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Neumann N, Domin M, Schmidt CO, Lotze M. Chronic pain is associated with less grey matter volume in the anterior cingulum, anterior and posterior insula and hippocampus across three different chronic pain conditions. Eur J Pain 2023; 27:1239-1248. [PMID: 37366271 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.2153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic pain of different aetiologies and localization has been associated with less grey matter volume (GMV) in several cortical and subcortical brain areas. Recent meta-analyses reported low reproducibility of GMV alterations between studies and pain syndromes. METHODS To investigate GMV in common chronic pain conditions defined by body location (chronic back pain, n = 174; migraine, n = 92; craniomandibular disorder, n = 39) compared to controls (n = 296), we conducted voxel-based morphometry and determined GMV from high-resolution cranial MRIs obtained in an epidemiologic survey. Mediation analyses were performed between the presence of chronic pain and GMV testing the mediators stress and mild depression. The predictability of chronic pain was investigated with binomial logistic regression. RESULTS Whole-brain analyses yielded reduced GMV within the left anterior insula and the anterior cingulate cortex, for a ROI approach additionally the left posterior insula and left hippocampus showing less GMV across all patients with chronic pain. The relationship of pain with GMV in the left hippocampus was mediated by self-reported stressors in the last 12 months. Binomial logistic regression revealed a predictive effect for GMV in the left hippocampus and left anterior insula/temporal pole for the presence of chronic pain. CONCLUSIONS Chronic pain across three different pain conditions was characterized by less GMV in brain regions consistently described for different chronic pain conditions before. Less GMV in the left hippocampus mediated by experienced stress during the last year might be related to altered pain learning mechanisms in chronic pain patients. SIGNIFICANCE Grey matter reorganization could serve as a diagnostic biomarker for chronic pain. In a large cohort, we here replicated findings of less grey matter volume across three pain conditions in the left anterior and posterior insula, anterior cingulate and left hippocampus. Less hippocampal grey matter was mediated by experienced stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Neumann
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Functional Imaging Unit, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Martin Domin
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Functional Imaging Unit, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Carsten-Oliver Schmidt
- Institute for Community Medicine- Department SHIP/KEF, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Martin Lotze
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Functional Imaging Unit, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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Sidhoum L, Dormegny L, Neumann N, Rouby AF, Sauer A, Gaucher D, Lejay A, Chakfé N, Bourcier T. [Assessment method of cognitive load and stress inducer factors of surgeons and anesthetists in the operating room]. J Fr Ophtalmol 2023; 46:536-551. [PMID: 37068974 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfo.2022.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION For many years, surgeons and anesthetists have recognized that stress can be present in their daily professional practice. The goal of this study was to identify tools for assessing stress and cognitive load in the operating room. MATERIAL AND METHODS We conducted a literature review in the PubMed database of scientific articles published on the subject without date limit using the keywords anesthesia, surgery, surgeon, cognitive workload, definition, pathophysiology, physiological measurement, objective, subjective, stress. RESULTS Nineteen articles were selected, focusing on cardiac surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, vascular surgery and urology. No publications concerning ophthalmology were found through the literature search. The means of measurement found were either subjective, such as questionnaires, or objective, such as the study of heart rate variability (HRV), reaction time, eye movements, electrical conductivity of the skin, biological markers and electroencephalogram. Of all these measurement tools, the NASA-TLX questionnaire, used in four articles, and the HRV study, used in eight articles, appear to be the most widely used and are strongly correlated with stress. CONCLUSION The articles reviewed use only some of the available tools for assessment of stress and cognitive load. The main objective is to improve the quality of care and the quality of life of caregivers. It would be interesting to develop other methods to identify and better characterize the risk factors that increase stress and cognitive load.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Sidhoum
- Service d'ophtalmologie, hôpitaux universitaires de Strasbourg, nouvel hôpital Civil, Strasbourg, France.
| | - L Dormegny
- Service d'ophtalmologie, hôpitaux universitaires de Strasbourg, nouvel hôpital Civil, Strasbourg, France; Département éducation, Gepromed, Strasbourg, France
| | - N Neumann
- Département éducation, Gepromed, Strasbourg, France
| | - A F Rouby
- Service de chirurgie vasculaire, hôpitaux universitaires de Strasbourg, nouvel hôpital Civil, Strasbourg, France; Département éducation, Gepromed, Strasbourg, France
| | - A Sauer
- Service d'ophtalmologie, hôpitaux universitaires de Strasbourg, nouvel hôpital Civil, Strasbourg, France; Département éducation, Gepromed, Strasbourg, France
| | - D Gaucher
- Service d'ophtalmologie, hôpitaux universitaires de Strasbourg, nouvel hôpital Civil, Strasbourg, France; Département éducation, Gepromed, Strasbourg, France
| | - A Lejay
- Service de chirurgie vasculaire, hôpitaux universitaires de Strasbourg, nouvel hôpital Civil, Strasbourg, France; Département éducation, Gepromed, Strasbourg, France
| | - N Chakfé
- Service de chirurgie vasculaire, hôpitaux universitaires de Strasbourg, nouvel hôpital Civil, Strasbourg, France; Département éducation, Gepromed, Strasbourg, France
| | - T Bourcier
- Service d'ophtalmologie, hôpitaux universitaires de Strasbourg, nouvel hôpital Civil, Strasbourg, France; Département éducation, Gepromed, Strasbourg, France
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Neumann N, Fullana MA, Radua J, Brandt T, Dieterich M, Lotze M. Common neural correlates of vestibular stimulation and fear learning: an fMRI meta-analysis. J Neurol 2023; 270:1843-1856. [PMID: 36723684 PMCID: PMC10025232 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11568-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A bidirectional functional link between vestibular and fear-related disorders has been previously suggested. OBJECTIVE To test a potential overlap of vestibular and fear systems with regard to their brain imaging representation maps. METHODS By use of voxel-based mapping permutation of subject images, we conducted a meta-analysis of earlier functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies applying vestibular stimulation and fear conditioning in healthy volunteers. RESULTS Common clusters of concordance of vestibular stimulation and fear conditioning were found in the bilateral anterior insula cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and the right temporal pole, bilaterally in the adjacent ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, cingulate gyrus, secondary somatosensory cortex, superior temporal and intraparietal lobe, supplementary motor area and premotor cortex, as well as subcortical areas, such as the bilateral thalamus, mesencephalic brainstem including the collicular complex, pons, cerebellar vermis and bilateral cerebellar hemispheres. Peak areas of high concordance for activations during vestibular stimulation but deactivations during fear conditioning were centered on the posterior insula and S2. CONCLUSIONS The structural overlap of both networks allows the following functional interpretations: first, the amygdala, superior colliculi, and antero-medial thalamus might represent a release of preprogramed sensorimotor patterns of approach or avoidance. Second, the activation (vestibular system) and deactivation (fear system) of the bilateral posterior insula is compatible with the view that downregulation of the fear network by acute vestibular disorders or unfamiliar vestibular stimulation makes unpleasant perceived body accelerations less distressing. This also fits the clinical observation that patients with bilateral vestibular loss suffer from less vertigo-related anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Neumann
- German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (DSGZ), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Functional Imaging Unit, Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Str. 46, 17475, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Miquel A Fullana
- Adult Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), CIBERSAM, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joaquim Radua
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), CIBERSAM, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas Brandt
- German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (DSGZ), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Marianne Dieterich
- German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (DSGZ), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- SyNergy-Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, Munich, Germany
| | - Martin Lotze
- Functional Imaging Unit, Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Str. 46, 17475, Greifswald, Germany.
