Front Integr Neurosci
· 2022 · PMID 36262372
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Working Memory (WM) is a cognitive mechanism that enables temporary holding and manipulation of information in the human brain. This mechanism is mainly characterized by a neuronal activity during which neuron population...Working Memory (WM) is a cognitive mechanism that enables temporary holding and manipulation of information in the human brain. This mechanism is mainly characterized by a neuronal activity during which neuron populations are able to maintain an enhanced spiking activity after being triggered by a short external cue. In this study, we implement, using the NEST simulator, a spiking neural network model in which the WM activity is sustained by a mechanism of short-term synaptic facilitation related to presynaptic calcium kinetics. The model, which is characterized by leaky integrate-and-fire neurons with exponential postsynaptic currents, is able to autonomously show an activity regime in which the memory information can be stored in a synaptic form as a result of synaptic facilitation, with spiking activity functional to facilitation maintenance. The network is able to simultaneously keep multiple memories by showing an alternated synchronous activity which preserves the synaptic facilitation within the neuron populations holding memory information. The results shown in this study confirm that a WM mechanism can be sustained by synaptic facilitation.
Vaccari FE, Diomedi S, Filippini M
… +2 more, Hadjidimitrakis K, Fattori P
Front Integr Neurosci
· 2022 · PMID 36249900
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In the past, neuroscience was focused on individual neurons seen as the functional units of the nervous system, but this approach fell short over time to account for new experimental evidence, especially for what concern...In the past, neuroscience was focused on individual neurons seen as the functional units of the nervous system, but this approach fell short over time to account for new experimental evidence, especially for what concerns associative and motor cortices. For this reason and thanks to great technological advances, a part of modern research has shifted the focus from the responses of single neurons to the activity of neural ensembles, now considered the real functional units of the system. However, on a microscale, individual neurons remain the computational components of these networks, thus the study of population dynamics cannot prescind from studying also individual neurons which represent their natural substrate. In this new framework, ideas such as the capability of single cells to encode a specific stimulus (neural selectivity) may become obsolete and need to be profoundly revised. One step in this direction was made by introducing the concept of "mixed selectivity," the capacity of single cells to integrate multiple variables in a flexible way, allowing individual neurons to participate in different networks. In this review, we outline the most important features of mixed selectivity and we also present recent works demonstrating its presence in the associative areas of the posterior parietal cortex. Finally, in discussing these findings, we present some open questions that could be addressed by future studies.
Yilmaz A, Gagnon Y, Byrne MJ
… +3 more, Foster JJ, Baird E, Dacke M
Front Integr Neurosci
· 2022 · PMID 36187138
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Many insects rely on path integration to define direct routes back to their nests. When shuttling hundreds of meters back and forth between a profitable foraging site and a nest, navigational errors accumulate unavoidabl...Many insects rely on path integration to define direct routes back to their nests. When shuttling hundreds of meters back and forth between a profitable foraging site and a nest, navigational errors accumulate unavoidably in this compass- and odometer-based system. In familiar terrain, terrestrial landmarks can be used to compensate for these errors and safely guide the insect back to its nest with pin-point precision. In this study, we investigated the homing strategies employed by ants when repeatedly foraging no more than 1.25 m away from their nest. Our results reveal that the return journeys of the ants, even when setting out from a feeder from which the ants could easily get home using landmark information alone, are initially guided by path integration. After a short run in the direction given by the home vector, the ants then switched strategies and started to steer according to the landmarks surrounding their nest. We conclude that even when foraging in the close vicinity of its nest, an ant still benefits from its path-integrated vector to direct the start of its return journey.
Fusaro M, Bufacchi RJ, Nicolardi V
… +1 more, Provenzano L
Front Integr Neurosci
· 2022 · PMID 36176327
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This mini-review covers recent works on the study of pleasant touch in patients with chronic pain (CP) and its potential use as a treatment. While experiments have demonstrated that pleasant touch, through the activation...This mini-review covers recent works on the study of pleasant touch in patients with chronic pain (CP) and its potential use as a treatment. While experiments have demonstrated that pleasant touch, through the activation of CT-afferents and the brain regions involved in its affective value, might reduce the unpleasantness and intensity of induced pain, the interaction between pleasant touch and CP remains under-examined. Some experiments show that CP might disrupt the positive aspects of receiving pleasant touch, while in other studies the perception of pleasantness is preserved. Moreover, only a few attempts have been made to test whether touch can have a modulatory effect on CP, but these results also remain inconclusive. Indeed, while one recent study demonstrated that CT-touch can diminish CP after a short stimulation, another study suggested that pleasant touch might not be sufficient. Future studies should further investigate the psychological and neural interplay between pleasant touch and CP. In the conclusion of this mini-review, we propose a new tool we have recently developed using immersive virtual reality (IVR).
