Multivariate associative patterns between the gut microbiota and large-scale brain network connectivity.

Research on the gut-brain axis has accelerated substantially over the course of the last years. Many reviews have outlined the important implications of understanding the relation of the gut microbiota with human brain function and behavior. One substantial drawback in integrating gut microbiome and brain data is the lack of integrative multivariate approaches that enable capturing variance in both modalities simultaneously. To address this issue, we applied a linked independent component analysis (LICA) to microbiota and brain connectivity data.We analyzed data from 58 healthy females (mean age = â€¯21.5 years). Magnetic Resonance Imaging data were acquired using resting state functional imaging data. The assessment of gut microbial composition from feces was based on sequencing of the V4 16S rRNA gene region. We used the LICA model to simultaneously factorize the subjects' large-scale brain networks and microbiome relative abundance data into 10 independent components of spatial and abundance variation.LICA decomposition resulted in four components with non-marginal contribution of the microbiota data. The default mode network featured strongly in three components, whereas the two-lateralized fronto-parietal attention networks contributed to one component. The executive-control (with the default mode) network was associated to another component. We found that the abundance of Prevotella genus was associated with the strength of expression of all networks, whereas Bifidobacterium was associated with the default mode and frontoparietal-attention networks.We provide the first exploratory evidence for multivariate associative patterns between the gut microbiota and brain network connectivity in healthy humans considering the complexity of both systems.

A short-term musical training affects implicit emotion regulation only in behaviour but not in brain activity.

BACKGROUND: In everyday life, negative emotions can be implicitly regulated by positive stimuli, without any conscious cognitive engagement; however, the effects of such implicit regulation on mood and related neuro-mechanisms, remain poorly investigated in literature. Yet, improving implicit emotional regulation could reduce psychological burden and therefore be clinically relevant for treating psychiatric disorders with strong affective symptomatology. RESULTS: Music training reduced the negative emotional state elicited by negative odours. However, such change was not reflected at the brain level. CONCLUSIONS: In a context of affective rivalry a musical training enhances implicit regulatory processes. Our findings offer a first base for future studies on implicit emotion regulation in clinical populations.

Absence of default mode downregulation in response to a mild psychological stressor marks stress-vulnerability across diverse psychiatric disorders.

Clinically, it is well-established that vulnerability to stress is a common feature across a broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders. However, this link has been mechanistically studied almost exclusively in patients with so-called stress-related disorders such as depression and anxiety. To probe transdiagnostic mechanisms, we set out to study the acute stress response across a broader range of psychiatric disorders taking a large-scale brain network perspective. We investigated the brain's response to a mild, experimentally well-controlled psychological stressor in the form of an aversive movie. We studied 168 patients with stress-related and/or neurodevelopmental disorders (including comorbidity) and 46 control subjects. We focused on three networks that have a central role in the brain's stress response and are affected in a wide range of psychiatric disorders: the salience network (SN), default mode network (DMN) and frontoparietal network (FPN). Our results support an increased vulnerability to stress across all patients, indicated by a higher subjective stress level at baseline and follow-up compared to matched controls. At the brain systems level, the stress response was characterized by a relatively decreased FPN connectivity and an absence of a decrease in the within DMN connectivity across all disorders compared to controls. At the neurocognitive level, these findings may reflect a diminished top-down control and a tendency to more pronounced (negative) self-referential processing. Besides these shared aspects of the maladaptive stress response, we also discuss indications for disorder-specific aspects. Taken together, our results emphasize the importance of investigating the mechanistic underpinnings of psychiatric disorders transdiagnostically as recently done in neurogenetics.

Medial prefrontal decoupling from the default mode network benefits memory.

