Increased heterogeneity and task-related reconfiguration of functional connectivity during a lexicosemantic task in autism.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is highly heterogeneous in etiology and clinical presentation. Findings on intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) or task-induced FC in ASD have been inconsistent including both over- and underconnectivity and diverse regional patterns. As FC patterns change across different cognitive demands, a novel and more comprehensive approach to network architecture in ASD is to examine the change in FC patterns between rest and task states, referred to as reconfiguration.

Graphene Oxide Strengthens Gelatine through Non-Covalent Interactions with Its Amorphous Region.

Graphene oxide (GO) has attracted huge attention in biomedical sciences due to its outstanding properties and potential applications. In this study, we synthesized GO using our recently developed 1-pyrenebutyric acid-assisted method and assessed how the GO as a filler influences the mechanical properties of GO-gelatine nanocomposite dry films as well as the cytotoxicity of HEK-293 cells grown on the GO-gelatine substrates. We show that the addition of GO (0-2%) improves the mechanical properties of gelatine in a concentration-dependent manner.

Neural indices of heritable impulsivity: Impact of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism on frontal beta power during early motor preparation.

Studies of COMT ValMet suggest that the neural circuitry subserving inhibitory control may be modulated by this functional polymorphism altering cortical dopamine availability, thus giving rise to heritable differences in behaviors. Using an anatomically-constrained magnetoencephalography method and stratifying the sample by COMT genotype, from a larger sample of 153 subjects, we examined the spatial and temporal dynamics of beta oscillations during motor execution and inhibition in 21 healthy Met/Met (high dopamine) or 21 Val/Val (low dopamine) genotype individuals during a Go/NoGo paradigm. While task performance was unaffected, Met homozygotes demonstrated an overall increase in beta power across regions essential for inhibitory control during early motor preparation (∼100 ms latency), suggestive of a global motor "pause" on behavior.

Cortical GABA Levels Are Reduced in Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome.

After recovering from the acute COVID-19 illness, a substantial proportion of people continue experiencing post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), also termed "long COVID". Their quality of life is adversely impacted by persistent cognitive dysfunction and affective distress, but the underlying neural mechanisms are poorly understood. The present study recruited a group of mostly young, previously healthy adults (24.

Neural indices of multimodal sensory and autonomic hyperexcitability in fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain and psychological distress. Research suggests people with FM experience increased somatosensory sensitization which generalizes to other sensory modalities and may indicate neural hyperexcitability. However, the available evidence is limited, and studies including measures of neural responsivity across sensory domains and both central and peripheral aspects of the neuraxis are lacking.

Mapping access to meaning in adolescents with autism: Atypical lateralization and spatiotemporal patterns as a function of language ability.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) vary in their language abilities, associated with atypical patterns of brain activity. However, few studies have examined the spatiotemporal profiles of lexico-semantic processing in ASD, particularly as a function of language heterogeneity. Thirty-nine high-functioning adolescents with ASD and 21 typically developing (TD) peers took part in a lexical decision task that combined semantic access with demands on cognitive control.

Alterations of theta power and synchrony during encoding in young adult binge drinkers: Subsequent memory effects associated with retrieval after 48 h and 6 months.

Introduction: Young emerging adults commonly engage in binge drinking which is associated with a range of neurocognitive deficits, including memory impairments. However, evidence on neural oscillations mediating episodic memory in this population is lacking. To address this gap, we recorded theta oscillatory activity in young binge (BDs) and light drinkers (LDs) during memory encoding and analyzed it prospectively as a function of subsequent retrieval.

fMRI BOLD and MEG theta power reflect complementary aspects of activity during lexicosemantic decision in adolescents with ASD.

Neuroimaging studies of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been predominantly unimodal. While many fMRI studies have reported atypical activity patterns for diverse tasks, the MEG literature in ASD remains comparatively small. Our group recently reported atypically increased event-related theta power in individuals with ASD during lexicosemantic processing.

Cortical GABA levels are reduced in young adult binge drinkers: Association with recent alcohol consumption and sex.

