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Objective To provide a neuroimaging basis for exploring the role of the prefrontal cortex in human urinary control function. Methods Hemodynamic data from the prefrontal cortex of the brain during the task of pelvic floor muscle contraction from 20 healthy female volunteers were collected using functional near-infrared spectroscopy （fNIRS） under two different states of bladder filling and emptying， and these data were processed accordingly to compare the differences in the activation state among different brain compartments of the prefrontal cortex by analyzing the Beta values corresponding to the relative amount of changes in the concentration of oxyhemoglobin extracted from each individual channel. Results A total of 30 channels were activated during bladder filling， whereas 8 channels were activated during bladder emptying （all P < 0.05）， including 7 co-activated channels. The prefrontal cortex activation was more significant during bladder filling than bladder emptying， and the activation was predominantly in the right prefrontal cortex， with the differences mainly in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and frontopolar cortex （all P < 0.05）. Conclusions The prefrontal cortex can be activated by pelvic floor muscle contraction. Under the state of bladder filling， the prefrontal cortex may perceive the pressure change of the bladder through neural reflex activity and thus participate in the regulation of the voluntary pelvic floor muscle contraction， plays a role in human urinary control function. The right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex region possibly plays a more significant role in this process.

The corticocortical vestibular network (CVN) plays an important role in maintaining balance and stability. In order to clarify the specific relationship between the CVN and the balance ability of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), we recruited 30 MCI patients in the community. According to age and sex, they were 1:1 matched to 30 older adults with normal cognitive function. We evaluated balance ability and performed MRI scanning in the two groups of participants. We analyzed functional connectivity within the CVN based on the region of interest. Then, we performed a Pearson correlation analysis between the functional connection and the Berg Balance Scale scores. The research results show that compared with the control group, there were three pairs of functional connections (hMST_R–Premotor_R, PFcm_R–SMA_L, and hMST_L–VIP_R) that were significantly decreased in the CVNs of the MCI group (p < 0.05). Further correlation analysis showed that there was a significant positive correlation between hMST_R–Premotor_R functional connectivity and BBS score (r = 0.364, p = 0.004). The decline in balance ability and increase in fall risk in patients with MCI may be closely related to the change in the internal connection mode of the corticocortical vestibular network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the precise mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) to delay cognitive impairment in Alzheimer disease. Methods: N-Acetylaspartate (NAA), glutamate (Glu) and myoinositol (mI) metabolism were measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy, learning and memory of APP/PS1 mouse was evaluated by the Morris water maze test and the step-down avoidance test, neuron survival number and neuronal structure in the hippocampus were observed by Nissl staining, and BDNF and phosphorylated TrkB detected by Western blot. Results: EA at DU20 acupuncture significantly improve learning and memory in behavioral tests, up-regulate NAA, Glu and mI metabolism, increase the surviving neurons in hippocampus, and promote the expression of BDNF and TrkB in the APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Conclusion: These findings suggested that EA is a potential therapeutic for ameliorate cognitive dysfunction, and it might be due to EA could improve NAA and Glu metabolism by upregulation of BDNF in APP/PS1 mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the effect of moxa cone moxibustion on N -acetyl aspartate/total creatinine (NAA/tCr) and choline/total creatinine (Cho/tCr) in the bilateral hippocampus (HIP) and bilateral posterior cingulate gyrus (PCG) in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using hydrogen proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS) and to provide imaging basis for moxa cone moxibustion treatment for MCI., Methods: One hundred eight patients with MCI were served as the MCI group, and 67 age-matched subjects were enrolled as the normal control group. The MCI group was randomized and allocated into acupoint group, drug group, and sham acupoint group, with 36 cases in each group. Some patients in each group withdrew. Finally, 25 cases were included in the acupoint group, 24 cases in the drug group, and 20 cases in the sham acupoint group. The drug group was treated with oral donepezil hydrochloride. The acupoint group and sham acupoint group received moxa cone moxibustion treatment. Mini-mental state exam (MMSE) and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scores were recorded before intervention, at the end of the first and the second months of intervention, and in the 5th month of follow-up. The NAA/tCr and Cho/tCr ratios in the HIP and PCG were bilaterally measured by 1 H-MRS before and after intervention., Results: Before intervention, compared with the normal control group, the MMSE and MoCA scores, the Cho/tCr ratio in the right HIP, the NAA/tCr ratio in the bilateral HIP, and the NAA/tCr ratio in the left PCG in the three treatment groups decreased significantly (both p < 0.01), and the NAA/tCr ratio in the right PCG significantly reduced in the acupoint and drug groups ( p < 0.05). After two months of treatment, compared with the normal control group, there were no differences in the MoCA scores, the NAA/tCr, and Cho/tCr ratios in the bilateral PCG and bilateral HIP in the three treatment groups ( p > 0.05). However, the MMSE scores in the drug group decreased when compared with the acupoint group and normal control group ( p < 0.05, p < 0.01). The scores of MMSE and MoCA in the acupoint group and sham acupoint group at all time points were better than those in the drug group, which were similar to those in the normal control group., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that moxibustion could improve the cognitive function of patients with MCI. The mechanism may be related to the improvement of abnormal brain metabolism in HIP and PCG., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Mai, Zhang, Liu, Tang, Wei, Su, Duan, Teng, Nong, Yu, Li, Shao, Deng, Chen and Zhao.)

As an intermediate state between normal aging and dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) became a hot topic and early treatments can improve disease prognosis. Acupuncture is shown to have possible effect in improving its cognitive defect. However, the underlying neural mechanism of acupuncture and relations between De Qi and different needling depths are still elusive. The present study aimed to explore how acupuncture can exert effect on the reorganization of MCI and to what extent needling depths, associating with De Qi sensations, can influence the acupuncture effects for MCI treatment. Our results presented that MCI patients exhibited losses of small-world attributes indicated by longer characteristic path lengths and larger clustering coefficients, compared with healthy controls. In addition, acupuncture with deep needling can induce much stronger and a wide range of De Qi sensations both in intensity and prevalence. Acupuncture with deep needling showed modulatory effect to compensate the losses of small-world attributes existed in MCI patients while acupuncture with superficial needling did not. Furthermore, acupuncture with deep needling enhanced the nodal centrality primarily in the abnormal regions of MCI including the hippocampus, postcentral cortex as well as anterior cingulate cortex. This study provides evidence to understand neural mechanism underlying acupuncture and the key role of De Qi for MCI treatment.