Distribution of somatostatin-28 (1-12) in the cat brainstem: an immunocytochemical study.

We studied the distribution of somatostatin-28 (1-12)-immunoreactive fibers and cell bodies in the cat brainstem. A moderate density of cell bodies containing the peptide was observed in the ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus, accessory dorsal tegmental nucleus, retrofacial nucleus and in the lateral reticular nucleus, whereas a low density of such perikarya was found in the interpeduncular nucleus, nucleus incertus, nucleus sagulum, gigantocellular tegmental field, nucleus of the trapezoid body, nucleus praepositus hypoglosii, lateral and magnocellular tegmental fields, nucleus of the solitary tract, nucleus ambiguous and in the nucleus intercalatus. Moreover, a moderate density of somatostatin-28 (1-12)-immunoreactive processes was found in the dorsal nucleus of the raphe, dorsal tegmental nucleus, accessory dorsal tegmental nucleus, periaqueductal gray and in the marginal nucleus of the brachium conjunctivum. Finally, few immunoreactive fibers were visualized in the interpeduncular nucleus, cuneiform nucleus, locus coeruleus, nucleus incertus, superior and inferior central nuclei, nucleus sagulum, ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus, nucleus praepositus hypoglosii, medial vestibular nucleus, K?lliker-Fuse area, nucleus ambiguous, retrofacial nucleus, postpyramidal nucleus of the raphe, nucleus of the solitary tract, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, lateral reticular nucleus and laminar and alaminar spinal trigeminal nuclei.     

Different postnatal development profiles of neurons containing distinct GABAA receptor beta subunit mRNAs (beta 1, beta 2, and beta 3) in the rat forebrain.

The expression of three beta subunit (beta 1, beta 2, and beta 3) mRNAs for gamma-aminobutyric acidA receptor in the postnatal rat forebrain was examined by in situ hybridization histochemistry with probes synthesized for the respective subunit mRNAs. The developmental expression of these subunit mRNAs conformed to one of three patterns. Pattern I was high expression of the mRNA at birth and a constant or increasing expression thereafter. In contrast, pattern II was no or very low expression of the mRNA at birth, with expression quickly increasing to reach the adult level in the early postnatal period. Pattern III was the transient expression of the subunit mRNA or else a marked decrease of its expression after a peak in the early postnatal period. On the basis of this classification, the expression of beta 3 subunit mRNA followed pattern I in most regions of the forebrain, such as the isocortex, the olfactory bulb and some of its related areas, the hippocampal formation, the amygdala, the septum, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the caudate-putamen, the nucleus accumbens, the globus pallidus, the ventral pallidum, and the hypothalamus. In some areas, such as the magnocellular preoptic nucleus, the thalamus, and the subthalamic nucleus, pattern III was seen for this subunit. However, none of the regions of the brain showed pattern II expression of beta 3 subunit mRNA. In contrast, the expression of beta 1 and beta 2 subunit mRNAs followed pattern II in most regions of the forebrain. These included the expression of beta 1 subunit mRNA in the isocortex, the olfactory bulb, the hippocampal formation, the amygdala, the septum, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the thalamus, and the hypothalamus, and the expression of beta 2 subunit mRNA in the isocortex, the olfactory bulb and some of its related areas, the amygdala, the nucleus of the diagonal band, the caudate-putamen, the thalamus, and the hypothalamus. Pattern I was not found for beta 1 subunit mRNA, although it was seen in some areas for beta 2 subunit mRNA, such as the ventral pallidum, the globus pallidus, and the magnocellular preoptic nucleus. On the other hand, pattern III was followed by beta 1 subunit mRNA in the anterior olfactory nucleus, the olfactory tubercle, and the piriform cortex, and the same pattern for the beta 2 subunit was also found in the olfactory tubercle, the hippocampal formation, the septum, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the nucleus accumbens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

The functional anatomy of the cerebrocerebellar circuit: A review and new concepts

The cerebrocerebellar circuit is a feedback circuit that bidirectionally connects the neocortex and the cerebellum. According to the classic view, the cerebrocerebellar circuit is specifically involved in the functional regulation of the motor areas of the neocortex. In recent years, studies carried out in experimental animals by morphological and physiological methods, and in humans by magnetic resonance imaging, have indicated that the cerebrocerebellar circuit is also involved in the functional regulation of the nonmotor areas of the neocortex, including the prefrontal, associative, sensory and limbic areas. Moreover, a second type of cerebrocerebellar circuit, bidirectionally connecting the hypothalamus and the cerebellum, has been detected, being specifically involved in the regulation of the hypothalamic functions. This review analyzes the morphological features of the centers and pathways of the cerebrocerebellar circuits, paying particular attention to their organization in different channels, which separately connect the cerebellum with the motor areas and nonmotor areas of the neocortex, and with the hypothalamus. Actually, a considerable amount of new data have led, and are leading, to profound changes on the views on the anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of the cerebrocerebellar circuits, so much they may be now considered to be essential for the functional regulation of many neocortex areas, perhaps all, as well as of the hypothalamus and of the limbic system. Accordingly, clinical studies have pointed out an involvement of the cerebrocerebellar circuits in the pathophysiology of an increasing number of neuropsychiatric disorders.     

