Frontiers in Neuroscience最新文献

Objective: This review aimed to summarize neuroimaging evidence on the effects of acupuncture in post-ischemic stroke cognitive impairment (PISCI) and to explore its potential neural mechanisms.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted across multiple databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), SinoMed (China Biology Medicine Disc), the Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), Wanfang Data, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science. Studies were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Risk of bias was assessed for all eligible studies.

Results: Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to investigate the effects of acupuncture on brain activity and metabolic changes. The neuroimaging findings showed that all studies focused on the sustained effects of acupuncture on brain functional activity.

Conclusions: This review provides preliminary neuroimaging evidence supporting the potential benefits of acupuncture for PISCI. The findings suggest that the possible mechanisms of acupuncture for PISCI involve changes in the activity and enhanced functional connectivity of cognition-related brain regions. Additionally, acupuncture may influence brain networks and regulate neurochemical metabolites within cognition-related regions. However, as this field remains in its early stages, further validation is needed. Future studies should focus on well-designed, multicenter randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with large sample sizes and incorporate multiple neuroimaging techniques to better clarify and verify the neural mechanisms of acupuncture in PISCI.

Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, identifier: CRD420250652194.

The hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel HCN3 is expressed in sensory dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons, but its contribution to somatosensory processing remains poorly understood. Here, using RNA in situ hybridization, we found that Hcn3 is widely expressed in various populations of DRG neurons. Analysis of HCN3-deficient mice in a series of behavioral tests for somatosensory function revealed that HCN3 deletion led to profound impairments in mechanical sensation on hairy skin. However, the mechanical sensation on glabrous skin and responses to noxious heat and cold stimuli were not affected in the absence of HCN3. Electrophysiological recordings revealed that deletion of HCN3 reduced the HCN current (I_h) density and affected the action potential kinetics in thoracic (Th9-Th10) DRG neurons, which innervate hairy skin. However, electrophysiological parameters were unaltered in lumbar (L4-L5) DRG neurons. These findings suggest that HCN3 channels are specific regulators of low-threshold mechanoreceptors that innervate hairy skin.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the effects of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology on lower limb motor function, balance function, and activities of daily living in stroke patients.

Methods: This study followed the PRISMA guidelines and searched PubMed, Web of Science, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases, with an additional manual search. The search period was from database inception to March 2024. The PEDro scale was used to assess the quality of the studies, the GRADE system was applied to evaluate the evidence quality for outcome measures, and Meta-analysis was conducted using Stata 17.0 software.

Results: The systematic review included nine studies. The methodological quality, assessed using the PEDro scale, yielded an average score of 6.9, which corresponds to a moderate-to-low certainty of evidence. The Meta-analysis showed that BCI technology significantly improved lower limb motor function (MD = 3.52, 95% CI [2.03, 5.00], p < 0.001) and activities of daily living (MD = 6.08, 95% CI [1.81, 10.35], p = 0.01), but had no significant effect on balance function (MD = 4.82, 95% CI [-1.53, 11.16], p = 0.14). Subgroup analysis showed that the effect size in the acute and subacute phases was 3.89, and in the recovery phase, it was 3.12, both of which were statistically significant. In terms of intervention methods, the effect size for MI-BCI was 2.73, and for BCI-Robot, it was 4.60, both statistically significant. Regarding intervention dosage, the effect size for 2.5-10 h was 2.60, and for 12-20 h, it was 5.46, both statistically significant.

Conclusion: Current evidence suggests that BCI-based interventions have a beneficial effect on lower limb motor function and activities of daily living in stroke patients. Interventions initiated during the acute or subacute phase, with a total dose exceeding 12 h, appear to be associated with superior outcomes. However, the certainty of this evidence is moderate to low, necessitating further validation. Future research should prioritize large-scale, high-quality randomized controlled trials to definitively establish the efficacy of BCI technology and elucidate its optimal implementation protocols.

Background: Neuroimaging investigations reveal heterogeneous acupuncture-induced brain activation patterns. Integrating acupoint-specific activation patterns into a unified connectomic framework enables systematic elucidation of acupoint-specific therapeutic mechanisms through network-level neural decoding.

Methods: This study integrated functional connectivity network mapping (FCNM) methodology, canonical brain networks, and neurotransmitter distributions to delineate the distinct cerebral activation profiles of ST36 (Zusanli) and GB34 (Yanglingquan), two acupoints with anatomical proximity but divergent therapeutic indications in healthy controls (HCs).

