Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports

Purpose of Review: The objective of this article is to highlight the potential role of the galantamine-memantine combination as a novel antioxidant treatment for schizophrenia. Recent Findings: In addition to the well-known mechanisms of action of galantamine and memantine, these medications also have antioxidant activity. Furthermore, an interplay exists between oxidative stress, inflammation (redox-inflammatory hypothesis), and kynurenine pathway metabolites. Also, there is an interaction between brain-derived neurotrophic factor and oxidative stress in schizophrenia...

Purpose of the Review: Negative symptoms are highly predictive of whether individuals at clinical high-risk (CHR) develop a psychotic disorder. However, little is known about pathophysiological mechanisms underlying negative symptoms during this period. The current study examined neurophysiological mechanisms underlying negative symptoms in CHR individuals using electroencephalography frontal alpha asymmetry power, a biomarker of approach and avoidance motivation. Recent Findings: People with schizophrenia display abnormal patterns of frontal alpha asymmetry indicative of reduced approach motivation...

Purpose of Review: This review provides an overview of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying opioid use disorder (OUD) drawing from genetic, functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) research. Recent findings: Preliminary evidence suggests an association between OUD and specific variants of the DRD2, δ-opioid receptor 1 (OPRD1) and μ-opioid receptor 1 (OPRM1) genes. Additionally, MRI research indicates functional and structural alterations in striatal and corticolimbic brain regions and pathways underlying reward, emotion/stress and cognitive control processes among individuals with OUD...

Purpose of Review: While rates of other medical illnesses have declined over the past several decades, rates of suicide have increased, particularly among adolescents. Prior research on biological underpinnings of suicide risk has remained limited. In this review, we describe a recent model conceptualizing suicide as a failure of biological responses to acute stress. According to this model, youth who fail to mount an adaptive stress response following exposure to a stressor are at acute risk for suicide...

Purpose of Review: This review summarizes recent literature linking Alzheimer's disease (AD) and late life depression (LLD). It describes shared neurobiological features associated with both conditions, as well as factors that may increase resilience to onset and severity of cognitive decline and AD. Finally, we pose a number of future research directions toward improving detection, management, and treatment of both conditions. Recent Findings: Epidemiological studies have consistently shown a significant relationship between LLD and AD, with support for depression as a prodromal feature of AD, a risk factor for AD, and observation of some shared risk factors underlying both disease processes...

Purpose of review: Two developmental courses through which alcohol use disorder (AUD) may emerge include externalizing and internalizing pathways. We review recent neuroimaging studies of potential neural risk factors for AUD and link findings to potential behavioral risk factors for AUD. Recent findings: There is evidence that early-emerging weakness in prefrontal functioning and later-emerging differences in reward-system functioning contribute to an externalizing risk pathway...

Purpose of review: To summarize the current literature on the effects of cannabinoids in humans and to discuss the existing literature on the sex- and gender-related differences in the effects of cannabinoids. Recent findings: Cannabis and its constituent cannabinoids are associated with risk of addiction, cognitive deficits and mood/psychotic disorders. Preclinical and emerging clinical data suggest greater sensitivity to the effects of cannabinoids in women. Summary: Cannabis is one of the most commonly used drugs with increasing rates of use...

Purpose of review: Neurobiological studies of tobacco/nicotine use examining genetic, molecular, functional, and behavioral correlates have improved our understanding of nicotine/tobacco dependence and have informed treatment. Recent work extending previously established findings and reporting novel methodologies and discoveries in preclinical and human studies are reviewed. Recent findings: Recent work in preclinical models has focused on the differential roles of nicotinic receptor subtypes and nicotine's effects on neural systems beyond cortico-striatal dopaminergic pathways, and utilizing advanced methodologies such as pharmacogenetics, optogenetics and rodent fMRI to identify targets for treatment...

Purpose of Review: Clinical trials are essential to advance health care and develop new therapies. In this review we discuss the underlying principles of clinical trial design with an emphasis on assessing design risks that lead to trial failure as well as negative trials. While of general interest, this is perhaps particularly timely for the neuromodulation community, given the paucity of well-designed trials in the field. We give some examples from the phantom limb pain (PLP) literature...

