Pub Date : 2021-12-31eCollection Date: 2021-01-01DOI: 10.1155/2021/2804533
Haimeng Hu, Yining Lyu, Shihong Li, Zheng Yuan, Chuntao Ye, Zhao Han, Guangwu Lin
Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analyses have shown that the dorsal attention network (DAN) is involved in the pathophysiological changes of tinnitus, but few relevant studies have been conducted, and the conclusions to date are not uniform. The purpose of this research was to test whether there is a change in intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) patterns between the DAN and other brain regions in tinnitus patients. Thirty-one patients with persistent tinnitus and thirty-three healthy controls were enrolled in this study. A group independent component analysis (ICA), degree centrality (DC) analysis, and seed-based FC analysis were conducted. In the group ICA, the tinnitus patients showed increased connectivity in the left superior parietal gyrus in the DAN compared to the healthy controls. Compared with the healthy controls, the tinnitus patients showed increased DC in the left inferior parietal gyrus and decreased DC in the left precuneus within the DAN. The clusters within the DAN with significant differences in the ICA or DC analysis between the tinnitus patients and the healthy controls were selected as regions of interest (ROIs) for seeds. The tinnitus patients exhibited significantly increased FC from the left superior parietal gyrus to several brain regions, including the left inferior parietal gyrus, the left superior marginal gyrus, and the right superior frontal gyrus, and decreased FC to the right anterior cingulate cortex. The tinnitus patients exhibited decreased FC from the left precuneus to the left inferior occipital gyrus, left calcarine cortex, and left superior frontal gyrus compared with the healthy controls. The findings of this study show that compared with healthy controls, tinnitus patients have altered functional connections not only within the DAN but also between the DAN and other brain regions. These results suggest that it may be possible to improve the disturbance and influence of tinnitus by regulating the DAN.
{"title":"Aberrant Resting-State Functional Connectivity of the Dorsal Attention Network in Tinnitus.","authors":"Haimeng Hu, Yining Lyu, Shihong Li, Zheng Yuan, Chuntao Ye, Zhao Han, Guangwu Lin","doi":"10.1155/2021/2804533","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/2804533","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analyses have shown that the dorsal attention network (DAN) is involved in the pathophysiological changes of tinnitus, but few relevant studies have been conducted, and the conclusions to date are not uniform. The purpose of this research was to test whether there is a change in intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) patterns between the DAN and other brain regions in tinnitus patients. Thirty-one patients with persistent tinnitus and thirty-three healthy controls were enrolled in this study. A group independent component analysis (ICA), degree centrality (DC) analysis, and seed-based FC analysis were conducted. In the group ICA, the tinnitus patients showed increased connectivity in the left superior parietal gyrus in the DAN compared to the healthy controls. Compared with the healthy controls, the tinnitus patients showed increased DC in the left inferior parietal gyrus and decreased DC in the left precuneus within the DAN. The clusters within the DAN with significant differences in the ICA or DC analysis between the tinnitus patients and the healthy controls were selected as regions of interest (ROIs) for seeds. The tinnitus patients exhibited significantly increased FC from the left superior parietal gyrus to several brain regions, including the left inferior parietal gyrus, the left superior marginal gyrus, and the right superior frontal gyrus, and decreased FC to the right anterior cingulate cortex. The tinnitus patients exhibited decreased FC from the left precuneus to the left inferior occipital gyrus, left calcarine cortex, and left superior frontal gyrus compared with the healthy controls. The findings of this study show that compared with healthy controls, tinnitus patients have altered functional connections not only within the DAN but also between the DAN and other brain regions. These results suggest that it may be possible to improve the disturbance and influence of tinnitus by regulating the DAN.</p>","PeriodicalId":51299,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2021-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8741389/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39802377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Purpose: To compare the effectiveness of contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation (CCFES) versus neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on motor recovery of the upper limb in subacute stroke patients.
Materials and methods: Fifty patients within six months poststroke were randomly assigned to the CCFES group (n = 25) and the NMES group (n = 25). Both groups underwent routine rehabilitation plus 20-minute stimulation on wrist extensors per day, five days a week, for 3 weeks. Fugl-Meyer Assessment of upper extremity (FMA-UE), action research arm test (ARAT), Barthel Index (BI), and surface electromyography (sEMG) were assessed at baseline and end of intervention.
