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Balsamo F, Berretta E, Meneo D, Baglioni C, Gelfo F. The Complex Relationship between Sleep and Cognitive Reserve: A Narrative Review Based on Human Studies. Brain Sci 2024; 14:654. [PMID: 39061395 PMCID: PMC11274941 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14070654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Sleep and brain/cognitive/neural reserve significantly impact well-being and cognition throughout life. This review aims to explore the intricate relationship between such factors, with reference to their effects on human cognitive functions. The specific goal is to understand the bidirectional influence that sleep and reserve exert on each other. Up to 6 February 2024, a methodical search of the literature was conducted using the PubMed database with terms related to brain, cognitive or neural reserve, and healthy or disturbed sleep. Based on the inclusion criteria, 11 articles were selected and analyzed for this review. The articles focus almost exclusively on cognitive reserve, with no explicit connection between sleep and brain or neural reserve. The results evidence sleep's role as a builder of cognitive reserve and cognitive reserve's role as a moderator in the effects of physiological and pathological sleep on cognitive functions. In conclusion, the findings of the present review support the notion that both sleep and cognitive reserve are critical factors in cognitive functioning. Deepening comprehension of the interactions between them is essential for devising strategies to enhance brain health and resilience against age- and pathology-related conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Balsamo
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, 00193 Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Debora Meneo
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, 00193 Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Baglioni
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, 00193 Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Francesca Gelfo
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, 00193 Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
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2
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Sinclair D, Canty AJ, Ziebell JM, Woodhouse A, Collins JM, Perry S, Roccati E, Kuruvilla M, Leung J, Atkinson R, Vickers JC, Cook AL, King AE. Experimental laboratory models as tools for understanding modifiable dementia risk. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:4260-4289. [PMID: 38687209 PMCID: PMC11180874 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Experimental laboratory research has an important role to play in dementia prevention. Mechanisms underlying modifiable risk factors for dementia are promising targets for dementia prevention but are difficult to investigate in human populations due to technological constraints and confounds. Therefore, controlled laboratory experiments in models such as transgenic rodents, invertebrates and in vitro cultured cells are increasingly used to investigate dementia risk factors and test strategies which target them to prevent dementia. This review provides an overview of experimental research into 15 established and putative modifiable dementia risk factors: less early-life education, hearing loss, depression, social isolation, life stress, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, physical inactivity, heavy alcohol use, smoking, air pollution, anesthetic exposure, traumatic brain injury, and disordered sleep. It explores how experimental models have been, and can be, used to address questions about modifiable dementia risk and prevention that cannot readily be addressed in human studies. HIGHLIGHTS: Modifiable dementia risk factors are promising targets for dementia prevention. Interrogation of mechanisms underlying dementia risk is difficult in human populations. Studies using diverse experimental models are revealing modifiable dementia risk mechanisms. We review experimental research into 15 modifiable dementia risk factors. Laboratory science can contribute uniquely to dementia prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duncan Sinclair
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Alison J. Canty
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity CollegeDublinIreland
| | - Jenna M. Ziebell
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Adele Woodhouse
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Jessica M. Collins
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Sharn Perry
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Eddy Roccati
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Maneesh Kuruvilla
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Jacqueline Leung
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Rachel Atkinson
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - James C. Vickers
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Anthony L. Cook
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Anna E. King
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
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3
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Gerber KS, Alvarez G, Alamian A, Behar-Zusman V, Downs CA. Symptoms and Functional Outcomes Among Traumatic Brain Injury Patients 3- to 12-Months Post-Injury. J Trauma Nurs 2024; 31:72-81. [PMID: 38484161 DOI: 10.1097/jtn.0000000000000776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience a variety of physical, cognitive, and affective symptoms. However, the evolution of symptoms, especially during the 3- to 12-month convalescence period (when recovery of function is still possible), is understudied. OBJECTIVE This study aims to identify symptoms and the relationships with functional outcomes that occur during the 3- to 12-month period after a TBI. METHODS Participants who were 3 to 12 months post-TBI were recruited from a South Florida TBI clinic from May 2022 to June 2023. Clinical data were obtained from the electronic health record. Participants completed the Brain Injury Association of Virginia Symptom Checklist, Neuro-Quality of Life Cognitive Function, Anxiety, Depression, and Sleep Disturbance assessments to report symptoms, and the Disability Rating Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize demographics and symptoms. Linear regression was performed to analyze the relationships between symptoms and outcomes. RESULTS A total of N = 39 patients participated in the study. Memory problems and difficulty concentrating were the most common symptoms. Hospital length of stay, intensive care unit length of stay, cognitive, and physical symptoms were significantly associated with the Disability Rating Scale score. Physical, cognitive, depressive, and anxiety symptoms had significant associations with the Satisfaction with Life Scale. CONCLUSION Cognitive symptoms should be integrated into the clinical care of rehabilitating TBI patients. Nurses should monitor for physical, affective, and cognitive symptoms during the recovery phase of TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn S Gerber
- Author Affiliations: Departments of Nursing, University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies, Coral Gables, Florida, (Drs Gerber, Alamian, Behar-Zusman, and Downs); and Departments of Neurorehabilitation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida (Dr Alvarez)
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4