经菱形窝切除脑干海绵状血管瘤

目的探讨28例经菱形窝入路切除的脑干海绵状血管瘤的适应证、手术技巧及术中注意点。方法术中采取坐位,枕下正中开颅,广泛打开小脑延髓裂;在脑干表面有色素沉淀或膨隆处,或在B超、导航引导、术中颅神经监护下切开脑干,病变暴露后清除血肿,然后切除病变,保留含铁血黄素沉淀的胶质组织。结果28例中有21例位于桥脑;术中发现脑干表面有含铁血黄素沉淀21例,其中脑干表面膨隆9例;所有病变位于脑干背侧;随访期间:症状和体征较术前改善的19例,保持术前水平的5例,加重、出现新的颅神经症状、或其他神经功能障碍(共济失调、运动障碍、感觉障碍)共4例。MRI随访未见病变残留或复发。结论经菱形窝入路主要适于桥脑部、且位于背侧的海绵状血管瘤;脑干表面的含铁血黄素沉淀和(或)膨隆是脑干的安全进入区,术中结合神经电生理监测、B超以及导航是手术成功的关键;术中尽可能全切病变,但保留含铁血黄素沉淀的胶质组织。     

Organization of projections from the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus: A Phaseolus vulgaris-Leucoagglutinin study in the rat

The organization of projections from the four parts of the ventromedial nucleus (VMH) and a ventrolaterally adjacent region tentatively identified as the tuberal nucleus (TU) have been analyzed with small injections of the anterograde axonal tracer Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L). Extrinsic and intranuclear projections of each part of the VMH display clear quantitative differences, whereas the overall patterns of outputs are qualitatively similar. Overall, the VMH establishes massive intrahypothalamic terminal fields in other parts of the medial zone, tending to avoid the periventricular and lateral zones. The ventrolateral VMH is more closely related to other parts of the hypothalamus that also express gonadal steroid hormone receptors, including the medial preoptic, tuberal, and ventral premamillary nuclei, whereas other parts of the VMH are more closely related to the anterior hypothalamic and dorsal premammillary nuclei. All parts of the VMH project to the zona incerta (including the A13 region) and parts of the midline thalamus, including the paraventricular and parataenial nuclei and nucleus reuniens. The densest inputs to the septum are to the bed nuclei of the stria terminalis, where the ventrolateral and central VMH innervate the anteroventral and anterodorsal areas and transverse and interfascicular nuclei, whereas the anterior and dorsomedial VMH innervate the latter two. The central, lateral, and medial amygdalar nuclei receive substantial inputs from various parts of the VMH. Other regions of the telencephalon, including the nucleus accurmbens and the piriform-amygdaloid, infralimbic, prelimbic, anterior cingulate, agranular insular, piriform, perirhinal, entorhinal, and postpiriform transition areas, also receive sparse inputs. All parts of the VMH send a massive, topographically organized projection to the periaqueductal gray. Other brainstem terminal fields include the superior colliculus, peripeduncular area, locus coeruleus, Barrington's nucleus, parabrachial nucleus, nucleus of the solitary tract, and the mesencephalic, pontine, gigantocellular, paragigantocellular, and parvicellular reticular nuclei. The projections of the TU are similar to, and a subset of, those from the VMH and are thus not nearly as widespread as those from adjacent parts of the lateral hypothalamic area. Because of these similarities, the TU may eventually come to be viewed most appropriately as the lateral component of the VMH itself. The functional implications of the present findings are discussed in view of evidence that the VMH plays a role in the expression of ingestive, affective, and copulatory behaviors. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Anxiety, nostalgia and melancholy. A few remarks on psychoanalysis and tango

