Brain Sciences最新文献

Background/objectives: Loneliness is a heterogeneous phenomenon, generally defined as an emotional experience based on the perceived distance between an individual's actual social relationships and those he or she would like to have. Adolescence is particularly vulnerable to loneliness because of the many changes in values, feelings, and emotions that characterize it. Among the aspects that may influence this feeling of discomfort, the literature identifies maladaptive personality and a dysfunctional response to traumatic events. Our study aims to identify the possible role that maladaptive personality traits and post-traumatic stress symptomatology in the form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Disturbance in Self-Organization (DSO) may play in the perception of loneliness in adolescents: Methods: We identified a mediation model constructed through structural equation modeling (SEM) to test PTSD and DSO post-traumatic stress symptomatology as independent variables and maladaptive personality as a mediator in the relationship between these and perceptions of loneliness in a population of adolescents of both sexes, Italian high school students; Results: Our study identifies the significant role of PTSD and DSO symptomatology in influencing the state of loneliness, both directly and indirectly through maladaptive personality traits, which appear to exert a substantial influence on the perception of loneliness, potentially functioning as mediators in the relationship between the latter and PTSD/DSO symptomatology. Presumably, a maladaptive personality may complicate recovery from adverse and traumatic experiences by preventing the implementation of functional coping strategies and promoting dysfunctional responses.

Conclusions: Our findings underscore the importance of researchers and clinicians adequately considering different personality traits and the early identification of post-traumatic stress symptomatology. A focus on adolescents' communication and interpersonal skills and their ability to respond effectively to stressful and traumatic events may prove useful in identifying more effective strategies for preventing and managing loneliness and related distress in adolescents.

Background: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is characterized by early postural instability and gait dysfunction, with frequent falls. Rehabilitation is an important therapeutic approach for motor dysfunction in patients with PSP. However, no conclusions have yet been drawn regarding the beneficial effects of rehabilitation in PSP, including the optimal duration of rehabilitation and differences in treatment effects among PSP subtypes. Herein, we investigated the effects of short-term rehabilitation and separately analyzed the effects on patients with PSP-Richardson's syndrome (RS) and PSP-progressive gait freezing (PGF). Methods: The participants underwent several therapeutic exercise programs individualized for each participant, performed over 2 weeks. Analysis was performed on 25 patients with PSP-RS and eight with PSP-PGF. Results: Short-term rehabilitation improved the Berg Balance Scale score in both the PSP-RS and PSP-PGF groups, step length on the symptom-dominant side in PSP-RS, the coefficient of variation of step length on the symptom-dominant side, and the stance phase of the Symmetry Index in PSP-PGF. Conclusions: Overall, this 2-week short-term rehabilitation intervention was shown to have beneficial effects on balance in patients with PSP-RS and PSP-PGF.

Background/aim: Currently, there are limited evidence-based protocols for improving upper extremity (UE) motor function after stroke. The Keys protocol, a distributed form of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), delivers CIMT components in fewer hours per day over an extended period, fitting outpatient rehabilitation schedules and third-party payor models. This pilot study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Keys protocol in enhancing UE capacity and performance poststroke.

Methods: Ten adults with chronic stroke (>6 months) participated in an 8-week intervention. The protocol included 22 supervised training sessions (1.5 h each): 4 days/week for 4 weeks, 2 days/week for weeks 5-6, and 1 day/week for weeks 7-8. Participants wore a restraint mitt on the less-affected UE during waking hours and used an adapted transfer package. Outcome measures included the Motor Activity Log (MAL), Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT), Stroke Impact Scale (SIS), and Zung Depression Scale, assessed pre-treatment, mid-treatment (4 weeks), and posttreatment.

Results: Significant improvements were observed in SIS Strength, ADLs/IADLs, Mobility, and Hand Function domains, exceeding MCID thresholds. Memory and Communication domains improved significantly at the 3-month follow-up. WMFT performance times improved, with fewer incomplete tasks. MAL scores for Amount of Use and Quality of Movement increased across all time points. Depressive symptoms significantly decreased posttreatment.

Conclusions: The Keys protocol effectively improves UE use, motor function, mood, and quality of life, with the greatest gains observed mid-intervention. These findings support its feasibility and potential for outpatient stroke rehabilitation (ClinicalTrials.gov Registration: NCT05311384).