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Gelfo F, Petrosini L, Mandolesi L, Landolfo E, Caruso G, Balsamo F, Bonarota S, Bozzali M, Caltagirone C, Serra L. Land/Water Aerobic Activities: Two Sides of the Same Coin. A Comparative Analysis on the Effects in Cognition of Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 98:1181-1197. [PMID: 38552114 DOI: 10.3233/jad-231279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Evidence in the literature indicates that aerobic physical activity may have a protective role in aging pathologies. However, it has not been clarified whether different types of aerobic exercise produce different effects. In particular, these potential differences have not been explored in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The present narrative review has the specific aim of evaluating whether land (walking/running) and water (swimming) aerobic activities exert different effects on cognitive functions and neural correlates in AD patients. In particular, the investigation is carried out by comparing the evidence provided from studies on AD animal models and on patients. On the whole, we ascertained that both human and animal studies documented beneficial effects of land and water aerobic exercise on cognition in AD. Also, the modulation of numerous biological processes is documented in association with structural modifications. Remarkably, we found that aerobic activity appears to improve cognition per se, independently from the specific kind of exercise performed. Aerobic exercise promotes brain functioning through the secretion of molecular factors from skeletal muscles and liver. These molecular factors stimulate neuroplasticity, reduce neuroinflammation, and inhibit neurodegenerative processes leading to amyloid-β accumulation. Additionally, aerobic exercise improves mitochondrial activity, reducing oxidative stress and enhancing ATP production. Aerobic activities protect against AD, but implementing exercise protocols for patients is challenging. We suggest that health policies and specialized institutions should direct increasing attention on aerobic activity as lifestyle modifiable factor for successful aging and age-related conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Gelfo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Laura Mandolesi
- Department of Humanities, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Francesca Balsamo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy
| | - Sabrina Bonarota
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Bozzali
- Department of Neuroscience 'Rita Levi Montalcini', University of Torino, Turin, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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5
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Kokubun K, Nemoto K, Yamakawa Y. The Association between Lifestyles (Walking/Diet) and Cultural Intelligence: A New Attempt to Apply Health Science to Cross-Cultural Research. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 14:28. [PMID: 38247680 PMCID: PMC10812950 DOI: 10.3390/bs14010028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
A growing amount of research is being conducted on cultural intelligence (CQ), which is the ability to adjust and adapt successfully to a variety of surroundings. CQ is a vital quality for people in diversified societies, as are seen today. However, it is still unclear how an individual can develop or strengthen CQ because previous studies have shown that variables such as foreign experience and personality are not exclusively sufficient as CQ antecedents. If CQ can be treated health-scientifically, as the CQ developers argue, diet and exercise that are effective in keeping the body and brain healthy may also correlate with CQ. It is of great significance to clarify the relationship between lifestyle and CQ by applying recent previous research showing the relationship between CQ and both the brain and intelligence, as well as between lifestyle and both the brain and intelligence. Using data derived from 142 Japanese businesspersons, the results of structural equation modeling indicate that lifestyles (dietary balance and walking frequency) are significantly associated with CQ after controlling for personalities (curiosity and grit) and international experiences (length of studying and working abroad), which have been used as predictors of CQ in previous studies. Furthermore, the moderation test showed that the effect of dietary balance on increasing CQ is greater for people with less overseas experience, indicating that dietary balance compensates for lack of overseas experience in the effect of maintaining the level of CQ. These suggest the effectiveness of a health-scientific approach to the influencing factors of CQ. This study is the first to show that CQ is influenced by lifestyle such as walking and dieting, in addition to personality and overseas experience, and will contribute to the future development of health science and cross-cultural research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Kokubun
- Open Innovation Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan;
- Graduate School of Management, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Kiyotaka Nemoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan;
| | - Yoshinori Yamakawa
- Open Innovation Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan;
- Graduate School of Management, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
- ImPACT Program of Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, Tokyo 100-8914, Japan
- Office for Academic and Industrial Innovation, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
- Brain Impact, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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6
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Troisi Lopez E, Liparoti M, Passarello N, Lucidi F, Mandolesi L. Multimodal Physical Exercise Affects Visuo-Spatial Working Memory: Preliminary Evidence from a Descriptive Study on Tai-Chi Practitioners and Runners. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1400. [PMID: 37891768 PMCID: PMC10605525 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13101400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence has shown a relationship between physical exercise (PE) and cognitive functioning. However, it is unknown if unimodal and multimodal modalities of PE affect cognitive abilities in different ways. To fill this gap, we analyzed the effects of unimodal PE (running) and multimodal PE (Tai Chi) on specific cognitive abilities. A sample of 33 participants (mean age = 52.6 ± 7.2) divided into eleven runners, eleven Tai Chi practitioners, and eleven age-matched sedentary individuals were subjected to a neuropsychological tests battery to assess shifting and problem solving abilities (Rule Shift Cards, BADS-RS, and Key Search tasks), verbal fluency (semantic and phonemic verbal fluency tasks), verbal memory (Rey's 15 words test), visuo-spatial working memory (Corsi test), and global cognitive functioning (clock-drawing test). The results showed significantly higher BADS-RS scores in runners and Tai Chi practitioners in comparison to the sedentary participants, thus evidencing improved shifting abilities for active individuals. Interestingly, post hoc analysis showed significantly higher span scores of Corsi test only in Tai Chi practitioners as compared to sedentary participants, suggesting how multimodal PE facilitates the visuo-spatial working memory processes. Although preliminary, our descriptive study indicates that the type of PE could modulate specific cognitive domains, even if the practice of motor activity favors a global cognitive improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emahnuel Troisi Lopez
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, National Research Council, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy;
| | - Marianna Liparoti
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Roma “Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.L.); (F.L.)
| | - Noemi Passarello
- Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Fabio Lucidi
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Roma “Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.L.); (F.L.)
