Anatomical correlates of the neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease.

The current study aimed to assess the relationship between the neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the regional grey matter (GM) volume using voxel based morphometry (VBM). Data of 85 AD patients, 208 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 131 healthy controls were selected from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Individual VBM models across the entire sample for each items of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire as variables of interest were specified with four nuisance covariates, including age, sex, total intracranial volume (TIV), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score.

Does excessive play of violent first-person-shooter-video-games dampen brain activity in response to emotional stimuli?

The present case-control study investigated the processing of emotional pictures in excessive first-person-shooter-video-players and control persons. All participants of the fMRI experiment were confronted with pictures from four categories including pleasant, unpleasant, neutral content and pictures from the first-person-shooter-video-game 'Counterstrike'. Compared to controls, gamers showed a significantly lower activation of the left lateral medial frontal lobe while processing negative emotions.

The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism affects amygdala activity in response to emotional stimuli: evidence from a genetic imaging study.

Mounting evidence shows that the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a crucial role in synaptic plasticity. Due to its potential involvement in psychiatric diseases like depression and anxiety disorders BDNF lately became a major target in research. A functional variant of the BDNF gene--the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism--is of particular interest, because it influences the BDNF secretion which is followed by signaling at the TrkB receptor leading to dendritic growth of neurons.

Enhanced peptide-binding capacities of small intestinal brush border membranes in celiac disease.

In pathogenesis of celiac disease, the significance of prolamin peptide interactions with enterocytes is controversial. Changes in cellular metabolism induced by gliadin peptides, as well as uptake and presentation by enterocytes, are discussed. We analyzed peptide binding to enterocytic membranes as a potential key event.