Brain mapping analysis in patients with hepatic encephalopathy

Summary Topographical analysis of cerebral electrical activity was performed in 44 patients with hepatic encephalopathy. These patients were classified in 5 groups according to clinical criteria. Eight healthy subjects were used as a control group. All were studied in an awake, eyes closed, condition and some [Control Group (CG), Group 0 (G0), Group 1 (G1) and Group 2 (G2)] also in an awake, eyes open, condition. The awake, eyes closed, maps showed marked differences in the power spectral density (PSD) of the different bands, when comparing normal subjects with patients with several degrees of hepatic encephalopathy. These differences were related to the degree of clinical involvement, mainly in the alpha and delta PSD bands. The combination of a decreased alpha PSD, increased delta PSD, and decreased mean dominant frequency (MDF) allowed a clear discrimination between the different clinical groups. The differences observed between awake, eyes closed, and awake, eyes open, conditions were especially helpful to discriminate between CG subjects and G0, G1 and G2 patients.     

Consequences of large interindividual variability for human brain atlases: converging macroscopical imaging and microscopical neuroanatomy

In human brain imaging studies, it is common practice to use the Talairach stereotaxic reference system for signifying the convergence of brain function and structure. In nearly all neuroimaging reports, the studied cortical areas are specified further with a Brodmann Area (BA) number. This specification is based upon macroscopic extrapolation from Brodmann’s projection maps into the Talairach atlas rather than upon a real microscopic cytoarchitectonic study. In this review we argue that such a specification of Brodmann area(s) via the Talairach atlas is not appropriate. Cytoarchitectonic studies reviewed in this paper show large interindividual differences in 3-D location of primary sensory cortical areas (visual cortex) as well as heteromodal associational areas (prefrontal cortical areas), even after correction for differences in brain size and shape. Thus, the simple use of Brodmann cortical areas derived from the Talairach atlas can lead to erroneous results in the specification of pertinent BA. This in turn can further lead to wrong hypotheses on brain system(s) involved in normal functions or in specific brain disorders. In addition, we will briefly discuss the different ‘Brodmann’ nomenclatures which are in use for the cerebral cortex.     

Restriction fragment differences between the genomes of the Oka varicella vaccine virus and American wild-type varicella-zoster virus

The Oka vaccine strains of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) have a significantly different BgII DNA restriction pattern from that of American wild-type isolates of VZV. This difference consists primarily of an additional BgII site, which lies within the BamHI "D" fragment. In conjunction with a study of the efficacy of an experimental Merck/Oka VZV vaccine, the area of the genome from which the most marked restriction pattern alteration arises was studied more closely to determine if there are other significant differences between the Oka strains and American wild-type strains. BamHI "D" fragments from the DNA of the Oka parent strain (the progenitor of the vaccine strain), the RIT/Oka vaccine strain (a derivative of the Oka parent strain), the Merck/Oka vaccine strain, and the EF strain (an American wild type), were submitted to extensive endonuclease digestion studies to ascertain if additional unique restriction sites are present in the Oka parent or vaccine strains. The extra BgII restriction site characteristic of the Merck/Oka vaccine strain is also present in the DNA of the parent virus as well as its derivatives and was therefore not produced by the "attenuation" process. No other novel sites were found in the Oka parent or Oka-derived strains in this section of the genome. The Merck/Oka vaccine strain of VZV, despite its Japanese origin, is therefore quite similar to circulating American varicella-zoster virus strains. Varicella-zoster virus DNA, at least in the area of the BamHI D fragment, also appears to be remarkably stable from strain to strain.     

Behavior in chimeric mice combining differently behaving strains

A/J and C57BL/6J mice behave differently in tests for alcohol preference, open-field activity, defecation in the open field, cricket attacking, and rope climbing. Chimeric mice, i.e., mice containing both A/J cells and C57BL/6J cells, were constructed and tested for these behaviors. Patterns of behavior among A/JC57BL/6J chimeras are such as to suggest that none of these behavior differences is controlled by a single cell or clone and that the same cell population that gives rise to the strain difference in alcohol preference also gives rise to the differences in open-field activity and defecation, while separate cell populations control cricket killing and rope climbing.This research was supported by Research Grants AA 00388 and HD 03015 to M. N. N. and MH 18996 to K. B. Computing assistance was obtained from the Health Sciences Computing Facility, UCLA, supported by NIH Special Research Resources Grant RR-3.     

Influence of perinatal malnutrition on adult physiological and behavioral reactivity in rats

A series of experiments examined the behavioral and pituitary-adrenal response to novelty of perinatally malnourished rats tested as adults after nutritional rehabilitation begun at weaning. Neither the behavioral measures of ambulation, rearing and defecation, nor the plasma corticosterone response to a brief exposure to an open field differentiated the previously malnourished subjects from controls. Similar to controls, previously malnourished subjects were also capable of displaying a graded corticoid elevation to environments increasingly different from the home cage. However, exploratory behavior, as measured by head-dip frequency and duration in the hole-board, was reduced in the previously malnourished rats. Although latency and amount of fluid consumed in a novel environment did not differ, previously malnourished rats were unable to use the cues associated with a consummatory behavior to modulate the pituitary-adrenal response to novelty. Thus, perinatal malnutrition does not influence either the behavioral or physiological activational response to novel stimulation but appears to alter the ability of the animal to use a consummatory behavior to modulate this response.     

