Brainstem changes in 5-HT1A receptor availability during migraine attack

Cephalalgia ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Demarquay ◽  
A Lothe ◽  
JP Royet ◽  
N Costes ◽  
G Mick ◽  
...  

Background: Among serotonin receptors, 5-HT1A receptors are implicated in the regulation of central serotoninergic tone and could be involved in the abnormal brain 5-HT turnover suspected in migraineurs. The aim of this study was to investigate 5-HT1A receptors’ availability during migraine attacks. Methods: Ten patients suffering from odor-triggered migraine attacks and 10 control subjects were investigated using positron emission tomography (PET) and [18F]MPPF PET tracer, a selective 5-HT1A antagonist. All subjects underwent calibrated olfactory stimulations prior to the PET study. Results: Four patients developed a migraine attack during the PET study. In these patients, statistical parametrical mapping and region of interest analyses showed an increased [18F]MPPF binding potential (BPND) in the pontine raphe when compared to headache-free migraineurs and control subjects. This ictal change was confirmed at the individual level in each of the four affected patients. In comparison with the headache-free migraineurs, patients with a migraine attack also showed significantly increased [18F]MPPF BPND in the left orbitofrontal cortex, precentral gyrus and temporal pole. No significant change in [18F]MPPF BPND was observed between headache-free migraineurs and controls. Conclusions: Our results emphasize the role of 5HT1A receptors in the pontine raphe nuclei during the early stage of migraine attacks.

Author(s):  
Jinbao Zhang ◽  
Jaeyoung Lee

Abstract This study has two main objectives: (i) to analyse the effect of travel characteristics on the spreading of disease, and (ii) to determine the effect of COVID-19 on travel behaviour at the individual level. First, the study analyses the effect of passenger volume and the proportions of different modes of travel on the spread of COVID-19 in the early stage. The developed spatial autoregressive model shows that total passenger volume and proportions of air and railway passenger volumes are positively associated with the cumulative confirmed cases. Second, a questionnaire is analysed to determine changes in travel behaviour after COVID-19. The results indicate that the number of total trips considerably decreased. Public transport usage decreased by 20.5%, while private car usage increased by 6.4%. Then the factors affecting the changes in travel behaviour are analysed by logit models. The findings reveal significant factors, including gender, occupation and travel restriction. It is expected that the findings from this study would be helpful for management and control of traffic during a pandemic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Lília Jorge ◽  
Nádia Canário ◽  
Ricardo Martins ◽  
Beatriz Santiago ◽  
Isabel Santana ◽  
...  

The retina may serve as putative window into neuropathology of synaptic loss in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Here, we investigated synapse-rich layers versus layers composed by nuclei/cell bodies in an early stage of AD. In addition, we examined the associations between retinal changes and molecular and structural markers of cortical damage. We recruited 20 AD patients and 17 healthy controls (HC). Combining optical coherence tomography (OCT), magnetic resonance (MR), and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, we measured retinal and primary visual cortex (V1) thicknesses, along with V1 amyloid β (Aβ) retention ([11C]-PiB PET tracer) and neuroinflammation ([11C]-PK11195 PET tracer). We found that V1 showed increased amyloid-binding potential, in the absence of neuroinflammation. Although thickness changes were still absent, we identified a positive association between the synapse-rich inner plexiform layer (IPL) and V1 in AD. This retinocortical interplay might reflect changes in synaptic function resulting from Aβ deposition, contributing to early visual loss.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cui Yan ◽  
Xuefei Yang ◽  
Ru Yang ◽  
Wenhan Yang ◽  
Jing Luo ◽  
...  

