rudyvdbrink/CitationDatabase huggingface dataset:
Role of Preoperative Assessment in Predicting Tumor-Induced Plasticity in Patients with Diffuse Gliomas.
Journal of clinical medicine, 2021

When diffuse gliomas (DG) affect the brain's potential to reorganize functional networks, patients can exhibit seizures and/or language/cognitive impairment. The tumor-brain interaction and the individual connectomic organization cannot be predicted preoperatively. We aimed to, first, investigate the relationship between preoperative assessment and intraoperative findings of eloquent tumors in 36 DG operated with awake surgery. Second, we also studied possible mechanisms of tumor-induced brain reorganization in these patients. FLAIR-MRI sequences were used for tumor volume segmentation and the Brain-Grid system (BG) was used as an overlay for infiltration analysis. Neuropsychological (NPS) and/or language assessments were performed in all patients. The distance between eloquent spots and tumor margins was measured. All variables were used for correlation and logistic regression analyses. Eloquent tumors were detected in 75% of the patients with no single variable able to predict this finding. Impaired NPS functions correlated with invasive tumors, crucial location (A4C2S2/A3C2S2-voxels, left opercular-insular/sub-insular region) and higher risk of eloquent tumors. Epilepsy was correlated with larger tumor volumes and infiltrated A4C2S2/A3C2S2 voxels. Language impairment was correlated with infiltrated A3C2S2 voxel. Peritumoral cortical eloquent spots reflected an early compensative mechanism with age as possible influencing factor. Preoperative NPS impairment is linked with high risk of eloquent tumors. A systematic integration of extensive cognitive assessment and advanced neuroimaging can improve our comprehension of the connectomic brain organization at the individual scale and lead to a better oncological/functional balance.
The roles of depression and social relationships in the onset and course of loneliness amongst Nigerian elders.
International journal of geriatric psychiatry, 2021

Few studies in Africa have investigated the risk profile and course of loneliness in old age. This study examined the risk factors for onset and chronicity, as well as the predictors of recovery from loneliness in a large representative sample of community dwelling older Africans.
Triptans: over the migraine.
Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, 2012

Migraine is a chronic, recurrent, disabling condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Proper acute care treatment for migraineurs is based on triptans, a class of specific medications approved over 20 years ago. Triptans are serotonin (5-HT1B/1D) receptor agonists that are generally effective, well tolerated and safe. Seven triptans are available worldwide, although not all are available in every country, with multiple routes of administration, giving to doctors and patients a wide choice. Despite the similarities of the available triptans, pharmacological heterogeneity offers slightly different efficacy profiles. Triptans are not pain medications, they are abortive migraine medications which cannot prevent migraines. In addition to migraine attacks, triptans are also helpful for cluster headaches. If they are useful in other primary headaches rather than migraine and cluster headache it is yet to be addressed. In the literature there are only limited controlled clinical data to support a migraine-selective activity for triptans. Reports are available about efficacy of triptans to stop attacks of other types of primary headache, such as tension type headache, hypnic headache and other rare forms of primary headaches. On the other hand, sumatriptan failed to treat the indomethacin-responsive primary headache disorders like chronic paroxysmal hemicrania and hemicrania continua, nor was it effective in the myofascial temporal muscle pain or in atypical facial pain. Why triptans are effective in so different types of primary headaches remain unclear. Up to date, it is not clear whether the antimigrainous activity of the triptans involves an action only in the periphery or in the CNS as well. Probably we should consider triptans as "pain killers" and not only as "migraine killers". We clearly need additional studies on triptans as putative analgesics in well-accepted animal and clinical models of acute and chronic somatic pain.
Out of the box: A psychedelic model to study the creative mind.
Medical hypotheses, 2018

