Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Automated Seizure Detection Based On State-Space Model Identification, Zhuo Wang, Michael Sperling, Dale Wyeth, Allon Guez

Department of Neuroscience Faculty Papers

In this study, we developed a machine learning model for automated seizure detection using system identification techniques on EEG recordings. System identification builds mathematical models from a time series signal and uses a small number of parameters to represent the entirety of time domain signal epochs. Such parameters were used as features for the classifiers in our study. We analyzed 69 seizure and 55 non-seizure recordings and an additional 10 continuous recordings from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, alongside a larger dataset from the CHB-MIT database. By dividing EEGs into epochs (1 s, 2 s, 5 s, and 10 s) and …

Ephrinb2 Knockdown In Cervical Spinal Cord Preserves Diaphragm Innervation In A Mutant Sod1 Mouse Model Of Als, Mark W. Urban, Brittany A. Charsar, Nicolette M. Heinsinger, Shashirekha S. Markandaiah, Lindsay Sprimont, Wei Zhou, Eric V. Brown, Nathan T. Henderson, Samantha J. Thomas, Biswarup Ghosh, Rachel E. Cain, Davide Trotti, Piera Pasinelli, Megan C. Wright, Matthew B. Dalva, Angelo C. Lepore

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Staff Papers and Presentations

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron loss. Importantly, non-neuronal cell types such as astrocytes also play significant roles in disease pathogenesis. However, mechanisms of astrocyte contribution to ALS remain incompletely understood. Astrocyte involvement suggests that transcellular signaling may play a role in disease. We examined contribution of transmembrane signaling molecule ephrinB2 to ALS pathogenesis, in particular its role in driving motor neuron damage by spinal cord astrocytes. In symptomatic SOD1G93A mice (a well-established ALS model), ephrinB2 expression was dramatically increased in ventral horn astrocytes. Reducing ephrinB2 in the cervical spinal cord ventral horn via …

Jun Upregulation Drives Aberrant Transposable Element Mobilization, Associated Innate Immune Response, And Impaired Neurogenesis In Alzheimer’S Disease, Chiara Scopa, Samantha Barnada, Maria Cicardi, Mo Singer, Davide Trotti, Marco Trizzino

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Adult neurogenic decline, inflammation, and neurodegeneration are phenotypic hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Mobilization of transposable elements (TEs) in heterochromatic regions was recently reported in AD, but the underlying mechanisms are still underappreciated. Combining functional genomics with the differentiation of familial and sporadic AD patient derived-iPSCs into hippocampal progenitors, CA3 neurons, and cerebral organoids, we found that the upregulation of the AP-1 subunit, c-Jun, triggers decondensation of genomic regions containing TEs. This leads to the cytoplasmic accumulation of HERVK-derived RNA-DNA hybrids, the activation of the cGAS-STING cascade, and increased levels of cleaved caspase-3, suggesting the initiation of programmed cell death …

The Nurosleeve, A User-Centered 3d Printed Hybrid Orthosis For Individuals With Upper Extremity Impairment, Mehdi Khantan, Mikael Avery, Phyo Thuta Aung, Rachel M. Zarin, Emma Hammelef, Nabila Shawki, Mijail Demian Serruya, Alessandro Naopli

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Active upper extremity (UE) assistive devices have the potential to restore independent functional movement in individuals with UE impairment due to neuromuscular diseases or injury-induced chronic weakness. Academically fabricated UE assistive devices are not usually optimized for activities of daily living (ADLs), whereas commercially available alternatives tend to lack flexibility in control and activation methods. Both options are typically difficult to don and doff and may be uncomfortable for extensive daily use due to their lack of personalization. To overcome these limitations, we have designed, developed, and clinically evaluated the NuroSleeve, an innovative user-centered UE hybrid orthosis.

METHODS: This …

Association Between Metabolic Syndrome And Stroke: A Population Based Cohort Study, Amir Moghadam-Ahmadi, Narjes Soltani, Fatemeh Ayoobi, Zahra Jamali, Tabandeh Sadeghi, Nazanin Jalali, Alireza Vakilian, Mohammad Amin Lotfi, Parvin Khalili

Department of Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Both metabolic syndrome (MetS) and stroke are associated with increased risk of mortality. Here, we aimed to assess the prevalence of MetS among adults using three definitions (Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP-III), International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and IDF ethnic specific cut-off for Iranian criteria) and its association with stroke. We performed a cross-sectional study of a total of 9991 adult participants of Rafsanjan Cohort Study (RCS), as part of the Prospective epidemiological research studies in Iran (PERSIAN cohort study). The MetS prevalence was evaluated in participants according to the different criteria. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the …

