“Runner’s high” refers to a momentary sense of pleasure that suddenly appears during running or other exercise activities, characterized by anti-anxiety, pain relief, and other symptoms. The neurobiological mechanism of “runner’s high” is unclear. This review summarizes human and animal models for studying “runner’s high”, analyzes the neurotransmitters and neural circuits involved in runner’s high, and elucidates the evidence and shortcomings of researches related to “runner’s high”. This review also provides prospects for future research. Research has found that exercise lasting more than 30 min and with an intensity exceeding 70% of the maximum heart rate can reach a “runner’s high”. Human experiments on “runner’s high” mostly use treadmill exercise intervention, and evaluate it through questionnaire surveys, measurement of plasma AEA, miRNA and other indicators. Animal experiments often use voluntary wheel running intervention, and evaluate it through behavioral experiments such as conditional place preference, light dark box experiments (anxiety), hot plate experiments (pain sensitivity), and measurement of plasma AEA and other indicators. Dopamine, endogenous opioid peptides, endogenous cannabinoids, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and other substances increase after exercise, which may be related to the “runner’s high”. However, attention should be paid to the functional differences of these substances in the central and peripheral regions, as well as in different brain regions. Moreover, current studies have not identified the targets of the neurotransmitters or neural factors mentioned above, and further in-depth researches are needed. The mesolimbic dopamine system, prefrontal cortex-nucleus accumbens projection, ventral hippocampus-nucleus accumbens projection, red nucleus-ventral tegmental area projection, cerebellar-ventral tegmental area projection, and brain-gut axis may be involved in the regulation of runner’s high, but there is a lack of direct evidence to prove their involvement. There are still many issues that need to be addressed in the research on the neurobiological mechanisms of “runner’s high”. (1) Most studies on “runner’s high” involve one-time exercise, and the characteristics of changes in “runner’s high” during long-term exercise still need to be explored. (2) The using of scales to evaluate subjects lead to the lacking of objective indicators. However, some potential biomarkers (such as endocannabinoids) have inconsistent characteristics of changes after one-time and long-term exercise. (3) The neurotransmitters involved in the formation of the “runner’s high” all increase in the peripheral and/or central nervous system after exercise. Attention should be paid to whether peripheral substances can enter the blood-brain barrier and the binding effects of neurotransmitters to different receptors are completely different in different brain regions. (4) Most of the current evidence show that some brain regions are activated after exercise. Is there a functional circuit mediating “runner’s high” between these brain regions? (5) Although training at a specific exercise intensity can lead to “runner’s high”, most runners have not experienced “runner’s high”. Can more scientific training methods or technological means be used to make it easier for people to experience the “runner’s high” and thus be more willing to engage in exercise? (6) The “runner’s high” and “addiction” behaviors are extremely similar, and there are evidences that exercise can reverse addictive behaviors. However, why is there still a considerable number of people in the sports population and even athletes who smoke or use addictive drugs instead of pursuing the “pleasure” brought by exercise? Solving the problems above is of great significance for enhancing the desire of exercise, improving the clinical application of neurological and psychiatric diseases through exercise, and enhancing the overall physical fitness of the population.

Objective To explore the safety of Yttrium-90 resin microsphere selective internal radiation therapy (⁹⁰Y-SIRT) on malignant liver tumors. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 64 patients with malignant liver tumors who underwent ⁹⁰Y-SIRT from February 2023 to November 2024 at Weifang People’s Hospital. The clinical characteristics of the patients and the occurrence of adverse reactions after treatment were analyzed to assess the safety of ⁹⁰Y-SIRT. Results Among the 64 patients, there were 52 males (81.25%) and 12 females (18.75%); the average age was (56.29±11.08) years. Seven patients (10.94%) had tumors with maximum diameter of less than 5 cm, 38 patients (59.38%) had tumors with maximum diameter of 5-10 cm, and 19 patients (29.68%) had tumors with maximum diameter of greater than 10 cm. There were 47 cases (73.44%) of solitary lesions and 17 cases (26.56%) of multiple lesions; 53 cases (82.81%) were primary liver cancers and 11 cases (17.19%) were metastatic liver cancers. Of the 64 patients, 63 successfully completed the Technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin (^99mTc-MAA) perfusion test and received the ⁹⁰Y-SIRT; one patient received ⁹⁰Y-SIRT after the second ^99mTc-MAA perfusion test due to a work error. The most common adverse reactions included grade 1 alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation in 26 cases (40.62%) and grade 2 in 2 cases (9.37%), grade 1 aspartate aminotransferase (AST) elevation in 27 cases (42.18%) and grade 2 in 7 cases (10.93%); grade 1 nausea in 17 cases (26.56%) and grade 2 in 6 cases (9.37%); grade 1 abdominal pain in 12 cases (18.75%), grade 2 in 5 cases (7.81%), and grade 3 in 1 case (1.56%); grade 1 vomiting in 11 cases (17.18%), grade 2 in 5 cases (7.81%), and grade 3 in 1 case (1.56%). Conclusion The adverse reactions of ⁹⁰Y-SIRT for treating malignant liver tumors are mild, indicating good safety.

Hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) is one of the main causes of disability in middle-aged and elderly people, as well as high mortality rates and long-term physical impairments in newborns. The pathological manifestations of HIBD include neuronal damage and loss of myelin sheaths. Tau protein is an important microtubule-associated protein in brain, exists in neurons and oligodendrocytes, and regulates various cellular activities such as cell differentiation and maturation, axonal transport, and maintenance of cellular cytoskeleton structure. Phosphorylation is a common chemical modification of Tau. In physiological condition, it maintains normal cell cytoskeleton and biological functions by regulating Tau structure and function. In pathological conditions, it leads to abnormal Tau phosphorylation and influences its structure and functions, resulting in Tauopathies. Studies have shown that brain hypoxia-ischemia could cause abnormal alteration in Tau phosphorylation, then participating in the pathological process of HIBD. Meanwhile, brain hypoxia-ischemia can induce oxidative stress and inflammation, and multiple Tau protein kinases are activated and involved in Tau abnormal phosphorylation. Therefore, exploring specific molecular mechanisms by which HIBD activates Tau protein kinases, and elucidating their relationship with abnormal Tau phosphorylation are crucial for future researches on HIBD related treatments. This review aims to focus on the mechanisms of the role of Tau phosphorylation in HIBD, and the potential relationships between Tau protein kinases and Tau phosphorylation, providing a basis for intervention and treatment of HIBD.
Humans ; tau Proteins/physiology* ; Phosphorylation ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain/physiopathology* ; Animals ; Oxidative Stress

Self-face is a unique and highly distinctive stimulus, not shared with others, and serves as a reliable marker of self-awareness. Compared to other faces, self-face processing exhibits several advantages, including the self-face recognition advantage, self-face attention advantage, and self-face positive processing advantage. The self-face recognition advantage manifests as faster and more accurate identification across different orientations and spatial frequency components, supported by enhanced early event-related potential (ERP) components, such as N170. Attentional biases toward self-face are evident in target detection during spatial tasks and the attentional blink effect in temporal paradigms. However, measurement sensitivity, perceptual load, and task demands contribute to some mixed findings. Positive biases further characterize the self-face processing advantage, with individuals perceiving their faces as more attractive or trustworthy than objective representations. These biases even extend to self-similar others, influencing social behaviors such as trust and voting preferences. Self-face processing advantages have been observed at an unconscious level and are regulated by several factors, including self-esteem, cultural differences, and multisensory integration. Cultural and individual differences play a crucial role in shaping self-face advantages. Individuals from Western cultures, which emphasize independent self-construal, exhibit stronger self-face biases compared to those from East Asian collectivist contexts. Self-esteem also modulates self-face advantages: high-self-esteem individuals generally maintain their self-face recognition advantage despite interference, exhibit attentional prioritization of self-faces, and demonstrate enhanced positive associations with subliminal self-faces. In contrast, low-self-esteem individuals display recognition vulnerabilities to social cues, show context-dependent attentional divergence (prioritizing others’ faces in task-oriented settings while prioritizing self-face in free-viewing tasks), and exhibit reversed positive associations with subliminal self-faces. Multisensory integration, such as synchronized visual-tactile cues, enhances self-face advantages and induces perceptual plasticity. This phenomenon is exemplified by the enfacement illusion, in which synchronous visual and tactile inputs update the mental representation of the self-face, leading to assimilation with another face. Neuroanatomically, self-face processing is predominantly lateralized to the right hemisphere and involves a network of brain regions, including the occipital lobe, temporal lobe, frontal lobe, insula, and cingulate gyrus. Disruptions in these networks are linked to self-face processing deficits in socio-cognitive disorders. For instance, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia are associated with attenuated self-face advantages and abnormal neural activity in regions such as the right inferior frontal gyrus, insula, and posterior cingulate cortex. These findings suggest that self-face processing could serve as a potential biomarker for the early diagnosis and intervention of such disorders. In recent years, researchers have proposed various theoretical explanations for self-face processing and its advantage effects. However, some studies have reported no significant behavioral or neural advantages of self-faces over familiar faces, leaving the specificity of self-face a subject of debate. Further elucidation of self-face specificity requires the adoption of a face association paradigm, which controls for facial familiarity and helps determine whether qualitative differences exist between self-faces and familiar faces. Given the close relationship between self-face processing advantages and socio-cognitive disorders (e.g., ASD, schizophrenia), a deeper understanding of self-face specificity has the potential to provide critical insights into the early identification, classification, and intervention of these disorders. This research holds both theoretical significance and substantial social value.

