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Sfera A, Andronescu L, Britt WG, Himsl K, Klein C, Rahman L, Kozlakidis Z. Receptor-Independent Therapies for Forensic Detainees with Schizophrenia-Dementia Comorbidity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15797. [PMID: 37958780 PMCID: PMC10647468 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Forensic institutions throughout the world house patients with severe psychiatric illness and history of criminal violations. Improved medical care, hygiene, psychiatric treatment, and nutrition led to an unmatched longevity in this population, which previously lived, on average, 15 to 20 years shorter than the public at large. On the other hand, longevity has contributed to increased prevalence of age-related diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, which complicate clinical management, increasing healthcare expenditures. Forensic institutions, originally intended for the treatment of younger individuals, are ill-equipped for the growing number of older offenders. Moreover, as antipsychotic drugs became available in 1950s and 1960s, we are observing the first generation of forensic detainees who have aged on dopamine-blocking agents. Although the consequences of long-term treatment with these agents are unclear, schizophrenia-associated gray matter loss may contribute to the development of early dementia. Taken together, increased lifespan and the subsequent cognitive deficit observed in long-term forensic institutions raise questions and dilemmas unencountered by the previous generations of clinicians. These include: does the presence of neurocognitive dysfunction justify antipsychotic dose reduction or discontinuation despite a lifelong history of schizophrenia and violent behavior? Should neurolipidomic interventions become the standard of care in elderly individuals with lifelong schizophrenia and dementia? Can patients with schizophrenia and dementia meet the Dusky standard to stand trial? Should neurocognitive disorders in the elderly with lifelong schizophrenia be treated differently than age-related neurodegeneration? In this article, we hypothesize that gray matter loss is the core symptom of schizophrenia which leads to dementia. We hypothesize further that strategies to delay or stop gray matter depletion would not only improve the schizophrenia sustained recovery, but also avert the development of major neurocognitive disorders in people living with schizophrenia. Based on this hypothesis, we suggest utilization of both receptor-dependent and independent therapeutics for chronic psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adonis Sfera
- Paton State Hospital, 3102 Highland Ave, Patton, CA 92369, USA; (L.A.); (K.H.)
- School of Behavioral Health, Loma Linda University, 11139 Anderson St., Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Riverside 900 University Ave, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Luminita Andronescu
- Paton State Hospital, 3102 Highland Ave, Patton, CA 92369, USA; (L.A.); (K.H.)
| | - William G. Britt
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA;
| | - Kiera Himsl
- Paton State Hospital, 3102 Highland Ave, Patton, CA 92369, USA; (L.A.); (K.H.)
| | - Carolina Klein
- California Department of State Hospitals, Sacramento, CA 95814, USA;
| | - Leah Rahman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, 1585 E 13th Ave, Eugene, OR 97403, USA;
| | - Zisis Kozlakidis
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, 69366 Lyon Cedex, France;
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2
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Oane I, Barborica A, Mindruta IR. Cingulate Cortex: Anatomy, Structural and Functional Connectivity. J Clin Neurophysiol 2023; 40:482-490. [PMID: 36930223 DOI: 10.1097/wnp.0000000000000970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
SUMMARY The cingulate cortex is a paired brain region located on the medial wall of each hemisphere. This review explores the anatomy as well as the structural and functional connectivity of the cingulate cortex underlying essential roles this region plays in emotion, autonomic, cognitive, motor control, visual-spatial processing, and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Oane
- Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, Neurology Department, University Emergency Hospital Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Andrei Barborica
- Physics Department, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania; and
| | - Ioana R Mindruta
- Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, Neurology Department, University Emergency Hospital Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
- Neurology Department, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
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3
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Renner J, Rasia-Filho AA. Morphological Features of Human Dendritic Spines. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 34:367-496. [PMID: 37962801 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-36159-3_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Dendritic spine features in human neurons follow the up-to-date knowledge presented in the previous chapters of this book. Human dendrites are notable for their heterogeneity in branching patterns and spatial distribution. These data relate to circuits and specialized functions. Spines enhance neuronal connectivity, modulate and integrate synaptic inputs, and provide additional plastic functions to microcircuits and large-scale networks. Spines present a continuum of shapes and sizes, whose number and distribution along the dendritic length are diverse in neurons and different areas. Indeed, human neurons vary from aspiny or "relatively aspiny" cells to neurons covered with a high density of intermingled pleomorphic spines on very long dendrites. In this chapter, we discuss the phylogenetic and ontogenetic development of human spines and describe the heterogeneous features of human spiny neurons along the spinal cord, brainstem, cerebellum, thalamus, basal ganglia, amygdala, hippocampal regions, and neocortical areas. Three-dimensional reconstructions of Golgi-impregnated dendritic spines and data from fluorescence microscopy are reviewed with ultrastructural findings to address the complex possibilities for synaptic processing and integration in humans. Pathological changes are also presented, for example, in Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. Basic morphological data can be linked to current techniques, and perspectives in this research field include the characterization of spines in human neurons with specific transcriptome features, molecular classification of cellular diversity, and electrophysiological identification of coexisting subpopulations of cells. These data would enlighten how cellular attributes determine neuron type-specific connectivity and brain wiring for our diverse aptitudes and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josué Renner
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology and Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Alberto A Rasia-Filho
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology and Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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4
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Asakage S, Nakano T. The salience network is activated during self-recognition from both first-person and third-person perspectives. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 44:559-570. [PMID: 36129447 PMCID: PMC9842878 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
We usually observe ourselves from two perspectives. One is the first-person perspective, which we perceive directly with our own eyes, and the other is the third-person perspective, which we observe ourselves in a mirror or a picture. However, whether the self-recognition associated with these two perspectives has a common or separate neural basis remains unclear. To address this, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain activity while participants viewed pretaped video clips of themselves and others engaged in meal preparation taken from first-person and third-person perspectives. We found that the first-person behavioral videos of the participants and others induced greater activation in the premotor-intraparietal region. In contrast, the third-person behavioral videos induced greater activation in the default mode network compared with the first-person videos. Regardless of the perspective, the videos of the participants induced greater activation in the salience network than the videos of others. On the other hand, the videos of others induced greater activation in the precuneus and lingual gyrus than the videos of the participants. These results suggest that the salience network is commonly involved in self-recognition from both perspectives, even though the brain regions involved in action observation for the two perspectives are distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoko Asakage
- Graduate School of Frontiers BioscienceOsaka UniversityOsakaJapan
| | - Tamami Nakano
- Graduate School of Frontiers BioscienceOsaka UniversityOsakaJapan,Graduate School of MedicineOsaka UniversityOsakaJapan,Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet)OsakaJapan
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5
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Molnar-Szakacs I, Uddin LQ. Anterior insula as a gatekeeper of executive control. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 139:104736. [PMID: 35700753 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Executive control is a complex high-level cognitive function that relies on distributed brain circuitry. We propose that the anterior insular cortex plays an under-appreciated role in executive processes, acting as a gatekeeper to other brain regions and networks by virtue of primacy of action and effective connectivity. The flexible functional profile of the anterior insular subdivision renders it a key hub within the broader midcingulo-insular 'salience network', allowing it to orchestrate and drive activity of other major functional brain networks including the medial frontoparietal 'default mode network' and lateral frontoparietal 'central executive network'. The microanatomy and large-scale connectivity of the insular cortex positions it to play a critical role in triaging and integrating internal and external multisensory stimuli in the service of initiating higher-order control functions. Multiple lines of evidence scaffold the novel hypothesis that, as a key hub for integration and a lever of network switching, the anterior insula serves as a critical gatekeeper to executive control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucina Q Uddin
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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6
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Better living through understanding the insula: Why subregions can make all the difference. Neuropharmacology 2021; 198:108765. [PMID: 34461066 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Insula function is considered critical for many motivated behaviors, with proposed functions ranging from attention, behavioral control, emotional regulation, goal-directed and aversion-resistant responding. Further, the insula is implicated in many neuropsychiatric conditions including substance abuse. More recently, multiple insula subregions have been distinguished based on anatomy, connectivity, and functional contributions. Generally, posterior insula is thought to encode more somatosensory inputs, which integrate with limbic/emotional information in middle insula, that in turn integrate with cognitive processes in anterior insula. Together, these regions provide rapid interoceptive information about the current or predicted situation, facilitating autonomic recruitment and quick, flexible action. Here, we seek to create a robust foundation from which to understand potential subregion differences, and provide direction for future studies. We address subregion differences across humans and rodents, so that the latter's mechanistic interventions can best mesh with clinical relevance of human conditions. We first consider the insula's suggested roles in humans, then compare subregional studies, and finally describe rodent work. One primary goal is to encourage precision in describing insula subregions, since imprecision (e.g. including both posterior and anterior studies when describing insula work) does a disservice to a larger understanding of insula contributions. Additionally, we note that specific task details can greatly impact recruitment of various subregions, requiring care and nuance in design and interpretation of studies. Nonetheless, the central ethological importance of the insula makes continued research to uncover mechanistic, mood, and behavioral contributions of paramount importance and interest. This article is part of the special Issue on 'Neurocircuitry Modulating Drug and Alcohol Abuse'.
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7
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Banovac I, Sedmak D, Judaš M, Petanjek Z. Von Economo Neurons - Primate-Specific or Commonplace in the Mammalian Brain? Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:714611. [PMID: 34539353 PMCID: PMC8440978 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.714611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The pioneering work by von Economo in 1925 on the cytoarchitectonics of the cerebral cortex revealed a specialized and unique cell type in the adult human fronto-insular (FI) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). In modern studies, these neurons are termed von Economo neurons (VENs). In his work, von Economo described them as stick, rod or corkscrew cells because of their extremely elongated and relatively thin cell body clearly distinguishable from common oval or spindle-shaped infragranular principal neurons. Before von Economo, in 1899 Cajal depicted the unique somato-dendritic morphology of such cells with extremely elongated soma in the FI. However, although VENs are increasingly investigated, Cajal’s observation is still mainly being neglected. On Golgi staining in humans, VENs have a thick and long basal trunk with horizontally oriented terminal branching (basilar skirt) from where the axon arises. They are clearly distinguishable from a spectrum of modified pyramidal neurons found in infragranular layers, including oval or spindle-shaped principal neurons. Spindle-shaped cells with highly elongated cell body were also observed in the ACC of great apes, but despite similarities in soma shape, their dendritic and axonal morphology has still not been described in sufficient detail. Studies identifying VENs in non-human species are predominantly done on Nissl or anti-NeuN staining. In most of these studies, the dendritic and axonal morphology of the analyzed cells was not demonstrated and many of the cells found on Nissl or anti-NeuN staining had a cell body shape characteristic for common oval or spindle-shaped cells. Here we present an extensive literature overview on VENs, which demonstrates that human VENs are specialized elongated principal cells with unique somato-dendritic morphology found abundantly in the FI and ACC of the human brain. More research is needed to properly evaluate the presence of such specialized cells in other primates and non-primate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Banovac
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dora Sedmak
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Miloš Judaš
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Zdravko Petanjek
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
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8
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Jacob J, Kent M, Benson-Amram S, Herculano-Houzel S, Raghanti MA, Ploppert E, Drake J, Hindi B, Natale NR, Daniels S, Fanelli R, Miller A, Landis T, Gilbert A, Johnson S, Lai A, Hyer M, Rzucidlo A, Anchor C, Gehrt S, Lambert K. Cytoarchitectural characteristics associated with cognitive flexibility in raccoons. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3375-3388. [PMID: 34076254 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
With rates of psychiatric illnesses such as depression continuing to rise, additional preclinical models are needed to facilitate translational neuroscience research. In the current study, the raccoon (Procyon lotor) was investigated due to its similarities with primate brains, including comparable proportional neuronal densities, cortical magnification of the forepaw area, and cortical gyrification. Specifically, we report on the cytoarchitectural characteristics of raccoons profiled as high, intermediate, or low solvers in a multiaccess problem-solving task. Isotropic fractionation indicated that high-solvers had significantly more cells in the hippocampus (HC) than the other solving groups; further, a nonsignificant trend suggested that this increase in cell profile density was due to increased nonneuronal (e.g., glial) cells. Group differences were not observed in the cellular density of the somatosensory cortex. Thionin-based staining confirmed the presence of von Economo neurons (VENs) in the frontoinsular cortex, although no impact of solving ability on VEN cell profile density levels was observed. Elongated fusiform cells were quantified in the HC dentate gyrus where high-solvers were observed to have higher levels of this cell type than the other solving groups. In sum, the current findings suggest that varying cytoarchitectural phenotypes contribute to cognitive flexibility. Additional research is necessary to determine the translational value of cytoarchitectural distribution patterns on adaptive behavioral outcomes associated with cognitive performance and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Jacob
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Molly Kent
- Department of Biology, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia, USA
| | - Sarah Benson-Amram
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Mary Ann Raghanti
- Department of Anthropology, School of Biomedical Sciences, and Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA
| | - Emily Ploppert
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Jack Drake
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Bilal Hindi
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Nick R Natale
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Sarah Daniels
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Rachel Fanelli
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Anderson Miller
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Tim Landis
- Department of Psychology, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia, USA
| | - Amy Gilbert
- USDA-APHIS-WS National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Shylo Johnson
- USDA-APHIS-WS National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Annie Lai
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Molly Hyer
- Department of Psychology, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia, USA
| | - Amanda Rzucidlo
- Forest Preserve District of Cook County, River Forest, Illinois, USA
| | - Chris Anchor
- Forest Preserve District of Cook County, River Forest, Illinois, USA
| | - Stan Gehrt
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Kelly Lambert
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, USA
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9
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Fathy YY, Hoogers SE, Berendse HW, van der Werf YD, Visser PJ, de Jong FJ, van de Berg WDJ. Differential insular cortex sub-regional atrophy in neurodegenerative diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 14:2799-2816. [PMID: 31011951 PMCID: PMC7648006 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00099-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The insular cortex is proposed to function as a central brain hub characterized by wide-spread connections and diverse functional roles. As a result, its centrality in the brain confers high metabolic demands predisposing it to dysfunction in disease. However, the functional profile and vulnerability to degeneration varies across the insular sub-regions. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to summarize and quantitatively analyze the relationship between insular cortex sub-regional atrophy, studied by voxel based morphometry, with cognitive and neuropsychiatric deficits in frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). We systematically searched through Pubmed and Embase and identified 519 studies that fit our criteria. A total of 41 studies (n = 2261 subjects) fulfilled the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. The peak insular coordinates were pooled and analyzed using Anatomic Likelihood Estimation. Our results showed greater left anterior insular cortex atrophy in FTD whereas the right anterior dorsal insular cortex showed larger clusters of atrophy in AD and PD/DLB. Yet contrast analyses did not reveal significant differences between disease groups. Functional analysis showed that left anterior insular cortex atrophy is associated with speech, emotion, and affective-cognitive deficits, and right dorsal atrophy with perception and cognitive deficits. In conclusion, insular sub-regional atrophy, particularly the anterior dorsal region, may contribute to cognitive and neuropsychiatric deficits in neurodegeneration. Our results support anterior insular cortex vulnerability and convey the differential involvement of the insular sub-regions in functional deficits in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine Y Fathy
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | - Susanne E Hoogers
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus Medical Center, Postbus, 2040 3000, Rotterdam, CA, Netherlands
| | - Henk W Berendse
- Department of Neurology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ysbrand D van der Werf
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Neuropsychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pieter J Visser
- Department of Neurology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Frank J de Jong
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus Medical Center, Postbus, 2040 3000, Rotterdam, CA, Netherlands
| | - Wilma D J van de Berg
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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10
