Researchers' sex/gender identity influences how sex/gender question is investigated in neuroscience: an example from an OHBM meeting
AbstractGender inequality and diversity in STEM is a challenging field of research. Although the relation between the sex/gender of the researcher and the scientific research practices has been previously examined, less interest has been demonstrated towards the relation between sex/gender of the researcher and the way sex/gender as a variable is explored. Here, we examine, from a neurofeminist perspective, both questions: whether sex/gender identity is related to the examination of sex/gender as a variable and whether different approaches towards examining sex/gender are being used in different topics of study within neur...
Source: Anatomy and Embryology - February 16, 2024 Category: Anatomy Source Type: research
Large-scale functional network connectivity mediates the association between nigral neuromelanin hypopigmentation and motor impairment in Parkinson ’s disease
This study included 68 idiopathic PD patients and 32 age-, sex- and education le vel-matched healthy controls who underwent neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI, and motor assessments. SN integrity was measured using the subregional contrast-to-noise ratio calculated from neuromelanin-sensitive MRI. Resting-state FC maps were obtained based on the independent component analysis. Subsequently, we performed partial correlation and mediation analyses in SN degeneration, network disruption, and motor impairment for PD patients. We found significantly decreased neuromelanin within SN and widel...
Source: Anatomy and Embryology - February 12, 2024 Category: Anatomy Source Type: research
Characterization of Sonic Hedgehog transcripts in the adult mouse brain: co-expression with neuronal and oligodendroglial markers
AbstractIn the adult mammalian brain, astrocytes are proposed to be the major Sonic Hedgehog (Shh)-responsive cells. However, the sources of the Shh molecule mediating activation of the pathway are still poorly characterized. The present work investigates the distribution and phenotype of cells expressing Shh mRNA in the adult mouse brain. Using single-molecule fluorescent in situ hybridization (smfISH), we report much broader expression of Shh transcripts in almost all brain regions than originally reported. We identify Shh mRNA in HuC/D+ neuronal populations, including GABAergic (glutamic acid decarboxylase 67, Gad67), c...
Source: Anatomy and Embryology - February 8, 2024 Category: Anatomy Source Type: research
Decoding auditory deprivation: resting-state fMRI insights into deafness and brain plasticity
In this study, involving 35 deaf individuals and 35 hearing controls, we utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to delve into the depths of functional connectivity nuances distinguishing deaf individuals from their hearing counterparts. Leading our analytical approach was the application of multi-voxel pattern analysis (fc-MVPA). This advanced method provided a refined perspective, revealing amplified neural connectivity within the deaf population. Notably, regions such as the left postcentral somatosensory association cortex, the anterior and posterior corridors of the left superior tempora...
Source: Anatomy and Embryology - February 8, 2024 Category: Anatomy Source Type: research
Characterization of Sonic Hedgehog transcripts in the adult mouse brain: co-expression with neuronal and oligodendroglial markers
AbstractIn the adult mammalian brain, astrocytes are proposed to be the major Sonic Hedgehog (Shh)-responsive cells. However, the sources of the Shh molecule mediating activation of the pathway are still poorly characterized. The present work investigates the distribution and phenotype of cells expressing Shh mRNA in the adult mouse brain. Using single-molecule fluorescent in situ hybridization (smfISH), we report much broader expression of Shh transcripts in almost all brain regions than originally reported. We identify Shh mRNA in HuC/D+ neuronal populations, including GABAergic (glutamic acid decarboxylase 67, Gad67), c...
Source: Anatomy and Embryology - February 8, 2024 Category: Anatomy Source Type: research
Decoding auditory deprivation: resting-state fMRI insights into deafness and brain plasticity
In this study, involving 35 deaf individuals and 35 hearing controls, we utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to delve into the depths of functional connectivity nuances distinguishing deaf individuals from their hearing counterparts. Leading our analytical approach was the application of multi-voxel pattern analysis (fc-MVPA). This advanced method provided a refined perspective, revealing amplified neural connectivity within the deaf population. Notably, regions such as the left postcentral somatosensory association cortex, the anterior and posterior corridors of the left superior tempora...
