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PubMed1993

Neuroscience research: how has it contributed to our understanding of alcohol abuse and alcoholism? A review.

Alcohol abuse and alcoholism are the greatest substance abuse problems in the United States today and contribute to numerous medical and social problems. To deal with many of these problems, an understanding of how alcohol acts on the brain is extremely important. Advances in neuroscience research have provided significant clues about where and how alcohol works on the brain. Alcohol clearly acts on membrane function, altering such processes as ion movements and neurotransmitter interactions with their receptors. Although these alcohol-induced alterations are presumed to relate to changes in behavior, this has not been clearly established. However, alcohol research is on the threshold of making a giant leap forward in our understanding the etiology of alcoholism.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed2000

Neuroscience. An antibiotic to treat Alzheimer's?

An antibiotic once used to treat traveler's diarrhea might battle Alzheimer's disease as well, researchers announced here last week at the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting. The drug dissolves Alzheimer's-like plaques in mouse brains, apparently by trapping the copper and zinc that stud these deposits. A clinical trial to test whether the drug helps people with Alzheimer's is already under way.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed2000

Neuroscience. Stem cells hear call of injured tissue.

In animal models, injected stem cells travel to tissue injured by stroke, Alzheimer's-like plaques, contusions, or spinal cord bruises, sometimes traversing long distances. Several teams reported these surprising results this month at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting. No one knows exactly how stem cells detect these different kinds of damage, but researchers hope that the cells' migratory powers can be harnessed to either replace dead tissue or deliver therapeutics right where they're needed.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Comparative neuroscience holds promise for quiet revolutions.

The brain has diversified and advanced in evolution more than any other organ; the variety of nervous systems and behaviors among animal species is thus available for our exploitation. Comparative neuroscience is likely to reach insights so novel as to constitute revolutions in understanding the structure, functions, ontogeny, and evolution of nervous systems. This promise requires pursuit on a wide front, in respect to disciplines and in respect to the species, stages, and states compared. It also requires deliberate concentration on the differences among animals, in addition to the prevailing concern for the basic and common. Neglect of these challenges would be costly. Without due consideration of the neural and behavioral correlates of differences between higher taxa and between closely related families, species, sexes, and stages, we cannot expect to understand our nervous systems or ourselves.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

A prospective audit of the use and costs of myelography in a regional neuroscience unit.

A consecutive series of 397 myelograms performed in 385 patients over a six month period at the Mersey Regional Neurosciences Unit is reported. The reasons for performing the myelogram were to identify the cause of a radicular lesion in 54% of patients, a chronic spinal cord lesion in 30%, an acute cord lesion in 9%, suspected disease at the level of the foramen magnum 6%, and for a variety of other conditions in 8%. For the 385 patients undergoing a myelogram in the study period, the median interval from admission to request, request to myelography and from myelography to discharge was nought, one and three days respectively. The proportion of patients submitted to myelography by individual consultants ranged from 7% to 28%. There was a two-fold variation in the delays in the time to requesting and performing myelograms. There was room for improvement in the clinical information supplied on the myelography request form. The role of ancillary investigations and their effect on myelography was unclear. Only 16 of the patients with suspected cord disease had visual evoked responses performed before myelography. Five of them had myelography after an abnormal result. The estimated annual direct cost of myelography in the unit was at least 486,000 pounds. Reorganisation might have yielded hypothetical "savings" of between 30,000 pounds (6%) and 155,000 pounds (32%), though in practical terms these "savings" represented resources which might have been freed for use in other higher priority clinical problems within the unit, rather than true reductions in monetary cost.

Myelography↗
PubMed1985

Applications of monoclonal antibodies to neuroscience research.

