Biomedical subjects

Katiuscia Sosta

Publications and source records attributed to Katiuscia Sosta.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

8.5 Mb deletion at distal 5p in a male ascertained for azoospermia.

We report on a 5p- azoospermic male not showing the clinical features diagnostic for the cri-du-chat syndrome but for a breathy, raspy voice. The 5p deletion breakpoint, determined by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis with BAC clones, maps 8.5 Mb far from the short arm telomere in 5p15.31. Genotype/phenotype correlations in this subject, including his neuropsychological assessment, led us to define that the gene for the cat-like cry and one gene responsible for mild mental retardation with speech delay map both in the distal 8.5 Mb of chromosome 5 short arm.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Human cortical rhythms during visual delayed choice reaction time tasks. A high-resolution EEG study on normal aging.

Neuroimaging cognitive study of aging requires simple tasks ensuring a high rate of correct performances even in stressful neurophysiological settings. Here two simple delayed choice reaction time tasks were used to unveil event-related desynchronization (ERD) of theta (4-6 Hz) and alpha (6-12 Hz) electroencephalographic rhythms across normal aging. In the first condition, a cue stimulus (one bit) was memorized along a brief delay period (3.5-5.5 s). The explicit demand was visuo-spatial, but the retention could be also based on phonological and somatomotor coding. In the second condition, the cue stimulus remained available along the delay period. Correct performances were higher than 95% in both groups and tasks, although they were significantly better in young than elderly subjects (P < 0.03). During the delay period, theta and alpha ERD accompanying correct responses were recognized in the two groups, the alpha ERD being stronger and prolonged during the memory than non-memory task. On the other hand, the fronto-parietal theta and parietal alpha ERD were stronger in young than elderly subjects during both tasks. Notably, the frontal alpha ERD was negligible in elderly subjects. In conclusion, the present simple tasks unveiled in elderly compared to young subjects (i) a weaker involvement of (para)hippocampal-cortical circuits as revealed by theta ERD and (ii) a weaker involvement of "executive" thalamo-cortical circuits as revealed by frontal alpha ERD. These effects might worsen behavioral performances to the simple cognitive tasks with age. The present protocol is promising for the neuroimaging study of pathological aging.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Human cortical EEG rhythms during long-term episodic memory task. A high-resolution EEG study of the HERA model.

Many recent neuroimaging studies of episodic memory have indicated an asymmetry in prefrontal involvement, with the left prefrontal cortex more involved than the right in encoding, the right more than the left in retrieval (hemispheric encoding and retrieval asymmetry, or HERA model). In this electroencephalographic (EEG) high-resolution study, we studied brain rhythmicity during a visual episodic memory (recognition) task. The theta (4-6 Hz), alpha (6-12 Hz) and gamma (28-48 Hz) oscillations were investigated during a visuospatial long-term episodic memory task including an encoding (ENC) and retrieval (RET) phases. During the ENC phase, 25 figures representing interiors of buildings ("indoor") were randomly intermingled with 25 figures representing landscapes ("landscapes"). Subject's response was given at left ("indoor") or right ("landscapes") mouse button. During the RET phase (1 h later), 25 figures representing previously presented "indoor" pictures ("tests") were randomly intermingled with 25 figures representing novel "indoor" ("distractors"). Again, a mouse response was required. Theta and alpha EEG results showed no change of frontal rhythmicity. In contrast, the HERA prediction of asymmetry was fitted only by EEG gamma responses, but only in the posterior parietal areas. The ENC phase was associated with gamma EEG oscillations over left parietal cortex. Afterward, the RET phase was associated with gamma EEG oscillations predominantly over right parietal cortex. The predicted HERA asymmetry was thus observed in an unexpected location. This discrepancy may be due to the differential sensitivity of neuroimaging methods to selected components of cognitive processing. The strict relation between gamma response and perception suggests that retrieval processes of long-term memory deeply impinged upon sensory representation of the stored material.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Human cortical responses during one-bit short-term memory. A high-resolution EEG study on delayed choice reaction time tasks.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether a very simple short-term memory (STM) demand induces a visible change of EEG rhythms over the two hemispheres. METHODS: High-resolution EEG was obtained in young adults during two delayed choice reaction time tasks. In the STM condition, a simple cue stimulus (one bit) was memorized along a brief delay period (3.5-5.5 s). The task was visuo-spatial in nature. RESULTS: In the control (NSTM) condition, the cue stimulus remained available along the delay period. Compared to the control condition, the theta power (4-6 Hz) decreased in left frontal and bilateral parietal areas (delay period). Furthermore, low alpha power (6-8 Hz) decreased in bilateral frontal and left parietal areas, while high alpha power (10-12 Hz) decreased in the left fronto-parietal areas. CONCLUSIONS: The decrease of the alpha power is as an expression of the efficient information transfer within thalamo-cortical pathways. The significance of the study stands in the fact that even a very simple STM task (only one bit to be memorized) revealed changes in fronto-parietal theta and alpha rhythms.

Adult↗