Some details on the method for measuring activity changes of neuronal populations

Simple, complex action potentials (AP) and interspike recorded background activity (RBA) were detected and extracted from 12 rat cerebellar cortical recordings. For each recording, an averaged simple action potential (SAP) was formed. Fourier amplitude spectra of SAP and RBA were similar in all recordings. For one of the recordings, a series of RBA simulations (SBA) was generated, superimposing random SAPs, varying the superposition frequency (fsup). Average Fourier amplitude, Amp(SBA), was calculated, in order to use Amp(SBA)=f(fsup) as a calibration line for reading fsup of RBA, which is a measure of the population activity. A probability distribution for SAP intensities was derived and a family of calibration lines constructed. As all lines were linear and parallel (slope S) in log-log plots, a population activity change could be calculated as fsup2/fsup1=[Amp2(RBA)/Amp(RBA)]1/S.Jednostavni, složeni akcioni potencijali (AR) i međuspajkovna osnovna aktivnost (MOA) detektovani su i izdvojeni iz 12 registrovanih signala kore malog mozga pacova. Za svaku registraciju, formiran je usrednjeni jednostavni AR (JAR). Spektri Furijeovih amplituda JAR i MOA signala bili su slični kod svih registracija. Za jednu od registracija, superponiranjem slučajnih usrednjenih jednostavnih akcionih potencijala formiran je niz simulacija međuspajkovne osnovne aktivnosti (SOA), pri čemu je varirana frekvencija superpozicije (fsup). Izračunavana je srednja Furijeova amplituda, Amp(SBA), u cilju korišćenja Amp(SBA)=f(fsup) kao kalibracione linije za očitavanje fsup od MOA, što je mera za aktivnost populacije. Izvedena je raspodela verovatnoća za intenzitete JAR, pomoću koje je konstruisana familija kalibracionih linija. Kako su sve linije linearne i paralelne u log-log dijagramu, sa nagibom S, promena aktivnosti populacije može se izračunati kao fsup2/fsup1 =[Amp2(RBA)/Amp(RBA)]1/S.nul

Spectral changes of brain activity in rat offspring exposed to aluminium during gestation and lactation

Exposure to aluminium during gestation causes changes in mammalian brain development and behavior. Our aim was to perform spectral analysis on electrocortical activity of Sprague Dawley male pups (30±3 days of age) whose mothers were treated with aluminium during gestation and lactation. There was a higher presence of power spectra in the delta range of parietal electrocortical activity, a lower presence in the theta range and increased values of the parameter DT as the ratio of delta to theta range in pups indirectly exposed to aluminium (whose mothers were drinking a 0.5% water solution of aluminium chloride during the gestation and lactation periods), compared to controls.Izlaganje dejstvu aluminijuma tokom gestacije i laktacije može dovesti do promena u razviću mozga i ponašanja kod sisara. Naš cilj je bio da se uradi spektralna analiza elektrokortikalne aktivnosti mladih Sprague Dawley pacova muškog pola (starosti 30±3 dana) čije su majke bile tretirane aluminijumom tokom gestacije i laktacije. U poređenju sa kontrolom, kod mladih pacova koji su bili indirektno trovani aluminijumom (čije su majke pile 0,5 % vodeni rastvor AlCl3 tokom gestacionog i laktacionog perioda) postoji veća zastupljenost delta ritma aktivnosti kore velikog mozga, manje prisustvo teta ritma, kao i porast parametra DT kao odnos između delta i teta opsega.Projekat ministarstva br. 14302

Effect of camphor essential oil on rat cerebral cortex activity as manifested by fractal dimension changes

The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of camphor essential oil on rat cerebral cortex activity by fractal analysis. Fractal dimension (FD) values of the parietal electrocortical activity were calculated before and after intra-peritoneal administration of camphor essential oil (450-675 μl/kg) in anesthetized rats. Camphor oil induced seizure-like activity with single and multiple spiking of high amplitudes in the parietal electrocorticogram and occasional clonic limb convulsions. The FD values of cortical activity after camphor oil administration increased on the average. Only FD values of cortical ECoG sequences were lower than those before camphor oil administration.Cilj naše studije je bilo istraživanje efekta kamforovog esencijalnog ulja na aktivnost kore velikog mozga pacova pomoću fraktalne analize. Vrednosti fraktalne dimenzije parijetalne elektrokortikalne aktivnosti su izračunate pre i posle davanja kamforovog esencijalnog ulja (450-675 μl/kg,i.p.) anesteziranim pacovima. Kamforovo esencijalno ulje izazvalo je moždanu aktivnost nalik na napad sa pojedinačnim i višestrukim šiljak-talasima velike amplitude u parijetalnom elektrokortikogramu kao i povremene klonične konvulzije ekstremiteta. Posle davanja kamforovog ulja, srednje vrednosti fraktalne dimenzije kortikalne aktivnosti suse povećale u proseku. Jedino vrednosti fraktalne dimenzije iktalnih sekvenci elektrokortikograma su bile niže nego one pre davanja kamforovog ulja.Projekat ministarstva br. 14302

