NeuroSci最新文献

{"title":"Toward Biology-Driven Diagnosis of Atypical Parkinsonian Disorders.","authors":"Oscar Arias-Carrión, Elizabeth Romero-Gutiérrez, Emmanuel Ortega-Robles","doi":"10.3390/neurosci6040107","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci6040107","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Atypical parkinsonian disorders-progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and multiple system atrophy (MSA)-are rare, rapidly progressive neurodegenerative syndromes characterized by distinct molecular pathologies, heterogeneous clinical phenotypes, and limited therapeutic options. Accurate diagnosis remains a major clinical challenge, especially during early and prodromal phases, due to overlap with Parkinson's disease (PD), phenotypic evolution, and the absence of reliable stand-alone biomarkers. Misclassification delays prognosis, impairs patient care, and hinders clinical trial design. This review synthesizes advances from 2015 to 2025 in clinical, imaging, and biomarker-based diagnosis of PSP, CBD, and MSA. We examine their phenotypic spectra, neuropathological substrates, and epidemiological trends, and critically evaluate the diagnostic performance and translational potential of emerging tools-including quantitative MRI morphometry, second-generation tau and α-synuclein PET ligands, neurophysiological markers such as video-oculography and autonomic testing, and fluid biomarkers such as neurofilament light chain. Persistent diagnostic barriers are identified, from phenotypic mimicry and pathological pleomorphism to the limited specificity of molecular assays and inequitable access to advanced technologies. We propose tiered, multimodal diagnostic algorithms that integrate structured clinical phenotyping with quantitative imaging, molecular diagnostics, systemic risk profiling, and autopsy-linked validation. Such biology-anchored approaches could enable diagnosis years before classical features emerge, improve patient stratification for disease-modifying trials, and lay the foundation for precision medicine in atypical parkinsonian disorders. A paradigm shift from descriptive nosology to mechanistically grounded frameworks is essential to accelerate early intervention and transform the clinical management of these devastating diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":74294,"journal":{"name":"NeuroSci","volume":"6 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145357069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"STING Signaling Deficiency Exacerbates Demyelination and Immune Infiltration in Focal EAE Lesions.","authors":"Marlene T Mørch, Line S Reinert, Anouk Benmamar-Badel, Magdalena Dubik, Mark Burton, Mads Thomassen, Torben Kruse, Nasrin Asgari, Søren R Paludan, Trevor Owens, Reza Khorooshi","doi":"10.3390/neurosci6040106","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci6040106","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is a cytosolic DNA sensor that activates type I interferon (IFN) signaling, which plays a key role in neuroinflammation. Although the role of STING in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model of multiple sclerosis (MS), remains debated, its involvement in the development of CNS lesions, particularly within localized pathology, modeled here by targeting the corpus callosum, has yet to be explored. Using a focal EAE model, we compared the induction of lesions in wild-type and STING-deficient (STING^gt/gt) mice. Lesions were analyzed by immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and transcriptomics. STING-deficient mice had significantly larger demyelinated lesions, reduced ISG expression, and modified immune cell infiltration. STING signaling limits lesion severity in focal EAE by promoting IFN responses and regulating immune infiltration. These findings position STING as a potential target for MS therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":74294,"journal":{"name":"NeuroSci","volume":"6 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145357092","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing Neural Efficiency in Competitive Golfers: Effects of Slow Cortical Potential Neurofeedback on Modulation of Beta Activity-An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Trial.","authors":"Eugenio Lizama, Luciana Lorenzon, Carolina Pereira, Miguel A Serrano","doi":"10.3390/neurosci6040104","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci6040104","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Neural efficiency theory proposes that expert athletes optimize brain resource allocation and functioning. Beta band oscillations are associated with attention, motor preparation, and emotional control, reflecting adaptive patterns of reduced cortical energy expenditure (absolute power) and greater temporal precision (peak frequency). Slow cortical potential (SCP) neurofeedback has emerged as a method to train voluntary cortical regulation, yet its application in sports-particularly in precision-demanding disciplines such as golf-remains underexplored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of SCP neurofeedback on beta band activity in competitive golfers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Forty-two golfers were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (<i>n</i> = 21), which completed 16 SCP neurofeedback sessions (2560 trials), or a control group (<i>n</i> = 21). SCP activity was measured during activation and deactivation trials, while EEG beta oscillations were analyzed in terms of peak frequency and absolute power at C3, O2, F8, and T5. These sites were chosen for their relevance to golf: C3 (motor execution), O2 (visual processing), F8 (inhibitory and emotional control), and T5 (visuospatial integration).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The intervention group showed significant increases in positive SCP trials, reflecting improved voluntary cortical inhibition. Peak frequency increased in Beta 1 (C3) and Beta 2 (O2), while absolute power decreased at F8 and T5, which seems to indicate a reduced cortical overload and enhanced visuospatial integration.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>SCP neurofeedback modulated beta activity in golfers, enhancing neural efficiency and supporting its potential as an innovative tool to optimize performance in precision sports.