In modern society, people are increasingly exposed to chronic stress, leading to various mental disorders. However, the activities of brain regions, especially neural firing patterns related to specific behaviors, remain unclear. In this study, we introduce a novel approach, NeuroSync, which integrates open-field behavioral testing with electrophysiological recordings from emotion-related brain regions, specifically the central amygdala and the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, to explore the mechanisms of negative emotions induced by chronic stress in mice. By applying machine vision techniques, we quantified behaviors in the open field, and signal processing algorithms elucidated the neural underpinnings of the observed behaviors. Synchronizing behavioral and electrophysiological data revealed significant correlations between neural firing patterns and stress-related behaviors, providing insights into real-time brain activity underlying behavioral responses. This research combines deep learning and machine learning to synchronize high-resolution video and electrophysiological data, offering new insights into neural-behavioral dynamics under chronic stress conditions.
Animals ; Mice ; Male ; Emotions/physiology* ; Stress, Psychological/physiopathology* ; Action Potentials/physiology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Behavior, Animal/physiology* ; Machine Learning ; Amygdala/physiopathology* ; Neurons/physiology* ; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus/physiopathology* ; Brain/physiology*

Synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) involvement has been reported in the animal models of epilepsy and in human intractable epilepsy. The difference between pharmacosensitive epilepsy and pharmacoresistant epilepsy remains poorly understood. The present study aimed to observe the hippocampus SV2A protein expression in amygdale-kindling pharmacoresistant epileptic rats. The pharmacosensitive epileptic rats served as control. Amygdaloid-kindling model of epilepsy was established in 100 healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. The kindled rat model of epilepsy was used to select pharmacoresistance by testing their seizure response to phenytoin and phenobarbital. The selected pharmacoresistant rats were assigned to a pharmacoresistant epileptic group (PRE group). Another 12 pharmacosensitive epileptic rats (PSE group) served as control. Immunohistochemistry, real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to determine SV2A expression in the hippocampus tissue samples from both the PRE and the PSE rats. Immunohistochemistry staining showed that SV2A was mainly accumulated in the cytoplasm of the neurons, as well as along their dendrites throughout all subfields of the hippocampus. Immunoreactive staining level of SV2A-positive cells was 0.483 ± 0.304 in the PRE group and 0.866 ± 0.090 in the PSE group (P < 0.05). Real-time PCR analysis demonstrated that 2(-ΔΔCt) value of SV2A mRNA was 0.30 ± 0.43 in the PRE group and 0.76 ± 0.18 in the PSE group (P < 0.05). Western blotting analysis obtained the similar findings (0.27 ± 0.21 versus 1.12 ± 0.21, P < 0.05). PRE rats displayed a significant decrease of SV2A in the brain. SV2A may be associated with the pathogenesis of intractable epilepsy of the amygdaloid-kindling rats.
Amygdala ; drug effects ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Animals ; Anticonvulsants ; pharmacology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drug Resistance ; Electric Stimulation ; Epilepsy ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Kindling, Neurologic ; drug effects ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Phenobarbital ; pharmacology ; Phenytoin ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Synaptic Transmission ; Synaptic Vesicles ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes in brain regional homogeneity in first-onset major depressive disorders (MDDs) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

METHODSEighteen patients with first-onset MDDs and twenty gender- and age-matched healthy controls underwent resting-state fMRI scans to compare the regional homogeneities of the brain regions.

RESULTSCompared with the normal controls, the patients with MDDs showed significantly decreased regional homogeneity in the left posterior cingulated gyrus, bilateral inferior temporal gyrus, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, left hippocampa gyrus, left posterior central gyrus, left angular gyrus, right amygdala, right orbital frontal gyrus, right supplementary motor area, and right cerebellar lobe.

CONCLUSIONPatients with first-onset MDDs have dysfunctions in the brain regions closed related with cognition and emotional control.