Our work is based on the application of psychoanalytic techniques, in order to unveil this cultural phenomenon called tango, related with sexuality and unconscious processes. As a way of introduction, it deals with a brief theory of the birth of tango, the possible terminological source of its name, its main creators and interpreters, as well as the chronological classification into the first wave tangos, Guardia Vieja, and the newer wave tangos, Guardia Nueva. The former ones were awash with festive themes of the centennial years, expressed in behaviors that denote sexuality and love, whereas the latter ones, expose the great bewilderment of the thirties' crisis, due to the imminent downfall of the country, the denunciation of materialism, the crumbling of ideas; which led up to feelings of utter pessimism, loneliness and abandonment. From this point onwards, through the use of techniques provided by psychoanalysis applied to tango lyrics, we are able to unravel the unconscious processes of the drama of its characters; the immigrant, hopeful and at same time nostalgic for the loss of his mother country; the porteno -urban man from Buenos Aires city- who, overwhelmed by immigrants, has to give way to the new compatriots; the inland inhabitant, who was dragged to the city because of the new conditions of rural work; and finally the conventillo, tenement house, as a melting pot that fulfilled the integration of these groups. Like in a painter's palette, which contains various colors and shades, the interpretations about nostalgia, grief and loneliness become apparent, along with the father-son rivalry, the conflict with the absent mother, the relationship between sexes, male chauvinism, infatuation, identity, the fear of death, the rebirth to a new life, the passage from gaucho to guapo, from a shrewd horseman to a daring, bullying braggart.     

Individual aspirations and depression

The aim of our survey was to reveal the individual aspirations and personal strivings among college students which may play an important role as protective factors in the preservation of mental health, particularly regarding sub-clinical depressive syndromes. 712 college students were involved in the study (545 females and 167 males). The abridged version of Beck's Depression Inventory was used for measuring the severity of depression, while the Aspiration Questionnaire was used to assess the rate of individual aspirations. RESULTS: When estimating the importance of individual aspirations, we found intrinsic aspirations to be predominant for both genders of college students, with a minor shift in individual parameters. While in the case of women, health, social relationships and personal advancement were listed in this order of importance; in the case of men, personal advancement was ranked first, followed by the categories of health and social relationships. Out of the symptoms of depression, social reservation showed the closest correlation with the importance of certain personal strivings, and, within these, with the lack of intrinsic aspirations. Certain symptoms of depression - irrespective of sex - were found to have a very close correlation with the probability of nearly every personal aspiration, as well as with their realisation, and, within these, they were in a stronger correlation with the intrinsic aspirations than with the extrinsic ones (in the case of men, stronger correlation between the probability of every aspiration for depressive syndromes and the realisation thereof were also found to be stronger than in the case of women). When examining the overall correlation between all the three categories of individual aspirations (importance, probability, realisation) in depression, we found that depression showed a close negative correlation with the probability of personal growth and social relationships and the realisation of health; while a positive correlation was detected with the importance attributed to intrinsic aspirations, which explained almost one-fourth of the variances of depression altogether. The depressive syndromes found to be typical of college students (worthlessness, fatigue, hesitation, hopelessness, dissatisfaction) showed a much closer correlation with the importance, probability and realisation of individual aspirations in the case of men than in the case of women. Out of the aforementioned symptoms of depression, individual aspirations had the closest correlation with hopelessness in both genders. While in the case of men, the importance of intrinsic aspirations and the current dissatisfaction with these may lead mainly to the development of hopelessness; for women, the development of the feeling of hopelessness is primarily correlated with an extrinsic aspiration, the importance of wealth and the current lack thereof. As for the rest of the depressive syndromes, the explanatory power of the correlation with individual aspirations was different for women and men.     

Anatomy of the cerebellar arteries

Origin, course and distribution of the cerebellar arteries and of their branches are described. Anatomical drawings of the territory of these arteries are presented. They are based on a neuropathological study of 64 cases of cerebellar infarctions, the detailed study of which is reported elsewhere. The superior cerebellar artery (SCA) supplies a small brain stem territory, located on the dorsal tegmentum and the tectum of the upper part of the pons. The superior part of the cerebellum supplied by this artery includes the following lobules: lobulus anterior, lobulus simplex, lobulus semilunaris superior, and, in the vermis, lobulus centralis, culmen and clivus. The dentate nucleus belongs to this territory. The anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) irrigates a ponto-cerebellar territory. It usually supplies the lateral territory of the lower part of the pons, the middle cerebellar peduncle, the flocculus and the neighbouring lobules of cerebellum. When the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) is hypoplastic, AICA takes over the territory usually supplied by the lateral branch of the PICA. The PICA always gives rami to the group of arteries supplying the dorsal medullary territory, but rarely participates to the supply of the lateral medullary territory. It supplies the lobulus semilunaris inferior, the lobulus gracilis, the lobulus biventer, the tonsilla cerebelli, and, in the vermis, the clivus, the tuber, the pyramis, the uvula and the nodulus. PICA never supplies the dentate nucleus. The flocculo-nodular lobe is usually supplied by 2 arteries: the flocculus is supplied by the AICA and the nodulus is supplied by the PICA.     

