Brain Sciences最新文献

Distinguishing mood from emotion has long posed challenges for psychology, with persistent definitional ambiguity limiting both theoretical precision and applied effectiveness. Our early work, identified duration and cause attribution as the most reliable markers differentiating short-lived, event-linked emotions from more diffuse, enduring moods. Researchers further advanced understanding by conceptualising emotions as feedback signals that support learning and adaptation, while the 4Rs model translated these insights into applied practice by embedding cause attribution within affect regulation. This paper integrates these conceptual, functional, and applied perspectives to demonstrate why accurate classification of affective states is a functional necessity in high-performance contexts. I propose that misclassifying moods and emotions may contribute to inefficient deployment of self-regulatory resources, whereas distinguishing states based on cause attribution may support more targeted and efficient regulation. Drawing on examples from sport, healthcare, performing arts, military operations, and corporate leadership, this paper synthesizes existing work to highlight the practical implications of the mood-emotion distinction for applied psychology.

Background/objectives: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic psychiatric condition characterized by episodes of mania, hypomania, and depression. Due to the cognitive impairments associated with BD, patients frequently experience difficulties in attention, memory, and executive functions, which in turn adversely affect specific aspects of their language abilities, such as word retrieval, verbal fluency, and the organization of coherent speech. The present study aims to determine the extent to which the verbal fluency skills of native Turkish-speaking individuals with BD are impaired compared to healthy controls and to identify whether there are differences in verbal fluency skills and their subcategories between bipolar I disorder (BD I) and bipolar II disorder (BD II) groups.

Methods: A cross-sectional comparative design was employed in this study, including 39 euthymic patients diagnosed with BD I or BD II and 39 healthy controls. Verbal fluency was assessed using a standardized task comprising semantic fluency, semantic switching, phonemic fluency, and automatic speech subtests. All assessments were conducted under blinded conditions, and scoring was performed by independent raters. Group comparisons were carried out using ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and ANCOVA analyses; age was controlled for through covariance analysis. Additionally, sensitivity analyses were conducted within the 25-55 age range.

Results: The control group demonstrated significantly higher performance than the BD groups across all semantic and phonemic verbal fluency tasks. No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in automatic speech tasks. When comparing the BD I and BD II groups, a statistically significant difference was found only in the action (verb) category, with the BD II group outperforming the BD I group.

Conclusions: The findings indicate that bipolar disorder is associated with marked impairments in semantic and phonemic verbal fluency, while automatic speech abilities appear to be relatively preserved. Moreover, the observed difference between BD subtypes-particularly in the action (verb) category-suggests that the type of the disorder may differentially influence cognitive-linguistic functioning.

