Comparing realistic subthalamic nucleus neuron models

The mechanism of action of clinically effective electrical high frequency stimulation is still under debate. However, recent evidence points at the specific activation of GABA-ergic ion channels. Using a computational approach, we analyze temporal properties of the spike trains emitted by biologically realistic neurons of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) as a function of GABA-ergic synaptic input conductances. Our contribution is based on a model proposed by Rubin and Terman and exhibits a wide variety of different firing patterns, silent, low spiking, moderate spiking and intense spiking activity. We observed that most of the cells in our network turn to silent mode when we increase the GABAA input conductance above the threshold of 3.75 mS/cm2. On the other hand, insignificant changes in firing activity are observed when the input conductance is low or close to zero. We thus reproduce Rubin's model with vanishing synaptic conductances. To quantitatively compare spike trains from the original model with the modified model at different conductance levels, we apply four different (dis)similarity measures between them. We observe that Mahalanobis distance, Victor-Purpura metric, and Interspike Interval distribution are sensitive to different firing regimes, whereas Mutual Information seems undiscriminative for these functional changes

Sports psychiatry: Discipline, areas of activity, collaboration, and training

Introduction: Sports psychiatry, a field of psychiatry, is a young medical discipline. The aim of this study was to gauge opinions on the following: sports psychiatry as a specialized subdiscipline, its areas of activity among professionals, the desire for interdisciplinary and interprofessional cooperation, and the need for specific sports psychiatry training. Methods: An online survey was performed to assess the views on sports psychiatry of German-speaking professionals in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria in the field of sports psychiatry. Results: Data from 183 professionals were included in the analysis. Most participants classified sports psychiatry as a field of psychiatry (89%), followed by sports medicine (61%) and child and adolescent psychiatry (49%). Mental health and disorders in competitive and elite sport (94%), sport and exercise for the prevention of and as therapy for mental disorders (84%), and sport-specific mental health problems and disorders in popular sport (80%) were reported by all the participants as areas of activity within sports psychiatry. Most of the participants stated the importance of interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration with sports psychiatry’s areas of activity. While 84% of the participants emphasized the necessity for specific training in sports psychiatry, a different picture emerged as to whether such training should be independent or integrated with postgraduate training for psychiatric or sports medicine. Conclusion: The results provide insight into sports psychiatry and its areas of activity and should be used for, and integrated with, the further development of the field

SSSPP Position paper: Physical activity and mental health

Promoting physical activity (PA) has not yet been established as a standard procedure in psychiatric care. Psychiatric patients are at higher chance to be physically inactive which contributes to increased morbidity and mortality. Regular PA has shown to improve mental wellbeing in the general population and reduces the risk to develop several mental disorders. Assessing PA and motivation for change should be ­established as routine in psychiatric practice. The recommended dose of exercise for optimal health benefits should be achieved and recommendations on exercise-prescription as well as coaching-programs tailored for mentally ill patients should be developed. Structured exercise therapies should become part of standard psychiatric care. A network of “mental health friendly” sports-clubs could help to facilitate PA for psychiatric populations. Public awareness of mental health benefits of exercise specifically in the prevention of mental disorders is an important topic addressed by the Swiss Society of Sports-Psychiatry and -Psychotherapy. This includes interdisciplinary and interprofessional coordination of efforts to bring more PA into mental health

Assessment of minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting of the left internal thoracic artery by means of magnetic resonance imaging

ObjectivesWe sought to evaluate graft patency, flow, and flow reserve in patients with minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass surgery of internal thoracic artery grafts by a combined magnetic resonance protocol with a phase-contrast technique and magnetic resonance angiography.MethodsAt 1.5 T (Magnetom Sonata, Siemens), 30 symptomatic patients with 30 left internal thoracic artery grafts were examined 6 years after minimally invasive surgical intervention. Navigator-gated magnetic resonance angiography and contrast-enhanced FLASH-3D magnetic resonance angiography (0.2 mmol gadopentate–diethylene triamine pentetic acid [Gd-DTPA]/kg body weight) was used to assess bypass patency. Phase-contrast flow measurements with retrospective gating were performed in the internal thoracic artery grafts at rest and after stress induction with dipyridamole (0.57 mg/kg body weight). Graft patency was evaluated by means of multidetector computed tomography (Sensation 16, Siemens).ResultsInternal thoracic artery grafts were occluded in 5 of 30 patients. In 6 patients the anastomosis to the left anterior descending artery was highly stenotic (>70%) at multidetector computed tomography. In patients with regular grafts (multidetector computed tomography), a significant improvement of graft flow (P < .001) and diastolic/systolic peak velocity ratio (P < .001) after stress induction was detected. Magnetic resonance angiography combined with flow reserve measurements could differentiate between occluded-stenotic and regular minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafts.ConclusionsMagnetic resonance imaging allows a combined assessment of bypass patency and flow with flow reserve in patients after the minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass operation. The protocol of this study might be applicable for the evaluation of graft status in symptomatic patients after revascularization

No association between variation in the NR4A1 gene locus and metabolic traits in white subjects at increased risk for type 2 diabetes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The nuclear receptor NR4A1 is implicated in metabolic regulation in insulin-sensitive tissues, such as liver, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle. Functional loss of NR4A1 results in insulin resistance and enhanced intramuscular and hepatic lipid content. Therefore, we investigated in a cohort of white European subjects at increased risk for type 2 diabetes whether genetic variation within the <it>NR4A1 </it>gene locus contributes to prediabetic phenotypes, such as insulin resistance, ectopic fat distribution, or β-cell dysfunction.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We genotyped 1495 subjects (989 women, 506 men) for five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tagging 100% of common variants (MAF = 0.05) within the <it>NR4A1 </it>gene locus with an r²= 0.8. All subjects underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), a subset additionally had a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (n = 506). Ectopic hepatic (n = 296) and intramyocellular (n = 264) lipids were determined by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Peak aerobic capacity, a surrogate parameter for oxidative capacity of skeletal muscle, was measured by an incremental exercise test on a motorized treadmill (n = 270).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After appropriate adjustment and Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, none of the five SNPs was reliably associated with insulin sensitivity, ectopic fat distribution, peak aerobic capacity, or indices of insulin secretion (all p ≥ 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our data suggest that common genetic variation within the <it>NR4A1 </it>gene locus may not play a major role in the development of prediabetic phenotypes in our white European population.</p

Marine Strategy Framework Directive - Task Group 5 Report Eutrophication

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC) (MSFD) requires that the European Commis-sion (by 15 July 2010) should lay down criteria and methodological standards to allow consistency in approach in evaluating the extent to which Good Environmental Status (GES) is being achieved. ICES and JRC were contracted to provide scientific support for the Commission in meeting this obligation. A total of 10 reports have been prepared relating to the descriptors of GES listed in Annex I of the Directive. Eight reports have been prepared by groups of independent experts coordinated by JRC and ICES in response to this contract. In addition, reports for two descriptors (Contaminants in fish and other seafood and Marine Litter) were written by expert groups coordinated by DG SANCO and IFREMER respectively. A Task Group was established for each of the qualitative Descriptors. Each Task Group consisted of selected experts providing experience related to the four marine regions (the Baltic Sea, the North-east Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea) and an appropriate scope of relevant scien-tific expertise. Observers from the Regional Seas Conventions were also invited to each Task Group to help ensure the inclusion of relevant work by those Conventions. This is the report of Task Group 5 Eutrophication.JRC.DDG.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource