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Hendriks M, Vinke RS, Georgiev D. Gender discrepancies and differences in motor and non-motor symptoms, cognition, and psychological outcomes in the treatment of Parkinson's disease with subthalamic deep brain stimulation. Front Neurol 2024; 14:1257781. [PMID: 38259647 PMCID: PMC10800523 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1257781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Available data suggest that there may be gender differences in the effect of STN-DBS in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this study was to review data on gender discrepancies and gender differences in clinical outcomes in PD patients treated with deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS). Included were original studies that specifically examined gender discrepancies or gender differences in PD patients with STN-DBS. Men receive more DBS than women, for various indications. The decision-making process for DBS in women compared to men is more influenced by personal preferences and external factors. Motor symptoms improve in both genders, but bradykinesia improves more in men. The postoperative reduction of the levodopa equivalent daily dose seems to be more pronounced in men. Men show more cognitive deterioration and less improvement than women after STN-DBS. Women show more depressive symptoms before surgery, but they improve similarly to men. Men show more improvement in impulsivity and less decrease in impulsive behaviour symptoms than women. Anxiety and personality traits remain unchanged in both genders. Voice quality improves more in men and deteriorates less often than in women. Men gain fat-free mass and fat mass, but women only gain fat mass. Regarding sexual function the evidence is inconsistent. More urinary symptoms improve in women than in men. Pain and restless leg syndrome seems to improve more in men. Regarding quality of life, the evidence seems to be inconsistent, and activities of daily living seems to improve in both genders. Better prospective controlled studies, focusing directly on gender differences in PD patients treated with STN-DBS, are needed to better explain gender differences in STN-DBS for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martijn Hendriks
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurosurgery, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Ruben Saman Vinke
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurosurgery, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Dejan Georgiev
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Bratzu J, Ciscato M, Pisanu A, Talani G, Frau R, Porcu P, Diana M, Fumagalli F, Romualdi P, Rullo L, Trezza V, Ciccocioppo R, Sanna F, Fattore L. Communal nesting differentially attenuates the impact of pre-weaning social isolation on behavior in male and female rats during adolescence and adulthood. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1257417. [PMID: 37915532 PMCID: PMC10616881 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1257417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Early social isolation (ESI) disrupts neurodevelopmental processes, potentially leading to long-lasting emotional and cognitive changes in adulthood. Communal nesting (CN), i.e., the sharing of parental responsibilities between multiple individuals in a nest, creates a socially enriching environment known to impact social and anxiety-related behaviors. Methods This study examines the effects of (i) the CN condition and of (ii) ESI during the 3rd week of life (i.e., pre-weaning ESI) on motor, cognitive, and emotional domains during adolescence and adulthood in male and female rats reared in the two different housing conditions, as well as (iii) the potential of CN to mitigate the impact of ESI on offspring. Results We found that in a spontaneous locomotor activity test, females exhibited higher activity levels compared to males. In female groups, adolescents reared in standard housing (SH) condition spent less time in the center of the arena, suggestive of increased anxiety levels, while the CN condition increased the time spent in the center during adolescence, but not adulthood, independently from ESI. The prepulse inhibition (PPI) test showed a reduced PPI in ESI adolescent animals of both sexes and in adult males (but not in adult females), with CN restoring PPI in males, but not in adolescent females. Further, in the marble burying test SH-ESI adolescent males exhibited higher marble burying behavior than all other groups, suggestive of obsessive-compulsive traits. CN completely reversed this stress-induced effect. Interestingly, ESI and CN did not have a significant impact on burying behavior in adult animals of both sexes. Discussion Overall, our findings (i) assess the effects of ESI on locomotion, sensorimotor gating, and compulsive-like behaviors, (ii) reveal distinct vulnerabilities of males and females within these domains, and (iii) show how early-life social enrichment may successfully counteract some of the behavioral alterations induced by early-life social stress in a sex-dependent manner. This study strengthens the notion that social experiences during early-life can shape emotional and cognitive outcomes in adulthood, and points to the importance of social enrichment interventions for mitigating the negative effects of early social stress on neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Bratzu
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria Ciscato
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Augusta Pisanu
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Talani
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Roberto Frau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Patrizia Porcu
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Marco Diana