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Neumann N, Drewes V, Konstantinidis I, Reinecke KHC, Lausberg H, Helmich I. Neuropsychological functions of nonverbal hand movements and gestures during sports. Journal of Cognitive Psychology 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2021.1998075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Neumann
- Department of Neurology, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychiatry, Institute of Health Promotion and Clinical Movement Science, German Sport University (GSU) Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Developmental Psychology, Sport & Performance Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - V. Drewes
- Department of Neurology, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychiatry, Institute of Health Promotion and Clinical Movement Science, German Sport University (GSU) Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - I. Konstantinidis
- Department of Neurology, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychiatry, Institute of Health Promotion and Clinical Movement Science, German Sport University (GSU) Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - K. H. C. Reinecke
- Department of Neurology, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychiatry, Institute of Health Promotion and Clinical Movement Science, German Sport University (GSU) Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - H. Lausberg
- Department of Neurology, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychiatry, Institute of Health Promotion and Clinical Movement Science, German Sport University (GSU) Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - I. Helmich
- Department of Neurology, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychiatry, Institute of Health Promotion and Clinical Movement Science, German Sport University (GSU) Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Strauss S, Barby S, Härtner J, Pfannmöller JP, Neumann N, Moseley GL, Lotze M. Graded motor imagery modifies movement pain, cortical excitability and sensorimotor function in complex regional pain syndrome. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab216. [PMID: 34661105 PMCID: PMC8514858 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with complex regional pain syndrome suffer from chronic neuropathic pain and also show a decrease in sensorimotor performance associated with characteristic central and peripheral neural system parameters. In the brain imaging domain, these comprise altered functional sensorimotor representation for the affected hand side. With regard to neurophysiology, a decrease in intracortical inhibition for the sensorimotor cortex contralateral to the affected hand has been repetitively verified, which might be related to increased primary somatosensory cortex functional activation for the affected limb. Rare longitudinal intervention studies in randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that a decrease in primary somatosensory cortex functional MRI activation coincided with pain relief and recovery in sensorimotor performance. By applying a randomized wait-list control crossover study design, we tested possible associations of clinical, imaging and neurophysiology parameters in 21 patients with complex regional pain syndrome in the chronic stage (>6 months). In more detail, we applied graded motor imagery over 6 weeks to relieve movement pain of the affected upper limb. First, baseline parameters were tested between the affected and the non-affected upper limb side and age-matched healthy controls. Second, longitudinal changes in clinical and testing parameters were associated with neurophysiological and imaging parameters. During baseline short intracortical inhibition, as assessed with transcranial magnetic stimulation, was decreased only for hand muscles of the affected hand side. During movement of the affected limb, primary somatosensory cortex functional MRI activation was increased. Hand representation area size for somatosensory stimulation in functional MRI was smaller on the affected side with longer disease duration. Graded motor imagery intervention but not waiting, resulted in a decrease of movement pain. An increase of somatosensory hand representation size over graded motor imagery intervention was related to movement pain relief. Over graded motor imagery intervention, pathological parameters like the increased primary somatosensory cortex activation during fist movement or decreased short intracortical inhibition were modified in the same way as movement pain and hand performance improved. No such changes were observed during the waiting period. Overall, we demonstrated characteristic changes in clinical, behaviour and neuropathology parameters applying graded motor imagery in patients with upper limb complex regional pain syndrome, which casts light on the effects of graded motor imagery intervention on biomarkers for chronic neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Strauss
- Functional Imaging Unit, Center for Diagnostic Radiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.,Department of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Silke Barby
- Functional Imaging Unit, Center for Diagnostic Radiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jonas Härtner
- Functional Imaging Unit, Center for Diagnostic Radiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jörg Peter Pfannmöller
- Functional Imaging Unit, Center for Diagnostic Radiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.,Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicola Neumann
- Functional Imaging Unit, Center for Diagnostic Radiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - G Lorimer Moseley
- IIMPACT in Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide 5000, Australia
| | - Martin Lotze
- Functional Imaging Unit, Center for Diagnostic Radiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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Sprenger J, Petersen J, Neumann N, Reichenspurner H, Russ D, Detter C, Schlaefer A. Tracking heart surface features to determine myocardial contrast agent enrichment. Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/cdbme-2021-1012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Fluorescent cardiac imaging can be applied for intraoperative quality control after a coronary bypass grafting surgery to ensure the myocardial perfusion by evaluating the increasing contrast agent enrichment in the heart. The motion due to the beating heart impedes the interpretation of the contrast agent enrichment in the vessels and leads to noisy enrichment curves. We propose tracking of the heart surface features to compensate for the motion of the beating heart and thereby improve the analysis of the contrast agent enrichment. Furthermore, we propose a vessel segmentation pipeline for a local evaluation of contrast agent enrichment directly in the vessels.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Sprenger
- Institute of Medical Technology and Intelligent Systems, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg , Germany
| | - J. Petersen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart and Vascular Center Hamburg, Hamburg , Germany
| | - N. Neumann
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg , Germany
| | - H. Reichenspurner
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart and Vascular Center Hamburg, Hamburg , Germany
| | - D. Russ
- Institut für Lasertechnologien in der Medizin und Meßtechnik, University of Ulm, Ulm , Germany
| | - C. Detter
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart and Vascular Center Hamburg, Hamburg , Germany
| | - A. Schlaefer
- Institute of Medical Technology and Intelligent Systems, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg , Germany
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Raufelder D, Neumann N, Domin M, Lorenz RC, Gleich T, Golde S, Romund L, Beck A, Hoferichter F. Do Belonging and Social Exclusion at School Affect Structural Brain Development During Adolescence? Child Dev 2021; 92:2213-2223. [PMID: 34156088 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Students' sense of belonging presents an essential resource for academic and health outcomes, whereas social exclusion at school negatively impacts students' well-being and academic performance. Aiming to understand how feelings of school-related belonging and exclusion shape the structural brain development, this study applied longitudinal questionnaire-based data and MRI data from 71 adolescent students (37 females, Mage at t1 = 15.0; t2 = 16.1 years). All were white participants from Germany. Voxel-based morphometry revealed only an association of social exclusion (and not of belonging) and gray matter volume in the left anterior insula: From t1 to t2, there was less gray matter decrease, the more social exclusion students perceived. School-related social exclusion and disturbed neurodevelopment are thus significantly associated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicola Neumann
- University Medicine Greifswald - Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology
| | - Martin Domin
- University Medicine Greifswald - Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology
| | | | | | | | | | - Anne Beck
- Charité-University Medicine.,HMU Health and Medical University Potsdam
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Abstract
In this article, assistance to bone cement injection is studied, with a focus on vertebroplasty, a procedure dedicated to the treatment of vertebral compression fractures. A robotic system that can remotely be operated at pressures up to 140 bar is presented. It improves cement polymerization control, combining a cold passive exchanger that slows down the cement curing in the syringe and an active exchanger that controls the injected cement temperature. The cement remote injection uses a rate control teleoperation strategy with force feedback to help monitoring the cement state. In addition to laboratory assessments, cadaver experiments were performed to illustrate the satisfactory operation of the whole system.
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Strauss S, Barby S, Härtner J, Neumann N, Moseley GL, Lotze M. Modifications in fMRI Representation of Mental Rotation Following a 6 Week Graded Motor Imagery Training in Chronic CRPS Patients. J Pain 2021; 22:680-691. [PMID: 33421590 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2020.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a neuropathic pain condition that is difficult to treat. For behavioral interventions, graded motor imagery (GMI) showed relevant effects, but underlying neural substrates in patient groups have not been investigated yet. A previous study investigating differences in the representation of a left/right hand judgment task demonstrated less recruitment of subcortical structures, such as the putamen, in CRPS patients than in healthy controls. In healthy volunteers, the putamen activity increased after a hand judgment task training. In order to test for longitudinal effects of GMI training, we investigated 20 CRPS patients in a wait-list crossover design with 3 evaluation time points. Patients underwent a 6 week GMI treatment and a 6 week waiting period in a randomized group assignment and treatment groups were evaluated by a blinded rater. When compared to healthy matched controls at baseline, CRPS patients showed less functional activation in areas processing visual input, left sensorimotor cortex, and right putamen. Only GMI treatment, but not the waiting period showed an effect on movement pain and hand judgment task performance. Regression analyses revealed positive associations of movement pain with left anterior insula activation at baseline. Right intraparietal sulcus activation change during GMI was associated with a gain in performance of the hand judgment task. The design used here is reliable for investigating the functional representation of the hand judgment task in an intervention study. PERSPECTIVE: Twenty chronic CRPS patients underwent a 6 week GMI intervention in a randomized wait-list crossover design. functional MRI was tested pre and post for the hand lateralization task which improved over GMI but not over WAITING. Performance gain was positively related to right parietal functional MRI activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Strauss
- Functional Imaging Unit, Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Germany
| | - Silke Barby
- Functional Imaging Unit, Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jonas Härtner
- Functional Imaging Unit, Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Germany
| | - Nicola Neumann
- Functional Imaging Unit, Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Germany
| | - G Lorimer Moseley
- IIMPACT in Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Martin Lotze
- Functional Imaging Unit, Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Germany.