Results: After a 3-week intervention, FMA-UE and BI increased in both groups (p < 0.05). ARAT increased significantly only in the CCFES group (p < 0.05). The changes of FMA-UE, ARAT, and BI in the CCFES group were not greater than those in the NMES group. The improvement in sEMG response of extensor carpi radialis by CCFES was greater than that by NMES (p = 0.026). The cocontraction ratio (CCR) of flexor carpi radialis did not decrease in both groups.
Conclusions: CCFES improved upper limb motor function, but did not show better treatment effect than NMES. CCFES significantly enhanced the sEMG response of paretic extensor carpi radialis compared with NMES, but did not decrease the cocontraction of antagonist.
{"title":"Effectiveness of Contralaterally Controlled Functional Electrical Stimulation versus Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Upper Limb Motor Functional Recovery in Subacute Stroke Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.","authors":"Songhua Huang, Peile Liu, Yinglun Chen, Beiyao Gao, Yingying Li, Chan Chen, Yulong Bai","doi":"10.1155/2021/1987662","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/1987662","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To compare the effectiveness of contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation (CCFES) versus neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on motor recovery of the upper limb in subacute stroke patients.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Fifty patients within six months poststroke were randomly assigned to the CCFES group (<i>n</i> = 25) and the NMES group (<i>n</i> = 25). Both groups underwent routine rehabilitation plus 20-minute stimulation on wrist extensors per day, five days a week, for 3 weeks. Fugl-Meyer Assessment of upper extremity (FMA-UE), action research arm test (ARAT), Barthel Index (BI), and surface electromyography (sEMG) were assessed at baseline and end of intervention.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After a 3-week intervention, FMA-UE and BI increased in both groups (<i>p</i> < 0.05). ARAT increased significantly only in the CCFES group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The changes of FMA-UE, ARAT, and BI in the CCFES group were not greater than those in the NMES group. The improvement in sEMG response of extensor carpi radialis by CCFES was greater than that by NMES (<i>p</i> = 0.026). The cocontraction ratio (CCR) of flexor carpi radialis did not decrease in both groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>CCFES improved upper limb motor function, but did not show better treatment effect than NMES. CCFES significantly enhanced the sEMG response of paretic extensor carpi radialis compared with NMES, but did not decrease the cocontraction of antagonist.</p>","PeriodicalId":51299,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2021-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8716238/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39779715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
As the final level of the binaural integration center in the subcortical nucleus, the inferior colliculus (IC) plays an essential role in receiving binaural information input. Previous studies have focused on how interactions between the bilateral IC affect the firing rate of IC neurons. However, little is known concerning how the interactions within the bilateral IC affect neuron latency. In this study, we explored the synaptic mechanism of the effect of bilateral IC interactions on the latency of IC neurons. We used whole-cell patch clamp recordings to assess synaptic responses in isolated brain slices of Kunming mice. The results demonstrated that the excitation-inhibition projection was the main projection between the bilateral IC. Also, the bilateral IC interactions could change the reaction latency of most neurons to different degrees. The variation in latency was related to the type of synaptic input and the relative intensity of the excitation and inhibition. Furthermore, the latency variation also was caused by the duration change of the first subthreshold depolarization firing response of the neurons. The distribution characteristics of the different types of synaptic input also differed. Excitatory-inhibitory neurons were widely distributed in the IC dorsal and central nuclei, while excitatory neurons were relatively concentrated in these two nuclei. Inhibitory neurons did not exhibit any apparent distribution trend due to the small number of assessed neurons. These results provided an experimental reference to reveal the modulatory functions of bilateral IC projections.
