Androgens Modulate Brain Responses to Sexual Stimuli in Female-to-Male Transsexuals

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-98
Author(s):  
Zheng Ye ◽  
Bahram Mohammadi ◽  
Robert Kopyciok ◽  
Marcus Heldmann ◽  
Amir Samii ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Arousal ◽  
Hormonal Treatment ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Sexual Stimuli ◽  
Erotic Stimuli ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Brain Responses ◽  
Subcortical Regions ◽  
The Brain

Abstract. Interpersonal and intrapersonal differences in brain responses to sexual stimuli have been linked with individuals’ testosterone levels. However, it remains unclear how hormones modulate brain functions underlying sexual arousal. In order to assess the effects of chronic hormonal treatment, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging in a group of female-to-male transsexuals before and during androgen therapy while they watched a set of pictures representing dressed or nude (erotic content) men or women (sex information). A broad network of cortical and subcortical regions were activated during the processing of erotic stimuli (nude vs. dressed), including the insula, amygdala, and hypothalamus. The insula activity in response to erotic male stimuli decreased over the initial 4 months of hormonal therapy. In the following 8 months, the insula response to erotic female stimuli increased. In other words, long-term androgen administration makes the brain more “male” by reducing the sexual arousal caused by male stimuli and amplifying that caused by female stimuli.

scholarly journals Mapping of Brain Functions and Spatial Luminance Distributions as Innovative Tools for Assessing Discomfort Glare in the Built Environment

2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Raynham ◽  
Werner Osterhaus ◽  
Michael Davies
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Discomfort Glare ◽  
Innovative Tool ◽  
New Research ◽  
The Brain

A series of "proof-of-concept" projects are set out aimed at bringing together built environment researchers attempting to understand what constitutes ‘comfortable’ space and neuroscientists investigating the functional characteristics of the human brain. The long-term goal is to address the question of whether there are regions of the brain that are specifically engaged when people experience spaces they consider to be comfortable, pleasing or even beautiful. Glare is an area of research that has been recognised as a problem in both interior and exterior lighting. Recent advances in technology make it an ideal candidate for the proposed “proof-of-concept” study. The mapping of brain functions through functional magnetic resonance imaging, the mapping of luminance distributionsin a visual scene, and the study of distraction and its influence on discomfort glare can be combined to form the basis of an innovative tool box for new research.

scholarly journals GSK3α: An Important Paralog in Neurodegenerative Disorders and Cancer

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1683
Author(s):  
Octavio Silva-García ◽  
Ricarda Cortés-Vieyra ◽  
Francisco N. Mendoza-Ambrosio ◽  
Guillermo Ramírez-Galicia ◽  
Víctor M. Baizabal-Aguirre
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Disorders ◽  
Glycogen Synthase ◽  
Similar Efficacy ◽  
Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Chemical Inhibitors ◽  
Simultaneous Inhibition ◽  
The Brain

The biological activity of the enzyme glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) is fulfilled by two paralogs named GSK3α and GSK3β, which possess both redundancy and specific functions. The upregulated activity of these proteins is linked to the development of disorders such as neurodegenerative disorders (ND) and cancer. Although various chemical inhibitors of these enzymes restore the brain functions in models of ND such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and reduce the proliferation and survival of cancer cells, the particular contribution of each paralog to these effects remains unclear as these molecules downregulate the activity of both paralogs with a similar efficacy. Moreover, given that GSK3 paralogs phosphorylate more than 100 substrates, the simultaneous inhibition of both enzymes has detrimental effects during long-term inhibition. Although the GSK3β kinase function has usually been taken as the global GSK3 activity, in the last few years, a growing interest in the study of GSK3α has emerged because several studies have recognized it as the main GSK3 paralog involved in a variety of diseases. This review summarizes the current biological evidence on the role of GSK3α in AD and various types of cancer. We also provide a discussion on some strategies that may lead to the design of the paralog-specific inhibition of GSK3α.

scholarly journals The Role of Dietary Antioxidants in the Pathogenesis of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Their Impact on Cerebral Oxidoreductive Balance

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Winiarska-Mieczan ◽  
Ewa Baranowska-Wójcik ◽  
Małgorzata Kwiecień ◽  
Eugeniusz R. Grela ◽  
Dominik Szwajgier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Functional Disorders ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Diet Supplements ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Brain ◽  
All Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases are progressive diseases of the nervous system that lead to neuron loss or functional disorders. Neurodegenerative diseases require long-term, sometimes life-long pharmacological treatment, which increases the risk of adverse effects and a negative impact of pharmaceuticals on the patients’ general condition. One of the main problems related to the treatment of this type of condition is the limited ability to deliver drugs to the brain due to their poor solubility, low bioavailability, and the effects of the blood-brain barrier. Given the above, one of the main objectives of contemporary scientific research focuses on the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. As disorders related to the competence of the antioxidative system are a marker in all diseases of this type, the primary prophylactics should entail the use of exogenous antioxidants, particularly ones that can be used over extended periods, regardless of the patient’s age, and that are easily available, e.g., as part of a diet or as diet supplements. The paper analyzes the significance of the oxidoreductive balance in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Based on information published globally in the last 10 years, an analysis is also provided with regard to the impact of exogenous antioxidants on brain functions with respect to the prevention of this type of diseases.