| | - Laura Mandolesi
- Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy;
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Hill-Jarrett TG. The Black radical imagination: a space of hope and possible futures. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1241922. [PMID: 37808484 PMCID: PMC10557459 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1241922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The radical imagination entails stepping outside the confines of the now and into the expansiveness of what could be. It has been described as the ability to dream of possible futures and bring these possibilities back to the present to drive social transformation. This perspective paper seeks to provide an overview of the radical imagination and its intersections with Afrofuturism, a framework and artistic epistemology that expresses the Black cultural experience through a space of hope where Blackness is integral. In this paper, I propose three processes that comprise the radical imagination: (1) imagining alternative Black futures, (2) radical hope, and (3) collective courage. I consider the neural networks that underlie each process and consider how the Black radical imagination is a portal through which aging Black adults experience hope and envision futures that drive social change. I conclude with considerations of what brain health and healing justice looks like for aging Black Americans- specifically, how invocation of the Black radical imagination may have positive brain health effects for a demographic group at increased risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanisha G. Hill-Jarrett
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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8
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Khoury R, Nagy C. Running from stress: a perspective on the potential benefits of exercise-induced small extracellular vesicles for individuals with major depressive disorder. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1154872. [PMID: 37398548 PMCID: PMC10309045 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1154872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Aerobic exercise promotes beneficial effects in the brain including increased synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis and regulates neuroinflammation and stress response via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Exercise can have therapeutic effects for numerous brain-related pathologies, including major depressive disorder (MDD). Beneficial effects of aerobic exercise are thought to be mediated through the release of "exerkines" including metabolites, proteins, nucleic acids, and hormones that communicate between the brain and periphery. While the specific mechanisms underlying the positive effects of aerobic exercise on MDD have not been fully elucidated, the evidence suggests that exercise may exert a direct or indirect influence on the brain via small extracellular vesicles which have been shown to transport signaling molecules including "exerkines" between cells and across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). sEVs are released by most cell types, found in numerous biofluids, and capable of crossing the BBB. sEVs have been associated with numerous brain-related functions including neuronal stress response, cell-cell communication, as well as those affected by exercise like synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. In addition to known exerkines, they are loaded with other modulatory cargo such as microRNA (miRNA), an epigenetic regulator that regulates gene expression levels. How exercise-induced sEVs mediate exercise dependent improvements in MDD is unknown. Here, we perform a thorough survey of the current literature to elucidate the potential role of sEVs in the context of neurobiological changes seen with exercise and depression by summarizing studies on exercise and MDD, exercise and sEVs, and finally, sEVs as they relate to MDD. Moreover, we describe the links between peripheral sEV levels and their potential for infiltration into the brain. While literature suggests that aerobic exercise is protective against the development of mood disorders, there remains a scarcity of data on the therapeutic effects of exercise. Recent studies have shown that aerobic exercise does not appear to influence sEV size, but rather influence their concentration and cargo. These molecules have been independently implicated in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders. Taken together, these studies suggest that concentration of sEVs are increased post exercise, and they may contain specifically packaged protective cargo representing a novel therapeutic for MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reine Khoury
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, QC, Canada
| | - Corina Nagy
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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9
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Landolfo E, Cutuli D, Decandia D, Balsamo F, Petrosini L, Gelfo F. Environmental Enrichment Protects against Neurotoxic Effects of Lipopolysaccharide: A Comprehensive Overview. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065404. [PMID: 36982478 PMCID: PMC10049264 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation is a pathophysiological condition associated with damage to the nervous system. Maternal immune activation and early immune activation have adverse effects on the development of the nervous system and cognitive functions. Neuroinflammation during adulthood leads to neurodegenerative diseases. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is used in preclinical research to mimic neurotoxic effects leading to systemic inflammation. Environmental enrichment (EE) has been reported to cause a wide range of beneficial changes in the brain. Based on the above, the purpose of the present review is to describe the effects of exposure to EE paradigms in counteracting LPS-induced neuroinflammation throughout the lifespan. Up to October 2022, a methodical search of studies in the literature, using the PubMed and Scopus databases, was performed, focusing on exposure to LPS, as an inflammatory mediator, and to EE paradigms in preclinical murine models. On the basis of the inclusion criteria, 22 articles were considered and analyzed in the present review. EE exerts sex- and age-dependent neuroprotective and therapeutic effects in animals exposed to the neurotoxic action of LPS. EE’s beneficial effects are present throughout the various ages of life. A healthy lifestyle and stimulating environments are essential to counteract the damages induced by neurotoxic exposure to LPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Landolfo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Debora Cutuli
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Decandia
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Balsamo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Via Plinio 44, 00193 Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Petrosini
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Gelfo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Via Plinio 44, 00193 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence:
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10
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Gelfo F, Serra L, Petrosini L. New prospects on cerebellar reserve: Remarks on neuroprotective effects of experience in animals and humans. Front Syst Neurosci 2023; 16:1088587. [PMID: 36685287 PMCID: PMC9854258 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.1088587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of the brain to change structure and function in response to experience accounts for its ability to successfully adapt to the environment in both learning processes and unique phases, such as during development and repair. On this basis, the occurrence of the brain, cognitive, and neural reserves has been advanced to explain the discrepancies between the extent of neurological damage and the severity of clinical manifestations described in patients with different life span experiences. Research on this topic highlighted the neuroprotective role of complex stimulations, allowing the brain to better cope with the damage. This framework was initially developed by observing patients with Alzheimer's disease, and it has since been progressively expanded to multifarious pathological states. The cerebellum is known to be particularly responsive to experience through extensive plastic rearrangements. The neuroprotective value exerted by reserve mechanisms appears to be suitable for basic neuronal plasticity in the cerebellum. Thus, it is of primary interest to deepen our understanding of how life experiences modify individuals' cerebellar morphology and functionality. The present study is aimed at analyzing the evidence provided on this topic by animal and human studies. For animals, we considered the studies in which subjects were submitted to enhanced stimulations before the damage occurred. For humans, we considered studies in which previous lifelong high-level experiences were associated with superior cerebellar abilities to cope with injury. Detailed indications of the processes underlying cerebellar reserves may be important in proposing effective interventions for patients suffering from pathologies that directly or indirectly damage cerebellar functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Gelfo
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy,*Correspondence: Francesca Gelfo ✉
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11
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Burdack J, Schöllhorn WI. Cognitive Enhancement through Differential Rope Skipping after Math Lesson. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 20:205. [PMID: 36612527 PMCID: PMC9819879 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Numerous studies have shown cognitive enhancement through sport and physical exercise. Despite the variety of studies, the extent to which physical activity before or after a cognitive learning session leads to more effective cognitive enhancement remains largely unresolved. Moreover, little attention has been paid to the dependence of the motor learning approach then applied. In this study, we compare the influence of differential with uniformly rope skipping directly succeeding an acquisition phase in arithmetic mathematics. For three weeks 26 pupils, 14 female, 12 male, and 13.9 ± 0.7 years old, completed nine 15 min exercises in arithmetic math, each followed by 3 min rope skipping with heart rate measurement. Arithmetic performance was tested in a pre-, post- and retention test design. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the differential and the control groups within the development of arithmetic performance, especially in the retention test. There was no statistical difference in heart rate. It is suggested that the results provide evidence for sustainable improvements of cognitive learning performance by means of highly variable rope skipping.
