Dissociating the Roles of Alpha Oscillation Sub-Bands in Visual Working Memory.

Alpha oscillations play a critical role in visual working memory (VWM), but the specific contributions of lower and upper alpha sub-bands remain unclear. To address this, we employed a whole-field change detection paradigm to investigate how alpha power modulation and decoding accuracy differ between these sub-bands in response to varying set sizes and spatial extents of memory arrays. Our results revealed that lower alpha (8-9 Hz) exhibits widespread event-related desynchronization (ERD) during the early maintenance phase, which increases with set size and reflects attentional allocation to individual memory items.

Action potential-independent spontaneous microdomain Ca transients-mediated continuous neurotransmission regulates hyperalgesia.

Neurotransmitters and neuromodulators can be released via either action potential (AP)-evoked transient or AP-independent continuous neurotransmission. The elevated AP-evoked neurotransmission in the primary sensory neurons plays crucial roles in hyperalgesia. However, whether and how the AP-independent continuous neurotransmission contributes to hyperalgesia remains largely unknown.

Clinical impact of an explainable machine learning with amino acid PET imaging: application to the diagnosis of aggressive glioma.

Purpose: Radiomics-based machine learning (ML) models of amino acid positron emission tomography (PET) images have shown efficiency in glioma prediction tasks. However, their clinical impact on physician interpretation remains limited. This study investigated whether an explainable radiomics model modifies nuclear physicians' assessment of glioma aggressiveness at diagnosis.

EEG-based functional and effective connectivity patterns during emotional episodes using graph theoretical analysis.

Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying emotional processing is critical for advancing neuroscience and mental health interventions. This study examined these mechanisms by analyzing EEG connectivity patterns across different brain regions while participants evoked various emotions. After applying independent component analysis (ICA) to eliminate non-cortical activity, we assessed frequency-specific connectivity patterns using coherence, Granger causality, and graph theoretical measures to evaluate both functional and effective connectivity.

Prostate cancer cells elevate glycolysis and G6PD in response to caffeic acid phenethyl ester-induced growth inhibition.

Background: Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is the main bioactive component of poplar type propolis. We previously reported that treatment with caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) suppressed the cell proliferation, tumor growth, as well as migration and invasion of prostate cancer (PCa) cells via inhibition of signaling pathways of AKT, c-Myc, Wnt and EGFR. We also demonstrated that combined treatment of CAPE and docetaxel altered the genes involved in glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle.

Tremor as an intrinsic feature of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.

We aim to understand whether tremor may be an intrinsic feature of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and whether individuals with JME plus tremor experience a different disease course. Thirty-one individuals with JME plus tremor (17 females, mean age = 33.9 ± 13.

A distributed subcortical circuit linked to instrumental information-seeking about threat.

Daily life for humans and other animals requires switching between periods of threat- and reward-oriented behavior. We investigated neural activity associated with spontaneous switching, in a naturalistic task, between foraging for rewards and seeking information about potential threats with 7T fMRI in healthy humans. Switching was driven by estimates of likelihood of threat and reward.

Cenobamate as add-on treatment for SCN8A developmental and epileptic encephalopathy.

Objectives: Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) caused by pathogenic variants in SCN8A are associated with difficult-to-treat and early-onset seizures, developmental delay/intellectual disability, impaired quality of life, and increased risk of early mortality. High doses of sodium channel blockers are typically used to treat SCN8A-DEE caused by gain-of-function (GoF) variants. However, seizures are often drug resistant, and only a few patients achieve seizure freedom.

A multi-modal neuroimaging data release for Meige Syndrome and Facial Paralysis Research.

The sharing of multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data is of utmost importance in the field, as it enables a deeper understanding of facial nerve-related pathologies. However, there is a significant lack of multi-modal neuroimaging databases specifically focused on these conditions, which hampers our comprehensive knowledge of the neural foundations of facial paralysis. To address this critical gap and propel advancements in this area, we have released the Multimodal Neuroimaging Dataset of Meige Syndrome, Facial Paralysis, and Healthy Controls (MND-MFHC).

The Prevalence of Migraine in Children Diagnosed with Familial Mediterranean Fever.

Purpose:  Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of fever and serositis, caused by mutations in the gene. Inflammatory pathways associated with FMF are linked to increased proinflammatory cytokines, which may be related to primary headaches, including migraine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of migraine and other primary headaches in FMF patients.

Differential tractography identifies a distinct pattern of white matter alterations in essential tremor with or without resting tremor.

Essential Tremor (ET) is characterized by action tremor often associated with resting tremor (rET). Although previous studies have identified widespread brain white matter (WM) alterations in ET patients, differences between ET and rET have been less explored. In this study we employed differential tractography to investigate WM microstructural alterations in these tremor disorders.

Metal-Coordinated Histidine-Functionalized Redox-Responsive Polyethyleneimine as a Smart Gene Delivery Vector.

Despite significant advancements in gene delivery and CRISPR technology, several challenges remain. Chief among these are overcoming serum inhibition and achieving high transfection efficiency with minimal cytotoxicity. To address these issues, there is a need for novel vectors that exhibit lower toxicity, maintain stability in serum-rich environments, and effectively deliver plasmids of various sizes across diverse cell types.

