Correlatos neuroanatómicos y neuropsicológicos del comportamiento de adicción a las compras. Una revisión sistemática / Neuroanatomical and neuropsychological correlates of shopping addiction behaviour. A systematic review

Introducción: La incidencia de la compra compulsiva ha aumentado en las últimas dos décadas y supone un impacto negativo sustancial en el funcionamiento general de los consumidores. No obstante, a pesar de su relevancia clínica, todavía se desconocen los mecanismos neuropsicológicos y los correlatos neurales subyacentes a este fenómeno. Asimismo, el comportamiento de compra compulsiva continúa sin reconocerse como una categoría diagnóstica perteneciente a los trastornos adictivos. Objetivo El objetivo del estudio es analizar de forma sistemática la evidencia empírica disponible sobre la compra compulsiva con la finalidad de identificar las variables neuropsicológicas y los correlatos neurales subyacentes. Materiales y métodos Se realizó una búsqueda en PubMed, Scopus y ScienceDirect sobre los mecanismos subyacentes a este fenómeno. Resultados Los resultados muestran únicamente 11 estudios recientes que indagan sobre estos mecanismos. Además, se realizó un registro previo del protocolo de esta revisión sistemática en el registro internacional PROSPERO (número de registro CRD42023427497). Conclusiones Los estudios analizados aluden a una alteración en la función ejecutiva, en la toma de decisiones y en la sensibilidad a la recompensa, y una tendencia a la reactividad de señales relacionadas con las compras. Este patrón conductual parece implicar una pérdida del control del comportamiento vinculado a la desregulación de estructuras como el estriado y las regiones frontales. Se examinan los resultados obtenidos y se analizan las similitudes existentes con los mecanismos subyacentes a otras adicciones. (AU)

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of compulsive buying has increased over the last two decades and it has a substantial negative impact on consumers’ overall functioning. However, despite its clinical relevance, the neuropsychological mechanisms and neural correlates underlying this phenomenon are still unknown. Also, compulsive buying behaviour remains unrecognised as a diagnostic category belonging to addictive disorders. AIM The aim of the study is to systematically analyse the available empirical evidence on compulsive buying in order to identify the underlying neuropsychological variables and neural correlates. MATERIALS AND METHODS PubMed, Scopus and ScienceDirect were searched for the mechanisms behind this phenomenon. RESULTS The results show only 11 recent studies that investigate these mechanisms. In addition, the protocol of this systematic review was pre-registered in the international PROSPERO register (registration number CRD42023427497). CONCLUSIONS The studies reviewed refer to impaired executive functions, decision-making and sensitivity to rewards, and a tendency to reactivity to purchase-related cues. This pattern of behaviour appears to involve a loss of behavioural control linked to dysregulation of structures such as the striatum and frontal regions. The results obtained are examined and similarities with the mechanisms underlying other addictions are discussed. (AU)

The nonhuman primate neuroimaging and neuroanatomy project.

Multi-modal neuroimaging projects such as the Human Connectome Project (HCP) and UK Biobank are advancing our understanding of human brain architecture, function, connectivity, and their variability across individuals using high-quality non-invasive data from many subjects. Such efforts depend upon the accuracy of non-invasive brain imaging measures. However, 'ground truth' validation of connectivity using invasive tracers is not feasible in humans. Studies using nonhuman primates (NHPs) enable comparisons between invasive and non-invasive measures, including exploration of how "functional connectivity" from fMRI and "tractographic connectivity" from diffusion MRI compare with long-distance connections measured using tract tracing. Our NonHuman Primate Neuroimaging & Neuroanatomy Project (NHP_NNP) is an international effort (6 laboratories in 5 countries) to: (i) acquire and analyze high-quality multi-modal brain imaging data of macaque and marmoset monkeys using protocols and methods adapted from the HCP; (ii) acquire quantitative invasive tract-tracing data for cortical and subcortical projections to cortical areas; and (iii) map the distributions of different brain cell types with immunocytochemical stains to better define brain areal boundaries. We are acquiring high-resolution structural, functional, and diffusion MRI data together with behavioral measures from over 100 individual macaques and marmosets in order to generate non-invasive measures of brain architecture such as myelin and cortical thickness maps, as well as functional and diffusion tractography-based connectomes. We are using classical and next-generation anatomical tracers to generate quantitative connectivity maps based on brain-wide counting of labeled cortical and subcortical neurons, providing ground truth measures of connectivity. Advanced statistical modeling techniques address the consistency of both kinds of data across individuals, allowing comparison of tracer-based and non-invasive MRI-based connectivity measures. We aim to develop improved cortical and subcortical areal atlases by combining histological and imaging methods. Finally, we are collecting genetic and sociality-associated behavioral data in all animals in an effort to understand how genetic variation shapes the connectome and behavior.

