Neurosciences Commons^™

Sex-Specific Associations Between Urinary Bisphenols Concentrations During Pregnancy And Problematic Child Behaviors At Age 2 Years, Sarah Dee Geiger, Salma Musaad, Jennifer Hill, Andréa Aguiar, Susan Schantz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Effects of prenatal bisphenol A (BPA) exposure on child behavior are mixed with some reports suggesting increased problematic behaviors in girls (e.g., aggression and emotional reactivity) and in boys (i.e., externalizing behaviors), while other reports suggest decreased problematic behaviors in girls. Little is known about the potential impact of pregnancy bisphenol S (BPS) exposure on child behavior. In a prospective cohort study (n=68), five maternal spot urine samples collected across pregnancy were pooled and analyzed for BPA and BPS. Child behavior at 2 years was assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Linear regression models were used to assess associations …

The Role Of Supervised School Therapy In Poorly Controlled Asthma In Children, Muppala Raju, Malvika Sagar, Andrew Bush, Eugene Quaye, Shekhar Ghamande, Sonal Malhotra, Mercedes E Arroliga

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: In children, nonadherence to inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy leads to poor asthma control and complications.

METHODS: We evaluated the benefit from initiation of ICS administration once daily at school. We retrospectively chose patients from our pediatric pulmonary clinic who had poorly controlled asthma and prescribed ICS daily. For the study period, we examined the number of corticosteroid courses, emergency room visits, hospital admissions, symptom history, and pulmonary function tests.

RESULTS: Thirty-four patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria began the intervention. Preintervention, there were a mean number of 2.6 oral corticosteroid courses compared to 2 courses in the year following …

Long-Term Neuropsychological Outcomes In Children With Febrile Infection-Related Epilepsy Syndrome (Fires) Treated With Anakinra, Anima Shrestha, E Lynne Wood, Gretchen Berrios-Siervo, Coral M Stredny, Katrina Boyer, Clemente Vega, Srishti Nangia, Eyal Muscal, Krista Eschbach

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Febrile-infection related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES) is a rare epilepsy syndrome in which a previously healthy individual develops refractory status epilepticus in the setting of a preceding febrile illness. There are limited data regarding detailed long-term outcomes. This study aims to describe the long-term neuropsychological outcomes in a series of pediatric patients with FIRES.

METHODS: This is a retrospective multi-center case series of pediatric patients with a diagnosis of FIRES treated acutely with anakinra who had neuropsychological testing at least 12 months after status epilepticus onset. Each patient underwent comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation as part of routine clinical care. Additional data …

Specialized Intensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Is Crucial And Time-Sensitive For Functional Recovery From Disorders Of Consciousness, Bei Zhang, Katherine O'Brien, Jean Woo, Bradley Chi, Colton Reeh, Sheng Li, Sunil Kothari

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Disorders of consciousness (DoCs) after severe brain injury are considered to be conditions with dire prognosis. Despite the accumulating evidence, inpatient rehabilitation is often denied by payers referring to the Medicare/Medicaid criteria, under the assumption that such patients will not "

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to report on the effectiveness and efficiency of a specialized inpatient DoC rehabilitation program based on measurable clinical parameters.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The cohort comprised 137 patients with DoC admitted to a specialized acute inpatient rehabilitation program between January 2014 and October 2018. Patients were categorized as having been admitted …

Framework For Accurate Classification Of Self-Reported Stress From Multisession Functional Mri Data Of Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress, Rahul Goel, Teresa Tse, Lia J Smith, Andrew Floren, Bruce Naylor, M Wright Williams, Ramiro Salas, Albert S Rizzo, David Ress

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant burden among combat Veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While empirically supported treatments have demonstrated reductions in PTSD symptomatology, there remains a need to improve treatment effectiveness. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) neurofeedback has emerged as a possible treatment to ameliorate PTSD symptom severity. Virtual reality (VR) approaches have also shown promise in increasing treatment compliance and outcomes. To facilitate fMRI neurofeedback-associated therapies, it would be advantageous to accurately classify internal brain stress levels while Veterans are exposed to trauma-associated VR imagery. Methods: Across 2 sessions, we used fMRI …

The Role Of Hyperexcitability In Gliomagenesis, Eric A Goethe, Benjamin Deneen, Jeffrey Noebels, Ganesh Rao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Glioblastoma is the most common malignant primary brain tumor. Recent studies have demonstrated that excitatory or activity-dependent signaling-both synaptic and non-synaptic-contribute to the progression of glioblastoma. Glutamatergic receptors may be stimulated via neuron-tumor synapses or release of glutamate by the tumor itself. Ion currents generated by these receptors directly alter the structure of membrane adhesion molecules and cytoskeletal proteins to promote migratory behavior. Additionally, the hyperexcitable milieu surrounding glioma increases the rate at which tumor cells proliferate and drive recurrent disease. Inhibition of excitatory signaling has shown to effectively reduce its pro-migratory and -proliferative effects.