- G.Minardi’ Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CPMB Science Department, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Fabio Fumagalli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences ‘Rodolfo Paoletti’, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Patrizia Romualdi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Laura Rullo
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Viviana Trezza
- Department of Science, University “Roma Tre”, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Ciccocioppo
- School of Pharmacy, Center for Neuroscience, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Sanna
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Liana Fattore
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
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Guilbert A, Bernard JY, Peyre H, Costet N, Hough I, Seyve E, Monfort C, Philippat C, Slama R, Kloog I, Chevrier C, Heude B, Ramus F, Lepeule J. Prenatal and childhood exposure to ambient air pollution and cognitive function in school-age children: Examining sensitive windows and sex-specific associations. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 235:116557. [PMID: 37423370 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Combined effect of both prenatal and early postnatal exposure to ambient air pollution on child cognition has rarely been investigated and periods of sensitivity are unknown. This study explores the temporal relationship between pre- and postnatal exposure to PM10, PM2.5, NO2 and child cognitive function. METHODS Using validated spatiotemporally resolved exposure models, pre- and postnatal daily PM2.5, PM10 (satellite based, 1 km resolution) and NO2 (chemistry-transport model, 4 km resolution) concentrations at the mother's residence were estimated for 1271 mother-child pairs from the French EDEN and PELAGIE cohorts. Scores representative of children's General, Verbal and Non-Verbal abilities at 5-6 years were constructed based on subscale scores from the WPPSI-III, WISC-IV or NEPSY-II batteries, using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Associations of both prenatal (first 35 gestational weeks) and postnatal (60 months after birth) exposure to air pollutants with child cognition were explored using Distributed Lag Non-linear Models adjusted for confounders. RESULTS Increased maternal exposure to PM10, PM2.5 and NO2, during sensitive windows comprised between the 15th and the 33rd gestational weeks, was associated with lower males' General and Non-verbal abilities. Higher postnatal exposure to PM2.5 between the 35th and 52nd month of life was associated with lower males' General, Verbal and Non-verbal abilities. Some protective associations were punctually observed for the very first gestational weeks or months of life for both males and females and the different pollutants and cognitive scores. DISCUSSION These results suggest poorer cognitive function at 5-6 years among males following increased maternal exposure to PM10, PM2.5 and NO2 during mid-pregnancy and child exposure to PM2.5 around 3-4 years. Apparent protective associations observed are unlikely to be causal and might be due to live birth selection bias, chance finding or residual confounding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariane Guilbert
- Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, 38700, La Tronche, France.
| | - Jonathan Y Bernard
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, INRAE, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), 75004, Paris, France
| | - Hugo Peyre
- Centre de Ressources Autisme Languedoc-Roussillon et Centre d'Excellence sur l'Autisme et les Troubles Neuro-développementaux, CHU Montpellier, 34090, Montpellier, France; Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, CESP, Team DevPsy, 94807, Villejuif, France; Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, EHESS, CNRS, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Nathalie Costet
- Team of Epidemiology and Exposure Science in Health and Environment, Research Center on Environmental and Occupational Health (IRSET), Inserm, Université Rennes, EHESP, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Ian Hough
- Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, 38700, La Tronche, France; Department of Geography and Environmental Development, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel; Institute of Environmental Geosciences (IGE), Université Grenoble Alpes, 38400, Saint Martin D'Hères, France
| | - Emie Seyve
- Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, 38700, La Tronche, France
| | - Christine Monfort
- Team of Epidemiology and Exposure Science in Health and Environment, Research Center on Environmental and Occupational Health (IRSET), Inserm, Université Rennes, EHESP, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Claire Philippat
- Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, 38700, La Tronche, France
| | - Rémy Slama
- Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, 38700, La Tronche, France
| | - Itai Kloog
- Department of Geography and Environmental Development, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Cécile Chevrier
- Team of Epidemiology and Exposure Science in Health and Environment, Research Center on Environmental and Occupational Health (IRSET), Inserm, Université Rennes, EHESP, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Barbara Heude
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, INRAE, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), 75004, Paris, France
| | - Franck Ramus
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, EHESS, CNRS, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Johanna Lepeule
- Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, 38700, La Tronche, France.
