scholarly journals The Brain at High Altitude: Hypometabolism as a Defense against Chronic Hypoxia?

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 671-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. W. Hochachka ◽  
C. M. Clark ◽  
W. D. Brown ◽  
C. Stanley ◽  
C. K. Stone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Chronic Hypoxia ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Metabolic Rates ◽  
Positron Emission Tomographic ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
The Brain

The brain of hypoxia-tolerant vertebrates is known to survive extreme limitations of oxygen in part because of very low rates of energy production and utilization. To assess if similar adaptations may be involved in humans during hypoxia adaptation over generational time, volunteer Quechua natives, indigenous to the high Andes between about 3,700 and 4,900 m altitude, served as subjects in positron emission tomographic measurements of brain regional glucose metabolic rates. Two metabolic states were analyzed: (a) the presumed normal (high altitude-adapted) state monitored as soon as possible after leaving the Andes and (b) the deacclimated state monitored after 3 weeks at low altitudes. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies of the Quechua brain found normal spectra, with no indication of any unusual lactate accumulation; in contrast, in hypoxia-tolerant species, a relatively large fraction of the glucose taken up by the brain is released as lactate. Positron emission tomographic measurements of [18F]2-deoxy-2-fluoro-d-glucose (FDG) uptake rates, quantified in 26 regions of the brain, indicated systematically lower region-by-region glucose metabolic rates in Quechuas than in lowlanders. The metabolic reductions were least pronounced in primitive brain structures (e.g., cerebellum) and most pronounced in regions classically associated with higher cortical functions (e.g., frontal cortex). These differences between Quechuas with lifetime exposure to hypobaric hypoxia and lowlanders, which seem to be expressed to some degree in most brain regions examined, may be the result of a defense adaptation against chronic hypoxia.

scholarly journals Pain Detection and the Privacy of Subjective Experience

2007 ◽  
Vol 33 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 433-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam J. Kolber
Keyword(s):  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Physical Pain ◽  
Medical Evidence ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Pain Symptoms ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Neuroimaging Techniques

A neurologist with abdominal pain goes to see a gastroenterologist for treatment. The gastroenterologist asks the neurologist where it hurts. The neurologist replies, “In my head, of course.” Indeed, while we can feel pain throughout much of our bodies, pain signals undergo most of their processing in the brain. Using neuroimaging techniques like functional magnetic resonance imaging (“fMRI”) and positron emission tomography (“PET”), researchers have more precisely identified brain regions that enable us to experience physical pain. Certain regions of the brain's cortex, for example, increase in activation when subjects are exposed to painful stimuli. Furthermore, the amount of activation increases with the intensity of the painful stimulus. These findings suggest that we may be able to gain insight into the amount of pain a particular person is experiencing by non-invasively imaging his brain.Such insight could be particularly valuable in the courtroom where we often have no definitive medical evidence to prove or disprove claims about the existence and extent of pain symptoms.

29 POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY IMAGING OF BRAIN METABOLISM AND DOPAMINERGIC NEURON DESTRUCTION IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE MODEL PIG

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 122
Author(s):  
H. J. Oh ◽  
J. Moon ◽  
G. A. Kim ◽  
S. Lee ◽  
S. H. Paek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positron Emission Tomography ◽  
Dopaminergic Neuron ◽  
Brain Metabolism ◽  
Brain Research ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Emission Tomography ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Brain

Due to similarities between human and porcine, pigs have been proposed as an excellent experimental animal for human medical research. Especially in paediatric brain research, piglets share similarities with human infants in the extent of peak brain growth at the time of birth and the growth pattern of brain. Thus, these findings have supported the wider use of pigs rather than rodents in neuroscience research. Previously, we reported the production of porcine model of Parkinson's disease (PD) by nuclear transfer using donor cell that had been stably infected with lentivirus containing the human α-synuclein gene. The purpose of this study was to determine the alternation of brain metabolism and dopaminergic neuron destruction using noninvasive method in a 2-yr-old PD model and a control pig. The positron emission tomography (PET) scan was done using Biograph TruePoint40 with a TrueV (Siemens, Munich, Germany). The [18F]N-(3-fluoropropyl)-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane (FP-CIT) was administrated via the ear vein. Static images of the brain for 15 min were acquired from 2 h after injection. The 18F-fluorodeoxy-D-glucose PET (18F-FDG PET) images of the brain were obtained for 15 min at 45 min post-injection. Computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed at the same location of the brain. In both MRI and CT images, there was no difference in brain regions between PD model and control pigs. However, administration of [18F]FP-CIT was markedly decreased in the bilateral putamen of the PD model pig compared with the control pigs. Moreover, [18F]FP-CIT administration was asymmetrical in the PD model pig but it was symmetrical in control pigs. Regional brain metabolism was also assessed and there was no significant difference in cortical metabolism of PD model and control pigs. We demonstrated that PET imaging could provide a foundation for translational Parkinson neuroimaging in transgenic pigs. In the present study, a 2-yr-old PD model pig showed dopaminergic neuron destruction in brain regions. Therefore, PD model pig expressing human α-synuclein gene would be an efficient model for human PD patients. This study was supported by Korea IPET (#311011–05–5-SB010), Research Institute for Veterinary Science, TS Corporation and the BK21 plus program.