Localization of preproenkephalin mRNA in the rat brain and spinal cord by in situ hybridization

To determine the localization in rat brain and spinal cord of individual neurons that contain the messenger RNA coding for the opioid peptide precursor preproenkephalin, we performed in situ hybridization with a tritiated cDNA probe complementary to a protion of preproenkephalin mRNA. We observed autoradiographic signal over the cytoplasm of neurons of many regions of the central nervous system. Several types of controls indicated specificity of the labeling. Neurons containing preproenkephalin mRNA were found in the piriform cortex, ventral tenia tecta, several regions of the neocortex, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, caudate-putamen, lateral septum, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, diagonal band of Broca, preoptic area, amygdala (especially central nucleus, with fewer labeled neurons in all other nuclei), hippocampal formation, anterior hypothalamic nucleus, perifornical region, lateral hypothalamus, paraventricular nucleus, dorsomedial and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei, arcuate nucleus, dorsal and ventral premamillary nuclei, medial mamillary nucleus, lateral geniculate nucleus, zona incerta, periaqueductal gray, midbrain reticular formation, ventral tegmental area of Tsai, inferior colliculus, dorsal and ventral tegmental nuclei of Gudden, dorsal and ventral parabrachial nuclei, pontine and medullary reticular formation, several portions of the raphe nuclei, nucleus of the solitary tract, nucleus of the spinal trigeminal tract (especially substantia gelatinosa), ventral and dorsal cochlear nuclei, medial and spinal vestibular nuclei, cuneate and external cuneate nuclei, gracile nucleus, superior olive, nucleus of the trapezoid body, some deep cerebellar nuclei, Golgi neurons in the cerebellum, and most laminae of the spinal cord. In most of these brain regions, the present results indicate that many more neurons contain preproenkephalin mRNA than have been appreciated previously on the basis of immunocytochemistry.     

司法精神鉴定责任能力评定多因素分析

目的探讨更科学、客观地评定责任能力的方法。方法对１７２例刑事案例资料用ＳＡＳ软件包进行等级相关及逐步判别分析，筛选出对责任能力评定有关因素及有影响的判别因子。结果委托鉴定单位、思维形式障碍、妄想、幻听、情感障碍、复鉴诊断、年龄、案情、作案场所、工具、动机、幻视、个性异常、死亡人数、作案后表现、辨认能力、控制能力等因素与责任能力有关，而前６个因素及作案时间、意识障碍共８个因素为判别因子，建立了评定责任能力的判别方程，组内回代检验总正确率为７５９％。结论多元判别分析方法，有可能提供责任能力评定更科学的依据     

Distribution of galanin-like immunoreactivity in the brain of Rana esculenta and Xenopus laevis.

The immunocytochemical distribution of galanin-containing perikarya and nerve terminals in the brain of Rana esculenta and Xenopus laevis was determined with antisera directed toward either porcine or rat galanin. The pattern of galanin-like immunoreactivity appeared to be identical with antisera directed toward either target antigen. The distribution of galanin-like immunoreactivity was similar in Rana esculenta and Xenopus laevis except for the absence of a distinct laminar distribution of immunoreactivity in the optic tectum of Xenopus laevis. Galanin-containing perikarya were located in all major subdivisions of the brain except the metencephalon. In the telencephalon, immunoreactive perikarya were detected in the pars medialis of the amygdala and the preoptic area. In the diencephalon, immunoreactive perikarya were detected in the caudal half of the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the nucleus of the periventricular organ, the ventral hypothalamus, and the median eminence. In the mesencephalon, immunoreactive perikarya were detected near the midline of the rostroventral tegmentum, in the torus semicircularis and, occasionally, in lamina A and layer 6 of the optic tectum. In the myelencephalon, labelled perikarya were detected only in the caudal half of the nucleus of the solitary tract. Immunoreactive nerve fibers of varying density were observed in all subdivisions of the brain with the densest accumulations of fibers occurring in the pars lateralis of the amygdala and the preoptic area. Dense accumulations of nerve fibers were also found in the lateral septum, the medial forebrain bundle, the periventricular region of the diencephalon, the ventral hypothalamus, the median eminence, the mesencephalic central gray, the laminar nucleus of the torus semicircularis, several laminae of the optic tectum, the interpeduncular nucleus, the isthmic nucleus, the central gray of the rhombencephalon, and the dorsolateral caudal medulla. The extensive system of galanin-containing perikarya and nerve fibers in the brain of representatives of two families of anurans showed many similarities to the distribution of galanin-containing perikarya and nerve fibers previously described for the mammalian brain.     

