by Maxwell Blazon  , Brianna LaCarubba  , Alexandra Bunda  , Natalie Czepiel  , Laura Londrigan  , Shayna Mallat  and Arturo Andrade

Received: 13 September 2020;  Published: 12 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2101083

N-type (CaV2.2) calcium channels are key for action potential-evoked transmitter release in the peripheral and central nervous system. Previous studies have highlighted the functional relevance of N-type calcium channels at both the peripheral and central level. In the periphery, N-type calcium channels regulate nociceptive and sympathetic responses. At the central level, N-type calcium channels have been linked to aggression, hyperlocomotion, and anxiety. Among the areas of the brain that are involved in anxiety a [...]

by Parisa Gazerani  and Brian E Cairns

Received: 26 October 2020;  Published: 05 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2101082

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has been introduced as an innovative treatment for several neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and dystonia and it has been proven effective in helping individuals affected by these disorders; hence, enhancing their quality of life. DBS has also been investigated for the treatment of cluster and other primary headaches. Electrodes are surgically implanted into brain structures, for example the posterior hypothalamus in case of cluster headache. Hypot [...]

by OBM Neurobiology

Received: 04 January 2021;  Published: 05 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2101081

The editors of OBM Neurobiology would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2020. We greatly appreciate the contribution of expert reviewers, which is crucial to the journal's editorial process. We aim to recognize reviewer contributions through several mechanisms, of which the annual publication of reviewer names is one. Reviewers receive a voucher entitling them to a discount on their next LIDSEN publication and can download a certificate of recognition di [...]

by Catriona J Cunningham  , Marc Vives Enrich  , Molly M Pickford  , William MacIntosh-Smith  and Wenlong Huang

Received: 26 October 2020;  Published: 14 December 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2004080

There is currently no effective treatment for spinal cord injury leaving around 90% of patients with permanent disabilities. Stem cell therapies are showing promise in preclinical studies of central nervous system injury and there is increasing evidence suggesting the improvements in functional recovery are mediated by paracrine actions. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to determine the overall efficacy of stem cell secretome therapies in promoting recovery in preclinical models of spinal cord [...]

by Vincenzo Prisco  , Bernadette Donnarumma  and Lorenzo Prisco

Received: 27 March 2020;  Published: 03 December 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2004079

Anecdotal evidence suggests the possible association of psychiatric disorders with Mӧbius sequence, although the evidence is not conclusive. Intermittent presentation of auto-aggressive outbursts, in particular, could be related to Mӧbius sequence, different from the common psychotic symptoms. The present report describes the clinical case of a young man with Mӧbius syndrome who exhibited a complex representation of severe mental retardation and concomitant psychiatric disorders. Extremely rare psychiatric disorder [...]

by Prasanna N. de Silva

Received: 10 September 2020;  Published: 26 November 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2004078

This study looked at secondary care utilization metrics as an effectiveness indicator of Clozapine initiation in 77 patients over the following year compared to the year prior to initiation. It was found that there was a marginal drop in psychiatric bed utilization, alongside reduced crisis team use. Medical and psychiatric outpatient use increased, as did physical health interventions. Overall, compared with costs over the year preceding Clozapine initiation, an estimated saving per patient of £3,867 ($5,065) was [...]

by Enrico Capobianco

Received: 15 June 2020;  Published: 30 December 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2004077

Marks of brain disorders may be visible through abnormal networks characterized by states with distinct signatures or connectivity patterns. Apart from neurodegenerations, drug abuse or eventually addiction may exert complex perturbative effects over human health, including damage to various organs and especially brain inflammation, volume shrinkage and functional deficits. These can also be regarded as signs of accelerated ageing, which involve multiple comorbidities associated with long-lasting cognitive impairme [...]

by Jordi Faig Martí

Received: 04 October 2020;  Published: 30 December 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2004076

Neurological tissue along with the cartilage remains one of the tissues that escapes human efforts of regeneration after injury. The human body, after an injury, can repair its tissues only to a certain extent that can help in recovering the function of organs. However, this is not the case in some organs, such as the brain and spinal cord. For a long time, basic medical science has been investigating the regeneration process that helps the human body, which is mainly through the pharmacological agents, proteins/ot [...]

by Mary P Galea  , Natasha van Zyl  and Aurora Messina

Received: 02 October 2020;  Published: 29 December 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2004075

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to an immediate loss of sensory and motor function below the level of injury mostly affecting people in the prime of life. In addition to the primary injury there is accumulating neurophysiological and histological evidence of dysfunction in the peripheral nerves, not related to direct damage from the primary injury, which exacerbates muscle wasting, and contributes to further functional loss and poor recovery. Among the potential contributing factors are systemic inflammation, and mo [...]

by Luis Rodrigo

Received: 13 July 2020;  Published: 30 October 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2004074

Celiac disease (CD), also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy and nontropical sprue, is one of the most important entities of the wide spectrum of gluten-related disorders (GRDs). It is well known that neurological manifestations can be present either at the onset of CD, or appear during the development of the pathology, and the neurologic findings can show a profound difference. Clinical features show significant variation, ranging from typical manifestations of gastrointestinal involvement to several extraintes [...]