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Urology Apr 2016To investigate the safety, efficacy, and versatility of dorsolateral graft urethroplasty using penile skin.
OBJECTIVES
To investigate the safety, efficacy, and versatility of dorsolateral graft urethroplasty using penile skin.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Between 2010 and 2013, 37 men with anterior urethral strictures underwent dorsolateral graft urethroplasty using penile skin by a single surgeon (EP). Inclusion criterion was patients with anterior urethral strictures. Exclusion criteria were lichen sclerosus-related strictures, absence of available penile skin because of previous surgery, and obliterative urethral strictures. Clinical outcome was considered a failure when any postoperative instrumentation was needed, including dilatation.
RESULTS
Mean (± standard deviation) patients age was 51 (±15.4) years. Stricture etiology was iatrogenic in 25 cases (67%), unknown in 10 (27%), trauma in 2 (6%). Stricture site was penile in 21 (57%) and peno-bulbar in 16 (43%). Median (range) stricture length was 5 cm (1-15). Of 37 patients, 30 (81%) had received previous treatments. Median (range) follow-up was 21 months (12-47). Of 37 patients, 34 (92%) had successful treatment and 3 (8%) had failed treatment. The 3 patients with failed treatment were treated with urethrostomy and are awaiting further reconstruction. Study limitations include the small sample size and the limited follow-up.
CONCLUSION
With a mid-term follow-up time, the dorsolateral graft urethroplasty using penile skin is shown to be a safe, efficient, and versatile technique for the repair of short-mid-long anterior urethral strictures.
Topics: Foreskin; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome; Urethra; Urethral Stricture; Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male
PubMed: 26743395
DOI: 10.1016/j.urology.2015.12.014 -
Visual Neuroscience Jun 2020The nucleus glomerulosus (NG) in paracanthopterygian and acanthopterygian teleost fishes receives afferents from neurons of the nucleus corticalis (NC), whose dendrites... (Review)
Review
The nucleus glomerulosus (NG) in paracanthopterygian and acanthopterygian teleost fishes receives afferents from neurons of the nucleus corticalis (NC), whose dendrites extend to the layers, stratum fibrosum et griseum superficiale (SFGS) and stratum griseum centrale (SGC), of the tectum opticum. A re-examination in this study revealed, by means of tracer experiments using biotinylated dextran amine, a separation among both tectal layers, portions of the NC, and target areas in a laminated type of the NG in the South American pufferfish, Colomesus asellus. Neurons of the lateral part of the NC send their dendrites to the SFGS and project to an area located dorsolaterally and centrally in the NG. In contrast, dendrites from neurons of the medial part of the NC run to the SGC, and projections from these neurons terminate in the NG in an area extending from dorsomedial to ventrolateral in the outer portion. Therefore, these two areas in the NG receive input from different sources. The NG in the visual system of tetraodontids may be involved in higher cognitive functions requiring much energy, becoming apparent by its very high level of cytochrome c oxidase activity.
Topics: Animals; Diencephalon; Electron Transport Complex IV; Female; Male; Neural Pathways; Neurons; Staining and Labeling; Tetraodontiformes; Visual Pathways
PubMed: 32613921
DOI: 10.1017/S0952523820000012 -
Neuropharmacology Sep 2019Difficulty in anger control and anger-related aggressive outbursts against others are frequently reported by patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD)....
Difficulty in anger control and anger-related aggressive outbursts against others are frequently reported by patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Although male sex is a known predictor for aggression, hardly any study has addressed the neural correlates of deficient anger control in male patients with BPD. Building on previous reports in female BPD, we investigated the involvement of lateral antero- and dorsal prefrontal cortex in the control of fast emotional actions and its relation to self-reported tendencies to act out anger. 15 medication-free male patients with BPD and 25 age- and intelligence-matched healthy men took part in a social Approach-Avoidance task in the MR-scanner. This task allows the measurement of neural correlates underlying the control of fast behavioral tendencies to approach happy and avoid angry faces. Hypothesis-driven region-of-interest and exploratory whole brain analyses were used to test for activations of antero- and dorsolateral prefrontal regions and their relation with the amygdala during emotional action control as well as their association with self-reported anger out in male patients with BPD and healthy volunteers. Male patients with BPD showed reduced anterolateral prefrontal activations during emotional action control compared to healthy volunteers. Furthermore, anger out was negatively related to antero- and dorsolateral prefrontal activations, while it was positively related to amygdala activity in male patients with BPD. The current results suggest the involvement of antero- and dorsolateral prefrontal regions in controlling and overriding fast emotional actions. Deficits in lateral prefrontal emotion control seem to be a common neural mechanism underlying anger-related aggression. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Current status of the neurobiology of aggression and impulsivity'.