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Jacot-Descombes S, Keshav N, Brosch CMS, Wicinski B, Warda T, Norcliffe-Kaufmann L, Kaufmann H, Varghese M, Hof PR. Von Economo Neuron Pathology in Familial Dysautonomia: Quantitative Assessment and Possible Implications. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2021; 79:1072-1083. [PMID: 32954436 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlaa095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Von Economo neurons (VENs) and fork cells are principally located in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the frontoinsular cortex (FI). Both of these regions integrate inputs from the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and are involved in decision-making and perception of the emotional states of self and others. Familial dysautonomia (FD) is an orphan disorder characterized by autonomic dysfunction and behavioral abnormalities including repetitive behavior and emotional rigidity, which are also seen in autism spectrum disorder. To understand a possible link between the ANS and the cortical regions implicated in emotion regulation we studied VENs and fork cells in an autonomic disorder. We determined the densities of VENs, fork cells, and pyramidal neurons and the ratio of VENs and fork cells to pyramidal neurons in ACC and FI in 4 FD patient and 6 matched control brains using a stereologic approach. We identified alterations in densities of VENs and pyramidal neurons and their distributions in the ACC and FI in FD brains. These data suggest that alterations in migration and numbers of VENs may be involved in FD pathophysiology thereby supporting the notion of a functional link between VENs, the ANS and the peripheral nervous system in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Jacot-Descombes
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience.,Friedman Brain Institute.,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne - Geneva, Geneva University Hospitals
| | - Neha Keshav
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience.,Friedman Brain Institute.,Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment
| | - Carla Micaela Santos Brosch
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience.,Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, University Hospitals and School of Medicine Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bridget Wicinski
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience.,Friedman Brain Institute
| | - Tahia Warda
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience.,Friedman Brain Institute
| | - Lucy Norcliffe-Kaufmann
- Department of Neurology, Dysautonomia Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Horacio Kaufmann
- Department of Neurology, Dysautonomia Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Merina Varghese
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience.,Friedman Brain Institute
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience.,Friedman Brain Institute.,Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment
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11
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Banovac I, Sedmak D, Džaja D, Jalšovec D, Jovanov Milošević N, Rašin MR, Petanjek Z. Somato-dendritic morphology and axon origin site specify von Economo neurons as a subclass of modified pyramidal neurons in the human anterior cingulate cortex. J Anat 2020; 235:651-669. [PMID: 31435943 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Von Economo neurons (VENs) are modified pyramidal neurons characterized by an extremely elongated rod-shaped soma. They are abundant in layer V of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and fronto-insular cortex (FI) of the human brain, and have long been described as a human-specific neuron type. Recently, VENs have been reported in the ACC of apes and the FI of macaque monkeys. The first description of the somato-dendritic morphology of VENs in the FI by Cajal in 1899 (Textura del Sistema Nervioso del Hombre y de los Vertebrados, Tomo II. Madrid: Nicolas Moya) strongly suggested that they were a unique neuron subtype with specific morphological features. It is surprising that a clarification of this extremely important observation has not yet been attempted, especially as possible misidentification of other oval or fusiform cells as VENs has become relevant in many recently published studies. Here, we analyzed sections of Brodmann area 24 (ACC) stained with rapid Golgi and Golgi-Cox in five adult human specimens, and confirmed Cajal's observations. In addition, we established a comprehensive morphological description of VENs. VENs have a distinct somato-dendritic morphology that allows their clear distinction from other modified pyramidal neurons. We established that VENs have a perpendicularly oriented, stick-shaped core part consisting of the cell body and two thick extensions - an apical and basal stem. The perpendicular length of the core part was 150-250 μm and the thickness was 10-21 μm. The core part was characterized by a lack of clear demarcation between the cell body and the two extensions. Numerous thin, spiny and horizontally oriented side dendrites arose from the cell body. The basal extension of the core part typically ended by giving numerous smaller dendrites with a brush-like branching pattern. The apical extension had a topology typical for apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons. The dendrites arising from the core part had a high dendritic spine density. The most distinct feature of VENs was the distant origin site of the axon, which arose from the ending of the basal extension, often having a common origin with a dendrite. Quantitative analysis found that VENs could be divided into two groups based on total dendritic length - small VENs with a peak total dendritic length of 1500-2500 μm and large VENs with a peak total dendritic length of 5000-6000 μm. Comparative morphological analysis of VENs and other oval and fusiform modified pyramidal neurons showed that on Nissl sections small VENs might be difficult to identify, and that oval and fusiform neurons could be misidentified as VENs. Our analysis of Golgi slides of Brodmann area 9 from a total of 32 adult human subjects revealed only one cell resembling VEN morphology. Thus, our data show that the numerous recent reports on the presence of VENs in non-primates in other layers and regions of the cortex need further confirmation by showing the dendritic and axonal morphology of these cells. In conclusion, our study provides a foundation for further comprehensive morphological and functional studies on VENs between different species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Banovac
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dora Sedmak
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Domagoj Džaja
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dubravko Jalšovec
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nataša Jovanov Milošević
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Department of Medical Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mladen Roko Rašin
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Zdravko Petanjek
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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12
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Correa-Júnior ND, Renner J, Fuentealba-Villarroel F, Hilbig A, Rasia-Filho AA. Dendritic and Spine Heterogeneity of von Economo Neurons in the Human Cingulate Cortex. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2020; 12:25. [PMID: 32733229 PMCID: PMC7360805 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2020.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The human cingulate cortex (CC), included in the paralimbic cortex, participates in emotion, visceral responses, attention, cognition, and social behaviors. The CC has spindle-shaped/fusiform cell body neurons in its layer V, the von Economo neurons (VENs). VENs have further developed in primates, and the characterization of human VENs can benefit from the detailed descriptions of the shape of dendrites and spines. Here, we advance this issue and studied VENs in the anterior and midcingulate cortex from four neurologically normal adult subjects. We used the thionin technique and the adapted “single-section” Golgi method for light microscopy. Three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions were carried out for the visualization of Golgi-impregnated VENs’ cell body, ascending and descending dendrites, and collateral branches. We also looked for the presence, density, and shape of spines from proximal to distal dendrites. These neurons have a similar aspect for the soma, but features of spiny dendrites evidenced a morphological heterogeneity of CC VENs. Only for the description of this continuum of shapes, we labeled the most common feature as VEN 1, which has main dendritic shafts but few branches and sparse spines. VEN 2 shows an intermediate aspect, whereas VEN 3 displays the most profuse dendritic ramification and more spines with varied shapes from proximal to distal branches. Morphometric data exemplify the dendritic features of these cells. The heterogeneity of the dendritic architecture and spines suggests additional functional implications for the synaptic and information processing in VENs in integrated networks of normal and, possibly, neurological/psychiatric conditions involving the human CC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nivaldo D Correa-Júnior
- Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Josué Renner
- Laboratory of Morphology and Physiology, Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Arlete Hilbig
- Department of Medical Clinics/Neurology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Alberto A Rasia-Filho
- Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Laboratory of Morphology and Physiology, Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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13
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Khrameeva E, Kurochkin I, Han D, Guijarro P, Kanton S, Santel M, Qian Z, Rong S, Mazin P, Sabirov M, Bulat M, Efimova O, Tkachev A, Guo S, Sherwood CC, Camp JG, Pääbo S, Treutlein B, Khaitovich P. Single-cell-resolution transcriptome map of human, chimpanzee, bonobo, and macaque brains. Genome Res 2020; 30:776-789. [PMID: 32424074 PMCID: PMC7263190 DOI: 10.1101/gr.256958.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Identification of gene expression traits unique to the human brain sheds light on the molecular mechanisms underlying human evolution. Here, we searched for uniquely human gene expression traits by analyzing 422 brain samples from humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and macaques representing 33 anatomical regions, as well as 88,047 cell nuclei composing three of these regions. Among 33 regions, cerebral cortex areas, hypothalamus, and cerebellar gray and white matter evolved rapidly in humans. At the cellular level, astrocytes and oligodendrocyte progenitors displayed more differences in the human evolutionary lineage than the neurons. Comparison of the bulk tissue and single-nuclei sequencing revealed that conventional RNA sequencing did not detect up to two-thirds of cell-type-specific evolutionary differences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ilia Kurochkin
