25 research outputs found
The kinectome: A comprehensive kinematic map of human motion in health and disease
Human voluntary movement stems from the coordinated activations in space and time
of many musculoskeletal segments. However, the current methodological approaches
to study human movement are still limited to the evaluation of the synergies among a
few body elements. Network science can be a useful approach to describe movement
as a whole and to extract features that are relevant to understanding both its complex physiology and the pathophysiology of movement disorders. Here, we propose
to represent human movement as a network (that we named the kinectome), where
nodes represent body points, and edges are defined as the correlations of the accelerations between each pair of them. We applied this framework to healthy individuals
and patients with Parkinsonâs disease, observing that the patientsâ kinectomes display less symmetrical patterns as compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, we used
the kinectomes to successfully identify both healthy and diseased subjects using short
gait recordings. Finally, we highlighted topological features that predict the individual
clinical impairment in patients. Our results define a novel approach to study human
movement. While deceptively simple, this approach is well-grounded, and represents a
powerful tool that may be applied to a wide spectrum of framework
Topological changes of brain network during mindfulness meditation: an exploratory source level magnetoencephalographic study
We have previously evidenced that Mindfulness Meditation (MM) in experienced meditators (EMs) is associated with long-lasting topological changes in resting state condition. However, what occurs during the meditative phase is still debated.
Utilizing magnetoencephalography (MEG), the present study is aimed at comparing the topological features of the brain network in a group of EMs (n = 26) during the meditative phase with those of individuals who had no previous experience of any type of meditation (NM group, n = 29). A wide range of topological changes in the EM group as compared to the NM group has been shown. Specifically, in EMs, we have observed increased betweenness centrality in delta, alpha, and beta bands in both cortical (left medial orbital cortex, left postcentral area, and right visual primary cortex) and subcortical (left caudate nucleus and thalamus) areas. Furthermore, the degree of beta band in parietal and occipital areas of EMs was increased too.
Our exploratory study suggests that the MM can change the functional brain network and provides an explanatory hypothesis on the brain circuits characterizing the meditative process
The Metabolomic Profile in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Changes According to the Progression of the Disease: An Exploratory Study
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative pathology of the upper or lower motor neuron. Evaluation of ALS progression is based on clinical outcomes considering the impairment of body sites. ALS has been extensively investigated in the pathogenetic mechanisms and the clinical profile; however, no molecular biomarkers are used as diagnostic criteria to establish the ALS pathological staging. Using the source-reconstructed magnetoencephalography (MEG) approach, we demonstrated that global brain hyperconnectivity is associated with early and advanced clinical ALS stages. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) and high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) spectroscopy, here we studied the metabolomic profile of ALS patientsâ sera characterized by different stages of disease progressionânamely early and advanced. Multivariate statistical analysis of the data integrated with the network analysis indicates that metabolites related to energy deficit, abnormal concentrations of neurotoxic metabolites and metabolites related to neurotransmitter production are pathognomonic of ALS in the advanced stage. Furthermore, analysis of the lipidomic profile indicates that advanced ALS patients report significant alteration of phosphocholine (PCs), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPCs), and sphingomyelin (SMs) metabolism, consistent with the exigency of lipid remodeling to repair advanced neuronal degeneration and inflammatio
Nutrition and cognition across the lifetime: an overview on epigenetic mechanisms
International audienceThe functioning of our brain depends on both genes and their interactions with environmental factors. The close link between genetics and environmental factors produces structural and functional cerebral changes early on in life. Understanding the weight of environmental factors in modulating neuroplasticity phenomena and cognitive functioning is relevant for potential interventions. Among these, nutrition plays a key role. In fact, the link between gut and brain (the gut-brain axis) is very close and begins in utero, since the Central Nervous System (CNS) and the Enteric Nervous System (ENS) originate from the same germ layer during the embryogenesis. Here, we investigate the epigenetic mechanisms induced by some nutrients on the cognitive functioning, which affect the cellular and molecular processes governing our cognitive functions. Furthermore, epigenetic phenomena can be positively affected by specific healthy nutrients from diet, with the possibility of preventing or modulating cognitive impairments. Specifically, we described the effects of several nutrients on diet-dependent epigenetic processes, in particular DNA methylation and histones post-translational modifications, and their potential role as therapeutic target, to describe how some forms of cognitive decline could be prevented or modulated from the early stages of life
Effects of Physical Exercise on Cognitive Functioning and Wellbeing: Biological and Psychological Benefits
Much evidence shows that physical exercise (PE) is a strong gene modulator that induces structural and functional changes in the brain, determining enormous benefit on both cognitive functioning and wellbeing. PE is also a protective factor for neurodegeneration. However, it is unclear if such protection is granted through modifications to the biological mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration or through better compensation against attacks. This concise review addresses the biological and psychological positive effects of PE describing the results obtained on brain plasticity and epigenetic mechanisms in animal and human studies, in order to clarify how to maximize the positive effects of PE while avoiding negative consequences, as in the case of exercise addiction