Afferent projections to the interpeduncular nucleus in the rat, as studied by retrograde and anterograde transport of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase

We examined the afferent projections to the subnuclei of the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) in the rat by means of retrograde and anterograde transport of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP). We observed locations of retrogradely labeled cells following injections of WGA-HRP into the IPN, and distributions of anterogradely labeled fibers and terminals within the IPN following injections into the areas that contain cells of origin of afferents. Results of the retrograde and anterograde experiments have clarified the detailed organization of the IPN afferents. A part of the nucleus incertus, located dorsomedial to the dorsal tegmental nucleus, projects to the contralateral half of the rostral subnucleus of the IPN; the pars caudalis of the dorsal tegmental nucleus projects sparsely to the rostral lateral, dorsal lateral, lateral, caudal, and apical subnuclei predominantly contralaterally; the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus, to most of the subnuclei predominantly contralaterally; the ventromedial central gray rostral to the dorsal tegmental nucleus and lateral to the dorsal raphe nucleus projects to the rostral lateral and dorsal lateral subnuclei predominantly contralaterally; the median raphe nucleus, substantially to all subnuclei; the medial habenular nucleus, in a topographic manner, to the rostral, central, and intermediate subnuclei, to the rostral lateral and lateral subnuclei predominantly ipsilaterally, and to the dorsal lateral subnucleus predominantly contralaterally; the supramammillary nucleus and areas around the origin of the mammillothalamic tract and near the third ventricle project sparsely to the ventral part of the rostral subnucleus and to the central, lateral, caudal and apical subnuclei; the nucleus of the diagonal band, sparsely to the rostral, central, dorsal lateral, caudal, and apical subnuclei. These differential projections of the afferents to the subnuclei of the IPN may reflect its complex functions within the limbic midbrain circuit.     

Heterogeneity in the Dorsal Subiculum of the Rat. Distinct Neuronal Zones Project to Different Cortical and Subcortical Targets

The aim of the present study was to relate the distribution of efferents of the dorsal subiculum to their origin along the proximodistal axis of the subiculum. The distribution of subicular projections was studied in detail by means of the sensitive anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L), and the precise origin of these projections analysed with retrogradely transported fluorescent tracers, using double- and triple-labelling protocols. Injections of PHA-L in the proximal part of the dorsal subiculum, i.e. that part which borders field CA1, result in labelling of the infralimbic, entorhinal and perirhinal cortices, the nucleus accumbens and the lateral septal region, the interanteromedial nucleus of the thalamus, the core of the nucleus gelatinosus, and the mammillary nuclei, in particular in the rostral parts of the medial nucleus. In contrast, injections in the distal part of the dorsal subiculum, i.e. that part which borders the presubiculum, give rise to labelling in the retrosplenial and postrhinal cortices, the presubiculum, the anterior thalamic complex, the shell of the nucleus gelatinosus, and the mammillary nuclei, preferentially in the caudal part of the medial nucleus. The results of injections of different retrograde tracers, simultaneously placed in two or three targets of the subicular efferents, confirm the results of the anterograde tracing experiments. Moreover, they clearly demonstrate that the population of subicular neurons which, for example, projects to the nucleus accumbens and the interanteromedial nucleus of the thalamus is almost completely segregated from the population that projects to the retrosplenial cortex and the anterior complex of the thalamus. Thus within the dorsal subiculum, populations of neurons can be differentiated so that each population projects to a unique set of target structures. These cell populations are differentially positioned along the proximo-distal axis. In view of additional evidence indicating that some of the major afferents to the subiculum are organized along the same axis, we suggest that the heterogeneity of the dorsal subiculum along the proximo-distal axis reflects a general organizational characteristic of this hippocampal field.     