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 143028, Russia
| | - Dingding Han
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Patricia Guijarro
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Sabina Kanton
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Malgorzata Santel
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Zhengzong Qian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Shen Rong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Pavel Mazin
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 143028, Russia.,Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 127051, Russia
| | - Marat Sabirov
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Matvei Bulat
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 143028, Russia
| | - Olga Efimova
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 143028, Russia
| | - Anna Tkachev
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 143028, Russia.,Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 127051, Russia
| | - Song Guo
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 143028, Russia.,CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - J Gray Camp
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology, Basel, 4057, Switzerland
| | - Svante Pääbo
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Barbara Treutlein
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Basel, 4058, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Khaitovich
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 143028, Russia.,CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai, 200031, China.,Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, 04103, Germany.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
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14
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Yang L, Yang Y, Yuan J, Sun Y, Dai J, Su B. Transcriptomic Landscape of von Economo Neurons in Human Anterior Cingulate Cortex Revealed by Microdissected-Cell RNA Sequencing. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:838-851. [PMID: 30535007 PMCID: PMC6319179 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The von Economo neurons (VENs) are specialized large bipolar projection neurons with restricted distribution in the human brain, and they are far more abundant in humans than in non-human primates. However, VEN functions remain elusive due to the difficulty of isolating VENs and dissecting their connections in the brain. Here, we combined laser-capture-microdissection with RNA sequencing to describe the transcriptomic profile of VENs from human anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Using pyramidal neurons as reference cells, we identified 344 genes with VEN-associated expression differences, including 215 higher and 129 lower expression genes. Functional enrichment and protein–protein interaction network analyses showed that these genes with VEN-associated expression differences are involved in VEN morphogenesis and functions, such as dendrite branching and axon myelination, and many of them are associated with human social-emotional disorders. With the use of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry assays, we validated four novel VEN markers (VAT1L, CHST8, LYPD1, and SULF2). Collectively, we generated a full-spectrum expression profile of VENs from human ACC, greatly enlarging the pool of genes with VEN-associated expression differences that can help researchers to understand the role of VENs in normal and disordered human brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yandong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiamiao Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Chinese Brain Bank Center, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiapei Dai
- Chinese Brain Bank Center, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
| | - Bing Su
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
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15
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André N, Audiffren M, Baumeister RF. An Integrative Model of Effortful Control. Front Syst Neurosci 2019; 13:79. [PMID: 31920573 PMCID: PMC6933500 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2019.00079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This article presents an integrative model of effortful control, a resource-limited top-down control mechanism involved in mental tasks and physical exercises. Based on recent findings in the fields of neuroscience, social psychology and cognitive psychology, this model posits the intrinsic costs related to a weakening of the connectivity of neural networks underpinning effortful control as the main cause of mental fatigue in long and high-demanding tasks. In this framework, effort reflects three different inter-related aspects of the same construct. First, effort is a mechanism comprising a limited number of interconnected processing units that integrate information regarding the task constraints and subject’s state. Second, effort is the main output of this mechanism, namely, the effort signal that modulates neuronal activity in brain regions involved in the current task to select pertinent information. Third, effort is a feeling that emerges in awareness during effortful tasks and reflects the costs associated with goal-directed behavior. Finally, the model opens new avenues for research investigating effortful control at the behavioral and neurophysiological levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie André
- Research Centre on Cognition and Learning, UMR CNRS 7295, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Michel Audiffren
- Research Centre on Cognition and Learning, UMR CNRS 7295, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Roy F Baumeister
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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16
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17
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Krachun C, Lurz R, Mahovetz LM, Hopkins WD. Mirror self-recognition and its relationship to social cognition in chimpanzees. Anim Cogn 2019; 22:1171-1183. [PMID: 31542841 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-019-01309-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Chimpanzees and humans are capable of recognizing their own reflection in mirrors. Little is understood about the selective pressures that led to this evolved trait and about the mechanisms that underlie it. Here, we investigated the hypothesis that mirror self-recognition in chimpanzees is the byproduct of a developed form of self-awareness that was naturally selected for its adaptive use in social cognitive behaviors. We present here the first direct attempt to assess the social cognition hypothesis by analyzing the association between mirror self-recognition in chimpanzees, as measured by a mirror-mark test, and their performance on a variety of social cognition tests. Consistent with the social cognition hypothesis, chimpanzees who showed evidence of mirror self-recognition in the mark test tended to perform significantly better on the social cognition tasks than those who failed the mark test. Additionally, the data as a whole fit the social cognition hypothesis better than the main competing hypothesis of mirror self-recognition in great apes, the secondary representation hypothesis. Our findings strongly suggest that the evolutionary origins of great apes' and humans' capacity to understand ourselves, as revealed by our capacity to recognize ourselves in mirrors, are intimately linked to our ability to understand others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Krachun
- Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, 9 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
| | - Robert Lurz
- Department of Philosophy, Brooklyn College, CUNY, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Lindsay M Mahovetz
- Department of Psychology, University of North Florida, 1 UNF Drive, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - William D Hopkins
- Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX, USA
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18
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Hopkins WD, Latzman RD, Mahovetz LM, Li X, Roberts N. Investigating individual differences in chimpanzee mirror self-recognition and cortical thickness: A vertex-based and region-of-interest analysis. Cortex 2019; 118:306-314. [PMID: 31204008 PMCID: PMC6697634 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Revised: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Mirror self-recognition (MSR), a recently evolved cognitive trait, is one of the most significant abilities that separate humans and great apes from more distantly related nonhuman primates. MSR may serve as the foundation for a number of related but more complex social cognitive abilities unique to humans and great apes including imitation, empathy, theory-of-mind, perspective taking and deception. However, our understanding of the neural basis of MSR in nonhuman primates remains largely unknown. The current study aimed to begin to fill this gap in the literature by investigating the neuroanatomical foundations of MSR in a sample of 67 captive chimpanzees. Vertex-based and region-of-interest analysis revealed significant differences in cortical thickness, particularly in males, in the cingulate cortex, inferior frontal gyrus and superior temporal and frontal cortex. The current study provides further evidence for the neuroanatomical foundations of mirror self-recognition abilities in chimpanzees.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Hopkins
- Department of Comparative Medicine, M D Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX, 78602, USA.
