Striatum

ADHD: inattention and hyperactivity have been the focus of research – but emotional problems may be the missing link

Retrieved on: 
Saturday, June 10, 2023
Dopamine, Learning, Technology, Depression, University, IPad, Nature Medicine, DSM-IV codes, Prevalence, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder predominantly inattentive, Impulsivity, Solution, Parent, Anxiety, Neuroimaging, Reward, Prefrontal cortex, Prescription, Brain, Emotion, Attention, Research, Decoder, Methylphenidate, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Emotional dysregulation, Anxiety disorder, Cognitive development, Self-control, National Health, Mood disorder, Sibling, Time, Serotonin, Striatum, NP, National Health Interview Survey, Fudan University, Deficit spending, Motivation, Diagnosis, Ageing, DSM-5, Function (mathematics), Mental health, Dietary supplement, Toy, Medical imaging, Nursing, ADHD

ADHD is diagnosed using criteria from a document called DSM-5, which include symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Key Points: 
  • ADHD is diagnosed using criteria from a document called DSM-5, which include symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
  • But it is becoming increasingly clear to researchers that the condition also comes with self-control problems, affecting the ability to regulate emotions.
  • For example, 2.1% of children with a diagnosis of ADHD also have a mood disorder, such as depression, while 27.4% have an anxiety disorder.
  • Children with anxiety and depression symptoms only exhibited those deficits if they also had problems with attention.
  • So it seems that one possible route to helping children with ADHD or mood disorders with cognitive development is to focus on improving their attention.

Treatments

    • Methylphenidate roughly works by increasing three chemicals in the brain: dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline.
    • Dopamine can improve attention, learning, working memory and motivation, while noradrenaline reduces impulsivity and boosts attention.
    • This research suggests that cognitive control, which is associated with frontal areas, can be improved by methylphenidate.
    • This should be offered to children with ADHD, in conjunction with pharmacological treatments.

ADHD on the rise

    • The number of ADHD diagnoses are rising across the world, and so are prescriptions of methylphenidate.
    • In the UK, a study estimated that the use of ADHD medications has increased by almost 800% from 2000 to 2015.
    • It may be that the prevalence of ADHD will increase even more in the future as coping strategies become less effective and people seek help and ultimately receive a diagnosis.
    • The more we learn about brain basis of ADHD, the easier it will get to treat.

Algernon Pharmaceuticals Highlights New Animal Study Showing Effectiveness of Psychedelic Drug DMT in Treatment of Stroke

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, May 27, 2021
Branches of biology, Amines, Entheogens, Ayahuasca, Anatomy, N,N-Dimethyltryptamine, Reperfusion injury, Ischemia, Striatum

One of the studys authors is Dr. Ede Frecska who recently joined Algernon as a consultant to its DMT stroke program.

Key Points: 
  • One of the studys authors is Dr. Ede Frecska who recently joined Algernon as a consultant to its DMT stroke program.
  • Algernon recently established a clinical research program for the treatment of stroke focused on DMT.
  • This study is further evidence that DMT must be investigated as a possible treatment for stroke, said Christopher J. Moreau, CEO of Algernon Pharmaceuticals.
  • Treatment with DMT increased viability of astrocytes in the cortex (3.2 vs. 1.5%, DMT vs. vehicle) and striatum (2.3 vs. 0.9%, DMT vs. vehicle) after ischemia/hypoxia/reperfusion injury (p

Research Provides New Insight on Functional Changes That Regular Coffee Drinking has on The Brain

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Branches of biology, Psychoactive drugs, Neuroscience, Magnetic resonance imaging, Neuroimaging, Cerebrum, Anxiolytics, Theanine, Caffeine, Coffee, Functional magnetic resonance imaging, Striatum

These areas of the brain include the cerebellum, striatum, thalamus, parahipocampus, and the lingual and inferior occipital gyri1.\nInterestingly, the structural and connectivity differences observed among regular coffee drinkers in this research also occurred in non-coffee drinkers soon after they consumed a cup of coffee.

