scholarly journals The Aversion Function of the Limbic Dopaminergic Neurons and Their Roles in Functional Neurological Disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengming He ◽  
Yao Jiang ◽  
Simeng Gu ◽  
Dandan Wu ◽  
Duo Qin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Limbic System ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Neural Mechanism ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Internal Conflicts ◽  
Sex Drive ◽  
Processing Motivation ◽  
Functional Neurological Disorders

The Freudian theory of conversion suggested that the major symptoms of functional neurological disorders (FNDs) are due to internal conflicts at motivation, especially at the sex drive or libido. FND patients might behave properly at rewarding situations, but they do not know how to behave at aversive situations. Sex drive is the major source of dopamine (DA) release in the limbic area; however, the neural mechanism involved in FND is not clear. Dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons have been shown to play a key role in processing motivation-related information. Recently, DAergic neurons are found to be involved in reward-related prediction error, as well as the prediction of aversive information. Therefore, it is suggested that DA might change the rewarding reactions to aversive reactions at internal conflicts of FND. So DAergic neurons in the limbic areas might induce two major motivational functions: reward and aversion at internal conflicts. This article reviewed the recent advances on studies about DAergic neurons involved in aversive stimulus processing at internal conflicts and summarizes several neural pathways, including four limbic system brain regions, which are involved in the processing of aversion. Then the article discussed the vital function of these neural circuits in addictive behavior, depression treatment, and FNDs. In all, this review provided a prospect for future research on the aversion function of limbic system DA neurons and the therapy of FNDs.

scholarly journals Beyond Alzheimer’s Disease: Bilingualism and Other Types of Neurodegeneration

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toms Voits ◽  
Christos Pliatsikas ◽  
Holly Robson ◽  
Jason Rothman
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Disorders ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Relevant Evidence ◽  
Children And Young Adults ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ageing Populations

Bilingualism has been argued to have an impact on cognition and brain structure. Such effects have been reported in healthy children and young adults, but also in ageing adults, including clinical ageing populations. For example, bilingualism may significantly contribute to the delaying of the expression of Alzheimer’s dementia symptoms. If bilingualism plays an ameliorative role against neurodegeneration, it is possible that it would have similar effects for other neurodegenerative disorders, including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s Diseases; however, relevant evidence remains limited. Herein, we provide a focused literature review on the effects of these progressive neurological disorders on cognition and brain structure, examine how the affected functions and brain regions map to those suggested to be impacted by bilingualism, and report the limited evidence of the impact of bilingualism on these conditions. We then examine the value of making links across neurodegenerative disorders and bilingualism, proposing that available evidence warrants claims for bilingualism- related effects more generally, with an eye at future research to fill in gaps in our understanding.

scholarly journals Connectivity Study of the Neuromechanism of Acute Acupuncture Needling during fMRI in “Overweight” Subjects

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen M. von Deneen ◽  
Wei Qin ◽  
Peng Liu ◽  
Minghao Dong ◽  
Peng Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Limbic System ◽  
Core Body Temperature ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Spinothalamic Tract ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Core Body ◽  
Acupuncture Effects

This functional connectivity study depicts how acupoints ST 36 and SP 9 and their sham acupoints acutely act on blood glucose (GLU), core body temperature (CBT), hunger, and sensations pertaining to needling (De-qi) via the limbic system and dopamine (DA) to affect various brain areas in fasting, adult, and “overweight” Chinese males using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Functional connectivity (FC) analysis utilized the amygdala (AMY) and hypothalamus (HYP) as regions of interest (ROIs) in the discrete cosine transform and seed correlation analysis methods. There was a significant difference in the spatial patterns of the distinct brain regions between groups. Correlation results showed that increased HYP-hippocampus FC after ACU was positively correlated with ACU-induced change in CBT; increased HYP-putamen-insula FC after ACU was positively correlated with ACU-induced change in GLU; and increased HYP-anterior cingulate cortex FC after ACU was positively correlated with ACU-induced change in HUNGER suggesting that increased DA modulation during ACU was probably associated with increased poststimulation limbic system and spinothalamic tract connectivity. Decreased HYP-thalamus FC after ACU was negatively correlated or anticorrelated with ACU-induced change in HUNGER suggesting that increased DA modulation during ACU was possibly associated with decreased poststimulation limbic system and spinothalamic tract connectivity. No correlation was found for min SHAM. This was an important study in addressing acute acupuncture effects and neural pathways involving physiology and appetite regulation in overweight individuals.

