Cortical and thalamic connections of the representations of the teeth and tongue in somatosensory cortex of new world monkeys

Connections of representations of the teeth and tongue in primary somatosensory cortex (area 3b) and adjoining cortex were revealed in owl, squirrel, and marmoset monkeys with injections of fluorescent tracers. Injection sites were identified by microelectrode recordings from neurons responsive to touch on the teeth or tongue. Patterns of cortical label were related to myeloarchitecture in sections cut parallel to the surface of flattened cortex, and to coronal sections of the thalamus processed for cytochrome oxidase (CO). Cortical sections revealed a caudorostral series of myelin dense ovals (O1-O4) in area 3b that represent the periodontal receptors of the contralateral teeth, the contralateral tongue, the ipsilateral teeth, and the ipsilateral tongue. The ventroposterior medial subnucleus, VPM, and the ventroposterior medial parvicellular nucleus for taste, VPMpc, were identified in the thalamic sections. Injections placed in the O1 oval representing teeth labeled neurons in VPM, while injections in O2 representing the tongue labeled neurons in both VPMpc and VPM. These injections also labeled adjacent part of areas 3a and 1, and locations in the lateral sulcus and frontal lobe. Callosally, connections of the ovals were most dense with corresponding ovals. Injections in the area 1 representation of the tongue labeled neurons in VPMpc and VPM, and ipsilateral area 3b ovals, area 3a, opercular cortex, and cortex in the lateral sulcus. Contralaterally, labeled neurons were mostly in area 1. The results implicate portions of areas 3b, 3a, and 1 in the processing of tactile information from the teeth and tongue, and possibly taste information from the tongue.     

Examination of Gender in Pathologic Grooming Behaviors

Trichotillomania and pathologic skin picking are pathologic versions of grooming behaviors. Although mentioned in the psychiatric literature for decades, little is known about how gender influences clinical presentation of these behaviors. Seventy-seven adult subjects (12 men) with trichotillomania or pathologic skin picking were examined on a variety of clinical measures including symptom severity, functioning, and comorbidity. There were more similarities than differences between men and women with these behaviors. Some significant differences, however, were that men with grooming disorders had a later age of onset of the behaviors, had greater functional impairment due to the behaviors, and were more likely to suffer from a co-occurring anxiety disorder. This study suggests that gender may be an important clinical factor when assessing and treating these disorders. Further research is needed to validate our findings and identify whether treatments should be specially tailored differently for men and women with grooming disorders.     

Pulvinar contributions to the dorsal and ventral streams of visual processing in primates

The visual pulvinar is part of the dorsal thalamus, and in primates it is especially well developed. Recently, our understanding of how the visual pulvinar is subdivided into nuclei has greatly improved as a number of histological procedures have revealed marked architectonic differences within the pulvinar complex. At the same time, there have been unparalleled advances in understanding of how visual cortex of primates is subdivided into areas and how these areas interconnect. In addition, considerable evidence supports the view that the hierarchy of interconnected visual areas is divided into two major processing streams, a ventral stream for object vision and a dorsal stream for visually guided actions. In this review, we present evidence that a subset of medial nuclei in the inferior pulvinar function predominantly as a subcortical component of the dorsal stream while the most lateral nucleus of the inferior pulvinar and the adjoining ventrolateral nucleus of the lateral pulvinar are more devoted to the ventral stream of cortical processing. These nuclei provide cortico-pulvinar-cortical interactions that spread information across areas within streams, as well as information relayed from the superior colliculus via inferior pulvinar nuclei to largely dorsal stream areas.     

beta(2)-Adrenergic receptor-dependent sexual dimorphism for murine leukocyte migration

In wild-type FVB mice, leukocyte recruitment to lipopolysaccharide was sexually dimorphic, with a greater number of leukocytes recruited in females. In male beta(2)-adrenergic receptor knock out mice (bred on a congenic FVB background) the number of leukocytes recruited was increased approximately 4-fold, while in females there was no change, eliminating sexual dimorphism in leukocyte migration. While there were significantly fewer recruited CD62L(+) and CD11a(+) leukocytes in wild-type males, only in male beta-adrenergic receptor knock out mice was there an increase in the number of recruited CD11a(+) leukocytes, again eliminating sexual dimorphism. Thus, leukocyte migration and CD11a(+) adhesion molecule expression in male, but not in female, leukocytes is beta-adrenergic receptor-dependent. Our findings provide support for a role of beta(2)-adrenergic receptor mechanisms in the inflammatory response, and suggest that beta(2)-adrenergic receptor on male leukocytes contributes to sexual dimorphism in the effect of stress on inflammatory diseases.     