In the last few years the involvement of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in memory processing has received increased attention. It has been shown to be centrally involved when we use prior knowledge (schemas) to improve learning of related material. With the mPFC also being one of the core hubs of the default mode network (DMN) and the DMN's role in memory retrieval, we decided to investigate whether the mPFC in a schema paradigm acts independent of the DMN. We tested this with data from a cross-sectional developmental study with a schema paradigm. During retrieval of schema items, the mPFC decoupled from the DMN with the degree of decoupling predicting memory performance. This finding suggests that a demand specific reconfiguration of the DMN supports schema memory. Additionally, we found that in the control condition, which relied on episodic memory, activity in the parahippocampal gyrus was positively related to memory performance. We interpret these results as a demand specific network reconfiguration of the DMN: a decoupling of the mPFC to support schema memory and a decoupling of the parahippocampal gyrus facilitating episodic memory.

Stress matters: Randomized controlled trial on the effect of probiotics on neurocognition.

Probiotics are microorganisms that provide health benefits when consumed. In animals, probiotics reverse gut microbiome-related alterations in depression-like symptoms, in cognition, and in hormonal stress response. However, in humans, a causal understanding of the gut-brain link in emotion and cognition is lacking. Additionally, whether the effects of probiotics on neurocognition are visible only in presence of stress, remains unclear. We investigated the effects of a multispecies probiotic (Ecologic®Barrier) on specific neurocognitive measures of emotion reactivity, emotion regulation, and cognitive control using fMRI. Critically, we also tested whether probiotics can buffer against the detrimental effects of acute stress on working memory. In a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, between-subjects intervention study, 58 healthy participants were tested once before and once after a 28-day intervention. Without stress induction, probiotics did not affect brain, behavioral, or related self-report measures. However, relative to placebo, the probiotics group did show a significant stress-related increase in working memory performance after supplementation. This change was associated with intervention-related neural changes in frontal cortex during cognitive control exclusively in the probiotics group. Overall, our results show neurocognitive effects of a multispecies probiotic in healthy women only under challenging situations, buffering against the detrimental effects of stress on cognition.

[Model-based treatment in surgery]. / Modellgestützte Therapie in der Chirurgie.

BACKGROUND: The "magic triangle" in surgery and other disciplines consists of the demand for increasingly gentler forms of treatment, simultaneous cost reduction and the fundamental primacy of improving the quality of results. The digitalization of medicine offers a promising opportunity to do justice to this, also in the sense of "Surgery 4.0". The aim is to create a cognitive, collaborative diagnostics and treatment environment to support the surgeon. METHODS: In the sense of a "theory building" for analysis and planning, process modeling is the cornerstone for modern treatment planning. The main distinction is made between the patient model and the treatment model. The course of the actual surgical treatment can also be modeled: in principle it is possible to describe the course of an operation in such fine detail that the surgical procedure can be mapped and reproduced down to each single step, such as a single implementation of forceps. Basically, this has already been achieved. So-called neural networks also open up completely new forms of knowledge acquisition, machine learning and flexible reaction to nearly all conceivable possibilities in highly complex processes. CONCLUSION: "Digitalization" is a necessary development in surgery. It offers not only countless possibilities to support the surgeon in the field of activity but also the chance of more precise data acquisition with respect to academic surgery. Modeling is an indispensable part of this and must be rigorously implemented and further developed.

Altered brain network integrity after childhood maltreatment: A structural connectomic DTI-study.

Childhood maltreatment is associated with alterations in neural architecture that potentially put these children at increased risk for psychopathology. Alterations in white matter (WM) tracts have been reported, however no study to date has investigated WM connectivity in brain networks in maltreated children to quantify global and local abnormalities through graph theoretical analyses of DTI data. We aimed for a multilevel investigation examining the DTI-based structural connectome and its associations with basal cortisol levels of 25 children with documented maltreatment experiences before age 3, and 24 matched controls (age: 10.6 ± 1.75 years). On the global and lobar level, maltreated children showed significant reductions in global connectivity strength, local connectivity and increased path length, suggesting deviations from the small-world network architecture previously associated with psychopathology. Reductions in global connectivity were associated with placement instability, attenuated cortisol secretion and higher levels of internalizing and externalizing behaviours. Regional measures revealed lower connectivity strength especially in regions within the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC) in maltreated children. These findings show that childhood maltreatment is associated with systemic global neurodevelopmental alterations in WM networks next to regional alterations in areas involved in the regulation of affect. These alterations in WM organization could underlie global functional deficits and multi-symptom patterns frequently observed in children with maltreatment experiences. Hum Brain Mapp 38:855-868, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Comprehensive system integration and networking in operating rooms]. / Umfassende Systemintegration und Vernetzung im Operationssaal.

