rudyvdbrink/CitationDatabase huggingface dataset:
Habitual Ethanol Seeking and Licking Microstructure of Enhanced Ethanol Self-Administration in Ethanol-Dependent Mice.
Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 2020

A significant component of ethanol (EtOH) dependence is the disruption to decision-making processes. Prior work has shown EtOH dependence biases habitual seeking of EtOH and disrupts neural mechanisms supporting decision-making. This has contributed to the hypothesis that habitual EtOH seeking in EtOH dependence may promote excessive habitual or compulsive EtOH consumption. However, decision-making and behavioral processes underlying seeking and consummatory behaviors differ. Here, we examine the microstructure of EtOH consummatory behavior in the context of habitual EtOH seeking.
Alcohol consumption of UK members of parliament: cross-sectional survey.
BMJ open, 2020

This study examined the prevalence of risky drinking by members of parliament (MPs), as well as the relationship between risky drinking and age, years spent as an MP, working outside parliament, awareness of the Parliamentary Health and Wellbeing Service, and probable mental ill health.
Cortisol reactivity and emotional memory after psychosocial stress in oral contraceptive users.
Journal of neuroscience research, 2017

Oral contraceptive (OC) users typically show a blunted or no cortisol response to psychosocial stress. Although most OC regimens include both an inactive (dummy) and active pill phase, studies have not systematically investigated cortisol responses during these pill phases. Further, high levels of cortisol following a stressor diminish retrieval of emotional material, but the effects of stress on memory among OC users are poorly understood. We examined the effects of a psychosocial stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test, vs. a control condition on cortisol responsivity and emotional memory retrieval in women tested either during their active (n = 18) or inactive pill phase (n = 21). In secondary analyses, we quantitatively compared OC users with normally cycling women and showed a significant lack of cortisol response during both active and inactive pill phase. Emotional recall did not differ between active and inactive pill phases. Stress differentially diminished recall of negative words compared with positive or neutral words, but cortisol levels were unrelated to memory performance. These findings indicate that OC users have distinct cortisol and memory responses to stress that are similar between the active and inactive pill phases. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Genome-Wide Association Studies of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder in a Diverse Cohort of US Veterans.
Schizophrenia bulletin, 2021

Schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BIP) are debilitating neuropsychiatric disorders, collectively affecting 2% of the world's population. Recognizing the major impact of these psychiatric disorders on the psychosocial function of more than 200 000 US Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently completed genotyping of more than 8000 veterans with SCZ and BIP in the Cooperative Studies Program (CSP) #572.
Ursodeoxycholic acid protects interstitial Cajal-like cells in the gallbladder from undergoing apoptosis by inhibiting TNF-α expression.
Acta pharmacologica Sinica, 2018

Hypomotility is a common symptom of gallstone disease, which is accompanied by a loss of interstitial Cajal-like cells (ICLCs) in the gallbladder. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is widely used in treating gallstone disease, and has shown anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects apart from its ability to dissolve gallstones. In this study, we investigated the anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects of UDCA on ICLCs in guinea pigs with gallstones. Guinea pigs were fed a high-cholesterol diet for 8 weeks to induce the formation of gallstones. A group of animals was administered UDCA (50 mg·kg
Statin use was not associated with less vasospasm or improved outcome after subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Neurosurgery, 2008

The development of delayed ischemia caused by cerebral vasospasm remains a common cause of morbidity and mortality after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Preliminary studies suggest that 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) may decrease the risk of vasospasm, but additional study is required.
Mitochondrial disorders affecting the nervous system.
Seminars in neurology, 2014

Mitochondrial diseases are multiorgan system disorders and the brain is the most commonly affected organ. The high-energy requirement of the brain leaves it vulnerable to energy failure. All components of the neuraxis including muscle, the neuromuscular junction, peripheral nerve, spinal cord, and brain can be affected. Genetic mitochondrial disease can be caused by nuclear gene defects and mitochondrial DNA defects. Mitochondrial medicine is rapidly expanding as exome and mtDNA sequencing is identifying new gene defects on a daily basis. This review will focus on primary genetic mitochondrial diseases that impair energy production and affect the nervous system, pathophysiology of disease, classical phenotypes, diagnosis, and treatment.
Prevention of Progression in Myopia: A Systematic Review.
Diseases (Basel, Switzerland), 2018

