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Scientists have discovered that the way in which neurons are connected within regions of the brain, can be a better indicator of disease progression and treatment outcomes for people with brain disorders such as epilepsy.
Many brain diseases lead to cell death and the removal of connections within the brain. In a new study, published in Human Brain Mapping, a group of scientists, led by Dr Marcus Kaiser from the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham, looked at epilepsy patients undergoing surgery.
They found that changes in the local network within brain regions can be a better predictor of disease progression, and also whether surgery will be successful or not.
The team found that looking at connectivity within regions of the brain, showed superior results to the current approach of only observing fibre tract connectivity between brain regions. Dividing the surface of the brain into 50,000 network nodes of comparable size, each brain region could be studied as a local network with 100-500 nodes. These local networks showed distinct changes compared to a control group not suffering from epileptic seizures.
Using a non-invasive technique called diffusion tensor imaging — a special measurement protocol for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners — the team of scientists demonstrated that fibres within and between brain regions are removed for patients.
However, they found that connectivity within regions was a better predictor of whether surgical removal of brain tissue was successful in preventing future seizures.
Explaining the work, Dr Kaiser, Professor of Neuroinformatics at the University of Nottingham, says: “When someone has an epileptic seizure, it ‘spreads’ through the brain. We found that local network changes occurred for regions along the main spreading pathways for seizures. Importantly, regions far away from the starting point of the seizure, for example in the opposite brain hemisphere, were involved.
“This indicates that the increased brain activity during seizures leads to changes in a wide range of brain regions. Furthermore, the longer patients suffered, the more regions showed local changes and the more severe were these changes.”
The researchers at Nottingham, Newcastle, Qingdao, Shanghai, and Munich Universities, along with the company Biomax, evaluated the scans of 33 temporal lobe epilepsy patients and 36 control subjects.
Project partners used the NeuroXM™ knowledge management platform to develop a knowledge model for high-resolution connectivity with more than 50,000 cortical nodes and several millions of connections and corresponding automated processing pipelines accessible through Biomax’s neuroimaging product NICARA™.
Project manager Dr Markus Butz-Ostendorf from Biomax: “Our software can be easily employed at hospitals and can also be combined with other kinds of data from genetics or from other imaging approaches such as PET, CT, or EEG.”
Commenting on the fact that local changes were more informative of surgery outcome, Professor Yanjiang Wang, who is one of the corresponding authors, and Ms Xue Chen, both from China University of Petroleum (East China), explained: “Local connectivity was not only better in overall predictions but particularly successful in identifying patients where surgery did not lead to any improvement, identifying 95% of such cases compared to 90% when used connectivity between regions.”
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Materials provided by University of Nottingham. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

New research led by the University of Kent’s School of Psychology has found that some brain activity methods used to detect incriminating memories do not work accurately in older adults.
Findings show that concealed information tests relying on electrical activity of the brain (electroencephalography [EEG]) are ineffective in older adults because of changes to recognition-related brain activity that occurs with aging.
EEG-based forensic memory detection is based on the logic that guilty suspects will hold incriminating knowledge about crimes they have committed, and therefore their brains will elicit a recognition response in the EEG when confronted with reminders of their crimes.
The team of researchers at Kent led by Dr Robin Hellerstedt and Dr Zara Bergström conducted the study with 30 participants under the age of 30 and 30 participants over the age of 65. All participants undertook a concealed information test to detect if they recognised details from a mock crime they had just committed, which would indicate criminal guilt. However, only young adults showed a strong EEG recognition response to reminders of the crime, with such responses being absent in the older group. This failure to detect memories with EEG brain activity occurred even though the older group had the same knowledge about the crime as the younger group, and had just as good general recognition memory ability.
The research published by Cortex therefore suggests that EEG-based forensic memory detection tests have limited practical applications with less validity in older adults than younger populations.
Dr Bergström said: ‘Our research demonstrates that EEG-based forensic memory detection in older age is impaired, even with methods that compensate for potential age differences in frequency, timing and location of brain responses.
‘Further investigation is needed to examine the ability of these tests to detect concealed memories of real crimes, and whether memory detection in older age is a reflection of permanent changes in brain functioning or is influenced by motivational processes that can vary across situations. Findings could have implications for processes within the criminal justice system, such as the use of polygraph techniques, which may be vulnerable to similar limitations.’
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Materials provided by University of Kent. Original written by Olivia Miller. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