Le langage de l’addiction,une clinique de l’agir

Language is one of the defining characteristics of man. His ability to name things allows him to represent them. If subjectivity guarantees humanity in each person, what happens when words and the symbolization they allow are missing? In addiction, the act of consuming takes the place of an emotion or a thought, which the person thus avoids, by finding a kind of immediate satisfaction. It corresponds to an externalization of our internal theater. This action can be used as a representational support for psychic conflicts when language falters in this mission. Beside the immediate discharge of tension, the action forms then an expressive digression, which can nevertheless remain unheeded if it is not interpreted in its symbolic value. To consider the action of addiction only as a problematic behavior to be normalized is then a form of drama, and at the same time a voice screaming at the other and remaining deaf to itself. Addiction can thus be considered as an acted language, waiting to be translated. Beyond the behavior that challenges us, addiction can be rich in meaning. The action-oriented clinic, as developed by F. Marty, allows us to hear and understand this language. Therefore, on the one hand, it is a question of organizing the entire addictology clinic around the stakes, expectations, and contributions of the consumption of psychoactive products. On the other hand, it is necessary to find a form of intentionality in addictive behaviors, allowing the person to finally feel that they are the owner of their own experience. Addiction does not belong exclusively to the disease. In what way will the person use consumption to express or show, through this act of consumption, something that they cannot express in any other way, to themself, to their relatives, or to the institutions. The use by these patients, who are often doubly victims of narcissistic-identitarian sufferings, of the affect, the body and motricity constitutes a privileged register of expression to try to communicate. These are forms of narration to be welcomed as such. It is thus that the action, in this clinic, amply exceeds the question of consumption and can be understood as an interpellation, a provocation. The action-oriented clinic consists, therefore, also in finding the means of addressing those to whom they are intended. During psychotherapy, the analysis of countertransference constitutes a canvas on which representations can be drawn, formulations can be woven. The way of positioning oneself within the framework of psychotherapy, in particular, is very rich. The framework is a medium for projections. Therapists can detect subtle variations for each patient. The patient's posture during treatment, the body language during the session, the missed appointments, the forgetfulness, but also the actions taken outside in their everyday life, the accidents, the missed actions, acting-out. constitute a prelanguage, waiting to be put into words, to fully take on their value of resolution. Any action would indeed testify to an attempt at signifying connection. Also, the narration of factual elements of daily life, projects, conflicts with relatives, speech, boredom, revolt, opinions, encounters, failures, images, sensations... finally, everything that is said, acted upon, shown and shared in the session, is felt by the therapist and brings forth various psychic representations in their thinking, which they then proposes to the patient in the form of interpretative hypotheses, in order to relaunch the associative chains, at the start in this protected space.     

Postnatal development of preproenkephalin mRNA containing neurons in the rat lower brainstem

Postnatal developmental changes of preproenkephalin (PPE) gene expression in rat brainstem neurons were studied by in situ hybridization histochemistry. On the basis of PPE mRNA expression, brainstem neurons were categorized into three types: 1) type I neurons were characterized by constant or increasing expression of PPE mRNA during postnatal development; 2) type II neurons started to express PPE mRNA several days after birth and continued to do so thereafter; and 3) type III neurons showed transient expression of PPE mRNA or stopped expressing the mRNA during early postnatal development. Type I PPE neurons were observed in diverse brainstem structures including the mesencephalic and pontine central gray matter, various reticular and raphe nuclei, the ventral tegmental area of Tsai, the interpeduncular nucleus, the nucleus of the brachium of the inferior colliculus, the ventral and dorsal tegmental nuclei of Gudden, the sphenoid nucleus, the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus, Barrington's nucleus, the parabrachial region, the lateral lemniscus and its related nuclei, the trapezoid nucleus, the rostral and ventromedial periolivary nuclei, the mesencephalic trigeminal and principal sensory trigeminal nuclei, the locus coeruleus, the subcoeruleus nucleus, the medial and spinal vestibular nuclei, the dorsal and ventral cochlear nuclei, the medial and lateral cerebellar nuclei, the Roller nucleus, and the intermedius nucleus of the medulla. Type II PPE neurons were found in the superior colliculus, the inferior colliculus, the central part of the dorsal tegmental nucleus, and as Golgi neurons in the granular layer of the cerebellum. Type III PPE neurons were located in the substantia nigra, the red nucleus, the superior olive, the motor trigeminal nucleus, the facial nucleus, the inferior olive, the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, and the hypoglossal nucleus. Such region-specific expression of the PPE gene during postnatal ontogeny suggests that rat brainstem PPE neurons may be involved in a variety of developmental events, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration.     

