Interaction of task-related learning and transcranial direct current stimulation of the prefrontal cortex in modulating executive functions.

The effects of transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) on cognitive functions, such as response inhibition, might be mediated through plastic changes within the prefrontal cortex. Previous studies have also confirmed learning-related plasticity in prefrontal neurocircuitry. The susceptibility of prefrontal neurocircuitry for tDCS-induced plastic changes and consequent behavioural modulations might depend on the level of learning in a particular task.

Differences in Systemic IgA Reactivity and Circulating Th Subsets in Healthy Volunteers With Specific Microbiota Enterotypes.

Changes in the intestinal microbiota have been associated with the development of immune-mediated diseases in humans. Additionally, the introduction of defined bacterial species into the mouse intestinal microbiota has been shown to impact on the adaptive immune response. However, how much impact the intestinal microbiota composition actually has on regulating adaptive immunity remains poorly understood.

Randomized trial of add-on triheptanoin vs medium chain triglycerides in adults with refractory epilepsy.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility, safety, and tolerability of add-on treatment of the triglycerides of heptanoate (triheptanoin) vs the triglycerides of octanoate and decanoate (medium chain triglycerides [MCTs]) in adults with treatment-refractory epilepsy.

Methods: After an 8-week prospective baseline period, people with drug-resistant epilepsy were randomized in a double-blind fashion to receive triheptanoin or MCTs. Treatment was titrated over 3 weeks to a maximum of 100 mL/d to be distributed over 3 meals and mixed into food, followed by 12-week maintenance before tapering.

Studying the Replication History of Human B Lymphocytes by Real-Time Quantitative (RQ-)PCR.

The cells of the adaptive immune system, B and T lymphocytes, each generate a unique antigen receptor through V(D)J recombination of their immunoglobulin (Ig) and T-cell receptor (TCR) loci, respectively. Such rearrangements join coding elements to form a coding joint and delete the intervening DNA as circular excision products containing the signal joint. These excision circles are stable structures that cannot replicate and have no function in the cell.

Glucose Modifies the Effect of Endovascular Thrombectomy in Patients With Acute Stroke.

Background and Purpose- Hyperglycemia is a negative prognostic factor after acute ischemic stroke but is not known whether glucose is associated with the effects of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in patients with large-vessel stroke. In a pooled-data meta-analysis, we analyzed whether serum glucose is a treatment modifier of the efficacy of EVT in acute stroke. Methods- Seven randomized trials compared EVT with standard care between 2010 and 2017 (HERMES Collaboration [highly effective reperfusion using multiple endovascular devices]).

Association of Time From Stroke Onset to Groin Puncture With Quality of Reperfusion After Mechanical Thrombectomy: A Meta-analysis of Individual Patient Data From 7 Randomized Clinical Trials.

Importance: Reperfusion is a key factor for clinical outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) treated with endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for large-vessel intracranial occlusion. However, data are scarce on the association between the time from onset and reperfusion results.

Objective: To analyze the rate of reperfusion after EVT started at different intervals after symptom onset in patients with AIS.

An Overlooked Brain Region in the Aetiology of Anorexia Nervosa: The Importance of Behaviourally Driven Neuroimaging Analysis.

The neurobiological contributions to anorexia nervosa (AN) remain poorly understood, hindering the development of effective neurobiological treatments such as medications and brain stimulation. A large number of studies have been undertaken utilising neuroimaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to gain a better understanding of the brain mechanisms involved in the illness. However, the analyses undertaken by many studies have utilised a whole-brain analytical approach as much of this research has been exploratory in nature.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of basal cortisol levels in Borderline Personality Disorder compared to non-psychiatric controls.

Objective: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a prevalent, complex, and serious mental disorder involving multiple symptoms and maladaptive behaviour. The underlying psychobiological mechanisms involved are not yet fully understood, but increasing evidence indicates that changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress axis (HPA) activity may contribute to BPD. Whilst various studies have demonstrated elevated levels of cortisol (the end-product of the HPA axis) in BPD sufferers, others have presented opposite findings.

A Protocol-Driven Assessment Promotes a More Accurate Diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

A diverse range of conditions share symptoms commonly identified with irritable bowel syndrome. The objective of this study was to examine the diagnostic process in identifying additional diagnoses in women who are attending a clinic for evaluation of symptoms suggestive of irritable bowel syndrome. A retrospective audit was conducted of anonymous data gathered on consecutive female patients presenting to a specialist nurse-led service in Christchurch, New Zealand, with a provisional diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome.

Ondansetron - a promising adjunctive treatment for persistent schizophrenia.

Background: Ondansetron is a serotonin 3 receptor antagonist widely used to prevent nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and in patients receiving chemotherapy. There is growing evidence that adjunctive ondansetron treatment improves symptomatology associated with schizophrenia, particularly with respect to the positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. Further studies that are applicable to real world practice are required to assess the efficacy and effectiveness of this treatment, which could be readily and rapidly translated into clinical practice.

Raloxifene as a treatment for cognition in women with schizophrenia: the influence of menopause status.

Cognitive impairments cause significant functional issues for people with schizophrenia, often emerging before the onset of hallucinations, delusions and other psychosis symptoms. Current pharmacological treatments do not target cognitive dysfunction. Several lines of evidence support the beneficial effects of estrogens on cognition.

Does mindfulness help people adapt to the experience of hearing voices?

