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Sex differences exist in many neurological and psychiatric diseases, but these have not always been addressed adequately in research. In order to address this, it is necessary to consider how sex is incorporated into the design (e.g. using a balanced design) and into the analyses (e.g. using sex as a covariate) in the published literature. We surveyed papers published in 2009 and 2019 across six journals in neuroscience and psychiatry. In this sample, we find a 30% increase in the percentage of papers reporting studies that included both sexes in 2019 compared with 2009. Despite this increase, in 2019 only 19% of papers in the sample reported using an optimal design for discovery of possible sex differences, and only 5% of the papers reported studies that analysed sex as a discovery variable. We conclude that progress to date has not been sufficient to address the importance of sex differences in research for discovery and therapeutic potential for neurological and psychiatric disease., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The neuromodulatory subcortical system (NSS) nuclei are critical hubs for survival, hedonic tone, and homeostasis. Tau-associated NSS degeneration occurs early in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, long before the emergence of pathognomonic memory dysfunction and cortical lesions. Accumulating evidence supports the role of NSS dysfunction and degeneration in the behavioral and neuropsychiatric manifestations featured early in AD. Experimental studies even suggest that AD-associated NSS degeneration drives brain neuroinflammatory status and contributes to disease progression, including the exacerbation of cortical lesions. Given the important pathophysiologic and etiologic roles that involve the NSS in early AD stages, there is an urgent need to expand our understanding of the mechanisms underlying NSS vulnerability and more precisely detail the clinical progression of NSS changes in AD. Here, the NSS Professional Interest Area of the International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment highlights knowledge gaps about NSS within AD and provides recommendations for priorities specific to clinical research, biomarker development, modeling, and intervention. HIGHLIGHTS: Neuromodulatory nuclei degenerate in early Alzheimer's disease pathological stages. Alzheimer's pathophysiology is exacerbated by neuromodulatory nuclei degeneration. Neuromodulatory nuclei degeneration drives neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia. Biomarkers of neuromodulatory integrity would be value-creating for dementia care. Neuromodulatory nuclei present strategic prospects for disease-modifying therapies.

Context: The highest cited papers published in a journal provide a snapshot of the clinical practice and research in that specialty and/or region., Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the highest cited papers published in Neurology India and analyze their attributes., Setting and Design: This study was a citation analysis of all papers published in Neurology India since online archiving commenced in 1993., Methods: All papers published in Neurology India between the years 1993-2014 were listed. The number of times each paper had been cited up till the time of performing this study was determined by performing a Google Scholar search. Published papers were then ranked on the basis of total times cited since publication and the annual citation rate. Statistical Techniques: Simple counts and percentages were used to report most results. The mean citations received by papers in various categories were compared using the Student's t-test or a one-way analysis of variance, as appropriate. All analyses were carried out on SAS University Edition (SAS/STAT®, SAS Institute Inc, NC, USA) and graphs were generated on MS Excel 2016., Results: The top papers on the total citations and annual citation rate rank lists pertained to basic neuroscience research. The highest cited paper overall had received 139 citations. About a quarter of the papers published had never been cited at all. The major themes represented were vascular diseases and infections., Conclusions: The highest cited papers reflect the diseases that are of major concern in India. Certain domains such as trauma, allied neurosciences, and basic neuroscience research were underrepresented.

This manuscript is the result of the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society consensus conference on the surgical management of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors from July 19 to 20, 2018. The group reviewed a series of questions of specific interest to surgeons taking care of patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, and for each, the available literature was reviewed. What follows are these reviews for each question followed by recommendations of the panel.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse Genetics and Epigenetics Cross-Cutting Research Team convened a diverse group of researchers, clinicians, and healthcare providers on the campus of the University of California, San Diego, in June 2018. The goal was to develop strategies to integrate genetics and phenotypes across species to achieve a better understanding of substance use disorders through associations between genotypes and addictive behaviors. This conference (a) discussed progress in harmonizing large opioid genetics cohorts, (b) discussed phenotypes that are used for genetics studies in humans, (c) examined phenotypes that are used for genetics studies in animal models, (d) identified synergies and gaps in phenotypic analyses of human and animal models and (e) identified strategies to integrate genetics and genomics data with phenotypes across species. The meeting consisted of panels that focused on phenotype harmonization (Dr. Laura Bierut, Dr. Olivier George, Dr. Dan Larach and Dr. Sesh Mudumbai), translating genetic findings between species (Dr. Elissa Chesler, Dr. Gary Peltz and Dr. Abraham Palmer), interpreting and understanding allelic variations (Dr. Vanessa Troiani and Dr. Tamara Richards) and pathway conservation in animal models and human studies (Dr. Robert Hitzemann, Dr. Huda Akil and Dr. Laura Saba). There were also updates that were provided by large consortia (Dr. Susan Tapert, Dr. Danielle Dick, Dr. Howard Edenberg and Dr. Eric Johnson). Collectively, the conference was convened to discuss progress and changes in genome-wide association studies.