Sleep Problems In Old Age: Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor To The Rescue, Sho Inami, Dinis J.S. Afonso, Kyunghee Koh

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

A Learned Map For Places And Concepts In The Human Medial Temporal Lobe, Nora A. Herweg, Lukas Kunz, Daniel Schonhaut, Armin Brandt, Paul A. Wanda, Ashwini D. Sharan, Michael R. Sperling, Andreas Schulze-Bonhage, Michael J. Kahana

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Distinct lines of research in both humans and animals point to a specific role of the hippocampus in both spatial and episodic memory function. The discovery of concept cells in the hippocampus and surrounding medial temporal lobe (MTL) regions suggests that the MTL maps physical and semantic spaces with a similar neural architecture. Here, we studied the emergence of such maps using MTL microwire recordings from 20 patients (9 female, 11 male) navigating a virtual environment featuring salient landmarks with established semantic meaning. We present several key findings. The array of local field potentials in the MTL contains sufficient information …

Notes From An Epicenter: Navigating Behavioral Clinical Trials On Autism Spectrum Disorder Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic In The Bronx, Alaina S Berruti, Roseann C Schaaf, Emily A Jones, Elizabeth Ridgway, Rachel L. Dumont, Benjamin E Leiby, Catherine Sancimino, Misung Yi, Sophie Molholm

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted nearly all facets of our daily lives, and clinical research was no exception. Here, we discuss the impact of the pandemic on our ongoing, three-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) Sensory Integration Therapy (SIT) in Autism: Mechanisms and Effectiveness (NCT02536365), which investigates the immediate and sustained utility of SIT to strengthen functional daily-living skills and minimize the presence of maladaptive sensory behaviors in autistic children.

Main text: In this text, we detail how we navigated the unique challenges that the pandemic brought forth between the years 2020 and 2021, including the need to rapidly …

Cryo-Em Structure Of The Human Kv3.1 Channel Reveals Gating Control By The Cytoplasmic T1 Domain, Gamma Chi, Qiansheng Liang, Akshay Sridhar, John B Cowgill, Kasim Sader, Mazdak Radjainia, Pu Qian, Pablo Castro-Hartmann, Shayla Venkaya, Nanki Kaur Singh, Gavin Mckinley, Alejandra Fernandez-Cid, Shubhashish M M Mukhopadhyay, Nicola A Burgess-Brown, Lucie Delemotte, Manuel Covarrubias, Katharina L Dürr

Department of Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Kv3 channels have distinctive gating kinetics tailored for rapid repolarization in fast-spiking neurons. Malfunction of this process due to genetic variants in the KCNC1 gene causes severe epileptic disorders, yet the structural determinants for the unusual gating properties remain elusive. Here, we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of the human Kv3.1a channel, revealing a unique arrangement of the cytoplasmic tetramerization domain T1 which facilitates interactions with C-terminal axonal targeting motif and key components of the gating machinery. Additional interactions between S1/S2 linker and turret domain strengthen the interface between voltage sensor and pore domain. Supported by molecular dynamics simulations, electrophysiological and …

Ecdysoneless Overexpression Drives Mammary Tumorigenesis Through Upregulation Of C-Myc And Glucose Metabolism, Bhopal C. Mohapatra, Sameer Mirza, Aditya Bele, Channabasavaiah B. Gurumurthy, Mohsin Raza, Irfana Saleem, Matthew D. Storck, Aniruddha Sarkar, Sai Sundeep Kollala, Surendra K. Shukla, Siddesh Southekal, Kay-Uwe Wagner, Fang Qiu, Subodh M. Lele, Mansour A. Alsaleem, Emad A. Rakha, Chittibabu Guda, Pankaj K. Singh, Robert D. Cardiff, Hamid Band, Vimla Band

Journal Articles: Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience

Ecdysoneless (ECD) protein is essential for embryogenesis, cell-cycle progression, and cellular stress mitigation with an emerging role in mRNA biogenesis. We have previously shown that ECD protein as well as its mRNA are overexpressed in breast cancer and ECD overexpression predicts shorter survival in patients with breast cancer. However, the genetic evidence for an oncogenic role of ECD has not been established. Here, we generated transgenic mice with mammary epithelium-targeted overexpression of an inducible human ECD transgene (ECDTg). Significantly, ECDTg mice develop mammary hyperplasia, preneoplastic lesions, and heterogeneous tumors with occasional lung metastasis. ECDTg tumors exhibit epithelial to mesenchymal transition …