Peven JC, Handen BL, Laymon CM
… +7 more, Fleming V, Piro-Gambetti B, Christian BT, Klunk W, Cohen AD, Okonkwo O, Hartley SL
Front Integr Neurosci
· 2022 · PMID 36176326
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Higher engagement in moderate-intensity physical activity (PA) is related to better cognitive functioning in neurotypical adults; however, little is known about the effect of PA on cognitive aging in adults with Down syn...Higher engagement in moderate-intensity physical activity (PA) is related to better cognitive functioning in neurotypical adults; however, little is known about the effect of PA on cognitive aging in adults with Down syndrome (DS). Individuals with DS have three copies of chromosome 21, which includes the gene involved in the production of the amyloid precursor protein, resulting in an increased risk for an earlier onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The goal of this study was to understand the relationship between engagement in moderate PA, memory, and hippocampal volume in adults with DS. Adults with DS participated in an ancillary Lifestyle study linked to the Alzheimer's Biomarkers Consortium for DS (ABC- DS; = 71). A within-sample z-score memory composite was created from performance on the Cued Recall Test (CRT) and the Rivermead Picture Recognition Test. Participants wore a wrist-worn accelerometer (GT9X) to measure PA. Variables of interest included the average percentage of time spent in moderate PA and average daily steps. Structural MRI data were acquired within 18 months of actigraphy/cognitive data collection for a subset of participants ( = 54). Hippocampal volume was extracted using Freesurfer v5.3. Associations between moderate PA engagement, memory, and hippocampal volume were evaluated with hierarchical linear regressions controlling for relevant covariates [age, body mass index, intellectual disability level, sex, and intracranial volume]. Participants were 37.77 years old (SD = 8.21) and were 55.6% female. They spent 11.1% of their time engaged in moderate PA (SD = 7.5%) and took an average of 12,096.51 daily steps (SD = 4,315.66). After controlling for relevant covariates, higher memory composite score was associated with greater moderate PA engagement ( = 0.232, = 0.027) and more daily steps ( = 0.209, = 0.037). In a subset of participants, after controlling for relevant covariates, PA variables were not significantly associated with the hippocampal volume (all -values ≥ 0.42). Greater hippocampal volume was associated with higher memory composite score after controlling for relevant covariates ( = 0.316, = 0.017). More PA engagement was related to better memory function in adults with DS. While greater hippocampal volume was related to better memory performance, it was not associated with PA. Greater PA engagement may be a promising lifestyle behavior to preserve memory in adults with DS.
Shen J, Tang S, Yan B
… +4 more, Xie D, Fang T, Chen L, Li G
Front Integr Neurosci
· 2022 · PMID 36159090
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OBJECTIVES: The primary purpose of this study is to determine whether patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) (unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, UWS; minimally conscious state, MCS) experience pain during physiot...OBJECTIVES: The primary purpose of this study is to determine whether patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) (unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, UWS; minimally conscious state, MCS) experience pain during physiotherapy and noxious stimuli in a larger patient population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients' level of consciousness was measured with the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R). Additionally, the Nociception Coma Scale-revised (NCS-R) was used to assess their pain response. The NCS-R total scores between UWS and MCS at baseline, physiotherapy and noxious stimulus were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test (Wilcoxon rank-sum test) and the Kruskal-Wallis H test with Bonferroni correction. RESULTS: The study enrolled 93 participants. There was a statistically significant difference in NCS-R total scores between the three conditions ( = 215.25, < 0.001). At baseline, there was no statistically significant difference between MCS and UWS (U = 378, z = -1.35, = 0.178). While there was a statistically significant difference between MCS and UWS during physiotherapy (U = 1,362, z = -3.06, < 0.01) and under noxious stimuli (U = 5142.5, z = -11.22, < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Physiotherapy improved the activity responsiveness of DOC patients, and patients experienced less potential pain. However, some DOC patients, especially MCS patients, perceived pain under the noxious stimuli.