5-Aminolevulinic Acid, Fluorescein Sodium, And Indocyanine Green For Glioma Margin Detection: Analysis Of Operating Wide-Field And Confocal Microscopy In Glioma Models Of Various Grades, Evgenii Belykh, Liudmila Bardonova, Irakliy Abramov, Vadim A Byvaltsev, Talgat Kerymbayev, Kwanha Yu, Debbie R Healey, Ernesto Luna-Melendez, Benjamin Deneen, Shwetal Mehta, James K Liu, Mark C Preul

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: Surgical resection remains the first-line treatment for gliomas. Several fluorescent dyes are currently in use to augment intraoperative tumor visualization, but information on their comparative effectiveness is lacking. We performed systematic assessment of fluorescein sodium (FNa), 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA)-induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), and indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence in various glioma models using advanced fluorescence imaging techniques.

METHODS: Four glioma models were used: GL261 (high-grade model), GB3 (low-grade model), and an

RESULTS: Our systematic analysis showed that wide-field imaging of highly malignant gliomas is equally efficient with 5-ALA, FNa, and ICG, although FNa is associated with more false-positive staining of …

Primary Spinal Intramedullary Anaplastic Ganglioglioma In A Pediatric Patient, Huy Dang, Abdul Basit Khan, Nisha Gadgil, Marc Prablek, Frank Y Lin, Melissa M Blessing, Guillermo Aldave, David Bauer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Gangliogliomas (GGs) are rare tumors of the central nervous system composed of neoplastic neural and glial cells and are typically low-grade. Intramedullary spinal anaplastic GGs (AGG) are rare, poorly understood, and often aggressive tumors that can result in widespread progression along the craniospinal axis. Due to the rarity of these tumors, data are lacking to guide clinical and pathologic diagnosis and standard of care treatment. Here, we present a case of pediatric spinal AGG to provide information on our institutional approach to work-up and to highlight unique molecular pathology.

CASE DESCRIPTION: A 13-year-old female presented with signs of spinal …

Linked-Read Based Analysis Of The Medulloblastoma Genome, Melissa Zwaig, Michael J Johnston, John J Y Lee, Hamza Farooq, Marco Gallo, Nada Jabado, Michael D Taylor, Jiannis Ragoussis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: Medulloblastoma is the most common type of malignant pediatric brain tumor with group 4 medulloblastomas (G4 MBs) accounting for 40% of cases. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie this subgroup are still poorly understood. Point mutations are detected in a large number of genes at low incidence per gene while the detection of complex structural variants in recurrently affected genes typically requires the application of long-read technologies.

METHODS: Here, we applied linked-read sequencing, which combines the long-range genome information of long-read sequencing with the high base pair accuracy of short read sequencing and very low sample input requirements.

RESULTS: …

Sphingolipids In Neurodegenerative Diseases, Xueyang Pan, Debdeep Dutta, Shenzhao Lu, Hugo J Bellen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Neurodegenerative Diseases (NDDs) are a group of disorders that cause progressive deficits of neuronal function. Recent evidence argues that sphingolipid metabolism is affected in a surprisingly broad set of NDDs. These include some lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs), hereditary sensory and autonomous neuropathy (HSAN), hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD), Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA), as well as some forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Many of these diseases have been modeled in Drosophila melanogaster and are associated with elevated levels of ceramides. Similar changes have also been reported in vertebrate cells and mouse models. Here, we …

Editorial: Peripheral Stimulation: Neuromodulation Of The Central Nervous System Through Existing Pathways, Musa Ozturk, Julio Cesar Hernandez-Pavon, Alexander Kent, Jose L Pons, Ilknur Telkes, Arjun Tarakad

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Editorial: Surgical Techniques For The Management Of Pain, Anthony K Allam, Ashwin Viswanathan, Jason M Schwalb, Parag G Patil, M Benjamin Larkin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Automated Artifact Injection Into Sensing-Capable Brain Modulation Devices For Neural-Behavioral Synchronization And The Influence Of Device State, Michaela E Alarie, Nicole R Provenza, Jeffrey A Herron, Wael F Asaad

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Attenuating Side Effects Of Deep Brain Stimulation In The Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Using Current-Steering Strategies, Huy Q Dang, Nicole R Provenza, Garrett P Banks, Nisha Giridharan, Michelle Avendano-Ortega, Sarah A Mckay, Ethan Devara, Ben Shofty, Eric A Storch, Sameer A Sheth, Wayne K Goodman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Imaging Synaptic Density In Depression, Sophie E Holmes, Chadi Abdallah, Irina Esterlis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Major depressive disorder is a prevalent and heterogeneous disorder with treatment resistance in at least 50% of individuals. Most of the initial studies focused on the monoamine system; however, recently other mechanisms have come under investigation. Specific to the current issue, studies show synaptic involvement in depression. Other articles in this issue report on reductions in synaptic density, dendritic spines, boutons and glia associated with stress and depression. Importantly, it appears that some drugs (e.g., ketamine) may lead to rapid synaptic restoration or synaptogenesis. Direct evidence for this comes from preclinical work. However, neuroimaging studies, such as magnetic resonance imaging …