Tools and resources for neuroanatomy education: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this review was to identify studies exploring neuroanatomy teaching tools and their impact in learning, as a basis towards the implementation of a neuroanatomy program in the context of a curricular reform in medical education. METHODS: Computer-assisted searches were conducted through March 2017 in the PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Current Contents Connect, KCI and Scielo Citation Index databases. Four sets of keywords were used, combining "neuroanatomy" with "education", "teaching", "learning" and "student*". Studies were reviewed independently by two readers, and data collected were confirmed by a third reader. RESULTS: Of the 214 studies identified, 29 studies reported data on the impact of using specific neuroanatomy teaching tools. Most of them (83%) were published in the last 8 years and were conducted in the United States of America (65.52%). Regarding the participants, medical students were the most studied sample (37.93%) and the majority of the studies (65.52%) had less than 100 participants. Approximately half of the studies included in this review used digital teaching tools (e.g., 3D computer neuroanatomy models), whereas the remaining used non-digital learning tools (e.g., 3D physical models). CONCLUSIONS: Our work highlight the progressive interest in the study of neuroanatomy teaching tools over the last years, as evidenced from the number of publications and highlight the need to consider new tools, coping with technological development in medical education.

El problema cerebro-mente (II): sobre la conciencia / The mind-brain problem (II): about consciousness

Introducción. La conciencia es el resultado de una serie de procesos neurobiológicos en el cerebro y a su vez es un rasgo del nivel de su complejidad. En realidad, el estar y el ser consciente nos sitúan ante lo que Chalmers ha denominado el ‘problema blando’ y el ‘problema duro’ de la conciencia. El primero hace referencia a aspectos como la vigilia, la atención o el conocimiento, y el segundo a conceptos tan complejos como autoconciencia, ‘yo neural’ o cognición social. En este sentido se puede afirmar que el concepto de conciencia como algo unitario plantea problemas de acercamiento a una realidad sumamente compleja. Desarrollo. Planteamos los principales modelos que desde una perspectiva neurocientífica han abordado el tema de la conciencia. Por un lado, los modelos de experiencia consciente de Crick, Edelman y Tononi, y Llinàs, y por otro, los modelos y las bases neuronales de la autoconciencia de autores como Damasio (conciencia central y extendida), Tulving (conciencia autonoética, noética y cronestesia), el problema de los qualia (Dennett, Popper, Ramachandran) y el modelo de los cógnitos (Fuster). Conclusiones. Todos los estímulos que recibimos del mundo externo y de nuestro mundo interno son convertidos y tratados por el cerebro para integrarlos y que formen parte de nuestra identidad. Desde la percepción de un perro y reconocerlo como tal hasta la comprensión de la propia conciencia responden al funcionamiento de estructuras cerebrales, neuronas y sinapsis. Ahora bien, los procesos más complejos de la conciencia, como la autoconciencia o la empatía, son probablemente procesos emergentes del cerebro (AU)

Introduction. Consciousness is the result of a series of neurobiological processes in the brain and is, in turn, a feature of the level of its complexity. In fact, being conscious and being aware place us before what Chalmers called the ‘soft problem’ and the ‘hard problem’ of consciousness. The first refers to aspects such as wakefulness, attention or knowledge, while the second is concerned with such complex concepts as self-awareness, ‘neural self’ or social cognition. In this sense it can be said that the concept of consciousness as a unitary thing poses problems of approaching a highly complex reality. Development. We outline the main models that have addressed the topic of consciousness from a neuroscientific perspective. On the one hand, there are the conscious experience models of Crick, Edelman and Tononi, and Llinàs, and, on the other, the models and neuronal bases of self-consciousness by authors such as Damasio (core and extended consciousness), Tulving (autonoetic and noetic consciousness and chronesthesia), the problem of qualia (Dennett, Popper, Ramachandran) and the cognit model (Fuster). Conclusions. All the stimuli we receive from the outside world and from our own internal world are converted and processed by the brain so as to integrate them, and from there they become part of our identity. The perception of a dog and being able to recognise it as such or the understanding of our own consciousness are the result of the functioning of brain, neuronal and synaptic structures. The more complex processes of consciousness, such as self-awareness or empathy, are probably emergent brain processes (AU)

Discovering the structure of nerve tissue: part 1: from Marcello Malpighi to Christian Berres.

