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Mania after brain injury: neuroradiological and metabolic findings.

We present a consecutive series of 8 patients who developed a manic episode after a brain injury. Five patients had cortical lesions (4 with damage to the right basotemporal region, and 1 with bilateral damage to the orbitofrontal area). While the other 3 patients had subcortical lesions (white matter of the right frontal lobe, right anterior limb of the internal capsule, and right head of the caudate), a fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scan showed hypometabolism in the right lateral basotemporal region in all 3 patients. These findings suggest a major role for the basal region of the right temporal lobe in the modulation of mood.

Adult↗

Motor responses after transcranial electrical stimulation of cerebral hemispheres with a degenerated pyramidal tract.

Motor responses were evoked in the thenar muscles by transcranial electrical cortex stimulation in 5 stroke patients with an isolated lacuna in the internal capsule, in whom wallerian degeneration of the pyramidal tract was demonstrated in vivo. Suprathreshold stimulation of the affected hemisphere elicited bilateral motor responses; whereas, stimulation at identical intensities of the undamaged hemisphere yielded strictly unilateral responses in the contralateral hand, like the responses of all normal control subjects. Focused magnetic brain stimulation was performed in 1 patient and gave identical results. Because muscular excitability to cortical stimulation is preserved in spite of pyramidal tract disruption, other pathways must bypass the lesion. Because of the bilaterality of responses, we suggest polysynaptic corticoreticulospinal connections.

Cerebrovascular Disorders↗

Focal capsular vascular lesions can selectively deafferent the prerolandic or the parietal cortex: somatosensory evoked potentials evidence.

Four patients with a unilateral focal vascular accident involving the internal capsule (but not the cortex) were studied electrophysiologically. Averaged somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) to electrical stimulation of the median nerve on the left or the right side were analyzed. In the 3 patients with hemiparesis and normal somatic sensation, the precentral P22 and N30 SEP components were lost, whereas the parietal components were preserved. In another patient with clinical somatosensory loss unaccompanied by any central motor impairment, the precentral SEP components were preserved, whereas the parietal SEP components were lost. Thus, a small capsular lesion can eliminate distinct cortical SEP components by selectively involving either the axons of the thalamic VPLc nucleus going to parietal receiving cortex or the axons of thalamic VPLo going to motor area 4. These findings extend to subcortical lesions the diagnostic value of SEPs in patients with dissociated clinical motor and sensory signs.

Afferent Pathways↗

Individual patterns of functional reorganization in the human cerebral cortex after capsular infarction.

We have previously shown bilateral activation of motor pathways and the recruitment of additional motor areas in studies of groups of patients with recovery from motor stroke. We have now developed a new positron emission tomographic technique to measure the changes in regional cerebral blood flow elicited during a motor task in individual patients, relative to the cerebral activation found in normal subjects. The patterns of cerebral activation in each of 8 individual patients with capsular lesions of the pyramidal tract and complete recovery from hemiplegia are described by comparison with the pattern found in a representative sample of 10 normal subjects. We found a large ventral extension of the hand field of the contralateral (sensori)motor cortex in all patients with lesions of the posterior limb of the internal capsule. Greater activation than in normal subjects was found in variable combinations of the supplementary motor areas, the insula, the frontal operculum, and the parietal cortex. Structures belonging to motor pathways ipsilateral to the recovered limb were also more activated in the patients than in normal subjects. However, additional activation of the ipsilateral (sensori)motor cortex was only found in the 4 patients who exhibited associated movements of the unaffected hand when the recovered hand performed the motor task. We conclude that recovery from motor stroke due to striatocapsular damage is associated with individually different patterns of functional reorganization of the brain. These patterns are dependent on the site of the subcortical lesion and the somatotopic organization of the pyramidal tract, both of which may determine the precise potential for recovery of limb function following this type of brain injury.

Adult↗

Changing distribution of monoaminergic markers in the developing human cerebral cortex with special emphasis on the serotonin transporter.

