Deviance-related responses along the auditory hierarchy: combined FFR, MLR and MMN evidence

The mismatch negativity (MMN) provides a correlate of automatic auditory discrimination in human auditory cortex that is elicited in response to violation of any acoustic regularity. Recently, deviance-related responses were found at much earlier cortical processing stages as reflected by the middle latency response (MLR) of the auditory evoked potential, and even at the level of the auditory brainstem as reflected by the frequency following response (FFR). However, no study has reported deviance-related responses in the FFR, MLR and long latency response (LLR) concurrently in a single recording protocol. Amplitude-modulated (AM) sounds were presented to healthy human participants in a frequency oddball paradigm to investigate deviance-related responses along the auditory hierarchy in the ranges of FFR, MLR and LLR. AM frequency deviants modulated the FFR, the Na and Nb components of the MLR, and the LLR eliciting the MMN. These findings demonstrate that it is possible to elicit deviance-related responses at three different levels (FFR, MLR and LLR) in one single recording protocol, highlight the involvement of the whole auditory hierarchy in deviance detection and have implications for cognitive and clinical auditory neuroscience. Moreover, the present protocol provides a new research tool into clinical neuroscience so that the functional integrity of the auditory novelty system can now be tested as a whole in a range of clinical populations where the MMN was previously shown to be defectiv

Evidence for increased DNA damage repair in the postmortem brain of the high stress-response group of schizophrenia

BackgroundSchizophrenia (SZ) is a disorder diagnosed by specific symptoms and duration and is highly heterogeneous, clinically and pathologically. Although there are an increasing number of studies on the association between genetic and environmental factors in the development of SZ, the actual distribution of the population with different levels of influence of these factors has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we focused on stress as an environmental factor and stratified SZ based on the expression levels of stress-responsive molecules in the postmortem prefrontal cortex.MethodsWe selected the following stress-responsive molecules: interleukin (IL) -1β, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, glucocorticoid receptor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, synaptophysin, S100 calcium-binding protein B, superoxide dismutase, postsynaptic density protein 95, synuclein, apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), ApoA2, and solute carrier family 6 member 4. We performed RNA sequencing in the prefrontal gray matter of 25 SZ cases and 21 healthy controls and conducted a hierarchical cluster analysis of SZ based on the gene expression levels of stress-responsive molecules, which yielded two clusters. After assessing the validity of the clusters, they were designated as the high stress-response SZ group and the low stress-response SZ group, respectively. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between clusters was performed, and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining was conducted on four cases each in the high and low stress-response SZ groups to validate DNA damage.ResultsWe found higher prevalence of family history of SZ in the low stress-response SZ group (0/3 vs. 5/4, p = 0.04). Pathway analysis of DEGs between clusters showed the highest enrichment for DNA double-strand break repair. TUNEL staining showed a trend toward a lower percentage of TUNEL-positive cells in the high stress-response SZ group.ConclusionOur results suggest that there are subgroups of SZ with different degrees of stress impact. Furthermore, the pathophysiology of these subgroups may be associated with DNA damage repair. These results provide new insights into the interactions and heterogeneity between genetic and environmental factors

Thyroid-stimulating hormone elevation misdiagnosed as subclinical hypothyroidism following non-convulsive status epilepticus: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Non-convulsive status epilepticus is a form of epileptic seizure that occurs without convulsions. Recent reviews suggest that the diagnosis of non-convulsive status epilepticus remains difficult. Here, we report the case of a patient with thyroid-stimulating hormone elevation misdiagnosed as subclinical hypothyroidism following non-convulsive status epilepticus.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>Our patient was a 68-year-old Japanese woman. The results of endocrine testing after her first episode of non-convulsive status epilepticus suggested latent subclinical hypothyroidism: she had elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone with normal levels of free tri-iodothyronine and free thyroxine. On examination, a diagnosis of thyroid disorder was not supported by other test results and our patient remained untreated. A follow-up examination revealed that her thyroid-stimulating hormone levels had spontaneously normalized. When she consulted another doctor for confusion, the transient increase in thyroid-stimulating hormone levels following non-convulsive status epilepticus was mistaken for subclinical hypothyroidism, and unfortunately treated with levothyroxine. Our patient then experienced levothyroxine-induced non-convulsive status epilepticus.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In this report, we suggested possible mechanisms for latent hypothyroid-like hormone abnormality following epileptic seizures and the possibility of provoking epileptic seizures by administering levothyroxine for misdiagnosed subclinical hypothyroidism.</p