Topics: Adult; Aggression; Amygdala; Anger; Avoidance Learning; Borderline Personality Disorder; Brain; Brain Mapping; Choice Behavior; Emotional Regulation; Facial Expression; Facial Recognition; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Prefrontal Cortex; Young Adult
PubMed: 30553826
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.12.010 -
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience Jun 2019Two primary functions attributed to the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC) network are retaining the temporal and spatial associations of events and detecting...
Two primary functions attributed to the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC) network are retaining the temporal and spatial associations of events and detecting deviant events. It is unclear, however, how these two functions converge into one mechanism. Here, we tested whether increased activity with perceiving salient events is a deviant detection signal or contains information about the event associations by reflecting the magnitude of deviance (i.e., event saliency). We also tested how the deviant detection signal is affected by the degree of anticipation. We studied regional neural activity when people watched a movie that had varying saliency of a novel or an anticipated flow of salient events. Using intracranial electroencephalography from 10 patients, we observed that high-frequency activity (50-150 Hz) in the hippocampus, dorsolateral PFC, and medial OFC tracked event saliency. We also observed that medial OFC activity was stronger when the salient events were anticipated than when they were novel. These results suggest that dorsolateral PFC and medial OFC, as well as the hippocampus, signify the saliency magnitude of events, reflecting the hierarchical structure of event associations.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Anticipation, Psychological; Auditory Perception; Brain Waves; Electrocorticography; Female; Hippocampus; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Motion Pictures; Prefrontal Cortex; Visual Perception; Young Adult
PubMed: 30883290
DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01392 -
Psychoradiology Dec 2021Noninvasive brain stimulation includes repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and emerges as a...
Noninvasive brain stimulation includes repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and emerges as a prospective approach for addiction treatment in clinical practices. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is regarded as the most effective stimulation target, giving its important position in controlling cue-elicited drug craving and initiating drug abuse. In this paper, through literature searches (e.g. Pubmed, Google Scholar), 34 studies (2003-2021) were identified examining the effect of rTMS, tDCS on cravings, and consumption of substance use disorders, including tobacco, alcohol, opioids, and stimulants. We summarize the main methods, designs, and effects of rTMS or tDCS that are delivered to the DLPFC on different types of addiction. We conclude that targeting DLPFC might be effective for all types of drug addiction.
PubMed: 38666219
DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkab016 -
Journal of Neurophysiology Nov 2022Opioids suppress breathing through actions in the brainstem, including respiratory-related areas of the dorsolateral pons, which contain multiple phenotypes of...
Opioids suppress breathing through actions in the brainstem, including respiratory-related areas of the dorsolateral pons, which contain multiple phenotypes of respiratory patterned neurons. The discharge identity of dorsolateral pontine neurons that are impacted by opioids is unknown. To address this, single neuronal units were recorded in the dorsolateral pons of arterially perfused in situ rat preparations that were perfused with an apneic concentration of the opioid agonist fentanyl, followed by the opioid antagonist naloxone (NLX). Dorsolateral pontine neurons were categorized based on respiratory-associated discharge patterns, which were differentially affected by fentanyl. Inspiratory neurons and a subset of inspiratory/expiratory phase-spanning neurons were either silenced or had reduced firing frequency during fentanyl-induced apnea, which was reversed upon administration of naloxone. In contrast, the majority of expiratory neurons continued to fire tonically during fentanyl-induced apnea, albeit with reduced firing frequency. In addition, pontine late-inspiratory and postinspiratory neuronal activity were absent from apneustic-like breaths during the transition to fentanyl-induced apnea and the naloxone-mediated transition to recovery. Thus, opioid-induced deficits in respiratory patterning may occur due to reduced activity of pontine inspiratory neurons, whereas apnea occurs with loss of all phasic pontine activity and sustained tonic expiratory neuron activity. Opioids can suppress breathing via actions throughout the brainstem, including the dorsolateral pons. The respiratory phenotype of dorsolateral pontine neurons inhibited by opioids is unknown. Here, we describe the effect of the highly potent opioid fentanyl on the firing activity of these dorsolateral pontine neurons. Inspiratory neurons were largely silenced by fentanyl, whereas expiratory neurons were not. We provide a framework whereby this differential sensitivity to fentanyl can contribute to respiratory pattern deficits and apnea.
