rudyvdbrink/CitationDatabase huggingface dataset:
Dopamine-induced interactions of female mouse hypothalamic proteins with progestin receptor-A in the absence of hormone.
Journal of neuroendocrinology, 2020

Neural progestin receptors (PR) function in reproduction, neural development, neuroprotection, learning, memory and the anxiety response. In the absence of progestins, PR can be activated by dopamine (DA) in the rodent hypothalamus to elicit female sexual behaviour. The present study investigated mechanisms of DA activation of PR by testing the hypothesis that proteins from DA-treated hypothalami interact with PR in the absence of progestins. Ovariectomised, oestradiol-primed mice were infused with a D1-receptor agonist, SKF38393 (SKF), into the third ventricle 30 minutes prior to death. Proteins from SKF-treated hypothalami were pulled-down with glutathione S-transferase-tagged mouse PR-A or PR-B and the interactomes were analysed by mass spectrometry. The largest functional group to interact with PR-A in a DA-dependent manner was synaptic proteins. To test the hypothesis that DA activation of PR regulates synaptic proteins, we developed oestradiol-induced PR-expressing hypothalamic-like neurones derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Similar to progesterone (P4), SKF treatment of hiPSCs increased synapsin1/2 expression. This SKF-dependent effect was blocked by the PR antagonist RU486, suggesting that PR are necessary for this DA-induced increase. The second largest DA-dependent PR-A protein interactome comprised metabolic regulators involved in glucose metabolism, lipid synthesis and mitochondrial energy production. Interestingly, hypothalamic proteins interacted with PR-A, but not PR-B, in an SKF-dependent manner, suggesting that DA promotes the interaction of multiple hypothalamic proteins with PR-A. These in vivo and in vitro results indicate novel mechanisms by which DA can differentially activate PR isoforms in the absence of P4 and provide a better understanding of ligand-independent PR activation in reproductive, metabolic and mental health disorders in women.
Circuit and molecular architecture of a ventral hippocampal network.
Nature neuroscience, 2020

The ventral hippocampus (vHPC) is a critical hub in networks that process emotional information. While recent studies have indicated that ventral CA1 (vCA1) projection neurons are functionally dissociable, the basic principles of how the inputs and outputs of vCA1 are organized remain unclear. Here, we used viral and sequencing approaches to define the logic of the extended vCA1 circuit. Using high-throughput sequencing of genetically barcoded neurons (MAPseq) to map the axonal projections of thousands of vCA1 neurons, we identify a population of neurons that simultaneously broadcast information to multiple areas known to regulate the stress axis and approach-avoidance behavior. Through molecular profiling and viral input-output tracing of vCA1 projection neurons, we show how neurons with distinct projection targets may differ in their inputs and transcriptional signatures. These studies reveal new organizational principles of vCA1 that may underlie its functional heterogeneity.
Real-world digital implementation of the Psychosis Polyrisk Score (PPS): A pilot feasibility study.
Schizophrenia research, 2020

The Psychosis Polyrisk Score (PPS) is a potential biomarker integrating non-purely genetic risk/protective factors for psychosis that may improve identification of individuals at risk and prediction of their outcomes at the individual subject level. Biomarkers that are easy to administer are direly needed in early psychosis to facilitate clinical implementation. This study digitally implements the PPS and pilots its feasibility of use in the real world.
What we can learn from second animal neuroscience.
The Behavioral and brain sciences, 2013

There are several facets of second-person neuroscience which can benefit from comparisons with animal behavioral neuroscience studies. This commentary addresses the challenges involved in obtaining quantitative data from second-person techniques, the role of stress in inducing robust responses, the use of interactive functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and the value of applying interactive methods to studies of aggression and depression.
Inactivation of the GATA Cofactor ZFPM1 Results in Abnormal Development of Dorsal Raphe Serotonergic Neuron Subtypes and Increased Anxiety-Like Behavior.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 2020

Serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe (DR) nucleus are associated with several psychiatric disorders including depression and anxiety disorders, which often have a neurodevelopmental component. During embryonic development, GATA transcription factors GATA2 and GATA3 operate as serotonergic neuron fate selectors and regulate the differentiation of serotonergic neuron subtypes of DR. Here, we analyzed the requirement of GATA cofactor ZFPM1 in the development of serotonergic neurons using
Serial discrimination reversal learning in pigeons as a function of signal properties during the delay of reinforcement.
Learning & behavior, 2013