The prevalence of myopia has increased worldwide in recent decades and now is endemic over the entire industrial world. This increase is mainly caused by changes in lifestyle and behavior. In particular, the amount of outdoor activities and near work would display an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Several strategies have been reported as effective. Spectacles and contact lenses have shown only slight results in the prevention of myopia and similarly ortokerathology should not be considered as a first-line strategy, given the high risk of infectious keratitis and the relatively low compliance for the patients. Thus, to date, atropine ophthalmic drops seem to be the most effective treatment for slowing the progression of myopia, although the exact mechanism of the effect of treatment is still uncertain. In particular, low-dose atropine (0.01%) was proven to be an effective and safe treatment in the long term due to the lowest rebound effect with negligible side effects.
Blast-induced "PTSD": Evidence from an animal model.
Neuropharmacology, 2019

A striking observation among veterans returning from the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan has been the co-occurrence of blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD and mTBI might coexist due to additive effects of independent psychological and physical traumas experienced in a war zone. Alternatively blast injury might induce PTSD-related traits or damage brain structures that mediate responses to psychological stressors, increasing the likelihood that PTSD will develop following a subsequent psychological stressor. Rats exposed to repetitive low-level blasts consisting of three 74.5 kPa exposures delivered once daily for three consecutive days develop a variety of anxiety and PTSD-related behavioral traits that are present for at least 9 months after blast exposure. A single predator scent challenge delivered 8 months after the last blast exposure induces additional anxiety-related changes that are still present 45 days later. Because the blast injuries occur under general anesthesia, it appears that blast exposure in the absence of a psychological stressor can induce chronic PTSD-related traits. The reaction to a predator scent challenge delivered many months after blast exposure suggests that blast exposure in addition sensitizes the brain to react abnormally to subsequent psychological stressors. The development of PTSD-related behavioral traits in the absence of a psychological stressor suggests the existence of blast-induced "PTSD". Findings that PTSD-related behavioral traits can be reversed by BCI-838, a group II metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist offers insight into pathogenesis and possible treatment options for blast-related brain injury. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Novel Treatments for Traumatic Brain Injury".
Sensory weighting of force and position feedback in human motor control tasks.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 2009

In daily life humans integrate force and position feedback from mechanoreceptors, proprioception, and vision. With handling relatively soft, elastic objects, force and position are related and can be integrated to improve the accuracy of an estimate of either one. Sensory weighting between different sensory systems (e.g., vision and proprioception) has been extensively studied. This study investigated whether similar weighting can be found within the proprioceptive sensory system, more specifically between the modalities force and position. We hypothesized that sensory weighting is governed by object stiffness: position feedback is weighted heavier on soft objects (large deflections), while force feedback is weighted heavier on stiff objects (small deflections). Subjects were instructed to blindly reproduce either position or force while holding a one degree of freedom haptic manipulator that simulated a linear spring with one of four predetermined stiffnesses. In catch trials the spring was covertly replaced by a nonlinear spring. The difference in force (DeltaF) and position (DeltaX) between the regular and the catch trials revealed the sensory weighting between force and position feedback. A maximum likelihood estimation model predicted that: (1) task instruction did not affect the outcome measures, and (2) force feedback is weighted heavier with increasing object stiffness as was hypothesized. Both effects were found experimentally, and the subjects' sensory weighting closely resembled the optimal model predictions. To conclude, this study successfully demonstrated sensory weighting within the proprioceptive system.
Neurobiological Evidence for the Primacy of Mania Hypothesis.
Current neuropharmacology, 2017

Athanasios Koukopoulos proposed the primacy of mania hypothesis (PoM) in a 2006 book chapter and later, in two peer-reviewed papers with Nassir Ghaemi and other collaborators. This hypothesis supports that in bipolar disorder, mania leads to depression, while depression does not lead to mania.
Updating process of internal model of action as assessed from motor and postural strategies in young adults.
Human movement science, 2011

Internal models are constantly updated based on the actions and experiences of a person in the world. In the present study, we proposed to assess the updating process of internal models of action by providing new environmental constraints for motor planning, postural control, and execution processes in daily tasks such as STS and BTS. STS and BTS tasks were performed with different inclinations of the support surface on which the participant and the chair were positioned: horizontal support, support tilted 10° to the right, or forward. Twelve healthy adults participated in this experiment. Kinematic characteristics were recorded using an optoelectronic motion analysis system. Movement duration and trunk inclination amplitudes were analyzed for STS and BTS as well as trunk orientation and strategies of head stabilization. Concerning the movement analysis our results showed (1) temporal asymmetry between STS and BTS, attributed mainly to the integration of the mechanical effects of gravity, and (2) a decrease of trunk movements when the support was tilted forward, attesting to an immediate adaptation process. Concerning the postural analysis our study revealed that adults adopted selective head stabilization on space strategy with respect to balance constraints. To conclude, young adults were able to immediately update their internal model of action in order to optimize motor control and vertical body orientation.
Propensity to 'relapse' following exposure to cocaine cues is associated with the recruitment of specific thalamic and epithalamic nuclei.
Neuroscience, 2011