Electrical activity in the prefrontal cortex specific to no-go reaction of conditioned hand movement with colour discrimination in the monkey

Summary Monkeys were trained to perform hand movements in a reaction time task with discrimination between positive (go) and negative (no-go) light signals, and field potentials in various cortical areas were recorded and analysed with chronically implanted cortical electrodes. As previously reported, areas such as the prefrontal, premotor and motor cortices were active in association with simple visually-initiated, reaction-time hand movements. The caudal part of the dorsal bank of the principal sulcus was found to be activated specifically on no-go trials during discrimination, and revealed a relatively sharp surface-negative, depth-positive potential. The potential appeared at a latency of 110–150 ms, which was 150–210 ms earlier than the movement onset on go trials. With reversal of the go and no-go signals, this potential was found to be recorded only on no-go trials, irrespective of the colour used for the stimulus. It is suggested that the activity in the dorsal bank of the principal sulcus is related to the judgement not to execute the movement and/or the suppression of motor execution.     

Studies on cortical field potentials recorded during learning processes of visually initiated hand movements in monkeys

Summary A monkey was trained to lift a lever by wrist extension in response to a light stimulus. During the learning process of the task over several months, field potentials related not only to the task performance but also to substitution and stimulation experiments were recorded with chronically implanted electrodes on the surface and at a depth of 2.5–3.0 mm in the prefrontal, premotor, motor and prestriate cortices. In the substitution experiment, an examiner lifted a lever for the monkey so that it was watching the light and rewarded without the hand movement. In the stimulation experiment, the same light stimulus was simply delivered to the monkey. In a naive monkey which lifted the lever independently of the stimulus, stimulus-locked potentials were evoked by the task experiment in those cortices except the motor cortex, but none was elicited by the substitution or stimulation experiment. In a welltrained monkey, the substitution and stimulation experiments induced almost the same potentials as those prior to the task movement in respective cortices except the motor cortex, in which the component of cerebellar-induced premovement potential was not observed during the substitution and stimulation experiments. At an intermediate stage of learning, the situation was intermediate between the naive and well-trained stages and most premovement potentials except those in the motor cortex were elicited by the substitution experiment in reduced sizes, but nothing by the stimulation experiment.The present study suggests that the neuronal circuits for the operantly conditioned movement are functionally organized and gradually consolidated in the learning process, and that the consolidation is made earlier for the circuit involving association and premotor cortices than the circuit including the motor cortex in the process. The circuit to the motor cortex via the cerebro-cerebellar interconnection is recruited only on the execution of movement.     

Receptive fields of single cells in the cat's superior colliculus

Summary Receptive field analysis of single units in the superior colliculus of the mid-pontine, pretrigeminal cat has confirmed previous reports of directionally selective units in the tectum. The directional property was based principally upon a unilateral inhibitory mechanism, although some directional responses to small moving objects depended equally upon summation of excitation. Receptive field size varied greatly, with field diameters not uncommonly exceeding 30 degrees. Fields near the area centralis and along the horizontal meridian tended to be smaller than those elsewhere. An inhibitory influence from the field periphery was demonstrated.Post-doctoral fellow of the National Science Foundation. Present address: Department of Experimental Psychology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, D. C. 20012 (USA).     

De novo interstitial deletion of 4q[46,XX,del(4)(q27q28.2)] with intact blood group-MN locus,confining its locus to 4q28.2–4q31.1

We report a malformed female infant withde novo interstitial deletion of 4q[46,XX,del(4)(q27q28.2)]. The MN blood type analysis of the family members showed that the patient had an intact blood group-MN locus. The locus of the gene responsible for the MN antigen activity is confined to a 4q28.2–4q31.1 segment on the basis of the result of this patient and the previous mapping data.     

Nkx2.5‐negative myocardium of the posterior heart field and its correlation with podoplanin expression in cells from the developing cardiac pacemaking and conduction system

Recent advances in the study of cardiac development have shown the relevance of addition of myocardium to the primary myocardial heart tube. In wild‐type mouse embryos (E9.5–15.5), we have studied the myocardium at the venous pole of the heart using immunohistochemistry and 3D reconstructions of expression patterns of MLC‐2a, Nkx2.5, and podoplanin, a novel coelomic and myocardial marker. Podoplanin‐positive coelomic epithelium was continuous with adjacent podoplanin‐ and MLC‐2a‐positive myocardium that formed a conspicuous band along the left cardinal vein extending through the base of the atrial septum to the posterior myocardium of the atrioventricular canal, the atrioventricular nodal region, and the His‐Purkinje system. Later on, podoplanin expression was also found in the myocardium surrounding the pulmonary vein. On the right side, podoplanin‐positive cells were seen along the right cardinal vein, which during development persisted in the sinoatrial node and part of the venous valves. In the MLC‐2a‐ and podoplanin‐positive myocardium, Nkx2.5 expression was absent in the sinoatrial node and the wall of the cardinal veins. There was a mosaic positivity in the wall of the common pulmonary vein and the atrioventricular conduction system as opposed to the overall Nkx2.5 expression seen in the chamber myocardium. We conclude that we have found podoplanin as a marker that links a novel Nkx2.5‐negative sinus venosus myocardial area, which we refer to as the posterior heart field, with the cardiac conduction system. Anat Rec, 290:115–122, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.