Results: The neural networks activated by acupuncture at ST36 and GB34 are both composed of widely distributed brain regions. These two acupoints co-activated the somatomotor network, the ventral attention network, and the dorsal attention network. The activation pattern of ST36 additionally emphasizes the visual network, while the activation pattern of GB34 primarily involves subcortical regions. The spatial patterns of activation brain networks of ST36 showed exploratory spatial correlations with the distributions of 6-fluoro-(18F)-L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (FDOPA), noradrenaline transporter (NET) and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) neurotransmitter, while the GB34 were correlated with dopamine D1, dopamine D2, dopamine transporter, FDOPA, NET, N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor (NMDA), serotonin transporter (SERT), and VAChT neurotransmitter.

Conclusion: This study delineates the distinct physiological mechanisms of ST36 and GB34 from neuroimaging and molecular perspectives. This discovery not only elucidates acupoint effect specificity through brain network organization but also expands our understanding of acupoint therapeutic mechanisms within the framework of systems neuroscience, providing a scientific basis for the precise application of acupuncture in treating diseases.

Background: Depression is a highly prevalent non-motor symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD) that can manifest several years prior to the clinical diagnosis of PD. The study was aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and related risk factors of depression in prodromal PD (pPD) subjects.

Methods: A total of 47 pPD participants from community population of East China and 39 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in the study. The pPD people were divided into two groups (pPD with depression and pPD without depression) according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) criteria. The severity of depression was assessed via the 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-24), and the clinical features of depression were assessed by calculating seven factors of the HAMD-24. Comparisons between the two pPD subgroups were conducted to evaluate the clinical characteristics of depression in the prodromal phase of PD. Risk factors for depression in prodromal PD were analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression analysis.

Results: The prevalence of depression in prodromal PD was 25.53%. pPD group with depression (dpPD) had significantly less years of education and higher HAMD overall scores, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) scores, PD non-motor questionnaire scores compared with pPD without depression (ndpPD). The dpPD group obtained significantly higher scores than the ndpPD group across several domains, including anxiety/somatization, cognitive impairment, day/night changes, retardation, and despair. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that anxiety was an independent risk factor for depression in pPD.

Conclusion: Depression is common in prodromal PD and exhibit a multifaceted nature. pPD subjects with depression are vulnerable to comorbid with other non-motor symptoms. Anxiety is an established risk factor for ndPD, which indicates the critical value of early mood management in early disease intervention.

Intelligent prosthetic hips and knees represent a critical advancement in restoring natural gait and mobility for lower-limb amputees, particularly those with high-level amputations such as hip disarticulation. This systematic review examines recent progress in three fundamental aspects of intelligent prosthetic technology: actuation, perception, and control. In terms of actuation, the review highlights the limitations of passive and active prostheses and discusses emerging hybrid active-passive mechanisms that aim to replicate the natural, biarticular muscle-driven energy transfer in human gait. The perception section addresses current methodologies for recognizing human motion intentions through mechanical, bioelectric, biomechanical, and external environmental signals, underscoring the challenges of stability, latency, and interference inherent in existing approaches. Regarding control strategies, the paper categorizes intelligent control into torque compensation, motion following, and direct intention control, outlining the strengths and limitations of each method. The review identifies critical technological bottlenecks, including signal interference, limited adaptability to dynamic environments, and the absence of effective real-time intention recognition methods. The paper concludes by suggesting future directions in the development of hybrid actuation and advanced perception-control integration, essential for improving the usability and efficacy of intelligent prosthetic hips and knees, ultimately enhancing mobility and quality of life for amputees.

Background: Patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC) frequently exhibit emotional disturbances and cognitive deficits. However, the neurobiological basis of these manifestations remains poorly understood. This study investigates neurostructural and functional alterations in UC patients using multimodal MRI to identify potential neural correlates.

Methods: We enrolled 45 active-stage UC patients and 48 healthy controls, all of whom underwent structural MRI, resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI), neurocognitive testing, and clinical assessments. Regional neural activity was evaluated using fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF), while gray matter volume (GMV) was analyzed to assess structural differences. Brain regions showing significant abnormalities were further examined for correlations with cognitive performance and clinical scale results.

Results: Compared to the healthy control group, the UC patient group exhibited higher scores in PSQI, PSS, SAS, and SDS. Furthermore, the UC patient group displayed varying degrees of impairment in attention, working memory, and executive function. The GMV of the bilateral thalamus in UC patients decreased, while the fALFF values in bilateral posterior cingulate gyrus (PCG) and left lingual gyrus increased. Conversely, the fALFF values in multiple brain regions, including bilateral frontal lobes, the right temporal lobe, and the right inferior parietal lobule, were decreased. Multiple brain regions with reduced activity in the bilateral frontal lobes are closely related to emotions and executive control, while the increased activity in the bilateral PCG is strongly correlated with stress and anxiety. The reduction GMV in bilateral thalamic is associated with working memory and attention.

