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Postpartum depression (PPD) is associated with abnormalities in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) but the underlying neurochemistry is unclear. We hypothesized that peripartum GABAergic neuroactive steroids (NAS) are related to cortical GABA concentrations and RSFC in PPD as compared to healthy comparison women (HCW). To test this, we measured RSFC with fMRI and GABA+/Creatine (Cr) concentrations with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H MRS) in the pregenual anterior cingulate (pgACC) and occipital cortices (OCC) and quantified peripartum plasma NAS. We examined between-group differences in RSFC and the relationship between cortical GABA+/Cr concentrations with RSFC. We investigated the relationship between NAS, RSFC and cortical GABA+/Cr concentrations. Within the default mode network (DMN) an area of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) had greater connectivity with the rest of the DMN in PPD (peak voxel: MNI coordinates (2, 58, 32), p = 0.002) and was correlated to depression scores (peak HAM-D17 voxel: MNI coordinates (0, 60, 34), p = 0.008). pgACC GABA+/Cr correlated positively with DMPFC RSFC in a region spanning the right anterior/posterior insula and right temporal pole (r = +0.661, p = 0.000). OCC GABA+/Cr correlated positively with regions spanning both amygdalae (right amygdala: r = +0.522, p = 0.000; left amygdala: r = +0.651, p = 0.000) as well as superior parietal areas. Plasma allopregnanolone was higher in PPD (p = 0.03) and positively correlated with intra DMPFC connectivity (r = +0.548, p = 0.000) but not GABA+/Cr. These results provide initial evidence that PPD is associated with altered DMN connectivity; cortical GABA+/Cr concentrations are associated with postpartum RSFC and allopregnanolone is associated with postpartum intra-DMPFC connectivity.

Background: Despite the diagnostic challenges in categorizing bipolar disorder subtypes, bipolar I and II disorders (BD-I and BD-II respectively) are valid indices for researchers. Subtle neurobiological differences may underlie clinical differences between mood disorder subtypes. The aims of this study were to investigate neurochemical differences between bipolar disorder subtypes. Methods: Euthymic BD-II patients (n = 21) are compared with BD-I (n = 28) and healthy comparison subjects (HCs, n = 30). Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and proton spectroscopy (1H MRS) were performed on a 3T Siemens Tim Trio system. MRS voxels were located in the left/right superior temporal cortices, and spectra acquired with the single voxel Point REsolved Spectroscopy Sequence (PRESS). The spectroscopic data were analyzed with LCModel (Version 6.3.0) software. Results: There were significant differences between groups in terms of glutamate [F = 6.27, p = 0.003], glutamate + glutamine [F = 6.08, p = 0.004], inositol containing compounds (Ino) (F = 9.25, p < 0.001), NAA [F = 7.63, p = 0.001] and creatine + phosphocreatine [F = 11.06, p < 0.001] in the left hemisphere and Ino [F = 5.65, p = 0.005] in the right hemisphere. Post-hoc comparisons showed that the BD-I disorder group had significantly lower metabolite levels in comparison to the BD-II and the HC groups. Limitations: This was a cross-sectional study with a small sample size. In addition, patients were on various psychotropic medications, which may have impacted the results. Conclusions: Neurochemical levels, in the superior temporal cortices, measured with 1H-MRS discriminated between BD-II and BD-I. Although further studies are needed, one may speculate that the superior temporal cortices (particularly left hemispheric) play a critical role, whose pathology may be related to subtyping bipolar disorder. The study was funded by Scientific Research Projects Committee of the Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University (Project Code: 803) and NIMH grant to CMM ( MH073998 ) and NIH grant to DO K24 ( MH104449 ). Dr. Phillips acknowledged the support of the Pittsburgh Foundation.