Sudden unexpected death of an individual with epilepsy can pose a challenge to death investigators, as most deaths are unwitnessed, and the individual is commonly found dead in bed. Anatomic findings (eg, tongue/lip bite) are commonly absent and of varying specificity, thereby limiting the evidence to implicate epilepsy as a cause of or contributor to death. Thus it is likely that death certificates significantly underrepresent the true number of deaths in which epilepsy was a factor. To address this, members of the National Association of Medical Examiners, North American SUDEP Registry, Epilepsy Foundation SUDEP Institute, American Epilepsy Society, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention constituted an expert panel to generate evidence-based recommendations for the practice of death investigation and autopsy, toxicological analysis, interpretation of autopsy and toxicology findings, and death certification to improve the precision of death certificate data available for public health surveillance of epilepsy-related deaths. The recommendations provided in this paper are intended to assist medical examiners, coroners, and death investigators when a sudden unexpected death in a person with epilepsy is encountered.

Sudden unexpected death of an individual with epilepsy (SUDEP) can pose a challenge to death investigators, as most deaths are unwitnessed and the individual is commonly found dead in bed. Anatomic findings (e.g., tongue/lip bite) are commonly absent and of varying specificity, limiting the evidence to implicate epilepsy as a cause of or contributor to death. Thus, it is likely that death certificates significantly underrepresent the true number of deaths in which epilepsy was a factor. To address this, members of the National Association of Medical Examiners, North American SUDEP Registry, Epilepsy Foundation SUDEP Institute, American Epilepsy Society, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention convened an expert panel to generate evidence-based recommendations for the practice of death investigation and autopsy, toxicological analysis, interpretation of autopsy and toxicology findings, and death certification to improve the precision of death certificate data available for public health surveillance of epilepsy-related deaths. The recommendations provided in this paper are intended to assist medical examiners, coroners, and death investigators when a sudden, unexpected death in a person with epilepsy is encountered.

A fundamental goal of research in neuroscience is to uncover the causal structure of the brain. This focus on causation makes sense, because causal information can provide explanations of brain function and identify reliable targets with which to understand cognitive function and prevent or change neurological conditions and psychiatric disorders. In this research, one of the most frequently used causal concepts is 'mechanism' - this is seen in the literature and language of the field, in grant and funding inquiries that specify what research is supported, and in journal guidelines on which contributions are considered for publication. In these contexts, mechanisms are commonly tied to expressions of the main aims of the field and cited as the 'fundamental', 'foundational' and/or 'basic' unit for understanding the brain. Despite its common usage and perceived importance, mechanism is used in different ways that are rarely distinguished. Given that this concept is defined in different ways throughout the field - and that there is often no clarification of which definition is intended - there remains a marked ambiguity about the fundamental goals, orientation and principles of the field. Here we provide an overview of causation and mechanism from the perspectives of neuroscience and philosophy of science, in order to address these challenges., (© 2024. Springer Nature Limited.)

This document is an editorial summary of the top cited papers in the field of Systems Neuroscience in 2022. The top ten papers cover a range of topics including tinnitus, obesity, and neuromodulation. The papers come from authors all over the world, representing diverse perspectives. Some notable findings include the lack of therapeutic benefit of a specific stimulation modality for tinnitus, the potential improvement of tinnitus treatment through an enriched acoustic environment, the impact of psychological and sociodemographic factors on tinnitus-related distress, the potential benefits of aerobic exercise for individuals with mild cognitive impairment, the importance of considering insular epilepsy during surgical planning, the functional changes in brain activity induced by hypnosis, the effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation on motor cortex oscillation and inhibition, the effects of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation on autonomic responses, the neuroplastic capacity of different brain stimulation modalities, and the lack of association between obesity and executive functioning. These papers provide valuable insights into various aspects of Systems Neuroscience and are worth exploring for researchers and individuals interested in these topics. [Extracted from the article]

