Zika virus (ZIKV) is a neurotropic flavivirus that causes several diseases including birth defects such as microcephaly. Intrinsic immunity is known to be a frontline defense against viruses through host anti-viral restriction factors. Limited knowledge is available on intrinsic immunity against ZIKV in brains. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is predominantly expressed in brains and implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's diseases. We have found that ZIKV interacts with APP, and viral infection increases APP expression via enhancing protein stability. Moreover, we identified the viral peptide, HGSQHSGMIVNDTGHETDENRAKVEITPNSPRAEATLGGFGSLGL, which is capable of en-hancing APP expression. We observed that aging brain tissues with APP had protective effects on ZIKV infection by reducing the availability of the viruses. Also, knockdown of APP expression or blocking ZIKV-APP interactions enhanced ZIKV replication in human neural progenitor/stem cells. Finally, intracranial infection of ZIKV in APP-null neonatal mice resulted in higher mortality and viral yields. Taken together, these findings suggest that APP is a restriction factor that protects against ZIKV by serving as a decoy receptor, and plays a protective role in ZIKV-mediated brain injuries.

PREAMBLE

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and professional organization founded in 1954 to promote the science, technology, and practical application of nuclear medicine. The European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) is a professional nonprofit medical association that facilitates communication worldwide between individuals pursuing clinical and research excellence in nuclear medicine. The EANM was founded in 1985. The EANM was founded in 1985. SNMMI and EANM members are physicians, technologists, and scientists specializing in the research and practice of nuclear medicine.

The SNMMI and EANM will periodically define new guidelines for nuclear medicine practice to help advance the science of nuclear medicine and to improve the quality of service to patients throughout the world. Existing practice guidelines will be reviewed for revision or renewal, as appropriate, on their fifth anniversary or sooner, if indicated.

Each practice guideline, representing a policy statement by the SNMMI/EANM, has undergone a thorough consensus process in which it has been subjected to extensive review. The SNMMI and EANM recognize that the safe and effective use of diagnostic nuclear medicine imaging requires specific training, skills, and techniques, as described in each document. Reproduction or modification of the published practice guideline by those entities not providing these services is not authorized.

These guidelines are an educational tool designed to assist practitioners in providing appropriate care for patients. They are not inflexible rules or requirements of practice and are not intended, nor should they be used, to establish a legal standard of care. For these reasons and those set forth below, both the SNMMI and the EANM caution against the use of these guidelines in litigation in which the clinical decisions of a practitioner are called into question.

The ultimate judgment regarding the propriety of any specific procedure or course of action must be made by the physician or medical physicist in light of all the circumstances presented. Thus, there is no implication that an approach differing from the guidelines, standing alone, is below the standard of care. To the contrary, a conscientious practitioner may responsibly adopt a course of action different from that set forth in the guidelines when, in the reasonable judgment of the practitioner, such course of action is indicated by the condition of the patient, limitations of available resources, or advances in knowledge or technology subsequent to publication of the guidelines.

The practice of medicine includes both the art and the science of the prevention, diagnosis, alleviation, and treatment of disease. The variety and complexity of human conditions make it impossible to always reach the most appropriate diagnosis or to predict with certainty a particular response to treatment.

Therefore, it should be recognized that adherence to these guidelines will not ensure an accurate diagnosis or a successful outcome. All that should be expected is that the practitioner will follow a reasonable course of action based on current knowledge, available resources, and the needs of the patient to deliver effective and safe medical care. The sole purpose of these guidelines is to assist practitioners in achieving this objective.

Researchers use dynamic PET imaging with target-selective tracer molecules to probe molecular processes. Kinetic models have been developed to describe these processes. The models are typically fitted to the measured PET data with the assumption that the brain is in a steady-state condition for the duration of the scan. The end results are quantitative parameters that characterize the molecular processes. The most common kinetic modeling endpoints are estimates of volume of distribution or the binding potential of a tracer. If the steady state is violated during the scanning period, the standard kinetic models may not apply. To address this issue, time-variant kinetic models have been developed for the characterization of dynamic PET data acquired while significant changes (e.g., short-lived neurotransmitter changes) are occurring in brain processes. These models are intended to extract a transient signal from data. This work in the PET field dates back at least to the 1990s. As interest has grown in imaging nonsteady events, development and refinement of time-variant models has accelerated. These new models, which we classify as belonging to the first, second, or third generation according to their innovation, have used the latest progress in mathematics, image processing, artificial intelligence, and statistics to improve the sensitivity and performance of the earliest practical time-variant models to detect and describe nonsteady phenomena. This review provides a detailed overview of the history of time-variant models in PET. It puts key advancements in the field into historical and scientific context. The sum total of the methods is an ongoing attempt to better understand the nature and implications of neurotransmitter fluctuations and other brief neurochemical phenomena.