The time until an approaching object passes the observer is referred to as time-to-passage (TTP). Accurate judgment of TTP is critical for visually guided navigation, such as when walking, riding a bicycle, or driving a car. Previous research has shown that observers are able to make TTP judgments in the absence of information about local retinal object expansion. In this paper we combine psychophysics and functional MRI (fMRI) to investigate the neural substrate of TTP processing. In a previous psychophysical study, we demonstrated that when local retinal expansion cues are not available, observers take advantage of multiple sources of information to judge TTP, such as optic flow and object retinal velocities, and integrate these cues through a flexible and economic strategy. To induce strategy changes, we introduced trials with motion but without coherent optic flow (0% coherence of the background), and trials with coherent, but noisy, optic flow (75% coherence of the background). In a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study we found that coherent optic flow cues resulted in better behavioral performance as well as higher and broader cortical activations across the visual motion processing pathway. Blood oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal changes showed significant involvement of optic flow processing in the precentral sulcus (PreCS), postcentral sulcus (PostCS) and middle temporal gyrus (MTG) across all conditions. Not only highly activated during motion processing, bilateral hMT areas also showed a complex pattern in TTP judgment processing, which reflected a flexible TTP response strategy.

The aim of this study is to measure GABA levels of perisylvian cortices in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients, using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). Patients with schizophrenia (n = 25), bipolar I disorder (BD-I; n = 28) and bipolar II disorder (BD-II; n = 20) were compared with healthy controls (n = 30).1H-MRS data was acquired using a Siemens 3 T whole body scanner to quantify right and left perisylvian structures’ (including superior temporal lobes) GABA levels. Right perisylvian GABA values differed significantly between groups [χ2= 9.62, df: 3, p = 0.022]. GABA levels were significantly higher in the schizophrenia group compared with the healthy control group (p = 0.002). Furthermore, Chlorpromazine equivalent doses of antipsychotics correlated with right hemisphere GABA levels (r2= 0.68, p = 0.006, n = 33). GABA levels are elevated in the right hemisphere in patients with schizophrenia in comparison to bipolar disorder and healthy controls. The balance between excitatory and inhibitory controls over the cortical circuits may have direct relationship with GABAergic functions in auditory cortices. In addition, GABA levels may be altered by brain regions of interest, psychotropic medications, and clinical stage in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. � 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd

Aspartoacylase (AspA) gene mutations cause the pediatric lethal neurodegenerative Canavan disease (CD). There is emerging promise of successful gene therapy for CD using recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs). Here, we report an intracerebroventricularly delivered AspA gene therapy regime using three serotypes of rAAVs at a 20-fold reduced dose than previously described in AspA(-/-) mice, a bona-fide mouse model of CD. Interestingly, central nervous system (CNS)-restricted therapy prolonged survival over systemic therapy in CD mice but failed to sustain motor functions seen in systemically treated mice. Importantly, we reveal through histological and functional examination of untreated CD mice that AspA deficiency in peripheral tissues causes morphological and functional abnormalities in this heretofore CNS-defined disorder. We demonstrate for the first time that AspA deficiency, possibly through excessive N-acetyl aspartic acid accumulation, elicits both a peripheral and CNS immune response in CD mice. Our data establish a role for peripheral tissues in CD pathology and serve to aid the development of more efficacious and sustained gene therapy for this disease.

Axonal degeneration is a critical, early event in many acute and chronic neurological disorders. It has been consistently observed after traumatic brain injury, but whether axon degeneration is a driver of traumatic brain injury remains unclear. Molecular pathways underlying the pathology of traumatic brain injury have not been defined, and there is no efficacious treatment for traumatic brain injury. Here we show that mice lacking the mouse Toll receptor adaptor Sarm1 (sterile α/Armadillo/Toll-Interleukin receptor homology domain protein) gene, a key mediator of Wallerian degeneration, demonstrate multiple improved traumatic brain injury-associated phenotypes after injury in a closed-head mild traumatic brain injury model. Sarm1−/− mice developed fewer β-amyloid precursor protein aggregates in axons of the corpus callosum after traumatic brain injury as compared to Sarm1+/+ mice. Furthermore, mice lacking Sarm1 had reduced plasma concentrations of the phophorylated axonal neurofilament subunit H, indicating that axonal integrity is maintained after traumatic brain injury. Strikingly, whereas wild-type mice exibited a number of behavioural deficits after traumatic brain injury, we observed a strong, early preservation of neurological function in Sarm1 −/− animals. Finally, using in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy we found tissue signatures consistent with substantially preserved neuronal energy metabolism in Sarm1 −/− mice compared to controls immediately following traumatic brain injury. Our results indicate that the SARM1-mediated prodegenerative pathway promotes pathogenesis in traumatic brain injury and suggest that anti-SARM1 therapeutics are a viable approach for preserving neurological function after traumatic brain injury. * Abbreviations : βAPP : β-amyloid precursor protein CBF : cerebral blood flow NSS : neurological severity score pNFH : phophorylated axonal neurofilament subunit H TBI : traumatic brain injury WLDS : slow Wallerian degeneration protein