Topics: Rats; Animals; Analgesics, Opioid; Apnea; Fentanyl; Pons; Neurons; Respiration; Naloxone
PubMed: 36197016
DOI: 10.1152/jn.00113.2022 -
Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience :... Apr 2021Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by impaired cortical-subcortical functional connectivity. Apathy adds to functional impairment, but its cerebral basis...
BACKGROUND
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by impaired cortical-subcortical functional connectivity. Apathy adds to functional impairment, but its cerebral basis in MDD remains unknown. Our objective was to describe impairments in functional connectivity during emotional processing in MDD (with varying levels of congruency and attention), and to determine their correlation with apathy.
METHODS
We used the Variable Attention Affective Task during functional MRI, followed by diffusion-weighted MRI, to assess 55 right-handed women (30 with MDD and 25 healthy controls) between September 2012 and February 2015. We estimated functional connectivity using generalized psychophysiologic interaction and anatomic connectivity with tract-based spatial statistics. We measured apathy using the Apathy Evaluation Scale.
RESULTS
We found decreased functional connectivity between the left amygdala and the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) during negative stimuli in participants with MDD (t54 = 4.2; p = 0.035, family-wise error [FWE]-corrected). During high-attention stimuli, participants with MDD showed reduced functional connectivity between the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the right ACC (t54 = 4.06, pFWE = 0.02), but greater functional connectivity between the right dlPFC and the right amygdala (t54 = 3.35, p = 0.048). Apathy was associated with increased functional connectivity between the right dlPFC and the right ACC during high-attention stimuli (t28 = 5.2, p = 0.01) and increased fractional anisotropy in the right posterior cerebellum, the anterior and posterior cingulum and the bilateral internal capsule (all pFWE < 0.05).
LIMITATIONS
Limitations included a moderate sample size, concomitant antidepressant therapy and no directed connectivity.
CONCLUSION
We found that MDD was associated with impairments in cortical-subcortical functional connectivity during negative stimuli that might alter the recruitment of networks engaged in attention. Apathy-related features suggested networks similar to those observed in degenerative disorders, but possible different mechanisms.
Topics: Brain; Depressive Disorder, Major; Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex; Emotions; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Middle Aged; Motivation; Multimodal Imaging; Neuroimaging
PubMed: 33844485
DOI: 10.1503/jpn.200074 -
Scientific Reports Jul 2016The striatum controls multiple cognitive aspects including motivation, reward perception, decision-making and motor planning. In particular, the dorsolateral striatum...
The striatum controls multiple cognitive aspects including motivation, reward perception, decision-making and motor planning. In particular, the dorsolateral striatum contributes to motor learning. Here we define an approach for investigating synaptic plasticity in mouse dorsolateral cortico-striatal circuitry and interrogate the relative contributions of neurotransmitter receptors and intracellular signaling components. Consistent with previous studies, we show that long-term potentiation (LTP) in cortico-striatal circuitry is facilitated by dopamine, and requires activation of D1-dopamine receptors, as well as NMDA receptors (NMDAR) and their calcium-dependent downstream effectors, including CaMKII. Moreover, we assessed the contribution of the protein kinase Cdk5, a key neuronal signaling molecule, in cortico-striatal LTP. Pharmacological Cdk5 inhibition, brain-wide Cdk5 conditional knockout, or viral-mediated dorsolateral striatal-specific loss of Cdk5 all impaired dopamine-facilitated LTP or D1-dopamine receptor-facilitated LTP. Selective loss of Cdk5 in dorsolateral striatum increased locomotor activity and attenuated motor learning. Taken together, we report an approach for studying synaptic plasticity in mouse dorsolateral striatum and critically implicate D1-dopamine receptor, NMDAR, Cdk5, and CaMKII in cortico-striatal plasticity. Furthermore, we associate striatal plasticity deficits with effects upon behaviors mediated by this circuitry. This approach should prove useful for the study of the molecular basis of plasticity in the dorsolateral striatum.
