Hippocampal Subfield Volumes and Cognitive Function in Schizophrenia and Mood Disorders

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The hippocampus is relevant to cognitive function in schizophrenia (SCZ) and mood disorder patients. Although not anatomically uniform, it is clearly divided into subfields. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between hippocampal subfield volume and cognitive function in patients with SCZ, bipolar disorder (BP), and major depressive disorder (MDD). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The study included 21 patients with SCZ, 22 with BP, and 21 with MDD and 25 healthy controls (HCs). Neurocognitive function was assessed using the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia. We obtained hippocampal subfield volumes using FreeSurfer 6.0. We compared the volumes of the hippocampal subfield between the 4 groups and ascertained correlation between the cognitive composite score and hippocampal subfield volume in each group. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The SCZ group had significantly lower cognitive composite score than the BP, MDD, and HC groups. In the SCZ group, the left and right hippocampus-amygdala transition area and right subiculum and right presubiculum volumes were significantly reduced compared to those in the HC group. The left presubiculum volumes in the SCZ group were significantly reduced compared to those in the MDD group. Subfield volumes did not significantly differ between the BP, MDD, and HC groups. Interestingly, in the SCZ group, volumes of the right CA1, right molecular layer of the hippocampus, and right granule cell and molecular layer of the dentate gyrus were significantly correlated with the cognitive composite score. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Patients with SCZ had poorer cognitive function, which is related to their hippocampal pathology, than those with mood disorders.

Impaired Glymphatic Function and Pulsation Alterations in a Mouse Model of Vascular Cognitive Impairment

Large vessel disease and carotid stenosis are key mechanisms contributing to vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) and dementia. Our previous work, and that of others, using rodent models, demonstrated that bilateral common carotid stenosis (BCAS) leads to cognitive impairment via gradual deterioration of the neuro-glial-vascular unit and accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) protein. Since brain-wide drainage pathways (glymphatic) for waste clearance, including Aβ removal, have been implicated in the pathophysiology of VCI via glial mechanisms, we hypothesized that glymphatic function would be impaired in a BCAS model and exacerbated in the presence of Aβ. Male wild-type and Tg-SwDI (model of microvascular amyloid) mice were subjected to BCAS or sham surgery which led to a reduction in cerebral perfusion and impaired spatial learning acquisition and cognitive flexibility. After 3 months survival, glymphatic function was evaluated by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fluorescent tracer influx. We demonstrated that BCAS caused a marked regional reduction of CSF tracer influx in the dorsolateral cortex and CA1-DG molecular layer. In parallel to these changes increased reactive astrogliosis was observed post-BCAS. To further investigate the mechanisms that may lead to these changes, we measured the pulsation of cortical vessels. BCAS impaired vascular pulsation in pial arteries in WT and Tg-SwDI mice. Our findings show that BCAS influences VCI and that this is paralleled by impaired glymphatic drainage and reduced vascular pulsation. We propose that these additional targets need to be considered when treating VCI.

High performance silicon electrode enabled by titanicone coating

This paper presents the electrochemical performance and characterization of nano Si electrodes coated with titanicone (TiGL) as an anode for Li ion batteries (LIBs). Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of the metal combined with the molecular layer deposition (MLD) of the organic precursor is used to prepare coated electrodes at different temperatures with improved performance compared to the uncoated Si electrode. Coated electrodes prepared at 150 °C deliver the highest capacity and best current response of 1800 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and 150 mAh g−1 at 20 C. This represented a substantial improvement compared to the Si baseline which delivers a capacity of 1100 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C but fails to deliver capacity at 20 C. Moreover, the optimized coated electrode shows an outstanding capacity of 1200 mAh g−1 at 1 C for 350 cycles with a capacity retention of 93%. The improved discharge capacity, electrode efficiencies, rate capability and electrochemical stability for the Si-based electrode presented in this manuscript are directly correlated to the optimized TiGL coating layer deposited by the ALD/MLD processes, which enhances lithium kinetics and electronic conductivity as demonstrated by equivalent circuit analysis of low frequency impedance data and conductivity measurements. The coating strategy also stabilizes SEI film formation with better Coulombic efficiencies (CE) and improves long cycling stability by reducing capacity lost.

Facile synthesis of organic/inorganic hybrid 2D structure tincone film by molecular layer deposition

Organic/inorganic hybrid tincone films were deposited by molecular layer deposition (MLD) using N,N′-tert-butyl-1,1-dimethylethylenediamine stannylene(II) as a precursor and hydroquinone (HQ) as organic reactants. As a result of previous studies it...

