Check out some of the papers that were recently published by DMCBH members:

Khaled Abdelrahman: Blocking estrogen receptors restores surface mGluR5 but not downstream signaling in female APP/PS1 Mice 

Journal: Molecular Brain 

One hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the buildup of β-amyloid (Aβ), which disrupts the function of a receptor called metabotropic glutamate receptor-5 (mGluR5). In male AD mouse models, this disruption impairs autophagy (the cell’s waste-clearing system) and contributes to disease progression. However, the same effect is not observed in female AD mice. Researchers studied estrogen receptors (ERs) in female mice and its role in mGluR5 behaviour, and found that mGluR5 are increased on the cell surface in male cells and decreased in female cells. Blocking ERs increased the receptor levels in female cell surfaces but did not restore autophagy signaling. These findings show distinct sex differences in Alzheimer’s, where male and female mGluR5 operate on distinct signaling networks and are independent of ER regulation. 

 

Sam Fereshtehnejad: Magnetic susceptibility source separation (χ-separation) in quantitative susceptibility mapping 

Journal: Magnetic Resonance Imaging 

Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) is a conventional MRI technique that measures magnetic susceptibility, providing a single value per voxel (3D pixel). In the brain, iron and myelin have opposite magnetic properties: iron is paramagnetic (increases magnetic susceptibility) and myelin is diamagnetic (decreases magnetic susceptibility), which can cancel each other out. Researchers used a new technique called χ-separation to separate iron and myelin in the voxel, allowing each to be measured independently. This review discusses χ-separation techniques in 3 categories: multi-sequence, gradient-recalled echo only, and deep learning mapping. This review concludes that χ-separation holds significant improvement over QSM due to its ability to distinguish between iron and myelin in a single voxel. This method still needs to be validated more thoroughly before it can be more widely adopted. 

 

Helen Tremlett: Prescription drug dispensations 15 years before multiple sclerosis onset: A matched cohort study, British Columbia, Canada 

Journal: Multiple Sclerosis Journal 

Studies have shown that those with multiple sclerosis (MS) get prescription drug dispensations years prior to MS onset, which may indicate early phase nonspecific symptoms that happen before MS onset. Understanding patterns years prior to MS onset may help with early recognition and treatment of MS. Researchers examined prescriptions up to 15 years prior to MS symptom onset date. Results showed various kinds of medication were dispensed more in the years prior to MS onset compared to those without MS, and increased prescription medications were consistent with the higher rates of doctor visits. 

 

Kiran Soma: Seasonal profiles of circulating steroids and brain steroid-related gene expression in Gymnotus omarorum, a wild fish with year-round territorial aggression 

Journal: Journal of Neuroendocrinology 

Researchers studied a species of fish called Gymnotus omarorum, to better understand how hormones and the brain change across breeding and non-breeding seasons. Both males and females remain aggressive year-round, despite exhibiting a seasonal reproductive cycle, making these fish an ideal model for studying seasonal changes in the brain. Researchers found male hormone and female estrogen levels remained stable across seasons, however, a steroid called androstenedione was higher during non-breeding seasons in both male and females, as well as increased expression of aromatase and estrogen receptors in the brain, suggesting increased estrogen production. These findings provide insights into how hormone levels help animals adapt to seasonal changes in reproductive state and behaviour.  

 

Erin Michalak, Luke Clark: “Creation involved a lot of inspiration which drove me to create, and the creation was a record of myself at different moments”: a nine-month photovoice study of creative practices and recovery from bipolar disorder 

Journal: BioMed Central Psychiatry 

This study looked at the relationships among mood, creativity, and the lived experiences of those with bipolar disorder (BD) in a non-Western setting. Researchers recruited 10 Chinese individuals recovering from BD and had them paint or expressively write, documenting their creative processes and recovery over nine months. Results indicated that mood had a significant influence on participants’ creativity. Some participants experienced heightened creativity during hypomanic episodes, and some experienced a heightened sense of perception during depressive episodes. Overall, participants reported gaining a deeper understanding of themselves through creative expression and sharing their work on social media gave them a sense of community.  

 

Teresa Liu-Ambrose: Using case-mixes to understand health resource utilization trajectories among older adults at high risk of falls who received baseline geriatrician-based falls prevention clinic care 

Journal: The Journals of Genrontology 

This study looked at 343 older adults at high risk of future falls. All participants received falls prevention care at the Falls Prevention Clinic, and researchers looked at healthcare resources utilization (HRU) costs collected over 12 months. Two groups emerged: low-cost, stable, which consisted of participants starting with lower HRU costs and remained stable over 12 months, and low-cost, decreasing, which consisted of participants starting with lower HRU costs and declined. However, men in the low-cost, stable group demonstrated decreased HRU, and female HRU remained stable over 12 months. In the low-cost, decreasing group, female HRU declined at a greater right than male HRU. Overall, older adults at high risk of falls demonstrated low HRU with either stable or decreasing HRU over 12 months. These findings can assist in healthcare planning for older adults and may inform future evaluations of Falls Prevention Clinic models of care. 

