Brain Research Bulletin最新文献

{"title":"Suppression of microglial MEF2C by α-Synuclein is associated with neuroinflammation in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease and promotes degeneration In Vitro","authors":"Xiaohuan Liu,&nbsp;Rong Zhou,&nbsp;Cheng Wen,&nbsp;Rulin Geng,&nbsp;Jiehua Su,&nbsp;Zhuoying Lai,&nbsp;Kaixun Huang,&nbsp;Yiqiang Zhan,&nbsp;Danyu Lin,&nbsp;Enxiang Tao","doi":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112145","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112145","url":null,"abstract":"<div><ul><li><span>•</span><span><div>α-Synuclein downregulates the expression of microglial MEF2C in Parkinson’ disease.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>MEF2C suppression promotes HMC3 and SH-SY5Y cells’ apoptosis through activating Bax/Bcl-2 pathway.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Decreased MEF2C drives microglia proinflammatory polarization, with elevated cytokines secretion.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Nucleolin and nucleophosmin are identified as upstream regulators of α-syn-induced MEF2C suppression.</div></span></li></ul></div>","PeriodicalId":9302,"journal":{"name":"Brain Research Bulletin","volume":"245 ","pages":"Article 112145"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149079891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multiscale white- and gray-matter diffusion abnormalities and their associations with serum ammonia in hepatic encephalopathy: A free-water elimination diffusion MRI study","authors":"Taipeng Zeng,&nbsp;Chaoshang Lin,&nbsp;Li Chen,&nbsp;Xiaoyang Wang,&nbsp;Chengkun Hong,&nbsp;Minghui Mao,&nbsp;Hao Huang,&nbsp;Aling Shen,&nbsp;Liyuan Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112126","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112126","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) involves complex brain edema, but conventional diffusion models may be confounded by extracellular water and cannot readily distinguish tissue-specific abnormalities from fluid-related effects. This study used a free-water elimination (FWE) diffusion tensor imaging framework to characterize multiscale white- and gray-matter (GM) diffusion abnormalities in HE and to examine their associations with serum ammonia and clinical measures.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Patients with HE and healthy controls (HCs) were prospectively enrolled in a cross-sectional observational case-control study. FWE-DTI was used to derive conventional diffusion metrics (FA, MD, AD, and RD), tissue-specific metrics (FAt, MDt, ADt, and RDt), and the fractional volume of free water (FW). White-matter (WM) and cortical GM alterations were evaluated using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and GM-based spatial statistics (GBSS), respectively. Conventional peak width of skeletonized mean diffusivity (PSMD) quantified global WM diffusivity heterogeneity. Within the HE group, voxel-wise multiple linear regression models assessed associations of diffusion metrics with serum ammonia, MELD, PHES, and MMSE, adjusting for age, sex, and TIV. TFCE with 5000 permutations and FWER correction within each statistical map was applied.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Compared with HCs, patients with HE showed elevated PSMD and widespread diffusion abnormalities across the WM and cortical GM skeletons. Increased FW was observed in the WM skeleton. Within the HE group, higher serum ammonia was associated with lower AD, ADt, and FW in WM and with lower AD, MD, RD, ADt, MDt, and RDt in cortical GM. Exploratory analyses identified positive associations between PHES and selected white- and GM diffusion metrics and between MMSE and selected WM diffusion metrics; no significant MELD-related associations were detected. All reported voxel-wise associations survived TFCE-based FWER correction.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The findings indicate coexisting white- and GM diffusion abnormalities in HE and distinct within-HE associations between serum ammonia and selected diffusion metrics. FWE-derived metrics provide complementary estimates of free-water fraction and tissue-specific diffusion, but their cellular basis, temporal evolution, and causal interpretation remain uncertain. These findings require validation in larger longitudinal cohorts using multi-shell diffusion MRI and complementary biological assessments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9302,"journal":{"name":"Brain Research Bulletin","volume":"245 ","pages":"Article 112126"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149011910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recent advances in research on the amygdala complex in sleep and anesthesia awakening: A hub for the integration of emotion and arousal","authors":"Kaixin Wang,&nbsp;Xiaojin Li,&nbsp;Rui Yu,&nbsp;Shujun Sun,&nbsp;Daling Deng,&nbsp;Qiaofeng