Can Taichi Reshape the Brain? A Brain Morphometry Study

Although research has provided abundant evidence for Taichi-induced improvements in psychological and physiological well-being, little is known about possible links to brain structure of Taichi practice. Using high-resolution MRI of 22 Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) practitioners and 18 controls matched for age, sex and education, we set out to examine the underlying anatomical correlates of long-term Taichi practice at two different levels of regional specificity. For this purpose, parcel-wise and vertex-wise analyses were employed to quantify the difference between TCC practitioners and the controls based on cortical surface reconstruction. We also adopted the Attention Network Test (ANT) to explore the effect of TCC on executive control. TCC practitioners, compared with controls, showed significantly thicker cortex in precentral gyrus, insula sulcus and middle frontal sulcus in the right hemisphere and superior temporal gyrus and medial occipito-temporal sulcus and lingual sulcus in the left hemisphere. Moreover, we found that thicker cortex in left medial occipito-temporal sulcus and lingual sulcus was associated with greater intensity of TCC practice. These findings indicate that long-term TCC practice could induce regional structural change and also suggest TCC might share similar patterns of neural correlates with meditation and aerobic exercise.     

Brain donation: who and why?

Understanding what influences people to donate, or not donate, body organs and tissues is very important for the future of transplant surgery and medical research (Garrick in J Clin Neurosci 13:524–528, 2006). A previous web-based motivation survey coordinated by the New South Wales Tissue Resource Centre found that most people who participated in brain donation were young, female, educated Australians, not affiliated with any particular religion, and with a higher prevalence of medical illness than the general Australian population. It discussed the main motivating factors for brain donation to be “the benefits of the research to medicine and science”. This study has been replicated in a paper-based version to capture a broader cross-section of the general population, to find out who they are and what motivates them to donate. All consented and registered brain donors (n = 1,323) were sent a questionnaire via the post and recipients were given 3 months to complete the questionnaire and return it in a reply paid envelope. Results were entered into the original web-based survey and analyzed using SPSS version 10. Six hundred and fifty-eight questionnaires were returned completed, a response rate of 53%. The results show that people from all age groups are interested in brain donation. The over 65’s are the largest of the groups (30.7%). The majority of the participants were female (60.6%), married (49.2%) with children (65.8%), employed (52.9%) and have a tertiary education (73.3%). They were either non-religious (48.2%) or Christian (41.6%) and were mostly Australian (65.4%). Most (81%) had pledged to donate other organs and tissues for transplantation. The most commonly cited reasons for the donation were to benefit science (27.6%), to benefit medicine (23.9%), a family illness (17.5%) and to benefit the community (16.6%). This study demonstrates that people across all age groups are interested in brain donation. Recruitment of new brain donors could target the over 65 female Australians, who are not religious or Christian and who have also donated other organs and tissues for transplant purposes. It also indicates the need to make donation for research part of the national transplant donation program.     

Can Gonadal Steroids Influence Cell Position in the Developing Brain?

The preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus (POA/AH) is a site where hormones dramatically influence development. The POA/AH is comprised of multiple subgroups, but little is known about the derivation of these subgroups during development. Results from several laboratories suggest that some cells in the POA/AH originate from progenitor cells in other regions of the developing nervous system. We are exploring pathways for migration in the developing POA/AH in two ways. First, we are examining the distribution of radial glial processes as potential migratory guides using immunocytochemistry. We have identified a transient pattern of radial glial processes from the lateral ventricles to the pial surface at the base of the POA/AH. Additionally, the expression of a molecule in radial glial processes originating in the third ventricle was decreased by prenatal treatment with testosterone. Second, we are utilizing time-lapse video microscopy in vitro to assess the extent and direction of movements of fluorescent dye-labeled cells at different ages in brain slice preparations from the POA/AH of developing rats. Data from these studies indicate that cell migration in the POA/AH includes movements along dorsal-ventral routes and from lateral to medial positions, in addition to the predicted medial to lateral pathway away from the third ventricle. Several researchers have examined effects of gonadal steroids on neurite outgrowth, cell differentiation, cell death, and synaptogenesis. The determination of cell position, however, may be a key event influenced by gonadal steroids earlier in development. The characterization of migratory pathways that contribute to permanent changes in brain structure and ultimately function is essential for unraveling the process of sexual differentiation.     

Bridging the Gap: How Can Information Access and Exchange Between Conservation Biologists and Field Practitioners be Improved for Better Conservation Outcomes?

It is widely accepted that there is a considerable gap between the science of conservation biology and the design and execution of biodiversity conservation projects in the field and science is failing to inform the practice of conservation. There are many reasons why this implementation gap exists. A high proportion of papers published in scientific journals by conservation biologists are seldom read outside of the academic world and there are few incentives for academics to convert their science into practice. In turn, field practitioners rarely document their field experiences and experiments in a manner that can meaningfully inform conservation scientists. Issues related to access to scientific literature, scientific relevance in multidisciplinary environments, donor expectations and a lack of critical analysis at all levels of conservation theory and practice are factors that exacerbate the divide. The contexts in which conservation biologists and field practitioners operate are also often highly dissimilar, and each has differing professional responsibilities and expectations that compromise the ability to learn from each other's expertise. Building on recent debate in the literature, and using case studies to illustrate the issues that characterize the divide, this paper draws on the authors' experiences of project management as well as academic research. We identify five key issues related to information exchange: access to scientific literature, levels of scientific literacy, lack of interdisciplinarity, questions of relevance and lack of sharing of conservation-related experiences and suggest new ways of working that could assist in bridging the gap between conservation scientists and field practitioners.     