The preceding discussion documents the diverse ways in which monoclonal antibodies have contributed to neuroscience research. They provide highly specific reagents to membrane-associated proteins, such as pumps, channels, receptors, and cell-adhesion molecules, that are useful for purifying these proteins, studying their structures at high resolution, and mapping their distributions. In many cases, the specific reagents were obtained using only partially purified antigens. Monoclonal antibodies to cytoskeletal proteins, organelles, and protein kinases have revealed that specific molecules are concentrated in anatomically distinct regions of the cell. A protein kinase has been shown to be a major postsynaptic constituent in many synapses. Individual proteins, such as actin, tubulin, and calmodulin appear to have different antigenic epitopes shielded in different parts of the cell. Monoclonal antibodies have provided a diversity of cell-type-specific reagents in both vertebrate and invertebrate nervous systems. They seem likely to be useful in identifying functionally related subpopulations of neurons and describing neural cell lineages. They will also serve to identify molecules that are important in regulating cell migration in the cerebellum, in marking cell position in the retina, and directing axon growth. This review also documents many purposes for which monoclonal antibodies are poorly suited or must be used with caution: A monoclonal antibody to a protein does not always reveal every place where that molecule is located. Pre- or post-translational microheterogeneity can expose different epitopes on the protein, such as may occur on the Na+-channel. Other proteins within the cell may shield antigenic sites on proteins such as calmodulin. Monoclonal antibodies can bind to epitopes on unrelated molecules (Nigg et al 1982, Lane & Koprowski 1982). This is revealed in some cases as multiple bands on immunoblots. Some cross-reactivity, however, may have a functional basis. For example, structural homology is clearly the basis for the antigenic epitopes that are shared among the five classes of intermediate filaments (Pruss et al 1981). The epitope that appears to be shared between the muscarinic and alpha 1-adrenergic receptors may be conserved because the two receptors modulate common effectors. The cross-reactivity between these receptors was only recognized because very specific and sensitive assays exist for each. It is quite possible that these same antibodies also bind sites on many other types of receptors. Mapping the distribution of this epitope may therefore have little relationship to the actual distribution of the muscarinic receptor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed2004

The psychology and neuroscience of forgetting.

Traditional theories of forgetting are wedded to the notion that cue-overload interference procedures (often involving the A-B, A-C list-learning paradigm) capture the most important elements of forgetting in everyday life. However, findings from a century of work in psychology, psychopharmacology, and neuroscience converge on the notion that such procedures may pertain mainly to forgetting in the laboratory and that everyday forgetting is attributable to an altogether different form of interference. According to this idea, recently formed memories that have not yet had a chance to consolidate are vulnerable to the interfering force of mental activity and memory formation (even if the interfering activity is not similar to the previously learned material). This account helps to explain why sleep, alcohol, and benzodiazepines all improve memory for a recently learned list, and it is consistent with recent work on the variables that affect the induction and maintenance of long-term potentiation in the hippocampus.

Humans↗
PubMed1997

Cellular and molecular neuroscience of alcoholism.

Recent advances in neuroscience have made it possible to investigate the pathophysiology of alcoholism at a cellular and molecular level. Evidence indicates that ethanol affects hormone- and neurotransmitter-activated signal transduction, leading to short-term changes in regulation of cellular functions and long-term changes in gene expression. Such changes in the brain probably underlie many of the acute and chronic neurological events in alcoholism. In addition, genetic vulnerability also plays a role in alcoholism and, perhaps, in alcoholic medical disorders.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed2000

Taking the measure of diversity: comparative alternatives to the model-animal paradigm in cortical neuroscience.

