Search results for "brain"
showing 10 items of 3997 documents
Secondary Progression in Multiple Sclerosis: Neuronal Exhaustion or Distinct Pathology?
2016
Prevention of progression in neurological diseases, particularly in multiple sclerosis (MS) but also in neurodegenerative diseases, remains a significant challenge. MS patients switch from a relapsing-remitting to a progressive disease course, but it is not understood why and how this conversion occurs and why some patients never experience disease progression. Do aging and accumulation of neuronal damage induce progression, or do cognitive symptoms and accelerated grey matter (GM) atrophy point to distinct processes affecting networks? This review weighs accepted dogma against real data on the secondary progressive phase of the disease, highlighting current challenges in this important fie…
Clustering of low-correlated spatial gene expression patterns in the mouse brain in the Allen Brain Atlas
2018
In this paper, clustering techniques are applied to spatial gene expression patterns with a low genomic correlation between the sagittal and coronal projections. The data analysed here are hosted on an available public DB named ABA (Allen Brain Atlas). The results are compared to those obtained by Bohland et al. on the complementary dataset (high correlation values). We prove that, by analysing a reduced dataset,hence reducing the computational burden, we get the same accuracy in highlighting different neuroanatomical region.
Retrieving infinite numbers of patterns in a spin-glass model of immune networks
2013
The similarity between neural and immune networks has been known for decades, but so far we did not understand the mechanism that allows the immune system, unlike associative neural networks, to recall and execute a large number of memorized defense strategies {\em in parallel}. The explanation turns out to lie in the network topology. Neurons interact typically with a large number of other neurons, whereas interactions among lymphocytes in immune networks are very specific, and described by graphs with finite connectivity. In this paper we use replica techniques to solve a statistical mechanical immune network model with `coordinator branches' (T-cells) and `effector branches' (B-cells), a…
Regulatory effects of simvastatin and apoJ on APP processing and amyloid-beta clearance in blood-brain barrier endothelial cells
2017
Amyloid-β peptides (Aβ) accumulate in cerebral capillaries indicating a central role of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Although a relationship between apolipoprotein-, cholesterol- and Aβ metabolism is evident, the interconnecting mechanisms operating in brain capillary endothelial cells (BCEC) are poorly understood. ApoJ (clusterin) is present in HDL that regulates cholesterol metabolism which is disturbed in AD. ApoJ levels are increased in AD brains and in plasma of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) patients. ApoJ may bind, prevent fibrillization, and enhance clearance of Aβ. We here define a connection of apoJ and cellular cholesterol home…
A Genome-Wide Association Study of Attention Function in a Population-Based Sample of Children
2016
BACKGROUND: Attention function filters and selects behaviorally relevant information. This capacity is impaired in some psychiatric disorders and has been proposed as an endophenotype for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; however, its genetic basis remains largely unknown. This study aimed to identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) associated with attention function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The discovery sample included 1655 children (7-12 years) and the replication sample included 546 children (5-8 years). Five attention outcomes were assessed using the computerized Attentional Network Test (ANT): alerting, orienting, executive attention, Hit Reaction time (HRT) and the stand…
Social defeat stress: mechanisms underlying the increase in rewarding effects of drugs of abuse
2018
Social interaction is known to be the main source of stress in human beings, which explains the translational importance of this research in animals. Evidence reported over the last decade has revealed that, when exposed to social defeat experiences (brief episodes of social confrontations during adolescence and adulthood), the rodent brain undergoes remodeling and functional modifications, which in turn lead to an increase in the rewarding and reinstating effects of different drugs of abuse. The mechanisms by which social stress cause changes in the brain and behavior are unknown, and so the objective of this review is to contemplate how social defeat stress induces longlasting consequence…
Cortical Reorganization after Rehabilitation in a Patient with Conduction Aphasia Using High-Density EEG
2020
Conduction aphasia is a language disorder occurred after a left-brain injury. It is characterized by fluent speech production, reading, writing and normal comprehension, while speech repetition is impaired. The aim of this study is to investigate the cortical responses, induced by language activities, in a sub-acute stroke patient affected by conduction aphasia before and after an intensive speech therapy training. The patient was examined by using High-Density Electroencephalogram (HD-EEG) examination, while was performing language tasks. the patient was evaluated at baseline and after two months after rehabilitative treatment. Our results showed that an intensive rehabilitative process, i…
Brain Delivery of Multifunctional Dendrimer Protein Bioconjugates
2018
Abstract Neurological disorders are undoubtedly among the most alarming diseases humans might face. In treatment of neurological disorders, the blood‐brain barrier (BBB) is a challenging obstacle preventing drug penetration into the brain. Advances in dendrimer chemistry for central nervous system (CNS) treatments are presented here. A poly(amido)amine (PAMAM) dendrimer bioconjugate with a streptavidin adapter for the attachment of dendrons or any biotinylated drug is constructed. In vitro studies on porcine or murine models and in vivo mouse studies are performed and reveal the permeation of dendronized streptavidin (DSA) into the CNS. The bioconjugate is taken up mainly by the caveolae pa…
Imbalance of immunological synapse-kinapse states reflects tumor escape to immunity in glioblastoma
2018
Since the proper activation of T cells requires the physical interaction with target cells through the formation of immunological synapses (IS), an alteration at this level could be a reason why tumors escape the immune response. As part of their life cycle, it is thought that T cells alternate between a static phase, the IS, and a dynamic phase, the immunological kinapse (IK), depending on high or low antigen sensing. Our investigation performed in tissue samples of human glioma shows that T cells are able to establish synapsing interactions not only with glioma tumorigenic cells, but also with stromal myeloid cells. Particularly, the IS displaying a T cell receptor-rich (TCR-rich) central…
Correlation between octopaminergic signalling and foraging task specialisation in honeybees
2020
Regulation of pollen and nectar foraging in honeybees is linked to differences in the sensitivity to the reward. Octopamine (OA) participates in the processing of reward-related information in the bee brain, being a candidate to mediate and modulate the division of labour among pollen and nectar foragers. Here we tested the hypothesis that OA affects the resource preferences of foragers. We first investigated whether oral administration of OA is involved in the transition from nectar to pollen foraging. We quantified the percentage of OA-treated bees that switched from a sucrose solution to a pollen feeder when the sugar concentration was decreased experimentally. We also evaluated if feedi…