scholarly journals Environmental Influences on Neuromorphology in the Non-Native Starling Sturnus vulgaris

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 63-70
Author(s):  
Adam P.A. Cardilini ◽  
Sarah Micallef ◽  
Valerie R. Bishop ◽  
Craig D.H. Sherman ◽  
Simone L. Meddle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Neural Development ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Hippocampal Volume ◽  
Sturnus Vulgaris ◽  
Brain Mass ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Hippocampus Volume

Cognitive traits are predicted to be under intense selection in animals moving into new environments and may determine the success, or otherwise, of dispersal and invasions. In particular, spatial information related to resource distribution is an important determinant of neural development. Spatial information is predicted to vary for invasive species encountering novel environments. However, few studies have tested how cognition or neural development varies intraspecifically within an invasive species. In Australia, the non-native common starling Sturnus vulgaris inhabits a range of habitats that vary in seasonal resource availability and distribution. We aimed to identify variations in the brain mass and hippocampus volume of starlings in Australia related to environmental variation across two substantially different habitat types. Specifically, we predicted variation in brain mass and hippocampal volume in relation to environmental conditions, latitude, and climatic variables. To test this, brain mass and volumes of the hippocampus and two control brain regions (telencephalon and tractus septomesencephalicus) were quantified from starling brains gathered from across the species’ range in south eastern Australia. When comparing across an environmental gradient, there was a significant interaction between sex and environment for overall brain mass, with greater sexual dimorphism in brain mass in inland populations compared to those at the coast. There was no significant difference in hippocampal volume in relation to environmental measures (hippocampus volume, n = 17) for either sex. While these data provide no evidence for intraspecific environmental drivers for changes in hippocampus volume in European starlings in Australia, they do suggest that environmental factors contribute to sex differences in brain mass. This study identifies associations between the brain volume of a non-native species and the environment; further work in this area is required to elucidate the mechanisms driving this relationship.

scholarly journals Change in hippocampal volume in children with febrile seizure at different periods

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
QingJun Cao ◽  
JinYing Huang ◽  
Hua Wang
Keyword(s):  
Febrile Seizure ◽  
Hippocampal Volume ◽  
Acute Stage ◽  
Annual Growth ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Acute Period ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Hippocampus Volume

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the change of hippocampal volume in children at different periods after febrile seizure. Methods MRI of the brain was performed in 60 children with febrile seizure (30 patients with simple febrile seizure and 30 patients with prolonged febrile seizure) and in 30 healthy children. The volume of the hippocampus was tested and compared at different periods after febrile seizure. Results The volumes of hippocampus in the two febrile seizure groups increased compared with that of the control group in acute period after seizure. There was no obvious difference in hippocampal volume between the simple febrile seizure group and the prolonged febrile seizure group in the acute or chronic period after seizure. The average annual growth of hippocampal volume in the simple febrile seizure group was greater than that in the prolonged febrile seizure group. Conclusions Febrile seizure can affect hippocampus volume in the acute stage of convulsion. Prolonged febrile seizure affects hippocampus development with aging.

In vivo exploration of brain phosphorus 31 metabolism in patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer type

1994 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-109
Author(s):  
G Mecheri ◽  
Y Bissuel ◽  
J Dalery ◽  
JL Terra ◽  
G Balvay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Senile Dementia ◽  
Phospholipid Metabolism ◽  
Alzheimer Type ◽  
Dementia Of Alzheimer Type ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Brain

SummaryIn vivo NMR 31p spectroscopy is a non invasive, non ionizing method of exploration of energy and phospholipid metabolism in the brain. This study consisted of comparing 31p spectra in five patients with Senile Dementia of Alzheimer Type (SDAT) with those of four controls of similar ages. Abnormal phosphonionocsters (PME) concentrations, either high or low, were found in the patients, but statistical analysis did not elicit any significant difference relative to controls.

