Amygdala: Neuroanatomical and Morphophysiological Features in Terms of Neurological and Neurodegenerative Diseases

The amygdala is one of the most discussed structures of the brain. Correlations between its level of activity, size, biochemical organization, and various pathologies are the subject of many studies, and can serve as a marker of existing or future disease. It is hypothesized that the amygdala is not just a structural unit, but includes many other regions in the brain. In this review, we present the updated neuroanatomical and physiological aspects of the amygdala, discussing its involvement in neurodegenerative and neurological diseases. The amygdala plays an important role in the processing of input signals and behavioral synthesis. Lesions in the amygdala have been shown to cause neurological disfunction of ranging severity. Abnormality in the amygdala leads to conditions such as depression, anxiety, autism, and also promotes biochemical and physiological imbalance. The amygdala collects pathological proteins, and this fact can be considered to play a big role in the progression and diagnosis of many degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Lewy body diseases, and hippocampal sclerosis. The amygdala has shown to play a crucial role as a central communication system in the brain, therefore understanding its neuroanatomical and physiological features can open a channel for targeted therapy of neurodegenerative diseases

Variability of adult cerebrum mass of the Saratov-city residents

The research aimed to study the age-gender variability and extreme variants of individual cerebrum mass of Saratov citizens. Material and methods – Cerebrum preparations from 191 dead bodies of adults of 21-90 years were used as a material for the research. The whole material was divided into 4 age groups: the 1st group – the 1st adult period and 43 cerebrum preparations (26 male, 17 female); the 2nd group – the 2nd adult period – 82 preparations (66 male, 16 female); the 3rd group – the elderly age period – 34 preparations (16 male, 18 female); the senium age – 32 preparations (16 male and 16 female). The cerebrum was taken apart from the spinal cord at the border with the medulla oblongata and was weighed on analytical balance to within the accuracy of 1.0 g. Results – The cerebrum mass of Saratov adult citizens was 1323.69±19.81 g (M±SD) (without including gender and age groups). For men it was 1371.05±20.39 g, for women – 1236.05±32.51 g, i.e. the cerebrum mass of men is more than the women’s one in average for 135 g (10.9 %) (Р>0.05). The cerebrum mass decrease is registered at the 2nd adult period, which becomes more evident at the senium age. Thus the cerebrum mass at the 1st and the 2nd adult periods differs authentically from its value at the senium age, and at the 1st adult period it differs from its value at the elderly age as well (P<0.05). Considerable individual cerebrum mass variability has aroused the necessity to specify the groups of its extreme variables. An average cerebrum mass is at 47.1 % of Saratov citizens. Small, extremely small, and below average cerebrum mass is registered at 25.2 % of Saratov citizens, and large, above average, and extremely large mass – at 13.6 %. Conclusion – Thus the cerebrum mass of Saratov citizens subjected to age-gender variability which lies in the fact that male cerebrum is heavier comparing with female cerebrum, and the cerebrum mass is been decreased from the 2nd adult period. The described cases of a large cerebrum mass at an elderly age, and of small and extremely small cerebrum mass at the 1st and 2nd adult periods, as we think, are connected with the individual variability of subjects' skull forms and volume

Morphology and biomechanical properties of cerebellar arteries in adults

The goal was to analyze the variability of a number of morphometric and biomechanical parameters of cerebellar arteries in adults aged 20-74 years. Material and Methods ― 179 samples of cerebellar arteries, obtained by autopsy of adults without acute cerebrovascular pathology have been studied; 24 preparations of arterial complexes «arterial circle – cerebral arteries» from scientific collection of Human Anatomy Department of Saratov State Medical University (Saratov, Russia) have been also investigated. Research methods were: preparation, microscopy, experiments on uniaxial longitudinal stretching at a tensile testing machine Tira Test 28005 (TIRA GmbH, Germany). We studied outer diameter, angle of divergence, overall strength and maximal relative deformation of superior (SCA), anterior inferior (AICA) and posterior inferior cerebellar arteries (PICA). Results and Conclusion ― It was revealed that SCA was characterized by the largest diameter and angle of divergence, the most strength and extensibility. AICA and PICA had no significant differences of the studied parameters. It was noted that AICA originated in the lower third part of basilar artery 1.5 times more likely than in the middle third part of this artery

APPROACHES TO ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND WAYS TO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLICATION ACTIVITY IN THE LARGE MEDICAL SCHOOL

The article deals with the topical problem associated with the evaluation methodology of publication activity and ways to stimulate the publication activity in a large medical school. There is investigated the development of theregulatory framework in relation to the structural modernization of the public sector science. We apply anintegrated approach to performance evaluation based on expert evaluation of the importance of research and bibliometric analysis in the citation index. The article presents the structure and functionality of the publication activity indicators. A list of criteria for effectiveness of the medical school as a part of the «road map» is given. Methods of improving the publication activity and ways for its promotion at author’ and organization level are presented. The key factors forsuccessfulness of organizational and administrative measures to improve the publication activity and university rankings are computer support of R&D and scientific communication, acquisition of new above professional and inter-professional skills and competences by researchers, implementation of effective analytical online resources, monitoring of research activities, special seminars for training researchers to operate online resources