</p>","PeriodicalId":74294,"journal":{"name":"NeuroSci","volume":"6 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145356934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Frontal Regions and Executive Function Testing: A Doubted Association Shown by Brain-Injured Patients.","authors":"Demis Basso, Ida Bosio, Vincenza Tarantino, Francesco Carabba","doi":"10.3390/neurosci6040105","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci6040105","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Since its introduction, the construct of executive functions (EFs) has been associated with a set of tests to assess these functions and a brain network centered in the associative frontal brain regions. While the majority of perspectives have endorsed these associations, some studies have started casting doubts on them. In this article, the association between the construct of EFs, the tests used to assess them, and the involvement of frontal regions is examined. A sample of 28 patients with brain injuries was divided into three subgroups according to the region of the injury (anterior, posterior, antero-posterior). Patients were assessed with a battery of tests, including 25 measures of EFs and 6 control measures. A series of regression models revealed no significant differences in performance across the three groups. Findings indicate that the EF tests are not specific enough to differentiate EFs and brain injuries. The alleged reference of EFs to the frontal areas of the brain should attribute a higher role to other associative areas. The present study provides recommendations about how the EFs concept could be improved through methodological refinements and/or its dissemination.</p>","PeriodicalId":74294,"journal":{"name":"NeuroSci","volume":"6 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145357050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Telerehabilitation Platforms on Quality of Life in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials.","authors":"Alejandro Herrera-Rojas, Andrés Moreno-Molina, Elena García-García, Naiara Molina-Rodríguez, Roberto Cano-de-la-Cuerda","doi":"10.3390/neurosci6040103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci6040103","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that entails high costs, progressive disability, and reduced quality of life (QoL). Telerehabilitation (TR), supported by new technologies, is emerging as an alternative or complement to in-person rehabilitation, potentially lowering socioeconomic impact and improving QoL.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of TR on the QoL of people with MS compared with in-person rehabilitation or no intervention.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A systematic review of randomized clinical trials was conducted (March-May 2025) following PRISMA guidelines. Searches were run in the PubMed-Medline, EMBASE, PEDro, Web of Science, and Dialnet databases. Methodological quality was assessed with the CASP scale, risk of bias with the Risk of Bias 2 tool, and evidence level and grade of recommendation with the Oxford Classification. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251110353).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 151 articles initially found, 12 RCTs (598 total patients) met the inclusion criteria. Interventions included (a) four studies employing video-controlled exercise (one involving Pilates to improve fitness, another involving exercise to improve fatigue and general health, and two using exercises focused on the pelvic floor muscles); (b) three studies using a monitoring app to improve manual dexterity, symptom control, and increased physical activity; (c) two studies implementing an augmented reality system to treat cognitive deficits and sexual disorders, respectively; (d) one platform with a virtual reality headset for motor and cognitive training; (e) one study focusing on video-controlled motor imagery, along with the use of a pain management app; (f) a final study addressing cognitive training and pain reduction. Studies used eight different scales to assess QoL, finding similar improvements between groups in eight of the trials and statistically significant improvements in favor of TR in four. The included trials were of good methodological quality, with a moderate-to-low risk of bias and good levels of evidence and grades of recommendation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>TR was more effective in improving the QoL of people with MS than no intervention, was as effective as in-person treatment in patients with EDSS ≤ 6, and appeared to be more effective than in-person intervention in patients with EDSS between 5.5 and 7.5 in terms of QoL. It may also eliminate some common barriers to accessing such treatments.</p>","PeriodicalId":74294,"journal":{"name":"NeuroSci","volume":"6 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145356949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"NMDA Receptor: An Old but Refreshed Target for Neurodegeneration.","authors":"Joana M Marques, Ricardo J Rodrigues","doi":"10.3390/neurosci6040102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci6040102","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Different neurodegenerative diseases display varying etiologies and phenotypes, reflecting region-specific neurodegeneration [...].</p>","PeriodicalId":74294,"journal":{"name":"NeuroSci","volume":"6 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145357048","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical Validation of the SECONDs Tool for Evaluating Disorders of Consciousness in Argentina.","authors":"María Julieta Russo, María de la Paz Sampayo, Paula Arias, Vanina García, Yanina Gambero, Mariano Maiarú, Florencia Deschle, Hernán Pavón","doi":"10.3390/neurosci6040100","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci6040100","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) is the gold standard for diagnosing chronic disorders of consciousness (DoC); however, its clinical utility is limited by lengthy administration and the need for specialized training. The Simplified Evaluation of Disorders of Consciousness (SECONDs) provides a faster and more user-friendly alternative.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Argentine adaptation of the SECONDs scale in adults with chronic DoC due to acquired brain injury.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Twenty-nine patients were evaluated over two consecutive days by three blinded raters. On day one, rater A administered the SECONDs (A1) and rater B administered the CRS-R (B) to assess concurrent validity. On day two, rater A repeated the SECONDs (A2), and rater C performed an additional SECONDs assessment (C), permitting evaluation of intra-rater (A1 vs. A2) and inter-rater (A vs. C) reliability.