The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Classification of the Epilepsies has been updated to reflect our gain in understanding of the epilepsies and their underlying mechanisms following the major scientific advances that have taken place since the last ratified classification in 1989. As a critical tool for the practicing clinician, epilepsy classification must be relevant and dynamic to changes in thinking, yet robust and translatable to all areas of the globe. Its primary purpose is for diagnosis of patients, but it is also critical for epilepsy research, development of antiepileptic therapies, and communication around the world. The new classification originates from a draft document submitted for public comments in 2013, which was revised to incorporate extensive feedback from the international epilepsy community over several rounds of consultation. It presents three levels, starting with seizure type, where it assumes that the patient is having epileptic seizures as defined by the new 2017 ILAE Seizure Classification. After diagnosis of the seizure type, the next step is diagnosis of epilepsy type, including focal epilepsy, generalized epilepsy, combined generalized, and focal epilepsy, and also an unknown epilepsy group. The third level is that of epilepsy syndrome, where a specific syndromic diagnosis can be made. The new classification incorporates etiology along each stage, emphasizing the need to consider etiology at each step of diagnosis, as it often carries significant treatment implications. Etiology is broken into six subgroups, selected because of their potential therapeutic consequences. New terminology is introduced such as developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. The term benign is replaced by the terms self-limited and pharmacoresponsive, to be used where appropriate. It is hoped that this new framework will assist in improving epilepsy care and research in the 21st century.

The first scientific publication on 'general adaption syndrome', or as we know today 'biologic stress' has been published in Nature in 1936 by the 29-year old Hans Selye. His results in that short publication that contained no references or illustrations, were based on experiments in rats that were exposed to severe insults/ stressors, but his idea about a 'nonspecific bodily response' originated from his observations of sick patients whom he had seen as a medical student and young clinician. Autopsy of stressed rats revealed three major, grossly visible changes: hyperemia and enlargement of the adrenals, atrophy of the thymus and lymph nodes as well as hemorrhagic gastric erosions/ulcers (the "stress triad"). Based on this and additional observations, he concluded that the key master organ in stress reactions is the adrenal cortex (although he also accepted the limited and short lasting effect of catecholamines released from the adrenal medulla) which stimulated by an increased secretion of ACTH, secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. He thus identified the first molecular mediators of the stress reaction, i.e., steroids released from the adrenal cortex that we call today glucocorticoids, based on his classification and naming of steroids. At the end of a very productive life in experimental medicine, Selye recognized that under both unpleasant and demanding stressors as well as positive, rewarding stimuli adrenal cortex releases the same glucocorticoids and only certain brain structures may distinguish the stimuli under distress and eustress - terms he introduced in 1974, that also contained his last definition of stress: the nonspecific response of the body on any demand on it. After brief description of the history of stress research, the rest of this review is focused on one element of stress triad, i.e., gastroduodenal ulceration, especially its pathogenesis, prevention and treatment. Following a short description of acute gastroprotection, discovered by one of Selye's students, we discuss new molecular mediators of gastroduodenal ulceration like dopamine and new drugs that either only heal (very potently, on molar basis) or prevent and heal ulcers like sucralfate derivatives and the relatively new peptide BPC-157. We conclude that despite the extensive and multidisciplinary research on stress during the last 80 years, a lot of basic and clinical research is needed to better understand the manifestations, central and peripheral molecular regulators of stress response, especially the modes of prevention/management of distress or its transformation into eustress and the treatment of stress-related diseases.

