Validation of the Awareness Atlas-a new measure of the manifestation of consciousness.

Consciousness has intrigued philosophers and scholars for millennia and has been the topic of considerable scientific investigation in recent decades. Despite its importance, there is no unifying definition of the term, nor are there widely accepted measures of consciousness. Indeed, it is likely that consciousness-by its very nature-eludes measurement.

Increased Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Patients With Autoimmune Addison Disease.

Context: Individuals with autoimmune Addison disease (AAD) take replacement medication for the lack of adrenal-derived glucocorticoid (GC) and mineralocorticoid hormones from diagnosis. The brain is highly sensitive to these hormones, but the consequence of having AAD for brain health has not been widely addressed.

Objective: The present study compared resting-state functional connectivity (rs-fc) of the brain between individuals with AAD and healthy controls.

An update on the long-term outcomes of prenatal dexamethasone treatment in congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

First-trimester prenatal treatment with glucocorticoid (GC) dexamethasone (DEX) in pregnancies at risk for classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is associated with ethical dilemmas. Though effective in reducing virilisation in girls with CAH, it entails exposure to high doses of GC in fetuses that do not benefit from the treatment. The current paper provides an update on the literature on outcomes of prenatal DEX treatment in CAH cases and unaffected subjects.

Brain activity during visuospatial working memory in congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Context: Patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) require life-long replacement of cortisol. Problems with cognitive function, especially working memory, have previously been identified, but the long-term effects of this disease on brain function are unknown.

Objective: We investigate brain activity during working memory in CAH compared to controls.

Brain structure in autoimmune Addison's disease.

Long-term disturbances in cortisol levels might affect brain structure in individuals with autoimmune Addison's disease (AAD). This study investigated gray and white matter brain structure in a cohort of young adults with AAD. T1- and diffusion-weighted images were acquired for 52 individuals with AAD and 70 healthy controls, aged 19-43 years, using magnetic resonance imaging.

First Trimester Dexamethasone Treatment Is Not Associated With Alteration in Resting-state Connectivity at Adolescent or Adult Age.

Context: Prenatal treatment with dexamethasone (DEX) has been used to prevent virilization in females at risk of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Both affected and unaffected girls, as well boys, are treated until the genotype and sex of the fetus is known (gestational weeks 10-12). After that, only affected girls are treated until term.

Changes in resting-state functional connectivity in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Context: Patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) are treated with life-long glucocorticoid (GC) replacement therapy. Negative effects on cognition, brain structure and function during working memory tasks have been identified. To date, no studies on functional connectivity during rest have been performed in patients with CAH.

Heartfulness Meditation: A Yogic and Neuroscientific Perspective.

Today, as research into the contemplative sciences is being widely referenced, the research community would benefit from an understanding of the Heartfulness method of meditation. Heartfulness offers an in-depth experiential practice focused on the evolution of human consciousness using the ancient technique of (yogic Transmission) during Meditation, in combination with the more active mental practice of "Cleaning." Both are enabled by initiation into the Heartfulness practices.

Young adult Swedish patients with autoimmune Addison's disease report difficulties with executive functions in daily life despite overall good cognitive performance.

Objectives: Sub-optimal replacement of glucocorticoids (GC) in autoimmune Addison's disease (AAD) may affect cognitive functioning. The present study therefore sought to investigate cognitive performance and self-reported problems with executive functions in a cohort of young adult patients with AAD.

Design And Methods: 67 patients with AAD (39 females), mean age 32 yrs.

First Trimester DEX Treatment Is Not Associated with Altered Brain Activity During Working Memory Performance in Adults.

Context: Prenatal dexamethasone (DEX) treatment is sometimes used in pregnancies at risk for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) to prevent virilization in female fetuses with CAH. In boys and in fetuses not having CAH, there is no benefit of early DEX treatment and the risks of this therapy must be thoroughly investigated. High doses of prenatal glucocorticoid might alter the developmental trajectory of the brain into adulthood, even for CAH unaffected subjects treated with DEX for a short term during the first trimester.

First-Trimester Prenatal Dexamethasone Treatment Is Associated With Alterations in Brain Structure at Adult Age.

Context: Prenatal treatment of human disease is rare. Dexamethasone (DEX) is used in pregnancies at risk for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) to prevent virilization in an affected female fetus. The safety and long-term consequences of prenatal DEX exposure on the brain are largely unknown.

The social brain in female autism: a structural imaging study of twins.

A female advantage in social cognition (SoC) might contribute to women's underrepresentation in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The latter could be underpinned by sex differences in social brain structure. This study investigated the relationship between structural social brain networks and SoC in females and males in relation to ASD and autistic traits in twins.

Sex differences in brain structure: a twin study on restricted and repetitive behaviors in twin pairs with and without autism.

Background: Females with autism spectrum disorder have been reported to exhibit fewer and less severe restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests compared to males. This difference might indicate sex-specific alterations of brain networks involved in autism symptom domains, especially within cortico-striatal and sensory integration networks. This study used a well-controlled twin design to examine sex differences in brain anatomy in relation to repetitive behaviors.

Altered Gray Matter Structure and White Matter Microstructure in Patients with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: Relevance for Working Memory Performance.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) has been associated with brain structure alterations, but systematic studies are lacking. We explore brain morphology in 37 (21 female) CAH patients and 43 (26 female) healthy controls, aged 16-33 years, using structural magnetic resonance imaging to estimate cortical thickness, surface area, volume, subcortical volumes, and white matter (WM) microstructure. We also report data on a small cohort of patients (n = 8) with CAH, who received prenatal dexamethasone (DEX).

Sex Differences Along the Autism Continuum: A Twin Study of Brain Structure.

Females might possess protective mechanisms regarding autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and require a higher detrimental load, including structural brain alterations, before developing clinically relevant levels of autistic traits. This study examines sex differences in structural brain morphology in autism and autistic traits using a within-twin pair approach. Twin design inherently controls for shared confounders and enables the study of gene-independent neuroanatomical variation.

2D:4D Ratio in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Twin Study.

The second to fourth digit (2D:4D) ratio is of interest in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Studies on the relationship of this ratio with other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are lacking. Investigating the association between the ratio and NDDs in twins can provide insight into genetic and/or environmental factors driving the ratio.