Holistic perception of the individual face is specific and necessary: Evidence from an extensive case study of acquired prosopagnosia

We present an extensive investigation (24 experiments) of a new case of prosopagnosia following right unilateral damage, GG, with the aim of addressing two classical issues: (1) Can a visual recognition impairment truly be specific to faces? (2) What is the nature of acquired prosopagnosia? We show that GG recognizes nonface objects perfectly and quickly, even when it requires fine-grained analysis to individualize these objects. He is also capable of perceiving objects and faces as integrated wholes, as indicated by normal Navon effect, 3D-figures perception and perception of Mooney and Arcimboldo face stimuli. However, the patient could not perceive individual faces holistically, showing no inversion, composite, or whole-part advantage effects for faces. We conclude that an occipito-temporal right hemisphere lesion may lead to a specific impairment of holistic perception of individual items, a function that appears critical for normal face recognition but not for object recognition.     

Expanding the clinical spectrum of STIP1 homology and U-box containing protein 1-associated ataxia

Journal of Neurology - STUB1 has been first associated with autosomal recessive (SCAR16, MIM# 615768) and later with dominant forms of ataxia (SCA48, MIM# 618093). Pathogenic variations in STUB1...     

Recovery from chemotherapy-induced white matter changes in young breast cancer survivors?

In a previous longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study, we observed cerebral white matter (WM) alterations (reduced fractional anisotropy (FA)) related to decreased cognitive performance 3–5 months after chemotherapy-treatment (t2) when compared to baseline (t1) (Deprez et al. in Journal of Clinical Oncology: Official Journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 30(3), 274–281. doi:10.1200/JCO.2011.36.8571, 2012). The current study investigates the evolution and the nature of these previously observed microstructural changes. Twenty-five young women with early-stage breast cancer who received chemotherapy treatment (C+), 14 who did not receive chemotherapy (C-) and 15 healthy controls (HC) previously studied, underwent reassessment 3–4 years after treatment (t3). We assessed (1) longitudinal changes of cognitive performance and FA and (2) cross-sectional group differences in myelin-water-imaging and multishell diffusion MRI metrics at t3. MRI metrics were assessed on a voxel-by-voxel basis and in regions-of-interest (ROI) in which previous WM injury was detected. Longitudinal results: Mixed-effects modeling revealed significant group-time interactions for verbal memory and processing speed (p < 0.05) reflecting regained performance in the C+ group at t3. Furthermore, in chemotherapy-treated patients, FA returned to baseline levels at t3 in all ROIs (p < 0.002), whereas no FA changes were seen in controls. Additionally, FA increase from t2 to t3 correlated with time since treatment in two of the four regions (r = 0.40, p < 0.05). Cross-sectional results: Advanced diffusion MRI and myelin-water imaging metrics in the ROIs did not differ between groups. Similarly, no whole-brain voxelwise differences were detected. Initial WM alterations and reduced cognitive performance following chemotherapy-treatment were found to recover in a group of young breast cancer survivors three to four years after treatment.     

Use of an Automated Device for External Chest Compressions by First‐aid Workers Unfamiliar With the Device: A Step Toward Public Access?

Objective: The objective was to establish the feasibility of using an automated external chest compression (ECC) device among first‐aid workers unfamiliar with the device. Methods: Eighty first‐aid workers unfamiliar with the Autopulse ECC device were randomized into three groups. Group 1 was given two explanatory illustrations on device use. Group 2 was given four explanatory illustrations. Group 3 was shown a 5‐minute video on the placement and use of the device and allowed to handle the device for 5 minutes. The time taken to place and start the device on a mannequin was recorded. Results: There was no significant difference among the three groups with regard to age, sex ratio, experience, and time elapsed since their last training session. No mistakes in device placement were made by any of the groups. All 80 participants started ECC in less than 160 seconds. There was no significant difference between Groups 1 and 2 in time taken to place or start the device (medians and 25–75 percentiles = 72 [54–112] vs. 86 [46–130] seconds and 154 [103–183] vs. 156 [120–197] seconds, respectively). However, Group 3 first‐aid workers obtained significantly better results (19 [16–26] seconds to place and 48 [40–65] seconds to start; p<0.0001). Conclusions: An automated ECC device can be rapidly placed and used by first‐aid workers unfamiliar with the device. In the light of these results, use of the device by the general public can be envisaged.     