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Mezentseva LV. Asymmetry of Characteristics of the Right-Left Hemodynamic Balance of Microcirculation in the Temporal Skin Areas of the Head in Young Male and Female Subjects. Bull Exp Biol Med 2023; 175:734-738. [PMID: 37978150 DOI: 10.1007/s10517-023-05935-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The indices of asymmetry of microcirculation in the skin of the temporal areas of the head in young male and female subjects were studied. In 20 healthy volunteers (10 men and 10 women, age 18-19 years), synchronous measurements of the microcirculation of the skin of the symmetrical temporal areas of the head were carried out by laser Doppler flowmetry. The coefficients of asymmetry of regression relationships between perfusion changes in each side and initial perfusion values in both the same and opposite sides, the distribution function of perfusion asymmetry coefficients, and variability of perfusion in the studied areas were analyzed. The sex differences of the measured characteristics of asymmetry were revealed. In men, the distribution functions of perfusion asymmetry are pointed, with positive excesses, and in women they were flat, with negative excesses. In female subjects, the contribution of the right microcirculatory bed to the right-left hemodynamic balance was higher. These findings support the hypothesis on greater plasticity of the female brain in comparison with the male brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- L V Mezentseva
- P. K. Anokhin Research Institute of Normal Physiology, Moscow, Russia.
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Guebel DV. Human hippocampal astrocytes: Computational dissection of their transcriptome, sexual differences and exosomes across ageing and mild-cognitive impairment. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:2677-2707. [PMID: 37427765 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
The role of astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease is often disregarded. Hence, characterization of astrocytes along their early evolution toward Alzheimer would be greatly beneficial. However, due to their exquisite responsiveness, in vivo studies are difficult. So public microarray data of hippocampal homogenates from (healthy) young, (healthy) elder and elder with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were subjected to re-analysis by a multi-step computational pipeline. Ontologies and pathway analyses were compared after determining the differential genes that, belonging to astrocytes, have splice forms. Likewise, the subset of molecules exportable to exosomes was also determined. The results showed that astrocyte's phenotypes changed significantly. While already 'activated' astrocytes were found in the younger group, major changes occurred during ageing (increased vascular remodelling and response to mechanical stimulus, diminished long-term potentiation and increased long-term depression). MCI's astrocytes showed some 'rejuvenated' features, but their sensitivity to shear stress was markedly lost. Importantly, most of the changes showed to be sex biassed. Men's astrocytes are enriched in a type 'endfeet-astrocytome', whereas women's astrocytes appear close to the 'scar-forming' type (prone to endothelial dysfunction, hypercholesterolemia, loss of glutamatergic synapses, Ca+2 dysregulation, hypoxia, oxidative stress and 'pro-coagulant' phenotype). In conclusion, the computational dissection of the networks based on the hippocampal gene isoforms provides a relevant proxy to in vivo astrocytes, also revealing the occurrence of sexual differences. Analyses of the astrocytic exosomes did not provide an acceptable approximation to the overall functioning of astrocytes in the hippocampus, probably due to the selective cellular mechanisms which charge the cargo molecules.
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Nakamura A, Broséus L, Tost J, Vaiman D, Martins S, Keyes K, Bonello K, Fekom M, Strandberg-Larsen K, Sutter-Dallay AL, Heude B, Melchior M, Lepeule J. Epigenome-Wide Associations of Placental DNA Methylation and Behavioral and Emotional Difficulties in Children at 3 Years of Age. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11772. [PMID: 37511531 PMCID: PMC10380531 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411772] [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: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The placenta is a key organ for fetal and brain development. Its epigenome can be regarded as a biochemical record of the prenatal environment and a potential mechanism of its association with the future health of the fetus. We investigated associations between placental DNA methylation levels and child behavioral and emotional difficulties, assessed at 3 years of age using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in 441 mother-child dyads from the EDEN cohort. Hypothesis-driven and exploratory analyses (on differentially methylated probes (EWAS) and regions (DMR)) were adjusted for confounders, technical factors, and cell composition estimates, corrected for multiple comparisons, and stratified by child sex. Hypothesis-driven analyses showed an association of cg26703534 (AHRR) with emotional symptoms, and exploratory analyses identified two probes, cg09126090 (intergenic region) and cg10305789 (PPP1R16B), as negatively associated with peer relationship problems, as well as 33 DMRs, mostly positively associated with at least one of the SDQ subscales. Among girls, most associations were seen with emotional difficulties, whereas in boys, DMRs were as much associated with emotional than behavioral difficulties. This study provides the first evidence of associations between placental DNA methylation and child behavioral and emotional difficulties. Our results suggest sex-specific associations and might provide new insights into the mechanisms of neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Nakamura
- Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), University Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, 38700 La Tronche, France;
| | - Lucile Broséus
- Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), University Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, 38700 La Tronche, France;
| | - Jörg Tost
- Laboratory for Epigenetics and Environment, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine, CEA—Institut de Biologie François Jacob, University Paris Saclay, 91057 Evry, France;
| | - Daniel Vaiman
- From Gametes to Birth, Institut Cochin, U1016 INSERM, UMR 8104 CNRS, Paris Cité University, 75014 Paris, France;
| | - Silvia Martins
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA; (S.M.); (K.K.)
