Filomeno Cortese, Pamela Hruska, Kevin J McLaughlin, Sylvain P Coderre, Andrea B Protzner, Olave E Krigolson, Kent G Hecker
Purpose: This study investigated the behavioral and resting-state neural correlates of clinical decision-making among expert gastroenterologists and novice medical students, aiming to understand how diagnostic expertise is reflected in either pre-task and/or post-task brain activity.
Method: Participants completed a clinical decision-making task while behavioral measures (accuracy and response time) were recorded. Resting-state fMRI data were acquired immediately before and following the task. Group differences in brain connectivity were analyzed using seed-based connectivity and multivariate partial least squares (PLS) analyses, focusing on the frontopolar prefrontal cortex (FPPFC) and its associated networks.
Finding: Experts outperformed novices in diagnostic accuracy and speed, especially on "easy" cases, suggesting enhanced cognitive efficiency. Experts also showed more pronounced response time variation with task difficulty, potentially reflecting strategic modulation. Resting-state fMRI revealed that experts had increased post-task connectivity between the FPPFC and the paracingulate gyrus (PaCG), a brain area associated with the executive control network. Novices, by contrast, showed stronger FPPFC connectivity with the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), part of the default mode network (DMN), indicating a return to internally directed cognition. PLS analyses further revealed that experts engaged executive and attentional network regions post-task, while novices primarily activated DMN regions. Notably, for the expert group only, increased brain activity in attention-related regions was associated with gastroenterologists who had slower, deliberate responses on easy cases.
Conclusion: Clinical expertise is associated with sustained engagement of goal-directed neural networks after task completion, potentially reflecting ongoing cognitive evaluation or preparation. In contrast, novices appear to disengage more readily, reverting to self-referential thought. These findings highlight distinct neural mechanisms that may support the development of diagnostic expertise.
{"title":"Expertise Related Changes in Resting-State Functional Connectivity Patterns Following a Clinical Reasoning and Decision-Making Task.","authors":"Filomeno Cortese, Pamela Hruska, Kevin J McLaughlin, Sylvain P Coderre, Andrea B Protzner, Olave E Krigolson, Kent G Hecker","doi":"10.1002/brb3.71153","DOIUrl":"10.1002/brb3.71153","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study investigated the behavioral and resting-state neural correlates of clinical decision-making among expert gastroenterologists and novice medical students, aiming to understand how diagnostic expertise is reflected in either pre-task and/or post-task brain activity.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Participants completed a clinical decision-making task while behavioral measures (accuracy and response time) were recorded. Resting-state fMRI data were acquired immediately before and following the task. Group differences in brain connectivity were analyzed using seed-based connectivity and multivariate partial least squares (PLS) analyses, focusing on the frontopolar prefrontal cortex (FPPFC) and its associated networks.</p><p><strong>Finding: </strong>Experts outperformed novices in diagnostic accuracy and speed, especially on \"easy\" cases, suggesting enhanced cognitive efficiency. Experts also showed more pronounced response time variation with task difficulty, potentially reflecting strategic modulation. Resting-state fMRI revealed that experts had increased post-task connectivity between the FPPFC and the paracingulate gyrus (PaCG), a brain area associated with the executive control network. Novices, by contrast, showed stronger FPPFC connectivity with the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), part of the default mode network (DMN), indicating a return to internally directed cognition. PLS analyses further revealed that experts engaged executive and attentional network regions post-task, while novices primarily activated DMN regions. Notably, for the expert group only, increased brain activity in attention-related regions was associated with gastroenterologists who had slower, deliberate responses on easy cases.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Clinical expertise is associated with sustained engagement of goal-directed neural networks after task completion, potentially reflecting ongoing cognitive evaluation or preparation. In contrast, novices appear to disengage more readily, reverting to self-referential thought. These findings highlight distinct neural mechanisms that may support the development of diagnostic expertise.</p>","PeriodicalId":9081,"journal":{"name":"Brain and Behavior","volume":"16 1","pages":"e71153"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12796836/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145958716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To synthesize current mechanistic insights and translational progress on ferroptosis, a regulated, iron-dependent, nonapoptotic cell death pathway in the pathophysiology and treatment of cerebral infarction (ischemic stroke), and to outline therapeutic opportunities and remaining gaps for clinical application.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Narrative, focused review of preclinical and translational studies (in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo ischemia/reperfusion and middle cerebral artery occlusion models), alongside emerging biomarker, nanocarrier, and gene/RNA-based strategies reported up to 2025. Evidence was organized across five domains: (1) redox and lipid peroxidation biology; (2) iron metabolism and ferritinophagy; (3) mitochondrial dysfunction; (4) neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier integrity; and (5) therapeutic development and early clinical exploration.