Topics: Animals; Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; Corpus Striatum; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5; Dopamine; Learning; Locomotion; Long-Term Potentiation; Male; Mice; Receptors, Dopamine D1; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; Synaptic Transmission
PubMed: 27443506
DOI: 10.1038/srep29812 -
PloS One 2018Mormyrid fish rely on reafferent input for active electrolocation. Their electrosensory input consists of phase and amplitude information. These are encoded by...
Mormyrid fish rely on reafferent input for active electrolocation. Their electrosensory input consists of phase and amplitude information. These are encoded by differently tuned receptor cells within the Mormyromasts, A- and B-cells, respectively, which are distributed over the animal's body. These convey their information to two topographically ordered medullary zones in the electrosensory lateral line lobe (ELL). The so-called medial zone receives only amplitude information, while the dorsolateral zone receives amplitude and phase information. Using both sources of information, Mormyrid fish can disambiguate electrical impedances. Where and how this disambiguation takes place is presently unclear. We here investigate phase-sensitivity downstream from the electroreceptors. We provide first evidence of phase-sensitivity in the medial zone of ELL. In this zone I-cells consistently decreased their rate to positive phase-shifts (6 of 20 cells) and increased their rate to negative shifts (11/20), while E-cells of the medial zone (3/9) responded oppositely to I-cells. In the dorsolateral zone the responses of E- and I-cells were opposite to those found in the medial zone. Tracer injections revealed interzonal projections that interconnect the dorsolateral and medial zones in a somatotopic manner. In summary, we show that phase information is processed differently in the dorsolateral and the medial zones. This is the first evidence for a mechanism that enhances the contrast between two parallel sensory channels in Mormyrid fish. This could be beneficial for impedance discrimination that ultimately must rely on a subtractive merging of these two sensory streams.
Topics: Animals; Electric Fish; Electric Organ; Electrophysiological Phenomena; Fishes; Neurons; Sensation; Sensory Receptor Cells
PubMed: 29641541
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194347 -
Schizophrenia Research May 2022Clozapine (CLZ) demonstrates a unique clinical efficacy relative to other antipsychotic drugs. Previous work has linked the plasma ratio of CLZ and its major metabolite,...
Clozapine (CLZ) demonstrates a unique clinical efficacy relative to other antipsychotic drugs. Previous work has linked the plasma ratio of CLZ and its major metabolite, N-desmethylclozapine (NDMC), to an inverse relationship with cognition via putative action on the cholinergic system. However, neuroimaging correlates of CLZ/NDMC remain unknown. Here, we examined changes in basal forebrain functional connectivity with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and secondly, cognition in relation to the CLZ/NDMC ratio. A cohort of nineteen chronically ill participants with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) undergoing 12 weeks of CLZ treatment were included. Measures of cognition and plasma CLZ/NDMC ratios were obtained in addition to resting-state functional neuroimaging scans, captured at baseline and after 12 weeks of CLZ treatment. We observed a significant correlation between basal forebrain-DLPFC connectivity and CLZ/NDMC ratios across CLZ treatment (p = 0.02). Consistent with previous findings, we also demonstrate a positive relationship between CLZ/NDMC ratio and working memory (p = 0.03). These findings may reflect the action of CLZ and NDMC on the muscarinic cholinergic system, highlighting a possible neural correlate of cognition across treatment.
Topics: Antipsychotic Agents; Basal Forebrain; Cholinergic Agents; Clozapine; Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex; Humans; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia, Treatment-Resistant
PubMed: 35381515
DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.03.014