Zhang,&nbsp;Tianhao Zhang,&nbsp;Yanyan Zhang,&nbsp;Ruili Ding,&nbsp;Jiwei Shen,&nbsp;Xu Ku,&nbsp;Zhipeng Wang,&nbsp;Shiwen Fan,&nbsp;Xiangdong Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112134","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112134","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The amygdala complex (comprising the lateral, central, and medial amygdala) has traditionally been regarded as playing a central role in emotional learning and fear memory. However, recent studies have revealed its critical functions in the regulation of sleep cycles and recovery from anesthesia. This review proposes a new theoretical framework that views the amygdala complex as an “emotion-arousal integration network” that integrates internal emotional states with external environmental demands to dynamically regulate overall arousal levels and states of consciousness. This review first outlines the neuroanatomy and cellular composition of the various subnuclei of the amygdala, then systematically elaborates on the role of the basolateral amygdala in the regulation of the physiological sleep-wake cycle, and explores its new role in promoting the recovery of consciousness during general anesthesia. Building on this foundation, the review further analyzes the complementary roles of the central and medial amygdala in sleep regulation, as well as how functional imbalances in the amygdala lead to sleep and emotional symptoms in conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Finally, the review outlines potential clinical translation strategies based on amygdala circuits and neurochemical mechanisms, and discusses current research challenges and future directions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9302,"journal":{"name":"Brain Research Bulletin","volume":"245 ","pages":"Article 112134"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149023931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between structural disconnection and early cognitive impairment after acute ischemic stroke: A network-based statistical study","authors":"Yifan Fang,&nbsp;Wenwen Liang,&nbsp;Tianyi Li,&nbsp;Qing Du,&nbsp;Yingjie Liu,&nbsp;Siyi Chen,&nbsp;Guo Li,&nbsp;Chensheng Pan,&nbsp;Zhou Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112138","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112138","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) affects up to 75% of patients acutely and strongly predicts dementia, yet the acute-phase structural network signature remains unclear. We included 589 first-ever acute ischemic stroke patients (≤ 7 days) and classified them into PSCI and non-PSCI groups using the acute-phase MoCA. Individualized structural disconnection matrices (135 nodes) were constructed from DWI lesion masks and the HCP-842 normative tractography atlas (derived from 842 healthy adults), representing indirect disconnectome estimates rather than patient-specific DTI tractography. Network-Based Statistic (NBS) identified group-different subnetworks, followed by binary graph-theoretical analysis. In exploratory full-sample analysis, a left-lateralized subnetwork of 25 nodes and 42 edges (P_FWE &lt; 0.001) showed prefrontal-striatal radiating disconnection converging on the left caudate nucleus, and greater subnetwork disconnection strength correlated with worse acute MoCA (r = −0.27, P &lt; 0.001). To address circularity, repeated internal discovery–validation analyses using five random 70/30 splits showed that the direction of the SubNet_Total_SDC–MoCA association was reproduced in held-out test sets, where SubNet_Total_SDC was negatively associated with MoCA (partial r = −0.265 to −0.150, test-set ΔR² = 0.014–0.056). The left caudate nucleus was reproducibly identified as the anatomical convergence point across all training samples. These findings suggest that acute PSCI is associated with a cortico-subcortical radial disconnection pattern converging on the left caudate nucleus under the present parcellation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9302,"journal":{"name":"Brain Research Bulletin","volume":"245 ","pages":"Article 112138"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149036330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The stems of Syringa pinnatifolia alleviate insomnia based on the brain-gut-microbiota axis mediated by 5-HT in mice and rats","authors":"Shana Wuken,&nbsp;Jessore Jurat,&nbsp;Changxin Liu,&nbsp;Guodong Yang,&nbsp;Yana Liang,&nbsp;Tosheel Ulzhi Batu,&nbsp;Jingjing Sun,&nbsp;Xiaomin Liang,&nbsp;Xiaoli Gao,&nbsp;Xingyun Chai","doi":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112132","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112132","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The peeled stems of <em>Syringa pinnatifolia</em> Hemsl. (SP) have long been used for the treatment of insomnia in Inner Mongolia, China, but their hypnotic constituents and underlying