</p><p><strong>Finding: </strong>Ferroptosis in cerebral infarction is driven by glutathione depletion, glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPX4) inactivation, and iron-catalyzed lipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated phospholipids, with acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member-4 (ACSL4) and lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase-3 (LPCAT3) priming membranes for oxidative injury. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, iron-sulfur cluster instability, and cardiolipin oxidation amplify ferroptotic signaling, while ferroptosis-inflammation crosstalk (via damage-associated molecular patterns and microglial activation) aggravates secondary injury and blood-brain barrier disruption. Candidate biomarkers (e.g., oxylipins, 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α, GPX4 fragments; gene pairs such as CDKN1A/JUN; NFE2L2 pathway readouts) show promise for patient stratification. Pharmacological approaches-including radical-trapping antioxidants (ferrostatin-1, liproxstatin-1), iron chelation, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation-consistently reduce infarct volume and improve function in animal models. Nanoparticle formulations enhance brain delivery of ferroptosis modulators, and RNA/gene-targeted strategies (e.g., SLC7A11/GPX4/FSP1 axes; exosomal noncoding RNAs) expand the therapeutic toolkit. Clinically, iron-modulating strategies in ischemic stroke suggest feasibility; however, dedicated, biomarker-guided ferroptosis trials remain limited.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Ferroptosis represents a convergent, actionable mechanism of ischemic neuronal death and secondary brain injury. Multimodal interventions that combine lipid peroxidation control, iron homeostasis, mitochondrial protection, and inflammation resolution are biologically compelling. Key next steps include: validating real-time biomarkers for patient selection and timing; optimizing brain-penetrant delivery systems; integrating ferroptosis modulation with reperfusion therapies; and advancing rigorously designed phase II/III trials to establish efficacy and safety in defined stroke subtypes.</p
{"title":"Research Progress of Ferroptosis in Cerebral Infarction.","authors":"Yilan Fei, Qi Leng","doi":"10.1002/brb3.71192","DOIUrl":"10.1002/brb3.71192","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To synthesize current mechanistic insights and translational progress on ferroptosis, a regulated, iron-dependent, nonapoptotic cell death pathway in the pathophysiology and treatment of cerebral infarction (ischemic stroke), and to outline therapeutic opportunities and remaining gaps for clinical application.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Narrative, focused review of preclinical and translational studies (in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo ischemia/reperfusion and middle cerebral artery occlusion models), alongside emerging biomarker, nanocarrier, and gene/RNA-based strategies reported up to 2025. Evidence was organized across five domains: (1) redox and lipid peroxidation biology; (2) iron metabolism and ferritinophagy; (3) mitochondrial dysfunction; (4) neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier integrity; and (5) therapeutic development and early clinical exploration.</p><p><strong>Finding: </strong>Ferroptosis in cerebral infarction is driven by glutathione depletion, glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPX4) inactivation, and iron-catalyzed lipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated phospholipids, with acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member-4 (ACSL4) and lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase-3 (LPCAT3) priming membranes for oxidative injury. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, iron-sulfur cluster instability, and cardiolipin oxidation amplify ferroptotic signaling, while ferroptosis-inflammation crosstalk (via damage-associated molecular patterns and microglial activation) aggravates secondary injury and blood-brain barrier disruption. Candidate biomarkers (e.g., oxylipins, 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α, GPX4 fragments; gene pairs such as CDKN1A/JUN; NFE2L2 pathway readouts) show promise for patient stratification. Pharmacological approaches-including radical-trapping antioxidants (ferrostatin-1, liproxstatin-1), iron chelation, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation-consistently reduce infarct volume and improve function in animal models. Nanoparticle formulations enhance brain delivery of ferroptosis modulators, and RNA/gene-targeted strategies (e.g., SLC7A11/GPX4/FSP1 axes; exosomal noncoding RNAs) expand the therapeutic toolkit. Clinically, iron-modulating strategies in ischemic stroke suggest feasibility; however, dedicated, biomarker-guided ferroptosis trials remain limited.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Ferroptosis represents a convergent, actionable mechanism of ischemic neuronal death and secondary brain injury. Multimodal interventions that combine lipid peroxidation control, iron homeostasis, mitochondrial protection, and inflammation resolution are biologically compelling. Key next steps include: validating real-time biomarkers for patient selection and timing; optimizing brain-penetrant delivery systems; integrating ferroptosis modulation with reperfusion therapies; and advancing rigorously designed phase II/III trials to establish efficacy and safety in defined stroke subtypes.</p","PeriodicalId":9081,"journal":{"name":"Brain and Behavior","volume":"16 1","pages":"e71192"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12808926/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145988217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Objective: To develop and assess the efficacy of a rehabilitation-cognition integrated care (RCIC) program for elderly patients with lower limb fractures and mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment.