Differential projections of the infralimbic and prelimbic cortex in the rat

The medial prefrontal cortex has been associated with diverse functions including attentional processes, visceromotor activity, decision-making, goal-directed behavior, and working memory. The present report compares and contrasts projections from the infralimbic (IL) and prelimbic (PL) cortices in the rat by using the anterograde anatomical tracer, Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin. With the exception of common projections to parts of the orbitomedial prefrontal cortex, olfactory forebrain, and midline thalamus, PL and IL distribute very differently throughout the brain. Main projection sites of IL are: 1) the lateral septum, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, medial and lateral preoptic nuclei, substantia innominata, and endopiriform nuclei of the basal forebrain; 2) the medial, basomedial, central, and cortical nuclei of amygdala; 3) the dorsomedial, lateral, perifornical, posterior, and supramammillary nuclei of hypothalamus; and 4) the parabrachial and solitary nuclei of the brainstem. By contrast, PL projects at best sparingly to each of these structures. Main projection sites of PL are: the agranular insular cortex, claustrum, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, the paraventricular, mediodorsal, and reuniens nuclei of thalamus, the capsular part of the central nucleus and the basolateral nucleus of amygdala, and the dorsal and median raphe nuclei of the brainstem. As discussed herein, the pattern of IL projections is consistent with a role for IL in the control of visceral/autonomic activity homologous to the orbitomedial prefrontal cortex of primates, whereas those of PL are consistent with a role for PL in limbic-cognitive functions homologous to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of primates.     

Projections of the ventral premammillary nucleus.

The projections of the ventral premammillary nucleus (PMv) have been examined with the Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHAL) method in adult male rats. The results indicate that the nucleus gives rise to two major ascending pathways and a smaller descending pathway. One large ascending pathway terminates densely in most regions of the periventricular zone of the hypothalamus, with the notable exception of the suprachiasmatic, suprachiasmatic preoptic, and median preoptic nuclei. This pathway is in a position to influence directly many cell groups known to regulate anterior pituitary function. The second large pathway ascends through the medial zone of the hypothalamus and densely innervates the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial nucleus and adjacent basal parts of the lateral hypothalamic area, medial preoptic nucleus, principal nucleus of the bed nuclei of the stria terminalis, ventral lateral septal nucleus, posterodorsal part of the medial nucleus of the amygdala, posterior nucleus, and immediately adjacent regions of the posterior cortical nucleus of the amygdala. It is already known that these regions are major components of the sexually dimorphic circuit, and, interestingly, that they provide the major neural inputs to the PMv. The smaller descending projection from the PMv seems to innervate preferentially the posterior hypothalamic nucleus, although a small number of fibers appear to end in the tuberomammillary nucleus, supramammillary nucleus, specific regions of the medial mammillary nucleus, interfascicular nucleus, interpeduncular nucleus, periaqueductal gray, dorsal nucleus of the raphe, laterodorsal tegmental nucleus, Barrington's nucleus, and locus coeruleus. Relatively sparse terminal fields associated with ascending fibers were also observed in the dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus; in the nucleus reuniens, parataenial nucleus, paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, and mediodorsal nucleus; in the central nucleus of the amygdala, anterodorsal part of the medial nucleus of the amygdala, posterior part of the basomedial nucleus of the amygdala; and in the ventral subiculum and adjacent parts of hippocampal field CA1, and the infralimbic and prelimbic areas of the medial prefrontal cortex. Taken as a whole, the evidence suggests that the PMv receives two major inputs--one from the sexually dimorphic circuit, and the other from the blood in the form of gonadal steroid hormones--and gives rise to two major outputs: one (perhaps feed-forward) to the neuroendocrine (periventricular) zone of the hypothalamus, and the other (perhaps feed-back) to the sexually dimorphic circuit.     

Le trauma de guerre comme moteur d’écriture : analyse patho-littéraire et psycholinguistique de Louis-Ferdinand Céline