Effects Of The Tailored Activity Program (Tap) On Dementia-Related Symptoms, Health Events And Caregiver Wellbeing: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Laura N Gitlin, Katherine Marx, Catherine V. Piersol, Nancy A Hodgson, Jin Huang, David L Roth, Constantine Lyketsos

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: People living with dementia (PLWD) and caregivers are adversely impacted by lack of meaningful activity leading to worse symptoms and impaired quality-of-life. There is a critical need to develop effective and well-tolerated treatments that mitigate clinical symptoms, engage PLWD and support caregiver wellbeing. We tested whether, compared to attention control, the Tailored Activity Program (TAP) reduced clinical symptoms and health-related events, and improved caregiver wellbeing, and if TAP activities were well-tolerated.

METHODS: We conducted a single-blind randomized controlled trial among 250 dyads recruited from Baltimore-Washington DC (2012-2016) with a dementia diagnosis and clinically significant agitation/aggression. Dyads were randomized to …

Reduced Mitochondrial Dna And Oxphos Protein Content In Skeletal Muscle Of Children With Cerebral Palsy, Ferdinand Von Walden, Ivan J. Vechetti Jr., Davis A. Englund, Vandré C. Figueiredo, Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalo, Kevin A. Murach, Jessica Pingel, John J. Mccarthy, Per Stål, Eva Pontén

Physiology Faculty Publications

AIM: To provide a detailed gene and protein expression analysis related to mitochondrial biogenesis and assess mitochondrial content in skeletal muscle of children with cerebral palsy (CP).

METHOD: Biceps brachii muscle samples were collected from 19 children with CP (mean [SD] age 15y 4mo [2y 6mo], range 9-18y, 16 males, three females) and 10 typically developing comparison children (mean [SD] age 15y [4y], range 7-21y, eight males, two females). Gene expression (quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction [PCR]), mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to genomic DNA ratio (quantitative PCR), and protein abundance (western blotting) were analyzed. Microarray data sets (CP/aging/bed rest) were …

Rapid Decline In Telestroke Consults In The Setting Of Covid-19., Syed O. Shah., Robin Dharia, Jaime Stazi, Maureen Deprince, Robert H. Rosenwasswer

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Background and Purpose: As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to be a global pandemic, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that incidence of diseases that require emergent care, particularly myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke, has declined rapidly. The objective of this study is to quantify our experience of telestroke (TS) consults at a large tertiary comprehensive stroke center during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed TS consults of patients presenting to our neuroscience network. Those with a confirmed diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemia attack were included. Data were compared from April 1, 2019, to …

Structure Of Population Activity In Primary Motor Cortex For Single Finger Flexion And Extension, Spencer A. Arbuckle, Jeff Weiler, Eric A. Kirk, Charles L. Rice, Marc Schieber, J. Andrew Pruszynski, Naveed Ejaz, Jörn Diedrichsen

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Copyright © 2020 the authors How is the primary motor cortex (M1) organized to control fine finger movements? We investigated the population activity in M1 for single finger flexion and extension, using 7T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in female and male human participants and compared these results to the neural spiking patterns recorded in two male monkeys performing the identical task. fMRI activity patterns were distinct for movements of different fingers, but were quite similar for flexion and extension of the same finger. In contrast, spiking patterns in monkeys were quite distinct for both fingers and directions, which is …

Decoding Motor Imagery And Action Planning In The Early Visual Cortex: Overlapping But Distinct Neural Mechanisms, Simona Monaco, Giulia Malfatti, Jody C. Culham, Luigi Cattaneo, Luca Turella

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Recent evidence points to a role of the primary visual cortex that goes beyond visual processing into high-level cognitive and motor-related functions, including action planning, even in absence of feedforward visual information. It has been proposed that, at the neural level, motor imagery is a simulation based on motor representations, and neuroimaging studies have shown overlapping and shared activity patterns for motor imagery and action execution in frontal and parietal cortices. Yet, the role of the early visual cortex in motor imagery remains unclear. Here we used multivoxel pattern analyses on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to examine whether …

Artificial Intelligence For Rapid Meta-Analysis: Case Study On Ocular Toxicity Of Hydroxychloroquine., Matthew Michelson, Tiffany Chow, Neil A Martin, Mike Ross, Amelia Tee Qiao Ying, Steven Minton

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

BACKGROUND: Rapid access to evidence is crucial in times of an evolving clinical crisis. To that end, we propose a novel approach to answer clinical queries, termed rapid meta-analysis (RMA). Unlike traditional meta-analysis, RMA balances a quick time to production with reasonable data quality assurances, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to strike this balance.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate whether RMA can generate meaningful clinical insights, but crucially, in a much faster processing time than traditional meta-analysis, using a relevant, real-world example.

