Papers by Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal, 2024
Introduction: Limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDs) are a diverse set of muscle disorders with... more Introduction: Limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDs) are a diverse set of muscle disorders with several subgroups classified by defective genes and inheritance patterns. Numerous pathogenic mutations in calpain-3, the intracellular calcium-dependent protease encoded by the calcium-activated neutral proteinase 3 (CAPN3) gene, have been linked to an autosomal recessive type of this muscle disorder (LGMD2A), resulting in a weakened pelvic and shoulder girdle. This study aimed to investigate causative mutations in a consanguineous family with two afflicted offspring who were highly suspected of having LGMD.
Methods: This study sought to find causal variations in a consanguineous family with two affected offspring strongly suspected of LGMD referred to our Genetic Department at Ahvaz Noorgene Genetic and Clinical Laboratory to diagnose their muscular dystrophy type. We applied whole-exome sequencing (WES) to find the causal variations in the proband’s genomic DNA. Then, we sought confirmation and performed a co-segregation analysis of the discovered variant with the phenotype in the proband and family members using Sanger sequencing.
Results: Following bioinformatic analysis and data filtering, we identified a homozygous variation, NM_000070.3:c.661G>T:p.G221C, within the CAPN3 gene that was validated by Sanger sequencing in the proband and segregated with LGMD2A in the family. The single alternation was described as pathogenic and regarded as a missense variant that altered protein features due to replacing the highly conserved amino acid glycine in the catalytic domain of calpain-3 protein with a cysteine.
Conclusion: The results of this investigation offer additional support for the genetic heterogeneity of LGMD and expand the mutational gene spectrum of CAPN3-associated muscular dystrophy by finding a pathogenic CAPN3 variant in both homozygous and heterozygous forms that had not previously been reported in these patients.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal, 2024
Introduction: Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) comprise clinically and genetically heterogeneo... more Introduction: Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) comprise clinically and genetically heterogeneous diseases. It is challenging to diagnose the underlying origin of NDDs. We aim to evaluate whole exome sequencing (WES) results in our NDD patients and the responsible genetic variants.
Methods: This study evaluated the WES analysis of 25 NDD patients retrospectively. Also, the diagnostic yield of WES in our cases and clinical findings were examined.
Results: After WES analysis, we diagnosed 13 patients (52%) with pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants, but 12(48%) had variants of uncertain significance (VUS). However, after phenotype consistency and following segregation analysis, we reevaluated 2 VUS as the disease-causing variants, and our yield rate increased to 60%. We also reported the secondary findings.
Conclusion: Our study’s diagnostic yield of WES in NDD was 60%. The latest American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guideline recommends WES as the first-tier test in NDD. WES is time- and cost-effective when performed on a well-selected patient. Also, determining the underlying cause of NDD will provide patients with a more precise diagnosis and clinical follow-up.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal, 2024
Introduction: The developing and promising optogenetic stimulation method can aid functional reco... more Introduction: The developing and promising optogenetic stimulation method can aid functional recovery by carefully regulating neuronal activity in brain circuits damaged by a stroke lesion. This investigation assesses the potential pretreatment effects of optogenetic stimulation on an ischemic stroke animal model.
Methods: Lentiviruses containing pLenti-CaMKIIa-hChR2 (H134R)-mCherry-WPRE were administered to adult male Wistar rats. It was injected into the right striatum for this purpose. Twenty-six days after the virus injection, the animals were exposed to blue laser light for six days in a row for 30 minutes at a time. Twenty-four hours after the final light stimulation, the transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) was done. One day after reperfusion, the neurological processes and the size of the brain infarcts in ischemic rats were evaluated. The transcript levels of microRNAs 21 and 124a—epigenetic indicators for neuroprotection and neurogenesis—were also assessed in the striatum and hippocampus.
Results: Our findings suggested that pretreatment with glutamatergic striatum optogenetic stimulation could reduce neurological impairments in rats and boost neuronal survival in both striatum and hippocampal regions. Also, the expression of microRNA-21 (miR-21) in the striatum was significantly increased in rats that had been optogenetically stimulated. Additionally, miR-124a expression was elevated in both regions in rats given tMCAO, and pretreatment with optical stimulations may considerably lower its expression in the hippocampus.
Conclusion: According to our findings, optogenetic stimulation pretreatment of the striatum positively affects stroke recovery. The effect is partially mediated by altering miRNAs involved in neurogenesis and subsequently activating its downstream signaling cascade.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal, 2024
Introduction: Dementia is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and a significant healthcare c... more Introduction: Dementia is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and a significant healthcare concern increasing worldwide. The modulation of the gut-brain axis by gut microbiota might have favorable effects on ameliorating cognitive decline. We aimed to investigate whether synbiotics administration could enhance cognition and function in older adults with non-severe Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Methods: This study was designed as a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial to test the effects of synbiotic supplementation for 90 days (between August 2019 and February 2021). A synbiotics formulation or placebo was randomly allocated to older outpatients with mild to moderate AD. The intervention group took two capsules daily containing a mixture of 7 bacterial strains as probiotics and a prebiotic for 12 weeks. Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Barthel index evaluated participants’ cognition and functional status. Pre-intervention and post-intervention fasting blood samples were obtained to compare their serum albumin (Alb), fasting blood sugar (FBS), 25(OH) vitamin D, and lipid profile.
Results: A total of 60 patients with a mean age of 77 years were recruited. After 12 weeks of synbiotic supplementation, no significant improvement was detected in the MMSE score (P=0.53) and Barthel index (P=0.43). Furthermore, metabolic parameters including FBS (P=0.92), triglyceride (P=0.48), total cholesterol (P=0.74), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (P=0.54), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (P=0.79), serum Alb (P=0.28) and 25(OH) vitamin D levels (P=0.67) were not different before and after synbiotic administration.
Conclusion: This study does not support the idea that short-term synbiotic supplementation could enhance cognitive and physical function in older patients with mild to moderate AD.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal, 2024
Introduction: Interventions using ‘hybrid’ remediation/compensatory cognitive interventions may b... more Introduction: Interventions using ‘hybrid’ remediation/compensatory cognitive interventions may be beneficial to improving the socio-cognitive functioning of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous studies have shown that neurocognitive impairments in executive function (EF) and theory of mind (TOM) are specifically associated with ASD. The primary objective of the study is to determine the impact of the remediation and compensatory cognitive intervention on EFs and TOM abilities. The secondary objective is to evaluate TOM and EF behavioral domains due to the remediation and compensatory cognitive intervention.
