rudyvdbrink/CitationDatabase huggingface dataset:
Spatiotemporal flow of information in the early visual pathway.
The European journal of neuroscience, 2014

The spatial components of a visual scene are processed neurally in a sequence of coarse features followed by fine features. This coarse-to-fine temporal stream was initially considered to be a cortical function, but has recently been demonstrated in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that coarse-to-fine processing is present at earlier stages of visual processing in the retinal ganglion cells that supply lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) neurons. To compare coarse-to-fine processing in the cat's visual system, we measured the visual responses of connected neuronal pairs from the retina and LGN, and separate populations of cells from each region. We found that coarse-to-fine processing was clearly present at the ganglion cell layer of the retina. Interestingly, peak and high-spatial-frequency cutoff responses were higher in the LGN than in the retina, indicating that there was a progressive cascade of coarse-to-fine information from the retina to the LGN to the visual cortex. The analysis of early visual pathway receptive field characteristics showed that the physiological response interplay between the center and surround regions was consistent with coarse-to-fine features and may provide a primary role in the underlying mechanism. Taken together, the results from this study provided a framework for understanding the emergence and refinement of coarse-to-fine processing in the visual system.
Computational models of cognitive control.
Current opinion in neurobiology, 2010

Cognitive control refers to the ability to perform task-relevant processing in the face of other distractions or other forms of interference, in the absence of strong environmental support. It depends on the integrity of the prefrontal cortex and associated biological structures (e.g., the basal ganglia). Computational models have played an influential role in developing our understanding of this system, and we review current developments in three major areas: dynamic gating of prefrontal representations, hierarchies in the prefrontal cortex, and reward, motivation, and goal-related processing in prefrontal cortex. Models in these and other areas are advancing the field further forward.
Immediate extinction promotes the return of fear.
Neurobiology of learning and memory, 2016

Accumulating evidence indicates that immediate extinction is less effective than delayed extinction in attenuating the return of fear. This line of fear conditioning research impacts the proposed onset of psychological interventions after threatening situations. In the present study, forty healthy men were investigated in a differential fear conditioning paradigm with fear acquisition in context A, extinction in context B, followed by retrieval testing in both contexts 24h later to test fear renewal. Differently coloured lights served as conditioned stimuli (CS): two CS (CS+) were paired with an electrical stimulation that served as unconditioned stimulus, the third CS was never paired (CS-). Extinction took place immediately after fear acquisition or 24h later. One CS+ was extinguished whereas the second CS+ remained unextinguished to control for different time intervals between fear acquisition and retrieval testing. Immediate extinction led to larger skin conductance responses during fear retrieval to both the extinguished and unextinguished CS relative to the CS-, indicating a stronger return of fear compared to delayed extinction. Taken together, immediate extinction is less potent than delayed extinction and is associated with a stronger renewal effect. Thus, the time-point of psychological interventions relative to the offset of threatening situations needs to be carefully considered to prevent relapses.
Lithium increases leukocyte mitochondrial complex I activity in bipolar disorder during depressive episodes.
Psychopharmacology, 2015

Different lines of evidence suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction may be implicated in bipolar disorder (BD) pathophysiology. Mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) is a key target to evaluate mitochondrial function, but its activity has never been assessed in unmedicated BD or during mood episodes. Also, lithium has been shown to increase ETC gene expression/activity in preclinical models and in postmortem brains of BD subjects, but to date, no study has evaluated lithium's direct effects on ETC activity in vivo.
Amoral enhancement.
Journal of medical ethics, 2017

Moral enhancement can be an attractive proposal, but contrary to cognitive enhancement, it is hard to define what kind of intervention would constitute moral enhancement. In an ongoing debate about the subject, Douglas argued that biomedically decreasing countermoral emotions would do so and would be morally permissible in particular cases. Harris disagreed, and one of his arguments is that failing to address the intellectual aspects of moral decisions-and simply targeting countermoral emotions-would effectively undermine our freedom by reducing our options to act immorally. In a consequent paper, Douglas defended his position. In this paper, I examine Douglas' response to Harris concern about the loss of freedom with biomedical moral enhancement. I argue that Douglas' framework for moral reasoning on which he bases his argument that biomedical intervention is in some cases permissible lacks soundness, and that it apparently undermines morality. Harris insists that morality requires freedom of choice, yet Douglas and Harris have different conceptions of freedom of choice. Douglas' focus on quantity in his defence does not engage with Harris focus on quality of choice. Thus, the kind of biomedical enhancement that Douglas defends is not moral-nor immoral-but amoral enhancement.
Clinical analysis of neuromyelitis optica presenting as intractable nausea, vomiting and hiccups.
The International journal of neuroscience, 2017

