Development and early life stress sensitivity of the rat cortical microstructural similarity network.

The rat offers a uniquely valuable animal model in neuroscience, but we currently lack an individual-level understanding of the in vivo rat brain network. Here, leveraging longitudinal measures of cortical magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) from in vivo neuroimaging between postnatal days 20 (weanling) and 290 (mid-adulthood), we design and implement a computational pipeline that captures the network of structural similarity (MIND, morphometric inverse divergence) between each of 53 distinct cortical areas. We first characterized the normative development of the network in a cohort of rats undergoing typical development (N=47), and then contrasted these findings with a cohort exposed to early life stress (ELS, N=40).

Extra-axial inflammatory signal and its relationship to peripheral and central immunity in depression.

Although both central and peripheral inflammation have been observed consistently in depression, the relationship between the two remains obscure. Extra-axial immune cells may play a role in mediating the connection between central and peripheral immunity. This study investigates the potential roles of calvarial bone marrow and parameningeal spaces in mediating interactions between central and peripheral immunity in depression.

Structural MRI of brain similarity networks.

Recent advances in structural MRI analytics now allow the network organization of individual brains to be comprehensively mapped through the use of the biologically principled metric of anatomical similarity. In this Review, we offer an overview of the measurement and meaning of structural MRI similarity, especially in relation to two key assumptions that often underlie its interpretation: (i) that MRI similarity can be representative of architectonic similarity between cortical areas and (ii) that similar areas are more likely to be axonally connected, as predicted by the homophily principle. We first introduce the historical roots and technical foundations of MRI similarity analysis and compare it with the distinct MRI techniques of structural covariance and tractography analysis.

Acute effects of interferon-alpha on cellular anabolic and catabolic processes are associated with the development of fatigue during Interferon-alpha-based therapy for Hepatitis-C: A preliminary study.

Introduction: Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) is a key mediator of antiviral immune responses used to treat Hepatitis-C virus (HCV) infection. Though clinically effective, IFN-α frequently induces functionally impairing mood and motivation symptoms, particularly fatigue. Unlike mood impairment, which typically emerges after weeks of treatment, fatigue tends to emerge and evolve rapidly, typically within hours of the first IFN-α injection.