Lipid-mediated inflammation and degeneration of bioprosthetic heart valves

Background  The durability of bioprosthetic valves is limited by structural valve degeneration (SVD) leading to bioprostheses (BPs) stenosis or regurgitation. We hypothesized that a lipid-mediated inflammatory mechanism is involved in the SVD of BPs.
Material and methods  Eighteen Freestyle stentless BP valves were explanted for SVD at a mean time of 5·9 ± 3 years after implantation and were analysed by immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Results  The mean age of the patients was 65 ± 8 years and there were 11 male and seven female patients. Two of the 18 BPs had macroscopic calcification, whereas the other valves had minimal or no macroscopic calcification. Tears at the commissures leading to regurgitation was present in 16 BPs. Immunohistochemistry showed the presence of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and glycosaminoglycans in the fibrosa layer of 13 BPs. Areas with ox-LDL were infiltrated by macrophages (CD68⁺) co-expressing the scavenger receptor CD36 and metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). Zymogram showed the active form of MMP-9 within explanted BPs. EM studies revealed the presence of lipid-laden cells featuring foam cells and fragmented collagen. Nonimplanted control BPs obtained from the manufacturer ( n  = 4) had no evidence of lipid accumulation, inflammatory cell infiltration or expression of MMP9 within the leaflets.
Conclusions  These results support the concept that lipid-mediated inflammatory mechanisms may contribute to the SVD of BPs. These findings suggest that modification of atherosclerotic risk factors with the use of behavioural or pharmacological interventions could help to reduce the incidence of SVD.     

Maternal effects and β-carotene assimilation in Canary chicks

Carotenoids are pigments responsible for the red, orange and yellow coloration of plants and animals. They may be beneficial in two ways; they have a powerful antioxidant activity, and they can behave as an immunostimulant. Animals however cannot synthesize carotenoids de novo, they must obtain them through their diet. In our experiments on Canaries, we investigated how mothers transfer their dietary carotenoid-related benefits to their offspring; either through the egg, or through the diet (during chicks' feeding). Female Canaries were allowed to access β-carotene enriched food during egg formation and/or chicks' feeding. We sorted the chicks into four groups using the period when they assimilated the beta-carotene as a variable. The four groups were: (i) before hatching (from yolk), (ii) after hatching (from maternal feeding), (iii) before and after hatching, or (iv) never. Colorimetry and HPLC analysis from sub-samples of yolks confirmed the maternal transfer of dietary carotenoids to the yolk. Our results show that benefits from maternal dietary carotenoids are transferred to the chicks, but according to the period when they are assimilated by the chicks, the physiological effects are different. It was found that the chicks' growth was enhanced when carotenoids were assimilated both before and after hatching. However an increase in cellular immunity efficiency only occurs when the assimilation takes place after hatching.     

Cerebral and spinal modulation of pain by emotions

Emotions have powerful effects on pain perception. However, the brain mechanisms underlying these effects remain largely unknown. In this study, we combined functional cerebral imaging with psychophysiological methods to explore the neural mechanisms involved in the emotional modulation of spinal nociceptive responses (RIII-reflex) and pain perception in healthy participants. Emotions induced by pleasant or unpleasant pictures modulated the responses to painful electrical stimulations in the right insula, paracentral lobule, parahippocampal gyrus, thalamus, and amygdala. Right insula activation covaried with the modulation of pain perception, consistent with a key role of this structure in the integration of pain signals with the ongoing emotion. In contrast, activity in the thalamus, amygdala, and several prefrontal areas was associated with the modulation of spinal reflex responses. Last, connectivity analyses suggested an involvement of prefrontal, parahippocampal, and brainstem structures in the cerebral and cerebrospinal modulation of pain by emotions. This multiplicity of mechanisms underlying the emotional modulation of pain is reflective of the strong interrelations between pain and emotions, and emphasizes the powerful effects that emotions can have on pain.