Methods: A total of 75 children aged 4 to 7 years diagnosed with high-functioning autism and their parents will be recruited to this double-blind, multicenter, multi-arm randomized controlled trial. The primary outcomes are EFs and TOM as measured by the shape school, shape span test, TOM scale, TOM story books, TOM assessment checklist, and EFs assessment checklist. The secondary outcome is EFs and TOM behavioral domains as measured by the TOM behavior checklist and brief-preschool version at baseline (T0), post-test (T1), 1-month follow-up (T2), and 3-month follow-up (T3). Primary and secondary outcomes will be analyzed using repeated measures, such as an analysis of variance and a mixed model.
Conclusion: This study will assess whether the cognitive intervention program affects not only the neuropsychological functioning of children with ASD but also daily functioning. If the current trial shows that either the remediation or compensatory approaches effectively improve socio-cognitive functioning, the trial would reveal a ‘hybrid’ remediation/compensatory approach.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal, 2024
Introduction: Previous studies have shown that matrix, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulati... more Introduction: Previous studies have shown that matrix, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), and cognitive modification treatments could create numerous psychological improvements in patients suffering from substance use disorders. Previous research has shown that other therapeutic interventions could be useful in managing stimulant abuse in addition to matrix treatment. The present study compared the effectiveness of matrix therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and cognitive rehabilitation treatments in attention bias modification and craving reduction in amphetamine drug users.
Methods: This study was quasi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test and a 3-month follow-up design. Forty subjects taking amphetamine were selected by convenient sampling and were randomly divided into three groups: Matrix therapy, cognitive rehabilitation, and rTMS as intervention groups. There is also a control group (10 subjects in each group). The matrix group received 24 treatment sessions, 3 sessions per week, and the cognitive rehabilitation group received 15 treatment sessions (3 sessions per week). The group with rTMS treatment participated in 10 sessions every other day. Questionnaires and dot-probe tasks were performed as the cognitive software before and after the therapeutic interventions and one month after the interventions as a follow-up test.
Results: The results showed that the effect of time on craving assessment in three stages was significant in all study groups. In the experimental groups of matrix, rTMS, and cognitive rehabilitation, the effect of time on the severity of addiction dependence and attentional bias was significantly different in three stages. In the control group, the effect of time in three stages of assessment of addiction severity and attention bias was not significant. Also, there was a significant decrease in the mean craving in matrix, rTMS, and cognitive rehabilitation groups from pre-test to post-test and pre-test to follow-up stages. The mean addiction severity was significantly decreased from the pre-test to the post-test and from the pre-test to the follow-up stage in the Matrix, rTMS, and cognitive rehabilitation groups.
Conclusion: The current study’s findings indicated that all three interventions effectively reduced amphetamine craving and attentional bias. All three approaches produced positive therapeutic outcomes.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal, 2024
Introduction: Faces can be speedily processed, although they convey an immense amount of informat... more Introduction: Faces can be speedily processed, although they convey an immense amount of information. Hence, in psychophysiological experiments, human faces constitute very special stimuli. Numerous studies have investigated the electrophysiological correlates of face processing, showing the existence of multiple event-related components. Nevertheless, dissimilarities in various levels of processing are still controversial. In this study, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to examine how facial processing is different in perception and recognition from object processing.
Methods: In this event‐related potential study, the differences between face and object processing stages were assessed. The participants were 22 healthy individuals. Three types of stimuli, including human face, monkey face, and motorbike, were projected for 200 ms onto a screen placed 90 cm in front of participants’ eyes while they sat under the MEG helmet. The participants viewed images of the same type in sequential order and had to decide the equality of the second image compared to the first image in a response window of 1 second. This procedure was repeated 48 times per stimulus. Additionally, we compared the perception and recognition per stimulus type. The neuromagnetic responses were recorded with the VectorViewTM MEG system. We used the FieldTrip toolbox for EEG/MEG-analysis.
Results: Our results confirmed the face-selectivity for the M170 component, but not always for the M100 component. We also observed a unique speed pattern for the M170 component in perception and recognition at the onset and the peak time.
Conclusion: Our findings showed an early face-selective component in recognition but not always in perception. Considering the onset and the peak time, there is no difference between various comparisons in this early component.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal, 2024
Introduction: A major challenge today is personalizing the treatment for patients with major depr... more Introduction: A major challenge today is personalizing the treatment for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) to make it more efficient. To address this issue, we have proposed a novel approach based on machine learning (ML) models that utilize neural activity flow prior to treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medication.
Methods: The electroencephalogram signals of 30 patients were used to calculate the neural activity flow of each patient using the direct directed transfer function (dDTF). Then, based on the area under the curve (AUC) values, 30 important connections were identified for the delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands. To select the most critical neural activity flow, these neural activity flows were combined, and forward features, mRMR, and ReliefF methods were applied. Support vector machines (SVMs), decision tree, and random forest models are trained using selected neural activity flows.
Results: Results showed that most connections originated from F8, Pz, T5, and P4, mainly from the frontal and parietal lobes. In addition, the SVM model showed 98% accuracy in classification using forward feature selection, where most of the neural activity flows were selected from alpha and beta. Finally, results indicate that patients who responded to treatment differed in their patterns of frontoparietal neural activity flows, implying that the frontoparietal network (FPN) is primarily involved in treatment response at alpha and beta frequencies.
Conclusion: Therefore, the proposed method can accurately detect responders in MDD patients. It can reduce costs for both patients and medical facilities.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal, 2024
Introduction: Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) present substantial challenges due to their impac... more Introduction: Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) present substantial challenges due to their impact on movement, emphasizing the critical role of biomedical engineering research in clinical diagnosis. Measuring the biomechanical properties of gait during walking can provide valuable insights into the movement pattern of NDDs and has great promise for developing non-invasive automated NDD classification techniques.
Methods: Based on the GaitNDD database, two experimental trials were conducted on healthy controls (HCs) and three NDDs: Parkinson disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Huntington disease (HD), showcasing a comprehensive analysis of 1-dimensional and 2-dimensional force gait features. In the first trial, two time-frequency feature sequences were extracted from right, left, and combined feet during a walking task, feeding a bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) network. The second trial involves constructing spectrogram images of the gait signal as input for 3 popular pre-trained convolutional neural networks (CNNs): AlexNet, GoogLeNet, and VGG16.
Results: VGG16 emerges as the standout performer, achieving a remarkable accuracy of 99.91%, sensitivity of 99.93%, and specificity of 99.97% for automatic 4-class NDD detection using high-level features from the right foot gait signal. BiLSTM performance significantly improved when fed with VGG16-extracted high-level features, surpassing hand-crafted features.