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12
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Bravi R, Gavazzi G, Benedetti V, Giovannelli F, Grasso S, Panconi G, Viggiano MP, Minciacchi D. Effect of different sport environments on proactive and reactive motor inhibition: A study on open- and closed-skilled athletes via mouse-tracking procedure. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1042705. [PMID: 36578693 PMCID: PMC9791124 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1042705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effect of different sport environments (open-and closed-skill sports) on proactive and reactive inhibitory processes as two distinct components of motor inhibition. A mouse-tracking procedure was employed to compare behavioral performance among three groups of participants (tennis players, swimmers and non-athletes) in non-sport-specific cued Go/No-Go (GNG) and Stop Signal Task (SST), which mainly engage proactive and reactive inhibitory control, respectively. Reaction times (RTs), inhibitory failures, and Stop Signal Reaction Times (SSRTs) were measured. To investigate dynamic aspects of inhibitory control, movement trajectories classified as one-shot (absence of trajectory alteration reflected in a steep slope) or non-one-shot (non-linear/multipeaked trajectory, with one or multiple corrections) were analyzed and compared among groups. Results showed no group differences in RTs in Go/No-Go and Stop conditions. SSRTs were significant shorter for the athletes than non-athletes in SST, but no differences emerged for inhibitory failures in cued GNG. During inhibitory failures athletes showed higher proportion of non-one-shot movements than non-athletes. Higher proportion of non-one-shot profiles was observed in cued GNG compared to SST. Finally, no differences between open-and closed-skilled athletes were found in both tasks. Our findings suggest that both proactive and reactive inhibitory controls do benefit from sport practice, but open-and closed-skill sports do not differ in influencing inhibitory processes. Movement profile analysis could be a promising, complementary behavioral analysis to integrate for more fine-grained evaluation and differentiation of inhibitory motor control in athletes, specifically when using GNG tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Bravi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Gioele Gavazzi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child’s Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- IRCCS SDN, Naples, Italy
| | - Viola Benedetti
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child’s Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Fabio Giovannelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child’s Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Stefano Grasso
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology “Vittorio Erspamer”, SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Panconi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Maria Pia Viggiano
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child’s Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Diego Minciacchi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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13
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Serra L, Petrosini L, Mandolesi L, Bonarota S, Balsamo F, Bozzali M, Caltagirone C, Gelfo F. Walking, Running, Swimming: An Analysis of the Effects of Land and Water Aerobic Exercises on Cognitive Functions and Neural Substrates. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:16310. [PMID: 36498383 PMCID: PMC9740550 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192316310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In the brain and cognitive reserves framework, aerobic exercise is considered as a protective lifestyle factor able to induce positive effects on both brain structure and function. However, specific aspects of such a beneficial effect still need to be completely clarified. To this aim, the present narrative review focused on the potential brain/cognitive/neural reserve-construction mechanisms triggered by different aerobic exercise types (land activities; such as walking or running; vs. water activities; such as swimming), by considering human and animal studies on healthy subjects over the entire lifespan. The literature search was conducted in PubMed database. The studies analyzed here indicated that all the considered kinds of activities exert a beneficial effect on cognitive/behavioral functions and on the underlying brain neurobiological processes. In particular, the main effects observed involve the cognitive domains of memory and executive functions. These effects appear related to structural and functional changes mainly involving the fronto-hippocampal axis. The present review supports the requirement of further studies that investigate more specifically and systematically the effects of each type of aerobic activity, as a basis to plan more effective and personalized interventions on individuals as well as prevention and healthy promotion policies for the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Serra
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Laura Mandolesi
- Department of Humanities, Federico II University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Sabrina Bonarota
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Balsamo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, 00193 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Bozzali
- Department of Neuroscience ‘Rita Levi Montalcini’, University of Torino, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RY, UK
| | | | - Francesca Gelfo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, 00193 Rome, Italy
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14
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Villafaina S, Leon-Llamas JL, Murillo-Garcia A, Gusi N. Impact of being physically active on the brain electrocortical activity, brain volumetry and performance in the Stroop color and word test in women with fibromyalgia. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12616. [PMID: 35871256 PMCID: PMC9308776 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16903-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Physical exercise is one of the treatment approaches with the most robust evidence against fibromyalgia (FM) symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the impact of being physically active on the Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) performance as well as to investigate and compare the brain electrocortical activity during SCWT. A total of 31 women completed the SCWT while EEG was recorded. People with FM were divided into two groups (physically and non-physically active) according to the WHO guidelines. Furthermore, magnetic resonance imaging was acquired and health-related quality of life, the impact of the disease, and the six-minute walking test were administered. Physically active group showed better performance in the SCWT, exhibiting less error in name different color patches condition (C), more correct responses in named color-word condition (CW) and higher interference score than non-physically active group. Moreover, a significantly higher theta power spectrum in the Fp1 during the condition C in the SCWT and a higher volume in the right rostral middle frontal gyrus have been found in the physically active group. Furthermore, physically active women with FM showed positively correlations between correct responses in names of colors printed in black condition (W) in the SCWT and theta power in the F3, Fz, Fp2 and F4 scalp positions. Regarding non-physically active women with FM, errors in condition CW negatively correlated with the volume of left superior frontal gyrus, left rostral middle frontal gyrus, right rostral middle frontal gyrus, left caudal middle frontal gyrus and right caudal middle frontal gyrus. Furthermore, physically active group showed increased performance in the 6 min walking test and lower disease impact. Fulfil the physical activity recommendation seems to protect brain health since better SCWT performance, greater frontal theta power and higher volume in the right rostral middle frontal gyrus have been found in physically active women with FM.
