Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal最新文献

Introduction: High-voltage (HV) power transmission lines running near cities and villages can cause severe damage (mental and physical) due to the magnetic and electric fields they produce. This study aimed to investigate the effects of HV electric fields on the spiking neural network (SNN) model of the brain and biological and behavioral models of visual working memory.

Methods: To achieve this goal, macaques were studied for their cognitive functions, expression of the NMDA receptor gene, MRI-assisted analysis of brain anatomy, and variations in blood sodium and potassium concentrations. The experimental group of macaques was exposed to a 3 kV/m HV field for 4 hours a day for 1 month. Computational models were then evaluated using experimental parameters.

Results: According to the results, exposure to HV electric fields reduced the expression of the NMDA receptor gene, as well as a decrease in the levels of sodium and potassium ions in the blood plasma. Additionally, MRI-assisted analysis showed reduced hippocampus and amygdala size after exposure to the electric field.

Conclusion: The results of cognitive, genetic, blood, and MRI tests, along with the SNN model, elucidate the mechanism of the visual working memory deterioration in macaques due to HV electric field exposure.

Introduction: Hypnosis is a multifaceted phenomenon that refers to suggestions for creating desirable behavior, experience, and physiological changes. Most electroencephalographic (EEG) research in hypnosis has allocated people into two groups of high and low hypnotizables. Hence, the empirical data are somewhat controversial, and there is no general agreement about the neurophysiology of hypnosis. On the other hand, the dissociation theory of hypnosis posits that people candidates for hypnosis are typically prone to dissociation, and individuals divide into two groups: High dissociative (HD) and low dissociative (LD). If this assumption is true, such a state should be visible as a distinct pattern of changes in absolute power and functional connectivity between brain districts after a hypnotic induction in high but not in LD suggestible.

Methods: The final sample consisted of 20 participants who scored 6 or higher on the Stanford hypnotic susceptibility scale form C (SHSS: C). Then, we completed dissociative experiences scales (DES) on them. To assess the brain's electrical activity during hypnosis, a 19-channel EEG was recorded from 10 HD and 10 LD participants with their eyes closed before (baseline) and after the induction of hypnosis. We used EEG to measure absolute power and functional connectivity using coherence. We expected the two groups to have dissimilar EEG signal patterns despite equivalent hypnotizability.

Results: We found that in the delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands, both groups were different from the baseline to hypnosis. In addition, both groups showed different connectivity in hypnosis in four bands (delta, theta, alpha, and beta).

Conclusion: These findings indicate that although the LD and HD groups had equal hypnotizability, the episodic prospection tasks did not involve the same neural networks in the two groups.

Introduction: Theta-to-beta ratio (TBR) has been claimed as a biomarker to diagnose attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the effectiveness of this index in identifying different groups of ADHD is still under discussion. Our primary purpose was to determine to what extent active TBR can differentiate between children with ADHD and specific learning disorder (SLD) as the most common comorbid disorder.

Methods: Two groups of school-aged children with SLD (n=15) and ADHD (n=15) were diagnosed through a process of clinical interview and observation. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded in both groups during active conditions. The implemented cognitive task was the visual continuous performance task (VCPT). TBR in sites of CZ and Fz and cognitive measures of VCPT were calculated in the study groups.

Results: There were no significant differences in cognitive measures (commission, omission, reaction time, and variability of reaction times) shown in two matched groups of children with SLD and ADHD. According to TBR, the two groups demonstrated no significant differences in comparison.

Conclusion: TBR cannot be considered a reliable biomarker to differentiate between those groups of psychological disorders that contain primary cognitive deficits and require the allocation of attention and working memory loads.

Introduction: The dependence on smartphones has become widespread among all age groups in every realm of daily life. There has been increased concern about the adverse effects of problematic smartphone use and media multitasking among adolescents. Recent studies used various performance measures like questionnaire surveys to examine the association between smartphone addiction and learning performance, and such studies have yielded varied findings. The current study investigates the effects of media multitasking on cognitive performance using electroencephalography (EEG) features and a self-report questionnaire survey.

