Matter Asymmetry Research Articles

Application of the coherent density fluctuation model to study the nuclear matter properties of finite nuclei within the relativistic mean-field formalism

We obtained a density-dependent analytical expression of binding energy per nucleon for different neutron-proton asymmetry of the nuclear matter (NM) with a polynomial fitting, which manifests the results of effective field theory motivated relativistic mean-field (E-RMF) model. This expression has the edge over the Br$\ddot{u}$ckner energy density functional [Phys. Rev. {\bf 171}, 1188 (1968)] since it resolves the Coster-Band problem. The NM parameters like incompressibility, neutron pressure, symmetry energy, and its derivatives are calculated using the acquired expression of energy per nucleon. Further, the weight function calculated by E-RMF densities are folded with calculated NM parameters within coherent density fluctuation model to find the properties of closed/semi-closed-shell even-even $^{16}$O, $^{40}$Ca, $^{48}$Ca, $^{56}$Ni, $^{90}$Zr, $^{116}$Sn, and $^{208}$Pb nuclei. The values obtained for the neutron pressure $P^{A}$, symmetry energy $S^{A}$ and its derivative $L_{sym}^A$ known as slope parameter, lie within a narrow domain whereas there is a large variation in isoscalar incompressibility $K^{A}$ and surface incompressibility $K_{sym}^{A}$ while moving from light to heavy nuclei. The sizable variation in $K^{A}$ and $K_{sym}^{A}$ for light and heavy nuclei depicts their structural dependence due to the peculiar density distribution of each nucleus. A comparison of surface quantities calculated in the present work has also been made with ones obtained via Br$\ddot{u}$ckner energy density functional.

Relations between hemispheric asymmetries of grey matter and auditory processing of spoken syllables in 281 healthy adults

Most people have a right-ear advantage for the perception of spoken syllables, consistent with left hemisphere dominance for speech processing. However, there is considerable variation, with some people showing left-ear advantage. The extent to which this variation is reflected in brain structure remains unclear. We tested for relations between hemispheric asymmetries of auditory processing and of grey matter in 281 adults, using dichotic listening and voxel-based morphometry. This was the largest study of this issue to date. Per-voxel asymmetry indexes were derived for each participant following registration of brain magnetic resonance images to a template that was symmetrized. The asymmetry index derived from dichotic listening was related to grey matter asymmetry in clusters of voxels corresponding to the amygdala and cerebellum lobule VI. There was also a smaller, non-significant cluster in the posterior superior temporal gyrus, a region of auditory cortex. These findings contribute to the mapping of asymmetrical structure–function links in the human brain and suggest that subcortical structures should be investigated in relation to hemispheric dominance for speech processing, in addition to auditory cortex.

Changes in Gray Matter Asymmetries of the Fusiform and Parahippocampal Gyruses in Patients With Subcortical Ischemic Vascular Disease.

Objective: Changes in the normal asymmetry of the human brain often mean pathology. Current studies on the correlation between asymmetry and cognitive impairment have focused on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-related mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in gray matter asymmetry and their relationship with cognitive impairment in patients with subcortical ischemic vascular disease (SIVD) by using voxel-based morphological measurements.Methods: Fifty-nine SIVD patients with (subcortical vascular cognitive impairment, SVCI, N = 30) and without (pre-SVCI, N = 29) cognitive impairment and 30 normal controls (NC, N = 30) underwent high-resolution structural MRI and neuropsychological examinations. The differences in gray matter asymmetry among the three groups were estimated by using one-way ANOVA. Moreover, partial correlation analysis was performed to explore the relationships between the asymmetry index (AI) values and cognitive assessments controlled for age, sex, and education.Results: The gray matter asymmetries in the fusiform and parahippocampal gyruses of the SVCI group were significantly different from those of the NC group and the pre-SVCI group, while no differences were found between the NC group and the pre-SVCI group in the same areas. More specifically, in the fusiform and parahippocampal gyruses, the SVCI group displayed a dramatic rightward asymmetry, whereas the NC group and pre-SVCI group exhibited a marked leftward asymmetry. The results of the correlation analysis showed that the “mean AI” in significant cluster was strongly correlated with the changes in cognitive outcomes.Conclusion: This study demonstrated different lateralization in the fusiform and parahippocampal gyruses of SIVD patients with cognitive impairment compared to healthy subjects and SIVD patients without cognitive decline. Our findings may contribute to better understanding the possible mechanism of cognitive impairment in patients with SIVD, and they suggest the possibility of using gray matter asymmetry as a biomarker for disease progression.

