Neuroscience
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Prepulse inhibition (PPI) refers to the phenomenon in which a weak sensory stimulus before a strong one significantly reduces the startle reflex caused by the strong stimulus. Perceptual spatial separation, a phenomenon where auditory cues from the prepulse and background noise are distinguished in space, has been shown to enhance PPI. This study aims to investigate the neural modulation mechanisms of PPI by the spatial separation between the prepulse stimulus and background noise, particularly in the deep superior colliculus (deepSC). ⋯ The prepulse stimulus was a segment of narrowband noise, with interaural time differences adjusted so that the prepulse stimulus and background noise were perceived as either ipsilaterally leading or contralaterally leading, resulting in perceptual spatial fusion or spatial separation. The results showed that under conditions of spatial separation, the stimulus-response coherence of the envelope and fine structure components of the prepulse stimulus in the deepSC was significantly enhanced, the response of the deepSC to the stimulus was significantly reduced in the presence of the prepulse stimulus, and the envelope component of the prepulse stimulus was positively correlated with the inhibitory effect. The above results suggest that perceptual spatial dissociation can significantly enhance the expression of deepSC, particularly the precision of the envelope component, thereby significantly affecting the electrophysiological response of PPI.
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This study aims to investigate the changes in the topological organization of WM functional connectivity in individuals with TAO, providing a novel and insightful perspective on the functional disruptions that characterize this condition. ⋯ In our study, we found that patients with TAO exhibited abnormalities in the white matter functional network regarding small-world metrics and modularity, which are related to visual and cognitive functions.
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Radiation-induced cognitive impairment (RICI) and emotional disorder (RIED) are comorbidity which seriously affect the quality of life in radiation-induced brain injury (RIBI) patients. ⋯ RICI intensively occurred in post-irradiation middle stage and progressed to late stage while RIED occurred mostly in late stage in RIBI. Consistency of RICI and RIED development process was observed.
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Review
Cross-species dissection of the modular role of the ventral tegmental area in depressive disorders.
Depressive disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD), represent one of the most prevalent set of disorders worldwide. MDD is characterized by a range of cognitive, behavioral, and neurobiological changes that contribute to the vast array of symptom profiles that make this disorder particularly difficult to treat. A multitude of established evidence suggests a role for the dopamine system, stemming in part from the ventral tegmental area (VTA), in mediating symptoms and behavioral changes that underlie depression. ⋯ Then, we introduce the role of the VTA in reward processing as it compares to aversion processing. Next, we characterize distinct neural pathways within the VTA circuitry to understand the effects of chronic social and non-social stress and tie together how these neurobiological changes manifest into specific behavioral phenotypes. Finally, we relate these preclinical findings to clinical findings to parse the heterogeneity of depressive phenotypes and explain the efficacy of recent novel pharmacological interventions that may target the VTA in MDD.
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The purpose of this study was to examine variations in gut microbes and their metabolites between patients with original and recurrent stroke, providing insights and justification for the diagnosis and prevention of ischemic stroke progression from the perspective of the gut microbiota-metabolite-brain axis. ⋯ Compared with the Os, Rs was mainly characterized by severe destruction of anaerobic bacteria and significant depletion of SCFAs-producing bacteria. In addition, the related compounds involved in arachidonic acid metabolism and linoleic acid metabolism pathway may be biomarkers related to ischemic stroke progression.