Biological factors and age-dependence of primary motor cortex experimental plasticity.

To evaluate whether the age-dependence of brain plasticity correlates with the levels of proteins involved in hormone and brain functions we executed a paired associative stimulation (PAS) protocol and blood tests. We measured the PAS-induced plasticity in the primary motor cortex. Blood levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), estradiol, the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, the insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)-3, progesterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), testosterone, and the transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) were determined in 15 healthy men and 20 healthy women.

Joint functional impairment and thermal alterations in patients with Psoriatic Arthritis: A thermal imaging study.

Background: Functional infrared imaging (fIRI) is used to provide information on circulation, thermal properties and thermoregulatory function of the cutaneous tissue in several clinical settings.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the application of fIRI in Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) assessment, evaluating the thermoregulatory alterations due to joint inflammation in PsA patients both in basal conditions and after a mild functional (isometric) exercise; fIRI outcomes were compared with those provided by Power Doppler Ultrasonography (PWD-US).

Methods: 10 patients with PsA and 11 healthy controls were enrolled in the study.

Dynamic reorganization of human resting-state networks during visuospatial attention.

Fundamental problems in neuroscience today are understanding how patterns of ongoing spontaneous activity are modified by task performance and whether/how these intrinsic patterns influence task-evoked activation and behavior. We examined these questions by comparing instantaneous functional connectivity (IFC) and directed functional connectivity (DFC) changes in two networks that are strongly correlated and segregated at rest: the visual (VIS) network and the dorsal attention network (DAN). We measured how IFC and DFC during a visuospatial attention task, which requires dynamic selective rerouting of visual information across hemispheres, changed with respect to rest.

Genetic determinants of cognitive responses to caffeine drinking identified from a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial.

The widely observed between-subject variability in cognitive responses to coffee may have a genetic basis. We evaluated cognitive responses to caffeine throughout three complex cognitive tasks assessing different subdomains of attention, namely Alerting and Orienting (Categorical Search Task) and Executive Control (Stroop Task and Eriksen Flanker Task). We explored whether they are influenced by gene variants affecting adenosine metabolism or catecholamine receptors.

Response inhibition failure to visual stimuli paired with a "single-type" stressor in PTSD patients: an fMRI pilot study.

Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) tend to misinterpret innocuous stimuli as potential threats, possibly due to a conditioning provoked by traumatic episodes. Previous neuroimaging evidence has shown an abnormal activation of the amygdala and prefrontal cortex in PTSD patients during fear conditioning and extinction. Nevertheless, the effects of a single-type adverse stressor on that circuit remain poorly explored.

Age, gender and normalization covariates for spinal cord gray matter and total cross-sectional areas at cervical and thoracic levels: A 2D phase sensitive inversion recovery imaging study.

The source of inter-subject variability and the influence of age and gender on morphometric characteristics of the spinal cord, such as the total cross-sectional area (TCA), the gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) areas, currently remain under investigation. Understanding the effect of covariates such as age, gender, brain volumes, and skull- and vertebra-derived metrics on cervical and thoracic spinal cord TCA and GM areas in healthy subjects would be fundamental for exploring compartment specific changes in neurological diseases affecting the spinal cord. Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 3T we investigated 32 healthy subjects using a 2D phase sensitive inversion recovery sequence and we measured TCA, GM and WM areas at 4 cervical and thoracic levels of the spinal cord.

Assessing embodied interpersonal emotion regulation in somatic symptom disorders: a case study.

The aim of the present study was to examine the intra- and interpersonal emotion regulation of patients with somatic symptom disorders (SSDs) during interactions with significant others (i.e., romantic partners).

Resting-state temporal synchronization networks emerge from connectivity topology and heterogeneity.

Spatial patterns of coherent activity across different brain areas have been identified during the resting-state fluctuations of the brain. However, recent studies indicate that resting-state activity is not stationary, but shows complex temporal dynamics. We were interested in the spatiotemporal dynamics of the phase interactions among resting-state fMRI BOLD signals from human subjects.