Vomiting and hiccups can be the manifestations of numerous systemic and neurological illnesses. Intractable nausea, vomiting and hiccups (INH) are reported as possible initial manifestations of neuromyelitis optica (NMO), but not correctly identified. Awareness of these atypical presentations is conducive to NMO early diagnosis and proper treatment to prevent further disability. In this paper, 12 NMO were reported, whose intractable vomiting and hiccups were the sole manifestations of the first attack and other attacks involving spinal cord and optic nerves developed later. All the patients were women and serum aquaporin 4 antibody (AQP4-Ab) of 83% patients was positive. MRI of 50% patients showed T2-weighted imaging/fluid attenuated inversion recovery hyperintensity which were longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis or linear signal changes. Sixty-seven percent of patients had medulla lesions, in which dorsomedial and area postrema were involved.
The role of the cerebellum in classical conditioning of discrete behavioral responses.
Neuroscience, 2009

The cerebellum and its associated circuitry constitutes the entire essential neuronal system for classical conditioning of eye-blink and other discrete responses (e.g. limb flexion) learned with an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US) using the standard delay paradigm where the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the US coterminate. Evidence reviewed here strongly supports the following conclusions. The CS pathway involves sensory relay nuclei projections to the pontine nuclei and its mossy fiber projections to the cerebellar cortex and nuclei. The US pathway involves activation of the inferior olive (dorsal accessory olive for eye blink) and its climbing fiber projections to the cerebellar cortex and nuclei. The conditioned response (CR) pathway involves the cerebellar interpositus nucleus, the superior cerebellar peduncle pathway to the magnocellular red nucleus and rubral projections to premotor and motor nuclei generating the behavioral response. Anatomical data, neuronal unit recordings, electrical stimulation, lesions and methods of reversible inactivation all strongly support the hypothesis that the essential memory trace for the learning of these discrete conditioned responses is formed and stored in the cerebellar interpositus nucleus. Neuronal/synaptic plasticity is also established in the cerebellar cortex in this form of learning but the role of the cortex is less clear. We argue that the cortex plays a key role in normal acquisition and adaptive timing of the conditioned response, under certain circumstances, but it remains unclear exactly what features of conditioning are being encoded in the cerebellar cortex in this basic form of associative learning and memory.
Behavioral states modulate sensory processing in early development.
Current sleep medicine reports, 2019

Sleep-wake states modulate cortical activity in adults. In infants, however, such modulation is less clear; indeed, early cortical activity comprises bursts of neural activity driven predominantly by peripheral sensory input. Consequently, in many studies of sensory development in rodents, sensory processing has been carefully investigated, but the modulatory role of behavioral state has typically been ignored.
The gap junction protein connexin32 interacts with the Src homology 3/hook domain of discs large homolog 1.
The Journal of biological chemistry, 2007

Scaffolding of membrane proteins is a common strategy for forming complexes of proteins, including some connexins, within membrane microdomains. Here we describe studies indicating that Cx32 interacts with a PDZ-containing scaffolding protein, Dlgh1 (Discs Large homolog 1). Initial screens of liver lysates using antibody arrays indicated an interaction between Cx32 and Dlgh1 that was confirmed using coimmunoprecipitation studies. Yeast two-hybrid complementation determined that the Cx32 bound via interaction with the SH3/Hook domain of Dlgh1. Confocal microscopy of liver sections revealed that Cx32 and Dlgh1 could colocalize in hepatocyte membranes in wild type mice. Examination of levels and localization of Dlgh1 in livers from Cx32 null mice indicate that, in the absence of Cx32, Dlgh1 was decreased, and the remainder was translocated from the hepatocyte membrane to the nucleus with some remaining in cytoplasmic compartments. This translocation was confirmed by Western blots comparing Dlgh1 levels in nuclear extracts from wild type and Cx32 null murine livers. Using SKHep cells stably transfected with Cx32 under the control of a tet-off promoter, we found that acute removal of Cx32 led to a decrease of membrane-localized Dlgh1 and an increase in the nuclear localization of this tumor suppressor protein. Together, these results suggest that loss of Cx32 alters the levels, localization, and interactions of the tumor suppressor protein Dlgh1, events known in other systems to alter cell cycle and increase tumorigenicity.
Spontaneous activity and functional connectivity in the developing cerebellorubral system.
Journal of neurophysiology, 2016