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15
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Passarello N, Liparoti M, Padulo C, Sorrentino P, Alivernini F, Fairfield B, Lucidi F, Mandolesi L. Motor Imagery as a Key Factor for Healthy Ageing: A Review of New Insights and Techniques. Brain Sci 2022; 12:1492. [PMID: 36358418 PMCID: PMC9688582 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12111492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor imagery (MI) describes a dynamic cognitive process where a movement is mentally simulated without taking place and holds potential as a means of stimulating motor learning and regaining motor skills. There is growing evidence that imagined and executed actions have common neural circuitry. Since MI counteracts cognitive and motor decline, a growing interest in MI-based mental exercise for older individuals has emerged. Here we review the last decade's scientific literature on age-related changes in MI skills. Heterogeneity in the experimental protocols, as well as the use of populations with unrepresentative age, is making it challenging to draw unambiguous conclusions about MI skills preservation. Self-report and behavioural tasks have shown that some MI components are preserved, while others are impaired. Evidence from neuroimaging studies revealed that, during MI tasks, older individuals hyperactivate their sensorimotor and attentional networks. Some studies have argued that this represents a compensatory mechanism, others claim that this is a sign of cognitive decline. However, further studies are needed to establish whether MI could be used as a promotion factor to improve cognitive functioning and well-being in older people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Passarello
- Department of Humanities, Federico II University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Marianna Liparoti
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Padulo
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, Gabriele d’Annunzio University of Chieti, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Pierpaolo Sorrentino
- Institut de Neuroscience des Systemès, Aix-Marseille University, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Fabio Alivernini
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Beth Fairfield
- Department of Humanities, Federico II University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Fabio Lucidi
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Mandolesi
- Department of Humanities, Federico II University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy
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16
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Fakhoury M, Eid F, El Ahmad P, Khoury R, Mezher A, El Masri D, Haddad Z, Zoghbi Y, Ghayad LM, Sleiman SF, Stephan JS. Exercise and Dietary Factors Mediate Neural Plasticity Through Modulation of BDNF Signaling. Brain Plast 2022; 8:121-128. [DOI: 10.3233/bpl-220140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The term “neural plasticity” was first used to describe non-pathological changes in neuronal structure. Today, it is generally accepted that the brain is a dynamic system whose morphology and function is influenced by a variety of factors including stress, diet, and exercise. Neural plasticity involves learning and memory, the synthesis of new neurons, the repair of damaged connections, and several other compensatory mechanisms. It is altered in neurodegenerative disorders and following damage to the central or peripheral nervous system. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate neural plasticity in both healthy and diseased states is of significant importance to promote cognition and develop rehabilitation techniques for functional recovery after injury. In this minireview, we will discuss the mechanisms by which environmental factors promote neural plasticity with a focus on exercise- and diet-induced factors. We will highlight the known circulatory factors that are released in response to exercise and discuss how all factors activate pathways that converge in part on the activation of BDNF signaling. We propose to harness the therapeutic potential of exercise by using BDNF as a biomarker to identify novel endogenous factors that promote neural plasticity. We also discuss the importance of combining exercise factors with dietary factors to develop a lifestyle pill for patients afflicted by CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Fakhoury
- Biological Sciences Program, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Fady Eid
- Biological Sciences Program, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Perla El Ahmad
- Biological Sciences Program, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Reine Khoury
- Biological Sciences Program, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Amar Mezher
- Biological Sciences Program, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Diala El Masri
- Biological Sciences Program, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Zena Haddad
- Biological Sciences Program, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Yara Zoghbi
- Biological Sciences Program, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Litsa Maria Ghayad
- Biological Sciences Program, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Sama F. Sleiman
- Biological Sciences Program, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
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17
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Passarello N, Varini L, Liparoti M, Troisi Lopez E, Sorrentino P, Alivernini F, Gigliotta O, Lucidi F, Mandolesi L. Boosting effect of regular sport practice in young adults: Preliminary results on cognitive and emotional abilities. Front Psychol 2022; 13:957281. [PMID: 36248595 PMCID: PMC9555280 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.957281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have shown that physical exercise (PE) improves behavior and cognitive functioning, reducing the risk of various neurological diseases, protecting the brain from the detrimental effects of aging, facilitating body recovery after injuries, and enhancing self-efficacy and self-esteem. Emotion processing and regulation abilities are also widely acknowledged to be key to success in sports. In this study, we aim to prove that regular participation in sports enhances cognitive and emotional functioning in healthy individuals. A sample of 60 students (mean age = 22.12; SD = 2.40; M = 30), divided into sportive and sedentary, were subjected to a neuropsychological tests battery to assess their overall cognitive abilities (Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices, APM), verbal and graphic fluency (Word Fluency Task and modified Five Point Test, m-FPT), as well as their emotional awareness skills (Toronto Alexithymia Scale, TAS-20). Our results showed that sportive students performed better than sedentary ones in all cognitive tasks. Regarding emotional processing abilities, significant differences were found in the TAS-20 total score as well as in the Difficulty Describing Feelings (DDF) subscale and the Difficulty Identifying Feeling (DIF) subscale. Lastly, gender differences were found in the External-Oriented Thinking (EOT) subscale. Overall, our findings evidence that PE has positive effects on cognitive functioning and emotion regulation, suggesting how sports practice can promote mental health and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Passarello
- Department of Humanities, “Federico II” University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Ludovica Varini
- Department of Humanities, “Federico II” University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Marianna Liparoti
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Emahnuel Troisi Lopez
- Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, University of Naples “Parthenope”, Naples, Italy
| | - Pierpaolo Sorrentino
- Institut de Neuroscience des Systemès, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Fabio Alivernini
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Onofrio Gigliotta
- Department of Humanities, “Federico II” University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Fabio Lucidi
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Mandolesi
- Department of Humanities, “Federico II” University of Naples, Naples, Italy
- *Correspondence: Laura Mandolesi
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18
