Anatomical and molecular development of the human primary visual cortex.

The human primary visual cortex (V1) development is pivotal to understanding cortical maturation and neuroplasticity. Theories on V1 development range from early maturation models, which emphasize the early peak of synapses in infancy, to those suggesting an extended developmental timeline where key plasticity mechanisms continue to mature well into adulthood. Classic histological approaches have supported early development, while recent molecular studies highlight prolonged or multiple windows of plasticity, indicating that V1 remains susceptible to experience-dependent modifications beyond childhood.

Purinergic Signalling Mediates Aberrant Excitability of Developing Neuronal Circuits in the Fmr1 Knockout Mouse Model.

Neuronal hyperexcitability within developing cortical circuits is a common characteristic of several heritable neurodevelopmental disorders, including Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). While this aberrant circuitry is typically studied from a neuron-centric perspective, glial cells secrete soluble factors that regulate both neurite extension and synaptogenesis during development. The nucleotide-mediated purinergic signalling system is particularly instrumental in facilitating these effects.

Corrigendum: A Practical Guide to Sparse -Means Clustering for Studying Molecular Development of the Human Brain.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.

A Practical Guide to Sparse -Means Clustering for Studying Molecular Development of the Human Brain.

Studying the molecular development of the human brain presents unique challenges for selecting a data analysis approach. The rare and valuable nature of human postmortem brain tissue, especially for developmental studies, means the sample sizes are small (), but the use of high throughput genomic and proteomic methods measure the expression levels for hundreds or thousands of variables [e.g.

A Primer on Constructing Plasticity Phenotypes to Classify Experience-Dependent Development of the Visual Cortex.

Many neural mechanisms regulate experience-dependent plasticity in the visual cortex (V1), and new techniques for quantifying large numbers of proteins or genes are transforming how plasticity is studied into the era of big data. With those large data sets comes the challenge of extracting biologically meaningful results about visual plasticity from data-driven analytical methods designed for high-dimensional data. In other areas of neuroscience, high-information content methodologies are revealing more subtle aspects of neural development and individual variations that give rise to a richer picture of brain disorders.

Experience-Dependent Changes in Myelin Basic Protein Expression in Adult Visual and Somatosensory Cortex.

An experience-driven increase in oligodendrocytes and myelin in the somatosensory cortex (S1) has emerged as a new marker of adult cortical plasticity. That finding contrasts with the view that myelin is a structural brake on plasticity, and that contributes to ending the critical period (CP) in the visual cortex (V1). Despite the evidence that myelin-derived signaling acts to end CP in V1, there is no information about myelin changes during adult plasticity in V1.

Classification of Visual Cortex Plasticity Phenotypes following Treatment for Amblyopia.

Monocular deprivation (MD) during the critical period (CP) has enduring effects on visual acuity and the functioning of the visual cortex (V1). This experience-dependent plasticity has become a model for studying the mechanisms, especially glutamatergic and GABAergic receptors, that regulate amblyopia. Less is known, however, about treatment-induced changes to those receptors and if those changes differentiate treatments that support the recovery of acuity versus persistent acuity deficits.

A structured 1-year education program for children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes improves early glycemic control.

Background: The diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) brings significant medical, psychosocial, and educational challenges for the child, family, and medical team. We developed a structured certified diabetes educator (CDE) led program spanning the year after diagnosis with the goal of supporting families as their understanding of this chronic disease and its management evolves.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of this program upon hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and how this effect is mitigated by socioeconomic status (SES).

The development of human visual cortex and clinical implications.

The primary visual cortex (V1) is the first cortical area that processes visual information. Normal development of V1 depends on binocular vision during the critical period, and age-related losses of vision are linked with neurobiological changes in V1. Animal studies have provided important details about the neurobiological mechanisms in V1 that support normal vision or are changed by visual diseases.

Development of Glutamatergic Proteins in Human Visual Cortex across the Lifespan.

Traditionally, human primary visual cortex (V1) has been thought to mature within the first few years of life, based on anatomical studies of synapse formation, and establishment of intracortical and intercortical connections. Human vision, however, develops well beyond the first few years. Previously, we found prolonged development of some GABAergic proteins in human V1 (Pinto et al.

Clinical, Psychosocial, and Demographic Factors Are Associated With Overweight and Obesity in Early Adolescent Girls With Type 1 Diabetes.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the differences in clinical, psychosocial, and demographic factors by sex and weight status.

Methods: Baseline data were analyzed from 318 adolescents (mean age = 12.3 ± 1.

Effects of Fluoxetine and Visual Experience on Glutamatergic and GABAergic Synaptic Proteins in Adult Rat Visual Cortex.

Fluoxetine has emerged as a novel treatment for persistent amblyopia because in adult animals it reinstates critical period-like ocular dominance plasticity and promotes recovery of visual acuity. Translation of these results from animal models to the clinic, however, has been challenging because of the lack of understanding of how this selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor affects glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic mechanisms that are essential for experience-dependent plasticity. An appealing hypothesis is that fluoxetine recreates a critical period (CP)-like state by shifting synaptic mechanisms to be more juvenile.

General Life and Diabetes-Related Stressors in Early Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes.