Zhou L, Ruan X, Wang T
… +10 more, Xie H, Hu Y, Shi Z, Xin J, Zhou J, Xue P, Wei F, Zhang Y, Zhang M, Zou H
Front Integr Neurosci
· 2022 · PMID 36159088
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This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among manufacturing workers, and to provide evidence for diagnosing and preventing occupational hearin...This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among manufacturing workers, and to provide evidence for diagnosing and preventing occupational hearing loss caused by complex noise, which is different from Gaussian noise in temporal structure. One thousand and fifty manufacturing workers exposed to occupational noise were recruited in a cross-sectional survey. Exposure characteristics and epidemiological distribution of hearing loss and noise exposure metrics (noise energy and kurtosis) were investigated, and the relationship between noise exposure and hearing loss was analyzed. The effects of kurtosis on hearing threshold shift across different frequencies and on NIHL development with exposure duration and noise intensity were also investigated. Each type of work had specific noise exposure metrics. Noise intensity and kurtosis were independent parameters ( = -0.004, = 0.885). The prevalence of NIHL and the hearing threshold level had a specific distribution in different types of work. Kurtosis deepened the hearing notch at high frequencies and accelerated the formation of early hearing loss. The effect of exposure duration and noise intensity on the prevalence of high-frequency NIHL (i.e., at 3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz) for manufacturing workers increased with kurtosis in workers with noise exposure duration of less than 10 years and with L between 80 and 90 dB(A). Male (OR = 1.557, 95%CI = 1.141-2.124), age (OR = 1.033, 95%CI = 1.014-1.052), exposure duration (OR = 1.072, 95%CI = 1.038-1.107), kurtosis (OR = 1.002, 95%CI = 1.001-1.003), and noise intensity (L; OR = 1.064, 95%CI = 1.044-1.084) were risk factors for high-frequency NIHL. The speech-frequency NIHL (i.e., at 0.5, 1, and 2 kHz) risk of workers exposed to manufacturing noise was related to age (OR = 1.071, 95%CI = 1.043-1.100). There were no statistically significant associations between speech-frequency NIHL and sex, noise exposure duration, kurtosis, and noise intensity (L). The high-frequency NIHL prevalence among manufacturing workers is associated with sex, age, exposure duration, noise intensity, and temporal structure of noise, while the speech-frequency NIHL prevalence is associated with age. Kurtosis strengthens the association of noise exposure duration and noise intensity with high-frequency hearing loss. The influence of noise temporal structure should be considered in the diagnosis and early prevention of occupational hearing loss caused by complex noise.
Green KH, Van De Groep IH, Te Brinke LW
… +3 more, van der Cruijsen R, van Rossenberg F, El Marroun H
Front Integr Neurosci
· 2022 · PMID 36118120
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Marginalized groups are often underrepresented in human developmental neuroscientific studies. This is problematic for the generalizability of findings about brain-behavior mechanisms, as well as for the validity, reliab...Marginalized groups are often underrepresented in human developmental neuroscientific studies. This is problematic for the generalizability of findings about brain-behavior mechanisms, as well as for the validity, reliability, and reproducibility of results. In the present paper we discuss selection bias in cohort studies, which is known to contribute to the underrepresentation of marginalized groups. First, we address the issue of exclusion bias, as marginalized groups are sometimes excluded from studies because they do not fit the inclusion criteria. Second, we highlight examples of sampling bias. Recruitment strategies are not always designed to reach and attract a diverse group of youth. Third, we explain how diversity can be lost due to attrition of marginalized groups in longitudinal cohort studies. We provide experience- and evidence-based recommendations to stimulate neuroscientists to enhance study population representativeness science communication and citizen science with youth. By connecting science to society, researchers have the opportunity to establish sustainable and equal researcher-community relationships, which can positively contribute to tackling selection biases.
Front Integr Neurosci
· 2022 · PMID 36118118
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OBJECTIVE: Mental health problems are highly prevalent among adolescents yet the utilization of mental health services among such a population is very low. This study was conducted to examine mental health problems and r...OBJECTIVE: Mental health problems are highly prevalent among adolescents yet the utilization of mental health services among such a population is very low. This study was conducted to examine mental health problems and related help-seeking behaviors among a Chinese sample of adolescents. METHODS: A total of 3,480 students were recruited from four middle- and high schools in Changsha City, Hunan province, and completed an online questionnaire that assessed their general information, mental health problems including depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide ideation, as well as their help-seeking behaviors from both formal (including psychological teachers and mental health professionals) and informal sources (including family, friends, and teachers). RESULTS: The participants had a prevalence of 13.7% for depression, 11.5% for anxiety, 9.8% for self-harm, and 9.1% for suicide ideation. Although a high rate of help-seeking behaviors was observed (73.0%), most were concentrated in informal sources (99.3%), while only a small portion of participants resorted to formal sources (13.9%). Being female (OR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.15-1.83), higher grade (OR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.01-1.73), school mental health resources not available (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.02-1.88), without suicide ideation (OR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.42-2.90) were all associated with increased likelihood of formal help-seeking behaviors. On the other hand, complete middle school (OR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.22-0.59), the middle level of academic ranking (OR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.42-0.97), and higher father education levels (OR: 0.54-0.56, 95% CI: 0.33-0.90) were all associated with a decreased likelihood of formal help-seeking behaviors. CONCLUSION: Our results showed a higher prevalence of help-seeking behavior for emotional or psychological problems during the past year. Compared to the high rate of informal help-seeking behaviors, students showed a lower propensity to seek formal help for their mental health problems, which may be explained by individual-level, family-level, and school-level factors. Our findings provide important implications for the development and popularization of targeted, needs-based mental health promotion and education programs in the future.