Dynamics of EEG rhythms support distinct visual selection mechanisms in parietal cortex: a simultaneous transcranial magnetic stimulation and EEG study.

Using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), we have recently shown a functional anatomical distinction in human parietal cortex between regions involved in maintaining attention to a location [ventral intraparietal sulcus (vIPS)] and a region involved in shifting attention between locations [medial superior parietal lobule (mSPL)]. In particular, while rTMS interference over vIPS impaired target discrimination at contralateral attended locations, interference over mSPL affected performance following shifts of attention regardless of the visual field (Capotosto et al., 2013).

The right hemisphere contribution to semantic categorization: a TMS study.

A large amount of evidence suggests an involvement of the right hemisphere in lexical-semantic processing, but its specific contribution compared to the left hemisphere is not entirely clear. The present study investigated the contribution of both hemispheres to the semantic categorization process of words referring to typical and atypical exemplars. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) was used to interfere with the online activity of Wernicke's area and its right homologue during a verbal category membership task.

2D phase-sensitive inversion recovery imaging to measure in vivo spinal cord gray and white matter areas in clinically feasible acquisition times.

Purpose: To present and assess a procedure for measurement of spinal cord total cross-sectional areas (TCA) and gray matter (GM) areas based on phase-sensitive inversion recovery imaging (PSIR). In vivo assessment of spinal cord GM and white matter (WM) could become pivotal to study various neurological diseases, but it is challenging because of insufficient GM/WM contrast provided by conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials And Methods: We acquired 2D PSIR images at 3T at each disc level of the spinal axis in 10 healthy subjects and measured TCA, cord diameters, WM and GM areas, and GM area/TCA ratios.

Optical coherence tomography and 3-dimensional confocal structured imaging system-guided femtosecond laser capsulotomy versus manual continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis.

Purpose: To compare the features of capsulotomy obtained during femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery with those of continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) obtained using a standard manual technique.

Setting: Ophthalmology Clinic, Department of Medicine and Science of Ageing, University G. D'Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.

Comparing 3T T1-weighted sequences in identifying hyperintense punctate lesions in preterm neonates.

Background And Purpose: The loss of contrast on T1-weighted MR images at 3T may affect the detection of hyperintense punctate lesions indicative of periventricular leukomalacia in preterm neonates. The aim of the present study was to determine which 3T T1-weighted sequence identified the highest number of hyperintense punctate lesions and to explore the relationship between the number of hyperintense punctate lesions and clinical outcome.

Materials And Methods: The presence of hyperintense punctate lesions was retrospectively evaluated in 200 consecutive preterm neonates on 4 axial T1-weighted sequences: 3-mm inversion recovery and spin-echo and 1- and 3-mm reformatted 3D-fast-field echo.

Thermal expression of intersubjectivity offers new possibilities to human-machine and technologically mediated interactions.

The evaluation of the psychophysiological state of the interlocutor is an important element of interpersonal relationships and communication. Thermal infrared (IR) imaging has proved to be a reliable tool for non-invasive and contact-less evaluation of vital signs, psychophysiological responses, and emotional states. This technique is quickly spreading in many fields, from psychometrics to social and developmental psychology; and from the touch-less monitoring of vital signs and stress, up to the human-machine interaction.

Thermal infrared imaging in psychophysiology: potentialities and limits.

Functional infrared thermal imaging (fITI) is considered an upcoming, promising methodology in the emotional arena. Driven by sympathetic nerves, observations of affective nature derive from muscular activity subcutaneous blood flow as well as perspiration patterns in specific body parts. A review of 23 experimental procedures that employed fITI for investigations of affective nature is provided, along with the adopted experimental protocol and the thermal changes that took place on selected regions of interest in human and nonhuman subjects.

