Input-specific long-term potentiation in the rat lateral amygdala of horizontal slices

Long-term potentiation (LTP) at input synapses to the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA) is a candidate mechanism for memory storage during fear learning. Cellular mechanisms of LTP have been nearly exclusively investigated in coronal brain slices. In our experiments, we used a horizontal brain slice preparation of rats that preserved most of the connections to cortical areas and the hippocampus. The stimulation electrodes were located either within the external capsule (EC) or the LA. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanisms of LTP induced either by weak theta burst stimulation (TBS) or strong high frequency stimulation (HFS) using the two different stimulation sites. Whereas both TBS and HFS of afferences running through the LA induced stable LTP, TBS failed to induce LTP of EC-inputs to the LA. The present findings also show that LTP in the LA exhibits vulnerability at different time windows after induction. The time window was dependent on the kind of stimulated afferences. Later LTP becomes resistant to disruption by low frequency stimulation. We could show that both used inputs depended on NMDA receptors for LTP-induction. LTP induced by stimulation of fibers within the LA was not altered by nifedipine (10 microM). In contrast, EC-induced LTP was dependent on L-type voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC). Finally, we found a higher magnitude of LTP in females using TBS, whereas HFS did not cause gender-specific differences. Our study supports the conclusion that the form of LA-LTP depend on which afferences are activated and what pattern of stimulation is used to induce LTP.     

Enhancing Creativity With Combined Transcranial Direct Current and Random Noise Stimulation of the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Inferior Frontal Gyrus

Creativity is a fundamental human accomplishment from scientific advances to composing music. The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) are important metacontrol hubs in flexibility and persistence brain states, respectively. Those hubs are related to divergent thinking, insight problem-solving, and convergent thinking. In this double-blind, between-subjects study, 81 healthy participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups (n = 27) that received a combined transcranial direct current stimulation–transcranial random noise stimulation (tDCS-tRNS) protocol with the anode over the left DLPFC and cathode over the left IFG (+DLPFC−IFG), the opposite montage (−DLPFC+IFG), and a sham group (+DLPFC−IFG). Both active tDCS-tRNS groups received 20 min of 1 mA tDCS with 1 mA (100–500 Hz) tRNS. Creativity was assessed before (baseline) and during stimulation with the Unusual Uses, Picture Completion (PC), Remote Association test (RAT), Matchstick Arithmetic (MA), and Nine-dot (ND) problems. Only the +DLPFC−IFG group had significantly higher scores compared with sham in the RAT (p = .009), PC fluency (p = .018), PC originality (p = .007), ND (p = .007), and MA (p = .032). Overall, −DLPFC+IFG had greater scores in all creativity tests compared with sham. Implications from the metacontrol theory are discussed.     

THE EFFECTS OF MATCHED STIMULATION AND RESPONSE INTERRUPTION AND REDIRECTION ON VOCAL STEREOTYPY

Stereotypy has been classified as repetitive behavior that does not serve any apparent function. Two procedures that have been found to reduce rates of vocal stereotypy effectively are response interruption and redirection (RIRD) and noncontingent access to matched stimulation (MS). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of RIRD alone, MS alone, and MS combined with RIRD. One participant's results suggested similar suppressive effects on vocal stereotypy across treatment conditions. For the second participant, a slightly greater suppression of stereotypy was associated with MS + RIRD. In addition, both participants emitted a greater frequency of appropriate vocalizations in conditions with RIRD. Data suggest that the addition of MS might facilitate the implementation of RIRD in applied settings.     

Characterization of Al/n-ZnO/p-Si/Al structure with low-cost solution-grown ZnO layer

We report the fabrication of Al/n-ZnO/p-Si/Al diode structures with a flower-like ZnO layer. The average grain size, microstrain and dislocation density in the ZnO layer were determined as 25?nm, 1.55?×?10^?3 and 3.23?×?10¹³?cm^?2, respectively. From absorption spectra, the optical band gap was found to be ～3.17?eV. A red shift was attributed to non-stoichiometry arising from Zn⁺² ions substituting for oxygen vacancies. The ideality factor was determined as 1.55. The barrier height was calculated as 0.71?eV from I–V characteristics and 0.73?eV using the Norde plots.     

