Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Neocortex”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,513 records · Page 84Linked to original sources

Cajal-Retzius neurons in developing monkey neocortex show immunoreactivity for calcium binding proteins.

Immunoreactivity for two calcium binding proteins, 28 kDa calbindin and parvalbumin, was used to label cells morphologically identical to Cajal-Retzius neurons in the developing visual, prefrontal, sensory-motor and temporal cortex of Old World monkeys. At all fetal ages examined (E110-E155), Cajal-Retzius neurons throughout the cortex were immunoreactive for calbindin as well as being acetylcholinesterase positive. Between E130 and E150, the calbindin-immunoreactive Cajal-Retzius cells in the visual cortex, and a few in other cortical areas, also showed parvalbumin immunoreactivity. A reduced population of immunoreactive Cajal-Retzius cells was detected at birth, and none could be visualized by immunocytochemistry or histochemistry at later postnatal ages. Calbindin and parvalbumin immunoreactivity represents a potentially useful marker for this developmentally regulated population of neurons, and the varied expression of the two proteins suggests that Cajal-Retzius neurons may represent a neurochemically heterogeneous cell population.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

The influence of an enkephalin derivative, DAGO, on the behavior and activity of neurons of the neocortex and hippocampus of rabbits during the development of defensive and inhibitory conditioned reflexes.

After the administration of a morphine-like opiate, DAGO (D), in a dose of 250 micrograms/kg, a decrease was observed in the probability of movements of a rabbit in response to light flashes, the signal for a defensive reflex. The level of the background impulse activity of the neurons gradually decreased in the sensorimotor cortex and in the hippocampus, and did not change in the visual cortex. The decrease and the recovery of the responses of the neurons to the reinforcing stimulus (electrodermal stimulation of the limb) proceeded unidirectionally in all of the areas of the cortex studied, while there were substantial differences in the relationship to the cortical area studied and to the biological significance of the stimulus in the dynamics of the responses to the inhibitory and reinforced light flashes. The identification of the features of the systemic organization of the neurons during training with change in the properties of the reinforcement under the influence of the preparation under study is discussed, as well as the similarity of some features in the mechanisms of the development of internal inhibition in the defensive situation and of the properties of positive reinforcement.

Action Potentials↗

Effect of chronic lithium treatment with or without haloperidol on number and sizes of neurons in rat neocortex.

The present study used stereological methods to determine whether long-term administration of lithium, with or without haloperidol, affects the number and average volume of neocortical neurons. Twenty-five rats were divided into three groups and given no treatment, lithium, or lithium combined with haloperidol. Serum lithium levels ranged from 0.5 to 0.8 mmol/l. Haloperidol was injected intraperitoneally at a daily dose of 1 mg/kg. After 30 weeks of treatment, the animals were killed and the brains were prepared. Neocortical volume, density of neurons, total number of neurons and mean volume of neurons were estimated. As no differences were found between the groups, the present study provides no evidence for quantitative morphological changes in the cerebral cortex due to long-term 'therapeutic' levels of lithium, with or without haloperidol.

Animals↗

Morphology of neurons in the white matter of the adult human neocortex.

Neurons in the human cerebral cortical white matter below motor, visual, auditory and prefrontal orbital areas have been studied with the Golgi method, immunohistochemistry and diaphorase histochemistry. The majority of white matter neurons are pyramidal cells displaying the typical polarized, spiny dendritic system. The morphological variety includes stellate forms as well as bipolar pyramidal cells, and the expression of a certain morphological phenotype seems to depend on the position of the neuron. Spineless nonpyramidal neurons with multipolar to bitufted dendritic fields constitute less than 10% of the neurons stained for microtubule associated protein (MAP-2). Only 3% of the MAP-2 immunoreactive neurons display nicotine adenine dinucleotide-diaphorase activity. The white matter pyramidal neurons are arranged in radial rows continuous with the columns of layer VI neurons. Neuron density is highest below layer VI, and decreases with increasing distance from the gray matter. White matter neurons are especially abundant below the primary motor cortex, and are least frequent below the visual cortex area 17. In contrast to other mammalian species, the white matter neurons in man are not only present during development, but persist throughout life.

Adult↗

Long-term changes, induced by microstimulation of the neocortex, in the efficiency of excitatory postsynaptic transmission in the thalamocortical networks.

Neuronal networks with synaptic plasticity, consisting of cells located in various loci of the AC and the MGB, were investigated. It was demonstrated that, as a result of MS applied in the region of cortical elements of the network, connections could alter between all elements of the cortex-thalamus-cortex neuronal network. Changes were manifested in the form of LTP and/or LTD of the efficiency of excitatory connections, as well as in the form of intensification or attenuation of the action of the "common source'; the changes were maintained for tens of minutes. The number of connections between stimulated and non-stimulated elements of the network increased. Neurons in which more favorable conditions for LTP developed were distinguished in the networks. The character of the modification of synapses formed by the axons of several cells on one of the elements of the network could vary. Synapses formed by axonal collaterals of one cell on several elements of the network could also be modified variously.

Animals↗

Synaptic proteins of the temporal associative area of the neocortex of cats (field Ep) with normal and reduced cognitive capacities.

