rudyvdbrink/CitationDatabase huggingface dataset:
Therapeutic effect of Anakinra in the relapsing chronic phase of febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome.
Epilepsia open, 2019

Febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES) is a severe epileptic encephalopathy with presumed inflammatory origin and lacking effective treatments. Anakinra is the human recombinant interleukin 1 receptor antagonist clinically used in autoinflammatory or autoimmune conditions. We report a case of FIRES for which the spatial and temporal match between electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) focal alterations provides support for the detrimental synergic interplay between seizures and inflammation that may evolve to permanent focal lesions and progressive brain atrophy in weeks to months. Brain biopsy showed aspects of chronic neuroinflammation with scarce parenchymal lymphocytes. We report the novel evidence that anakinra reduces the relapse of highly recurrent refractory seizures at 1.5 years after FIRES onset. Our evidence, together with previously reported therapeutic effects of anakinra administered since the first days of disease onset, support the hypothesis that interleukin 1β and inflammation-related factors play a crucial role in seizure recurrence in both the acute and chronic stages of the disease.
Differential Effect of Repeated Lipopolysaccharide Treatment and Aging on Hippocampal Function and Biomarkers of Hippocampal Senescence.
Molecular neurobiology, 2020

Markers of brain aging and cognitive decline are thought to be influenced by peripheral inflammation. This study compared the effects of repeated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment in young rats to age-related changes in hippocampal-dependent cognition and transcription. Young Fischer 344 X Brown Norway hybrid rats were given intraperitoneal injections once a week for 7 weeks with either LPS or vehicle. Older rats received a similar injection schedule of vehicle. Old vehicle and young LPS rats exhibited a delay-dependent impairment in spatial memory. Further, LPS treatment reduced the hippocampal CA3-CA1 synaptic response. RNA sequencing, performed on CA1, indicated an increase in genes linked to neuroinflammation in old vehicle and young LPS animals. In contrast to an age-related decrease in transcription of synaptic genes, young LPS animals exhibited increased expression of genes that support the growth and maintenance of synapses. We suggest that the increased expression of genes for growth and maintenance of synapses in young animals represents neuronal resilience/recovery in response to acute systemic inflammation. Thus, the results indicate that repeated LPS treatment does not completely recapitulate the aging phenotype for synaptic function, possibly due to the chronic nature of systemic inflammation in aging and resilience of young animals to acute treatments.
Effect of Beta 3 Adrenoreceptor Modulation on Patency of the Ductus Arteriosus.
Cells, 2020

β3-adrenoreceptor (β3-AR), a G-protein coupled receptor, has peculiar regulatory properties in response to oxygen and widespread localization. β3-AR is expressed in the most frequent neoplasms, also occurring in pregnant women, and its blockade reduces tumor growth, indicating β3-AR-blockers as a promising alternative to antineoplastic drugs during pregnancy. However, β3-AR involvement in prenatal morphogenesis and the consequences of its blockade for the fetus remain unknown. In this study, after the demonstrated expression of β3-AR in endothelial and smooth muscle cells of ductus arteriosus (DA), C57BL/6 pregnant mice were acutely treated at 18.5 of gestational day (GD) with indomethacin or with the selective β3-AR antagonist SR59230A, or chronically exposed to SR59230A from 15.5 to 18.5 GD. Six hours after the last treatment, fetuses were collected. Furthermore, newborn mice were treated straight after birth with BRL37344, a β3-AR agonist, and sacrificed after 7 h. SR59230A, at the doses demonstrated effective in reducing cancer progression (10 and 20 mg/kg) in acute and chronic mode, did not induce fetal DA constriction and did not impair the DA ability to close after birth, whereas at the highest dose (40 mg/kg), it was shown to cause DA constriction and preterm-delivery. BRL37344 administered immediately after birth did not alter the physiological DA closure.
Awards for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology.
The American psychologist, 2018

The Early Career Awards, given for the first time in 1974, recognize the large number of excellent early career psychologists. Recipients of this award may not have held a doctoral degree for more than nine years. For purposes of this award, psychology has been divided into 10 areas: animal learning and behavior, comparative; developmental; health; cognition/human learning; psychopathology; behavioral and cognitive neuroscience; perception/motor performance; social; applied research; and individual differences. Five areas are considered each year, with areas rotated in two-year cycles. The areas considered in 2018 were animal learning and behavior, comparative; cognition and human learning; developmental psychology; health psychology; and psychopathology. Each year, panels are selected for the areas under consideration, and these panels recommend nominees to the Committee on Scientific Awards. The 2018 recipients of the APA Scientific Contribution Awards were recognized by the 2017 Board of Scientific Affairs and selected by the 2017 Committee on Scientific Awards. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
Association between Physiological Signal Complexity and Outcomes in Moderate and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A CENTER-TBI Exploratory Analysis of Multi-Scale Entropy.
Journal of neurotrauma, 2021

