Brain Sciences最新文献

Background: Interhemispheric coherence, a coherence value between symmetrically opposite electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes, can be considered as a representation of connectivity through commissural fibers. In general, these commissural fibers are the major pathway of communication between hemispheres. However, in patients with drug-resistant generalized epilepsy (GE), these fibers also play an important role in propagating seizure activities to the contralateral hemisphere. The differences in interhemispheric coherence between epilepsy patients and patients without epilepsy (non-E) remain poorly understood. This study compared interhemispheric coherence values between these groups and discussed the potential usage of coherence analysis in the field of epilepsy. Methods: We retrospectively collected EEG data from patients with severe non-lesional GE over 20 years old who underwent corpus callosotomy. To compare interhemispheric coherence, EEG data from 10 non-E patients were prepared. In each patient, EEG data during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep were collected. Interhemispheric coherence in eight pairs of electrodes in five frequency bands was calculated. Interhemispheric coherence values were compared between GE and non-E groups. Results: In each frequency band and electrode pair, interhemispheric coherence values of P3-P4 in delta, C3-C4 in theta, C3-C4 in alpha, F3-F4 and C3-C4 in beta, and C3-C4 and P3-P4 in gamma frequency band were significantly lower for GE than for non-E. The overall interhemispheric coherence value was significantly lower for GE than for non-E. Conclusions: Interhemispheric coherence values were lower for severe GE than for non-E in adults during NREM sleep.

Cognitive impairment (CI) is a common and disabling manifestation of multiple sclerosis (MS), yet it remains underdiagnosed in clinical settings. This study aims to identify the volumetric MRI markers of CI in MS patients. A total of 79 MS patients were enrolled; after exclusions, 63 with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 7 with primary progressive MS were analyzed. All participants underwent neuropsychological testing (CVLT, BVRT, CTT, VFT, VST, and SDMT). Brain volumes were analyzed using FreeSurfer. In RRMS, 59% had CI (35% single-domain, 24% multidomain). Multidomain CI was linked to reduced left cerebellar white matter and bilateral pallidum volumes, slight choroid plexus enlargement, and higher lesion volume versus cognitively preserved patients. Significant correlations were found between brain volumes and cognitive test scores: cerebellar and cerebral white matter, corpus callosum, subcortical gray matter, and thalamus volumes correlated positively with measures of processing speed, memory, and verbal fluency, while higher lesion load and larger choroid plexus volumes were associated with poorer cognitive performance. CI in MS is linked to both global and regional brain atrophy, as well as lesion load. Volumetric MRI, including choroid plexus analysis, may represent candidate imaging correlates of CI; however, longitudinal and externally validated studies are needed to confirm their predictive value and clinical utility.

Background/Objectives: Visual dysfunction is a common non-motor symptom in Parkinson's Disease (PD), as evidenced by deficits in color vision (CV) and binocular vision (BV). Computerized CV tests, such as the Cambridge Color Test (CCT), are underutilized in this patient population despite the known limitations of common CV tests. Methods: In total, 19 PD and 12 control participants underwent a comprehensive eye exam, including ocular motility testing and the CCT, utilizing thresholds obtained along 12 contrast vectors to fit a discrimination ellipse. Findings were compared across groups, and the association with disease severity was analyzed. Results: PD participants showed increases in ellipse area (p = 0.012) and short-axis length (p = 0.009). PD participants demonstrated convergence insufficiency type exotropia (p < 0.001) and impaired stereopsis (p = 0.006). No significant correlation with UPDRS scores was seen for either BV or CV. Conclusions: PD participants exhibited binocular vision dysfunction with selective changes in color vision. CV changes are more variable in PD, likely due to mixed parvocellular and cortical dysfunction. Convergence insufficiency type exotropia is more common in PD, likely due to combined cortical and subcortical neurodegeneration. Both BV and CV changes occur independently of motor severity, emphasizing the need for routine visual testing regardless of symptom progression.

Preoperative psychological stress is a highly prevalent but mostly underrecognized factor influencing perioperative physiology and postoperative outcomes. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on the known mechanisms connecting preoperative stress to adverse surgical outcomes, with particular emphasis on HPA axis functioning, cortisol dynamics, inflammatory signaling and pain modulation. Elevated preoperative anxiety affects a substantial proportion of surgical patients and is consistently associated with increased analgesic and anesthetic requirements, higher postoperative pain intensity, greater risk of chronic postsurgical pain, neuropsychiatric complications, metabolic dysregulation and postoperative infections. Stress-related elevations in cortisol and pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly interleukin-6, appear to mediate these effects through interactions with immune, metabolic, and central nervous system pathways. Stress-related pain modulation is reflected not only in experimental models but also in clinically measurable outcomes, underscoring its relevance for perioperative care. Despite growing recognition of these associations, standardized strategies for integrating stress assessment and biomarkers into perioperative risk stratification remain limited. Given that preoperative stress is potentially modifiable, targeted psychological, analgesic, and metabolic interventions may represent valuable opportunities to improve recovery, reduce complications, and prevent pain chronification.