BACKGROUND: A comprehensive surveillance and control system integrating all devices and functions is a precondition for realization of the operating room of the future. STATE OF THE ART: Multiple proprietary integrated operation room systems are currently available with a central user interface; however, they only cover a relatively small part of all functionalities. INNOVATIVE APPROACHES: Internationally, there are at least three different initiatives to promote a comprehensive systems integration and networking in the operating room: the Japanese smart cyber operating theater (SCOT), the American medical device plug-and-play interoperability program (MDPnP) and the German secure and dynamic networking in operating room and hospital (OR.NET) project supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. PRELIMINARY RESULTS: Within the framework of the internationally advanced OR.NET project, prototype solution approaches were realized, which make short-term and mid-term comprehensive data retrieval systems probable. An active and even autonomous control of the medical devices by the surveillance and control system (closed loop) is expected only in the long run due to strict regulatory barriers.

Extended-interval gentamicin administration in neonates: a simplified approach.

OBJECTIVE: Gentamicin dosing is highly variable and remains complicated in the neonatal population. Traditional dosing in our unit resulted in an excessive number of elevated trough serum gentamicin levels. We hypothesized that one uniform gentamicin dose for neonates of all gestational ages will reduce the incidence of elevated trough levels from 50 to 10%. STUDY DESIGN: Our prospective, randomized, controlled trial enrolled eligible neonates into two groups, according to gestational age (⩽34 6/7 (group I) and >35 0/7 weeks (group II)). Patients in the study arm received a dose of gentamicin 5 mg kg(-1) intravenous (i.v.) every 36 h, whereas patients in the control arm received traditional dosage. Patients were monitored for resolution of infection, serum gentamicin levels and adverse effects. We confirmed our findings in a follow-up study. Fisher's exact and Mann-Whitney tests were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: We enrolled 96 neonates, 50 in group I (n=25 per arm) and 46 in group II (n=23 per arm). Elevated trough levels were reduced by 66% in group I (P=0.61) and 100% in group II (P=0.0015). In the study arm of both groups, 48/49 neonates had Cmin serum gentamicin concentration (SGC) <2 mg l(-1) and the majority had a trough SGC <1 mg l(-1) (P<0.0001). The study dose resulted in maximum gentamicin levels in the goal range and a 50% reduction in dosage modifications. There were no treatment failures or adverse effects. Our follow-up study phase confirmed these results. CONCLUSION: A standardized gentamicin dosage of 5 mg kg(-1) i.v. every 36 h to neonates of all gestational ages was safe and resulted in SGCs in goal therapeutic ranges. The implications of this simplified gentamicin dosage are to reduce health-care costs by less frequent dosing of gentamicin and reducing medication errors in physician prescribing from complicated dosing schemes.

Sonographic screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip in preterm breech infants: do current guidelines address the specific needs of premature infants?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between gestational age versus corrected age at the time of hip ultrasound with findings for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in preterm breech infants. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective medical chart review was conducted to examine hip ultrasounds of 318 premature breech infants for findings associated with DDH. RESULTS: Positive findings for DDH occurred in 3/135 (2%) of infants <32 weeks gestational age and 17/183 (9%) of infants 32 to <37 weeks gestational age (odds ratio: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.79, P<0.015). No infants born <32 weeks gestational age had abnormal findings for DDH upon follow-up ultrasound. Infants <40 weeks corrected age at the time of hip ultrasound were more likely to have DDH findings compared with infants ⩾44 weeks corrected age (odds ratio: 7.83, 95% CI: 2.20 to 29.65, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Current hip ultrasonography policies that include screening of premature breech infants may need to be revised.