| | - Katherine Keyes
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA; (S.M.); (K.K.)
| | - Kim Bonello
- Institut Pierre Louis d’Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP), Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Sociale (ERES), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, 75571 Paris, France; (K.B.); (M.F.); (M.M.)
- Department of General Practice, School of Medicine, Sorbonne University, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Mathilde Fekom
- Institut Pierre Louis d’Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP), Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Sociale (ERES), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, 75571 Paris, France; (K.B.); (M.F.); (M.M.)
| | - Katrine Strandberg-Larsen
- Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, 1165 Copenhagen, Denmark;
| | - Anne-Laure Sutter-Dallay
- Bordeaux Population Health, Bordeaux University, INSERM, UMR 1219, 33076 Bordeaux, France;
- University Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charles Perrens Hospital, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Barbara Heude
- Center for Research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS), Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, INSERM, INRAE, 75004 Paris, France;
| | - Maria Melchior
- Institut Pierre Louis d’Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP), Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Sociale (ERES), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, 75571 Paris, France; (K.B.); (M.F.); (M.M.)
| | - Johanna Lepeule
- Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), University Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, 38700 La Tronche, France;
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Nadeem M, Nisa MU, Bangash MH, Abideen ZU, Sattar R, Sattar H, Ullah MS, Ruby T, Khan AA, Ahmad A. The Comparative Pharmaco- and Histokinetics of the Therapeutic Dose of Estradiol Valerate and Bromocriptine in Common Quails. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:5482895. [PMID: 36267841 PMCID: PMC9578813 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5482895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The current study is aimed at examining the overall effects of steroids on the tissues of organisms and pharmacotherapeutics and pharmaco-histokinetics of several steroids, including Bromocriptine as mesylate and estradiol valerate in common quails (Coturnix coturnix). A total of 100 birds were used for pharmaco-histokinetics. The research was carried out in two separate trials, one during the fall season and the other during the spring season. Each experiment lasted for five, ten, fifteen, and twenty days. Each study group used 20 birds while basing their experiments on a control group of 5. At the stretch of five, ten, fifteen, and twenty days in each season, therapeutic dosages were administered to a sum of two groups representing two separate steroid trial groups. Each steroid was administered to each bird in a therapeutic dose, which was three drops administered twice daily. Clinical symptoms include despondency, sluggishness, and variations in weight and temperature that almost all treated birds display. However, only in trials conducted in the fall was a sizable degree of body enlargement in one treated bird noticed. The winter testing showed a mortality rate. Four birds have died in the twenty-day group. One bird died when treated with estradiol valerate, and three birds died treated with Bromocriptine as mesylate. Both the male and female birds showed signs of having lost some of their body weight. The treated birds' kidney, stomach, hearts, and livers exhibited some edema. In comparison, almost all birds show enteritis, which indicates that steroids mainly affect the intestine. There were apparent differences in the histological analysis of heart and skeletal muscle and some treated birds with the control group. The kidney, liver, and intestine show the major histopathological change in all treated birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Nadeem
- Department of Zoology, Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan
| | - Mehr-un Nisa
- Basic Health Unit, Khuda Bakhsh Mahar District Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | | | - Zain Ul Abideen
- Department of Zoology, Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan
| | - Rukhsana Sattar
- Department of Zoology, Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan
| | - Huma Sattar
- Department of Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Tahira Ruby
- Department of Zoology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Aleem Ahmed Khan
- Department of Zoology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Aqeel Ahmad
- University of Chinese Academy of Science (UCAS), Beijing, China
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Sheep as a model for neuroendocrinology research. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2022; 189:1-34. [PMID: 35595346 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2022.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Animal models remain essential to understand the fundamental mechanisms of physiology and pathology. Particularly, the complex and dynamic nature of neuroendocrine cells of the hypothalamus make them difficult to study. The neuroendocrine systems of the hypothalamus are critical for survival and reproduction, and are highly conserved throughout vertebrate evolution. Their roles in controlling body metabolism, growth and body composition, stress, electrolyte balance, and reproduction, have been intensively studied, and have yielded groundbreaking discoveries. Many of these discoveries would not have been feasible without the use of the domestic sheep (Ovis aries). The sheep has been used for decades to study the neuroendocrine systems of the hypothalamus and has become a model for human neuroendocrinology. The aim of this chapter is to review some of the profound biomedical discoveries made possible by the use of sheep. The advantages and limitations of sheep as a neuroendocrine model will be discussed. While no animal model can perfectly recapitulate a human disease or condition, sheep are invaluable for enabling manipulations not possible in human subjects and isolating physiologic variables to garner insight into neuroendocrinology and associated pathologies.