This article reviews the current knowledge of the early onset of the monoaminergic innervation in the developing cerebral cortex in humans and of changes in the distribution of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity in different neuronal populations of the developing telencephalon. The early genesis of the central monoaminergic neurons in mammals has led to postulations of a trophic role of monoamines in brain morphogenesis--especially in the cerebral cortex. The developmental effects of amines can be linked to the transient expression of different molecules linked to dopamine or serotonin neurotransmission. We present novel data on the immunocytochemistry of the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2) and of the high-affinity serotonin transporter (SERT) in human fetuses. SERT is a marker of the serotoninergic axons and allows visualization of the serotonin afferents of the raphe in the human telencephalon. In addition, during a restricted time period corresponding to 12-14 postovulatory weeks, we found SERT-immunolabeled fibers in the rostral and caudal limbs of the internal capsule that do not correspond to serotoninergic fibers, but do coincide with the calbindin D28k-labeled thalamocortical fiber tracts. The present observations are correlated with findings in rodents, in which a transient expression of SERT is visible in the thalamocortical axons during early postnatal life. The function of this transporter has been shown to be important for the fine-tuning of cortical sensory maps during the critical period of development of these maps. Although the present observation does not allow ascertainment of which neurons transiently express SERT, it lends support to the notion that serotonin and serotonin uptake could have important developmental roles, during the formation of brain connections in humans, as they have in rodents.

Animals↗

Anatomy and three-dimensional reconstructions of the brain of the white whale (Delphinapterus leucas) from magnetic resonance images.

Magnetic resonance imaging offers a means of observing the internal structure of the brain where traditional procedures of embedding, sectioning, staining, mounting, and microscopic examination of thousands of sections are not practical. Furthermore, internal structures can be analyzed in their precise quantitative spatial interrelationships, which is difficult to accomplish after the spatial distortions often accompanying histological processing. For these reasons, magnetic resonance imaging makes specimens that were traditionally difficult to analyze, more accessible. In the present study, images of the brain of a white whale (Beluga) Delphinapterus leucas were scanned in the coronal plane at 119 antero-posterior levels. From these scans, a computer-generated three-dimensional model was constructed using the programs VoxelView and VoxelMath (Vital Images, Inc.). This model, wherein details of internal and external morphology are represented in three-dimensional space, was then resectioned in orthogonal planes to produce corresponding series of "virtual" sections in the horizontal and sagittal planes. Sections in all three planes display the sizes and positions of such structures as the corpus callosum, internal capsule, cerebral peduncles, cerebral ventricles, certain thalamic nuclear groups, caudate nucleus, ventral striatum, pontine nuclei, cerebellar cortex and white matter, and all cerebral cortical sulci and gyri.

Animals↗

Encapsulation of isohexenylnaphthazarins in cyclodextrins.

Naturally occurring isohexenylnaphthazarins (IHN), such as Alkannin, Shikonin (A/S) and their derivatives, are potent pharmaceutical substances with a wide spectrum of biological activity. In the present study, inclusion complexes of alkannin and shikonin commercial samples and IHN derivatives in the form of an oily extract of Alkanna tinctoria roots were formed with beta-cyclodextrin (CD) and beta-HPCD. These complexes were investigated to evaluate the effect of complexation on their aqueous solubility, decoloration, and also the percentage of polymeric A/S and IHN derivatives enclosed in the CDs cavity, since these decrease the active monomeric IHN. Both beta-CD and beta-HPCD increased the aqueous solubility of A/S and IHN derivatives and thus inclusion complexes can be used as drug delivery systems for A/S in both internal (capsules, tablets) and external hydrophilic pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations (creams, gels, sprays) with enhanced bioavailability. The inclusion complexes formed had a pale purple colour, contributing to the partial decoloration of the A/S and thus of the fi nal pharmaceutical preparations. Finally, CDs selectively included more monomeric and less polymeric IHN, compared with the initial each time sample that is encapsulated; thus inclusion complexes may present enhanced biological activity.

2-Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin↗

Anatomic and clinical correlations of the lenticulostriate arteries.