Visual Abstract

Alba Simats
Dec 1, 2020; 19:1921-1935
Research

Douglas A. Andres
Dec 1, 2020; 61:1537-1537
Images in Lipid Research

Cognitive decline with age is a harmful process that can reduce quality of life. Multiple factors have been established to contribute to cognitive decline, but the overall etiology remains unknown. Here, we hypothesized that cognitive dysfunction is mediated, in part, by increased levels of inflammatory cytokines that alter allopregnanolone (AlloP) levels, an important neurosteroid in the brain. We assessed the levels and regulation of AlloP and the effects of AlloP supplementation on cognitive function in 4-month-old and 24-month-old male C57BL/6 mice. With age, the expression of enzymes involved in the AlloP synthetic pathway was decreased and corticosterone (CORT) synthesis increased. Supplementation of AlloP improved cognitive function. Interestingly, interleukin 6 (IL-6) infusion in young animals significantly reduced the production of AlloP compared with controls. It is notable that inhibition of IL-6 with its natural inhibitor, soluble membrane glycoprotein 130, significantly improved spatial memory in aged mice. These findings were supported by in vitro experiments in primary murine astrocyte cultures, indicating that IL-6 decreases production of AlloP and increases CORT levels. Our results indicate that age-related increases in IL-6 levels reduce progesterone substrate availability, resulting in a decline in AlloP levels and an increase in CORT. Furthermore, our results indicate that AlloP is a critical link between inflammatory cytokines and the age-related decline in cognitive function.

Stroke remains a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Despite continuous advances, the identification of key molecular signatures in the hyper-acute phase of ischemic stroke is still a primary interest for translational research on stroke diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Data integration from high-throughput -omics techniques has become crucial to unraveling key interactions among different molecular elements in complex biological contexts, such as ischemic stroke. Thus, we used advanced data integration methods for a multi-level joint analysis of transcriptomics and proteomics data sets obtained from mouse brains at 2 h after cerebral ischemia. By modeling net-like correlation structures, we identified an integrated network of genes and proteins that are differentially expressed at a very early stage after stroke. We validated 10 of these deregulated elements in acute stroke, and changes in their expression pattern over time after cerebral ischemia were described. Of these, CLDN20, GADD45G, RGS2, BAG5, and CTNND2 were next evaluated as blood biomarkers of cerebral ischemia in mice and human blood samples, which were obtained from stroke patients and patients presenting stroke-mimicking conditions. Our findings indicate that CTNND2 levels in blood might potentially be useful for distinguishing ischemic strokes from stroke-mimicking conditions in the hyper-acute phase of the disease. Furthermore, circulating GADD45G content within the first 6 h after stroke could also play a key role in predicting poor outcomes in stroke patients. For the first time, we have used an integrative biostatistical approach to elucidate key molecules in the initial stages of stroke pathophysiology and highlight new notable molecules that might be further considered as blood biomarkers of ischemic stroke.

The wealthiest person on Earth has taken the next step toward a commercial brain interface

Stimulating the sleeping brain may ease suffering from memory loss, stroke or mental health problems

A study reveals the hidden dangers of night time light pollution for brain health.

High IQ brains have greater functional connectivity and higher synchronisation, but this has an unexpected real-world effect.

Find out how and why your brain divides your day into meaningful chapters.

Which types of exercise can help keep the brain healthy?

Roger Dooley's Brainfluence has been translated into eleven languages, but the new Spanish reading is the first audio audio translation.

The post Spanish Audiobook for Brainfluence appeared first on Neuromarketing.

Who says neuroscience can’t be fun? The toy giant Mattel makes Mindflex, a toy that lets players control a ping pong ball with their brain waves. I wrote about the toy way back in 2009, and was surprised to find it was still selling. It seemed like a gimmick when introduced, and I didn’t expect […]

The post Mattel Mindflex Game: Brain-controlled Neuro-Toy appeared first on Neuromarketing.

Yale scientists used brain imaging to compare face-to-face meetings with virtual sessions.

The post Your Brain on Zoom Calls: New Research appeared first on Neuromarketing.