[Gender-inclusive care of victims of violence : The model project "Gender Gewaltkonzept" at the University Hospital Aachen]. / Gendergerechte Versorgung von Gewaltopfern : Das Modellprojekt "Gender Gewaltkonzept" an der Uniklinik Aachen.

Violence is a topic of great social relevance, frequently causing tremendous health consequences for those affected and high consequential costs for health care and the national economy. The established consulting and assistance services are usually restricted to offers for ambulant supply, mainly from private agencies or societies. As a result, there is no identification and care for patients who have experienced violence and who are treated in hospital. Another deficiency is the identification and care of male victims of violence. Despite wide-ranging offers of assistance, only very few gender-specific consulting and support services have been available to date.Therefore, the model project "Gender Gewaltkonzept" was initiated at Aachen University Hospital to assess the prevalence of violence and the potential consequences of the violence experienced on the patients' health. In addition, we investigated whether males and females are in need of different supply requirements.Based on the results of the project "Gender Gewaltkonzept" so far, and on prevalence estimates proving that there is a high rate of violent experiences in both males and females, this overview is aimed at presenting the aid and protection concepts available for victims of violence, in addition to the existing deficiencies of the care system. We present approaches to resolving these deficiencies to be able to establish all-encompassing gender-appropriate support for victims of violence.

Prolonged fasting impairs neural reactivity to visual stimulation.

Previous literature has shown that hypoglycemia influences the intensity of the BOLD signal. A similar but smaller effect may also be elicited by low normal blood glucose levels in healthy individuals. This may not only confound the BOLD signal measured in fMRI, but also more generally interact with cognitive processing, and thus indirectly influence fMRI results. Here we show in a placebo-controlled, crossover, double-blind study on 40 healthy subjects, that overnight fasting and low normal levels of glucose contrasted to an activated, elevated glucose condition have an impact on brain activation during basal visual stimulation. Additionally, functional connectivity of the visual cortex shows a strengthened association with higher-order attention-related brain areas in an elevated blood glucose condition compared to the fasting condition. In a fasting state visual brain areas show stronger coupling to the inferior temporal gyrus. Results demonstrate that prolonged overnight fasting leads to a diminished BOLD signal in higher-order occipital processing areas when compared to an elevated blood glucose condition. Additionally, functional connectivity patterns underscore the modulatory influence of fasting on visual brain networks. Patterns of brain activation and functional connectivity associated with a broad range of attentional processes are affected by maturation and aging and associated with psychiatric disease and intoxication. Thus, we conclude that prolonged fasting may decrease fMRI design sensitivity in any task involving attentional processes when fasting status or blood glucose is not controlled.

In a sweet mood? Effects of experimental modulation of blood glucose levels on mood-induction during fMRI.

Glucose is the primary source of energy for the human brain. Previous literature has shown that varying blood glucose levels may have a strong impact on behaviour, subjective mood, and the intensity of the BOLD signal measured in fMRI. Therefore, blood glucose levels varying even within the normal range may interact with cognitive and emotional processing as well as BOLD signal. Here, in a placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study on 20 healthy women, we show that overnight fasting, compared to an elevated glucose condition, influences brain activation and the affective state during mood induction. Results indicate that our brain may compensate for low glucose levels during fasting by stronger recruitment of the brain areas relevant to the task at hand. Additionally, we systematically tested the effect of prior cognitive effort on behavioural and neural patterns and found that elevated activation is only associated with maintained performance as long as no prior cognitively challenging task is administered. Prior cognitive effort leads to deteriorated performance and a further increase in emotion-associated brain activation in the pregenual anterior and posterior cingulate, the superior frontal gyrus, and the pre-SMA. These results are in line with the strength model of self-regulation. Our results corroborate the strength model of self-regulation and extend it to affect regulation processes. Additionally, our observations suggest that experimentally controlling for fasting state or glucose levels may be beneficial, especially when studying processes that involve self-regulation.

