Aim: The aim of this article is to investigate and describe the coping strategies of elderly widows. Theoretical base: The grieving process is well described in the literature. However, in real life, it is always necessary to respect the uniqueness of the process for each individual. Most previous studies have focused on difficulties of the bereaved and their risk of dying. More recently, the strengths of the bereaved and how they develop have also been emphasised. A dual-proces model of coping with bereavement was used. It is based on loss-oriented and restoration-oriented strategies and the oscillation between them. In the Czech context, there is a lack of research based on this dual-process model describing coping strategies after the loss of a loved one. Methods: The paper presents the results of ethically demanding research using semi-structured interviews with 15 elderly widows. The authors based the model on a questionnaire survey using a qualitative methodology because of the aspiration to describe the strategies of individual women in detail. Results: The output is a description of coping strategies, categorized into loss- and recovery-oriented approaches, used by elderly women to navigate the period following their partner's death. Conclusion: Describing how the women interviewed have coped with their challenging life situation could inspire not only other elderly women but also their relatives and aid workers who come into contact with this target group.

• MeSH
• Adaptation, Psychological MeSH
• Coping Skills * methods   MeSH
• Qualitative Research MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Spouses psychology   MeSH
• Interviews as Topic MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Death MeSH
• Widowhood psychology   MeSH
• Grief MeSH
• Self Report MeSH
• Bereavement * MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

Mitochondria are key to cellular energetics, metabolism, and signaling. Their dysfunction is linked to devastating diseases, including mitochondrial disorders, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiac disorders, and cancer. Here, we present a knockout mouse model lacking the complex IV assembly factor SMIM20/MITRAC7. SMIM20-/- mice display cardiac pathology with reduced heart weight and cardiac output. Heart mitochondria present with reduced levels of complex IV associated with increased complex I activity, have altered fatty acid oxidation, and display elevated levels of ROS production. Interestingly, mutant mouse ventricular myocytes show unphysiological Ca2+ handling, which can be attributed to the increase in mitochondrial ROS production. Our study presents an example of a tissue-specific phenotype in the context of OXPHOS dysfunction. Moreover, our data suggest a link between complex IV dysfunction and Ca2+ handling at the endoplasmic reticulum through ROS signaling.

• MeSH
• Endoplasmic Reticulum metabolism   MeSH
• Myocytes, Cardiac metabolism   MeSH
• Membrane Proteins * metabolism   genetics   MeSH
• Mitochondrial Proteins * metabolism   genetics   MeSH
• Myocardium * metabolism   MeSH
• Mice, Inbred C57BL MeSH
• Mice, Knockout MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Oxidative Phosphorylation MeSH
• Zebrafish Proteins MeSH
• Reactive Oxygen Species metabolism   MeSH
• Electron Transport Complex IV * metabolism   MeSH
• Mitochondria, Heart metabolism   MeSH
• Calcium metabolism   MeSH
• Calcium Signaling * MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

OBJECTIVE: The pre-surgical evaluation of epilepsy relies on the electrophysiological recordings of spontaneous seizures. During this period drug dose decreases increase the likelihood of seizures transitioning the brain from a low to high seizure likelihood state, so-called pro-ictal state. This study aimed to identify the dynamic brain changes characteristic of this transition from 386 ten-minute segments of intracranial EEG recordings of 29 patients with drug-refractory temporal lobe epilepsy. METHODS: We studied brain dynamics through mean phase locking value and relative power in gamma band, and autocorrelation function width. We further explored interactions with pro-ictal factors, such as rate of interictal spikes and high frequency oscillations, circadian and multi-day cycles, and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: We observed significant increases in gamma power in the epileptogenic zone, and critical slowing in both the epileptogenic zone and presumably healthy cortex. These changes were linked with increases in spike and high frequency oscillations rate. CONCLUSIONS: Brain dynamics changed on the slow time scale - from the beginning to the end of the multi-day interval - but did not change in the short-term during the pre-ictal interval, thus could reflect pro-ictal changes. SIGNIFICANCE: We highlight gamma power and critical slowing indices as markers of pro-ictal brain states, as well as their potential to track the seizure-related brain mechanisms during the presurgical evaluation of epilepsy patients.

• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Electroencephalography methods   MeSH
• Electrocorticography methods   MeSH
• Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe * physiopathology   diagnosis   MeSH
• Gamma Rhythm * physiology   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Brain * physiopathology   MeSH
• Drug Resistant Epilepsy * physiopathology   MeSH
• Seizures * physiopathology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

In drug-resistant focal epilepsy, planning surgical resection can involve presurgical intracranial EEG (iEEG) recordings to detect seizures and other iEEG patterns to improve postsurgical seizure outcome. We hypothesized that resection of tissue generating interictal high-frequency oscillations (HFOs, 80-500 Hz) in the iEEG predicts surgical outcome. In eight international epilepsy centres, iEEG was recorded during the presurgical evaluation of patients. The patients were of all ages, had epilepsy of all types, and underwent surgical resection of a single focus aiming at seizure freedom. In a prospective analysis, we applied a fully automated definition of HFO that was independent of the dataset. Using an observational cohort design that was blinded to postsurgical seizure outcome, we analysed HFO rates during non-rapid-eye-movement sleep. If channels had consistently high rates over multiple epochs, they were labelled the 'HFO area'. After HFO analysis, centres provided the electrode contacts located in the resected volume and the seizure outcome at follow-up ≥24 months after surgery. The study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05332990). We received 160 iEEG datasets. In 146 datasets (91%), the HFO area could be defined. The patients with a completely resected HFO area were more likely to achieve seizure freedom in comparison to those without [odds ratio 2.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15-5.91, P = 0.02]. Among seizure-free patients, the HFO area was completely resected in 31 and not completely resected in 43. Among patients with recurrent seizures, the HFO area was completely resected in 14 and not completely resected in 58. When predicting seizure freedom, the negative predictive value of the HFO area (68%, CI 52-81) was higher than that for the resected volume as a predictor by itself (51%, CI 42-59, P = 4 × 10-5). The sensitivity and specificity for complete HFO area resection were 0.88 (CI 0.72-0.98) and 0.39 (CI 0.25-0.54), respectively, and the area under the curve was 0.83 (CI 0.58-0.97), indicating good predictive performance. In a blinded cohort study from independent epilepsy centres, applying a previously validated algorithm for HFO marking without the need for adjusting to new datasets allowed us to validate the clinical relevance of HFOs to plan the surgical resection.

• MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Electroencephalography methods   MeSH
• Electrocorticography * methods   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Prospective Studies MeSH
• Drug Resistant Epilepsy * surgery   physiopathology   MeSH
• Treatment Outcome MeSH
• Seizures * surgery   physiopathology   diagnosis   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Multicenter Study MeSH
• Observational Study MeSH

Epilepsy is a neurological disease characterized by epileptic seizures, which commonly manifest with pronounced frequency and amplitude changes in the EEG signal. In the case of focal seizures, initially localized pathological activity spreads from a so-called "onset zone" to a wider network of brain areas. Chimeras, defined as states of simultaneously occurring coherent and incoherent dynamics in symmetrically coupled networks are increasingly invoked for characterization of seizures. In particular, chimera-like states have been observed during the transition from a normal (asynchronous) to a seizure (synchronous) network state. However, chimeras in epilepsy have only been investigated with respect to the varying phases of oscillators. We propose a novel method to capture the characteristic pronounced changes in the recorded EEG amplitude during seizures by estimating chimera-like states directly from the signals in a frequency- and time-resolved manner. We test the method on a publicly available intracranial EEG dataset of 16 patients with focal epilepsy. We show that the proposed measure, titled Amplitude Entropy, is sensitive to the altered brain dynamics during seizure, demonstrating its significant increases during seizure as compared to before and after seizure. This finding is robust across patients, their seizures, and different frequency bands. In the future, Amplitude Entropy could serve not only as a feature for seizure detection, but also help in characterizing amplitude chimeras in other networked systems with characteristic amplitude dynamics.

• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Electroencephalography methods   MeSH
• Entropy MeSH
• Epilepsies, Partial * physiopathology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Brain * physiopathology   MeSH
• Seizures * physiopathology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