The thalamus is considered an important interface between the ventral striatopallidum and the dorsal striatum, and may therefore contribute to compulsive drug-seeking behaviour. Recent evidence suggests that the paraventricular thalamus (PVT), a dorsal midline thalamic nucleus, and the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) are involved in drug self-administration and respond to drug-associated cues. At present, however, the role of these thalamic regions in mediating cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking is unclear. Similarly, the habenula complex, part of the epithalamus, has been implicated in nicotine self-administration and cue-induced reinstatement of heroin seeking, but the role of this region in cocaine reinstatement behaviour has received little attention. Rats (n=20) were trained to self-administer cocaine in the presence of discriminative stimuli associated with drug availability (S⁺) or drug non-availability (S⁻). Once a stable level of responding was reached, lever pressing was extinguished. Animals were then tested for reinstatement and sacrificed immediately following the presentation of either the S⁻ or S⁺ discriminative stimuli, and Fos-protein expression was assessed in thalamic and epithalamic regions. Interestingly, significant variation was observed in reinstatement behaviour, allowing a comparison between high-reinstating (HR), low-reinstating (LR) and control animals. Compared with LR animals, HR animals exhibited increased Fos-protein expression in the PVT, intermediodorsal thalamus and the medial and lateral divisions of the habenula. Our data provide evidence that activation of thalamic and epithalamic nuclei is associated with propensity to reinstate to cocaine-seeking elicited by drug-related cues. We also build upon existing data highlighting the importance of the PVT in reinstatement behaviour.
Overview and evaluation of 15 years of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance in Belgium, 1998-2012.
BMC neurology, 2015

In 1998, following the detection of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in the UK, Belgium installed a surveillance system for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). The objectives of this system were to identify vCJD cases and detect increases in CJD incidence. Diagnostic confirmation of CJD is based on autopsy after referral by neurologists. Reference centres perform autopsies and report to the surveillance system. The aim of this study was to assess whether the system met its objectives and to assess its acceptability.
The molecular and cellular basis of thermosensation in mammals.
Current opinion in neurobiology, 2015

Over a decade and a half of intensive study has shown that the Transient Receptor Potential family ion channels TRPV1 and TRPM8 are the primary sensors of heat and cold temperatures in the peripheral nervous system. TRPV homologues and TRPA1 are also implicated, but recent genetic evidence has diminished their significance in thermosensation and suggests that a number of newly identified thermosensitive channels, including TRPM3, two-pore potassium channels, and the chloride channel Ano1, require further consideration. In addition to novel thermostransducers, recent genetic and pharmacological approaches have begun to elucidate the afferent neurocircuits underlying temperature sensation, continuing the rapid expansion in our understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of thermosensation that began with the discovery of TRPV1 and TRPM8.
Gait characteristics associated with the foot and ankle in inflammatory arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2015

Gait analysis is increasingly being used to characterise dysfunction of the lower limb and foot in people with inflammatory arthritis (IA). The aim of the systematic review was to evaluate the spatiotemporal, foot and ankle kinematic, kinetic, peak plantar pressure and muscle activity parameters between patients with inflammatory arthritis and healthy controls.
Brain abnormalities in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: Evaluation by diffusional kurtosis imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging.
Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI, 2019

Diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) metrics provide more specific information regarding pathological changes than diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
The effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on emotional dysregulation, oppositional behaviour and conduct problems in ADHD: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Journal of affective disorders, 2016

A number of randomised controlled trials report a beneficial effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) supplementation on emotional lability (EL) and related domains (e.g. oppositional behaviour, conduct problems). Given that n-3 PUFA supplementation shows a significant effect on reducing symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and that EL and related behaviours commonly co-occurs with ADHD, it is important that there is a more conclusive picture as to the effect of n-3 PUFA on these co-occurring clinical domains.
A patient flow simulator for healthcare management education.
BMJ simulation & technology enhanced learning, 2019

