scholarly journals Persistent Homology-Based Topological Analysis on the Gestalt Patterns during Human Brain Cognition Process

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Zaisheng Liu ◽  
Fei Ni ◽  
Rongpeng Li ◽  
Honggang Zhang ◽  
Chang Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Random Sequence ◽  
Persistent Homology ◽  
Topological Analysis ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Eeg Signals ◽  
Neural Signals ◽  
Neuropsychological Characteristics ◽  
The Brain

The neuropsychological characteristics inside the brain are still not sufficiently understood in previous Gestalt psychological analyses. In particular, the extraction and analysis of human brain consciousness information itself have not received enough attention for the time being. In this paper, we aim to investigate the features of EEG signals from different conscious thoughts. Specifically, we try to extract the physiologically meaningful features of the brain responding to different contours and shapes in images in Gestalt cognitive tests by combining persistent homology analysis with electroencephalogram (EEG). The experimental results show that more brain regions in the frontal lobe are involved when the subject perceives the random and disordered combination of images compared to the ordered Gestalt images. Meanwhile, the persistence entropy of EEG data evoked by random sequence diagram (RSD) is significantly different from that evoked by the ordered Gestalt (GST) images in several frequency bands, which indicate that the human cognition of the shape and contour of images can be separated to some extent through topological analysis. This implies the feasibility to digitize the neural signals while preserving the whole and local features of the original signals, which are further verified by our extensive experiments. In general, this paper evaluates and quantifies cognitively related neural correlates by persistent homology features of EEG signals, which provides an approach to realizing the digitization of neural signals. Preliminary verification of the analyzability of human consciousness signals provides reliable research ideas and directions for the realization of feature extraction and analysis of human brain consciousness cognition.

scholarly journals Associations of Vitamin D and Vitamin K and Their Metabolites Across Four Regions of the Human Brain: The Memory and Aging Project (MAP) (FS05-02-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueyan Fu ◽  
Will Patterson ◽  
Gregory Dolnikowski ◽  
Bess Dawson-Hughes ◽  
Martha Morris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Vitamin K ◽  
Vitamin D3 ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Multiple Regions ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Objectives Very little is known about the forms of vitamin D and vitamin K in the human brain. The objective of this study is to evaluate concentrations of vitamin D and vitamin K forms in human brain and their correlations across four human brain regions. Methods Vitamin D [D3, 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D] and vitamin K [phylloquinone and menaquinone-4 (MK4)] concentrations were measured by LC/MS/MS and HPLC, respectively, in four brain regions from post-mortem samples obtained from participants in the Rush Memory and Aging Project (n = 130, mean age 82 yrs, 81% female). The brain regions analyzed were the mid-frontal cortex (MF) and mid-temporal cortex (MT) [two regions important for memory in Alzheimer's Disease (AD)], the cerebellum (CR, a region not affected by AD), and the anterior watershed white matter (AWS, a region associated with vascular disease). The correlations among the vitamin forms across brain regions were calculated using Spearman rank order correlation coefficients. Significance was set at P < 0.001. Results The average concentrations of vitamin D3, 25(OH)D and MK4 were 604 pg/g, 535 pg/g, and 3.4 pmol/g, respectively. 25(OH)D and MK4 were detected in >95% of the brain samples. Nearly 92% of 1,25(OH)2D and 80% of phylloquinone samples had concentrations below the limit of assay detection (LOD) 1,25(OH)2D = 20 ng/g, phylloquinone = 0.1 pmol/g). Vitamin D3 and 25(OH)D concentrations were positively correlated across all four regions (all Spearman r ≥ 0.78, P < 0.0001). The 1,25(OH)2D was significantly correlated between the MF and CR regions only (Spearman r = 0.30, P < 0.001, all other P ≥ 0.002). MK4 and PK were positively correlated across the four regions studied (MK4 all Spearman r ≥ 0.78, phylloquinone r ≥ 0.49, all P < 0.001). Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first evaluation of the concentrations of vitamin D and vitamin K forms in multiple regions of the human brain. Overall, the vitamin D and vitamin K forms were each positively correlated across the four brain regions studied. Future studies are needed to clarify the roles of these nutrients in AD and dementia. Funding Sources National Institute of Aging.

scholarly journals STAB: a spatio-temporal cell atlas of the human brain

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (D1) ◽  
pp. D1029-D1037
Author(s):  
Liting Song ◽  
Shaojun Pan ◽  
Zichao Zhang ◽  
Longhao Jia ◽  
Wei-Hua Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Molecular Characteristics ◽  
Great Effort ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
The Brain