Objective: Several types of evidence have shown that auditory networks are dysfunctional in schizophrenia (Sch) and bipolar disorders (BD). Auditory cortices show abnormalities in hallucinations or during remission. This study aimed to assess resting-state connectivity of auditory cortices in Sch and BD. Method: Patients with BD-1 (n=28), BD-2 (n=21), Sch (n=30), and healthy controls (HC, n=30) were enrolled into the study. A 3 Tesla whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system with a 32-channel phase-array head coil was used to acquire the MRI data. T1-weighted anatomical and gradient-echo based Echoplanar Imaging sequences were used. MATLAB and Freesurfer software packages were used for data analyses. Connectivity alterations within the auditory network guided our further seedbased connectivity analysis. Results: The left angular gyrus volume was decreased in Sch and BD-2 groups. The supramarginal gyrus had hyperconnectivity with the medial prefrontal cortices and decreased connectivity with the medial superior temporal gyrus (STG) in the BD-1 and BD-2 groups. The left superior temporal sulcus (STS) had increased connectivity with the bilateral posterior cingulate cortex in BD-1 and BD-2 and increased connectivity with the dorsal prefrontal cortices in the Sch group. The STS had increased connectivity with the medial STG in the BD-1 and Sch groups, whereas connectivity decreased in the BD-2 group. Conclusion: These findings suggest that functional connectivity of resting-state networks are altered in BD and Sch. Auditory network alterations may predispose to dysfunctional auditory information processing. Further studies are needed to determine the relationship between symptoms and auditory network dysfunction.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is associated with abnormalities in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) but the underlying neurochemistry is unclear. We hypothesized that peripartum GABAergic neuroactive steroids (NAS) are related to cortical GABA concentrations and RSFC in PPD as compared to healthy comparison women (HCW). To test this, we measured RSFC with fMRI and GABA+/Creatine (Cr) concentrations with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) in the pregenual anterior cingulate (pgACC) and occipital cortices (OCC) and quantified peripartum plasma NAS. We examined between-group differences in RSFC and the relationship between cortical GABA+/Cr concentrations with RSFC. We investigated the relationship between NAS, RSFC and cortical GABA+/Cr concentrations. Within the default mode network (DMN) an area of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) had greater connectivity with the rest of the DMN in PPD (peak voxel: MNI coordinates (2, 58, 32), p=0.002) and was correlated to depression scores (peak HAM-D17 voxel: MNI coordinates (0, 60, 34), p=0.008). pgACC GABA+/Cr correlated positively with DMPFC RSFC in a region spanning the right anterior/posterior insula and right temporal pole (r=+0.661, p=0.000). OCC GABA+/Cr correlated positively with regions spanning both amygdalae (right amygdala: r=+0.522, p=0.000; left amygdala: r=+0.651, p=0.000) as well as superior parietal areas. Plasma allopregnanolone was higher in PPD (p=0.03) and positively correlated with intra DMPFC connectivity (r=+0.548, p=0.000) but not GABA+/Cr. These results provide initial evidence that PPD is associated with altered DMN connectivity; cortical GABA+/Cr concentrations are associated with postpartum RSFC and allopregnanolone is associated with postpartum intra-DMPFC connectivity.