Background/Objectives: Cochlear implants (CIs) constitute a viable method for auditory rehabilitation in patients with profound sensorineural hearing loss after temporal bone fractures (TBFs). These patients comprise a challenging population due to the anatomical deformity and neural injury. Methods: By performing this systematic review, we attempted to evaluate the viability of CIs in the context of TBF. The literature search, across Pubmed/MEDLINE, Scopus and Google Scholar, was performed under the PRISMA guidelines. The selected time period was from December 1995 to September 2025. The final analysis included 11 manuscripts. The majority of the studies were retrospective case series with a moderate risk of bias. Results: The primary outcome was postoperative auditory function, evaluated with speech perception tasks and aided sound-field pure-tone audiometry. The secondary outcomes were the report of radiological and electrophysiologic prognosticators of implants' viability, timing of surgery, procedural feasibility and complications. Across the studies, CIs conferred meaningful auditory benefit when the cochlear nerve was intact. High-Resolution Computed Tomography (CT) was utilized for TBF classification and cochlear patency, whereas Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and a promontory test were crucial for the assessment of neural integrity. Prompt placement, optimally within 12 months after trauma, was related to improved outcomes by limiting cochlear fibrosis and ossification. Despite patients' impedance fluctuation, restricted speech perception in noise and frequent abnormal facial nerve excitation, the overall audiologic and speech discrimination results are comparable to non-trauma recipients. Conclusions: A CI appears to be the choice of treatment over auditory brainstem implants, as long as the cochlear nerve remains intact. Rapid implantation in well-selected patients coupled with ordinal mapping and follow-up can restore dysfunctional hearing and improve patients' quality of life.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor symptoms (bradykinesia, rigidity, resting tremor) and a wide range of non-motor features. The core pathological process is degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, leading to striatal dopamine deficiency, while additional neurotransmitter systems contribute to non-motor symptoms. PD is a common age-related disorder; global estimates for 2019 indicate that more than 8.5 million people were living with PD, and prevalence increases steeply with age. Current pharmacological therapy is mainly symptomatic and is centered on levodopa and other dopaminergic strategies, but treatment response can be limited by motor fluctuations, dyskinesia, and adverse effects. Therefore, formulation and delivery innovations (e.g., dispersible preparations, intestinal gel, and continuous infusion approaches) aim to stabilize drug exposure and improve convenience, especially in patients with swallowing difficulties or advanced disease. This review summarizes conventional drug classes and their dosage forms, highlights formulation-driven strategies to improve efficacy and tolerability, and outlines emerging pathways and targets being explored for future therapies.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, immune-mediated neurological disorder characterized by inflammation, demyelination, and progressive neurodegeneration. While genetic susceptibility contributes to disease risk, a growing body of evidence highlights the crucial role of modifiable lifestyle factors in influencing MS onset, disease activity, progression, and overall quality of life. In this narrative review, we explored the relevant literature from commonly used datasets (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar), using search terms such as "Lifestyle and Multiple Sclerosis", "Diet and Multiple Sclerosis", "Sleep and Multiple Sclerosis", "Alcohol consumption and Multiple Sclerosis", and "Physical Activity and Multiple Sclerosis". Obesity, particularly during adolescence, has emerged as a significant risk factor for MS, acting through immunometabolic mechanisms such as chronic low-grade inflammation, insulin resistance, and dysregulated adipokine signaling. Sleep disturbances are increasingly recognized as contributors to neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction, potentially mediated by impaired glymphatic clearance. Smoking is consistently associated with accelerated disability progression, while alcohol consumption shows dose-dependent effects, with excessive intake negatively impacting sleep and glymphatic function. Overall, lifestyle factors converge on shared biological pathways involving immune regulation, metabolic health, vascular integrity, and glymphatic function. Integrating evidence-based lifestyle counseling with disease-modifying therapies may represent a complementary strategy to optimize long-term outcomes in people with MS, while highlighting key areas for future translational and clinical research.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a severe, chronic illness for which conventional treatments often show limited efficacy and side effects, driving a renewed interest in traditional medicinal plants. The therapeutic promise of these plants lies in their multi-targeted action, influencing neurotransmitter systems, modulating neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, impacting neuroplasticity, and regulating the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. Despite their clinical potential, the use of medicinal plants is associated with challenges, including complex pharmacokinetics, significant adverse effects, and the risk of herb-drug interactions, alongside concerns regarding standardization and quality control. This manuscript aims to examine the therapeutic potential of key medicinal plants for managing MDD, including Hypericum perforatum, Rhodiola rosea, Melissa officinalis, Passiflora incarnata, Valeriana officinalis, and Cannabis sativa. Additionally, the review addresses emerging candidates such as Curcuma longa, Withania somnifera, Panax ginseng and Centella asiatica. By focusing on their mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, and associated risks, this review provides a more comprehensive understanding of their role in modern psychiatric care.

Background/objectives: Museum fatigue decreases visitors' interest due to environmental, social, and personal factors. However, it remains unclear whether physiological parameters can capture museum fatigue, and whether personal factors contribute to psychophysiological changes associated with museum fatigue.

Methods: To fill these knowledge gaps, 61 participants visited the ETRU museum in Rome while their position and heart rate (HR) values were continuously recorded. Emotional state was rated after the visit. Time-series analyses assessed trends in viewing time and HR across the full sample and in three clusters defined by personal factors, with correlations examining associations among visit time, HR, and emotional states.