Key Points: 
  • These areas of the brain include the cerebellum, striatum, thalamus, parahipocampus, and the lingual and inferior occipital gyri1.\nInterestingly, the structural and connectivity differences observed among regular coffee drinkers in this research also occurred in non-coffee drinkers soon after they consumed a cup of coffee.
  • By using fMRI technology, we were able to observe the effect of coffee on the brain\xe2\x80\x99s functional connectivity and structure, and the differences between regular coffee drinkers and non-coffee drinkers, in real-time.
  • (2021) Habitual coffee drinkers display a distinct pattern of brain functional connectivity.
  • (2018) l - Theanine and caffeine improve target-specific attention to visual stimuli by decreasing mind wandering: a human functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Novel Gene Therapy Generated New Functional Neurons in Mouse Models of Huntington's Disease (HD)

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, March 12, 2020
Research, FDA, Clinical trials, Biotechnology, Other Health, Health, Pharmaceutical, Other Science, Science, Branches of biology, Organ systems, Nervous system, Basal ganglia, Addiction, Medical terminology, Neuron, Striatum, Neurodegeneration, Huntington's disease, Brain, Medium spiny neuron

NeuExcell Therapeutics, Inc. , an early-stage gene therapy company focusing on neurodegenerative diseases, today announced the publication of research demonstrating proof of principle for the companys investigational gene therapy, which generated functional new neurons in animal models of Huntingtons disease (HD).

Key Points: 
  • NeuExcell Therapeutics, Inc. , an early-stage gene therapy company focusing on neurodegenerative diseases, today announced the publication of research demonstrating proof of principle for the companys investigational gene therapy, which generated functional new neurons in animal models of Huntingtons disease (HD).
  • They can project their nerve fibers to the right target areas of the brain and make functional connections with other neurons.
  • Essentially, this novel gene therapy produces the right type of neurons in the right place to perform the proper functions.
  • Gene therapy conversion of striatal astrocytes into GABAergic neurons in mouse models of Huntington's disease.

Lysogene Announces the Publication of an Article in the Scientific Journal "Molecular Therapy Methods & Clinical Development” Demonstrating the Potential of Its Drug Candidate LYS-SAF302

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Health, Genetics, Clinical trials, Research, Science, Biotechnology, Brain, Basal ganglia, Putamen, Striatum

LYS-SAF302 was administered to 5-week-old MPS IIIA mice at three different doses (8.6E+08, 4.1E+10, and 9.0E+10 vg/animal) injected into the caudate putamen/striatum and thalamus.

Key Points: 
  • LYS-SAF302 was administered to 5-week-old MPS IIIA mice at three different doses (8.6E+08, 4.1E+10, and 9.0E+10 vg/animal) injected into the caudate putamen/striatum and thalamus.
  • Lysogene is a gene therapy company focused on the treatment of orphan diseases of the central nervous system (CNS).
  • www.lysogene.com
    This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements, especially on the Companys progress of its phase 2-3 clinical trial and cash runway.
  • In the event of any differences between the two texts, the French language version shall supersede.

Inscopix's Brain Imaging Platform Promises to Advance Therapeutic Development for Parkinson's Disease

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, May 3, 2018
Brain, Basal ganglia, Addiction, Cerebrum, Striatum, Parkinson's disease, Substantia nigra, Primate basal ganglia system

The researchers used state-of-the-art brain imaging technology, a miniature microscope-based platform from the Silicon Valley neurotechnology company, Inscopix, to peer into a brain region called the striatum in a mouse model of PD.

Key Points: 
  • The researchers used state-of-the-art brain imaging technology, a miniature microscope-based platform from the Silicon Valley neurotechnology company, Inscopix, to peer into a brain region called the striatum in a mouse model of PD.
  • By monitoring activity in hundreds of neurons simultaneously in the living brain, they observed aberrations in striatal activity patterns that encode voluntary movement.
  • "The striatal circuits of motor control are critical for disease states such as Parkinson's disease, and restoration of neural ensemble function holds great potential as a circuit endophenotype for therapeutic development," said Dr. Ehlers, the study's co-lead.
  • PD drug development has traditionally used restoration of motor behavior in animal models as a predictor of the compound's clinical efficacy.