Search results for "neurological"

The Relation between Geometry and Time in Mental Actions

2012

Mental imagery is a cognitive tool that helps humans take decisions by simulating past and future events. The hypothesis has been advanced that there is a functional equivalence between actual and mental movements. Yet, we do not know whether there are any limitations to its validity even in terms of some fundamental features of actual movements, such as the relationship between space and time. Although it is impossible to directly measure the spatiotemporal features of mental actions, an indirect investigation can be conducted by taking advantage of the constraints existing in planar drawing movements and described by the two-thirds power law (2/3PL). This kinematic law describes one of th…

Tower of London test: a comparison between conventional statistic approach and modelling based on artificial neural network in differentiating fronto…

2011

The early differentiation of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) from frontotemporal dementia (FTD) may be difficult. The Tower of London (ToL), thought to assess executive functions such as planning and visuo-spatial working memory, could help in this purpose. Twentytwo Dementia Centers consecutively recruited patients with early FTD or AD. ToL performances of these groups were analyzed using both the conventional statistical approaches and the Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) modelling. Ninety-four non aphasic FTD and 160 AD patients were recruited. ToL Accuracy Score (AS) significantly (p < 0.05) The use of hidden information contained in the different items of ToL and the non linear processing of…

Quantitative assessment of stereotyped and challenged locomotion after lesion of the striatum: a 3D kinematic study in rats.

2009

Background Although the striatum is in position to regulate motor function, the role of the structure in locomotor behaviour is poorly understood. Therefore, a detailed analysis of locomotion- and obstacle avoidance-related parameters was performed after unilateral lesion of the striatum in rats. Methods and Results Using the three dimensional motion capture technology, kinematics of walking and clearing obstacles, head and body orientation were analyzed before and up to 60 days after the lesion. Recordings were performed in treadmill running rats with or without obstacles attached to the treadmill belt. The lesion, which was induced by the direct injection of the mitochondrial toxin malona…

Single-cell analysis of the ventricular-subventricular zone reveals signatures of dorsal and ventral adult neurogenesis

2021

The ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ), on the walls of the lateral ventricles, harbors the largest neurogenic niche in the adult mouse brain. Previous work has shown that neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) in different locations within the V-SVZ produce different subtypes of new neurons for the olfactory bulb. The molecular signatures that underlie this regional heterogeneity remain largely unknown. Here, we present a single-cell RNA-sequencing dataset of the adult mouse V-SVZ revealing two populations of NSPCs that reside in largely non-overlapping domains in either the dorsal or ventral V-SVZ. These regional differences in gene expression were further validated using a single-nucl…

Gastric α-synuclein immunoreactive inclusions in Meissner's and Auerbach's plexuses in cases staged for Parkinson's disease-related brain pathology

2005

The progressive degenerative process associated with sporadic Parkinson's disease (sPD) is characterized by formation of alpha-synuclein-containing inclusion bodies in a few types of projection neurons in both the enteric and central nervous systems (ENS and CNS). In the brain, the process apparently begins in the brainstem (dorsal motor nucleus of the vagal nerve) and advances through susceptible regions of the basal mid-and forebrain until it reaches the cerebral cortex. Anatomically, all of the vulnerable brain regions are closely interconnected. Whether the pathological process begins in the brain or elsewhere in the nervous system, however, is still unknown. We therefore used immunocyt…

Response to letter by Werner et al.

2012

Thermal hypoaesthesia differentiates secondary restless legs syndrome associated with small fibre neuropathy from primary restless legs syndrome.

2010

This study aimed to assess thermal and mechanical perception and pain thresholds in primary idiopathic restless legs syndrome and secondary restless legs syndrome associated with small fibre neuropathy. Twenty-one patients (age: 53.4 + or - 8.4, n = 3, male) with primary restless legs syndrome and 13 patients (age: 63.0 + or - 8.2, n = 1, male) with secondary restless legs syndrome associated with small fibre neuropathy were compared with 20 healthy subjects (age: 58.0 + or - 7.0; n = 2, male). Differential diagnosis of secondary restless legs syndrome associated with small fibre neuropathy was based on clinical symptoms and confirmed with skin biopsies in all patients. A comprehensive quan…

The habilitation nursing of children with developmental disabilities—Beyond traditional nursing practices and principles?

2014

Research-based descriptions of the contents of the habilitation nursing of children with developmental disabilities are lacking. The objective of this qualitative study was to describe the habilitation nursing of children with developmental disabilities in a Finnish children’s neurological ward. In addition, the purpose was to outline the principles that directed the nursing functions (which consisted of various nursing interventions). The data collection included observation, a retrospective think-aloud method with video-taped nursing situations, the nursing records, and an open-ended questionnaire. The data were analysed with a qualitative content analysis of the manifest and latent conte…

Optical release of caged glutamate for stimulation of neurons in the in vitro slice preparation

2005

Optical stimulation techniques prove useful to map func- tional inputs in the in vitro brain slice preparation: Glutamate released by a focused beam of UV light induces action potentials, which can be detected in postsynaptic neurons. The direct activation effect is influenced by factors such as compound concentration, focus depth, light absorption in the tissue, and sensitivity of different neuronal do- mains. We analyze information derived from direct stimulation ex- periments in slices from rat barrel cortex and construct a computa- tional model of a layer V pyramidal neuron that reproduces the experimental findings. The model predictions concerning the influ- ence of focus depth on inpu…

Imaging of Orthotopic Glioblastoma Xenografts in Mice Using a Clinical CT Scanner: Comparison with Micro-CT and Histology

2016

Purpose There is an increasing need for small animal in vivo imaging in murine orthotopic glioma models. Because dedicated small animal scanners are not available ubiquitously, the applicability of a clinical CT scanner for visualization and measurement of intracerebrally growing glioma xenografts in living mice was validated. Materials and Methods 2.5x106 U87MG cells were orthotopically implanted in NOD/SCID/ᵞc-/- mice (n = 9). Mice underwent contrast-enhanced (300 μl Iomeprol i.v.) imaging using a micro-CT (80 kV, 75 μAs, 360° rotation, 1,000 projections, scan time 33 s, resolution 40 x 40 x 53 μm) and a clinical CT scanner (4-row multislice detector; 120 kV, 150 mAs, slice thickness 0.5 …