条件反射性免疫抑制激活过程中下丘脑核团c-fos的表达

利用经典条件反射性免疫抑制的动物模型,以糖精水为条件刺激（CS）,免疫抑制剂-环磷酰胺为非条件刺激 （UCS）,观测两次CS-UCS结合训练后,再次条件刺激诱发条件反射性免疫抑制作用的动态改变,获得条件反射性免疫抑制和味觉厌恶性条件反射各自保持的情况,并在此基础上,采用c-fos免疫组化技术, 进一步观察再次条件刺激诱发条件反射性免疫抑制反应时大鼠下丘脑各核团内FOS蛋白的表达情况。结果表明,条件反射性免疫抑制作用在训练后第5天较强,第30天基本消失,而味觉厌恶性条件反射始终稳定保持到第30天。进一步研究显示出,下丘脑室旁核FOS蛋白表达在第5天非常密集,而第30天几乎没有表达,与细胞免疫功能改变在时程和趋势上具有一致性。通过FOS蛋白表达时程差异比较,提示下丘脑室旁核可能是CNS内介导CS诱导的免疫抑制效应的重要核团。     

谈机体的非特异性功能损伤

为了探讨能够改变临床治疗过程中的过分强调疾病面轻视机体功能调节的现象,提出了非特异性功能损伤的概念。这一概念的普遍性存在于常见病、多发病中,其共性体现在以下兵脑为中心的神经内分泌免疫网络的功能中,它的个性可能正是中医药治疗疾病的客观依据之一。     

Centrally elicited aggressive behavior: A model system for the study of episodic neurobehavioral pathologies?

Studies in which the predatory-like attack of a cat upon a rat has been elicited by electrical brain stimulation have been briefly reviewed with an emphasis on the question of where within the central nervous system such brain stimulation is producing its behaviorally meaningful effects. Two opposing but by no means mutually exclusive views are considered. The first is that brain stimulation elicits this behavior pattern primarily because it affects a specific motivated behavior system that is organized discretely in the midbrain and pons. The second is that forebrain neural activity is modulated in behaviorally significant ways by brainstem stimulation, which elicits predatory-like aggressive behavior in the cat. The possibility that further research on the altered state of central nervous system activity, induced by brain stimulation which elicits aggressive behavior in the cat, may lead to a further understanding of the altered states of central nervous system activity that underlie the aggressive dyscontrol syndrome and other episodic state disorders is discussed.     

Predatory aggression: Midbrain-pontine junction rather than hypothalamus as the critical structure?

Electrical stimulation of sites in the region of the ventromedial periaqueductal gray substance at the level of the midbrain–pontine junction was found to elicit a predatory attack by a cat upon a rat. The intensity of stimulation required to elicit the attack was three to four times less than that required to elicit similar behavior by hypothalamic stimulation. The results suggest that anatomically distinct regions of the periaqueductal gray substance are concerned with the regulation of predatory and affective forms of aggressive behavior. The difficulty in reconciling these results with the preeminent role assigned the hypothalamus in the organization of predatory behavior is also discussed.     

Orbital and ventromedial prefrontal cortex functioning in Parkinson's disease: neuropsychological evidence

A recent paper (Zald & Andreotti, 2010) reviewed neuropsychological tasks that assess the function of the orbital and ventromedial portions of the prefrontal cortex (OMPFC). Neuropathological studies have shown that the function of the OMPFC should be preserved in the early stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) but becomes affected in the advanced stages of PD. This pattern has also been suggested by studies that have shown that dopaminergic drugs impair the performance of early PD patients in OMPFC tasks that involve reinforcement learning but enhance the performance of advanced PD patients. Based on these empirical findings, we reviewed the neuropsychological evidence of OMPFC functions in PD patients to test two hypotheses regarding the following: (1) OMPFC functions at different stages of PD; (2) different effects of dopaminergic drugs on OMPFC functions based on PD stage and task demand. We focused our review only on the neuropsychological tasks that were specific and sensitive to the functions of the OMPFC and that were adopted at different stages of PD, such as reversal learning tasks, the Iowa Gambling Task and the affective Theory of Mind task. We found robust empirical evidence that in early PD, OMPFC functions are preserved and dopaminergic drugs result in a detrimental effect when the task involves reinforcement learning. Further studies are needed to verify the status of OMPFC functions in non-demented, advanced PD and to describe the longitudinal course of OMPFC functions in this clinical population.     