| | - Robert D Latzman
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30302, USA
| | - Lindsay M Mahovetz
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30302, USA
| | - Xiang Li
- Clinical Research Imaging Centre (CRIC), School of Clinical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Neil Roberts
- Clinical Research Imaging Centre (CRIC), School of Clinical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
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19
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Ghaziri J, Tucholka A, Girard G, Houde JC, Boucher O, Gilbert G, Descoteaux M, Lippé S, Rainville P, Nguyen DK. The Corticocortical Structural Connectivity of the Human Insula. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:1216-1228. [PMID: 26683170 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The insula is a complex structure involved in a wide range of functions. Tracing studies on nonhuman primates reveal a wide array of cortical connections in the frontal (orbitofrontal and prefrontal cortices, cingulate areas and supplementary motor area), parietal (primary and secondary somatosensory cortices) and temporal (temporal pole, auditory, prorhinal and entorhinal cortices) lobes. However, recent human tractography studies have not observed connections between the insula and the cingulate cortices, although these structures are thought to be functionally intimately connected. In this work, we try to unravel the structural connectivity between these regions and other known functionally connected structures, benefiting from a higher number of subjects and the latest state-of-the-art high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) tractography algorithms with anatomical priors. By performing an HARDI tractography analysis on 46 young normal adults, our study reveals a wide array of connections between the insula and the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes as well as limbic regions, with a rostro-caudal organization in line with tracing studies in macaques. Notably, we reveal for the first time in humans a clear structural connectivity between the insula and the cingulate, parahippocampal, supramarginal and angular gyri as well as the precuneus and occipital regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy Ghaziri
- Département de Neurosciences.,Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Alan Tucholka
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,BarcelonaBeta Brain Research Center, Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain.,Département de Radiologie, CHUM hôpital Notre-Dame, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Centre de recherche du CHU Hôpital Sainte-Justine, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Gabriel Girard
- Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Lab (SCIL), Computer Science department, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-Christophe Houde
- Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Lab (SCIL), Computer Science department, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Olivier Boucher
- Centre de recherche en neuropsychologie et cognition, Département de Psychologie.,Centre de recherche du CHU Hôpital Sainte-Justine, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Maxime Descoteaux
- Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Lab (SCIL), Computer Science department, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Sarah Lippé
- Centre de recherche en neuropsychologie et cognition, Département de Psychologie.,Centre de recherche du CHU Hôpital Sainte-Justine, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre Rainville
- Centre de recherche en neuropsychologie et cognition, Département de Psychologie.,Département de Stomatologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Dang Khoa Nguyen
- Département de Neurosciences.,Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Service de Neurologie, CHUM Hôpital Notre-Dame, Montréal, QC, Canada
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20
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Gefen T, Papastefan ST, Rezvanian A, Bigio EH, Weintraub S, Rogalski E, Mesulam MM, Geula C. Von Economo neurons of the anterior cingulate across the lifespan and in Alzheimer's disease. Cortex 2018; 99:69-77. [PMID: 29175073 PMCID: PMC5801202 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2017.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Throughout the human aging lifespan, neurons acquire an unusually high burden of wear and tear; this is likely why age is considered the strongest risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Von Economo neurons (VENs) are rare, spindle-shaped cells mostly populated in anterior cingulate cortex. In a prior study, "SuperAgers" (individuals older than 80 years of age with outstanding memory ability) showed higher VEN densities compared to elderly controls with average memory, and those with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI). The intrinsic vulnerabilities of these neurons are unclear, and their contribution to neurodegeneration is unknown. The current study investigated the influence of age and the severity of Alzheimer's disease (AD) on VEN density. METHODS VEN and total neuronal densities were quantitated using unbiased stereological methods in the anterior cingulate cortex of postmortem samples from the following subject groups: younger controls (age 20-60), SuperAgers, cognitively average elderly controls (age 65+), individuals diagnosed antemortem with aMCI, and individuals diagnosed antemortem with dementia of AD (N = 5, per group). RESULTS The AD group showed significantly lower VEN density compared to younger and older controls (p < .05), but not compared to the aMCI group, and VENs bearing neurofibrillary tangles were discovered in AD cases. The aMCI group showed lower VEN density than elderly controls, but this was not significant. There was a significant negative correlation between VEN density and Braak stages of AD (p < .001). Consistent with prior findings, SuperAgers showed highest mean VEN density, even when compared to younger cases. CONCLUSIONS VENs in human anterior cingulate cortex are vulnerable to AD pathology, particularly in later stages of pathogenesis. Their densities do not change throughout aging in individuals with average cognition, and they are more numerous in SuperAgers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Gefen
- Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Steven T Papastefan
- Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Aras Rezvanian
- Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Eileen H Bigio
- Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Sandra Weintraub
- Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Emily Rogalski
- Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - M-Marsel Mesulam
- Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Changiz Geula
- Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
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21
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Adhya D, Annuario E, Lancaster MA, Price J, Baron‐Cohen S, Srivastava DP. Understanding the role of steroids in typical and atypical brain development: Advantages of using a "brain in a dish" approach. J Neuroendocrinol 2018; 30:e12547. [PMID: 29024164 PMCID: PMC5838783 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Steroids have an important role in growth, development, sexual differentiation and reproduction. All four classes of steroids, androgens, oestrogens, progestogens and glucocorticoids, have varying effects on the brain. Androgens and oestrogens are involved in the sexual differentiation of the brain, and also influence cognition. Progestogens such as progesterone and its metabolites have been shown to be involved in neuroprotection, although their protective effects are timing-dependent. Glucocorticoids are linked with stress and memory performance, also in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Importantly, dysfunction in steroid function has been implicated in the pathogenesis of disease. Moreover, regulating steroid-signalling has been suggested as potential therapeutic avenue for the treatment of a number of neurodevelopmental, psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, clarifying the role of steroids in typical and atypical brain function is essential for understanding typical brain functions, as well as determining their potential use for pharmacological intervention in the atypical brain. However, the majority of studies have thus far have been conducted using animal models, with limited work using native human tissue or cells. Here, we review the effect of steroids in the typical and atypical brain, focusing on the cellular, molecular functions of these molecules determined from animal models, and the therapeutic potential as highlighted by human studies. We further discuss the promise of human-induced pluripotent stem cells, including advantages of using three-dimensional neuronal cultures (organoids) in high-throughput screens, in accelerating our understanding of the role of steroids in the typical brain, and also with respect to their therapeutic value in the understanding and treatment of the atypical brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Adhya
- Department of PsychiatryAutism Research CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Department of Basic and Clinical NeuroscienceMaurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience InstituteInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUK
| | - E. Annuario
- Department of Basic and Clinical NeuroscienceMaurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience InstituteInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | | | - J. Price
- Department of Basic and Clinical NeuroscienceMaurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience InstituteInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental DisordersKing's College LondonLondonUK
- National Institute for Biological Standards and ControlSouth MimmsUK
| | - S. Baron‐Cohen
- Department of PsychiatryAutism Research CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - D. P. Srivastava
- Department of Basic and Clinical NeuroscienceMaurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience InstituteInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental DisordersKing's College LondonLondonUK
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22
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Braak H, Del Tredici K. Anterior Cingulate Cortex TDP-43 Pathology in Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2017; 77:74-83. [DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlx104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
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23
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Tong G, Izquierdo P, Raashid RA. Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and the Modelling of Alzheimer's Disease: The Human Brain Outside the Dish. Open Neurol J 2017; 11:27-38. [PMID: 29151989 PMCID: PMC5678240 DOI: 10.2174/1874205x01711010027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2017] [Revised: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's Disease (AD) are a global health issue primarily in the elderly. Although AD has been investigated using primary cultures, animal models and post-mortem human brain tissues, there are currently no effective treatments. SUMMARY With the advent of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) reprogrammed from fully differentiated adult cells such as skin fibroblasts, newer opportunities have arisen to study the pathophysiology of many diseases in more depth. It is envisioned that iPSCs could be used as a powerful tool for neurodegenerative disease modelling and eventually be an unlimited source for cell replacement therapy. This paper provides an overview of; the contribution of iPSCs towards modeling and understanding AD pathogenesis, the novel human/mouse chimeric models in elucidating current AD pathogenesis hypotheses, the possible use of iPSCs in drug screening, and perspectives on possible future directions. KEY MESSAGES Human/mouse chimeric models using iPSCs to study AD offer much promise in better replicating AD pathology and can be further exploited to elucidate disease pathogenesis with regards to the neuroinflammation hypothesis of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Godwin Tong
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Pablo Izquierdo
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Rana Arham Raashid
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
