ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Recent studies have suggested that the hippocampus (HC) is involved in cognitive and behavioral functions beyond memory. We aimed to investigate how the volume of each subfield of the HC is associated with distinct patterns of coping strategies, emotion regulation, and impulsivity in a healthy population. METHODS: We studied a total of 218 healthy subjects using the Leipzig mind-brain-body dataset. Participants were assessed for coping strategies, emotion regulation, and impulsivity using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (COPE), Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS), and Behavioral Activation and Inhibition System (BAS/BIS). The associations between HC subfield volumes including CA1, CA2/3, CA4/DG, SR-SL-SM, and subiculum, and behavioral scores were examined using multiple linear regression models adjusted for possible confounders, including age, sex, years of education, handedness, total intracranial volume (ICV), and HC volume. RESULTS: The use of emotional support, venting, and positive reframing coping strategies were significantly and positively correlated with total, total right, and total left HC volumes. Venting was significantly associated with CA1 after adjusting for age, sex, handedness, and education (P=0.001, B = 0.265, P-FDR = 0.005). No significant association was observed between CERQ subscales and HC subfield volumes after controlling for confounders and multiple analyses. However, sensation-seeking subscale of the UPPS-P was positively correlated with total and right CA2-CA3 volumes after adjustments for age, sex, handedness, ICV, and HC volumes (P=0.002, B = 0.266, P-FDR = 0.035). BAS and BIS subscales did not show significant relationship with HC subfield volumes. CONCLUSION: Patterns of HC subfields volumes are associated with coping strategies, impulsivity, and emotion regulation. In particular, using emotional support, positive reframing, venting, and sensation seeking are significantly associated with certain HC subfield volumes. These findings suggest that the hippocampus may play a crucial role in modulating emotional responses and behavioral adaptations, offering potential targets for therapeutic interventions.
ABSTRACT
Objective: Intracerebral delivery of agents in liquid form is usually achieved through commercially available and durable metal needles. However, their size and texture may contribute to mechanical brain damage. Glass pipettes with a thin tip may significantly reduce injection-associated brain damage but require access to prohibitively expensive programmable pipette pullers. This study is to remove the economic barrier to the application of minimally invasive delivery of therapeutics to the brain, such as chemical compounds, viral vectors, and cells. Methods: We took advantage of the rapid development of free educational online resources and emerging low-cost 3D printers by designing an affordable pipette puller (APP) to remove the cost obstacle. Results: We showed that our APP could produce glass pipettes with a sharp tip opening down to 20 µm or less, which is sufficiently thin for the delivery of therapeutics into the brain. A pipeline from pipette pulling to brain injection using low-cost and open-source equipment was established to facilitate the application of the APP. Conclusion: In the spirit of frugal science, our device may democratize glass pipette-puling and substantially promote the application of minimally invasive and precisely controlled delivery of therapeutics to the brain for finding more effective therapies of brain diseases.