scholarly journals Neural Concomitants of Remote Memory in a Comedian with Exceptional Verbal Memory

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Mella ◽  
Frédéric Grouiller ◽  
Michael Mouthon ◽  
Fabienne Picard
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Memory Formation ◽  
Remote Memory ◽  
Memory Processes ◽  
Brain Correlates ◽  
Per Se ◽  
Rostral Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
The Brain

AbstractMost studies exploring how remote memory is represented in the brain are based on strong episodic self-related components. Because of methodological reasons, much less is known about how the information concerning the semantic part of autobiographical memory is retrieved, and whether the brain correlates differ according to the autobiographical moment of the memory formation. In the present study, we explored the neural concomitants of the retrieval of texts learnt at different periods of life, in a comedian with exceptional verbal memory skills. This 49-year-old comedian was instructed to recite aloud a total of 30 texts he learnt during three different epochs: before the age of 15 years (E1), between the age of 15 and 25 years (E2), and after the age of 25 years (E3). The most salient activation was observed for memory from the farthest period, with a preponderance of the medial rostral prefrontal cortex (PFC) and of the precuneus. There was no hippocampal activation during text retrieval by comparison to a control condition, whatever the learning period. This study supports the assumption that the recall of remote semantic memories can occur without hippocampal activation. We discussed the activation of the rostral PFC during retrieval of the oldest (and best consolidated) memories as the possible involvement of control meta-memory processes rather than memory processes per se.

scholarly journals Correction: Stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with slow rTMS enhances verbal memory formation

PLoS Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. e3001451
Author(s):  
Mircea van der Plas ◽  
Verena Braun ◽  
Benjamin Johannes Stauch ◽  
Simon Hanslmayr
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Memory Formation ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
Stimulation Of

scholarly journals Slow rTMS to the left DLPFC enhances verbal memory formation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mircea van der Plas ◽  
Verena Braun ◽  
Benjamin Johannes Stauch ◽  
Simon Hanslmayr
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Incidental Finding ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Memory Formation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Left Dlpfc ◽  
Beta Power

AbstractEncoding of episodic memories relies on stimulus-specific information processing and involves the left prefrontal cortex. We here present an incidental finding from a simultaneous EEG-TMS experiment as well as a replication of this unexpected effect. Our results reveal that stimulating the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) with slow repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) leads to enhanced word memory performance. 40 healthy human participants engaged in a list learning paradigm. Half of the subjects (N=20) received 1 Hz rTMS to the left DLPFC while the other half (N=20) received 1 Hz rTMS to the vertex and served as a control group. Subjects receiving left DLPFC stimulation demonstrated enhanced memory performance compared to the control group. This effect was replicated in a double-blind within-subjects experiment where 24 participants received 1 Hz rTMS to the left DLPFC and vertex. In this second experiment, DLPFC stimulation also induced better memory performance compared to vertex stimulation. In addition to these behavioural effects, we found that 1 Hz rTMS to DLPFC induced stronger beta power modulation in posterior areas, a state which is known to be beneficial for memory encoding. Further analysis indicated, that beta modulations did not have an oscillatory origin. Instead, the observed beta modulations were a result of a spectral tilt, suggesting inhibition of these parietal regions. These results show that applying 1 Hz rTMS to DLPFC, an area involved in episodic memory formation, improves memory performance via modulating neural activity in parietal regions.

scholarly journals Modulation of Memory Formation by Stimulus Content: Specific Role of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex in the Successful Encoding of Social Pictures

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 351-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe-Olivier Harvey ◽  
Philippe Fossati ◽  
Martin Lepage
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Imaging Study ◽  
Memory Formation ◽  
Analytical Strategy ◽  
Stimulus Content ◽  
Variable Contribution ◽  
The Brain

It is unclear whether the involvement of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during encoding is restricted to the evaluative processing of to-be-encoded stimuli or if it is instead actively engaged during memory formation. The difficulty of assessing the contribution of the mPFC to encoding based on previous neuroimaging studies partly arises from the use of several types of stimuli, such as emotional or social ones. These different types of stimulus content could differently modulate mPFC activity during memory formation and thus partly explain the variable contribution of this region to encoding. Using emotional/neutral and social/nonsocial pictures, we conducted an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging study using a subsequent memory paradigm as the main analytical strategy. We observed that the brain activity in the dorsal and orbital mPFC is significantly and specifically predictive of the successful encoding of social compared with nonsocial pictures. In contrast, the activity in the amygdala specifically predicts the successful encoding of emotional compared with neutral pictures. The modulation of the mPFC by social information in a memory encoding context could be associated with the initiation of self-referential processes whose contribution is to enhance memory formation.