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Jernigan TL, Stiles J. Construction of the human forebrain. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2016; 8. [PMID: 27906520 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Revised: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The adult human brain is arguably the most complex of biological systems. It contains 86 billion neurons (the information processing cells of the brain) and many more support cells. The neurons, with the assistance of the support cells, form trillions of connections creating complex, interconnected neural networks that support all human thought, feeling, and action. A challenge for modern neuroscience is to provide a model that accounts for this exquisitely complex and dynamic system. One fundamental part of this model is an account of how the human brain develops. This essay describes two important aspects of this developmental story. The first part of the story focuses on the remarkable and dynamic set of events that unfold during the prenatal period to give rise to cell lineage that form the essential substance of the brain, particularly the structures of the cerebral hemispheres. The second part of the story focuses on the formation of the major brain pathways of the cerebrum, the intricate fiber bundles that connect different populations of neurons to form the information processing systems that support all human thought and action. These two aspects of early brain development provide an essential foundation for understanding how the structure, organization, and functioning of the human brain emerge. WIREs Cogn Sci 2017, 8:e1409. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1409 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry L Jernigan
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joan Stiles
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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25
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Borsook D, Veggeberg R, Erpelding N, Borra R, Linnman C, Burstein R, Becerra L. The Insula: A "Hub of Activity" in Migraine. Neuroscientist 2016; 22:632-652. [PMID: 26290446 PMCID: PMC5723020 DOI: 10.1177/1073858415601369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The insula, a "cortical hub" buried within the lateral sulcus, is involved in a number of processes including goal-directed cognition, conscious awareness, autonomic regulation, interoception, and somatosensation. While some of these processes are well known in the clinical presentation of migraine (i.e., autonomic and somatosensory alterations), other more complex behaviors in migraine, such as conscious awareness and error detection, are less well described. Since the insula processes and relays afferent inputs from brain areas involved in these functions to areas involved in higher cortical function such as frontal, temporal, and parietal regions, it may be implicated as a brain region that translates the signals of altered internal milieu in migraine, along with other chronic pain conditions, through the insula into complex behaviors. Here we review how the insula function and structure is altered in migraine. As a brain region of a number of brain functions, it may serve as a model to study new potential clinical perspectives for migraine treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Borsook
- Pain/Analgesia Imaging Neuroscience (P.A.I.N.) Group, Department of Anesthesia, Boston Children's Hospital, Center for Pain and the Brain, Harvard Medical School, Waltham, MA, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Rosanna Veggeberg
- Pain/Analgesia Imaging Neuroscience (P.A.I.N.) Group, Department of Anesthesia, Boston Children's Hospital, Center for Pain and the Brain, Harvard Medical School, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Nathalie Erpelding
- Pain/Analgesia Imaging Neuroscience (P.A.I.N.) Group, Department of Anesthesia, Boston Children's Hospital, Center for Pain and the Brain, Harvard Medical School, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Ronald Borra
- Pain/Analgesia Imaging Neuroscience (P.A.I.N.) Group, Department of Anesthesia, Boston Children's Hospital, Center for Pain and the Brain, Harvard Medical School, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Clas Linnman
- Pain/Analgesia Imaging Neuroscience (P.A.I.N.) Group, Department of Anesthesia, Boston Children's Hospital, Center for Pain and the Brain, Harvard Medical School, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Rami Burstein
- Department of Anesthesia, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lino Becerra
- Pain/Analgesia Imaging Neuroscience (P.A.I.N.) Group, Department of Anesthesia, Boston Children's Hospital, Center for Pain and the Brain, Harvard Medical School, Waltham, MA, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
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Maleki N, Barmettler G, Moulton EA, Scrivani S, Veggeberg R, Spierings ELH, Burstein R, Becerra L, Borsook D. Female migraineurs show lack of insular thinning with age. Pain 2016; 156:1232-1239. [PMID: 25775358 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Gray matter loss in cortical regions is a normal ageing process for the healthy brain. There have been few studies on the process of ageing of the brain in chronic neurological disorders. In this study, we evaluated changes in the cortical thickness by age in 92 female subjects (46 patients with migraine and 46 healthy controls) using high-field magnetic resonance imaging. The results indicate that in contrast to healthy subjects, migraineurs show a lack of thinning in the insula by age. The functional significance of the lack of thinning is unknown, but it may contribute to the overall cortical hyperexcitability of the migraine brain because the region is tightly involved in a number of major brain networks involved in interoception, salience, nociception, and autonomic function, including the default mode network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasim Maleki
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Center for Pain and the Brain and PAIN Group, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Department of Psychiatry, PAIN Group, Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Anesthesia and Critical Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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27
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Latzman RD, Taglialatela JP, Hopkins WD. Delay of gratification is associated with white matter connectivity in the dorsal prefrontal cortex: a diffusion tensor imaging study in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20150764. [PMID: 26041344 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual variability in delay of gratification (DG) is associated with a number of important outcomes in both non-human and human primates. Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), this study describes the relationship between probabilistic estimates of white matter tracts projecting from the caudate to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and DG abilities in a sample of 49 captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). After accounting for time between collection of DTI scans and DG measurement, age and sex, higher white matter connectivity between the caudate and right dorsal PFC was found to be significantly associated with the acquisition (i.e. training phase) but not the maintenance of DG abilities. No other associations were found to be significant. The integrity of white matter connectivity between regions of the striatum and the PFC appear to be associated with inhibitory control in chimpanzees, with perturbations on this circuit potentially leading to a variety of maladaptive outcomes. Additionally, results have potential translational implications for understanding the pathophysiology of a number of psychiatric and clinical outcomes in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D Latzman
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jared P Taglialatela
- Department of Biology and Physics, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - William D Hopkins
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Tahmasian M, Rochhausen L, Maier F, Williamson KL, Drzezga A, Timmermann L, Van Eimeren T, Eggers C. Impulsivity is Associated with Increased Metabolism in the Fronto-Insular Network in Parkinson's Disease. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:317. [PMID: 26648853 PMCID: PMC4664667 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Various neuroimaging studies demonstrated that the fronto-insular network is implicated in impulsive behavior. We compared glucose metabolism (as a proxy measure of neural activity) among 24 patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who presented with low or high levels of impulsivity based on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale 11 (BIS) scores. Subjects underwent 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and the voxel-wise group difference of FDG-metabolism was analyzed in Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM8). Subsequently, we performed a partial correlation analysis between the FDG-metabolism and BIS scores, controlling for covariates (i.e., age, sex, severity of disease and levodopa equivalent daily doses). Voxel-wise group comparison revealed higher FDG-metabolism in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and right insula in patients with higher impulsivity scores. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the FDG-metabolism and BIS scores. Our findings provide evidence that high impulsivity is associated with increased FDG-metabolism within the fronto-insular network in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoud Tahmasian
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Cologne Cologne, Germany ; Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne Cologne, Germany ; Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS) Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Luisa Rochhausen
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Cologne Cologne, Germany
| | - Franziska Maier
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Cologne Cologne, Germany
| | - Kim L Williamson
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Cologne Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexander Drzezga
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne Cologne, Germany
| | - Lars Timmermann
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Cologne Cologne, Germany
| | - Thilo Van Eimeren
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Cologne Cologne, Germany ; Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne Cologne, Germany
| | - Carsten Eggers
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Cologne Cologne, Germany
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29
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Empathy and contextual social cognition. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2014; 14:407-25. [PMID: 23955101 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-013-0205-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Empathy is a highly flexible and adaptive process that allows for the interplay of prosocial behavior in many different social contexts. Empathy appears to be a very situated cognitive process, embedded with specific contextual cues that trigger different automatic and controlled responses. In this review, we summarize relevant evidence regarding social context modulation of empathy for pain. Several contextual factors, such as stimulus reality and personal experience, affectively link with other factors, emotional cues, threat information, group membership, and attitudes toward others to influence the affective, sensorimotor, and cognitive processing of empathy. Thus, we propose that the frontoinsular-temporal network, the so-called social context network model (SCNM), is recruited during the contextual processing of empathy. This network would (1) update the contextual cues and use them to construct fast predictions (frontal regions), (2) coordinate the internal (body) and external milieus (insula), and (3) consolidate the context-target associative learning of empathic processes (temporal sites). Furthermore, we propose these context-dependent effects of empathy in the framework of the frontoinsular-temporal network and examine the behavioral and neural evidence of three neuropsychiatric conditions (Asperger syndrome, schizophrenia, and the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia), which simultaneously present with empathy and contextual integration impairments. We suggest potential advantages of a situated approach to empathy in the assessment of these neuropsychiatric disorders, as well as their relationship with the SCNM.
