Controlled delivery of a neurotransmitter-agonist conjugate for functional recovery after severe spinal cord injury.

Despite considerable unmet medical needs, effective pharmacological treatments that promote functional recovery after spinal cord injury remain limited. Although multiple pathological events are implicated in spinal cord injuries, the development of a microinvasive pharmacological approach that simultaneously targets the different mechanisms involved in spinal cord injury remains a formidable challenge. Here we report the development of a microinvasive nanodrug delivery system that consists of amphiphilic copolymers responsive to reactive oxygen species and an encapsulated neurotransmitter-conjugated KCC2 agonist.

Age- and time-of-day dependence of glymphatic function in the human brain measured via two diffusion MRI methods.

Advanced age, accompanied by impaired glymphatic function, is a key risk factor for many neurodegenerative diseases. To study age-related differences in the human glymphatic system, we measured the influx and efflux activities of the glymphatic system via two non-invasive diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods, ultra-long echo time and low-b diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measuring the subarachnoid space (SAS) flow along the middle cerebral artery and DTI analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) along medullary veins in 22 healthy volunteers (aged 21-75 years). We first evaluated the circadian rhythm dependence of the glymphatic activity by repeating the MRI measurements at five time points from 8:00 to 23:00 and found no time-of-day dependence in the awake state under the current sensitivity of MRI measurements.

Decreased plasma neuropeptides in first-episode schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder: associations with clinical symptoms and cognitive function.

Background: There is an urgent need to identify differentiating and disease-monitoring biomarkers of schizophrenia, bipolar disorders (BD), and major depressive disorders (MDD) to improve treatment and management.

Methods: We recruited 54 first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients, 52 BD patients, 35 MDD patients, and 54 healthy controls from inpatient and outpatient clinics. -Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (-MSH), -endorphin, neurotensin, orexin-A, oxytocin, and substance P were investigated using quantitative multiplex assay method.

Efficacy of Quetiapine Monotherapy and Combination Therapy for Patients with Bipolar Depression with Mixed Features: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

Effective pharmacotherapy of bipolar depression with mixed features defined by DSM-5 remains unclear in clinical treatment guidelines. Quetiapine (QTP) and valproate have potential treatment utility but are often inadequate as monotherapy. Meanwhile, the efficacy of combination therapies of QTP plus valproate or lithium have yet to be verified.

Neuromorphic computing facilitates deep brain-machine fusion for high-performance neuroprosthesis.

Brain-machine interfaces (BMI) have developed rapidly in recent years, but still face critical issues such as accuracy and stability. Ideally, a BMI system would be an implantable neuroprosthesis that would be tightly connected and integrated into the brain. However, the heterogeneity of brains and machines hinders deep fusion between the two.

Shifting levels of peripheral inflammatory profiles as an indicator for comorbid multiple autoimmune diseases and bipolar disorder: a case report.

Autoimmune diseases (AID) cause inflammatory changes in the peripheral blood, which might be a predisposing factor for the development of comorbid bipolar disorder (BD). The levels of peripheral inflammatory indicators and cytokines may also serve as potential biomarkers for predicting BD susceptibility and the efficacy of antipsychotics in patients with AID. Herein, we present the case of a 43-year-old female who has suffered from AID for over 16 years and was recently diagnosed with "bipolar and related disorder due to another medical condition".

Design and application of a multimodality-compatible 1Tx/6Rx RF coil for monkey brain MRI at 7T.

Objective: Blood-oxygen-level-dependent functional MRI allows to investigte neural activities and connectivity. While the non-human primate plays an essential role in neuroscience research, multimodal methods combining functional MRI with other neuroimaging and neuromodulation enable us to understand the brain network at multiple scales.

Approach: In this study, a tight-fitting helmet-shape receive array with a single transmit loop for anesthetized macaque brain MRI at 7T was fabricated with four openings constructed in the coil housing to accommodate multimodal devices, and the coil performance was quantitatively evaluated and compared to a commercial knee coil.

YBX1-Mediated DNA Methylation-Dependent SHANK3 Expression in PBMCs and Developing Cortical Interneurons in Schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorder. The pathological process of SCZ starts early during development, way before the first onset of psychotic symptoms. DNA methylation plays an important role in regulating gene expression and dysregulated DNA methylation is involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases.