Addiction isn’t a condition that just affects your behavior; it also affects your brain and body. Therefore, to recover from addiction, it’s not enough to simply quit using substances. Your brain also has to undergo certain changes to detox and recuperate. Knowing how the brain heals from addiction can help throw light on the science […]

The post How the Brain Heals from Addiction first appeared on What is Psychology?.

From guest blogger Kimberly Shannon Rhode Island Education Commissioner Deborah Gist has been diagnosed with a brain tumor and will undergo surgery in September, according to the Associated Press. She is expected to have a full recovery, but will be working a limited schedule until her operation. Af

Wen Grace Chen
Nov 9, 2022; 42:8498-8507
Symposium and Mini-Symposium

Christelle Anaclet
Dec 12, 2012; 32:17970-17976
BehavioralSystemsCognitive

Yasmin L. Hurd
Oct 16, 2019; 39:8250-8258
Symposium and Mini-Symposium

Krista L. Hyde
Mar 11, 2009; 29:3019-3025
Development Plasticity Repair

Elle M. Murata
Sep 18, 2024; 44:e0573242024-e0573242024
BehavioralSystemsCognitive

Emerging research in nonhuman animals implicates cerebellar projections to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in appetitive behaviors, but these circuits have not been characterized in humans. Here, we mapped cerebello-VTA white matter connectivity in a cohort of men and women using probabilistic tractography on diffusion imaging data from the Human Connectome Project. We uncovered the topographical organization of these connections by separately tracking from parcels of cerebellar lobule VI, crus I/II, vermis, paravermis, and cerebrocerebellum. Results revealed that connections between the cerebellum and VTA predominantly originate in the right cerebellar hemisphere, interposed nucleus, and paravermal cortex and terminate mostly ipsilaterally. Paravermal crus I sends the most connections to the VTA compared with other lobules. We discovered a mediolateral gradient of connectivity, such that the medial cerebellum has the highest connectivity with the VTA. Individual differences in microstructure were associated with measures of negative affect and social functioning. By splitting the tracts into quarters, we found that the socioaffective effects were driven by the third quarter of the tract, corresponding to the point at which the fibers leave the deep nuclei. Taken together, we produced detailed maps of cerebello-VTA structural connectivity for the first time in humans and established their relevance for trait differences in socioaffective regulation.

Neuronal cytotoxic edema is implicated in neuronal injury and death, yet mitigating brain edema with osmotic and surgical interventions yields poor clinical outcomes. Importantly, neuronal swelling and its downstream consequences during early brain development remain poorly investigated, and new treatment approaches are needed. We explored Ca²⁺-dependent downstream effects after neuronal cytotoxic edema caused by diverse injuries in mice of both sexes using multiphoton Ca²⁺ imaging in vivo [Postnatal Day (P)12–17] and in acute brain slices (P8–12). After different excitotoxic insults, cytosolic GCaMP6s translocated into the nucleus after a few minutes in a subpopulation of neurons, persisting for hours. We used an automated morphology-detection algorithm to detect neuronal soma and quantified the nuclear translocation of GCaMP6s as the nuclear to cytosolic intensity (N/C ratio). Elevated neuronal N/C ratios occurred concurrently with persistent elevation in Ca²⁺ loads and could also occur independently from neuronal swelling. Electron microscopy revealed that the nuclear translocation was associated with the increased nuclear pore size. The nuclear accumulation of GCaMP6s in neurons led to neocortical circuit dysfunction, mitochondrial pathology, and increased cell death. Inhibiting calpains, a family of Ca²⁺-activated proteases, prevented elevated N/C ratios and neuronal swelling. In summary, in the developing brain, we identified a calpain-dependent alteration of nuclear transport in a subpopulation of neurons after disease-relevant insults leading to long-term circuit dysfunction and cell death. The nuclear translocation of GCaMP6 and other cytosolic proteins after acute excitotoxicity can be an early biomarker of brain injury in the developing brain.

Human sleep exhibits multiple, recurrent temporal regularities, ranging from circadian rhythms to sleep stage cycles and neuronal oscillations during nonrapid eye movement sleep. Moreover, recent evidence revealed a functional role of aperiodic activity, which reliably discriminates different sleep stages. Aperiodic activity is commonly defined as the spectral slope of the 1/frequency (1/f) decay function of the electrophysiological power spectrum. However, several lines of inquiry now indicate that the aperiodic component of the power spectrum might be better characterized by a superposition of several decay processes with associated timescales. Here, we determined multiple timescales, which jointly shape aperiodic activity using human intracranial electroencephalography. Across three independent studies (47 participants, 23 female), our results reveal that aperiodic activity reliably dissociated sleep stage-dependent dynamics in a regionally specific manner. A principled approach to parametrize aperiodic activity delineated several, spatially and state-specific timescales. Lastly, we employed pharmacological modulation by means of propofol anesthesia to disentangle state-invariant timescales that may reflect physical properties of the underlying neural population from state-specific timescales that likely constitute functional interactions. Collectively, these results establish the presence of multiple intrinsic timescales that define the electrophysiological power spectrum during distinct brain states.