Transgresje kulturowe we współczesnych tekstach literackich dla dzieci

Literature, also created with children in mind, to quote Kazimierz Brodziński, is a mirror of the age and the nation. Reacting to the change of cultural paradigm, it opens the borders, meets the current needs of the audience, adapts its repertoire to their interests and new narrative practices. Contemporary technological ubiquity generates an asymmetry of semiotic matter and communicative context, which realizes displacements in the area triad: culture-literature-media, thus triggering transgressions in literary texts. The questioning of the conventions of writing and printing causes modifications in the architectural structure of readings, which become on-linear, use the language of old and new media, and follow the example of audiovisual productions. The article highlights some of the transformations taking place in literature aimed at the on-adult reader in times of a culture that is changing anthropologically in spectacular and audiovisual way.

Sex differences in structural brain asymmetry of children with autism spectrum disorders

Previous studies have confirmed the sex difference of gray matter asymmetry in typically developing controls and the abnormal gray matter asymmetry in autism spectrum disorders. However, whether and how sex differences of gray matter asymmetry exist in autism spectrum disorders remains studied. This paper analyzes the above issues and explores correlations between gray matter asymmetry and autistic symptoms. Data from 72 children (36 males and 36 females) with autism spectrum disorders and 72 typically developing-controls (36 males and 36 females) between 8 and 14 years were included and obtained from the autism brain imaging data exchange repository (autism brain imaging data exchange I and autism brain imaging data exchange II). The voxel-based morphometry approach was used to assess gray matter asymmetry in T1-weighted brain data, and gray matter asymmetry was quantified as asymmetry index. A 2 × 2 analysis of covariance was used to identify asymmetry index differences among the four groups. Pearson correlation analysis was performed for asymmetry index values extracted from the clusters with significant differences between the four groups and autistic symptoms (social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive behaviors) measured by the revised autism diagnostic interview scale. Results showed that specific brain regions showed significant main effects for diagnosis in which autism spectrum disorders patients had more leftward asymmetry than typically developing-controls for the parahippocampal gyrus and the postcentral gyrus; specific brain regions showed significant main effects for sex in which females showed more rightward asymmetry for the middle temporal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, angular gyrus, and postcentral gyrus and minor rightward asymmetry for the superior frontal gyrus than males; significant diagnosis × sex interaction effects were identified in the angular gyrus and middle occipital gyrus. Pearson correlation analysis showed that males with autism spectrum disorders had a positive association between the asymmetry index value in the middle occipital gyrus and more significant verbal impairment measured by the revised autism diagnostic interview (r = 0.387, p = 0.026). The asymmetry index value in the parahippocampal gyrus was positively associated with more severe social impairment in females with autism spectrum disorders (r = 0.422, p = 0.020). We identified that the sex difference of gray matter asymmetry in children with autism spectrum disorders is qualitative rather than quantitative, which is relatively novel. Our findings provide the theoretical basis for conducting separate studies and using sex-specific diagnostic methods and treatments for males and females children with autism spectrum disorders.

Creativity in nursing

British Journal of Cardiac NursingVol. 15, No. 12 EditorialCreativity in nursingAysha MendesAysha MendesCorrespondence to: Aysha Mendes; E-mail Address: [email protected]British Journal of Cardiac Nursing, MA Healthcare Ltd, London, UKSearch for more papers by this authorAysha MendesPublished Online:22 Dec 2020https://doi.org/10.12968/bjca.2020.0165AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References Centre for Educational Neuroscience. Left brain versus right brain thinkers. n.d. http://www.educationalneuroscience.org.uk/resources/neuromyth-or-neurofact/left-brain-versus-right-brain-thinkers/ (accessed 16 December 2020) Google ScholarEknoyan G. Michelangelo: art, anatomy, and the kidney. Kidney Int. 2000;57(3):1190–1201. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-1755.2000.00947.x Crossref, Google ScholarGermann J, Petrides M, Chakravarty MM. Hand preference and local asymmetry in cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellar white matter. Brain Struct Funct. 2019;224:2899–2905. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-019-01941-6 Crossref, Google ScholarRana Z. Einstein was an artist: how creativity actually works. 2018. https://tinyurl.com/yan29bcl (accessed 16 December 2020) Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited bySupporting cardiac patients during the COVID-19 pandemicSusan Dawkes9 May 2020 | British Journal of Cardiac Nursing, Vol. 15, No. 5Nurses in isolation, and the dark clouds and silver linings revealed by COVID-19Helen Cowan, Lucy Mason, Emma Wilson28 May 2020 | British Journal of Cardiac Nursing, Vol. 15, No. 5 2 December 2020Volume 15Issue 12ISSN (online): 2052-2207 Metrics History Published online 22 December 2020 Published in print 2 December 2020 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedPDF download