How local excitation-inhibition ratio impacts the whole brain dynamics.

The spontaneous activity of the brain shows different features at different scales. On one hand, neuroimaging studies show that long-range correlations are highly structured in spatiotemporal patterns, known as resting-state networks, on the other hand, neurophysiological reports show that short-range correlations between neighboring neurons are low, despite a large amount of shared presynaptic inputs. Different dynamical mechanisms of local decorrelation have been proposed, among which is feedback inhibition.

Neuroprotective effect of cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation in a rat stroke model.

Experimental focal brain ischemia generates in the penumbra recurrent depolarizations which spread across the injured cortex inducing infarct growth. Transcranial direct current stimulation can induce a lasting, polarity-specific, modulation of cortical excitability. To verify whether cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation could reduce the infarct size and the number of depolarizations, focal ischemia was induced in the rat by the 3 vessels occlusion technique.

Exploring the use of thermal infrared imaging in human stress research.

High resolution thermal infrared imaging is a pioneering method giving indices of sympathetic activity via the contact-free recording of facial tissues (thermal imprints). Compared to established stress markers, the great advantage of this method is its non-invasiveness. The goal of our study was to pilot the use of thermal infrared imaging in the classical setting of human stress research.

Data-driven grading of brain gliomas: a multiparametric MR imaging study.

Purpose: To grade brain gliomas by using a data-driven analysis of multiparametric magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, taking into account the heterogeneity of the lesions at MR imaging, and to compare these results with the most widespread current radiologic reporting methods.

Materials And Methods: One hundred eighteen patients with histologically confirmed brain gliomas were evaluated retrospectively. Conventional and advanced MR sequences (perfusion-weighted imaging, MR spectroscopy, and diffusion-tensor imaging) were performed.

Differential diagnosis of Raynaud's phenomenon based on modeling of finger thermoregulation.

Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is a vasospastic disorder of small arteries, pre-capillary arteries, and cutaneous arteriovenous shunts of the extremities, typically induced by cold exposure and emotional stress. RP is either primary (PRP) or secondary to connective tissue diseases such as systemic sclerosis (SSc). Early differential diagnosis is crucial in order to set the proper therapeutic strategy.

Touching moments: desire modulates the neural anticipation of active romantic caress.

A romantic caress is a basic expression of affiliative behavior and a primary reinforcer. Given its inherent affective valence, its performance also would imply the prediction of reward values. For example, touching a person for whom one has strong passionate feelings likely is motivated by a strong desire for physical contact and associated with the anticipation of hedonic experiences.

The autonomic signature of guilt in children: a thermal infrared imaging study.

So far inferences on early moral development and higher order self conscious emotions have mostly been based on behavioral data. Emotions though, as far as arguments support, are multidimensional notions. Not only do they involve behavioral actions upon perception of an event, but they also carry autonomic physiological markers.

Altered brain long-range functional interactions underlying the link between aberrant self-experience and self-other relationship in first-episode schizophrenia.

Self-experience anomalies are elementary features of schizophrenic pathology. Such deficits can have a profound impact on self-other relationship, but how they are related through aberrant brain function remains poorly understood. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we provide new evidence for a cortical link between aberrant self-experience and social cognition in first-episode schizophrenia (FES).

Non-Linear EMG Parameters for Differential and Early Diagnostics of Parkinson's Disease.

The pre-clinical diagnostics is essential for management of Parkinson's disease (PD). Although PD has been studied intensively in the last decades, the pre-clinical indicators of that motor disorder have yet to be established. Several approaches were proposed but the definitive method is still lacking.

Mom feels what her child feels: thermal signatures of vicarious autonomic response while watching children in a stressful situation.

Maternal attunement with an infant's emotional states is thought to represent a distinctive feature of the human primary bond. It implies the mother's ability of empathizing with her child in order to fulfil the child's needs in an immediate and appropriate manner. Thus, it is particularly involved in stressful situations.