Apparent Higher Brain Weight in Suicide Victims: Possible Reasons

2002 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 236-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jože Balažic ◽  
Andrej Marušič
Keyword(s):  
Postmortem Examination ◽  
Brain Weight ◽  
The Other ◽  
Emotional Information ◽  
Partial Explanation ◽  
Suicide Methods ◽  
Surrounding Environment ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
The Brain

In 2000 we tested previously reported findings by Salib and Tadros that brain weight of fatal self-harm victims is higher than of those who died of natural causes. Our results were based on data from 15 suicides and 15 deaths of other causes. Data included matching variables of age, sex, time between death and postmortem examination, and temperature of the surrounding environment. The exploratory variables were brain weight and method of death. No significant difference was found between the brain weights of suicides and others. On the other hand, some differences were obtained for different suicide methods, which also differed in the temperature of the environment, this being lower for the group of suicides that occurred outdoors (around or below 0°C). Once we excluded all the outdoor cases and controls, a significantly higher brain weight was obtained for suicide cases. These and previous results are intriguing and require explanation. Respirator brain syndrome as described by Moseley, Molinari, and Walker in 1976 may provide only a partial explanation. Another possible suggestion is that higher brain weight in suicide victims may be related to previously demonstrated increased amygdala blood flow and subsequent amygdala enlargement due to the increased processing of emotional information.

Diagnostic Efficiency of the Trail Making Test as a Function of Cut-off Score, Diagnosis, and Age

1978 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman G. Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Veterans Administration ◽  
Trail Making Test ◽  
Diagnostic Efficiency ◽  
Male Veterans ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
Administration Hospital ◽  
Cutoff Scores ◽  
The Brain

This study is a reinvestigation of the effectiveness of the Trail Making Test in discriminating between brain-damaged ( n = 51) and pseudoneurologic ( n = 72) subjects. All subjects were hospitalized male veterans at the Allen Park Veterans Administration Hospital. An analysis of covariance showed that the pseudoneurologic subjects performed at a significantly higher level than the brain-damaged subjects. Further analysis with two different cutoff scores exhibited unequal discriminatory power throughout the whole range of Trail Making Test scores. These results suggested diagnosing only when the scores were 9 or lower and 13 or higher. This use of extreme scores resulted in an over-all hit rate of 87% in the study. Comparisons with five major subgroupings of the pseudoneurologic subjects yielded only one significant difference: more accurate discrimination with the 12 cut-off score between 10 general-medical and peripheral nerve-damaged subjects (100% correct) and 18 psychotic subjects (39% accuracy).

Out in the wash: spatial ecology of a temperate marine shallow rocky-reef species derived using acoustic telemetry

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerom R. Stocks ◽  
Charles A. Gray ◽  
Matthew D. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Ecology ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Activity Space ◽  
Rocky Reef ◽  
Temperate Reef ◽  
Detection Frequency ◽  
Detection Depth ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Temperate Reef Fish

Characterising the movement and habitat affinities of fish is a fundamental component in understanding the functioning of marine ecosystems. A comprehensive array of acoustic receivers was deployed at two near-shore coastal sites in south-eastern Australia, to examine the movements, activity-space size and residency of a temperate rocky-reef, herbivorous species Girella elevata. Twenty-four G. elevata individuals were internally tagged with pressure-sensing acoustic transmitters across these two arrays and monitored for up to 550 days. An existing network of coastal receivers was used to examine large-scale movement patterns. Individuals exhibited varying residency, but all had small activity-space sizes within the arrays. The species utilised shallow rocky-reef habitat, displaying unimodal or bimodal patterns in depth use. A positive correlation was observed between wind speed and the detection depth of fish, with fish being likely to move to deeper water to escape periods of adverse conditions. Detection frequency data, corrected using sentinel tags, generally illustrated diurnal behaviour. Patterns of habitat usage, residency and spatial utilisation highlighted the susceptibility of G. elevata to recreational fishing pressure. The results from the present study will further contribute to the spatial information required in the zoning of effective marine protected areas, and our understanding of temperate reef fish ecology.

scholarly journals Inhibition of Leukocyte Entry into the Brain by the Selectin Blocker Fucoidin Decreases Interleukin-1 (IL-1) Levels but Increases IL-8 Levels in Cerebrospinal Fluid during Experimental Pneumococcal Meningitis in Rabbits

