A Model of Brain Function: Its Implications for Psychiatric Research

1986 ◽  
Vol 148 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce E. Wexler
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Integrated Model ◽  
Psychiatric Research ◽  
Clinical Syndromes ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Existing Data

Much current research in psychiatry proceeds in the absence of an integrated model of brain function. It is based instead on the effort to relate clinical syndromes to single, localised abnormalities in the brain. Such an approach is inconsistent with existing data, inadequate for linking research findings with clinical practice, and, probably, fundamentally misdirected. A model of brain function is presented that is based on Luria's notion of cerebral functional systems and on the proposition that the neural substrates of emotion are those processes that integrate different brain regions. Some of the implications of this model for research are discussed.

scholarly journals Location Matters: Navigating Regional Heterogeneity of the Neurovascular Unit

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis-Philippe Bernier ◽  
Clément Brunner ◽  
Azzurra Cottarelli ◽  
Matilde Balbi
Keyword(s):  
Brain Function ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Neurovascular Unit ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Regional Heterogeneity ◽  
Regional Specialization ◽  
Multiple Cell ◽  
Cellular Components ◽  
The Brain

The neurovascular unit (NVU) of the brain is composed of multiple cell types that act synergistically to modify blood flow to locally match the energy demand of neural activity, as well as to maintain the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). It is becoming increasingly recognized that the functional specialization, as well as the cellular composition of the NVU varies spatially. This heterogeneity is encountered as variations in vascular and perivascular cells along the arteriole-capillary-venule axis, as well as through differences in NVU composition throughout anatomical regions of the brain. Given the wide variations in metabolic demands between brain regions, especially those of gray vs. white matter, the spatial heterogeneity of the NVU is critical to brain function. Here we review recent evidence demonstrating regional specialization of the NVU between brain regions, by focusing on the heterogeneity of its individual cellular components and briefly discussing novel approaches to investigate NVU diversity.

scholarly journals Flexible Simultaneous Mesoscale Two-Photon Imaging of Neural Activity at High Speeds

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitchell Clough ◽  
Ichen Anderson Chen ◽  
Seong-Wook Park ◽  
Allison M Ahrens ◽  
Jeffrey N Stirman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Function ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Two Photon ◽  
High Speeds ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Acquisition Speed ◽  
Photon Imaging ◽  
Two Photon Imaging ◽  
Global Brain ◽  
The Brain

Understanding brain function requires monitoring local and global brain dynamics. Two-photon imaging of the brain across mesoscopic scales has presented trade-offs between imaging area and acquisition speed. We describe a flexible cellular resolution two-photon microscope capable of simultaneous video rate acquisition of four independently targetable brain regions spanning an approximate five-millimeter field of view. With this system, we demonstrate the ability to measure calcium activity across mouse sensorimotor cortex at behaviorally relevant timescales.

scholarly journals Sleep, Memory & Brain Rhythms

Daedalus ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 144 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brendon O. Watson ◽  
György Buzsáki
Keyword(s):  
Brain Function ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Knowledge Retention ◽  
Brain Functioning ◽  
Brain Rhythms ◽  
Homeostatic Mechanism ◽  
New Information ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Oscillatory Rhythm ◽  
Existing Data

Sleep occupies roughly one-third of our lives, yet the scientific community is still not entirely clear on its purpose or function. Existing data point most strongly to its role in memory and homeostasis: that sleep helps maintain basic brain functioning via a homeostatic mechanism that loosens connections between overworked synapses, and that sleep helps consolidate and re-form important memories. In this review, we will summarize these theories, but also focus on substantial new information regarding the relation of electrical brain rhythms to sleep. In particular, while REM sleep may contribute to the homeostatic weakening of overactive synapses, a prominent and transient oscillatory rhythm called “sharp-wave ripple” seems to allow for consolidation of behaviorally relevant memories across many structures of the brain. We propose that a theory of sleep involving the division of labor between two states of sleep–REM and non-REM, the latter of which has an abundance of ripple electrical activity–might allow for a fusion of the two main sleep theories. This theory then postulates that sleep performs a combination of consolidation and homeostasis that promotes optimal knowledge retention as well as optimal waking brain function.