ObjectiveFunctional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a novel non-invasive technique for monitoring cerebral activity, can be integrated with upper limb rehabilitation robots to facilitate the real-time assessment of neurological rehabilitation outcomes. The rehabilitation robot is designed with 3 training modes: passive, active, and resistance. Among these, the resistance mode has been demonstrated to yield superior rehabilitative outcomes for patients with a certain level of muscle strength. The control modes in the resistance mode can be categorized into dynamic and static control. However, the effects of different control modes in the resistance mode on the motor function of patients with upper limb hemiplegia in stroke remain unclear. Furthermore, the effects of force, an important parameter of different control modes, on the activation of brain regions have rarely been reported. This study investigates the effects of dynamic and static resistance modes under varying resistance levels on cerebral functional alterations during motor rehabilitation in post-stroke patients. MethodsA cohort of 20 stroke patients with upper limb dysfunction was enrolled in the study, completing preparatory adaptive training followed by 3 intensity-level tasks across 2 motor paradigms. The bilateral prefrontal cortices (PFC), bilateral primary motor cortices (M1), bilateral primary somatosensory cortices (S1), and bilateral premotor and supplementary motor cortices (PM) were examined in both the resting and motor training states. The lateralization index (LI), phase locking value (PLV), network metrics were employed to examine cortical activation patterns and topological properties of brain connectivity. ResultsThe data indicated that both dynamic and static modes resulted in significantly greater activation of the contralateral M1 area and the ipsilateral PM area when compared to the resting state. The static patterns demonstrated a more pronounced activation in the contralateral M1 in comparison to the dynamic patterns. The results of brain network analysis revealed significant differences between the dynamic and resting states in the contralateral PFC area and contralateral M1 area (F=4.709, P=0.038), as well as in the contralateral PM area and ipsilateral M1 area (F=4.218, P=0.049). Moreover, the findings indicated a positive correlation between the activation of the M1 region and the increase in force in the dynamic mode, which was reversed in the static mode. ConclusionBoth dynamic and static resistance training modes have been demonstrated to activate the corresponding brain functional regions. Dynamic resistance modes elicit greater oxygen changes and connectivity to the region of interest (ROI) than static resistance modes. Furthermore, the effects of increasing force differ between the two modes. In patients who have suffered a stroke, dynamic modes may have a more pronounced effect on the activation of exercise-related functional brain regions.