The Acute Effect of Alcohol on Various Memory Processes

2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Márk Molnár ◽  
Roland Boha ◽  
Balázs Czigler ◽  
Zsófia Anna Gaál
Keyword(s):  
Low Dose ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Acute Effect ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Memory Processes ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Legal Consequences

This review surveys relevant and recent data of the pertinent literature regarding the acute effect of alcohol on various kinds of memory processes with special emphasis on working memory. The characteristics of different types of long-term memory (LTM) and short-term memory (STM) processes are summarized with an attempt to relate these to various structures in the brain. LTM is typically impaired by chronic alcohol intake but according to some data a single dose of ethanol may have long lasting effects if administered at a critically important age. The most commonly seen deleterious acute effect of alcohol to STM appears following large doses of ethanol in conditions of “binge drinking” causing the “blackout” phenomenon. However, with the application of various techniques and well-structured behavioral paradigms it is possible to detect, albeit occasionally, subtle changes of cognitive processes even as a result of a low dose of alcohol. These data may be important for the consideration of legal consequences of low-dose ethanol intake in conditions such as driving, etc.

Development of Reading Remediation for Dyslexic Individuals

2016 ◽  
Vol 224 (4) ◽  
pp. 240-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mélanie Bédard ◽  
Line Laplante ◽  
Julien Mercier
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Behavioral Data ◽  
Educational Neuroscience ◽  
Reading Remediation ◽  
Functional Brain ◽  
Neurophysiological Data ◽  
Brain Correlates ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The Brain

Abstract. Dyslexia is a phenomenon for which the brain correlates have been studied since the beginning of the 20th century. Simultaneously, the field of education has also been studying dyslexia and its remediation, mainly through behavioral data. The last two decades have seen a growing interest in integrating neuroscience and education. This article provides a quick overview of pertinent scientific literature involving neurophysiological data on functional brain differences in dyslexia and discusses their very limited influence on the development of reading remediation for dyslexic individuals. Nevertheless, it appears that if certain conditions are met – related to the key elements of educational neuroscience and to the nature of the research questions – conceivable benefits can be expected from the integration of neurophysiological data with educational research. When neurophysiological data can be employed to overcome the limits of using behavioral data alone, researchers can both unravel phenomenon otherwise impossible to document and raise new questions.

SPECIFIC PROPERTIES OF TUBULIN IN THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX IN CONTROL, SCHIZOPHRENIA AND VASCULAR DEMENTIA

2020 ◽  
pp. 65-71
Author(s):  
Burbaeva G.Sh. ◽  
Androsova L.V. ◽  
Vorobyeva E.A. ◽  
Savushkina O.K.
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Vascular Dementia ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Nephelometric Method ◽  
Rate Of Polymerization ◽  
Mental Diseases ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Brain

The aim of the study was to evaluate the rate of polymerization of tubulin into microtubules and determine the level of colchicine binding (colchicine-binding activity of tubulin) in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia, vascular dementia (VD) and control. Colchicine-binding activity of tubulin was determined by Sherlinе in tubulin-enriched extracts of proteins from the samples. Measurement of light scattering during the polymerization of the tubulin was carried out using the nephelometric method at a wavelength of 450-550 nm. There was a significant decrease in colchicine-binding activity and the rate of tubulin polymerization in the prefrontal cortex in both diseases, and in VD to a greater extent than in schizophrenia. The obtained results suggest that not only in Alzheimer's disease, but also in other mental diseases such as schizophrenia and VD, there is a decrease in the level of tubulin in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, although to a lesser extent than in Alzheimer's disease, and consequently the amount of microtubules.

Activation of Melanocortin-4 Receptor by a Synthetic Agonist Inhibits Ethanolinduced Neuroinflammation in Rats

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (45) ◽  
pp. 4799-4805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osvaldo Flores-Bastías ◽  
Gonzalo I. Gómez ◽  
Juan A. Orellana ◽  
Eduardo Karahanian
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Ethanol Intake ◽  
Neuroinflammatory Response ◽  
Agonist Peptide ◽  
Melanocortin 4 Receptor ◽  
Tnf Α ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
High Ethanol ◽  
The Brain

Background: High ethanol intake induces a neuroinflammatory response resulting in the subsequent maintenance of chronic alcohol consumption. The melanocortin system plays a pivotal role in the modulation of alcohol consumption. Interestingly, it has been shown that the activation of melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) in the brain decreases the neuroinflammatory response in models of brain damage other than alcohol consumption, such as LPS-induced neuroinflammation, cerebral ischemia, glutamate excitotoxicity, and spinal cord injury. Objectives: In this work, we aimed to study whether MC4R activation by a synthetic MC4R-agonist peptide prevents ethanol-induced neuroinflammation, and if alcohol consumption produces changes in MC4R expression in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Methods: Ethanol-preferring Sprague Dawley rats were selected offering access to 20% ethanol on alternate days for 4 weeks (intermittent access protocol). After this time, animals were i.p. administered an MC4R agonist peptide in the last 2 days of the protocol. Then, the expression of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1-beta (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured in the hippocampus, hypothalamus and prefrontal cortex. It was also evaluated if ethanol intake produces alterations in the expression of MC4R in the hippocampus and the hypothalamus. Results: Alcohol consumption increased the expression of MC4R in the hippocampus and the hypothalamus. The administration of the MC4R agonist reduced IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α levels in hippocampus, hypothalamus and prefrontal cortex, to those observed in control rats that did not drink alcohol. Conclusion: High ethanol consumption produces an increase in the expression of MC4R in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. The administration of a synthetic MC4R-agonist peptide prevents neuroinflammation induced by alcohol consumption in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and prefrontal cortex. These results could explain the effect of α-MSH and other synthetic MC4R agonists in decreasing alcohol intake through the reduction of the ethanol-induced inflammatory response in the brain.