Cortical neuroscience is founded on studies of a very few model organisms, mainly rats, cats, and macaque monkeys. The concentration of effort on such a few species would be defensible if cortical organization were basically uniform across mammals, as is commonly believed. Although there is little reason to doubt that some features of cortical organization are indeed widespread among mammals, phyletic variation in cortical organization is far more extensive than has generally been appreciated or acknowledged. Rats, for example, differ from other mammals in the genetics and chemistry of their cortical neurons, in connectivity and areal organization, and in the functions of specific cortical regions. Likewise, macaque monkeys, although widely used as models of the human visual system, lack a number of features found in human visual cortex. Given the variability of cortical organization, how should neuroscientists approach the study of nonhuman species, and what can we reasonably expect to learn from them? First, by examining a wider range of species than are currently employed, and by using modern techniques of phyletic analysis, neuroscientists can more rigorously identify those features of cortical organization that are, in fact, widely shared among mammals or among particular mammalian subgroups. Second, by taking account of variations, neuroscientists can abstract more reliable and general principles of structure-function relationships in the nervous system. Finally, freed from the doctrine of basic uniformity, neuroscientists can pursue the study of human cortical specializations, and so advance our understanding of what distinguishes humans as a biological species.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Comparison of different clinical criteria (DSM-III, ADDTC, ICD-10, NINDS-AIREN, DSM-IV) for the diagnosis of vascular dementia. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Association Internationale pour la Recherche et l'Enseignement en Neurosciences.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The criteria for vascular dementia (VaD) include definition of the cognitive syndrome and the vascular cause. Different criteria for dementia identify different frequencies and clusters of patients. In addition, variation in defining the cause and etiology may have an effect. We compared different clinical criteria for VaD in series of patients with poststroke dementia. METHODS: The study group comprised 107 patients fulfilling the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition (DSM-III) definition for dementia from a cohort of consecutive patients with ischemic stroke who completed a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery and MRI. The mean age (SD) of the patients was 71.4 (7.6) years. The definitions of vascular cause of VaD were those of the DSM-III (1980), Alzheimer's Disease Diagnostic and Treatment Centers (ADDTC; 1992), International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10; 1992), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Association Internationale pour la Recherche et l'Enseignement en Neurosciences (NINDS-AIREN; 1993), and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; 1994). RESULTS: The number of cases that could be classified as VaD according to the different criteria varied considerably: 36.4% (n=39) by DSM-III, 86.9% (n=93) by ADDTC, 32.7% (n=35) by NINDS-AIREN, 36.4% (n=39) by ICD-10, and 91.6% (n=98) by DSM-IV criteria. The concordance between DSM-III/ICD-10 was perfect (100%; kappa=1.0), between ICD-10/NINDS-AIREN and ADDTC/DSM-IV good to moderate (85.0% and 87. 3%; kappa=0.87 and 0.37, respectively), but otherwise poor between the other criteria. Only 31 patients fulfilled all the criteria for VaD applied. Major discriminating factors between the criteria were requirement of (1) focal neurological signs, (2) unequal distribution of deficits in higher cortical functions, and (3) evidence of relevant CVD based on brain imaging findings. CONCLUSIONS: Current criteria of VaD identify different frequencies and clusters of patients and are not interchangeable. Optimally, prospective studies with clinicopathological correlation could identify new criteria. Meanwhile, focus on more homogeneous subtypes (eg, small-vessel subcortical VaD) and detailed neuroimaging criteria could improve the diagnostics.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Clinical neuroscience approaches in psychiatry.

Recent advances in the clinical neurosciences have begun to expand and change our understanding of how the brain functions. As further neuroscientific principles are delineated we may gain insights into the underlying pathophysiology of some psychiatric disorders and through this new understanding we may be able to define new therapeutic interventions. Two illustrative examples of neuroscientific research are discussed and reviewed both in terms of the promises and dangers inherent in these new approaches to the mind.

Dopamine↗
PubMed2001

Cushing's contributions to neuroscience, part 2: Cushing and several dwarfs.

Harvey Cushing revolutionized modern neurosurgery and pioneered the field of neuroendocrinology. This second of a two-part series on Harvey Cushing's contributions to neuroscience discusses his pivotal discoveries of the function and clinical disorders of the anterior pituitary. A review of his 20-year obsession with the pituitary reveals Cushing's ingenuity, keen sense of observation, and persistent stubborness. His enthusiasm to test his ideas, however, led to risky experimentation. Despite his foibles, his work opened up new frontiers of research for a number of investigators, whose efforts resulted in the identification of specific pituitary hormones, the hypothalamic regulation of the pituitary, and the practical applications of endocrinology.

Dwarfism, Pituitary↗
PubMed2003

What can modern statistics offer imaging neuroscience?