Binge drinking refers to a pattern of alcohol intake that raises blood alcohol concentration to or above legal intoxication levels. It is common among young adults and is associated with health risks that scale up with alcohol intake. Acute intoxication depresses neural activity via complex signaling mechanisms by enhancing inhibition mediated by gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), and by decreasing excitatory glutamatergic effects.

Theta oscillatory dynamics of inhibitory control, error processing, and post-error adjustments: Neural underpinnings and alcohol-induced dysregulation in social drinkers.

Background: Alcohol intoxication impairs inhibitory control, resulting in disinhibited, impulsive behavior. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays an essential role in a range of executive functions and is sensitive to the effects of alcohol, which contributes to the top-down cognitive dysregulation. This study used a multimodal approach to examine the acute effects of alcohol on the neural underpinnings of inhibitory control, inhibition failures, and neurobehavioral optimization as reflected in trial-to-trial dynamics of post-error adjustments.

Recall and Self-Relevance of Emotional Words Predict Subjective Self-Evaluation of Cognition in Patients with MTLE with or without Depressive Symptoms.

We examined whether word processing is associated with subjective self-evaluation of cognition in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) as a function of their depressive symptoms. MTLE patients with (MTLE +d, = 28) or without (MTLE -d, = 11) depression were compared to pair-matched healthy control participants on free recall and self-relevance ratings of emotionally valenced words. Correlation and hierarchical analyses were conducted to investigate whether the subjective self-evaluation of cognition in MTLE patients is predicted by the negative emotional bias reflected in task performance.

Local and network-level dysregulation of error processing is associated with binge drinking.

Binge drinking refers to the pattern of alcohol consumption that brings blood alcohol levels to or above legal intoxication levels. Commonly practiced by young adults, it is associated with neurofunctional alterations, raising health-related concerns. Executive deficits may contribute to the inability to refrain from excessive alcohol intake.

Child and Adolescent Psychosocial Support Programs Following Natural Disasters-a Scoping Review of Emerging Evidence.

Purpose Of Review: This review aimed to identify and describe evidence published in the past 3 years from trials of psychosocial support programs for children and adolescents affected by natural disasters.

Recent Findings: Previous reviews have indicated these programs are beneficial overall. Positive impacts were documented in school-based programs conducted by trained teachers and paraprofessionals with stronger effects achieved by more qualified professionals.

Brain responsivity to emotional faces differs in men and women with and without a history of alcohol use disorder.

Inclusion of women in research on Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) has shown that gender differences contribute to unique profiles of cognitive, emotional, and neuropsychological dysfunction. We employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of abstinent individuals with a history of AUD (21 women [AUDw], 21 men [AUDm]) and demographically similar non-AUD control (NC) participants without AUD (21 women [NCw], 21 men [NCm]) to explore how gender and AUD interact to influence brain responses during emotional processing and memory. Participants completed a delayed match-to-sample emotional face memory fMRI task, and brain activation contrasts between a fixation stimulus and pictures of emotional face elicited a similar overall pattern of activation for all four groups.

The "when" and "where" of the interplay between attentional capture and response inhibition during a Go/NoGo variant.

Inhibitory control relies on attention, inhibition, and other functions that are integrated across neural networks in an interactive manner. Functional MRI studies have provided excellent spatial mapping of the involved regions. However, finer temporal resolution is needed to capture the underlying neural dynamics and the pattern of their functional contributions.

EEG event related potentials in sustained, focused and divided attention tasks: Potential biomarkers for cognitive impairment in HIV patients.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the usability of event-related-potentials (ERPs) during sustained, focused, and divided attention tasks as biomarkers for cognitive decline in HIV patients.

Methods: EEG was acquired using a mobile/wireless 9-channel system in 39 persons with HIV, with well-controlled immune function and 63 healthy control participants (HCs) during three ERP tasks: sustained attention, focused attention, and divided attention.

Results: The HIV-group evidenced smaller late positive potential (LPP) and larger P200 amplitudes across the tasks compared to the HC group.

MEG Theta during Lexico-Semantic and Executive Processing Is Altered in High-Functioning Adolescents with Autism.

Neuroimaging studies have revealed atypical activation during language and executive tasks in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the spatiotemporal stages of processing associated with these dysfunctions remain poorly understood. Using an anatomically constrained magnetoencephalography approach, we examined event-related theta oscillations during a double-duty lexical decision task that combined demands on lexico-semantic processing and executive functions.

Compensatory neuroadaptation to binge drinking: Human evidence for allostasis.

Animal studies have established that acute alcohol increases neural inhibition and that frequent intoxication episodes elicit neuroadaptive changes in the excitatory/inhibitory neurotransmission balance. To compensate for the depressant effects of alcohol, neural hyperexcitability develops in alcohol use disorder and is manifested through withdrawal symptoms. It is unclear, however, whether neuroadaptive changes can be observed in young, emerging adults at lower levels of consumption in the absence of withdrawal symptoms.

Using Technology to Scale up Youth-Led Participatory Action Research: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: Rapid advances in technology create opportunities for adolescents to influence practice and policy in health and other domains. Technology can support the scaling of Youth-Led Participatory Action Research (YPAR), in which adolescents conduct research to improve issues that affect them. We present the first known published systematic review of the use of technology to scale YPAR.

Neural oscillatory dynamics of inhibitory control in young adult binge drinkers.

Alcohol consumption is often characterized by heavy episodic, or binge drinking, which has been on the rise. The aim of this study was to examine the neural dynamics of inhibitory control in demographically matched groups of young, healthy adults (N = 61) who reported engaging in binge (BD) or light drinking patterns (LD). Electroencephalography signal was recorded during a fast-paced visual Go/NoGo paradigm probing the ability to inhibit prepotent responses.

Binge drinking is associated with altered resting state functional connectivity of reward-salience and top down control networks.

Binge drinking is characterized by bouts of high-intensity alcohol intake and is associated with an array of health-related harms. Even though the transition from occasional impulsive to addictive alcohol use is not well understood, neurobiological models of addiction suggest that repeated cycles of intoxication and withdrawal contribute to the development of addiction in part through dysregulation of neurofunctional networks. Research on the neural sequelae associated with binge drinking is scant but resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) studies of alcohol use disorders (AUD) indicate that the development and maintenance of long-term excessive drinking may be mediated by network-level disruptions.

Alcoholism gender differences in brain responsivity to emotional stimuli.

Men and women may use alcohol to regulate emotions differently, with corresponding differences in neural responses. We explored how the viewing of different types of emotionally salient stimuli impacted brain activity observed through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) from 42 long-term abstinent alcoholic (25 women) and 46 nonalcoholic (24 women) participants. Analyses revealed blunted brain responsivity in alcoholic compared to nonalcoholic groups, as well as gender differences in those activation patterns.

Disruption of Frontal Lobe Neural Synchrony During Cognitive Control by Alcohol Intoxication.

Decision making relies on dynamic interactions of distributed, primarily frontal brain regions. Extensive evidence from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies indicates that the anterior cingulate (ACC) and the lateral prefrontal cortices (latPFC) are essential nodes subserving cognitive control. However, because of its limited temporal resolution, fMRI cannot accurately reflect the timing and nature of their presumed interplay.

Decreased event-related theta power and phase-synchrony in young binge drinkers during target detection: An anatomically-constrained MEG approach.

Background: The prevalence of binge drinking has risen in recent years. It is associated with a range of neurocognitive deficits among adolescents and young emerging adults who are especially vulnerable to alcohol use. Attention is an essential dimension of executive functioning and attentional disturbances may be associated with hazardous drinking.

Back to the future, again: greater leadership, collaboration and accountability to accelerate progress to end TB.

A first UN General Assembly high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis (TB) will take place on September 26, 2018. It offers the opportunity to forge new concrete commitments and action needed to finance and deliver universal access to care and prevention, to address equity and social determinants of TB, and to pursue robust research and innovation. These are all needed to accelerate declines in TB mortality, incidence, and social and economic burden of the disease.