A newly identified group of antibodies that binds to a coating of sugars on the outer shell of HIV is effective in neutralizing the virus and points to a novel vaccine approach that could also potentially be used against SARS-CoV-2 and fungal pathogens, researchers at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute report.
In a study appearing online May 20 in the journal Cell, the researchers describe an immune cell found in both monkeys and humans that produces a unique type of anti-glycan antibody. This newly described antibody has the ability to attach to the outer layer of HIV at a patch of glycans — the chain-like structures of sugars that are on the surfaces of cells, including the outer shells of viruses.
“This represents a new form of host defense,” said senior author Barton Haynes, M.D., director of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI). “These new antibodies have a special shape and could be effective against a variety of pathogens. It’s very exciting.”
Haynes and colleagues — including lead author Wilton Williams, Ph.D., director of the Viral Genetics Analysis Core at DHVI and co-author Priyamvada Acharya, Ph.D., director of the Division of Structural Biology at DHVI — found the antibody during a series of studies exploring whether there might be an immune response targeted to glycans that cover the outer surface of HIV.
More than 50% of the virus’s outer layer is composed of glycans. Haynes said it has long been a tempting approach to unleash anti-glycan antibodies to break down these sugar structures, triggering immune B-cell lymphocytes to produce antibodies to neutralize HIV.
“Of course, it’s not that simple,” Haynes said.

Researchers have been able to prove for the first time that activation of distinct human endogenous retroviruses, which are part of our genome, impair brain development dramatically. This finding could help to advance research into therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. The study originated from an international collaboration led by Helmholtz Zentrum München.
Since our ancestors infected themselves with retroviruses millions of years ago, we have carried elements of these viruses in our genes — known as human endogenous retroviruses, or HERVs for short. These viral elements have lost their ability to replicate and infect during evolution, but are an integral part of our genetic makeup. In fact, humans possess five times more HERVs in non-coding parts than coding genes. So far, strong focus has been devoted to the correlation of HERVs and the onset or progression of diseases. This is why HERV expression has been studied in samples of pathological origin. Although important, these studies do not provide conclusions about whether HERVs are the cause or the consequence of such disease.
Today, new technologies enable scientists to receive a deeper insight into the mechanisms of HERVs and their function. Together with her colleagues, virologist Michelle Vincendeau* has now succeeded for the first time in demonstrating the negative effects of HERV activation on human brain development.
HERV activation impairs brain development
Using CRISPR technology, the researchers activated a specific group of human endogenous retroviruses** in human embryonic stem cells and generated nerve cells (neurons). These viral elements in turn activated specific genes, including classical developmental factors, involved in brain development. As a result, cortical neurons, meaning the nerve cells in our cerebral cortex, lost their function entirely. They developed very differently from healthy neurons in this brain region — with much a shorter axon (nerve cell extension) that were much less branched. Thus, activation of one specific HERV group impairs cortical neuron development and ultimately brain development.
Clinical relevance
Since neurodegenerative diseases are often associated with the activation of several HERV groups, the negative impact of HERV activation on cortical neuron development is an essential finding. It is already known that environmental factors such as viruses, bacteria, and UV light can activate distinct HERVs, thereby potentially contributing to disease onset. This knowledge, in turn, makes HERVs even more interesting for clinical application. Switching off distinct viral elements could open up a new field of research for the treatment of patients with neurodegenerative diseases. In a next step, the group at Helmholtz Zentrum München will study the impact of HERV deactivation in neurons in the context of disease.
New paths for basic research
In addition, the research findings provide important indications that epigenetic mechanisms keep viral elements under control in healthy brain development. Michelle Vincendeau even suspects a functional role for the controlled HERVs in normal brain development. “We have carried these elements for about 40 to 70 million years. We assume that their presence is relevant to our natural processes, otherwise we would not have retained them for so long during evolution,” Vincendeau says. Further basic research in this direction might reveal new functional roles for HERVs.
Notes:
* Michelle Vincendeau leads the research group for Human Endogenous Retroviruses at the Institute of Viorology at Helmholtz Zentrum München. Part of the data from the current study was generated in the context of her previous work at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. For this paper, she also collaborated with researchers at the Technical University of Munich and the University of Saarland.
** HERV-K(HML-2)