 

Vesna Sossi, Jon Stoessl: Age-related changes to brain energetics revealed by PET/MRI imaging 

Journal: NeuroImage Clinical 

Researchers looked into age-related changes in brain activity, specifically how the brain produces and uses energy. Previous investigations indicate a general decline in brain energetics efficiency with age. This study looked at functional neuroimaging data from healthy individuals and analyzed age-related alterations in regions associated with neurodegenerative diseases. After studying cerebral glucose metabolism and blood flow, researchers found that age-related changes in brain energetics are similar to Parkinson’s disease brain patterns, indicating potential similarities between aging and neurodegeneration in terms of brain energetics. 

 

Jan Lünemann: Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis: from associations to mechanisms to potential therapies 

Journal: The Lancet 

According to previous studies, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a consistent risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). New research suggests that EBV may influence how certain immune cells (B cells and T cells) develop and behave, leading to the formation of abnormal immune cells that can enter the brain and mistakenly trigger harmful immune attacks. Problems in how the immune system controls EBV may further amplify this process and contribute to MS risk. Researchers are looking to mitigate these autoimmune responses through multiple strategies, including vaccines, immune cell therapy to destroy virus-infected cells, and antiviral treatments. These findings can lead to deeper insight into the prevention and treatment of MS, and clarify how EBV may influence disease progression after diagnosis. 

 

Sophia Frangou: Neuroimaging-Based Subgroups in Schizophrenia: A Critical Appraisal of Clustering Studies 

Journal: Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science 

In this study, researchers investigated the use of neuroimaging data to define biological subtypes of schizophrenia. The primary investigation is to understand whether subtypes solely defined from neuroimaging data have clinical and mechanistic relevance. Researchers looked at studies published between 2015 and 2024 and identified 18 eligible studies that used neuroimaging and clustering methods to group patients into subgroups. 3 patterns were identified: patients with widespread brain abnormalities, specific area abnormalities, or largely preserved brain structure. However, the subtypes and brain regions affected varied between studies, and were rarely linked to clinical features. Findings indicate the need for larger samples, stronger validation, and improved methodological consistency to assess the clinical and mechanistic application of neuroimaging subtyping. 

 

Jan Lünemann: Proinflammatory Epstein-Barr Virus Antibody Functions Track with Disease Activity in Multiple Sclerosis 

Journal: Annals of Neurology 

Previous studies indicate that prior infection of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is linked to an increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). People with MS tend to have higher levels of antibodies against an EBV protein called EBNA1, and these levels often stay high even after the disease develops. Researchers found that it is not only the amount of EBV antibodies that matters in MS, but also how these antibodies function. They found that in people with MS, EBNA1 antibodies were more “pro-inflammatory” and more likely to activate parts of the immune system that can drive inflammation and tissue damage. These antibody patterns were linked to signs of active disease in the brain and not seen with antibodies against other common viruses. These findings suggest that EBV-related immune responses may not only reflect MS risk but could also contribute to MS pathology. 

 

Lara Boyd: Adaptation of motor control strategies and physiological arousal during repeated blocks of split-belt walking 

Journal: Journal of Neurophysiology 

This study investigated the physiological arousal response, mediated by the autonomic nervous system, and its adaptation to motor control strategies, mediated by the central nervous system, during repeat exposure to walking challenges. Researchers examined 20 young adults in a session of split-belt walking, a treadmill walking method with two separate belts moving at different speeds. Multiple physiological responses were measured, and the key finding was that during the split-belt walking exercises, participants’ physiological arousal responses changed in parallel with motor adaptation. In other words, as people get used to a motor task, their body’s stress responses also adjusted. 

 

Fidel-Vila Rodriguez, Tamara Vanderwal: Acute perturbations of whole-brain and triple-network connectivity during Low- Frequency-Right TMS for Treatment Resistant Depression 

Journal: Neuromodulation 

Researchers studied how concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation and functional magnetic resonance imaging (TMS-fMRI), used for treatment-resistant depression, affects brain connectivity and treatment outcomes. In 38 participants, brain scans taken during TMS showed a temporary reduction in communication across key brain networks involved in emotion, attention and cognition (the salience, control and default mode networks). It is important to note that greater changes in brain connectivity during the initial session were linked to greater improvement in depression symptoms after a full course of treatment. Overall, the findings suggest that TMS may help relieve depression by broadly altering brain network activity, and that early brain responses may help predict who will benefit most from treatment. This work also highlights the value of concurrent TMS-fMRI as a causal neuroimaging approach, allowing researchers to move beyond correlational biomarkers and directly examine how brain stimulation changes network dynamics.