Neuroscience
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Review
Nanostructured photonics Probes: A transformative approach in neurotherapeutics and brain circuitry.
Neuroprobes that use nanostructured photonic interfaces are capable of multimodal sensing, stimulation, and imaging with unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution. In addition to electrical recording, optogenetic modulation, high-resolution optical imaging, and molecular sensing, these advanced probes combine nanophotonic waveguides, optical transducers, nanostructured electrodes, and biochemical sensors. ⋯ In this review, we summarize and discuss the role of photonics in neural probes, trends in electrode diameter for neural interface technologies, nanophotonic technologies using nanostructured materials, advances in nanofabrication photonics interface engineering, and challenges and opportunities. Finally, interdisciplinary efforts are required to unlock the transformative potential of next-generation neuroscience therapies.
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Parkinson's disease is a heterogenous neurodegenerative disorder with a wide variety of motor and non-motor symptoms. This study used resting-state fMRI to identify the neural substrates of PD and explore the acute neural response to acupuncture stimulation in 74 participants (50 patients with PD and 24 healthy controls). All participants with PD were evaluated for the severity of symptoms using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and Balance Master. ⋯ Finally, acupuncture stimulation at GB34 significantly reduced the activity of the occipital regions in patients with PD, but this effect was not observed in healthy controls. The mixed-effects analysis revealed an interaction effects between group and acupuncture stimulation, suggesting that the modulatory effects of acupuncture could differ depending on disease status. Therefore, this study suggests the neural substrates of PD and potential underpinnings of acute neural response to acupuncture stimulation.
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We aimed to investigate the relationship between the volume reduction in hippocampal (HP) subregions and cognitive impairment in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Clinical, cognitive, and magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained for 315 participants. The CSVD group included 146 participants with a total CSVD score of 1-4. 169 participants with a total CSVD score of zero were used as control group (CSVD-0). ⋯ Regression analysis showed that fimbria was the most impacted HP subregion by CSVD. And mediation analysis revealed fimbria volume was a mediator variable between total CSVD score and MoCA/SCWT score. These results suggest that the volumes of HP subregions, especially the fimbria, may be effective potential biomarkers for early detecting cognitive impairment in CSVD.
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The hippocampus and amygdala, as important components of the limbic system, play crucial roles in central remodeling in congenital hearing loss. This study aimed to investigate the morphological integrity and network properties of the subfields of hippocampus and amygdala in children with congenital hearing loss. ⋯ Children with congenital hearing loss display specific volumetric increases in hippocampal subregions, suggesting compensatory adaptations to auditory deprivation. The hippocampus-amygdala network shows significant reorganization, potentially underpinning cognitive and behavioral development issues associated with congenital hearing loss. These findings highlight the importance of targeted neural substrates in understanding and addressing the developmental challenges faced by children with congenital hearing loss.
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The thalamus is crucial for supporting various cognitive behaviors due to its extensive connectivity with multiple cortical regions. However, the role of the thalamus and its functional connections with cortical regions in cognitive reasoning remains unclear, since previous research has mainly focused on cortical regions when studying the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive reasoning. To fill this knowledge gap, we utilized 7 T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the activation patterns of the thalamus and its functional connections with cortical regions during cognitive reasoning task, while also examining how the complexity of reasoning tasks affects thalamic activation and functional connections with cortical regions. ⋯ Given the complex thalamus structure, including multiple distinct nuclei exhibiting specific functional connections with particular cortical regions, we used an atlas defined thalamic subdivisions based on its structural connectivity with different cortical regions. Our findings indicated that these different thalamic subregions not only exhibited distinct connectivity patterns with specific cortical regions during performance of cognitive reasoning, but also showed distinct connectivity patterns varied with task complexity. Overall, our study presents evidence of the thalamus's role and its connections with cortical regions in supporting increasingly complex cognitive reasoning behavior, illuminating its contribution to higher-order cognitive functions, such as reasoning.