Characterisation of white matter asymmetries in the healthy human brain using diffusion MRI fixel-based analysis

The diffusion tensor model for diffusion MRI has been used extensively to study asymmetry in the human brain white matter. However, given the limitations of the tensor model, the nature of any underlying asymmetries remains uncertain, particularly in crossing fibre regions. Here, we provide a more robust characterisation of human brain white matter asymmetries based on fibre-specific diffusion MRI metrics and a whole-brain data-driven approach. We used high-quality diffusion MRI data (n = 100) from the Human Connectome Project, the spherical deconvolution model for fibre orientation distribution estimation, and the Fixel-Based Analysis framework to utilise crossing fibre information in registration, data smoothing and statistical inference. We found many significant asymmetries, widespread throughout the brain white matter, with both left>right and right>left dominances observed in different pathways. No influences of sex, age, or handedness on asymmetry were found. We also report on the relative contributions of microstructural and morphological white matter properties toward the asymmetry findings. Our findings should provide important information to future studies focussing on how these asymmetries are affected by disease, development/ageing, or how they correlate to functional/cognitive measures.

Can reduced leftward asymmetry of white matter integrity be a marker of transition to psychosis in at-risk mental state?

As a biomarker for the degree of psychosis development, the lateral asymmetry of white matter (WM) integrity in each area of the cerebrum has been investigated; as a result, a reduced leftward asymmetry of WM integrity has been reported in patients with schizophrenia. Although individuals with an at-risk mental state for psychosis (ARMS) who subsequently develop psychosis are believed to have poorer social functioning, only a few studies have actually examined the associations between WM abnormalities and social functioning. The aim of the present study was to clarify the possibly predictive association between a reduced asymmetry of WM integrity and impairments in social functioning in patients with ARMS. Thirty ARMS subjects underwent MRI scanning and were assessed using the Social Functioning Scale (SFS). We examined the fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the cingulum bundle (CB) and the uncinate fasciculus (UF) using a tract-specific analysis. Lateral asymmetry was assessed using the laterality index (LI). The LI of the FA value was positive (leftward) in the CB and negative (rightward) in the UF. Although the LI was not correlated with the Scale of Prodromal Symptoms (SOPS) score, the LI in the CB was positively correlated with the SFS score. In ARMS patients, the degree of reduced leftward asymmetry in the CB might affect deteriorations in social functioning and may be useful as a biomarker for predicting future outcomes at an early stage of psychosis.

Gray matter asymmetry in the orbitofrontal cortex in relation to psychopathic traits in adolescents

BackgroundStructural abnormalities in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of incarcerated psychopaths have been well documented. However, the neural correlates of psychopathic traits in younger and nonclinical samples remain poorly understood. AimThe present study aimed to examine the structural brain asymmetry in the OFC in relation to dimensions of psychopathic traits in adolescents from the community. MethodIn 29 youths from the community, childhood psychopathic traits including narcissism, impulsivity, and callous-unemotional traits were assessed when they were 7- to 10 years old (Time 1), and their gray matter (GM) volumes were measured using structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging when they were 10- to 14 years old (Time 2). ResultsAfter controlling for age, sex, IQ, pubertal stage, and whole-brain volumes, callous-unemotional traits were associated with right-left asymmetry in the medial OFC (mOFC), that is, smaller right mOFC GM as compared to the left. Impulsivity was associated with left-right asymmetry in the mOFC, that is, smaller left mOFC than the right. Narcissism was not associated with any GM asymmetry measure. No significant association was found for the lateral OFC, amygdala, caudate and putamen. ConclusionThe present findings provide further support that dimensions of psychopathic traits may have distinct neurobiological correlates.