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30
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Johnson JI, Fenske BA, Jaswa AS, Morris JA. Exploitation of puddles for breakthroughs in claustrum research. Front Syst Neurosci 2014; 8:78. [PMID: 24860441 PMCID: PMC4030192 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Since its first identification as a thin strip of gray matter enclosed between stretches of neighboring fiber bundles, the claustrum has been considered impossible to study by many modern techniques that need a certain roominess of tissue for their application. Known as the front wall, vormauren in German from 1822, and still called avant-mur in French, we here propose a means for breaking into and through this wall, by utilizing the instances where the claustral tissue itself has broken free into more spacious dimensions. This has occurred several times in the evolution of modern mammals, and all that needs be done is to exploit these natural expansions in order to take advantage of a great panoply of technological advances now at our disposal. So here we review the kinds of breakout “puddles” that await productive exploitation, to bring our knowledge of structure and function up to the level enjoyed for other more accessible regions of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- John-Irwin Johnson
- Division of Anatomy, Department of Radiology-Anatomy, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI, USA ; Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Brian A Fenske
- Division of Anatomy, Department of Radiology-Anatomy, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Amar S Jaswa
- Division of Anatomy, Department of Radiology-Anatomy, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI, USA
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31
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Merali Z, Graitson S, Mackay JC, Kent P. Stress and eating: a dual role for bombesin-like peptides. Front Neurosci 2013; 7:193. [PMID: 24298233 PMCID: PMC3829480 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The current obesity “epidemic” in the developed world is a major health concern; over half of adult Canadians are now classified as overweight or obese. Although the reasons for high obesity rates remain unknown, an important factor appears to be the role stressors play in overconsumption of food and weight gain. In this context, increased stressor exposure and/or perceived stress may influence eating behavior and food choices. Stress-induced anorexia is often noted in rats exposed to chronic stress (e.g., repeated restraint) and access to standard Chow diet; associated reduced consumption and weight loss. However, if a similar stressor exposure takes place in the presence of palatable, calorie dense food, rats often consume an increase proportion of palatable food relative to Chow, leading to weight gain and obesity. In humans, a similar desire to eat palatable or “comfort” foods has been noted under stressful situations; it is thought that this response may potentially be attributable to stress-buffering properties and/or through activation of reward pathways. The complex interplay between stress-induced anorexia and stress-induced obesity is discussed in terms of the overlapping circuitry and neurochemicals that mediate feeding, stress and reward pathways. In particular, this paper draws attention to the bombesin family of peptides (BBs) initially shown to regulate food intake and subsequently shown to mediate stress response as well. Evidence is presented to support the hypothesis that BBs may be involved in stress-induced anorexia under certain conditions, but that the same peptides could also be involved in stress-induced obesity. This hypothesis is based on the unique distribution of BBs in key cortico-limbic brain regions involved in food regulation, reward, incentive salience and motivationally driven behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Merali
- Department of Psychology, University of Ottawa Ottawa, ON, Canada ; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa Ottawa, ON, Canada ; University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research Ottawa, ON, Canada
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32
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Trzepacz PT, Yu P, Bhamidipati PK, Willis B, Forrester T, Tabas L, Schwarz AJ, Saykin AJ. Frontolimbic atrophy is associated with agitation and aggression in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2013; 9:S95-S104.e1. [PMID: 23253778 PMCID: PMC3955297 DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2012.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The neuroanatomy of agitation and aggression in Alzheimer's disease is not well understood. METHODS We analyzed 24 months of Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative data for patients with Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment-stable, and mild cognitive impairment-converter (n = 462) using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire Agitation and Aggression subscale. Magnetic resonance imaging regions of interest that correlated with Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire Agitation and Aggression subscale raw scores were included in mixed-model, repeated-measures analyses of agitation and aggression over time with age, sex, apolipoprotein E ε4 status, education, and Mini-Mental State Examination score as covariates. RESULTS Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire Agitation and Aggression subscale scores worsened in patients with Alzheimer's disease and in mild cognitive impairment-converter (P < .05; trend for mild cognitive impairment, P = .0518). Greater agitation and aggression severity was associated with greater atrophy of frontal, insular, amygdala, cingulate, and hippocampal regions of interest (P < .05). Mini-Mental State Examination score was significant in mixed-effect model repeated measures only in mild cognitive impairment-converters for posterior regions of interest. Demographics and apolipoprotein ε4 were not associated with agitation and aggression. CONCLUSIONS Agitation and aggression in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment is associated with neurodegeneration affecting the anterior salience network that may reduce capacity to process and regulate behaviors properly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula T Trzepacz
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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Resting state functional connectivity of five neural networks in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. J Affect Disord 2013; 150:601-9. [PMID: 23489402 PMCID: PMC3749249 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2013.01.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2012] [Accepted: 01/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder (BPD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) share clinical characteristics and genetic contributions. Functional dysconnectivity across various brain networks has been reported to contribute to the pathophysiology of both SCZ and BPD. However, research examining resting-state neural network dysfunction across multiple networks to understand the relationship between these two disorders is lacking. METHODS We conducted a resting-state functional connectivity fMRI study of 35 BPD and 25 SCZ patients, and 33 controls. Using previously defined regions-of-interest, we computed the mean connectivity within and between five neural networks: default mode (DM), fronto-parietal (FP), cingulo-opercular (CO), cerebellar (CER), and salience (SAL). Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to compare groups, adjusting false discovery rate to control for multiple comparisons. The relationship of connectivity with the SANS/SAPS, vocabulary and matrix reasoning was investigated using hierarchical linear regression analyses. RESULTS Decreased within-network connectivity was only found for the CO network in BPD. Across groups, connectivity was decreased between CO-CER (p<0.001), to a larger degree in SCZ than in BPD. In SCZ, there was also decreased connectivity in CO-SAL, FP-CO, and FP-CER, while BPD showed decreased CER-SAL connectivity. Disorganization symptoms were predicted by connectivity between CO-CER and CER-SAL. DISCUSSION Our findings indicate dysfunction in the connections between networks involved in cognitive and emotional processing in the pathophysiology of BPD and SCZ. Both similarities and differences in connectivity were observed across disorders. Further studies are required to investigate relationships of neural networks to more diverse clinical and cognitive domains underlying psychiatric disorders.
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34
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Becerra L, Navratilova E, Porreca F, Borsook D. Analogous responses in the nucleus accumbens and cingulate cortex to pain onset (aversion) and offset (relief) in rats and humans. J Neurophysiol 2013; 110:1221-6. [PMID: 23785130 PMCID: PMC3763092 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00284.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc) appears to reflect affective and motivational aspects of pain. The responses of this reward-aversion circuit to relief of pain, however, have not been investigated in detail. Moreover, it is not clear whether brain processing of the affective qualities of pain in animals parallels the mechanisms observed in humans. In the present study, we analyzed fMRI blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activity separately in response to an onset (aversion) and offset (reward) of a noxious heat stimulus to a dorsal part of a limb in both humans and rats. We show that pain onset results in negative activity change in the NAc and pain offset produces positive activity change in the ACC and NAc. These changes were analogous in humans and rats, suggesting that translational studies of brain circuits modulated by pain are plausible and may offer an opportunity for mechanistic investigation of pain and pain relief.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Becerra
- P.A.I.N. Group, Children's Hospital of Boston, Waltham, MA 02453, USA.
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35
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Cauda F, Torta DME, Sacco K, D'Agata F, Geda E, Duca S, Geminiani G, Vercelli A. Functional anatomy of cortical areas characterized by Von Economo neurons. Brain Struct Funct 2013; 218:1-20. [PMID: 22286950 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-012-0382-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2011] [Accepted: 01/07/2012] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Von Economo's neurons (VENs) are large, bipolar or corkscrew-shaped neurons located in layers III and V of the frontoinsular and the anterior cingulate cortices. VENs are reported to be altered in pathologies such as frontotemporal dementia and autism, in which the individual's self control is seriously compromised. To investigate the role of VENs in the active human brain, we have explored the functional connectivity of brain areas containing VENs by analyzing resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) in 20 healthy volunteers. Our results show that cortical areas containing VENs form a network of frontoparietal functional connectivity. With the use of fuzzy clustering techniques, we find that this network comprises four sub-networks: the first network cluster resembles a "saliency detection" attentional network, which includes superior frontal cortex (Brodmann's Area, BA 10), inferior parietal lobe, anterior insula, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex; the second cluster, part of a "sensory-motor network", comprises the superior temporal, precentral and postcentral areas; the third cluster consists of frontal ventromedial and ventrodorsal areas constituted by parts of the "anterior default mode network"; and the fourth cluster encompasses dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, dorsomedial prefrontal, and superior frontal (BA 10) areas, resembling the anterior part of the "dorsal attentional network". Thus, the network that emerges from analyzing functional connectivity among areas that are known to contain VENs is primarily involved in functions of saliency detection and self-regulation. In addition, parts of this network constitute sub-networks that partially overlap with the default mode, the sensory-motor and the dorsal attentional networks.