Abstract The human brain is the most complex organ consisting of billions of neuronal and non-neuronal cells that are organized into distinct anatomical and functional regions. Elucidating the cellular and transcriptome architecture underlying the brain is crucial for understanding brain functions and brain disorders. Thanks to the single-cell RNA sequencing technologies, it is becoming possible to dissect the cellular compositions of the brain. Although great effort has been made to explore the transcriptome architecture of the human brain, a comprehensive database with dynamic cellular compositions and molecular characteristics of the human brain during the lifespan is still not available. Here, we present STAB (a Spatio-Temporal cell Atlas of the human Brain), a database consists of single-cell transcriptomes across multiple brain regions and developmental periods. Right now, STAB contains single-cell gene expression profiling of 42 cell subtypes across 20 brain regions and 11 developmental periods. With STAB, the landscape of cell types and their regional heterogeneity and temporal dynamics across the human brain can be clearly seen, which can help to understand both the development of the normal human brain and the etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. STAB is available at http://stab.comp-sysbio.org.

scholarly journals Strategic Cognitive Sequencing: A Computational Cognitive Neuroscience Approach

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seth A. Herd ◽  
Kai A. Krueger ◽  
Trenton E. Kriete ◽  
Tsung-Ren Huang ◽  
Thomas E. Hazy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Process ◽  
Network Models ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Neural Network Models ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Error Learning ◽  
Cognitive Actions ◽  
Self Instruction ◽  
The Brain

We address strategic cognitive sequencing, the “outer loop” of human cognition: how the brain decides what cognitive process to apply at a given moment to solve complex, multistep cognitive tasks. We argue that this topic has been neglected relative to its importance for systematic reasons but that recent work on how individual brain systems accomplish their computations has set the stage for productively addressing how brain regions coordinate over time to accomplish our most impressive thinking. We present four preliminary neural network models. The first addresses how the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and basal ganglia (BG) cooperate to perform trial-and-error learning of short sequences; the next, how several areas of PFC learn to make predictions of likely reward, and how this contributes to the BG making decisions at the level of strategies. The third models address how PFC, BG, parietal cortex, and hippocampus can work together to memorize sequences of cognitive actions from instruction (or “self-instruction”). The last shows how a constraint satisfaction process can find useful plans. The PFC maintains current and goal states and associates from both of these to find a “bridging” state, an abstract plan. We discuss how these processes could work together to produce strategic cognitive sequencing and discuss future directions in this area.

scholarly journals Differential Expression of CD31 and Von Willebrand Factor on Endothelial Cells in Different Regions of the Human Brain: Potential Implications for Cerebral Malaria Pathogenesis

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Smart Ikechukwu Mbagwu ◽  
Luis Filgueira
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Expression Pattern ◽  
Von Willebrand Factor ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
And Function ◽  
Von Willebrand ◽  
Willebrand Factor ◽  
The Brain

Cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (CMVECs) line the vascular system of the brain and are the chief cells in the formation and function of the blood brain barrier (BBB). These cells are heterogeneous along the cerebral vasculature and any dysfunctional state in these cells can result in a local loss of function of the BBB in any region of the brain. There is currently no report on the distribution and variation of the CMVECs in different brain regions in humans. This study investigated microcirculation in the adult human brain by the characterization of the expression pattern of brain endothelial cell markers in different brain regions. Five different brain regions consisting of the visual cortex, the hippocampus, the precentral gyrus, the postcentral gyrus, and the rhinal cortex obtained from three normal adult human brain specimens were studied and analyzed for the expression of the endothelial cell markers: cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31) and von-Willebrand-Factor (vWF) through immunohistochemistry. We observed differences in the expression pattern of CD31 and vWF between the gray matter and the white matter in the brain regions. Furthermore, there were also regional variations in the pattern of expression of the endothelial cell biomarkers. Thus, this suggests differences in the nature of vascularization in various regions of the human brain. These observations also suggest the existence of variation in structure and function of different brain regions, which could reflect in the pathophysiological outcomes in a diseased state.

scholarly journals Detection of Human Brain Activities in a Normal Human being

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 4004-4007
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Motor Imagery ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Software Tool ◽  
Eeg Signals ◽  
Eye Blink ◽  
Eye Blinks ◽  
Eeg Data ◽  
Normal Human ◽  
The Brain