Musical Anhedonia

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 62-68
Author(s):  
Sara E. Holm ◽  
Alexander Schmidt ◽  
Christoph J. Ploner
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Brain Damage ◽  
Parietal Cortex ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Precise Information ◽  
Exact Localization ◽  
High Prevalence

Abstract. Some people, although they are perfectly healthy and happy, cannot enjoy music. These individuals have musical anhedonia, a condition which can be congenital or may occur after focal brain damage. To date, only a few cases of acquired musical anhedonia have been reported in the literature with lesions of the temporo-parietal cortex being particularly important. Even less literature exists on congenital musical anhedonia, in which impaired connectivity of temporal brain regions with the Nucleus accumbens is implicated. Nonetheless, there is no precise information on the prevalence, causes or exact localization of both congenital and acquired musical anhedonia. However, the frequent involvement of temporo-parietal brain regions in neurological disorders such as stroke suggest the possibility of a high prevalence of this disorder, which leads to a considerable reduction in the quality of life.

The Social Neuroscience of Cooperation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay Joseph Van Bavel
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Review Literature ◽  
Social Neuroscience ◽  
Future Research ◽  
A Value ◽  
Group Cooperation ◽  
Neural Processes ◽  
The Social ◽  
Cooperative Decision Making

We review literature from several fields to describe common experimental tasks used to measure human cooperation as well as the theoretical models that have been used to characterize cooperative decision-making, as well as brain regions implicated in cooperation. Building on work in neuroeconomics, we suggest a value-based account may provide the most powerful understanding the psychology and neuroscience of group cooperation. We also review the role of individual differences and social context in shaping the mental processes that underlie cooperation and consider gaps in the literature and potential directions for future research on the social neuroscience of cooperation. We suggest that this multi-level approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of the mental and neural processes that underlie the decision to cooperate with others.

Co-Enzyme Q10 to Treat Neurological Disorders: Basic Mechanisms, Clinical Outcomes, and Future Research Direction

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 641-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Salama ◽  
Ti-Fei Yuan ◽  
Sergio Machado ◽  
Eric Murillo-Rodriguez ◽  
Jose Vega ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Research Direction ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Future Research Direction

scholarly journals Application of deep learning in detecting neurological disorders from magnetic resonance images: a survey on the detection of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manan Binth Taj Noor ◽  
Nusrat Zerin Zenia ◽  
M Shamim Kaiser ◽  
Shamim Al Mamun ◽  
Mufti Mahmud
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Deep Learning ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Images ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Comparative Performance

Abstract Neuroimaging, in particular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has been playing an important role in understanding brain functionalities and its disorders during the last couple of decades. These cutting-edge MRI scans, supported by high-performance computational tools and novel ML techniques, have opened up possibilities to unprecedentedly identify neurological disorders. However, similarities in disease phenotypes make it very difficult to detect such disorders accurately from the acquired neuroimaging data. This article critically examines and compares performances of the existing deep learning (DL)-based methods to detect neurological disorders—focusing on Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia—from MRI data acquired using different modalities including functional and structural MRI. The comparative performance analysis of various DL architectures across different disorders and imaging modalities suggests that the Convolutional Neural Network outperforms other methods in detecting neurological disorders. Towards the end, a number of current research challenges are indicated and some possible future research directions are provided.

scholarly journals Metacognition: ideas and insights from neuro- and educational sciences

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Damien S. Fleur ◽  
Bert Bredeweg ◽  
Wouter van den Bos
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Neuroscience ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Metacognitive Knowledge ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Metacognitive Control ◽  
Domain Generality ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
Control Research ◽  
Educational Sciences

AbstractMetacognition comprises both the ability to be aware of one’s cognitive processes (metacognitive knowledge) and to regulate them (metacognitive control). Research in educational sciences has amassed a large body of evidence on the importance of metacognition in learning and academic achievement. More recently, metacognition has been studied from experimental and cognitive neuroscience perspectives. This research has started to identify brain regions that encode metacognitive processes. However, the educational and neuroscience disciplines have largely developed separately with little exchange and communication. In this article, we review the literature on metacognition in educational and cognitive neuroscience and identify entry points for synthesis. We argue that to improve our understanding of metacognition, future research needs to (i) investigate the degree to which different protocols relate to the similar or different metacognitive constructs and processes, (ii) implement experiments to identify neural substrates necessary for metacognition based on protocols used in educational sciences, (iii) study the effects of training metacognitive knowledge in the brain, and (iv) perform developmental research in the metacognitive brain and compare it with the existing developmental literature from educational sciences regarding the domain-generality of metacognition.

scholarly journals Social exclusion increases the executive function of attention networks

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huoyin Zhang ◽  
Shiyunmeng Zhang ◽  
Jiachen Lu ◽  
Yi Lei ◽  
Hong Li
Keyword(s):  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Executive Control ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Attention Network ◽  
Attention Networks ◽  
The Social ◽  
And Control

AbstractPrevious studies in humans have shown that brain regions activating social exclusion overlap with those related to attention. However, in the context of social exclusion, how does behavioral monitoring affect individual behavior? In this study, we used the Cyberball game to induce the social exclusion effect in a group of participants. To explore the influence of social exclusion on the attention network, we administered the Attention Network Test (ANT) and compared results for the three subsystems of the attention network (orienting, alerting, and executive control) between exclusion (N = 60) and inclusion (N = 60) groups. Compared with the inclusion group, the exclusion group showed shorter overall response time and better executive control performance, but no significant differences in orienting or alerting. The excluded individuals showed a stronger ability to detect and control conflicts. It appears that social exclusion does not always exert a negative influence on individuals. In future research, attention to network can be used as indicators of social exclusion. This may further reveal how social exclusion affects individuals' psychosomatic mechanisms.

scholarly journals Cannabinoids, reward processing, and psychosis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon Gunasekera ◽  
Kelly Diederen ◽  
Sagnik Bhattacharyya
Keyword(s):  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Dopamine Synthesis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Drug Challenge ◽  
Psychotomimetic Effects

Abstract Background Evidence suggests that an overlap exists between the neurobiology of psychotic disorders and the effects of cannabinoids on neurocognitive and neurochemical substrates involved in reward processing. Aims We investigate whether the psychotomimetic effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and the antipsychotic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) are underpinned by their effects on the reward system and dopamine. Methods This narrative review focuses on the overlap between altered dopamine signalling and reward processing induced by cannabinoids, pre-clinically and in humans. A systematic search was conducted of acute cannabinoid drug-challenge studies using neuroimaging in healthy subjects and those with psychosis Results There is evidence of increased striatal presynaptic dopamine synthesis and release in psychosis, as well as abnormal engagement of the striatum during reward processing. Although, acute THC challenges have elicited a modest effect on striatal dopamine, cannabis users generally indicate impaired presynaptic dopaminergic function. Functional MRI studies have identified that a single dose of THC may modulate regions involved in reward and salience processing such as the striatum, midbrain, insular, and anterior cingulate, with some effects correlating with the severity of THC-induced psychotic symptoms. CBD may modulate brain regions involved in reward/salience processing in an opposite direction to that of THC. Conclusions There is evidence to suggest modulation of reward processing and its neural substrates by THC and CBD. Whether such effects underlie the psychotomimetic/antipsychotic effects of these cannabinoids remains unclear. Future research should address these unanswered questions to understand the relationship between endocannabinoid dysfunction, reward processing abnormalities, and psychosis.

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