Background: Engagement of the NF-κB signaling pathway is crucial for controlling immune and inflammatory gene expression within the central nervous system (CNS). Naringenin, a flavonoid derived from citrus fruits, is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects; however, its impact on LPS-induced neuroinflammation in HMC3 (human microglial) and SH-SY5Y (neuronal) cell lines has not been thoroughly studied. Objectives: We sought to ascertain the neuroprotective role of Naringenin in LPS-induced neuroinflammation in microglia and neuronal cell lines with a focus on modulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Methods: LPS treatment was given to HMC3 cells to induce an inflammatory response, besides the secretome of HMC3 cells was transfered to SH-SY5Y cells with the administration of Naringenin. A cell viability assay, ROS level measurements, Western blotting, and immunocytochemistry were employed to quantify and localize NF-κB and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β). Nuclear fractions of NF-κB were analyzed to screen its activation and translocation. Results: Naringenin treatment led to a dose-dependent decrease in LPS-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. It significantly reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inhibited NF-κB activation in HMC3 cells. The nuclear translocation of NF-κB was notably diminished after treatment, as demonstrated by both Western blot and immunocytochemistry. These results suggest that Naringenin exerts an anti-inflammatory effect by suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway. Conclusions: The findings suggest the potential therapeutic role of Naringenin using in vitro models in mitigating neuroinflammation through modulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Background/Objectives: College student athletes can experience sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances. Methods: A PRISMA-based systematic review about young adult athletes' sleep and circadian rhythms was conducted, with 41 published studies analyzed. Results: Studies suggest that extending sleep duration could enhance athletic performance and support mental health. Risk factors for sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances include early morning practice sessions, late night games, jet lag, and female sex. Consequences of inadequate sleep include reduced reaction times and mental health problems, such as depressive symptoms and anxiety. Across the studies, numerous research design limitations reduced scientific rigor and hindered the ability to test hypotheses about sleep, circadian rhythms, athletic performance, and mental health outcomes. For example, most studies were underpowered due to small sample sizes and missing data. Many studies lacked randomization, control groups, and objective measures of sleep. Researchers commonly failed to control for variables that could confound results (e.g., caffeine, diet, and menstrual cycle hormones). Conclusions: Recommendations for future directions include conducting randomized clinical trials to test interventions related to sleep patterns, nutrition, light exposure, training schedules, and cognitive behavioral therapies to enhance sleep quality. Evidence-based education programs about healthy sleep are essential for coaches and athletes.

Background: Migraine is a neurovascular disease; its pathogenesis has been linked to higher levels of homocysteine (Hcy) and/or deficiencies in vitamins (vitamin B12 and folate). However, previously published studies remained inconclusive. Therefore, the aim of this study is to review the literature to update the current evidence and clarify the association between Hcy, vitamin B12, folate and migraine in adult and pediatric patients. Methods: We searched the databases PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library for articles that investigated levels of Hcy, B12, and folate in association with migraine headaches, since inception through December 2025. The package "meta" in R software was used to calculate the standardized mean difference (SMD) of Hcy, B12 and folate in cases of migraine and compared with non-migraine controls. Results: A total of 17 studies (15 case-control and 2 cross-sectional) investigated the levels of Hcy, encompassing 1549 cases of migraine and 1824 non-migraine controls. The random effect model showed a significantly higher SMD for Hcy in migraine cases compared with non-migraine controls [SMD = 0.48, 95% CI (0.12; 0.83); p < 0.01; I² = 91.0%]. Stratification analysis showed the same trends in a group of studies that was conducted in European countries [SMD = 0.29; 95% CI (0.04; 0.54); p = 0.02; I² = 87.0%] and group of studies that used analytical methods other than immunoassays [SMD = 0.28; 95% CI (0.08; 0.49); p < 0.001; I² = 84.0%]. Meta-regression results showed that only the year of publication had a significant positive effect [estimation coefficient = 0.087; p = 0.017]. Serum levels of vitamin B12 [16 studies included 1330 cases vs. 1533 controls, SMD = -0.36, 95% CI (-0.62; -0.10); p < 0.01; I² = 92.1%] and folate [10 studies included with 793 cases vs. 1011 controls, SMD = -0.25 [-0.47; -0.04], p = 0.02; I² = 77.3%] were found to be significantly lower in migraine cases compared with non-migraine controls, respectively. Conclusions: Adult and pediatric patients with migraine had elevated Hcy levels and lower vitamin B12 and folate levels. Clinicians may check and correct for Hcy, vitamin B12, and folate levels as prophylactic and therapeutic interventions for migraine. Further studies with a longitudinal design are needed to establish a causal relationship.

