Cortical Brain Functions ­ The Brodmann Legacy in the 21st Century

In 1909, Korbinian Brodmann described 52 functional brain areas, 43 of them found in the human brain. More than a century later, his devoted functional map was incremented by Glasser et al in 2016, using functional nuclear magnetic resonance imaging techniques to propose the existence of 180 functional areas in each hemisphere, based on their cortical thickness, degree of myelination (cortical myelin content), neuronal interconnection, topographic organization, multitask answers, and assessment in their resting state. This opens a huge possibility, through functional neuroanatomy, to understand a little more about normal brain function and its functional impairment in the presence of a disease.

Possible roles of COX-1 in learning and memory impairment induced by traumatic brain injury in mice

People who suffer from traumatic brain injury (TBI) often experience cognitive deficits in spatial reference and working memory. The possible roles of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) in learning and memory impairment in mice with TBI are far from well known. Adult mice subjected to TBI were treated with the COX-1 selective inhibitor SC560. Performance in the open field and on the beam walk was then used to assess motor and behavioral function 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days following injury. Acquisition of spatial learning and memory retention was assessed using the Morris water maze on day 15 post-TBI. The expressions of COX-1, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interleukin (IL)-6, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB), synapsin-I, and synaptophysin were detected in TBI mice. Administration of SC560 improved performance of beam walk tasks as well as spatial learning and memory after TBI. SC560 also reduced expressions of inflammatory markers IL-6 and PGE2, and reversed the expressions of COX-1, BDNF, PDGF-BB, synapsin-I, and synaptophysin in TBI mice. The present findings demonstrated that COX-1 might play an important role in cognitive deficits after TBI and that selective COX-1 inhibition should be further investigated as a potential therapeutic approach for TBI.

Avaliação comportamental do processamento auditivo pré e pós treinamento auditivo formal em indivíduos após traumatismo cranioencefálico / Behavioral assessment of auditory processing before and after formal auditory training in traumatic brain injury patients

Objetivo : Verificar os efeitos do treinamento auditivo formal em indivíduos após traumatismo cranioencefálico, utilizando testes comportamentais. Métodos : Nove indivíduos audiologicamente normais, que haviam sofrido traumatismo cranioencefálico grave, com lesão axional difusa, com ou sem lesão focal associada, foram submetidos à avaliação comportamental do processamento auditivo pré e pós treinamento auditivo formal em cabina acústica, organizado em oito sessões, visando o treinamento das habilidades auditivas de ordenação temporal, fechamento auditivo e figura-fundo. Resultados : Observou-se melhora no desempenho em todos os testes, após o treinamento, refletindo em uma melhora das habilidades auditivas de ordenação temporal e figura-fundo, para sons verbais. Quanto aos processos gnósicos alterados, observou-se melhora significativa para codificação (perda gradual de memória e integração sensorial) e organização. Conclusão : Indivíduos com lesão axional difusa, após sofrerem traumatismo cranioencefálico grave, apresentaram adequação das habilidades auditivas de figura-fundo, ordenação e resolução temporal, evidenciadas na avaliação comportamental do processamento auditivo, pós treinamento auditivo formal. .

Purpose : To investigate the effects of formal auditory training on individuals with traumatic brain injury using behavioral tests. Methods : Nine normal hearing individuals who had severe traumatic brain injury underwent behavioral evaluation of auditory processing pre and post formal auditory training. Eight sessions took place in an attempt to train the auditory skills of temporal ordering, auditory closure and figure-ground. Results : All individuals improved in all tests after the training, improving the auditory skills of temporal ordering and figure-ground of verbal sounds. In terms of the altered gnosis processes, a significant improvement was found for encoding (gradual loss of memory and sensory integration) and organization. Conclusion : After formal auditory training, individuals with severe traumatic brain injury exhibited adequacy in the auditory skills of figure-ground, temporal ordering and resolution. .

Bilateral perisylvian syndrome not related to malformations: reort of two cases

In this case report we present the neuroimaging findings and clinical features of two patients with a bilateral perisylvian syndrome not related to malformations, but probaly to ishemic etiology. Evaluations including history, general and neurologic examinations, electroncephalograms, and imaging data were reviewed as recent literature about the subject.

Electrographic evidence suggests that human dysplastic cortex is intrinsically epileptogenic

Lesöes displásicas corticais (LDC) estäo frequentemente associadas a epilepsias de difícil controle. Nós descrevemos os correlatos eletrográficos deste alto grau de epileptogenicidade, caracterizado por descargas epileptógenas rítmicas, contínuas ou quase-contínuas, registradas diretamente das LDC durante eletrocorticografia trans-operatória. Esta atividade ictal ou descargas epileptogênicas contínuas (AI/DEC) manifestava-se por um de três padröes: (a) crises eletrográficas repetidas; (b) surtos de polipontas recorrentes; ou (c) espículas rítmicas contínuas ou quase-contínuas. Um ou mais destes padröes estava presente em 23 de 34 pacientes (67 por cento ) com epilepsia partial de difícil controle associada a LDC. Esta AI/DEC era geralmente mais localizada, assim contrastando com a atividade interictal ao eletrocorticograma, que era mais difusa. Nós concluimos que LDC säo altamente e intrinsicamente epileptogênicas e discutimos mecanismos possivelmente relacionados a esta epileptogenicidade intrínsica

Semiótica armada nas lesöes do córtex cerebral / Established semiotics in cerebral cortex injuries

Este trabalho visa dar ao médico psiquiatra e generalista uma visäo sincera e objetiva dos meios propedêuticos para-clínicos avaliáveis entre nós e suas limitaçöes no diagnóstico de afecçöes cerebrais

Semiologia neuropsicológica / Neuropsychological semiology

Os autores apresentam versäo simplificada da investigaçäo neuropsicológica segundo Luria, baseando-se naquela de Christensen. É feita "qualificaçäo" dos sintomas que säo associados e correlacionados a estrutura anatômicas cerebrais, segundo o conceito de sistemas funcionais.

Cerebral oedema and blood-brain and blood-CSF barriers in experimental brain trauma: effect of indomethacin-A prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor.

Cerebral oedema often occurs following trauma to the brain. Recently several biogenic amines have been suggested for their possible mediation in the pathophysiology of traumatic brain oedema. The present investigation indirectly indicates that prostaglandins of E series are also involved in the etiology of cerebral oedema, since administration of a potent PG synthetase inhibitor, indomethacin significantly diminished oedematous swelling of traumatised rat brain.