159 results match your criteria: "ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI)[Affiliation]"

Dynamics of magnetic cortico-cortical responses evoked by single-pulse electrical stimulation.

Epilepsia

December 2024

ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Laboratoire de Neuroanatomie et Neuroimagerie Translationnelles (LN2T), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Bruxelles, Belgium.

Objective: Intracranial single-pulse electrical stimulation (SPES) can elicit cortico-cortical evoked potentials. Their investigation with intracranial EEG is biased by the limited number and selected location of electrodes, which could be circumvented by simultaneous non-invasive whole-scalp recording. This study aimed at investigating the ability of magnetoencephalography (MEG) to characterize cortico-cortical evoked fields (CCEFs) and effective connectivity between the epileptogenic zone (EZ) and non-epileptogenic zone (i.

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Neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the influence of motivational intensity on emotion regulation choice.

Psychophysiology

November 2024

The Laboratory for Affect Cognition and Regulation (ACRLAB), Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China.

Motivation is considered a crucial factor in determining emotion regulation choice (ER choice). Our previous study revealed that increased motivation led to a preference for distraction over reappraisal due to the narrowed attention, yet neural underpinnings supporting this phenomenon remain unclear. In this study, we used event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate whether motivation influences ER choice by early attention processing (P2) or late resource engagement (LPP).

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Introduction: Recent research has recognized executive dysfunction as another component affected in Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). This systematic review aimed to examine what information distinctive neurophysiological markers can provide in the evaluation of executive function (EF) deficits in PPA, and to what effect executive function deficits can be assessed through the characteristics of functional markers.

Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search following the PRISMA guidelines across studies that employed neuropsychological assessments and neurophysiological imaging techniques (EEG, MEG; PET, SPECT, fMRI, fNIRS) to investigate executive dysfunction correlates in PPA.

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Variability of cortico-cortical evoked potentials in the epileptogenic zone is related to seizure occurrence.

Ann Clin Transl Neurol

October 2024

Department of Neurology, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Hôpital Erasme, Bruxelles, Belgium.

Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates the variability of cortico-cortical evoked potentials (CCEPs) during single-pulse electrical stimulations to understand their relationship with seizure activity in patients with epilepsy.
  • Researchers analyzed data from 20 patients with a focus on how CCEP measurements changed in relation to the location of the epileptogenic zone (EZ) and the occurrence of interictal discharges.
  • Findings indicate that increased seizure frequency correlates with decreased variability in CCEP measurements, suggesting that the epileptogenic network becomes more interconnected with frequent seizures, emphasizing the need for timely epilepsy surgery.
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Background/objective: Inhibition is crucial for controlling behavior and is impaired in various psychopathologies. Neurofeedback holds promise in addressing cognitive deficits, and experimental research is essential for identifying its functional benefits. This study aimed to investigate whether boosting sensorimotor activity (SMR) improves inhibitory control in a final sample of healthy individuals ( = 53), while exploring the underlying neurophysiological mechanism.

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Predicting the bodily self in space and time.

Sci Rep

June 2024

Consciousness, Cognition, and Computation Group (CO3), Centre for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, CP191, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.

To understand how the human brain distinguishes itself from external stimulation, it was examined if motor predictions enable healthy adult volunteers to infer self-location and to distinguish their body from the environment (and other agents). By uniquely combining a VR-setup with full-body motion capture, a full-body illusion paradigm (FBI) was developed with different levels of motion control: (A) a standard, passive FBI in which they had no motion control; (B) an active FBI in which they made simple, voluntary movements; and (C) an immersive game in which they real-time controlled a human-sized avatar in third person. Systematic comparisons between measures revealed a causal relationship between (i) motion control (prospective agency), (ii) self-other identification, and (iii) the ability to locate oneself.

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Alteration of gene expression and protein solubility of the PI 5-phosphatase SHIP2 are correlated with Alzheimer's disease pathology progression.

Acta Neuropathol

June 2024

Alzheimer and Other Tauopathies Research Group, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), ULB Center for Diabetes Research (UCDR), Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 Route de Lennik, Bldg GE, 1070, Brussels, Belgium.