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Kaye JA, Finkbeiner S. Modeling Huntington's disease with induced pluripotent stem cells. Mol Cell Neurosci 2013; 56:50-64. [PMID: 23459227 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2013.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2012] [Revised: 02/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) causes severe motor dysfunction, behavioral abnormalities, cognitive impairment and death. Investigations into its molecular pathology have primarily relied on murine tissues; however, the recent discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has opened new possibilities to model neurodegenerative disease using cells derived directly from patients, and therefore may provide a human-cell-based platform for unique insights into the pathogenesis of HD. Here, we will examine the practical implementation of iPSCs to study HD, such as approaches to differentiate embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or iPSCs into medium spiny neurons, the cell type most susceptible in HD. We will explore the HD-related phenotypes identified in iPSCs and ESCs and review how brain development and neurogenesis may actually be altered early, before the onset of HD symptoms, which could inform the search for drugs that delay disease onset. Finally, we will speculate on the exciting possibility that ESCs or iPSCs might be used as therapeutics to restore or replace dying neurons in HD brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia A Kaye
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, 1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States.
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37
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Micheli F, Heidbreder C. Dopamine D3 receptor antagonists: a patent review (2007 - 2012). Expert Opin Ther Pat 2013; 23:363-81. [PMID: 23282131 DOI: 10.1517/13543776.2013.757593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The synthesis and characterization of new highly potent and selective dopamine (DA) D3 receptor antagonists has permitted to characterize the role of the DA D3 receptor in the control of drug-seeking behavior and in the pathophysiology of impulse control disorders and schizophrenia. AREAS COVERED In the present review, the authors will first describe most recent classes of DA D3 receptor antagonists by reviewing about 43 patent applications during the 2007 - 2012 period; they will then outline the biological rationale in support of the use of selective DA D3 receptor antagonists in the treatment of drug addiction, impulse control disorders and schizophrenia. EXPERT OPINION The strongest clinical application and potential for selective DA D3 receptor antagonists lies in the reduction of drug-induced incentive motivation, the attenuation of drug's rewarding efficacy and the reduction in reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior triggered either by re-exposure to the drug itself, re-exposure to environmental cues that had been previously associated with drug-taking behavior or stress. The selectivity of these antagonists together with reduced lipophilicity (minimizing unspecific binding), increased brain penetration and improved physico-chemical profile are all key factors for clinical efficacy and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Micheli
- Drug Design & Discovery, Aptuit Verona srl, Via A Fleming 4, 37135 Verona, Italy.
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Critchley H, Seth A. Will studies of macaque insula reveal the neural mechanisms of self-awareness? Neuron 2012; 74:423-6. [PMID: 22578492 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of von Economo neurons within macaque insular cortex by Evrard et al. (2012) described in this issue of Neuron promises a valuable experimental model to characterize their functional roles. One hypothesis, now open to wider interrogation, is that these intriguing cells mediate self-referential processes underlying or dependent upon consciousness awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Critchley
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QJ, UK.
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Flinn MV, Ponzi D, Muehlenbein MP. Hormonal Mechanisms for Regulation of Aggression in Human Coalitions. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2012; 23:68-88. [DOI: 10.1007/s12110-012-9135-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Sutherland MT, McHugh MJ, Pariyadath V, Stein EA. Resting state functional connectivity in addiction: Lessons learned and a road ahead. Neuroimage 2012; 62:2281-95. [PMID: 22326834 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.01.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 352] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2011] [Revised: 12/22/2011] [Accepted: 01/24/2012] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite intensive scientific investigation and public health imperatives, drug addiction treatment outcomes have not significantly improved in more than 50 years. Non-invasive brain imaging has, over the past several decades, contributed important new insights into the neuroplastic adaptations that result from chronic drug intake, but additional experimental approaches and neurobiological hypotheses are needed to better capture the totality of the motivational, affective, cognitive, genetic and pharmacological complexities of the disease. Recent advances in assessing network dynamics through resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) may allow for such systems-level assessments. In this review, we first summarize the nascent addiction-related rsFC literature and suggest that in using this tool, circuit connectivity may inform specific neurobiological substrates underlying psychological dysfunctions associated with reward, affective and cognitive processing often observed in drug addicts. Using nicotine addiction as an exemplar, we subsequently provide a heuristic framework to guide future research by linking recent findings from intrinsic network connectivity studies with those interrogating nicotine's neuropharmacological actions. Emerging evidence supports a critical role for the insula in nicotine addiction. Likewise, the anterior insula, potentially together with the anterior cingulate cortex, appears to pivotally influence the dynamics between large-scale brain networks subserving internal (default-mode network) and external (executive control network) information processing. We suggest that a better understanding of how the insula modulates the interaction between these networks is critical for elucidating both the cognitive impairments often associated with withdrawal and the performance-enhancing effects of nicotine administration. Such an understanding may be usefully applied in the design and development of novel smoking cessation treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Sutherland
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, NIH/DHHS, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Abstract
The human insular cortex forms a distinct, but entirely hidden lobe, situated in the depth of the Sylvian fissure. Here, we first review the recent literature on the connectivity and the functions of this structure. It appears that this small lobe, taking up less than 2% of the total cortical surface area, receives afferents from some sensory thalamic nuclei, is (mostly reciprocally) connected with the amygdala and with many limbic and association cortical areas, and is implicated in an astonishingly large number of widely different functions, ranging from pain perception and speech production to the processing of social emotions. Next, we embark on a long, adventurous journey through the voluminous literature on the structural organization of the insular cortex. This journey yielded the following take-home messages: (1) The meticulous, but mostly neglected publications of Rose (1928) and Brockhaus (1940) are still invaluable for our understanding of the architecture of the mammalian insular cortex. (2) The relation of the insular cortex to the adjacent claustrum is neither ontogenetical nor functional, but purely topographical. (3) The insular cortex has passed through a spectacular progressive differentiation during hominoid evolution, but the assumption of Craig (2009) that the human anterior insula has no homologue in the rhesus monkey is untenable. (4) The concept of Mesulam and Mufson (1985), that the primate insula is essentially composed of three concentrically arranged zones, agranular, dysgranular, and granular, is presumably correct, but there is at present much confusion concerning the more detailed architecture of the anterior insular cortex. (5) The large spindle-shaped cells in the fifth layer of the insular cortex, currently known as von Economo neurons (VENs), are not only confined to large-brained mammals, such as whales, elephants, apes, and humans, but also occur in monkeys and prosimians, as well as in the pygmy hippopotamus, the Atlantic walrus, and Florida manatee. Finally, we point out that the human insula presents a unique opportunity for performing an in-depth comparative analysis of the relations between structure and function in a typical sensory and a typical cognitive cortical domain.
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Dolmetsch R, Geschwind DH. The human brain in a dish: the promise of iPSC-derived neurons. Cell 2011; 145:831-4. [PMID: 21663789 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2011.05.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 230] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2011] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons from patients promise to fill an important niche between studies in humans and model organisms in deciphering mechanisms and identifying therapeutic avenues for neurologic and psychiatric diseases. Recent work begins to tap this potential and also highlights challenges that must be overcome to be fully realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Dolmetsch
- Department of Neurobiology, Fairchild Research Building, Room D227, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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