed increased zALFF in multiple cerebral regions, including the contralateral precentral gyrus and calcarine and the ipsilateral middle occipital gyrus and cuneus, and decreased zALFF in the ipsilateral superior temporal gyrus in the BCI group relative to the control group. Increased zReHo in the ipsilateral cuneus and contralateral calcarine and decreased zReHo in the contralateral middle temporal gyrus, temporal pole, and superior temporal gyrus were observed post-intervention. According to the subsequent correlation analysis, the increase in the FMA-UE score showed a positive correlation with the mean zALFF of the contralateral precentral gyrus (r = 0.425, P < 0.05), the mean zReHo of the right cuneus (r = 0.399, P < 0.05).ConclusionIn conclusion, BCI therapy is effective and safe for arm rehabilitation after severe poststroke hemiparesis. The correlation of the zALFF of the contralateral precentral gyrus and the zReHo of the ipsilateral cuneus with motor improvements suggested that these values can be used as prognostic measures for BCI-based stroke rehabilitation. We found that motor function was related to visual and spatial processing, suggesting potential avenues for refining treatment strategies for stroke patients.Trial registration: The trial is registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (number ChiCTR2000034848, registered July 21, 2020).

Localized anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive histiocytosis in a cerebellar hemisphere with long-term treatment: illustrative case.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive histiocytosis (ALK-H) is an emerging entity in the category of histiocytic neoplasms that was first reported as a multisystemic disease in three infants in 2008. The clinicopathological spectrum of ALK-H has been expanded to include localized disorders in specific organs, but the features of this subtype are not well known. The authors report a case of ALK-H localized in the central nervous system that was difficult to treat and review the relevant literature. The authors reviewed archival histiocytic tumors at their institute and found a pediatric case of ALK-H localized in a cerebellar hemisphere that had previously been reported as histiocytic sarcoma. Chemotherapy (approximately 1 year), additional surgery, and conventional chemotherapy (approximately 2.5 years) led to clinical remission, and maintenance chemotherapy was continued (approximately 1.5 years). Three years after completing treatment, a high-grade glioma was found in a cerebral hemisphere, and the patient died of the glioma 2 years later. Although the prognosis of ALK-H is generally good according to prior cases, the authors' case required long-term conventional chemotherapy, suggesting the tumor displayed aggressive characteristics. Early administration of ALK inhibitors may be necessary.

Effects of GLP1 receptor analogues in obesity with neurodevelopmental disorder: case report of a patient with holoprosencephaly.

Holoprosencephaly is an anomaly in the division of the prosencephalon into cerebral hemispheres during the second month of gestation. Patients can present with early-onset obesity favoured by the cognitive impairment. We present a case of a 24 year-old woman with holoprosencephaly and class III obesity who was treated by 2.4 mg/week SEMAGLUTIDE. Her body weight decreased from 115.3 to 94.3 kg after one-year (18% of total body weight loss). In addition, she presented a marked reduction in self- and hetero-aggressive behaviour when exposed to the sight of food. The treatment was well tolerated, with the exception of a few vomiting when eating palatable food too quickly. GLP1-RAs may be interesting for obesity treatment in the context of neurodevelopmental disorders. They appear to reduce compulsive eating and aggressive behaviour, particularly in relation to exposure to food, and lead to weight loss similar to that seen in people without neurodevelopmental disorders.

The neural mechanism of communication between graduate students and advisers in different adviser-advisee relationships

Communication is crucial in constructing the relationship between students and advisers, ultimately bridging interpersonal interactions. Only a few studies however explore the communication between postgraduate students and advisers. To fill the gaps in the empirical researches, this study uses functional near-infrared spectroscopy (FNIRS) techniques to explore the neurophysiology differences in brain activation of postgraduates with different adviser-advise relationships during simulated communication with their advisers. Results showed significant differences in the activation of the prefrontal cortex between high-quality and the low-quality students during simulating and when communicating with advisers, specifically in the Broca's areas, the frontal pole, and the orbitofrontal and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. This further elucidated the complex cognitive process of communication between graduate students and advisers.

Activation of the Frontal Pole Using Children’s Video Games: Support for Children’s Well-being

Effective support intended to promote children&amp;rsquo;s well-being has gained scholarly attention worldwide. Well-being is composed of complex elements. Of these elements, the promotion of executive function, which coordinates cognitive activities, via an effective method is important. Regarding the frontal pole in the anterior part of the prefrontal cortex, scholars presume that it is involved in advanced abilities, such as metacognition, and is essential for well-being. In today&amp;rsquo;s digital society, video games are appealing to children. Thus, a possibility exists that children can achieve certain aspects of well-being, such as a sense of achievement, perseverance, and happiness, by playing video games. In this regard, evidence that video games can be used to activate the prefrontal cortex is accumulating. In light of this discussion, this study hypothesizes that playing video games may affect the frontal pole and analyzes the brain activation of the frontal pole using video games compared with a mental abacus activity. The results demonstrate that playing through an educational game called Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain exhibited more activation potential than mental abacus in many points.