Our creativity is challenged daily when facing new situations asking for novel solutions. Creativity, a multicomponent construct includes flexible divergent and rigid convergent thinking. Psychedelic drugs like psilocybin can enhance creativity and affect state of mind (mood, empathy, openness). Of note, flexible thinking is disturbed in psychopathological conditions like anxiety disorders and depression and preliminary findings have shown psychedelics to be efficacious in the treatment of those conditions. The question how psychedelics induce this state of enhanced flexible thinking remains to be answered and investigating the neurobiology underlying this phenomenon will not only help in understanding why psychedelics are of use in the therapeutic setting but also in other settings where flexible thinking is challenged. A model including neuronal networks, neurotransmitters and personal factors playing a role in this process will be proposed which can be put to the test by means of placebo-controlled pharmaco-imaging studies in healthy volunteers.
Photoperiod regulates hypothalamic miR-155 gene expression in female, but not male, Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus).
Behavioral neuroscience, 2019

In many species, seasonal changes in photoperiod regulate several behaviors and physiological systems, including reproduction, energy balance, and immune function. MicroRNAs (miRs) regulate numerous physiological processes and developmental transitions through translational repression and mRNA degradation. Their role in seasonal transitions has been vastly understudied, with only a few reports in animals. Furthermore, no study has assessed whether there are sex differences in seasonal regulation of miRs. miR-155 is a primary candidate for seasonal regulation because it influences immune responses, energetics, and reproductive function. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that photoperiod regulates miR-155 gene expression in Siberian hamsters and whether there were sex differences in this photoperiod regulation. miR-155 gene expression levels were measured in hypothalamus, hippocampus, and spleen of male and female Siberian hamsters reared in short days (SDs) or long days (LDs). As expected, SD-reared hamsters had significantly reduced body mass, lightened pelage color, and lower reproductive organ size than LD-reared hamsters. Notably, SDs increased hypothalamic miR-155 gene expression in females but not in males. No differences were observed in hippocampus and spleen of either sex. These findings demonstrate sex-specific photoperiod regulation of miR-155 gene expression. Future studies should consider possible sex differences in miR contributions to seasonal changes in physiology and behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Hierarchical effects on target detection and conflict monitoring.
Scientific reports, 2016

Previous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated a hierarchical functional structure of the frontal cortices of the human brain, but the temporal course and the electrophysiological signature of the hierarchical representation remains unaddressed. In the present study, twenty-one volunteers were asked to perform a nested cue-target task, while their scalp potentials were recorded. The results showed that: (1) in comparison with the lower-level hierarchical targets, the higher-level targets elicited a larger N2 component (220-350 ms) at the frontal sites, and a smaller P3 component (350-500 ms) across the frontal and parietal sites; (2) conflict-related negativity (non-target minus target) was greater for the lower-level hierarchy than the higher-level, reflecting a more intensive process of conflict monitoring at the final step of target detection. These results imply that decision making, context updating, and conflict monitoring differ among different hierarchical levels of abstraction.
Effect of Recanalization on Cerebral Edema in Ischemic Stroke Treated With Thrombolysis and/or Endovascular Therapy.
Stroke, 2020

Background and Purpose- A large infarct and expanding cerebral edema (CED) due to a middle cerebral artery occlusion confers a 70% mortality unless treated surgically. Reperfusion may cause blood-brain barrier disruption and a risk for cerebral edema and secondary parenchymal hemorrhage (PH). We aimed to investigate the effect of recanalization on development of early CED and PH after recanalization therapy. Methods- From the SITS-International Stroke Treatment Registry, we selected patients with signs of artery occlusion at baseline (either Hyperdense Artery Sign or computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging angiographic occlusion). We defined recanalization as the disappearance of radiological signs of occlusion at 22 to 36 hours. Primary outcome was moderate to severe CED and secondary outcome was PH on 22- to 36-hour imaging scans. We used logistic regression with adjustment for baseline variables and PH. Results- Twenty two thousand one hundred eighty-four patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria (n=18 318 received intravenous thrombolysis, n=3071 received intravenous thrombolysis+thrombectomy, n=795 received thrombectomy). Recanalization occurred in 64.1%. Median age was 71 versus 71 years and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 15 versus 16 in the recanalized versus nonrecanalized patients respectively. Recanalized patients had a lower risk for CED (13.0% versus 23.6%), adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 0.52 (95% CI, 0.46-0.59), and a higher risk for PH (8.9% versus 6.5%), adjusted odds ratio, 1.37 (95% CI, 1.22-1.55), than nonrecanalized patients. Conclusions- In patients with acute ischemic stroke, recanalization was associated with a lower risk for early CED even after adjustment for higher rate for PH in recanalized patients.
Time- but not sleep-dependent consolidation of tDCS-enhanced visuomotor skills.
Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991), 2015