The invention of the microscope at the beginning of the seventeenth century was a pivotal event for subsequent studies of the microscopic structure of nerve tissue. The present article, using translations of the original texts, presents a recollection of the discoveries made during the second half of the seventeenth century up to the beginning of the nineteenth century by prominent scholars as well as those nearly forgotten today. The findings in the field of neuroanatomy are collected together into a coherent form and in chronological order, showing the progress of the discoveries from a historical perspective. The early scientists discovered, and then repeatedly confirmed, that nerve tissue was remarkably similar over a wide range of animal forms. While they offered little detail, and much of what was described was flawed because of various technical restraints of the time, what they did report was very similar from animal to animal. Their studies, however, in parallel with the improvement of microscopic techniques as well as the processing and fixation of animal tissues, helped to create fertile ground for a number of important neurohistological discoveries in the first half of the nineteenth century.

Movimientos de seguimiento ocular lento y esquizofrenia: revisión de la literatura / Smooth pursuit eye movements and schizophrenia: Literature review

OBJETIVO: Revisar la literatura científica sobre la relación entre las alteraciones en los movimientos oculares de seguimiento lento y la esquizofrenia. MÉTODOS: Revisión narrativa de la literatura que incluye artículos históricos, reportes sobre investigación básica y clínica, revisiones sistemáticas y meta-análisis sobre el tema. RESULTADOS: Hasta el 80% de los pacientes con esquizofrenia tienen alteraciones en los movimientos de seguimiento ocular lento. A pesar de la diversidad de protocolos de evaluación, el 65% de los pacientes y de los controles son clasificados correctamente por su rendimiento global durante dicho seguimiento. Los movimientos de seguimiento ocular lento dependen de la capacidad de anticipar la velocidad del blanco y de la retroalimentación visual, así como del aprendizaje y la atención. La neuroanatomía implicada en el seguimiento lento se superpone en alguna medida con la de ciertas zonas de la corteza frontal relacionadas con algunas características clínicas y neuropsicológicas de la esquizofrenia, de modo que algunos aspectos específicos de la alteración en el seguimiento lento podrían servir como biomarcadores de la enfermedad. Como consecuencia de su acción sedante, los antipsicóticos tienen un efecto deletéreo sobre los movimientos de seguimiento ocular lento, por lo que dichos movimientos no pueden usarse para valorar la eficacia de los fármacos disponibles en la actualidad. CONCLUSIÓN: La evaluación estandarizada de los movimientos de seguimiento ocular lento en la esquizofrenia permitirá utilizar aspectos específicos de dicho seguimiento como biomarcadores para el estudio de su genética, psicopatología o neuropsicología

OBJECTIVE: To review the scientific literature about the relationship between impairment on smooth pursuit eye movements and schizophrenia. METHODS: Narrative review that includes historical articles, reports about basic and clinical investigation, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis on the topic. RESULTS: Up to 80% of schizophrenic patients have impairment of smooth pursuit eye movements. Despite the diversity of test protocols, 65% of patients and controls are correctly classified by their overall performance during this pursuit. The smooth pursuit eye movements depend on the ability to anticipate the target's velocity and the visual feedback, as well as on learning and attention. The neuroanatomy implicated in smooth pursuit overlaps to some extent with certain frontal cortex zones associated with some clinical and neuropsychological characteristics of the schizophrenia, therefore some specific components of smooth pursuit anomalies could serve as biomarkers of the disease. Due to their sedative effect, antipsychotics have a deleterious effect on smooth pursuit eye movements, thus these movements cannot be used to evaluate the efficacy of the currently available treatments. CONCLUSION: Standardized evaluation of smooth pursuit eye movements on schizophrenia will allow to use specific aspects of that pursuit as biomarkers for the study of its genetics, psychopathology, or neuropsychology

[Revealing the structure of the nervous tissue I.: from Marcello Malpighi (1628-1694) to Christian Berres (1796-1844)]. / Výzkum struktury nervové tkáne I.: od Marcella Malpighiho (1628-1694) k Christianovi Berresovi (1796-1844).