Magnetoencephalography and the Cortical Dynamics of Language Processing

2019 ◽  
pp. 114-153
Author(s):  
Riitta Salmelin ◽  
Jan Kujala ◽  
Mia Liljeström
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Language Disorders ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Neural Processing ◽  
Powerful Method ◽  
Cortical Dynamics ◽  
Brain Correlates ◽  
Adults And Children ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Selection Of

When seeking to uncover the brain correlates of language processing, timing and location are of the essence. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) offers them both, with the highest sensitivity to cortical activity. MEG has shown its worth in revealing cortical dynamics of reading, speech perception, and speech production in adults and children, in unimpaired language processing as well as developmental and acquired language disorders. The MEG signals, once recorded, provide an extensive selection of measures for examination of neural processing. Like all other neuroimaging tools, MEG has its own strengths and limitations of which the user should be aware in order to make the best possible use of this powerful method and to generate meaningful and reliable scientific data. This chapter reviews MEG methodology and how MEG has been used to study the cortical dynamics of language.

025 Sleep Disruption on an Orbital Shaker alters Glutamate in Prairie Vole Prefrontal Cortex

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A11-A12
Author(s):  
Carolyn Jones ◽  
Randall Olson ◽  
Alex Chau ◽  
Peyton Wickham ◽  
Ryan Leriche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Prairie Vole ◽  
Sleep Disruption ◽  
Glutamatergic Synapses ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Orbital Shaker

Abstract Introduction Glutamate concentrations in the cortex fluctuate with the sleep wake cycle in both rodents and humans. Altered glutamatergic signaling, as well as the early life onset of sleep disturbances have been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder. In order to study how sleep modulates glutamate activity in brain regions relevant to social behavior and development, we disrupted sleep in the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) rodent species and quantified markers of glutamate neurotransmission within the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain responsible for advanced cognition and complex social behaviors. Methods Male and female prairie voles were sleep disrupted using an orbital shaker to deliver automated gentle cage agitation at continuous intervals. Sleep was measured using EEG/EMG signals and paired with real time glutamate concentrations in the prefrontal cortex using an amperometric glutamate biosensor. This same method of sleep disruption was applied early in development (postnatal days 14–21) and the long term effects on brain development were quantified by examining glutamatergic synapses in adulthood. Results Consistent with previous research in rats, glutamate concentration in the prefrontal cortex increased during periods of wake in the prairie vole. Sleep disruption using the orbital shaker method resulted in brief cortical arousals and reduced time in REM sleep. When applied during development, early life sleep disruption resulted in long-term changes in both pre- and post-synaptic components of glutamatergic synapses in the prairie vole prefrontal cortex including increased density of immature spines. Conclusion In the prairie vole rodent model, sleep disruption on an orbital shaker produces a sleep, behavioral, and neurological phenotype that mirrors aspects of autism spectrum disorder including altered features of excitatory neurotransmission within the prefrontal cortex. Studies using this method of sleep disruption combined with real time biosensors for excitatory neurotransmitters will enhance our understanding of modifiable risk factors, such as sleep, that contribute to the altered development of glutamatergic synapses in the brain and their relationship to social behavior. Support (if any) NSF #1926818, VA CDA #IK2 BX002712, Portland VA Research Foundation, NIH NHLBI 5T32HL083808-10, VA Merit Review #I01BX001643

scholarly journals Glia Not Neurons: Uncovering Brain Dysmaturation in a Rat Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 823
Author(s):  
Ekaterina A. Rudnitskaya ◽  
Tatiana A. Kozlova ◽  
Alena O. Burnyasheva ◽  
Natalia A. Stefanova ◽  
Nataliya G. Kolosova
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Oxys Rats ◽  
Unknown Etiology ◽  
Suitable Model ◽  
Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
The Brain

Sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a severe disorder of unknown etiology with no definite time frame of onset. Recent studies suggest that middle age is a critical period for the relevant pathological processes of AD. Nonetheless, sufficient data have accumulated supporting the hypothesis of “neurodevelopmental origin of neurodegenerative disorders”: prerequisites for neurodegeneration may occur during early brain development. Therefore, we investigated the development of the most AD-affected brain structures (hippocampus and prefrontal cortex) using an immunohistochemical approach in senescence-accelerated OXYS rats, which are considered a suitable model of the most common—sporadic—type of AD. We noticed an additional peak of neurogenesis, which coincides in time with the peak of apoptosis in the hippocampus of OXYS rats on postnatal day three. Besides, we showed signs of delayed migration of neurons to the prefrontal cortex as well as disturbances in astrocytic and microglial support of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex during the first postnatal week. Altogether, our results point to dysmaturation during early development of the brain—especially insufficient glial support—as a possible “first hit” leading to neurodegenerative processes and AD pathology manifestation later in life.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document