BACKGROUND: Although clinical evaluations and neurocognitive assessments are commonly used to evaluate the extent of and recovery from concussion, brain bioenergetics could provide a more quantitative marker. The neurometabolic response to a concussion is thought to increase neuronal energy consumption and thus the demand for nucleoside triphosphate (NTP). OBJECTIVE: We investigated the possible disruption in high-energy metabolism within the prefrontal cortex of college athletes who had either had a concussion within the past 6 months (n=14) or had never had a concussion (n=13). We hypothesized that concussed athletes would have imbalanced brain bioenergetics resulting from increased NTP consumption, and these biochemical changes would correspond to impaired cognitive abilities. METHODS: We used phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy to quantify high-energy phosphates. We performed the neuroimaging in conjunction with neurocognitive assessments targeting prefrontal cortex-mediated tasks. RESULTS: Our results revealed significantly lower γ-NTP levels in the athletes after concussion. Although the concussed and non-concussed participants performed similarly in neurocognitive assessments, lower levels of γ-NTP were associated with worse scores on neurocognitive tasks. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the concept of increased energy demand in the prefrontal cortex of a concussed brain, and we found that while neurocognitive assessments appear normal, brain energetics may be abnormal. A longitudinal study could help establish brain NTP levels as a biomarker to aid in diagnosis and to assess recovery in concussed patients. Language: en

We aimed to determine the effect of an open-label 8 week Vitamin D3 supplementation on manic symptoms, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) glutamate, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in youth exhibiting symptoms of mania; that is, patients with bipolar spectrum disorders (BSD). We hypothesized that an 8 week Vitamin D3 supplementation would improve symptoms of mania, decrease ACC glutamate, and increase ACC GABA in BSD patients. Single time point metabolite levels were also evaluated in typically developing children (TD).The BSD group included patients not only diagnosed with BD but also those exhibiting bipolar symptomology, including BD not otherwise specified (BD-NOS) and subthreshold mood ratings (Young Mania Rating Scale [YMRS] ≥8 and Clinical Global Impressions - Severity [CGI-S] ≥3). Inclusion criteria were: male or female participants, 6-17 years old. Sixteen youth with BSD exhibiting manic symptoms and 19 TD were included. BSD patients were asked to a take daily dose (2000 IU) of Vitamin D3 (for 8 weeks) as a supplement. Neuroimaging data were acquired in both groups at baseline, and also for the BSD group at the end of 8 week Vitamin D3 supplementation.Baseline ACC GABA/creatine (Cr) was lower in BSD than in TD (F[1,31]=8.91, p=0.007). Following an 8 week Vitamin D3 supplementation, in BSD patients, there was a significant decrease in YMRS scores (t=-3.66, p=0.002, df=15) and Children's Depression Rating Scale (CDRS) scores (t=-2.93, p=0.01, df=15); and a significant increase in ACC GABA (t=3.18, p=0.007, df=14).Following an 8 week open label trial with Vitamin D3, BSD patients exhibited improvement in their mood symptoms in conjunction with their brain neurochemistry.

Sports-related concussions are currently diagnosed through multi-domain assessment by a medical professional and may utilize neurocognitive testing as an aid. However, these tests have only been able to detect differences in the days to week post-concussion. Here, we investigate a measure of brain function, namely resting state functional connectivity, which may detect residual brain differences in the weeks to months after concussion. Twenty-one student athletes (9 concussed within 6 months of enrollment; 12 non-concussed; between ages 18 and 22 years) were recruited for this study. All participants completed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task and the Color-Word Interference Test. Neuroimaging data, specifically resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging data, were acquired to examine resting state functional connectivity. Two sample t-tests were used to compare the neurocognitive scores and resting state functional connectivity patterns among concussed and non-concussed participants. Correlations between neurocognitive scores and resting state functional connectivity measures were also determined across all subjects. There were no significant differences in neurocognitive performance between concussed and non-concussed groups. Concussed subjects had significantly increased connections between areas of the brain that underlie executive function. Across all subjects, better neurocognitive performance corresponded to stronger brain connectivity. Even at rest, brains of concussed athletes may have to 'work harder' than their healthy peers to achieve similar neurocognitive results. Resting state brain connectivity may be able to detect prolonged brain differences in concussed athletes in a more quantitative manner than neurocognitive test scores.