Results: Overall, viewing time decreased, while HR increased during the visit. Emotional state correlated positively with visit time, but negatively with HR. The viewing time decrease was consistent across clusters, while HR trends and correlations differed.

Conclusions: These findings confirmed that environmental characteristics induce museum fatigue in the visitors and showed that heart rate may be employed as an implicit measure of museum fatigue. In addition, this study revealed that personal factors can modulate the emergence of this phenomenon.

Background: Reciprocity is a core mechanism of social bonding, signaling whether others are available and willing to provide support. The perception of reciprocity availability fosters trust and belonging, whereas its absence may elicit expectancy violation and negative affect. This study investigated the neural correlates of reciprocity availability (RA) and unavailability (RU) during social interaction. Methods: Thirty healthy adults underwent a social task during a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan while viewing short vignettes depicting social exchanges differing in reciprocity cues. Univariate and multivariate (MVPA) analyses were used to identify activation and connectivity patterns associated with RA and RU. Affective responses, reaction times, and personality traits were correlated with neural activity. Results: RA engaged the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, precuneus, temporoparietal junction, and visual cortices. RU elicited greater activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and temporal pole, along with enhanced connectivity between visual and parieto-temporal regions. In exploratory analyses, agreeableness correlated with ventromedial prefrontal activation during RA, whereas depressive temperament correlated with temporal pole activity during RU. Conclusions: Reciprocity availability versus unavailability engages distinct large-scale networks for socio-emotional integration and expectancy monitoring, defining a mechanistic framework for studying disrupted reciprocity in psychopathology.

Malonyl-CoA decarboxylase (MCD) is an enzyme that controls malonyl-CoA levels and regulates fatty acid synthesis and oxidation. Although its physiological relevance in peripheral tissues is well known, the role of MCD in the central nervous system remains poorly understood. MCD is expressed in mitochondria, cytosol, and peroxisomes and may be regulated by PPAR-α, AMPK, and SIRT4 in tissues such as muscle, liver and kidney. In the brain, MCD expression varies during development and can respond to nutritional states. Inherited MCD deficiency (malonic aciduria) leads to the toxic accumulation of malonic acid and predominantly affects the central nervous system. The underlying mechanisms leading to brain damage in MCD patients remain unclear. Conversely, pharmacological modulation of MCD activity has been studied in obesity, diabetes, and ischemic injury, highlighting its therapeutic potential. There are still major gaps regarding MCD cellular distribution, regulatory pathways, and metabolic interaction with CPT1c (carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1c) in neural metabolism. A deeper understanding of the role of MCD in brain physiology and pathology may indicate novel therapeutic strategies targeting metabolic disorders that involve altered malonyl-CoA dynamics. Here, we discuss the current knowns and unknowns regarding MCD physiology, regulation, and pathophysiology, emphasizing brain aspects.

A wealth of research in neuroscience and developmental psychology has documented the lasting detrimental effects of adverse early-life experiences on health and psychological well-being. To investigate these effects, researchers have developed self- and informant-report questionnaires, interview-based instruments, and experimental paradigms designed to assess exposure to early adversity, model its consequences under controlled laboratory conditions, and investigate the neurobiological mechanisms involved. In contrast, the role of positive early-life experiences in biobehavioral trajectories and adaptive functioning has received comparatively less empirical and theoretical attention. The existing work has largely conceptualized positive experiences in terms of their protective or buffering effects in the context of adversity, and/or their promotive role and independent contribution to physical and psychological well-being. Against this background, this narrative review comprehensively synthesizes (i) current definitions of positive early-life experiences, (ii) tools for their retrospective assessment, and (iii) experimental approaches aimed at manipulating and promoting such experiences in humans. Furthermore, this review advances time-sensitive and individual-centered attention for the study of positive early-life experiences, in which health- and well-being-promoting interventions are informed by an expanding understanding of normative human neuroplasticity as a heterosynchronous process and by dynamic, interdependent interactions operating across individual, family, and societal levels.