Role of adrenal catecholamines in cerebrovasodilation evoked from brain stem

1987 ◽  
Vol 252 (6) ◽  
pp. H1183-H1191
Author(s):  
C. Iadecola ◽  
P. M. Lacombe ◽  
M. D. Underwood ◽  
T. Ishitsuka ◽  
D. J. Reis
Keyword(s):  
Brain Function ◽  
Blood Gases ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Elevated Plasma ◽  
Regional Cerebral Blood ◽  
Medullary Reticular Formation ◽  
Alpha Chloralose ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Stimulation Of

We studied whether adrenal medullary catecholamines (CAs) contribute to the metabolically linked increase in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) elicited by electrical stimulation of the dorsal medullary reticular formation (DMRF). Rats were anesthetized (alpha-chloralose, 30 mg/kg), paralyzed, and artificially ventilated. The DMRF was electrically stimulated with intermittent trains of pulses through microelectrodes stereotaxically implanted. Blood gases were controlled and, during stimulation, arterial pressure was maintained within the autoregulated range for rCBF. rCBF and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability were determined in homogenates of brain regions by using [14C]iodoantipyrine and alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB), respectively, as tracers. Plasma CAs (epinephrine and norepinephrine) were measured radioenzymatically. DMRF stimulation increased rCBF throughout the brain (n = 5; P less than 0.01, analysis of variance) and elevated plasma CAs substantially (n = 4). Acute bilateral adrenalectomy abolished the increase in plasma epinephrine (n = 4), reduced the increases in flow (n = 6) in cerebral cortex (P less than 0.05), and abolished them elsewhere in brain (P greater than 0.05). Comparable effects on rCBF were obtained by selective adrenal demedullation (n = 7) or pretreatment with propranolol (1.5 mg/kg iv) (n = 5). DMRF stimulation did not increase the permeability of the BBB to AIB (n = 5). We conclude that the increases in rCBF elicited from the DMRF has two components, one dependent on, and the other independent of CAs. Since the BBB is impermeable to CAs and DMRF stimulation fails to open the BBB, the results suggest that DMRF stimulation allows, through a mechanism not yet determined, circulating CAs to act on brain and affect brain function.

scholarly journals Neural Substrates of Social Status Inference: Roles of Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Superior Temporal Sulcus

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1131-1140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malia Mason ◽  
Joe C. Magee ◽  
Susan T. Fiske
Keyword(s):  
Social Order ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Social Interdependence ◽  
Medial Pfc ◽  
State Inference ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Track Status

The negotiation of social order is intimately connected to the capacity to infer and track status relationships. Despite the foundational role of status in social cognition, we know little about how the brain constructs status from social interactions that display it. Although emerging cognitive neuroscience reveals that status judgments depend on the intraparietal sulcus, a brain region that supports the comparison of targets along a quantitative continuum, we present evidence that status judgments do not necessarily reduce to ranking targets along a quantitative continuum. The process of judging status also fits a social interdependence analysis. Consistent with third-party perceivers judging status by inferring whose goals are dictating the terms of the interaction and who is subordinating their desires to whom, status judgments were associated with increased recruitment of medial pFC and STS, brain regions implicated in mental state inference.

Effect of maternal hypothyroxinaemia during fetal life on the calmodulin-regulated phosphatase activity in the brain of the adult progeny in the rat

1989 ◽  
Vol 121 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Ruiz de Elvira ◽  
A. K. Sinha ◽  
M. Pickard ◽  
M. Ballabio ◽  
M. Hubank ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Content ◽  
Phosphatase Activity ◽  
Brain Region ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Enzyme Assay ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Fetal Life ◽  
Phosphatase Activities ◽  
Old Rats ◽  
The Brain

ABSTRACT Calmodulin-regulated phosphatase activity was measured in the brain of 2-month-old rats born from hypothyroid and normal dams, using a fluorometric enzyme assay developed for this purpose. Calmodulin content was measured in the same brain regions by radioimmunoassay. Significant differences between groups in weight and protein content, basal phosphatase and calmodulin-regulated phosphatase activity were found. The brain region most affected was the cerebellum, where basal and calmodulin-regulated phosphatase activities, and protein content were increased. The data point towards a lasting effect of maternal hypothyroxinaemia on the brain function of the progeny. Journal of Endocrinology (1989) 121, 331–335

scholarly journals Studies of Altered Social Cognition in Neuropsychiatric Disorders Using Functional Neuroimaging

