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Topic Review
Perceptual Organization
Gestalt theory has provided perceptual science with a conceptual framework relating to brain mechanisms that determine the way we see the visual world. This is referred to as "Perceptual Organization" and has inspired researchers in Psychology, Neuroscience and Computational Design ever since. The major Gestalt principles, such as the principle of Prägnanz, and more importantly the Gestalt laws of perceptual organization, have been critically important to our understanding of visual information processing, how the brain detects order in what we see, and derives likely perceptual representations from statistically significant structural regularities. The perceptual integration of contrast information across co-linear space for the organization of objects in the 2D image plane into figure and ground convey the most elementary basis to our understanding of the visual world. Gestalt theory continues to generate powerful concepts and insights for perceptual science even today, where it is to be placed in the context of image-base decision making by human minds and machines.
  • 11.3K
  • 22 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Levetiracetam Mechanisms of Action
Epilepsy is a chronic disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are used to control seizures. Even though parts of their mechanisms of action are known, there are still components that need to be studied. Therefore, the search for novel drugs, new molecular targets, and a better understanding of the mechanisms of action of existing drugs is still crucial. Levetiracetam (LEV) is an AED that has been shown to be effective in seizure control and is well-tolerable, with a novel mechanism of action through an interaction with the synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A). Moreover, LEV has other molecular targets that involve calcium homeostasis, the GABAergic system, and AMPA receptors among others, that might be integrated into a single mechanism of action that could explain the antiepileptogenic, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and antioxidant properties of LEV. This puts it as a possible multitarget drug with clinical applications other than for epilepsy.
  • 7.5K
  • 27 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Biochemistry of Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) is the nonionized 2-electron reduction product of unstable molecular oxygen (O2), which plays a central role in maintaining the redox cycle of living cells.
  • 7.1K
  • 10 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Neuroscience of Flow States
Flow states have been shown to help people reach peak performance, yet this elusive state is not easily attained. This entry describes the current state of literature on flow by addressing the environmental influences as well as the cognitive and neurocognitive elements that underlie the experience. In particular, the research focuses on the transition of cognitive control from an explicit to an implicit process. This is further expanded upon to look at the current, yet related neurocognitive research of high performance associated with the implicit process of automaticity. Finally, this entry focuses on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as a novel method to facilitate the induction of flow states. 
  • 5.0K
  • 26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Mechanisms of Essential oils on Central Nervous System
Essential oils (EOs) are naturally occurring complex mixtures of volatile odor compounds synthesized as secondary metabolites by plants and are extracted through steam distillation, solvent extraction, maceration, cold press extraction, water distillation, and CO2 extraction. Novel methods that are more efficient and provide higher yields include supercritical fluid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, and ultrasound. Studies conducted on animals and humans have shown that EOs can produce a variety of central nervous system (CNS) targeted pharmacological effects such as anxiolytic effect, neuroprotection, antidepressant effect, anticonvulsant effect, analgesic, and sedative effect, to name a few. As a result, EOs can be used as an adjuvant therapy to prevent and relieve symptoms associated with CNS-based disorders such as insomnia, depression, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), etc.
  • 4.7K
  • 10 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Diagnosis of Epilepsy
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, characterized by recurrent seizures, resulting from abnormally synchronized episodic neuronal discharges. 
  • 3.7K
  • 29 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Pathophysiology of Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a disabling condition that disrupts motor, sensory, and autonomic functions. The lack of effective therapeutic strategies for patients with SCI reflects its complex pathophysiology that leads to the point of no return in its function repair and regeneration capacity. Herein, a detailed description of the physiology and anatomy of the spinal cord and the pathophysiology of SCI is presented. 
  • 3.7K
  • 23 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Botulinum Toxin Therapy for Oromandibular Dystonia
Botulinum neurotoxin injection is effective and safe, with few side effects in most cases when properly administered by an experienced clinician. The diagnosis and treatment of oromandibular dystonia require both neurological and dental or oral surgical knowledge and skills, and well-designed multicenter trials with a multidisciplinary team approach must be necessary to ensure accurate diagnosis and proper treatment. 
  • 3.6K
  • 23 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Psychoneuroendocrineimmunology (PNEI)
Psychoneuroendocrineimmunology (PNEI) brings together knowledge acquired since the 1930s from endocrinology, immunology, neuroscience, and psychology. With PNEI, a model of research and interpretation of health and disease is emerging, which sees the human body as a structured and interconnected unit, where the psychological and biological systems are mutually coordinated. In the PNEI view, many factors could influence mental health, with the endocrine system involved in mediating the effects of environmental stress on mental health and inflammation in the onset and course of psychiatric disorders as a result of individual and collective conditions and behaviors.  PNEI paradigm configures the possibilities of going beyond the historical and philosophical contrast between mind and body, as well as the scientific antithesis of the twentieth century, between medicine and psychology, overcoming their respective reductionism, which assigns the body to the first and the psyche to the second.   
