Neural mechanisms of feature binding

An object is usually composed of different features(e.g.,color,orientation,and motion),which are processed by segregated visual pathways and represented by functionally specialized brain areas.However,we perceive an object as a coherent whole,rather than its isolated features.How we integrate those isolated features and achieve a precise perception of objects is a fundamental challenge for the visual system,which is referred to as the binding problem.

Analysis of fluoxetine-induced plasticity mechanisms as a strategy for understanding plasticity related neural disorders

Fluoxetine hydrochloride,better known for its commercial name Prozac,is one of the most widely prescribed antidepressant drugs all over the world.This drug was considered a＂breakthrough drug＂for the treatment of depression because of its very high selectivity as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and because it presented a lower side-effectprofile than previous drugs （Wong et al., 2005）.

Neural mechanism of proposer's decision-making in the ultimatum and dictator games

Previous studies have demonstrated that reactions to unfair offers in the ultimatum game are correlated with negative emotion. However, little is known about the difference in neural activity between a proposer＇s decision-making in the ultimatum game compared with the dictator game. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging study revealed that proposing fair offers in the dictator game elicited greater activation in the right supramarginal gyrus, right medial frontal gyrus and left anterior cingulate cortex compared with proposing fair offers in the ultimatum game in 23 Chinese undergraduate and graduate students from Beijing Normal University in China. However, greater activation was found in the right superior temporal gyrus and left cingulate gyrus for the reverse contrast. ＂The results indicate that proposing fair offers in the dictator game is more strongly associated with cognitive control and conflicting information processing compared with proposing fair offers in the ultimatum game.

Streptozotocin induced Alzheimer's disease like changes and the underlying neural degeneration and regeneration mechanism

Alzheimer’s disease（AD）is a neurodegenerative disorder which is remarkably characterized by pathological hallmarks that include neurofibrillary tangles,neuronal loss extracellular senile plaques containing aggregated amyloid beta（Aβ）,and neurofibrillary tangles composed of the hyperphosphorylated form of the microtubule protein tau.It is the most common form of dementia which is characterized by severe neurodegenerative changes such as loss of neurons and synapses in brain（Kamat et al.,2014）.

Neural-mechanism-driven image block encryption algorithm incorporating a hyperchaotic system and cloud model

An image encryption algorithm is proposed in this paper based on a new four-dimensional hyperchaotic system,a neural mechanism,a Galois field and an improved Feistel block structure,which improves the efficiency and enhances the security of the encryption algorithm.Firstly,a four-dimensional hyperchaotic system with a large key space and chaotic dynamics performance is proposed and combined with a cloud model,in which a more complex and random sequence is constructed as the key stream,and the problem of chaotic periodicity is solved.Then,the key stream is combined with the neural mechanism,Galois field and improved Feistel block structure to scramble and diffuse the image encryption.Finally,the experimental results and security analysis show that the encryption algorithm has a good encryption effect and high encryption efficiency,is secure,and can meet the requirements of practical applications.

Diffusion tensor tractography studies on mechanisms of recovery of injured fornix

The fornix,which connects the medial temporal lobe and the medial diencephalon,is involved in episodic memory as an important part of the Papez circuit.The mechanisms of recovery of an injured fornix revealed by diffusion tensor tractography in the five studies are summarized as follows：1） recovery through the nerve tract from an injured fornical crus to the medial temporal lobe via the normal pathway of the fornical crus;2）recovery through the nerve tract originating from an ipsi-lesional fornical body connected to the ipsi-lesional medial temporal lobe via the splenium of the corpus callosum;3） recovery through the nerve tract from the ipsi-lesional fornical body extending to the contra-lesional medial temporal lobe via the splenium of the corpus callosum;4） recovery through the nerve tract originating from the ipsi-lesional fornical column connected to the ipsi-lesional medial temporal lobe;and 5） recovery through the nerve tract originating from the contra-lesional fornical column connected to the ipsi-lesional medial temporal lobe via the contra-lesional medial temporal lobe and the splenium of the corpus callosum.These diffusion tensor tractography studies on mechanisms of recovery of injured fornical crus appeared to provide useful information for clinicians caring for patients with brain injury,however,studies on this topic are still in the beginning stages.

Facial Expression Recognition Using Enhanced Convolution Neural Network with Attention Mechanism

Facial Expression Recognition(FER)has been an interesting area of research in places where there is human-computer interaction.Human psychol-ogy,emotions and behaviors can be analyzed in FER.Classifiers used in FER have been perfect on normal faces but have been found to be constrained in occluded faces.Recently,Deep Learning Techniques(DLT)have gained popular-ity in applications of real-world problems including recognition of human emo-tions.The human face reflects emotional states and human intentions.An expression is the most natural and powerful way of communicating non-verbally.Systems which form communications between the two are termed Human Machine Interaction(HMI)systems.FER can improve HMI systems as human expressions convey useful information to an observer.This paper proposes a FER scheme called EECNN(Enhanced Convolution Neural Network with Atten-tion mechanism)to recognize seven types of human emotions with satisfying results in its experiments.Proposed EECNN achieved 89.8%accuracy in classi-fying the images.

Neural Mechanism Underlying Task-Specific Enhancement of Motor Learning by Concurrent Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

The optimal protocol for neuromodulation by transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS)remains unclear.Using the rotarod paradigm,we found that mouse motor learning was enhanced by anodal tDCS(3.2 mA/cm^(2))during but not before or after the performance of a task.Dual-task experiments showed that motor learning enhancement was specific to the task accompanied by anodal tDCS.Studies using a mouse model of stroke induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion showed that concurrent anodal tDCS restored motor learning capability in a task-specific manner.Transcranial in vivo Ca^(2+)imaging further showed that anodal tDCS elevated and cathodal tDCS suppressed neuronal activity in the primary motor cortex(M1).Anodal tDCS specifically promoted the activity of task-related M1 neurons during task performance,suggesting that elevated Hebbian synaptic potentiation in task-activated circuits accounts for the motor learning enhancement.Thus,application of tDCS concurrent with the targeted behavioral dysfunction could be an effective approach to treating brain disorders.

Bio-Inspired Controller for a Robot Cheetah with a Neural Mechanism Controlling Leg Muscles

The realization of a high-speed running robot is one of the most challenging problems in developing legged robots. The excellent performance of cheetahs provides inspiration for the control and mechanical design of such robots. This paper presents a three-dimensional model of a cheetah that predicts the locomotory behaviors of a running cheetah. Applying biological knowledge of the neural mechanism, we control the muscle flexion and extension during the stance phase, and control the positions of the joints in the flight phase via a PD controller to minimize complexity. The proposed control strategy is shown to achieve similar locomotion of a real cheetah. The simulation realizes good biological properties, such as the leg retraction, ground reaction force, and spring-like leg behavior. The stable bounding results show the promise of the controller in high-speed locomotion. The model can reach 2.7 m-s^-1 as the highest speed, and can accelerate from 0 to 1.5 m-s^-1 in one stride cycle. A mechanical structure based on this simulation is designed to demonstrate the control approach, and the most recently developed hindlimb controlled by the proposed controller is presented in swinging-leg experiments and jump-force experiments.

Neural plasticity in high-level visual cortex underlying object perceptual learning

With intensive training, human can achieve impressive behavioral improvement on various perceptual tasks. This phenomenon, termed perceptual learning, has long been considered as a hallmark of the plasticity of sensory neural system. Not surprisingly, high-level vision, such as object perception, can also be improved by perceptual learning. Here we review recent psychophysical, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging studies investigating the effects of training on object selective cortex, such as monkey inferior temporal cortex and human lateral occipital area. Evidences show that learning leads to an increase in object selectivity at the single neuron level and/or the neuronal population level. These findings indicate that high-level visual cortex in humans is highly plastic and visual experience can strongly shape neural functions of these areas. At the end of the review, we discuss several important future directions in this area.

Researchers revealed a neural mechanism underlying body temperature regulation

Subject Code:C09 With the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,a research group led by Dr.Shen Wei(沈伟)from Shanghai Tech University has deconstructed a neural circuit for body temperature regulation,which was published in PNAS(2017,114:2042—2047).