Conclusion: The study underscores the superiority of CNNs, particularly VGG16, in extracting high-level features from spectrogram-derived vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) signals for robust NDD classification. The hybrid VGG16-BiLSTM approach demonstrates enhanced performance, affirming the synergistic benefits of combining deep learning techniques. Overall, the CNN high-level features derived from vGRF signal spectrograms provide valuable insights into NDD groups, offering a promising avenue for understanding diverse mechanisms underlying gait-related conditions.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal, 2024
Introduction: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional state between normal aging and de... more Introduction: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional state between normal aging and dementia. Bihemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) modulates cortical excitability and interhemispheric interaction. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is involved in executive control and working memory. The present study investigates whether stimulating the left DLPFC while suppressing the right DLPFC can influence brain waves and cognitive abilities in patients with MCI.
Methods: A total of 36 MCI patients were randomly allocated into active and sham tDCS groups. Ten sessions of active or sham tDCS were applied. The anode electrode was placed on the left DLPFC (F3) and the cathode on the right (F4). Memory assessment was performed using the Wechsler memory scale-revised (WMS-R) before, immediately after, and three months after the intervention. Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) was performed before and immediately after tDCS. The absolute and relative powers of different frequency bands and the coherence between electrodes were calculated using the NeuroGuide software, version 3.2.4.
Results: Active tDCS improved the memory quotient and all WMS-R subscales in MCI patients immediately and three months after tDCS application (P<0.01). The absolute power of the delta band and the relative power of the delta and theta bands reduced significantly (P<0.05). The relative alpha band power and frontotemporal coherence were increased. A frontal asymmetry was also detected after active tDCS.
Conclusion: Bihemispheric tDCS of the DLPFC leads to sustained cognitive improvements and beneficial changes in brain activity in MCI patients, suggesting its potential as an effective therapeutic intervention.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal, 2024
Introduction: Intracranial pressure (ICP) elevation leading to cerebral edema is a critical condi... more Introduction: Intracranial pressure (ICP) elevation leading to cerebral edema is a critical condition that should be identified and treated immediately. In this study, we systematically reviewed the articles investigating the role of hypertonic sodium lactate (HSL) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science were searched to find published articles on the effects of HSL on ICP in patients with a TBI until December 2020. Animal studies, case reports, and studies, including patients with liver and renal failure, cardiac dysfunction, or hypovolemic shock, were excluded. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale checklist was used to assess the methodological quality of eligible articles. Information obtained was classified based on the following criteria: demographic data, methods, intervention, and outcomes.
Results: Our initial search with the predefined search strategy proceeded with 113 studies. Finally, 7 studies were eligible for systematic review, and 3 of them were eligible for meta-analysis. A random meta-analysis of 3 articles comparing ICP before and after the infusion of HSL showed a reduced ICP following the use of HSL in traumatic brain injuries (P=0.015).
Conclusion: Our study demonstrated the undeniable role of HSL in managing increased ICP in patients with brain injury. Nevertheless, conducting more clinical studies to assess the possible side effects of HSL seems crucial.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal, 2024
Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mental disorder characterized by alterations i... more Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mental disorder characterized by alterations in mood, cognition, neurovegetative functions, and psychomotor activity. Millions of people worldwide suffer from this disease. There is no diagnosis based on laboratory tests for major depression. Even though there are varieties of treatments for MDD, antidepressants (ADs) are often used to treat the patients. There is a wide range of different responses to AD drugs. Treatment-resistant depression is a significant challenge in the treatment of this disease. This research aims to review our current knowledge of MDD and show the shortcomings in diagnosing and treating this disease. These gaps display the need for molecular studies to find new biomarkers related to this disease.
Methods: This review uses two search strategies: A literature search using keywords (major depressive disorder or MDD) and articles on each study topic. Animal experiments, pediatric MDD, and postpartum depression are excluded. For parts requiring more study, specific keywords were used.
Results: Biological approaches can help with a better understanding of the MDD pathogenesis mechanism, which is needed for diagnosis, treatment, and prediction of treatment response.
Conclusion: Although various treatments and diagnostic procedures exist for MDD, they are insufficient, and more investigations and research are needed. Finding a specific and sensitive panel of biomarkers is more helpful for accelerating the clinical development of new diagnoses and therapeutics for MDD.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience (BCN), 2024
Treatment of opioid use disorders (OUDs) via safe and effective approaches has been investigated ... more Treatment of opioid use disorders (OUDs) via safe and effective approaches has been investigated for years. Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) has been considered an effective therapy for opioid addiction. It has been observed that patients with genetic polymorphisms often show variability in the optimal drug dose requirement and treatment schedule. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member-1 (ABCB1), the mu-opioid receptor (OPRM1), and cytochrome P450 (CYP) genes and methadone dose in patients undergoing MMT in Mazandaran Province, Iran. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 216 male MMT patients (20 to 45 years old) who were involved in the treatment program for at least three months were randomly recruited from six MMT clinics in Mazandaran province between 2018 and 2020. Blood samples were taken, DNA was extracted, and SNPs of CYP2B6 (G 516 T, A 785 G), CYP2C19 (-3402C>T), CYP3A4 (-392A>G), OPRM (A 118 G), and ABCB1 (C 3435 T, G 2677 T, G 2677 A, and C 1236 T) genes were evaluated using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Results: Our results showed no significant relationship between all the studied genotypes and methadone dose requirements. Conclusion: The present study, for the first time in the Mazandaran population, reported no significant correlations between methadone dose requirement and different SNPs in the ABCB1, OPRM1, and CYP genes in MMT patients, which is consistent with other studies conducted on the Iranian population.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience (BCN), 2024
The use of benzodiazepines and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors to treat depression has se... more The use of benzodiazepines and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors to treat depression has severe adverse effects. This study aims to evaluate the effects of the methanolic leaf extract of Justicia secunda (MLEJS) on anxiety and depression in mice. Methods: In this study, animals were male Swiss mice weighing 20-25 g. Gas chromatographymass spectroscopy (GC-MS) phytochemical analysis of MLEJS was performed to verify the different bioactive components. An acute oral toxicity study was performed based on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guideline, No.423. We investigated the antidepressant and anxiolytic effect of MLEJS (12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg) using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depression and flumazenil/benzodiazepine interaction in GABA (gamma-amino-butyric acid) receptors. The open field test, forced swimming test, and tail suspension test were performed to evaluate the depressive-like behavior in mice. Also, holeboard, light/dark box, elevated plus maze, thiopental sodium, and rotarod motor coordination tests were used as a screening paradigm for the anxiolytic effect of MLEJS. Results: The MLEJS had an anxiolytic-like effect by increasing the exploration of the open arms and reducing the exploration of the closed arms in the elevated plus maze, light/dark box, and hole-board test. Moreover, LPS-induced depressive-like behavior in mice was reversed by the MLEJS (P<0.05). The significant attenuation of proinflammatory mediators and suppression of oxidative and nitrosative stress could be responsible for the observed effects (P<0.05). Conclusion: The MLEJS can be an efficient therapeutic option against anxiety and depression concomitantly.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience (BCN), 2024
Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that accounts for 60% of dement... more Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that accounts for 60% of dementia cases worldwide. Despite the lack of concrete information about the prevalence of dysphagia among AD patients, it still significantly impairs their quality of life (QoL). That outcome necessitates more investigations to understand the pathophysiology of this condition and how to manage it. In this study, we examined if AD-associated changes in pharyngeal and tongue muscles could explain dysphagia. Methods: Fourteen adult male rats were allocated into 2 groups: Group I (control) received distilled water orally, group II (AD) received aluminum chloride (AlCl 3) (200 mg/kg, per os) and D-galactose (60 mg/kg, subcutaneous) daily for 45 days. Biochemical parameters were conducted, including amyloid beta-peptide (Aβ), histopathological investigation of the hippocampus, tongue, and pharynx, and immune-histochemical expression of brain glial fibrillar acidic protein (GFAP). Results: Our AD model showed marked cognitive impairment, hippocampal oxidative stress, and increased brain Aβ expression (P=0.0003) compared to controls. Dysphagia was confirmed by loss of body weight (P=0.0077) and decreased eating and drinking patterns by 25%-35% in AD versus the control group. Histopathological, immune-histochemical, and biochemical evidence, including increased levels of pharyngeal Aβ (P=0.0017), were detected in AD rats' tongue and pharyngeal muscles. Conclusion: Dysphagia in AD can result not only centrally but also due to local involvement of the tongue and pharynx. Further translational studies linking dysphagia to AD pathology will be needed.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience (BCN), 2024
Partial peripheral nerve injury often results in chronic pain, including hyperalgesia and allodyn... more Partial peripheral nerve injury often results in chronic pain, including hyperalgesia and allodynia. Caffeine, as a non-selective antagonist of adenosine receptors (ARs), has protective effects on neuropathic pain. Since nitric oxide (NO) is partially involved in the central effects of caffeine, we investigated the effects of acute caffeine administration on neuropathic pain, focusing on A 1 and A 2 receptors and the possible role of NO. Methods: Following chronic constriction injury (CCI), male Wistar rats were administered caffeine (10, 50, and 100 mg/kg). Also, groups of animals received L-NAME (30 mg/kg) or L-arginine (100 mg/kg) either alone or before treatment with 50 mg/kg of caffeine. Rats were tested for hyperalgesia and allodynia at 4, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days following CCI. Results: Administration of 10 mg/kg of caffeine significantly increased cold allodynia, while 50 and 100 mg/kg of caffeine decreased mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. Pre-treatment with L-NAME before caffeine administration decreased cold and mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. Treatment with L-arginine before caffeine administration increased thermal hyperalgesia and decreased cold allodynia. Conclusion: The present data show that caffeine dose-dependently affects the pro-analgesic or anti-analgesic states in the CCI model.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience (BCN), 2024
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the preferred neuroradiologic tool for evaluating the sellar ... more Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the preferred neuroradiologic tool for evaluating the sellar region. Pituitary adenomas account for about 15% of primary intracranial tumors. The optimal time for postoperative MRI of central nervous system neoplasms is 48 hours after surgery. Nevertheless, controversy exists regarding the timing of postoperative MRI in the sellar region. This study analyzed the sellar MRI findings of patients with pituitary adenoma at different times before and after surgery. Finally, we suggest the optimal time for postoperative sellar MRI imaging in patients with pituitary adenoma. Methods: A total of 28 patients with pituitary adenoma were evaluated. All patients did four sellar MRIs. The first MRI was done before surgery, and three were done 48 hours, two weeks, and three months after the surgery. Finally, the MRI findings at different times were compared to each other. Results: The pituitary gland and adenoma signals were constant at all time points. The signal of the packing material showed no differences in T1-weighted and T1-weighted with contrast sequences but showed changes in T2-weighted sequences. Conclusion: Contrary to other intracranial neoplasms, there were no apparent changes in MRI signal intensity during the 3 months after surgery in patients with pituitary adenoma. There was also no superiority of one time point for performing follow-up imaging.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience (BCN), 2024
It is common for individuals with internet addiction disorder (IAD) to demonstrate impairments in... more It is common for individuals with internet addiction disorder (IAD) to demonstrate impairments in interference and inhibitory control. A primary objective of this study was to explore how interference control is related to event-related spectral perturbations (ERSPs) and whether participants with IAD experience changes in these spectral dynamics. Methods: Twenty-one IAD participants and 20 healthy controls (HCs) were administered a Stroop task while their brains' electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was recorded. ERSPs were extracted from the EEG, and a cluster-based random permutation test was conducted to compare the power between the two groups at each time-frequency level. Results: In the IAD group, the Stroop effect was significantly less for theta than in the HC group in an earlier time window. According to these results, IADs could not successfully inhibit their brain activation for stimulus conflict detection. Furthermore, IAD participants displayed a significant ERSP Stroop effect at beta2 and gamma frequencies, with the main contribution coming from bilateral dorsal frontal and parietal cortex over the scalp compared to HC participants. Conclusion: In our study, IADs displayed reduced conflict detection and response selection compared to HCs, as measured by theta band indices, as well as impaired conflict resolution, as revealed by altered interaction dynamics between beta2 and gamma bands. Among the first studies investigating oscillatory dynamics in conflict resolution for IAD groups, this study uses cluster-based random permutation tests.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal, 2024
In the present study, the culture of embryonic spinal motor neurons (SMNs) was used to assess the... more In the present study, the culture of embryonic spinal motor neurons (SMNs) was used to assess the impacts of adrenomedullin (AM) on the neurotoxic effects of doxorubicin (DOX). Methods: To prepare the culture of rat embryonic SMNs, spinal cords were isolated from the rat embryos, digested enzymatically, and triturated to obtain spinal cell suspension. Then, the SMNs were purified from the cell suspension using a single OptiPrep gradient and cultured. The SMNs were treated with DOX (0.0-100 µM) and AM (3.125-100 nM), and their viability and apoptosis were evaluated using MTT and annexin V flow cytometric assays. Oxidative stress was assessed through the measurement of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (iPF2α) levels. Finally, qPCR was employed to determine the expressions of interleukin1-β (IL-1β), inducible NO synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), SRY-related protein 9 (SOX9), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 and-13. Results: The viability of SMNs decreased following DOX treatment dose-dependently (IC 50 =10.54 µM). DOX increased the cellular ROS, MDA, NO, and iPF2α levels (P<0.001). Additionally, AM reduced DOX-induced cell death dose-dependently (P<0.001). AM (50 nM) pretreatment also reduced the DOX-induced oxidative stress (P<0.01) and gene expression (P<0.01). Conclusion: Based on the results, AM might be a protective factor against chemotherapyinduced toxicity in SMNs.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal, 2024
Acute stress over a long time period can drastically influence the behavioral and cognitive perfo... more Acute stress over a long time period can drastically influence the behavioral and cognitive performances. Therefore, it is important to control and eliminate the stressor after a stressful event. In this regard, understanding of brain mechanism of stress release will help to introduce new practical approaches. In this study, we aimed to investigate the changes in the brain's functional connectivity (FC) patterns and salivary cortisol level during stress induction and release in healthy young male adults. Method: In this study, 20 healthy young male adults were exposed to stressful events using the Trier social stress paradigm in one session consisting of 23 minutes of psychological stress induction and 20 minutes of recovery, Their stress was measured by the visual analog scale (VAS). In addition, their salivary cortisol levels and electroencephalography (EEG) data were recorded. Subsequently, brain FC maps were prepared in a frequency-specific manner. Then, the effects of inducing and releasing stress on the VAS, cortisol level, and FC were assessed. Results: The inter-hemispheric FC of the right frontal lobes with other brain regions decreased, while the FC was increased in the left frontal lobes during the induction of stress. Interestingly, the release of stress presented a recovery pattern of inter-hemispheric FC. These changes in FC significantly correlated with changes in the cortisol level. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the important role of bihemispheric associations in adaptation and coping with stressful conditions.