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Batistuzzo A, de Almeida GG, Brás TS, Zucato VP, Arnold AJT, Giannocco G, Sato JM, Yamanouchi LM, Dias E, Lorena FB, do Nascimento BPP, Bianco AC, Ribeiro MO. Multisensory Stimulation Improves Cognition and Behavior in Adult Male Rats Born to LT4-treated Thyroidectomized Dams. Endocrinology 2022; 163:bqac105. [PMID: 35914267 PMCID: PMC9354969 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqac105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Gestational hypothyroidism can impair development, cognition, and mood. Here, we tested whether multisensory stimulation (MS) improves the phenotype of rats born to surgically thyroidectomized (Tx) dams suboptimally treated with LT4. 8-week-old female Tx Wistar rats were kept on daily LT4 (0.7 µg/100 g body weight) dosed by gavage (serum TSH and T4 levels indicated moderate hypothyroidism) and 3 weeks later placed for breeding. MS of the litter started at age 60 days and lasted for 8 weeks. It consisted of twice per week of physical, cognitive, sensorial, and food stimuli. The offspring were assessed before and after MS for standardized tests of locomotor activity, cognition, and mood. Gestational hypothyroidism resulted in reduced litter size and increased offspring mortality. The pups exhibited delayed physical development, impairment of short- and long-term memory, and anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors. Nonetheless, ambulatory activity, social memory, and social preference were not affected by gestational hypothyroidism. MS restored short-term memory and anxiety while improving depressive like-behaviors. MS did not improve long-term memory. MS also did not modify the performance of control litter born to intact dams. We conclude that cognition and mood impairments caused by moderate gestational hypothyroidism were reversed or minimized in rats through MS. Further studies should define the molecular mechanisms involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Batistuzzo
- Developmental Disorders Program, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Sao Paulo SP 01302-907, Brazil
| | - Guilherme G de Almeida
- Developmental Disorders Program, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Sao Paulo SP 01302-907, Brazil
| | - Tayna S Brás
- Developmental Disorders Program, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Sao Paulo SP 01302-907, Brazil
| | - Victoria P Zucato
- Developmental Disorders Program, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Sao Paulo SP 01302-907, Brazil
| | - Alexandre J T Arnold
- Developmental Disorders Program, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Sao Paulo SP 01302-907, Brazil
| | - Gisele Giannocco
- Departamento de Medicina, Laboratório de Endocrinologia e Medicina Translacional, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP/EPM, e Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, Diadema, SP 09972-270, Brazil
| | - Juliana M Sato
- Postgraduate Program in Translational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP 04021-001, Brazil
| | - Laís M Yamanouchi
- Developmental Disorders Program, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Sao Paulo SP 01302-907, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Dias
- Developmental Disorders Program, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Sao Paulo SP 01302-907, Brazil
| | - Fernanda B Lorena
- Postgraduate Program in Translational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP 04021-001, Brazil
| | - Bruna P P do Nascimento
- Postgraduate Program in Translational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP 04021-001, Brazil
| | - Antonio C Bianco
- Section of Adult and Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Miriam O Ribeiro
- Developmental Disorders Program, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Sao Paulo SP 01302-907, Brazil
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19
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Gelfo F, Petrosini L. Environmental Enrichment Enhances Cerebellar Compensation and Develops Cerebellar Reserve. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19095697. [PMID: 35565093 PMCID: PMC9099498 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The brain is able to change its structure and function in response to environmental stimulations. Several human and animal studies have documented that enhanced stimulations provide individuals with strengthened brain structure and function that allow them to better cope with damage. In this framework, studies based on the exposure of animals to environmental enrichment (EE) have provided indications of the mechanisms involved in such a beneficial action. The cerebellum is a very plastic brain region that responds to every experience with deep structural and functional rearrangement. The present review specifically aims to collect and synthesize the evidence provided by animal models on EE exposure effects on cerebellar structure and function by considering the studies on healthy subjects and on animals exposed to EE both before and after damage involving cerebellar functionality. On the whole, the evidence supports the role of EE in enhancing cerebellar compensation and developing cerebellar reserve. However, since studies addressing this issue are still scarce, large areas of inconsistency and lack of clarity remain. Further studies are required to provide suggestions on possible mechanisms of enhancement of compensatory responses in human patients following cerebellar damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Gelfo
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Via Plinio 44, 00193 Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Laura Petrosini
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy;
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20
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Hsu HY, Kuo LC, Lin YC, Su FC, Yang TH, Lin CW. Effects of a Virtual Reality-Based Mirror Therapy Program on Improving Sensorimotor Function of Hands in Chronic Stroke Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2022; 36:335-345. [PMID: 35341360 DOI: 10.1177/15459683221081430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Background. Embedding mirror therapy within a virtual reality (VR) system may have a superior effect on motor remediation for chronic stroke patients. Objective. The objective is to investigate the differences in the effects of using conventional occupational therapy (COT), mirror therapy (MT), and VR-based MT (VR-MT) training on the sensorimotor function of the upper limb in chronic stroke patients. Methods. This was a single-blinded randomized controlled trial. A total of 54 participants, including chronic stroke patients, were randomized into a COT, MT, or VR-MT group. In addition to 20-minute sessions of task-specific training, patients received programs of 30 minutes of VR-MT, 30 minutes of MT, and 30 minutes of COT, respectively, in the VR-MT, MT, and COT groups twice a week for 9 weeks. The Fugl-Meyer motor assessment for the upper extremities (FM-UE; primary outcome), Semmes-Weinstein monofilament, motor activity log, modified Ashworth scale, and the box and block test were recorded at pre-treatment, post-intervention, and 12-week follow-up. Results. Fifty-two participants completed the study. There was no statistically significant group-by-time interaction effects on the FM-UE score (generalized estimating equations, (GEE), P = .075). Meanwhile, there were statistically significant group-by-time interaction effects on the wrist sub-score of the FM-UE (GEE, P = .012) and the result of box and block test (GEE, P = .044). Conclusions. VR-MT seemed to have potential effects on restoring the upper extremity motor function for chronic stroke patients. However, further confirmatory studies are warranted for the rather weak evidence of adding VR to MT on improving primary outcome of this study. Clinical trial registration: NCT03329417.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiu-Yun Hsu
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 63461National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, 38026National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Medical Device Innovation Center, 34912National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Li-Chieh Kuo
- Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, 38026National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Medical Device Innovation Center, 34912National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, 38026National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ching Lin
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 63461National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, 38026National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Fong-Chin Su
- Medical Device Innovation Center, 34912National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, 201908National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Hua Yang
- Medical Device Innovation Center, 34912National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, 201908National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Orthopedics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, 63461National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Che-Wei Lin