Methods: A total of 128 eligible patients during January 2023 to December 2024 were randomly allocated to conventional (n = 64) or integrated care group (n = 64). Both groups received 12 weeks of intervention. Outcomes, including Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores, were compared. Serum neurotrophic and neuroinflammatory markers were analyzed pre- and post-intervention. Complications, fall recurrence rates, and nursing satisfaction were recorded.
Results: Post-intervention, both groups showed improved FMA, BBS, and FIM scores, with significantly greater improvement in the integrated care group (p < 0.05). HADS-Anxiety (HADS-A) and HADS-Depression (HADS-D) scores decreased significantly more in the integrated care group (p < 0.05). The integrated care group demonstrated higher MoCA scores versus both its own baseline and the conventional care group post-intervention (p < 0.05). Serum BDNF and GDNF levels increased significantly in the integrated care group compared to both time-matched controls and its baseline (p < 0.05), while S100-β and IL-6 levels decreased significantly (p < 0.05). The integrated care group had lower overall complication rates (p < 0.05), comparable fall recurrence (p > 0.05), and higher nursing satisfaction (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The RCIC program significantly enhances motor function, balance, cognition, and psychological status while reducing complications and improving satisfaction in elderly fracture patients with cognitive impairment.
{"title":"Rehabilitation-Cognition Integrated Care Program for Elderly With Lower Limb Fractures and Cognitive Impairment: Development and Efficacy.","authors":"Qinfen Chen, Xiaozhen Ding, Yongmin Wei, Jiahao Wang, Mingping Zhou, Yuanyuan Chen, Yanlin Chen","doi":"10.1002/brb3.71184","DOIUrl":"10.1002/brb3.71184","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To develop and assess the efficacy of a rehabilitation-cognition integrated care (RCIC) program for elderly patients with lower limb fractures and mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 128 eligible patients during January 2023 to December 2024 were randomly allocated to conventional (n = 64) or integrated care group (n = 64). Both groups received 12 weeks of intervention. Outcomes, including Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores, were compared. Serum neurotrophic and neuroinflammatory markers were analyzed pre- and post-intervention. Complications, fall recurrence rates, and nursing satisfaction were recorded.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Post-intervention, both groups showed improved FMA, BBS, and FIM scores, with significantly greater improvement in the integrated care group (p < 0.05). HADS-Anxiety (HADS-A) and HADS-Depression (HADS-D) scores decreased significantly more in the integrated care group (p < 0.05). The integrated care group demonstrated higher MoCA scores versus both its own baseline and the conventional care group post-intervention (p < 0.05). Serum BDNF and GDNF levels increased significantly in the integrated care group compared to both time-matched controls and its baseline (p < 0.05), while S100-β and IL-6 levels decreased significantly (p < 0.05). The integrated care group had lower overall complication rates (p < 0.05), comparable fall recurrence (p > 0.05), and higher nursing satisfaction (p < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The RCIC program significantly enhances motor function, balance, cognition, and psychological status while reducing complications and improving satisfaction in elderly fracture patients with cognitive impairment.</p>","PeriodicalId":9081,"journal":{"name":"Brain and Behavior","volume":"16 1","pages":"e71184"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12808919/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145988244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mohammad Atashrooz, Fatemeh Mirzai, Maede Amin Roaya, Hannaneh Fayyaz Rouhi, Arash Ghadir, Hoda Doosalivand, Amir Sam Kianimoghadam
Introduction: Although visual mental imagery has been widely researched, a lack of valid measures in Persian-speaking populations has limited cross-cultural, developmental, and clinical research on imagery vividness and its role in reality monitoring.
Methods: We translated, culturally adapted, and psychometrically validated the Persian version of the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire-2 (VVIQ-Pr2) in this cross-sectional study. Our sample was 630 Persian speakers. Participants completed the VVIQ-Pr2 together with the Vividness of Motor Imagery Questionnaire (VMIQ-2), the Spontaneous Use of Imagery Scale (SUIS), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI). Confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group modeling were also conducted.
Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional structure with correlated residuals demonstrating excellent model fit. The scale showed strong internal consistency. Convergent validity was confirmed by positive correlations with VMIQ-2 and SUIS, while discriminant validity was supported by negligible associations with anxiety and all Heterotrait-Monotrait ratios falling below recommended thresholds. Scalar measurement invariance across gender was established with females scoring slightly higher than males. Finally, age modeling revealed a slight decrease in the vividness of imagery from adolescence to early adulthood, followed by relative stability after that.
Conclusion: The VVIQ-Pr2 is a psychometrically reliable assessment tool for Persian speakers. In addition to operationalizing subjective visual experience in theories on reality monitoring, it may facilitate future cross-cultural and developmental research.