In traumatic brain injury (TBI), preliminary retrospective work on signal entropy suggests an association with global outcome. The goal of this study was to provide multi-center validation of the association between multi-scale entropy (MSE) of cardiovascular and cerebral physiological signals, with six-month outcome. Using the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in TBI (CENTER-TBI) high-resolution intensive care unit (ICU) cohort, we selected patients with a minimum of 72 h of physiological recordings and a documented six-month Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE) score. The 10-sec summary data for heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), intracranial pressure (ICP), and pulse amplitude of ICP (AMP) were derived across the first 72 h of data. The MSE complexity index (MSE-Ci) was determined for HR, MAP, ICP, and AMP, with the association between MSE and dichotomized six-month outcomes assessed using Mann-Whitney
Comparison of ferromagnetic induction and bipolar electrosurgery and suction in corticotomies in pig cerebrum.
International journal of surgery (London, England), 2015

The effects of newer energy-based surgical dissection and coagulation modalities on cerebral tissue have not been investigated. Several instruments have been developed to address the limitations of traditional electrosurgical instruments in the nervous system. We compared the effects of standard bipolar electrocautery and suction (BPS) with those of a new ferromagnetic induction (FMI) device in corticotomies of pig cerebral tissue as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histological analysis.
Expression profiling of precuneus layer III cathepsin D-immunopositive pyramidal neurons in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: Evidence for neuronal signaling vulnerability.
The Journal of comparative neurology, 2020

The precuneus (PreC; Brodmann area 7), a key hub within the default mode network (DMN) displays amyloid and tau-containing neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) pathology during the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). PreC layer III projection neurons contain lysosomal hydrolase cathepsin D (CatD), a marker of neurons vulnerable to NFT pathology. Here we applied single population laser capture microdissection coupled with custom-designed microarray profiling to determine the genetic signature of PreC CatD-positive-layer III neurons accrued from postmortem tissue obtained from the Rush Religious Orders Study (RROS) cases with a premortem clinical diagnosis of no cognitive impairment (NCI), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD. Expression profiling revealed significant differential expression of key transcripts in MCI and AD compared to NCI that underlie signaling defects, including dysregulation of genes within the endosomal-lysosomal and autophagy pathways, cytoskeletal elements, AD-related genes, ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors, cholinergic enzymes and receptors, markers of monoamine neurotransmission as well as steroid-related transcripts. Pervasive defects in both MCI and AD were found in select transcripts within these key gene ontology categories, underscoring the vulnerability of these corticocortical projection neurons during the onset and progression of dementia. Select PreC dysregulated genes detected via custom-designed microarray analysis were validated using qPCR. In summary, expression profiling of PreC CatD -positive layer III neurons revealed significant dysregulation of a mosaic of genes in MCI and AD that were not previously appreciated in terms of their indication of systems-wide signaling defects in a key hub of the DMN.
Effects of the interaction between genetic factors and maltreatment on child and adolescent psychiatric disorders.
Psychiatry research, 2019

We evaluated the effects of the interaction between child maltreatment (CM) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on development of mental disorders (MD) and psychopathology. We genotyped 720 individuals from a Brazilian community school-based prospective study, focusing on SNPs in 21 genes known to be associated with mental disorders. CM was assessed via a multi-informant-measure, which was previously validated. To test G × CM, we used linear or logistic models depending on variable evaluated (MD or dimensional psychopathology). After Bonferroni multiple comparison correction, we did not find any statistically significant association of G × CM with either MD or psychopathology.
Microglial replacement therapy: a potential therapeutic strategy for incurable CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy.
Acta neuropathologica communications, 2020

CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy is an adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia caused by colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) gene mutations. The disease has a global distribution and currently has no cure. Individuals with CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy variably present clinical symptoms including cognitive impairment, progressive neuropsychiatric and motor symptoms. CSF1R is predominantly expressed on microglia within the central nervous system (CNS), and thus CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy is now classified as a CNS primary microgliopathy. This urgent unmet medical need could potentially be addressed by using microglia-based immunotherapies. With the rapid recent progress in the experimental microglial research field, the replacement of an empty microglial niche following microglial depletion through either conditional genetic approaches or pharmacological therapies (CSF1R inhibitors) is being studied. Furthermore, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation offers an emerging means of exchanging dysfunctional microglia with the aim of reducing brain lesions, relieving clinical symptoms and prolonging the life of patients with CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy. This review article introduces recent advances in microglial biology and CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy. Potential therapeutic strategies by replacing microglia in order to improve the quality of life of CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy patients will be presented.
The integration of Gaussian noise by long-range amygdala inputs in frontal circuit promotes fear learning in mice.
eLife, 2020

