Neuroscience Research Notes

Brain-wide gamma activity during passive listening of rhythmic Quranic recitations in a naturalistic setting under MEG/EEG simultaneous recording

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0800

The involvement of high-frequency brainwaves in the neural processing of rhythmic Quranic recitation remains unclear, compared to the low-frequency brainwaves. This study examined the synchronisation of high-frequency gamma brainwaves (30–80 Hz) during passive listening to Quranic recitation in three different rhythmic styles. This experimental, cross-sectional study involving 29 healthy adult participants (14 Muslim, 15 non-Muslim) was conducted at the MEG laboratory at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia. The average gamma source estimation was calculated using minimum-norm imaging, and the whole-brain functional connectivity of magnetoencephalography-electroencephalography (M/EEG) data was quantified using phase-locking value. The results revealed that the gamma waves synchronised in a network of brain regions that included the supramarginal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, central region, temporal lobe, inferior frontal gyrus, Rolandic and frontal operculum, cerebellum, visual network regions, and superior parietal gyrus. The findings highlight brain-wide activation during Quranic recitation in Quran-naïve non-Muslim participants, comparable to that in Muslim participants familiar with the employed rhythmic recitation. Both groups also exhibited increased language perception of the Quranic recitation, although they did not understand Arabic (non-Arab natives). The high-frequency gamma activity in this study suggests that receptive listening to different styles of rhythmic Quranic recitation engages neural networks responsible for language and musical perception, emotional regulation, memory and attention, visual mental imagery, and multisensory processing.

Chronic ad libitum ethanol exposure impairs corticolimbic and cerebellar structural neuroplasticity in rats

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Consequences of chronic ethanol exposure on cognitive and motor functions are widely studied due to the neurodegeneration that ethanol produces in the cerebellum and other brain areas, including some corticolimbic regions. However, there is scarce information about the structural neuroplasticity effects of chronic ethanol exposure that ultimately lead to characteristic neurodegenerative consequences. For this purpose, we evaluated the effects of chronic ethanol exposure in adult male rats on exploratory behavior (locomotor activity induced by a novel environment) and structural neuroplasticity in corticolimbic and cerebellar neurons. After 90 days of ad libitum ethanol (10%) exposure, the locomotor behavior of the animals did not differ from that of the control group (exposed to water). Structural neuroplasticity was assessed using the Golgi-Cox technique in neurons from corticolimbic areas and the cerebellum. The findings revealed that ethanol exposure induced basilar dendritic atrophy without modifying the dendritic spine density in pyramidal cells in prefrontal cortex layers 3 and 5, the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus, and the basolateral amygdala. In contrast, ethanol exposure hypotrophied the dendritic arbor of Purkinje cells and reduced the density of dendritic spines in these cells. These data contribute to the knowledge of the neuroplasticity-related mechanisms underlying the neurodegenerative consequences of chronic ethanol exposure and its cognitive implications.

Phospholipid biomarkers in the diagnosis of patients with Alzheimer's disease

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by an accumulation of amyloid beta peptide and hyperphosphorylation of Tau protein, as well as alterations in lipids that are important components of cell membranes. However, the mechanism of phospholipids in AD is not yet fully understood. This mini-review aims to explore the role of phospholipid biomarkers in the diagnosis, prognosis, and progression of the disease. A search was performed in several databases, including PubMed, PubMed Central, and ScienceDirect, with keywords such as "phospholipid biomarkers," "Alzheimer," and "non-sporadic diagnosis." A total of 30 articles were found, in which we discovered that phospholipid species such as ceramides, sphingomyelins, phosphatidylcholines, lysophosphatidylcholines, ethanolamine plasmalogens, phosphatidylethanolamines, and 2-aminoethyl dihydrogen phosphate were altered, showing that plasma lipids can be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis of AD, as well as to predict the prognosis and classify the severity of the disease. Nevertheless, although the findings are promising, further clinical validation through larger, more extensive studies is still required to consolidate their diagnostic and prognostic applications.