下丘脑异常与抑郁症

近年来的研究发现了抑郁模型动物或抑郁症病人下丘脑异常的大量证据, 诸如下丘脑体积及神经元数目的改变, 下丘脑-垂体-内分泌轴的改变, 下丘脑相关激素、受体及其基因、神经肽的改变, 下丘脑与其他脑区功能联系的改变等等。然而, 下丘脑与抑郁症关系的研究所获证据多来自动物实验、或临床间接指标(如病人外周血激素水平等), 或病人脑组织尸检, 缺乏来自病人活体下丘脑异常的直接证据。今后的研究可考虑运用影像学的手段更直接地探索抑郁症患者活体下丘脑的结构特征和功能特征, 以期发现抑郁症的生物学标记及其可靠性指标, 为抑郁症的客观诊断提供依据, 为揭示抑郁症病理机制提供线索。     

Septal area lesions impair spatial working memory in homing pigeons (Columba livia)

The septo-hippocampal system in birds resembles that of mammals, motivating research into the function of the avian hippocampus while surprisingly little attention has been given to the septum. To investigate a possible role of the avian septum in memory, the effects of septal area lesions on a spatial working memory (SpWM) task was tested in homing pigeons. After preoperative training on an analogue eight-arm (feeders) radial maze, now sham-operated control and septal lesioned pigeons were then trained again on the same task of locating the four feeders on the test phase of a trial that were not baited during the sample phase of a trial. During the test phase of a working memory trial, septal lesioned pigeons, compared to both their own preoperative performance and the performance of the controls, required significantly more choices to locate the four baited feeders not baited during the sample phase of a trial, and they made significantly fewer correct responses to the now baited feeders on their first four choices. The results demonstrate that, like its mammalian counterpart, the avian septum plays an important role in SpWM, suggesting that at least some functional properties of the septum are evolutionarily conserved in birds and mammals.     

The experience of meditation for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and their caregivers – a qualitative analysis

There is a lack of studies about psychological interventions for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and their caregivers. We investigated the experience of a meditation training program tailored for ALS needs. People with ALS (pALS) and their caregivers that joined a meditation program for ALS were interviewed at the end of the program. Verbatims were analyzed with a qualitative approach. Both pALS and their caregivers reported a positive impact on their psychological well-being, promoted by an increase in acceptance and non-judgmental attitude. Furthermore, coping strategies seem to improve, with a positive effect on resilience skills. The ALS meditation training program seems to be an effective psychological intervention for the promotion of well-being in pALS and their caregivers.     

Slip and Trip Perturbations During an Object Transport Task Requiring a Lateral Change in Support

The ability to counteract destabilizing external forces while simultaneously executing a complex task presents a novel way to ascertain one's ability to generate adaptive postural control responses to avoid a potential fall. In this study, participants performed an upper limb object transport task requiring a lateral change in support on a robotic platform that could remain fixed in space or translated (mimicking a slip or trip perturbation). No significant stability differences were observed at initial recovery step between slip and trip perturbations. Variability measures were greatest during the trip perturbations; though stability was at its greatest level preceding these perturbations. These results will aid in the design of future studies that will investigate adaptive postural control responses generated by older adults when executing similar, ongoing complex upper body tasks interrupted by a destabilizing support surface perturbation.     

Agonistic behavior,plasma testosterone,and hypothalamic estradiol binding in male rabbits

The purpose of this study was to establish a relation between agonistic behavior, gonadal hormones, and their receptorial capacity at the central level. Male rabbits were observed in seminatural conditions and three components of their agonistic behavior were recorded: follow, attack, and chase. The three behaviors were mutually correlated and clearly differed among the four members of each group. Within the social group, one rabbit was agonistically more active than the others and his supremacy was associated with an increased level of peripheral testosterone and higher estradiol binding in the hypothalamus. On the whole, the values of the hypothalamic estradiol binding were positively correlated with the behaviors. The results show that, in the male rabbit, agonistic activity is associated with changes in testosterone concentration and in the binding at the central level of its aromatized metabolite estradiol. Aggr. Behav. 23:33–40, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.