Addressing inter individual variability in CSF levels of brain derived proteins across neurodegenerative diseases.

Accurate diagnosis and monitoring of neurodegenerative diseases require reliable biomarkers. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins are promising candidates for reflecting brain pathology; however, their diagnostic utility may be compromised by natural variability between individuals, weakening their association with disease. Here, we measured the levels of 69 pre-selected proteins in cerebrospinal fluid using antibody-based suspension bead array technology in a multi-disease cohort of 499 individuals with neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD), behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, primary progressive aphasias, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), corticobasal syndrome, primary supranuclear palsy, along with healthy controls.

Processes and measurements: a framework for understanding neural oscillations in field potentials.

Various neuroscientific theories maintain that brain oscillations are important for neuronal computation, but opposing views claim that these macroscale dynamics are 'exhaust fumes' of more relevant processes. Here, we approach the question of whether oscillations are functional or epiphenomenal by distinguishing between measurements and processes, and by reviewing whether causal or inferentially useful links exist between field potentials, electric fields, and neurobiological events. We introduce a vocabulary for the role of brain signals and their underlying processes, demarcating oscillations as a distinct entity where both processes and measurements can exhibit periodicity.

Fast EEG/MEG BEM-based forward problem solution for high-resolution head models.

A fast BEM (boundary element method) based approach is developed to solve an EEG/MEG forward problem for a modern high-resolution head model. The method utilizes a charge-based BEM accelerated by the fast multipole method (BEM-FMM) with an adaptive mesh pre-refinement method (called b-refinement) close to the singular dipole source(s). No costly matrix-filling or direct solution steps typical for the standard BEM are required; the method generates on-skin voltages as well as MEG magnetic fields for high-resolution head models within 90 s after initial model assembly using a regular workstation.

Evidence that altercentric biases in a continuous false belief task depend on highlighting the agent's belief.

As social beings, we excel at understanding what other people think or believe. We even seem to be influenced by the belief of others in situations where it is irrelevant to our current tasks. Such altercentric interference has been proposed to reflect implicit belief processing.

Audio-visual concert performances synchronize audience's heart rates.

People enjoy engaging with music. Live music concerts provide an excellent option to investigate real-world music experiences, and at the same time, use neurophysiological synchrony to assess dynamic engagement. In the current study, we assessed engagement in a live concert setting using synchrony of cardiorespiratory measures, comparing inter-subject, stimulus-response, correlation, and phase coherence.

Single-neuron spiking variability in hippocampus dynamically tracks sensory content during memory formation in humans.

During memory formation, the hippocampus is presumed to represent the content of stimuli, but how it does so is unknown. Using computational modelling and human single-neuron recordings, we show that the more precisely hippocampal spiking variability tracks the composite features of each individual stimulus, the better those stimuli are later remembered. We propose that moment-to-moment spiking variability may provide a new window into how the hippocampus constructs memories from the building blocks of our sensory world.

"Estrogens and human brain networks: A systematic review of structural and functional neuroimaging studies".

Estrogen fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, puberty, postpartum, or in the menopausal transition are associated with cognitive, affective, and behavioral effects. Additionally, estrogens are essential in hormonal contraception, menopausal hormone therapy, or gender-affirming hormone therapy. This systematic review summarizes findings on the role of estrogens for structure, function, and connectivity of human brain networks.

Semantic Integration Demands Modulate Large-Scale Network Interactions in the Brain.

The ability to integrate semantic information into the context of a sentence is essential for human communication. Several studies have shown that the predictability of a final keyword based on the sentence context influences semantic integration on the behavioral, neurophysiological, and neural level. However, the architecture of the underlying network interactions for semantic integration across the lifespan remains unclear.

The potential of interleaved TMS-fMRI for linking stimulation-induced changes in task-related activity with behavioral modulations.

The simultaneous combination of TMS with fMRI has emerged as a promising means to investigate the direct interaction between stimulation-induced changes at the behavioral and neural activity level. This enables the investigation of whole brain neurobehavioral interactions underlying cognitive disruption or facilitation. Yet to date, the literature on interleaved TMS-fMRI in cognitive neuroscience is sparse and neuromodulatory patterns of different TMS protocols are still poorly understood.

Contact heat evoked potentials reveal distinct patterns of spinal cord impairment in degenerative cervical myelopathy beyond MRI lesions.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging may suggest spinal cord compression and structural lesions in degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) but cannot reveal functional impairments in spinal pathways. We aimed to assess the value of contact heat evoked potentials (CHEPs) in addition to MRI and hypothesized that abnormal CHEPs may be evident in DCM independent of MR-lesions and are related to dynamic mechanical cord stress.

Methods: Individuals with DCM underwent neurologic examination including segmental sensory (pinprick, light touch) and motor testing.

Safety and efficacy of intrathecal antibodies to Nogo-A in patients with acute cervical spinal cord injury: a randomised, double-blind, multicentre, placebo-controlled, phase 2b trial.

