Semiparametric Estimation of Task-Based Dynamic Functional Connectivity on the Population Level.

Dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) estimates time-dependent associations between pairs of brain region time series as typically acquired during functional MRI. dFC changes are most commonly quantified by pairwise correlation coefficients between the time series within a sliding window. Here, we applied a recently developed bootstrap-based technique (Kudela et al.

Corticostriatal and Dopaminergic Response to Beer Flavor with Both fMRI and [(11) C]raclopride Positron Emission Tomography.

Background: Cue-evoked drug-seeking behavior likely depends on interactions between frontal activity and ventral striatal (VST) dopamine (DA) transmission. Using [(11) C]raclopride (RAC) positron emission tomography (PET), we previously demonstrated that beer flavor (absent intoxication) elicited VST DA release in beer drinkers, inferred by RAC displacement. Here, a subset of subjects from this previous RAC-PET study underwent a similar paradigm during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to test how orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and VST blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) responses to beer flavor are related to VST DA release and motivation to drink.

Small conductance calcium-activated potassium current and the mechanism of atrial arrhythmia in mice with dysfunctional melanocyte-like cells.

Background: The melanin synthesis enzyme dopachrome tautomerase (Dct) regulates intracellular Ca(2+) in melanocytes. Homozygous Dct knockout (Dct(-/-)) adult mice are vulnerable to atrial arrhythmias (AA).

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether apamin-sensitive small conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (SK) currents are upregulated in Dct(-/-) mice and contribute to AA.