A recent large genome-wide association study has identified EGFR (encoding the epidermal growth factor EGFR) as a new genetic risk factor for late-onset AD. SHIP2, encoded by INPPL1, is taking part in the signalling and interactome of several growth factor receptors, such as the EGFR. While INPPL1 has been identified as one of the most significant genes whose RNA expression correlates with cognitive decline, the potential alteration of SHIP2 expression and localization during the progression of AD remains largely unknown.

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Spectrotemporal cortical dynamics and semantic control during sentence completion.

Clin Neurophysiol

July 2024

Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Laboratoire de Neuroanatomie et Neuroimagerie Translationnelles (LN(2)T), Brussels, Belgium.

Objective: To investigate cortical oscillations during a sentence completion task (SC) using magnetoencephalography (MEG), focusing on the semantic control network (SCN), its leftward asymmetry, and the effects of semantic control load.

Methods: Twenty right-handed adults underwent MEG while performing SC, consisting of low cloze (LC: multiple responses) and high cloze (HC: single response) stimuli. Spectrotemporal power modulations as event-related synchronizations (ERS) and desynchronizations (ERD) were analyzed: first, at the whole-brain level; second, in key SCN regions, posterior middle/inferior temporal gyri (pMTG/ITG) and inferior frontal gyri (IFG), under different semantic control loads.

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The potential utility of evoked potentials in the treatment of mental illnesses.

Psychoradiology

October 2023

Laboratoire de Psychologie Médicale et d'Addictologie, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), CHU Brugmann-Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), 1020 Brussels, Belgium.

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Xbra modulates the activity of linker region phosphorylated Smad1 during Xenopus development.

Sci Rep

April 2024

Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Cell Differentiation and Aging, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do, 24252, Republic of Korea.

The Bmp/Smad1 pathway plays a crucial role in developmental processes and tissue homeostasis. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (Mapk)/Erk mediated phosphorylation of Smad1 in the linker region leads to Smad1 degradation, cytoplasmic retention and inhibition of Bmp/Smad1 signaling. While Fgf/Erk pathway has been documented to inhibit Bmp/Smad1 signaling, several studies also suggests the cooperative interaction between these two pathways in different context.

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Article Synopsis
  • Scientists are studying how a messed-up protein called tau spreads in the brain and causes Alzheimer's disease and similar brain problems.
  • They talk about how important it is to pick the right tau samples and animal models to learn about this spreading.
  • The review also suggests a guide to help create better models for testing new medicines that could help treat these diseases.
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Linking mitochondria metabolism, developmental timing, and human brain evolution.

Curr Opin Genet Dev

June 2024

VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address:

Changes in developmental timing are an important factor of evolution in organ shape and function. This is particularly striking for human brain development, which, compared with other mammals, is considerably prolonged at the level of the cerebral cortex, resulting in brain neoteny. Here, we review recent findings that indicate that mitochondria and metabolism contribute to species differences in the tempo of cortical neuron development.

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CVRmap-a complete cerebrovascular reactivity mapping post-processing BIDS toolbox.

Sci Rep

March 2024

Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Laboratoire de Neuroanatomie et de Neuroimagerie translationnelles, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.

Cerebrovascular Reactivity (CVR) refers to the ability of cerebral blood vessels to dilate or constrict under the effect of vasoactive substances and can be estimated using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Computation of CVR maps is relevant in various brain diseases and requires specialized data processing. We introduce CVRmap, an opensource software that automates the computation of CVR map.

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Development of auditory scene analysis: a mini-review.

Front Hum Neurosci

March 2024

Center for Research in Cognitive Neuroscience (CRCN), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.

Most auditory environments contain multiple sound waves that are mixed before reaching the ears. In such situations, listeners must disentangle individual sounds from the mixture, performing the auditory scene analysis. Analyzing complex auditory scenes relies on listeners ability to segregate acoustic events into different streams, and to selectively attend to the stream of interest.