延髓头端腹外侧区在电针预处理减轻心肌缺血再灌注损伤中的作用

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of pretreatment with electroacupuncture (EA) on neuron activity in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) of rats with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) and explore the central regulatory mechanism of EA in attenuating MIRI.MethodsOf 72 SD rats, 12 were randomly allocated into the group of EA pretreatment + RVLM nucleus damage (EA + RVLM lesion group). The other 60 rats were randomized (20 rats each) into a sham-operation group, a model group, and an EA pretreatment group (EA group). Except for the rats in the sham-operation group, the models of MIRI were prepared by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery in the model, EA, and EA + RVLM lesion groups. The rats of the EA group were intervened with EA at “Shénmén (神门HT7)” and “Tōnglĭ (通里HT5)”, 1 mA in current intensity and 2 Hz in frequency, for 20 min each time per day. Before modeling, the intervention was given for seven consecutive days. In the EA + RVLM lesion group, 3 weeks after microinjection with the neuronal apoptotic virus at bilateral RVLM, the same EA intervention as the EA group was provided. Afterward, the MIRI models were prepared. In the model group, no EA intervention was given. Using Powerlab electrophysiolograph, ST segment displacement value and arrhythmia score were recorded and analyzed before modeling, 30 min after ligation, and 120 min after reperfusion in each group. The concentration of cardiac troponin (cTnl) was detected with an ELISA assay kit. Using immunofluorescence staining, the expression level of c-fos protein of RVLM was detected in the sham-operation, model, and EA groups separately. Plexon multichannel acquisition processor was adopted to record the neuronal firing and field potential of RVLM in the sham-operation, model, and EA groups.ResultsST segment displacement value, arrhythmia score, and cTnl concentration 30 min after ligation and 120 min after reperfusion were all elevated in the model group compared to the sham-operation group (all P < 0.01). ST segment displacement value, arrhythmia score, and cTnl concentration were lower in the EA group compared to the model and EA + RVLM lesion groups (P < 0.01). Compared with the sham-operation group, the expression level of c-fos and the total firing frequency in RVLM were significantly higher in the model group (P < 0.01). However, the expression level of c-fos and the total firing frequency in RVLM were lower in the EA group compared with the model group (P < 0.01).ConclusionElectroacupuncture pretreatment may induce changes in c-fos protein expression and neuronal activity in RVLM to mitigate myocardial lesions. RVLM plays an important role in electroacupuncture pretreatment for alleviating MIRI.

Unique Pharmacology,Brain Dysfunction,and Therapeutic Advancements for Fentanyl Misuse and Abuse

Fentanyl is a fully synthetic opioid with analgesic and anesthetic properties.It has become a primary driver of the deadliest opioid crisis in the United States and elsewhere,consequently imposing devastating social,economic,and health burdens worldwide.However,the neural mechanisms that underlie the behavioral effects of fentanyl and its analogs are largely unknown,and approaches to prevent fentanyl abuse and fentanyl-related overdose deaths are scarce.This review presents the abuse potential and unique pharmacology of fentanyl and elucidates its potential mechanisms of action,including neural circuit dysfunction and neuroinflammation.We discuss recent progress in the development of pharmacological interventions,anti-fentanyl vaccines,anti-fentanyl/heroin conjugate vaccines,and monoclonal antibodies to attenuate fentanyl-seeking and prevent fentanyl-induced respiratory depression.However,translational studies and clinical trials are still lacking.Considering the present opioid crisis,the development of effective pharmacological and immunological strategies to prevent fentanyl abuse and overdose are urgently needed.

Insular Cortex is Critical for the Perception, Modulation,and Chronification of Pain

An increasing body of neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies of the brain suggest that the insular cortex（IC） integrates multimodal salient information ranging from sensation to cognitive-affective events to create conscious interoception. Especially with regard to pain experience, the IC has been supposed to participate in both sensory-discriminative and affective-motivational aspects of pain. In this review, we discuss the latest data proposing that subregions of the IC are involved in isolated pain networks： the posterior sensory circuit and the anterior emotional network. Due to abundant connections with other brain areas, the IC is likely to serve as an interface where cross-modal shaping of pain occurs. In chronic pain,however, this mode of emotional awareness and the modulation of pain are disrupted. We highlight some of the molecular mechanisms underlying the changes of the pain modulation system that contribute to the transition from acute to chronic pain in the IC.

Roles of physical exercise in neurodegeneration:reversal of epigenetic clock

The epigenetic clock is defned by the DNA methylation(DNAm)level and has been extensively applied to distinguish biological age from chronological age.Aging-related neurodegeneration is associated with epigenetic alteration,which determines the status of diseases.In recent years,extensive research has shown that physical exercise(PE)can afect the DNAm level,implying a reversal of the epigenetic clock in neurodegeneration.PE also regulates brain plas‑ticity,neuroinfammation,and molecular signaling cascades associated with epigenetics.This review summarizes the efects of PE on neurodegenerative diseases via both general and disease-specifc DNAm mechanisms,and discusses epigenetic modifcations that alleviate the pathological symptoms of these diseases.This may lead to probing of the underpinnings of neurodegenerative disorders and provide valuable therapeutic references for cognitive and motor dysfunction.

Post‑traumatic Stress Disorder:Relationship to Traumatic Brain Injury and Approach to Forensic Psychiatry Evaluation

Posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD)has an important and complex relationship with traumatic brain injury(TBI).The prevalence of comorbid PTSD and TBI is increasing in both military and civilian populations.Moreover,TBI has emerged as an important risk factor for the development and manifestation of PTSD.Meanwhile,PTSD is also a significant mediator of the negative sequelae of TBI.PTSD and TBI,especially mild TBI(mTBI),have overlapping neural substrates and neuroanatomical functional features.Given that comorbid PTSD and TBI remain a challenge for forensic psychiatry evaluation,we review the relationship between the two disorders and discuss special considerations during evaluation of the condition.