Person:
Peña Melián, Ángel

First Name

Ángel

Last Name

Peña Melián

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/81551

Affiliation

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Faculty / Institute

Medicina

Area

Anatomía y Embriología Humana

Identifiers

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Now showing 1 - 9 of 9

Grapheme-color synesthetes show peculiarities in their emotional brain: cortical and subcortical evidence from VBM analysis of 3D-T1 and DTI data
(Experimental Brain Research, 2013) Ríos-Lago, M.; Pajares, G.; Hernández-Tamames, J. A.; Álvarez-Linera, J.; Melero Carrasco, Helena; Peña Melián, Ángel
Grapheme-color synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon in which viewing achromatic letters/numbers leads to automatic and involuntary color experiences. In this study, voxel-based morphometry analyses were performed on T1 images and fractional anisotropy measures to examine the whole brain in associator grapheme-color synesthetes. These analyses provide new evidence of variations in emotional areas (both at the cortical and subcortical levels), findings that help understand the emotional component as a relevant aspect of the synesthetic experience. Additionally, this study replicates previous findings in the left intraparietal sulcus and, for the first time, reports the existence of anatomical differences in subcortical gray nuclei of developmental grapheme-color synesthetes, providing a link between acquired and developmental synesthesia. This empirical evidence, which goes beyond modality-specific areas, could lead to a better understanding of grapheme-color synesthesia as well as of other modalities of the phenomenon.
Achromatic synesthesias - A functional magnetic resonance imaging study
(NeuroImage, 2014) Melero Carrasco, Helena; Ríos-Lago, M.; Peña Melián, Ángel; Álvarez-Linera, J.
Grapheme–color synesthetes experience consistent, automatic and idiosyncratic colors associated with specific letters and numbers. Frequently, these specific associations exhibit achromatic synesthetic qualities (e.g. white, black or gray). In this study, we have investigated for the first time the neural basis of achromatic synesthesias, their relationship to chromatic synesthesias and the achromatic congruency effect in order to understand not only synesthetic color but also other components of the synesthetic experience. To achieve this aim, functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments were performed in a group of associator grapheme–color synesthetes and matched controls who were stimulated with real chromatic and achromatic stimuli (Mondrians), and with letters and numbers that elicited different types of grapheme–color synesthesias (i.e. chromatic and achromatic inducers which elicited chromatic but also achromatic synesthesias, as well as congruent and incongruent ones). The information derived from the analysis of Mondrians and chromatic/achromatic synesthesias suggests that real and synesthetic colors/achromaticity do not fully share neural mechanisms. The whole-brain analysis of BOLD signals in response to the complete set of synesthetic inducers revealed that the functional peculiarities of the synesthetic brain are distributed, and reflect different components of the synesthetic experience: a perceptual component, an (attentional) feature binding component, and an emotional component. Additionally, the inclusion of achromatic experiences has provided new evidence in favor of the emotional binding theory, a line of interpretation which constitutes a bridge between grapheme–color synesthesia and other developmental modalities of the phenomenon.
Project number: 102
Anatomía Comparada del Aparato Genital Masculino de Mamíferos Domésticos. Herramienta de Aprendizaje Virtual para Veterinarios, Biólogos y Médicos
(2018) Santos Álvarez, Inmaculada; Blánquez Layunta, María José; Pérez Lloret, Pilar; Martínez Sainz, María Del Pilar; Peña Melián, Ángel; Mateos Sanz, María Aránzazu; Hernández de Miguel, José María
Esta aplicación es una herramienta útil para estudiantes y profesores de diferentes campos. Permitirá conocer y estudiar el aparato genital masculino, señalando gráficamente la estructura a memorizar, ver su contenido teórico y autoevaluarse.
Project number: 19
Anatomía comparada del aparato urinario de mamíferos domésticos. Herramienta de aprendizaje virtual para veterinarios, biólogos y médicos.
(2017) Santos Álvarez, Inmaculada; Blánquez Layunta, María José; Pérez Lloret, Pilar; Marín García, María Del Pilar; Peña Melián, Ángel; Arenas Jiménez, María Isabel; Viejo Jiménez, Óscar; Mateos Sanz, María Aránzazu
Esta aplicación es una herramienta útil para estudiantes, profesores y profesionales de diferentes campos. Permitirá conocer y estudiar el aparato urinario, señalando gráficamente la estructura a memorizar, ver su contenido teórico y autoevaluarse.
Ciliary muscle in avian is derived from mesenchymal and epithelial cells
(Vision Research, 2002) Barrio Asensio, María Del Carmen; Peña Melián, Ángel; Puerta Fonollá, Javier; Vázquez Osorio, María Teresa; Murillo González, Jorge Alfonso
It has long been maintained that the ciliary muscle derives from mesenchymal cells. The embryonic development of the avian ciliary muscle was studied in chick embryos from stage 25 HH to the time of hatching. Serial sections of the eye were stained routinely or immunocytochemically using the monoclonal antibody 13F4, which recognizes a cytoplasmic antigen specific for all types of muscle cells. We found that the mesenchymal immunoreactive cells, at stage 37 HH, are arranged in two distinct orientations forming the anterior and posterior portions of the ciliary muscle. At stages 38 and 39 HH the pigmented epithelium contained 13F4 positive cells, which detach from the epithelium and apparently migrate into stroma. These epithelial cells may differentiate into muscle cells. Within this same time period a progressive accumulation of myoblasts was detected between the pigmented epithelium and the ciliary muscle. Some myoblasts containing melanin were also observed. At stage 40 HH the internal portion of the ciliary muscle was visible. These findings indicate that the immunopositive epithelial cells participate in the formation of the internal portion of the muscle. We conclude that the ciliary muscle derives not only from the mesenchymal cells but also from the pigmented epithelium.