Simulation and analysis of patient flow can contribute to the safe and efficient functioning of a healthcare system, yet it is rarely incorporated into routine healthcare management, partially due to the technical training required. This paper introduces a free and open source patient flow simulation software tool that enables training and experimentation with healthcare management decisions and their impact on patient flow. Users manage their simulated hospital with a simple web-based graphical interface. The model is a stochastic discrete event simulation in which patients are transferred between wards of a hospital according to their treatment needs. Entry to each ward is managed by queues, with different policies for queue management and patient prioritisation per ward. Users can manage a simulated hospital, distribute resources between wards and decide how those resources should be prioritised. Simulation results are immediately available for analysis in-browser, including performance against targets, patient flow networks and ward occupancy. The patient flow simulator, freely available at https://khp-informatics.github.io/patient-flow-simulator, is an interactive educational tool that allows healthcare students and professionals to learn important concepts of patient flow and healthcare management.
Global genetic variations predict brain response to faces.
PLoS genetics, 2014

Face expressions are a rich source of social signals. Here we estimated the proportion of phenotypic variance in the brain response to facial expressions explained by common genetic variance captured by ∼ 500,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Using genomic-relationship-matrix restricted maximum likelihood (GREML), we related this global genetic variance to that in the brain response to facial expressions, as assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a community-based sample of adolescents (n = 1,620). Brain response to facial expressions was measured in 25 regions constituting a face network, as defined previously. In 9 out of these 25 regions, common genetic variance explained a significant proportion of phenotypic variance (40-50%) in their response to ambiguous facial expressions; this was not the case for angry facial expressions. Across the network, the strength of the genotype-phenotype relationship varied as a function of the inter-individual variability in the number of functional connections possessed by a given region (R(2) = 0.38, p<0.001). Furthermore, this variability showed an inverted U relationship with both the number of observed connections (R2 = 0.48, p<0.001) and the magnitude of brain response (R(2) = 0.32, p<0.001). Thus, a significant proportion of the brain response to facial expressions is predicted by common genetic variance in a subset of regions constituting the face network. These regions show the highest inter-individual variability in the number of connections with other network nodes, suggesting that the genetic model captures variations across the adolescent brains in co-opting these regions into the face network.
EphA4 Is Required for Neural Circuits Controlling Skilled Reaching.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 2020

Skilled forelimb movements are initiated by feedforward motor commands conveyed by supraspinal motor pathways. The accuracy of reaching and grasping relies on internal feedback pathways that update ongoing motor commands. In mice lacking the axon guidance molecule EphA4, axonal misrouting of the corticospinal tract and spinal interneurons is manifested, leading to a hopping gait in hindlimbs. Moreover, mice with a conditional forebrain deletion of EphA4, display forelimb hopping in adaptive locomotion and exploratory reaching movements. However, it remains unclear how loss of EphA4 signaling disrupts function of forelimb motor circuit and skilled reaching and grasping movements. Here we investigated how neural circuits controlling skilled reaching were affected by the loss of EphA4. Both male and female C57BL/6 wild-type, heterozygous EphA4
Understanding motor acts and motor intentions in Williams syndrome.
Neuropsychologia, 2012

Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder associated with unusually hyper-social demeanor and ease with strangers. These personality traits are accompanied by difficulties in social interactions, possibly related, at least in part, to a difficulty in understanding others' mental states. Studies on mentalizing capacities in individuals with WS have often led to contrasting results, some studies revealing specific impairments, others highlighting spared mentalizing capacities. So far, however, no study investigated the performance of individuals with WS in non-inferential understanding of others' motor intentions. In the present study we investigated this capacity by using a computer-based behavioral task using pictures of hand-object interactions. We asked individuals with WS first to describe what the other was doing (i.e. a task implying no kind of intention reading), and secondly, if successful in answering the first question, to describe the motor intention underlying the observed motor acts (i.e. why an act was being done, a task requiring non-inferential motor intention understanding). Results showed that individuals with WS made more errors in understanding what the other was doing (i.e. understanding a motor act) compared to both mental-age matched controls and chronological-age matched peers with typical development, while showing mental-age appropriate performance in understanding why an individual was acting (i.e. understanding a motor intention). These findings suggest novel perspectives for understanding impairments in social behavior in WS.
Footprint of Reports From Low- and Low- to Middle-Income Countries in the Neurosurgical Data: A Study From 2015 to 2017.
World neurosurgery, 2019

In 2015, the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery highlighted the disparities in surgical care worldwide. The aim of the present study was to investigate the research productivity of low-income countries (LICs) and low- to middle-income countries (LMICs) in selected journals representing the worldwide neurosurgical data and their ability to report and communicate globally the existing differences between high-income countries (HICs) and LMICs.