pharmacological basis remain poorly defined. In this study, we investigated the hypnotic activity of SP and identified its active fraction and major constituents using an equal mass to equivalent effect transmission (EMEET)-guided fractionation strategy. SP extracts and fractions were evaluated in pentobarbital-induced sleep tests and a PCPA-induced insomnia model in mice and rats. The phenolic fraction (<strong>Ps</strong>) significantly shortened sleep latency, prolonged sleep duration, and reduced hyperactivity in insomnia animals. Further fractionation and pharmacological evaluation identified alashinol F (<strong>F</strong>), alashinol <strong>G</strong> (<strong>G</strong>), and (–)-secoisolariciresinol (<strong>K</strong>) as major constituents contributing to the hypnotic activity of <strong>Ps</strong>. Mechanistically, <strong>Ps</strong> decreased serotonin transporter (SERT) expression and increased tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) expression in the hypothalamus and colon. <strong>Ps</strong> treatment was also associated with decreased hypothalamic 5-HT_2C and PLCβ1 expression, restoration of Gαq/11 expression, and alterations in gut microbial composition, including changes in <em>Bacteroidetes</em>, <em>Prevotella_9</em>, and <em>Blautia</em>. Collectively, these findings identify the major hypnotic fraction and active lignans of SP and suggest that its sleep-promoting effects are associated with coordinated regulation of serotonergic signaling and the gut microbiota.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9302,"journal":{"name":"Brain Research Bulletin","volume":"245 ","pages":"Article 112132"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149011903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"BH-CMA: A cross-modal attention network based on brain-heart collaboration for stress cognitive state decoding","authors":"Wei Zhao,&nbsp;Pengrui Li,&nbsp;Jie Yang,&nbsp;Shaofei Ying,&nbsp;Dezhong Yao,&nbsp;Yun Qin,&nbsp;Tiejun Liu,&nbsp;Jiaxin Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112125","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112125","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate recognition of stress states under different cognitive loads is important for adaptive human computer interaction and physiological stress monitoring. However, unimodal measurements provide incomplete central or autonomic information, while indiscriminate multimodal fusion may obscure the distinct temporal and spatial organization of electroencephalography (EEG) and heart rate variability (HRV). This study proposes BH-CMA, a compact cross-modal attention network based on brain-heart collaboration for stress cognitive state decoding. Modality-specific encoders preserve the frequency, temporal, and scalp spatial organization of EEG and model the temporal dynamics of HRV. EEG representations then guide cross-modal temporal attention to retrieve complementary autonomic information from synchronized HRV. A linear preserving residual classifier further combines stable discriminative information from the original physiological inputs with nonlinear corrections learned by the deep branch. BH-CMA was evaluated using data from 28 participants under four conditions defined by acute stress induction and cognitive load. Leave-one-subject-out (LOSO) evaluation showed that BH-CMA achieved an accuracy of 58.07%, a Macro F1 of 55.54%, and a Macro AUC of 81.74%. Compared with EEG alone, BH-CMA increased mean Macro F1 by 4.15%, with higher Macro F1 in 23 of 28 participants. Masking HRV also reduced Macro F1 in 21 participants, supporting the contribution of HRV information to classification by the multimodal model. BH-CMA achieved significantly higher Macro F1 than its internal linear prediction mode. Gains were larger for cognitive load discrimination, with the largest recall gains in HCS and ASH. BH-CMA provides a compact framework for cross-subject stress cognitive state decoding using coordinated EEG and HRV information.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9302,"journal":{"name":"Brain Research Bulletin","volume":"245 ","pages":"Article 112125"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149015864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cuproptosis in cerebrovascular diseases: Mechanisms and advances in targeted therapeutic strategies","authors":"Xinyi Zhang,&nbsp;Rufan Xu,&nbsp;Hongrui Zhang,&nbsp;Ying Gao,&nbsp;Zhenhong Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112120","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112120","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cuproptosis is a recently identified form of regulated cell death. It is primarily driven by abnormal mitochondrial copper accumulation. Ferredoxin 1-dependent copper reduction promotes the pathological aggregation of lipoylated proteins involved in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the