scholarly journals Culture Wires the Brain

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 391-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise C. Park ◽  
Chih-Mao Huang
Keyword(s):  
Brain Structure ◽  
Cultural Psychology ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Neural Function ◽  
Limited Evidence ◽  
Neural Structure ◽  
Cultural Experiences ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

There is clear evidence that sustained experiences may affect both brain structure and function. Thus, it is quite reasonable to posit that sustained exposure to a set of cultural experiences and behavioral practices will affect neural structure and function. The burgeoning field of cultural psychology has often demonstrated the subtle differences in the way individuals process information—differences that appear to be a product of cultural experiences. We review evidence that the collectivistic and individualistic biases of East Asian and Western cultures, respectively, affect neural structure and function. We conclude that there is limited evidence that cultural experiences affect brain structure and considerably more evidence that neural function is affected by culture, particularly activations in ventral visual cortex—areas associated with perceptual processing.

scholarly journals Relative Function: Nuclear Brain Imaging in United States Courts

2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 567-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan E. Rushing ◽  
Daniel D. Langleben
Keyword(s):  
Brain Imaging ◽  
Functional Imaging ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Neuropsychological Testing ◽  
Photon Emission ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Emission Computed Tomography ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

Neuropsychological testing—medical imaging of the brain structure and function—allows the expert to inform the court on the brain structure and function of the forensic examinee. Supported by extensive clinical use, neuropsychological testing and structural imaging in the form of computerized tomography and structural magnetic resonance imaging have achieved general acceptance in court. However, functional imaging such as functional MRI and nuclear medicine techniques, such as positron emission tomography (PET), have faced more admissibility challenges. While functional imaging is becoming an increasingly important tool in assessing neuropsychiatric illness, we surmise that evidentiary challenges are largely related to the phase of trial in which the nuclear study is offered as evidence. This article will review the basic science of functional nuclear imaging including PET and single photon emission computed tomography. We will then review cases where admissibility of these techniques has been challenged and consider whether and how nuclear brain imaging can influence the outcome of the trial.

scholarly journals Can exercise make our children smarter?

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nenad Stojiljković ◽  
Petar Mitić ◽  
Goran Sporiš
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

Purpose. The aim of this study is to reveal the effects of exercise on the brain structure and function in children, and to analyze methodological approach applied in the researches of this topic. Methods. This literature review provides an overview of important findings in this fast growing research domain. Results from cross-sectional, longitudinal, and interventional studies of the influence of exercise on the brain structure and function of healthy children are reviewed and discussed. Results. The majority of researches are done as cross sectional studies based on the exploring correlation between the level of physical activity and characteristics of brain structure and function. Results of the studies indicate that exercise has positive correlation with improved cognition and beneficial changes to brain function in children. Physically active children have greater white matter integrity in several white matter tracts (corpus callosum, corona radiata, and superior longitudinal fasciculus), have greater volume of gray matter in the hippocampus and basal ganglia than their physically inactive counterparts. The longitudinal/interventional studies also showed that exercise (mainly aerobic) improve cognitive performance of children and causes changes observed on functional magnetic resonance imaging scans (fMRI) located in prefrontal and parietal regions. Conclusion. Previous researches undoubtable proved that exercise can make positive changes of the brain structures in children, specifically the volume of the hippocampus which is the center of learning and memory. Finally the researchers agree that the most influential type of exercise on changes of brain structure and functions are the aerobic exercises. 

scholarly journals Η πρώιμη παρέμβαση στην περίπτωση της ΔΕΠ-Υ στο πλαίσιο του βιοψυχοκοινωνικού μοντέλου

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Κατερίνα Μανιαδάκη
Keyword(s):  
Early Intervention ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Developmental Psychopathology ◽  
Neuronal Development ◽  
Brain Plasticity ◽  
Intrinsic Property ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