This study aimed to investigate the effects of performing either eccentric-only (ECC) or eccentric-concentric (ECC-CON) back squats (BS) with a supramaximal load on countermovement jump (CMJ) performance. Changes in front thigh skin surface temperature and mechanical properties (oscillation frequency and stiffness) of the vastus lateralis were also examined. Fourteen male powerlifters participated in this study (age: 22.5 ± 2.3 years, body weight: 84.2 ± 11.1 kg, height: 178 ± 7 cm, training experience: 5.4 ± 1.6 years, BS one-repetition maximum [1RM]: 177 ± 22.8 kg). The experimental sessions included 2 sets of 2 BS at 110% 1RM of either ECC-CON (load distributed by half on the barbell [55%] and on weight releasers [55%]) or ECC (only eccentric phase of BS) and CTRL with no CA applied. CMJ performance, mechanical properties, and skin surface temperature were measured before and at the third, sixth, ninth, and 12th min. After each protocol, only the ECC-CON condition led to a significant increase in CMJ height after individual optimal rest time compared to pre-CA (38.1 ± 5.2 vs. 39.8 ± 5.0 cm; p = 0.003; effect size [ES] = 0.32; Δ = 4.9 ± 5.0%) with a significant rise in skin surface temperature (32.98 ± 1.24 vs. 33.69 ± 0.96°C; p = 0.006; ES = 0.62; Δ = 2.2 ± 2.6%) and no significant changes in mechanical properties of the vastus lateralis. The ECC-CON condition led to a significant acute improvement in CMJ height and an increase in front thigh skin surface temperature among powerlifters. The ECC-CON supramaximal lower limb PAPE protocol should be effectively used among males representing high levels of lower limb muscle strength (>2 × body mass).

• MeSH
• Biomechanical Phenomena MeSH
• Quadriceps Muscle physiology   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Muscle, Skeletal physiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Resistance Training MeSH
• Athletic Performance * physiology   MeSH
• Thigh physiology   MeSH
• Muscle Strength physiology   MeSH
• Skin Temperature * physiology   MeSH
• Weight Lifting * physiology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Membrane contact sites harbor a distinct set of proteins with varying biological functions, thereby emerging as hubs for localized signaling nanodomains underlying adequate cell function. Here, we will focus on mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes (MAMs), which serve as hotspots for Ca2+ signaling, redox regulation, lipid exchange, mitochondrial quality and unfolded protein response pathway. A network of MAM-resident proteins contributes to the structural integrity and adequate function of MAMs. Beyond endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondrial tethering proteins, MAMs contain several multi-protein complexes that mediate the transfer of or are influenced by Ca2+, reactive oxygen species and lipids. Particularly, IP3 receptors, intracellular Ca2+-release channels, and Sigma-1 receptors (S1Rs), ligand-operated chaperones, serve as important platforms that recruit different accessory proteins and intersect with these local signaling processes. Furthermore, many of these proteins are directly implicated in pathophysiological conditions, where their dysregulation or mutation is not only causing diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration, but also rare genetic diseases, for example familial Parkinson's disease (PINK1, Parkin, DJ-1), familial Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (TDP43), Wolfram syndrome1/2 (WFS1 and CISD2), Harel-Yoon syndrome (ATAD3A). In this review, we will discuss the current state-of-the-art regarding the molecular components, protein platforms and signaling networks underlying MAM integrity and function in cell function and how their dysregulation impacts MAMs, thereby driving pathogenesis and/or impacting disease burden. We will highlight how these insights can generate novel, potentially therapeutically relevant, strategies to tackle disease outcomes by improving the integrity of MAMs and the signaling processes occurring at these membrane contact sites.

• MeSH
• Endoplasmic Reticulum * metabolism   pathology   MeSH
• Intracellular Membranes * metabolism   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mitochondrial Membranes metabolism   MeSH
• Mitochondria * metabolism   pathology   MeSH
• Neoplasms * metabolism   pathology   therapy   genetics   MeSH
• Neurodegenerative Diseases * metabolism   pathology   therapy   genetics   MeSH
• Sigma-1 Receptor MeSH
• Receptors, sigma metabolism   MeSH
• Unfolded Protein Response MeSH
• Calcium Signaling MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH

BACKGROUND: Temporal interference stimulation (TIS) is a novel noninvasive electrical stimulation technique to focally modulate deep brain regions; a minimum of two high-frequency signals (f1 and f2 > 1 kHz) interfere to create an envelope-modulated signal at a deep brain target with the frequency of modulation equal to the difference frequency: Δf = |f2 - f1|. OBJECTIVE: The goals of this study were to verify the capability of TIS to modulate the subthalamic nucleus (STN) with Δf and to compare the effect of TIS and conventional deep brain stimulation (DBS) on the STN beta oscillations in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: DBS leads remained externalized after implantation, allowing local field potentials (LFPs) recordings in eight patients with PD. TIS was performed initially by two pairs (f1 = 9.00 kHz; f2 = 9.13 kHz, 4 mA peak-peak per pair maximum) of scalp electrodes placed in temporoparietal regions to focus the envelope signal maximum (Δf = 130 Hz) at the motor part of the STN target. RESULTS: The comparison between the baseline LFPs and recordings after TIS and conventional DBS sessions showed substantial suppression of high beta power peak after both types of stimulation in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: TIS has the potential to effectively modulate the STN and reduce the beta oscillatory activity in a completely noninvasive manner, as is traditionally possible only with intracranial DBS. Future studies should confirm the clinical effectiveness of TIS and determine whether TIS could be used to identify optimal DBS candidates and individualize DBS targets. © 2025 The Author(s). Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

• MeSH
• Beta Rhythm * physiology   MeSH
• Deep Brain Stimulation * methods   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Subthalamic Nucleus * physiopathology   MeSH
• Parkinson Disease * therapy   physiopathology   MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Check Tag
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Social withdrawal and deficits in social cognition are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). While early deficits in social behavior and memory have been documented in mouse AD models, they remain understudied in rat models. Early-stage AD is accompanied by dysfunction of parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons, implicating their potential connection to early symptoms. In this study, we employed a 5-trial social memory task to investigate early deficits in social cognition in 6-month-old TgF344-AD male and female rats. We counted the number of PV+ interneurons and recorded local field potentials during social interactions in the hippocampal CA2 - a region critical for social information processing. Our results show decreased social interest and novelty preference in TgF344-AD male and female rats. However, reduced PV+ interneuron numbers were observed only in female rats and specific to the CA2 area. The electrophysiological recordings revealed reduced theta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling in the CA2 during direct social interactions. We conclude that deficits in social cognition accompany early-stage AD in TgF344-AD rats and are potentially linked to PV+ interneuron and brain oscillatory dysfunction in the CA2 region of the hippocampus.

• MeSH
• Alzheimer Disease * physiopathology   pathology   metabolism   MeSH
• CA2 Region, Hippocampal * physiopathology   metabolism   pathology   MeSH
• Interneurons * metabolism   pathology   MeSH
• Rats MeSH
• Disease Models, Animal MeSH
• Parvalbumins * metabolism   MeSH
• Sex Characteristics MeSH
• Rats, Inbred F344 MeSH
• Rats, Transgenic MeSH
• Social Behavior * MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Rats MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The cerebellum, a lateralised organ, plays a crucial role in motor control. Still, its involvement in hand and foot dominance remains inadequately understood, primarily in the right and left-side dominant population. A potential manifestation of this lateralisation is the neocerebellar extinction syndrome, previously linked to mild muscle hypotonia and moderate passivity in the non-preferred hand. A more precise understanding of the cerebellum's role in limb dominance patterns could provide valuable insights into motor learning, rehabilitation therapies, and neuroplasticity. This study explored the relationship between physiological neocerebellar extinction syndrome and hand/ft dominance in left and right-side dominant individuals. Data were collected from 80 university participants (40 left-side dominant, 40 right-side dominant, mean age = 24.7 ± 0.92 years) during controlled limb falls using 3D kinematic analysis. In these falls, theoretically suggested hypotonia in non-dominant limbs was analysed through attenuation coefficients and frequency differences. Using a linear mixed model, we found significantly lower hand attenuation in the non-dominant hand-(β = 0.10, p < 0.001), showing hypotonia compared to the dominant hand regardless of upper limb side dominance. Foot preference and dominance had minimal influence on leg attenuation or frequency, although right-footed, right-dominant individuals demonstrated significantly higher leg oscillation frequency, likely due to increased proximal muscle mass. Our findings suggest that distinct differences in cortical representation, lateralised control, and pathway specialisation exist due to the unique demands of each limb's motor functions, which are pronounced more neocerebellar extinction syndrome in the upper extremities. Therefore, the results showed potentially new perspectives on the cerebellum's nuanced role in motor control and laterality. The differential effects observed between the upper and lower limbs point to distinct cerebellar pathways and hypotonia. This work could significantly enhance the precision of therapeutic approaches and broaden our knowledge of laterality in motor function.

• MeSH
• Biomechanical Phenomena MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Functional Laterality * physiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Cerebellum * physiopathology   MeSH
• Foot physiology   MeSH
• Hand MeSH
• Muscle Hypotonia physiopathology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH