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Frontiers in Neuroscience 2024Over the past decade, a growing body of research in adults has emphasized the role of the cerebellum in social and emotional cognition. This has been further supported...
Over the past decade, a growing body of research in adults has emphasized the role of the cerebellum in social and emotional cognition. This has been further supported by findings of delayed social and emotional development in toddlers with cerebellar injury during the fetal and newborn periods. However, the contributions of the cerebellum to social-emotional development in typically developing newborns are unclear. To bridge this gap in knowledge, we used multimodal MRI to investigate associations between cerebellar structure and function in 88 healthy neonates (mean ± sd of postmenstrual age, = 42.00 ± 1.91 weeks) and social-emotional development at 18-months assessed using the Infant-Toddler Social-Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) (mean age on ITSEA: 18.32 ± 1.19 months old). We found that cerebellar volume was not associated with ITSEA domain scores at 18 months. We further demonstrated cerebellar functional gradient (FGR) defined using principal component analysis (PCA) was associated with Externalizing domain (linear regression model, false-discovery-rate-adjusted = 0.013). This cluster (FGR7) included the left dentate, right VI, left Vermis VIIIb, and right V lobules. Finally, we demonstrated that either structural or functional features of the cerebellum reliably predicted scores on the Externalizing and Internalizing domains (correlation between actual and predicted scores: for structural, Fisher's = 0.48 ± 0.01 for Internalizing, = 0.01; for functional, Fisher's = 0.45 ± 0.01 for Externalizing, = 0.02; with permutation test). Collectively, our findings suggest that the cerebellum plays an important role in social-emotional development during the critical early stages of life.
PubMed: 38756409
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1294527 -
Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 2024Long-term skill learning can lead to structure and function changes in the brain. Different sports can trigger neuroplasticity in distinct brain regions. Volleyball, as...
BACKGROUND
Long-term skill learning can lead to structure and function changes in the brain. Different sports can trigger neuroplasticity in distinct brain regions. Volleyball, as one of the most popular team sports, heavily relies on individual abilities such as perception and prediction for high-level athletes to excel. However, the specific brain mechanisms that contribute to the superior performance of volleyball athletes compared to non-athletes remain unclear.
METHOD
We conducted a study involving the recruitment of ten female volleyball athletes and ten regular female college students, forming the athlete and novice groups, respectively. Comprehensive behavioral assessments, including Functional Movement Screen and audio-visual reaction time tests, were administered to both groups. Additionally, resting-state magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were acquired for both groups. Subsequently, we conducted in-depth analyses, focusing on the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and functional connectivity (FC) in the brain for both the athlete and novice groups.
RESULTS
No significant differences were observed in the behavioral data between the two groups. However, the athlete group exhibited noteworthy enhancements in both the ALFF and ReHo within the visual cortex compared to the novice group. Moreover, the functional connectivity between the visual cortex and key brain regions, including the left primary sensory cortex, left supplementary motor cortex, right insula, left superior temporal gyrus, and left inferior parietal lobule, was notably stronger in the athlete group than in the novice group.
CONCLUSION
This study has unveiled the remarkable impact of volleyball athletes on various brain functions related to vision, movement, and cognition. It indicates that volleyball, as a team-based competitive activity, fosters the advancement of visual, cognitive, and motor skills. These findings lend additional support to the early cultivation of sports talents and the comprehensive development of adolescents. Furthermore, they offer fresh perspectives on preventing and treating movement-related disorders.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
Registration number: ChiCTR2400079602. Date of Registration: January 8, 2024.
PubMed: 38756186
DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1393988 -
Ear, Nose, & Throat Journal May 2024Preauricular sinuses are relatively common congenital anomalies of the soft tissues of the ear. By strict definition, when they connect 2 separate spaces, they are...
Preauricular sinuses are relatively common congenital anomalies of the soft tissues of the ear. By strict definition, when they connect 2 separate spaces, they are referred to as a preauricular fistula. This clinical entity was first described by Heusinger in 1864. Most preauricular sinuses have a small opening located anterior to the root of the helix. In rare cases, they are found posterior to the tragus, near the crus of the helix, and the ear lobule. The latter is the variant type preauricular sinus, also referred to as the "postauricular sinus," as the sinus tract opens posterior to the auricle. Recurrent infections or persistent discharge may require surgical excision which is ideally performed at a time when there is no inflammation. There are a variety of techniques for excision. Regardless of the surgical approach taken, it is of critical importance to remove the subcutaneous sac completely. We present a very rare case involving the co-occurrence of a preauricular sinus and postauricular sinus in a 33-year-old woman. We report this case with a review of the literature.
PubMed: 38752551
DOI: 10.1177/01455613241254643 -
Neurobiology of Disease May 2024Heterogeneity is one of the key features of the healthy brain and selective vulnerability characterizes many, if not all, neurodegenerative diseases. While cerebellum...
Heterogeneity is one of the key features of the healthy brain and selective vulnerability characterizes many, if not all, neurodegenerative diseases. While cerebellum contains majority of brain cells, neither its heterogeneity nor selective vulnerability in disease are well understood. Here we describe molecular, cellular and functional heterogeneity in the context of healthy cerebellum as well as in cerebellar disease Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1 (SCA1). We first compared disease pathology in cerebellar vermis and hemispheres across anterior to posterior axis in a knock-in SCA1 mouse model. Using immunohistochemistry, we demonstrated earlier and more severe pathology of PCs and glia in the posterior cerebellar vermis of SCA1 mice. We also demonstrate heterogeneity of Bergmann glia in the unaffected, wild-type mice. Then, using RNA sequencing, we found both shared, as well as, posterior cerebellum-specific molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis that include exacerbated gene dysregulation, increased number of altered signaling pathways, and decreased pathway activity scores in the posterior cerebellum of SCA1 mice. We demonstrated unexpectedly large differences in the gene expression between posterior and anterior cerebellar vermis of wild-type mice, indicative of robust intraregional heterogeneity of gene expression in the healthy cerebellum. Additionally, we found that SCA1 disease profoundly reduces intracerebellar heterogeneity of gene expression. Further, using fiber photometry, we found that population level PC calcium activity was altered in the posterior lobules in SCA1 mice during walking. We also identified regional differences in the population level activity of Purkinje cells (PCs) in unrestrained wild-type mice that were diminished in SCA1 mice.
PubMed: 38750673
DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106530 -
Structural neuroimaging changes associated with subjective cognitive decline from a clinical sample.NeuroImage. Clinical May 2024Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by progressive deterioration of cognitive functions. Some individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are in the early...
BACKGROUND
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by progressive deterioration of cognitive functions. Some individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are in the early phase of the disease and subsequently progress through the AD continuum. Although neuroimaging biomarkers could be used for the accurate and early diagnosis of preclinical AD, the findings in SCD samples have been heterogeneous. This study established the morphological differences in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings between individuals with SCD and those without cognitive impairment based on a clinical sample of patients defined according to SCD-Initiative recommendations. Moreover, we investigated baseline structural changes in the brains of participants who remained stable or progressed to mild cognitive impairment or dementia.
METHODS
This study included 309 participants with SCD and 43 healthy controls (HCs) with high-quality brain MRI at baseline. Among the 99 subjects in the SCD group who were followed clinically, 32 progressed (SCDp) and 67 remained stable (SCDnp). A voxel-wise statistical comparison of gray and white matter (WM) volume was performed between the HC and SCD groups and between the HC, SCDp, and SCDnp groups. XTRACT ATLAS was used to define the anatomical location of WM tract damage. Region-of-interest (ROI) analyses were performed to determine brain volumetric differences. White matter lesion (WML) burden was established in each group.