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10
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Neumann N, Lotze M, Domin M. Sex-specific association of poor sleep quality with gray matter volume. Sleep 2021; 43:5788209. [PMID: 32140718 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsaa035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 02/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES Previous studies were inconsistent with regard to the association of sleep dysfunction on the brain's gray matter volume (GMV). The current study set out to investigate if there is a moderating effect of sex on the relationship between sleep quality in healthy individuals and GMV. METHODS We applied voxel-based morphometry in 1,074 young adults of the "Human Connectome Project." An analysis of variance with the factors "sleep quality" (good/poor according to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, cutoff >5) and "sex" (male, female) on GMV was conducted. Additionally, linear relationships between sleep quality and GMV were tested. RESULTS The analysis of variance yielded no main effect for sleep quality, but an interaction between sex and sleep quality for the right superior frontal gyrus. Post hoc t-tests showed that female good sleepers in comparison to female poor sleepers had larger GMV in the right parahippocampal gyrus extending to the right hippocampus (whole-brain family-wise error [FWE]-corrected), as well as smaller GMV in the right inferior parietal lobule (whole-brain FWE-corrected) and the right inferior temporal gyrus (whole brain FWE-corrected). There were no significant effects when comparing male good sleepers to male poor sleepers. Linear regression analyses corroborated smaller GMV in the right parahippocampal gyrus in women with poor sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS Poor sleep quality was associated with altered GMV in females, but not in males. Future studies are needed to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the sex differences in the association of sleep quality and brain differences found in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Neumann
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Functional Imaging Unit, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Martin Lotze
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Functional Imaging Unit, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Martin Domin
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Functional Imaging Unit, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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Lotze M, Domin M, Schmidt CO, Hosten N, Grabe HJ, Neumann N. Income is associated with hippocampal/amygdala and education with cingulate cortex grey matter volume. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18786. [PMID: 33139786 PMCID: PMC7608615 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75809-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Income and education are both elements of a person’s socioeconomic status, which is predictive of a broad range of life outcomes. The brain’s gray matter volume (GMV) is influenced by socioeconomic status and mediators related to an unhealthy life style. We here investigated two independent general population samples comprising 2838 participants (all investigated with the same MRI-scanner) with regard to the association of indicators of the socioeconomic status and gray matter volume. Voxel-based morphometry without prior hypotheses revealed that years of education were positively associated with GMV in the anterior cingulate cortex and net-equivalent income with gray matter volume in the hippocampus/amygdala region. Analyses of possible mediators (alcohol, cigarettes, body mass index (BMI), stress) revealed that the relationship between income and GMV in the hippocampus/amygdala region was partly mediated by self-reported stressors, and the association of years of education with GMV in the anterior cingulate cortex by BMI. These results corrected for whole brain effects (and therefore not restricted to certain brain areas) do now offer possibilities for more detailed hypotheses-driven approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Lotze
- Functional Imaging Unit, Center for Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Str.46, 17475, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - M Domin
- Functional Imaging Unit, Center for Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Str.46, 17475, Greifswald, Germany
| | - C O Schmidt
- Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - N Hosten
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - H J Grabe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - N Neumann
- Functional Imaging Unit, Center for Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Str.46, 17475, Greifswald, Germany
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Usichenko T, Wenzel A, Klausenitz C, Petersmann A, Hesse T, Neumann N, Hahnenkamp K. Auricular stimulation vs. expressive writing for exam anxiety in medical students - A randomized crossover investigation. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0238307. [PMID: 32853281 PMCID: PMC7451547 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Auricular stimulation (AS) is a promising method in the treatment of situational anxiety. Expressive writing (EW) is an established psychological method, which reduces test anxiety and improves exam results. The aim of this crossover trial was to compare AS with EW, and with the no intervention (NI) condition, for treatment of exam anxiety. METHODS Healthy medical students underwent 3 comparable anatomy exams with an interval of one month, either performing EW, receiving AS or NI prior to the exam; the order of interventions was randomized. AS was applied using indwelling fixed needles bilaterally at the areas innervated mostly by the auricular branch of the vagal nerve on the day before the exam. Anxiety level, measured using State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory (STAI) before and after the interventions and immediately before exam, was the primary outcome. Quality of night sleep, blood pressure, heart rate and activity of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) were analyzed across 3 conditions. RESULTS All 37 included participants completed the study. Anxiety level (STAI) decreased immediately after AS in comparison with baseline (P = 0.02) and remained lower in comparison with that after EW and NI (P<0.01) on the day of exam. After EW and NI anxiety increased on the day of exam in comparison with baseline (P<0.01). Quality of sleep improved after AS in comparison with both control conditions (P<0.01). The activity of sAA decreased after EW and after AS (P<0.05) but not after NI condition. CONCLUSION Auricular stimulation, but not expressive writing, reduced exam anxiety and improved quality of sleep in medical students. These changes might be due to reduced activity of the sympathetic nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taras Usichenko
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medicine of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- Department of Anesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Anna Wenzel
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medicine of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Catharina Klausenitz
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medicine of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Astrid Petersmann
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Thomas Hesse
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medicine of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Nicola Neumann
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Functional Imaging Unit, University Medicine of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Klaus Hahnenkamp
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medicine of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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Lotze M, Domin M, Gerlach FH, Gaser C, Lueders E, Schmidt CO, Neumann N. Novel findings from 2,838 Adult Brains on Sex Differences in Gray Matter Brain Volume. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1671. [PMID: 30737437 PMCID: PMC6368548 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-38239-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
There is still disagreement among studies with respect to the magnitude, location, and direction of sex differences of local gray matter volume (GMV) in the human brain. Here, we applied a state-of-the-art technique examining GMV in a well-powered sample (n = 2,838) validating effects in two independent general-population cohorts, age range 21-90 years, measured using the same MRI scanner. More GMV in women than in men was prominent in medial and lateral prefrontal areas, the superior temporal sulcus, the posterior insula, and orbitofrontal cortex. In contrast, more GMV in men than in women was detected in subcortical temporal structures, such as the amygdala, hippocampus, temporal pole, fusiform gyrus, visual primary cortex, and motor areas (premotor cortex, putamen, anterior cerebellum). The findings in this large-scale study may clarify previous inconsistencies and contribute to the understanding of sex-specific differences in cognition and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Lotze
- Functional Imaging Unit, Department of Radiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Martin Domin
- Functional Imaging Unit, Department of Radiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Florian H Gerlach
- Functional Imaging Unit, Department of Radiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | | | - Eileen Lueders
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Carsten O Schmidt
- SHIP, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Nicola Neumann
- Functional Imaging Unit, Department of Radiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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Kohler M, Strauss S, Horn U, Langner I, Usichenko T, Neumann N, Lotze M. Differences in Neuronal Representation of Mental Rotation in Patients With Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Healthy Controls. J Pain 2019; 20:898-907. [PMID: 30710707 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2019.01.330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Spatial integration of parts of the body is impaired in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Because the training of mental rotation (MR) has been shown to be among the effective therapy strategies for CRPS, impairment of MR is also important for the pathophysiological understanding of CRPS. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether differences in the neural representation of MR occur between patients with CRPS and healthy controls (HC). Therefore, we included 15 patients with chronic CRPS and 15 age- and gender-matched HC. We assessed behavioral (accuracy and reaction time for MR of both hands), clinical (Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire) and magnetic resonance imaging (T1-weighted, function magnetic resonance imaging during MR) data. Reaction times in the patient group were delayed compared with HC without a lateralization effect for the affected hand side. Although both groups showed an activation pattern typical for MR, only HC showed a highly significant contrast for the rotated versus unrotated hands in the right intraparietal sulcus. Patients with CRPS showed a reduction of functional magnetic resonance imaging activation in areas including the subthalamic nucleus, nucleus accumbens, and putamen. Regression analysis for the CRPS group emphasized the importance of putamen and nucleus accumbens activation for MR performance. This study highlights the reduced access of patients with CRPS for mental resources modulating arousal, emotional response, and subcortical sensorimotor integration. PERSPECTIVE: This study localized the underlying neural responses for impaired mental rotation in patients with complex regional pain syndrome as a decrease in basal ganglia (putamen) and nucleus accumbens activation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sebastian Strauss
- Functional Imaging Unit, Center for Diagnostic Radiology, and; Department of Neurology, University of Greifswald, Germany
| | - Ulrike Horn
- Functional Imaging Unit, Center for Diagnostic Radiology, and
| | - Inga Langner
- Division of Hand Surgery and Functional Microsurgery, Department of Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, and
| | - Taras Usichenko
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Nicola Neumann
- Functional Imaging Unit, Center for Diagnostic Radiology, and
| | - Martin Lotze
- Functional Imaging Unit, Center for Diagnostic Radiology, and.
