Motivators and barriers to neurodevelopmental research enrolment.

Participant recruitment for studies investigating neurodevelopmental conditions can be difficult, limited, and resource intensive. In this study, caregivers were surveyed to learn about the factors influencing their decision to enroll their neurodivergent child in research. Data were collected through an online survey from caregivers of neurodivergent children who were signing up for a research recruitment database (n = 46).

Developmental Mismatch Across Brain Modalities in Young Children.

Brain development during the preschool period is complex and extensive and underlies ongoing behavioral and cognitive maturation. Increasing understanding of typical brain maturation during this time is critical to early identification of atypical development and could inform treatments and interventions. Previous studies have suggested mismatches between brain structural and functional development in later childhood and adolescence.

Safety and Efficacy of Intravenous Thrombolysis by Infarct Type in Patients with No Visible Occlusion: A Secondary Analysis of the AcT Trial.

Background: About 25% of patients with acute ischemic stroke have lacunar infarct on follow-up imaging. In this secondary analysis from the AcT (Alteplase Compared With Tenecteplase) trial, we assessed if there is variation in safety or efficacy of intravenous thrombolysis by infarct type in patients with no visible occlusion. We also determined if this effect differed between tenecteplase and alteplase.

T cells regulate intestinal motility and shape enteric neuronal responses to intestinal microbiota.

How the gut microbiota and immune system maintain intestinal homeostasis in concert with the enteric nervous system (ENS) remains incompletely understood. To address this gap, we assessed small intestinal transit, enteric neuronal density, enteric neurogenesis, intestinal microbiota, immune cell populations and cytokines in wildtype and T-cell deficient germ-free mice colonized with specific pathogen-free (SPF) microbiota, conventionally raised SPF and segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB)-monocolonized mice. SPF microbiota increased small intestinal transit in a T cell-dependent manner.

Turbulence in the system: Higher rates of left-without-being-seen emergency department visits and associations with increased risks of adverse patient outcomes since 2020.

Objective: To examine risks of severe adverse patient outcomes shortly after a left-without-being-seen emergency department (LWBS ED) visit since 2020.

Methods: In this retrospective study using linked administrative data, we examined temporal trends in monthly rates of ED and LWBS visits for adults in Ontario, Canada, 2014‒2023. In patient-level analyses restricted to the first eligible LWBS ED visit, we used modified Poisson regression to compare the composite outcome of 7-day all-cause mortality or hospitalization following a LWBS ED visit for April 1, 2022‒March 31, 2023 (recent period) to April 1, 2014‒March 31, 2020 (baseline period), adjusted for age, sex, and Charlson comorbidity index.

Evaluation of the Association Between Prenatal Cannabis Use and Risk of Developmental Delay.

Objective: Conflicting results have arisen regarding the association between prenatal cannabis exposure and risk of parent-reported developmental delay in infancy. In certain instances, this literature has become outdated or failed to adjust for confounding variables. The current study aimed to determine if prenatal cannabis exposure was associated with a greater likelihood of risk of parent-reported developmental delay at 12 months of age in a contemporary cohort, while adjusting for common confounding variables.

Quantum theory of a potential biological magnetic field sensor: Radical pair mechanism in flavin adenine dinucleotide biradicals.

Recent studies and suggest that flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) on its own might be able to act as a biological magnetic field sensor. Motivated by these observations, in this study, we develop a detailed quantum theoretical model for the radical pair mechanism (RPM) for the flavin adenine biradical within the FAD molecule. We use the results of existing molecular dynamics simulations to determine the time-varying distance between the radicals on FAD, which we then feed into a quantum master equation treatment of the RPM.

Ca3.2 T-type calcium channels contribute to CGRP- induced allodynia in a rodent model of experimental migraine.

Background: Migraine is a painful neurological syndrome characterized by attacks of throbbing headache, of moderate to severe intensity, which is associated with photo- and phono- sensitivity as well as nausea and vomiting. It affects about 15% of the world's population being 2-3 times more prevalent in females. The calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a key mediator in the pathophysiology of migraine, and a significant advance in the field has been the development of anti-CGRP therapies.

The characterization of psychosis and response to antipsychotic therapy in monogenic forms of familial focal epilepsy: A systematic review.

While the genetic architecture of epilepsy is complex and presumably polygenic in many cases, pathogenic variants have increasingly been identified, and this is perhaps best exemplified by the monogenic familial focal epilepsies. Although individuals with epilepsy (particularly focal epilepsy) are at increased risk of developing psychosis, little has been written on this topic in relation to monogenic familial focal epilepsy, specifically. As such, this systematic review aimed to characterize the phenomenology of psychosis (and response to antipsychotic therapy) in affected individuals.

A machine learning approach for identifying anatomical biomarkers of early mild cognitive impairment.

