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NeuroImage. Clinical 2022Growing evidence points towards dysfunction of the ventral striatum as a neural substrate of motivational impairments in schizophrenia. Ventral striatal activity during...
BACKGROUND
Growing evidence points towards dysfunction of the ventral striatum as a neural substrate of motivational impairments in schizophrenia. Ventral striatal activity during reward anticipation is generally reduced in patients with schizophrenia and specifically correlates with apathy. However, little is known about the cortico-striatal functional connectivity in patients with schizophrenia during reward anticipation and its relation to negative symptoms.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to identify categorical group differences in ventral striatal functional connectivity during reward anticipation between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls, and dimensional associations between cortico-striatal functional connectivity and negative symptom severity.
METHOD
A total of 40 patients with schizophrenia (10 females) and 33 healthy controls (8 females) were included from two previously published studies. All participants performed a variant of the Monetary Incentive Delay Task while undergoing event-related fMRI. Functional connectivity was assessed using psychophysical interactions (PPI) with the left and right ventral striatum as seeds and the contrast [High Reward Anticipation - No Reward Anticipation]. Negative symptoms were assessed using the Brief Negative Symptom Scale.
RESULTS
Compared to controls, patients with schizophrenia showed increased functional connectivity between the left ventral striatum and the left precuneus and right parahippocampal gyrus, two hubs of the default mode network (cluster-level threshold: FWE, p < .05). In addition, we found a negative association between apathy scores on the BNSS and increased functional connectivity between the left ventral striatum and the left ventral anterior insula / putamen and the left inferior frontal gyrus / dorsal anterior insula (cluster-level threshold: FWE, p < .05).
CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that the patterns of increased functional connectivity between the ventral striatum and the dorsal default mode network during reward anticipation could act as a compensatory mechanism to regulate the activity of the ventral striatum. Our results also showed that functional connectivity patterns from the ventral striatum, much like its local activity, is specifically related to apathy, and not diminished expression.
Topics: Anticipation, Psychological; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Motivation; Putamen; Reward; Schizophrenia; Ventral Striatum
PubMed: 35078045
DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.102944 -
Biology Open Sep 2021The tracheal basal cells (BCs) function as stem cells to maintain the epithelium in steady state and repair it after injury. The airway is surrounded by cartilage...
The tracheal basal cells (BCs) function as stem cells to maintain the epithelium in steady state and repair it after injury. The airway is surrounded by cartilage ventrolaterally and smooth muscle dorsally. Lineage tracing using Krt5-CreER shows dorsal BCs produce more, larger, clones than ventral BCs. Large clones were found between cartilage and smooth muscle where subpopulation of dorsal BCs exists. Three-dimensional organoid culture of BCs demonstrated that dorsal BCs show higher colony forming efficacy to ventral BCs. Gene ontology analysis revealed that genes expressed in dorsal BCs are enriched in wound healing while ventral BCs are enriched in response to external stimulus and immune response. Significantly, ventral BCs express Myostatin, which inhibits the growth of smooth muscle cells, and HGF, which facilitates cartilage repair. The results support the hypothesis that BCs from the dorso-ventral airways have intrinsic molecular and behavioural differences relevant to their in vivo function.
Topics: Cell Differentiation; Epithelial Cells; Gene Ontology; Genetic Heterogeneity; Humans; Stem Cells; Trachea
PubMed: 34396394
DOI: 10.1242/bio.058676 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Jan 2020The ventral tegmental area dopamine (VTA-DA) mesolimbic circuit processes emotional, motivational, and social reward associations together with their more demanding... (Review)
Review
The ventral tegmental area dopamine (VTA-DA) mesolimbic circuit processes emotional, motivational, and social reward associations together with their more demanding cognitive aspects that involve the mesocortical circuitry. Coping with stress increases VTA-DA excitability, but when the stressor becomes chronic the VTA-DA circuit is less active, which may lead to degeneration and local microglial activation. This switch between activation and inhibition of VTA-DA neurons is modulated by e.g. corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), opioids, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and the adrenal glucocorticoids. These actions are coordinated with energy-demanding stress-coping styles to promote behavioral adaptation. The VTA circuits show sexual dimorphism that is programmed by sex hormones during perinatal life in a manner that can be affected by glucocorticoid exposure. We conclude that insight in the role of stress in VTA-DA plasticity and connectivity, during reward processing and stress-coping, will be helpful to better understand the mechanism of resilience to breakdown of adaptation.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Animals; Dopaminergic Neurons; Humans; Nerve Net; Neuronal Plasticity; Prefrontal Cortex; Sex Characteristics; Stress, Psychological; Ventral Tegmental Area
PubMed: 31666179
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.10.015 -
Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice Nov 2022One of the restricting factors for surgical treatment of congenital anatomical pathologies of the penis is the skin structure. Thanks to its structure, the penis is a...