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease characterized by abnormal synchronous discharges of brain neurons. The mutation of GRIN1， a key gene encoding the essential GluN1 subunit of N-methyl-D-aspartate （NMDA） receptors， is closely associated with the pathogenesis and progression of epilepsy. This review summarizes research advances in GRIN1 mutation-related epilepsy， with a focus on its molecular mechanisms， clinical phenotypes， factors influencing phenotypic heterogeneity， and treatment strategies. In terms of molecular mechanisms， GRIN1 mutations affect NMDA receptor function through gain-of-function and loss-of-function mechanisms. Clinical phenotypes show significant heterogeneity， including seizure types， age of onset， and comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders. This heterogeneity may be related to the domain where the mutation is located， the mutation type， and the degree of impact on receptor function. Regarding treatment， gain-of-function mutations can be managed with NMDA receptor antagonists， while loss-of-function mutations may be treated with positive allosteric modulators. The ketogenic diet has also demonstrated potential therapeutic effects. This review aims to provide references for basic research and clinical translation in GRIN1 mutation-related epilepsy， and to promote the development of precision diagnosis and treatment.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of warfarin anticoagulation therapy guided by gene test in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device （LVAD） implantation， and to analyze the influencing factors of warfarin anticoagulation efficacy. METHODS Patients who underwent LVAD implantation at the Heart and Vascular Center of Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital from January 2023 to October 2024 and required warfarin anticoagulant therapy were selected as the study subjects. They were divided into genetic testing group （n＝51） and empirical treatment group （n＝17） based on whether they underwent CYP2C9 and VKORC1 gene test. The gene test group was given warfarin based on the predicted dose calculated by gene test， while the empirical treatment group was given warfarin by clinical doctors based on international normalized ratio （INR） experience， all patients were given warfarin once a day. Follow-up observation was conducted for 6 months to compare the effectiveness [time in therapeutic range（TTR）， the time required to reach INR for the first time， the incidence of embolic events， the incidence of INR＜1.5 events] and safety （the incidence of major and minor bleeding events，the incidence of INR＞3.5 events） of warfarin treatment between two groups of patients. According to whether the patient’s TTR was ≥60%， they were divided into TTR≥60% group （n＝20） and TTR＜60% group （n＝48）. Univariate and multivariate binary Logistic regression analysis were used to determine the factors affecting the anticoagulant effect of warfarin in patients. RESULTS The TTR of patients in the gene test group was significantly higher than that in the empirical treatment group （P＜0.05）. The incidence of INR＜1.5 events in the gene test group was significantly lower than in the empirical treatment group （P＜0.05）. The incidence of minor bleeding events and INR＞3.5 events in the gene test group were lower than in the empirical treatment group， but the difference was not statistically significant （P＞0.05）. The results of multivariate binary Logistic regression analysis showed that gene test was an independent protective factor for warfarin anticoagulant therapy [odds ratio （OR）＝10.842， 95% confidence interval （CI）： 1.211-27.037， P＝0.033]， and the combination of statins was an independent risk factor for warfarin anticoagulant therapy [OR＝0.196， 95%CI： 0.045-0.861， P＝0.031]. CONCLUSIONS Under the guidance of gene test， warfarin anticoagulation therapy for LVAD patients after implantation can improve TTR， shorten the anticoagulation target time， and has good safety； meanwhile， it should be noted that the combination of statins may enhance the anticoagulant effect of warfarin， thereby increasing the risk of bleeding in patients.

With the widespread use of antibiotics, drug-resistant bacterial infections have become a significant threat to human health. Finding new antibacterial strategies that can effectively control drug-resistant bacterial infections has become an urgent task. Unlike small molecule drugs that target bacterial proteins, antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) can target genes related to bacterial resistance, pathogenesis, growth, reproduction and biofilm formation. By regulating the expression of these genes, ASO can inhibit or kill bacteria, providing a novel approach for the development of antibacterial drugs. To overcome the challenge of delivering antisense oligonucleotide into bacterial cells, various drug delivery systems have been applied in this field, including cell-penetrating peptides, lipid nanoparticles and inorganic nanoparticles, which have injected new momentum into the development of antisense oligonucleotide in the antibacterial realm. This review summarizes the current development of small nucleic acid drugs, the antibacterial mechanisms, targets, sequences and delivery vectors of antisense oligonucleotide, providing a reference for the research and development of antisense oligonucleotide in the treatment of bacterial infections.

