{"title":"Commentary: A look back into the past can improve our understanding of the present and the future of medicine and the neurosciences.","authors":"Martin Brüne, Dan J Stein","doi":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106267","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106267","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":56105,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews","volume":" ","pages":"106267"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144340743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Celia Maria Araujo , Matheus Ghossain Barbosa , Aline Camargo Ramos , Vinicius Oliveira Santana , Ivaldo Silva , Anders Nordahl-Hansen , Andrea Parolin Jackowski
{"title":"Relationship between structural brain differences and social factors associated with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review","authors":"Celia Maria Araujo , Matheus Ghossain Barbosa , Aline Camargo Ramos , Vinicius Oliveira Santana , Ivaldo Silva , Anders Nordahl-Hansen , Andrea Parolin Jackowski","doi":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106266","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106266","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Advances in neuroimaging have substantially improved our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying neurodevelopment. Although relevant studies are scarce, social determinants, particularly socioeconomic status (SES) appears to play a crucial role in typical and atypical brain development. Different methods and scales are used to evaluate SES. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the influence of SES on brain structure in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and its potential impact on the diagnosis and severity of NDDs. The 1423 entries extracted from six databases were imported into Covidence, and 13 (7 cohort, 4 case-control, and 2 cross-sectional) studies were included in our final synthesis, encompassing a combined sample of 33,789 participants. The SES indicators used by the studies included measures of income, residential neighbourhood, and educational levels and seem to be associated with structural changes in neurodevelopment throughout life. During the early stages of development, maternal SES impacts children's brain structure and behavioural and cognitive outcomes. At older ages, parental schooling continues to be a determining factor for cognitive performance, while differences in brain structure become more evident and associated with NDDs such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56105,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 106266"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144322605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Electrophysiological mechanisms underlying the perception of biological motion: a systematic scoping review.","authors":"Kazuki Maruo, Masahiro Hirai","doi":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106265","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106265","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Decoding information from the actions of others is a fundamental aspect of social interaction. Biological motion (BM), demonstrated through point-light displays, offers compelling evidence of the ability of the human visual system to extract rich social information. Neuroimaging studies have implicated social brain networks in BM processing. However, the temporal dynamics of BM perception remain unclear. While several event-related potential (ERP) studies have investigated BM perception, a systematic characterization of ERP components and their functional significance is lacking. In this review, we aimed to critically examine the ERP literature on BM perception, focusing on the functional roles of its key components. We identified five principal ERP components: P1, N1, N2, P2/3, and the later components. Notably, the second negative ERP component observed at approximately 240-400 ms appears to reflect global shape processing mediated by local motion signals, while later components may index higher-order processes, such as action recognition. This review synthesizes the electrophysiological evidence underlying BM perception and emphasizes the need for systematic investigations into the role of the later ERP components. Future studies should elucidate their contributions to the hierarchical processing of BM.</p>","PeriodicalId":56105,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews","volume":" ","pages":"106265"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144337221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Diogo C. Godoi , Eduarda Pandiá , Maria Eduarda Rodrigues , Luísa Araújo , Marina Barbosa , Khaled Alhwaishel , Amanda Godoi , David J. McGonigle
{"title":"Linguistic effects of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in patients with primary progressive aphasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials","authors":"Diogo C. Godoi , Eduarda Pandiá , Maria Eduarda Rodrigues , Luísa Araújo , Marina Barbosa , Khaled Alhwaishel , Amanda Godoi , David J. McGonigle","doi":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106264","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106264","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) has shown promising language improvements in patients with primary progressive aphasia (PPA). Yet, individual studies have not been sufficient to yield strong conclusions on its efficacy.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing tDCS against sham stimulation in patients with PPA. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central databases for eligible studies up to July 2024. Outcomes of interest included a performance in a range of language and cognitive tests. Summary data was extracted from published reports and pooled with a random-effects model using standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI). The protocol was registered in PROSPERO, CRD42024499012.