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15
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Neumann N, Petersen J, Gross T, Naito S, Reichenspurner H, Girdauskas E. Internal versus External Annuloplasty in Aortic Valve Repair: Implications from MS-CT Data. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2019. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1678833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Neumann
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - J. Petersen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - T. Gross
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - S. Naito
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - H. Reichenspurner
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - E. Girdauskas
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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16
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Neumann N, Petersen J, Naito S, Gross T, Zeller T, Reichenspurner H, Girdauskas E. Expression Patterns of Circulating microRNAs in Different Valvulo-aortic Phenotypes. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2019. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1678807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Neumann
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - J. Petersen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - S. Naito
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - T. Gross
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - T. Zeller
- Department of Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - H. Reichenspurner
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - E. Girdauskas
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Petersen J, Holst T, Krohm S, Neumann N, Sinning C, Reichenspurner H, Girdauskas E. Impact of Postoperative Annular Diameter on Mid-term Outcomes of Aortic Valve Repair. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2019. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1678834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Petersen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Universitäres Herzzentrum Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - T. Holst
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Universitäres Herzzentrum Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - S. Krohm
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Universitäres Herzzentrum Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - N. Neumann
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Universitäres Herzzentrum Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - C. Sinning
- Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, Universitäres Herzzentrum Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - H. Reichenspurner
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Universitäres Herzzentrum Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - E. Girdauskas
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Universitäres Herzzentrum Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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18
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Sequeira Gross T, Naito S, Neumann N, Petersen J, Kuntze T, Reichenspurner H, von Kodolitsch Y, Girdauskas E. Does statin therapy impact the proximal aortopathy in aortic valve disease? QJM 2018; 111:623-628. [PMID: 29917097 DOI: 10.1093/qjmed/hcy129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have demonstrated that statin therapy decreases the growth rate of abdominal aneurysms. However, the effect of statin therapy on the proximal aortic disease has not been sufficiently elucidated. AIM We aimed to analyse the association between statin treatment and the severity of proximal aortopathy in patients with aortic valve disease. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. METHODS We prospectively identified 458 patients who were referred for aortic valve surgery from 2008 to 2014. Pre-operative measurement of the proximal aorta was performed by TEE, CT or MRT scan. Data of dyslipidemia treatment was obtained by questionnaire. RESULTS The mean ascending aortic diameter in the whole study population was comparable in patients with vs. without statin therapy (i.e. 42.7 mm vs. 43.6 mm, P = 0.46). Logistic regression analysis showed no significant association between statin therapy and proximal aortopathy ≥ 40 mm in the whole study group (OR = 0.69, P = 0.10). For the BAV sub-group, HDL (OR = 0.54, P = 0.038) and cholesterol levels (OR = 2.00, P = 0.038) were found significantly associated with the proximal aortic disease. In the BAV cohort, the statin users with target HDL levels presented a significantly smaller proximal aortic diameter (40.1 mm vs. 46 mm, P = 0.02). CONCLUSION Pre-operative statin therapy demonstrated no significant association with the expression of proximal aortopathy. However, more than 40% of the statin users presented uncontrolled lipid levels at the time of the study. In the BAV sub-group, the statins users with target HDL levels showed a significantly smaller ascending aorta diameter. Target HDL and cholesterol levels were strongly associated with proximal aortic dilation in BAV patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Sequeira Gross
- From the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Martinistraße 52, Hamburg, Germany
| | - S Naito
- From the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Martinistraße 52, Hamburg, Germany
| | - N Neumann
- From the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Martinistraße 52, Hamburg, Germany
| | - J Petersen
- From the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Martinistraße 52, Hamburg, Germany
| | - T Kuntze
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Central Hospital Bad Berka, Robert Koch Alle 9, Bad Berka, Germany
| | - H Reichenspurner
- From the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Martinistraße 52, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Y von Kodolitsch
- Department of Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg, Martinistraße 52, Hamburg, Germany
| | - E Girdauskas
- From the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Martinistraße 52, Hamburg, Germany
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19
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Laabs M, Neumann N, Green B, Awari N, Deinert J, Kovalev S, Plettemeier D, Gensch M. On-chip THz spectrometer for bunch compression fingerprinting at fourth-generation light sources. J Synchrotron Radiat 2018; 25:1509-1513. [PMID: 30179191 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577518010184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The layout of an integrated millimetre-scale on-chip THz spectrometer is presented and its peformance demonstrated. The device is based on eight Schottky-diode detectors which are combined with narrowband THz antennas, thereby enabling the simultaneous detection of eight frequencies in the THz range on one chip. The size of the active detector area matches the focal spot size of superradiant THz radiation utilized in bunch compression monitors of modern linear electron accelerators. The 3 dB bandwidth of the on-chip Schottky-diode detectors is less than 10% of the center frequency and allows pulse-resolved detection at up to 5 GHz repetition rates. The performance of a first prototype device is demonstrated at a repetition rate of 100 kHz at the quasi-cw SRF linear accelerator ELBE operated with electron bunch charges between a few pC and 100 pC.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Laabs
- Communications Lab, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - N Neumann
- Communications Lab, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - B Green
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - N Awari
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - J Deinert
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - S Kovalev
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - D Plettemeier
- Communications Lab, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - M Gensch
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
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20
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Neumann N, Domin M, Erhard K, Lotze M. Voxel-based morphometry in creative writers: Grey matter increase in a prefronto-thalamic-cerebellar network. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 48:1647-1653. [PMID: 29776018 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Continuous practice modulates those features of brain anatomy specifically associated with requirements of the respective training task. This study aimed to highlight brain structural changes going along with long-term experience in creative writing. To this end, we investigated the grey matter volume of 23 expert writers with voxel-based morphometry and compared it to 28 matched nonexpert controls. Expert writers had higher grey matter volume in the right superior frontal and middle frontal gyri (BA 9,10) as well as left middle frontal gyrus (BA 9, 10, 46), the bilateral medial dorsal nuclei of the thalamus and left posterior cerebellum. A regression analysis confirmed the association of enhanced grey matter volume in the right superior frontal gyrus (BA 10) with practice index of writing. In region-of-interest based regression analyses, we found associations of grey matter volume in the right Broca's analogue (BA 44) and right primary visual cortex (BA 17) with creativity ratings of the texts written during scanning, but not with a standardised verbal creativity test. Creative writing thus seems to be strongly connected to a prefronto-thalamic-cerebellar network that supports the continuous generation, organisation and revision of ideas that is necessary to write literary texts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Neumann
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Functional Imaging Unit, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Martin Domin
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Functional Imaging Unit, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Katharina Erhard
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Functional Imaging Unit, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Martin Lotze
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Functional Imaging Unit, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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Abstract
SummaryThe mathematical basis of Zelen’s suggestion [4] of pre randomizing patients in a clinical trial and then asking them for their consent is investigated. The first problem is to estimate the therapy and selection effects. In the simple prerandomized design (PRD) this is possible without any problems. Similar observations have been made by Anbar [1] and McHugh [3]. However, for the double PRD additional assumptions are needed in order to render therapy and selection effects estimable. The second problem is to determine the distribution of the statistics. It has to be taken into consideration that the sample sizes are random variables in the PRDs. This is why the distribution of the statistics can only be determined asymptotically, even under the assumption of normal distribution. The behaviour of the statistics for small samples is investigated by means of simulations, where the statistics considered in the present paper are compared with the statistics suggested by Ihm [2]. It turns out that the statistics suggested in [2] may lead to anticonservative decisions, whereas the “canonical statistics” suggested by Zelen [4] and considered in the present paper keep the level quite well or may lead to slightly conservative decisions, if there are considerable selection effects.