BACKGROUND
One of the restricting factors for surgical treatment of congenital anatomical pathologies of the penis is the skin structure. Thanks to its structure, the penis is a flexible organ structure, and the treatment can be completed without the need for a free tissue graft. Length changes are obtained on the ventral side of the penis by frenuloplasty.
AIMS
Our study aims to attain an objective formula that could noninvasively predict these changes on the ventral side before the procedure.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
In our study, 52 patients who were admitted for routine religious circumcision were included, and penile ventral and dorsal skin and inner mucosa lengths were measured before and after frenuloplasty, which is a part of the normal routine circumcision procedure and performed via the "pull and burn" method. Stitches were done to prevent scar formation in the frenuloplasty area. The results were used to estimate the length changes to be obtained on the ventral side by performing a regression analysis of the patient's weight, height, ventral and dorsal inner mucosa, and outer skin lengths. Result: Following frenuloplasty, an increase was detected in the ventral surface ranging from 20% to 177%. This increase was found to be predictable with 62.5% precision (P < 0.01) using the formulation established by assessing the ventral inner mucosa length from pre-procedure values. No significant result was determined in the regression analysis of the patients' other measurements (P > 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Penile length changes that would occur following frenuloplasty can be calculated using a noninvasive method. Frenuloplasty, which would be performed without any vascular change, could be helpful in the surgical planning of some penile surgeries. More studies should be conducted on older boys, in anatomic deviations, and moreover, to establish a reliable formulation.
Topics: Male; Humans; Circumcision, Male; Penis; Skin; Cicatrix; Blood Coagulation Tests
PubMed: 36412284
DOI: 10.4103/njcp.njcp_2038_21 -
Annals of Surgery Aug 2023Report the 2-year outcomes of a multicenter randomized controlled trial comparing robotic versus laparoscopic intraperitoneal onlay mesh ventral hernia repair. (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVE
Report the 2-year outcomes of a multicenter randomized controlled trial comparing robotic versus laparoscopic intraperitoneal onlay mesh ventral hernia repair.
BACKGROUND
Ventral hernia repair is one of the most common operations performed by general surgeons. To our knowledge, no studies have been published to date comparing long-term outcomes of laparoscopic versus robotic ventral hernia repair.
METHODS
The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03490266). Clinical outcomes included surgical site infection, surgical site occurrence, hernia occurrence, readmission, reoperation, and mortality.
RESULTS
A total of 175 consecutive patients were approached that were deemed eligible for elective minimally invasive ventral hernia repair. In all, 124 were randomized and 101 completed follow-up at 2 years. Two-year follow-up was completed in 54 patients (83%) in the robotic arm and 47 patients (80%) in the laparoscopic arm. No differences were seen in surgical site infection or surgical site occurrence. Hernia recurrence occurred in 2 patients (4%) receiving robotic repair versus in 6 patients (13%) receiving laparoscopic repair (relative risk: 0.3, 95% CI: 0.06-1.39; P =0.12). No patients (0%) required reoperation in the robotic arm whereas 5 patients (11%) underwent reoperation in the laparoscopic arm ( P =0.019, relative risk not calculatable due to null outcome).
CONCLUSIONS
Robotic ventral hernia repair demonstrated at least similar if not improved outcomes at 2 years compared with laparoscopy. There is potential benefit with robotic repair; however, additional multi-center trials and longer follow-up are needed to validate the hypothesis-generating findings of this study.