Background: Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia resulting from degeneration of pontine and medullary circuits responsible for muscle atonia during REM sleep, leading to dream-enactment behaviors and vocalizations. It is strongly linked to α-synucleinopathies, particularly Parkinson's disease. Current biomarkers such as neurophysiological measures and imaging support diagnosis and monitoring, but remain invasive or costly. Aim: This study aims to evaluate vocal and speech alterations as exploratory, non-validated candidate biomarkers of REM sleep behavior disorder. Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed, IEEE Digital Library Web of Science, Embase and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for studies published from database inception to November 2025, as preregistered on the Open Science Framework. Studies were selected through a multi-step screening process and underwent qualitative quality assessment. Results: Twelve studies met inclusion criteria. Individuals with RBD exhibited abnormal nocturnal vocalizations and early lexical, syntactic, and narrative disruptions despite preserved perceptual speech. Quantitative analyses identified consistent deficits in prosody, phonation stability, timing, and articulation, with significant group differences and diagnostic accuracy up to 96% sensitivity. Multilingual cohorts demonstrated progression over time, while digital phenotyping detected emerging Parkinsonian signs with AUC > 0.70. Conclusions: Speech and vocal abnormalities in iRBD reflect early neurodegenerative changes and show promising but still exploratory diagnostic and prognostic potential. Integrating vocal markers with established biomarkers may enhance early detection; however, further research is required to validate a reliable and reproducible vocal signature of prodromal synucleinopathies.

Background: Traditional common spatial pattern (CSP) algorithms for upper limb neural rehabilitation face inherent challenges of overlapping cortical representations and frequency sensitivity, which hinder the decoding performance of motor imagery (MI) electroencephalogram (EEG) signals.

Objective: To address these issues, this study adopts an improved discriminative filter bank CSP (DFBCSP) framework and applies it to the decoding of upper limb MI-EEG signals, achieving remarkable classification performance.

Methods: EEG data were acquired from sixteen participants performing two-class (left upper limb flexion-extension vs. relaxing) and three-class (left upper limb flexion vs. right upper limb extension vs. relaxing) MI tasks. The acquired EEG data were then decomposed into nine distinct sub-bands, followed by the adoption of a mutual information-based feature selection strategy to optimize the feature sets. These optimized feature sets were subsequently input into three classification models, namely multilayer perceptron (MLP), support vector machine (SVM), and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), for MI task classification.

Results: Experimental results demonstrate that the DFBCSP + MLP method significantly outperforms the traditional CSP approach. Specifically, it achieves an accuracy of 94.83% (Kappa coefficient: 0.890) in two-class MI tasks and 86.20% (Kappa coefficient: 0.775) in three-class MI tasks.

Conclusion: The DFBCSP + MLP framework exhibits high robustness and provides a potential technical framework and theoretical basis for future research on the rehabilitation of patients with upper limb motor dysfunction.

Background: Creative Expressive Therapies, including Art Therapy and Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT), are increasingly integrated as adjunctive interventions in the treatment of complex psychiatric conditions. However, comparative evidence regarding their differential effects across diagnostic groups remains limited. Methods: This exploratory quasi-experimental 2 × 2 factorial study compared Art Therapy and DMT, delivered as adjuncts to treatment as usual, in patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and eating disorders (EDs) (N = 36). Participants received ten weekly group sessions. Changes in perceived well-being, emotional tension regulation, and physical tension regulation were assessed at baseline and post-intervention using self-report measures. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and linear mixed-effects models. Results: Significant pre-post improvements were observed across all outcome domains, indicating a transdiagnostic effect of Creative Expressive Therapies. Differential response patterns emerged according to clinical profile and therapeutic modality. DMT was associated with relatively greater improvements in physical tension regulation in patients with EDs, whereas Art Therapy showed relatively greater effects on emotional tension regulation in patients with FEP. Conclusions: Within the limitations of an exploratory, non-randomized design and the use of non-validated outcome measures, the findings suggest modality-specific patterns of response to Creative Expressive Therapies. These results should be considered hypothesis-generating and support further investigation through adequately powered randomized controlled trials employing validated clinical and neurobiological outcomes.