Glycogen: Multiple Roles in the CNS

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 356-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Rich ◽  
Angus M. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Glycogen Metabolism ◽  
Prenatal Development ◽  
Brain Parenchyma ◽  
Multiple Roles ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Neuronal Function ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Continuous Support ◽  
The Brain

The historically neurocentric view of astrocytes as Styrofoam cushioning that rigidly clad neurons within the brain parenchyma has been superseded in the past 30 years by an increasing appreciation of the myriad roles astrocytes contribute to supporting physiological brain function. It is widely recognized that the continuous support provided by astrocytes, from prenatal development to maturity, is vital for neuronal function. Indeed, the numerous and diverse roles furnished by astrocytes contrasts with the vital but restricted transmission of action potentials that is the neuron’s primary role. An emerging role for astrocytes is that of providing energy substrate in the form of glycogen-derived lactate to neurons. This role was established during periods of limited glucose availability but has been extended to encompass one of the most important physiological brain functions, learning and memory. In this context glycogen metabolism is integral to the consolidation of learning into long-term retention of memories, a process vital to the higher functioning of the human brain.

scholarly journals Distributed affective space represents multiple emotion categories across the brain

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heini Saarimäki ◽  
Lara Farzaneh Ejtehadian ◽  
Enrico Glerean ◽  
liro P. Jääskeläinen ◽  
Patrik Vuilleumier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Organization ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Subjective Feeling ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Discrete Emotion ◽  
Subcortical Regions ◽  
The Brain

The functional organization of human emotion systems as well as their neuroanatomical basis and segregation in the brain remains unresolved. Here we used pattern classification and hierarchical clustering to reveal and characterize the organization of discrete emotion categories in the human brain. We induced 14 emotions (6 “basic”, such as fear and anger; and 8 “non-basic”, such as shame and gratitude) and a neutral state in participants using guided mental imagery while their brain activity was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Twelve out of 14 emotions could be reliably classified from the fMRI signals. All emotions engaged a multitude of brain areas, primarily in midline cortices including anterior and posterior cingulate and precuneus, in subcortical regions, and in motor regions including cerebellum and premotor cortex. Similarity of subjective emotional experiences was associated with similarity of the corresponding neural activation patterns. We conclude that the emotions included in the study have discrete neural bases characterized by specific, distributed activation patterns in widespread cortical and subcortical circuits, and highlight both overlaps and differences in the locations of these for each emotion. Locally differentiated engagement of these globally shared circuits defines the unique neural fingerprint activity pattern and the corresponding subjective feeling associated with each emotion.

scholarly journals GPT-2’s activations predict the degree of semantic comprehension in the human brain

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Caucheteux ◽  
Alexandre Gramfort ◽  
Jean-Rémi King
Keyword(s):  
Brain Activity ◽  
Planum Temporale ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Brain Responses ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Semantic Comprehension ◽  
Empirical Framework ◽  
Superior Frontal Cortex ◽  
Language Network

Language transformers, like GPT-2, have demonstrated remarkable abilities to process text, and now constitute the backbone of deep translation, summarization and dialogue algorithms. However, whether these models actually understand language is highly controversial. Here, we show that the representations of GPT-2 not only map onto the brain responses to spoken stories, but also predict the extent to which subjects understand the narratives. To this end, we analyze 101 subjects recorded with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging while listening to 70 min of short stories. We then fit a linear model to predict brain activity from GPT-2 activations, and correlate this mapping with subjects’ comprehension scores as assessed for each story. The results show that GPT-2’s brain predictions significantly correlate with semantic comprehension. These effects are bilaterally distributed in the language network and peak with a correlation above 30% in the infero-frontal and medio-temporal gyri as well as in the superior frontal cortex, the planum temporale and the precuneus. Overall, this study provides an empirical framework to probe and dissect semantic comprehension in brains and deep learning algorithms.

scholarly journals Increased neural reactivity to emotional pictures in men with high hair testosterone concentrations