Conclusion: Cognitive impairment and emotional abnormalities in UC are associated with the functional activity and structure of multiple brain regions, particularly in the bilateral frontal lobes, PCG and thalamus. These findings provide potential neuroimaging evidence for the activation of the gut-brain axis due to chronic inflammation, and that certain brain regions may be considered as key targets for predicting cognitive impairment for UC patients.

Objective: To investigate the changes in the global attributes of structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC) graph theory, as well as the coupling topological structure of the whole brain SC-FC in patients with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

Methods: 57 NIHL patients and 55 health controls (HCs) were included; resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, clinical data (scales, laboratory indicators) were collected. The graph theory network analysis of SC and FC, the whole-brain SC-FC coupling were performed, and a correlation analysis was employed to analyze the results in relation to the clinical data.

Results: For FC, there was no significant difference in the global indices directly between groups (P > 0.05, FDR corrected). For SC, the normalized clustering coefficient (γ) and small-worldness (σ) of the NIHL were higher than those of the HCs (P < 0.05, FDR corrected). There was no significant difference in the SC-FC coupling strength of whole brain between two groups (P > 0.05). The graph attribute indices and coupling values of NIHL were correlated to varying degrees with the results of anxiety scale, coagulation, inflammation and biochemical indices (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: The brain network topology structure of NIHL patients is abnormal, but the SC-FC coupling strength does not change significantly. This may provide a basis for understanding the theoretical mechanism of brain neural function remodeling and for future more detailed and diverse studies.

Introduction: Early life stress (ELS) has been identified as a major risk factor for the development of various disorders in adulthood. This study aimed to investigate the impact of ELS on adult brain function by focusing on the aperiodic component (exponent and offset) of neural activity-a novel neurophysiological marker thought to reflect the excitation and inhibition (E/I) balance.

Methods: We recruited 65 healthy adults as participants in this study. Resting-state magnetoencephalography (MEG) data were recorded for 5 min with eyes closed. ELS was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Japanese version, National Institute of Mental Health (CTQ-JNIMH), and current psychological status was evaluated with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Aperiodic components were extracted from the MEG power spectra using the FOOOF algorithm, and their relationships with CTQ-JNIMH scores were analyzed.

Results: According to the CTQ-JNIMH, 40% of the participants reported experiencing emotional neglect and 27.7% reported physical neglect, while reports of abuse were relatively rare. A significant negative correlation was observed between emotional neglect severity and the aperiodic offset in the left pars orbitalis, which remained significant after false discovery rate correction. In contrast, the aperiodic offset in the left pars orbitalis did not correlate with the current psychological measures (BDI and STAI).

Discussion: These findings suggest that emotional neglect in early life may induce long-lasting alterations in brain function, potentially shifting the E/I balance, as reflected by the aperiodic offset, toward increased excitability in the left pars orbitalis.

Introduction: Poor sleep quality affects 50-63% of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, exacerbating disease burden and reducing quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the relationships among disease severity, depressive symptoms, and sleep quality in ALS, with a focus on the mediating effects of depression.

Methods: Our study enrolled 408 ALS patients. Disease severity was assessed using the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R), sleep quality via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and psychological status using the Hamilton Depression (HAMD) and Anxiety (HAMA) scales. Statistical analyses included Spearman correlations, multivariate regression, and mediation analysis (Hayes' PROCESS macro).

Results: Poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5) was observed in 54.4% of patients. Multivariate analysis found ALSFRS-R (β = -0.135, p = 0.042) and HAMD (β = 0.270, p < 0.001) correlated with sleep quality. Initial mediation analysis using the full ALSFRS-R and PSQI scales was not significant. Aimed to further explore the correlation, we derived specific subscales ALSFRS-R' (motor/respiratory components) and PSQI' (sleep efficiency/ daytime dysfunction), which more correlated with each other. Mediation analysis of these subscales revealed that depressive symptoms accounted for 36.3% of the indirect effect between ALSFRS-R' and PSQI'.

Discussion: Our cross-sectional exploratory study suggests that depression may partly mediate the relationship between motor dysfunction and poor sleep quality in patients with ALS. Although our mediation analysis suggested a potential association, further longitudinal cohort studies are needed to confirm these findings. The potential mediating role of depression underscores the need for an integrated clinical management approach addressing not only motor symptoms but psychological well-being as well.