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22
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Neumann N, Schauder S. Phototoxische und photoallergische Reaktionen. Akt Dermatol 2018. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-121208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
ZusammenfassungBasierend auf einer Wechselwirkung zwischen elektromagnetischer Strahlung meist aus dem UV-Bereich mit einem Photosensibilisator kann eine photoallergische oder eine phototoxische Dermatitis ausgelöst werden. Unter dem Begriff „Photosensibilisatoren“ werden sowohl synthetisch hergestellte als auch natürlich vorkommende Substanzen verstanden, die nach vorheriger Exposition mit Strahlung meist aus dem UV-A-Bereich auf der Haut phototoxische oder photoallergische Reaktionen hervorrufen können. Im Allgemeinen werden phototoxische Reaktionen sehr viel häufiger beobachtet als photoallergische Dermatitiden. Zum Nachweis derartiger Photosensibilisatoren dient eine belichtete Variante des herkömmlichen Epikutan-Tests, der sog. Photopatch-Test. Bei einem vermutlich falsch negativen Photopatch-Test-Befund können darüber hinaus der Photoprick-, Photoscratch- oder der belichtete Intrakutan-Test herangezogen werden. Ist jedoch erst ein Metabolit einer Testsubstanz der eigentliche Photosensibilisator, dann kommt noch die systemische Photoprovokation als Nachweisverfahren infrage. Da im Einzelfall phototoxische von photoallergischen Testreaktionen klinisch nur schwer abzugrenzen sind, können typische Reaktionsmuster, die im Rahmen von sehr umfangreichen Studien eruiert wurden, bei der Differenzierung zwischen phototoxischen und photoallergischen Dermatitiden hilfreich sein.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Neumann
- Klinik für Dermatologie der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
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23
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Schneeberger Y, Neumann N, Schäfer A, Schofer N, Deuschl F, Schirmer J, Blankenberg S, Reichenspurner H, Schäfer U, Conradi L. Valve-in-Valve Procedures in a Biological Xenograft with Externally Mounted Leaflets: What Is the True Procedural Risk? Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2018. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1628045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Y. Schneeberger
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - N. Neumann
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - A. Schäfer
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - N. Schofer
- Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - F. Deuschl
- Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - J. Schirmer
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - S. Blankenberg
- Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - H. Reichenspurner
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - U. Schäfer
- Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - L. Conradi
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Petersen J, Neumann N, Naito S, Sequeira Gross T, Massel R, Reichenspurner H, Girdauskas E. Persistence of Reduced Left Ventricular Function after Aortic Valve Surgery for Aortic Valve Regurgitation: Bicuspid versus Tricuspid. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2018. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1627892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Petersen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - N. Neumann
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - S. Naito
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - T. Sequeira Gross
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - R. Massel
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - H. Reichenspurner
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - E. Girdauskas
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Neumann N, Petersen J, Naito S, Reichenspurner H, Girdauskas E. Internal versus External Annuloplasty Design during Aortic Valve Repair: Anatomical Implications from Consecutive MS-CT data. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2018. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1627996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Neumann
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - J. Petersen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - S. Naito
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - H. Reichenspurner
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - E. Girdauskas
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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26
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Petersen J, Naito S, Neumann N, Conradi L, Reichenspurner H, Girdauskas E. Impact of Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery in Elderly Patients. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2018. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1627898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Petersen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - S. Naito
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - N. Neumann
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - L. Conradi
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - H. Reichenspurner
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - E. Girdauskas
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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27
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Petersen J, Voigtländer L, Schofer N, Neumann N, von Kodolitsch Y, Reichenspurner H, Girdauskas E. Geometric Changes of Aortic Valve Annulus during Cardiac Cycle: Impact on Aortic Valve Repair. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2018. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1627995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Petersen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - L. Voigtländer
- Department of Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - N. Schofer
- Department of Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - N. Neumann
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Y. von Kodolitsch
- Department of Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - H. Reichenspurner
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - E. Girdauskas
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Schäfer A, Neumann N, Schofer N, Schneeberger Y, Deuschl F, Blankenberg S, Reichenspurner H, Schäfer U, Conradi L. Acute Outcomes of a Latest Generation Self-expandable, Intra-annular, Re-sheathable Transcatheter Heart Valve: The Portico System in 107 Consecutive Patients. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2018. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1628047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Schäfer
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - N. Neumann
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - N. Schofer
- Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Y. Schneeberger
- Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - F. Deuschl
- Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - S. Blankenberg
- Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - H. Reichenspurner
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - U. Schäfer
- Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - L. Conradi
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Lapen DR, Schmidt PJ, Thomas JL, Edge TA, Flemming C, Keithlin J, Neumann N, Pollari F, Ruecker N, Simhon A, Topp E, Wilkes G, Pintar KDM. Towards a more accurate quantitative assessment of seasonal Cryptosporidium infection risks in surface waters using species and genotype information. Water Res 2016; 105:625-637. [PMID: 27721171 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2016.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Many Cryptosporidium species/genotypes are not considered infectious to humans, and more realistic estimations of seasonal infection risks could be made using human infectious species/genotype information to inform quantitative microbial risk assessments (QMRA). Cryptosporidium oocyst concentration and species/genotype data were collected from three surface water surveillance programs in two river basins [South Nation River, SN (2004-09) and Grand River, GR (2005-13)] in Ontario, Canada to evaluate seasonal infection risks. Main river stems, tributaries, agricultural drainage streams, water treatment plant intakes, and waste water treatment plant effluent impacted sites were sampled. The QMRA employed two sets of exposure data to compute risk: one assuming all observed oocysts were infectious to humans, and the other based on the fraction of oocysts that were C. hominis and/or C. parvum (dominant human infectious forms of the parasite). Viability was not considered and relative infection risk was evaluated using a single hypothetical recreational exposure. Many sample site groupings for both river systems, had significant seasonality in Cryptosporidium occurrence and concentrations (p ≤ 0.05); occurrence and concentrations were generally highest in autumn for SN, and autumn and summer for GR. Mean risk values (probability of infection per exposure) for all sites combined, for each river system, were roughly an order of magnitude lower (avg. of SN and GR 5.3 × 10-5) when considering just C. parvum and C. hominis oocysts, in relation to mean infection risk (per exposure) assuming all oocysts were infectious to humans (5.5 × 10-4). Seasonality in mean risk (targeted human infectious oocysts only) was most strongly evident in SN (e.g., 7.9 × 10-6 in spring and 8.1 × 10-5 in summer). Such differences are important if QMRA is used to quantify effects of water safety/quality management practices where inputs from a vast array of fecal pollution sources can readily occur. Cryptosporidium seasonality in water appears to match the seasonality of human infections from Cryptosporidium in the study regions. This study highlights the importance of Cryptosporidium species/genotype data to help determine surface water pollution sources and seasonality, as well as to help more accurately quantify human infection risks by the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Lapen
- Ottawa Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
| | - P J Schmidt
- Philip J. Schmidt Technical Consulting Inc., Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - J L Thomas
- Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - T A Edge
- Canada Centre for Inland Waters, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - C Flemming
- Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - J Keithlin
- Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario Canada
| | - N Neumann
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - F Pollari
- FoodNet Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - N Ruecker
- Water Quality Services, City of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - A Simhon
- Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - E Topp
- London Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - G Wilkes
- Ottawa Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - K D M Pintar
- Centre for Food-Borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Alejo A, Kar S, Tebartz A, Ahmed H, Astbury S, Carroll DC, Ding J, Doria D, Higginson A, McKenna P, Neumann N, Scott GG, Wagner F, Roth M, Borghesi M. High resolution Thomson Parabola Spectrometer for full spectral capture of multi-species ion beams. Rev Sci Instrum 2016; 87:083304. [PMID: 27587110 DOI: 10.1063/1.4961028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We report on the experimental characterisation of laser-driven ion beams using a Thomson Parabola Spectrometer (TPS) equipped with trapezoidally shaped electric plates, proposed by Gwynne et al. [Rev. Sci. Instrum. 85, 033304 (2014)]. While a pair of extended (30 cm long) electric plates was able to produce a significant increase in the separation between neighbouring ion species at high energies, deploying a trapezoidal design circumvented the spectral clipping at the low energy end of the ion spectra. The shape of the electric plate was chosen carefully considering, for the given spectrometer configuration, the range of detectable ion energies and species. Analytical tracing of the ion parabolas matches closely with the experimental data, which suggests a minimal effect of fringe fields on the escaping ions close to the wedged edge of the electrode. The analytical formulae were derived considering the relativistic correction required for the high energy ions to be characterised using such spectrometer.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Alejo
- Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - S Kar
- Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - A Tebartz
- Institut für Kernphysik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schloßgartenstrasse 9, D-64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - H Ahmed
- Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - S Astbury
- Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - D C Carroll
- Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - J Ding
- Institut für Kernphysik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schloßgartenstrasse 9, D-64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - D Doria
- Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - A Higginson
- Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
| | - P McKenna
- Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
| | - N Neumann
- Institut für Kernphysik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schloßgartenstrasse 9, D-64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - G G Scott
- Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - F Wagner
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Planckstraße 1, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - M Roth
- Institut für Kernphysik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schloßgartenstraße 9, D-64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - M Borghesi
- Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
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Karim AA, Hinterberger T, Richter J, Mellinger J, Neumann N, Flor H, Kübler A, Birbaumer N. Neural Internet: Web Surfing with Brain Potentials for the Completely Paralyzed. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2016; 20:508-15. [PMID: 17082507 DOI: 10.1177/1545968306290661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Neural Internet is a new technological advancement in brain-computer interface research, which enables locked-in patients to operate a Web browser directly with their brain potentials. Neural Internet was successfully tested with a locked-in patient diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis rendering him the first paralyzed person to surf the Internet solely by regulating his electrical brain activity. The functioning of Neural Internet and its clinical implications for motor-impaired patients are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed A Karim
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Germany.