Consolidation of motor skills after training can occur in a time- or sleep-dependent fashion. Recent studies revealed time-dependent consolidation as a common feature of visuomotor tasks. We have previously shown that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in combination with repeated motor training benefits consolidation by the induction of offline skill gains in a complex visuomotor task, preventing the regular occurrence of skill loss between days. Here, we asked 2 questions: What is the time course of consolidation between days for this task and do exogenously induced offline gains develop as a function of time or overnight sleep? We found that both the development of offline skill loss in sham-stimulated subjects and offline skill gains induced by anodal tDCS critically depend on the passage of time after training, but not on overnight sleep. These findings support the view that tDCS interacts directly with the physiological consolidation process. However, in a control experiment, anodal tDCS applied after the training did not induce skill gains, implying that coapplication of tDCS and training is required to induce offline skill gains, pointing to the initiation of consolidation already during training.
Musical and verbal short-term memory: insights from neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2018

Auditory short-term memory (STM) is a fundamental ability to make sense of auditory information as it unfolds over time. Whether separate STM systems exist for different types of auditory information (music and speech, in particular) is a matter of debate. The present paper reviews studies that have investigated both musical and verbal STM in healthy individuals and in participants with neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders. Overall, the results are in favor of only partly shared networks for musical and verbal STM. Evidence for a distinction in STM for the two materials stems from (1) behavioral studies in healthy participants, in particular from the comparison between nonmusicians and musicians; (2) behavioral studies in congenital amusia, where a selective pitch STM deficit is observed; and (3) studies in brain-damaged patients with cases of double dissociation. In this review we highlight the need for future studies comparing STM for the same perceptual dimension (e.g., pitch) in different materials (e.g., music and speech), as well as for studies aiming at a more insightful characterization of shared and distinct mechanisms for speech and music in the different components of STM, namely encoding, retention, and retrieval.
Epidemiology of gastrostomy insertion for children and adolescents with intellectual disability.
European journal of pediatrics, 2019

The largest group of recipients of pediatric gastrostomy have neurological impairment with intellectual disability (ID). This study investigated trends in first gastrostomy insertion according to markers of disadvantage and ID etiology. Linked administrative and health data collected over a 32-year study period (1983-2014) for children with ID born between 1983 and 2009 in Western Australia were examined. The annual incidence rate change over calendar year was calculated for all children and according to socioeconomic status, geographical remoteness, and Aboriginality. The most likely causes of ID were identified using available diagnosis codes in the linked data set. Of 11,729 children with ID, 325 (2.8%) received a first gastrostomy within the study period. The incidence rate was highest in the 0-2 age group and there was an increasing incidence trend with calendar time for each age group under 6 years of age. This rate change was greatest in children from the lowest socioeconomic status quintile, who lived in regional/remote areas or who were Aboriginal. The two largest identified groups of ID were genetically caused syndromes (15.1%) and neonatal encephalopathy (14.8%).Conclusion: Gastrostomy is increasingly used in multiple neurological conditions associated with ID, with no apparent accessibility barriers in terms of socioeconomic status, remoteness, or Aboriginality. What is Known: • The use of gastrostomy insertion in pediatrics is increasing and the most common recipients during childhood have neurological impairment, most of whom also have intellectual disability (ID). What is New: • Nearly 3% of children with ID had gastrostomy insertion performed, with the highest incidence in children under 3 years of age. • Gastrostomy use across different social groups was equitable in the Australian setting.
A Quantitative Model of the GIRK1/2 Channel Reveals That Its Basal and Evoked Activities Are Controlled by Unequal Stoichiometry of Gα and Gβγ.
PLoS computational biology, 2015