{"title":"Investigation of Neuron Latency Modulated by Bilateral Inferior Collicular Interactions Using Whole-Cell Patch Clamp Recording in Brain Slices.","authors":"Jinzhe Ma, Yangyang Han, Yiting Yao, Huimei Wang, Mengxia Chen, Ziying Fu, Qicai Chen, Jia Tang","doi":"10.1155/2021/8030870","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8030870","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As the final level of the binaural integration center in the subcortical nucleus, the inferior colliculus (IC) plays an essential role in receiving binaural information input. Previous studies have focused on how interactions between the bilateral IC affect the firing rate of IC neurons. However, little is known concerning how the interactions within the bilateral IC affect neuron latency. In this study, we explored the synaptic mechanism of the effect of bilateral IC interactions on the latency of IC neurons. We used whole-cell patch clamp recordings to assess synaptic responses in isolated brain slices of Kunming mice. The results demonstrated that the excitation-inhibition projection was the main projection between the bilateral IC. Also, the bilateral IC interactions could change the reaction latency of most neurons to different degrees. The variation in latency was related to the type of synaptic input and the relative intensity of the excitation and inhibition. Furthermore, the latency variation also was caused by the duration change of the first subthreshold depolarization firing response of the neurons. The distribution characteristics of the different types of synaptic input also differed. Excitatory-inhibitory neurons were widely distributed in the IC dorsal and central nuclei, while excitatory neurons were relatively concentrated in these two nuclei. Inhibitory neurons did not exhibit any apparent distribution trend due to the small number of assessed neurons. These results provided an experimental reference to reveal the modulatory functions of bilateral IC projections.</p>","PeriodicalId":51299,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2021-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8683196/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39827498","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-07eCollection Date: 2021-01-01DOI: 10.1155/2021/7476717
Qingguo Ding, Lina Huang, Jie Chen, Farzaneh Dehghani, Juan Du, Yingli Li, Qin Li, Hongqiang Zhang, Zhen Qian, Wenbin Shen, Xiaowei Yin, Pei Liang
Exercise is believed to have significant cognitive benefits. Although an array of experimental paradigms have been employed to test the cognitive effects on exercising individuals, the mechanism as to how exercise induces cognitive benefits in the brain remains unclear. This study explores the effect of dynamic neural network processing with the classic Go/NoGo task with regular exercisers. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to analyze the brain activation of areas involved in executive function, especially inhibitory control. Nineteen regular joggers and twenty-one subjects as a control group performed the task, and their brain imaging data were analyzed. The results showed that at the attentive visual period, the frontal and parietal areas, including the prefrontal cortex, putamen, thalamus, lingual, fusiform, and caudate, were significantly enhanced in positive activities than the control group. On the other hand, in the following inhibitory control processing period, almost the same areas of the brains of the exercise group have shown stronger negative activation in comparison to the control group. Such dynamic temporal response patterns indicate that sports augment cognitive benefits; i.e., regular jogging increases the brain's visual attention and inhibitory control capacities.
{"title":"Sports Augmented Cognitive Benefits: An fMRI Study of Executive Function with Go/NoGo Task.","authors":"Qingguo Ding, Lina Huang, Jie Chen, Farzaneh Dehghani, Juan Du, Yingli Li, Qin Li, Hongqiang Zhang, Zhen Qian, Wenbin Shen, Xiaowei Yin, Pei Liang","doi":"10.1155/2021/7476717","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2021/7476717","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Exercise is believed to have significant cognitive benefits. Although an array of experimental paradigms have been employed to test the cognitive effects on exercising individuals, the mechanism as to how exercise induces cognitive benefits in the brain remains unclear. This study explores the effect of dynamic neural network processing with the classic Go/NoGo task with regular exercisers. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to analyze the brain activation of areas involved in executive function, especially inhibitory control. Nineteen regular joggers and twenty-one subjects as a control group performed the task, and their brain imaging data were analyzed. The results showed that at the attentive visual period, the frontal and parietal areas, including the prefrontal cortex, putamen, thalamus, lingual, fusiform, and caudate, were significantly enhanced in positive activities than the control group. On the other hand, in the following inhibitory control processing period, almost the same areas of the brains of the exercise group have shown stronger negative activation in comparison to the control group. Such dynamic temporal response patterns indicate that sports augment cognitive benefits; i.e., regular jogging increases the brain's visual attention and inhibitory control capacities.</p>","PeriodicalId":51299,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2021-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8670897/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39610030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Objectives: Functional prognosis is potentially correlated with gut microbiota alterations following the dysregulation of the gut-microbiota-brain axis after stroke. This study was designed to explore the poststroke alterations of gut microbiota and potential correlations between gut microbiota and global functions.
Methods: A total of thirty-eight patients with stroke and thirty-five healthy demographics-matched controls were recruited. Their fecal DNAs were extracted, and the V3-V4 regions of the conserved bacterial 16S RNA were amplified and sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform. Microbial composition, diversity indices, and species cooccurrence were compared between groups. Random forest and receiver operating characteristic analysis were used to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers. Relationships between discriminant bacteria and poststroke functional outcomes were estimated.
Results: Higher alpha diversity of gut microbiota was observed in poststroke patients as compared to the healthy controls (p < 0.05). Beta diversity showed that microbiota composition in the poststroke group was significantly different from that in the control group. Relative abundance of nine genera increased significantly in poststroke patients, while 82 genera significantly decreased (p < 0.05). The accuracy, specificity, and susceptibility of the optimal model consisted of the top 10 discriminant species were 93%, 100%, and 86%, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that bacterial taxa abundant between subacute and chronic stroke patients were overall different (p < 0.05). The modified Rankin scale (mRS) (r = -0.370, p < 0.05), Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) score (r = 0.364, p < 0.05), water swallow test (WST) (r = 0.340, p < 0.05), and Barthel index (BI) (r = 0.349, p < 0.05) were significantly associated with alterations of distinctive gut microbiota.