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Karvelis P, Diaconescu AO. A Computational Model of Hopelessness and Active-Escape Bias in Suicidality. COMPUTATIONAL PSYCHIATRY (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2022; 6:34-59. [PMID: 38774778 PMCID: PMC11104346 DOI: 10.5334/cpsy.80] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Currently, psychiatric practice lacks reliable predictive tools and a sufficiently detailed mechanistic understanding of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) to provide timely and personalized interventions. Developing computational models of STB that integrate across behavioral, cognitive and neural levels of analysis could help better understand STB vulnerabilities and guide personalized interventions. To that end, we present a computational model based on the active inference framework. With this model, we show that several STB risk markers - hopelessness, Pavlovian bias and active-escape bias - are interrelated via the drive to maximize one's model evidence. We propose four ways in which these effects can arise: (1) increased learning from aversive outcomes, (2) reduced belief decay in response to unexpected outcomes, (3) increased stress sensitivity and (4) reduced sense of stressor controllability. These proposals stem from considering the neurocircuits implicated in STB: how the locus coeruleus - norepinephrine (LC-NE) system together with the amygdala (Amy), the dorsal prefrontal cortex (dPFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) mediate learning in response to acute stress and volatility as well as how the dorsal raphe nucleus - serotonin (DRN-5-HT) system together with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) mediate stress reactivity based on perceived stressor controllability. We validate the model by simulating performance in an Avoid/Escape Go/No-Go task replicating recent behavioral findings. This serves as a proof of concept and provides a computational hypothesis space that can be tested empirically and be used to distinguish planful versus impulsive STB subtypes. We discuss the relevance of the proposed model for treatment response prediction, including pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, as well as sex differences as it relates to stress reactivity and suicide risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Povilas Karvelis
- Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andreea O. Diaconescu
- Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- University of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Sex-Related Features of the Reactions of Microcirculation Parameters in Symmetrical Areas of the Human Head to Hypoxic Exposure. Bull Exp Biol Med 2022; 172:523-527. [DOI: 10.1007/s10517-022-05425-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Abstract
Despite numerous studies of immune sexual dimorphism, sexual differences are not rigorously mapped and dimorphic mechanisms are incompletely understood. Current immune research typically studies sex differences in specific cells, tissues, or diseases but without providing an integrated picture. To connect the dots, we suggest comprehensive research approaches to better our understanding of immune sexual dimorphism and its mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shani Talia Gal-Oz
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Tal Shay
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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Dump the "dimorphism": Comprehensive synthesis of human brain studies reveals few male-female differences beyond size. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:667-697. [PMID: 33621637 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
With the explosion of neuroimaging, differences between male and female brains have been exhaustively analyzed. Here we synthesize three decades of human MRI and postmortem data, emphasizing meta-analyses and other large studies, which collectively reveal few reliable sex/gender differences and a history of unreplicated claims. Males' brains are larger than females' from birth, stabilizing around 11 % in adults. This size difference accounts for other reproducible findings: higher white/gray matter ratio, intra- versus interhemispheric connectivity, and regional cortical and subcortical volumes in males. But when structural and lateralization differences are present independent of size, sex/gender explains only about 1% of total variance. Connectome differences and multivariate sex/gender prediction are largely based on brain size, and perform poorly across diverse populations. Task-based fMRI has especially failed to find reproducible activation differences between men and women in verbal, spatial or emotion processing due to high rates of false discovery. Overall, male/female brain differences appear trivial and population-specific. The human brain is not "sexually dimorphic."
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