{"title":"Measuring the Subjective Signal Strength: Validating Persian Vividness of Visual Mental Imagery Questionnaire-2.","authors":"Mohammad Atashrooz, Fatemeh Mirzai, Maede Amin Roaya, Hannaneh Fayyaz Rouhi, Arash Ghadir, Hoda Doosalivand, Amir Sam Kianimoghadam","doi":"10.1002/brb3.71203","DOIUrl":"10.1002/brb3.71203","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Although visual mental imagery has been widely researched, a lack of valid measures in Persian-speaking populations has limited cross-cultural, developmental, and clinical research on imagery vividness and its role in reality monitoring.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We translated, culturally adapted, and psychometrically validated the Persian version of the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire-2 (VVIQ-Pr2) in this cross-sectional study. Our sample was 630 Persian speakers. Participants completed the VVIQ-Pr2 together with the Vividness of Motor Imagery Questionnaire (VMIQ-2), the Spontaneous Use of Imagery Scale (SUIS), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI). Confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group modeling were also conducted.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional structure with correlated residuals demonstrating excellent model fit. The scale showed strong internal consistency. Convergent validity was confirmed by positive correlations with VMIQ-2 and SUIS, while discriminant validity was supported by negligible associations with anxiety and all Heterotrait-Monotrait ratios falling below recommended thresholds. Scalar measurement invariance across gender was established with females scoring slightly higher than males. Finally, age modeling revealed a slight decrease in the vividness of imagery from adolescence to early adulthood, followed by relative stability after that.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The VVIQ-Pr2 is a psychometrically reliable assessment tool for Persian speakers. In addition to operationalizing subjective visual experience in theories on reality monitoring, it may facilitate future cross-cultural and developmental research.</p>","PeriodicalId":9081,"journal":{"name":"Brain and Behavior","volume":"16 1","pages":"e71203"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12808923/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145988275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ramana V Vishnubhotla, Yi Zhao, Rupa Radhakrishnan
Introduction: Prenatal substance exposure is an increasing problem that has been linked to multiple neurodevelopmental impairments and alterations to brain functional connectivity.
Methods: Behavioral scores and functional network correlation data were obtained from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM (ABCD) Study. First, behavioral scores based on the child behavioral checklist were tested for associations with prenatal exposure to several substances along with demographic data. Then differences in resting-state functional networks were assessed based on prenatal substance exposure. Third, we assessed the impact of resting-state functional networks on behavioral scores. A linear regression was used for all these analyses, and a false discovery rate < 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: Based on the selection criteria, 6674 subjects were included in the analysis. Prenatal tobacco exposure (PTE), prenatal marijuana exposure, household income, and food insecurity were associated with worse behavioral scores. Additionally, PTE was significantly associated with increased connectivity between the default mode network (DMN) and dorsal attention network (DAN) and decreased intra-network connectivity within the DAN. Finally, there were five CBCL scales that were associated with differences in network connectivity.
Conclusion: Taken together, these results suggest PTE to be associated with multiple functional networks, including those associated with several CBCL scales.
{"title":"Child Behavioral Scores Correlate With Prenatal Tobacco and Marijuana Exposure, Sociodemographic Variables and Interactions of Default Mode and Dorsal Attention Networks.","authors":"Ramana V Vishnubhotla, Yi Zhao, Rupa Radhakrishnan","doi":"10.1002/brb3.71168","DOIUrl":"10.1002/brb3.71168","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Prenatal substance exposure is an increasing problem that has been linked to multiple neurodevelopmental impairments and alterations to brain functional connectivity.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Behavioral scores and functional network correlation data were obtained from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development<sup>SM</sup> (ABCD) Study. First, behavioral scores based on the child behavioral checklist were tested for associations with prenatal exposure to several substances along with demographic data. Then differences in resting-state functional networks were assessed based on prenatal substance exposure. Third, we assessed the impact of resting-state functional networks on behavioral scores. A linear regression was used for all these analyses, and a false discovery rate < 0.05 was considered significant.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Based on the selection criteria, 6674 subjects were included in the analysis. Prenatal tobacco exposure (PTE), prenatal marijuana exposure, household income, and food insecurity were associated with worse behavioral scores. Additionally, PTE was significantly associated with increased connectivity between the default mode network (DMN) and dorsal attention network (DAN) and decreased intra-network connectivity within the DAN. Finally, there were five CBCL scales that were associated with differences in network connectivity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Taken together, these results suggest PTE to be associated with multiple functional networks, including those associated with several CBCL scales.</p>","PeriodicalId":9081,"journal":{"name":"Brain and Behavior","volume":"16 1","pages":"e71168"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12808805/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145988309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}