Neuroscience bulletin
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Neuroscience bulletin · Aug 2010
Pharmacological modulation of brain Nav1.2 and cardiac Nav1.5 subtypes by the local anesthetic ropivacaine.
The present study was aimed to investigate the pharmacological modulatory effects of ropivacaine, an amide-type local anesthetic, on rat Nav1.2 (rNav1.2) and rNav1.5, the two Na(+) channel isoforms heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes and in HEK293t cell line, respectively. ⋯ The results will be helpful in understanding the pharmacological modulation by ropivacaine on Nav1.2 subtype in the central nervous system, and on Nav1.5 subtype abundantly expressed in the heart.
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Neuroscience bulletin · Dec 2009
Nasal cavity-maxillary sinus-pterygopalatine fossa-Meckel's cave: a preliminary anatomic study of an endoscopy-based operative approach.
To provide a new approach for the treatment of tumor in Meckel's cave, by dissecting adjacent structures of the nasal cavity-maxillary sinus-pterygopalatine fossa-Meckel's cave approach. ⋯ The endoscopic approach of transnasal maxillary sinus-pterygopalatine fossa-Meckel's cave (ENMPA) is a safe and direct way to access Meckel's cave, and could be employed for the treatment of tumor in Meckel's cave.
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Neuroscience bulletin · Dec 2009
NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 reduces neuronal damage and preserves learning and memory in a rat model of traumatic brain injury.
NMDA receptor channel plays an important role in the pathophysiological process of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The present study aims to study the pathological mechanism of TBI and the impairment of learning and memory after TBI, and to investigate the mechanism of the protective effect of NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 on learning and memory disorder after TBI. ⋯ MK-801 could significantly inhibit the degeneration and apoptosis of neurons in damaged brain areas. It could also inhibit TBI-induced increase in nNOS-positive neurons and OX-42-positive microglia. Impairment in learning and memory in TBI animals could be repaired by treatment with MK-801.
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Placebo has been reported to exert beneficial effects in patients regarding the treatment of pain. Human functional neuroimaging technology can study the intact human brain to elucidate its functional neuroanatomy and the neurobiological mechanism of the placebo effect. Blood flow measurement using functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography (PET) has revealed that analgesia is related to decreased neural activities in pain-modulatory brain regions, such as the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), insula, thalamus, and brainstem including periaqueductal gray (PAG) and ventromedial medulla. ⋯ Further PET studies with dopamine D2/D3 receptor-labeling radiotracer demonstrate that basal ganglia including NAC are related to placebo analgesic responses. NAC dopamine release induced by placebo analgesia is related to expectation of analgesia. These data indicate that the aforementioned brain regions and neurotransmitters such as endogenous opioid and dopamine systems contribute to placebo analgesia.
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Neuroscience bulletin · Oct 2009
ReviewHigher cortical modulation of pain perception in the human brain: Psychological determinant.
Pain perception and its genesis in the human brain have been reviewed recently. In the current article, the reports on pain modulation in the human brain were reviewed from higher cortical regulation, i.e. top-down effect, particularly studied in psychological determinants. Pain modulation can be examined by gene therapy, physical modulation, pharmacological modulation, psychological modulation, and pathophysiological modulation. ⋯ To sum, higher brain functions become the leading edge research in all sciences. How to solve the information bit of thinking and feeling in the brain can be the greatest challenge of human intelligence. Application of higher cortical modulation of human pain and suffering can lead to the progress of social humanity and civilization.