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Papers by Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal
Methods: This study sought to find causal variations in a consanguineous family with two affected offspring strongly suspected of LGMD referred to our Genetic Department at Ahvaz Noorgene Genetic and Clinical Laboratory to diagnose their muscular dystrophy type. We applied whole-exome sequencing (WES) to find the causal variations in the proband’s genomic DNA. Then, we sought confirmation and performed a co-segregation analysis of the discovered variant with the phenotype in the proband and family members using Sanger sequencing.
Results: Following bioinformatic analysis and data filtering, we identified a homozygous variation, NM_000070.3:c.661G>T:p.G221C, within the CAPN3 gene that was validated by Sanger sequencing in the proband and segregated with LGMD2A in the family. The single alternation was described as pathogenic and regarded as a missense variant that altered protein features due to replacing the highly conserved amino acid glycine in the catalytic domain of calpain-3 protein with a cysteine.
Conclusion: The results of this investigation offer additional support for the genetic heterogeneity of LGMD and expand the mutational gene spectrum of CAPN3-associated muscular dystrophy by finding a pathogenic CAPN3 variant in both homozygous and heterozygous forms that had not previously been reported in these patients.
Methods: This study evaluated the WES analysis of 25 NDD patients retrospectively. Also, the diagnostic yield of WES in our cases and clinical findings were examined.
Results: After WES analysis, we diagnosed 13 patients (52%) with pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants, but 12(48%) had variants of uncertain significance (VUS). However, after phenotype consistency and following segregation analysis, we reevaluated 2 VUS as the disease-causing variants, and our yield rate increased to 60%. We also reported the secondary findings.
Conclusion: Our study’s diagnostic yield of WES in NDD was 60%. The latest American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guideline recommends WES as the first-tier test in NDD. WES is time- and cost-effective when performed on a well-selected patient. Also, determining the underlying cause of NDD will provide patients with a more precise diagnosis and clinical follow-up.
Methods: Lentiviruses containing pLenti-CaMKIIa-hChR2 (H134R)-mCherry-WPRE were administered to adult male Wistar rats. It was injected into the right striatum for this purpose. Twenty-six days after the virus injection, the animals were exposed to blue laser light for six days in a row for 30 minutes at a time. Twenty-four hours after the final light stimulation, the transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) was done. One day after reperfusion, the neurological processes and the size of the brain infarcts in ischemic rats were evaluated. The transcript levels of microRNAs 21 and 124a—epigenetic indicators for neuroprotection and neurogenesis—were also assessed in the striatum and hippocampus.
Results: Our findings suggested that pretreatment with glutamatergic striatum optogenetic stimulation could reduce neurological impairments in rats and boost neuronal survival in both striatum and hippocampal regions. Also, the expression of microRNA-21 (miR-21) in the striatum was significantly increased in rats that had been optogenetically stimulated. Additionally, miR-124a expression was elevated in both regions in rats given tMCAO, and pretreatment with optical stimulations may considerably lower its expression in the hippocampus.
Conclusion: According to our findings, optogenetic stimulation pretreatment of the striatum positively affects stroke recovery. The effect is partially mediated by altering miRNAs involved in neurogenesis and subsequently activating its downstream signaling cascade.
Methods: This study was designed as a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial to test the effects of synbiotic supplementation for 90 days (between August 2019 and February 2021). A synbiotics formulation or placebo was randomly allocated to older outpatients with mild to moderate AD. The intervention group took two capsules daily containing a mixture of 7 bacterial strains as probiotics and a prebiotic for 12 weeks. Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Barthel index evaluated participants’ cognition and functional status. Pre-intervention and post-intervention fasting blood samples were obtained to compare their serum albumin (Alb), fasting blood sugar (FBS), 25(OH) vitamin D, and lipid profile.
Results: A total of 60 patients with a mean age of 77 years were recruited. After 12 weeks of synbiotic supplementation, no significant improvement was detected in the MMSE score (P=0.53) and Barthel index (P=0.43). Furthermore, metabolic parameters including FBS (P=0.92), triglyceride (P=0.48), total cholesterol (P=0.74), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (P=0.54), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (P=0.79), serum Alb (P=0.28) and 25(OH) vitamin D levels (P=0.67) were not different before and after synbiotic administration.
Conclusion: This study does not support the idea that short-term synbiotic supplementation could enhance cognitive and physical function in older patients with mild to moderate AD.
Methods: A total of 75 children aged 4 to 7 years diagnosed with high-functioning autism and their parents will be recruited to this double-blind, multicenter, multi-arm randomized controlled trial. The primary outcomes are EFs and TOM as measured by the shape school, shape span test, TOM scale, TOM story books, TOM assessment checklist, and EFs assessment checklist. The secondary outcome is EFs and TOM behavioral domains as measured by the TOM behavior checklist and brief-preschool version at baseline (T0), post-test (T1), 1-month follow-up (T2), and 3-month follow-up (T3). Primary and secondary outcomes will be analyzed using repeated measures, such as an analysis of variance and a mixed model.