Detection of artifacts produced in EEG data by eye blinks is a very common problem in EEG research. In this paper we address the detection of eye blink artifacts in a motor imagery (MI) EEG data. Artifacts are nothing but some kind of disturbances present in the brain signal whose origin is not the brain itself. Detection of unwanted artifacts plays a crucial role to acquire artifact free and clean brain EEG signals to analyze and detect brain activities. There are generally two ways of generation of artifacts. From a recorded signal most common and important artifacts in the form of eye blinks are recognized and encapsulated. In this paper a new software tool named BRAINSTORM is introduced for the detection of eye blink artifacts.

scholarly journals Hemispheric Asymmetry of Human Brain Anatomical Network Revealed by Diffusion Tensor Tractography

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ni Shu ◽  
Yaou Liu ◽  
Yunyun Duan ◽  
Kuncheng Li
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Functional Integration ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Hemispheric Asymmetries ◽  
Characteristic Path Length ◽  
Topological Measures ◽  
Structural Connections ◽  
The Brain

The topological architecture of the cerebral anatomical network reflects the structural organization of the human brain. Recently, topological measures based on graph theory have provided new approaches for quantifying large-scale anatomical networks. However, few studies have investigated the hemispheric asymmetries of the human brain from the perspective of the network model, and little is known about the asymmetries of the connection patterns of brain regions, which may reflect the functional integration and interaction between different regions. Here, we utilized diffusion tensor imaging to construct binary anatomical networks for 72 right-handed healthy adult subjects. We established the existence of structural connections between any pair of the 90 cortical and subcortical regions using deterministic tractography. To investigate the hemispheric asymmetries of the brain, statistical analyses were performed to reveal the brain regions with significant differences between bilateral topological properties, such as degree of connectivity, characteristic path length, and betweenness centrality. Furthermore, local structural connections were also investigated to examine the local asymmetries of some specific white matter tracts. From the perspective of both the global and local connection patterns, we identified the brain regions with hemispheric asymmetries. Combined with the previous studies, we suggested that the topological asymmetries in the anatomical network may reflect the functional lateralization of the human brain.

scholarly journals A spatiotemporal complexity architecture of human brain activity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Krohn ◽  
Nina von Schwanenflug ◽  
Leonhard Waschke ◽  
Amy Romanello ◽  
Martin Gell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Brain Organization ◽  
Functional Connections ◽  
Signal Complexity ◽  
The Brain

The human brain operates in large-scale functional networks, collectively subsumed as the functional connectome1-13. Recent work has begun to unravel the organization of the connectome, including the temporal dynamics of brain states14-20, the trade-off between segregation and integration9,15,21-23, and a functional hierarchy from lower-order unimodal to higher-order transmodal processing systems24-27. However, it remains unknown how these network properties are embedded in the brain and if they emerge from a common neural foundation. Here we apply time-resolved estimation of brain signal complexity to uncover a unifying principle of brain organization, linking the connectome to neural variability6,28-31. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we show that neural activity is marked by spontaneous "complexity drops" that reflect episodes of increased pattern regularity in the brain, and that functional connections among brain regions are an expression of their simultaneous engagement in such episodes. Moreover, these complexity drops ubiquitously propagate along cortical hierarchies, suggesting that the brain intrinsically reiterates its own functional architecture. Globally, neural activity clusters into temporal complexity states that dynamically shape the coupling strength and configuration of the connectome, implementing a continuous re-negotiation between cost-efficient segregation and communication-enhancing integration9,15,21,23. Furthermore, complexity states resolve the recently discovered association between anatomical and functional network hierarchies comprehensively25-27,32. Finally, brain signal complexity is highly sensitive to age and reflects inter-individual differences in cognition and motor function. In sum, we identify a spatiotemporal complexity architecture of neural activity — a functional "complexome" that gives rise to the network organization of the human brain.

Task-fMRI Group and Functional Connectivity Analysis of the Brain During Faradarmani Consciousness Field Connection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ali Taheri ◽  
Sara Torabi ◽  
Noushin Nabavi ◽  
Fatemeh Modarresi-Asem ◽  
Majid Abbasi Sisara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Connectivity Analysis ◽  
Functional Connectivity Analysis ◽  
Cognitive Activities ◽  
The Brain