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Pham M, Hinterberger T, Neumann N, Kübler A, Hofmayer N, Grether A, Wilhelm B, Vatine JJ, Birbaumer N. An Auditory Brain-Computer Interface Based on the Self-Regulation of Slow Cortical Potentials. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2016; 19:206-18. [PMID: 16093411 DOI: 10.1177/1545968305277628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Objectives. Communication support for severely paralyzed patients with visual impairment is needed. Therefore, the feasibility of a brain-computer interface (BCI) using auditory stimuli alone, based on the self-regulation of slow cortical potentials (SCPs), was investigated. Methods. Auditory stimuli were used for task and feedback presentation in an SCP self-regulation paradigm. Voluntarily produced SCP responses and measures of communication performance were compared between 3 groups (total of N = 59) of visual, auditory, and cross-modal visual-auditory modality. Electroencephalogram recordings and training from Cz-mastoids were carried out on 3 consecutive sessions. Data of 1500 trials per subject were collected. Results. Best performance was achieved for the visual, followed by the auditory condition. The performance deficit of the auditory condition was partly due to decreased self-produced positivity. Larger SCP response variability also accounted for lower performance of the auditory condition. Cross-modally presented stimuli did not lead to significant learning and control of SCP. Conclusions. Brain-computer communication using auditory stimuli only is possible. Smaller cortical positivity achieved in the auditory condition, as compared to the visual condition, may be a consequence of increased selective attention to simultaneously presented auditory stimuli. To optimize performance, auditory stimuli characteristics may have to be adapted. Other suggestions for enhancement of communication performance with auditory stimuli are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Pham
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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Neumann N, Mischler D, Cuny C, Hogardt M, Kempf V, Heudorf U. Multiresistente Erreger bei Patienten ambulanter Pflegedienste im Rhein-Main-Gebiet, 2014: Prävalenz und Risikofaktoren. Gesundheitswesen 2016. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1578933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Qiu Y, Lee B, Neumann N, Ashbolt N, Craik S, Maal-Bared R, Pang X. Assessment of human virus removal during municipal wastewater treatment in Edmonton, Canada. J Appl Microbiol 2015; 119:1729-39. [DOI: 10.1111/jam.12971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Y. Qiu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology; University of Alberta; Edmonton AB Canada
| | - B.E. Lee
- Department of Pediatrics; University of Alberta; Edmonton AB Canada
| | - N. Neumann
- School of Public health; University of Alberta; Edmonton AB Canada
- Provincial Laboratory for Public Health; Edmonton AB Canada
| | - N. Ashbolt
- School of Public health; University of Alberta; Edmonton AB Canada
| | | | | | - X.L. Pang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology; University of Alberta; Edmonton AB Canada
- Provincial Laboratory for Public Health; Edmonton AB Canada
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Neumann N, Lotze M, Eickhoff SB. Cognitive Expertise: An ALE Meta-Analysis. Hum Brain Mapp 2015; 37:262-72. [PMID: 26467981 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Revised: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Expert performance constitutes the endpoint of skill acquisition and is accompanied by widespread neuroplastic changes. To reveal common mechanisms of reorganization associated with long-term expertise in a cognitive domain (mental calculation, chess, language, memory, music without motor involvement), we used activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis and compared brain activation of experts to nonexperts. Twenty-six studies matched inclusion criteria, most of which reported an increase and not a decrease of activation foci in experts. Increased activation occurred in the left rolandic operculum (OP 4) and left primary auditory cortex and in bilateral premotor cortex in studies that used auditory stimulation. In studies with visual stimulation, experts showed enhanced activation in the right inferior parietal cortex (area PGp) and the right lingual gyrus. Experts' brain activation patterns seem to be characterized by enhanced or additional activity in domain-specific primary, association, and motor structures, confirming that learning is localized and very specialized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Neumann
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Functional Imaging Unit, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Martin Lotze
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Functional Imaging Unit, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Cognitive Neuroscience Group, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Brain Network Modeling Group, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
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Voigtsberger J, Zeller S, Becht J, Neumann N, Sturm F, Kim HK, Waitz M, Trinter F, Kunitski M, Kalinin A, Wu J, Schöllkopf W, Bressanini D, Czasch A, Williams JB, Ullmann-Pfleger K, Schmidt LPH, Schöffler MS, Grisenti RE, Jahnke T, Dörner R. Imaging the structure of the trimer systems 4He3 and 3He4He2. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5765. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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Dubischar-Krivec AM, Bölte S, Braun C, Poustka F, Birbaumer N, Neumann N. Neural mechanisms of savant calendar calculating in autism: an MEG-study of few single cases. Brain Cogn 2014; 90:157-64. [PMID: 25108822 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2014.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Revised: 06/25/2014] [Accepted: 07/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
This study contrasted the neurological correlates of calendar calculating (CC) between those individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing individuals. CC is the ability to correctly and quickly state the day of the week of a given date. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), we presented 126 calendar tasks with dates of the present, past, and future. Event-related magnetic fields (ERF) of 3000ms duration and brain activation patterns were compared in three savant calendar calculators with ASD (ASDCC) and three typically developing calendar calculators (TYPCC). ASDCC outperformed TYPCC in correct responses, but not in answering speed. Comparing amplitudes of their ERFs, there was a main effect of group between 1000 and 3000ms, but no further effects of hemisphere or sensor location. We conducted CLARA source analysis across the entire CC period in each individual. Both ASDCC and TYPCC exhibited activation maxima in prefrontal areas including the insulae and the left superior temporal gyrus. This is in accordance with verbal fact retrieval and working memory as well as monitoring and coordination processes. In ASDCC, additional activation sites at the right superior occipital gyrus, the right precuneus, and the right putamen point to visual-spatial strategies and are in line with the preference of autistic individuals for engaging posterior regions relatively more strongly in various reasoning and problem solving tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Milena Dubischar-Krivec
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Silcherstr. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sven Bölte
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christoph Braun
- MEG-Center, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 47, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Fritz Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, J.W. Goethe University of Frankfurt, Deutschordenstr. 50, 60528 Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Niels Birbaumer
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Silcherstr. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Ospedale San Camillo, Istituto Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Via Alberoni 70, 30126 Venezia, Italy
| | - Nicola Neumann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Silcherstr. 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Center for Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Functional Imaging Unit, University of Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Str. 46, 17475 Greifswald, Germany.