Parental Recognition of Bullying and Associated Factors Among Children After the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study From the Fukushima Health Management Survey

This study examined parental recognition of bullying victimization and associated factors among evacuated children after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, using a 3-year follow-up data (wave 1: January 2012; wave 2: January 2013; wave 3: February 2014). The sample included the caregivers of 2,616 children in the first–sixth grades of elementary school, who lived in one of the 13 municipalities that were the target areas of the Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey, conducted as part of the Fukushima Mental Health Management Survey. Across 3 years, around 80% of caregivers responded “not true,” 15% responded “somewhat true,” and 5% responded “certainly true” in response to a question about bullying victimization of their children. Being male was significantly associated with the parental recognition of bullying victimization at wave 1 and wave 3. At wave 1, experiencing the nuclear plant explosion was significantly associated with parental recognition of bullying victimization. Moreover, age at wave 3 was negatively associated with parental recognition of bullying victimization. Our findings will be helpful for establishing community- and school-based mental health care for children, parents, and teachers

Differential diagnosis of memory impairment in areas affected by a natural disaster: a case report

We treated a man with a chief complaint of memory impairment after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Initially, he was diagnosed with dementia. However, after several tests, neither could a definitive diagnosis of dementia be reached, nor was there any apparent evidence for depression, epilepsy, delirium, or internal medicine diseases. During the earthquake, the patient experienced the severe trauma of watching his wife being swept away by a tsunami. Furthermore, he experienced separation from his family. Because of this traumatic experience, we suspected that dissociative disorder was involved in the development of the memory impairment and thus, we switched to treatments focusing on emotional support. Subsequently, the patient's memory impairment gradually improved. The present case demonstrates the importance of considering dissociative disorders when examining a patient with memory impairment in areas affected by disasters

Dietary pattern changes in Fukushima residents after the Great East Japan Earthquake: the Fukushima Health Management Survey 2011-2013

Objective: Dietary patterns more closely resemble actual eating behaviours because multiple food groups, not a single food group or nutrient, are considered. The present study aimed to identify and assess changes of dietary patterns in Fukushima residents. Design: Dietary data were collected using a short-form FFQ in annual Fukushima Health Management Survey between 2011 and 2013 after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Year- and sex-specific dietary patterns were determined by the principal component analysis. Setting: Evacuation and nonevacuation zones in Fukushima, Japan. Participants: Eligible participants aged ≥16 years answered the FFQ (n 67 358 in 2011, n 48 377 in 2012 and n 40 742 in 2013). Results: Three identified dietary patterns were assessed similarly in men and women and among years: typical, juice and meat. In total participants, the Spearman's correlation coefficients between two survey years were 0·70-0·74 for the typical, 0·58-0·66 for the juice and 0·50-0·54 for the meat pattern scores. Adjusted for sociodemographic factors, evacuees had lower typical pattern scores, higher juice pattern scores and the same meat pattern scores compared with non-evacuees. The means of typical pattern scores in evacuees and it of juice pattern scores in non-evacuees continued declining over years. Similar profiles of dietary patterns and trends of pattern scores were observed in participants (n 22 805) who had provided three dietary assessments. Conclusions: Changes of dietary patterns have been observed between 2011 and 2013. Careful investigation of those with low intake of typical pattern foods and promotion of them, particularly in evacuees, are needed