METHODS: The development of our RMA approach was motivated by a currently relevant clinical question: is ocular toxicity and …

Synaptic Dysfunction Induced By Glycine-Alanine Dipeptides In C9orf72-Als/Ftd Is Rescued By Sv2 Replenishment., Brigid K Jensen, Martin H Schuldi, Kevin Mcavoy, Katelyn A Russell, Ashley Boehringer, Bridget M Curran, Karthik Krishnamurthy, Xinmei Wen, Thomas Westergard, Le Ma, Aaron R. Haeusler, Dieter Edbauer, Piera Pasinelli, Davide Trotti

Department of Neuroscience Faculty Papers

The most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is an intronic hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene. In disease, RNA transcripts containing this expanded region undergo repeat-associated non-AUG translation to produce dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs), which are detected in brain and spinal cord of patients and are neurotoxic both in vitro and in vivo paradigms. We reveal here a novel pathogenic mechanism for the most abundantly detected DPR in ALS/FTD autopsy tissues, poly-glycine-alanine (GA). Previously, we showed motor dysfunction in a GA mouse model without loss of motor neurons. Here, we demonstrate that mobile …

Review Of Alterations In Perlecan-Associated Vascular Risk Factors In Dementia, Amanda L. Trout, Ibolya Rutkai, Ifechukwude J. Biose, Gregory J. Bix

Neurology Faculty Publications

Perlecan is a heparan sulfate proteoglycan protein in the extracellular matrix that structurally and biochemically supports the cerebrovasculature by dynamically responding to changes in cerebral blood flow. These changes in perlecan expression seem to be contradictory, ranging from neuroprotective and angiogenic to thrombotic and linked to lipid retention. This review investigates perlecan's influence on risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and amyloid that effect Vascular contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID). VCID, a comorbidity with diverse etiology in sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), is thought to be a major factor that drives the overall clinical burden of dementia. Accordingly, changes …

An Accurate Registration Of The Bigbrain Dataset With The Mni Pd25 And Icbm152 Atlases., Yiming Xiao, Jonathan C Lau, Taylor Anderson, Jordan Dekraker, D Louis Collins, Terry Peters, Ali R Khan

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Brain atlases that encompass detailed anatomical or physiological features are instrumental in the research and surgical planning of various neurological conditions. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has played important roles in neuro-image analysis while histological data remain crucial as a gold standard to guide and validate such analyses. With cellular-scale resolution, the BigBrain atlas offers 3D histology of a complete human brain, and is highly valuable to the research and clinical community. To bridge the insights at macro- and micro-levels, accurate mapping of BigBrain and established MRI brain atlases is necessary, but the existing registration is unsatisfactory. The described dataset includes …

A Framework For Evaluating Correspondence Between Brain Images Using Anatomical Fiducials., Jonathan C Lau, Andrew G Parrent, John Demarco, Geetika Gupta, Jason Kai, Olivia W Stanley, Tristan Kuehn, Patrick J Park, Kayla Ferko, Ali R Khan, Terry M Peters

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Accurate spatial correspondence between template and subject images is a crucial step in neuroimaging studies and clinical applications like stereotactic neurosurgery. In the absence of a robust quantitative approach, we sought to propose and validate a set of point landmarks, anatomical fiducials (AFIDs), that could be quickly, accurately, and reliably placed on magnetic resonance images of the human brain. Using several publicly available brain templates and individual participant datasets, novice users could be trained to place a set of 32 AFIDs with millimetric accuracy. Furthermore, the utility of the AFIDs protocol is demonstrated for evaluating subject-to-template and template-to-template registration. Specifically, …

Assessing General Cognitive And Adaptive Abilities In Adults With Down Syndrome: A Systematic Review, Sarah Hamburg, Bryony Lowe, Carla Marie Startin, Concepcion Padilla, Antonia Coppus, Wayne Silverman, Juan Fortea, Shahid Zaman, Elizabeth Head, Benjamin L. Handen, Ira Lott, Weihong Song, André Strydom

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Measures of general cognitive and adaptive ability in adults with Down syndrome (DS) used by previous studies vary substantially. This review summarises the different ability measures used previously, focusing on tests of intelligence quotient (IQ) and adaptive behaviour (AB), and where possible examines floor effects and differences between DS subpopulations. We aimed to use information regarding existing measures to provide recommendations for individual researchers and the DS research community.