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Dischereit G, Neumann N, Müller-Ladner U, Kürten B, Lange U. Einfluss einer seriellen niedrig-dosierten Radonstollen-Hyperthermie auf Schmerz, Krankheitsaktivität und zentrale Zytokine des Knochenmetabolismus bei ankylosierender Spondylitis – eine Prospektivstudie. AKTUEL RHEUMATOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1384554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G. Dischereit
- Rheumatologie, Klinische Immunologie, Physikalische Medizin und Osteologie, Kerckhoff-Klinik, Universität Gießen, Bad Nauheim
| | - N. Neumann
- Rheumatologie, Klinische Immunologie, Physikalische Medizin und Osteologie, Kerckhoff-Klinik, Universität Gießen, Bad Nauheim
| | - U. Müller-Ladner
- Abteilung für Rheumatologie und klinische Immunologie, Kerckhoff-Klinik, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Bad Nauheim
| | - B. Kürten
- Kurhaus Hanusch, Bad Hofgastein, Österreich
| | - U. Lange
- Rheumatologie, Klinische Immunologie, Physikalische Medizin und Osteologie, Kerckhoff-Klinik, Universität Gießen, Bad Nauheim
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Lotze M, Erhard K, Neumann N, Eickhoff SB, Langner R. Neural correlates of verbal creativity: differences in resting-state functional connectivity associated with expertise in creative writing. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:516. [PMID: 25076885 PMCID: PMC4098078 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2014] [Accepted: 06/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural characteristics of verbal creativity as assessed by word generation tasks have been recently identified, but differences in resting-state functional connectivity (rFC) between experts and non-experts in creative writing have not been reported yet. Previous electroencephalography (EEG) coherence measures during rest demonstrated a decreased cooperation between brain areas in association with creative thinking ability. Here, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare 20 experts in creative writing and 23 age-matched non-experts with respect to rFC strengths within a brain network previously found to be associated with creative writing. Decreased rFC for experts was found between areas 44 of both hemispheres. Increased rFC for experts was observed between right hemispheric caudate and intraparietal sulcus. Correlation analysis of verbal creativity indices (VCIs) with rFC values in the expert group revealed predominantly negative associations, particularly of rFC between left area 44 and left temporal pole. Overall, our data support previous findings of reduced connectivity between interhemispheric areas and increased right-hemispheric connectivity during rest in highly verbally creative individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Lotze
- Functional Imaging Unit, Center for Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University of Greifswald Greifswald, Germany
| | - Katharina Erhard
- Functional Imaging Unit, Center for Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University of Greifswald Greifswald, Germany
| | - Nicola Neumann
- Functional Imaging Unit, Center for Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University of Greifswald Greifswald, Germany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Düsseldorf, Germany ; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Research Centre Jülich Jülich, Germany
| | - Robert Langner
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Düsseldorf, Germany ; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Research Centre Jülich Jülich, Germany
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Wilkes G, Brassard J, Edge T, Gannon V, Jokinen C, Jones T, Neumann N, Pintar K, Ruecker N, Schmidt P, Sunohara M, Topp E, Lapen D. Bacteria, viruses, and parasites in an intermittent stream protected from and exposed to pasturing cattle: prevalence, densities, and quantitative microbial risk assessment. Water Res 2013; 47:6244-57. [PMID: 24075721 PMCID: PMC7112034 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2013.07.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Revised: 07/22/2013] [Accepted: 07/26/2013] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Over 3500 individual water samples, for 131 sampling times, targeting waterborne pathogens/fecal indicator bacteria were collected during a 7-year period from 4 sites along an intermittent stream running through a small livestock pasture system with and without cattle access-to-stream restriction measures. The study assessed the impact of cattle pasturing/riparian zone protection on: pathogen (bacterial, viral, parasite) occurrence, concentrations of fecal indicators, and quantitative microbial risk assessments (QMRA) of the risk of Cryptosporidium, Giardia and Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection in humans. Methodologies were developed to compute QMRA mean risks on the basis of water samples exhibiting potentially human infectious Cryptosporidium and E. coli based on genotyping Crytosporidium, and E. coli O157:H7 presence/absence information paired with enumerated E. coli. All Giardia spp. were considered infectious. No significant pasturing treatment effects were observed among pathogens, with the exception of Campylobacter spp. and E. coli O157:H7. Campylobacter spp. prevalence significantly decreased downstream through pasture treatments and E. coli O157:H7 was observed in a few instances in the middle of the unrestricted pasture. Densities of total coliform, fecal coliform, and E. coli reduced significantly downstream in the restricted pasture system, but not in the unrestricted system. Seasonal and flow conditions were associated with greater indicator bacteria densities, especially in the summer. Norovirus GII was detected at rates of 7-22% of samples for all monitoring sites, and rotavirus in 0-7% of samples for all monitoring sites; pasture treatment trends were not evident, however. Seasonal and stream flow variables (and their interactions) were relatively more important than pasture treatments for initially stratifying pathogen occurrence and higher fecal indicator bacteria densities. Significant positive associations among fecal indicator bacteria and Campylobacter spp. detection were observed. For QMRA, adjusting for the proportion of Cryptosporidium spp. detected that are infectious for humans reduces downstream risk estimates by roughly one order of magnitude. Using QMRA in this manner provides a more refined estimate of beneficial management practice effects on pathogen exposure risks to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. Wilkes
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - J. Brassard
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - T.A. Edge
- Environment Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - V. Gannon
- Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses, Public Health Agency of Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - C.C. Jokinen
- Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses, Public Health Agency of Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - T.H. Jones
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada
| | - N. Neumann
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - K.D.M. Pintar
- C-EnterNet Surveillance, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - N. Ruecker
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - P.J. Schmidt
- Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - M. Sunohara
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - E. Topp
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - D.R. Lapen
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Corresponding author.
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Neumann N, Braun C, Dubischar-Krivec AM, Bölte S. Recognition Memory for High and Low Associative Stimuli in Autistic Individuals with Outstanding Memory Skill. Scand J Child Adolesc Psychiatr Psychol 2013; 1:43-50. [PMID: 37869707 PMCID: PMC10586206 DOI: 10.21307/sjcapp-2013-007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with autism exhibit typical recognition memory performance, but they show a reduced use of context and relational processing in more complex memory tasks. It is unclear whether the same is true for autistic individuals with exceptional memory skill for whom superior rote memory skill has been assumed. OBJECTIVE In this study, we investigated recognition memory for high and low associative stimuli in autistic memory experts. In accord with the rote memory notion, we expected an equal recognition performance for high and low associative stimuli and superior memorizing of nonsense material compared to control participants. METHOD Seven autistic memory experts and seven typically developed control subjects, matched according to age, sex, handedness, and full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ), were examined on a continuous old-new recognition paradigm, including high or low associative pseudowords and shapes. Memory expertise was characterized as a currently present outstanding memory skill above the subject's general level of ability and above the general population and was validated through direct clinical observation or some form of credible evidence. RESULTS Our hypotheses were partially corroborated with autistic memory experts recognizing high and low associative shapes equally well in contrast to control participants who showed superior recognition of high associative shapes. However, memory experts did not outperform control participants in the recognition of low associative shapes. There were no differences for the recognition of pseudowords. CONCLUSIONS Findings do not indicate enhanced memory for nonsense material, but a failure to make use of semantic features of abstract stimuli as assumed for autism as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Neumann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- University of Greifswald, Center for Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Christoph Braun
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anna M. Dubischar-Krivec
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sven Bölte
- Karolinska Institutet Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Karolinska Institutet, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Stockholm, Sweden
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Lange U, Neumann N, Kürten B, Müller-Ladner U, Tarner I. Einfluss einer seriellen niedrig dosierten Radonstollen-Hyperthermie auf zentrale Zytokine des Knochenmetabolismus bei ankylosierender Spondylitis. Phys Rehab Kur Med 2012. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1316334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- U. Lange
- Department of Rheumatology, Osteology and Physical Medicine, University Gießen, Kerckhoff-Klinik, Bad Nauheim
| | - N. Neumann
- Rheumatology, Osteology and Physical Medicine, Kerckhoff-Klinik, Bad Nauheim
| | - B. Kürten
- Rheumatologie, Kurhaus Hanusch, Bad Hofgastein, Austria
| | - U. Müller-Ladner
- Rheumatology, Osteology and Physical Medicine, Kerckhoff-Klinik, Bad Nauheim
| | - I. Tarner
- Rheumatology, Osteology and Physical Medicine, Kerckhoff-Klinik, Bad Nauheim
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Sunohara MD, Topp E, Wilkes G, Gottschall N, Neumann N, Ruecker N, Jones TH, Edge TA, Marti R, Lapen DR. Impact of riparian zone protection from cattle on nutrient, bacteria, F-coliphage, and loading of an intermittent stream. J Environ Qual 2012; 41:1301-14. [PMID: 22751075 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2011.0407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