  • 3.4K
  • 11 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Sex and Sexuality in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) consists of a set of permanent neurodevelopmental conditions, which are studded with social and communication differences, limited interests, and repetitive behaviors. Individuals with ASD have difficulty reading eye gestures and expressions, and may also have stereotyped or repetitive language, excessive adherence to routines, fixed interests, and rigid thinking. The relationship difficulties resulting from ASD do not allow individuals to relate adequately to others, leading to unwanted sexual contact, social isolation, and mental health disorders.
  • 3.4K
  • 14 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Metabolism and Role of Creatine
Creatine is a key player in  energy metabolism of excitable cells. This is an essential outline of its role and procurement by the organism, adapted by the author (Balestrino M, University of Genoa, Italy) from his Open Access paper  Role of Creatine in the Heart: Health and Disease, that was published in Nutrients, 2021; 13(4):1215. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041215.
  • 3.3K
  • 27 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Different Definitions of Dyslexia
Defining dyslexia has still not reached a consensus. This uncertainty may explain why only one of the seven definitions proved satisfactory according to the four-level model. Today, dyslexia is a term that is commonly known and denotes an innate disposition leading to reading and/or writing difficulties. Medicine, linguistics, psychology, pedagogics, social sciences have been involved in assessing dyslexia from different angles.
  • 3.2K
  • 09 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Oxidative Stress in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by gradually progressive, selective loss of anatomically or physiologically related neuronal systems that produce brain damage from which there is no recovery. Neurodegenerative diseases, bridging their clinical differences, are characterized by the gradual and irreversible damage and loss of specific neuronal networks.
  • 3.1K
  • 15 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Pathophysiology-Based Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of disability and death among children and young adults, with an incidence of approximately 1.7 million per year in the USA, resulting in 52,000 deaths. Survivors of the initial impact must still contend with the consequences of trauma, as not all injury occurs at the time of impact. The primary injury results from forces applied to the head and involve direct structural damage to the brain. This triggers a cascade of events leading to neurological damage that evolves secondary injury. Several external brain insults, both intracranial and systemic, may complicate and worsen the secondary injury.
  • 3.0K
  • 07 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Myrica esculenta
Myrica esculenta (Myricaceae) is a popular medicinal plant most commonly found in the sub-tropical Himalayas. It is widely used in folk medicine to treat several ailments such as asthma, cough, chronic bronchitis, ulcers, inflammation, anemia, fever, diarrhea, and ear, nose, and throat disorders. Due to its multidimensional pharmacological and therapeutic effects, it is well recognized in the ayurvedic pharmacopeia.
  • 2.8K
  • 11 Mar 2025
Topic Review
Role of NF-kB in Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide, with a high prevalence that is expected to double every 20 years. Besides the formation of Aβ plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, neuroinflammation is one the major phenotypes that worsens AD progression. Indeed, the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is a well-established inflammatory transcription factor that fuels neurodegeneration.
  • 2.7K
  • 23 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Melatonin as a Neurotrophic Factor
Melatonin, N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptamine, is a hormone that synchronizes the internal environment with the photoperiod. It is synthesized in the pineal gland and greatly depends on the endogenous circadian clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and the retina’s exposure to different light intensities. Among its most studied functions are the regulation of the waking-sleep rhythm and body temperature. Furthermore, melatonin has pleiotropic actions, which affect, for instance, the modulation of the immune and the cardiovascular systems, as well as the neuroprotection achieved by scavenging free radicals.
  • 2.6K
  • 19 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Cholinergic Receptors
Cholinergic receptors are activated by acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is released by the motor neurons for sensory and motor processing.
  • 2.6K
  • 30 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Ischemic Stroke Pathophysiology and Preclinical Models
Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death worldwide, mainly in western countries. So far, approved therapies rely mainly on reperfusion of the affected brain area, by intravenous thrombolysis or mechanical thrombectomy. The combination of pharmacological brain-protective strategies with reperfusion is the future of stroke therapy, aiming to reduce brain cell death and decrease patients’ disabilities. The success of new therapies relies on bringing preclinical studies and clinical practice close together. Recent upgrades of in vitro and in vivo stroke models for accurate and effective evaluation of therapeutic strategies are described.
  • 2.4K
  • 20 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Structural Components of the Neurovascular Unit
Formulated as a group effort of the stroke community, the transforming concept of the neurovascular unit (NVU) depicts the structural and functional relationship between brain cells and the vascular structure. Composed of both neural and vascular elements, the NVU forms the blood–brain barrier that regulates cerebral blood flow to meet the oxygen demand of the brain in normal physiology and maintain brain homeostasis. Conversely, the dysregulation and dysfunction of the NVU is an essential pathological feature that underlies neurological disorders spanning from chronic neurodegeneration to acute cerebrovascular events such as ischemic stroke and cerebral hemorrhage.
  • 2.4K
  • 29 Sep 2022
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