Check out some of the papers that were recently published by DMCBH members:
Helen Tremlett, John Kramer: Anticonvulsant and gabapentinoids pharmacotherapy in the multiple sclerosis prodrome: A population-based matched cohort study
Journal: Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders
People with MS fill more prescriptions than controls before disease onset, including for pain. This study compared the odds of anticonvulsant/gabapentinoid prescriptions for 4,862 MS cases versus 22,669 controls using multivariable logistic regression. In animal models, neuropathic pain is an early sign of MS, so gabapentinoid prescriptions were used to examine neuropathic pain in prodromal individuals. Relative to controls, MS patients are more likely to fill prescriptions for anticonvulsants and gabapentinoids, as well as gabapentinoids without anticonvulsants. These findings contributed to a better characterization of the prodromal features of MS in humans, potentially aiding earlier identification of individuals in the pre-onset MS phase.
Tamara Vanderwal: A function-based mapping of sensory integration along the cortical hierarchy
Journal: Communications Biology
Sensory information travels along a hierarchy, from unimodal (one sense) to transmodal (abstract representations of information) regions, forming integrative representations essential for higher-order cognition. Using fMRI, researchers developed a two-dimensional framework to characterize sensory integration, anchored by the role of primary sensory cortices. The first dimension, sensory magnitude, reflects the percentage of variance explained by primary sensory signals, decreasing along the hierarchy and remaining stable across conditions. The second dimension, sensory angle, represents the proportional contributions of different sensory modalities, capturing flexible changes in sensory integration across brain states and cognitive demands. Meta-analytic decoding highlights the close link between sensory integration and cognitive functions, offering a novel approach to studying human cognition through sensory processing.
Khaled Abdelrahman: Alzheimer’s disease treatment landscape: current therapies and emerging mechanism-targeted approaches
Journal: Neural Regeneration Research
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease involving a progressive decline in memory, thinking and learning. This perspective article outlines the history of AD drugs, current therapeutic interventions, and emerging mechanisms of action and related treatments.
Judy Illes: Principles and Priorities for Responsible Innovation in Neurotechnology for Canada
Journal: Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences
Canada’s Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) team works to advance the country’s views with evidence-based standards which address global social, economic, and environmental issues. The present work discusses OECD principles and the process for implementing a strategy for ethical, legal, and social challenges of neurotechnology, particularly regarding how it affects the health and well-being of humans in society and contributions to economic growth. Five guiding principles offer specifics for neurotechnology innovation, intending to guide policymakers in planning and delivering new infrastructure.
Noah Silverberg: New framework for the continuum of concussion and functional neurological disorder
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine
Although significant progress has been made in the identification and management of acute concussion, much remains unknown, particularly regarding the 15–30% of patients who experience persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS) lasting months to years. Functional neurological disorder (FND), previously known as conversion disorder, involves involuntary neurological symptoms that are inconsistent with other neurological diseases and are thought to stem from functional issues within brain circuits. This editorial highlights the potential to advance concussion care and research by improving our understanding of the continuum between concussion, PPCS, and FND.
Neil Cashman, Max Cynader, Howard Feldman, Robin Hsiung, Haakon Nygaard, Julie Robillard, Cheryl Wellington: Impact of a national dementia research consortium: The Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA)
Journal: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease
The Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA) was established in 2014 by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) as part of the G7 initiative to combat dementia. Over two completed five-year funding cycles (2014–2019, 2019–2024) and now in its third phase, CCNA has fostered collaboration among national research teams and cross-cutting programs to address dementia through basic science, clinical research, and healthcare systems. Notable achievements include the creation of the COMPASS-ND cohort, which deeply phenotyped 1,173 dementia patients over eight years, and the CAN-THUMBS UP prevention program, now part of the global World Wide FINGERS Consortium. This article discussed the challenges, successes and impacts of CCNA in Canada and internationally.
Journal: Psychopharmacology
Psychostimulants like amphetamine (AMPH) and methylphenidate (MPH) increase extracellular concentrations of dopamine and norepinephrine and are often used to improve prefrontal cortex-dependent cognitive dysfunction. However, AMPH has been shown to increase preference for risk in rodent decision-making. SK609 is a new norepinephrine reuptake blocker which selectively activates dopamine D3 receptors without affinity for the dopamine transporter. AMPH, MPH and SK609 were compared in a probabilistic discounting task of risk/reward decision-making behaviour to assess their potential to increase risky choice preferences. AMPH and MPH increased risky choice behaviour but SK609 did not, differentiating it from traditional pro-cognitive stimulants. This could benefit neurocognitive function without psychostimulant-like side effects.