Background: Utilizing information technology (IT) systems, for example in form of computerized cognitive screening or exergame-based (also called active videogames) training, has gained growing interest for supporting healthy aging and to detect, prevent and treat neurocognitive disorders (NCD). To ameliorate the effectiveness of exergaming, the neurobiological mechanisms as well as the most effective components for exergame-based training remain to be established. At the same time, it is important to account for the end-users’ capabilities, preferences, and therapeutic needs during the design and development process to foster the usability and acceptance of the resulting program in clinical practice. This will positively influence adherence to the resulting exergame-based training program, which, in turn, favors more distinct training-related neurobiological effects.Objectives and Methods: This methodological paper describes the design and development process of novel exergame-based training concepts guided by a recently proposed methodological framework: The ‘Multidisciplinary Iterative Design of Exergames (MIDE): A Framework for Supporting the Design, Development, and Evaluation of Exergames for Health’ (Li et al., 2020).Case Study: A step-by-step application of the MIDE-framework as a specific guidance in an ongoing project aiming to design, develop, and evaluate an exergame-based training concept with the aim to halt and/or reduce cognitive decline and improve quality of life in older adults with mild neurocognitive disorder (mNCD) is illustrated.Discussion and Conclusion: The development of novel exergame-based training concepts is greatly facilitated when it is based on a theoretical framework (e.g., the MIDE-framework). Applying this framework resulted in a structured, iterative, and evidence-based approach that led to the identification of multiple key requirements for the exergame design as well as the training components that otherwise may have been overlooked or neglected. This is expected to foster the usability and acceptance of the resulting exergame intervention in “real life” settings. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to implement a theoretical framework (e.g., the MIDE-framework) for future research projects in line with well-known checklists to improve completeness of reporting and replicability when serious games for motor-cognitive rehabilitation purposes are to be developed.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) enables non-invasive access to the awake, behaving human brain. By tracking whole-brain signals across a diverse range of cognitive and behavioural states or mapping differences associated with specific traits or clinical conditions, fMRI has advanced our understanding of brain function and its links to both normal and atypical behaviour. Despite this headway, progress in human cognitive neuroscience that uses fMRI has been relatively isolated from rapid advances in other subdomains of neuroscience, which themselves are also somewhat siloed from one another. In this Perspective, we argue that fMRI is well-placed to integrate the diverse subfields of systems, cognitive, computational and clinical neuroscience. We first summarize the strengths and weaknesses of fMRI as an imaging tool, then highlight examples of studies that have successfully used fMRI in each subdomain of neuroscience. We then provide a roadmap for the future advances that will be needed to realize this integrative vision. In this way, we hope to demonstrate how fMRI can help usher in a new era of interdisciplinary coherence in neuroscience., (© 2023. Crown.)

Computational models in neuroscience usually take the form of systems of differential equations. The behaviour of such systems is the subject of dynamical systems theory. Dynamical systems theory provides a powerful mathematical toolbox for analysing neurobiological processes and has been a mainstay of computational neuroscience for decades. Recently, recurrent neural networks (RNNs) have become a popular machine learning tool for studying the non-linear dynamics of neural and behavioural processes by emulating an underlying system of differential equations. RNNs have been routinely trained on similar behavioural tasks to those used for animal subjects to generate hypotheses about the underlying computational mechanisms. By contrast, RNNs can also be trained on the measured physiological and behavioural data, thereby directly inheriting their temporal and geometrical properties. In this way they become a formal surrogate for the experimentally probed system that can be further analysed, perturbed and simulated. This powerful approach is called dynamical system reconstruction. In this Perspective, we focus on recent trends in artificial intelligence and machine learning in this exciting and rapidly expanding field, which may be less well known in neuroscience. We discuss formal prerequisites, different model architectures and training approaches for RNN-based dynamical system reconstructions, ways to evaluate and validate model performance, how to interpret trained models in a neuroscience context, and current challenges., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) is an ongoing, longitudinal, multicenter study designed to develop clinical, imaging, genetic, and biochemical biomarkers for the early detection and tracking of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The initial study, ADNI-1, enrolled 400 subjects with early mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 200 with early AD, and 200 cognitively normal elderly controls. ADNI-1 was extended by a 2-year Grand Opportunities grant in 2009 and by a competitive renewal, ADNI-2, which enrolled an additional 550 participants and will run until 2015. This article reviews all papers published since the inception of the initiative and summarizes the results to the end of 2013. The major accomplishments of ADNI have been as follows: (1) the development of standardized methods for clinical tests, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers in a multicenter setting; (2) elucidation of the patterns and rates of change of imaging and CSF biomarker measurements in control subjects, MCI patients, and AD patients. CSF biomarkers are largely consistent with disease trajectories predicted by β-amyloid cascade (Hardy, J Alzheimer's Dis 2006;9(Suppl 3):151-3) and tau-mediated neurodegeneration hypotheses for AD, whereas brain atrophy and hypometabolism levels show predicted patterns but exhibit differing rates of change depending on region and disease severity; (3) the assessment of alternative methods of diagnostic categorization. Currently, the best classifiers select and combine optimum features from multiple modalities, including MRI, [(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET, amyloid PET, CSF biomarkers, and clinical tests; (4) the development of blood biomarkers for AD as potentially noninvasive and low-cost alternatives to CSF biomarkers for AD diagnosis and the assessment of α-syn as an additional biomarker; (5) the development of methods for the early detection of AD. CSF biomarkers, β-amyloid 42 and tau, as well as amyloid PET may reflect the earliest steps in AD pathology in mildly symptomatic or even nonsymptomatic subjects and are leading candidates for the detection of AD in its preclinical stages; (6) the improvement of clinical trial efficiency through the identification of subjects most likely to undergo imminent future clinical decline and the use of more sensitive outcome measures to reduce sample sizes. Multimodal methods incorporating APOE status and longitudinal MRI proved most highly predictive of future decline. Refinements of clinical tests used as outcome measures such as clinical dementia rating-sum of boxes further reduced sample sizes; (7) the pioneering of genome-wide association studies that leverage quantitative imaging and biomarker phenotypes, including longitudinal data, to confirm recently identified loci, CR1, CLU, and PICALM and to identify novel AD risk loci; (8) worldwide impact through the establishment of ADNI-like programs in Japan, Australia, Argentina, Taiwan, China, Korea, Europe, and Italy; (9) understanding the biology and pathobiology of normal aging, MCI, and AD through integration of ADNI biomarker and clinical data to stimulate research that will resolve controversies about competing hypotheses on the etiopathogenesis of AD, thereby advancing efforts to find disease-modifying drugs for AD; and (10) the establishment of infrastructure to allow sharing of all raw and processed data without embargo to interested scientific investigators throughout the world.