The development of the cerebellar system depends in part on the emergence of functional connectivity in its input and output pathways. Characterization of spontaneous activity within these pathways provides insight into their functional status in early development. In the present study we recorded extracellular activity from the interpositus nucleus (IP) and its primary downstream target, the red nucleus (RN), in unanesthetized rats at postnatal days 8 (P8) and P12, a period of dramatic change in cerebellar circuitry. The two structures exhibited state-dependent activity patterns and age-related changes in rhythmicity and overall firing rate. Importantly, sensory feedback (i.e., reafference) from myoclonic twitches (spontaneous, self-generated movements that are produced exclusively during active sleep) drove neural activity in the IP and RN at both ages. Additionally, anatomic tracing confirmed the presence of cerebellorubral connections as early as P8. Finally, inactivation of the IP and adjacent nuclei using the GABAA receptor agonist muscimol caused a substantial decrease in neural activity in the contralateral RN at both ages, as well as the disappearance of rhythmicity; twitch-related activity in the RN, however, was preserved after IP inactivation, indicating that twitch-related reafference activates the two structures in parallel. Overall, the present findings point to the contributions of sleep-related spontaneous activity to the development of cerebellar networks.
Identification of NCAN as a candidate gene for developmental dyslexia.
Scientific reports, 2017

A whole-genome linkage analysis in a Finnish pedigree of eight cases with developmental dyslexia (DD) revealed several regions shared by the affected individuals. Analysis of coding variants from two affected individuals identified rs146011974G > A (Ala1039Thr), a rare variant within the NCAN gene co-segregating with DD in the pedigree. This variant prompted us to consider this gene as a putative candidate for DD. The RNA expression pattern of the NCAN gene in human tissues was highly correlated (R > 0.8) with that of the previously suggested DD susceptibility genes KIAA0319, CTNND2, CNTNAP2 and GRIN2B. We investigated the association of common variation in NCAN to brain structures in two data sets: young adults (Brainchild study, Sweden) and infants (FinnBrain study, Finland). In young adults, we found associations between a common genetic variant in NCAN, rs1064395, and white matter volume in the left and right temporoparietal as well as the left inferior frontal brain regions. In infants, this same variant was found to be associated with cingulate and prefrontal grey matter volumes. Our results suggest NCAN as a new candidate gene for DD and indicate that NCAN variants affect brain structure.
Medical students and stigma of depression. Part 2. Self-stigma.
Psychiatria polska, 2017

Up to 30% of medical students suffer from depression. They have better access to healthcare, but still receive appropriate treatment less frequently than people with depression in the general population. Most of them do not seek medical help as depression is perceived as a stigmatizing disorder, which leads to self-stigma and hampers early diagnosis and treatment. Thus, self-stigma means less effective therapy, unfavorable prognosis and relapses. According to the literature, self-stigma results in lowered self-esteem and is a major obstacle in the performance of social roles at work and in personal life. Stigmatization and self-stigma of depression among medical students are also associated with effects in their later professional life: they can lead to long-term consequences in the process of treating their patients in the future. Currently there are no unequivocal research results indicating the most effective ways of reducing stigmatization and self-stigma. It is necessary to educate about the symptoms and treatment of depression and to implement diverse intervention techniques to change behaviors and attitudes as early as possible.
Seeking sanctuary: rethinking asylum and mental health.
Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences, 2020

Forced migrants are at an increased risk of mental disorder compared to host country populations. To effectively address this, programmatic and policy responses need to be underpinned by rigorous evidence. Drawing on our experience conducting a systematic review of post-migration risk factors for mental disorder among asylum seekers and our appraisal of related systematic reviews, this paper discusses four challenges facing the field: (1)The reliance on Western conceptions of mental health.(2)The investigation, to date, of a relatively narrow range of potential risk factors.(3)The lack of consistency in the measurement and reporting of risk factor variables.(4)The use of the legal term 'asylum seeker' to define study populations.We suggest potential ways forward, including using mental health measures developed in collaboration with communities affected by forced migration, the examination of key risk factors around homelessness and workers' rights, the development of a core set of risk factors to be investigated in each study, and defining study populations using the conceptual category of 'sanctuary seekers' - people who have fled their country and are asking another country for safety and residence.
White matter abnormalities of right hemisphere attention networks contribute to visual hallucinations in dementia with Lewy bodies.
Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior, 2021

Functional alterations of the visual attention networks in a setting of impaired visual information processing have a role in the genesis of visual hallucinations (VH) in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). This multimodal MRI study aims at exploring structural and functional basis of VH.
The circadian clock interacts with metabolic physiology to influence reproductive fitness.
Cell metabolism, 2011