Conclusions: The gut microbiota in patients with stroke was significantly changed in terms of richness and composition. Significant associations were detected between alterations of distinctive gut microbiota and global functional prognosis. It would facilitate novel treatment target selection in the context of stroke while the causal relationships between distinctive gut microbiota alterations and functional variations need to be further verified with well-designed studies.
目的:脑卒中后肠道-微生物群-脑轴失调后的功能预后可能与肠道微生物群改变相关。本研究旨在探讨中风后肠道微生物群的改变以及肠道微生物群与整体功能之间的潜在相关性。方法:共招募38例脑卒中患者和35例人口统计学匹配的健康对照。提取他们的粪便dna,在Illumina MiSeq平台上扩增保守细菌16S RNA的V3-V4区域并测序。比较各组间微生物组成、多样性指数和物种共发生情况。随机森林和受试者工作特征分析用于识别潜在的诊断性生物标志物。鉴别细菌与脑卒中后功能结局之间的关系进行了评估。结果:脑卒中后患者肠道菌群α多样性高于健康对照组(p < 0.05)。β多样性表明,中风后组的微生物群组成与对照组有显著差异。卒中后患者中9个属的相对丰度显著升高,82个属的相对丰度显著降低(p < 0.05)。由前10个判别种组成的最优模型的准确率、特异性和敏感性分别为93%、100%和86%。亚组分析显示,亚急性与慢性脑卒中患者细菌类群丰富程度总体差异有统计学意义(p < 0.05)。改良Rankin量表(mRS) (r = -0.370, p < 0.05)、Fugl-Meyer评估(FMA)评分(r = 0.364, p < 0.05)、吞水试验(WST) (r = 0.340, p < 0.05)和Barthel指数(BI) (r = 0.349, p < 0.05)与不同肠道菌群的改变显著相关。结论:脑卒中患者的肠道菌群在丰富度和组成方面发生了显著变化。不同肠道菌群的改变与整体功能预后之间存在显著关联。这将促进中风背景下新的治疗靶点选择,而不同肠道微生物群改变和功能变化之间的因果关系需要通过精心设计的研究进一步验证。
{"title":"Distinctive Gut Microbiota Alteration Is Associated with Poststroke Functional Recovery: Results from a Prospective Cohort Study.","authors":"Yini Dang, Xintong Zhang, Yu Zheng, Binbin Yu, Dijia Pan, Xiaomin Jiang, Chengjie Yan, Qiuyu Yu, Xiao Lu","doi":"10.1155/2021/1469339","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/1469339","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Functional prognosis is potentially correlated with gut microbiota alterations following the dysregulation of the gut-microbiota-brain axis after stroke. This study was designed to explore the poststroke alterations of gut microbiota and potential correlations between gut microbiota and global functions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of thirty-eight patients with stroke and thirty-five healthy demographics-matched controls were recruited. Their fecal DNAs were extracted, and the V3-V4 regions of the conserved bacterial 16S RNA were amplified and sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform. Microbial composition, diversity indices, and species cooccurrence were compared between groups. Random forest and receiver operating characteristic analysis were used to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers. Relationships between discriminant bacteria and poststroke functional outcomes were estimated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Higher alpha diversity of gut microbiota was observed in poststroke patients as compared to the healthy controls (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Beta diversity showed that microbiota composition in the poststroke group was significantly different from that in the control group. Relative abundance of nine genera increased significantly in poststroke patients, while 82 genera significantly decreased (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The accuracy, specificity, and susceptibility of the optimal model consisted of the top 10 discriminant species were 93%, 100%, and 86%, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that bacterial taxa abundant between subacute and chronic stroke patients were overall different (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The modified Rankin scale (mRS) (<i>r</i> = -0.370, <i>p</i> < 0.05), Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) score (<i>r</i> = 0.364, <i>p</i> < 0.05), water swallow test (WST) (<i>r</i> = 0.340, <i>p</i> < 0.05), and Barthel index (BI) (<i>r</i> = 0.349, <i>p</i> < 0.05) were significantly associated with alterations of distinctive gut microbiota.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The gut microbiota in patients with stroke was significantly changed in terms of richness and composition. Significant associations were detected between alterations of distinctive gut microbiota and global functional prognosis. It would facilitate novel treatment target selection in the context of stroke while the causal relationships between distinctive gut microbiota alterations and functional variations need to be further verified with well-designed studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":51299,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2021-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8670901/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39609579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-07eCollection Date: 2021-01-01DOI: 10.1155/2021/9955153
Wenting Qin, Anjing Zhang, Mingzhen Yang, Chan Chen, Lijun Zhen, Hong Yang, Lingjing Jin, Fang Li
Purpose: This study is aimed at exploring how soleus H-reflex change in poststroke patients with spasticity influenced by body position.
