The Effect of Mesencephalic Lesions on Three-Dimensional Eye Movements
Michael Fetter, Thomas Haslwanter, Hubert Misslisch, Douglas Tweed in Three-Dimensional Kinematics of Eye, Head and Limb Movements, 2020
Over the last decade, using three-dimensional eye movement recordings, the interstitial nucleus of Cajal (iC) and the rostral interstitial nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus (riMLF) in the mesencephalon have been found to play a major role in the generation (riMLF) and integration (iC) of vertical and torsional eye movements. Moreover, three-dimensional (3-D) movement analysis has not only made it possible to designate specific functions to certain brain structures but also to investigate coordinate systems that biological systems involved in oculomotor control use to optimize efficiency and to reduce redundancy. For example, intrinsic neural coordinates for vertical/torsional oculomotor control seem not just to reflect anatomical references. Instead, the craniotopic orthogonal coordinate system that is thought to be used by the integrator cell population (iC) seems to align best with Listing’s plane (see previous chapters and below) but not with stereotaxic coordinates or extraocular muscle and/or canal coordinate systems (Crawford, 1994). The knowledge of these coordinate systems is important to understand and to visualize 3-D oculomotor deficits.
Role of Oxidative Stress in Neurodegeneration
Abhai Kumar, Debasis Bagchi in Antioxidants and Functional Foods for Neurodegenerative Disorders, 2021
PD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that manifests itself by bradykinesia in combination with rigidity, tremor, and postural imbalance. In addition, autonomic nervous dysfunction such as micturition, orthostatic hypotension, and seborrhea, as well as subtle cognitive dysfunction and depression occurs (Dickson 2012). PD affects approximately 1% of the world population over the age of 60 (Takahashi, Nagao, and Gouras 2017). The disease is neuropathologically characterized primarily by the degeneration of dopamine-containing neurons in the ventral mesencephalon. Dopaminergic neurons in the ventral mesencephalon are distributed over different cell groups (Mhyre et al. 2012). Neuron loss is responsible for most of the acute neurological symptoms as well as chronic neurodegenerative disease. Therefore, understanding the process that leads specifically to neuron death is critical in developing therapeutic strategies to treat these disorders. Several of these mechanisms that are implicated in the pathogenesis of neuronal cell deaths are under investigation. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction have been identified as the leading factors for nigral lose in PD. Antioxidants (N-acetyl-cysteine), antioxidant enzymes, and dietary supplements have been shown to prevent oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunctions in PD patients (Bose and Beal 2019; Agnihotri and Aruoma 2020).
Sonoembryology
Arianna D'Angelo, Nazar N. Amso in Ultrasound in Assisted Reproduction and Early Pregnancy, 2020
From the tenth gestational week onward, it is possible to obtain up to four parallel images or sections of all three orthogonal cardinal planes of the brain (sagittal, coronal, and axial) [21]. The thick crescent-shaped lateral ventricles fill the anterior part of the head and conceal the diencephalic cavity. The diencephalon lies between the hemispheres, and the mesencephalon gradually moves toward the center of the head [26]. Lateral ventricles are fully filled with choroid plexuses, and the falx is clearly visible [21]. After 10 weeks, 3 days, the choroid plexuses of the fourth ventricle can always be visualized [26]. As for the spine, small vertebral components of the spine can be distinguished in the dorsocranial section of the fetal body [18].
A Comparison of the Efficacy of Acupuncture and Hypnotherapy in Patients With Migraine
Published in International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 2018
Kenan Tastan, Ozlem Ozer Disci, Turan Set
In addition, some complementary and alternative therapies are used for migraine treatment. One of these methods used worldwide for migraine attacks is acupuncture (Du, Wang, Liu, & Liu, 2015). The available studies suggest that acupuncture may be effective in reducing migraines (Linde et al., 2016). The mechanisms by which acupuncture reduces pain are not yet fully known. The mechanisms are thought to be that acupuncture stimulates the pain control system by stimulating the neurons with the needle insertion at an acupuncture point. A series of events follow each other when an acupuncture needle is inserted at an acupuncture point. The stimulus first reaches the medulla spinalis, brain stem, and cortex. Subsequently, it stimulates the pain control system by stimulating neurons in the periaqueductal gray matter and periventricular area in the mesencephalon. As a result of the stimulation of the pain control system, beta endorphin, encephalin, serotonin, and norepinephrine levels rise in the brain and plasma (Cabioglu, 2010). Through this effect, it is thought that acupuncture could be used for treatment of the pain syndrome.
Neuroprotective benefits of grape seed and skin extract in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2021
Sarah Ben Youssef, Guillaume Brisson, Hélène Doucet-Beaupré, Anne-Marie Castonguay, Charles Gora, Mohamed Amri, Martin Lévesque
The ventral mesencephalon was freshly dissected from the ventral midbrain of Pitx3-GFP embryonic mice as previously described (Doucet-Beaupré et al., 2016). Briefly, the tissues were dissected from E18-P0 embryos. The tissues were mechanically cut into small pieces in a cutting solution, incubated with papain solution for 20 min at 37°C and triturated using mechanical trituration with a fire-polished Pasteur pipette in culture medium. The triturated cells were transferred to a BSA column and centrifuged for 5 min at 800 × g. Finally, the supernatant was aspirated, and the cell pellet was resuspended in complete growth media. The cells were plated in 96-well plates (Corning) coated with poly-L-ornithine 0.01% and laminin (10 μg/mL) at a density of 50,000 cells/well for cell counts and the ROS assay and at 100,000 cells/well in chambered cell culture slides (Falcon) using the same coating for morphological analysis. The primary cell culture was maintained in serum-free media consisting of neurobasal medium fortified with 2% B27 supplement, 1% GlutaMAX, 1% penicillin/streptomycin, 10% v/v FBS (all from Life Technologies) and 1.2 mg/mL D-glucose (Sigma). Finally, the cells were incubated for 48 h at 37°C in a 5% CO2 incubator before starting treatment, and triplicates were made for each GSSE pretreatment condition prior to 6-OHDA treatment for every primary cell culture experiment.
Revisiting the pineal gland: a review of calcification, masses, precocious puberty, and melatonin functions
Published in International Journal of Neuroscience, 2020
Shrey Patel, Benjamin Rahmani, Jason Gandhi, Omar Seyam, Gunjan Joshi, Inefta Reid, Noel L. Smith, Wayne C. Waltzer, Sardar Ali Khan
Moreover, the pineal gland a diencephalonic structure so it is connected to the third ventricle. It is observed to be dark brown in color and is covered by the pia mater. Although it is a true diencephalonic structure, it is positioned between the diencephalon and mesencephalon. Due to its positioning and function, the pineal gland is highly vascularized. The two main arteries are the medial posterior choroidal arteries and anatomically branch from the posterior cerebral artery. The highly vascular area suggests that the collateral branches of the vessels passing the area provide the supply to the pineal gland. The inner vascular structures are composed of large capillaries and unlike many brain structures there is little to no association with the blood brain barrier [8]. The complex anatomical features of the pineal gland have deterred physicians from attempting to remove cysts and tumors located in the area. However, due to its lack of reliance on the blood brain barrier, pharmacological treatment approaches may very well be feasible.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Alertness
- Brainstem
- Cerebral Aqueduct
- Diencephalon
- Pons
- Posterior Cranial Fossa
- Cerebrum
- Cerebral Peduncle
- Tegmentum
- Tentorial Notch