Pub Date : 2024-06-06DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2024.1394766
Syeda Humayra, N. Yahya, Chai Jia Ning, Mohd Asyiq Al-Fard bin Mohd Raffali, I. A. Mir, Abdul Latiff Mohamed, H. A. Manan
Literature suggests a common pathophysiological ground between carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) and white matter alterations in the brain. However, the association between carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) has not been conclusively reported. The current systematic review explores and reports the relationship between CIMT and WMH among asymptomatic/non-stroke adults.A recent literature search on PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases was conducted in compliance with the PRISMA protocol. The pre-defined Population-Intervention-Comparison-Outcome-Study (PICOS) criteria included observational studies investigating the CIMT-WMH association among non-stroke adults undergoing magnetic resonance imaging and carotid ultrasound.Out of 255 potential results, 32 studies were critically assessed for selection, and finally, 10 articles were included, comprising 5,116 patients (females = 60.2%; males = 39.8%) aged between 36–71 years. The included studies earned high quality ratings (6–9) based on the Newcastle-Ottawa-Scale criteria. Qualitative synthesis showed a significantly parallel relationship between increased CIMT and greater WMH burden in 50% of the studies. In addition, significant risk factors related to the CIMT-WMH association included older age, hypertension, depression, migraine, Hispanic ethnicity, and apolipoprotein E (ɛ4) in postmenopausal women.Overall, the cumulative evidence showed a consistent CIMT-WMH association in asymptomatic middle-aged and older non-stroke adults, indicating that CAS may contribute to the progression of pathologically hyperintense white matter in the brain. However, further research is warranted to infer the plausible relationship between CIMT and WMH in the absence of stroke.
{"title":"Relationship between carotid intima-media thickness and white matter hyperintensities in non-stroke adults: a systematic review","authors":"Syeda Humayra, N. Yahya, Chai Jia Ning, Mohd Asyiq Al-Fard bin Mohd Raffali, I. A. Mir, Abdul Latiff Mohamed, H. A. Manan","doi":"10.3389/fnana.2024.1394766","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnana.2024.1394766","url":null,"abstract":"Literature suggests a common pathophysiological ground between carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) and white matter alterations in the brain. However, the association between carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) has not been conclusively reported. The current systematic review explores and reports the relationship between CIMT and WMH among asymptomatic/non-stroke adults.A recent literature search on PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases was conducted in compliance with the PRISMA protocol. The pre-defined Population-Intervention-Comparison-Outcome-Study (PICOS) criteria included observational studies investigating the CIMT-WMH association among non-stroke adults undergoing magnetic resonance imaging and carotid ultrasound.Out of 255 potential results, 32 studies were critically assessed for selection, and finally, 10 articles were included, comprising 5,116 patients (females = 60.2%; males = 39.8%) aged between 36–71 years. The included studies earned high quality ratings (6–9) based on the Newcastle-Ottawa-Scale criteria. Qualitative synthesis showed a significantly parallel relationship between increased CIMT and greater WMH burden in 50% of the studies. In addition, significant risk factors related to the CIMT-WMH association included older age, hypertension, depression, migraine, Hispanic ethnicity, and apolipoprotein E (ɛ4) in postmenopausal women.Overall, the cumulative evidence showed a consistent CIMT-WMH association in asymptomatic middle-aged and older non-stroke adults, indicating that CAS may contribute to the progression of pathologically hyperintense white matter in the brain. However, further research is warranted to infer the plausible relationship between CIMT and WMH in the absence of stroke.","PeriodicalId":503839,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Neuroanatomy","volume":"28 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141379718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-16DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2024.1400015
Bridget N. Barraclough, W. T. Stubbs, Manon Bohic, Aman Upadhyay, Victoria E. Abraira, Matt S. Ramer