A MODERN APPROACH TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE INFORMATION-ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF STATUS AND DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTIFIC SPHERE IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The article presents the results of analysis of functioning at university and federal levels information-analytical systems describing the scientifi c sphere. It is concluded that there is no automatic link between the information analytical systems of given levels, so an approach is suggested to architecting a single information-analytical system of state and development of scientifi c sphere in institutions of higher education

The correlation of somatotype of person with the development and course of various diseases: results of Russian research

Currently there is an increased interest in medical anthropology, the study of constitutional features of the human body and their correlation with the manifestations of various diseases. Modern anthropometric techniques are increasingly used in scientific researches in clinical practice. This review article is devoted to the issues of interrelation between the type of the human constitution and manifestations of various diseases

Pancreatic cancer: statistics and treatment in the Russian Federation

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most fatal types of oncological disease in the world and is an extremely aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis. The objective of this review was to analyze the domestic data of the incidence of PC in the Russian Federation and to analyze the protocols that are used for the management of this group of patients in Russian clinical centers. For the analysis of the literature sources, the data in the elibrary.ru database published in the period from 2015 to 2019 were used. The methodology that was used in each study was examined in order to ensure its reliability, and these data were selected as potential sources of evidence for the preparation of national recommendations. The study results influence the level of evidence assigned to the publication. Updates to the national recommendations are conducted at least once every three years, and these updates depend on new information about the diagnosis and management of patients with PC

Neurophysiology and Psychopathology Underlying PTSD and Recent Insights into the PTSD Therapies—A Comprehensive Review

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a well-known psychiatric disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Pharmacodynamic and cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT) have been used to treat patients with PTSD. However, it remains unclear whether there are concurrent changes in psychopathological and neurophysiological factors associated with PTSD patients. Past reports described those PTSD patients with efficient fatty acid metabolism, neurogenesis, mitochondrial energy balance could improve ability to cope against the conditioned fear responses and traumatic memories. Furthermore, cognitive, behavioral, cellular, and molecular evidence can be combined to create personalized therapies for PTSD sufferers either with or without comorbidities such as depression or memory impairment. Unfortunately, there is still evidence lacking to establish a full understanding of the underlying neurophysiological and psychopathological aspects associated with PTSD. This review has extensively discussed the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) of genetic factors to cause PTSD, the implications of inflammation, neurotransmitter genomics, metabolic alterations, neuroendocrine disturbance (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis), mitochondrial dynamics, neurogenesis, and premature aging related to PTSD-induced psychopathology and neurophysiology. In addition, the review delineated the importance of CBT and several pharmacodynamic therapies to mitigate symptomatology of PTSD

Health science community will miss this bright and uniting star : in memory of Professor Gjumrakch Aliev, M.D, Ph.D

No abstract availablehttp://www.mdpi.com/journal/cancerspm2021Physiolog

Surgical Navigation Stimulator by Reality Mixed for Teaching and Practice in percutaneous spine procedures

Introduction: Spine Have, a mixed reality navigation simulator, has been developed to enhance the training of resident doctors in orthopedics, neurosurgery, and related fields like anesthesiology. This tool allows residents to practice intricate lumbar procedures virtually, including facet infiltration and transpedicular screw placement, thereby improving their learning curve and reducing patient risks. This simulator serves as both a teaching aid and a pre-surgical planning tool, potentially lowering operating time and fluoroscopy use. Materials and Methods: The SpineNav simulator integrates 3D models from real patient CT scans with polyurethane and silicone mannequins, employing mixed reality to enhance lumbar spine procedure training. It provides realistic anatomical models for procedural practice, including facet infiltration and transpedicular screw placement. System validation involved comparing performance metrics like procedure time and accuracy between this new system and traditional fluoroscopy methods. Results: The study validated the efficacy of the SpineNav Mixed Reality Simulator by comparing it with traditional fluoroscopy methods. Seven orthopedic and anesthesiology residents participated, performing three types of lumbar procedures: facet infiltration, transpedicular screw placement, and locating Kambin's triangle. The mixed reality system significantly reduced procedure time (p < 0.05) compared to traditional methods. Specifically, the mean procedure times for the SpineNav system were 15 minutes for facet infiltration, 25 minutes for transpedicular screw placement, and 20 minutes for locating Kambin's triangle. Accuracy metrics showed no significant difference in error rates (distance to target points) between the two methods, indicating comparable precision. Participants reported higher satisfaction with the SpineNav simulator, highlighting its ease of use, realism, and utility in enhancing spatial orientation and procedural understanding. Conclusions: The SpineNav Mixed Reality Simulator marks a significant advancement in surgical education for spine procedures. By integrating 3D models, additive manufacturing, and mixed reality technology, it provides an effective training tool for orthopedics and neurosurgery residents. The study found that the simulator significantly reduced procedure times while maintaining accuracy comparable to traditional methods. Participants reported high satisfaction, noting its ease of use and realistic feedback. Overall, the SpineNav simulator shortens the learning curve and enhances training efficiency, offering a valuable resource for improving surgical skills and patient safety