How does a surgeon¿s brain buzz? An EEG coherence study on the interaction between humans and robot
IntroductionIn humans, both primary and non-primary motor areas are involved in the control of voluntary movements. However, the dynamics of functional coupling among different motor areas have not been fully clarified yet. There is to date no research looking to the functional dynamics in the brain of surgeons working in laparoscopy compared with those trained and working in robotic surgery.Experimental proceduresWe enrolled 16 right-handed trained surgeons and assessed changes in intra- and inter-hemispheric EEG coherence with a 32-channels device during the same motor task with either a robotic or a laparoscopic approac...
Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions - April 22, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Tommaso BocciCarlo MorettoSilvia TognazziLucia BrisceseMegi NaraciLetizia LeocaniFranco MoscaMauro FerrariFerdinando Sartucci Source Type: research
GPA-14, a G¿i subunit mediates dopaminergic behavioral plasticity in C. elegans
Conclusion:
Our results provide genetic and phenotypic support to our earlier in vitro results where we had shown that the DOP-2 dopamine receptor and the GPA-14 Gαi subunit physically interact with each other. Results from behavioral experiments presented here together with our previous in-vitro work suggests that the DOP-2 functions as a dopamine auto-receptor to modulate two types of learning, anterior touch habituation and chemosensory associative conditioning, through a G-protein complex that comprises GPA-14 as its Gα subunit. (Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions)
Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions - April 22, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Mahlet MershaRosaria FormisanoRochelle McDonaldPratima PandeyNektarios TavernarakisSingh Harbinder Source Type: research
How does a surgeon's brain buzz? An EEG coherence study on the interaction between humans and robot
DiscussionOur data provide a semi-quantitative evaluation of dynamics in functional coupling among different cortical areas in skilled surgeons performing laparoscopy or robotic surgery. These results suggest that motor and non-motor areas are differently activated and coordinated in surgeons performing the same task with different approaches. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that tried to assess semi-quantitative differences during the interaction between normal human brain and robotic devices. (Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions)
Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions - April 22, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Tommaso BocciCarlo MorettoSilvia TognazziLucia BrisceseMegi NaraciLetizia LeocaniFranco MoscaMauro FerrariFerdinando Sartucci Source Type: research
GPA-14, a Galphai subunit mediates dopaminergic behavioral plasticity in C. elegans
Conclusion:
Our results provide genetic and phenotypic support to our earlier in vitro results where we had shown that the DOP-2 dopamine receptor and the GPA-14 Galphai subunit physically interact with each other. Results from behavioral experiments presented here together with our previous in-vitro work suggests that the DOP-2 functions as a dopamine auto-receptor to modulate two types of learning, anterior touch habituation and chemosensory associative conditioning, through a G-protein complex that comprises GPA-14 as its Galpha subunit. (Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions)
Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions - April 22, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Mahlet MershaRosaria FormisanoRochelle McDonaldPratima PandeyNektarios TavernarakisSingh Harbinder Source Type: research
Association of estrogen receptor alpha gene polymorphism with age at onset, general psychopathology symptoms, and therapeutic effect of schizophrenia
Conclusions:
Haplotypes consisting of these two polymorphisms in ESRα may be strongly associated with schizophrenia. The rs2234693 was related to age at onset, general psychopathology, G4 and G14 symptoms, even the therapeutic effect in different groups. (Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions)
Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions - March 15, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Shuai WangWenqiang LiJingyuan ZhaoHongxing ZhangYongfeng YangXiujuan WangGe YangLuxian Lv Source Type: research
The role of autophagy in Parkinson's disease: rotenone-based modeling
Conclusions:
These data, along with our previous finding showing rotenone-induced toxicity was prevented by the autophagy enhancers and was aggravated by the autophagy inhibitors in SH-SY5Y, suggest that autophagy contributes to the pathogenesis of PD, attenuates the rotenone toxicity and possibly represents a new subcellular target for treating PD. (Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions)
Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions - March 15, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Nian XiongJing XiongMin JiaLing LiuXiaowei ZhangZhenzhen ChenJinsha HuangZhentao ZhangLingling HouZhijian LuoDevina GhoorahZhicheng LinTao Wang Source Type: research
Reduced orbitofrontal cortical thickness in male adolescents with internet addiction
Background:
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has consistently been implicated in the pathology of both drug and behavioral addictions. However, no study to date has examined OFC thickness in internet addiction. In the current study, we investigated the existence of differences in cortical thickness of the OFC in adolescents with internet addiction. On the basis of recently proposed theoretical models of addiction, we predicted a reduction of thickness in the OFC of internet addicted individuals.FindingsParticipants were 15 male adolescents diagnosed as having internet addiction and 15 male healthy comparison subjects. Brain ...
Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions - March 12, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Soon-Beom HongJae-Won KimEun-Jung ChoiHo-Hyun KimJeong-Eun SuhChang-Dai KimPaul KlauserSarah WhittleMurat Y¿celChristos PantelisSoon-Hyung Yi Source Type: research
Signatures of movement variability anticipate hand speed according to levels of intent
Complex movement sequences are composed of segments with different levels of functionality: intended segments towards a goal and segments incidental to the task. We ask if the hand speed maximum from previous trial could accurately predict the maximum speed of a sub-sequent trial in such functional-movement types. We found a simple power rule to parameterize speed variability for expert and novices with accurate predictive value despite randomly instructed speed levels and training contexts. This rule on average tended to yield similar exponent across speed levels for intended motion segments. Yet for the incidental segmen...
Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions - March 6, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Elizabeth Torres Source Type: research
Coupling movement with imagery as a new perspective for motor imagery practice
Associating motor imagery with actual movement enhances motor performance and technical efficacy of a group of high jumpers, suggesting the possible benefits of dynamic imagery in athlete training programs. (Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions)
Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions - February 20, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Aymeric GuillotKevin MoschbergerChristian Collet Source Type: research
Investigation of rare variants in LRP1, KPNA1, ALS2CL and ZNF480 genes in schizophrenia patients reflects genetic heterogeneity of the disease
Conclusions:
This supports the notion that de novo mutations in these four genes are extremely rare in schizophrenia and further highlights the high degree of genetic heterogeneity of this disease. (Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions)
Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions - February 20, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Loubna JouanSimon GirardSylvia DobrzenieckaAmirthagowri AmbalavananMarie-Odile KrebsRidha JooberJulie GauthierPatrick DionGuy Rouleau Source Type: research
A boy with homozygous microdeletion of NEUROG1 presents with a congenital cranial dysinnervation disorder [Moebius syndrome variant]
Conclusions:
Based on reported phenotypes of neurog1 null mutant mice and other vertebrates, we strongly propose NEUROG1 as the causative gene in this boy. The human NEUROG1 resides within the DFNB60 locus for non-syndromic autosomal recessive deafness on chromosome 5q22-q31, but linkage data have excluded it from being causative in the DFNB60 patients. Given its large size (35 Mb, >100 genes), the 5q22-q31 area could harbor more than one deafness gene. We propose NEUROG1 as a new gene for syndromic autosomal recessive hearing loss and congenital cranial dysinnervation disorder including cranial nerves V and VIII. (Source:...
Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions - February 18, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Julia SchröderAnne LäßigDanuta GaletzkaAngelika PetersJohn CastleStefan DiederichUlrich ZechnerWibke Müller-ForellAnnerose KeilmannOliver Bartsch Source Type: research
Involvement of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 gene polymorphisms in susceptibility to tic disorder in Chinese Han population
Conclusions:
Our results indicated that the TT genotype of rs4565946 is a potential genetic risk factor for TD, and the allele G of rs4570625 might be associated with the severity of tic symptoms in boys. These polymorphisms might be susceptibility loci for TD in the Chinese Han population. Because of the confounding of co-existing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),these findings need to be confirmed by studies in much larger samples. (Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions)
Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions - January 29, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Ping ZhengErzhen LiJianhua WangXiaodai CuiLiwen Wang Source Type: research
Object-based neglect in number processing
Recent evidence suggests that neglect patients seem to have particular problems representingrelatively smaller numbers corresponding to the left part of the mental number line. However,while this indicates space-based neglect for representational number space little is knownabout whether and - if so - how object-based neglect influences number processing.To evaluate influences of object-based neglect in numerical cognition, a group of neglectpatients and two control groups had to compare two-digit numbers to an internallyrepresented standard. Conceptualizing two-digit numbers as objects of which the left part(i.e., the ten...
Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions - January 23, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Elise KleinKorbinian MoellerDaniela ZinsbergerHarald ZaunerGuilherme WoodKlaus WillmesChristine HaiderAlfred GassnerHans-Christoph Nuerk Source Type: research
Performance of conventional pigs and Göttingen miniature pigs in a spatial holeboard task: effects of the putative muscarinic cognition impairer Biperiden
Conclusion:
Both pig breeds learned the holeboard task and had a comparable performance. Biperiden had only a minor effect on holeboard performance overall, and mainly on reference memory performance. The effectiveness needs to be evaluated further before definitive conclusions can be drawn about the ability of this potential cognition impairer in pigs. (Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions)
Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions - January 10, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Elise GielingWelmoed WehkampRemco WilligenburgRebecca NordquistNiels-Christian GanderupFranz Josef van der Staay Source Type: research
Two types of mental fatigue affect spontaneous oscillatory brain activities in different ways
Conclusions:
Two types of mental fatigue may produce different alterations of the spontaneous oscillatory MEG activities. Our findings would provide new perspectives on the neural mechanisms underlying mental fatigue. (Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions)
Source: Behavioral and Brain Functions - January 10, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Yoshihito ShigiharaMasaaki TanakaAkira IshiiEtsuko KanaiMasami FunakuraYasuyoshi Watanabe Source Type: research