The organization of frontoparietal cortex in the tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri): II. Connectional evidence for a frontal-posterior parietal network

Tree shrews are small squirrel-like mammals that are the closest living relative to primates available for detailed neurobiological study. In a recent study (Remple et al. [2006] J. Comp. Neurol. 497:133-154), we provided anatomical and electrophysiological evidence that the frontoparietal cortex of tree shrews has two motor fields (M1 and M2) and five somatosensory fields (3a, 3b, S2, somatosensory caudal area [SC], and parietal ventral area [PV]). In the present study, we injected anatomical tracers into M1, M2, 3a, 3b, SC, and posterior parietal cortex to establish the ipsilateral cortical connections of these areas. The results provide evidence for a number of new cortical areas including medial motor and somatosensory areas (MMA and MSA), three posterior parietal areas (PPd, PPv, and PPc), and an area ventral to temporal inferior cortex (TIV). Ml receives topographic projections from M2, MMA, 3a, and PPv, and nontopographic connections from the temporal anterior and dorsal areas (TA and TD), PPc, TIV, and MSA. The connections of M2 are similar to those of M1, except that M2 receives denser projections from TIV, PPc, and dorsal frontal cortex and sparser input from M1. Areas 3a, 3b, and SC receive dense topographic projections from each other, S2, and PV and sparser connections from PPd and PPv. Area 3a receives additional input from posterior parietal and temporal regions and from M1 and MMA. Overall, the frontoparietal connections of tree shrew cortex are most similar to those of prosimian primates and quite different from those of more distant relatives such as rats.     

Gender differences in the cognitive control of emotion: An fMRI study

The interaction of emotion and cognition has become a topic of major interest. However, the influence of gender on the interplay between the two processes, along with its neural correlates have not been fully analysed so far. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study we induced negative emotion using negative olfactory stimulation while male (n=21) and female (n=19) participants performed an n-back verbal working memory task. Based on findings indicating increased emotional reactivity in women, we expected the female participants to exhibit stronger activation in characteristically emotion-associated areas during the interaction of emotional and cognitive processing in comparison to the male participants. Both groups were found to be significantly impaired in their working memory performance by negative emotion induction. However, fMRI analysis revealed distinct differences in neuronal activation between groups. In men, cognitive performance under negative emotion induction was associated with extended activation patterns in mainly prefrontal and superior parietal regions. In women, the interaction between emotion and working memory yielded a significantly stronger response in the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) compared to their male counterparts. Our data suggest that in women the interaction of verbal working memory and negative emotion is associated with relative hyperactivation in more emotion-associated areas whereas in men regions commonly regarded as important for cognition and cognitive control are activated. These results provide new insights in gender-specific cerebral mechanisms.     

Trauma professionals' attitudes toward and utilization of evidence-based practices

This study was designed to evaluate attitudes toward and utilization of evidence-based practices (EBPs) among mental health professionals specializing in trauma. An Internet survey was completed by 461 trauma professionals who were recruited via International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies membership rolls and electronic mailing lists of trauma special interest groups. Although a minority of participants held negative views of EBPs, the overwhelming majority of respondents were supportive of the EBP movement. Theoretical orientation, training model, and age were associated with EBP attitudes. Favorable EBP attitudes were not as strongly related to reported clinical behaviors as might reasonably be expected. Even respondents utilizing unsupported treatments espoused positive EBP opinions, suggesting that practitioners may hold widely varying evidentiary standards.     

The human CMV-UL86 peptide 981-1003 shares a crossreactive T-cell epitope with the encephalitogenic MOG peptide 34-56, but lacks the capacity to induce EAE in rhesus monkeys

Rhesus monkeys immunized with MOG(34-56), a dominant T-cell epitope from myelin/oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, develop an acute neurological disease resembling acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) in humans. The typical large demyelinated lesions and mononuclear infiltrates in the monkey brains are caused by MOG(34-56) T-cells. We show that MOG(34-56)-reactive CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells are induced in monkeys immunized with a peptide from the human CMV major capsid protein (UL86; 981-1003), that shares sequence similarity with MOG(34-56). Monkeys sensitized against the viral peptide and subsequently challenged with MOG(34-56) display histological signs of encephalitis, but do not show overt neurological signs.     

A novel inhibitor of activated thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFIa) - part II: enhancement of both exogenous and endogenous fibrinolysis in animal models of thrombosis

We have discovered a novel small-molecule TAFIa inhibitor, BX 528, which is potent, highly selective against other carboxypeptidases and safe. The present study was to determine if BX 528 can enhance exogenous and endogenous thrombolysis in four different animal models. In the first three models, a thrombus was induced by FeCl (2) (dogs) or laser (rats) injury of the femoral artery, or formed ex vivo and implanted in the jugular vein in rabbits. A low dose of exogenous t-PA was given to induce a low-level thrombolysis on an established thrombus. Co-treatment with BX 528 further enhanced the thrombolytic effects induced by the exogenous t-PA and, thus, reduced thrombosis in all three animal models. In a second rat model, fibrin deposition in the lungs was induced by batroxobin, which was spontaneously resolved in 30 minutes due to the activation of endogenous fibrinolysis. Pre-treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) attenuated this spontaneous fibrinolysis. Co-treatment with 10 mg/kg BX 528 prevented the LPS-induced attenuation of endogenous fibrinolysis. Thus, these studies demonstrated that inhibition of TAFIa by BX 528, our newly discovered small-molecule TAFIa inhibitor, enhanced both the exogenous (induced by a low dose of t-PA) and endogenous (LPS-induced resistance) thrombolysis without increasing the bleeding risk in four different animal models of thrombosis in different species (rat, dog and rabbit) employing different thrombogenic stimuli (FeCl (2) , laser, ex vivo and batroxobin) to induce thrombus formation in different tissues (artery, vein and lung microcirculation).