Phase-amplitude coupling-based adaptive filters for neural signal decoding.

Bandpass filters play a core role in ECoG signal processing. Commonly used frequency bands such as alpha, beta, and gamma bands can reflect the normal rhythm of the brain. However, the universally predefined bands might not be optimal for a specific task.

Efficacy of different strategies of responsive neurostimulation on seizure control and their association with acute neurophysiological effects in rats.

Responsive neurostimulation (RNS) has shown promising but limited efficacy in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. The clinical utility of RNS is hindered by the incomplete understanding of the mechanism behind its therapeutic effects. Thus, assessing the acute effects of responsive stimulation (AERS) based on intracranial EEG recordings in the temporal lobe epilepsy rat model may provide a better understanding of the potential therapeutic mechanisms underlying the antiepileptic effect of RNS.

Microglia modulate general anesthesia through P2Y receptor.

General anesthesia (GA) is an unconscious state produced by anesthetic drugs, which act on neurons to cause overall suppression of neuronal activity in the brain. Recent studies have revealed that GA also substantially enhances the dynamics of microglia, the primary brain immune cells, with increased process motility and territory surveillance. However, whether microglia are actively involved in GA modulation remains unknown.

SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein triggers depression-like behaviors and dysosmia via TLR2-mediated neuroinflammation in mice.

Background: Depression and dysosmia have been regarded as primary neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients, the mechanism of which remains unclear. Current studies have demonstrated that the SARS-CoV-2 envelope (E) protein is a pro-inflammatory factor sensed by Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), suggesting the pathological feature of E protein is independent of viral infection. In this study, we aim to ascertain the role of E protein in depression, dysosmia and associated neuroinflammation in the central nervous system (CNS).

Depletion of microglia with PLX3397 attenuates MK-801-induced hyperactivity associated with regulating inflammation-related genes in the brain.

Acute administration of MK-801 (dizocilpine), an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist, can establish animal models of psychiatric disorders. However, the roles of microglia and inflammation-related genes in these animal models of psychiatric disorders remain unknown. Here, we found rapid elimination of microglia in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HPC) of mice following administration of the dual colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R)/c-Kit kinase inhibitor PLX3397 (pexidartinib) in drinking water.

Normal glymphatic system function in patients with new daily persistent headache using diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space.

Objectives: To investigate the glymphatic function in patients with new daily persistent headache (NDPH) using the diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) method.

Background: NDPH, a rare and treatment-refractory primary headache disorder, is poorly understood. There is limited evidence to suggest that headaches are associated with glymphatic dysfunction.

Ultra-High Field Imaging of Human Visual Cognition.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the key methodology for mapping the functions of the human brain in a noninvasive manner, is limited by low temporal and spatial resolution. Recent advances in ultra-high field (UHF) fMRI provide a mesoscopic (i.e.

Psychological consequences among veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review.

Although there is an increasing number of studies reporting the psychological impact of COVID-19 on the general population and healthcare workers, relatively less attention has been paid to the veterans. This study aimed to review the existing literature regarding the psychological consequences of COVID-19 on veterans. A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from inception to December 3, 2022.

Structures of the human Wilson disease copper transporter ATP7B.

The P-type ATPase ATP7B exports cytosolic copper and plays an essential role in the regulation of cellular copper homeostasis. Mutants of ATP7B cause Wilson disease (WD), an autosomal recessive disorder of copper metabolism. Here, we present cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of human ATP7B in the E1 state in the apo, the putative copper-bound, and the putative cisplatin-bound forms.

Long-Term Flexible Neural Interface for Synchronous Recording of Cross-Regional Sensory Processing along the Olfactory Pathway.

Humans perceive the world through five senses, of which olfaction is the oldest evolutionary sense that enables the detection of chemicals in the external environment. Recent progress in bioinspired electronics has boosted the development of artificial sensory systems. Here, a biohybrid olfactory system is proposed by integrating living mammals with implantable flexible neural electrodes, to employ the outstanding properties of mammalian olfactory system.