ObjectivesThis article presents an overview of the current literature on biological markers for alcoholism, including markers associated with the pharmacological effects of alcohol and markers related to the clinical course and treatment of alcohol-related problems. Many of these studies are well known, while other studies cited are new and still being evaluated.MethodsIn this paper we first describe known biomarkers of alcohol-related disorders, review their features and the problems involved in their use. We then consider future developments on biomarkers and their possible impact on the field.ResultsMore recent findings cited include the work on type 7 adenylcyclase (AC) polymorphism and its lower expression levels in female alcoholics. Neuroimaging studies involving biomarkers have also reported brain volume reductions of gray and white matter, including amygdala and subcortical regions in alcoholic patients, while a high association between the copy number variations (CNVs) in 6q14.1/5q13.2 and alcohol dependence has more recently been identified in genetic studies.ConclusionsIn addition to their possible importance for diagnosis, biomarkers may have utility for predicting prognosis, progression of the disorder, the development of new treatments, and monitoring treatment effects. Although such findings should be verified in independent studies, the search for new biomarkers is continuing. Several potential candidate biomarkers have been found recently in blood, imaging, and genetic studies with encouraging results.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are signature injuries of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and have been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias. A meeting hosted by the Alzheimer's Association and the Veterans' Health Research Institute (NCIRE) in May 2012 brought together experts from the U.S. military and academic medical centers around the world to discuss current evidence and hypotheses regarding the pathophysiological mechanisms linking TBI, PTSD, and AD. Studies underway in civilian and military populations were highlighted, along with new research initiatives such as a study to extend the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) to a population of veterans exposed to TBI and PTSD. Greater collaboration and data sharing among diverse research groups is needed to advance an understanding and appropriate interventions in this continuum of military injuries and neurodegenerative disease in the aging veteran.

This document is an editorial that discusses the concept of electromagnetic (EM) field theories of consciousness. It highlights the growing interest in this type of solution for understanding consciousness and its philosophical and physical aspects. The document also includes summaries of various research papers on EM field theories of consciousness, which explore the role of EM fields in understanding consciousness and propose different frameworks and theories to explain its mechanisms. The papers discuss topics such as brain activity, EM field oscillations, qualia, and the boundary problem in consciousness studies. Overall, these papers contribute to the ongoing exploration of EM field theories of consciousness and offer potential avenues for further research. [Extracted from the article]

The Neurosequential Model in Education (NME) is described as a developmentally sensitive and biologically respectful approach to development and learning. This paper postulates that the NME shares many commonalities with the Montessori Method in that it, too, is developmentally sensitive and adheres to biologically respectful concepts. This paper compares some of the core principles and recommended practices of the NME with those in the Montessori Method and argues that they are consistent in many ways. The paper also examines Dr. Montessori's unique use of "sensitive periods" in development for educational purposes, in particular her use of the sensitive periods for movement, the social aspects of life, and the sensitive period for order respectively. It argues that in doing this, she was actively promoting an approach to human development and education that appears to correlate with what Dr. Bruce Perry calls a developmentally sensitive and biologically respectful approach to learning. The goal of this study is to show the science behind why many of Dr. Montessori's original practices worked and had such a positive effect on children. This knowledge should empower Montessori educators and give them the confidence to promote authentic Montessori practices in the knowledge that they are in line with current neuroscientific theories that have been shown to be beneficial to children.