Background: The abuse of methamphetamine (MA) worldwide has gained international attention as the most rapidly growing illicit drug problem. The classification and treatment response prediction of MA addicts are thereby paramount, in order for effective treatments to be more targeted to individuals. However, there has been limited progress.Methods: In the present study, 43 MA-dependent participants and 38 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled, and their resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected. MA-dependent participants who showed 50% reduction in craving were defined as responders to treatment. The present study used the machine learning method, which is a support vector machine (SVM), to detect the most relevant features for discriminating and predicting the treatment response for MA-dependent participants based on the features extracted from the functional graph metrics.Results: A classifier was able to differentiate MA-dependent subjects from normal controls, with a cross-validated prediction accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 73.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 71.23–74.17%), 66.05% (95% CI = 63.06–69.04%), and 80.35% (95% CI = 77.77–82.93%), respectively, at the individual level. The most accurate combination of classifier features included the nodal efficiency in the right middle temporal gyrus and the community index in the left precentral gyrus and cuneus. Between these two, the community index in the left precentral gyrus had the highest importance. In addition, the classification performance of the other classifier used to predict the treatment response of MA-dependent subjects had an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 71.2% (95% CI = 69.28–73.12%), 86.75% (95% CI = 84.48–88.92%), and 55.65% (95% CI = 52.61–58.79%), respectively, at the individual level. Furthermore, the most accurate combination of classifier features included the nodal clustering coefficient in the right orbital part of the superior frontal gyrus, the nodal local efficiency in the right orbital part of the superior frontal gyrus, and the right triangular part of the inferior frontal gyrus and right temporal pole of middle temporal gyrus. Among these, the nodal local efficiency in the right temporal pole of the middle temporal gyrus had the highest feature importance.Conclusion: The present study identified the most relevant features of MA addiction and treatment based on SVMs and the features extracted from the graph metrics and provided possible biomarkers to differentiate and predict the treatment response for MA-dependent patients. The brain regions involved in the best combinations should be given close attention during the treatment of MA.


Author(s):  
Kevin J Black ◽  
Marilyn L. Piccirillo ◽  
Jonathan M. Koller ◽  
Tiffany Hseih ◽  
Lei Wang ◽  
...  

RATIONALE: Several lines of evidence suggest that dopamine (DA)-influenced neuronal pathways may malfunction in Tourette Syndrome (TS). Some PET studies support the hypothesis of presynaptic abnormalities in levodopa uptake, dopamine synthesis, or dopamine release. OBJECTIVE: Directly test the presynaptic hypothesis using a new approach. METHODS: We used positron emission tomography (PET) and [11C]raclopride (RAC*) to measure synaptic dopamine release before and during levodopa and placebo infusions (with carbidopa) in 5neuroleptic-naïve adults with TS and 5 matched control subjects. The primary analysis examined RAC* binding potential (BPND) in predefined volumes of interest (VOIs). A secondary analysis compared BPND voxel by voxel over the entire brain. RESULTS: (1) Baseline RAC* BPND did not differ significantly between groups, though nucleus accumbens BPND was higher in TS (16%, p=0.051). (2) DA release declined from before to during infusions (p=0.014), including with placebo. (3) This decline was smaller in TS (p=0.080). (4) Levodopa’s effect on BPND differed significantly in right midbrain (p=0.002, corrected), where levodopa displaced RAC* by 59% in control subjects but increased BPND by 74% in TS subjects, and in parahippocampal gyrus (p=0.02, corrected). DISCUSSION: Our finding that a before/after RAC* design is confounded by time and/or expectation effects may have implications for other RAC* PET studies. The smaller decrease of BPND with time in TS may be attributable to impaired habituation to the scan environment. Levodopa’s opposite effect on RAC* binding in TS dopaminergic midbrain but may signify an abnormal response to dopaminergic stimulation in TS.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaobin Zhao ◽  
Shaokun Zhao ◽  
Yaojing Chen ◽  
Zhanjun Zhang ◽  
Xiaotong Li ◽  
...  