Conclusion: This study will assess whether the cognitive intervention program affects not only the neuropsychological functioning of children with ASD but also daily functioning. If the current trial shows that either the remediation or compensatory approaches effectively improve socio-cognitive functioning, the trial would reveal a ‘hybrid’ remediation/compensatory approach.
Methods: This study was quasi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test and a 3-month follow-up design. Forty subjects taking amphetamine were selected by convenient sampling and were randomly divided into three groups: Matrix therapy, cognitive rehabilitation, and rTMS as intervention groups. There is also a control group (10 subjects in each group). The matrix group received 24 treatment sessions, 3 sessions per week, and the cognitive rehabilitation group received 15 treatment sessions (3 sessions per week). The group with rTMS treatment participated in 10 sessions every other day. Questionnaires and dot-probe tasks were performed as the cognitive software before and after the therapeutic interventions and one month after the interventions as a follow-up test.
Results: The results showed that the effect of time on craving assessment in three stages was significant in all study groups. In the experimental groups of matrix, rTMS, and cognitive rehabilitation, the effect of time on the severity of addiction dependence and attentional bias was significantly different in three stages. In the control group, the effect of time in three stages of assessment of addiction severity and attention bias was not significant. Also, there was a significant decrease in the mean craving in matrix, rTMS, and cognitive rehabilitation groups from pre-test to post-test and pre-test to follow-up stages. The mean addiction severity was significantly decreased from the pre-test to the post-test and from the pre-test to the follow-up stage in the Matrix, rTMS, and cognitive rehabilitation groups.
Conclusion: The current study’s findings indicated that all three interventions effectively reduced amphetamine craving and attentional bias. All three approaches produced positive therapeutic outcomes.
Methods: In this event‐related potential study, the differences between face and object processing stages were assessed. The participants were 22 healthy individuals. Three types of stimuli, including human face, monkey face, and motorbike, were projected for 200 ms onto a screen placed 90 cm in front of participants’ eyes while they sat under the MEG helmet. The participants viewed images of the same type in sequential order and had to decide the equality of the second image compared to the first image in a response window of 1 second. This procedure was repeated 48 times per stimulus. Additionally, we compared the perception and recognition per stimulus type. The neuromagnetic responses were recorded with the VectorViewTM MEG system. We used the FieldTrip toolbox for EEG/MEG-analysis.
Results: Our results confirmed the face-selectivity for the M170 component, but not always for the M100 component. We also observed a unique speed pattern for the M170 component in perception and recognition at the onset and the peak time.
Conclusion: Our findings showed an early face-selective component in recognition but not always in perception. Considering the onset and the peak time, there is no difference between various comparisons in this early component.
Methods: The electroencephalogram signals of 30 patients were used to calculate the neural activity flow of each patient using the direct directed transfer function (dDTF). Then, based on the area under the curve (AUC) values, 30 important connections were identified for the delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands. To select the most critical neural activity flow, these neural activity flows were combined, and forward features, mRMR, and ReliefF methods were applied. Support vector machines (SVMs), decision tree, and random forest models are trained using selected neural activity flows.
Results: Results showed that most connections originated from F8, Pz, T5, and P4, mainly from the frontal and parietal lobes. In addition, the SVM model showed 98% accuracy in classification using forward feature selection, where most of the neural activity flows were selected from alpha and beta. Finally, results indicate that patients who responded to treatment differed in their patterns of frontoparietal neural activity flows, implying that the frontoparietal network (FPN) is primarily involved in treatment response at alpha and beta frequencies.
Conclusion: Therefore, the proposed method can accurately detect responders in MDD patients. It can reduce costs for both patients and medical facilities.
Methods: Based on the GaitNDD database, two experimental trials were conducted on healthy controls (HCs) and three NDDs: Parkinson disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Huntington disease (HD), showcasing a comprehensive analysis of 1-dimensional and 2-dimensional force gait features. In the first trial, two time-frequency feature sequences were extracted from right, left, and combined feet during a walking task, feeding a bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) network. The second trial involves constructing spectrogram images of the gait signal as input for 3 popular pre-trained convolutional neural networks (CNNs): AlexNet, GoogLeNet, and VGG16.
Results: VGG16 emerges as the standout performer, achieving a remarkable accuracy of 99.91%, sensitivity of 99.93%, and specificity of 99.97% for automatic 4-class NDD detection using high-level features from the right foot gait signal. BiLSTM performance significantly improved when fed with VGG16-extracted high-level features, surpassing hand-crafted features.
Conclusion: The study underscores the superiority of CNNs, particularly VGG16, in extracting high-level features from spectrogram-derived vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) signals for robust NDD classification. The hybrid VGG16-BiLSTM approach demonstrates enhanced performance, affirming the synergistic benefits of combining deep learning techniques. Overall, the CNN high-level features derived from vGRF signal spectrograms provide valuable insights into NDD groups, offering a promising avenue for understanding diverse mechanisms underlying gait-related conditions.
Methods: A total of 36 MCI patients were randomly allocated into active and sham tDCS groups. Ten sessions of active or sham tDCS were applied. The anode electrode was placed on the left DLPFC (F3) and the cathode on the right (F4). Memory assessment was performed using the Wechsler memory scale-revised (WMS-R) before, immediately after, and three months after the intervention. Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) was performed before and immediately after tDCS. The absolute and relative powers of different frequency bands and the coherence between electrodes were calculated using the NeuroGuide software, version 3.2.4.
Results: Active tDCS improved the memory quotient and all WMS-R subscales in MCI patients immediately and three months after tDCS application (P<0.01). The absolute power of the delta band and the relative power of the delta and theta bands reduced significantly (P<0.05). The relative alpha band power and frontotemporal coherence were increased. A frontal asymmetry was also detected after active tDCS.
Conclusion: Bihemispheric tDCS of the DLPFC leads to sustained cognitive improvements and beneficial changes in brain activity in MCI patients, suggesting its potential as an effective therapeutic intervention.
Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science were searched to find published articles on the effects of HSL on ICP in patients with a TBI until December 2020. Animal studies, case reports, and studies, including patients with liver and renal failure, cardiac dysfunction, or hypovolemic shock, were excluded. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale checklist was used to assess the methodological quality of eligible articles. Information obtained was classified based on the following criteria: demographic data, methods, intervention, and outcomes.
Results: Our initial search with the predefined search strategy proceeded with 113 studies. Finally, 7 studies were eligible for systematic review, and 3 of them were eligible for meta-analysis. A random meta-analysis of 3 articles comparing ICP before and after the infusion of HSL showed a reduced ICP following the use of HSL in traumatic brain injuries (P=0.015).