Disentangling genuine from matter-induced CP violation in neutrino oscillations

We prove [1] that, in any flavor transition, neutrino oscillation CP violating asymmetries in matter have two disentangled components: (a) a CPT-odd T-invariant term, non-vanishing iff there are interactions with matter; (b) a T-odd CPT-invariant term, non-vanishing iff there is genuine CP violation. As function of the baseline, these two terms are distinct L-even and L-odd observables, respectively. In the experimental region of terrestrial accelerator neutrinos, we calculate [2] their approximate expressions from which we prove that, at medium baselines, the CPT-odd component is small and nearly (δ-independent, so it can be subtracted from the experimental CP asymmetry as a theoretical background, provided the hierarchy is known. At long baselines, on the other hand, we find that (i) a Hierarchy-odd term in the CPT-odd component dominates the CP asymmetry for energies above the first oscillation node, and (ii) the CPT-odd term vanishes, independent of the CP phase δ, at E = 0.92 GeV(L/1300 km) near the second oscillation maximum, where the T-odd term is almost maximal and proportional to sin δ. A measurement of the CP asymmetry in these energy regions would thus provide separate information on (i) the neutrino mass ordering, and (ii) direct evidence of genuine CP violation in the lepton sector.

Structural and functional motor cortex asymmetry in unilateral lower limb amputation with phantom limb pain

ObjectiveThe role of motor cortex reorganization in the development and maintenance of phantom limb pain (PLP) is still unclear. This study aims to evaluate neurophysiological and structural motor cortex asymmetry in patients with PLP and its relationship with pain intensity. MethodsCross-sectional analysis of an ongoing randomized-controlled trial. We evaluated the motor cortex asymmetry through two techniques: i) changes in cortical excitability indexed by transcranial magnetic stimulation (motor evoked potential, paired-pulse paradigms and cortical mapping), and ii) voxel-wise grey matter asymmetry analysis by brain magnetic resonance imaging. ResultsWe included 62 unilateral traumatic lower limb amputees with a mean PLP of 5.9 (SD = 1.79). We found, in the affected hemisphere, an anterior shift of the hand area center of gravity (23 mm, 95% CI 6 to 38, p = 0.005) and a disorganized and widespread representation. Regarding voxel-wise grey matter asymmetry analysis, data from 21 participants show a loss of grey matter volume in the motor area of the affected hemisphere. This asymmetry seems negatively associated with time since amputation. For TMS data, only the ICF ratio is negatively correlated with PLP intensity (r = −0.25, p = 0.04). ConclusionThere is an asymmetrical reorganization of the motor cortex in patients with PLP, characterized by a disorganized, widespread, and shifted hand cortical representation and a loss in grey matter volume in the affected hemisphere. This reorganization seems to reduce across time since amputation. However, it is not associated with pain intensity. SignificanceThese findings are significant to understand the role of the motor cortex reorganization in patients with PLP, showing that the pain intensity may be related with other neurophysiological factors, not just cortical reorganization.

Bargaining and conflict with up-front investments: How power asymmetries matter

We examine settings—such as litigation, labor relations, or arming and war—in which players first make non-contractible up-front investments to improve their bargaining position and gain advantage for possible future conflict. Bargaining is efficient ex post, but we show that a player may prefer Conflict ex ante if there are sufficient asymmetries in strength. There are two sources of this finding. First, up-front investments are more dissimilar between players under Conflict, and they are lower than under Bargaining when one player is much stronger than the other. Second, the probability of the stronger player winning in Conflict is higher than the share received under Nash bargaining. We thus provide a rationale for conflict to occur under complete information that does not depend on long-term commitment problems. Greater balance in institutional support for different sides is more likely to maintain peace and settlements.

Mapping brain asymmetry in health and disease through the ENIGMA consortium.