RESULTS: Nineteen studies reporting IQ test data met inclusion for this review, with 17 different IQ tests used. Twelve of these IQ tests were used in only one study while …

A Consensus Guide To Capturing The Ability To Inhibit Actions And Impulsive Behaviors In The Stop-Signal Task., Frederick Verbruggen, Adam R Aron, Guido Ph Band, Christian Beste, Patrick G Bissett, Adam T Brockett, Joshua W Brown, Samuel R Chamberlain, Christopher D Chambers, Hans Colonius, Lorenza S Colzato, Brian D Corneil, James P Coxon, Annie Dupuis, Dawn M Eagle, Hugh Garavan, Ian Greenhouse, Andrew Heathcote, René J Huster, Sara Jahfari, J Leon Kenemans, Inge Leunissen, Chiang-Shan R Li, Gordon D Logan, Dora Matzke, Sharon Morein-Zamir, Aditya Murthy, Martin Paré, Russell A Poldrack, K Richard Ridderinkhof, Trevor W Robbins, Matthew Roesch, Katya Rubia, Russell J Schachar, Jeffrey D Schall, Ann-Kathrin Stock, Nicole C Swann, Katharine N Thakkar, Maurits W Van Der Molen, Luc Vermeylen, Matthijs Vink, Jan R Wessel, Robert Whelan, Bram B Zandbelt, C Nico Boehler

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Response inhibition is essential for navigating everyday life. Its derailment is considered integral to numerous neurological and psychiatric disorders, and more generally, to a wide range of behavioral and health problems. Response-inhibition efficiency furthermore correlates with treatment outcome in some of these conditions. The stop-signal task is an essential tool to determine how quickly response inhibition is implemented. Despite its apparent simplicity, there are many features (ranging from task design to data analysis) that vary across studies in ways that can easily compromise the validity of the obtained results. Our goal is to facilitate a more accurate use of the …

Distinct White Matter Changes Associated With Cerebrospinal Fluid Amyloid-Β1-42 And Hypertension, Omar M. Al-Janabi, Christopher A. Brown, Ahmed A. Bahrani, Erin L. Abner, Justin M. Barber, Brian T. Gold, Larry B. Goldstein, Richard R. Murphy, Peter T. Nelson, Nathan F. Johnson, Leslie M. Shaw, Charles D. Smith, John Q. Trojanowski, Donna M. Wilcock, Gregory A. Jicha

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology and hypertension (HTN) are risk factors for development of white matter (WM) alterations and might be independently associated with these alterations in older adults.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the independent and synergistic effects of HTN and AD pathology on WM alterations.

METHODS: Clinical measures of cerebrovascular disease risk were collected from 62 participants in University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Center studies who also had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling and MRI brain scans. CSF Aβ_1-42 levels were measured as a marker of AD, and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging and diffusion tensor imaging were obtained to assess …

Evolution Of Cortical Neurogenesis In Amniotes Controlled By Robo Signaling Levels., Adrián Cárdenas, Ana Villalba, Camino De Juan Romero, Esther Picó, Christina Kyrousi, Athanasia C Tzika, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, Le Ma, Micha Drukker, Silvia Cappello, Víctor Borrell

Department of Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Cerebral cortex size differs dramatically between reptiles, birds, and mammals, owing to developmental differences in neuron production. In mammals, signaling pathways regulating neurogenesis have been identified, but genetic differences behind their evolution across amniotes remain unknown. We show that direct neurogenesis from radial glia cells, with limited neuron production, dominates the avian, reptilian, and mammalian paleocortex, whereas in the evolutionarily recent mammalian neocortex, most neurogenesis is indirect via basal progenitors. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments in mouse, chick, and snake embryos and in human cerebral organoids demonstrate that high Slit/Robo and low Dll1 signaling, via Jag1 and Jag2, are necessary and …

Abstract Concepts And Pictures Of Real-World Situations Activate One Another., Ken Mcrae, Daniel Nedjadrasul, Raymond Pau, Bethany Pui-Hei Lo, Lisa King

