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Bove M, Palmieri MA, Santoro M, Agosti LP, Gaetani S, Romano A, Dimonte S, Costantino G, Sikora V, Tucci P, Schiavone S, Morgese MG, Trabace L. Amygdalar neurotransmission alterations in the BTBR mice model of idiopathic autism. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:193. [PMID: 38632257 PMCID: PMC11024334 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02905-z] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are principally diagnosed by three core behavioural symptoms, such as stereotyped repertoire, communication impairments and social dysfunctions. This complex pathology has been linked to abnormalities of corticostriatal and limbic circuits. Despite experimental efforts in elucidating the molecular mechanisms behind these abnormalities, a clear etiopathogenic hypothesis is still lacking. To this aim, preclinical studies can be really helpful to longitudinally study behavioural alterations resembling human symptoms and to investigate the underlying neurobiological correlates. In this regard, the BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice are an inbred mouse strain that exhibits a pattern of behaviours well resembling human ASD-like behavioural features. In this study, the BTBR mice model was used to investigate neurochemical and biomolecular alterations, regarding Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), together with GABAergic, glutamatergic, cholinergic, dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurotransmissions and their metabolites in four different brain areas, i.e. prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala and hypothalamus. In our results, BTBR strain reported decreased noradrenaline, acetylcholine and GABA levels in prefrontal cortex, while hippocampal measurements showed reduced NGF and BDNF expression levels, together with GABA levels. Concerning hypothalamus, no differences were retrieved. As regarding amygdala, we found reduced dopamine levels, accompanied by increased dopamine metabolites in BTBR mice, together with decreased acetylcholine, NGF and GABA levels and enhanced glutamate content. Taken together, our data showed that the BTBR ASD model, beyond its face validity, is a useful tool to untangle neurotransmission alterations that could be underpinned to the heterogeneous ASD-like behaviours, highlighting the crucial role played by amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Bove
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 20, 71122, Foggia, Italy
| | - Maria Adelaide Palmieri
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 20, 71122, Foggia, Italy
| | - Martina Santoro
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "V. Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Lisa Pia Agosti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 20, 71122, Foggia, Italy
| | - Silvana Gaetani
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "V. Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Adele Romano
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "V. Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Dimonte
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 20, 71122, Foggia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Costantino
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 20, 71122, Foggia, Italy
| | - Vladyslav Sikora
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 20, 71122, Foggia, Italy
- Department of Pathology, Sumy State University, 40007, Sumy, Ukraine
| | - Paolo Tucci
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 20, 71122, Foggia, Italy
| | - Stefania Schiavone
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 20, 71122, Foggia, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Morgese
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 20, 71122, Foggia, Italy
| | - Luigia Trabace
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 20, 71122, Foggia, Italy.
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Tafuri B, Urso D, Nigro S, Macchitella L, De Blasi R, Ray Chaudhuri K, Logroscino G. Grey-matter correlates of empathy in 4-Repeat Tauopathies. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2023; 9:138. [PMID: 37758794 PMCID: PMC10533505 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00576-z] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss of empathy is an early and central symptom of frontotemporal lobar degeneration spectrum diseases. We aimed to investigate the topographical distribution of morphometric brain changes associated with empathy in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and Corticobasal Syndrome (CBS) patients. Twenty-seven participants with CBS and 31 with PSP were evaluated using Interpersonal Reactivity Index scales in correlation with gray matter atrophy using a voxel-based morphometry approach. Lower levels of empathy were associated with an increased atrophy in fronto-temporal cortical structures. At subcortical level, empathy scores were positively correlated with gray matter volume in the amygdala, hippocampus and the cerebellum. These findings allow to extend the traditional cortico-centric view of cognitive empathy to the cerebellar regions in patients with neurodegenerative disorders and suggest that the cerebellum may play a more prominent role in social cognition than previously appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Tafuri
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico", Tricase, Lecce, Italy
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Bari, Italy
| | - Daniele Urso
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico", Tricase, Lecce, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
| | - Salvatore Nigro
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico", Tricase, Lecce, Italy
- Institute of Nanotechnology (NANOTEC), National Research Council, Lecce, Italy
| | - Luigi Macchitella
- IRCCS "E. Medea"- Unit for Severe disabilities in developmental age and young adults (Developmental Neurology and Neurorehabilitation), Brindisi, Italy
| | - Roberto De Blasi
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico", Tricase, Lecce, Italy
| | - K Ray Chaudhuri
- Department of Neurosciences, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
| | - Giancarlo Logroscino
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico", Tricase, Lecce, Italy.
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Bari, Italy.
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Massaro G, Mos P, Vasiukov S, Di Lena F, Scattarella F, Pepe FV, Ulku A, Giannella D, Charbon E, Bruschini C, D'Angelo M. Correlated-photon imaging at 10 volumetric images per second. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12813. [PMID: 37550319 PMCID: PMC10406932 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39416-8] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The correlation properties of light provide an outstanding tool to overcome the limitations of traditional imaging techniques. A relevant case is represented by correlation plenoptic imaging (CPI), a quantum-inspired volumetric imaging protocol employing spatio-temporally correlated photons from either entangled or chaotic sources to address the main limitations of conventional light-field imaging, namely, the poor spatial resolution and the reduced change of perspective for 3D imaging. However, the application potential of high-resolution imaging modalities relying on photon correlations is limited, in practice, by the need to collect a large number of frames. This creates a gap, unacceptable for many relevant tasks, between the time performance of correlated-light imaging and that of traditional imaging methods. In this article, we address this issue by exploiting the photon number correlations intrinsic in chaotic light, combined with a cutting-edge ultrafast sensor made of a large array of single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). This combination of source and sensor is embedded within a novel single-lens CPI scheme enabling to acquire 10 volumetric images per second. Our results place correlated-photon imaging at a competitive edge and prove its potential in practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianlorenzo Massaro
- Dipartimento Interuniversitario di Fisica, Università degli studi di Bari, 70126, Bari, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Paul Mos
- Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 2002, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Sergii Vasiukov
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesco Di Lena
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesco Scattarella
- Dipartimento Interuniversitario di Fisica, Università degli studi di Bari, 70126, Bari, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesco V Pepe
- Dipartimento Interuniversitario di Fisica, Università degli studi di Bari, 70126, Bari, Italy.
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari, 70125, Bari, Italy.
| | - Arin Ulku
- Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 2002, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Davide Giannella
- Dipartimento Interuniversitario di Fisica, Università degli studi di Bari, 70126, Bari, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Edoardo Charbon
- Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 2002, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Claudio Bruschini
- Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 2002, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Milena D'Angelo
- Dipartimento Interuniversitario di Fisica, Università degli studi di Bari, 70126, Bari, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari, 70125, Bari, Italy
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