The authors examined the lenticulostriate (perforating) arteries in the vascular casts of 48 middle cerebral arteries (MCA), as well as in the MRI or CT scans of 32 patients with cerebral infarcts in the MCA territory. The lenticulostriate arteries ranged between two and 12 in number, and from 80 microm to 1,400 microm in size. They originated from the main trunk, terminal trunks, bifurcation site, and/or leptomeningeal branches of the MCA, either separately or from common trunks (70.8%). The extreme variations of the supplying region of the perforators were noted in seven anatomic specimens. In addition to the basal ganglia, the genu, and the anterior limb of the internal capsule, the lenticulostriate arteries seemed to supply only the rostral portion of the superior part of the posterior limb of the capsule. The patients presented with occlusion of all the lenticulostriate arteries, individual arteries, or only their twigs. Complete occlusion of these arteries resulted in a huge central hemispheric infarct. Occlusion of an individual artery most often caused a large ganglionic-capsular infarct. The authors concluded that the lacunar infarcts usually follow occlusion of a terminal or a side branch of the lenticulostriate arteries.

Adolescent↗

Role of Emx2 in the development of the reciprocal connectivity between cortex and thalamus.

Emx2 knockout mice appear to show a shift in the areal identity in the cerebral cortex , which is matched with altered distribution of thalamocortical projections (Bishop et al. [2000] Science 288:344-349; Mallamaci et al. [2000] Nat Neurosci. 3:679-686) [corrected]. We have examined the early establishment of these projections to understand how the altered Emx2 expression results in changes in their cortical targeting. We used carbocyanine dye tracing to visualize thalamocortical and corticofugal projections as well as immunohistochemistry for L1 and TAG-1, respective markers of the two axonal systems, in wild-type, heterozygote, and null mutant for Emx2 at embryonic (E) ages ranging from E13.5 to E18.5. These tracing studies demonstrated that, in Emx2 knockout mice, a large proportion of early thalamocortical projections were misrouted at the border between the diencephalon and telencephalon. This abnormality was associated with displaced connectivity of the internal capsule cells at the diencephalic-telencephalic junction. Interestingly, most of the aberrant thalamic projections compensated for the ventral entry to the telencephalon and still ascended to the cortex. Although this early targeting abnormality is associated with the altered Emx2 expression pattern in the cortex, it most probably occurs independently from it, and is related to earlier guidance defects at the diencephalic-telencephalic boundary. These defects might result in the altered and delayed arrival of thalamic projections to the cortex and, thus, contribute to the shifted thalamocortical matching previously observed in the Emx2 knockout mice.

Animals↗

Intraputamenal infusion of GDNF in aged rhesus monkeys: distribution and dopaminergic effects.

Site-specific delivery of trophic factors in the brain may be important for achieving therapeutic efficacy without unwanted side effects. This study evaluated the site-specific infusion of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) into the right putamen of aged rhesus monkeys. After 4 weeks of continuous infusion at a rate of 22.5 microg/day, GDNF had diffused up to 11 mm from the catheter openings in the putamen into the rostral putamen, internal capsule, external capsule, caudate nucleus, and globus pallidus. Anisotropic flow along the external capsule tracts carried GDNF into the anterior amygdaloid area. Backflow of GDNF along the catheter track from the frontal cortex infiltrated juxtaposed corpus callosal and cortical tissue. GDNF was carried by retrograde transport to dopamine neurons in the ipsilateral substantia nigra, stimulating an 18% increase in the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive dopamine neurons and a 28% increase in dopamine neuron perikaryal size. Also, TH-positive fiber density was increased in the ipsilateral globus pallidus, caudate nucleus, and putamen. Anatomic effects from GDNF stimulation of the dopaminergic system were restricted to the ipsilateral hemisphere. Retrograde GDNF labeling was also present in a few TH-positive neurons in the locus coeruleus and a large cluster of TH-negative neurons in the ventral anterior thalamus. Anterograde transport of GDNF was evident in axons in the pyramidal tract from the cerebral peduncle to the caudal spinal cord. Tissue injury from the intraparenchymal catheter and continuous infusion was confined primarily to a narrow zone surrounding the track and was mild to moderate in severity.