Analysis of functional connectivity changes in attention networks and default mode networks in patients with depression and insomnia.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Insomnia Disorder (ID) are prevalent psychiatric conditions often occurring concurrently, leading to substantial impairment in daily functioning. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders and their comorbidity is crucial for developing effective interventions. This study aims to analyze changes in functional connectivity within attention networks and default mode networks in patients with depression and insomnia. The functional connectivity alterations in individuals with MDD, ID, comorbid MDD and insomnia (iMDD), and healthy controls (HC) were assessed from a cohort of 174 participants. They underwent rs-fMRI scans, demographic assessments, and scale evaluations for depression and sleep quality. Functional connectivity analysis was conducted using region-of-interest (ROI) and whole-brain methods. The MDD and iMDD groups exhibited higher Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) scores compared to HC and ID groups (P < 0.001). Both ID and MDD groups displayed enhanced connectivity between the left and right orbital frontal cortex compared to HC (P < 0.05), while the iMDD group showed reduced connectivity compared to HC and ID groups (P < 0.05). In the left insula, reduced connectivity with the right medial superior frontal gyrus was observed across patient groups compared to HC (P < 0.05), with the iMDD group showing increased connectivity compared to MDD (P < 0.05). Moreover, alterations in functional connectivity between the left thalamus and left temporal pole were found in iMDD compared to HC and MDD (P < 0.05). Correlation analyses revealed associations between abnormal connectivity and symptom severity in MDD and ID groups. Our findings demonstrate distinct patterns of altered functional connectivity in individuals with MDD, ID, and iMDD compared to healthy controls. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of depression and insomnia, which could be used as a reference for the diagnosis and treatments of these patients.

Grey matter volume reduction in the frontotemporal cortex associated with persistent verbal auditory hallucinations in Chinese patients with chronic schizophrenia: Insights from a 3 T magnetic resonance imaging study

BackgroundPersistent auditory verbal hallucinations (pAVHs) are a fundamental manifestation of schizophrenia (SCZ), yet the exact connection between pAVHs and brain structure remains contentious. This study aims to explore the potential correlation between pAVHs and alterations in grey matter volume (GMV) within specific brain regions among individuals diagnosed with SCZ. Methods76 SCZ patients with pAVHs (pAVH group), 57 SCZ patients without AVHs (non-AVH group), and 83 healthy controls (HC group) were investigated using 3 T magnetic resonance imaging. The P3 hallucination item of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale was used to assess the severity of pAVHs. Voxel-based morphometry was used to analyze the GMV profile between the three groups. ResultsCompared to the non-AVH and HC groups, the pAVH group exhibited extensive reduction in GMV within the frontotemporal cortex. Conversely, no significant difference in GMV was observed between the non-AVH and HC groups. The severity of pAVHs showed a negative correlation with GMV in several regions, including the right fusiform, right inferior temporal, right medial orbitofrontal, right superior frontal, and right temporal pole (p = 0.0036, Bonferroni correction). Stepwise linear regression analysis revealed that GMV in the right temporal pole (β = −0.29, p = 0.001) and right fusiform (β = −0.21, p = 0.01) were significantly associated with the severity of pAVHs. ConclusionsWidespread reduction in GMV is observed within the frontotemporal cortex, particularly involving the right temporal pole and right fusiform, which potentially contribute to the pathogenesis of pAVHs in individuals with chronic SCZ.

Idiosyncratic patterns of interhemispheric connectivity in the face and scene networks of the human brain

Abstract Neuroimaging studies have revealed a network of regions in both hemispheres of the human brain that respond selectively to faces. Neural models of face processing have typically focused on functional connectivity between regions in the same hemisphere (intrahemispheric), with a particular bias toward the right hemisphere. Here, we explored the role of interhemispheric connectivity using fMRI. We used three datasets to compare functional connectivity, as shown by correlations between the time-courses of neural activity of face regions during different natural viewing paradigms. We found higher correlations of neural activity between corresponding interhemispheric regions (e.g., rFFA–lFFA) than between intrahemispheric regions (e.g., rFFA–rOFA), indicating a bias towards higher interhemispheric than intrahemispheric connectivity. A similar interhemispheric bias was evident in scene-selective regions. In contrast, we did not find an interhemispheric bias in early visual regions (V1–V3), where intrahemispheric connectivity between corresponding regions was generally higher than interhemispheric connectivity. Next, we asked whether the higher interhemispheric connectivity in the face and scene networks between corresponding regions was consistent across participants. We found that the interhemispheric bias was significantly attenuated when we compared the time-course of response across participants. This shows that interhemispheric bias in connectivity between corresponding regions in the face and scene networks is specific to the individual. These findings raise the possibility that idiosyncratic variation in interhemispheric connectivity may explain individual differences in perception.