Mindfulness-based interventions show promise in the treatment of psychotic symptoms. From a theoretical perspective, there may be several benefits of mindfulness for individuals who experience hearing voices. Related cross-sectional findings suggest mindfulness may protect against distress, disruption, negative beliefs, dysfunctional relational style and responding, and mood symptoms for individuals who hear voices.

Sex Differences and the Influence of Sex Hormones on Cognition through Adulthood and the Aging Process.

Hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis that regulate reproductive function have multiple effects on the development, maintenance and function of the brain. Sex differences in cognitive functioning have been reported in both health and disease, which may be partly attributed to sex hormones. The aim of the current paper was to provide a theoretical review of how sex hormones influence cognitive functioning across the lifespan as well as provide an overview of the literature on sex differences and the role of sex hormones in cognitive decline, specifically in relation to Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Absence of Surface IgD Does Not Impair Naive B Cell Homeostasis or Memory B Cell Formation in Haploinsufficient Humans.

Surface IgD is coexpressed with IgM on naive mature B cells. Still, the role of surface IgD remains enigmatic even 50 y after its initial discovery. In this study, we examined the in vivo role of surface IgD in human B cell homeostasis and Ab responses in four individuals with heterozygous nonsense mutations in All heterozygous individuals had normal numbers of B cells and serum Igs and did not show signs of immunodeficiency or immune dysregulation.

A systematic review of task-based functional neuroimaging studies investigating language, semantic and executive processes in thought disorder.

The aim of the current systematic review was to synthesise the research that has investigated thought disorder (TD) using task-based functional neuroimaging techniques to target executive, language, or semantic functions. Thirty-five pertinent studies were identified from January 1990 to August 2016. Functional correlates of TD included the superior and middle temporal, fusiform, and inferior frontal gyri bilaterally, as well as the left and right cingulate cortex, the right caudate nucleus, and the cerebellum.

Development and validation of a new rating scale for perimenopausal depression-the Meno-D.

The menopause transition is a time when women experience an increased risk for new onset depression, as well as relapse of depression. While there are overlapping symptoms between major depression and depression during menopause, differences suggest 'perimenopausal depression' may be a unique subtype of depression associated with characteristic symptoms. There is currently no validated scale designed to measure perimenopausal depression.

Tibolone improves depression in women through the menopause transition: A double-blind randomized controlled trial of adjunctive tibolone.

Background: Many women with no past psychiatric history experience severe mood symptoms for the first time in their life during the menopausal transition, with debilitating long-term consequences. Women with a history of depression can experience a relapse or worsening of symptoms during the menopause transition. Traditional antidepressants, SSRIs or SNRIs, are commonly prescribed as the first line response.

Effect of the Glutamate NMDA Receptor Antagonist Memantine as Adjunctive Treatment in Borderline Personality Disorder: An Exploratory, Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex, severe and highly stigmatised psychiatric illness. Several lines of evidence highlight the causal link between chronic stress, glucocorticoid response to stress and glutamatergic overactivity as a key event in the pathophysiology of BPD. Therefore, molecular mechanisms capable of regulating glutamate excitotoxicity represent novel and potentially promising treatment targets.

An update on adjunctive treatment options for bipolar disorder.

Objectives: Bipolar disorder is a complex illness often requiring combinations of therapies to successfully treat symptoms. In recent years, there have been significant advancements in a number of therapies for bipolar disorder. It is therefore timely to provide an overview of current adjunctive therapeutic options to help treating clinicians to inform their patients and work towards optimal outcomes.

Synthetic Nanoparticles That Promote Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 2 Expressing Regulatory T Cells in the Lung and Resistance to Allergic Airways Inflammation.

Synthetic glycine coated 50 nm polystyrene nanoparticles (NP) (PS50G), unlike ambient NP, do not promote pulmonary inflammation, but instead, render lungs resistant to the development of allergic airway inflammation. In this study, we show that PS50G modulate the frequency and phenotype of regulatory T cells (Treg) in the lung, specifically increasing the proportion of tumor necrosis factor 2 (TNFR2) expressing Treg. Mice pre-exposed to PS50G, which were sensitized and then challenged with an allergen a month later, preferentially expanded TNFR2Foxp3 Treg, which further expressed enhanced levels of latency associated peptide and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated molecule-4.

Interactive effects of music and prefrontal cortex stimulation in modulating response inhibition.

Influential hypotheses propose that alterations in emotional state influence decision processes and executive control of behavior. Both music and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of prefrontal cortex affect emotional state, however interactive effects of music and tDCS on executive functions remain unknown. Learning to inhibit inappropriate responses is an important aspect of executive control which is guided by assessing the decision outcomes such as errors.

A systematic review of the structural neuroimaging correlates of thought disorder.

One clinical dimension often cited as a hallmark of schizophrenia is thought disorder (TD). The aim of the current systematic review was to summarise our current understanding of the neurobiology of TD that has been investigated with structural neuroimaging techniques. Ninety-seven relevant studies were identified from January 1990 to August 2016, 26 of which had TD-motivated research questions or hypotheses.

Immediate Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV Infection Accelerates Bone Loss Relative to Deferring Therapy: Findings from the START Bone Mineral Density Substudy, a Randomized Trial.

Unlabelled: Both HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) are associated with lower bone mineral density (BMD) and increased fracture risk. Because the relative contributions of ART and untreated HIV to BMD loss are unclear, it is important to quantify the effect of ART on bone. We compared the effect of early ART initiation (CD4 >500 cells/μL) with deferred ART on change in BMD in the START Bone Mineral Density substudy, a randomized trial evaluating the effect of immediate ART initiation versus deferring ART (to CD4 <350 cells/μL).