Aging↗

Juxtacapsular nucleus of the stria terminalis of the adult rat: extrinsic inputs, cell types, and neuronal modules: a combined Golgi and electron microscopic study.

This study unravels the microscopic organization of the juxtacapsular nucleus of the bed nuclei of the stria terminalis (Ju) by using silver impregnation and electron microscopic techniques. Examination of Golgi-impregnated specimens demonstrates that the Ju has precise boundaries primarily determined by a conical condensation of fibers of the stria terminalis (StT) around the nucleus. The internal capsule, ansa peduncularis, and medial forebrain bundle together with the StT provide extrinsic afferents to the neuropil of the Ju. Two main neuron types are found in the Ju: interneurons (including basket and neurogliaform cells) and projection neurons (bipolar and small pyramidal cells). The bipolar cell type accounts for about 80% of the sampled neurons. Short-axon neurons located within the dorsal part of the Ju send descending fibers that appear to terminate on the bipolar neurons, suggesting the existence of vertically oriented functional units within the nucleus. With the electron microscope, Ju neurons are seen in clusters of two or three neurons coupled by gap junctions. The neuropil contains numerous dendrites, axons, myelinated axons, and several types of synaptic interactions, including axospinous, axoshaft, and axosomatic. Within the neuropil, Ju neurons appear to be presynaptically modulated by axoaxonal interactions. The present findings suggest a model wherein bipolar neurons represent the output system of the Ju controlled by the interneurons, which would, in turn, be modulated by collaterals arising from the tributary fiber tracts. Additional neural interaction between Ju neurons utilizes gap junction-mediated electrotonic coupling.

Afferent Pathways↗

Motor projections to the basis pontis in rhesus monkey.

Motor corticopontine studies suggest that the pons is topographically organized, but details remain unresolved. We used physiological mapping in rhesus monkey to define subregions in precentral motor cortex (M1), injected isotope tracers into M1 and the supplementary motor area (SMA), and studied projections to the basis pontis. Labeled fibers descend in the internal capsule (SMA in anterior limb and genu; M1 in posterior limb) and traverse the midsection of the cerebral peduncle, where SMA fibers are medial, and face, arm, and leg fibers are progressively lateral. Each motor region has unique terminations in the ipsilateral basis pontis and nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis. Projections are topographically organized, preferentially in the caudal half of the pons, situated in close proximity to traversing corticofugal fibers. In nuclei that receive multiple inputs, terminations appear to interdigitate. Projections from the SMA-face region are most medial and include the median pontine nucleus. M1-face projections are also medial but are lateral to those from SMA-face. Hand projections are in medially placed curved lamellae in mid- and caudal pons. Dorsal trunk projections are in medial and ventral locations. Ventral trunk/hip projections encircle the peduncle in the caudal pons. Foot projections are heaviest caudally in laterally placed, curved lamellae. These results have relevance for anatomical clinical correlations in the human basis pontis. Furthermore, the dichotomy of motor-predominant caudal pons projections to cerebellar anterior lobe, contrasted with associative-predominant rostral pons projections to cerebellar posterior lobe, is consistent with new hypotheses regarding the cerebellar contribution to motor activity and cognitive processing.

Animals↗

Expression profiles of EphA3 at both the RNA and protein level in the developing mammalian forebrain.

The ephrin/Eph system is well known to regulate various aspects of brain development. In this study, we analyzed the expression profiles of EphA3 at both the RNA and protein level in developing mouse forebrains. Although the EphA3 gene is known to encode two isoforms of the receptors, a full-length transmembrane form, and a short, secretory form, only the full-length isoform was detected in the developing forebrain. We found that, in the early developmental stages, while EphA3 mRNA was expressed in the dorsal thalamus and the cortical intermediate zone (IMZ), the EphA3 protein was detected in the IMZ and the internal capsule, but not in the dorsal thalamus. In the later stages the mRNA was expressed in the most superficial region of the cortical plate, while the protein was expressed in the IMZ. This discrepancy between the mRNA and protein expression patterns might be attributed to the possibility of the protein being transported to the axons to regulate the thalamocortical and corticofugal projection. The results of double-immunostaining for L1 and EphA3 or TAG-1 and EphA3 suggested that EphA3 protein was produced mainly in the thalamocortical axons and only partially in the corticofugal axons. In addition, the EphA3 protein was also detected in various other structures, such as the lateral olfactory tract, anterior commissure, and corpus callosum, suggesting the possibility that EphA3 might regulate the formation of various neuronal networks in the developing brain, including the TC projection and the commissural fibers.