[Elbow dislocation with ipsilateral proximal radial shaft fracture and radial head dislocation]. / Ellenbogenluxation mit ipsilateraler proximaler Radiusschaftfraktur und Radiusköpfchenluxation.

Elbow dislocation with ipsilateral proximal radial shaft fracture and dislocated radial head is a rarely described injury. In this article we present the case of a 23-year-old man with this injury. After the initial diagnostics, the radial shaft fracture was osteosynthetically fixed, whereby the anatomical positions of all parts of the elbow joint were correctly aligned and the medial collateral ligament was reconstructed. After 4.5 months the radial shaft fracture was healed with nearly complete functional recovery of the upper extremity. Thus, a good outcome can be expected when all aspects of bony and ligamentous injuries are accurately addressed.

Comparative evaluation of HD 2D/3D laparoscopic monitors and benchmarking to a theoretically ideal 3D pseudodisplay: even well-experienced laparoscopists perform better with 3D.

BACKGROUND: Though theoretically superior to standard 2D visualization, 3D video systems have not yet achieved a breakthrough in laparoscopy. The latest 3D monitors, including autostereoscopic displays and high-definition (HD) resolution, are designed to overcome the existing limitations. METHODS: We performed a randomized study on 48 individuals with different experience levels in laparoscopy. Three different 3D displays (glasses-based 3D monitor, autostereoscopic display, and a mirror-based theoretically ideal 3D display) were compared to a 2D HD display by assessing multiple performance and mental workload parameters and rating the subjects during a laparoscopic suturing task. Electromagnetic tracking provided information on the instruments' pathlength, movement velocity, and economy. The usability, the perception of visual discomfort, and the quality of image transmission of each monitor were subjectively rated. RESULTS: Almost all performance parameters were superior with the conventional glasses-based 3D display compared to the 2D display and the autostereoscopic display, but were often significantly exceeded by the mirror-based 3D display. Subjects performed a task faster and with greater precision when visualization was achieved with the 3D and the mirror-based display. Instrument pathlength was shortened by improved depth perception. Workload parameters (NASA TLX) did not show significant differences. Test persons complained of impaired vision while using the autostereoscopic monitor. The 3D and 2D displays were rated user-friendly and applicable in daily work. Experienced and inexperienced laparoscopists profited equally from using a 3D display, with an improvement in task performance about 20%. CONCLUSION: Novel 3D displays improve laparoscopic interventions as a result of faster performance and higher precision without causing a higher mental workload. Therefore, they have the potential to significantly impact the further development of minimally invasive surgery. However, as shown by the custom-built 3D mirror display, this effect can be improved, thus stimulating further research.

Neural network of cognitive emotion regulation--an ALE meta-analysis and MACM analysis.

Cognitive regulation of emotions is a fundamental prerequisite for intact social functioning which impacts on both well being and psychopathology. The neural underpinnings of this process have been studied intensively in recent years, without, however, a general consensus. We here quantitatively summarize the published literature on cognitive emotion regulation using activation likelihood estimation in fMRI and PET (23 studies/479 subjects). In addition, we assessed the particular functional contribution of identified regions and their interactions using quantitative functional inference and meta-analytic connectivity modeling, respectively. In doing so, we developed a model for the core brain network involved in emotion regulation of emotional reactivity. According to this, the superior temporal gyrus, angular gyrus and (pre) supplementary motor area should be involved in execution of regulation initiated by frontal areas. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may be related to regulation of cognitive processes such as attention, while the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex may not necessarily reflect the regulatory process per se, but signals salience and therefore the need to regulate. We also identified a cluster in the anterior middle cingulate cortex as a region, which is anatomically and functionally in an ideal position to influence behavior and subcortical structures related to affect generation. Hence this area may play a central, integrative role in emotion regulation. By focusing on regions commonly active across multiple studies, this proposed model should provide important a priori information for the assessment of dysregulated emotion regulation in psychiatric disorders.