Hox genes govern rostro-caudal identity along the developing spinal cord, which has a well-defined division of function between dorsal (sensory) and ventral (motor) halves. Here we exploit developmental Hoxb8 expression, normally restricted to the dorsal cord below the obex, to genetically label spinal cord-to-brain (“spinofugal”) axons.We crossed two targeted (knock-in) and two non-targeted recombinase-expressing lines (Hoxb8-IRES-Cre and Hoxb8-T2AFlpO; Hoxb8-Cre and Hoxb8-FlpO, respectively) with appropriate tdtomato-expressing reporter strains. Serial sectioning, confocal and superresolution microscopy, as well as light-sheet imaging was used to reveal robust labeling of ascending axons and their terminals in expected and unexpected regions.This strategy provides unprecedented anatomical detail of ascending spinal tracts anterior to the brainstem, and reveals a previously undescribed decussating tract in the ventral hypothalamus (the spinofugal hypothalamic decussating tract, or shxt). The absence of Hoxb8-suppressing elements led to multiple instances of ectopic reporter expression in Hoxb8-Cre mice (retinal ganglion and vomeronasal axons, anterior thalamic nuclei and their projections to the anterior cingulate and retrosplenial cortices and subiculum, and a population of astrocytes at the cephalic flexure) and Hoxb8-FlpO mice (Cajal–Retzius cells of the dentate gyrus, and mesenchymal cells of the choroid plexus). While targeted transgenic lines were similar in terms of known spinofugal projections, Hoxb8-IRES-Cre reporters had an additional projection to the core of the facial motor nucleus, and more abundant Hoxb8-lineage microglia scattered throughout the brain than Hoxb8-T2A-FlpO (or any other) mice, suggesting dysregulated Hoxb8-driven reporter expression in one or both lines.This work complements structural and connectivity atlases of the mouse central nervous system, and provides a platform upon which their reactions to injury or disease can be studied. Ectopic Hoxb8-driven recombinase expression may also be a useful tool to study structure and function of other cell populations in non-targeted lines.
{"title":"Direct comparison of Hoxb8-driven reporter distribution in the brains of four transgenic mouse lines: towards a spinofugal projection atlas","authors":"Bridget N. Barraclough, W. T. Stubbs, Manon Bohic, Aman Upadhyay, Victoria E. Abraira, Matt S. Ramer","doi":"10.3389/fnana.2024.1400015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnana.2024.1400015","url":null,"abstract":"Hox genes govern rostro-caudal identity along the developing spinal cord, which has a well-defined division of function between dorsal (sensory) and ventral (motor) halves. Here we exploit developmental Hoxb8 expression, normally restricted to the dorsal cord below the obex, to genetically label spinal cord-to-brain (“spinofugal”) axons.We crossed two targeted (knock-in) and two non-targeted recombinase-expressing lines (Hoxb8-IRES-Cre and Hoxb8-T2AFlpO; Hoxb8-Cre and Hoxb8-FlpO, respectively) with appropriate tdtomato-expressing reporter strains. Serial sectioning, confocal and superresolution microscopy, as well as light-sheet imaging was used to reveal robust labeling of ascending axons and their terminals in expected and unexpected regions.This strategy provides unprecedented anatomical detail of ascending spinal tracts anterior to the brainstem, and reveals a previously undescribed decussating tract in the ventral hypothalamus (the spinofugal hypothalamic decussating tract, or shxt). The absence of Hoxb8-suppressing elements led to multiple instances of ectopic reporter expression in Hoxb8-Cre mice (retinal ganglion and vomeronasal axons, anterior thalamic nuclei and their projections to the anterior cingulate and retrosplenial cortices and subiculum, and a population of astrocytes at the cephalic flexure) and Hoxb8-FlpO mice (Cajal–Retzius cells of the dentate gyrus, and mesenchymal cells of the choroid plexus). While targeted transgenic lines were similar in terms of known spinofugal projections, Hoxb8-IRES-Cre reporters had an additional projection to the core of the facial motor nucleus, and more abundant Hoxb8-lineage microglia scattered throughout the brain than Hoxb8-T2A-FlpO (or any other) mice, suggesting dysregulated Hoxb8-driven reporter expression in one or both lines.This work complements structural and connectivity atlases of the mouse central nervous system, and provides a platform upon which their reactions to injury or disease can be studied. Ectopic Hoxb8-driven recombinase expression may also be a useful tool to study structure and function of other cell populations in non-targeted lines.","PeriodicalId":503839,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Neuroanatomy","volume":"38 13","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140971439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-15DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2024.1386295
Miloš Vuković, I. Nosek, J. Boban, D. Kozic