Animals↗

Neuroanatomic deficits in congenital central hypoventilation syndrome.

Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS) patients exhibit compromised autonomic regulation, reduced breathing drive during sleep, diminished ventilatory responses to chemoreceptor stimulation, and diminished air hunger perception. The syndrome provides an opportunity to partition neural processes regulating breathing and cardiovascular action. No obvious lesions appear with conventional magnetic resonance imaging; however, T2 relaxometry procedures can detect reduced cell or fiber density or diminished myelination not found with routine evaluation. High-resolution T1, proton density, and T2-weighted brain images were collected from 12 patients and 28 age- and gender-matched controls. Voxel-by-voxel T2 maps were generated from the proton density and T2-weighted images and evaluated by voxel-based-relaxometry procedures. Normalized and smoothed T2 maps were compared between groups using analysis of covariance at each voxel, with age and ventricle size included as covariates. Patients showed damaged or maldeveloped tissue, principally right-sided, including white matter from the level of the anterior cingulate cortex caudally to the level of the posterior cingulate and laterally to the posterior superior temporal cortex. Portions of the posterior, mid, and anterior cingulate, as well as the internal capsule, putamen, and globus pallidus and basal forebrain extending to the anterior and medial thalamus were affected. Deficits in the cingulum bundle and mid-hippocampus and ventral prefrontal cortex appeared, as well as the right cerebellar cortex and deep nuclei. Neuroanatomic deficiencies in limbic structures suggest a structural basis for reduced air hunger perception, thermoregulatory and autonomic deficiencies in the syndrome, while cerebellar deficits may also contribute to breathing and cardiovascular dysregulation.

Adolescent↗

Histological and cytological study of the bed nuclei of the stria terminalis in adult rat. II. Oval nucleus: extrinsic inputs, cell types, neuropil, and neuronal modules.

The oval nucleus (Ov) of the bed nuclei of the stria terminalis was studied in adult rats. The Ov is composed of 11 neuron types distributed into a shell and a core domain. The stria terminalis, internal capsule, ventral amygdaloid pathway, and medial forebrain bundle are the main sources of afferents to the neuropil of the Ov. The nucleus shell contains abundant intrinsic neurons possibly connected among themselves and with the core by centripetal axon collaterals. Series of intrinsic neurons in the shell, linked with both short-axon and projecting neurons in the core, suggest a centripetal control of projecting neurons. In situ hybidization for vesicular glutamate transporter (VGlu) and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) show numerous GAD-synthesizing neurons and an absence of VGlu-synthesizing neurons. In the electron microscope, the neuropil of the Ov contains axospinous, axoshaft, axosomatic, mixed (i.e., chemical-electrical), and axoaxonic synapses, in order of frequency. Synaptic boutons in apposition with the initial segment, represent an additional axoaxonic interaction. Further neural synchronization of the Ov occurs via gap junctions between somata, soma-dendrite, and possibly by apposition between axon terminals. The putative inputs from the major tracts of the forebrain coupled with the cytological organization of the Ov make it one of the most complex structures of the mammalian brain.

Animals↗

Distribution and differentiation of microglia in the human encephalon during the first two trimesters of gestation.