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy and effects on cognitive function of magnetic seizure therapy (MST) and modified electroconvulsive therapy (MECT) in the treatment of major depressive episode (MDE).Methods:From January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021, 40 patients who met the MDE diagnostic criteria in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) were selected in Shanghai Mental Health Center. Participants were randomly assigned to MECT therapy group (20 patients) and MST therapy group (20 patients) using the random number table method. Both groups received MECT or MST while using serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), 3 times a week for 4 weeks. The 17-items Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD 17) and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) were performed before and after treatment. HAMD 17 reduction rate and effective rate were the main assessment indicators, while RBANS total score and factor scores were considered as the secondary assessment indicators. T-test was used to compare the reduction rate of HAMD 17 between the two groups, and corrected Chi-square test or Fisher′s exact probability method was used to compare the effective rate of treatment between the two groups. HAMD 17 scores and RBANS scores before and after treatment were compared using two-factor repeated measure ANOVA. Results:There were no significant differences in baseline HAMD 17 scores and RBANS scores between 2 groups( t=0.29, P=0.773; t=0.67, P=0.509). The treatment effective rate in the MECT group was 90% (18/20), and the average reduction rate of HAMD 17 was 67.9%. Meanwhile, the effective rate of MST group was 75% (15/20), and the average reduction rate of HAMD 17 was 60.9%. There was no significant difference in the reduction rate and effective rate of HAMD 17 between the two groups ( t=0.69, P=0.493; χ2=0.16, P=0.693). The total scores and factor scores of RBANS after treatment were lower than those before treatment, with statistical significance(total scores: F=19.29, P<0.001;immediate memory score: F=6.22, P=0.020; language function score: F=9.13, P=0.006;attention score: F=5.23, P=0.031;delayed memory score: F=35.90, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the total scores and factor scores of RBANS before and after treatment in MST group(total scores: F=0.49, P=0.490;immediate memory score: F=2.25, P=0.147;language function score: F=1.22, P=0.280;attention score: F=0.23, P=0.640;delayed memory score: F=0.02, P=0.887). Conclusions:The efficacy of MST treatment and MECT treatment in treating MDE patients seems to be comparable. MDE patients receiving MST had less impact on cognitive function compared to those treated with MECT.

Objective:Using graph theory analysis, this study compares the topological and node attributes of the brain network to explore the differences in gray matter structural and functional network topological properties between bipolar depression (BD) patients with and without obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS).Methods:A total of 90 BD patients (27 males, 63 females; median age 19.0(22.0, 25.0) years) were recruited from the psychiatric outpatient and inpatient departments of the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University between March 2018 and December 2022. Fifty healthy controls (19 males, 31 females; median age: 23.0 (20.0, 27.0) years) were also enrolled. The BD patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of OCS: 53 with OCS (OCS group) and 37 without OCS (NOCS group). Resting-state structural and functional MRI data were collected for all participants to construct gray matter structural and functional networks. Graph therory analysis was applied to calculate network topological metrics such as small-world properties. The structural and functional network topological properties were compared among the BD-OCS, BD-nOCS, and control groups. Partial correlation analysis was conducted to examine the association between network topological metrics with significant group differences and Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) scores. Support vector machines (SVM) were used with these metrics as classification feature values to improve diagnostic accuracy through pairwise group classification.Results:Structural network analysis of gray matter: compared to HC group, both OCS group and NOCS group showed increased shortest path length and standardized characteristic path length (shortest path length: 0.78 and 0.80 vs. 0.69; normalized characteristic path length: 0.48 and 0.49 vs. 0.43), and decreased global efficiency (0.21 and 0.21 vs. 0.24) compared to the HC group (permutation test, all P<0.05). Compared to NOCS and HC groups, the OCS group showed increased nodal centrality and betweenness centrality in the right rolandic operculum and left superior occipital gyrus (permutation test, all P<0.05). Functional network analysis of gray matter: compared to the NOCS group, the OCS group showed increased node efficiency and decreased betweenness centrality in the cerebellum ( t=2.15, -3.04; all P<0.05); compared to HC groups, the OCS group showed decreased betweenness centrality in the cerebellum and left inferior frontal gyrus, along with increased node centrality and nodal efficiency in the right transverse temporal gyrus ( t=-2.99, -3.61, 3.06, 3.10; all P<0.05). In the OCS group, betweenness centrality in the left inferior frontal gyrus positively correlated with Y-BOCS scale obsessive thinking score ( r=0.303, P=0.034). Nodal centrality and node efficiency of the right transverse temporal gyrus negatively correlated with Y-BOCS total score ( r=-0.301, -0.311) and Y-BOCS obsessional thinking scores ( r=-0.385, -0.380) separately(all P<0.05). SVM classification: the combined network features achieved an area under the curve of 0.80 in distinguising OCS from NOCS patients. Conclusion:BD-OCS and BD-nOCS patients both exhibit consistent changes in gray matter structural network topology, with the OCS group displaying more pronounced nodal topological abnormalities. Multi-network feature integration demostrates potential for diagnostic classfication.