- Medical Device Innovation Center, 34912National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, 201908National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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21
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Effects of Physical Training in Different Modes on Cognitive Function and GNDF Level in Old Mice. NEUROPHYSIOLOGY+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11062-022-09924-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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22
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Babaei P, Azari HB. Exercise Training Improves Memory Performance in Older Adults: A Narrative Review of Evidence and Possible Mechanisms. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 15:771553. [PMID: 35153701 PMCID: PMC8829997 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.771553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Graphical AbstractExercise, neurotransmitters, growth factors, myokines, and potential effects on the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parvin Babaei
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
- *Correspondence: Parvin Babaei,
| | - Helya Bolouki Azari
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
- Department of Physiology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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23
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González Fleitas MF, Dorfman D, Rosenstein RE. A novel viewpoint in glaucoma therapeutics: enriched environment. Neural Regen Res 2021; 17:1431-1439. [PMID: 34916414 PMCID: PMC8771091 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.330594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is one of the world's most frequent visual impairment causes and leads to selective damage to retinal ganglion cells and their axons. Despite glaucoma's most accepted risk factor is increased intraocular pressure (IOP), the mechanisms behind the disease have not been fully elucidated. To date, IOP lowering remains the gold standard; however, glaucoma patients may still lose vision regardless of effective IOP management. Therefore, the exclusive IOP control apparently is not enough to stop the disease progression, and developing new resources to protect the retina and optic nerve against glaucoma is a goal of vast clinical importance. Besides pharmacological treatments, environmental conditions have been shown to prevent neurodegeneration in the central nervous system. In this review, we discuss current concepts on key pathogenic mechanisms involved in glaucoma, the effect of enriched environment on these mechanisms in different experimental models, as well as recent evidence supporting the preventive and therapeutic effect of enriched environment exposure against experimental glaucomatous damage. Finally, we postulate that stimulating vision may become a non-invasive and rehabilitative therapy that could be eventually translated to the human disease, preventing glaucoma-induced terrible sequelae resulting in permanent visual disability.
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Affiliation(s)
- María F González Fleitas
- Laboratory of Retinal Neurochemistry and Experimental Ophthalmology, Department of Human Biochemistry, School of Medicine/CEFyBO, University of Buenos Aires/CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Damián Dorfman
- Laboratory of Retinal Neurochemistry and Experimental Ophthalmology, Department of Human Biochemistry, School of Medicine/CEFyBO, University of Buenos Aires/CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ruth E Rosenstein
- Laboratory of Retinal Neurochemistry and Experimental Ophthalmology, Department of Human Biochemistry, School of Medicine/CEFyBO, University of Buenos Aires/CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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24
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Cutuli D, Landolfo E, Petrosini L, Gelfo F. Environmental Enrichment Effects on the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Expression in Healthy Condition, Alzheimer's Disease, and Other Neurodegenerative Disorders. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 85:975-992. [PMID: 34897089 DOI: 10.3233/jad-215193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein belonging to the neurotrophin family, is known to be heavily involved in synaptic plasticity processes that support brain development, post-lesion regeneration, and cognitive performances, such as learning and memory. Evidence indicates that BDNF expression can be epigenetically regulated by environmental stimuli and thus can mediate the experience-dependent brain plasticity. Environmental enrichment (EE), an experimental paradigm based on the exposure to complex stimulations, constitutes an efficient means to investigate the effects of high-level experience on behavior, cognitive processes, and neurobiological correlates, as the BDNF expression. In fact, BDNF exerts a key role in mediating and promoting EE-induced plastic changes and functional improvements in healthy and pathological conditions. This review is specifically aimed at providing an updated framework of the available evidence on the EE effects on brain and serum BDNF levels, by taking into account both changes in protein expression and regulation of gene expression. A further purpose of the present review is analyzing the potential of BDNF regulation in coping with neurodegenerative processes characterizing Alzheimer's disease (AD), given BDNF expression alterations are described in AD patients. Moreover, attention is also paid to EE effects on BDNF expression in other neurodegenerative disease. To investigate such a topic, evidence provided by experimental studies is considered. A deeper understanding of environmental ability in modulating BDNF expression in the brain may be fundamental in designing more tuned and effective applications of complex environmental stimulations as managing approaches to AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debora Cutuli
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Psychology, University Sapienza of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Eugenia Landolfo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Psychology, University Sapienza of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Gelfo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy
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25
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Polverino A, Sorrentino P, Pesoli M, Mandolesi L. Nutrition and cognition across the lifetime: an overview on epigenetic mechanisms. AIMS Neurosci 2021; 8:448-476. [PMID: 34877399 PMCID: PMC8611190 DOI: 10.3934/neuroscience.2021024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The functioning of our brain depends on both genes and their interactions with environmental factors. The close link between genetics and environmental factors produces structural and functional cerebral changes early on in life. Understanding the weight of environmental factors in modulating neuroplasticity phenomena and cognitive functioning is relevant for potential interventions. Among these, nutrition plays a key role. In fact, the link between gut and brain (the gut-brain axis) is very close and begins in utero, since the Central Nervous System (CNS) and the Enteric Nervous System (ENS) originate from the same germ layer during the embryogenesis. Here, we investigate the epigenetic mechanisms induced by some nutrients on the cognitive functioning, which affect the cellular and molecular processes governing our cognitive functions. Furthermore, epigenetic phenomena can be positively affected by specific healthy nutrients from diet, with the possibility of preventing or modulating cognitive impairments. Specifically, we described the effects of several nutrients on diet-dependent epigenetic processes, in particular DNA methylation and histones post-translational modifications, and their potential role as therapeutic target, to describe how some forms of cognitive decline could be prevented or modulated from the early stages of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Polverino
- Institute of Diagnosis and Treatment Hermitage Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.,Department of Motor and Wellness Sciences, University of Naples "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - Pierpaolo Sorrentino
- Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France.,Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, National Research Council, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Matteo Pesoli
- Department of Motor and Wellness Sciences, University of Naples "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - Laura Mandolesi