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We included 10 parallel and cross-over RCTs with 178 patients and 218 observations. tDCS yielded significant improvements for general naming (SMD 0.37; 95 % CI 0.07–0.67; p < 0.01) and spelling ability (SMD 0.65; 95 % CI 0.10–1.20; p = 0.02) There were no differences between groups regarding naming performance for trained (p = 0.76) and untrained items (p = 0.11), global language (p = 0.28), working memory (p = 0.15), semantic fluency (p = 0.38), and comprehension (p = 0.32).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>In this systematic review and meta-analysis, tDCA showed benefits for performance in general naming ability and spelling in PPA patients. However, there was no significant evidence to supporting any effect of tDCS on other language functions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56105,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 106264"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144337222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Patrick Manser , Eling D. de Bruin , Jean-Jacques Temprado , Louis Bherer , Fabian Herold
{"title":"Beyond “just” fun: The role of exergames in advancing health promotion and disease prevention","authors":"Patrick Manser , Eling D. de Bruin , Jean-Jacques Temprado , Louis Bherer , Fabian Herold","doi":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106260","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106260","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Applying innovations in digital health technologies, such as exergames, has been recommended by official bodies like the World Health Organization for health promotion and disease prevention across various populations and age groups. Given a key advantage of interactive and gamified digital health technologies is promoting user engagement, a substantial proportion of studies have implemented recreational exergames - games primarily designed to make specific activities more fun and entertaining. In this article, we aim to move beyond the benefits of \"just\" providing a more engaging environment for physical and motor-cognitive activities/exercises by shedding light on serious exergame features that enhance the ecological validity of exercises and offer unique advantages for tailoring interventions beyond conventional approaches. To this end, we review the roles and mechanisms of specific exergame features in supporting adherence to relevant behavior change, neuroscience, and exercise science principles, and integrate our findings into the ‘Beyond “Just” Fun of Exergames Framework’. This framework (i) implements a definition and classification approach to harmonize and provide more nuanced terminology for specific application scenarios of exergame technologies, and (ii) delineates best practices for the theoretically grounded selection and implementation of exergame features in health promotion and primary through tertiary disease prevention (including rehabilitation). By introducing this framework, we aim to support a paradigm shift by guiding game designers, researchers, and exercise and therapy practitioners from entertainment-centered recreational solutions towards serious exergames that are purposefully designed with adequate theoretical underpinnings, thereby unlocking the full potential of exergame-enhanced interventions for individuals and public health needs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56105,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 106260"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144303623","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laura Priego-González, Paula Perez Pardo, Frank Redegeld
{"title":"The role of mast cells in Autism Spectrum Disorder","authors":"Laura Priego-González, Paula Perez Pardo, Frank Redegeld","doi":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106263","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106263","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) comprises a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by alterations in communication, repetitive behaviors and impaired socialization. The precise etiology and pathogenesis remain unclear, and there is currently no effective treatment for this condition. Emerging research highlights the role of immune dysregulation in ASD pathophysiology. Mast cells (MCs) are immune cells traditionally associated with allergic diseases but also play a crucial role in other inflammatory and immune processes. Increased MC activity may be linked to the development of ASD in certain patients. This review explores the potential mechanisms involving MCs in ASD, including neuroinflammation, autoimmunity, and disruptions in the gut-brain axis. Evidence suggests that MC mediators such as histamine, serotonin, and cytokines influence neuroinflammatory pathways that are altered in ASD, and MCs can interact with other immune and neuronal cells contributing to ASD symptoms. Autoimmunity is frequently present in both ASD patients and their mothers, and MCs could originate these processes by modulation of lymphocyte populations or secretion of self-antigens. Finally, MC involvement in gut permeability and microbiota dysbiosis underscores their role in gastrointestinal comorbidities frequent in ASD. Targeting MC activity through pharmacological agents offers promising therapeutic avenues. This comprehensive review sheds light on immune-mediated processes underlying ASD and discusses potential future strategies for intervention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56105,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 106263"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144297844","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
G. Auer , L. Pruewasser , C. Scharinger , C. Laczkovics , E. Zesch , P. Plener , A. Antal , J. Koenig , L. Konicar