Materials and methods: Twenty-four stroke patients with spastic hemiplegia and twelve age-matched healthy controls were investigated. Maximal Hoffmann-reflex (Hmax) and motor potential (Mmax) were elicited at the popliteal fossa in both prone and standing positions, respectively, and the Hmax/Mmax ratio at each body position was determined. Compare changes in reflex behavior in both spastic and contralateral muscles of stroke survivors in prone and standing positions, and match healthy subjects in the same position.
Results: In healthy subjects, Hmax and Hmax/Mmax ratios were significantly decreased in the standing position compared to the prone position (Hmax: p = 0.000, Hmax/Mmax: p = 0.016). However, Hmax/Mmax ratios were increased in standing position on both sides in poststroke patients with spasticity (unaffected side: p = 0.006, affected side: p = 0.095). The Hmax and Hmax/Mmax ratios were significantly more increased on the affected side than unaffected side irrespective of the position.
Conclusions: The motor neuron excitability of both sides was not suppressed but instead upregulated in the standing position in subjects with spasticity, which may suggest that there was abnormal regulation of the Ia pathway on both sides.
目的:探讨体位对脑卒中后痉挛患者比目鱼h反射的影响。材料与方法:选取24例脑卒中痉挛性偏瘫患者和12例年龄匹配的健康对照。在俯卧位和站立位分别激发腘窝最大霍夫曼反射(Hmax)和运动电位(Mmax),并测定各体位的Hmax/Mmax比值。比较中风幸存者在俯卧位和站立位时痉挛肌和对侧肌反射行为的变化,并匹配相同体位的健康受试者。结果:健康受试者站立位的Hmax和Hmax/Mmax比值明显低于俯卧位(Hmax: p = 0.000, Hmax/Mmax: p = 0.016)。而卒中后痉挛患者站立位时,两侧Hmax/Mmax比值均升高(未患侧:p = 0.006,患侧:p = 0.095)。不同体位,患侧的Hmax和Hmax/Mmax比值均显著高于未患侧。结论:痉挛受试者站立体位时双侧运动神经元兴奋性未被抑制,反而上调,可能提示双侧Ia通路存在异常调节。
{"title":"Soleus H-Reflex Change in Poststroke Spasticity: Modulation due to Body Position.","authors":"Wenting Qin, Anjing Zhang, Mingzhen Yang, Chan Chen, Lijun Zhen, Hong Yang, Lingjing Jin, Fang Li","doi":"10.1155/2021/9955153","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/9955153","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study is aimed at exploring how soleus H-reflex change in poststroke patients with spasticity influenced by body position.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Twenty-four stroke patients with spastic hemiplegia and twelve age-matched healthy controls were investigated. Maximal Hoffmann-reflex (Hmax) and motor potential (Mmax) were elicited at the popliteal fossa in both prone and standing positions, respectively, and the Hmax/Mmax ratio at each body position was determined. Compare changes in reflex behavior in both spastic and contralateral muscles of stroke survivors in prone and standing positions, and match healthy subjects in the same position.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In healthy subjects, Hmax and Hmax/Mmax ratios were significantly decreased in the standing position compared to the prone position (Hmax: <i>p</i> = 0.000, Hmax/Mmax: <i>p</i> = 0.016). However, Hmax/Mmax ratios were increased in standing position on both sides in poststroke patients with spasticity (unaffected side: <i>p</i> = 0.006, affected side: <i>p</i> = 0.095). The Hmax and Hmax/Mmax ratios were significantly more increased on the affected side than unaffected side irrespective of the position.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The motor neuron excitability of both sides was not suppressed but instead upregulated in the standing position in subjects with spasticity, which may suggest that there was abnormal regulation of the Ia pathway on both sides.</p>","PeriodicalId":51299,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2021-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8670919/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39610031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-06eCollection Date: 2021-01-01DOI: 10.1155/2021/6564585
Abeer Alahmari
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a semipermeable and extremely selective system in the central nervous system of most vertebrates, that separates blood from the brain's extracellular fluid. It plays a vital role in regulating the transport of necessary materials for brain function, furthermore, protecting it from foreign substances in the blood that could damage it. In this review, we searched in Google Scholar, Pubmed, Web of Science, and Saudi Digital Library for the various cells and components that support the development and function of this barrier, as well as the different pathways to transport the various molecules between blood and the brain. We also discussed the aspects that lead to BBB dysfunction and its neuropathological consequences, with the identification of some of the most important biomarkers that might be used as a biomarker to predict the BBB disturbances. This comprehensive overview of BBB will pave the way for future studies to focus on developing more specific targeting systems in material delivery as a future approach that assists in combinatorial therapy or nanotherapy to destroy or modify this barrier in pathological conditions such as brain tumors and brain stem cell carcinomas.