Background/Objectives: Charcot first described ALS in 1869, but the specific mechanisms that mediate the disease pathology are still not clear. Intense research efforts have provided insight into unique neuroanatomical regions, specific neuronal populations and genetic associations for ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases; however, the experimental results also suggest a convergence of these events to common toxic pathways. We propose that common toxic pathways can be therapeutically targeted, and this intervention will be effective in slowing progression and improving patient quality of life. Here, we focus on understanding the role of IL6 trans-signaling in ALS disease processes. Methods: We leveraged unique mouse models of IL6 trans-signaling that we developed that recapitulate the production of active sIL6R in a genotypic and quantitative fashion observed in humans. Given that the SOD1 transgenic mouse is one of the most highly studied and characterized models of ALS, we bred SOD1^G93A mice with IL6R trans-signaling mice to determine how enhanced trans-signaling influenced symptom onset and pathological processes, including neuromuscular junction (NMJ) denervation, glial activation and motoneuron (MN) survival. Results: The results indicate that in animals with enhanced trans-signaling, symptom onset and pathological processes were accelerated, suggesting a role in disease modification. Administration of an IL6R functional blocking antibody failed to alter accelerated symptom onset and disease progression. Conclusions: Future work to investigate the site-specific influence of enhanced IL6 trans-signaling and the tissue-specific bioavailability of potential therapeutics will be necessary to identify targets for precise therapeutic interventions that may limit disease progression in the 60% of ALS patients who inherit the common Il6R Asp³⁵⁸Ala variant.

Background: Perinatal brain injury is a leading cause of developmental disabilities, including cerebral palsy. However, further work is needed to understand early brain development in the presence of brain injury. In this case report, we examine the longitudinal neuromotor development of a term infant following a significant loss of right-hemispheric brain tissue due to a unilateral ischemic stroke. Our analysis focuses on the integrity and development of the corticospinal tract (CST) from the lesioned hemisphere. This case provides a unique opportunity to evaluate CST development after loss of the majority of the motor cortex.

Methods: Evaluations were conducted when the infant was 4 (Visit-1), 18 (Visit 2), and 25 (Visit 3) months old. Assessments included magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to characterize the lesion and quantify CST structural integrity, single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (spTMS) to evaluate CST functional circuitry, and neuromotor assessments.

Results: At Visit 1, bilateral CSTs were identified through diffusion-weighted MRI (dMRI) despite an estimated loss of 92.7% (7.3% retained) of age-typical motor cortex from the right hemisphere. Both hemispheres exhibited bilateral motor-evoked potential in response to stimulation with spTMS, which remained when reassessed at Visits 2 and 3. Longitudinal MRI showed distinct developmental trajectories of CST integrity in each hemisphere, with the lesioned hemisphere exhibiting initial increases in integrity between Visits 1 and 2 followed by a decrease in integrity between Visits 2 and 3. The non-lesioned hemisphere showed increased integrity from Visit 1 to Visit 2, which remained stable at Visit 3. Motor assessments at all visits indicated a high risk of cerebral palsy.

Conclusions: This report highlights the utility of MRI and spTMS in studying neuromotor development. The findings reveal preserved functional bilateral CST circuitry despite majority loss of the right-hemispheric motor cortex as well as distinct developmental trajectories in CST integrity between hemispheres. These results underscore the potential for neural plasticity after perinatal brain injury.

Clinical trials registration: NCT05013736.

Objectives: This study analyzed the effects of parachute jump stress on the executive functions and attention of cadets. Executive functions, which includes processes such as attentional control and cognitive flexibility, are crucial for soldiers, especially in situations requiring rapid decision-making. Parachute jumping, as an intense stressor, mobilizes cognitive resources, which can lead to short-term improvements in executive functions.

Methods: A total of 64 cadets divided into control (N = 32) and experimental (N = 32) groups participated in the study. The experimental group performed a parachute jump and then took the Color Trails Test, assessed both before and after the jump.

Results: The results showed significant improvements in executive functions, in particular, sustained and alternating attention, sequential information processing, and monitoring one's own behavior, suggesting a positive effect of stress on selected executive functions.

Conclusions: The results indicate that intense, short-term stress can positively affect executive functions, although this effect may depend on the type of task and the participants' experience of exposure to intense stressful stimuli. The study makes an important contribution to the design of future military training, considering the importance of mobilizing cognitive resources in response to short-term stress.

