Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience最新文献

Systems Thinking (ST) can be defined as a mental construct that recognises patterns and connections in a particular complex system to make the "best decision" possible. In the field of sustainable agriculture and climate change, higher degrees of ST are assumed to be associated with more successful adaptation strategies under changing conditions, and "better" environmental decision making in a number of environmental and cultural settings. Future climate change scenarios highlight the negative effects on agricultural productivity worldwide, particularly in low-income countries (LICs) situated in the Global South. Alongside this, current measures of ST are limited by their reliance on recall, and are prone to possible measurement errors. Using Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), as an example case study, in this article we explore: (i) ST from a social science perspective; (ii) cognitive neuroscience tools that could be used to explore ST abilities in the context of LICs; (iii) an exploration of the possible correlates of systems thinking: observational learning, prospective thinking/memory and the theory of planned behaviour and (iv) a proposed theory of change highlighting the integration of social science frameworks and a cognitive neuroscience perspective. We find, recent advancements in the field of cognitive neuroscience such as Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) provide exciting potential to explore previously hidden forms of cognition, especially in a low-income country/field setting; improving our understanding of environmental decision-making and the ability to more accurately test more complex hypotheses where access to laboratory studies is severely limited. We highlight that ST may correlate with other key aspects involved in environmental decision-making and posit motivating farmers via specific brain networks would: (a) enhance understanding of CSA practices (e.g., via the frontoparietal network extending from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) to the parietal cortex (PC) a control hub involved in ST and observational learning) such as tailoring training towards developing improved ST abilities among farmers and involving observational learning more explicitly and (b) motivate farmers to use such practices [e.g., via the network between the DLPFC and nucleus accumbens (NAc)] which mediates reward processing and motivation by focussing on a reward/emotion to engage farmers. Finally, our proposed interdisciplinary theory of change can be used as a starting point to encourage discussion and guide future research in this space.

Introduction: Over two thirds of individuals with low back pain (LBP) may experience recurrent or persistent symptoms in the long term. Yet, current data do not allow to predict who will develop chronic low back pain and who will recover from an acute episode. Elevated serum levels of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) have been associated with poor recovery and persistent pain following an acute episode of LBP. Inflammatory cytokines may also mediate mechanisms involved in nociplastic pain, and thus, have significant implications in chronic primary low back pain (CPLBP).

Methods: This study aimed to investigate the potential of urinary TNF-α levels for predicting outcomes and characterizing clinical features of CPLBP patients. Twenty-four patients with CPLBP and 24 sex- and age-matched asymptomatic controls were recruited. Urinary TNF-α concentrations were measured at baseline and after 4 weeks, during which CPLBP patients underwent spinal manipulative therapy (SMT).

Results: Concentrations of TNF-α were found to be elevated in baseline urine samples of CPLBP patients compared to asymptomatic controls. Moreover, these values differed among patients depending on their pain trajectory. Patients with persistent pain showed higher levels of TNF-α, when compared to those with episodic CPLBP. Furthermore, baseline TNF-α concentrations and their changes after 4 weeks predicted alterations in pain intensity and disability following SMT in patients with CPLBP.

Discussion: These findings warrant further research on the potential use of urinary TNF-α concentrations as a prognostic biomarker for CPLBP.

Purpose: Aging causes substantial changes in the intraocular lens, which leads to a reduction in chromatic perception. We aimed to measure the ocular light dispersion component in relation to the reduction in color vision by aging.

Methods: Intraocular straylight was quantified psychophysically by C-Quant for light dispersion [Log(s)], reliability of the results (ESD), and psychometric sampling quality (Q). The Cambridge Color Test Trivector protocol measured the chromaticity thresholds for protan, deutan, and tritan color confusion axis in CIE 1976 u' v' units. We tested 224 subjects aged 24-68 years (106 men) with normal best-corrected visual acuity and without clinical evidence of cataracts.

Results: A significant positive correlation was found between ocular dispersion of light and chromaticity thresholds for protan (r = 0.42; p < 0.001), deutan (r = 0.49; p < 0.001) and tritan (r = 0.51; p < 0.0001) color confusion axes with a moderate effect size (η² = 0.39). However, a weak contribution of the logarithm of the straylight in predicting the chromaticity threshold for protan (b = 0.15; p = 0.025), deutan (b = 0.27; p = 0.001) and tritan (b = 0.21; p = 0.001) color confusion axes was verified in the regression coefficients. The other two measurement quality parameters estimated in the C-Quant were not correlated with chromaticity thresholds, suggesting that there are no problems with the quality of the measurement performed.

Conclusion: An increase in ocular light dispersion that occurs physiologically with aging negatively impacts the chromaticity threshold in a similar manner across all three color confusion axes. The weak regression effects suggest that neural rather than optical processes were more related to the reduction in chromaticity in aging.

The interplay between different modalities can help to perceive stimuli more effectively. However, very few studies have focused on how multisensory distractors affect task performance. By adopting behavioral and event-related potentials (ERPs) techniques, the present study examined whether multisensory audiovisual distractors could attract attention more effectively than unisensory distractors. Moreover, we explored whether such a process was modulated by working memory load. Across three experiments, n-back tasks (1-back and 2-back) were adopted with peripheral auditory, visual, or audiovisual distractors. Visual and auditory distractors were white discs and pure tones (Experiments 1 and 2), pictures and sounds of animals (Experiment 3), respectively. Behavioral results in Experiment 1 showed a significant interference effect under high working memory load but not under low load condition. The responses to central letters with audiovisual distractors were significantly slower than those to letters without distractors, while no significant difference was found between unisensory distractor and without distractor conditions. Similarly, ERP results in Experiments 2 and 3 showed that there existed an integration only under high load condition. That is, an early integration for simple audiovisual distractors (240-340 ms) and a late integration for complex audiovisual distractors (440-600 ms). These findings suggest that multisensory distractors can be integrated and effectively attract attention away from the main task, i.e., interference effect. Moreover, this effect is pronounced only under high working memory load condition.

