Imagining the Brain: Episodes in the History of Brain Research

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Research ◽  
History Of ◽  
History Of Brain Research ◽  
The Brain

scholarly journals A brief history of the British Neuroscience Association

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 239821281879924
Author(s):  
Steven P. Rose ◽  
Yvonne S. Allen ◽  
Ian M. Varndell
Keyword(s):  
Life Science ◽  
Brain Research ◽  
Discussion Group ◽  
Professional Society ◽  
Research Association ◽  
Neuroscience Research ◽  
History Of ◽  
Key Events ◽  
The Brain

As the British Neuroscience Association commemorates 50 years of existence in 2018, this article recalls its founding as a discussion group, its establishment as the Brain Research Association, its transition to a professional society encompassing all aspects of neuroscience research, both clinical and non-clinical, and its re-branding as the British Neuroscience Association in the late 1990s. Neuroscience as a branch of life science has expanded hugely in the last 25 years and the British Neuroscience Association has adapted, frequently working with partner societies, to serve as an interdisciplinary hub for professionals working in this exciting and crucial field. The authors have attempted to highlight some key events in the Association’s history and acknowledge the contributions made by many people over half a century.

scholarly journals Retraining of drug reward, music cues and state-dependent recall in music therapy

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörg Fachner
Keyword(s):  
Brain Research ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Music Appreciation ◽  
Drug Induced ◽  
State Dependent ◽  
History Of ◽  
Integrate State ◽  
Brain Reward ◽  
Music And Emotion ◽  
The Brain

Brain research revealed that pleasant music appreciation is processed in same brain reward areas as euphoriant drugs. This indicates a similarity in processing intensity of emotions in the brain. These insights shed a new light on how music and emotion are linked in the brain. However, patients, with a history of drug-induced euphoria, may experience a state-dependent recall induced from certain individually perceived cues, which have been experienced together with drugs, as memory traces are stored as conditioned secondary rewards in drug memory. Music’s state-dependent cognition processes seem to be recalled (and thereby also the drug action) when listening to music without being under the influence. These learning processes have to be focused and transformed in therapy by offering new ways of learning to recognize, retrain and integrate state-specific emotional responses to preferred music to rebalance emotion and experiencing reward.

scholarly journals L2HGDH Missense Variant in a Cat with L-2-Hydroxyglutaric Aciduria

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 682
Author(s):  
Matthias Christen ◽  
Nils Janzen ◽  
Anne Fraser ◽  
Adrian C. Sewell ◽  
Vidhya Jagannathan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Genetic Defect ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Missense Variant ◽  
Microcytic Anemia ◽  
Abnormal Behavior ◽  
Functional Candidate Gene ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Hydroxyglutaric Acid

A 7-month-old, spayed female, domestic longhair cat with L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria (L-2-HGA) was investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical signs, metabolic changes and underlying genetic defect. The owner of the cat reported a 4-month history of multiple paroxysmal seizure-like episodes, characterized by running around the house, often in circles, with abnormal behavior, bumping into obstacles, salivating and often urinating. The episodes were followed by a period of disorientation and inappetence. Neurological examination revealed an absent bilateral menace response. Routine blood work revealed mild microcytic anemia but biochemistry, ammonia, lactate and pre- and post-prandial bile acids were unremarkable. MRI of the brain identified multifocal, bilaterally symmetrical and T2-weighted hyperintensities within the prosencephalon, mesencephalon and metencephalon, primarily affecting the grey matter. Urinary organic acids identified highly increased levels of L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid. The cat was treated with the anticonvulsants levetiracetam and phenobarbitone and has been seizure-free for 16 months. We sequenced the genome of the affected cat and compared the data to 48 control genomes. L2HGDH, coding for L-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase, was investigated as the top functional candidate gene. This search revealed a single private protein-changing variant in the affected cat. The identified homozygous variant, XM_023255678.1:c.1301A>G, is predicted to result in an amino acid change in the L2HGDH protein, XP_023111446.1:p.His434Arg. The available clinical and biochemical data together with current knowledge about L2HGDH variants and their functional impact in humans and dogs allow us to classify the p.His434Arg variant as a causative variant for the observed neurological signs in this cat.

