Biology subjects

Ofen, N.

Publications and source records attributed to Ofen, N..

6 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Trauma-Exposed Adolescents Show Reduced Cortical Glutamate Modulation during Inhibitory Control with Negative Emotional Stimuli

BackgroundChildhood trauma exposure (TE) may heighten negative emotional responses, overwhelm cognitive control, and increase risk for anxiety disorders. Cognitive control is facilitated by glutamatergic (Glu) excitatory neurotransmission within the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). Dynamic changes in dACC Glu levels were investigated using {superscript 1}H functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H fMRS) to assess the impact of negative emotional processing on neural mechanisms supporting cognitive control in TE-youth. MethodsFifty adolescents were categorized into two TE-Groups: Higher (Mtrauma=6{+/-}1events) and Lower (Mtrauma=3{+/-}1events). 1H fMRS from the dACC was acquired during an inhibitory motor control task requiring tapping responses to stimuli under two Response Modes, "NonSelective" (100% response) and "Selective" (80% response, 20% inhibition), executed with two Stimuli Conditions, "Squares" (no emotion) and "Faces" (emotion). Glu modulation (relative to basal levels) was tested across TE-Group, Stimuli Condition, and their interaction. Within each Stimuli Condition, Glu modulation was tested across Response Modes by TE-Group. ResultsWe observed a 2-way interaction of TE-Group x Stimuli Condition ({chi}2=4.66, p=0.031). Post-hoc tests revealed significantly lower Glu modulation in Higher TE vs Lower TE (p=.023) during Faces but not Squares. This Glu modulation did not differ across Response Modes. Within the Higher TE-Group, Glu was significantly reduced during Faces compared to Squares (p<.001). Basal dACC Glu levels did not differ between groups. ConclusionsTE-Group differences in adolescent dACC Glu modulation were observed during cognitive control performed with emotional, but not non-emotional, stimuli, highlighting the value of 1H fMRS for detecting trauma-related differences in task-related excitatory neurochemical dynamics.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Harmonized Protocol for Segmentation of the Hippocampal Tail on High-Resolution in vivo MRI from the Hippocampal Subfields Group (HSG)

The hippocampus is a heterogeneous structure with cytoarchitectonically distinct subfields that exhibit heterogeneous lifespan trajectories and are differentially susceptible to diseases. Advances in high-resolution imaging have accelerated research on these structures, yet variability in segmentation protocols limits cross-study comparability. The Hippocampal Subfields Group (HSG) is an international consortium addressing this challenge by developing a reliable, accessible, and freely available segmentation protocol for high-resolution T2-weighted 3 tesla MRI scans (http://www.hippocampalsubfields.com). Here, we present the harmonized protocol for the posterior portion of the hippocampus (the "tail"), complementing the previously established "body" protocol, and with an anterior "head" protocol under development. The tail protocol provides standardized definitions of the external boundaries for the posterior-most extent of the hippocampus, facilitating consistent segmentation from surrounding tissues. The research community was extensively involved through an online survey that incorporated comprehensive protocol details, feasibility assessments, tutorial videos, and illustrative segmentations. Through this collaborative process, consensus emerged to exclude subfield labeling in the hippocampal tail due to limited visibility of internal landmarks and substantial anatomical variability in this region. All proposed boundary guidelines were deemed clear and agreed upon via a Delphi procedure. The harmonized tail protocol has high intra-(Averaged ICC(2,1) > 0.98; Averaged Dice Similarity Coefficient = 0.92) and inter-rater reliability (Averaged ICC(2,k) > 0.98; Averaged Dice Similarity Coefficient = 0.86) and offers a practical framework for replicable segmentation. By establishing standardized guidelines, this protocol enhances comparability of findings across developmental, aging, and clinical research and is compatible with ongoing technological advances.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Distinct neurophysiological features and memory representations along the long axis of the developing medial temporal lobe

The medial temporal lobe (MTL) is crucial for episodic memory, whereby posterior MTL preferentially represents visuospatial information, and anterior MTL is involved in the representation of semantic or conceptual information. The neurophysiological underpinnings of content-preferential organization in the developing MTL are largely unknown. Here we utilized rare electrocorticography (ECoG) recordings from 23 pediatric epilepsy patients who completed a visual scene recognition memory task to systematically examine the neurophysiological underpinnings of memory formation along the MTL long axis. The timing of high-frequency activity (HFA, [~]70-150 Hz) differed between the posterior and anterior MTL, peaking after scene onset in the posterior MTL and around scene category response (indoor/outdoor scene categorization) in the anterior MTL. Further, in the posterior MTL, HFA was predictive of successful memory formation and positively linked to memory performance, highlighting the importance of posterior MTL HFA to memory formation. In contrast, theta frequency in the anterior MTL was linked to memory performance, and theta-HFA phase-amplitude coupling before scene category responses was predictive of successful memory formation, highlighting the importance of anterior MTL theta oscillations to memory formation. Our findings establish distinct neurophysiological features along the posterior-to-anterior axis of the developing MTL that differentially support the representation of perceptual and conceptual information during memory formation.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Harmonized Protocol for Subfield Segmentation in the Hippocampal Body on High-Resolution in vivo MRI from the Hippocampal Subfields Group (HSG)