Task fMRI has played a critical role in recognizing the specific functions of the different regions of human brain during various cognitive activities. This study aimed to investigate group analysis and functional connectivity in the Faradarmangars brain during the Faradarmani CF (FCF) connection. Using task functional MRI (task-fMRI), we attempted the identification of different activated and deactivated brain regions during the Consciousness Filed connection. Clusters that showed significant differences in peak intensity between task and rest group were selected as seeds for seed-voxel analysis. Connectivity of group differences in functional connectivity analysis was determined following each activation and deactivation network. In this study, we report the fMRI-based representation of the FCF connection at the human brain level. The group analysis of FCF connection task revealed activation of frontal lobe (BA6/BA10/BA11). Moreover, seed based functional connectivity analysis showed decreased connectivity within activated clusters and posterior Cingulate Gyrus (BA31). Moreover, we observed an increased connectivity within deactivated clusters and frontal lobe (BA11/BA47) during the FCF connection. Activation clusters as well as the increased and decreased connectivity between different regions of the brain during the FCF connection, firstly, validates the significant effect of the FCF and secondly, indicates a distinctive pattern of connection with this non-material and non-energetic field, in the brain.

scholarly journals Human brain region-specific variably methylated regions (VMRs) are enriched for heritability of distinct neuropsychiatric traits

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay F. Rizzardi ◽  
Peter F. Hickey ◽  
Adrian Idrizi ◽  
Rakel Tryggvadóttir ◽  
Colin M. Callahan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Brain Region ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Differential Methylation ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Single Pair ◽  
Regulatory Regions ◽  
Neuronal Nuclei ◽  
The Brain

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDDNA methylation dynamics in the brain are associated with normal development and neuropsychiatric disease and differ across functionally distinct brain regions. Previous studies of genome-wide methylation differences among human brain regions focused on limited numbers of individuals and one to two brain regions.RESULTSUsing GTEx samples, we have generated a resource of DNA methylation in purified neuronal nuclei from 8 brain regions as well as lung and thyroid tissues from 12-23 donors. We identified differentially methylated regions between brain regions (DMRs) among neuronal nuclei in both CpG (181,146) and non-CpG (264,868) contexts, few of which were unique to a single pair-wise comparison. This significantly expands the knowledge of differential methylation across the brain by 10-fold. In addition, we present the first differential methylation analysis among neuronal nuclei from basal ganglia tissues and identified 2,295 unique CpG DMRs, many associated with ion transport. Consistent with prior studies, CpG DMRs were enriched in regulatory regions while non-CpG DMRs were enriched in intergenic regions. We also identified 81,130 regions of variably CpG methylated regions (VMRs), i.e. variable methylation among individuals in the same brain region, which were enriched in regulatory regions and in CpG DMRs. Many VMRs were unique to a specific brain region, with only 202 common across all brain regions, as well as lung and thyroid. VMRs identified in the amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex, and hippocampus were enriched for heritability of schizophrenia.CONCLUSIONSThese data suggest that epigenetic variation in these particular human brain regions could be associated with the risk for this neuropsychiatric disorder.

scholarly journals Increasing and decreasing interregional brain coupling increases and decreases oscillatory activity in the human brain

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (37) ◽  
pp. e2100652118
Author(s):  
Alejandra Sel ◽  
Lennart Verhagen ◽  
Katharina Angerer ◽  
Raluca David ◽  
Miriam C. Klein-Flügge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Alpha Rhythm ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Motor Task ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Spike Timing ◽  
Oscillatory Activity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Brain

The origins of oscillatory activity in the brain are currently debated, but common to many hypotheses is the notion that they reflect interactions between brain areas. Here, we examine this possibility by manipulating the strength of coupling between two human brain regions, ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and primary motor cortex (M1), and examine the impact on oscillatory activity in the motor system measurable in the electroencephalogram. We either increased or decreased the strength of coupling while holding the impact on each component area in the pathway constant. This was achieved by stimulating PMv and M1 with paired pulses of transcranial magnetic stimulation using two different patterns, only one of which increases the influence exerted by PMv over M1. While the stimulation protocols differed in their temporal patterning, they were comprised of identical numbers of pulses to M1 and PMv. We measured the impact on activity in alpha, beta, and theta bands during a motor task in which participants either made a preprepared action (Go) or withheld it (No-Go). Augmenting cortical connectivity between PMv and M1, by evoking synchronous pre- and postsynaptic activity in the PMv–M1 pathway, enhanced oscillatory beta and theta rhythms in Go and No-Go trials, respectively. Little change was observed in the alpha rhythm. By contrast, diminishing the influence of PMv over M1 decreased oscillatory beta and theta rhythms in Go and No-Go trials, respectively. This suggests that corticocortical communication frequencies in the PMv–M1 pathway can be manipulated following Hebbian spike-timing–dependent plasticity.

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