Purpose of review: The past decade has seen rapid growth in the application of focused ultrasound (FUS) as a tool for basic neuroscience research and potential treatment of brain disorders. Here, we review recent developments in our understanding of how FUS can alter brain activity, perception and behavior when applied to the central nervous system, either alone or in combination with circulating agents. Recent findings: Focused ultrasound in the central nervous system can directly excite or inhibit neuronal activity, as well as affect perception and behavior...

Purpose of Review: Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is a non-invasive stimulation technique used for modulating brain function in humans. To help tES reach its full therapeutic potential, it is necessary to address a number of critical gaps in our knowledge. Here, we review studies that have taken advantage of animal models to provide invaluable insight about the basic science behind tES. Recent Findings: Animal studies are playing a key role in elucidating the mechanisms implicated in tES, defining safety limits, validating computational models, inspiring new stimulation protocols, enhancing brain function and exploring new therapeutic applications...

Purpose of Review: Traumatic stress has profound impacts on many domains of life, yet the mechanisms that confer risk for or resilience to the development of traumatic stress-related psychopathologies are still very much under investigation. The current review highlights recent developments in the field of traumatic stress epigenetics in humans. Recent Findings: Recent results reveal traumatic stress-related epigenetic dysregulation in neural, endocrine, and immune system genes and associated networks...

Purpose of Review: Ketamine produces rapid (within hours) antidepressant actions, even in patients considered treatment resistant, and even shows promise for suicidal ideation. Here, we review current research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of ketamine and other novel rapid-acting antidepressants, and briefly explore gender differences in the pathophysiology and treatment of MDD. Recent Findings: Ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, increases BDNF release and synaptic connectivity, opposing the deficits caused by chronic stress and depression...

Purpose of review: We set out to review the current state of science in neuroprediction, using biological measures of brain function, with task based fMRI to prospectively predict response to a variety of treatments. Recent findings: Task-based fMRI neuroprediction studies are balanced between whole brain and ROI specific analyses. The predominant tasks are emotion processing, with ROIs based upon amygdala and subgenual anterior cingulate gyrus, both within the salience and emotion network...

Purpose of Review: This review aims to survey recent trends in electrical forms of neuromodulation, with a specific application to Parkinson's disease (PD). Emerging trends are identified, highlighting synergies in state-of-the-art neuromodulation strategies, with directions for future improvements in stimulation efficacy suggested. Recent Findings: Deep brain stimulation remains the most common and effective form of electrical stimulation for the treatment of PD...

Purpose of Review: An increase in oscillatory activity in the γ -frequency band (approximately 50-100 Hz) has long been noted during human movement. However, its functional role has been difficult to elucidate. The advent of novel techniques, particularly transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), has dramatically increased our ability to study γ oscillations. Here, we review our current understanding of the role of γ oscillations in the human motor cortex, with reference to γ activity outside the motor system, and evidence from animal models...

Purpose of Review: In this article, we aim to give an overview over recent neuroimaging research on dissociation in borderline personality disorder (BPD). Stress-related dissociation is highly prevalent in BPD, while so far only little is known about its neural underpinnings. Recent Findings: Based on research in depersonalization and the dissociative subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder, it has been proposed that dissociation involves alterations in a cortico-limbic network...

Purpose of the Review: This review identifies the early developmental processes that contribute to schizotypy and suspiciousness in adolescence and adulthood. It includes the most recent literature on these phenomena in childhood. Recent Findings: The early developmental processes that affect schizotypy and paranoia in later life are complex. In contrast to existing studies of psychiatric patients and clinical/nonclinical adult populations, the study of schizotypy and suspiciousness in young children and adolescents is possible due to new child-appropriate dimensional assessments...

Purpose of the Review: Intrusive memories are those that spring to mind unbidden, e.g. sensory recollections of stressful/traumatic events. We review recent methods to monitor intrusions of a stressor (a trauma film) within the laboratory. Recent Findings: Recent studies suggest three main methodologies after viewing a trauma film by which to monitor intrusions in the laboratory: during post-film rest periods, after exposure to trigger cues, and while performing an ongoing task...

Purpose of Review: I review the literature on the relationship between anxiety and the error-related negativity (ERN), a neurophysiological marker of performance monitoring, across development. I cover the development of the ERN, its functional significance, and its different relationship with anxiety in young children compared to adolescents and adults. Recent Findings: Contemporary research indicates that the ERN becomes larger with age and shows primary sources in cingulate, frontal, and motor cortices...