Introduction: To examine general and diabetes-related stressors in early adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Method: Data were from 205 participants (58% female; 33% minority; 11-14 years) enrolled in a clinical trial. Teens identified their top 3 stressors and responded to open-ended questions.

Classic and Golli Myelin Basic Protein have distinct developmental trajectories in human visual cortex.

Traditionally, myelin is viewed as insulation around axons, however, more recent studies have shown it also plays an important role in plasticity, axonal metabolism, and neuroimmune signaling. Myelin is a complex multi-protein structure composed of hundreds of proteins, with Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) being the most studied. MBP has two families: Classic-MBP that is necessary for activity driven compaction of myelin around axons, and Golli-MBP that is found in neurons, oligodendrocytes, and T-cells.

Characterizing synaptic protein development in human visual cortex enables alignment of synaptic age with rat visual cortex.

Although many potential neuroplasticity based therapies have been developed in the lab, few have translated into established clinical treatments for human neurologic or neuropsychiatric diseases. Animal models, especially of the visual system, have shaped our understanding of neuroplasticity by characterizing the mechanisms that promote neural changes and defining timing of the sensitive period. The lack of knowledge about development of synaptic plasticity mechanisms in human cortex, and about alignment of synaptic age between animals and humans, has limited translation of neuroplasticity therapies.

Experience-dependent central vision deficits: Neurobiology and visual acuity.

Abnormal visual experience during childhood often leads to amblyopia, with strong links to binocular dysfunction that can include poor acuity in both eyes, especially in central vision. In animal models of amblyopia, the non-deprived eye is often considered normal and what limits binocular acuity. This leaves open the question whether monocular deprivation (MD) induces binocular dysfunction similar to what is found in amblyopia.

Binocular visual training to promote recovery from monocular deprivation.

Abnormal early visual experience often leads to poor vision, a condition called amblyopia. Two recent approaches to treating amblyopia include binocular therapies and intensive visual training. These reflect the emerging view that amblyopia is a binocular deficit caused by increased neural noise and poor signal-in-noise integration.

A high-throughput semi-automated preparation for filtered synaptoneurosomes.

Background: Synaptoneurosomes have become an important tool for studying synaptic proteins. The filtered synaptoneurosomes preparation originally developed by Hollingsworth et al. (1985) is widely used and is an easy method to prepare synaptoneurosomes.

Anthropometric measures of abdominal adiposity for the identification of cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents.

Sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) was obtained in 65 adolescents referred for assessment of cardiometabolic risk. We found that SAD was associated with cardiometabolic risk factors independent of BMI in males, but that SAD was not superior to BMI or other measures of abdominal adiposity for the detection of metabolic syndrome.

Self-management in early adolescence and differences by age at diagnosis and duration of type 1 diabetes.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to describe the frequency of diabetes self-management activities, processes, and goals among early adolescents. In addition, differences in self-management by age at diagnosis and duration of diabetes were explored.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to analyze baseline data from 320 adolescents with T1DM enrolled in a multisite clinical trial.

Comparing development of synaptic proteins in rat visual, somatosensory, and frontal cortex.

Two theories have influenced our understanding of cortical development: the integrated network theory, where synaptic development is coordinated across areas; and the cascade theory, where the cortex develops in a wave-like manner from sensory to non-sensory areas. These different views on cortical development raise challenges for current studies aimed at comparing detailed maturation of the connectome among cortical areas. We have taken a different approach to compare synaptic development in rat visual, somatosensory, and frontal cortex by measuring expression of pre-synaptic (synapsin and synaptophysin) proteins that regulate vesicle cycling, and post-synaptic density (PSD-95 and Gephyrin) proteins that anchor excitatory or inhibitory (E-I) receptors.

Implementation of a clinical practice guideline for identification of microalbuminuria in the pediatric patient with type 1 diabetes.

Evidence-based practice is a shift in the health care culture from basing decisions on consensus opinion, past practice, and precedent toward the use of rigorous analysis of scientific evidence using outcomes research and clinical evidence to guide clinical decision making. The development of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPG) is critical to guide the assessment and management of children with diabetes. This article provides an overview of the infrastructure and processes that are crucial to providing evidence-based care in a large urban pediatric diabetes center.

Racial disparities in screening for diabetic retinopathy in youth with type 1 diabetes.

Of 1112 children with type 1 diabetes, dilated eye exams were performed in 717 (64%). Children were less likely to be screened for diabetic retinopathy (DR) if they were black (OR=1.6; p=0.

The evaluation of peripheral neuropathy in youth with type 1 diabetes.

Of 151 youth with type 1 diabetes who were screened for peripheral neuropathy, and received nerve conduction studies, 11% were diagnosed with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN). DPN can occur in young children, with short diabetes duration, and good diabetes control. National guidelines for screening children for DPN should be developed.

Increasing incidence of type 1 diabetes in youth: twenty years of the Philadelphia Pediatric Diabetes Registry.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the incidence of type 1 diabetes in children in Philadelphia from 2000-2004, compare the epidemiology to the previous three cohorts in the Philadelphia Pediatric Diabetes Registry, and, for the first time, describe the incidence of type 2 diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: Diabetes cases were obtained through a retrospective population-based registry. Hospital inpatient and outpatient records were reviewed for cases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes diagnosed from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2004.