Luke Clark: Watch and yearn? Effects of watching gambling live streams on cravings
Journal: Journal of Behavioural Addictions
Given the intensity and cue-filled nature of gambling streams, they may trigger cravings in viewers. Additionally, people who gamble may also be motivated to watch gambling streams to regulate cravings. Gambling stream viewers were younger, tended to identify as men and displayed higher levels of problem gambling and craving compared to non-viewers. Problem gambling severity was correlated positively with the motivation to watch streams to regulate cravings and the cravings caused by watching streams. While viewers with high levels of problem gambling may use streams to regulate their cravings, watching the streams may evoke more cravings.
Sophia Frangou: Metabolic Status Modulates Global and Local Brain Age Estimates in Overweight and Obese Adults
Journal: Biological Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging
Maintaining brain health is essential for extending the health span and preserving independence throughout the lifespan. This study investigated how metabolic health influences brain-age-gap-estimate (brainAGE), which is a measurement of the difference between neuroimaging-predicted brain age and chronological age. K-means clustering was applied to fasting metabolic markers such as insulin, glucose, leptin, cortisol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, steady-state plasma glucose and BMI of 114 healthy adults. Suboptimal metabolic status is linked to accelerated brain aging, especially in regions rich in insulin receptors. Metabolic health is important in maintaining brain function and promoting metabolic well-being might help extend the health span.
Annie Ciernia, Blair Leavitt: Restricting lysine normalizes toxic catabolites associated with ALDH7A1 deficiency in cells and mice
Journal: Cell Reports
This study investigated lysine metabolism and the role of the enzyme ALDH7A1. Mutations in ALDH7A1 cause a buildup of toxic lysine byproducts which can lead to fatal seizures in children. The researchers studied tissues from mice lacking ALDH7A1 and found differences in how lysine is processed in various tissues. They also created a fluorescent biosensor to test lysine transporter activity and identified substances that help reduce the buildup of lysine byproducts. Finally, they showed that injecting lysine α-oxidase from Trichoderma viride into mice reduced lysine and P6C levels by more than 80%. These findings improve understanding of lysine metabolism and suggest possible treatments for related disorders.
Mypinder Sekhon, Ryan Hoiland: Prognostic Factors Associated With Intracranial Hemorrhage and Ischemic Stroke During Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Systematic Review
Journal: Critical Care Medicine
This study aims to identify factors that predict intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and ischemic stroke in patients undergoing venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a life-saving intervention for severe respiratory failure. After screening 333 studies, 17 were included, which primarily focused on ICH. They found that lower pH levels before ECMO and greater decreases in Paco2 levels pre- to post-venovenous ECMO were linked to an increased risk of ICH. However, no clear predictors for ischemic stroke were identified. The study concludes that changes in blood gas parameters may contribute to ICH risk, highlighting the need for further high-quality research to better understand these neurological risks and improve clinical outcomes.
Erik Pioro: Neurophysiologic Innovations in ALS: Enhancing Diagnosis, Monitoring, and Treatment Evaluation
Journal: Brain Sciences
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease affecting both upper motor neurons (UMNs) and lower motor neurons (LMNs), leading to a decline in motor function. While clinical exams and severity scales are essential for diagnosis and tracking progression, the absence of objective biomarkers complicates clinical trial enrollment, inclusion criteria, and drug efficacy assessments. Electrophysiology tools like nerve conduction studies and electromyography (EMG) are already established as biomarkers for LMN degeneration. Other techniques, such as motor unit number estimation and transcranial magnetic stimulation, help assess motor and non-motor brain dysfunction. These tools, mostly used in research, hold the potential to identify disease subtypes, predict progression, and evaluate experimental therapies noninvasively.
Helen Tremlett: The fungal gut microbiota in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis
Journal: Frontiers in Microbiology
This study explored the role of the gut mycobiota (fungal microbiota) in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS), as previous research has mainly focused on bacterial communities. The study analyzed stool samples from 46 participants, including 18 with POMS, 13 with acquired monophasic demyelinating syndromes (monoADS), and 15 unaffected controls. Using metataxonomic sequencing, the researchers compared fungal profiles across the groups. They found significant differences in the diversity of the gut mycobiome, with notable variations between monoADS and POMS groups. While common fungi like Saccharomyces and Candida were abundant across all groups, the Agaricus genus (including Agaricus bisporus from white button mushrooms) was notably higher in POMS participants, suggesting a possible link to diet. The predictive analysis identified fungi like Candida albicans, Cyberlindera jadinii, and Fusarium poae as strongly associated with POMS. The study highlights the potential importance of rare or under-detected fungal markers in POMS, offering new insights for future mycobiome research in multiple sclerosis.