scholarly journals Molecular evolutionary analysis of human primary microcephaly genes

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nashaiman Pervaiz ◽  
Hongen Kang ◽  
Yiming Bao ◽  
Amir Ali Abbasi
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Brain Size ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
Evolutionary Analysis ◽  
Australopithecus Afarensis ◽  
Primary Microcephaly ◽  
Modern Humans ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Background There has been a rapid increase in the brain size relative to body size during mammalian evolutionary history. In particular, the enlarged and globular brain is the most distinctive anatomical feature of modern humans that set us apart from other extinct and extant primate species. Genetic basis of large brain size in modern humans has largely remained enigmatic. Genes associated with the pathological reduction of brain size (primary microcephaly-MCPH) have the characteristics and functions to be considered ideal candidates to unravel the genetic basis of evolutionary enlargement of human brain size. For instance, the brain size of microcephaly patients is similar to the brain size of Pan troglodyte and the very early hominids like the Sahelanthropus tchadensis and Australopithecus afarensis. Results The present study investigates the molecular evolutionary history of subset of autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (MCPH) genes; CEP135, ZNF335, PHC1, SASS6, CDK6, MFSD2A, CIT, and KIF14 across 48 mammalian species. Codon based substitutions site analysis indicated that ZNF335, SASS6, CIT, and KIF14 have experienced positive selection in eutherian evolutionary history. Estimation of divergent selection pressure revealed that almost all of the MCPH genes analyzed in the present study have maintained their functions throughout the history of placental mammals. Contrary to our expectations, human-specific adoptive evolution was not detected for any of the MCPH genes analyzed in the present study. Conclusion Based on these data it can be inferred that protein-coding sequence of MCPH genes might not be the sole determinant of increase in relative brain size during primate evolutionary history.

Streptococcus pluranimalium meningoencephalitis in a horse

2021 ◽  
pp. 104063872110234
Author(s):  
Dah-Jiun Fu ◽  
Akhilesh Ramachandran ◽  
Craig Miller
Keyword(s):  
Ribosomal Rna ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Nucleotide Sequencing ◽  
Formalin Fixed Paraffin ◽  
Quarter Horse ◽  
Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Gram Positive Cocci ◽  
Formalin Fixed

A 3-y-old, female Quarter Horse with a history of acute neurologic signs was found dead and was submitted for postmortem examination. Areas of petechial and ecchymotic hemorrhage were present on cross-sections of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem. Histologic examination of the brain revealed severe, purulent meningoencephalitis and vasculitis with a myriad of intralesional gram-positive cocci. Streptococcus pluranimalium was identified from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue obtained from sites with active lesions by PCR and nucleotide sequencing of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA. S. pluranimalium should be considered as a cause of meningoencephalitis in a horse.

scholarly journals A Rare Case of Spontaneous Arachnoid Cyst Rupture Presenting as Right Hemiplegia and Expressive Aphasia in a Pediatric Patient

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 78
Author(s):  
Anne Bryden ◽  
Natalie Majors ◽  
Vinay Puri ◽  
Thomas Moriarty
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Arachnoid Cyst ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Acute Onset ◽  
Word Finding ◽  
Outpatient Visits ◽  
The Family ◽  
History Of ◽  
Cyst Rupture ◽  
The Brain

This study examines an 11-year-old boy with a known history of a large previously asymptomatic arachnoid cyst (AC) presenting with acute onset of right facial droop, hemiplegia, and expressive aphasia. Shortly after arrival to the emergency department, the patient exhibited complete resolution of right-sided hemiplegia but developed headache and had persistent word-finding difficulties. Prior to symptom onset while in class at school, there was an absence of reported jerking movements, headache, photophobia, fever, or trauma. At the time of neurology consultation, the physical exam showed mildly delayed cognitive processing but was otherwise unremarkable. The patient underwent MRI scanning of the brain, which revealed left convexity subdural hematohygroma and perirolandic cortex edema resulting from ruptured left frontoparietal AC. He was evaluated by neurosurgery and managed expectantly. He recovered uneventfully and was discharged two days after presentation remaining asymptomatic on subsequent outpatient visits. The family express concerns regarding increased anxiety and mild memory loss since hospitalization.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document