Efforts were already made in antiquity to understand the structure and function of the brain and nervous tissue, but an important impulse for the development of neuroanatomy as a field was the invention of the microscope at the beginning of the 17th century. A brief overview of the history of research of the brain and nerve structure from Marcello Malpighi to Christian Berres shows by what small steps and with what difficulties the investigation of the composition of the nervous tissue advanced. The study of historical sources reveals that despite constantly improving microscopic techniques, many prominent researchers obtained inaccurate data and, on the basis of such data, often reached erroneous conclusions. However, these observations and their interpretation and, in addition, the clashing opinions of scholars of that period greatly influenced the work of later researchers in the field of the microscopic structure and function of the nervous tissue.

Molecular neuroanatomy: a generation of progress.

The neuroscience research landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade. Specifically, an impressive array of new tools and technologies have been generated, including but not limited to: brain gene expression atlases, genetically encoded proteins to monitor and manipulate neuronal activity, and new methods for imaging and mapping circuits. However, despite these technological advances, several significant challenges must be overcome to enable a better understanding of brain function and to develop cell type-targeted therapeutics to treat brain disorders. This review provides an overview of some of the tools and technologies currently being used to advance the field of molecular neuroanatomy, and also discusses emerging technologies that may enable neuroscientists to address these crucial scientific challenges over the coming decade.

Getting more CLARITY to gain the third dimension

No disponible

Executive control: balancing stability and flexibility via the duality of evolutionary neuroanatomical trends.

The concept of executive functions has a rich history and remains current despite increased use of other terms, including working memory and cognitive control. Executive functions have sometimes been equated with functions subserved by the frontal cortex, but this adds little clarity, given that we so far lack a comprehensive theory of frontal function. Pending a more complete mechanistic understanding, clinically useful generalizations can help characterize both healthy cognition and multiple varieties of cognitive impairment. This article surveys several hierarchical and autoregulatory control theories, and suggests that the evolutionary cytoarchitectonic trends theory provides a valuable neuroanatomical framework to help organize research on frontal structure-function relations. The theory suggests that paleocortical/ventrolateral and archicortical/dorsomedial trends are associated with neural network flexibility and stability respectively, which comports well with multiple other conceptual distinctions that have been proposed to characterize ventral and dorsal frontal functions, including the "initiation/inhibition," "what/where," and "classification/expectation" hypotheses.

Neuroanatomy: uninhibited connectivity in neocortex?

The mouse neocortex is now the focus of research using twenty-first century techniques of circuit analyses, which are revealing different wiring strategies for excitatory and inhibitory connections and providing important insights into the possible computations of cortical circuits.

Near-infrared spectroscopy of orbitofrontal cortex during odorant stimulation.

BACKGROUND: For olfaction, several studies have reported near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) signal changes in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) during odor stimulation. However, the roles of human OFC in olfactory cognition are less well understood. This study was designed to better understand the roles of OFC for olfaction. METHODS: Hemodynamic responses for phenyl ethyl alcohol or citral in the OFCs were measured with NIRS. After the experiment, participants were asked to describe the characteristics of the odor and to rate odor intensity and hedonic valence. RESULTS: Statistical analysis of all participants' data showed significant changes in the concentration of total hemoglobin in the left OFC during the trial (p = 0.04). The total hemoglobin signal increased significantly in the right OFC (p = 0.0008) of the participants who successfully identified the odorant stimulus. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that NIRS combined with a questionnaire is a useful method for studying the functional neuroanatomy of OFC in terms of olfaction.

The human brain: rewired and running hot.

The past two decades have witnessed tremendous advances in noninvasive and postmortem neuroscientific techniques, advances that have made it possible, for the first time, to compare in detail the organization of the human brain to that of other primates. Studies comparing humans to chimpanzees and other great apes reveal that human brain evolution was not merely a matter of enlargement, but involved changes at all levels of organization that have been examined. These include the cellular and laminar organization of cortical areas; the higher order organization of the cortex, as reflected in the expansion of association cortex (in absolute terms, as well as relative to primary areas); the distribution of long-distance cortical connections; and hemispheric asymmetry. Additionally, genetic differences between humans and other primates have proven to be more extensive than previously thought, raising the possibility that human brain evolution involved significant modifications of neurophysiology and cerebral energy metabolism.