{"title":"Neurotherapy for children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders: a state-of-the-art umbrella review of selected clinical methodologies","authors":"G. Auer , L. Pruewasser , C. Scharinger , C. Laczkovics , E. Zesch , P. Plener , A. Antal , J. Koenig , L. Konicar","doi":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106258","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106258","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This umbrella review focuses on the clinical application of four neurotherapeutic treatment approaches, namely (1) Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), (2) Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), (3) Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and (4) Neurofeedback (NF) in children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders. Following theoretical descriptions, explaining the mechanisms of action and general modes of operation of each neurotherapy, the scientific evidence for its clinical application, with a focus on children and adolescents is reviewed, summarized and discussed. In a third step, an overview of clinical protocols and treatment procedures in relation to the different clinical populations is provided, followed by a section summarising safety and tolerability assessments for each neurotherapy. Finally, a conclusion is drawn for each neurotherapeutic method, highlighting possible shortcomings and drawbacks, but also discussing future directions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56105,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 106258"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144307128","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The role of age differences in neural representations for memory performance","authors":"Claire Pauley , Myriam C. Sander","doi":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106262","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106262","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The specificity with which information is reflected in neural activity is reduced in older adults compared with younger adults, a phenomenon termed ‘age-related neural dedifferentiation’. Accumulating evidence indicates the significant role of neural dedifferentiation in episodic memory decline. Based on recent studies implementing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and pattern similarity analyses (PSA) in order to investigate neural dedifferentiation in humans, we conclude that dedifferentiation is a ubiquitous phenomenon in the aging brain. First, age influences neural representations throughout memory processes, however, dedifferentiation during encoding seems particularly relevant for memory performance. Second, dedifferentiation spans multiple levels of neural representation: items, categories, and functional networks. Finally, while most work features the interindividual relationship of neural distinctiveness and memory performance, here, we emphasize how age might influence the <em>intra</em>individual distinctiveness-memory relationship.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56105,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 106262"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144303627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Signaling molecules and callous-unemotional traits in young people: A systematic review and methodological and future considerations","authors":"Natalie Goulter , Silvana Kaouar , Eva R. Kimonis","doi":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106259","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106259","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Burgeoning evidence supports multiple developmental pathways to antisocial behavior. However, a comprehensive mechanistic understanding is lacking, and insights into the development of different presentations might be gained by investigating concentration levels of signaling molecules from physiological systems related to socioaffective functioning and adverse experiences. Thus, we aimed to systematically review correlates of all signaling molecules currently examined in the literature in relation to callous-unemotional (CU) traits (and the affective dimension of psychopathy) in samples of young people (≤18 years old). Given established variability in physiological activity across developmental stage and biological sex, we further aimed to assess evidence of developmental stages and sex differences. Finally, we aimed to analyze methodologies applied to test molecule levels. In total, we identified 32 articles for summary, across which seven distinct molecules were identified: cortisol, testosterone, oxytocin, dehydroepiandrosterone, estradiol, α-amylase, and C-reactive protein. Overall, findings were mixed including for cortisol that was the most widely studied molecule. Studies used a wide variety of methodological approaches, with scant research on inflammatory markers. We discuss how two key factors might contribute to the lack of clarity: diverse conceptualization of adversity (e.g., acute <em>v</em>. chronic, proximate <em>v</em>. distal) across studies, and limited consideration of primary and secondary variants of CU/psychopathic traits that are expected to show opposing physiological patterns. Best methodological practices are offered, and implications of findings for informing CU theory, future research, and intervention efforts are discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56105,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 106259"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144303626","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bryan W Jenkins, Catherine F Moore, Lauren L Jantzie, Elise M Weerts
{"title":"Corrigendum to \"Prenatal cannabinoid exposure and the developing brain: Evidence of lasting consequences in preclinical rodent models\" [Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev. 175 (2025), 1-26. NBR_106207 [250531-006231].","authors":"Bryan W Jenkins, Catherine F Moore, Lauren L Jantzie, Elise M Weerts","doi":"10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106246","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106246","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":56105,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews","volume":" ","pages":"106246"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144295465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}