Cross-prevalence of multiple sclerosis and stroke evaluated on cohorts of four independent specialty medical centers.

Background: Numerous sources reported the increased risk of cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), without a single study thus far challenging the conclusion. Before addressing hypothesis on potential cause-effect relationships, a question whether there are indeed frequent comorbidities between MS and CVA needed to be answered.

Methods: Authors designed a study to evaluate substantial populations of four independent neurology centers with the purpose to assess the prevalence of CVA diagnosis in patients with MS, and vice versa.

[Speech intelligibility in adults after the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19)].

Objective: The research was aimed to assess speech intelligibility in adults after the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), state of peripheral and central parts of auditory system and cognitive functions.

Material And Methods: 26 people complaining about hearing loss, poor speech intelligibility and/or tinnitus after COVID-19 were examined. All the patients underwent the basic audiological assessment before COVID-19.

Menthol dural application alters meningeal arteries tone and enhances excitability of trigeminocervical neurons in rats.

Headaches, including migraines, can have a causal relationship to exposure to cold, and this relationship may be both positive and negative, as cold can both provoke and alleviate cephalgia. The role of thermoreceptors responsible for transduction of low temperatures belongs to the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily melastatin member 8 (TRPM8). These channels mediate normal cooling sensation and have a role in both cold pain and cooling-mediated analgesia; they are seen as a potential target for principally new anti-migraine pharmaceuticals.

Post-stress changes in the gut microbiome composition in rats with different levels of nervous system excitability.

The gut-brain axis is a critical communication system influencing the interactions between the gastrointestinal tract (GI) and the central nervous system (CNS). The gut microbiota plays a significant role in this axis, affecting the development and function of the nervous system. Stress-induced psychopathologies, such as depression and anxiety, have been linked to the gut microbiota, but underlying mechanisms and genetic susceptibility remain unclear.

Event-related EEG synchronization and desynchronization in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Symptoms in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are associated with impairment in cognitive control, attention, and action inhibition. We investigated OCD group differences relative to healthy subjects in terms of event-related alpha and beta range synchronization (ERS) and desynchronization (ERD) during a visually cued Go/NoGo task. Subjects were 62 OCD patients and 296 healthy controls (HC).

Role of the Rhamnosyl Residue of Ouabain in the Activation of the Na,K-ATPase Signaling Function.

The signaling or non-pumping Na,K-ATPase function was first observed by us in the nociceptive neuron; Na,K-ATPase transduced the signals from the opioid-like receptors to Na1.8 channels. This study elucidates the role of the rhamnosyl residue of ouabain in the activation of the Na,K-ATPase signaling function.

Duality in response of intracranial vessels to nitroglycerin revealed in rats by imaging photoplethysmography.

Among numerous approaches to the study of migraine, the nitroglycerin (NTG) model occupies a prominent place, but there is relatively insufficient information about how NTG affects intracranial vessels. In this study we aim to assess the effects of NTG on blood-flow parameters in meningeal vessels measured by imaging photoplethysmography (iPPG) in animal experiments. An amplitude of the pulsatile component (APC) of iPPG waveform was assessed before and within 2.

Opposing effects of 5-HT1A receptor agonist buspirone on supraspinal abdominal pain transmission in normal and visceral hypersensitive rats.

The serotonergic 5-HT1A receptors are implicated in the central mechanisms of visceral pain, but their role in these processes is controversial. Considering existing evidences for organic inflammation-triggered neuroplastic changes in the brain serotonergic circuitry, the ambiguous contribution of 5-HT1A receptors to supraspinal control of visceral pain in normal and post-inflammatory conditions can be assumed. In this study performed on male Wistar rats, we used microelectrode recording of the caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM) neuron responses to colorectal distension (CRD) and electromyography recording of CRD-evoked visceromotor reactions (VMRs) to evaluate post-colitis changes in the effects of 5-HT1A agonist buspirone on supraspinal visceral nociceptive transmission.

LIM-kinase 1 effects on memory abilities and male courtship song in Drosophila depend on the neuronal type.

The signal pathway of actin remodeling, including LIM-kinase 1 (LIMK1) and its substrate cofilin, regulates multiple processes in neurons of vertebrates and invertebrates. Drosophila melanogaster is widely used as a model object for studying mechanisms of memory formation, storage, retrieval and forgetting. Previously, active forgetting in Drosophila was investigated in the standard Pavlovian olfactory conditioning paradigm.

Meta-analysis of the effects of anti-migraine therapeutics in the rat trigeminovascular nociception model as a tool for design optimization.

The main reasons for the low reliability of results from preclinical studies are the lack of prior sample size calculations and poor experimental design. Here, we demonstrate how the tools of meta-analysis can be implemented to tackle these issues. We conducted a systematic search to identify controlled studies testing established migraine treatments in the electrophysiological model of trigeminovascular nociception (EMTVN).

Color-Coding Method Reveals Enhancement of Stereotypic Locomotion by Phenazepam in Rat Open Field Test.

One of the most important tasks in neuroscience is the search for theoretical foundations for the development of methods for diagnosing and treating neurological pathology, and for assessing the effect of pharmacological drugs on the nervous system. Specific behavioral changes associated with exposure to systemic influences have been invisible to the human eye for a long time. A similar pattern of changes is characteristic of phenazepam, a drug with a wide range of effects on the brain.

Novel Chromone-Containing Allylmorpholines Induce Anxiolytic-like and Sedative Effects in Adult Zebrafish.

Chromone-containing allylmorpholines (CCAMs) are a novel class of compounds that have demonstrated acetyl- and butyryl-cholinesterase-inhibiting and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-blocking properties in vitro, but their in vivo pharmacological activity remains underexplored. In this work, we evaluated the psychotropic activity of five different CCAMs (1 (9a), 2 (9j), 3 (9l), 4 (33a), and 5 (33b)) using the novel tank test (NTT) and light/dark box (LDB) test in adult zebrafish. The CCAMs were screened in the NTT at a range of concentrations, and they were found to induce a dose-dependent sedative effect.

Role of the Guanidinium Groups in Ligand-Receptor Binding of Arginine-Containing Short Peptides to the Slow Sodium Channel: Quantitative Approach to Drug Design of Peptide Analgesics.

Several arginine-containing short peptides have been shown by the patch-clamp method to effectively modulate the Na1.8 channel activation gating system, which makes them promising candidates for the role of a novel analgesic medicinal substance. As demonstrated by the organotypic tissue culture method, all active and inactive peptides studied do not trigger the downstream signaling cascades controlling neurite outgrowth and should not be expected to evoke adverse side effects on the tissue level upon their medicinal administration.

Changes in Brain Electrical Activity after Transient Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Rats.

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. To search for new therapeutic and pharmacotherapeutic strategies, numerous models of this disease have been proposed, the most popular being transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Behavioral and sensorimotor testing, biochemical, and histological methods are traditionally used in conjunction with this model to assess the effectiveness of potential treatment options.

Arginine-Containing Tripeptides as Analgesic Substances: The Possible Mechanism of Ligand-Receptor Binding to the Slow Sodium Channel.

Two short arginine-containing tripeptides, H-Arg-Arg-Arg-OH (TP1) and Ac-Arg-Arg-Arg-NH (TP2), have been shown by the patch-clamp method to modulate the Na1.8 channels of DRG primary sensory neurons, which are responsible for the generation of nociceptive signals. Conformational analysis of the tripeptides indicates that the key role in the ligand-receptor binding of TP1 and TP2 to the Na1.

The implementation of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography for preclinical study of migraine.

Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography is used to study intracranial blood flow changes associated with migraine in humans, but whether this method is helpful in preclinical settings is yet unknown. To identify changes in rat intracranial blood flow specific to trigeminovascular activation-a key process in migraine pathophysiology-we measured Doppler indices in the middle cerebral artery and basilar artery before, during, and after dural or somatosensory electrical stimulation. Hemodynamic changes specific to dural stimulation were tested further in separate experiments.

Study of cerebrovascular reactivity to hypercapnia by imaging photoplethysmography to develop a method for intraoperative assessment of the brain functional reserve.

Intraoperative assessment of cerebrovascular reactivity is a relevant problem of neurosurgery. To assess the functional reserve of cerebral blood flow, we suggest using imaging photoplethysmography for measuring changes in cortical perfusion caused by CO inhalation. Feasibility of the technique was demonstrated in three groups of anesthetized rats (=21) with opened and closed cranial windows.

Impaired visceral pain-related functions of the midbrain periaqueductal gray in rats with colitis.

The midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) is a key structure involved in the supraspinal modulation of pain. Previous studies have reported the association of gut inflammation-triggered chronic abdominal pain with structural and neuronal alterations within the PAG. However, whether PAG-executed visceral nociception processing and descending modulation are altered in gut pathology is not known.

Peptide Regulation of Gene Expression: A Systematic Review.

Peptides are characterized by their wide range of biological activity: they regulate functions of the endocrine, nervous, and immune systems. The mechanism of such action of peptides involves their ability to regulate gene expression and protein synthesis in plants, microorganisms, insects, birds, rodents, primates, and humans. Short peptides, consisting of 2-7 amino acid residues, can penetrate into the nuclei and nucleoli of cells and interact with the nucleosome, the histone proteins, and both single- and double-stranded DNA.

Parent-of-origin effects on nuclear chromatin organization and behavior in a Drosophila model for Williams-Beuren Syndrome.

Prognosis of neuropsychiatric disorders in progeny requires consideration of individual (1) parent-of-origin effects (POEs) relying on (2) the nerve cell nuclear 3D chromatin architecture and (3) impact of parent-specific miRNAs. Additionally, the shaping of cognitive phenotypes in parents depends on both learning acquisition and forgetting, or memory erasure. These processes are independent and controlled by different signal cascades: the first is cAMPdependent, the second relies on actin remodeling by small GTPase Rac1 - LIMK1 (LIM-kinase 1).

New approaches to the design of analgesic medicinal substances.

A gamma-pyrone derivative, comenic acid, activates the opioid-like receptor-mediated signaling pathway that modulates the Na1.8 channels in the primary sensory neuron membrane. These channels are responsible for the generation of the nociceptive signal; therefore, gamma-pyrones have great therapeutic potential as analgesics, and this effect deserves a deeper understanding.

Success of Hand Movement Imagination Depends on Personality Traits, Brain Asymmetry, and Degree of Handedness.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), based on motor imagery, are increasingly used in neurorehabilitation. However, some people cannot control BCI, predictors of this are the features of brain activity and personality traits. It is not known whether the success of BCI control is related to interhemispheric asymmetry.

Advantages of imaging photoplethysmography for migraine modeling: new optical markers of trigemino-vascular activation in rats.

Background: Existent animal models of migraine are not without drawbacks and limitations. The aim of our study was to evaluate imaging photoplethysmography (PPG) as a method of assessing intracranial blood flow in rats and its changes in response to electrical stimulation of dural trigeminal afferents.

Methods: Experiments were carried out with 32 anesthetized adult male Wistar rats.