Amygdala ; Brain ; physiopathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Cerebellum ; Cognition ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; diagnosis ; Emotions ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Temporal Lobe

BACKGROUNDStereotactic surgery has been used to treat heroin abstinence in China since 2000 by ablating the amygdaloid nucleus (AMY) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which also provides opportunity to identify the relationship between these nuclei and addiction. Our study aimed to explore the physiological and psychological effects of electrically stimulating the AMY and the NAc in heroin addicts after detoxification by observing changes of heart rate, arterial pressure and occurrence of euphoria similar to heroin induced euphoria.

METHODSA total of 70 heroin addicts after detoxification were recruited, and 61 of them were eligible to be given stereotactic surgery for heroin abstinence. The operation was carried out after determining the coordinates of all target nucleuses, and stimulation was performed at the AMY and the NAc solely or jointly. Heart rate, arterial pressure and occurrence of euphoria similar to heroin induced euphoria were recorded and analyzed.

RESULTSThe average heat rate was (66 ± 10) beats/min before electric stimulation, and significantly increased to (84 ± 14) beats/min during stimulation, and changed to (73 ± 12) beats/min 10 minutes after stimulation. There was a significant elevation of the average arterial pressure from 83 mmHg before stimulation to 98 mmHg during the stimulation, and it then decreased to 90 mmHg after stimulation. Forty-three of the 61 patients showed intense euphoria similar to heroin induced euphoria. The largest number (118/186) of euphoric responses occurred when the AMY and the NAc were stimulated at the same time. Odds ratio was 5.4 (95%CI: 2.4 - 11.9, P < 0.0001) to quantify the association. Results from a Logistic regression model showed a positive correlation between unilateral stimulation of either the AMY or NAC and induction of euphoria (OR > 1), especially when the left AMY or left NAc was stimulated (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSOur data are consistent with existing results that the AMY and the NAc are related to addiction. Different roles in drug dependence would be suggested according to the location of the AMY and NAc.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Amygdala ; surgery ; Blood Pressure ; physiology ; China ; Electric Stimulation ; methods ; Female ; Heart Rate ; physiology ; Heroin Dependence ; physiopathology ; psychology ; surgery ; Humans ; Inactivation, Metabolic ; Male ; Nucleus Accumbens ; surgery ; Radiosurgery ; methods ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: Brain perfusion can be assessed non-invasively by modern arterial spin labeling MRI. The FAIR (flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery)-TrueFISP (true fast imaging in steady precession) technique was applied for regional assessment of cerebral blood flow in brain areas close to the skull base, since this approach provides low sensitivity to magnetic susceptibility effects. The investigation of the rhinal cortex and the amygdala is a potentially important feature for the diagnosis and research on dementia in its early stages. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three subjects with no structural or psychological impairment were investigated. FAIR-True-FISP quantitative perfusion data were evaluated in the amygdala on both sides and in the pons. A preparation of the radiofrequency FOCI (frequency offset corrected inversion) pulse was used for slice selective inversion. After a time delay of 1.2 sec, data acquisition began. Imaging slice thickness was 5 mm and inversion slab thickness for slice selective inversion was 12.5 mm. Image matrix size for perfusion images was 64 x 64 with a field of view of 256 x 256 mm, resulting in a spatial resolution of 4 x 4 x 5 mm. Repetition time was 4.8 ms; echo time was 2.4 ms. Acquisition time for the 50 sets of FAIR images was 6:56 min. Data were compared with perfusion data from the literature. RESULTS: Perfusion values in the right amygdala, left amygdala and pons were 65.2 (+/- 18.2) mL/100 g/minute, 64.6 (+/- 21.0) mL/100 g/minute, and 74.4 (+/- 19.3) mL/100 g/minute, respectively. These values were higher than formerly published data using continuous arterial spin labeling but similar to 15O-PET (oxygen-15 positron emission tomography) data. CONCLUSION: The FAIR-TrueFISP approach is feasible for the quantitative assessment of perfusion in the amygdala. Data are comparable with formerly published data from the literature. The applied technique provided excellent image quality, even for brain regions located at the skull base in the vicinity of marked susceptibility steps.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Amygdala/*blood supply ; *Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Dementia/diagnosis/physiopathology ; Entorhinal Cortex/*blood supply ; Female ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/*methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pons/blood supply ; Reproducibility of Results ; Spin Labels

BACKGROUNDCurcumin can reduce the severity of seizures induced by kainate acid (KA), but the role of curcumin in amygdaloid kindled models is still unknown. This study aimed to explore the effect of curcumin on the development of kindling in amygdaloid kindled rats.