The aim of this paper is to provide evidence regarding the necessity and the effectiveness of early intervention for ADHD, by reviewing the most important international early intervention programs for ADHD and by presenting a relevant program implemented in Greece, based on the multi-level approach in developmental psychopathology. These programs are underpinned theoretically by the biopsychosocial epigenetic model which claims that ADHD is not just the outcome of structural and functional neurobiological deficits but results from the dynamic interplay among genetic, neurophysiological, neurochemical, and environmental factors, affecting brain structure and function early in the process of development. Early intervention focuses on those processes that take place very early in development and have a causal relationship with ADHD, with the aim of modifying the underlying neurophysiology and producing generalized long-lasting change. The efficacy of early intervention mainly lies in the fact that it takes place during a period when brain plasticity is great. Plasticity is an intrinsic property of the brain that ensures dynamic modifications at multiple levels of neural organization, allowing the brain to process, encode, and implement new knowledge. Although this neuronal development is to a great extent genetically programmed, it is widely acknowledged that environment also plays a major role through the process of epigenesis by moderating gene expression with subsequent alterations in brain structure and function and allowing even modification of certain deficient structures.

scholarly journals Beyond sex differences: new approaches for thinking about variation in brain structure and function

2016 ◽  
Vol 371 (1688) ◽  
pp. 20150451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daphna Joel ◽  
Anne Fausto-Sterling
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Sex And Gender ◽  
Sex Effects ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

In the study of variation in brain structure and function that might relate to sex and gender, language matters because it frames our research questions and methods. In this article, we offer an approach to thinking about variation in brain structure and function that pulls us outside the sex differences formulation. We argue that the existence of differences between the brains of males and females does not unravel the relations between sex and the brain nor is it sufficient to characterize a population of brains. Such characterization is necessary for studying sex effects on the brain as well as for studying brain structure and function in general. Animal studies show that sex interacts with environmental, developmental and genetic factors to affect the brain. Studies of humans further suggest that human brains are better described as belonging to a single heterogeneous population rather than two distinct populations. We discuss the implications of these observations for studies of brain and behaviour in humans and in laboratory animals. We believe that studying sex effects in context and developing or adopting analytical methods that take into account the heterogeneity of the brain are crucial for the advancement of human health and well-being.

scholarly journals Using multimodal MRI to investigate alterations in brain structure and function in rats with type 2 diabetes.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M Lawson ◽  
Kilian FG Rentrup ◽  
Xuezhu Cai ◽  
Praveen P Kulkarni ◽  
Craig Ferris
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Clinical Findings ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Functional Coupling ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Objectives This is an exploratory study using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to interrogate the brain of rats with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) as compared to controls. It was assumed there would be changes in brain structure and function that reflected the human disorder, thus providing a model system by which to follow disease progression with non-invasive MRI. Methods The transgenic BBZDR/Wor rat, an animal model of T2MD, and age-matched controls were studied for changes in brain structure using voxel-based morphometry, alteration in white and gray matter microarchitecture using diffusion weighted imaging with indices of anisotropy, and functional coupling using resting state BOLD functional connectivity. Images from each modality were registered to, and analyzed, using a 3D MRI rat atlas providing site-specific data on over 168 different brain areas. Results There was an overall reduction in brain volume focused primarily on somatosensory cortex, cerebellum and white matter tracts. The putative changes in white and gray matter microarchitecture were pervasive affecting much of the brain and not localized to any region. There was a general increase in connectivity in T2DM rats as compared to controls. The cerebellum presented with strong functional coupling to pons and brainstem in T2DM rats but negative connectivity to hippocampus. Conclusion Are the neuroradiological measures collected in BBBKZ/Wor rats using multimodal imaging methods common to the clinic, similar to those reported in T2DM patents? In comparison to the clinical findings, the data would suggest the BBBKZ/Wor rat is not an appropriate imaging model for T2DM.

scholarly journals Everything you wanted to know about neuroimaging and psychiatry, but were afraid to ask

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 251-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Martinelli ◽  
Sukhwinder S. Shergill
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Psychiatric Disorder ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Everyday Clinical Practice ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

SummaryRecent years have seen a dramatic increase in the advances and applications of medical imaging techniques. Tools with familiar acronyms such as MRI, EEG/MEG and PET/SPECT have provided invaluable information not only about the brain structure and function associated with psychiatric disorders, but increasingly about the mechanisms underpinning these disorders. This evolving understanding of the specific pathophysiology of mental disorder paves the way for improvement in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of the disorders managed in everyday clinical practice. This article gives an overview of the main neuroimaging approaches, contemporary applications of this technology to psychiatric disorder and signposts to the exciting possibilities for the future.

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