RESULTS
Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis revealed that the SCD group exhibited gray matter atrophy in the middle frontal gyri, superior orbital gyri, superior frontal gyri, right rectal gyrus, whole occipital lobule, and both thalami and precunei. Meanwhile, ROI analysis revealed decreased volume in the left rectal gyrus, bilateral medial orbital gyri, middle frontal gyri, superior frontal gyri, calcarine fissure, and left thalamus. The SCDp group exhibited greater hippocampal atrophy (p < 0.001) than the SCDnp and HC groups on ROI analyses. On VBM analysis, however, the SCDp group exhibited increased hippocampal atrophy only when compared to the SCDnp group (p < 0.001). The SCD group demonstrated lower WM volume in the uncinate fasciculus, cingulum, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, anterior thalamic radiation, and callosum forceps than the HC group. However, no significant differences in WML number (p = 0.345) or volume (p = 0.156) were observed between the SCD and HC groups.
CONCLUSIONS
The SCD group showed brain atrophy mainly in the frontal and occipital lobes. However, only the SCDp group demonstrated atrophy in the medial temporal lobe at baseline. Structural damage in the brain regions was anatomically connected, which may contribute to early memory decline.
PubMed: 38749146
DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103615 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Apr 2024The liver acts as a master regulator of metabolic homeostasis in part by performing gluconeogenesis. This process is dysregulated in type 2 diabetes, leading to elevated...
The liver acts as a master regulator of metabolic homeostasis in part by performing gluconeogenesis. This process is dysregulated in type 2 diabetes, leading to elevated hepatic glucose output. The parenchymal cells of the liver (hepatocytes) are heterogeneous, existing on an axis between the portal triad and the central vein, and perform distinct functions depending on location in the lobule. Here, using single cell analysis of hepatocytes across the liver lobule, we demonstrate that gluconeogenic gene expression ( and ) is relatively low in the fed state and gradually increases first in the periportal hepatocytes during the initial fasting period. As the time of fasting progresses, pericentral hepatocyte gluconeogenic gene expression increases, and following entry into the starvation state, the pericentral hepatocytes show similar gluconeogenic gene expression to the periportal hepatocytes. Similarly, pyruvate-dependent gluconeogenic activity is approximately 10-fold higher in the periportal hepatocytes during the initial fasting state but only 1.5-fold higher in the starvation state. In parallel, starvation suppresses canonical beta-catenin signaling and modulates expression of pericentral and periportal glutamine synthetase and glutaminase, resulting in an enhanced pericentral glutamine-dependent gluconeogenesis. These findings demonstrate that hepatocyte gluconeogenic gene expression and gluconeogenic activity are highly spatially and temporally plastic across the liver lobule, underscoring the critical importance of using well-defined feeding and fasting conditions to define the basis of hepatic insulin resistance and glucose production.
PubMed: 38746329
DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.29.591168 -
Cureus Apr 2024Cryptococcus infection is an invasive fungal infection common in immunocompromised hosts, especially in organ transplant recipients and in patients with HIV. Its...
Cryptococcus infection is an invasive fungal infection common in immunocompromised hosts, especially in organ transplant recipients and in patients with HIV. Its presentation varies from localized skin lesions to systemic disseminated infection involving the lungs and the central nervous system (CNS). We present the case of a 50-year-old woman with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM-2), end-stage renal disease (ESRD) status post deceased donor kidney transplantation seven and a half years ago who presented with a low-grade fever, cough, nausea, vomiting, and a large cystic mass on the right foot. A CT scan of the chest showed a 14 mm cavitary lesion in the middle lobe of the right lung. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid cryptococcal antigens were detected. MRI of the right foot showed a large multilocular lobulated septated cystic mass. Histopathology showed cryptococcus; the diagnosis was made as disseminated cryptococcus infection. She was treated with antifungal therapy successfully. A large cutaneous cystic mass is a rare cutaneous presentation of cryptococcus infection; clinicians should keep it in the differential diagnosis, especially in transplant recipient patients.