Triiodothyronine (T3) and metabolic rate in adolescents with eating disorders: Is there a correlation?

AIM: To examine the correlation between T3 and resting energy expenditure (REE) in adolescent patients with eating disorders (ED) to assess whether T3 can be used to predict metabolic rate suppression and recovery. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on patients with ED (Anorexia Nervosa [AN], Bulimia Nervosa [BN], and Eating Disorder NOS [EDNOS]), aged 11-22 years, who had T3 and REE measured within 1 month (N=38 AN, 32 BN/EDNOS). REE was measured by indirect calorimetry (IC) and represented as the percentage of expected REE (%EREE) predicted by the Harris-Benedict equation. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the relationship between T3 and %EREE and how each correlates with anthropometric data, laboratory values, and diagnosis. RESULTS: T3 was significantly correlated with %EREE in the AN group but not in the total population or BN/EDNOS group. In the total study population, T3 alone correlated significantly with weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), BMI percentile, %Ideal Body Weight (%IBW), %Maximum Weight Lost (%MWL), LH, and estradiol. In the AN group, T3 and %EREE both correlated with BMI, BMI percentile, LH, and estradiol; however, only T3 correlated with %IBW and %MWL. In the BN/EDNOS group, T3 correlated with BMI, BMI percentile, %IBW, and estradiol while %EREE correlated with none. CONCLUSION: In patients with AN, T3 correlated significantly with markers of malnutrition and %EREE and may serve as a surrogate measure when IC is unavailable. Following T3 during treatment of AN may assist clinicians in assessing metabolic suppression and recovery and help guide caloric prescriptions and goal weights.

Gender differences in the neural correlates of humor processing: implications for different processing modes.

Humor is a complex phenomenon of human social cognition with large inter-individual variability. Gender differences in emotion processing are a common finding in functional neuroimaging studies, and have been documented in behavioral studies of humor, but have received limited attention in functional neuroimaging studies on humor. Using blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrasts with high-field (3T) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMR) we investigated 29 healthy subjects (14 female, 15 male) during the processing of humorous cartoons. In women, the ventral system implicated ín detection and appraisal of emotion was activated, including amygdala, insula, and Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC). Men showed activation in both the ventral and dorsal processing systems. The results indicate that women process humor though limbic reactivity, involving appraisal of its emotional features, while men apply more evaluative, executive resources to humor processing.

Whole blood cytokine attenuation by cholinergic agonists ex vivo and relationship to vagus nerve activity in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: The central nervous system regulates innate immunity in part via the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, a neural circuit that transmits signals in the vagus nerve that suppress pro-inflammatory cytokine production by an alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (alpha7nAChR) dependent mechanism. Vagus nerve activity is significantly suppressed in patients with autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It has been suggested that stimulating the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway may be beneficial to patients, but it remains theoretically possible that chronic deficiencies in this pathway will render these approaches ineffective. METHODS: Here we addressed the hypothesis that inflammatory cells from RA patients can respond to cholinergic agonists with reduced cytokine production in the setting of reduced vagus nerve activity. RESULTS: Measurement of RR interval variability (heart rate variability, HRV), in RA patients (n = 13) and healthy controls (n = 10) revealed that vagus nerve activity was significantly depressed in patients. Whole blood cultures stimulated by exposure to endotoxin produced significantly less tumour necrosis factor in samples from RA patients as compared to healthy controls. Addition of cholinergic agonists (nicotine and GTS-21) to the stimulated whole blood cultures however significantly suppressed cytokine production to a similar extent in patients and healthy controls. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that it is possible to pharmacologically target the alpha7nAChR dependent control of cytokine release in RA patients with suppressed vagus nerve activity. As alpha7nAChR agonists ameliorate the clinical course of collagen induced arthritis in animals, it may be possible in the future to explore whether alpha7nAChR agonists can improve clinical activity in RA patients.