PurposeBrain 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) is a sensitive technique for assisting in the diagnosis of patients with anti-leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1) antibody encephalitis. However, the common pattern of this disorder assessed by FDG PET remains unknown. The present study aimed to explore the glucose metabolic patterns of this disorder based on PET voxel analysis.MethodsThis retrospective study enrolled 25 patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis, who were admitted in Beijing Tiantan Hospital between September 2014 and July 2019. The glucose metabolic pattern was compared between the included patients and 44 age- and gender-matched healthy controls using Statistical Parametric Mapping. Then, the correlation between the metabolic pattern and scaled activities of daily living (ADLs) of the patients was assessed.ResultsThe median time from symptom onset to PET scans was 9 w (range:2-53w). The groupwise analysis revealed that patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis had left hippocampal hypermetabolism and hypometabolism in almost all neocortical regions. The individual-level results showed most patients presented a decreased metabolism in neocortical regions, as well as an increase in metabolism in the hippocampus and basal ganglia. Furthermore, the metabolic gradient between hippocampus and neocortical regions was positively associated with the ADLs (frontal lobe, r=0.529, P=0.008; parietal lobe, r=0.474, P=0.019; occipital lobe, r=0.413, P=0.045; temporal lobe, r=0.490, P=0.015), respectively. In addition, the patients with facio-brachial dystonic seizures (FBDS) presented bilateral putamen hypermetabolism, when compared to patients without FBDS and healthy controls.ConclusionSubcortical hypermetabolism associated with cortical hypometabolism presented with a common metabolic pattern in patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis in the present study. The resolution of the metabolic gradient of the hippocampal hypermetabolism and neocortical hypometabolism may bring about improved clinical neurologic disability.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 995-1010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Logan ◽  
Nora D. Volkow ◽  
Joanna S. Fowler ◽  
Gene-Jack Wang ◽  
Stephen L. Dewey ◽  
...  

To assess the stability of different measures of receptor occupancy from [11C]raclopride (a D2 antagonist) studies with positron emission tomography, we analyze data from five test/retest studies in normal volunteers in terms of individual model parameters from a three-compartment model, the distribution volume (DV) and the ratio of DVs from a receptor-containing region of interest to a non-receptor-containing region. Large variations were found in the individual model parameters, limiting their usefulness as an indicator of change in receptor systems. The DV ratio showed the smallest variation. Individual differences were reflected in the greater intersubject variation in DV than intrasubject variation. The potential effects of blood flow on these measurements were addressed both experimentally and by simulation studies using three models that explicitly incorporate blood flow into a compartmental model that also includes receptor–ligand binding. None of the models showed any variation in the DV with changes in blood flow as long as flow was held constant during the simulation. Experimentally, blood flow was significantly reduced by hyperventilation in a human subject. The DV was found to be reduced relative to baseline in the hyperventilation study, but the DV ratio remained unchanged. The effect of elevated and reduced flow was also tested in two baboon experiments in which Pco2 was varied. Some variability in the DV ratio was observed but was not correlated with changes in blood flow. This raises the possibility that other factors indirectly related to changes in blood flow (or Pco2) may cause changes in DV, and these effects need to be considered when evaluating experimental results.


2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Pawęta ◽  
Yuri Kirillov

Entrepreneurial activity is very important for the economic development of any country. The question often asked by researchers is: what causes growth in the level of entrepreneurial activity? In this paper we focused on the individual-level determinants of entrepreneurial activity – the attitudes and perceptions of entrepreneurship by individuals in the society. The objective of this research is to define how individual-level variables concerning opinions and beliefs in the society influence the early-stage entrepreneurship level in Russia. The research is based on the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data, which we employ using the method of least squares in order to find linear relationships between variables. The results show that two out of presented four hypotheses have been proven. The data presented show that the entrepreneurship activity in the country is positively related to individual-level perceptions of entrepreneurship in the society. These findings may be useful for further research on entrepreneurial intentions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentino Marini Govigli ◽  
Sophie Alkhaled ◽  
Tor Arnesen ◽  
Carla Barlagne ◽  
Mari Bjerck ◽  
...  