Canavan's disease (CD) is a fatal pediatric leukodystrophy caused by mutations in aspartoacylase (AspA) gene. Currently, there is no effective treatment for CD; however, gene therapy is an attractive approach to ameliorate the disease. Here, we studied progressive neuropathology and gene therapy in short-lived (≤ 1 month) AspA(-/-) mice, a bona-fide animal model for the severest form of CD. Single intravenous (IV) injections of several primate-derived recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) as late as postnatal day 20 (P20) completely rescued their early lethality and alleviated the major disease symptoms, extending survival in P0-injected rAAV9 and rAAVrh8 groups to as long as 2 years thus far. We successfully used microRNA (miRNA)-mediated post-transcriptional detargeting for the first time to restrict therapeutic rAAV expression in the central nervous system (CNS) and minimize potentially deleterious effects of transgene overexpression in peripheral tissues. rAAV treatment globally improved CNS myelination, although some abnormalities persisted in the content and distribution of myelin-specific and -enriched lipids. We demonstrate that systemically delivered and CNS-restricted rAAVs can serve as efficacious and sustained gene therapeutics in a model of a severe neurodegenerative disorder even when administered as late as P20.

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to 1 in 8 women. The early postpartum period is characterized by a downward physiological shift from relatively elevated levels of sex steroids during pregnancy to diminished levels after parturition. Sex steroids influence functional brain connectivity in healthy non-puerperal subjects. This study tests the hypothesis that PPD is associated with attenuation of resting-state functional connectivity (rs-fc) within corticolimbic regions implicated in depression and alterations in neuroactive steroid concentrations as compared to healthy postpartum women. Subjects (n = 32) were prospectively evaluated during pregnancy and in the postpartum with repeated plasma neuroactive steroid measurements and mood and psychosocial assessments. Healthy comparison subjects (HCS) and medication-free subjects with unipolar PPD (PPD) were examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) within 9 weeks of delivery. We performed rs-fc analysis with seeds placed in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and bilateral amygdala (AMYG), hippocampi (HIPP) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (DLPFCs). Postpartum rs-fc and perinatal neuroactive steroid plasma concentrations, quantified by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, were compared between groups. PPD subjects showed attenuation of connectivity for each of the tested regions (i.e. ACC, AMYG, HIPP and DLPFC) and between corticocortical and corticolimbic regions vs. HCS. Perinatal concentrations of pregnanolone, allopregnanolone and pregnenolone were not different between groups. This is the first report of a disruption in the rs-fc patterns in medication-free subjects with PPD. This disruption may contribute to the development of PPD, at a time of falling neuroactive steroid concentrations.

Use of novel approaches in imaging modalities is needed for enhancing diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes of persons with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study explored the feasibility of using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in conjunction with behavioral measures to target dynamic changes in specific neural circuitries in an animal model of TBI. Wistar rats were randomly assigned to one of two groups (traumatic brain injury/sham operation). TBI rats were subjected to the closed head injury (CHI) model. Any observable motor deficits and cognitive deficits associated with the injury were measured using beam walk and Morris water maze tests, respectively. fMRI was performed to assess the underlying post-traumatic cerebral anatomy and function in acute (24 hours after the injury) and chronic (7 and 21 days after the injury) phases. Beam walk test results detected no significant differences in motor deficits between groups. The Morris water maze test indicated that cognitive deficits persisted for the first week after injury and, to a large extent, resolved thereafter. Resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) analysis detected initially diminished connectivity between cortical areas involved in cognition for the TBI group; however, the connectivity patterns normalized at 1 week and remained so at the 3 weeks post-injury time point. Taken together, we have demonstrated an objective in vivo marker for mapping functional brain changes correlated with injury-associated cognitive behavior deficits and offer an animal model for testing potential therapeutic interventions options.

Objective Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a psychiatric disorder affecting 5% of children. Methylphenidate (MPH) is a common medication for ADHD. Studies examining MPH's effect on pediatric ADHD patients' brain function using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have not been compiled. The goals of this systematic review were to determine (1) which areas of the brain in pediatric ADHD patients are modulated by a single dose of MPH, (2) whether areas modulated by MPH differ by task type performed during fMRI data acquisition, and (3) whether changes in brain activation due to MPH relate to clinical improvements in ADHD-related symptoms. Methods We searched the electronic databases PubMed and PsycINFO (1967-2011) using the following terms: ADHD AND (methylphenidate OR MPH OR ritalin) AND (neuroimaging OR MRI OR fMRI OR BOLD OR event related), and identified 200 abstracts, 9 of which were reviewed based on predefined criteria. Results In ADHD patients the middle and inferior frontal gyri, basal ganglia, and cerebellum were most often affected by MPH. The middle and inferior frontal gyri were frequently affected by MPH during inhibitory control tasks. Correlation between brain regions and clinical improvement was not possible due to the lack of symptom improvement measures within the included studies. Conclusions Throughout nine task-based fMRI studies investigating MPH's effect on the brains of pediatric patients with ADHD, MPH resulted in increased activation within frontal lobes, basal ganglia, and cerebellum. In most cases, this increase "normalized" activation of at least some brain areas to that seen in typically developing children.