G protein-gated K+ channels (GIRK; Kir3), activated by Gβγ subunits derived from Gi/o proteins, regulate heartbeat and neuronal excitability and plasticity. Both neurotransmitter-evoked (Ievoked) and neurotransmitter-independent basal (Ibasal) GIRK activities are physiologically important, but mechanisms of Ibasal and its relation to Ievoked are unclear. We have previously shown for heterologously expressed neuronal GIRK1/2, and now show for native GIRK in hippocampal neurons, that Ibasal and Ievoked are interrelated: the extent of activation by neurotransmitter (activation index, Ra) is inversely related to Ibasal. To unveil the underlying mechanisms, we have developed a quantitative model of GIRK1/2 function. We characterized single-channel and macroscopic GIRK1/2 currents, and surface densities of GIRK1/2 and Gβγ expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Based on experimental results, we constructed a mathematical model of GIRK1/2 activity under steady-state conditions before and after activation by neurotransmitter. Our model accurately recapitulates Ibasal and Ievoked in Xenopus oocytes, HEK293 cells and hippocampal neurons; correctly predicts the dose-dependent activation of GIRK1/2 by coexpressed Gβγ and fully accounts for the inverse Ibasal-Ra correlation. Modeling indicates that, under all conditions and at different channel expression levels, between 3 and 4 Gβγ dimers are available for each GIRK1/2 channel. In contrast, available Gαi/o decreases from ~2 to less than one Gα per channel as GIRK1/2's density increases. The persistent Gβγ/channel (but not Gα/channel) ratio support a strong association of GIRK1/2 with Gβγ, consistent with recruitment to the cell surface of Gβγ, but not Gα, by GIRK1/2. Our analysis suggests a maximal stoichiometry of 4 Gβγ but only 2 Gαi/o per one GIRK1/2 channel. The unique, unequal association of GIRK1/2 with G protein subunits, and the cooperative nature of GIRK gating by Gβγ, underlie the complex pattern of basal and agonist-evoked activities and allow GIRK1/2 to act as a sensitive bidirectional detector of both Gβγ and Gα.
Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms and the risk of the type 1 diabetes: a meta-regression and updated meta-analysis.
BMC endocrine disorders, 2020

The association between the polymorphisms in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene and the risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) has been evaluated in several studies. However, the findings were inconclusive. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate the effect of VDR gene polymorphisms on the risk of T1DM.
Setting up a Neuroscience Stroke and Rehabilitation Centre in Brunei Darussalam by a transcontinental on-site and telemedical cooperation.
International journal of stroke : official journal of the International Stroke Society, 2017

Due to the world-wide aging population, there is a need for specialist neurological knowledge, treatment and care. Stroke treatment is effective in reducing mortality and disability, but it is still not available in many areas of the world. We describe the set-up process of a specialized Neuroscience, Stroke and Rehabilitation Centre in Brunei Darussalam (BNSRC) in cooperation with a German hospital. This study details the setup of a stroke-, neurological intensive care- and neurorehabilitation unit, laboratories and a telemedical network to perform all evidence-based stroke treatments. All neurological on-site services and the telemedical network were successfully established within a short time. After setup, 1386 inpatients and 1803 outpatients with stroke and stroke mimics were treated. All evidence-based stroke treatments including thrombolysis and hemicraniectomy could be performed. It is possible to establish evidence-based modern stroke treatment within a short time period by a transcontinental on-site and telemedical cooperation.
Role of extracellular calcium and mitochondrial oxygen species in psychosine-induced oligodendrocyte cell death.
Cell death & disease, 2014