Immunocytochemical study on the triple origin of the sphincter iris in the chick embryo
(Development Genes and Evolution, 1999) Barrio Asensio, María Del Carmen; Murillo González, Jorge Alfonso; Peña Melián, Ángel; Puerta Fonollá, Javier
The ontogenic development of the sphincter iris has been studied by immunocytochemistry and standard staining on chick embryos from stage 25 HH to the time of hatching. We have used the monoclonal antibody 13F4, a highly specific marker of muscular cells. We have observed three different regions in the iris. Tn the pupillary region, immunoreactive cells are in continuous contact with the inner epithelium of the pupillary margin. In the intermediate region, the outer epithelium forms buds of pigmented cells that emigrate toward the stroma. In this epithelium cells that are totally or partially unpigmented exist, and they are 13F4 positive. In the sphincter we have observed 13F4 positive cells with melanin granules. In the ciliary region, the immunoreactivity appears in dispersed mesenchymal cells. The present findings are consistent with a triple origin of the sphincter iris in the chick embryo. This muscle is derived from the inner epithelium of the pupillary margin, the intermediate region of the outer epithelium, and from the mesenchymal cells. The cells of the inner epithelium of the pupillary margin are differentiated into smooth muscle cells, and the remaining cells form striated muscle cells.
Desarrollo de un espacio web de prácticas de neuroanatomía y embriología humanas
(III jornada Campus Virtual UCM : Innovación en el Campus Virtual metodologías y herramientas, 2007) Peña Melián, Ángel; Pérez de Miguelsanz, Julia; Maestro De Las Casas, María Del Carmen; Blanco Fernández De Valderrama, María José; Cabrera Parra, Walter; Fernández-Valmayor Crespo, Alfredo; Fernández-Pampillón Cesteros, Ana María; Merino Granizo, Jorge
Presentamos dos proyectos que se relacionan, el primero con la mejora en las prácticas de neuroanatomía para alumnos de segundo de medicina, y el segundo con la enseñanza de la embriología humana, un proyecto bastante complejo del que presentamos aquí su inicio, pero que deseamos convertirlo a medio plazo en una asignatura virtual.
Low and high dietary folic acid levels perturb postnatal cerebellar morphology in growing rats
(British journal of nutrition, 2016) Partearroyo Cediel, Teresa; Pérez Miguelsanz, Juliana; Peña Melián, Ángel; Maestro De Las Casas, María Del Carmen; Úbeda Martín, Natalia; Valera Moreiras, Gregorio
The brain is particularly sensitive to folate metabolic disturbances, because methyl groups are critical for brain functions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different dietary levels of folic acid (FA) on postnatal cerebellar morphology, including the architecture and organisation of the various layers. A total of forty male OFA rats (a Sprague–Dawley strain), 5 weeks old, were classified into the following four dietary groups: FA deficient (0 mg/kg FA); FA supplemented (8 mg/kg FA); FA supra-supplemented (40 mg/kg FA); and control (2 mg/kg FA) (all n 10 per group). Rats were fed ad libitum for 30 d. The cerebellum was quickly removed and processed for histological and immunohistochemical analysis. Slides were immunostained for glial fibrillary acidic protein (to label Bergmann glia), calbindin (to label Purkinje cells) and NeuN (to label post-mitotic neurons). Microscopic analysis revealed two types of defect: partial disappearance of fissures and/or neuronal ectopia, primarily in supra-supplemented animals (incidence of 80 %, P≤0·01), but also in deficient and supplemented groups (incidence of 40 %, P≤0·05), compared with control animals. The primary fissure was predominantly affected, sometimes accompanied by defects in the secondary fissure. Our findings show that growing rats fed an FA-modified diet, including both deficient and supplemented diets, have an increased risk of disturbances in cerebellar corticogenesis. Defects caused by these diets may have functional consequences in later life. The present study is the first to demonstrate that cerebellar morphological defects can arise from deficient, as well as high, FA levels in the diet.
Magnetic resonance microscopy versus light microscopy in human embryology teaching
(Clinical Anatomy, 2004) Puerta Fonolla, Antonio Javier; Vázquez Osorio, María Teresa; Ruiz-Cabello Osuna, Jesús; Murillo González, Jorge Alfonso; Peña Melián, Ángel
A study was carried out on the application of magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM) in teaching prenatal human development. Human embryos measuring 8 mm, 15 mm, 18.5 mm, and 22 mm were fixed in a 4% paraformaldehyde solution and sections obtained with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were compared to those prepared for light microscopy (LM), using the same embryos. The MRM and LM slices were of a similar quality. In the MRM sections, embryonic organs and systems were clearly visible, particularly the peripheral and central nervous systems, and the cardiovascular and digestive systems. The digitalization and clarity of the MRM images make them an ideal teaching aid that is suitable for students during the first years of a health‐science degree, particularly medicine. As well as providing students with their first experience of MRM, these images allow students to access, at any time, all embryos used, to assess changes in the positions of different organs throughout their stages of development, and to acquire spatial vision, an absolute requirement in the study of human anatomy. We recommend that this technique be incorporated into the wealth of standard embryonic teaching methods already in use.