Background: The insula is one of the most researched brain regions with many highly cited papers. However, unlike the literature of other fields, there is currently no study that has identified the 100 most cited papers within the literature of the insula. The aim of the current study was to fill in the knowledge gap by determining which publications concerning the insula have been cited most often, who contributed to them, and what topics they were dealing with.Methods: The Web of Science online database was searched to identify the 100 most cited publications mentioning the insular cortex in their titles, abstracts or keywords. To systematically exclude irrelevant publications, the search strategy was finalized as: TS = (insula OR insular OR “island of Reil”) NOT TS = (“insular biogeography” OR “insular mammal*” OR “*insular lymphatic*”) NOT WC = (“Geochemistry and Geophysics” OR “Ecology”). The identified publications were sorted in descending order of citation count. The 100 most cited publications concerning the insula of the brain were identified and their bibliometric data was extracted and assessed. The VOSviewer software was used with default parameters to generate a bubble map that analyzes and visualizes the words/phrases used in the titles and abstracts of the publications.Results: There were 67 articles on experiments/lab studies and 33 meta-analyses/reviews but no opinion or methods paper. They had an average of 943.4 citations (or 62.9 citations per year), 93.5 references and 13.4 pages. There were 35 papers published in open access. USA was the major contributing country. The most top-ranked publications were concerning emotion, salience and pain.Conclusion: Two-thirds of the publications concerned the normal brain function/mechanism (n = 67), whereas 20 publications concerned disease/therapeutic intervention and another 13 concerned normal anatomy. For the 67 original articles, 57 used human subjects whereas 10 used animal models. MRI was the commonest modality (n = 37), followed by PET (n = 16). Nine articles investigated by histology, two by multiple modalities and three by other modality.

This document, published in Science Advances, discusses the challenges of multidisciplinary research in the field of neuroscience. The author emphasizes the importance of drawing on various disciplines to understand the mind and brain. However, the review process can be challenging due to different norms, philosophies, and standards of assessment in different fields. The author suggests tools such as cross-review and involving authors in the editorial process to address these challenges. The document also highlights the importance of collaboration across disciplines in advancing neuroscience knowledge. [Extracted from the article]

Advances in neuro-technology provide new insights into how individual students learn in educational contexts. However, applying it poses challenges for teachers in natural settings. This paper presents an example of the use and applicability of eye-tracking technology in Higher Education. We worked with a sample of 20 students from three universities (Burgos and Valladolid in Spain and Miño in Portugal). The objectives were: (1) to determine whether there were significant differences in indicators of cognitive effort (FC, FD, SC, PD, VC) found with eye-tracking technology between students with and without prior knowledge; (2) to determine whether there were clusters of learning behavior patterns among students; and (3) to analyze differences in the visualization of behavior patterns. A quasi-experimental design without a control group and a descriptive design were used. The results indicated significant differences in learning outcomes between students with and without prior knowledge. In addition, two clusters were found in indicators of cognitive effort. Finally, a comparative analysis of learning behavior patterns between students in cluster 1 vs. cluster 2 was performed. Eye-tracking technology makes it possible to record large data about the learning process. However, using it in natural educational settings currently requires teachers to have technological and data mining skills.