Innovation actions within European Horizon 2020 (H2020) projects aim at testing research results in practice. When supporting social innovations in rural areas, such testing requires the alignment of several rural actors in order to entail behavioral changes beyond the individual level. Recently, social innovation has been recognized as an important tool for rural areas, developing new solutions to respond to wicked problems for improving local living conditions at the grassroots level. In this study, we analyzed the use of an operational framework to support the early governance of social innovation actions. This framework was applied to co-construct seven innovation actions across Europe and the Mediterranean basin applied to forestry, agriculture, and rural development. Our results showed that supporting social innovators and local actors at the early stage of social innovation processes is key for efficiently addressing and tackling challenges and opportunities. Additionally, we showed that the process of defining a social innovation is complex and requires recursive engagement, which might lead to evolution through time, especially in the first phases of the process. Lastly, conducting the feasibility assessment enabled strategic thinking on crucial dimensions for designing a promising social innovation action, such as social networks management, financial sustainability, and know-how. Such findings helped us to draw general lessons for the development and governance of social innovation actions in rural areas, potentially applicable to any rural sector.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Darin D. Dougherty ◽  
Tina Chou ◽  
Ulrike Buhlmann ◽  
Scott L. Rauch ◽  
Thilo Deckersbach

Background: Neurobiological studies implicate the amygdala and related limbic/paralimbic structures, such as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), in anger and aggression. Previous studies of self-generated anger using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) have consistently documented a lack of amygdala activation during anger. Objective: We investigated the hypothesis that a lack of amygdala activation during anger is due to differences in the time course of amygdala and VMPFC activation. Specifically, we explored whether the amygdala is involved in the early phases of anger experience which is later followed by increased VMPFC activation. Methods: Eighteen healthy control participants underwent fMRI. We adapted an anger induction paradigm previously used in our PET study, in which neutral and angry states were induced using autobiographical scripts. The hypothesized time course of amygdala and VMPFC activation during acute anger induction and imagery were modeled. Region of interest (ROI) analyses were used to identify significant a priori region activation, and correlations were run between signal values and VAS anger ratings. Results: Amygdala activation increased during the acute phase of anger induction and decreased during the later phase of anger imagery, whereas VMPFC activation decreased during anger induction and increased during anger imagery, compared to the neutral conditions. In addition, negative correlations were found between self-ratings of anger and bilateral VMPFC activation. Conclusions: Overall, our results suggest that the amygdala may be active at the initial onset of anger while the VMPFC is activated over time as the individual sustains and perhaps regulates that emotional state.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayo Takahashi ◽  
Takamitsu Hosoya ◽  
Kayo Onoe ◽  
Tomoko Mori ◽  
Shusaku Tazawa ◽  
...  

AbstractAromatase is an estrogen synthetic enzyme that plays important roles in brain functions. To quantify aromatase expression in the brain by positron emission tomography (PET), we had previously developed [11C]cetrozole, which showed high specificity and affinity. To develop more efficient PET tracer(s) for aromatase imaging, we synthesized three analogs of cetrozole. We synthesized meta-cetrozole, nitro-cetrozole, and iso-cetrozole, and prepared the corresponding 11C-labeled tracers. The inhibitory activities of these three analogs toward aromatase were evaluated using marmoset placenta, and PET imaging of brain aromatase was performed using the 11C-labeled tracers in monkeys. The most promising analog in the monkey study, iso-cetrozole, was evaluated in the human PET study. The highest to lowest inhibitory activity of the analogs toward aromatase in the microsomal fraction from marmoset placenta was in the following order: iso-cetrozole, nitro-cetrozole, cetrozole, and meta-cetrozole. This order showed good agreement with the order of the binding potential (BP) of each 11C-labeled analog to aromatase in the rhesus monkey brain. A human PET study using [11C]iso-analog showed a similar distribution pattern of binding as that of [11C]cetrozole. The time–activity curves showed that elimination of [11C]iso-cetrozole from brain tissue was faster than that of 11C-cetrozole, indicating more rapid metabolism of [11C]iso-cetrozole. [11C]Cetrozole has preferable metabolic stability for brain aromatase imaging in humans, although [11C]iso-cetrozole might also be useful to measure aromatase level in living human brain because of its high binding potential.


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