Five weeks of immersive reminiscence therapy improves autobiographical memory in Alzheimer’s disease

ABSTRACT

We examined the effects of a new Immersive Reminiscence Therapy (IRT) programme on cognitive function, including autobiographical memory, in a sample Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. A total of 43 AD patients with mild to moderate disease severity were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n?=?22, MMMSE?=?20.77), or a control group (n?=?21, MMMSE?=?19.24). The intervention group received one weekly group-based session of IRT for five weeks in an authentic 1950s style museum environment, matching the time of the participants’ youth. IRT included semi-structured conversations about the past. The control group received standard care. We assessed performance on cognitive function and autobiographical memory at baseline and post-intervention. Five weeks of IRT enhanced subsequent autobiographical memory performance, when participants were cued by concrete objects dated to their youth. Object-cued memories reported post intervention included a significantly higher degree of episodic details and higher word counts. The intervention showed no effect on the Autobiographical Memory Interview or word-cued recall. Global cognitive function and semantic autobiographical memory performance increased across time for both groups. Our findings demonstrate that immersion into a setting, rich on concrete cues dated to the participants’ youth can improve autobiographical remembering.     

High-pressure electrical resistivity behaviour of nanocrystalline perovskite (La,Sr)(Mn,Fe)O3

We report here the electrical resistivity of nanocrystalline perovskite-structured La–Sr manganites as a function of pressures up to 8?GPa, at room temperature. The nanocrystalline perovskite manganites were prepared by the sol–gel technique and found to have crystallite sizes of 12–18?nm. The pressure dependence of the electrical resistivity shows a first-order phase transition at 0.66(2)?GPa and a subtle phase transition between 3.5 and 3.8?GPa. The first-order transition at 0.66?GPa can be related to the transition from localized-electron to band magnetism.     

HRTEM observation of interfacial dislocations at faceted Al–Pb interfaces

Al–Pb ribbons containing 1?at.%?Pb have been produced by melt-spinning and subsequently investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that the lattice mismatch of about 22% between the nanometre-sized Pb inclusions and the surrounding Al matrix is accommodated by a periodic array of misfit dislocations at the Al–Pb interface. The closing failures of Burgers circuits drawn around misfit dislocations on {111} and {100} facets identify the corresponding Burgers vectors as (a ₀/4)? 211 ? and (a ₀/2)? 110?, respectively. The Burgers vector of (a ₀/4)? 211? corresponds to the projected edge part of a 60° (a ₀/2)? 110? dislocation. The Pb inclusions themselves appear to be free of defects.     

关于针对最小意识状态患者的促醒综合治疗体系的文献综述

急性脑外伤或非创伤性脑损伤常常导致患者进入一种缺乏意识及思维、对自身及周围的事物缺乏感知的严重意识障碍阶段,过去称之为＂植物状态＂.随着最小意识状态概念的提出,本文在国内外现有参考文献的基础上进行改良并结合自身经验建立了规范的促醒治疗方法,就此促醒治疗方法进行综述,旨在为国内此类患者的评估、诊断、治疗及后续康复提供更多的临床参考.     

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation induced slow wave activity modification: A possible role in disorder of consciousness differential diagnosis?

Slow wave activity (SWA) generation depends on cortico–thalamo-cortical loops that are disrupted in patients with chronic Disorders of Consciousness (DOC), including the Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome (UWS) and the Minimally Conscious State (MCS). We hypothesized that the modulation of SWA by means of a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) could reveal residual patterns of connectivity, thus supporting the DOC clinical differential diagnosis. We enrolled 10 DOC individuals who underwent a 24 hh polysomnography followed by a real or sham 5 Hz-rTMS over left primary motor area, and a second polysomnographic recording. A preserved sleep-wake cycle, a standard temporal progression of sleep stages, and a SWA perturbation were found in all of the MCS patients and in none of the UWS individuals, only following the real-rTMS. In conclusion, our combined approach may improve the differential diagnosis between MCS patients, who show a partial preservation of cortical plasticity, and UWS individuals, who lack such properties.