NeurosciencePub Date : 2025-06-26DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.052
Cyprian M. Mostert , Pavlova Milena , Rik Crutzen
{"title":"The impact of sugar-sweetened beverages tax policy on cases of diabetes, depression, heart attacks, hypertension, and stroke in the 35 years and 40 years cohorts of South Africa","authors":"Cyprian M. Mostert , Pavlova Milena , Rik Crutzen","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.052","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.052","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In 2018, South Africa became the first African country to implement a sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) tax policy. This study evaluates its impact on diabetes, depression, heart attacks, hypertension, and stroke among South Africans aged 35 and 40. Data from 2016 to 2017 (control group) and 2018–2021 (treatment group) were analysed using an Instrumental Variables (IV) estimation model. Results indicate a 16% reduction in diabetes and 23% reduction in depression for the 35-year cohort, while the 40-year cohort saw 6% and 16% decreases, respectively. Heart attacks dropped by 36% and 12%, hypertension by 30% and 10%, and strokes by 16% and 6% in the respective cohorts. The effects were more significant in men and in the younger 35-year cohort, particularly among Black African and Mixed-Race groups, and people from low socio-economic backgrounds. Overall, the policy effectively reduces these health issues, suggesting that higher tax rates could enhance brain health outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19142,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience","volume":"580 ","pages":"Pages 277-285"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144511143","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
NeurosciencePub Date : 2025-06-26DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.042
Yun Bai , Minyue Cao , Shaowei Liu , Mengxian Zhu , Binbing Wang , Liping Meng , Xinghui Shi , Fei Chen , Wei Ji , Sheng Li , Hongbing Jiang , Chenghui Jiang
{"title":"Audio-visual crossmodal connectivity in perceiving distorted speech: A comparison between patients with cleft palate and typical listeners","authors":"Yun Bai , Minyue Cao , Shaowei Liu , Mengxian Zhu , Binbing Wang , Liping Meng , Xinghui Shi , Fei Chen , Wei Ji , Sheng Li , Hongbing Jiang , Chenghui Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.042","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.042","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates audio-visual crossmodal connectivity during the perception of distorted speech using task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A randomized block design was employed, involving 20 patients with cleft palate and 20 typical listeners. Participants underwent perceptual tasks involving both cleft-related glottal stop and typical speech while fMRI scans were conducted. Regional interactions between the auditory and visual cortices were analyzed using dynamic causal modeling (DCM). Individual-level effective connectivity analysis revealed that, during the perception of glottal stop, patients with cleft palate exhibited significantly reduced effective connectivity from the left superior temporal gyrus to the left inferior occipital gyrus compared to typical listeners (p = 0.035). However, no significant difference was observed in the connectivity weights from the right superior temporal gyrus to the right inferior occipital gyrus. These findings suggest a potential deficit in audio-visual integration in patients with cleft palate, which may adversely affect speech perception. This insight advances our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying speech disorders in cleft palate, particularly the contribution of crossmodal connectivity to speech processing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19142,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience","volume":"580 ","pages":"Pages 270-276"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144502189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
NeurosciencePub Date : 2025-06-26DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.033
Regina Silva Paradela, Patrícia de Oliveira Dias, Ariele Detogni, Tamirys Akemy Sakaki, José Francisco Secorun Inácio, Lucia Campos Pellanda, Clarissa G Rodrigues, Maria Claudia Irigoyen, Danielle Irigoyen da Costa
{"title":"Cogmed cognitive training for working memory: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Regina Silva Paradela, Patrícia de Oliveira Dias, Ariele Detogni, Tamirys Akemy Sakaki, José Francisco Secorun Inácio, Lucia Campos Pellanda, Clarissa G Rodrigues, Maria Claudia Irigoyen, Danielle Irigoyen da Costa","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.033","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The interest in computerized training to enhance and rehabilitate cognitive functions is increasing. However, the efficacy of these methods, particularly in improving working memory (WM), remains debated. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Cogmed Working Memory Training (CWMT), a commercial program designed to improve WM. We searched PubMed, BVS, and CENTRAL databases up to January 14, 2024 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using any version of Cogmed in participants aged 18 years or older. The primary outcomes were post-training verbal and visuospatial WM performance. A meta-analysis was performed to calculate pooled standardized mean differences (SMD) between intervention and control groups. A total of 298 articles were identified, and 11 RCTs met the eligibility criteria for meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that participants in the Cogmed group showed significant improvements in verbal and visuospatial WM scores immediately after training, with a small effect for sustained benefits for verbal WM at 2-6 months post-intervention. No significant differences were observed between groups less than 2 months post-training for either WM component. Long-term benefits (2-6 months) were limited, with a small sustained effect for verbal WM and no significant effects for visuospatial WM. CWMT provides short-term benefits for adults' WM, particularly immediately after training. Evidence for sustained improvements remains limited. PROSPERO database (CRD42022298013).</p>","PeriodicalId":19142,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144529021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"VEGFA induces anxiety and depression-like behaviors in post-stroke mice by regulating the permeability of the blood-brain barrier.","authors":"Yushuang Gou, Jiayao Zhang, Huanhuan Liu, Chuanzhou Zhu, Xiaojia Song, Shouxuan Geng, Qi Peng, Shengxi Jin, Xiaoli Wang, Yang Xiao, Fuping Zhang, Zhaohui Zhang, Jinggui Song","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.056","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Post-stroke depression (PSD) is the most common neuropsychiatric sequela of stroke, and its pathogenesis remains unclear. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is an important barrier for maintaining the normal operation of neurons. The impairment of its function leads to the occurrence of various neurological diseases. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) is an important factor in regulating the permeability of the BBB. Its expression increases after stroke and aggravates brain injury. However, the role of VEGFA in PSD remains unclear. We used middle cerebral artery occlusion combined with shock to establish a PSD mouse model and evaluated the anxiety and depression-like behaviors of the mice through behavioral tests. The permeability of the BBB, the inflammatory response, and the expression levels of VEGFA and tight junction proteins in the hippocampus of PSD mice were detected. The results showed that middle cerebral artery occlusion combined with shock could lead to severe anxiety and depression-like behaviors in mice, and the increased expression of VEGFA led to BBB damage in PSD mice. Bevacizumab improved the permeability of the BBB, alleviated the inflammatory response in the hippocampus, and promoted neuronal repair in PSD mice by inhibiting VEGFA/VEGFR, thereby improving the depression-like behaviors of PSD mice. In conclusion, the above results indicate that VEGFA participates in the depression-like behaviors of PSD mice by regulating the permeability of the BBB.</p>","PeriodicalId":19142,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144512187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Neuro-modulatory targets of aggression, depression and suicidal behaviour","authors":"Dhanshree Sayangrushi Borkar, Dnyaneshwari Shivshankar Pande, Rajesh Singh Yadav","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.054","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.054","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Exposomes have a significant influence on an individual’s life as they are encounter with various exposomes throughout their lifetime. While some are evident, others may remain unnoticed. A systematic examination of relevant biomarkers can be beneficial in understanding the role of exposomes associated with neuropsychological disorders. Most of the neuropsychological conditions, including depression, aggression and suicidal tendencies, are commonly prevalent worldwide. Numerous studies have been carried out regarding neurobiological markers and their pivotal role in managing these situations. However, very limited information is available regarding the correlation of these neurobehavioral abnormalities with the neurochemical and molecular alterations. Given the neuropsychological health risk, this review aimed to provide a holistic approach to exploring the involvement of several neuro-modulatory targets including neurotransmitters, inflammatory cytokines, neuro-endocrinal, molecular and genetic markers and their association with neuropsychological disorders. A thorough literature search was carried out in this direction, and relevant articles were retrieved and included in the present review. The present review unravels the interplay of exposomes in altering the neuro-modulatory targets and their linkage with neuropsychological disorders for better understanding of human behaviour and specific approach for their treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19142,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience","volume":"580 ","pages":"Pages 289-297"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144512186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
NeurosciencePub Date : 2025-06-24DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.055
Bridget Xia , Chimdindu Ohayagha , Juan Carlos Arango-Lasprilla , Paul B. Perrin
{"title":"Longitudinal 10-Year Trajectory Models of Life Satisfaction in Black Individuals with TBI: A Model Systems Study","authors":"Bridget Xia , Chimdindu Ohayagha , Juan Carlos Arango-Lasprilla , Paul B. Perrin","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.055","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.055","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examined: (a) longitudinal trajectories of life satisfaction over the 10 years after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a group of Black individuals, and (b) demographic and injury-related predictors of those trajectories. A sample of 2,114 Black individuals from the TBI Model Systems (TBIMS) National Database was included who had completed the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) at one or more follow-up time points (1, 2, 5, and/or 10 years after TBI). Life satisfaction increased over time, with higher life satisfaction trajectories for Black individuals who had private health insurance and had experienced a nonviolent cause of injury. Insurance type and cause of injury are important predictors of life satisfaction trajectories for Black individuals with TBI. The results highlight the importance of understanding risk factors for Black individuals and developing tailored interventions on both individual and systems levels to promote effective rehabilitation and reduce health disparities in this group.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19142,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience","volume":"580 ","pages":"Pages 231-237"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490652","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
NeurosciencePub Date : 2025-06-24DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.004
Manuel Fortunato, Ricardo Morais, Isabel Santana, Pedro Castro, Jorge Polónia, Elsa Azevedo, João Paulo Cunha, Ana Monteiro
