Exploring the multiphysics of the brain during development, aging, and in neurological diseases

Axonal tension contributes to consistent fold placement

Cortical folding is a critical process during brain development, resulting in morphologies that are both consistent and distinct between individuals and species. While earlier studies have highlighted important aspects of cortical folding, most existing computational models, based on the differential growth theory, fall short of explaining why folds tend to appear in particular locations. The axon tension hypothesis may provide insight into this conundrum; however, there has been significant controversy about a potential role of axonal tension during the gyrification. The common opinion in the field is that axonal tension is inadequate to drive gyrification, but we currently run the risk of discarding this hypothesis without comprehensively studying the role of axonal tension. Here we propose a novel bi-layered finite element model incorporating the two theories, including characteristic axonal tension in the subcortex and differential cortical growth. We show that axon tension can serve as a perturbation sufficient to trigger buckling in simulations; similarly to other types of perturbations, the natural stability behavior of the system tends to determine some characteristics of the folding morphology (e.g. the wavelength) while the perturbation determines the location of folds. Certain geometries, however, can interact or compete with the natural stability of the system to change the wavelength. When multiple perturbations are present, they similarly compete with each other. We found that an axon bundle of reasonable size will overpower up to a 5% thickness perturbation (typical in the literature) and determine fold placement. Finally, when multiple axon tracts are present, even a slight difference in axon stiffness, representing the heterogeneity of axonal connections, is enough to significantly change the folding pattern. While the simulations presented here are a very simple representation of white matter connectivity, our findings point to urgent future research on the role of axon connectivity in cortical folding.

Tremendous Fidelity of Vitamin D3 in Age-related Neurological Disorders

Vitamin D3 (VD) is a secosteroid hormone and shows a pleiotropic effect in brain-related disorders where it regulates redox imbalance, inflammation, apoptosis, energy production, and growth factor synthesis. Vitamin D3's active metabolic form, 1,25-dihydroxy Vitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3 or calcitriol), is a known regulator of several genes involved in neuroplasticity, neuroprotection, neurotropism, and neuroinflammation. Multiple studies suggest that VD deficiency can be proposed as a risk factor for the development of several age-related neurological disorders. The evidence for low serum levels of 25-hydroxy Vitamin D3 (25(OH)D3 or calcidiol), the major circulating form of VD, is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), dementia, and cognitive impairment. Despite decades of evidence on low VD association with neurological disorders, the precise molecular mechanism behind its beneficial effect remains controversial. Here, we will be delving into the neurobiological importance of VD and discuss its benefits in different neuropsychiatric disorders. The focus will be on AD, PD, and HD as they share some common clinical, pathological, and epidemiological features. The central focus will be on the different attributes of VD in the aspect of its anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-cholinesterase activity, and psychotropic effect in different neurodegenerative diseases.