Globoid cell leukodystrophy (GLD) is a metabolic disease caused by mutations in the galactocerebrosidase (GALC) gene. GALC is a lysosomal enzyme whose function is to degrade galacto-lipids, including galactosyl-ceramide and galactosyl-sphingosine (psychosine, PSY). GALC loss of function causes progressive intracellular accumulation of PSY. It is widely held that PSY is the main trigger for the degeneration of myelinating cells and progressive white-matter loss. However, still little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which PSY imparts toxicity. Here, we address the role of calcium dynamics during PSY-induced cell death. Using the human oligodendrocyte cell line MO3.13, we report that cell death by PSY is accompanied by robust cytosolic and mitochondrial calcium (Ca(2+)) elevations, and by mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Importantly, we demonstrate that the reduction of extracellular calcium content by the chelating agent ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid can decrease intra-mitochondrial ROS production and enhance cell viability. Antioxidant administration also reduces mitochondrial ROS production and cell loss, but this treatment does not synergize with Ca(2+) chelation. Our results disclose novel intracellular pathways involved in PSY-induced death that may be exploited for therapeutic purposes to delay GLD onset and/or slow down its progression.
Social cognition in context: A naturalistic imaging approach.
NeuroImage, 2020

Social processing occurs within dynamic, complex, and multimodal contexts, but the study of social cognition typically involves static, artificial stimuli. Naturalistic approaches (e.g., movie viewing) can recapture the richness and complexity of real-world interactions. Novel analytic approaches allow for the investigation of functional brain organization in response to contextually embedded and extended events with a complex temporal structure during movie viewing or narrative processing. In addition to these within-brain measures, movies afford between-brain analyses such as inter-subject correlation, which allows for identification of stimulus-specific brain response through the correlation of brain activity between participants' brains. Research using these approaches offers both practical and theoretical advantages in understanding how we navigate our social world. Practically, movies are engaging stimuli that allow for more rapid presentation of multiple event types and improve compliance even in very young populations. Theoretically, studies have validated the use of these measures by demonstrating functional selectivity to contextually embedded stimuli. Naturalistic approaches also allow for novel insights. For example, regions associated with social cognition have longer temporal receptive windows, making them well suited to social-cognitive processes that require integration of information over longer timescales. Furthermore, the similarity in the temporal and spatial brain response between individuals during naturalistic viewing is related to age, predictive of friendships, and reduced in autism spectrum disorder. These findings offer first glimpses into the power of using these naturalistic, dynamic approaches to understand how we perceive, reason about, and interact with others.
Stent assisted coil embolization of wide-necked bilobed anterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm with incorporated artery arising from the dome: a technical note.
Journal of neurointerventional surgery, 2013

A technique for stent-assisted coil embolization of a bilobed wide-necked saccular aneurysm of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) with the AICA arising from the dome of the aneurysm is described.
Prednisolone versus placebo addition in the treatment of patients with recent-onset psychotic disorder: a trial design.
Trials, 2020

The symptom severity of a substantial group of schizophrenia patients (30-40%) does not improve through pharmacotherapy with antipsychotic medication, indicating a clear need for new treatment options to improve schizophrenia outcome. Meta-analyses, genetic studies, randomized controlled trials, and post-mortem studies suggest that immune dysregulation plays a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Some anti-inflammatory drugs have shown beneficial effects on the symptom severity of schizophrenia patients. Corticosteroids are effective in various chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. Prednisolone, a potent glucocorticosteroid, has minor mineral-corticosteroid potencies and can adequately pass the blood-brain barrier and its side effects and safety profile are well known. Therefore, the effect of prednisolone can be studied as a proof of concept for immune modulation as a treatment for schizophrenia.