血脑屏障(BBB)是大多数脊椎动物中枢神经系统中的半透性和极具选择性的系统,它将血液与大脑的细胞外液分开。它在调节大脑功能所需物质的运输方面起着至关重要的作用,此外,它还保护大脑免受血液中可能损害它的外来物质的侵害。在这篇综述中,我们在Google Scholar、Pubmed、Web of Science和沙特阿拉伯数字图书馆中搜索了支持这一屏障发育和功能的各种细胞和成分,以及在血液和大脑之间运输各种分子的不同途径。我们还讨论了导致血脑屏障功能障碍及其神经病理后果的方面,并确定了一些最重要的生物标志物,这些生物标志物可能用作预测血脑屏障障碍的生物标志物。对血脑屏障的全面概述将为未来的研究铺平道路,重点是开发更具体的靶向系统,作为未来的方法,帮助联合治疗或纳米治疗在脑肿瘤和脑干细胞癌等病理条件下破坏或改变这一屏障。
{"title":"Blood-Brain Barrier Overview: Structural and Functional Correlation.","authors":"Abeer Alahmari","doi":"10.1155/2021/6564585","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6564585","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a semipermeable and extremely selective system in the central nervous system of most vertebrates, that separates blood from the brain's extracellular fluid. It plays a vital role in regulating the transport of necessary materials for brain function, furthermore, protecting it from foreign substances in the blood that could damage it. In this review, we searched in Google Scholar, Pubmed, Web of Science, and Saudi Digital Library for the various cells and components that support the development and function of this barrier, as well as the different pathways to transport the various molecules between blood and the brain. We also discussed the aspects that lead to BBB dysfunction and its neuropathological consequences, with the identification of some of the most important biomarkers that might be used as a biomarker to predict the BBB disturbances. This comprehensive overview of BBB will pave the way for future studies to focus on developing more specific targeting systems in material delivery as a future approach that assists in combinatorial therapy or nanotherapy to destroy or modify this barrier in pathological conditions such as brain tumors and brain stem cell carcinomas.</p>","PeriodicalId":51299,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2021-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8668349/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39817816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-03eCollection Date: 2021-01-01DOI: 10.1155/2021/2412220
Fengming Shen, Juan Wang, Feng Gao, Jingji Wang, Guoqi Zhu
This study is aimed at investigating the potential roles of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER, also known as GPR30) in the preventive effect of ginsenoside Rg1 against cognitive impairment and hippocampal cell apoptosis in experimental vascular dementia (VD) in mice. The effects of bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS) on GPR30 expression at mRNA level were evaluated. Thereafter, the BCAS mouse model was utilized to evaluate the protection of Rg1 (0.1, 1, 10 mg/kg, 14 days, ip). Spatial memory was evaluated by water Morris Maze 7 days post BCAS. After behavioral tests, neuronal apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay, and potential mechanisms were determined using western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR. Our results showed that GPR30 expression in the hippocampal region at mRNA level was promoted 30 min, 3 h, 6 h, and 24 h following BCAS. Ginsenoside Rg1 (1 or 10 mg/kg, 14 days, ip) promoted GPR30 expression in the hippocampus of model mice (after behavioral tests) but did not alter GPR30 expression in the hippocampus of control mice. Moreover, treatment of ginsenoside Rg1 (10 mg/kg) or G1 (5 μg/kg), a GPR30 agonist, prevented BCAS-induced memory impairment and hippocampal neuronal loss and apoptosis and promoted the ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax expression in the hippocampus (after behavioral tests). On the contrary, G15 (185 μg/kg), an antagonist of GPR30, aggravated BCAS-induced hippocampal neuronal loss and apoptosis. Finally, drug-target molecular docking pointed that Rg1 had a lower binding energy with GPR30 compared with Bax and Bcl-2. Together, our data implicate that ginsenoside Rg1 prevents cognitive impairment and hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in VD mice, likely through promoting GPR30 expression. These results would provide important implications for the application of Rg1 in the treatment of VD.