Methods: The patterns of smartphone use among adolescents in South India were investigated in this study using a questionnaire survey. Further, the impact of smartphone usage on cognitive task performance was examined using EEG features. To this end, EEGs of 22 healthy subjects were recorded during learning tasks before and after using a social networking site on smartphones. Subsequently, various EEG features were extracted, including ratios of wavelet decomposed EEG bands, attention index, and sample entropy. Finally, these cognitive performance indices were evaluated and compared with a control group.

Results: A total of 600 healthy individuals (341 males and 259 females) participated in the survey, and 310(50.91%) belonged to the high-user group. Performance degradation (P=0.005), sleep problems (P=0.040), and mental stress (P=0.049) were more prevalent among the high-user group. A significant decline in EEG-based cognitive performance indices was also observed in the phone-use group compared to the control group.

Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight the importance of controlling phone use when engaged in cognitive tasks. The study also offers insight into developing neurofeedback techniques that enhance cognitive skills.

Introduction: In this study, we investigated whether neurofeedback (NFB) training and swimming exercise would decrease the electroencephalographic (EEG) changes and visual image-induced craving in methamphetamine (METH)-dependent patients.

Methods: This research was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 32 METH-dependent patients were allocated randomly to four groups: Control, NFB, swim, and NFB/swim. The EEG and visual image-induced craving were recorded before and after the intervention in all four groups.

Results: The NFB, swim, and NFB/swim groups showed significantly lower absolute power for 4 frequency bands. Also, the swim and NFB/swim groups had less and greater relative power in the alpha and delta bands, respectively. In addition, the NFB/swim group exhibited an increase in delta/alpha power ratio compared to the control and the NFB groups. Also, the NFB/swim group showed a significant reduction in visual image-induced craving score compared to the control, swim, and NFB groups.

Conclusion: This study provides novel evidence that combined NFB training and swimming exercise during METH abstinence was effective in normalizing METH-induced EEG changes, which may help patients manage their cravings.

Introduction: A clear relationship exists between human personality and architectural preferences. However, reviewing the findings of previous studies reveals that this expectation is not necessarily accurate, as contradictory results have been reported. This study aims to review various research and assessment methods used in previous studies for assessing the relationship between personality and architectural preferences and identify the theoretical and practical shortcomings of each method.

Methods: This is a critical review study. A search was conducted in Google Scholar and Web of Science database for published articles in English using the following keywords: "Visual aesthetics," "personality traits," "architectural preferences," "art preferences," and "aesthetic judgments." These articles were first categorized into four groups based on their methodological approaches (physiological, neurobiological, practical, and psychological) and then their degree of success and generalizability were assessed briefly. Finally, due to having lower implementation limitations and a higher theoretical background, the group using the psychological approaches was structurally analyzed from the methodological and practical aspects to develop a conceptual quadruple model. After presenting the model, neural network modeling was used to discover of hidden patterns.

Results: Based on the analysis of the reviewed studies, the psychological approach was a more feasible option for assessing the relationship between personality and architectural preferences. The quadruple model that proposed for this purpose included aesthetic variables/environmental stimuli, context, personality traits, and responses. The machine learning method facilitated the discovery of hidden patterns in relationship between personality and human preferences.

Conclusion: This study proposes a new systematic quadruple model for evaluating aesthetic preferences.

There are numerous views about the concept of consciousness, and no consensus exists regarding its meaning. However, the latest neuroscientific developments have eliminated the misleading obstacles related to consciousness. Over the last few decades, neuroscientific efforts in determining the function of the brain and merging these findings with philosophical theories have brought a more comprehensive perception of the notion of consciousness. In addition to metaphysical or ontological views of consciousness, e.g. higher-order theories, reflexive theories, and representationalist theories, there are some brain-directed topics in this matter, which include but are not limited to neural correlates of consciousness (NCC), brain loop connectivity, and lateralization. This narrative review sheds light on cultural and historical aspects of consciousness in the old and middle ages and introduces some prominent philosophical discussions about mind and body. Also, it illustrates the correlation of brain function with states of consciousness with a focus on the roles of function and connectivity.

Introduction: The differences among dorsal and ventral hippocampal neural circuits affect synaptic plasticity. In this study, we aim to compare the occurrence of short-term plasticity in the field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) in dorsal and ventral hippocampal CA1 areas following kindled seizures.