Hippocampal subfields differentially develop and age, and they vary in vulnerability to neurodegenerative diseases. Innovation in high-resolution imaging has accelerated clinical research on human hippocampal subfields, but substantial differences in segmentation protocols impede comparisons of results across laboratories. The Hippocampal Subfields Group (HSG) is an international organization seeking to address this issue by developing a histologically-valid, reliable, and freely available segmentation protocol for high-resolution T2-weighted 3 tesla MRI (http://www.hippocampalsubfields.com). Here, we report the first portion of the protocol focused on subfields in the hippocampal body; protocols for the head and tail are in development. The body protocol includes definitions of the internal boundaries between subiculum, Cornu Ammonis (CA) 1-3 subfields, and dentate gyrus, in addition to the external boundaries of the hippocampus apart from surrounding white matter and cerebrospinal fluid. The segmentation protocol is based on a novel histological reference data set labeled by multiple expert neuroanatomists. With broad participation of the research community, we voted on the segmentation protocol via online survey, which included detailed protocol information, feasibility testing, demonstration videos, example segmentations, and labeled histology. All boundary definitions were rated as having high clarity and reached consensus agreement by Delphi procedure. The harmonized body protocol yielded high inter- and intra-rater reliability. In the present paper we report the procedures to develop and test the protocol, as well as the detailed procedures for manual segmentation using the harmonized protocol. The harmonized protocol will significantly facilitate cross-study comparisons and provide increased insight into the structure and function of hippocampal subfields across the lifespan and in neurodegenerative diseases.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Declarative Memory Through the Lens of Single-Trial Peaks in High-Frequency Power

Declarative memory depends on the coordination of local processing, indexed by high-frequency broadband (HFB) activity, with global network organization, indexed by theta oscillations. However, theta and HFB exhibit asynchronous timing, raising the question of how results of local processing are communicated throughout the network. Using intracranial EEG in patients performing a recognition memory task, we examined this coordination across the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). HFB peak activity was earlier in the MTL than PFC. Anchoring analyses of theta phase clustering and connectivity to HFB peaks revealed strong phase clustering locked to HFB peaks in the PFC, as well as connectivity between the PFC and MTL that predicted individual memory performance. Graph analysis revealed specific connections amidst sparse network connectivity during memory success. This study demonstrates that transient brain states linked to internal physiological events support memory and refines our understanding of local and network-level process interactions. HighlightsO_LIMemory-linked theta activity is time-locked to internal brain events C_LIO_LINetwork connectivity changes dynamically during memory processing C_LIO_LISparse network connectivity supports successful memory C_LIO_LISpecific sequences of transient states may be critical for declarative memory C_LI

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

The development of aperiodic neural activity in the human brain

The neurophysiological mechanisms supporting brain maturation are fundamental to attention and memory capacity across the lifespan. Human brain regions develop at different rates, with many regions developing into the third and fourth decades of life. Here, in this preregistered study (https://osf.io/gsru7), we analyzed intracranial EEG (iEEG) recordings from widespread brain regions in a large developmental cohort. Using task-based (i.e., attention to-be-remembered visual stimuli) and task-free (resting-state) data from 101 children and adults (5.93 - 54.00 years, 63 males; n electrodes = 5691), we mapped aperiodic (1/[f]-like) activity, a proxy of neural noise, with steeper slopes indexing less noise and flatter slopes indexing more noise. We reveal that aperiodic slopes flatten with age into young adulthood in both association and sensorimotor cortices, challenging models of early sensorimotor development based on brain structure. In prefrontal cortex (PFC), attentional state modulated age effects, revealing steeper task-based than task-free slopes in adults and the opposite in children, consistent with the development of cognitive control. Age-related differences in task-based slopes also explained age-related gains in memory performance, linking the development of PFC cognitive control to the development of memory. Last, with additional structural imaging measures, we reveal that age-related differences in gray matter volume are similarly associated with aperiodic slopes in association and sensorimotor cortices. Our findings establish developmental trajectories of aperiodic activity in localized brain regions and illuminate the development of PFC control during adolescence in the development of attention and memory.

neuroscience↗