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Radiographics : a Review Publication of... 2019The anatomy of the brainstem is complex. It contains numerous cranial nerve nuclei and is traversed by multiple tracts between the brain and spinal cord. Improved MRI... (Review)
Review
The anatomy of the brainstem is complex. It contains numerous cranial nerve nuclei and is traversed by multiple tracts between the brain and spinal cord. Improved MRI resolution now allows the radiologist to identify a higher level of anatomic detail, but an understanding of functional anatomy is crucial for correct interpretation of disease. Brainstem syndromes are most commonly due to occlusion of the posterior circulation or mass effect from intrinsic space-occupying lesions. These syndromes can have subtle imaging findings that may be missed by a radiologist unfamiliar with the anatomy or typical manifesting features. This article presents the developmental anatomy of the brainstem and discusses associated pathologic syndromes. Congenital and acquired syndromes are described and correlated with anatomic locations at imaging, with diagrams to provide a reference to aid in radiologic interpretation. RSNA, 2019.
Topics: Brain Diseases; Brain Infarction; Craniofacial Abnormalities; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Medulla Oblongata; Mesencephalon; Neuroimaging; Pons; Syndrome
PubMed: 31283463
DOI: 10.1148/rg.2019180126 -
Neuron Sep 2019Sleep is crucial for our survival, and many diseases are linked to long-term poor sleep quality. Before we can use sleep to enhance our health and performance and...
Sleep is crucial for our survival, and many diseases are linked to long-term poor sleep quality. Before we can use sleep to enhance our health and performance and alleviate diseases associated with poor sleep, a greater understanding of sleep regulation is necessary. We have identified a mutation in the β-adrenergic receptor gene in humans who require fewer hours of sleep than most. In vitro, this mutation leads to decreased protein stability and dampened signaling in response to agonist treatment. In vivo, the mice carrying the same mutation demonstrated short sleep behavior. We found that this receptor is highly expressed in the dorsal pons and that these ADRB1 neurons are active during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and wakefulness. Activating these neurons can lead to wakefulness, and the activity of these neurons is affected by the mutation. These results highlight the important role of β-adrenergic receptors in sleep/wake regulation.
Topics: Animals; Gene Knock-In Techniques; Humans; Mice; Mutation; Neurons; Pedigree; Pontine Tegmentum; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1; Sleep; Sleep Wake Disorders; Sleep, REM; Wakefulness
PubMed: 31473062
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.07.026 -
ELife Nov 2022The parabrachial nucleus (PBN) is a major hub that receives sensory information from both internal and external environments. Specific populations of PBN neurons are...
The parabrachial nucleus (PBN) is a major hub that receives sensory information from both internal and external environments. Specific populations of PBN neurons are involved in behaviors including food and water intake, nociceptive responses, breathing regulation, as well as learning and responding appropriately to threatening stimuli. However, it is unclear how many PBN neuron populations exist and how different behaviors may be encoded by unique signaling molecules or receptors. Here we provide a repository of data on the molecular identity, spatial location, and projection patterns of dozens of PBN neuron subclusters. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we identified 21 subclusters of neurons in the PBN and neighboring regions. Multiplexed in situ hybridization showed many of these subclusters are enriched within specific PBN subregions with scattered cells in several other regions. We also provide detailed visualization of the axonal projections from 21 Cre-driver lines of mice. These results are all publicly available for download and provide a foundation for further interrogation of PBN functions and connections.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Parabrachial Nucleus; Neurons; Axons
PubMed: 36317965
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.81868 -
Nature Reviews. Neuroscience Nov 2020The locus coeruleus (LC), or 'blue spot', is a small nucleus located deep in the brainstem that provides the far-reaching noradrenergic neurotransmitter system of the... (Review)
Review
The locus coeruleus (LC), or 'blue spot', is a small nucleus located deep in the brainstem that provides the far-reaching noradrenergic neurotransmitter system of the brain. This phylogenetically conserved nucleus has proved relatively intractable to full characterization, despite more than 60 years of concerted efforts by investigators. Recently, an array of powerful new neuroscience tools have provided unprecedented access to this elusive nucleus, revealing new levels of organization and function. We are currently at the threshold of major discoveries regarding how this tiny brainstem structure exerts such varied and significant influences over brain function and behaviour. All LC neurons receive inputs related to autonomic arousal, but distinct subpopulations of those neurons can encode specific cognitive processes, presumably through more specific inputs from the forebrain areas. This ability, combined with specific patterns of innervation of target areas and heterogeneity in receptor distributions, suggests that activation of the LC has more specific influences on target networks than had initially been imagined.
