• Neuroinformatics
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Rosmarinic acid (RA), which has multiple bioactive properties, might be a useful agent for protecting central nervous system against age related alterations. In this context, the purpose of the present study was to investigate possible protective effects of RA on mismatch negativity (MMN) component of auditory event-related potentials (AERPs) as an indicator of auditory discrimination and echoic memory in the ovariectomized (OVX) rats injected with D-galactose combined with neurochemical and histological analyses. Ninety female Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups: sham control (5); RA-treated (R); OVX (O); OVX + RA-treated (OR); OVX+ D-galactose-treated (OD); OVX+ D-galactose + RA treated (ODR). Eight weeks later, MMN responses were recorded using the oddball condition. An amplitude reduction of some components of AERPs was observed due to ovariectomy with or without D-galactose administiration and these reduction patterns were diverse for different electrode locations. MMN amplitudes were significantly lower over temporal and right frontal locations in the o and OD groups versus the S and R groups, which was accompanied by increased thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) levels. RA treatment significantly increased AERP/MMN amplitudes and lowered the TBARS/4-HNE levels in the OR and ODR groups versus the 0 and OD groups, respectively. Our findings support the potential benefit of RA in the prevention of auditory distortion related to the estrogen deficiency and D-galactose administration at least partly by antioxidant actions. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Background: A previous phase 2 trial has suggested that statins might delay brain atrophy in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of atorvastatin add-on therapy on cerebral atrophy in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis. Methods: This randomised, placebo-controlled study compared atorvastatin 40 mg or placebo add-on therapy to interferon β1b for 24 months. Brain magnetic resonance imaging, multiple sclerosis functional composite score, Rao neuropsychological battery and expanded disability status scale were evaluated over 24 months. Results: A total of 154 patients were randomly assigned, 75 in the atorvastatin and 79 in the placebo arms, with a comparable drop-out rate (overall 23.4%). Brain atrophy over 2 years was not different in the two arms (−0.38% and −0.32% for the atorvastatin and placebo groups, respectively). Relapse rate, expanded disability status scale, multiple sclerosis functional composite score or cognitive changes were not different in the two arms. Patients withdrawing from the study had a higher number of relapses in the previous 2 years ( P=0.04) and a greater probability of relapsing within 12 months. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the combination of atorvastatin and interferon β1b is not justified in early relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis and adds to the body of evidence indicating an absence of significant radiological and clinical benefit of statins in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis.

In the present Chapter we are going to illustrate the details of an experiment which helped us in understanding the cortical correlates of cognitive and emotional processes during the observation of TV commercials. Particularly, we investigated the cerebral activity of fifteen healthy subjects by gathering and analysing the EEG, GSR and HR activity while they were watching a documentary intermingled with a series of advertisements.

Capgras syndrome consists of the delusional belief that a person or persons have been replaced by doubles or impostors. It can occur in the context of both psychiatric and organic illness, and seems to be related to lesions of the bifrontal and right limbic and temporal regions. Indeed, magnetic resonance imaging has revealed brain lesions in patients suffering from Capgras syndrome. This case study reports the findings of a thorough diagnostic evaluation in a woman suffering from Capgras syndrome and presenting with the following clinical peculiarities: obsessive modality of presentation of the delusional ideation, intrusiveness of such ideation (that even disturbed her sleep), as well as a sense of alienation and utter disgust towards the double. These characteristics bring to mind the typical aspects of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Neuroanatomic investigation, through magnetic resonance imaging, performed on this patient showed alteration of the bilateral semioval centers, which are brain regions associated with the emotion of disgust and often show alterations in subjects suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Hence, neuroimaging allows researchers to put forward the hypothesis of a common neuroanatomic basis for Capgras syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder, at least for cases in which the delusional ideation is associated with deep feelings of disgust and presents with a certain pervasiveness.