scholarly journals Medial Orbitofrontal Cortex Is Associated with Fatigue Sensation

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seiki Tajima ◽  
Shigeyuki Yamamoto ◽  
Masaaki Tanaka ◽  
Yosky Kataoka ◽  
Masao Iwase ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positron Emission Tomography ◽  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Brain Region ◽  
Statistical Parametric Mapping ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Mapping Method ◽  
Emission Tomography ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
The Brain

Fatigue is an indispensable bioalarm to avoid exhaustive state caused by overwork or stresses. It is necessary to elucidate the neural mechanism of fatigue sensation for managing fatigue properly. We performedH2O  15positron emission tomography scans to indicate neural activations while subjects were performing 35-min fatigue-inducing task trials twice. During the positron emission tomography experiment, subjects performed advanced trail-making tests, touching the target circles in sequence located on the display of a touch-panel screen. In order to identify the brain regions associated with fatigue sensation, correlation analysis was performed using statistical parametric mapping method. The brain region exhibiting a positive correlation in activity with subjective sensation of fatigue, measured immediately after each positron emission tomography scan, was located in medial orbitofrontal cortex (Brodmann's area 10/11). Hence, the medial orbitofrontal cortex is a brain region associated with mental fatigue sensation. Our findings provide a new perspective on the neural basis of fatigue.

scholarly journals Fahr’s disease

2019 ◽  
pp. 35-42
Author(s):  
N. M. Nevmerzhytska ◽  
V. V. Orzheshkovskyi
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Clinical Laboratory ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Pathophysiological Mechanism ◽  
Scientific Review ◽  
Functional Studies ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Physiological Calcification ◽  
Instrumental Methods ◽  
The Brain

The scientific review based on an analysis of the literature examines key points in the etiology, pathomorphology and clinical picture of basal ganglia calcification. It also involves the so-called physiological calcification of the central nervous system. Juvenile and senile forms of a disease and frequency of occurrence of this nosological form are described. The historical information and modes of inheritance are briefly provided. The article considers the numerous synonyms of this disease and the causes of secondary calcification of the brain (Fahr’s syndrome). Four genes are described associated with primary calcification of the basal ganglia: SLC20A2 and XPR1 coding transmembrane conveyors of inorganic phosphate; PDGFB and PDGFRB which are involved in integrity of a blood-brain barrier and survival of pericytes. Pathogenetic mechanisms of clinical displays of a disease are presented. The article displays the features of macro- and microscopic changes in the brain with this nosology. The characteristic signs of the initial and advanced forms of the disease are described in detail, taking into account the age of the debut of calcification of the basal ganglia. The main and auxiliary instrumental methods for diagnosing this disease are also considered, the results of positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance spectroscopy are described, which confirm the pathophysiological mechanism of neurological manifestations of the disease associated with the disorganization of the front-striatal pathways in the area of ​​calcified basal ganglia. A number of additional general clinical laboratory and functional studies are listed to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of primary family idiopathic ferrocalcinosis (Fahr’s diseases). The main directions in the treatment of the described pathology are given.

scholarly journals The Occurrence of Pain-Induced Depression Is Different between Rat Models of Inflammatory and Neuropathic Pain

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (17) ◽  
pp. 4016
Author(s):  
Yung-Chi Hsu ◽  
Kuo-Hsing Ma ◽  
Shu-Lin Guo ◽  
Bo-Feng Lin ◽  
Chien-Sung Tsai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Preference Test ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Rat Models ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Initial Injury ◽  
Sucrose Preference Test ◽  
The Brain

