Frontiers in neuroscience
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Frontiers in neuroscience · Jan 2016
Classification and Extraction of Resting State Networks Using Healthy and Epilepsy fMRI Data.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have significantly expanded the field's understanding of functional brain activity of healthy and patient populations. Resting state (rs-) fMRI, which does not require subjects to perform a task, eliminating confounds of task difficulty, allows examination of neural activity and offers valuable functional mapping information. The purpose of this work was to develop an automatic resting state network (RSN) labeling method which offers value in clinical workflow during rs-fMRI mapping by organizing and quickly labeling spatial maps into functional networks. ⋯ ICA revealed distinct and consistent functional network components across patients and healthy subjects. Network classification was successful, achieving 88% accuracy for epilepsy patients with a naïve Bayes algorithm (and 90% accuracy for healthy subjects with a perceptron). The method's utility to researchers and clinicians is the provided RSN spatial maps and their functional labeling which offer complementary functional information to clinicians' expert interpretation.
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Frontiers in neuroscience · Jan 2015
ReviewDoes neuroinflammation turn on the flame in Alzheimer's disease? Focus on astrocytes.
Data from animal models and Alzheimer's disease (AD) subjects provide clear evidence for an activation of inflammatory pathways during the pathogenetic course of such illness. Biochemical and neuropathological studies highlighted an important cause/effect relationship between inflammation and AD progression, revealing a wide range of genetic, cellular, and molecular changes associated with the pathology. In this context, glial cells have been proved to exert a crucial role. ⋯ Neuroinflammation is certainly a multi-faceted and complex phenomenon and, especially in the early stages, exerts a reparative intent. However, for reasons not yet all well known, this process goes beyond the physiologic control and contributes to the exacerbation of the damage. Here we scrutinize some evidence supporting the role of astrocytes in the neuroinflammatory process and the possibility that these cells could be considered a promising target for future AD therapies.
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Frontiers in neuroscience · Jan 2015
Transcranial random noise stimulation-induced plasticity is NMDA-receptor independent but sodium-channel blocker and benzodiazepines sensitive.
Application of transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) between 0.1 and 640 Hz of the primary motor cortex (M1) for 10 min induces a persistent excitability increase lasting for at least 60 min. However, the mechanism of tRNS-induced cortical excitability alterations is not yet fully understood. ⋯ In contrast to transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), aftereffects of tRNS are seem to be not NMDA receptor dependent and can be suppressed by benzodiazepines suggesting that tDCS and tRNS depend upon different mechanisms.
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Frontiers in neuroscience · Jan 2015
ReviewNeuroimaging assessment of early and late neurobiological sequelae of traumatic brain injury: implications for CTE.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been increasingly accepted as a major external risk factor for neurodegenerative morbidity and mortality. Recent evidence indicates that the resultant chronic neurobiological sequelae following head trauma may, at least in part, contribute to a pathologically distinct disease known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). The clinical manifestation of CTE is variable, but the symptoms of this progressive disease include impaired memory and cognition, affective disorders (i.e., impulsivity, aggression, depression, suicidality, etc.), and diminished motor control. ⋯ However, the incidence rates and pathological mechanisms are still largely unknown, primarily due to the fact that there is no in vivo diagnostic tool. The primary objective of this manuscript is to address this limitation and discuss potential neuroimaging modalities that may be capable of diagnosing CTE in vivo through the detection of tau and other known pathological features. Additionally, we will discuss the challenges of TBI research, outline the known pathology of CTE (with an emphasis on Tau), review current neuroimaging modalities to assess the potential routes for in vivo diagnosis, and discuss the future directions of CTE research.
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Frontiers in neuroscience · Jan 2015
ReviewDisease-modifying therapeutic directions for Lewy-Body dementias.
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second leading cause of dementia following Alzheimer's disease (AD) and accounts for up to 25% of all dementia. DLB is distinct from AD in that it involves extensive neuropsychiatric symptoms as well as motor symptoms, leads to enormous societal costs in terms of direct medical care and is associated with high financial and caregiver costs. Although, there are no disease-modifying therapies for DLB, we review several new therapeutic directions in treating DLB. We discuss progress in strategies to decrease the level of alpha-synuclein, to prevent the cell to cell transmission of misfolded alpha-synuclein, and the potential of brain stimulation in DLB.