Front Integr Neurosci
· 2022 · PMID 36118117
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Recent technological advances greatly improved the possibility to study freely behaving animals in natural conditions. However, many systems still rely on animal-mounted devices, which can already bias behavioral observa...Recent technological advances greatly improved the possibility to study freely behaving animals in natural conditions. However, many systems still rely on animal-mounted devices, which can already bias behavioral observations. Alternatively, animal behaviors can be detected and tracked in recordings of stationary sensors, e.g., video cameras. While these approaches circumvent the influence of animal-mounted devices, identification of individuals is much more challenging. We take advantage of the individual-specific electric fields electric fish generate by discharging their electric organ (EOD) to record and track their movement and communication behaviors without interfering with the animals themselves. EODs of complete groups of fish can be recorded with electrode arrays submerged in the water and then be tracked for individual fish. Here, we present an improved algorithm for tracking electric signals of wave-type electric fish. Our algorithm benefits from combining and refining previous approaches of tracking individual specific EOD frequencies and spatial electric field properties. In this process, the similarity of signal pairs in extended data windows determines their tracking order, making the algorithm more robust against detection losses and intersections. We quantify the performance of the algorithm and show its application for a data set recorded with an array of 64 electrodes distributed over a 12 m section of a stream in the Llanos, Colombia, where we managed, for the first time, to track over many days. These technological advances make electric fish a unique model system for a detailed analysis of social and communication behaviors, with strong implications for our research on sensory coding.
Feruglio S, Panasiti MS, Crescentini C
… +2 more, Aglioti SM, Ponsi G
Front Integr Neurosci
· 2022 · PMID 36118116
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This perspective article provides an overview of the impact of mindfulness meditation (MM) on social and moral behavior. In mindfulness research, prosocial behavior has been operationalized as helping behavior, altruisti...This perspective article provides an overview of the impact of mindfulness meditation (MM) on social and moral behavior. In mindfulness research, prosocial behavior has been operationalized as helping behavior, altruistic redistribution of funds, reparative behavior, or monetary donation. Studies concerning moral behavior are still scarce. Despite inconsistent evidence, several studies found a beneficial effect of mindfulness on prosocial outcomes (i.e., a higher propensity to spend or give away money for the sake of other individuals). However, since the employed tasks were reward-based, participants' decisions also directly affected their own payoff by reducing it. Crucially, MM also affects self-control circuitry and reduces reward-seeking behaviors and reward salience by making rewards less tempting. We have discussed evidence suggesting how challenging it may be to dissociate the specific weight of enhanced other-oriented motivation from one of the decreased monetary reward salience in explaining meditators' behavior. Future higher-quality studies are needed to address this open issue.
Polese D, Riccio ML, Fagioli M
… +4 more, Mazzetta A, Fagioli F, Parisi P, Fagioli M
Front Integr Neurosci
· 2022 · PMID 36118115
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Developmental neuroscience research has not yet fully unveiled the dynamics involved in human birth. The trigger of the first breath, often assumed to be the marker of human life, has not been characterized nor has the p...Developmental neuroscience research has not yet fully unveiled the dynamics involved in human birth. The trigger of the first breath, often assumed to be the marker of human life, has not been characterized nor has the process entailing brain modification and activation at birth been clarified yet. To date, few researchers only have investigated the impact of the extrauterine environment, with its strong stimuli, on birth. This 'hypothesis and theory' article assumes the role of a specific stimulus activating the central nervous system (CNS) at human birth. This stimulus must have specific features though, such as novelty, efficacy, ubiquity, and immediacy. We propose light as a robust candidate for the CNS activation the retina. Available data on fetal and neonatal neurodevelopment, in particular with reference to retinal light-responsive pathways, will be examined together with the GABA functional switch, and the subplate disappearance, which, at an experimental level, differentiate the neonatal brain from the fetal brain. In this study, we assume how a very rapid activation of retinal photoreceptors at birth initiates a sudden brain shift from the prenatal pattern of functions to the neonatal setup. Our assumption implies the presence of a photoreceptor capable of capturing and transducing light/photon stimulus, transforming it into an effective signal for the activation of new brain functions at birth. Opsin photoreception or, more specifically, melanopsin-dependent photoreception, which is provided by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), is considered as a valid candidate. Although what is assumed herein cannot be verified in humans based on knowledge available so far, proposing an important and novel function can trigger a broad range of diversified research in different domains, from neurophysiology to neurology and psychiatry.