Behavioral Improvements Following Lesion Resection For Pediatric Epilepsy: Pediatric Psychosurgery?, Huy Dang, Abdul Basit Khan, Nisha Gadgil, Himanshu Sharma, Cristina Trandafir, Fatema Malbari, Howard L Weiner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Resection of brain lesions associated with refractory epilepsy to achieve seizure control is well accepted. However, concurrent behavioral effects of these lesions such as changes in mood, personality, and cognition and the effects of surgery on behavior have not been well characterized. We describe 5 such children with epileptogenic lesions and significant behavioral abnormalities which improved after surgery.

Case descriptions: Five children (ages 3-14 years) with major behavioral abnormalities and lesional epilepsy were identified and treated at our center. Behavioral problems included academic impairment, impulsivity, self-injurious behavior, and decreased social interaction with diagnoses of ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, and …

Advances In Imaging Modalities For Pediatric Brain And Spinal Cord Tumors, Thierry A G M Huisman, Rajan Patel, Stephen Kralik, Nilesh K Desai, Avner Meoded, Karen Chen, Howard L Weiner, Daniel J Curry, Maarten Lequin, Mariette Kranendonk, Gunes Orman, George Jallo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Neuroimaging has evolved from anatomical imaging toward a multi-modality comprehensive anatomical and functional imaging in the past decades, important functional data like perfusion-weighted imaging, permeability imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), tractography, metabolic imaging, connectomics, event-related functional imaging, resting state functional imaging, and much more is now being offered.

Summary: Precision diagnostics has proven to be essential for precision treatment. Many minimal invasive techniques have been developed, taking advantage of digital subtraction angiography and interventional neuroradiology. Furthermore, intraoperative CT and/or MRI and more recently MR-guided focused ultrasound have complemented the diagnostic and therapeutic armamentarium.

Key messages: …

Cerebral Microdialysis And Glucopenia In Traumatic Brain Injury: A Review, Himanshu Sharma, John P Mcginnis, Katherine E Kabotyanski, Shankar P Gopinath, Jerry C Goodman, Claudia Robertson, Jovany Cruz Navarro

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Traditionally, intracranial pressure (ICP) and partial brain tissue oxygenation (PbtO2) have been the primary invasive intracranial measurements used to guide management in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). After injury however, the brain develops an increased metabolic demand which may require an increment in the oxidative metabolism of glucose. Simultaneously, metabolic, and electrical dysfunction can lead to an inability to meet these demands, even in the absence of ischemia or increased intracranial pressure. Cerebral microdialysis provides the ability to accurately measure local concentrations of various solutes including lactate, pyruvate, glycerol and glucose. Experimental and clinical data demonstrate that such …

Longitudinal Trajectories Of Basal Forebrain Volume In Normal Aging And Alzheimer's Disease, Ying Xia, Paul Maruff, Vincent Doré, Pierrick Bourgeat, Simon M. Laws, Christopher Fowler, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Ralph N. Martins, Victor L. Villemagne, Christopher C. Rowe, Colin L. Masters, Elizabeth J. Coulson, Jurgen Fripp

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Dysfunction of the cholinergic basal forebrain (BF) system and amyloid- (A ) deposition are early pathological features in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, their association in early AD is not well-established. This study investigated the nature and magnitude of volume loss in the BF, over an extended period, in 516 older adults who completed A -PET and serial magnetic resonance imaging scans. Individuals were grouped at baseline according to the presence of cognitive impairment (CU, CI) and A status (A −, A +). Longitudinal volumetric changes in the BF and hippocampus were assessed across groups. The results indicated that high A …

Elevated Plasma Sclerostin Is Associated With High Brain Amyloid-B Load In Cognitively Normal Older Adults, Jun Yuan, Steve Pedrini, Rohith Thota, James Doecke, Pratishtha Chatterjee, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Charlotte E. Teunissen, Inge M. W. Verberk, Erik Stoops, Hugo Vanderstichele, Bruno P. Meloni, Christopher Mitchell, Stephanie Rainey-Smith, Kathryn Goozee, Andrew C. P. Tai, Nicholas Ashton, Henrik Zetterberg, Kaj Blennow, Junjie Gao, Delin Liu, Frank Mastaglia, Charles Inderjeeth, Minghao Zheng, Ralph Martins

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mainly affect older individuals, and the possibility of an underlying link contributing to their shared epidemiological features has rarely been investigated. In the current study, we investigated the association between levels of plasma sclerostin (SOST), a protein primarily produced by bone, and brain amyloid-beta (A ) load, a pathological hallmark of AD. The study enrolled participants meeting a set of screening inclusion and exclusion criteria and were stratified into A − (n = 65) and A + (n = 35) according to their brain A load assessed using A -PET (positron emission tomography) imaging. Plasma …