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The SECONDs demonstrated excellent intra-rater (ICC = 0.98) and inter-rater (ICC = 0.86) reliability. Concurrent validity with the CRS-R was strong (r = 0.73, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Diagnostic agreement was high between A1 and B (κ = 0.75) and between both A1-A2 and A1-C (κ = 0.82). The median administration time was significantly shorter for the SECONDs (10 vs. 15 min; <i>p</i> < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The Argentine SECONDs is a valid, reliable, and efficient tool for the clinical assessment of DoC patients in rehabilitation settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":74294,"journal":{"name":"NeuroSci","volume":"6 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145356980","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mitigating Head Position Bias in Perivascular Fluid Imaging: LD-ALPS, a Novel Method for DTI-ALPS Calculation.","authors":"Ford Burles, Emily Sallis, Daniel C Kopala-Sibley, Giuseppe Iaria","doi":"10.3390/neurosci6040101","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci6040101","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/objectives: </strong>The glymphatic system is a recently characterized glial-dependent waste clearance pathway in the brain, which makes use of perivascular spaces for cerebrospinal fluid exchange. Diffusion tensor imaging analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) offers a non-invasive method for estimating perivascular flow, but its biological specificity and susceptibility to methodological variation, particularly head position during MRI acquisition, remain as threats to the validity of this technique. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of current DTI-ALPS practices, evaluate the impact of head orientation on ALPS index calculation, and propose a novel computational approach to improve measurement validity.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We briefly reviewed DTI-ALPS literature to determine the use of head-orientation correction strategies. We then analyzed diffusion MRI data from 172 participants in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) to quantify the influence of head orientation on ALPS indices computed using the conventional Unrotated-ALPS, a vecrec-corrected ALPS, and the new LD-ALPS method proposed within.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A majority of studies employed Unrotated-ALPS, which does not correct for head orientation. In our sample, Unrotated-ALPS values were significantly associated with absolute head pitch (<i>r</i>₁₆₉ = -0.513, <i>p</i> < 0.001), indicating systematic bias. This relationship was eliminated using either vecreg or LD-ALPS. Additionally, LD-ALPS showed more sensitivity to cognitive status as measured by Mini-Mental State Examination scores.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Correcting for head orientation is essential in DTI-ALPS studies. The LD-ALPS method, while computationally more demanding, improves the reliability and sensitivity of perivascular fluid estimates, supporting its use in future research on aging and neurodegeneration.</p>","PeriodicalId":74294,"journal":{"name":"NeuroSci","volume":"6 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145357041","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Could Combined Action Observation and Motor Imagery Practice, Added to Standard Rehabilitation, Improve Study Upper Limb Functional Recovery in Chronic Stroke Patients? Suggestive Evidence from a Feasability Study.","authors":"Andrea Peru, Maria Teresa Turano, Barbara Vallotti, Federico Mayer, Costanza Panunzi, Valentina Tosti, Maria Pia Viggiano","doi":"10.3390/neurosci6040098","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci6040098","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aims to investigate whether a combined action observation-motor imagery practice may enhance the effects of conventional physical rehabilitation in a stroke survivor population. A total of 8 (7 male, 1 female) post-stroke patients with upper limb hemiparesis were enrolled into a single-blinded, randomised, study. Five times per week for three weeks, four patients experienced 60' conventional physical therapy, while the other 4 experienced 30' conventional physical therapy and 30' action observation-motor imagery practice. The Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity and the Wolf Motor Function Test scores from the baseline and post-physiotherapy were used to evaluate upper extremity motor function. Patients who received the AO + MI alongside conventional physical rehabilitation benefitted more than those who received only conventional physical rehabilitation. However, the sample size was very small (only eight participants), which reduces both the statistical power and the ability to generalise the results. Moreover, there was no follow-up; therefore, it is unclear whether the observed improvements lasted over time. Finally, some potentially confounding factors, such as stroke type or lesion site, were not statistically controlled. Notwithstanding these limitations, our findings may serve as a basis for future large-scale, well-controlled studies on AO + MI in stroke rehabilitation.</p>","PeriodicalId":74294,"journal":{"name":"NeuroSci","volume":"6 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145356946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Pathobiological Underpinnings of Psychosis: From the Stress-Related Hypothesis to a Multisystemic Approach.","authors":"Evangelos Karanikas","doi":"10.3390/neurosci6040099","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci6040099","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Until recently, research on the pathobiological substrate of psychosis has been focused on neurotransmitter perturbations. However, this scope has expanded to include new fields, such as the immune/redox/metabolic/neuroendocrine/stress systems. Indeed, basic research in the stress field showed that the systems above can represent components of a general inflammatory process as tightly interconnected as a Gordian knot. Based on the inflammatory hypothesis concerning the psychosis etiopathology, the findings from psychotic cohort studies on each one of the immune/redox/metabolic/neuroendocrine/stress systems have started to accumulate. The evidence favors the involvement of these systems in the formation of the pathobiological psychotic substrate, yet little is known concerning their interplay. This review attempts to establish a frame of reference for the evidence concerning intersystemic interactions, starting with the basic research on the stress field and expanding to clinical studies with psychosis cohorts, hoping to instigate new avenues of research.</p>","PeriodicalId":74294,"journal":{"name":"NeuroSci","volume":"6 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145357044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}