Methods: Animals (male C57 B6/J mice, 12 weeks of age) were kindled by intraperitoneal injections of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), and fEPSPs were recorded from dorsal and ventral hippocampal slices. Short-term plasticity was evaluated by measuring fEPSP-slope and fEPSP-area following paired-pulse stimulation delivered at three inter-pulse intervals (20, 80, and 160 ms).

Results: In control slices, the fEPSP-slope was greater in the ventral hippocampus compared to the dorsal hippocampus, but there was no difference in the fEPSP-area between the two regions. In hippocampal slices, the fEPSP-slope was similar in the dorsal and ventral regions, but the fEPSP-area was greater in the ventral region compared to the dorsal region. In addition, the fEPSP-area was greater in the kindled group than in the control group only in the ventral hippocampus. PTZ-induced kindled slices showed impaired short-term facilitation, and the paired-pulse index decreased only in the dorsal hippocampus. Kindling had no significant effect on the paired-pulse ratio in the ventral hippocampus.

Conclusion: The seizure occurrence affects the neural activity of the hippocampus in a region-dependent manner. Although kindling increases the fEPSP area in the ventral hippocampus of mice, kindling-induced changes in short-term synaptic plasticity are significant only in the dorsal hippocampus. The difference in the responses of dorsal and ventral poles should be considered in future studies.

Introduction: Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is identified by the gradual decline in memory and cognitive function. It is classified by the deposition of Aβ plaques, the build-up of intracellular neurofibrillary tangle (NFT), and neuron loss. Neurotrophic factors play a critical role in the treatment of AD. However, utilizing such neurotrophins has encountered certain difficulties and side effects. Novel technological advancements prioritize innovative dipeptide usage, which offers fewer side effects.

Methods: The present study endeavors to analyze the compound hexamethylenediamide bis-(N-monosuccinyl-glutamyl-lysine) (lab name: H-MGL), a newly discovered neurotrophin mimetic dipeptide, to alleviate memory impairment in an intracerebroventricular single dose streptozotocin (STZ)-induced Alzheimer model in rats. We arranged 4 groups: Sham and groups receiving STZ and STZ + H-MGL (1 and 2 mg/kg). The H-MGL was administered consecutively for 14 days following the STZ injection. Then, the Morris water maze test was performed.

Results: The findings suggest that administration of STZ caused a significantly increment in mean escape latency and mean traveled distance in acquisition days. H-MGL at a 1 mg/kg dosage failed to yield any notable improvement in rats compared to STZ. By contrast, 2 mg/kg of H-MGL dosage led to a significant decrease in the latency to first platform crossing and frequency of platform crossings.

Conclusion: Consequently, the findings above have engendered the notion that H-MGL partially ameliorates cognitive impairment, so it may hold promise for having low side effects to alleviate cognitive deficits in AD or potentially decrease the symptoms associated with its progression.

Introduction: Acute stress over a long time period can drastically influence the behavioral and cognitive performances. Therefore, it is important to control and eliminate the stressor after a stressful event. In this regard, understanding of brain mechanism of stress release will help to introduce new practical approaches. In this study, we aimed to investigate the changes in the brain's functional connectivity (FC) patterns and salivary cortisol level during stress induction and release in healthy young male adults.

Method: In this study, 20 healthy young male adults were exposed to stressful events using the Trier social stress paradigm in one session consisting of 23 minutes of psychological stress induction and 20 minutes of recovery, Their stress was measured by the visual analog scale (VAS). In addition, their salivary cortisol levels and electroencephalography (EEG) data were recorded. Subsequently, brain FC maps were prepared in a frequency-specific manner. Then, the effects of inducing and releasing stress on the VAS, cortisol level, and FC were assessed.

Results: The inter-hemispheric FC of the right frontal lobes with other brain regions decreased, while the FC was increased in the left frontal lobes during the induction of stress. Interestingly, the release of stress presented a recovery pattern of inter-hemispheric FC. These changes in FC significantly correlated with changes in the cortisol level.

Conclusion: Our findings highlight the important role of bihemispheric associations in adaptation and coping with stressful conditions.