Download or read book Structural and Functional Repercussions of Loss of Function and Clinical Mutants of Presenilin written by Omar Nyabi and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alzheimer's disease is a major health problem. The disease is clinically characterized by the progressive mental decline of the patients and pathologically by the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tangles and neurodegenerative changes in the brain. The cause of the disease remains unclear but in some cases, genetic (missense) mutations in the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) and in the Presenilin genes (PS1 & PS2) are sufficient to initiate the whole disease cascade. All these mutations cause in essence an increase in the generation or a change of the characteristics of the AB peptide making it more prone to produce amyloid plaques. The AB peptide is generated from the APP protein and the question how Presenilin influences APP processing and AB production is the main topic of our work.
Download or read book Physiological Study of Presenilins and Baces Two Proteases Involved in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer s Disease written by Jos Tournoy and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Functional Anatomy of Visual Processing in the Cerebral Cortex of the Macaque written by Koen Nelissen and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this thesis, we examined the monkey cortical regions involved in processing of color, visual motion information, and the recognition of actions done by others. The aim was to gain better insight in the functional organization of the monkey visual cortex using in-house developed functional imaging techniques. Two different functional imaging techniques were used in these studies, the double-label deoxyglucose technique (DG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in the awake monkey (Chapter 2). Both techniques allow to obtain an overview of stimulus-related neural activity throughout the whole brain, integrated over a limited amount of time. The results of the color experiments (Chapter 3) clearly showed that color related information is processed within a group of areas belonging to the ventral stream, which is involved in the perception of objects. Color-related metabolic activity was observed in visual areas V1, V2, V3, V4 and inferotemporal cortex (area TEO and TE). These findings set to rest the longstanding controversial claims that color would be processed almost selectively in one extrastriate visual area (V4) (Zeki SM, Brain Res 1973 53: 422-427). These results also show the usefulness of whole brain functional mapping techniques, as a complimentary approach to single cell measurements. In Chapter 4, we investigated which regions in the superior temporal sulcus (STS) of the monkey are involved in the analysis of motion. While the caudal part of the STS has been studied extensively, including area MT/V5 and MST, little is known about motion sensitivity in more anterior-ventral STS regions. Using fMRI, we were able to localize and delineate six different motion sensitive regions in the STS. One of these regions, that we termed 1st (lower superior temporal), had not been described so far. We were able to further characterize the six motion sensitive regions, using a wide variety of motion-sensitivity tests. The results of the latter tests suggested that motion related information might be processed along a second pathway within the STS, in addition to the MT-MST path (which is involved in the perception of heading). This second pathway, which includes the more rostral motion sensitive STS regions (FST, 1st and STPm) is possibly involved in the visual processing of biological movements (movements of animate objects) and actions. Finally, we investigated how and where in the monkey brain visual information about actions done is processed (Chapter 5 and 6). We found (Chapter 5) that, in agreement with earlier single unit results, the observation of grasping movements activates several regions in the premotor cortex of the monkey. Remarkable is that these premotor regions predominantly have a motor function, coding different types of higher order motor acts (for instance grasping of an object). These results are in agreement with earlier suggestions that we are able to understand actions done by others, because observation of a particular motor act activates our own motor representation of the same act. Furthermore, these studies suggested that within the frontal cortex of the monkey, there is a distinction between context-dependent (a person grasping) and more abstract (a hand grasping) action representations. In Chapter 6 we studied two other regions which are involved in the processing of visual information of actions done by others, the superior temporal sulcus (STS) and the parietal cortex. In the parietal cortex, we found a similar distinction between context-dependent and more abstract action representations as observed in prefrontal cortex. These results suggest that the parietal cortex is not only involved in the visual control of action planning, but also in the visual processing of actions performed by others. Based upon anatomical connections between the STS, parietal and frontal regions and motion-, form- and action-related functional properties of the former regions, we tentatively suggest how information about actions done by others might be sent from the STS to the frontal cortex along three different pathways. The latter working hypothesis will be tested in the future by additional fMRI control experiments and by combining fMRI, inactivation and microstimulation experiments while monkeys perform grasping tasks and/or view actions performed by others.
Download or read book Modulation of CFTR and ENaC Channel Function by Interacting Proteins and Trafficking written by Lishuang Cao and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Genetic Modulators of Pulmonary Function in Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Susceptibility Factors of Emphysema written by Jennifer S. Yarden and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Protein bound Solute P cresol written by Bert Bammens and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Between Facts and Norms written by Pascal Borry and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Expression and Function of a Serotoninergic System in the Rat Anterior Pituitary written by Anna-Pia Papageorgiou and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2006-12 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Physical Activities in Daily Life in Patients with COPD written by Fábio Pitta and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Neonatal Analgesia written by Karel Allegaert and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Prospective Study of Risk Factors for Low Back Disorders in Occupational Settings written by An van Nieuwenhuyse and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Rehabilitation in COPD Patients with Acute Exacerbations written by Vanessa S. Probst and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Molecular Modes of Action of 1 alpha 25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 and Analogs written by Guy Eelen and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Metabolism Biological Activities of C 2 Ceramide written by Helena Van Overloop and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2006-12 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Axon Growth Injury and Regeneration in the Fly Brain written by Maarten Leyssen and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Mechanism and Role of Cyclooxygenase 2 Up Regulation by Photodynamic Therapy written by Nico Hendrickx and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Role of Nitric Oxide Synthase in the Regulation of Pulmonary Vascular Tone written by Leifu Jiang and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2006-09 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