Conclusion: Our study demonstrated the undeniable role of HSL in managing increased ICP in patients with brain injury. Nevertheless, conducting more clinical studies to assess the possible side effects of HSL seems crucial.
Methods: This review uses two search strategies: A literature search using keywords (major depressive disorder or MDD) and articles on each study topic. Animal experiments, pediatric MDD, and postpartum depression are excluded. For parts requiring more study, specific keywords were used.
Results: Biological approaches can help with a better understanding of the MDD pathogenesis mechanism, which is needed for diagnosis, treatment, and prediction of treatment response.
Conclusion: Although various treatments and diagnostic procedures exist for MDD, they are insufficient, and more investigations and research are needed. Finding a specific and sensitive panel of biomarkers is more helpful for accelerating the clinical development of new diagnoses and therapeutics for MDD.
Methods: This study sought to find causal variations in a consanguineous family with two affected offspring strongly suspected of LGMD referred to our Genetic Department at Ahvaz Noorgene Genetic and Clinical Laboratory to diagnose their muscular dystrophy type. We applied whole-exome sequencing (WES) to find the causal variations in the proband’s genomic DNA. Then, we sought confirmation and performed a co-segregation analysis of the discovered variant with the phenotype in the proband and family members using Sanger sequencing.
Results: Following bioinformatic analysis and data filtering, we identified a homozygous variation, NM_000070.3:c.661G>T:p.G221C, within the CAPN3 gene that was validated by Sanger sequencing in the proband and segregated with LGMD2A in the family. The single alternation was described as pathogenic and regarded as a missense variant that altered protein features due to replacing the highly conserved amino acid glycine in the catalytic domain of calpain-3 protein with a cysteine.
Conclusion: The results of this investigation offer additional support for the genetic heterogeneity of LGMD and expand the mutational gene spectrum of CAPN3-associated muscular dystrophy by finding a pathogenic CAPN3 variant in both homozygous and heterozygous forms that had not previously been reported in these patients.
Methods: This study evaluated the WES analysis of 25 NDD patients retrospectively. Also, the diagnostic yield of WES in our cases and clinical findings were examined.
Results: After WES analysis, we diagnosed 13 patients (52%) with pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants, but 12(48%) had variants of uncertain significance (VUS). However, after phenotype consistency and following segregation analysis, we reevaluated 2 VUS as the disease-causing variants, and our yield rate increased to 60%. We also reported the secondary findings.
Conclusion: Our study’s diagnostic yield of WES in NDD was 60%. The latest American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guideline recommends WES as the first-tier test in NDD. WES is time- and cost-effective when performed on a well-selected patient. Also, determining the underlying cause of NDD will provide patients with a more precise diagnosis and clinical follow-up.
Methods: Lentiviruses containing pLenti-CaMKIIa-hChR2 (H134R)-mCherry-WPRE were administered to adult male Wistar rats. It was injected into the right striatum for this purpose. Twenty-six days after the virus injection, the animals were exposed to blue laser light for six days in a row for 30 minutes at a time. Twenty-four hours after the final light stimulation, the transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) was done. One day after reperfusion, the neurological processes and the size of the brain infarcts in ischemic rats were evaluated. The transcript levels of microRNAs 21 and 124a—epigenetic indicators for neuroprotection and neurogenesis—were also assessed in the striatum and hippocampus.
Results: Our findings suggested that pretreatment with glutamatergic striatum optogenetic stimulation could reduce neurological impairments in rats and boost neuronal survival in both striatum and hippocampal regions. Also, the expression of microRNA-21 (miR-21) in the striatum was significantly increased in rats that had been optogenetically stimulated. Additionally, miR-124a expression was elevated in both regions in rats given tMCAO, and pretreatment with optical stimulations may considerably lower its expression in the hippocampus.
Conclusion: According to our findings, optogenetic stimulation pretreatment of the striatum positively affects stroke recovery. The effect is partially mediated by altering miRNAs involved in neurogenesis and subsequently activating its downstream signaling cascade.
Methods: This study was designed as a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial to test the effects of synbiotic supplementation for 90 days (between August 2019 and February 2021). A synbiotics formulation or placebo was randomly allocated to older outpatients with mild to moderate AD. The intervention group took two capsules daily containing a mixture of 7 bacterial strains as probiotics and a prebiotic for 12 weeks. Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Barthel index evaluated participants’ cognition and functional status. Pre-intervention and post-intervention fasting blood samples were obtained to compare their serum albumin (Alb), fasting blood sugar (FBS), 25(OH) vitamin D, and lipid profile.
Results: A total of 60 patients with a mean age of 77 years were recruited. After 12 weeks of synbiotic supplementation, no significant improvement was detected in the MMSE score (P=0.53) and Barthel index (P=0.43). Furthermore, metabolic parameters including FBS (P=0.92), triglyceride (P=0.48), total cholesterol (P=0.74), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (P=0.54), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (P=0.79), serum Alb (P=0.28) and 25(OH) vitamin D levels (P=0.67) were not different before and after synbiotic administration.
Conclusion: This study does not support the idea that short-term synbiotic supplementation could enhance cognitive and physical function in older patients with mild to moderate AD.
Methods: A total of 75 children aged 4 to 7 years diagnosed with high-functioning autism and their parents will be recruited to this double-blind, multicenter, multi-arm randomized controlled trial. The primary outcomes are EFs and TOM as measured by the shape school, shape span test, TOM scale, TOM story books, TOM assessment checklist, and EFs assessment checklist. The secondary outcome is EFs and TOM behavioral domains as measured by the TOM behavior checklist and brief-preschool version at baseline (T0), post-test (T1), 1-month follow-up (T2), and 3-month follow-up (T3). Primary and secondary outcomes will be analyzed using repeated measures, such as an analysis of variance and a mixed model.
Conclusion: This study will assess whether the cognitive intervention program affects not only the neuropsychological functioning of children with ASD but also daily functioning. If the current trial shows that either the remediation or compensatory approaches effectively improve socio-cognitive functioning, the trial would reveal a ‘hybrid’ remediation/compensatory approach.
Methods: This study was quasi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test and a 3-month follow-up design. Forty subjects taking amphetamine were selected by convenient sampling and were randomly divided into three groups: Matrix therapy, cognitive rehabilitation, and rTMS as intervention groups. There is also a control group (10 subjects in each group). The matrix group received 24 treatment sessions, 3 sessions per week, and the cognitive rehabilitation group received 15 treatment sessions (3 sessions per week). The group with rTMS treatment participated in 10 sessions every other day. Questionnaires and dot-probe tasks were performed as the cognitive software before and after the therapeutic interventions and one month after the interventions as a follow-up test.