Previous studies of heading perception suggest that human observers employ spatiotemporal pooling to accommodate noise in optic flow stimuli. Here, we investigated how spatial and temporal integration mechanisms are used for judgments of heading through a psychophysical experiment involving three different types of noise. Furthermore, we developed two ideal observer models to study the components of the spatial information used by observers when performing the heading task. In the psychophysical experiment, we applied three types of direction noise to optic flow stimuli to differentiate the involvement of spatial and temporal integration mechanisms. The results indicate that temporal integration mechanisms play a role in heading perception, though their contribution is weaker than that of the spatial integration mechanisms. To elucidate how observers process spatial information to extract heading from a noisy optic flow field, we compared psychophysical performance in response to random-walk direction noise with that of two ideal observer models (IOMs). One model relied on 2D screen-projected flow information (2D-IOM), while the other used environmental, i.e., 3D, flow information (3D-IOM). The results suggest that human observers compensate for the loss of information during the 2D retinal projection of the visual scene for modest amounts of noise. This suggests the likelihood of a 3D reconstruction during heading perception, which breaks down under extreme levels of noise.

An imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been proposed. We compared glutamate (Glu), glutamine (Gln), and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of 13 males with ASD and 14 typically developing (TD) males (ages 13-17), and correlated these levels with intelligence quotient (IQ) and measures of social cognition.Social cognition was evaluated by administration of the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). We acquired proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) data from the bilateral ACC using the single voxel point resolved spectroscopy sequence (PRESS) to quantify Glu and Gln, and Mescher-Garwood point-resolved spectroscopy sequence (MEGA-PRESS) to quantify GABA levels referenced to creatine (Cr).There were higher Gln levels (p=0.04), and lower GABA/Cre levels (p=0.09) in the ASD group than in the TD group. There was no difference in Glu levels between groups. Gln was negatively correlated with RMET score (rho=-0.62, p=0.001) and IQ (rho=-0.56, p=0.003), and positively correlated with SRS scores (rho=0.53, p=0.007). GABA/Cre levels were positively correlated with RMET score (rho=0.34, p=0.09) and IQ (rho=0.36, p=0.07), and negatively correlated with SRS score (rho=-0.34, p=0.09).These data suggest an imbalance between glutamatergic neurotransmission and GABA-ergic neurotransmission in ASD. Higher Gln levels and lower GABA/Cre levels were associated with lower IQ and greater impairments in social cognition across groups.