We used virus-mediated anterograde and retrograde tracing, optogenetic modulation, immunostaining, in situ hybridization, and patch-clamp recordings in acute brain slices to study the release mechanism and μ-opioid modulation of the dual glutamatergic/GABAergic inputs from the ventral tegmental area and supramammillary nucleus to the granule cells of the dorsal hippocampus of male and female mice. In keeping with previous reports showing that the two transmitters are released by separate active zones within the same terminals, we found that the short-term plasticity and pharmacological modulation of the glutamatergic and GABAergic currents are indistinguishable. We further found that glutamate and GABA release at these synapses are both virtually completely mediated by N- and P/Q-type calcium channels. We then investigated μ-opioid modulation of these synapses and found that activation of μ-opioid receptors (MORs) strongly inhibits the glutamate and GABA release, mostly through inhibition of presynaptic N-type channels. However, the modulation by MORs of these dual synapses is complex, as it likely includes also a disinhibition due to downmodulation of local GABAergic interneurons which make direct axo-axonic contacts with the dual glutamatergic/GABAergic terminals. We discuss how this opioid modulation may enhance LTP at the perforant path inputs, potentially contributing to reinforce memories of drug-associated contexts.

Hyperbilirubinemia (HB) is a key risk factor for hearing loss in neonates, particularly premature infants. Here, we report that bilirubin (BIL)-dependent cell death in the auditory brainstem of neonatal mice of both sexes is significantly attenuated by ZD7288, a blocker for hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel-mediated current (I_h), or by genetic deletion of HCN1. GABAergic inhibitory interneurons predominantly express HCN1, on which BIL selectively acts to increase their intrinsic excitability and mortality by enhancing HCN1 activity and Ca²⁺-dependent membrane targeting. Chronic BIL elevation in neonatal mice in vivo increases the fraction of spontaneously active interneurons and their firing frequency, I_h, and death, compromising audition at the young adult stage in HCN1^+/+, but not in HCN1^–/– genotype. We conclude that HB preferentially targets HCN1 to injure inhibitory interneurons, fueling a feedforward loop in which lessening inhibition cascades hyperexcitability, Ca²⁺ overload, neuronal death, and auditory impairments. These findings rationalize HCN1 as a potential target for managing HB encephalopathy.

A new study identified the tiny pollutants in the olfactory bulbs of eight cadavers, suggesting microplastics can travel through the nose to the brain

The brain diagram, called a connectome, could revolutionize researchers' understanding of the human brain, which has many parallels with a fruit fly's

Scientists used EEG headsets, MRI machines and eye trackers to study volunteers' responses to five paintings housed at the Mauritshuis museum in the Netherlands

Genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) allow for the noninvasive evaluation of neuronal activity in vivo, and imaging GECIs in Drosophila has become commonplace for understanding neural functions and connectivity in this system. GECIs can also be used as read-outs for studying sleep in this model organism. Here, we describe a methodology for tracking the activity of neurons in the fly brain using a two-photon (2p) microscopy system. This method can be adapted to perform functional studies of neural activity in Drosophila under both spontaneous and evoked conditions, as well as during spontaneous or induced sleep. We first describe a tethering and surgical procedure that allows survival under the microscopy conditions required for long-term recordings. We then outline the steps and reagents required for optogenetic activation of sleep-promoting neurons while simultaneously recording neural activity from the fly brain. We also describe the procedure for recording from two different locations—namely, the top of the head (e.g., to record mushroom body calyx activity) or the back of the head (e.g., to record central complex activity). We also provide different strategies for recording from GECIs confined to the cell body versus the entire neuron. Finally, we describe the steps required for analyzing the multidimensional data that can be acquired. In all, this protocol shows how to perform calcium imaging experiments in tethered flies, with a focus on acquiring spontaneous and induced sleep data.