loss of iron-sulfur cluster proteins. This process induces proteotoxic stress, ultimately causing the collapse of mitochondrial energy metabolism. Evidence from transcriptomic analyses, single-cell multi-omics studies, and <em>in vivo</em> and <em>in vitro</em> models suggests that copper dyshomeostasis may be involved in cerebrovascular disease. Specifically, it may contribute to oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, blood-brain barrier disruption, and neurovascular unit dysfunction in conditions including acute ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, vascular cognitive impairment, and cerebral small vessel disease. This review outlines the regulatory networks governing cerebral copper homeostasis, summarizes the molecular machinery of cuproptosis, and examines its crosstalk with apoptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, and disulfidptosis. We discuss the potential molecular pathways by which cuproptosis may contribute to cerebrovascular injury, its possible role in modulating the local immune microenvironment, and emerging interventional strategies. Furthermore, we critically evaluate current therapeutic approaches and weigh their preclinical progress in light of current empirical limitations. Finally, we assess the translational potential and practical challenges of targeted nanomedicine platforms. By synthesizing these findings, this review provides a hypothesis-generating framework for future mechanistic and interventional research. These insights highlight the need for mechanistic validation, cuproptosis-specific biomarkers, and direct cerebrovascular efficacy and safety studies before clinical translation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9302,"journal":{"name":"Brain Research Bulletin","volume":"245 ","pages":"Article 112120"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"DEW-MEGA-PRESS of phosphorylethanolamine and glutathione: Reproducibility and feasibility in individuals with autism","authors":"Muhammad G. Saleh,&nbsp;Madeline Melch,&nbsp;Em Triolo,&nbsp;Luke Bloy,&nbsp;Lisa Blaskey,&nbsp;Edward S. Brodkin,&nbsp;Timothy P.L. Roberts","doi":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112122","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112122","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>To demonstrate double-editing (DEW) MEGA-PRESS editing of phosphorylethanolamine (PE) and glutathione (GSH) <em>in vivo</em>, estimate measurement variability, and conduct a feasibility study on individuals with autism.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>13 participants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with an average age of 28.00 ± 4.81 years, and 14 typically developing (TD) participants, with an average age of 29.33 ± 5.36 years, were enrolled in the study. DEW-MEGA-PRESS at a Siemens 3 T MRI scanner was used to edit both PE and GSH (ON_PE/ON_GSH = 3.98/4.56 ppm). Within-subject variability was examined in 15 participants (11 TD and 4 ASD) using repeated scans conducted at 4 and/or 12 weeks after baseline. Finally, differences in PE and GSH between the two groups were assessed using linear mixed-effects models.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In vivo experiments show excellent separation between the PE (3.22 ppm) and GSH (2.95 ppm) signals. Within- and between-subject reproducibility assessments revealed coefficients of variation (CV) of 9.0/18.5% for PE and 7.4/10.3% for GSH. Although GSH showed no statistically significant differences, PE levels were significantly higher in ASD than in TD (p &lt; 0.05), and only TD showed a decrease in PE with aging (p &lt; 0.05).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>In vivo experiments demonstrate excellent separation between PE and GSH, and good within-subject reproducibility, supporting the stability of the approach. Between-subject variability exceeded within-subject variability for both chemicals, suggesting that biological differences between individuals dominate over measurement noise and supporting the feasibility study assessing differences between TD and ASD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9302,"journal":{"name":"Brain Research Bulletin","volume":"245 ","pages":"Article 112122"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dexmedetomidine attenuates sepsis-associated inflammation and encephalopathy by modulating the MeCP2/NLGN1 pathway","authors":"Bowen Hu,&nbsp;Yuge Wang,&nbsp;Ying Yang,&nbsp;Hua Wei,&nbsp;Jianjun Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112135","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112135","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a common and serious complication in septic patients that significantly reduces quality of life. Besides its sedative and analgesic effects, dexmedetomidine has been suggested to have potential neuroprotective benefits. This study aims to determine whether dexmedetomidine guards against cognitive dysfunction in a murine model of sepsis and to investigate the possible role of the MeCP2/NLGN1 signaling pathway in this neuroprotection.