Background: The molecular biology of Huntington's Disease (HD) has grown substantially, with pathological considerations extending to genetic modifiers, epigenetic changes, transcriptomics, the proteome, and the metabolome. The metabolome and proteome are especially intriguing in that they most directly reflect the functional state of the cellular environment, which may involve some combination of pathology as well as compensation. Methods: We assessed CSF proteomics from eight participants by their functional severity (TFC range 3-13), with 47 proteins having a minimum r-value of 0.7 and nominal p-values < 0.05. Results: Our exploratory data reveal correlations between progression and several processes including inflammation, ECM homeostasis and NAD⁺ metabolism. Conclusions: Consistently identified targets that correlate with phenotype or progression may have value, if validated, as enrichment tools in clinical trials and potentially as markers of therapeutic response.

Introduction: The cerebellum is a common lesion site in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Physiologic and anatomic studies have identified a topographic organization of the cerebellum including functionally distinct motor and cognitive areas. In this study, a recent parcellation algorithm was applied to a sample of PwMS and healthy controls to examine the relationships among specific cerebellar regions, fall status, and common clinical measures of motor and cognitive functions.

Methods: Thirty-one PwMS and twenty-nine age- and sex-matched controls underwent an MRI scan and motor and cognitive testing. The parcellation algorithm was applied to all images and divided the cerebellum into 28 regions. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare cerebellar volumes among PwMS and controls, and MS fallers and MS non-fallers. Relationships between cerebellar volumes and motor and cognitive function were evaluated using Spearman correlations.

Results: PwMS performed significantly worse on functional measures compared to controls. We found significant differences in volumetric measures between PwMS and controls in the corpus medullare, lobules I-III, and lobule V. Volumetric differences seen between the PwMS and controls were primarily driven by the MS fallers. Finally, functional performance on motor and cognitive tasks was associated with cerebellar volumes.

Conclusions: Using the parcellation tool, our results showed that the volumes of motor and cognitive lobules impact both motor and cognitive performance, and that functional performance and cerebellar volumes distinguishes the MS fallers from non-fallers. Future studies should explore the potential of cerebellar imaging to predict falls in PwMS.

The global prevalence of sedentary lifestyles and the associated health risks, such as cardiovascular, metabolic and mental issues, is an epidemic worldwide problem, particularly in the university population.

Background/objectives: University students are particularly vulnerable because of academic pressure and lifestyle changes. Despite the well-known benefits of physical activity in reducing mental stress and improving physical and mental well-being, the literature lacks effective interventions and standardized protocols for this population. This study aims to investigate the state of the art in literature regarding the correlation between the use of physical activity as a means of prevention and intervention and the effects on university students' stress and mental well-being.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the PRISMA protocol for scoping reviews, targeting university population with specific terms.

Results: The review analyzed 61 articles and identified a consistent positive correlation between physical activity and stress reduction. Interventions included yoga, tai chi, aerobic exercise and moderate- or high-intensity exercise. A lack of standardized protocols were also evident.

Conclusions: Physical activity is an effective means for managing stress and improving mental well-being among university students. An integrated approach combining different forms of exercise and strategies to regulate emotions could provide very effective effects on the mental well-being of students. Universities should propose physical activity programs in several forms to enable students to choose the most appropriate one and keep them active.

Background: The integration of digital health technologies has transformed mental healthcare, particularly for young adults with First-Episode Psychosis (FEP). Digital interventions, such as telepsychiatry and mobile applications, address barriers like social stigma, restricted access to services, and the urgency of timely care.

Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed and APA PsycINFO. Included studies focused on randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and open studies of digital interventions for FEP rehabilitation. Exclusion criteria included meta-analyses, reviews, and irrelevant studies.

Results: Smartphone applications like Horyzons-Canada facilitated peer support and symptom management, while tools such as My Journey 3 emphasized the need for better user engagement. Digital innovations, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and telepsychiatry, demonstrated improvements in recovery and treatment adherence.

Discussion: Digital interventions significantly enhance the accessibility and quality of FEP care, supporting functional recovery and patient engagement. Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies, user engagement strategies, and advanced analytics to develop personalized, scalable solutions.