An experimental EEG study of brain activities underlying the Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is an audio-visual phenomenon that has recently become popular. Many people have reported experiencing a tingling-like sensation through their body while watching audio/video clips known as ASMR clips. People capable of having such experiences have also reported improved overall well-being and feeling relaxed.

Characteristics and recovery trends of severe TBI patients with a favorable functional outcome at 6-month follow-up.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a devastating cause of death and disability. Outcomes following TBI have been extensively studied; however, less attention has been given to identifying characteristics of individuals who have a favorable outcome following severe TBI. We conducted a retrospective analysis of a database containing information on TBI patients admitted to a level 1 trauma center between 2015 and 2021.

Development of a simple prediction model for tracheostomy requirement after surgical resection of medulloblastoma in children.

Objective: Postoperative tracheostomy is a significant complication following medulloblastoma (MB) resection. This study aimed to develop a predictive model for postoperative tracheostomy requirement in children undergoing MB surgical resection. This model was derived as a side product of a larger research project analyzing surgical outcomes in pediatric MB patients.

Insights Into the Role of Bmi-1 Deregulation in Promoting Stemness and Therapy Resistance in Glioblastoma: A Narrative Review.

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor in adults and has a median survival of less than 15 months. Advancements in the field of epigenetics have expanded our understanding of cancer biology and helped explain the molecular heterogeneity of these tumors. B-cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus insertion site-1 (Bmi-1) is a member of the highly conserved polycomb group (PcG) protein family that acts as a transcriptional repressor of multiple genes, including those that determine cell proliferation and differentiation.

A novel computational method for rodent electrographic recording and analysis using off-the-shelf intracerebral depth electrodes.

Electrographic recording of brain activity through either surface electrodes (electroencephalography, EEG) or implanted electrodes (electrocorticography, ECOG) are valuable research tools in neuroscience across many disciplines, including epilepsy, sleep science and more. Research techniques to perform recordings in rodents are wide-ranging and often require custom parts that may not be readily available. Moreover, the information required to connect individual components is often limited and can therefore be challenging to implement.

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) as a Potential Biomarker in Brain Glioma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates peripheral and CNS BDNF levels in glioma patients.

Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched databases for studies measuring BDNF in glioma patients and controls. After screening and data extraction, we conducted quality assessment, meta-analysis, and meta-regression.

The added value of anosmic subtype on motor subtype in Parkinson's disease: a pilot study.

This study investigates whether incorporating olfactory dysfunction into motor subtypes of Parkinson's disease (PD) improves associations with clinical outcomes. PD is commonly divided into motor subtypes, such as postural instability and gait disturbance (PIGD) and tremor-dominant PD (TDPD), but non-motor symptoms like olfactory dysfunction remain underexplored. We assessed 157 participants with PD using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (M-UPDRS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), 39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire Summary Index (PDQ-39 SI), and 99mTc-TRODAT-1 imaging.

Sexually dimorphic dopaminergic circuits determine sex preference.

Sociosexual preference is critical for reproduction and survival. However, neural mechanisms encoding social decisions on sex preference remain unclear. In this study, we show that both male and female mice exhibit female preference but shift to male preference when facing survival threats; their preference is mediated by the dimorphic changes in the excitability of ventral tegmental area dopaminergic (VTA) neurons.

Stereo-seq of the prefrontal cortex in aging and Alzheimer's disease.

Aging increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD), driving pathological changes like amyloid-β (Aβ) buildup, inflammation, and oxidative stress, especially in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). We present the first subcellular-resolution spatial transcriptome atlas of the human prefrontal cortex (PFC), generated with Stereo-seq from six male AD cases at varying neuropathological stages and six age-matched male controls. Our analyses revealed distinct transcriptional alterations across PFC layers, highlighted disruptions in laminar structure, and exposed AD-related shifts in layer-to-layer and cell-cell interactions.

Therapeutic Potential of Agmatine in Essential Tremor Through Regulation of Lingo-1 and Inflammatory Pathways.

Purpose: Essential tremor (ET) is a prevalent movement disorder, yet current therapeutic options remain limited. Emerging evidence implicates leucine-rich repeat and immunoglobulin-like domain-containing protein (Lingo-1) and neuroinflammation in the pathophysiology of ET. This study aimed to investigate whether agmatine, a biogenic amine neuromodulator attenuates tremors and modulates the expression of Lingo-1 and proinflammatory markers in a rodent model of ET.

Distinctive Delta and Theta Responses in Deductive and Probabilistic Reasoning.

Introduction: The neural substrates of reasoning, a cognitive ability we use constantly in daily life, are still unclear. Reasoning can be divided into two types according to how the inference process works and the certainty of the conclusions. In deductive reasoning, certain conclusions are drawn from premises by applying the rules of logic.

Differential striatal dopamine binding in Parkinson's Disease with and without REM sleep behavior disorder: A Tc-99 m TRODAT-1 SPECT study.

Background: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is an early and significant prodromal marker for Parkinson's disease (PD). While the association between RBD and PD has been well-documented, the underlying pathophysiology differentiating PD patients with RBD (PD-RBD +) from those without RBD (PD-RBD-) remained unclear. This study aims to investigate the possible relationship between RBD and striatal dopamine depletion in de novo PD patients.