Background: Superior temporal cortices include brain regions dedicated to auditory processing and several lines of evidence suggest structural and functional abnormalities in both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder within this brain region. However, possible glutamatergic dysfunction within this region has not been investigated in adult patients. Methods: Thirty patients with schizophrenia (38.67 ± 12.46. years of age), 28 euthymic patients with bipolar I disorder (35.32 ± 9.12. years of age), and 30 age-, gender- and education-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy data were acquired using a 3.0. T Siemens MAGNETOM TIM Trio MR system and single voxel Point REsolved Spectroscopy Sequence (PRESS) in order to quantify brain metabolites within the left and right Heschl's gyrus and planum temporale of superior temporal cortices. Results: There were significant abnormalities in glutamate (Glu) (F(2,78) = 8.52, p < 0.0001), N-acetyl aspartate (tNAA) (F(2,81) = 5.73, p = 0.005), creatine (tCr) (F(2,83) = 5.91, p = 0.004) and inositol (Ins) (F(2,82) = 8.49, p < 0.0001) concentrations in the left superior temporal cortex. In general, metabolite levels were lower for bipolar disorder patients when compared to healthy participants. Moreover, patients with bipolar disorder exhibited significantly lower tCr and Ins concentrations when compared to schizophrenia patients. In addition, we have found significant correlations between the superior temporal cortex metabolites and clinical measures. Conclusion: As the left auditory cortices are associated with language and speech, left hemisphere specific abnormalities may have clinical significance. Our findings are suggestive of shared glutamatergic abnormalities in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a heterogeneous psychiatric disorder affecting 5-10% of children. One of the suggested mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of ADHD is insufficient energy supply to neurons. Here, we investigated the role of omega 3 fatty acids in altering neural energy metabolism and behavior of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), which is an animal model of ADHD. To this end, we employed Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ((1)H MRS) to evaluate changes in brain neurochemistry in the SHR following consumption of one of three experimental diets (starting PND 21): fish oil enriched (FOE), regular (RD) and animal fat enriched (AFE) diet. Behavioral tests were performed to evaluate differences in locomotor activity and risk-taking behavior (starting PND 44). Comparison of frontal lobe metabolites showed that increased amounts of omega 3 fatty acids decreased total Creatine levels (tCr), but did not change Glutamate (Glu), total N-Acetylaspartate (tNAA), Lactate (Lac), Choline (Cho) or Inositol (Ino) levels. Although behavior was not significantly affected by different diets, significant correlations were observed between brain metabolites and behavior in the open field and elevated plus maze. SHR with higher levels of brain tCr and Glu exhibited greater hyperactivity in a familiar environment. On the other hand, risk-taking exploration of the elevated plus maze's open arms correlated negatively with forebrain tNAA and Lac levels. These findings support the possible alteration in energy metabolites in ADHD, correlating with hyperactivity in the animal model. The data also suggest that omega 3 fatty acids alter brain energy and phospholipid metabolism.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is characterized by neuronal damage and commonly, secondary cell death, leading to functional and neurological dysfunction. Despite the recent focus of TBI research on developing therapies, affective therapeutic strategies targeting neuronal death associated with TBI remain underexplored. This study explored the efficacy of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) as an intervention for improving cognitive deficits commonly associated with TBI. Although G-CSF has been studied with histological techniques, to date, its effects on functional outcome remain unknown. To this end, we used a closed head injury (CHI) model in Wistar rats that were randomly assigned to one of four groups (untreated TBI, G-CSF treated TBI, G-CSF treated Control, Control). The treatment groups were administered subcutaneous injections of G-CSF 30 min (120 μg/kg) and 12 h (60 μg/kg) post-trauma. The Morris Water Maze test was used to measure any treatment-associated changes in cognitive deficits observed in TBI animals at days 2-6 post-injury. Our findings demonstrate a significant improvement in cognitive performance in the G-CSF treated TBI animals within a week of injury, compared to untreated TBI, indicative of immediate and beneficial effect of G-CSF on cognitive performance post CHI. Our model suggests that early G-CSF exposure may be a promising therapeutic approach in recovery of cognitive deficits due to TBI.

We used six psychophysical tasks to measure sensitivity to different types of global motion in 45 healthy adults and in 57 stroke patients who had recovered from the initial results of the stroke, but a large subset of them had enduring deficits on selective visual motion perception tasks. The patients were divided into four groups on the basis of the location of their cortical lesion: occipito-temporal, occipito-parietal, rostro-dorsal parietal, or frontal–prefrontal. The six tasks were: direction discrimination, speed discrimination, motion coherence, motion discontinuity, two-dimensional form-from-motion, and motion coherence – radial. We found both qualitative and quantitative differences among the motion impairments in the four groups: patients with frontal lesions or occipito-temporal lesions were not impaired on any task. The other two groups had substantial impairments, most severe in the group with occipito-parietal damage. We also tested eight healthy control subjects on the same tasks while they were scanned by functional magnetic resonance imaging. The BOLD signal provoked by the different tasks correlated well with the locus of the lesions that led to impairments among the different tasks. The results highlight the advantage of using psychophysical/techniques and a variety of visual tasks with neurological patients to tease apart the contribution of different cortical areas to motion processing.