Results: The results showed that the effect of time on craving assessment in three stages was significant in all study groups. In the experimental groups of matrix, rTMS, and cognitive rehabilitation, the effect of time on the severity of addiction dependence and attentional bias was significantly different in three stages. In the control group, the effect of time in three stages of assessment of addiction severity and attention bias was not significant. Also, there was a significant decrease in the mean craving in matrix, rTMS, and cognitive rehabilitation groups from pre-test to post-test and pre-test to follow-up stages. The mean addiction severity was significantly decreased from the pre-test to the post-test and from the pre-test to the follow-up stage in the Matrix, rTMS, and cognitive rehabilitation groups.
Conclusion: The current study’s findings indicated that all three interventions effectively reduced amphetamine craving and attentional bias. All three approaches produced positive therapeutic outcomes.
Methods: In this event‐related potential study, the differences between face and object processing stages were assessed. The participants were 22 healthy individuals. Three types of stimuli, including human face, monkey face, and motorbike, were projected for 200 ms onto a screen placed 90 cm in front of participants’ eyes while they sat under the MEG helmet. The participants viewed images of the same type in sequential order and had to decide the equality of the second image compared to the first image in a response window of 1 second. This procedure was repeated 48 times per stimulus. Additionally, we compared the perception and recognition per stimulus type. The neuromagnetic responses were recorded with the VectorViewTM MEG system. We used the FieldTrip toolbox for EEG/MEG-analysis.
Results: Our results confirmed the face-selectivity for the M170 component, but not always for the M100 component. We also observed a unique speed pattern for the M170 component in perception and recognition at the onset and the peak time.
Conclusion: Our findings showed an early face-selective component in recognition but not always in perception. Considering the onset and the peak time, there is no difference between various comparisons in this early component.
Methods: The electroencephalogram signals of 30 patients were used to calculate the neural activity flow of each patient using the direct directed transfer function (dDTF). Then, based on the area under the curve (AUC) values, 30 important connections were identified for the delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands. To select the most critical neural activity flow, these neural activity flows were combined, and forward features, mRMR, and ReliefF methods were applied. Support vector machines (SVMs), decision tree, and random forest models are trained using selected neural activity flows.
Results: Results showed that most connections originated from F8, Pz, T5, and P4, mainly from the frontal and parietal lobes. In addition, the SVM model showed 98% accuracy in classification using forward feature selection, where most of the neural activity flows were selected from alpha and beta. Finally, results indicate that patients who responded to treatment differed in their patterns of frontoparietal neural activity flows, implying that the frontoparietal network (FPN) is primarily involved in treatment response at alpha and beta frequencies.
Conclusion: Therefore, the proposed method can accurately detect responders in MDD patients. It can reduce costs for both patients and medical facilities.
Methods: Based on the GaitNDD database, two experimental trials were conducted on healthy controls (HCs) and three NDDs: Parkinson disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Huntington disease (HD), showcasing a comprehensive analysis of 1-dimensional and 2-dimensional force gait features. In the first trial, two time-frequency feature sequences were extracted from right, left, and combined feet during a walking task, feeding a bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) network. The second trial involves constructing spectrogram images of the gait signal as input for 3 popular pre-trained convolutional neural networks (CNNs): AlexNet, GoogLeNet, and VGG16.
Results: VGG16 emerges as the standout performer, achieving a remarkable accuracy of 99.91%, sensitivity of 99.93%, and specificity of 99.97% for automatic 4-class NDD detection using high-level features from the right foot gait signal. BiLSTM performance significantly improved when fed with VGG16-extracted high-level features, surpassing hand-crafted features.
Conclusion: The study underscores the superiority of CNNs, particularly VGG16, in extracting high-level features from spectrogram-derived vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) signals for robust NDD classification. The hybrid VGG16-BiLSTM approach demonstrates enhanced performance, affirming the synergistic benefits of combining deep learning techniques. Overall, the CNN high-level features derived from vGRF signal spectrograms provide valuable insights into NDD groups, offering a promising avenue for understanding diverse mechanisms underlying gait-related conditions.
Methods: A total of 36 MCI patients were randomly allocated into active and sham tDCS groups. Ten sessions of active or sham tDCS were applied. The anode electrode was placed on the left DLPFC (F3) and the cathode on the right (F4). Memory assessment was performed using the Wechsler memory scale-revised (WMS-R) before, immediately after, and three months after the intervention. Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) was performed before and immediately after tDCS. The absolute and relative powers of different frequency bands and the coherence between electrodes were calculated using the NeuroGuide software, version 3.2.4.
Results: Active tDCS improved the memory quotient and all WMS-R subscales in MCI patients immediately and three months after tDCS application (P<0.01). The absolute power of the delta band and the relative power of the delta and theta bands reduced significantly (P<0.05). The relative alpha band power and frontotemporal coherence were increased. A frontal asymmetry was also detected after active tDCS.
Conclusion: Bihemispheric tDCS of the DLPFC leads to sustained cognitive improvements and beneficial changes in brain activity in MCI patients, suggesting its potential as an effective therapeutic intervention.
Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science were searched to find published articles on the effects of HSL on ICP in patients with a TBI until December 2020. Animal studies, case reports, and studies, including patients with liver and renal failure, cardiac dysfunction, or hypovolemic shock, were excluded. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale checklist was used to assess the methodological quality of eligible articles. Information obtained was classified based on the following criteria: demographic data, methods, intervention, and outcomes.
Results: Our initial search with the predefined search strategy proceeded with 113 studies. Finally, 7 studies were eligible for systematic review, and 3 of them were eligible for meta-analysis. A random meta-analysis of 3 articles comparing ICP before and after the infusion of HSL showed a reduced ICP following the use of HSL in traumatic brain injuries (P=0.015).
Conclusion: Our study demonstrated the undeniable role of HSL in managing increased ICP in patients with brain injury. Nevertheless, conducting more clinical studies to assess the possible side effects of HSL seems crucial.
Methods: This review uses two search strategies: A literature search using keywords (major depressive disorder or MDD) and articles on each study topic. Animal experiments, pediatric MDD, and postpartum depression are excluded. For parts requiring more study, specific keywords were used.
Results: Biological approaches can help with a better understanding of the MDD pathogenesis mechanism, which is needed for diagnosis, treatment, and prediction of treatment response.
Conclusion: Although various treatments and diagnostic procedures exist for MDD, they are insufficient, and more investigations and research are needed. Finding a specific and sensitive panel of biomarkers is more helpful for accelerating the clinical development of new diagnoses and therapeutics for MDD.