Spectral changes of brain activity in rat offspring exposed to aluminium during gestation and lactation

Exposure to aluminium during gestation causes changes in mammalian brain development and behavior. Our aim was to perform spectral analysis on electrocortical activity of Sprague Dawley male pups (30±3 days of age) whose mothers were treated with aluminium during gestation and lactation. There was a higher presence of power spectra in the delta range of parietal electrocortical activity, a lower presence in the theta range and increased values of the parameter DT as the ratio of delta to theta range in pups indirectly exposed to aluminium (whose mothers were drinking a 0.5% water solution of aluminium chloride during the gestation and lactation periods), compared to controls.Izlaganje dejstvu aluminijuma tokom gestacije i laktacije može dovesti do promena u razviću mozga i ponašanja kod sisara. Naš cilj je bio da se uradi spektralna analiza elektrokortikalne aktivnosti mladih Sprague Dawley pacova muškog pola (starosti 30±3 dana) čije su majke bile tretirane aluminijumom tokom gestacije i laktacije. U poređenju sa kontrolom, kod mladih pacova koji su bili indirektno trovani aluminijumom (čije su majke pile 0,5 % vodeni rastvor AlCl3 tokom gestacionog i laktacionog perioda) postoji veća zastupljenost delta ritma aktivnosti kore velikog mozga, manje prisustvo teta ritma, kao i porast parametra DT kao odnos između delta i teta opsega.Projekat ministarstva br. 14302

Age-related changes in the content of insulin: Like growth factor-l in rat brain

Although there has been extensive research on the effect of IGF-I on muscles and bone tissue, the effect on brain aging has received little attention. We investigated the IGF-I content in brains of differently aged rats. The IGF-I contents in cerebellar and cerebral cortex were found to be higher in immature rats (4-5 days old) compared to young adult (2.5 months old) and middle-aged (7.5-9 months old) rats. However, the decrease of mean IGF-I in middle-aged rats compared to immature animals was statistically significant only in the cerebellar codex. Our results indicate that IGF-I content decreases through the lifespan and maybe selectively in some brain regions.Vršena su istraživanja insulinu sličnog faktora rasta (IGF-I) na mišićno i koštano tkivo, ali je posvećena mala pažnja efektu na mozak u toku starenja. Mi smo ispitivali sadržaj IGF-I u moždanom tkivu pacova različite starosti. Nađeno je da su IGF-I koncentracije u kori malog mozga kao i velikog mozga mladih pacova (4-5 dana starih) više u poređenju sa sadržajima grupe tek-odraslih pacova starosti 2,5 meseca i grupe nešto starijih odraslih pacova (7,5-9 meseci starih). Međutim, smanjenje koncentracije IGF-I sadržaja samo u kori malog mozga nešto starijih pacova (7,5-9 meseci) bilo je značajno u odnosu na vrednosti u novorođenih (4-5 dana starih pacova). Naši rezultati ukazuju da IGF-I opada tokom života i moguće - selektivno u određenim moždanim regionima.nul

Age-related changes in the content of insulin: Like growth factor-l in rat brain

Although there has been extensive research on the effect of IGF-I on muscles and bone tissue, the effect on brain aging has received little attention. We investigated the IGF-I content in brains of differently aged rats. The IGF-I contents in cerebellar and cerebral cortex were found to be higher in immature rats (4-5 days old) compared to young adult (2.5 months old) and middle-aged (7.5-9 months old) rats. However, the decrease of mean IGF-I in middle-aged rats compared to immature animals was statistically significant only in the cerebellar codex. Our results indicate that IGF-I content decreases through the lifespan and maybe selectively in some brain regions.Vršena su istraživanja insulinu sličnog faktora rasta (IGF-I) na mišićno i koštano tkivo, ali je posvećena mala pažnja efektu na mozak u toku starenja. Mi smo ispitivali sadržaj IGF-I u moždanom tkivu pacova različite starosti. Nađeno je da su IGF-I koncentracije u kori malog mozga kao i velikog mozga mladih pacova (4-5 dana starih) više u poređenju sa sadržajima grupe tek-odraslih pacova starosti 2,5 meseca i grupe nešto starijih odraslih pacova (7,5-9 meseci starih). Međutim, smanjenje koncentracije IGF-I sadržaja samo u kori malog mozga nešto starijih pacova (7,5-9 meseci) bilo je značajno u odnosu na vrednosti u novorođenih (4-5 dana starih pacova). Naši rezultati ukazuju da IGF-I opada tokom života i moguće - selektivno u određenim moždanim regionima.nul