Survival depends on the ability of animals to select the appropriate behavior in response to threat and safety sensory cues. However, the synaptic and circuit mechanisms by which the brain learns to encode accurate predictors of threat and safety remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that frontal association cortex (FrA) pyramidal neurons of mice integrate auditory cues and basolateral amygdala (BLA) inputs non-linearly in a NMDAR-dependent manner. We found that the response of FrA pyramidal neurons was more pronounced to Gaussian noise than to pure frequency tones, and that the activation of BLA-to-FrA axons was the strongest in between conditioning pairings. Blocking BLA-to-FrA signaling specifically at the time of presentation of Gaussian noise (but not 8 kHz tone) between conditioning trials impaired the formation of auditory fear memories. Taken together, our data reveal a circuit mechanism that facilitates the formation of fear traces in the FrA, thus providing a new framework for probing discriminative learning and related disorders.
Mechanisms of the negative potential associated with Leão's spreading depolarization: A history of brain electrogenesis.
Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, 2020

Spreading depolarization (SD) is a self-propagated wave that provokes transient disorder of numerous cell and tissue functions, and that may kill neurons in metabolically compromised tissue. We examined the mechanisms underlying the main hallmark of SD, a giant extracellular potential (ΔV
Participation of ipsilateral cortical descending influences in bimanual wrist movements in humans.
Experimental brain research, 2020

There are contralateral and less studied ipsilateral (i), indirect cortical descending projections to motoneurons (MNs). We compared ipsilateral cortical descending influences on MNs of wrist flexors by applying transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the right primary motor cortex at actively maintained flexion and extension wrist positions in uni- and bimanual tasks in right-handed participants (n = 23). The iTMS response includes a short latency (~ 25 ms) motor evoked potential (iMEP), a silent period (iSP) and a long latency (~ 60 ms) facilitation called rebound (iRB). We also investigated whether the interaction between the two hands while holding an object in a bimanual task involves ipsilateral cortical descending influences. In the unimanual task, iTMS responses in the right wrist flexors were unaffected by changes in wrist position. In the bimanual task with an object, iMEPs in the right wrist flexors were larger when the ipsilateral wrist was in flexion compared to extension. Without the object, only iRB were larger when the ipsilateral wrist was extended. Thus, ipsilateral cortical descending influences on MNs were modulated only in bimanual tasks and depended on how the two hands interacted. It is concluded that the left and right cortices cooperate in bimanual tasks involving holding an object with both hands, with possible involvement of oligo- and poly-synaptic, as well as transcallosal projections to MNs. The possible involvement of spinal and transcortical stretch and cutaneous reflexes in bimanual tasks when holding an object is discussed in the context of the well-established notion that indirect, referent control underlies motor actions.
Resection of a juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma via a hybrid cranioendoscopic approach.
Neurosurgical focus: Video, 2020

Endoscopic and open microsurgical approaches for pediatric patients are useful for a wide variety of skull base pathologies. A hybrid, cranioendoscopic approach may be beneficial in improving surgical resection for complex lesions. A case of a 13-year-old boy with a large juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma extending through the nasopharynx and pterygopalatine fossa into the maxillary, sphenoid, and cavernous sinuses is demonstrated via an endoscopic, transnasal and frontotemporal, extended middle cranial fossa microsurgical approach. Management of a large pediatric tumor via narrow nasal passages, safe surgical resection around critical neurovascular structures, and complication avoidance is demonstrated. The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/1WqvsOnQCxs.
Infliximab treatment reduces depressive symptoms in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: an ancillary study to a randomized controlled trial (ASSERT).
Arthritis research & therapy, 2020

Patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are at increased risk of depression. This increased risk has been hypothesized to be solely secondary due to AS-related symptoms, or additionally due to a common inflammatory pathway. From a clinical perspective, it is important to know whether treatment with tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors reduces depressive symptoms, while from a pathophysiological point of view, it would be insightful to understand whether such an effect would be a direct result of reduced inflammation, the result of reduced AS-related symptoms, or both. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of infliximab on depressive symptoms in patients with AS in a randomized-controlled trial setting.
Examining the Role of General Cognitive Skills in Language Processing: A Window into Complex Cognition.
Current directions in psychological science, 2020

Whenever we use language to communicate, sounds, signs, and/or letters are combined into words that, in turn, form sentences, which together tell a story. Both language production and language comprehension rely on representations at different levels of granularity that need to be continuously and rapidly activated, selected, and combined. The representations themselves are specific to language, but many processes that regulate their use, such as inhibition of competitors or updating of working memory with new information, are so-called domain-general abilities that apply across different kinds of tasks. Here, we provide an overview of the behavioral and neurophysiological evidence in favor of domain-general abilities underpinning language skills and describe which particular aspects of production and comprehension draw upon such cognitive resources. We discuss how this line of research not only reveals important similarities between production and comprehension but also helps to establish links between language and other cognitive domains. Finally, we argue that studying how domain-general abilities are used in language will lead to important insights into the highly dynamic and efficient communication between brain networks that is necessary to successfully go from sounds to stories.
Internet regression and the meaning of self.
The Medico-legal journal, 2021