Left–right asymmetry of the human brain is one of its cardinal features, and also a complex, multivariate trait. Decades of research have suggested that brain asymmetry may be altered in psychiatric disorders. However, findings have been inconsistent and often based on small sample sizes. There are also open questions surrounding which structures are asymmetrical on average in the healthy population, and how variability in brain asymmetry relates to basic biological variables such as age and sex. Over the last 4 years, the ENIGMA‐Laterality Working Group has published six studies of gray matter morphological asymmetry based on total sample sizes from roughly 3,500 to 17,000 individuals, which were between one and two orders of magnitude larger than those published in previous decades. A population‐level mapping of average asymmetry was achieved, including an intriguing fronto‐occipital gradient of cortical thickness asymmetry in healthy brains. ENIGMA's multi‐dataset approach also supported an empirical illustration of reproducibility of hemispheric differences across datasets. Effect sizes were estimated for gray matter asymmetry based on large, international, samples in relation to age, sex, handedness, and brain volume, as well as for three psychiatric disorders: autism spectrum disorder was associated with subtly reduced asymmetry of cortical thickness at regions spread widely over the cortex; pediatric obsessive–compulsive disorder was associated with altered subcortical asymmetry; major depressive disorder was not significantly associated with changes of asymmetry. Ongoing studies are examining brain asymmetry in other disorders. Moreover, a groundwork has been laid for possibly identifying shared genetic contributions to brain asymmetry and disorders.

Altered Hemispheric Asymmetry of White Matter Integrity in Children With Williams Syndrome

Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare condition caused by hemideletion of ∼25 genes at chromosomal location 7q11.23. Previous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated altered white matter integrity in both hemispheres in WS, but some findings, along with reported disparities in verbal versus spatial abilities, suggest that there may be underlying brain asymmetries. Because formal analyses of such putative lateralization have not been reported, here we tested for white matter asymmetry differences between children with WS and typically developing (TD) children.

Speaking of aging: Changes in gray matter asymmetry in Broca’s area in later adulthood

Several theories suggest a change in the brain's asymmetry as we get older. However, it is currently unresolved whether Broca's area, consisting of left Brodmann Areas (BA) 45 and 44, undergoes age-related changes. To address this question, we mapped associations between chronological age and gray matter asymmetry of BA45 and BA44 in a large sample (n = 485) of adults ranging between 42 and 97 years of age. Hemisphere-specific gray matter volumes and asymmetry indices were obtained by integrating cytoarchitectonic probabilities with MRI-based signal intensities. For BA44, we did not observe any significant correlation between age and gray matter asymmetry. In contrast, for BA45, the analysis revealed a significant correlation, which indicates a decreasing asymmetry from rightward to less rightward with increasing age. A subsequent characterization of hemisphere-specific volume loss revealed significant negative associations between age and gray matter volume for left and right BA45, but with weaker effects in the left hemisphere compared to the right. These findings seem to support the assumption of reduced structural asymmetries later in life, at least for BA45, which seem to be driven by a stronger tissue loss in the right hemisphere than the left hemisphere.

Longitudinal Study of Brain Asymmetries in Autism and Developmental Delays Aged 2–5 Years

Some previous studies have demonstrated atypical brain lateralization in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, most of these reports have focused on language-related asymmetries in adults, and the developmental trajectory of hemispheric asymmetries in the important phase that occurs at 2–5 years of age remains unclear. Thus, we used structural magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in a longitudinal study of grey matter (GM) asymmetries across all cortical parcellation units (PUs) and white matter (WM) lateralization across the WM skeleton using voxel-based morphometry and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) in 34 toddlers with ASD and a matched group of 26 toddlers with developmental delay (DD) at 2–3 years old and with follow-up at 4–5 years of age. We found the total brain volume and fractional anisotropy (FA) of WM was higher in the ASD group than in the DD group at baseline and 2 years later. The ASD and DD groups showed a rightward asymmetry in a large number of cortical PUs and in the WM skeleton at both time points. GM lateralization was associated with the social and communicative disturbances observed in ASD at baseline, while WM asymmetry was significantly related to social disturbances and repetitive behaviours seen at 4–5 years of age. In conclusion, both ASD and DD toddlers had widespread rightward asymmetry, and the patterns of lateralization were similar across the groups. GM and WM showed asynchronous development of hemispheric asymmetries at 2–5 years of age, and this lateralization was associated with ASD symptoms.

