Biology subjects

Neuner, I.

Publications and source records attributed to Neuner, I..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2021

The expectant brain: Being pregnant causes changes in brain morphology in the early postpartum period

There is growing evidence that pregnancy may have a significant impact on the maternal brain, causing changes in its structure. However, the patterns of these changes have not yet been systematically investigated. Using voxel-based (VBM) and surface-based morphometry (SBM), we compared a group of healthy primiparous women (n = 40) with healthy multiparous mothers (n = 37) as well as nulliparous women (n = 40). Compared to the nulliparous women, the young mothers showed decreases in gray matter volume in the bilateral hippocampus/amygdala, the orbitofrontal cortex/subgenual prefrontal area, the right superior temporal gyrus, the right insula, and the cerebellum. However, these pregnancy-related changes in brain structure did not predict the quality of mother-infant attachment at either 3 or 12 weeks postpartum, nor were they more pronounced among the multiparous women. SBM analyses showed significant cortical thinning especially in the frontal and parietal cortices, with the parietal cortical thinning likely potentiated by multiple pregnancies. We conclude, therefore, that the widespread morphological changes seen in the brain shortly after childbirth reflect substantial neuroplasticity. Also, the experience of pregnancy alone may not be the underlying cause of the adaptations for mothering and caregiving. As regards the exact biological function of the changes in brain morphology as well as the long-term effect of pregnancy on the maternal brain, further longitudinal research with larger cohorts will be needed to draw any definitive conclusions. Significance StatementBiological adaptations during pregnancy affect the maternal brain. Here, we evaluated morphological changes in the brain of mentally healthy young mothers within the first four days of childbirth. Compared to the nulliparous women, the young primiparous and multiparous mothers demonstrated a substantial reduction in gray matter volume in brain areas related to socio-cognitive and emotional processes. Cortical alterations due to pregnancy-related adaptations are not the underlying cause of mother-infant attachment.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

Modulation of the spontaneous brain activity and functional connectivity in the triple resting-state networks following the visual oddball paradigm

The default mode network (DMN), the salience network (SN), and the central executive network (CEN) could be considered as the core resting-state brain networks (RSN) due to their involvement in a wide range of cognitive tasks. Despite the large body of knowledge relating to their regional spontaneous activity (RSA) and functional connectivity (FC) of these networks, less is known about the influence of task-associated activity on these parameters and on the interaction between these three networks. We have investigated the effects of the visual-oddball paradigm on three fMRI measures (amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations for RSA, regional homogeneity for local FC, and degree centrality for global FC) in these three core RSN networks. A rest-task-rest paradigm was used and the RSNs were identified using independent component analysis (ICA) on the resting-state data. We found that the task-related brain activity induced different patterns of significant changes within the three RS networks. Most changes were strongly associated with the task performance. Furthermore, the task-activity significantly increased the inter-network correlations between the SN and CEN as well as between the DMN and CEN, but not between the DMN and SN. A significant dynamical change in RSA, alongside local and global FC within the three core resting-state networks following a simple cognitive activity may be an expression of the distinct involvement of these networks in the performance of the task and their various outcomes.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Excitatory-Inhibitory Balance within EEG Microstates and Resting-state fMRI Networks: Assessed via Simultaneous PET-MR-EEG Imaging

The symbiosis of neuronal activities and glucose energy metabolism is reflected in the generation of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) signals. However, their association with the balance between neuronal excitation and inhibition (E/I-B), which is closely related to the activities of glutamate and GABA ({gamma} -aminobutyric acid) and the receptor availability (RA) of GABAA and mGluR5, remains unexplored. This study investigates these associations during the resting state (RS) condition using simultaneously recorded PET/MR/EEG (trimodal) data. Glucose metabolism and neuroreceptor binding availability (non-displaceable binding potential (BPND)) of GABAA and mGluR5 were found to be significantly higher and closely linked within core resting-state networks (RSNs). The neuronal generators of EEG microstates and the fMRI measures were most tightly associated with the BPND of GABAA relative to mGluR5 BPND and the glucose metabolism, emphasising a predominance of inhibitory processes within in the core RSNs at rest.

neuroscience↗