Brain Evolution: Getting Better All the Time?

Recent studies on bats, goats and hominids suggest that some mammalian brains may have undergone dramatic evolutionary reductions in size. These studies emphasise the importance of selective pressures upon mammalian brain evolution and the need to integrate studies of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and behaviour.     

Functional Imaging: Is the Resting Brain Resting?

It is often assumed that the human brain only becomes active to support overt behaviour. A new study challenges this concept by showing that multiple neural circuits are engaged even at rest. We highlight two complementary hypotheses which seek to explain the function of this resting activity.     

Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy,RNA Toxicity,and the Brain: Trouble Making the Connection?

The study of rare genetic diseases is complicated by the inaccessibility of relevant cells and tissues, especially for neurologic disorders. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Marteyn et?al. (2011) use human embryonic stem cells to identify deficits in neuritic outgrowth in myotonic dystrophy type 1.     

Mechanisms and innovations: Traumatic brain injury: Can the consequences be stopped?

Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of morbidity and death in both industrialized and developing countries. To date, there is no targeted pharmacological treatment that effectively limits the progression of secondary injury. The delayed progression of deterioration of grey and white matter gives hope that a meaningful intervention can be applied in a realistic timeframe following initial trauma. In this review we discuss new insights into the subcellular mechanisms of secondary injury that have highlighted numerous potential targets for intervention.We provide an overview of traumatic brain injury and, in particular, the mechanisms of secondary injury and emerging novel concepts for future intervention strategies. Understanding these processes in greater detail can identify feasible time frame for treatment and targets for meaningful interventions.Severe traumatic brain injury continues to be a leading cause of death and morbidity in North America.^1–8 The incidence of mild traumatic brain injury is high, and it is a major management problem for clinicians and a considerable source of frustration for patients. The economic and social burden of traumatic brain injury has implications on a global scale, with incidences in developing countries rising as the rate of vehicle use outpaces the development of safety infrastructure.^9,10 In addition, traumatic brain injury is now a major focus of casualty care in combat areas, as it is the principal cause of mortality and morbidity especially because of the recent surge in the use of low-cost, yet powerful, explosive devices directed at civilian and military personnel.¹¹Extensive literature aimed at understanding the tissue, cellular, inflammatory and subcellular processes following traumatic brain injury have proven unequivocally that these pathophysiological events are delayed and progressive in nature. Although the greatest impact on survival and outcome to date may be attributed to systemic and intracranial physiologic management (e.g., fluid resuscitation, intracranial pressure monitoring), future mitigation of the progression of secondary injury will likely be through molecular, gene and pharmacologic interventions. The prospect of gene therapy and pharmacologic treatments require physicians to be familiar with the subcellular mechanisms of brain injury.     

Causal Relationship between Physiological and Pathological Processes in the Brain and in the Gastrointestinal Tract: The Brain–Intestine Axis

Biophysics - The brain and gastrointestinal tract are the most important organs responsible for detecting, transmitting, integrating, and responding to signals coming from the internal and external...     

Brain and testis: more alike than previously thought?

Several strands of evidence indicate the presence of marked similarities between human brain and testis. Understanding these similarities and their implications has become a topic of interest among the scientific community. Indeed, an association of intelligence with some semen quality parameters has been reported and a relation between dysfunctions of the human brain and testis has also been evident. Numerous common molecular features are evident when these tissues are compared, which is reflected in the huge number of common proteins. At the functional level, human neurons and sperm share a number of characteristics, including the importance of the exocytotic process and the presence of similar receptors and signalling pathways. The common proteins are mainly involved in exocytosis, tissue development and neuron/brain-associated biological processes. With this analysis, we conclude that human brain and testis share several biochemical characteristics which, in addition to their involvement in the speciation process, could, at least in part, be responsible for the expression of a huge number of common proteins. Nonetheless, this is an underexplored topic, and the connection between these tissues needs to be clarified, which could help to understand the dysfunctions affecting brain and testis, as well as to develop improved therapeutic strategies.     

Selenium Digestibility and Bioactivity in Dogs: What the Can Can,the Kibble Can’t

There is a growing concern for the long-term health effects of selenium (Se) over- or underfeeding. The efficiency of utilization of dietary Se is subject to many factors. Our study in dogs evaluated the effect of diet type (canned versus kibble) and dietary protein concentration on Se digestibility and bioactivity. Canned and kibble diets are commonly used formats of dog food, widely ranging in protein concentration. Twenty-four Labrador retrievers were used and four canned and four kibble diets were selected with crude protein concentrations ranging from 10.1 to 27.5 g/MJ. Crude protein concentration had no influence on the digestibility of Se in either canned or kibble diets, but a lower Se digestibility was observed in canned compared to kibble diets. However, the biological activity of Se, as measured by whole blood glutathione peroxidase, was higher in dogs fed the canned diets than in dogs fed the kibble diets and decreased with increasing crude protein intake. These results indicate that selenium recommendations in dog foods need to take diet type into account.     

Taurine and Brain Development: Trophic or Cytoprotective Actions?

The decline of taurine content during brain maturation as well as the consequences of taurine deficiency disturbing brain development, suggest its involvement in basic processes of developing brain cells. If taurine participates in cell protection, differentiation or proliferation in the developing brain is as yet unclear. Extensive and solid evidence supports taurine cytoprotective actions, directly or indirectly related to an antioxidant effect. Since redox status and oxidative stress are now implicated in signalling processes regulating cell differentiation and proliferation, the question is raised of whether the taurine antioxidant activity is on the basis of its requirement during brain development.