Various pain conditions may be associated with depressed mood. However, the effect of inflammatory or neuropathic pain on depression-like behavior and its associated time frame has not been well established in rat models. This frontward study investigated the differences in pain behavior, depression-like behavior, and serotonin transporter (SERT) distribution in the brain between rats subjected to spared nerve injury (SNI)-induced neuropathic pain or complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammatory pain. A dynamic plantar aesthesiometer and an acetone spray test were used to evaluate mechanical and cold allodynia responses, and depression-like behavior was examined using a forced swimming test and sucrose preference test. We also investigated SERT expression by using positron emission tomography. We found that the inflammation-induced pain was less severe than neuropathic pain from days 3 to 28 after induced pain; however, the CFA-injected rats exhibited more noticeable depression-like behavior and had significantly reduced SERT expression in the brain regions (thalamus and striatum) at an early stage (on days 14, 21, and 28 in two groups of CFA-injected rats versus day 28 in SNI rats). We speculated that not only the pain response after initial injury but also the subsequent neuroinflammation may have been the crucial factors influencing depression-like behavior in rats.

scholarly journals A Connectome of the Adult Drosophila Central Brain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Shan Xu ◽  
Michal Januszewski ◽  
Zhiyuan Lu ◽  
Shin-ya Takemura ◽  
Kenneth J. Hayworth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Fraction ◽  
Large Data ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Central Complex ◽  
Data Set ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Central Brain ◽  
The Brain

AbstractThe neural circuits responsible for behavior remain largely unknown. Previous efforts have reconstructed the complete circuits of small animals, with hundreds of neurons, and selected circuits for larger animals. Here we (the FlyEM project at Janelia and collaborators at Google) summarize new methods and present the complete circuitry of a large fraction of the brain of a much more complex animal, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Improved methods include new procedures to prepare, image, align, segment, find synapses, and proofread such large data sets; new methods that define cell types based on connectivity in addition to morphology; and new methods to simplify access to a large and evolving data set. From the resulting data we derive a better definition of computational compartments and their connections; an exhaustive atlas of cell examples and types, many of them novel; detailed circuits for most of the central brain; and exploration of the statistics and structure of different brain compartments, and the brain as a whole. We make the data public, with a web site and resources specifically designed to make it easy to explore, for all levels of expertise from the expert to the merely curious. The public availability of these data, and the simplified means to access it, dramatically reduces the effort needed to answer typical circuit questions, such as the identity of upstream and downstream neural partners, the circuitry of brain regions, and to link the neurons defined by our analysis with genetic reagents that can be used to study their functions.Note: In the next few weeks, we will release a series of papers with more involved discussions. One paper will detail the hemibrain reconstruction with more extensive analysis and interpretation made possible by this dense connectome. Another paper will explore the central complex, a brain region involved in navigation, motor control, and sleep. A final paper will present insights from the mushroom body, a center of multimodal associative learning in the fly brain.

scholarly journals Reversibility of Neuroimaging Markers Influenced by Lifetime Occupational Manganese Exposure

2019 ◽  
Vol 172 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A Edmondson ◽  
Ruoyun E Ma ◽  
Chien-Lin Yeh ◽  
Eric Ward ◽  
Sandy Snyder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Body Burden ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Cumulative Exposure ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Manganese Exposure ◽  
Disease Rating ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Manganese (Mn) is a neurotoxicant that many workers are exposed to daily. There is limited knowledge about how changes in exposure levels impact measures in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We hypothesized that changes in Mn exposure would be reflected by changes in the MRI relaxation rate R1 and thalamic γ-aminobutyric acid (GABAThal). As part of a prospective cohort study, 17 welders were recruited and imaged on 2 separate occasions approximately 2 years apart. MRI relaxometry was used to assess changes of Mn accumulation in the brain. Additionally, GABA was measured using magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the thalamic and striatal regions of the brain. Air Mn exposure ([Mn]Air) and cumulative exposure indexes of Mn (Mn-CEI) for the past 3 months (Mn-CEI3M), past year (Mn-CEI12M), and lifetime (Mn-CEILife) were calculated using personal air sampling and a comprehensive work history, whereas toenails were collected for analysis of internal Mn body burden. Finally, welders’ motor function was examined using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Median exposure decreased for all exposure measures between the first and second scan. ΔGABAThal was significantly correlated with ΔMn-CEI3M (ρ = 0.66, adjusted p = .02), ΔMn-CEI12M (ρ = 0.70, adjusted p = .006), and Δ[Mn]Air (ρ = 0.77, adjusted p = .002). ΔGABAThal significantly decreased linearly with ΔMn-CEI3M (quantile regression, β = 15.22, p = .02) as well as Δ[Mn]Air (β = 1.27, p = .04). Finally, Mn-CEILife interacted with Δ[Mn]Air in the substantia nigra where higher Mn-CEILife lessened the ΔR1 per Δ[Mn]Air (F-test, p = .005). Although R1 and GABA changed with Mn exposure, UPDRS was unaffected. In conclusion, our study shows that effects from changes in Mn exposure are reflected in thalamic GABA levels and brain Mn levels, as measured by R1, in most brain regions.

scholarly journals Elucidating Dynamic Brain Interactions with Across-Subjects Correlational Analyses of Positron Emission Tomographic Data: The Functional Connectivity of the Amygdala and Orbitofrontal Cortex during Olfactory Tasks

1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 896-905 ◽  
Author(s):  
David H. Zald ◽  
Michael J. Donndelinger ◽  
José V. Pardo
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
Positron Emission Tomographic ◽  
Dynamic Nature ◽  
Functional Brain Mapping ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Tomographic Data ◽  
Task Conditions

Covariance analyses of positron emission tomography (PET) data are used increasingly to elucidate the functional connectivity between brain regions during different cognitive tasks. Functional connectivity may be estimated by examining the covariance between regions over time or across subjects. In functional brain-mapping studies, across-subjects covariance matrices derived from within-task (nonsubtracted) and between-task (subtracted) data characterize different, complementary aspects of functional interactions. The authors study amygdala-orbitofrontal interactions during three task conditions (aversive olfaction, odor detection, and resting with eyes closed) to illustrate the strengths and limitations of across-subjects covariance analyses based on subtracted and nonsubtracted data. This example underscores the dynamic nature of connectivity between the amygdalae and orbitofrontal cortices and highlights the importance of including data from resting conditions in covariance analyses.

scholarly journals Regional Cerebral l-[14C-Methyl]Methionine Incorporation into Proteins: Evidence for Methionine Recycling in the Rat Brain

1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 603-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna M. Planas ◽  
Christian Prenant ◽  
Bernard M. Mazoyer ◽  
Dominique Comar ◽  
Luigi Di Giamberardino
Keyword(s):  
Rat Brain ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Plasma Source ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Emission Tomography ◽  
Protein Breakdown ◽  
Isotopic Equilibrium ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
The Brain

The specific activity (SA) of free methionine was measured in plasma and in different regions of the rat brain at 15, 30, or 60 min after intravenous infusion of l-[14C- methyl]methionine. Within these time periods, an apparent steady state of labeled free methionine in plasma and in brain was reached. However, the brain-to-plasma free methionine SA ratio was found to be ∼0.5, showing that an isotopic equilibrium between brain and plasma was not attained. This suggests the presence of an endogenous source of brain free methionine (likely originating from protein breakdown), in addition to the plasma source. The contribution of this endogenous source to the content of free methionine varies significantly among the different brain regions. Our results indicate that the regional rates of protein synthesis measured with l-[11C- methyl]methionine using positron emission tomography would be underestimated, since the local fraction of brain methionine derived from protein degradation would not be considered.

scholarly journals Relative Brain Size and Its Relation with the Associative Pallium in Birds

2016 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ferran Sayol ◽  
Louis Lefebvre ◽  
Daniel Sol
Keyword(s):  
Brain Size ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
Biological Significance ◽  
Size Variation ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Whole Brain ◽  
Small Areas ◽  
Mosaic Evolution ◽  
The Brain

Despite growing interest in the evolution of enlarged brains, the biological significance of brain size variation remains controversial. Much of the controversy is over the extent to which brain structures have evolved independently of each other (mosaic evolution) or in a coordinated way (concerted evolution). If larger brains have evolved by the increase of different brain regions in different species, it follows that comparisons of the whole brain might be biologically meaningless. Such an argument has been used to criticize comparative attempts to explain the existing variation in whole-brain size among species. Here, we show that pallium areas associated with domain-general cognition represent a large fraction of the entire brain, are disproportionally larger in large-brained birds and accurately predict variation in the whole brain when allometric effects are appropriately accounted for. While this does not question the importance of mosaic evolution, it suggests that examining specialized, small areas of the brain is not very helpful for understanding why some birds have evolved such large brains. Instead, the size of the whole brain reflects consistent variation in associative pallium areas and hence is functionally meaningful for comparative analyses.

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