Journal of neuroscience methods
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J. Neurosci. Methods · Jan 2019
MRI guidance technology development in a large animal model for hyperlocal analgesics delivery to the epidural space and dorsal root ganglion.
Development of new analgesic drugs or gene therapy vectors for spinal delivery will be facilitated by "hyperlocal" targeting of small therapeutic injectate volumes if spine imaging technology can be used that is ready for future clinical translation. ⋯ MRI-guided hyperlocal delivery in swine provides a translatable and faithful model of future human spinal novel drug- or gene therapy vector delivery.
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J. Neurosci. Methods · Jan 2019
A non-human primate model for stable chronic Parkinson's disease induced by MPTP administration based on individual behavioral quantification.
The guidelines for applying individual adjustments to macaques according to the severity of behavioral symptoms during 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) treatment were provided to reproduce stable chronic Parkinsonism in a recent study (Potts et al., 2014). But, since there are insufficient guidelines regarding objective severity criteria of individual symptoms for adjustments of MPTP treatment, it is difficult to develop MPTP-induced chronic non-human primate (NHP) models with stable symptoms. ⋯ This novel strategy of MPTP administration based on global activity evaluations provides an important conceptual advance for the development of chronic NHP Parkinsonian models.
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J. Neurosci. Methods · Oct 2018
A novel repetitive mild traumatic brain injury mouse model for chronic traumatic encephalopathy research.
Athletes, military personnel and mobility-declined elderly people are prone to repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (rmTBI). The injury does not cause acute pathological changes, but leads to chronic neurodegeneration, long-term cognitive dysfunction and even chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Many existing rmTBI animal models reported uncontrollable adverse effects and long experiment period. Therefore, an improved model needs to be designed. ⋯ Our model is beneficial to use for simplicity, reproducibility and time saver. It could serve as a platform for research on the pathogenesis, diagnosis and potential therapeutics for rmTBI and CTE.
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J. Neurosci. Methods · Jun 2018
Observational StudyIn vivo assessment of the human cerebral microcirculation and its glycocalyx: A technical report.
The cerebral microcirculation and its glycocalyx, a matrix coating the luminal endothelium, are key regulators of capillary permeability and cerebral blood flow. Microvascular abnormalities are described in several neurological disorders. However, assessment of the cerebral microcirculation and glycocalyx has mainly been performed ex vivo. ⋯ SDF imaging is a safe, quick, and straightforward technique to evaluate the functional cerebral microcirculation and glycocalyx. Because of their eminent role in cerebral homeostasis, this method may significantly add to research on the role of vascular pathophysiology underling various neurological disorders.
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J. Neurosci. Methods · Jan 2018
Comparative StudyA comparison between the neural correlates of laser and electric pain stimulation and their modulation by expectation.
Pain is modulated by expectation. Event-related potential (ERP) studies of the influence of expectation on pain typically utilise laser heat stimulation to provide a controllable nociceptive-specific stimulus. Painful electric stimulation has a number of practical advantages, but is less nociceptive-specific. We compared the modulation of electric versus laser-evoked pain by expectation, and their corresponding pain-evoked and anticipatory ERPs. ⋯ Though laser-evoked potentials express a stronger relationship with pain perception, both laser and electric stimulation may be used to study the modulation of pain-evoked potentials by expectation. Anticipatory-evoked potentials are elicited by both pain types, but they may reflect different processes.