The recent controversy around the re-edition of Céline's pamphlets has revived the thorny question of his anti-Semitism, while at the same time many consider him to be one of the greatest contemporary authors. It is no longer a question today of taking a dead person before magistrates, nor of subjecting him to psychoanalysis, it is rather a matter of understanding, as far as possible, the texts he has left.Our recent return to these texts leads us to suggest the hypothesis of psychic trauma as the guiding thread of his medical and literary career, possibly also explaining, at least in part, the incriminated writings.MethodsWe propose a psycho-literary analysis of the texts, and then venture into the field of psycholinguistic study. Since we cannot be exhaustive on the subject of this extensive corpus, especially if we add his articles and correspondence, we have selected three publications in chronological order: his medical thesis, which appears as his first literary production, the novel Voyage au bout de la nuit, which led to his consecration, and the four pamphlets, which we approach as a single text for greater simplicity.ResultsThe literary style of this writer, who repeatedly laid claim only to that aspect (“I am a specialist of style”), materialises the failure of the written word to apprehend the 14–18 war, in a way that is half surrealistic and half expressionist. In the ordeal of chaos, the written word struggles to find something new to say, and thus escape from the earlier literature unable to prevent the massacre. Céline revolves incessantly around words: the unspeakable cannot be spoken. The violent events on the war front overturned life. This was the trauma sustained by Céline, injured by a shell, by fright, by the atomisation of conscience. He could not reorder things, so he reordered his words as best he could: the need to enlighten humanity, the future of literature, the outreach of a constrained witness–telling us of the self-sustained, guilt-laden injuries. Fragments of sentences, blanks filled with slang, insults, neologisms–and failing that, three little dots, better than nothing. Céline was hanging onto the boundaries of literature. This inability in the letters appears traumatic in itself for the writer and “translator” of the social world. As a result, when the only resort was repetition, paradoxically these writings afforded the option of continuing to live, moving towards fame, whether for the right or the wrong reasons, and above all towards posterity and eternal life. Despite the hatred he consciously aroused, alongside, Céline fostered a protective myth combining genius and insanity He manipulated subversion in order to exist in the face of others, or others again as the wind turned. Crystallising all this hatred on his person, readily telling people that defeat was written in stone, for either side–whatever the circumstances he drew ever closer to death, enjoying every step in that direction. A silversmith working on words so as to reach breaking point, to tame it, even to relive it, in a form of traumatic reliving. Literature up to the last breath–exhausted for having re-written things for so long, until the end. In the end, no-one killed him–the Nazis, the resistance, the collaborators, the purge: you cannot kill a war veteran, nor a literary genius, nor the physician caring for you. He had earned eternity by way of words, and the controversy goes on.DiscussionCéline's style is characterised by anomie, or the inability to actually put intimate experience into words. It is pervasive, despite his determination to drown it in words, as if to preserve it. The painful delivery hovers between pauses and hesitations, slowing, and even retreating, which leads to even greater confusion. Words he cannot find are replaced by stop-gaps–“truc”, “machin”. Sometimes, in a supreme effort, Céline attempts to move beyond, to leap over the gulf. The words jostle, the syntax is circumlocutory, periphrastic, with approximate synonyms and semantic periphrases. This forms a verbal labyrinth imprisoning the sentences, revolving around a single point–silence, repeatedly, three little dots. This is where the trauma appears more than anywhere else: the linguistic repetition of a void. By way of other phonological and syntactic repetitions, the language reiterates the trauma, the unspeakable–the closer one draws to the truth, the more agitated are the words, with stammer, perseveration at the end of sentences, echolalia. These repetitions, onomatopoeias recalling the combat, and failures of language are forms of reliving of the trauma, and they are pervasive. In the manner of a verbal robot, the conjunctions attempt to link syntagma and sentences that exhibit no clear logical interaction. Words cannot overcome this incoherence. Reading, hearing this wounded discourse is difficult, arduous, unpleasant, unsettling and even nauseous, seeming to penetrate thought by dissociating certain elements: there is a threat of contagion. We are bewildered by the disorganisation of the sentences and discourse. The difficulty ordering clauses, and the progression of the discourse confront us with a constant return backwards, towards a time before the injury, still present. The written word takes the form of a flood of utterances, a patchwork, verging on agrammatism.Céline experienced what we define the post-traumatic psycholinguistic syndrome, expressing the dissociation of the trauma in language. Anomie reflects the experience of the unspeakability of the fright endured, where there are no words to express the horror that persists in the eyes, ears and body. The repetitions of language are a form of reliving, of ecmnesia of this personal ordeal, this confrontation with the void - the void of words, an injury that is in itself traumatic, de-humanising, denying the speaking being that man once was. The disruption of discourse endows the sentences with an impression of dissociation, as for consciousness in the traumatic moment, an atomisation of perceptions, the body and the mind.ConclusionSome considered he was paranoid, melancholic, narcissistic, or seriously neurotic. In all events Céline still has relevance today, and fuels debates that appear insoluble. Anti-Semite? History may or may not decide. Perhaps a student in 2050 could cast a different light, beyond the academics and the peace of the war graves. Did Céline prefer to exhibit the disgrace of anti-Semitism rather than still worse villainy? Perhaps. A truth about human nature.The much-maligned writings have not been re-edited, in accordance with the wishes of the author himself and then his descendants. Except recently in Canada where the end of authorship rights is shorter than in France by ten years. Why are they re-published on the other side of the Atlantic? A commercial enterprise? We do not need writings from the past for hatred to persist. A few weeks ago, barbarians tagged swastikas on the frontage of a town hall in Paris. What should we do? There is nothing new in the condemnation of these acts. Can we keep up the struggle against the failure of language?