Cerebellar Nonmotor Functions - Approaches and Significance

The cerebellum is involved in the control of motor and nonmotor functions. Refined and innovative experimental and clinical approaches, starting from anatomy and including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), have allowed researchers to store extensive information on the cerebellar contributions to motor control and also helped them to understanding cerebellar nonmotor functions. Does the cerebellum process exclusively cerebral information related to certain specificactions, or does it also process some forms of information independent of such relation? At present, researchers are close to evaluating how the cerebellum is active during resolution of cognitive tasks. Various therapy lines in perspective, from cerebellar stimulation to cerbellar grafts and artificial cerebellum, are of particular significance, as they can restore lost brain functions in animal models and repair in sufficient brain processes in patients.Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development of Republic of Serbi

Ekumenik - Samarbete över skiljelinjen : En fallstudie kring funktionen av ekumenik och ekumeniska drivkrafter i tre västsvenska församlingar, tolkat ur ett religionssociologiskt perspektiv

Ekumenik är ett begrepp inom kristendomen vars syfte inbegriper ett försök att överbrygga samfunds olikheter och främja samarbete i gemensam tro. Ekumenik existerar i flera kristna sammanhang, exempelvis vid kyrkliga sammankomster och internationella samarbeten. Föreliggande studie ämnar undersöka ekumenik i lokal kontext, genom att klarlägga vilka ekumeniska samarbeten som pågår i tre olika samfund, och att ta reda på vilken funktion ekumenik har för samfunden och medlemmarnas engagemang.Studiens centrala del består av svar på semistrukturerade intervjufrågor som ställdes till tre olika samfunds kyrkoledning, en präst och två pastorer. Studien genomfördes på två orter, i två skilda kommuner. Fokus ligger på ekumenisk samverkan och en redogörelse av de funktioner som ekumenik anses fylla hos samfunden och deras medlemmar.Resultaten har tolkats ur ett religionssociologiskt perspektiv med teorier kopplade till funktionalism (funktionalism hänvisar här till religionens funktion för individen och gruppen).Studiens resultat visar att ekumenik kan fylla specifika funktioner hos kristna samfund och deras medlemmar. Den visar också att prioriteringen av ekumenik skiljer sig åt i de tre samfund som ingick i studien. I studien framkom att ekumenik bidrar till att skapa aktiviteter som anses meningsfulla för samfundens medlemmar, exempelvis föreläsningar, andrahandsaffärer och mötesplatser (strandkafé). Ekumenik kan på så vis stärka medlemmars deltagande och bidra till att mer tid ägnas åt ett samfunds verksamheter

Use of the Hurst Exponent for Analysis of Electrocortical Epileptiform Activity Induced in Rats by Administration of Camphor Essential Oil or 1,8-Cineole

In this study, we investigated the presence of long-range correlation effects in the electrocortical activity of rats using the Hurst exponent (H) calculated by dispersion analysis (DA) and an aggregated variance method (AGV). A slow decline of the autocorrelation function during time expansion and the existence of a correlation between distant time points of electrocorticograms (ECoGs) were shown to be typical of various pathophysiological states. In these cases, the H values were within a 0.5 < H < 1 range. A particularly slow decay of the autocorrelation function is typical of a long-range dependence (LRD). We found that ECoGs after i.p. administrations of camphor essential oil or its main constituent, 1,8-cineole, included attacks of uncontrolled electrical discharges and showed the presence of long-range correlation effects. Such findings are in agreement with recent data obtained by other authors and suggest that initiation of seizures can be predicted by certain ECoG indices. We estimated the critical period where the H values for ECoGs containing uncontrolled electrical discharges continuously increased within a few minutes before the attack. We believe that the AGV demonstrates certain advantages over DA in calculations of the H.Serbian Ministry of Science and Technological Development [14021