METHODSWith an amygdaloid kindled Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat model and an electrophysiological method, different doses of curcumin (10 mgxkg(-1)xd(-1) and 30 mgxkg(-1)xd(-1) as low dose groups, 100 mgxkg(-1)xd(-1) and 300 mgxkg(-1)xd(-1) as high dose groups) were administrated intraperitoneally during the whole kindling days, by comparison with the course of kindling, afterdischarge (AD) thresholds and the number of ADs to reach the stages of class I to V seizures in the rats between control and experimental groups. One-way or two-way ANOVA and Fisher's least significant difference post hoc test were used for statistical analyses.

RESULTSCurcumin (both 100 mgxkg(-1)xd(-1) and 300 mgxkg(-1)xd(-1)) significantly inhibited the behavioral seizure development in the (19.80 +/- 2.25) and (21.70 +/- 2.21) stimulations respectively required to reach the kindled state. Rats treated with 100 mgxkg(-1)xd(-1) curcumin 30 minutes before kindling stimulation showed an obvious increase in the stimulation current intensity required to evoke AD from (703.3 +/- 85.9) microA to (960.0 +/- 116.5) microA during the progression to class V seizures. Rats treated with 300 mgxkg(-1)xd(-1) curcumin showed a significant increase in the stimulation current intensity required to evoke AD from (735.0 +/- 65.2) microA to (867.0 +/- 93.4) microA during the progression to class V seizures. Rats treated with 300 mgxkg(-1)xd(-1) curcumin required much more evoked ADs to reach the stage of class both IV (as (199.83 +/- 12.47) seconds) and V seizures (as (210.66 +/- 10.68) seconds). Rats treated with 100 mgxkg(-1)xd(-1) curcumin required much more evoked ADs to reach the stage of class V seizures (as (219.56 +/- 18.24) seconds).

CONCLUSIONOur study suggests that curcumin has a potential antiepileptogenic effect on kindling-induced epileptogenesis.

Amygdala ; physiopathology ; Animals ; Anticonvulsants ; pharmacology ; Curcumin ; pharmacology ; Kindling, Neurologic ; drug effects ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seizures

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of amygdala kindled seizures on memory retention of passive-avoidance test in rats.

METHODSChronic kindled seizures were achieved by daily application of electric stimulations on amygdala until the occurrence of 3 consecutive convulsive seizures. Then a passive-avoidance test was performed to measure memory retention ability in rats; another group of rats received an electric stimulation on amygdala 5 min before the training trail to observe the effects of acute seizure attack on memory retention ability.

RESULTIn the training trail and the 1st day of the test trail, there was no difference in the latency to enter dark compartment between chronic kindled seizure group and its corresponding control group. However, the latency significantly increased at the 5 th day of test trail. In addition, the latency of acute seizure attack group rats significantly decreased at the 1 st day and 5 th day of test trail.

CONCLUSIONChronic amygdala kindled seizures increase memory retention of passive-avoidance test in rats, and acute seizure attack impairs this action.

Amygdala ; physiology ; Animals ; Avoidance Learning ; Electric Stimulation ; Kindling, Neurologic ; physiology ; Male ; Memory ; physiology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seizures ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo observe the changes of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor subunit and related regulatory protein mRNA expression in the hippocampus and amygdala in immobilization stressed rats and effect of Xiaoyaosan (XYS) on them.

METHODSImmobilization model rats were established by binding for 3 h per day and intervened with XYS, the expression of AMPA receptor subunit (GluR1-4), N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor (NSF) and protein interacting with C-kinase 1 (PICK1) mRNA expression in model rats' CA1 and CA3 regions of hippocampus, dentate gyrus and amygdala were detected on day 7 and day 21 after modeling.

