Oxytocin, Dopamine, and Opioid Interactions Underlying Pair Bonding: Highlighting a Potential Role for Microglia.

Pair bonds represent some of the strongest attachments we form as humans. These relationships positively modulate health and well-being. Conversely, the loss of a spouse is an emotionally painful event that leads to numerous deleterious physiological effects, including increased risk for cardiac dysfunction and mental illness.

A Novel Interaction of Translocator Protein 18 kDa (TSPO) with NADPH Oxidase in Microglia.

In the brain neuropil, translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) is a stress response protein that is upregulated in microglia and astrocytes in diverse central nervous system pathologies. TSPO is widely used as a biomarker of neuroinflammation in preclinical and clinical neuroimaging studies. However, there is a paucity of knowledge on the function(s) of TSPO in glial cells.

From the Cover: 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone Rescues Lead-Induced Impairment of Vesicular Release: A Novel Therapeutic Approach for Lead Intoxicated Children.

Childhood lead (Pb2+) intoxication is a public health problem of global proportion. Lead exposure during development produces multiple effects on the central nervous system including impaired synapse formation, altered synaptic plasticity, and learning deficits. In primary hippocampal neurons in culture and hippocampal slices, Pb2+ exposure inhibits vesicular release and reduces the number of fast-releasing sites, an effect associated with Pb2+ inhibition of NMDA receptor-mediated trans-synaptic Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) signaling.

TSPO Finds NOX2 in Microglia for Redox Homeostasis.

During the past decade, translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO), previously named peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, has gained a great deal of attention based on its use as a clinical biomarker of neuroinflammation with therapeutic potential. However, there is a paucity of knowledge on the function(s) of TSPO in glial cells. Here, we identify a novel function of TSPO in microglia that is not associated with steroidogenesis.

TSPO in a murine model of Sandhoff disease: presymptomatic marker of neurodegeneration and disease pathophysiology.

Translocator protein (18 kDa), formerly known as the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR), has been extensively used as a biomarker of active brain disease and neuroinflammation. TSPO expression increases dramatically in glial cells, particularly in microglia and astrocytes, as a result of brain injury, and this phenomenon is a component of the hallmark response of the brain to injury. In this study, we used a mouse model of Sandhoff disease (SD) to assess the longitudinal expression of TSPO as a function of disease progression and its relationship to behavioral and neuropathological endpoints.

Novel BAC Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease with 225 CAG Repeats Exhibits an Early Widespread and Stable Degenerative Phenotype.

Background: Unusually large CAG repeat expansions (>60) in exon one of Huntingtin (HTT) are invariably associated with a juvenile-onset form of Huntington's disease (HD), characterized by a more extensive and rapidly progressing neuropathology than the more prevalent adult-onset form. However, existing mouse models of HD that express the full-length Htt gene with CAG repeat lengths associated with juvenile HD (ranging between ~75 to ~150 repeats in published models) exhibit selective neurodegenerative phenotypes more consistent with adult-onset HD. Objective: To determine if a very large CAG repeat (>200) in full-length Htt elicits neurodegenerative phenotypes consistent with juvenile HD.

Coaching patients in the use of decision and communication aids: RE-AIM evaluation of a patient support program.

Background: Decision aids educate patients about treatment options and outcomes. Communication aids include question lists, consultation summaries, and audio-recordings. In efficacy studies, decision aids increased patient knowledge, while communication aids increased patient question-asking and information recall.

Impact of decision aids in a sustained implementation at a breast care center.

Objective: We examined the reach and impact of five decision aids (DAs) routinely distributed to breast cancer patients as part of a shared decision making demonstration project.

Methods: From 2005 to 2008, we surveyed patients' change in knowledge and decisional conflict (DC) before and after their review of DAs. Using bivariate tests, we identified significant predictors of change in knowledge or decisional conflict and entered significant predictors into a multivariate regression model.

Expanding the reach of decision and communication aids in a breast care center: a quality improvement study.

Objective: One academically based breast cancer clinic implements decision and communication aids as part of routine clinical care. This quality improvement study aimed to expand reach of these supportive materials and services with budget-neutral program changes.

Methods: We used program theory and continuous quality improvement to design changes to our program.

Implementing decision and communication aids to facilitate patient-centered care in breast cancer: a case study.

Objective: Decision Services (DS) provide support for breast cancer patients at the University of California, San Francisco to help ensure patient-centered care.

Methods: We examined a case study to explore whether our program practices matched our program theory, and what the patient in the case thought was effective and ineffective about our decision support interventions.

Results: The patient relied on a decision aid to educate her husband about her condition; felt that her question list contributed to a productive and efficient consultation with her oncologist; credited an audio-recording with helping her remember to follow-up with a genetic counselor; and reviewed the consultation summary 30 days into treatment in order to reflect on her decision.

Monitoring the implementation of Consultation Planning, Recording, and Summarizing in a breast care center.

Objective: We implemented and monitored a clinical service, Consultation Planning, Recording and Summarizing (CPRS), in which trained facilitators elicit patient questions for doctors, and then audio-record, and summarize the doctor-patient consultations.

Methods: We trained 8 schedulers to offer CPRS to breast cancer patients making treatment decisions, and trained 14 premedical interns to provide the service. We surveyed a convenience sample of patients regarding their self-efficacy and decisional conflict.