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingimage copyrightGetty ImagesAustralia’s troubled vaccine rollout has hit a potential new stumbling block – rising vaccine hesitancy. This week a survey suggested about one-third of Australians said they were unlikely to get vaccinated, reportedly up from previous months.The caution mostly centres around side effects and a lack of urgency given Australia’s low infection rates.But hesitancy threatens to frustrate plans to open its borders, which are slated to remain shut until mid-2022. The country of nearly 26 million people has managed to stave off major outbreaks through strict border and quarantine controls, and by periodically enforcing snap lockdowns.Australia is one of the few places in the world where there is no widespread community transmission of Covid. But it is also one of the slowest in the developed world to immunise its population. While the pace of the rollout has picked up in recent weeks – reaching daily records – concern about vaccine hesitancy in some pockets of the community has began to increase. Why are Australians hesitant? A combination of fear and complacency over the perceived risk posed by the virus has led to hesitancy among some Australians. The survey by the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) newspaper and Resolve Strategic found those who had doubts over taking a vaccine were most worried about potential side effects, and did not feel they knew enough about the vaccines. Australia’s rollout was delayed after regulators advised limiting use of the AstraZeneca shot – the country’s main vaccine – following cases of rare blood clots linked to the jab.It now recommends that people aged under 50 get the Pfizer jab instead.What are my risks with the AstraZeneca jab?A separate survey released this month by the Australian National University (ANU) also found high levels of concern surrounding side effects. Tracking about 3,000 participants, the ANU found that while most people would get a safe and effective vaccine, eight in 10 Australians were worried about possible side effects. Professor Nicholas Biddle said just over 50% of people who said they wouldn’t take a vaccine “said their decision was based on recent news about the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clotting.” Women, non-English speakers and people living outside of cities were most likely to be hesitant, the ANU found.Australia’s isolation is another factor steering some away from a Covid jab.The SMH survey found 21% of respondents felt a lack of urgency to get immunised while Australia’s borders stay shut. Disappointing to see such sentiments. Low vaccination coverage is the greatest risk to health in Australia today. https://t.co/Qnmr7IsdQl— Chief Health Officer, Victoria (@VictorianCHO) May 18, 2021
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on TwitterOverall, the survey found nearly 30% of its respondents were not likely to get the vaccine in the coming months, which the newspaper reported was a stronger level of doubt than seen in polls conducted earlier in the year. How is the vaccine rollout going?The rollout has been beset by delays, with initial supply shortages and logistical problems among the factors slowing it down. What’s gone wrong with Australia’s vaccine rollout?More than 3.2 million doses have now been administered, far short of the government’s goals. The country is running a staged rollout which began in March with vulnerable people and elderly Australians. All over 50s are now eligible for a shot. What has the reaction been?Doctors want more to be done to encourage people to get vaccinated. Vice-president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), Chris Moy, warned Australians are “sitting ducks” until more of the population get immunised. “Seeing for example what’s happening overseas where there’s a tsunami of Covid and also the development of variants, that we’re sitting ducks as a country and as individuals until we get a significant portion of the population vaccinated,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC). image copyrightGetty ImagesHealth Policy Consultant and Adjunct Professor at UNSW Bill Bowtell told radio station 3AW that clearer communication from the government is needed to boost vaccination rates.”The most important thing we can have as we go forward in this is trust, and trust is only built on the basis of truth,” Prof Bowtell said. “These are all things that ought to be addressed in a much better communications campaign than what we’ve had from the government.”The AMA has also called for more effective advertising campaigns. The government said it may put more money into information campaigns if needed. “Advertising plays a role and we’re always reviewing that to respond to the needs,” Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Wednesday.”The biggest source of confidence is Australians seeing other Australians have the vaccine. “That’s the single biggest source of confidence that any Australian can have looking at their friends and their family, their mum and their dad, their grandma and their grandpa being vaccinated,” Mr Hunt said.

A study of more than 800 people with long Covid found most people who had the vaccine felt it had a positive impact on their condition.The research by LongCovidSOS gave “hope” to people with the condition, said Dr David Strain, who worked on the study.The BBC spoke to people with long Covid to see how it affected them. One, from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, said she “felt quite good” while another, from Cambridge, said it had helped her mental health.

Research has shown empathy gives healthcare workers the ability to provide appropriate supports and make fewer mistakes. This helps increase patient satisfaction and enhance patient outcomes, resulting in better overall care. In an upcoming issue of the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, published by Elsevier, multidisciplinary clinicians and researchers from Dalhousie University performed an integrative review to synthesize the findings regarding virtual reality (VR) as a pedagogical tool for eliciting empathetic behavior in medical radiation technologists (MRTs).
Informally, empathy is often described as the capacity to put oneself in the shoes of another. Empathy is essential to patient-centered care and crucial to the development of therapeutic relationships between carers (healthcare providers, healthcare students, and informal caregivers such as parents, spouses, friends, family, clergy, social workers, and fellow patients) and care recipients. Currently, there is a need for the development of effective tools and approaches that are standardizable, low-risk, safe-to-fail, easily repeatable, and could assist in eliciting empathetic behavior.
This research synthesis looked at studies investigating VR experiences that ranged from a single eight-minute session to sessions lasting 20-25 minutes in duration delivered on two separate days, both in immersive VR environments where participants assumed the role of a care recipient, and non-immersive VR environments where the participants assumed the role of a care provider in a simulated care setting. The two types of studies helped researchers gain an understanding of what it is like to have a specific disease or need and to practice interacting with virtual care recipients.
“Although the studies we looked at don’t definitively show VR can help sustain empathy behaviors over time, there is a lot of promise for research and future applications in this area,” explained lead author Megan Brydon, MSc, BHSc, RTNM, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
The authors conclude that VR may provide an effective and wide-ranging tool for the learning of care recipients’ perspectives and that future studies should seek to determine which VR experiences are the most effective in evoking empathetic behaviors. They recommend that these studies employ high order designs that are better able to control biases.
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Materials provided by Elsevier. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Two of the more than 2,500 women who were victims of the PIP breast implant scandal have welcomed the decision of a French court that they should receive compensation.The court also upheld an earlier judgement which found German company TUV Rheinland negligent.Read more: PIP implant victims ‘elated’ by compensation win