Li L, Xia X, Luo Y
… +4 more, Zhu Y, Luo X, Yang B, Shang L
Front Integr Neurosci
· 2022 · PMID 36118114
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Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is an important molecule that regulates cell metabolism, growth, and proliferation in the nervous system. This study aimed to present the current study hot spots and predict the futur...Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is an important molecule that regulates cell metabolism, growth, and proliferation in the nervous system. This study aimed to present the current study hot spots and predict the future development trend of the mTOR pathway in neurologic diseases using bibliometrics. We referred to the publications in the Web of Science Core Collection database. VOSviewer and CiteSpace programs were used to evaluate countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals, keywords, and citations showing the current study focus and predicting the future trend of mTOR in neuroscience. The search date ended on 19 June 2022, and there were 3,029 articles on mTOR in neuroscience from 2002 to 2021. Visual analysis showed that although the number of publications declined slightly in some years, the number of publications related to mTOR generally showed an upward trend, reaching its peak in 2021. It had the largest number of publications in the United States. Keywords and literature analysis showed that protein synthesis regulation, ischemia, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation may be hot spots and future directions of the nervous system in mTOR studies. Recently, the most studied neurological diseases are Alzheimer's disease (AD), tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), and depression, which are still worthy of further studies by researchers in the future. This can provide a useful reference for future researchers to study mTOR further in the field of neuroscience.
Front Integr Neurosci
· 2022 · PMID 36118113
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Socioeconomic circumstances are associated with symptoms and diagnostic status of nearly all mental health conditions. Given these robust relationships, neuroscientists have attempted to elucidate how socioeconomic-based...Socioeconomic circumstances are associated with symptoms and diagnostic status of nearly all mental health conditions. Given these robust relationships, neuroscientists have attempted to elucidate how socioeconomic-based adversity "gets under the skin." Historically, this work emphasized individual proxies of socioeconomic position (e.g., income, education), ignoring the effects of broader socioeconomic contexts (e.g., neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage) which may uniquely contribute to chronic stress. This omission represented a disconnect between neuroscience and other allied fields that have recognized health is undeniably linked to interactions between systems of power and individual characteristics. More recently, neuroscience work has considered how sociopolitical context affects brain structure and function; however, the products of this exciting line of research have lacked critical sociological and historical perspectives. While empirical evidence on this topic is burgeoning, the cultural, ethical, societal, and legal implications of this work have been elusive. Although the mechanisms by which socioeconomic circumstances impact brain structure and function may be similar across people, not everyone is exposed to these factors at similar rates. Individuals from ethnoracially minoritized groups are disproportionally exposed to neighborhood disadvantage. Thus, socioeconomic inequities examined in neuroscience research are undergirding with other forms of oppression, namely structural racism. We utilize a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to interpret findings from neuroscience research and interweave relevant theories from the fields of public health, social sciences, and Black feminist thought. In this perspective piece, we discuss the complex relationship that continues to exist between academic institutions and underserved surrounding communities, acknowledging the areas in which neuroscience research has historically harmed and/or excluded structurally disadvantaged communities. We conclude by envisioning how this work can be used; not just to inform policymakers, but also to engage and partner with communities and shape the future direction of human neuroscience research.
Pinacho-Guendulain B, Montiel-Castro AJ, Ramos-Fernández G
… +1 more, Pacheco-López G
Front Integr Neurosci
· 2022 · PMID 36110388
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The emergent concept of the implies a view of a highly connected biological world, in which microbial interchange across organisms may be influenced by social and ecological connections occurring at different levels of...The emergent concept of the implies a view of a highly connected biological world, in which microbial interchange across organisms may be influenced by social and ecological connections occurring at different levels of biological organization. We explore this idea reviewing evidence of whether increasing social complexity in primate societies is associated with both higher diversity and greater similarity in the composition of the gut microbiota. By proposing a series of predictions regarding such relationship, we evaluate the existence of a link between gut microbiota and primate social behavior. Overall, we find that enough empirical evidence already supports these predictions. Nonetheless, we conclude that studies with the necessary, sufficient, explicit, and available evidence are still scarce. Therefore, we reflect on the benefit of founding future analyses on the utility of social complexity as a theoretical framework.