Topics: Animals; Cognition; Humans; Locus Coeruleus; Neural Pathways; Neuronal Plasticity; Neurons; Nucleus Accumbens
PubMed: 32943779
DOI: 10.1038/s41583-020-0360-9 -
Radiologie (Heidelberg, Germany) Aug 2022Brain capillary telangiectasia is usually a small collection of dilated capillary-like vessels. In most cases it is a harmless incidental finding with no clinical... (Review)
Review
Brain capillary telangiectasia is usually a small collection of dilated capillary-like vessels. In most cases it is a harmless incidental finding with no clinical significance. They are most commonly located in the pons. In terms of image morphology, they show brush-like signal extinction in T2*/SWI (susceptibility-weighted imaging) sequences and contrast enhancement in T1-weighted images. Other sequences are usually unremarkable unless they involve unusually large capillary telangiectasias. Angiographically they usually remain silent. Sometimes they are associated with venous abnormalities and/or cavernomas. Their distinctive radiographic features usually allow for a reliable diagnosis. Differential diagnostic considerations, such as differentiation from a tumorous or inflammatory process, are sometimes necessary.
Topics: Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations; Hemangioma, Cavernous; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Pons; Telangiectasis
PubMed: 35792920
DOI: 10.1007/s00117-022-01037-z -
Neurochemistry International May 2020Neurotransmitters play critical roles in the developing nervous system. Among the neurotransmitters, norepinephrine (NE) is in particular postulated to be an important... (Review)
Review
Neurotransmitters play critical roles in the developing nervous system. Among the neurotransmitters, norepinephrine (NE) is in particular postulated to be an important regulator of brain development. NE is expressed during early stages of development and is known to regulate both the development of noradrenergic neurons and the development of target areas. NE participates in the shaping and the wiring of the nervous system during the critical periods of development, and perturbations in this process can alter the brain's developmental trajectory, which in turn can cause long-lasting and even permanent changes in the brain function and behavior later in life. Here we will briefly review evidence for the role of noradrenergic system in neurodevelopmental processes and will discuss about the potential disruptors of noradrenergic system during development and their behavioral consequences.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Locus Coeruleus; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Neurons; Norepinephrine
PubMed: 32092327
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2020.104706 -
Ugeskrift For Laeger Jan 2023Sudden pain of the eye, nose or face can be a symptom of stroke located to the pons. This case report is about a 73-year-old women with acute debut of right-sided...
Sudden pain of the eye, nose or face can be a symptom of stroke located to the pons. This case report is about a 73-year-old women with acute debut of right-sided hemiparesis, ataxia, gait disturbance, dysarthria, hemisensory defects and contralateral burning eye pain. MRI showed acute ischaemia of the left pons. The case adds to the growing literature of this rare presentation of posterior circulation stroke.
Topics: Humans; Female; Aged; Eye Pain; Pons; Stroke; Brain Stem Infarctions; Magnetic Resonance Imaging
PubMed: 36760190
DOI: No ID Found -
Acta Neurologica Belgica Sep 2019
Topics: Aged; Facial Paralysis; Female; Humans; Intracranial Hemorrhages; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Nystagmus, Pathologic; Pons; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 31102181
DOI: 10.1007/s13760-019-01151-1 -
NeuroImage Dec 2022The cerebellum's involvement in cognitive, affective and motor functions is mediated by connections to different regions of the cerebral cortex. A distinctive feature of...
The cerebellum's involvement in cognitive, affective and motor functions is mediated by connections to different regions of the cerebral cortex. A distinctive feature of cortico-cerebellar loops that has been demonstrated in the animal work is a topographic organization that is preserved across its corticopontine, pontocerebellar, and cerebello-thalmo-cortical segments. Here we used tractography derived from diffusion imaging data to characterize the connections between the pons and the individual lobules of the cerebellum and generate a parcellation of the pons and middle cerebellar peduncle based on the pattern of connectivity. We identified a rostral to caudal gradient in the pons, similar to that observed in the animal work, such that rostral regions were preferentially connected to cerebellar lobules involved in non-motor, and caudal regions with motor regions. These findings advance our fundamental understanding of the cerebellum, and the parcellations we generated provide context for future research into the pontocerebellar tract's involvement in health and disease.
Topics: Animals; Pons; Cerebellum; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Cerebral Cortex; Neural Pathways; Brain Mapping; Magnetic Resonance Imaging
PubMed: 36252913
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119684 -
Cell Reports Apr 2024Pain that persists beyond the time required for tissue healing and pain that arises in the absence of tissue injury, collectively referred to as nociplastic pain, are...
Pain that persists beyond the time required for tissue healing and pain that arises in the absence of tissue injury, collectively referred to as nociplastic pain, are poorly understood phenomena mediated by plasticity within the central nervous system. The parabrachial nucleus (PBN) is a hub that relays aversive sensory information and appears to play a role in nociplasticity. Here, by preventing PBN Calca neurons from releasing neurotransmitters, we demonstrate that activation of Calca neurons is necessary for the manifestation and maintenance of chronic pain. Additionally, by directly stimulating Calca neurons, we demonstrate that Calca neuron activity is sufficient to drive nociplasticity. Aversive stimuli of multiple sensory modalities, such as exposure to nitroglycerin, cisplatin, or lithium chloride, can drive nociplasticity in a Calca-neuron-dependent manner. Aversive events drive nociplasticity in Calca neurons in the form of increased activity and excitability; however, neuroplasticity also appears to occur in downstream circuitry.
Topics: Animals; Parabrachial Nucleus; Neurons; Mice; Neuronal Plasticity; Male; Mice, Inbred C57BL
PubMed: 38583149
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114057