Topics: Humans; Robotic Surgical Procedures; Prospective Studies; Robotics; Laparoscopy; Hernia, Ventral; Herniorrhaphy; Surgical Wound Infection; Surgical Mesh
PubMed: 37203558
DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000005903 -
Journal of Minimal Access Surgery 2021With increasing complexity of ventral incisional hernias being operated on, the treatment strategy has also evolved to obtain optimal results. Hybrid ventral hernia... (Review)
Review
With increasing complexity of ventral incisional hernias being operated on, the treatment strategy has also evolved to obtain optimal results. Hybrid ventral hernia repair is a promising technique in management of complex/difficult ventral incisional hernias. The aim of this article is to review the literature and analyse the results of hybrid technique in management of ventral incisional hernia and determine its clinical status and ascertain its role. We reviewed the literature on hybrid technique for incisional ventral hernia repair on PubMed, Medline and Google Scholar database published between 2002 and 2019 and out of 218 articles screened, 10 studies were included in the review. Selection of articles was in accordance with the PRISMA guideline. Variables analysed were seroma, wound infection, chronic pain and recurrence. Qualitative analysis of the variables was carried out. In this systematic review, the incidence of complications associated within this procedure were seroma formation (5.47%), wound infections (6.53%) and chronic pain (4.49%). Recurrence was seen in 3.29% of patients. Hybrid ventral hernia repair represents a natural evolution in advancement of hernia repair. The judicious use of hybrid repair in selected patients combines the safety of open surgery with several advantages of the laparoscopic approach with favourable surgical outcomes in terms of recurrence, seroma and incidence of chronic pain. However, larger multi-centric prospective studies with long term follow up is required to standardise the technique and to establish it as a procedure of choice for this complex disease entity.
PubMed: 32964882
DOI: 10.4103/jmas.JMAS_146_19 -
BMC Biology Jun 2022Vertebrates develop their peripheral nervous system (PNS) from transient unique embryonic structures, the neural crest, and the ectodermal placodes that are located at...
BACKGROUND
Vertebrates develop their peripheral nervous system (PNS) from transient unique embryonic structures, the neural crest, and the ectodermal placodes that are located at the border of the forming central nervous system. By contrast, in the invertebrate chordates, amphioxus and ascidians, a large part of the PNS originates at the opposite of the embryo, in the ventral ectoderm. In both groups, a biphasic mechanism regulates ventral PNS formation: high BMP levels specify a neurogenic territory within which glutamatergic epidermal sensory neuron formation is controlled by the Notch pathway. Given these similarities and the phylogenetic relationships within chordates, it is likely that ventral PNS is an ancestral feature in chordates and that it has been lost in vertebrates.
RESULTS
In order to get insights into the molecular control of ventral PNS formation and to test the hypothesis of their homology and potential contribution to the emergence of vertebrate PNS, we undertook a close comparison of ventral PNS formation in the ascidian Phallusia mammillata and the amphioxus Branchiostoma lanceolatum. Using timed RNA-seq series, we identified novel markers of the ventral PNS during different phases of its development in both species. By extensively determining the expression of paralogous and orthologous genes, we observed that only a minority of genes have a shared expression in the ventral PNS. However, a large fraction of ventral PNS orthologous genes are expressed in the dorsally forming PNS of vertebrates.
CONCLUSIONS
Our work has significantly increased the molecular characterization of ventral PNS formation in invertebrate chordates. The low observed conservation of gene expression in the ventral PNS suggests that the amphioxus and ascidian ventral PNS are either not homologous, or alternatively extensive drift has occurred in their regulatory mechanisms following a long period (600 My) of separate evolution and accelerated evolution in the ascidian lineage. The homology to genes expressed in the dorsally forming PNS of vertebrates suggests that ancestral sensory neurons gene networks have been redeployed in vertebrates.
Topics: Animals; Ectoderm; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Lancelets; Peripheral Nervous System; Phylogeny; Urochordata; Vertebrates
PubMed: 35761237
DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01355-7 -
Genetics Nov 2022Spatial patterning of neural stem cell populations is a powerful mechanism by which to generate neuronal diversity. In the developing Drosophila medulla, the...