Background: Spinal cord injury results in permanent neurological impairment and disability due to the absence of spontaneous regeneration. NG101, a recombinant human antibody, neutralises the neurite growth-inhibiting protein Nogo-A, promoting neural repair and motor recovery in animal models of spinal cord injury. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of intrathecal NG101 on recovery in patients with acute cervical traumatic spinal cord injury.

Language aptitude is related to the anatomy of the transverse temporal gyri.

Why is it that some people seem to learn new languages faster and more easily than others? The present study investigates the neuroanatomical basis of language learning aptitude, with a focus on the multiplication pattern of the transverse temporal gyrus/gyri (TTG/TTGs) of the auditory cortex. The size and multiplication pattern of the first TTG (i.e.

Large-scale georeferenced neuroimaging and psychometry data link the urban environmental exposome with brain health.

In face of cumulating evidence about the impact of human-induced environmental changes on mental health and behavior, our understanding of the main effects and interactions between environmental factors - i.e., the exposome and the brain - is still limited.

Metastability demystified - the foundational past, the pragmatic present and the promising future.

Healthy brain function depends on balancing stable integration between brain areas for effective coordinated functioning, with coexisting segregation that allows subsystems to express their functional specialization. Metastability, a concept from the dynamical systems literature, has been proposed as a key signature that characterizes this balance. Building on this principle, the neuroscience literature has leveraged the phenomenon of metastability to investigate various aspects of brain function in health and disease.

Development of slow oscillation-spindle coupling from infancy to toddlerhood.

Sleep has been demonstrated to support memory formation from early life on. The precise temporal coupling of slow oscillations (SOs) with spindles has been suggested as a mechanism facilitating this consolidation process in thalamocortical networks. Here, we investigated the development of sleep spindles and SOs and their coordinate interplay by comparing frontal, central, and parietal electroencephalogram recordings during a nap between infants aged 2-3 months ( = 31) and toddlers aged 14-17 months ( = 49).

How Do Enriched Speech Acoustics Support Language Acquisition in Children With Hearing Loss? A Narrative Review.

Language outcomes of children with hearing loss remain heterogeneous despite recent advances in treatment and intervention. Consonants with high frequency, in particular, continue to pose challenges to affected children's speech perception and production. In this review, the authors evaluate findings of how enriched child-directed speech and song might function as a form of early family-centered intervention to remedy the effects of hearing loss on consonant acquisition already during infancy.

Utilizing Centromedian Thalamus Connectivity to Personalize Noninvasive Neuromodulation Targets.

Introduction: The centromedian nucleus (CM) of the thalamus is essential for arousal, attention, sensory processing, and motor control. Neuromodulation targeting CM dysfunction has shown efficacy in various neurological disorders. However, its individualized precise transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) remains unreported.

Caregiver or Playmate? Fathers' and mothers' brain responses to ball-play with children.

Parents and children often engage in joint play-a domain where mothers and fathers are thought to exhibit disparate behaviors and impact child development via distinct mechanisms. However, little is known about the neural substrates of mother-child and father-child play. In this fMRI study, we sampled the brain activation of parents of preschoolers (N = 88) during a novel event-related adaptation of the virtual ball-tossing game "Cyberball.

EBNA-1 and VCA-p18 immunoglobulin markers link Epstein-Barr virus immune response and brain's myelin content to fatigue in a community-dwelling cohort.

Given the association of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with subjective perception of fatigue and demyelination in clinical conditions, the question about potential subclinical effects in the adult general population remains open. We investigate the association between individuals' EBV immune response and perceived fatigue in a community dwelling cohort (n = 864, age 62 ± 10 years old; 49% women) while monitoring brain tissue properties. Fatigue levels are assessed with the established fatigue severity scale, the EBNA-1 and VCA p18 immunoglobulin G (IgG) chronic response - with multiplex serology and the estimates of local brain volume, myelin content, and axonal density - using relaxometry- and multi-shell diffusion-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Neuronavigated Focalized Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Administered During Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique that allows the modulation of the excitability and plasticity of the human brain. Focalized tDCS setups use specific electrode arrangements to constrain the current flow to circumscribed brain regions. However, the effectiveness of focalized tDCS can be compromised by electrode positioning errors on the scalp, resulting in significant reductions of the current dose reaching the target brain regions for tDCS.

A deep learning approach for automated scoring of the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure.

Memory deficits are a hallmark of many different neurological and psychiatric conditions. The Rey-Osterrieth complex figure (ROCF) is the state-of-the-art assessment tool for neuropsychologists across the globe to assess the degree of non-verbal visual memory deterioration. To obtain a score, a trained clinician inspects a patient's ROCF drawing and quantifies deviations from the original figure.

Large language models surpass human experts in predicting neuroscience results.

Scientific discoveries often hinge on synthesizing decades of research, a task that potentially outstrips human information processing capacities. Large language models (LLMs) offer a solution. LLMs trained on the vast scientific literature could potentially integrate noisy yet interrelated findings to forecast novel results better than human experts.