Sleep studies in Drosophila melanogaster rely mostly on behavioral read-outs to support molecular or circuit-level investigations in this model. Electrophysiology can provide an additional level of understanding in these studies to, for example, investigate changes in brain activity associated with sleep manipulations. In this protocol, we describe a procedure for performing multichannel local field potential (LFP) recordings in the fruit fly, with a flexible system that can be adapted to different experimental paradigms and situations. The approach uses electrodes containing multiple recording sites (16), allowing the acquisition of large amounts of neuronal activity data from a transect through the brain while flies are still able to sleep. The approach starts by tethering the fly, followed by positioning it on an air-supported ball. A multichannel silicon probe is then inserted laterally into the fly brain via one eye, allowing for recording of electrical signals from the retina through to the central brain. These recordings can be acquired under spontaneous conditions or in the presence of visual stimuli, and the minimal surgery promotes long-term recordings (e.g., overnight). Sleep and wake can be tracked using infrared cameras, which allow for the measurement of locomotive activity as well as microbehaviors such as proboscis extensions during sleep. The protocol has been optimized to promote subject survivability, which is an important factor when performing long-term (~16-h) recordings. The approach described here uses specific recording probes, data acquisition devices, and analysis tools. Although it is expected that some of these items might need to be adapted to the equipment available in different laboratories, the overall aim is to provide an overview on how to record electrical activity across the brain of behaving (and sleeping) flies using this kind of approach and technology.

Sleep is likely a whole-brain phenomenon, with most of the brain probably benefiting from this state of decreased arousal. Recent advances in our understanding of some potential sleep functions, such as metabolite clearance and synaptic homeostasis, make it evident why the whole brain is likely impacted by sleep: All neurons have synapses, and all neurons produce waste metabolites. Sleep experiments in the fly Drosophila melanogaster suggest that diverse sleep functions appear to be conserved across all animals. Studies of brain activity during sleep in humans typically involve multidimensional data sets, such as those acquired by electroencephalograms (EEGs) or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and these whole-brain read-outs often reveal important qualities of different sleep stages, such as changes in frequency dynamics or connectivity. Recently, various techniques have been developed that allow for the recording of neural activity simultaneously across multiple regions of the fly brain. These whole-brain-recording approaches will be important for better understanding sleep physiology and function, as they provide a more comprehensive view of neural dynamics during sleep and wake in a relevant model system. Here, we present a brief summary of some of the findings derived from sleep activity recording studies in sleeping Drosophila flies and discuss the value of electrophysiological versus calcium imaging techniques. Although these involve very different preparations, they both highlight the value of multidimensional data for studying sleep in this model system, like the use of both EEG and fMRI in humans.

Boys and girls start out on the same biological footing when it comes to math, finds the first neuroimaging study of math gender differences in children, published this month in the journal Science of Learning.

Roddy Carter, a US-based doctor who is now a personal coach, says using neuroscience to understand the brain can help you to gain personal mastery. Carter spoke at the recent Humans Under Management conference, writes Laura du Preez.

When the brain experiences an injury, it can be difficult to definitively diagnose a concussion as the trauma is often limited to inside the skull and cannot be accurately assessed, according Reuben Kraft, a professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State. Kraft's research team is using computational methods and tools — such as custom mouthguard sensors — to model and predict injury in the human brain. 

A team of researchers at Penn State College of Medicine and collaborators from five different institutes has created a 3D atlas of developing mice brains, providing a more dynamic understanding of how the mammalian brain develops. This atlas provides a common reference and anatomical framework to help researchers understand brain development and study neurodevelopmental disorders.

Second grade teacher Tita Ugalde explains how giving 'brain breaks' lets her students shake out their extra energy and refuel in between lessons.

A team of researchers led by Nanyin Zhang, the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Brain Imaging and professor of biomedical engineering at Penn State, recently published their findings about how blood flow changes to different brain regions relate to what is happening with the brain's neurons.

A study from NYU reveals that kidney and nerve cells can perform memory-like functions, suggesting memory capabilities are not restricted to the brain. By replicating a spaced learning process, scientists observed memory gene activation in these non-neural cells, expanding possibilities for enhancing learning and treating memory-related health issues.

Eating at irregular times is said to be related to weight gain and diabetes, largely because it is not in sync with one's body clock.

Custom-made wool caps have enabled scientists to record electroencephalograms in awake cats for the first time, which could help assess their pain levels

Research has found the universe is remarkably similar in structure to the human brain. But does this mean the cosmos has a consciousness of its own?

Recent fossil finds suggest that big brains weren't an evolutionary asset to our ancestors but evolved by accident – and are likely to shrink again in the near future

Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have unexpected effects on the brain, opening up potential new ways to treat depression, anxiety, addiction and Alzheimer’s