Spatial patterning of neural stem cell populations is a powerful mechanism by which to generate neuronal diversity. In the developing Drosophila medulla, the symmetrically dividing neuroepithelial cells of the outer proliferation center crescent are spatially patterned by the nonoverlapping expression of 3 transcription factors: Vsx1 in the center, Optix in the adjacent arms, and Rx in the tips. These spatial genes compartmentalize the outer proliferation center and, together with the temporal patterning of neuroblasts, act to diversify medulla neuronal fates. The observation that the dorsal and ventral halves of the outer proliferation center also grow as distinct compartments, together with the fact that a subset of neuronal types is generated from only one half of the crescent, suggests that additional transcription factors spatially pattern the outer proliferation center along the dorsal-ventral axis. Here, we identify the spalt (salm and salr) and disco (disco and disco-r) genes as the dorsal-ventral patterning transcription factors of the outer proliferation center. Spalt and Disco are differentially expressed in the dorsal and ventral outer proliferation center from the embryo through to the third instar larva, where they cross-repress each other to form a sharp dorsal-ventral boundary. We show that hedgehog is necessary for Disco expression in the embryonic optic placode and that disco is subsequently required for the development of the ventral outer proliferation center and its neuronal progeny. We further demonstrate that this dorsal-ventral patterning axis acts independently of Vsx1-Optix-Rx and thus propose that Spalt and Disco represent a third outer proliferation center patterning axis that may act to further diversify medulla fates.
Topics: Animals; Drosophila; Drosophila Proteins; Drosophila melanogaster; Transcription Factors; Neuroepithelial Cells; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Body Patterning
PubMed: 36135799
DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac145 -
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 2021Dopaminergic neurons originating from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the locus coeruleus are innervating the ventral hippocampus and are thought to play an...
Dopaminergic neurons originating from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the locus coeruleus are innervating the ventral hippocampus and are thought to play an essential role for efficient cognitive function. Moreover, these VTA projections are hypothesized to be part of a functional loop, in which dopamine regulates memory storage. It is hypothesized that when a novel stimulus is encountered and recognized as novel, increased dopamine activity in the hippocampus induces long-term potentiation and long-term storage of memories. We here demonstrate the importance of increased release of dopamine and norepinephrinein the rat ventral hippocampus on recognition memory, using microdialysis combined to a modified novel object recognition test. We found that presenting rats to a novel object significantly increased dopamine and norepinephrine output in the ventral hippocampus. Two hours after introducing the first object, a second object (either novel or familiar) was placed in the same position as the first object. Presenting the animals to a second novel object significantly increased dopamine and norepinephrine release in the ventral hippocampus, compared to a familiar object. In conclusion, this study suggests that dopamine and norepinephrine output in the ventral hippocampus has a crucial role in recognition memory and signals novelty.
PubMed: 33927604
DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.667244 -
Cureus Aug 2022Background Ventral hernias are commonly encountered problems in the field of general surgery. Incisional hernia is a common complication following abdominal surgery that...
Background Ventral hernias are commonly encountered problems in the field of general surgery. Incisional hernia is a common complication following abdominal surgery that requires reoperation. This study was conducted to understand the incidence of various types of ventral hernia in both sexes and various age groups, predisposing factors, clinical features, and complications. Methods This prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Surgery, Dr. Hedgewar Hospital, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India, on a total of 100 patients diagnosed with anterior abdominal wall hernia between September 2020 to February 2021. Data collection included thorough history taking and clinical examination along with relevant investigations. The data collected was entered in a proforma, tabulated, and analyzed with the IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 24.0 (Released 2016; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Results Incisional hernia (43%) was the most common of all ventral hernias. Females were much more affected than males. Out of these types studied, epigastric hernia showed more incidence among males. The average age of presentation was 52 years. Obesity was the most common predisposing factor (34%) with female preponderance. Obese patients were also associated with a higher rate of postoperative complications like wound infection and seroma. In the cases of incisional hernia, 32.6% of the patients gave a history of previous surgery complicated by a wound infection. Incisional hernias were more common in lower midline incisions (34.9%) and after gynecological surgery (55.81%) like total abdominal hysterectomy, cesarean section, or tubal ligation. In the majority of the patients (62.8%), the incisional hernia occurred within three years of the previous surgery. Wound infection following ventral hernia repair occurred in 11% of the cases, wound dehiscence in 3%, and seroma in 2 % of the cases. Conclusions The most common ventral hernias in decreasing order of their frequency are incisional hernia, umbilical hernia, para-umbilical hernia, and epigastric hernia. Epigastric and umbilical hernias are more common in males whereas incisional hernia is more common in females. Obesity and constipation were found to be the major predisposing risk factors. Incisional hernia is more common in females after gynecological and obstetrics surgery. The lower midline segment is the most common site for developing an incisional hernia.
PubMed: 36158325
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.28240