Background: From time to time, neuroimaging research findings receive press coverage and attention by the general public. Scientific articles therefore should be written in a readable manner to facilitate knowledge translation and dissemination. However, no published readability report on neuroimaging articles like those published in education, medical and marketing journals is available. As a start, this study therefore aimed to evaluate the readability of the most-cited neuroimaging articles.Methods: The 100 most-cited articles in neuroimaging identified in a recent study by Kim et al. (2016) were evaluated. Headings, mathematical equations, tables, figures, footnotes, appendices, and reference lists were trimmed from the articles. The rest was processed for number of characters, words and sentences. Five readability indices that indicate the school grade appropriate for that reading difficulty (Automated Readability Index, Coleman-Liau Index, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog index and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook index) were computed. An average reading grade level (AGL) was calculated by taking the mean of these five indices. The Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) score was also computed. The readability of the trimmed abstracts and full texts was evaluated against number of authors, country of corresponding author, total citation count, normalized citation count, article type, publication year, impact factor of the year published and type of journal.Results: Mean AGL ± standard deviation (SD) of the trimmed abstracts and full texts were 17.15 ± 2.81 (college graduate level) and 14.22 ± 1.66 (college level) respectively. Mean FRE score ± SD of the abstracts and full texts were 15.70 ± 14.11 (college graduate level) and 32.11 ± 8.56 (college level) respectively. Both items indicated that the full texts were significantly more readable than the abstracts (p < 0.001). Abstract readability was not associated with any factors under investigation. ANCOVAs showed that review/meta-analysis (mean AGL ± SD: 16.0 ± 1.4) and higher impact factor significantly associated with lower readability of the trimmed full texts surveyed.Conclusion: Concerning the 100 most-cited articles in neuroimaging, the full text appears to be more readable than the abstracts. Experimental articles and methodology papers were more readable than reviews/meta-analyses. Articles published in journals with higher impact factors were less readable.

Neuroscience research has entered a phase of key discoveries in the realm of neurogenomics owing to strong financial and intellectual support for resource building and tool development. The previous challenge of tissue heterogeneity has been met with the application of techniques that can profile individual cells at scale. Moreover, the ability to perturb genes, gene regulatory elements and neuronal activity in a cell-type-specific manner has been integrated with gene expression studies to uncover the functional underpinnings of the genome at a systems level. Although these insights have necessarily been grounded in model systems, we now have the opportunity to apply these approaches in humans and in human tissue, thanks to advances in human genetics, brain imaging and tissue collection. We acknowledge that there will probably always be limits to the extent to which we can apply the genomic tools developed in model systems to human neuroscience; however, as we describe in this Perspective, the neuroscience field is now primed with an optimal foundation for tackling this ambitious challenge. The application of systems-level network analyses to these datasets will facilitate a deeper appreciation of human neurogenomics that cannot otherwise be achieved from directly observable phenomena., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Time has contributed to most of our daily activities. In the field of understanding how the human brain reacted to specific learning processes, the neuroscientist supports the impact of having multiple learning sessions with the retention of knowledge. Spaced Learning is a product makes out of human's lack of capacity in retaining information and attempts to reduce the forgetting rate. In exploring the condition of how the human mind works and the chances of forgetting, the demonstration of spaced and massed learning in retaining information is recognized in this paper. This paper is aimed to synthesize information on the foundation of Spaced Learning with a focus on language learning, especially to students in academic institutions in Malaysia. This paper used a qualitative design in analyzing documents from articles whereby these articles are synthesized and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and the conclusion later on drawn from the analyses. Based on the reviews highlighted in this paper, the practicality of spaced learning is proven in enhancing memory retention in which can contribute to positive performance and can help maximize students' language performance particularly to those who engaged in specific fields of knowledge.

This paper examines how kaiako (teachers) view professional learning and development training (PLD) in structured literacy (SL) in a Maori-medium immersion context. Through interviews with kaiako in a kura kaupapa Maori (Maori-medium educational setting) who teach students in Years 1-6, and images of the literacy environment to capture some of the literacy practices in classrooms, participants share their perspectives on their PLD training. The findings revealed some of the difficulties kaiako face, such as limited resources and working within a standardisded curriculum, whilst attempting to implement changes based on their PLD training. The findings highlight the need for support from all stakeholders (including policy makers and the school leadership team) to successfully implement SL in Maori-medium settings. The need for further resources in Maori-medium settings and the challenge of making changes to a standardised curriculum also emerged from the study. Finally, the findings indicate some of the potential benefits of PLD in SL for Maori-medium educators and akonga (students), such as an understanding of how the brain learns to read, some of the key elements of reading success, and instructional principles for effective literacy instruction.

Byline: Mazda. Turel, Manjul. Tripathi, Ashish. Aggarwal, Navneet. Singla, Chirag. Ahuja, Aastha. Takkar, Sahil. Mehta, Kanwaljeet. Garg, Ravi. Yadav, Anant. Mehrotra, Kuntal. Das Li S, et al . Mannitol improves [...]