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

concepts typically are defined in terms of lacking physical or perceptual referents. We argue instead that they are not devoid of perceptual information because knowledge of real-world situations is an important component of learning and using many abstract concepts. Although the relationship between perceptual information and abstract concepts is less straightforward than for concrete concepts, situation-based perceptual knowledge is part of many abstract concepts. In Experiment 1, participants made lexical decisions to abstract words that were preceded by related and unrelated pictures of situations. For example, share was preceded by a picture of two girls sharing a cob of corn. …

Neural Mechanisms Of The Rejection-Aggression Link, David S. Chester, Donald R. Lynam, Richard Milich, C. Nathan Dewall

Psychology Faculty Publications

Social rejection is a painful event that often increases aggression. However, the neural mechanisms of this rejection–aggression link remain unclear. A potential clue may be that rejected people often recruit the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex’s (VLPFC) self-regulatory processes to manage the pain of rejection. Using functional MRI, we replicated previous links between rejection and activity in the brain’s mentalizing network, social pain network and VLPFC. VLPFC recruitment during rejection was associated with greater activity in the brain’s reward network (i.e. the ventral striatum) when individuals were given an opportunity to retaliate. This retaliation-related striatal response was associated with greater levels of …

Bilateral Facial Spasm Following Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Zain Guduru, John Morgan, Kapil Sethi

Neurology Faculty Publications

Background: We report a patient who developed lower facial muscle spasm at rest and bilateral facial synkinesis several months after treatment of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS); this finding, to our knowledge, is hitherto unreported.

Phenomenology Shown: Bilateral synkinesis, facial muscles spasm at rest, bilateral postparalytic facial syndrome.

Educational Value: Aberrant regeneration of nerve fibers post GBS, resulting in facial muscles spasm at rest, bilateral synkinesis.

Seeing The Forest And The Trees: Default Local Processing In Individuals With High Autistic Traits Does Not Come At The Expense Of Global Attention., Ryan A Stevenson, Sol Z Sun, Naomi Hazlett, Jonathan S Cant, Morgan D Barense, Susanne Ferber

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Atypical sensory perception is one of the most ubiquitous symptoms of autism, including a tendency towards a local-processing bias. We investigated whether local-processing biases were associated with global-processing impairments on a global/local attentional-scope paradigm in conjunction with a composite-face task. Behavioural results were related to individuals' levels of autistic traits, specifically the Attention to Detail subscale of the Autism Quotient, and the Sensory Profile Questionnaire. Individuals showing high rates of Attention to Detail were more susceptible to global attentional-scope manipulations, suggesting that local-processing biases associated with Attention to Detail do not come at the cost of a global-processing deficit, but …

Nutrient Intake In The First Two Weeks Of Life And Brain Growth In Preterm Neonates., Juliane Schneider, Céline J Fischer Fumeaux, Emma G Duerden, Ting Guo, Justin Foong, Myriam Bickle Graz, Patric Hagmann, M Mallar Chakravarty, Petra S Hüppi, Lydie Beauport, Anita C Truttmann, Steven P Miller

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

BACKGROUND: Optimizing early nutritional intake in preterm neonates may promote brain health and neurodevelopment through enhanced brain maturation. Our objectives were (1) to determine the association of energy and macronutrient intake in the first 2 weeks of life with regional and total brain growth and white matter (WM) maturation, assessed by 3 serial MRI scans in preterm neonates; (2) to examine how critical illness modifies this association; and (3) to investigate the relationship with neurodevelopmental outcomes.

METHODS: Forty-nine preterm neonates (21 boys, median [interquartile range] gestational age: 27.6 [2.3] weeks) were scanned serially at the following median postmenstrual weeks: 29.4, …

The Role Of The Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor In Neuroprotective Signaling, Stephanie M. Davis, Keith R. Pennypacker

Center for Advanced Translational Stroke Science Faculty Publications

Several neurotropic cytokines relay their signaling through the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor. This 190kDa subunit couples with the 130kDa gp130 subunit to transduce intracellular signaling in neurons and oligodendrocytes that leads to expression of genes associated with neurosurvival. Moreover, activation of this receptor alters the phenotype of immune cells to an anti-inflammatory one. Although cytokines that activate the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor have been studied in the context of neurodegenerative disease, therapeutic targeting of the specific receptor subunit has been understudied in by comparison. This review examines the role of this receptor in the CNS and immune system, and its …