Circadian rhythms are regulated by a synchronized system of central and peripheral clocks. Here, we show that a clock in the Drosophila fat body drives rhythmic expression of genes involved in metabolism, detoxification, the immune response, and steroid hormone regulation. Some of these genes cycle even when the fat body clock is disrupted, indicating that they are regulated by exogenous factors. Food is an important stimulus, as limiting food availability to a 6 hr interval each day drives rhythmic expression of genes in the fat body. Restricting food to a time of day when consumption is typically low desynchronizes internal rhythms because it alters the phase of rhythmic gene expression in the fat body without affecting the brain clock. Flies maintained on this paradigm produce fewer eggs than those restricted to food at the normal time. These data suggest that desynchrony of endogenous rhythms, caused by aberrant feeding patterns, affects reproductive fitness.
Ultrasound imaging of a scar on the knee: Sonopalpation for fascia and subcutaneous tissues.
European journal of translational myology, 2020

Persistent scar pain associated with healed surgical incisions after a trauma is a common and potentially debilitating type of fascial pain. At present, there is no universally effective treatment for persistent surgical or post-trauma scar pain. Herein we describe the successful objective diagnosis of debilitating scar pain by Ultrasound (US) imaging. The sonopalpation of the fasciae and subcutaneous tissues seems to be relevant to diagnose the real cause of the pain and why not to monitor the treatment.
Categorical Speech Perception in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2018

This study tested whether individuals with autism spectrum conditions (n = 23) show enhanced discrimination of acoustic differences that signal a linguistic contrast (i.e., /g/ versus /k/ as in 'goat' and 'coat') and whether they process such differences in a less categorical fashion as compared with 23 IQ-matched typically developed adults. Tasks administered were nonverbal IQ, verbal IQ, 5 language measures, a speech perception task, and the ADOS. The speech perception task measured the discrimination of paired exemplars along the /g/-/k/ continuum. Individuals with autism spectrum conditions did not show enhanced discrimination of speech perception. Categorical speech perception was correlated with verbal ability of reading, lexical decision, and verbal IQ in individuals with autism spectrum conditions.
Predictors of acute and persisting ischemic brain lesions in patients randomized to carotid stenting or endarterectomy.
Stroke, 2014

We investigated predictors for acute and persisting periprocedural ischemic brain lesions among patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis randomized to stenting or endarterectomy in the International Carotid Stenting Study.
Do Beliefs About Whether Others Can See Modulate Social Seeking in Autism?
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2019

Autistic people process gaze differently than typical people, but it is not yet clear if these differences lie in the processing of eye-shapes or the belief in whether others can see (perceptual mentalizing). We aimed to investigate whether these two models of gaze processing modulate social seeking in typical and autistic adults. We measured preferences of participants to view videos of an actress with visible or hidden eyes, who can or cannot see out. While typical participants preferred videos where the actress can see through and has visible eyes, autistic people showed no preference for these videos. These findings are discussed in the context of perceptual mentalizing and the social motivation theory of autism.
2-Benzylpiperazine: A new scaffold for potent human carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Synthesis, enzyme inhibition, enantioselectivity, computational and crystallographic studies and in vivo activity for a new class of intraocular pressure lowering agents.
European journal of medicinal chemistry, 2018

Two series of 2-benzylpiperazines have been prepared and tested for the inhibition of physiologically relevant isoforms of human carbonic anhydrases (hCA, EC 4.2.1.1). The new compounds carry on one nitrogen atom of the piperazine ring a sulfamoylbenzamide group as zinc-binding moiety, and different alkyl/acyl/sulfonyl groups on the other nitrogen. Regio- and stero-isomers are described. The majority of these compounds showed Ki values in the low-medium nanomolar range against hCA I, II and IV, but not IX. In many instances interaction with the enzyme was enantioselective. The binding mode has been studied by means of X-ray crystallography and molecular modelling. Two compounds, evaluated in rabbit models of glaucoma, were able to significantly reduce intraocular pressure, making them interesting candidates for further studies.
Neural correlates of attentional bias in addiction.
CNS spectrums, 2014

A small but growing neuroimaging literature has begun to examine the neural mechanisms underlying the difficulty that substance-use dependent (SUD) groups have with ignoring salient, drug-related stimuli. Drug-related attentional bias appears to implicate the countermanding forces of cognitive control and reward salience. Basic cognitive neuroscience research suggests that ignoring emotionally evocative stimuli in our environment requires both up-regulation of control networks and down-regulation of processing in emotion and reward regions. Research to date suggests that attentional biases for drug-related stimuli emerge from a failure to sufficiently increase control of attention over salient, but task-irrelevant stimuli. While SUD samples have typically shown increased activity in the cognitive control regions (ie, lateral prefrontal and dorsal anterior cingulate), during attentional bias such increases appear to have been insufficient for the concomitant increases in processing by the emotion/reward regions (ie, amygdala, insula, and striatum). Given the potential contribution of attentional biases to perpetuating drug use and the development of interventions (both pharmaceutical and cognitive-behavioral) to treat biases, understanding the neural basis of successfully reducing bias remains an important, but as yet unanswered, question for our field.