RESULTSOn day 7, expression of GluR1 mRNA was significantly decreased in CA1 region (P < 0.05) and increased in CA3 region and amygdala (all P < 0.05); expression of GluR2 and GluR3 mRNA in amygdala (all P < 0.05) and GluR4 mRNA in CA1 region (P < 0.01) significantly increased, but the expression of NSF and PICK1 mRNA in amygdala only showed an increasing trend. XYS showed effective regulation on GluR4 mRNA in CA1 region (P < 0.01) and GluR1-3 mRNA expression (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) in amygdala. On day 21, the expression of GluR4 mRNA in CA1 region (P < 0.05) and GluR2 mRNA in dentate gyrus (P < 0.05) markedly lowered and expression of GluR1 mRNA in amygdala increased (P < 0.01); XYS significantly regulated the expression of GluR1 and GluR4 mRNA in CA1 region (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONRepeated stress in a short time shows effect on expression of AMPA receptor subunit mRNA stronger than chronic stress. The regulation of XYS to AMPA receptor subunit mRNA expression were obvious in hippocampal CA1 region and amygdala.

Amygdala ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Animals ; Carrier Proteins ; genetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; N-Ethylmaleimide-Sensitive Proteins ; genetics ; Nuclear Proteins ; genetics ; Protein Subunits ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, AMPA ; genetics ; Restraint, Physical ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Stress, Psychological ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of microinjection of saline into unilateral central piriform cortex (cPC) on the generalized seizures in amygdaloid-kindled rats.

METHODSDifferent volumes of saline were injected into the right or left cPC of amygdaloid-kindled rats, and its effect on generalized seizures was observed.

RESULTSaline injection at different volumes 0.1 microl, 0.25 microl and 1 microl) significantly decreased the incidence and duration of generalized seizures (P<0.05), the anticonvulsant effect lasted for up to 10 d. In addition, 10 min after ipsilateral injection of saline the generalized seizure thresholds were significantly increased; while this effect was observed 30 min later when contralateral injection was used.

CONCLUSIONUnilateral saline injection into cPC has a significant anticonvulsant effect, which might be used for treatment of human temporal lobe epilepsy in the future.

Amygdala ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Animals ; Anticonvulsants ; administration & dosage ; metabolism ; Cerebral Cortex ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Electric Stimulation ; Epilepsy, Generalized ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Kindling, Neurologic ; drug effects ; Male ; Microinjections ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium Chloride ; administration & dosage

AIMTo investigate the antiepileptic effect of dizocilpine (MK-801) on amygdala kindling models in rats and the effects of its combination with general antiepileptic drugs.

METHODSTo establish amygdala kindling models in rats and observe the effect of dizocilpine on kindling models and its combination with general antiepileptic drugs (phenobarbital, valproate and nicardipine) at ineffective dose. The influence of dizocilpine on convulsions induced by semicarbazide (SCZ) in mice were also observed.

RESULTSDizocilpine (0.1-0.25 mg.kg-1, i.p.) was shown to dose-dependently inhibit amygdala kindled seizure, shorten the after discharge duration (ADD) and reduce the Racine's stage (P < 0.01). The combination of dizocilpine with phenobarbital, valproate, nicardipine at ineffective dose shortened ADD or reduced Racine's stages (P < 0.01). Dizocilpine (0.1-0.25 mg.kg-1, i.p.) significantly prolonged the latency and reduced the rate of convulsions and death in mice.

CONCLUSIONDizocilpine inhibits the seizure of the amygdala kindling and improve the antiepileptic activity of phenobarbital, valproate and nicardipine, indicating that these combination may provide a new approach for treating epilepsy.

Amygdala ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Animals ; Anticonvulsants ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Dizocilpine Maleate ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Electric Stimulation ; Epilepsy ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Female ; Kindling, Neurologic ; drug effects ; Male ; Mice ; Nicardipine ; pharmacology ; Phenobarbital ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Semicarbazides ; Valproic Acid ; pharmacology