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Corrigendum to: "Towards the automated detection of interictal epileptiform discharges with magnetoencephalography" [J. Neurosci. Methods 403 (2024) 110052].

J Neurosci Methods

May 2024

Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Laboratoire de Neuroanatomie et de Neuroimagerie translationnelles (LNbT), Brussels, Belgium; Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (H.U.B.), Hôpital Erasme, Service of translational Neuroimaging, Brussels, Belgium.

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Absence of meningeal mast cells in the mutant mouse.

Front Cell Neurosci

February 2024

Department of Anatomy, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.

Mast cells (MCs) are located in the meninges of the central nervous system (CNS), where they play key roles in the immune response. MC-deficient mice are advantageous in delineating the role of MCs in the immune response . In this study, we illustrate that a mutation in microphthalmia-associated transcription factor () affects meningeal MC number in a dosage-dependent manner.

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Background: Epileptic seizures are an established comorbidity of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Subclinical epileptiform activity (SEA) as detected by 24-h electroencephalography (EEG) or magneto-encephalography (MEG) has been reported in temporal regions of clinically diagnosed AD patients. Although epileptic activity in AD probably arises in the mesial temporal lobe, electrical activity within this region might not propagate to EEG scalp electrodes and could remain undetected by standard EEG.

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Delayed effective connectivity characterizes the epileptogenic zone during stereo-EEG.

Clin Neurophysiol

February 2024

Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB) - Hôpital Erasme, Department of Neurology, Bruxelles, Belgium; Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Bruxelles, Belgium; Yale University, Department of Neurology, New Haven, CT, USA.

Article Synopsis
  • The study looks at how single-pulse electrical stimulations can help identify areas in the brain that cause epilepsy by measuring responses like spikes and special electrical signals called CCEPs.
  • Researchers tested these responses in 28 patients who have a hard-to-treat form of epilepsy.
  • They found that delayed signals in the epileptogenic zone could help doctors decide where to operate to fix the problem.
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Prdm12 is an epigenetic regulator expressed in developing and mature nociceptive neurons, playing a key role in their specification during neurogenesis and modulating pain sensation at adulthood. In vitro studies suggested that Prdm12 recruits the methyltransferase G9a through its zinc finger domains to regulate target gene expression, but how Prdm12 interacts with G9a and whether G9a plays a role in Prdm12's functional properties in sensory ganglia remain unknown. Here we report that Prdm12-G9a interaction is likely direct and that it involves the SET domain of G9a.

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Towards the automated detection of interictal epileptiform discharges with magnetoencephalography.

J Neurosci Methods

March 2024

Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Laboratoire de Neuroanatomie et de Neuroimagerie translationnelles (LNbT), Brussels, Belgium; Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (H.U.B.), Hôpital Erasme, Service of translational Neuroimaging, Brussels, Belgium.

Background: The analysis of clinical magnetoencephalography (MEG) in patients with epilepsy traditionally relies on visual identification of interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs), which is time consuming and dependent on subjective criteria.

New Method: Here, we explore the ability of Independent Components Analysis (ICA) and Hidden Markov Modeling (HMM) to automatically detect and localize IEDs. We tested our pipelines on resting-state MEG recordings from 10 school-aged children with (multi)focal epilepsy.

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Cryogenic magnetoencephalography (MEG) enhances the presurgical assessment of refractory focal epilepsy (RFE). Optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) are cryogen-free sensors that enable on-scalp MEG recordings. Here, we investigate the application of tri-axial OPMs [Rb (Rb-OPM) and He gas (He-OPM)] for the detection of interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs).

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Prdm12 is a transcriptional regulator essential for the emergence of the somatic nociceptive lineage during sensory neurogenesis. The exact mechanisms by which Prdm12 promotes nociceptor development remain, however, poorly understood. Here, we report that the trigeminal and dorsal root ganglia hypoplasia induced by the loss of involves Bax-dependent apoptosis and that it is accompanied by the ectopic expression of the visceral sensory neuron determinants and , which is, however, not sufficient to impose a complete fate switch in surviving somatosensory neurons.

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