A5034688725- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Vestibular and auditory disorders
- Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
- Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
- Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Genetic Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
- Action Observation and Synchronization
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Neurological disorders and treatments
- Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Child and Animal Learning Development
- Neuroscience of respiration and sleep
- Birth, Development, and Health
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Autoimmune Neurological Disorders and Treatments
- Cerebrospinal fluid and hydrocephalus
- Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Fetal and Pediatric Neurological Disorders
University of Perugia
2023-2025
Fondazione Santa Lucia
2013-2023
Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico
2009-2023
Sapienza University of Rome
2009-2020
University of Washington
2013
Systemic inflammation might cause neuronal damage and sustain neurodegenerative diseases behavior impairment, with the participation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, like tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α interleukin (IL)-18. However, potential contribution these cytokines to behavioral impairment in long-term period has not been fully investigated.Wistar rats were treated a single intraperitoneal injection LPS (5 mg/kg) or vehicle. After 7 days 10 months, animal was evaluated by testing specific...
As major components of neuronal membranes, omega-3 polyunsaturated acids (n-3 PUFA) exhibit a wide range regulatory functions, modulating from synaptic plasticity to neuroinflammation, oxidative stress neuroprotection. Recent human and animal studies indicated the n-3 PUFA neuroprotective properties in aging, with clear negative correlation between levels hippocampal deficits. The present multidimensional study was aimed at associating cognition, neurogenesis, volume, neurodegeneration...
Human and experimental studies have revealed putative neuroprotective pro-cognitive effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in aging, evidencing positive correlations between peripheral n-3 PUFA levels regional grey matter (GM) volume, as well negative dietary cognitive deficits. We recently showed that supplemented aged mice exhibit better hippocampal-dependent mnesic functions, along with enhanced cellular plasticity reduced neurodegeneration, thus supporting a role...
Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) is a rare autoimmune movement disorder characterized by the presence of autoantibodies specific to smaller isoform glutamate decarboxylase (GAD65). A pathological role these antibodies has been suggested their capacity inhibit GAD65 enzyme activity and observation that rats receiving cerebellar injections GAD65Ab showed motor hyperexcitability. To assess effect epitope-specific on cognitive functions, we conducted behavioral experiments in received with two...
Environmental enrichment (EE) defined as "a combination of complex inanimate and social stimulation" influences brain function anatomy by enhancing sensory, cognitive, motor, stimulation. The beneficial effects EE in the presence damage have been partially attributed to upregulation neurotrophins, proteins involved neuronal survival activity-dependent plasticity.The authors tested hypothesis that may advantageous on recovery motor after cerebellar damage, associated with changes local...
Personality traits are multidimensional comprising cognitive, emotional, and behavioral characteristics, a wide array of cerebral structures mediate individual variability. Differences in personality covary with brain morphometry specific regions, neuroimaging studies showed structural or functional abnormalities cerebellum subjects disorders, suggesting cerebellar role affective processing an effect on characteristics. To test the hypothesis that [white matter (WM) cortex] volumes...
Following the recognition of its role in sensory-motor coordination and learning, cerebellum has been involved cognitive, emotional even personality domains. This study investigated relationships between cerebellar macro- micro-structural variations temperamental traits measured by Temperament Character Inventory (TCI). High resolution T1-weighted Diffusion Tensor Images 100 healthy subjects aged 18-59 years were acquired 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance scanner. In multiple regression analyses,...
Environmental enrichment is usually applied immediately after weaning or in adulthood, with strong effects on CNS anatomy and behavior. To examine the hypothesis that a pre-reproductive environmental of females could affect motor development their offspring, female rats were reared an enriched environment from to sexual maturity, while other used as controls under standard conditions. Following mating standard-reared males, all housed individually. evaluate eventual transgenerational...
Environmental enrichment (EE) is a widely used paradigm for investigating the influence of complex stimulations on brain and behavior. Here we examined whether pre-reproductive exposure to EE female rats may their maternal care offspring cognitive performances. To this aim, from weaning breeding age enriched females (EF) were reared in environments. Females standard conditions as controls. At 2.5 months all mated with offspring. Maternal behaviors nesting activity assessed lactating dams....
Whereas emotion theorists often keep their distance from the embodied approach, of embodiment tend to treat as a mainly physiologic process. However, intimate links between emotions and body suggest that are privileged phenomena attempt reintegrate mind helps in shaping emotional responses. To date, research has favored cerebrum over other parts brain substrate emotions. given widely demonstrated contribution cerebellum processing, affective neuroscience should consider theory useful...
Firing activity of external globus pallidus (GPe) is crucial for motor control and severely perturbed in dystonia, a movement disorder characterized by involuntary, repetitive muscle contractions. Here, we show that GPe projection neurons exhibit reduction firing frequency an irregular pattern DYT1 dystonia model. Optogenetic activation the striatopallidal pathway fails to reset pacemaking mutant mice. Abnormal paralleled alterations learning. We find loss dopamine D2 receptor-dependent...
Fear-related disorders arise from inefficient fear extinction and have immeasurable social economic costs. Here, we characterize mouse phenotypes that spontaneously show fear-independent behavioral traits predicting adaptive or maladaptive extinction. We find that, already before conditioning, specific morphological, electrophysiological, transcriptomic patterns of cortical amygdala pyramidal neurons predispose to fear-related disorders. Finally, by using an optogenetic approach, the...