{"title":"Ginsenoside Rg1 Prevents Cognitive Impairment and Hippocampal Neuronal Apoptosis in Experimental Vascular Dementia Mice by Promoting GPR30 Expression.","authors":"Fengming Shen, Juan Wang, Feng Gao, Jingji Wang, Guoqi Zhu","doi":"10.1155/2021/2412220","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/2412220","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study is aimed at investigating the potential roles of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER, also known as GPR30) in the preventive effect of ginsenoside Rg1 against cognitive impairment and hippocampal cell apoptosis in experimental vascular dementia (VD) in mice. The effects of bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS) on GPR30 expression at mRNA level were evaluated. Thereafter, the BCAS mouse model was utilized to evaluate the protection of Rg1 (0.1, 1, 10 mg/kg, 14 days, <i>ip</i>). Spatial memory was evaluated by water Morris Maze 7 days post BCAS. After behavioral tests, neuronal apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay, and potential mechanisms were determined using western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR. Our results showed that GPR30 expression in the hippocampal region at mRNA level was promoted 30 min, 3 h, 6 h, and 24 h following BCAS. Ginsenoside Rg1 (1 or 10 mg/kg, 14 days, <i>ip</i>) promoted GPR30 expression in the hippocampus of model mice (after behavioral tests) but did not alter GPR30 expression in the hippocampus of control mice. Moreover, treatment of ginsenoside Rg1 (10 mg/kg) or G1 (5 <i>μ</i>g/kg), a GPR30 agonist, prevented BCAS-induced memory impairment and hippocampal neuronal loss and apoptosis and promoted the ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax expression in the hippocampus (after behavioral tests). On the contrary, G15 (185 <i>μ</i>g/kg), an antagonist of GPR30, aggravated BCAS-induced hippocampal neuronal loss and apoptosis. Finally, drug-target molecular docking pointed that Rg1 had a lower binding energy with GPR30 compared with Bax and Bcl-2. Together, our data implicate that ginsenoside Rg1 prevents cognitive impairment and hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in VD mice, likely through promoting GPR30 expression. These results would provide important implications for the application of Rg1 in the treatment of VD.</p>","PeriodicalId":51299,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2021-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8664545/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39596183","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-02eCollection Date: 2021-01-01DOI: 10.1155/2021/5585951
Turki Abualait, Sultan Alzahrani, Ahmed AlOthman, Fahad Abdulah Alhargan, Nouf Altwaijri, Rooa Khallaf, Eman Nasim, Shahid Bashir
Neural plasticity refers to the capability of the brain to modify its structure and/or function and organization in response to a changing environment. Evidence shows that disruption of neuronal plasticity and altered functional connectivity between distinct brain networks contribute significantly to the pathophysiological mechanisms of schizophrenia. Transcranial magnetic stimulation has emerged as a noninvasive brain stimulation tool that can be utilized to investigate cortical excitability with the aim of probing neural plasticity mechanisms. In particular, in pathological disorders, such as schizophrenia, cortical dysfunction, such as an aberrant excitatory-inhibitory balance in cortical networks, altered cortical connectivity, and impairment of critical period timing are very important to be studied using different TMS paradigms. Studying such neurophysiological characteristics and plastic changes would help in elucidating different aspects of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying schizophrenia. This review attempts to summarize the findings of available TMS studies with diagnostic and characterization aims, but not with therapeutic purposes, in schizophrenia. Findings provide further evidence of aberrant excitatory-inhibitory balance in cortical networks, mediated by neurotransmitter pathways such as the glutamate and GABA systems. Future studies with combining techniques, for instance, TMS with brain imaging or molecular genetic typing, would shed light on the characteristics and predictors of schizophrenia.