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 1009-1016
Author(s):  
Sanja Klein ◽  
Onno Kruse ◽  
Isabell Tapia León ◽  
Tobias Stalder ◽  
Rudolf Stark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Testosterone Levels ◽  
Passive Viewing ◽  
Emotional Pictures ◽  
Neural Reactivity ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Testosterone has been linked to alterations in the activity of emotion neurocircuitry including amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and insula and diminished functional amygdala/prefrontal coupling. Such associations have only ever been studied using acute measures of testosterone, thus little is known about respective relationships with long-term testosterone secretion. Here, we examine associations between hair testosterone concentration (HTC), an index of long-term cumulative testosterone levels and neural reactivity during an emotional passive viewing task using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Forty-six men viewed negative, positive and neutral pictures in the MRI. HTCs were assessed from 2 cm hair segments. The emotional paradigm elicited neural activation in the amygdala, insula and OFC. HTCs were associated with increased reactivity to negative pictures in the insula and increased reactivity to positive pictures in the OFC. We show an association of long-term testosterone levels with increased emotional reactivity in the brain. These results suggest a heightened emotional vigilance in individuals with high trait testosterone levels.

scholarly journals Impairment in Long-Term Memory Formation and Learning-Dependent Synaptic Plasticity in Mice Lacking Glycogen Synthase in the Brain

2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 550-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordi Duran ◽  
Isabel Saez ◽  
Agnes Gruart ◽  
Joan J Guinovart ◽  
José M Delgado-García
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Glycogen Synthase ◽  
Long Term Potentiation ◽  
Normal Activity ◽  
Synaptic Strength ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
The Brain

Glycogen is the only carbohydrate reserve of the brain, but its overall contribution to brain functions remains unclear. Although it has traditionally been considered as an emergency energetic reservoir, increasing evidence points to a role of glycogen in the normal activity of the brain. To address this long-standing question, we generated a brain-specific Glycogen Synthase knockout (GYS1Nestin-KO) mouse and studied the functional consequences of the lack of glycogen in the brain under alert behaving conditions. These animals showed a significant deficiency in the acquisition of an associative learning task and in the concomitant activity-dependent changes in hippocampal synaptic strength. Long-term potentiation (LTP) evoked in the hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapse was also decreased in behaving GYS1Nestin-KO mice. These results unequivocally show a key role of brain glycogen in the proper acquisition of new motor and cognitive abilities and in the underlying changes in synaptic strength.

scholarly journals Openness of Natural Information Processing Systems and Short-Term and Long-Term Memory

2018 ◽  
Vol 155 ◽  
pp. 01026
Author(s):  
Vladimir Shumilov ◽  
Vladimir Syryamkin
Keyword(s):  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Brain Responses ◽  
Range Of Functions ◽  
Natural Information ◽  
Different Characteristics ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Different Parts

In this paper, various types of memory are considered.Development of the nervous system and the brain of organisms ensures expansion of species with more developed brain. Different characteristics of the brain zones have created different conditions for forming traces of events. The various traces of trace events formed in different parts of the brain provided a wider range of functions and brain responses, which contributed to the survival and expansion of species. The work describes the appearance of memory varieties and the causes of these varieties.

Hand–Arm-Vibration Syndrome (HAVS): Is There a Central Nervous Component? an fMRI Study

2002 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 514-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. LUNDBORG ◽  
B. ROSÉN ◽  
L. KNUTSSON ◽  
S. HOLTÅS ◽  
F. STÅHLBERG ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tactile Stimulation ◽  
Motor Dysfunction ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Vibration Syndrome ◽  
Ipsilateral Hemisphere ◽  
Neuromuscular Dysfunction ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
The Brain

Hand-held vibrating tools may result in neuromuscular dysfunction and vasospastic problems of the hand. Sensory and motor dysfunction can be explained by injury to peripheral structures, but could also be due to changes in cortical somatotopic mapping of the hand in the brain. The purpose of the present study was to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess the somatotopic cortical representation of the hands of workers subjected to occupational vibration. The study included six men with severe vibration exposures who were suffering from hand–arm-vibration syndrome (HAVS) and six controls. The analysis focused on the pattern and degree of activation of contra- and ipsilateral hemispheres of the brain with tactile stimulation and motor activation of the hand. These stimulations resulted in well-defined activation of the contralateral, and to a lesser extent the ipsilateral hemisphere. Statistical analysis of this limited patient material did not indicate any significant somatotopic cortical changes following long-term exposure to vibrating hand-held tools, although there was a tendency to a shift of activation towards the more cranial parts of the cortex in the patient group.

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