BACKGROUND Asparagine synthetase deficiency (ASD) is a newly identified neurometabolic disorder characterized by severe congenital microcephaly, severe global developmental delay, intractable seizure disorder, and spastic quadriplegia. Brain MRI showed brain atrophy, delayed myelination, and simplified gyriform pattern. METHODS We report ASD deficiency in a 2- and 4-year-old sibling. On them,...

Glutamate-evoked Na+ increase in astrocytes has been identified as a signal coupling synaptic activity to glucose consumption. Astrocytes participate in multicellular signaling by transmitting intercellular Ca2+ waves. Here we show that intercellular Na+ waves are also evoked by activation of single cultured cortical mouse astrocytes in parallel with Ca2+ waves; however, there are spatial and t...

Functional imaging methods exploit the relationship between neuronal activity, energy demand and cerebral blood flow to functionally map the brain. Despite the increasing use of these imaging tools in basic and clinical neuroscience, the neurobiological processes underlying the imaging signals remain unclear. Recently, interest has been focused on uncovering the signals that trigger the metabol...

Layer-specific neurophysiologic, hemodynamic, and metabolic measurements are needed to interpret high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data in the cerebral cortex. We examined how neurovascular and neurometabolic couplings vary vertically in the rat's somatosensory cortex. During sensory stimulation we measured dynamic layer-specific responses of local field potential (LF...

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a heterogeneous syndrome that includes various types of trauma. About 10–15 % patients have severe TBI, accompanied by high rates disability and mortality. Currently, the methods intensive care from standpoint evidence-based medicine are widely used for their treatment. Along with care, comprehensive cytoprotective program using Neurocitin®, which contains citico...

Because of the wide availability of hardware as well as of standardized analytic quantification tools, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) has become widely used to study psychiatric disorders. (1)H-MRS allows measurement of brain concentrations of more traditional singlet neurometabolites like N-acetylaspartate, choline, and creatine. More recently, quantification of the more com...

In vivo optical imaging of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and metabolism did not exist 50 years ago. While point optical fluorescence and absorption measurements of cellular metabolism and hemoglobin concentrations had already been introduced by then, point blood flow measurements appeared only 40 years ago. The advent of digital cameras has significantly advanced two-dimensional optical imaging of ...