The internet provides a platform for expression of a new self that a user finds it difficult to achieve in the real world. This quality mediates disinhibited or regressive expression of self. The online disinhibited expression is also found to have to a direct correlation with a person's self-concept, including their self-worth and self-control, which also contributes to lowering their social control through the social inadequacies they perceive themselves to have. The low self-control is being associated with engagement in bullying or cybercrime through online modalities. The report implicates for evolving intervention to manage cybercrimes from a psychological and legal perspective.
Chronic brain histamine depletion in adult mice induced depression-like behaviours and impaired sleep-wake cycle.
Neuropharmacology, 2020

Histamine acts as a neurotransmitter to regulate various physiological processes. Brain histamine is synthesized from an essential amino acid histidine in a reaction catalysed by histidine decarboxylase (Hdc). Hdc-positive neurons exist mainly in the tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN) of the posterior hypothalamus and project their axons to the entire brain. Recent studies have reported that a chronic decrease in histamine levels in the adult human brain was observed in several neurological disorders. However, it is poorly understood whether lower histamine levels play a causative role in those disorders. In the present study, we induced chronic histamine deficiency in the brains of adult mice to allow direct interpretation of the relationship between an impaired histaminergic nervous system and the resultant phenotype. To induce chronic brain histamine deficiency starting in adulthood, adeno-associated virus expressing Cre recombinase was microinjected into the TMN of Hdc flox mice (cKO mice) at the age of 8 weeks. Immunohistochemical analysis showed expression of Cre recombinase in the TMN of cKO mice. The reduction of histamine contents with the decreased Hdc expression in cKO brain was also confirmed. Behavioural studies revealed that chronic histamine depletion in cKO mice induced depression-like behaviour, decreased locomotor activity in the home cage, and impaired aversive memory. Sleep analysis showed that cKO mice exhibited a decrease in wakefulness and increase in non-rapid eye movement sleep throughout the day. Taken together, this study clearly demonstrates that chronic histamine depletion in the adult mouse brain plays a causative role in brain dysfunction.
Effective photodynamic treatment of Trichophyton species with Rose Bengal.
Journal of biophotonics, 2021

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with Rose Bengal has previously achieved eradication of Trichophyton rubrum infections causing toenail onychomycosis; however, its antifungal activity against other clinically relevant dermatophytes has yet to be studied. Here, we test the efficacy of PDT using Rose Bengal (140 μM) and 532 nm irradiation (101 J/cm
Secretagogin expression in the mouse olfactory bulb under sensory impairments.
Scientific reports, 2020

The interneurons of the olfactory bulb (OB) are characterized by the expression of different calcium-binding proteins, whose specific functions are not fully understood. This is the case of one of the most recently discovered, the secretagogin (SCGN), which is expressed in interneurons of the glomerular and the granule cell layers, but whose function in the olfactory pathway is still unknown. To address this question, we examined the distribution, generation and activity of SCGN-positive interneurons in the OB of two complementary models of olfactory impairments: Purkinje Cell Degeneration (PCD) and olfactory-deprived mice. Our results showed a significant increase in the density of SCGN-positive cells in the inframitral layers of olfactory-deprived mice as compared to control animals. Moreover, BrdU analyses revealed that these additional SCGN-positive cells are not newly formed. Finally, the neuronal activity, estimated by c-Fos expression, increased in preexisting SCGN-positive interneurons of both deprived and PCD mice -being higher in the later- in comparison with control animals. Altogether, our results suggest that the OB possesses different compensatory mechanisms depending on the type of alteration. Particularly, the SCGN expression is dependent of olfactory stimuli and its function may be related to a compensation against a reduction in sensory inputs.
Coupling Neurogenesis to Circuit Formation.
Cell, 2018

A central question in neuroscience is how developmental programs instruct the formation of complex neural circuits with temporal, spatial, and numerical precision. Pinto-Teixeira et al. (2018) reveal simple developmental rules that govern sequential neurogenesis to concurrently establish highly organized retinotopic maps in the Drosophila visual system.
Imaging Tumor Vascularity and Response to Anti-Angiogenic Therapy Using Gaussia Luciferase.
Scientific reports, 2016

We developed a novel approach to assess tumor vascularity using recombinant Gaussia luciferase (rGluc) protein and bioluminescence imaging. Upon intravenous injection of rGluc followed by its substrate coelenterazine, non-invasive visualization of tumor vascularity by bioluminescence imaging was possible. We applied this method for longitudinal monitoring of tumor vascularity in response to the anti-angiogenic drug tivozanib. This simple and sensitive method could be extended to image blood vessels/vasculature in many different fields.