The upper, middle, and lower subfractions of the synaptic membranes and subfractions of the total synaptoplasm were isolated from fractions of light and heavy synaptosomes of the Ep fields of the cat brain. The content of protein and protein sulfhydryl (SH-) groups was determined spectrophotometrically in the subsynaptic fractions. The maximal content of the reactive SH-groups was detected in the upper membrane subfractions; this characterizes the structure of the membranes of cholinergic synapses that are primarily concentrated in them, and the minimal content was detected in the lower subfractions, primarily noncholinergic. The brain of cats with well-developed and low capacities for the solution of problems involving generalization, gnosis, and abstraction was compared. A substantially lower content of protein in the upper and middle subfractions of the light synaptosomes and an increased reactivity of SH-groups in the membrane-bound proteins of the upper and middle subfractions of the light and heavy synaptosomes were found in animals with well-developed cognitive capacities. The hypothesis that the synaptic architectonics of the Ep fields in cats with strong cognitive capacities are distinguished by an increased relative proportion of the cholinergic structures is discussed.

Animals↗

Dynamics of the impulse activity of neurons of the neocortex of monkeys in a visual recognition task after brief oxygen deprivation.

A model of brief oxygen supply disruption was created in monkeys trained to a delayed visual spatial choice. A substantial reorganization of the impulse activity of neurons of the visual and prefrontal cerebral cortex, accompanied by disturbances in behavioral reactions, was observed during brief hypoxia (2.5 min); the motor reaction was not restored for several hours in the monkeys during a delayed visual spatial choice. The reorganization of the activity consisted in the appearance of successive phases of hyperactivation and inhibition. The frequency of the impulse activity in the phase of hyperactivation was higher in prefrontal cortex neurons. Successive phases of inhibition and hyperactivation were also identified in the posthypoxic period of restoration in the structure of the activity. The duration of the posthypoxic inhibition and the ratio of the frequencies of posthypoxic hyperactivation to the baseline frequency in the reactions of prefrontal cortex neurons was substantially greater than in the neurons of the visual cortex.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Chronic nicotine treatment prevents neuronal loss in neocortex resulting from nucleus basalis lesions in young adult and aged rats.

In both young adult and aged rats, we tested the ability of chronically administered nicotine to rescue neocortical neurons from transneuronal degeneration resulting 5 mo after ibotenic acid (IBO) lesioning of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM). Young adult (2-3 mo-old) and aged (20-22-mo-old) rats were given unilateral infusions of IBO (5 mu g/1 mu L) at two sites within the NBM. Following surgery, animals began receiving either daily ip injections of nicotine (0.2 mg/kg) or saline vehicle. Treatment continued for 5 mo, at which time all animals were sacrificed and their brains processed histologically. For each brain, computer-assisted image analysis was then used to analyze the unlesioned (left) and lesioned (right) side of five non-consecutive brain sections from parietal cortex Layers II-IV and V. NBM lesioning in both young adult and aged vehicle-treated rats resulted in a significant 16-21% neuronal loss ipsilateral to NBM lesioning in neocortical Layers II-IV. Aged NBM-lesioned rats also exhibited a significant 12% neuronal loss in neocortical Layer V ipsilaterally. By contrast, those NBM-lesioned young adult and aged rats that received daily nicotine treatment postsurgery did not show any ipsilateral neuronal loss in the same parietal cortex areas, indicating that chronic nicotine treatment prevented the transneuronal degeneration of neocortical neurons resulting 5 mo afer NBM lesioning.

Aging↗

Interconnections of auditory areas in the guinea pig neocortex.

By studying the efferent projections of five auditory areas in the guinea pig cortex, we sought evidence that the larger fields can be divided into subareas based on unique patterns of cortical connections. Small extracellular injections of biocytin were made in combination with evoked potential mapping or single-unit analysis and histochemical determination of cortical landmarks. The two core fields, primary (AI) and dorsocaudal (DC), are partially surrounded by six adjacent belt areas, leaving two gaps: one at the rostral edge of AI and the other at the dorsal edge. All of the areas studied projected to their nearest neighbors, but AI was the only area to project to all seven of the other auditory areas. The caudal, high-frequency (more than 4 kHz) end of AI had different projections from the rostral, low-frequency (less than 1.5 kHz) end, and there was no evidence of connections between the two ends. Each end had separate dorsal and ventral projections. The two ends of AI may be working independently. By contrast, area DC had strong connections between its high- and low-frequency ends and it may be involved in auditory/visual integration. The dorsorostral belt (DRB) was subdivided into two zones on the basis of its projections: the more rostral part appears to overlap the second somatosensory area and be bimodal, while the caudal part has stronger auditory connections. The small belt area (area S) had separate physiological and anatomical properties from the rest of the rostral belt.

Animals↗

Development of Alzheimer-related neurofibrillary changes in the neocortex inversely recapitulates cortical myelogenesis.

The pattern of neurofibrillary changes which gradually develops in the course of Alzheimer's disease bears a striking resemblance to the inverse sequence of cortical myelination. Factors released by oligodendrocytes exert a strong influence upon nerve cells and suppress disordered neuritic outgrowth. It is suggested that the lack of such factors due to premature dysfunction of oligodendrocytes leads to alterations of the neuronal cytoskeleton and eventually to the appearance of Alzheimer-type neurofibrillary changes.

Alzheimer Disease↗