PubMed: 38737999
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.58040 -
SAGE Open Medical Case Reports 2024An 8-year-old male patient was presented with a chief complaint of visual perception of a spherical object located in the visual field of his right eye. According to the...
An 8-year-old male patient was presented with a chief complaint of visual perception of a spherical object located in the visual field of his right eye. According to the patient's prior medical records, they exhibited a sole incident of minor visual impairment in the right eye, characterized by blurred vision (best-corrected visual acuity: 8/10), which first manifested during preschool assessments at the age of 5 years. During the fundoscopic examination of the patient, a pigmented, lobulated, and mobile vitreous cyst was observed in the right eye, whereas the examination of the patient's left eye revealed no abnormalities. A video of a smartphone slit-lamp imaging was also captured to facilitate subsequent examinations and patient follow-up.
PubMed: 38737563
DOI: 10.1177/2050313X241241419 -
Burns & Trauma 2024It is challenging to repair wide or irregular defects with traditional skin flaps, and anterolateral thigh (ALT) lobulated perforator flaps are an ideal choice for such...
BACKGROUND
It is challenging to repair wide or irregular defects with traditional skin flaps, and anterolateral thigh (ALT) lobulated perforator flaps are an ideal choice for such defects. However, there are many variations in perforators, so good preoperative planning is very important. This study attempted to explore the feasibility and clinical effect of digital technology in the use of ALT lobulated perforator flaps for repairing complex soft tissue defects in limbs.
METHODS
Computed tomography angiography (CTA) was performed on 28 patients with complex soft tissue defects of the limbs, and the CTA data were imported into Mimics 20.0 software in DICOM format. According to the perforation condition of the lateral circumflex femoral artery and the size of the limb defect, one thigh that had two or more perforators from the same source vessel was selected for 3D reconstruction of the ALT lobulated perforator flap model. Mimics 20.0 software was used to visualize the vascular anatomy, virtual design and harvest of the flap before surgery. The intraoperative design and excision of the ALT lobulated perforator flap were guided by the preoperative digital design, and the actual anatomical observations and measurements were recorded.
RESULTS
Digital reconstruction was successfully performed in all patients before surgery; this reconstruction dynamically displayed the anatomical structure of the flap vasculature and accurately guided the design and harvest of the flap during surgery. The parameters of the harvested flaps were consistent with the preoperative parameters. Postoperative complications occurred in 7 patients, but all flaps survived uneventfully. All of the donor sites were closed directly. All patients were followed up for 13-27 months (mean, 19.75 months). The color and texture of each flap were satisfactory and each donor site exhibited a linear scar.
CONCLUSIONS
Digital technology can effectively and precisely assist in the design and harvest of ALT lobulated perforator flaps, provide an effective approach for individualized evaluation and flap design and reduce the risk and difficulty of surgery.
PubMed: 38737342
DOI: 10.1093/burnst/tkae011 -
Maedica Mar 2024Pyogenic granuloma is a benign proliferative fibrovascular lesion commonly arising from the skin and mucous membranes of the head and neck region. Histologically, this...
Pyogenic granuloma is a benign proliferative fibrovascular lesion commonly arising from the skin and mucous membranes of the head and neck region. Histologically, this tumor is characterized by vascular proliferation and a circumscribed group of capillaries organized in lobules. It is usually located in the oral cavity and nasal location is less frequent. When it occurs in pregnant women, it is usually referred as pyogenic granuloma gravidarum. In this article we present the case of a pyogenic granuloma gravidarum in a young woman with intermittent epistaxis during the last trimester of pregnancy that did not resolve after childbirth and was treated with transnasal endoscopic resection and cautery at the base of the lesion for hemostasis under local anesthesia.
PubMed: 38736920
DOI: 10.26574/maedica.2024.19.11.160