{"title":"Fiber correlational tractography with neurovascular coupling and cognition in hypertension.","authors":"Manuel Fortunato, Ricardo Morais, Isabel Santana, Pedro Castro, Jorge Polónia, Elsa Azevedo, João Paulo Cunha, Ana Monteiro","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hypertension is the primary risk factor for cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). However, its mechanistic links are yet to be completely understood. Advancements in diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) increased sensitivity in detecting subtle white matter (WM) structural integrity changes. 44 hypertension patients without symptomatic CSVD underwent multi-modal evaluation of cerebral structure and function, including dMRI, neuropsychological tests and transcranial Doppler monitoring of the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) and left posterior cerebral artery (PCA) to assess neurovascular coupling (NVC). In the PCA, the modeled NVC curve was studied. We examined the cross-sectional relationship of WM integrity with NVC and cognitive performance, using correlational tractography. Diffusion measures from two dMRI models were used: fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity from diffusion tensor imaging, and quantitative anisotropy (QA) and isotropy from q-space diffeomorphic reconstruction. Regarding the NVC in the PCA, vascular elastic properties and initial response speed markers indicated better functional hyperemia with better WM integrity. However, the amplitude suggested increased NVC with worse WM integrity. In the MCA, increased NVC was associated with lower WM integrity. Better cognitive performance associated with preserved WM integrity. Increased functional hyperemia despite worse WM integrity may reflect less efficient NVC in hypertensive patients, potentially arising from (mal)adaptive mechanisms and brain network reorganization in response to CSVD. This observational study highlights the potential of transcranial Doppler and QA as susceptibility markers of pre-symptomatic CSVD.</p>","PeriodicalId":19142,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144507100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
NeurosciencePub Date : 2025-06-24DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.051
Sayan Deep De, Janina M Prado-Rico, Mark L Latash
{"title":"The neural control of accurate hand force production.","authors":"Sayan Deep De, Janina M Prado-Rico, Mark L Latash","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.051","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We addressed the controversy on the relative role of the reciprocal and coactivation commands in the neural control of force in multi-finger tasks. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that a mechanical variable serving as a proxy of the coactivation command will scale with force magnitude. We also explored indices of force-stabilizing synergies assessed at the level of the reciprocal and coactivation commands to the hand and to the individual fingers and at the level of finger coordination. Healthy subjects performed a ramp-and-hold isometric force production to various force magnitudes. An \"inverse piano\" device was used to estimate mechanical reflections of the reciprocal and coactivation commands at steady states. The uncontrolled manifold framework was used to estimate synergy indices. Mechanical reflections of both commands showed significant linear scaling with the force magnitude, stronger for the coactivation command. Over multiple repetitions, the two commands showed strong hyperbolic covariation, the strongest for the whole hand, and the weakest for the little finger. There were four-finger force-stabilizing synergies. However, the indices of two types of synergies, four-finger and reciprocal-coactivation ones, showed no significant correlation. We interpret the results as pointing at two sources of supraspinal synergies tentatively associated with subcortical circuitry and cortical mechanisms. During voluntary movements, the reciprocal command has an advantage and may be hierarchically higher than the coactivation command. During force-production tasks, changes in the coactivation command are used more consistently to fit the task. The results suggest that movement generation and force production tasks may involve qualitatively different control strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":19142,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144507101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
NeurosciencePub Date : 2025-06-23DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.049
Karina Maciejewska , Klaudia Duch , Maciej Giza , Aleksandra Nas
{"title":"Multi-ingredient energy dietary supplement with a small amount of caffeine modulates central and autonomic nervous system after a single use","authors":"Karina Maciejewska , Klaudia Duch , Maciej Giza , Aleksandra Nas","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.049","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.049","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Most research on the impact of neurostimulatory substances on brain function and human behavior focuses on the adverse effects of their high doses or long-term use. However, little is known about the impact of single doses that contain psychostimulants only in a small amount. Therefore, we investigated the acute effect of an energy dietary multi-ingredient supplement with a low amount of caffeine (55 mg) on the ANS in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study (47 participants, 27 women). Previously, we reported its impact on the activity of the CNS through changes in the resting state EEG (rsEEG) pattern and event-related brain potentials by reversing the fatigue-related brain activity. Here, we show that supplementation also influences the ANS through changes in heart electrophysiology. The supplement changed the PRQ and QTc intervals in the ECG signal. In addition, LF power changes were correlated with the changes in rsEEG, which we reported earlier. These findings show that a single dose of dietary supplementation with a much smaller dose of caffeine than in typical caffeinated products may still impact both the CNS and ANS. The results indicate that using such products before electrophysiological examinations in research, diagnostics, and treatment should be considered to control confounding factors. Finally, since the effects were elicited by an energy boost supplement in the mentally fatigued participants, it may be of special importance and enable translation into treatments related to attention, anxiety, mood, and memory disorders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19142,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience","volume":"580 ","pages":"Pages 194-208"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144471805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
NeurosciencePub Date : 2025-06-21DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.045
Ana Silva (Guest Editor), Nathalia Vitureira (Guest Editor), Flavio R. Zolessi (Guest Editor)
{"title":"Editorial Article for the Virtual Special Issue: Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Uruguayan Society for Neuroscience: Emergent topics from South America to global neuroscience","authors":"Ana Silva (Guest Editor), Nathalia Vitureira (Guest Editor), Flavio R. Zolessi (Guest Editor)","doi":"10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.045","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.06.045","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19142,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience","volume":"580 ","pages":"Pages 286-288"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144476125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}