{"title":"Assessment of Cortical Plasticity in Schizophrenia by Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.","authors":"Turki Abualait, Sultan Alzahrani, Ahmed AlOthman, Fahad Abdulah Alhargan, Nouf Altwaijri, Rooa Khallaf, Eman Nasim, Shahid Bashir","doi":"10.1155/2021/5585951","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2021/5585951","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neural plasticity refers to the capability of the brain to modify its structure and/or function and organization in response to a changing environment. Evidence shows that disruption of <i>neuronal plasticity</i> and altered functional connectivity between distinct brain networks contribute significantly to the pathophysiological mechanisms of schizophrenia. Transcranial magnetic stimulation has emerged as a noninvasive brain stimulation tool that can be utilized to investigate cortical excitability with the aim of probing neural plasticity mechanisms. In particular, in pathological disorders, such as schizophrenia, cortical dysfunction, such as an aberrant excitatory-inhibitory balance in cortical networks, altered cortical connectivity, and impairment of critical period timing are very important to be studied using different TMS paradigms. Studying such neurophysiological characteristics and plastic changes would help in elucidating different aspects of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying schizophrenia. This review attempts to summarize the findings of available TMS studies with diagnostic and characterization aims, but not with therapeutic purposes, in schizophrenia. Findings provide further evidence of aberrant excitatory-inhibitory balance in cortical networks, mediated by neurotransmitter pathways such as the glutamate and GABA systems. Future studies with combining techniques, for instance, TMS with brain imaging or molecular genetic typing, would shed light on the characteristics and predictors of schizophrenia.</p>","PeriodicalId":51299,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2021-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8660255/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39596184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are highly enriched in the central nervous system and significantly involved in a range of brain-related physiological and pathological processes. Ischemic stroke is a complex disorder caused by multiple factors; however, whether brain-derived circRNAs participate in the complex regulatory networks involved in stroke pathogenesis remains unknown. Here, we successfully constructed a cerebral ischemia-injury model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Preliminary qualitative and quantitative analyses of poststroke cortical circRNAs were performed through deep sequencing, and RT-PCR and qRT-PCR were used for validation. Of the 24,858 circRNAs expressed in the rat cerebral cortex, 294 circRNAs were differentially expressed in the ipsilateral cerebral cortex between the MCAO and sham rat groups. Cluster, GO, and KEGG analyses showed enrichments of these circRNAs and their host genes in numerous biological processes and pathways closely related to stroke. We selected 106 of the 294 circRNAs and constructed a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction network comprising 577 sponge miRNAs and 696 target mRNAs. In total, 15 key potential circRNAs were predicted to be involved in the posttranscriptional regulation of a series of downstream target genes, which are widely implicated in poststroke processes, such as oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammatory response, and nerve regeneration, through the competing endogenous RNA mechanism. Thus, circRNAs appear to be involved in multilevel actions that regulate the vast network of multiple mechanisms and events that occur after a stroke. These results provide novel insights into the complex pathophysiological mechanisms of stroke.
{"title":"Deep Sequencing of the Rat MCAO Cortexes Reveals Crucial circRNAs Involved in Early Stroke Events and Their Regulatory Networks.","authors":"Chengtan Wang, Yuying Yang, Mengsi Xu, Fuxiu Mao, Peng Yang, Shan Yuan, Rui Gao, Shangquan Gan","doi":"10.1155/2021/9942537","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/9942537","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are highly enriched in the central nervous system and significantly involved in a range of brain-related physiological and pathological processes. Ischemic stroke is a complex disorder caused by multiple factors; however, whether brain-derived circRNAs participate in the complex regulatory networks involved in stroke pathogenesis remains unknown. Here, we successfully constructed a cerebral ischemia-injury model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Preliminary qualitative and quantitative analyses of poststroke cortical circRNAs were performed through deep sequencing, and RT-PCR and qRT-PCR were used for validation. Of the 24,858 circRNAs expressed in the rat cerebral cortex, 294 circRNAs were differentially expressed in the ipsilateral cerebral cortex between the MCAO and sham rat groups. Cluster, GO, and KEGG analyses showed enrichments of these circRNAs and their host genes in numerous biological processes and pathways closely related to stroke. We selected 106 of the 294 circRNAs and constructed a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction network comprising 577 sponge miRNAs and 696 target mRNAs. In total, 15 key potential circRNAs were predicted to be involved in the posttranscriptional regulation of a series of downstream target genes, which are widely implicated in poststroke processes, such as oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammatory response, and nerve regeneration, through the competing endogenous RNA mechanism. Thus, circRNAs appear to be involved in multilevel actions that regulate the vast network of multiple mechanisms and events that occur after a stroke. These results provide novel insights into the complex pathophysiological mechanisms of stroke.</p>","PeriodicalId":51299,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2021-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8635952/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39807863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}