This 5-yr study compared, via an upstream-downstream experimental design, nutrient and microbial water quality of an intermittent stream running through a small pasture (∼2.5 animals ha) where cattle are restricted from the riparian zone (restricted cattle access [RCA]) and where cattle have unrestricted access to the stream (unrestricted cattle access [URCA]). Fencing in the RCA excluded pasturing cattle to within ∼3 to 5 m of the stream. Approximately 88% (26/32) of all comparisons of mean contaminant load reduction for lower, higher, and all stream flow conditions during the 5-yr study indicated net contaminant load reductions in the RCA; for the URCA, this percentage was 38% (12/32). For all flow conditions, mean percent load reductions in the RCA for nutrients and bacteria plus F-coliphage were 24 and 23%, respectively. These respective percentages for the URCA were -9 and -57% (positive values are reductions; negative values are increases). However, potentially as a result of protected wildlife habitat in the RCA, the mean percent load reduction for for "all flow" was -321% for the RCA and 60% for the URCA; for , these respective percentages were -209% (RCA) and 73% (URCA). For "all flow" situations, mean load reductions for the RCA were significantly greater ( < 0.1) than those from the URCA for NH-N, dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), total coliform, , and . For "high flow" situations, mean load reductions were significantly greater for the RCA for DRP, total coliform, and . For "low flow" conditions, significantly greater mean load reductions were in favor of the RCA for DRP, total P, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, , and . In no case were mean pollutant loads in the URCA significantly higher than RCA pollutant loads. Restricting pasturing livestock to within 3 to 5 m of intermittent streams can improve water quality; however, water quality impairment can occur if livestock have unrestricted access to a stream.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Sunohara
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Edge TA, El-Shaarawi A, Gannon V, Jokinen C, Kent R, Khan IUH, Koning W, Lapen D, Miller J, Neumann N, Phillips R, Robertson W, Schreier H, Scott A, Shtepani I, Topp E, Wilkes G, van Bochove E. Investigation of an Escherichia coli environmental benchmark for waterborne pathogens in agricultural watersheds in Canada. J Environ Qual 2012; 41:21-30. [PMID: 22218170 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2010.0253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Canada's National Agri-Environmental Standards Initiative sought to develop an environmental benchmark for low-level waterborne pathogen occurrence in agricultural watersheds. A field study collected 902 water samples from 27 sites in four intensive agricultural watersheds across Canada from 2005 to 2007. Four of the sites were selected as reference sites away from livestock and human fecal pollution sources in each watershed. Water samples were analyzed for Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., and the water quality indicator E. coli. The annual mean number of pathogen species was higher at agricultural sites (1.54 ± 0.07 species per water sample) than at reference sites (0.75 ± 0.14 species per water sample). The annual mean concentration of E. coli was also higher at agricultural sites (491 ± 96 colony-forming units [cfu] 100 mL(-1)) than at reference sites (53 ± 18 cfu 100 mL(-1)). The feasibility of adopting existing E. coli water quality guideline values as an environmental benchmark was assessed, but waterborne pathogens were detected at agricultural sites in 80% of water samples with low E. coli concentrations (<100 cfu 100 mL(-1)). Instead, an approach was developed based on using the natural background occurrence of pathogens at reference sites in agricultural watersheds to derive provisional environmental benchmarks for pathogens at agricultural sites. The environmental benchmarks that were derived were found to represent E. coli values lower than geometric mean values typically found in recreational water quality guidelines. Additional research is needed to investigate environmental benchmarks for waterborne pathogens within the context of the "One World, One Health" perspective for protecting human, domestic animal, and wildlife health.
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Affiliation(s)
- T A Edge
- Water Science & Technology, National Water Research Institute, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6, Canada.
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Neumann N, Dubischar-Krivec AM, Poustka F, Birbaumer N, Bölte S, Braun C. Electromagnetic evidence of altered visual processing in autism. Neuropsychologia 2011; 49:3011-7. [PMID: 21762713 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2010] [Revised: 06/27/2011] [Accepted: 06/28/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate intact or superior local processing of visual-spatial tasks. We investigated the hypothesis that in a disembedding task, autistic individuals exhibit a more local processing style than controls, which is reflected by altered electromagnetic brain activity in response to embedded stimuli and enhanced activity of early visual areas. Ten autistic and ten matched control participants underwent 151-channel whole-head magnetoencephalography. Participants were presented with 400 embedded or isolated letters ('S' or 'H') and asked to indicate which of the two letters was shown. Performance was equal in both groups, but event-related magnetic fields differed between groups in an early (100-150 ms) and a later (350-400 ms) time window. In the early time window, autistic individuals differed from control participants in the embedded, but not in the isolated condition, reflecting reduced processing of the irrelevant context in autistic individuals. In the later time window, amplitude differences between the embedded and isolated conditions were measured in control participants only, suggesting that "disembedding" processes were not required in autistic individuals. Source localisation indicated that activity in individuals with ASD peaked in the primary visual cortex in both conditions and time windows indicating an effortless (automatic, bottom-up) local process, whereas activity in controls peaked outside the visual cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Neumann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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Pietsch C, Neumann N, Preuer T, Kloas W. In vivo treatment with progestogens causes immunosuppression of carp Cyprinus carpio leucocytes by affecting nitric oxide production and arginase activity. J Fish Biol 2011; 79:53-69. [PMID: 21722110 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2011.02981.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In this study, carp Cyprinus carpio were injected with various steroid compounds, including synthetic and natural progestogens and the glucocorticoid cortisol, to investigate effects on leucocytes isolated from their kidneys. Injection of cortisol led to an increased spleeno-somatic index (I(S)) on day 21 post-injection (pi) and immunosuppressive effects measured as decreased nitric oxide (NO) production and increased arginase activity in isolated leucocytes on days 14 and 21 pi, respectively. Moreover, reduced NO production was also observed after injection of the synthetic progestogens, levonorgestrel (LEV) and medroxyprogesterone acetate. In addition, LEV influenced arginase activity in head kidney cells on day 14 and day 21 pi. This study is the first demonstration in fishes that the application of these steroid compounds in vivo affects NO production and arginase activity of isolated leucocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Pietsch
- Department of Ecophysiology and Aquaculture, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, D-12587 Berlin, Germany.
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Sann H, Jahnke T, Havermeier T, Kreidi K, Stuck C, Meckel M, Schöffler MS, Neumann N, Wallauer R, Voss S, Czasch A, Jagutzki O, Weber T, Schmidt-Böcking H, Miyabe S, Haxton DJ, Orel AE, Rescigno TN, Dörner R. Electron diffraction self-imaging of molecular fragmentation in two-step double ionization of water. Phys Rev Lett 2011; 106:133001. [PMID: 21517378 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.106.133001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
We doubly ionize H(2)O by single photon absorption at 43 eV leading to H(+) + OH(+). A direct double ionization and a sequential process in which single ionization is followed by rapid dissociation into a proton and an autoionizing OH(*) are identified. The angular distribution of this delayed autoionization electron shows a preferred emission in the direction of the emitted proton. From this diffraction feature we obtain internuclear distances of 700 to 1100 a.u. at which the autoionization of the OH(*) occurs. The experimental findings are in line with calculations of the excited potential energy surfaces and their lifetimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Sann
- Institut für Kernphysik, J. W. Goethe Universität, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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49
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Titze J, Schöffler MS, Kim HK, Trinter F, Waitz M, Voigtsberger J, Neumann N, Ulrich B, Kreidi K, Wallauer R, Odenweller M, Havermeier T, Schössler S, Meckel M, Foucar L, Jahnke T, Czasch A, Schmidt LPH, Jagutzki O, Grisenti RE, Schmidt-Böcking H, Lüdde HJ, Dörner R. Ionization dynamics of helium dimers in fast collisions with He++. Phys Rev Lett 2011; 106:033201. [PMID: 21405271 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.106.033201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
By employing the cold target recoil ion momentum spectroscopy technique, we have investigated the (He+, He+) breakup of a helium dimer (He2) caused by transfer ionization and double capture in collisions with alpha particles (E = 150 keV/u). Surprisingly, the results show a two-step process as well as a one-step process followed by electron exchange. In addition, interatomic Coulombic decay [L. S. Cederbaum, J. Zobeley, and F. Tarantelli, Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 4778 (1997).] is observed in an ion collision for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Titze
- Institut für Kernphysik, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Max-von-Laue-Str 1, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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50
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Havermeier T, Jahnke T, Kreidi K, Wallauer R, Voss S, Schöffler M, Schössler S, Foucar L, Neumann N, Titze J, Sann H, Kühnel M, Voigtsberger J, Malakzadeh A, Sisourat N, Schöllkopf W, Schmidt-Böcking H, Grisenti RE, Dörner R. Single photon double ionization of the helium dimer. Phys Rev Lett 2010; 104:153401. [PMID: 20481987 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.104.153401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2009] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
We show that a single photon can ionize the two helium atoms of the helium dimer in a distance up to 10 A. The energy sharing among the electrons, the angular distributions of the ions and electrons, as well as comparison with electron impact data for helium atoms suggest a knockoff type double ionization process. The Coulomb explosion imaging of He2 provides a direct view of the nuclear wave function of this by far most extended and most diffuse of all naturally existing molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Havermeier
- Institut für Kernphysik, J. W. Goethe Universität, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 1, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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