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>An animal model of SAE was established by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Sham-operated mice underwent the same surgical procedure but without ligation or puncture. Mice in the Dex-treated group received intraperitoneal administration of Dex (25 µg/kg) once daily for three consecutive days, starting immediately after CLP. Selective knockdown of MeCP2 in the hippocampal CA1 region was achieved via adeno‑associated virus (AAV)‑mediated RNA interference. Between postoperative days 14 and 17, a series of behavioral tests—including the open field, novel object recognition, and Y-maze tests—were conducted to evaluate locomotor activity and cognitive function. Hippocampal expression of MeCP2 and NLGN1 proteins was analyzed by Western blot. Immunofluorescence staining was used to assess microglia activation and neuronal activity. Levels of inflammatory cytokines in the serum and hippocampus were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, dendritic spine density and morphology were assessed using Golgi staining.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In mice subjected to CLP, cognitive deficits were associated with increased levels of inflammatory factors in both the serum and hippocampus, aberrant microglial activation, upregulation of MeCP2 protein, and downregulation of NLGN1. These alterations contributed to reduced neuronal activity and a decrease in dendritic spine density. Selective knockdown of MeCP2 in the hippocampal CA1 region reversed NLGN1 downregulation and ameliorated cognitive dysfunction, confirming the pathogenic role of the MeCP2/NLGN1 pathway in SAE‑associated cognitive impairment. Treatment with Dex attenuated the inflammatory response, normalized MeCP2/NLGN1 expression, and reversed the aforementioned pathological changes.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The neuroprotective effects of Dex, which include the attenuation of neuroinflammation and improvement of synaptic plasticity and cognitive function in SAE mice, are associated with the regulation of the hippocampal MeCP2/NLGN1 signaling pathway.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9302,"journal":{"name":"Brain Research Bulletin","volume":"245 ","pages":"Article 112135"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149029812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact testing system for an anthropomorphic craniocerebral model with enhanced mechanical fidelity","authors":"Jingyu Wang,&nbsp;Yuting Zhang,&nbsp;Rui Li,&nbsp;Kai He,&nbsp;Zexuan Chen,&nbsp;Haoqiang Ren,&nbsp;Zuyue Lei,&nbsp;Licheng Zhou,&nbsp;Zejia Liu,&nbsp;Yiping Liu,&nbsp;Bao Yang,&nbsp;Gerhard A. Holzapfel,&nbsp;Zhenyu Jiang,&nbsp;Taolin Sun,&nbsp;Liqun Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112143","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2026.112143","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide, yet direct observation of the internal mechanical response of the human head under impact is severely constrained by the lack of high-fidelity craniocerebral models and suitable testing platforms. To bridge this gap, we developed an impact testing system featuring an anthropomorphic craniocerebral model with enhanced mechanical fidelity relative to earlier simplified head models. This system integrates a transparent anthropomorphic skull, a mechanically biomimetic brain phantom with highly realistic mechanical properties, artificial cerebrospinal fluid, and dedicated impact loading and measurement modules. It accommodates impacts from multiple directions and at varying velocities. Combined with a custom-built digital stereo-image correlation technique, the system enables millisecond-resolution reconstruction of surface displacement and strain fields, successfully capturing critical phenomena such as relative rotation and regional strain concentration within the brain phantom. Comparisons with simulations from human brain finite element head models (FEHM) confirm that the system provides a reliable experimental benchmark for evaluating and validating different finite element models. Looking ahead, further enhancements—such as integrating co-cultures of human neural cells into the brain phantom—could establish this platform as a transformative tool for fundamental research in brain medicine and neuroscience, offering unprecedented capability to investigate mechano-neuroelectrophysiological coupling in the human brain under impact conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9302,"journal":{"name":"Brain Research Bulletin","volume":"245 ","pages":"Article 112143"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149058292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}