Source: Anatomy and Embryology - February 8, 2024 Category: Anatomy Source Type: research
Aging, cingulate cortex, and cognition: insights from structural MRI, emotional recognition, and theory of mind
This study also demonstrated that performance on an emotional rec ognition task was linked to pregenual ACC volume, whist the ToM capabilities were related to the size of pregenual ACC and anterior MCC. These results suggest that the cingulate cortex contributes to emotional recognition ability and ToM across the adult lifespan. (Source: Anatomy and Embryology)
Source: Anatomy and Embryology - February 2, 2024 Category: Anatomy Source Type: research
Entorhinal cortex astrocytic atrophy in human frontotemporal dementia
This study evidences the importance of astrocyte atrophy and dysfunction in human EC. We hypothesise that FTD is not only a neuropathological disease, but also a gliopathological disease having a major relevance in the understanding the astrocyte role in FTD pathological processes and development. (Source: Anatomy and Embryology)
Source: Anatomy and Embryology - February 2, 2024 Category: Anatomy Source Type: research
Comprehensive mapping of Epithelial Na+ channel α expression in the mouse brain
AbstractEpithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is responsible for regulating Na+ homeostasis. While its physiological functions have been investigated extensively in peripheral tissues, far fewer studies have explored its functions in the brain. Since our limited knowledge of ENaC ’s distribution in the brain impedes our understanding of its functions there, we decided to explore the whole-brain expression pattern of theScnn1a gene, which encodes the core ENaC complex component ENaC α. To visualizeScnn1a expression in the brain, we crossedScnn1a-Cre mice withRosa26-lsl-tdTomato mice. Brain sections were subjected to immunoflu...
Source: Anatomy and Embryology - February 2, 2024 Category: Anatomy Source Type: research
Entorhinal cortex astrocytic atrophy in human frontotemporal dementia
This study evidences the importance of astrocyte atrophy and dysfunction in human EC. We hypothesise that FTD is not only a neuropathological disease, but also a gliopathological disease having a major relevance in the understanding the astrocyte role in FTD pathological processes and development. (Source: Anatomy and Embryology)
Source: Anatomy and Embryology - February 2, 2024 Category: Anatomy Source Type: research
Aging, cingulate cortex, and cognition: insights from structural MRI, emotional recognition, and theory of mind
This study also demonstrated that performance on an emotional rec ognition task was linked to pregenual ACC volume, whist the ToM capabilities were related to the size of pregenual ACC and anterior MCC. These results suggest that the cingulate cortex contributes to emotional recognition ability and ToM across the adult lifespan. (Source: Anatomy and Embryology)
Source: Anatomy and Embryology - February 2, 2024 Category: Anatomy Source Type: research
Comprehensive mapping of Epithelial Na+ channel α expression in the mouse brain
AbstractEpithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is responsible for regulating Na+ homeostasis. While its physiological functions have been investigated extensively in peripheral tissues, far fewer studies have explored its functions in the brain. Since our limited knowledge of ENaC ’s distribution in the brain impedes our understanding of its functions there, we decided to explore the whole-brain expression pattern of theScnn1a gene, which encodes the core ENaC complex component ENaC α. To visualizeScnn1a expression in the brain, we crossedScnn1a-Cre mice withRosa26-lsl-tdTomato mice. Brain sections were subjected to immunoflu...
Source: Anatomy and Embryology - February 2, 2024 Category: Anatomy Source Type: research
Local gradient analysis of human brain function using the Vogt-Bailey Index
AbstractIn this work, we take a closer look at the Vogt-Bailey (VB) index, proposed in Bajada et al. (NeuroImage 221:117140, 2020) as a tool for studying local functional homogeneity in the human cortex. We interpret the VB index in terms of the minimum ratio cut, a scaled cut-set weight that indicates whether a network can easily be disconnected into two parts having a comparable number of nodes. In our case, the nodes of the network consist of a brain vertex/voxel and its neighbours, and a given edge is weighted according to the affinity of the nodes it connects (as reflected by the modified Pearson correlation between t...
Source: Anatomy and Embryology - January 31, 2024 Category: Anatomy Source Type: research