Antimatter and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

In this short paper we make a proposal that the second law of thermodynamics holds true for a closed physical system consisting of pure antimatter in the thermodynamical limit, but in a reversed form. We give two plausible arguments in favour to this proposal: one refers to the CPT theorem of relativistic quantum field theories while the other one is based on general thermodynamical arguments. However in our understanding the ultimate validity or invalidity of this idea can be decided only by future physical experiments. As a consequence of the proposal we argue that the dynamical evolution of pure macroscopic antimatter systems can be very different from that of ordinary matter systems in the sense that sufficiently massive antimatter systems could have stronger tendency to form black holes during time evolution than their ordinary counterparts. Taking into account the various uniqueness theorems in black hole physics as well, as a result, antimatter could tracelessly disappear behind black hole event horizons faster in time than ordinary matter. The observed asymmetry of matter and antimatter could then be explained even if their presence in the Universe was symmetric in the beginning.

White matter correlates of hemi-face dominance in happy and sad expression.

The neural underpinnings of human emotional expression are thought to be unevenly distributed among the two brain hemispheres. However, little is known on the anatomy supporting this claim, particularly in the cerebral white matter. Here, we explored the relationship between hemi-face dominance in emotional expression and cerebral white matter asymmetries in 33 healthy participants. Measures of emotional expression were derived from pictures of the participant's faces in a 'happy smiling' and a 'sad frowning' conditions. Chimeric faces were constructed by mirroring right and left hemi-faces, as done in previous studies, resulting in a left mirrored and right mirrored chimeric face per picture. To gain measures of hemi-face dominance per participant, a jury of 20 additional participants rated which chimeric face shows the higher intensity of emotional expressivity, by marking a 155mm line between the two versions. Measures of the asymmetry of the uncinate, the cingulum and the three branches of superior longitudinal fasciculi were derived from diffusion-weighted imaging tractography dissections. Group effect analyses indicated that the degree of asymmetry in emotional expression was not as prominent as reported in the literature and showed a large inter-individual variability. The degree of asymmetry in emotional expression was, however, significantly associated with the asymmetries in connective properties of the fronto-temporal and fronto-parietal tracts, specifically the uncinate fasciculus and the first branch of the superior longitudinal fasciculus. Therefore, this result raises novel hypotheses on the relationship of specific white matter tracts and emotional expression, especially their role in mood disorders.

Altered brain white matter microstructural asymmetry in children with ADHD

ObjectivesWe aimed to examine brain white matter integrity in children with ADHD. MethodsIn a cohort of children with ADHD (n = 83) and healthy controls (n = 122), we used tract-based spatial statistics on Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data to obtain the mean fractional anisotropy (FA) in 40 bilateral regions of interest (ROIs). Lateralization Index (LI) was calculated. The difference in LI between groups and correlations between the LI of each ROI and ADHD symptom scores as well as cognitive function were examined. ResultsChildren with ADHD had significantly greater LI at the posterior thalamic radiation (PTR) compared with healthy controls (mean LI in ADHD = 0.0096; in Control = 0.0044, p = 0.0143), and LI of the external capsule (EC) was significantly correlated with inattention symptoms in both groups (β = −0.00059, p = 0.0181). LI of the PTR was significantly correlated with inhibitory function in healthy controls (β = −0.0008510, p = 0.0248), but not in children with ADHD. ConclusionWe found increased brain white matter asymmetry (leftward) in children with ADHD compared with healthy controls at the posterior thalamic radiation. Leftward lateralization of FA values at the external capsule was negatively correlated with ADHD symptoms in both children with ADHD and healthy controls.

Oil price-inflation pass-through in OECD countries

Purpose This paper aims to assess the relationship between oil price and inflation in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. This paper contributes to knowledge in a number of ways. Design/methodology/approach First, we carry out a comparative analysis between the developed and developing countries of the OECD. Second, we check if the global financial crisis (GFC) of 2008 altered the oil price–inflation relationship. We further extend our analysis to capture asymmetries using the non-linear autoregressive distributed lag model. Lastly, we use the Campbell and Thompson (2008) forecast evaluation test to comparatively assess the predictive ability of the symmetric (restricted) and asymmetric (unrestricted) models. Findings Our results show that asymmetries matter in the oil price–inflation nexus. Also, the effect of the GFC of 2008 is stronger for the developed countries in the short run, and the developing countries in the long run. Lastly, accounting for asymmetries in oil price yields a better forecast for inflation in both groups. Originality/value The paper adds some interesting innovations to the oil price–inflation relationship in the OECD countries. It is the study with the widest scope for such country group under two classifications of developed and developing countries. It also inculcates the role of asymmetries, financial crisis, as well as the predictive ability of oil price on inflation.