2002 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl L Grady ◽  
Michelle L Keightley
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Disorders ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Social Abilities ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Self Reference

In this paper, we review studies using functional neuroimaging to examine cognition in neuropsychiatric disorders. The focus is on social cognition, which is a topic that has received increasing attention over the past few years. A network of brain regions is proposed for social cognition that includes regions involved in processes relevant to social functioning (for example, self reference and emotion). We discuss the alterations of activity in these areas in patients with autism, depression, schizophrenia, and posttraumatic stress disorder in relation to deficits in social behaviour and symptoms. The evidence to date suggests that there may be some specificity of the brain regions involved in these 4 disorders, but all are associated with dysfunction in the amygdala and dorsal cingulate gyrus. Although there is much work remaining in this area, we are beginning to understand the complex interactions of brain function and behaviour that lead to disruptions of social abilities.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between Cognition and Cerebrovascular Reactivity: Implications for Task-Based fMRI

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca J. Williams ◽  
M. Ethan MacDonald ◽  
Erin L. Mazerolle ◽  
G. Bruce Pike
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Vascular Function ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Cerebrovascular Reactivity ◽  
Vascular Health ◽  
Vascular Changes ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain

Elucidating the brain regions and networks associated with cognitive processes has been the mainstay of task-based fMRI, under the assumption that BOLD signals are uncompromised by vascular function. This is despite the plethora of research highlighting BOLD modulations due to vascular changes induced by disease, drugs, and aging. On the other hand, BOLD fMRI-based assessment of cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) is often used as an indicator of the brain's vascular health and has been shown to be strongly associated with cognitive function. This review paper considers the relationship between BOLD-based assessments of CVR, cognition and task-based fMRI. How the BOLD response reflects both CVR and neural activity, and how findings of altered CVR in disease and in normal physiology are associated with cognition and BOLD signal changes are discussed. These are pertinent considerations for fMRI applications aiming to understand the biological basis of cognition. Therefore, a discussion of how the acquisition of BOLD-based CVR can enhance our ability to map human brain function, with limitations and potential future directions, is presented.

scholarly journals Brain hubs defined in the group do not overlap with regions of high inter-individual variability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek Martin Smith ◽  
Brian T Kraus ◽  
Ally Dworetsky ◽  
Evan M Gordon ◽  
Caterina Gratton
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Spatial Proximity ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Multiple Networks ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
The Brain

Connector 'hubs' are brain regions with links to multiple networks. These regions are hypothesized to play a critical role in brain function. While hubs are often identified based on group-average functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, there is considerable inter-subject variation in the functional connectivity profiles of the brain, especially in association regions where hubs tend to be located. Here we investigated how group hubs are related to locations of inter-individual variability, to better understand if hubs are (a) relatively conserved across people, (b) locations with malleable connectivity, leading individuals to show variable hub profiles, or (c) artifacts arising from cross-person variation. To answer this question, we compared the locations of hubs and regions of strong idiosyncratic functional connectivity ("variants") in both the Midnight Scan Club and Human Connectome Project datasets. Group hubs defined based on the participation coefficient did not overlap strongly with variants. These hubs have relatively strong similarity across participants and consistent cross-network profiles. Consistency across participants was further improved when participation coefficient hubs were allowed to shift slightly in local position. Thus, our results demonstrate that group hubs defined with the participation coefficient are generally consistent across people, suggesting they may represent conserved cross-network bridges. More caution is warranted with alternative hub measures, such as community density, which are based on spatial proximity and show higher correspondence to locations of individual variability.

Affective Neuroscience: Past, Present, and Future

2009 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Dalgleish ◽  
Barnaby D. Dunn ◽  
Dean Mobbs
Keyword(s):  
Final Section ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Historical Overview ◽  
Affective Neuroscience ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Current State ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Made In

The discipline of affective neuroscience is concerned with the underlying neural substrates of emotion and mood. This review presents an historical overview of the pioneering work in affective neuroscience of James and Lange, Cannon and Bard, and Hess, Papez, and MacLean before summarizing the current state of research on the brain regions identified by these seminal researchers. We also discuss the more recent strides made in the field of affective neuroscience. A final section considers different hypothetical organizations of affective neuroanatomy and highlights future directions for the discipline.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document