2000 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 3153-3157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Østergaard ◽  
Runa Vavia Yieng-Kow ◽  
Thomas Benfield ◽  
Niels Frimodt-Møller ◽  
Frank Espersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽  
Pneumococcal Meningitis ◽  
Interleukin 1 ◽  
Treated Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽  
Tnf Α ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Experimental Pneumococcal Meningitis

ABSTRACT The polysaccharide fucoidin is a selectin blocker that inhibits leukocyte recruitment into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during experimental pneumococcal meningitis. In the present study, the effect of fucoidin treatment on the release of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1), and IL-8 into the CSF was investigated. Rabbits (n = 7) were treated intravenously with 10 mg of fucoidin/kg of body weight every second hour starting 4 h after intracisternal inoculation of ∼106 CFU of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 3 (untreated control group, n = 7). CSF samples were obtained every second hour during a 16-h study period. Treatment with fucoidin caused a consistent and significant decrease in CSF IL-1 levels (in picograms per milliliter) between 12 and 16 h (0 versus 170, 0 versus 526, and 60 versus 1,467, respectively;P < 0.02). A less consistent decrease in CSF TNF-α levels was observed in the fucoidin-treated group, but with no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). In contrast, there was no attenuation in CSF IL-8 levels. Indeed, there was a significant increase in CSF IL-8 levels (in picograms per milliliter) in the fucoidin-treated group at 10 and 12 h (921 versus 574 and 1,397 versus 569, respectively;P < 0.09). In conclusion, our results suggest that blood-derived leukocytes mainly are responsible for the release of IL-1 and to some degree TNF-α into the CSF during pneumococcal meningitis, whereas IL-8 may be produced by local cells within the brain.

scholarly journals Adaptive brain activity changes during tongue movement with palatal coverage from fMRI data

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuka Inamochi ◽  
Kenji Fueki ◽  
Nobuo Usui ◽  
Masato Taira ◽  
Noriyuki Wakabayashi
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Information ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Motor Impairment ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Tongue Movement ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Oral Environment ◽  
Motor Dexterity ◽  
The Brain

AbstractSuccessful adaptation to wearing dentures with palatal coverage may be associated with cortical activity changes related to tongue motor control. The purpose was to investigate the brain activity changes during tongue movement in response to a new oral environment. Twenty-eight fully dentate subjects (mean age: 28.6-years-old) who had no experience with removable dentures wore experimental palatal plates for 7 days. We measured tongue motor dexterity, difficulty with tongue movement, and brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging during tongue movement at pre-insertion (Day 0), as well as immediately (Day 1), 3 days (Day 3), and 7 days (Day 7) post-insertion. Difficulty with tongue movement was significantly higher on Day 1 than on Days 0, 3, and 7. In the subtraction analysis of brain activity across each day, activations in the angular gyrus and right precuneus on Day 1 were significantly higher than on Day 7. Tongue motor impairment induced activation of the angular gyrus, which was associated with monitoring of the tongue’s spatial information, as well as the activation of the precuneus, which was associated with constructing the tongue motor imagery. As the tongue regained the smoothness in its motor functions, the activation of the angular gyrus and precuneus decreased.

scholarly journals Non-Coding RNA in Acute Ischemic Stroke: Mechanisms, Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (12) ◽  
pp. 1763-1777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng-Wen Wang ◽  
Zhong Liu ◽  
Zhong-Song Shi
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Neural Development ◽  
Therapeutic Targets ◽  
Circular Rnas ◽  
Non Coding Rna ◽  
Non Coding Rnas ◽  
Cerebral Ischemic ◽  
Functional Rnas ◽  
The Brain

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a class of functional RNAs that regulate gene expression in a post-transcriptional manner. NcRNAs include microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs and circular RNAs. They are highly expressed in the brain and are involved in the regulation of physiological and pathophysiological processes, including cerebral ischemic injury, neurodegeneration, neural development, and plasticity. Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and physical disability worldwide. Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) occurs when brain blood flow stops, and that stoppage results in reduced oxygen and glucose supply to cells in the brain. In this article, we review the latest progress on ncRNAs in relation to their implications in AIS, as well as their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. We also review ncRNAs acting as possible therapeutic targets in future precision medicine. Finally, we conclude with a brief discussion of current challenges and future directions for ncRNAs studies in AIS, which may facilitate the translation of ncRNAs research into clinical practice to improve clinical outcome of AIS.