Background: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) poses a major challenge as a neurodegenerative disorder, and early detection is critical for effective intervention. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a critical tool in AD research due to its availability and cost-effectiveness in clinical settings.

Objective: This study aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of machine learning (ML) methods for MRI-based biomarker selection and classification to investigate early cognitive decline in AD.

Prevalence Estimates of Cytochrome P450 Phenoconversion in Youth Receiving Pharmacotherapy for Mental Health Conditions.

Pharmacogenetics-predicted drug metabolism may not match clinically observed metabolism due to a phenomenon known as phenoconversion. Phenoconversion can occur when an inhibitor or inducer of a drug-metabolizing enzyme is present. Although estimates of phenoconversion in adult populations are available, prevalence estimates in youth populations are limited.

Maternal concentrations of perfluoroalkyl sulfonates and alterations in white matter microstructure in the developing brains of young children.

Background: Maternal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been linked to child neurodevelopmental difficulties. Neuroimaging research has linked these neurodevelopmental difficulties to white matter microstructure alterations, but the effects of PFAS on children's white matter microstructure remains unclear. We investigated associations between maternal blood concentrations of six common perfluoroalkyl sulfonates and white matter alterations in young children using longitudinal neuroimaging data.

After the buzzer sounds: Adults unveil the consequences of concussions sustained during adolescence.

Concussions are commonly occurring injuries in sport. The short-term impacts of concussions, including symptoms and recovery trajectories, often are the focus of concussion research. However, limited studies have explored the long-term consequences of concussions, especially in adolescents.

Where, why, and how is bias learned in medical image analysis models? A study of bias encoding within convolutional networks using synthetic data.

Background: Understanding the mechanisms of algorithmic bias is highly challenging due to the complexity and uncertainty of how various unknown sources of bias impact deep learning models trained with medical images. This study aims to bridge this knowledge gap by studying where, why, and how biases from medical images are encoded in these models.

Methods: We systematically studied layer-wise bias encoding in a convolutional neural network for disease classification using synthetic brain magnetic resonance imaging data with known disease and bias effects.

Liberal or Restrictive Transfusion Strategy in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Background: The effect of a liberal red-cell transfusion strategy as compared with a restrictive strategy in patients during the critical care period after an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is unclear.

Methods: We randomly assigned critically ill adults with acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and anemia to a liberal strategy (mandatory transfusion at a hemoglobin level of ≤10 g per deciliter) or a restrictive strategy (optional transfusion at a hemoglobin level of ≤8 g per deciliter). The primary outcome was an unfavorable neurologic outcome, defined as a score of 4 or higher on the modified Rankin scale (range, 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating greater disability) at 12 months.

Characterizing supplement use and dietary behaviors in adults with acquired brain injury.

Background: Acquired brain injury (ABI) can result in persistent symptoms and lasting disability. Supplements are becoming more popular in patients with chronic symptoms; however, little is known about supplementation and dietary behaviors after ABI.

Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, questionnaires were collected from 211 adults with ABI presenting to outpatient brain injury clinics.

Endocannabinoid involvement in beneficial effects of caloric restriction in a rodent model of comorbid depression and epilepsy.

Clinically, patients with depression are at a heightened risk for developing epilepsy, and vice versa, suggesting shared mechanisms for this bidirectional comorbidity. Unfortunately, comorbid depression and epilepsy is associated with worsened quality of life and treatment refractoriness, highlighting the need for novel treatment targets and nonpharmacologic supplements to existing therapies. The present study used the Swim-Low Active rat, a well-validated model of depression and epilepsy comorbidity that was selectively bred based on forced swim test behavior, to assess the safety and efficacy of caloric restriction in treating this comorbidity.

Introduction to Focus Issue: Chimera states: From theory and experiments to technology and living systems.

One of the pillars of modern science is the concept of symmetries. Spontaneously breaking such symmetries gives rise to non-trivial states, which can explain a variety of phenomena around us. Chimera states, characterized by the coexistence of localized synchronized and unsynchronized dynamics, are a novel example.

Unraveling the relationship between executive function and mind wandering in childhood ADHD.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders in children. According to developmental literature findings, there is a link between executive function (EF) and ADHD. Although EF deficits vary across ADHD presentations in children, working memory capacity is commonly associated with attention impairments.

Impact of a national dementia research consortium: The Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA).

The Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA) was created by the Canadian federal government through its health research funding agency, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), in 2014, as a response to the G7 initiative to fight dementia. Two five-year funding cycles (2014-2019; 2019-2024) have occurred following peer review, and a third cycle (Phase 3) has just begun. A unique construct was mandated, consisting of 20 national teams in Phase I and 19 teams in Phase II (with research topics spanning from basic to clinical science to health resource systems) along with cross-cutting programs to support them.