Neuroscience
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Greater cortical activation and motor recovery following mirror therapy immediately after peripheral nerve repair of the forearm.
Cortical reorganization occurs immediately after peripheral nerve injury, and early sensorimotor training is suggested during nerve regeneration. The effect of mirror therapy and classical sensory relearning on cortical activation immediately after peripheral nerve repair of the forearm is unknown. Six participants were randomly assigned to the mirror-therapy group or the sensory-relearning group. ⋯ All participants showed improvement in the SWM, S-2PD tests, upper extremity function, and grip strength after the intervention at T1, except for the participant who injured both the median and ulnar nerves in the sensory-relearning group. In addition, the mirror-therapy group had better outcomes in finger dexterity and manual dexterity, and fMRIs showed greater activation in the multimodal association cortices and ipsilateral brain areas during motor tasks. This study provides evidence-based results confirming the benefits of early sensorimotor relearning for cortical activation in peripheral nerve injury of the forearm and different neuroplasticity patterns between mirror therapy and classical sensor relearning.
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Procrastination is generally recognized as a problematic behavior and the consequences of which spread to various aspects of an individual's life such as academic performance, social accomplishment, well-being, and health. Previous studies have indicated that neuroticism is positively correlated with procrastination; however, little is known about the neural substrates underlying the link between neuroticism and procrastination. To address this issue, we employed voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) methods to investigate the neural underpinning for their relationship in the present study (N = 153). ⋯ Moreover, results from RSFC analysis suggested that the functional connectivity between RMTG and the right superior frontal gyrus (RSFG) was positively associated with neuroticism. More importantly, a mediation analysis demonstrated that neuroticism played a full mediating role in the impact of RMTG-RSFG functional connectivity on procrastination. Overall, the present study offered new insights into the relation between neuroticism and procrastination from a neural basis perspective, which also suggested the importance of emotional regulation with regard to the link between such an association.
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The unpredictability of epileptic seizures is one of the most problematic aspects of the field of epilepsy. Methods or devices capable of detecting seizures minutes before they occur may help prevent injury or even death and significantly improve the quality of life. Machine learning (ML) is an emerging technology that can markedly enhance algorithm performance by interpreting data. ⋯ While ML has good prospects with regard to detecting epileptic seizures via EEG signals, many clinicians are still unfamiliar with this field. This work briefly summarizes the history and recent significant progress made in this field and clarifies the essential components of the automatic seizure detection system using ML methodologies for clinicians. This review also proposes how neurologists can actively contribute to ensure improvements in seizure prediction using EEG-based ML.
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Review
Lactate supply from astrocytes to neurons and its role in ischemic stroke-induced neurodegeneration.
Glucose transported to the brain is metabolized to lactate in astrocytes and supplied to neuronal cells via a monocarboxylic acid transporter (MCT). Lactate is used in neuronal cells for various functions, including learning and memory formation. Furthermore, lactate can block stroke-induced neurodegeneration. ⋯ These findings suggest that the lack of lactate supply may strongly contribute to hypoxia-induced neurodegeneration. Furthermore, diminished lactate supply from astrocytes could facilitate stroke-induced neurodegeneration. Therefore, astrocyte-derived lactate may contribute to stroke prevention.
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The primary sensory modality for probing spatial perception can vary among psychophysical paradigms. In the subjective visual vertical (SVV) task, the brain must account for the position of the eye within the orbit to generate an estimate of a visual line orientation, whereas in the subjective haptic vertical (SHV) task, the position of the hand is used to sense the orientation of a haptic bar. Here we investigated whether a hand sensory bias can affect SHV measurement. ⋯ Midline SHV measures using the left and right hands were different, confirming a laterality effect (left hand -4.5 ± 1.7°, right hand 6.4 ± 2.0°). These results demonstrate a sensory bias in SHV measurement related to the effects of both hand-in-body (i.e., right vs left hand) and hand-in-space positions. Such modality-specific bias may result in disparity between SHV and SVV measurements, and therefore cannot be generalized to vertical or spatial perception.