In-situ analysis of growth rate evolution during molecular layer deposition of ultra-thin polyurea films using aliphatic and aromatic precursors

Organic thin films formed by molecular layer deposition (MLD) are important for next-generation electronics, energy storage, photoresists, protective barriers and other applications. This study uses in situ ellipsometry and quartz...

Visualization of magnesium and rubidium ion hydration in sulfocationite using quantum chemical calculation

Based on the data of ab initio calculation of the structure of (RSO3)2Mg (H2O)18 and (RSO3Rb)2(H2O)16 clusters, which simulate the structure of swollen sulfostyrene ion exchangers in the corresponding ionic forms and a water cluster of comparable size, the numbers of water molecules directly bound to cations and their coordination numbers, including the oxygen atoms of the sulfonic groups linked to the cation, were calculated. It is shown that the first molecular layer around the magnesium ion is formed from water molecules with the highest binding energy with the cluster, and around the rubidium ion – from the molecules of the nearest environment with the lowest binding energies. This is explained by the fact that the transfer of water molecules from its volume to magnesium hydrate is energetically favorable, but not to rubidium hydrate. Therefore, the magnesium ion builds its hydrate mainly from water molecules with the highest binding energy in order to obtain the greatest energy gain, and the rubidium ion – from molecules with the lowest energy, which provides the smallest energy loss.

Medullary Serotonergic Binding Deficits and Hippocampal Abnormalities in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: One or Two Entities?

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is understood as a syndrome that presents with the common phenotype of sudden death but involves heterogenous biological causes. Many pathological findings have been consistently reported in SIDS, notably in areas of the brain known to play a role in autonomic control and arousal. Our laboratory has reported abnormalities in SIDS cases in medullary serotonin (5-HT) receptor 1A and within the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Unknown, however, is whether the medullary and hippocampal abnormalities coexist in the same SIDS cases, supporting a biological relationship of one abnormality with the other. In this study, we begin with an analysis of medullary 5-HT1A binding, as determined by receptor ligand autoradiography, in a combined cohort of published and unpublished SIDS (n = 86) and control (n = 22) cases. We report 5-HT1A binding abnormalities consistent with previously reported data, including lower age-adjusted mean binding in SIDS and age vs. diagnosis interactions. Utilizing this combined cohort of cases, we identified 41 SIDS cases with overlapping medullary 5-HT1A binding data and hippocampal assessment and statistically addressed the relationship between abnormalities at each site. Within this SIDS analytic cohort, we defined abnormal (low) medullary 5-HT1A binding as within the lowest quartile of binding adjusted for age and we examined three specific hippocampal findings previously identified as significantly more prevalent in SIDS compared to controls (granular cell bilamination, clusters of immature cells in the subgranular layer, and single ectopic cells in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus). Our data did not find a strong statistical relationship between low medullary 5-HT1A binding and the presence of any of the hippocampal abnormalities examined. It did, however, identify a subset of SIDS (~25%) with both low medullary 5-HT1A binding and hippocampal abnormalities. The subset of SIDS cases with both low medullary 5-HT1A binding and single ectopic cells in the molecular layer was associated with prenatal smoking (p = 0.02), suggesting a role for the exposure in development of the two abnormalities. Overall, our data present novel information on the relationship between neuropathogical abnormalities in SIDS and support the heterogenous nature and overall complexity of SIDS pathogenesis.

Analysis of Histological Features of the Cerebral Cortex and Hippocampus of Albino Rats Using Haematoxylin & Eosin Stain- An Observational Study

Background: The study determined the histological layers of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the albino rat brain samples has been used in the study. The Cerebral cortex is composed of the Molecular layer, external granular, external pyramidal layer, internal granular layer and interior pyramidal layer. The layers of the hippocampus are alveus, stratum oriens, stratum pyramidale, stratum radiatum, stratum lacunosum and stratum moleculare. The aim of the study is to analyze the detailed histological features of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus layers of albino rats at the magnification of 10X,100X,40X. By using haematoxylin and eosin stain as an observational study. Materials and Methods: The samples were preserved and fixed with the formalin and stained by haematoxylin and eosin and observed with a light microscope. Results: The molecular layer is the superficial layer containing neurons. The outer granular layer of the cells are densely packed. Outer pyramidal layer contains rich pyramidal cells, Inner granular layer contains stellate cells, Inner pyramidal layer contains glial cells and the deeper multiform layer is composed of pyramidal cells. The hippocampus contains three layers of cornu Ammonia CA1, CA2, CA3. CA1 responds to memory and is covered by the choroid plexus. CA2 contains 3 major cell dentate gyrus, pyramidal cells, pyramidal neurons and CA3 composed of stratum lucidum. Conclusion: The study of brain analysis of histological features of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the brain adds a greater insight in understanding the histology of various types of layers in rat brain and morphology of brain cells.