« Anche se un'ondata di risate dovrà sommergermi nel ridicolo … » Aristofane e la kallipolis di Platone Revista Enunciação-v.3, n.2 Il problema del rapporto tra Platone e Aristofane rappresenta uno dei temi più dibattuti dalla critica. Se nell'Apologia di Socrate (19b-c) Platone riconduce alle Nuvole del poeta comico l'origine di quel clima di ostilità nei confronti del filosofo che avrebbe condotto diversi anni dopo al processo del 399, nel Simposio Platone fa dialogare cordialmente il filosofo e il poeta comico attribuendo a quest'ultimo uno dei più celebri e affascinanti discorsi del dialogo, il logos sugli uomini-palla (189c-193d) 1. Negli ultimi anni la critica ha riconosciuto con forza sempre maggiore i debiti di Platone nei confronti di Aristofane mettendo in evidenza la ripresa da parte di Platone di strategie letterarie, immagini, temi dalle commedie del poeta 2. Ma il problema era presente anche all'erudizione antica che ne rendeva conto, come spesso succede, sotto la forma dell'aneddoto 3. Olimpiodoro nella vita di Platone che introduce il commento all'Alcibiade Primo (2, 65-76 Westerink = T 53a Kassel-Austin) richiama l'apprezzamento di Platone per Sofrone e per Aristofane, dei quali sarebbe stato debitore per la μίμησις dei πρόσωπα nei dialoghi. L'apprezzamento per questi due autori sarebbe stato tale che alla morte di Platone i testi di Sofrone e Aristofane sarebbero stati rinvenuti sul letto del filosofo 4. In onore di Aristofane Platone avrebbe composto un epigramma (14 Page = T 130 Kassel-Austin), noto anche all'autore anonimo dei Prolegomena in Platonem (3, 6-10 Westerink) e alla tradizione biografica su Aristofane, almeno da quanto emerge da una delle vite anonime (Proleg. de com. non destinato a perire, avessero trovato l'animo di Aristofane, αἱ Χάριτες τέμενός τι λαβεῖν ὅπερ οὐχὶ πεσεῖται ζηλοῦσαι, ψυχὴν ηὗρον Ἀριστοφάνους. Il richiamo alle Cariti certo fa pensare alla grazia dello stile di Aristofane: gli anonimi Prolegomena in Platonem (3, 4-6 Westerink = T 53b Kassel-Austin) parlano in effetti di una frequentazione da parte di Platone dei poeti comici per carpirne lo stile. E dal più eminente dei poeti comici, per l'appunto Aristofane, Platone avrebbe tratto il χαρακτήρ. Ed è proprio in questo contesto che, per attestare l'apprezzamento di Platone per lo stile di Aristofane, l'anonimo cita l'epigramma 5. Ma, stando alla tradizione antica, l'interesse di Platone per la produzione del poeta non si limitava all'ambito della forma ma riguardava ad un tempo il contenuto. Un aneddoto riportato in una delle vite anonime di Aristofane (Proleg. de com. XXVIII 46-49, p. 135 Koster = 129 Swift La présence d'une série d'analogies entre le système politique de type communiste de l'Assemblée des femmes et la forme de communisme que Socrate théorise pour les gardiens de la kallipolis dans la République constitue une des questions les plus épineuses concernant le rapport entre les comédies d'Aristophane et Platon. Certains interprètes ont supposé l'existence d'une source commune aux deux textes, d'autres ont soutenu la circulation sous forme orale des idées politiques de Platon, ou la publication d'une Ur-Republik, qui auraient fait l'objet de la parodie d'Aristophane. Certains commentateurs ont en revanche lu l'allusion à la comédie comme une preuve de l'intention platonicienne de prendre des distances à l'égard du projet politique de la kallipolis. Cependant, il est possible d'inscrire la reprise platonicienne de l'Assemblée des femmes dans le cadre d'une stratégie littéraire et philosophique de plus longue haleine visant l'intégration de l'utopie comique au sein du discours philosophique et plus en général de la comédie dans le dialogue, une stratégie qui, dans la République, repose sur un jeu raffiné entre les différents niveaux temporels que Platon construit en s'appuyant sur la chronologie fictive de la scène du dialogue.

Migraine is an extremely common but poorly understood nervous system disorder. We conceptualize migraine as a disorder of sensory network gain and plasticity, and we propose that this framing makes it amenable to the tools of current systems neuroscience.