Background: The aim of this study is to interrogate the prophylactic effect of probiotic on the lead-induced spatial memory impairment, as well as the underlying mechanisms based on gut microbiota. Methods: Rats were exposed postnatally to 100 ppm of lead acetate during lactation (from postnatal day 1 to 21), to establish the memory deficits model. A probiotic bacterium, namely Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, was administered by drinking into pregnant rats with a dosage of 10⁹ CFU/rat/day till birth. At postnatal week 8 (PNW8), the rats were subjected to Morris water maze and Y-maze test, with fecal samples collected for 16S rRNA sequencing. Besides, the inhibitory effect of Lb. rhamnosus on Escherichia coli was carried out in bacterial co-culture. Results: Female rats prenatally exposed to probiotic improved their performances in the behavioral test, indicating that probiotic could protect rats from memory deficits caused by postnatal lead exposure. This bioremediation activity varies depending on the intervention paradigm used. As revealed by microbiome analysis, although administered in a distinct period from lead exposure, Lb. rhamnosus further changed the microbial structure disrupted by lead exposure, suggesting an effective transgenerational intervention. Of note, gut microbiota, represented by Bacteroidota, varied greatly depending on the intervention paradigm as well as the developmental stage. The concerted alterations were revealed between some keystone taxa and behavioral abnormality, including lactobacillus and E. coli. To this end, an in vitro co-culture was created to demonstrate that Lb. rhamnosus could inhibit the growth of E. coli with direct contact, which is dependent on the growth condition under study. In addition, in vivo infection of E. coli O157 aggravated memory dysfunction, which could also be rescued by probiotic colonization. Conclusions: Early probiotic intervention could prevent organisms from lead-induced memory decline in later life through reprogramming gut microbiota and inhibiting E. coli, providing a promising approach to ameliorate the cognitive damage with environmental origins.

Introduction: The retina, a window into the brain, allows for the investigation of many disease-associated inflammatory and neurodegenerative changes affecting the central nervous system (CNS). Multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease targeting the CNS, typically impacts on the visual system including the retina. Hence, we aimed to establish innovative functional retinal measures of MS-related damage, e.g., spatially resolved non-invasive retinal electrophysiology, backed by established morphological retinal imaging markers, i.e., optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Methods: 20 healthy controls (HC) and 37 people with MS [17 without history of optic neuritis (NON) and 20 with (HON) history of optic neuritis] were included. In this work, we differentially assessed photoreceptor/bipolar cells (distal retina) and retinal ganglion cell (RGC, proximal retina) function besides structural assessment (OCT). We compared two multifocal electroretinography-based approaches, i.e., the multifocal pattern electroretinogram (mfPERG) and the multifocal electroretinogram to record photopic negative response (mfERG _PhNR ). Structural assessment utilized peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (pRNFL) and macular scans to calculate outer nuclear thickness (ONL) and macular ganglion cell inner plexiform layer thickness (GCIPL). One eye was randomly selected per subject.

Results: In NON, photoreceptor/bipolar cell layer had dysfunctional responses evidenced by reduced mfERG _PhNR -N1 peak time of the summed response, but preserved structural integrity. Further, both NON and HON demonstrated abnormal RGC responses as evidenced by the photopic negative response of mfERG _PhNR (mfPhNR) and mfPERG indices (P < 0.05). Structurally, only HON had thinned retina at the level of RGCs in the macula (GCIPL, P < 0.01) and the peripapillary area (pRNFL, P < 0.01). All three modalities showed good performance to differentiate MS-related damage from HC, 71-81% area under curve.

Conclusion: In conclusion, while structural damage was evident mainly for HON, functional measures were the only retinal read-outs of MS-related retinal damage that were independent of optic neuritis, observed for NON. These results indicate retinal MS-related inflammatory processes in the retina prior to optic neuritis. They highlight the importance of retinal electrophysiology in MS diagnostics and its potential as a sensitive biomarker for follow-up in innovative interventions.

Many early-career neuroscientists with diverse identities may not have mentors who are more advanced in the neuroscience pipeline and have a congruent identity due to historic biases, laws, and policies impacting access to education. Cross-identity mentoring relationships pose challenges and power imbalances that impact the retention of diverse early career neuroscientists, but also hold the potential for a mutually enriching and collaborative relationship that fosters the mentee's success. Additionally, the barriers faced by diverse mentees and their mentorship needs may evolve with career progression and require developmental considerations. This article provides perspectives on factors that impact cross-identity mentorship from individuals participating in Diversifying the Community of Neuroscience (CNS)-a longitudinal, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) R25 neuroscience mentorship program developed to increase diversity in the neurosciences. Participants in Diversifying CNS were comprised of 14 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early career faculty who completed an online qualitative survey on cross-identity mentorship practices that impact their experience in neuroscience fields. Qualitative survey data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis and resulted in four themes across career levels: (1) approach to mentorship and interpersonal dynamics, (2) allyship and management of power imbalance, (3) academic sponsorship, and (4) institutional barriers impacting navigation of academia. These themes, along with identified mentorship needs by developmental stage, provide insights mentors can use to better support the success of their mentees with diverse intersectional identities. As highlighted in our discussion, a mentor's awareness of systemic barriers along with active allyship are foundational for their role.