Pigeons learned a series of reversals of a simultaneous red-green discrimination with a 6-s delay of reinforcement. The signal properties during the 6-s reinforcement delay were varied across blocks of reversals, such that the delay was either unsignaled (intertrial interval conditions during the delay) or signaled by illumination of the center key. Four different signal conditions were presented: (1) signals only after S+ responses, (2) signals only after S- responses, (3) differential signals after S+ versus S- responding, and (4) the same nondifferential signals after S+ and S- responses. (A zero-delay control condition was also included.) Learning was at a high level in the S+ -only and differential-signal conditions, and learning was at a low level during the unsignaled, nondifferentially signaled, and S- signal conditions. Thus, a differential stimulus contingent on correct choices was necessary for proficient learning-to-learn, even though within-reversal learning occurred in all conditions. During the S+ and differential-signal conditions, improvement in learning continued to occur even after more than 240 reversals (more than 38,000 trials).
Extracting meaningful circuit-based calcium dynamics in astrocytes and neurons from adult mouse brain slices using single-photon GCaMP imaging.
STAR protocols, 2021

Confocal, multiphoton, or other advanced microscopy techniques produce high-quality datasets of calcium activity in live tissue. However, researchers without access to such expensive equipment can still produce meaningful observations from single-photon datasets. Here, we describe a protocol to extract meaningful features of both somatic neuronal and membranous astrocytic calcium dynamics obtained from charge-coupled device (CCD)-based camera setups, typical of electrophysiology rigs and highly relevant for investigating neuronal and astrocytic involvement in brain circuitry. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Asrican et al. (2020).
A computational framework for temporal sharpening of stimulus input in the olfactory system.
Journal of neurophysiology, 2016

The olfactory bulb glomerulus is a dense amalgamation of many unique and interconnected cell types. The mechanisms by which these neurons transform incoming information from the sensory periphery have been extensively studied but often with conflicting findings. A recent study by Carey et al. (J Neurophysiol 113: 3 112-3129, 2015) details the computational framework for parallel modes of temporal refinement of stimulus input to the olfactory system mediated by local neurons within individual glomeruli.
Glutamatergic Contribution to Probabilistic Reasoning and Jumping to Conclusions in Schizophrenia: A Double-Blind, Randomized Experimental Trial.
Biological psychiatry, 2020

Impaired probabilistic reasoning and the jumping-to-conclusions reasoning bias are hallmark features of schizophrenia (SCZ), yet the neuropharmacological basis of these deficits remains unclear. Here we tested the hypothesis that glutamatergic neurotransmission specifically contributes to jumping to conclusions and impaired probabilistic reasoning in SCZ.
Special Issue from the 2017 International Conference on Mathematical Neuroscience.
Journal of mathematical neuroscience, 2019

The ongoing acquisition of large and multifaceted data sets in neuroscience requires new mathematical tools for quantitatively grounding these experimental findings. Since 2015, the International Conference on Mathematical Neuroscience (ICMNS) has provided a forum for researchers to discuss current mathematical innovations emerging in neuroscience. This special issue assembles current research and tutorials that were presented at the 2017 ICMNS held in Boulder, Colorado from May 30 to June 2. Topics discussed at the meeting include correlation analysis of network activity, information theory for plastic synapses, combinatorics for attractor neural networks, and novel data assimilation methods for neuroscience-all of which are represented in this special issue.
Metabolomic profiling of aqueous humor from glaucoma patients - The metabolomics in surgical ophthalmological patients (MISO) study.
Experimental eye research, 2020

Glaucoma is still a poorly understood disease with a clear need for new biomarkers to help in diagnosis and potentially offer new therapeutic targets. We aimed to determine if the metabolic profile of aqueous humor (AH) as determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy allows the distinction between primary open-angle glaucoma patients and control subjects, and to distinguish between high-tension (POAG) and normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). We analysed the AH of patients with POAG, NTG and control subjects (n = 30/group).
LRRC8A-dependent volume-regulated anion channels contribute to ischemia-induced brain injury and glutamatergic input to hippocampal neurons.
Experimental neurology, 2020

Volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs) are critically involved in regulating cell volume, and leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 8A (LRRC8A, SWELL1) is an obligatory subunit of VRACs. Cell swelling occurs early after brain ischemia, but it is unclear whether neuronal LRRC8a contributes to ischemia-induced glutamate release and brain injury. We found that Lrrc8a conditional knockout (Lrrc8a-cKO) mice produced by crossing Nestin
Microglial calcium signaling is attuned to neuronal activity in awake mice.
eLife, 2020

Microglial calcium signaling underlies a number of key physiological and pathological processes in situ, but has not been studied in vivo in awake mice. Using multiple GCaMP6 variants targeted to microglia, we assessed how microglial calcium signaling responds to alterations in neuronal activity across a wide range. We find that only a small subset of microglial somata and processes exhibited spontaneous calcium transients in a chronic window preparation. However, hyperactive shifts in neuronal activity (kainate status epilepticus and CaMKIIa Gq DREADD activation) triggered increased microglial process calcium signaling, often concomitant with process extension. Additionally, hypoactive shifts in neuronal activity (isoflurane anesthesia and CaMKIIa Gi DREADD activation) also increased microglial process calcium signaling. Under hypoactive neuronal conditions, microglia also exhibited process extension and outgrowth with greater calcium signaling. Our work reveals that microglia have highly distinct microdomain signaling, and that processes specifically respond to bi-directional shifts in neuronal activity through increased calcium signaling.
The multifaceted role of SOCE in central synapses.
Cell calcium, 2021

Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) is a mechanism for calcium influx through the plasma membrane in response to release of free calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum. Two recent studies revealed how SOCE regulates the exocytosis of neurotransmitter vesicles at central synapses.
Collagen fibre orientation in human bridging veins.
Biomechanics and modeling in mechanobiology, 2020

Bridging veins (BVs) drain the blood from the cerebral cortex into dural sinuses. BVs have one end attached to the brain and the other to the superior sagittal sinus (SSS), which is attached to the skull. Relative movement between these two structures can cause BV to rupture producing acute subdural haematoma, a head injury with a mortality rate between 30 and 90%. A clear understanding of the BVs microstructure is required to increase the biofidelity of BV models when simulating head impacts. Twelve fresh BV samples draining in the superior sagittal sinus (SSS) from a single human cadaver were cut open along their length and placed on an inverted multiphoton microscope. To ensure that the BVs were aligned with the axial direction an in-house built, uniaxial tension set-up was used. Two scans were performed per sample. Before the first scan, a minor displacement was applied to align the tissue; then, a second scan was taken applying 50% strain. Each BV was scanned for a length of 5 mm starting from the drainage site into the SSS. Imaging was performed on a Zeiss LSM780 microscope with an 25[Formula: see text] water immersion objective (NA 0.8), coupled to a tunable MaiTai DS (Spectraphysics) pulsed laser with the wavelength set at 850 nm. Second harmonic and fluorescence signals were captured in forward and backward direction on binary GaAsP (BiG) detectors and stored as four colour Z-stacks. Prior to the calculation of the local orientations, acquired Z-stacks were denoised and enhanced to highlight fibrillar structures from the background. Then, for each Z-plane of the stack, the ImageJ plugin OrientationJ was used to extract the local 2D orientations of the fibres based on structure tensors. Two kinds of collagen architectures were seen. The most common (8[Formula: see text]12 samples) was single layered and had a uniform distribution of collagen. The less common (4[Formula: see text]12 samples) had 2 layers and 7 to 34 times thicker collagen bundles on the outer layer. Fibre angle analysis showed that collagen was oriented mainly along the axial direction of the vessel. The von Mises fittings showed that in order to describe the fibre distribution 3 components were needed with mean angles [Formula: see text] at [Formula: see text] 0.35, 0.21, [Formula: see text] 0.02 rad or [Formula: see text] 20.2[Formula: see text], 12.1[Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] 1.2[Formula: see text] relative to the vessel's axial direction which was also the horizontal scan direction.
Neurophysiology of embedded response plans: age effects in action execution but not in feature integration from preadolescence to adulthood.
Journal of neurophysiology, 2021

Performing a goal-directed movement consists of a chain of complex preparatory mechanisms. Such planning especially requires integration (or binding) of various action features, a process that has been conceptualized in the "theory of event coding." Theoretical considerations and empirical research suggest that these processes are subject to developmental effects from adolescence to adulthood. The aim of the present study was to investigate age-related modulations in action feature binding processes and to shed light on underlying neurophysiological development from preadolescence to early adulthood. We examined a group of healthy participants (
Overfeed the Bold, Starve the Cowardly: A Legend or Reality?
Journal of gambling studies, 2018

Although the negative effects of overconfidence are more likely to be mentioned in the literature, some researchers have argued that the benefits of overconfidence may outweigh its costs. We attempted to explore the positive effects of overconfidence in competitive situations. We had participants compete against fake opponents who were overconfident and then measured their competitive performance in two studies. In Study 1 we examined the effects of overconfidence on competitive performance in a competitive situation and the possible mechanism for this overconfidence. In Study 2 we investigated the characteristics of the performance in a competition after a mismatch between the level of confidence and the fake opponent's actual competence was revealed. Our results indicated that overconfident individuals tend to be perceived as more competent and more likely to benefit in the process of competition. Even after a mismatch between the level of confidence and the real competence was revealed, the overconfident individuals were not punished in that they made as much money as the less overconfident and still got higher competence ratings. Together those studies suggested that overconfidence has its advantages in competitive situations.
Therapy in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): an unexpected evolving scenario.
Archives italiennes de biologie, 2017

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease resulting in increasing disability, being uniformly fatal. Since its approval in the 1990s, riluzole remained for long time the unique treatment, offering modest survival benefit. Most recently a second drug has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of ALS: edaravone. Significant advances have been made in the symptomatic management of the disease but more effective drug therapy targeting disease progression is still dreadfully needed, the success appearing almost a miracle. Recent discoveries related to genetics indicate divergent mechanisms of disease encouraging precision medicine leading to molecularly tailored interventions. The search for effective therapy still faces important challenges in the areas of both basic science and animal research, adequate translation of results into human clinical trials, inherent bias in human studies, and issues related to delays in clinical diagnosis. It is interesting to point out that ALS research may speed up drug development not only for this disease, but also for other more prevalent neurodegenerative diseases: the reverse is also conceivable.
The rationality of suicide bombers: there is a little bit of crazy in all of us.
The Behavioral and brain sciences, 2014

Despite Lankford's descriptions of escapist suicide victims as being unstable, they were making rational decisions, based on their current knowledge and values. Similarly, those who are allegedly indirectly suicidal are not different from other risk-takers. The psychological differences between those who engage in suicidal attacks and those who do not are less than most of us would prefer.
Structural and functional consequences of PAX6 mutations in the brain: Implications for aniridia.
Brain research, 2021

The paired-box 6 (PAX6) gene encodes a highly conserved transcription factor essential for the proper development of the eye and brain. Heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in PAX6 are causal for a condition known as aniridia in humans and the Small eye phenotype in mice. Aniridia is characterized by iris hypoplasia and other ocular abnormalities, but recent evidence of neuroanatomical, sensory, and cognitive impairments in this population has emerged, indicating brain-related phenotypes as a prevalent feature of the disorder. Determining the neurophysiological origins of brain-related phenotypes in this disorder presents a substantial challenge, as the majority of extra-ocular traits in aniridia demonstrate a high degree of heterogeneity. Here, we summarize and integrate findings from human and rodent model studies, which have focused on neuroanatomical and functional consequences of PAX6 mutations. We highlight novel findings from PAX6 central nervous system studies in adult mammals, and integrate these findings into what we know about PAX6's role in development of the central nervous system. This review presents the current literature in the field in order to inform clinical application, discusses what is needed in future studies, and highlights PAX6 as a lens through which to understand genetic disorders affecting the human nervous system.
Barrels XXXI comes to the inland empire.
Somatosensory & motor research, 2019

The 31st annual Barrels meeting was held on the campus of the University of California, Riverside on the first two days of November, 2018. The meeting focuses on the whisker to cortical barrel pathway and the systems it impacts. This year's meeting focussed on the neural mechanisms of motor control, the functions of higher order thalamic nuclei and adaptable perception and decision-making.
How accurate is fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous pedicle screw placement in minimally invasive TLIF?
Clinical neurology and neurosurgery, 2021

The accuracy of pedicle screws placement has been the subject of many studies and varied rates of screw malposition have been reported. This study evaluates the placement of pedicle screw inserted percutaneously, guided by intraoperative 2D fluoroscopy, in minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF).
Half marathon induces changes in central control and peripheral properties of individual motor units in master athletes.
Journal of electromyography and kinesiology : official journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology, 2020

Acute changes in central control and peripheral properties of motor units following a half-marathon has never been examined in master athletes. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to estimate the firing properties and twitch characteristics of motor units after a 21-km race in a group of ten trained older adults. High-density surface EMG decomposition was used to identify motor unit activity during a submaximal contraction of the tibialis anterior muscle before and after the half marathon. The area of the estimated motor unit twitch profile was found smaller after the race (P = 0.039). This reduction in contractile efficiency was compensated by a significant increase in the initial and average discharge rate of the identified motor units (P < 0.001). By estimating the amount of shared and independent synaptic input to tibialis anterior motor neurons, we demonstrated that adaptations in the discharge properties of master athletes' motor units are the likely consequence of an increased net excitatory synaptic drive to the motor neuron pool. These findings suggest a potential role of long-distance running in ameliorating declines in muscle function of older adults by enhancing the neural drive to muscle.
Automatic processing of pragmatic information in the human brain: a mismatch negativity study.
Neuroreport, 2018

Language comprehension involves pragmatic information processing, which allows world knowledge to influence the interpretation of a sentence. This study explored whether pragmatic information can be automatically processed during spoken sentence comprehension. The experiment adopted the mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm to capture the neurophysiological indicators of automatic processing of spoken sentences. Pragmatically incorrect ('Foxes have wings') and correct ('Butterflies have wings') sentences were used as the experimental stimuli. In condition 1, the pragmatically correct sentence was the deviant and the pragmatically incorrect sentence was the standard stimulus, whereas the opposite case was presented in condition 2. The experimental results showed that, compared with the condition that the pragmatically correct sentence is the deviant stimulus, when the condition that the pragmatically incorrect sentence is the deviant stimulus MMN effects were induced within 60-120 and 220-260 ms. The results indicated that the human brain can monitor for incorrect pragmatic information in the inattentive state and can automatically process pragmatic information at the beginning of spoken sentence comprehension.