scholarly journals Structural Analysis of Brain Hub Region Volume and Cortical Thickness in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

Medicina ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (10) ◽  
pp. 497
Author(s):  
Nauris Zdanovskis ◽  
Ardis Platkājis ◽  
Andrejs Kostiks ◽  
Guntis Karelis
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Entorhinal Cortex ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Significant Positive Correlation ◽  
Hippocampal Volume ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Hippocampus Volume

Background and Objectives: A complex network of axonal pathways interlinks the human brain cortex. Brain networks are not distributed evenly, and brain regions making more connections with other parts are defined as brain hubs. Our objective was to analyze brain hub region volume and cortical thickness and determine the association with cognitive assessment scores in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included 11 patients (5 mild cognitive impairment; 6 dementia). All patients underwent neurological examination, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test scores were recorded. Scans with a 3T MRI scanner were done, and cortical thickness and volumetric data were acquired using Freesurfer 7.1.0 software. Results: By analyzing differences between the MCI and dementia groups, MCI patients had higher hippocampal volumes (p < 0.05) and left entorhinal cortex thickness (p < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between MoCA test scores and left hippocampus volume (r = 0.767, p < 0.01), right hippocampus volume (r = 0.785, p < 0.01), right precuneus cortical thickness (r = 0.648, p < 0.05), left entorhinal cortex thickness (r = 0.767, p < 0.01), and right entorhinal cortex thickness (r = 0.612, p < 0.05). Conclusions: In our study, hippocampal volume and entorhinal cortex showed significant differences in the MCI and dementia patient groups. Additionally, we found a statistically significant positive correlation between MoCA scores, hippocampal volume, entorhinal cortex thickness, and right precuneus. Although other brain hub regions did not show statistically significant differences, there should be additional research to evaluate the brain hub region association with MCI and dementia.

Effect of adrenalectomy on convulsions induced by high-pressure oxygen

1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 688-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. K. Singh ◽  
E. W. Banister
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Acid Level ◽  
Amino Acid Level ◽  
Aminobutyric Acid ◽  
Pressure Oxygen ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
High Pressure Oxygen ◽  
Brain Gaba ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Adrenalectomized Rats

Adrenalectomized rats exposed to high pressure oxygen (OHP) until convulsion convulse much later than sham-operated or normal rats. No significant changes in the concentration of noradrenaline (NA) and total catecholamines (TC) in the brain were noted in sham-operated or adrenalectomized rats resulting from sham or real surgery and no change occurred in these variables in normal sham-operated or adrenalectomized animals after OHP leading to convulsion. Brain adrenaline (A) concentration, however, decreased significantly in all three groups following OHP-induced convulsions. Activity of catecholamine O-methyltransferase (COMT) decreased significantly only in adrenalectomized rats. Brain γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, and other amino acid level remained unchanged after adrenalectomy whereas the concentration of ammonia decreased significantly when normal rats were adrenalectomized. After OHP-induced convulsions, the concentrations of brain GABA and glutamate decreased and ammonia and glutamine plus asparagine increased significantly in normal, sham-operated, and adrenalectomized rats. In the blood no significant difference was noted in the concentration of the catecholamines, ammonia, and amino acids either in normal or sham-operated rats. In adrenalectomized rats, the blood A and NA concentrations decreased significantly and tyrosine increased significantly. The concentration of NA, ammonia, and glutamine plus asparagine in rats from all three groups increased after OHP-induced convulsions, whereas the concentration of glutamate decreased significantly. Since the concentration of A increased significantly after convulsions in normal and sham-operated rats but did not change in adrenalectomized rats, it might be proposed that adrenalectomy protects against OHP-induced convulsions by reducing the circulating concentration of A and ammonia.However, these are not the only factors involved in the protection since the sham-operated rats also convulsed much later than normal rats but had similar ammonia and A concentrations to normal animals.

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