This paper presents a mixed-effects model, region-of-interest analysis of a longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study of drug effects on human memory function. A key region of interest is the human hippocampus, affected by brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. A brief section on human hippocampal cell microscopy complements the discussion of the macroscopic fMRI study. Statistical issues confronted in these two applications are then placed in a broader context for further discussion of the future roles of biostatisticians and our methods in the fertile intersection of applied mathematical abstraction and imaging neuroscience. Neuroscientific and fMRI background is provided for readers new to either area.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed2004

Using developmental, cognitive, and neuroscience approaches to understand executive control in young children.

The 7 articles in this special issue address the nature of executive control in young children. Executive control is framed in a developmental context, where the unique aspects of cognition in this age range are considered. The set of articles demonstrates the multidisciplinary approaches to study cognition in young children that includes application of cognitive, neuroscience, and developmental paradigms in typically developing youngsters, as well as those affected by clinical conditions, such as traumatic brain injury, exposure to low levels of lead in the environment, and prematurity. Although much work remains to be done, these study results are illustrative of the dynamic work in this exciting developmental period.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1987

A model clinical neuroscience curriculum.

We have attempted to identify those attitudes, skills, and competencies in the clinical neurosciences that every graduating medical student should possess. Curricular guidelines are provided that may act as a model educational outline, to be adapted and utilized as individual circumstances dictate and resources permit. A universal, although not lockstep, curriculum emerges from these considerations.

Curriculum↗
PubMed2004

[PET in neuroscience: dopaminergic, GABA/benzodiazepine, and opiate system].

This article gives an overview on radiotracer imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) in measuring various aspects of neurotransmission. The review focuses on the dopaminergic system, the GABA/benzodiazepine system, and the opiate system. Besides dealing with the current clinical applications for brain PET studies with specific radiopharmaceuticals this article outlines an idea on potential future developments for the use of these methods in basic neuroscience.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Neuroscience perspectives on disparities in school readiness and cognitive achievement.

This article allows readers to look at racial and ethnic disparities in school readiness from a neuroscience perspective. Although researchers have traditionally measured gaps in school readiness using broad achievement tests, they can now assess readiness in terms of more specific brain-based cognitive functions. Three neurocognitive systems--cognitive control, learning and memory, and reading--are essential for success in school. Thanks to recent advances in brain imaging, it is now possible to examine these three systems, each located in specific areas of the brain, by observing them in action as children engage in particular tasks. Socioeconomic status--already linked with how well children do on skills tests generally--is particularly closely linked with how well they perform on tasks involving these crucial neurocognitive systems. Moreover, children's life experiences can influence their neurocognitive development and lead to functional and anatomical changes in their brains. Noting that chronic stress or abuse in childhood can impair development of the brain region involved in learning and memory, the authors show how the extreme stress of being placed in an orphanage leads to abnormal brain development and decreased cognitive functioning. More optimistically, the authors explain that children's brains remain plastic and capable of growth and development. Targeted educational interventions thus have the promise of improving both brain function and behavior. Several such interventions, for example, both raise children's scores in tests of reading and increase activity in the brain regions most closely linked with reading. The brain regions most crucial for school readiness may prove quite responsive to effective therapeutic interventions-even making it possible to tailor particular interventions for individual children. The authors look ahead to the day when effective educational interventions can begin to close racial and socioeconomic gaps in readiness and achievement.

Brain↗
PubMed2005

Behavioral perspectives on the neuroscience of drug addiction.

Neuroscientific approaches to drug addiction traditionally have been based on the premise that addiction is a process that results from brain changes that in turn result from chronic administration of drugs of abuse. An alternative approach views drug addiction as a behavioral disorder in which drugs function as preeminent reinforcers. Although there is a fundamental discrepancy between these two approaches, the emerging neuroscience of reinforcement and choice behavior eventually may shed light on the brain mechanisms involved in excessive drug use. Behavioral scientists could assist in this understanding by devoting more attention to the assessment of differences in the reinforcing strength of drugs and by attempting to develop and validate behavioral models of addiction.

Animals↗