Biology subjects

Antal, B. B.

Publications and source records attributed to Antal, B. B..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Spatially convergent fMRI signatures of diabetes and male sex identify genetic vulnerabilities to accelerated brain aging

Age-related cognitive decline results from complex interactions between neuroendocrine and neurometabolic processes that undergo lifelong degredation, yet the mechanisms underlying these interactions remain poorly understood. This study examined the effects of diabetes and sex on functional brain networks across aging through analysis of two large cohorts (N=1,621 total) using both 3T and 7T functional MRI, complemented by spatial transcriptomic data from over 14,000 genes from six post-mortem brains. Four networks-- cingulo-opercular, default mode, salience, and lateral somatomotor--exhibited significant functional decline in both individuals with diabetes and independently in males. Gene expression analysis of vulnerable networks revealed significant overexpression of insulin-dependent glucose transporters, dopaminergic and GABAergic synaptic genes, and VEGFA-VEGFR2 pathway components. These findings suggest functionally-specific circuit vulnerability to metabolic and hormonal dysregulation, potentially offering targets for early intervention before irreversible neurodegeneration occurs.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Ketosis Elevates Antioxidants and Enhances Neural Function Through Improved Bioenergetics: A 1H MR Spectroscopy Study

Ketosis is known to alter the balance of neuroactive amino acids and enhance neural function when compared to a glycolytic condition. However, its influence on other metabolites, such as antioxidants and neural energy markers, and the mechanisms by which ketosis improves neural function remain unclear. Here, we measure the neurochemical effects of acute ketosis on the human brain using ultra-high-field 1H MR Spectroscopy (MRS) and investigate the subsequent impact on neural function through resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI). In a within-subjects design, N = 63 healthy adults from across the lifespan underwent 1H MRS and rsfMRI scans before and after consuming individually weight-dosed and calorically-matched ketone monoester or glucose drinks. Ketone monoester administration, but not glucose, significantly elevated cerebral antioxidants and energy markers while decreasing GABA, glutamate, and glutamine levels in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Notably, increased bioenergetics, specifically an increase in total creatine, correlated with greater improvements in neural function as measured using rsfMRI. Our results integrate metabolic and functional neuroimaging findings, offering a comprehensive understanding of ketosis-induced changes in brain chemistry and functional network dynamics, yielding valuable insights into potential mechanisms by which ketosis imparts its neural benefits.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Brain signaling becomes less integrated and more segregated with age

The integration-segregation framework is a popular first step to understand brain dynamics because it simplifies brain dynamics into two states based on global vs. local signaling patterns. However, there is no consensus for how to best define what the two states look like. Here, we map integration and segregation to order and disorder states from the Ising model in physics to calculate state probabilities, Pint and Pseg, from functional MRI data. We find that integration/segregation decreases/increases with age across three databases, and changes are consistent with weakened connection strength among regions rather than topological connectivity based on structural and diffusion MRI data. AUTHOR SUMMARYThe integration-segregation framework succinctly captures the tradeoff brains face between seamless function (more integration) in light of energetic constrains (more segregation). Despite its ubiquitous use in the field, there is no consensus on its definition with various graph theoretical properties being proposed. Here, we define the two states based on the underlying mechanism of neuronal coupling strength to provide a physical foundation for the framework. We find that younger adults brains are close to perfectly balancing between integration and segregation, while older adults brains veer off towards random signaling.

neuroscience↗