We describe the topographical distribution of microglial subpopulations during development of the human diencephalon and telencephalon. Brains from embryos and fetuses age 5-23.5 gestational weeks (gw) were subjected to single- and double-immunolabeling for lectin RCA-1 (Ricinus Communis Agglutinin 1), Iba1 (a microglial marker), CD68 (specific of macrophages), CD45 (marker for mononucleate cells of hematopoietic lineage), CD34 (expressed on endothelial cells), and MIB1 and Ki67 (markers for cell proliferation). At 5.5 gw the first intracerebral microglial cells were seen close to the meninges and choroid plexus near the di-telencephalic fissure. They were amoeboid and positive for Iba1, CD45, and RCA-1, whereas cells in the deep parenchyma expressed Iba1/CD68/RCA-1 and constituted clusters. In the developing diencephalon, microglial clusters were located in junctional regions of the white matter anlagen, most notably at the junctions of the internal capsule with the thalamic projections, the external capsule, and the cerebral peduncle. In the cortical anlagen, Iba1+/RCA-1/CD68+/CD45+ cells accumulated at 10-12 gw, constituting a tangential band at the junction between the cortical plate and the subplate. Between 10 and 16 gw microglial clusters increased markedly in size and cellular density. Contact between Iba1+ microglia and CD34+ blood vessels was clearly visible from 10-12 gw onward, first in microglial clusters of the white matter anlagen and subsequently throughout the parenchyma. From the middle of the second trimester onward microglial cells colonized the entire cerebral parenchyma, developed a ramified morphology, and downregulated their surface antigens, but remained more numerous in the white matter.

Brain↗

Projections of the locus coeruleus and adjacent pontine tegmentum in the cat.

The projections of the locus coeruleus and adjacent pontine tegmentum have been studied using anatomical and physiological methods in the cat. Axonal trajectories were traced using either the Fink-Heimer I method following electrolytic lesions, or the autoradiographic method after injection of tritiated proline into the nucleus. Results with both methods were similar. Axons of locus noeruleus neurons ascended ipsilaterally through the mesencephalon lateral to the medial longitudinal fasiculus, ventrolateral to the central gray. In the caudal diencephalon, the ascending fibers entered the centrum medianum-parafascicular complex where they diverged into two fascicles: a dorsal fascicle which terminated in the intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus, and a ventral fascicle which gave off fibers to the ventrobasal complex and reticular nucleus of the thalamus while continuing centrolaterally into the lateral hypothalamus medial to the internal capsule. Fibers of the ventral fascicle ascended in the lateral hypothalamus and zona incerta and were traced through the preoptic region into the septum. Fibers could not be consistently traced to the cerebral cortex, and were not seen at all in the cerebellum. Throughout the ascending course of the path from the locus coeruleus, axons were given off to the pretectal area, the medial and lateral geniculate nuclei and the amygdala; fibers passed contralaterally through the posterior commissure, the midline thalamus, and the supraoptic commissure. Fibers descending from the locus coeruleus surrounded the intramedullary portion of the facial nerve and further caudally were observed ventrolateral to the hypoglossal and dorsal vagal nuclei. The axonal trajectories visualized with degeneration and autoradiographic methods followed closely those previously shown for reticular formation neurons, but were also similar to locus coeruleus projections revealed by histofluorescence methods. After injections of horseradish peroxidase into the centrum medianum-parafascicular complex, lateral hypothalamus or preoptic region, labeled neurons were located in the locus coeruleus, nucleus subcoeruleus, and lateral parabrachial nucleus. Reticular formation neurons were not labeled. Neurons in locus coeruleus and adjacent pontine tegmentum could be antidromically activated by stimulation in the rostral midbrain or caudal diencephalon. Our data indicate that both adrenergic and non-adrenergic neurons of the dorsolateral pontine tegmentum have similar projections.

Afferent Pathways↗

Postnatal maturation of subcortical projections from the prefrontal cortex in the rhesus monkey.

Orbital and dorsolateral prefrontal lesions were performed on a series of rhesus monkeys at 2, 6, or 24 months of age. The consequent degeneration in the efferent pathways from these cortical regions to the caudate nucleus, the dorsomedial nucleus of the thalamus and adjacent structures was studied at 5- and 15-day survival times by a modification of the Nauta-Gygax method for tracing degenerating fibers. Following dorsolateral lesions, considerable numbers of black-impregnated degenerating fibers were found in the parvocellular division of the dorsomedial nucleus and in the fiber bundles of the internal capsule and the subcallosal fasciculus at all ages.

Animals↗