Multiple sclerosis has a complex pathophysiology, and numerous risk factors can contribute to its development, like exposure to sunlight that is associated with serum levels of melatonin. The aim of this study was to determine whether the volume of the pineal gland, assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), correlated with the presence of multiple sclerosis.This retrospective study included a total of 394 patients. Subjects were divided into two groups: the first group consisted of 188 patients with a definite diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (based on revised McDonald criteria) and the second group consisted of 206 healthy controls. To examine the influence of age on pineal gland volume, we stratified the whole sample into three age groups: first involved patients under 20 years, second patients between 20 and 40 years, and third group included patients over 40 years. The maximum length (L) and height (H) of the pineal gland were measured on the T1-weighted sagittal images, and the width (W) was measured on the T2-weighted coronal or axial images. The volume of the gland was calculated as an approximation to an ellipse, according to the formula V = (L × H × W)/2.Pineal gland volume of female multiple sclerosis (MS) patients (N = 129) was significantly lower than in healthy females (N = 123) (p = 0.013; p < 0.05), unlike in males where there is not such difference. Also, pineal gland volume is not age-dependent, and the observed smaller pineal gland in MS patients can reliably be attributed to the disease itself. Additionally, large pineal gland size, especially over 62.83 mm3 when compared to pineal gland volume below 31.85 mm3 is associated with more than double reduced risk of multiple sclerosis (OR 0.42; p = 0.003).Our results suggest that women with multiple sclerosis have smaller pineal glands that can theoretically be explained by a lack of input stimuli and the resultant decrease in gland volume. Additionally, the risk of multiple sclerosis is reduced in larger pineal gland volumes.
{"title":"Pineal gland volume loss in females with multiple sclerosis","authors":"Miloš Vuković, I. Nosek, J. Boban, D. Kozic","doi":"10.3389/fnana.2024.1386295","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnana.2024.1386295","url":null,"abstract":"Multiple sclerosis has a complex pathophysiology, and numerous risk factors can contribute to its development, like exposure to sunlight that is associated with serum levels of melatonin. The aim of this study was to determine whether the volume of the pineal gland, assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), correlated with the presence of multiple sclerosis.This retrospective study included a total of 394 patients. Subjects were divided into two groups: the first group consisted of 188 patients with a definite diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (based on revised McDonald criteria) and the second group consisted of 206 healthy controls. To examine the influence of age on pineal gland volume, we stratified the whole sample into three age groups: first involved patients under 20 years, second patients between 20 and 40 years, and third group included patients over 40 years. The maximum length (L) and height (H) of the pineal gland were measured on the T1-weighted sagittal images, and the width (W) was measured on the T2-weighted coronal or axial images. The volume of the gland was calculated as an approximation to an ellipse, according to the formula V = (L × H × W)/2.Pineal gland volume of female multiple sclerosis (MS) patients (N = 129) was significantly lower than in healthy females (N = 123) (p = 0.013; p < 0.05), unlike in males where there is not such difference. Also, pineal gland volume is not age-dependent, and the observed smaller pineal gland in MS patients can reliably be attributed to the disease itself. Additionally, large pineal gland size, especially over 62.83 mm3 when compared to pineal gland volume below 31.85 mm3 is associated with more than double reduced risk of multiple sclerosis (OR 0.42; p = 0.003).Our results suggest that women with multiple sclerosis have smaller pineal glands that can theoretically be explained by a lack of input stimuli and the resultant decrease in gland volume. Additionally, the risk of multiple sclerosis is reduced in larger pineal gland volumes.","PeriodicalId":503839,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Neuroanatomy","volume":"66 43","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140972049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-03DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2024.1374864
D. Agoston
{"title":"Of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the human brain. Celebrating Miklos Palkovits' 90th birthday","authors":"D. Agoston","doi":"10.3389/fnana.2024.1374864","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnana.2024.1374864","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":503839,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Neuroanatomy","volume":"142 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141015229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}