- Department of Humanities Studies, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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26
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Serra L, Raimondi S, di Domenico C, Maffei S, Lardone A, Liparoti M, Sorrentino P, Caltagirone C, Petrosini L, Mandolesi L. The beneficial effects of physical exercise on visuospatial working memory in preadolescent children. AIMS Neurosci 2021; 8:496-509. [PMID: 34877401 PMCID: PMC8611191 DOI: 10.3934/neuroscience.2021026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between physical exercise and improvement in specific cognitive domains in children and adolescents who play sport has been recently reported, although the effects on visuospatial abilities have not yet been well explored. This study is aimed at evaluating in school-age children practicing artistic gymnastics the visuospatial memory by using a table version of the Radial Arm Maze (table-RAM) and comparing their performances with those ones who do not play any sport. The visuospatial performances of 14 preadolescent girls practicing artistic gymnastics aged between 7 and 10 years and those of 14 preadolescent girls not playing any sport were evaluated in the table-RAM forced-choice paradigm that allows disentangling short-term memory from working memory abilities. Data showed that the gymnasts obtained better performances than control group mainly in the parameters evaluating working memory abilities, such as within-phase errors and spatial span. Our findings emphasizing the role of physical activity on cognitive performances impel to promote physical exercise in educational and recreational contexts as well as to analyse the impact of other sports besides gymnastics on cognitive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Serra
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Raimondi
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Maffei
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Lardone
- Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, University "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - Marianna Liparoti
- Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, University "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - Pierpaolo Sorrentino
- Institute de Neurosciences Des Systèmes, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France Department of Engineering, University "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Petrosini
- Laboratory of Experimental and Behavioural Neurophysiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Mandolesi
- Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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27
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Martínez-García M, Paternina-Die M, Desco M, Vilarroya O, Carmona S. Characterizing the Brain Structural Adaptations Across the Motherhood Transition. Front Glob Womens Health 2021; 2:742775. [PMID: 34816246 PMCID: PMC8593951 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2021.742775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Women that become mothers face notable physiological adaptations during this life-period. Neuroimaging studies of the last decade have provided grounded evidence that women's brains structurally change across the transition into motherhood. The characterization of this brain remodeling is currently in its early years of research. The current article reviews this scientific field by focusing on our longitudinal (pre-to-post pregnancy) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies in first-time parents and other longitudinal and cross-sectional studies of parents. We present the questions that are currently being answered by the parental brain literature and point out those that have not yet been explored. We also highlight potential confounding variables that need to be considered when analyzing and interpreting brain changes observed during motherhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Martínez-García
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - María Paternina-Die
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Desco
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Oscar Vilarroya
- Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susanna Carmona
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
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28
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Bashir S, Al-Sultan F, Jamea AA, Almousa A, Alnafisah M, Alzahrani M, Abualait T, Yoo WK. Physical exercise keeps the brain connected by increasing white matter integrity in healthy controls. Medicine (Baltimore) 2021; 100:e27015. [PMID: 34477131 PMCID: PMC8415959 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000027015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Physical exercise leads to structural changes in the brain. However, it is unclear whether the initiation or continuous practice of physical exercise causes this effect and whether brain connectivity benefits from exercise. We examined the effect of 6 months of exercise on the brain in participants who exercise regularly (n = 25) and in matched healthy controls (n = 20). Diffusion tensor imaging brain scans were obtained from both groups. Our findings demonstrate that regular physical exercise significantly increases the integrity of white matter fiber tracts, especially those related to frontal function. This implies that exercise improves brain connectivity in healthy individuals, which has important implications for understanding the effect of fitness programs on the brains of healthy subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahid Bashir
- Department of Neurophysiology, Neuroscience Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fahad Al-Sultan
- King Saudi Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah Abu Jamea
- Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah Almousa
- King Saudi Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Alnafisah
- College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maha Alzahrani
- College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Turki Abualait
- College of Applied Medical Sciences, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Woo-Kyoung Yoo
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, South Korea
- Hallym Institute for Translational Genomics & Bioinformatics, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, South Korea
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29
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Neuroplasticity of Acupuncture for Stroke: An Evidence-Based Review of MRI. Neural Plast 2021; 2021:2662585. [PMID: 34456996 PMCID: PMC8397547 DOI: 10.1155/2021/2662585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Acupuncture is widely recognized as a potentially effective treatment for stroke rehabilitation. Researchers in this area are actively investigating its therapeutic mechanisms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as a noninvasive, high anatomical resolution technique, has been employed to investigate neuroplasticity on acupuncture in stroke patients from a system level. However, there is no review on the mechanism of acupuncture treatment for stroke based on MRI. Therefore, we aim to summarize the current evidence about this aspect and provide useful information for future research. After searching PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases, 24 human and five animal studies were identified. This review focuses on the evidence on the possible mechanisms underlying mechanisms of acupuncture therapy in treating stroke by regulating brain plasticity. We found that acupuncture reorganizes not only motor-related network, including primary motor cortex (M1), premotor cortex, supplementary motor area (SMA), frontoparietal network (LFPN and RFPN), and sensorimotor network (SMN), as well as default mode network (aDMN and pDMN), but also language-related brain areas including inferior frontal gyrus frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes, as well as cognition-related brain regions. In addition, acupuncture therapy can modulate the function and structural plasticity of post-stroke, which may be linked to the mechanism effect of acupuncture.
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30
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Arafa A, Eshak ES, Shirai K, Cadar D, Iso H, Tsuji T, Kanamori S, Kondo K. Impact of various intensities and frequencies of non-occupational physical activity on the risk of dementia among physically independent older adults: the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. Public Health 2021; 196:204-210. [PMID: 34274694 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2021.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the association between different intensities and frequencies of non-occupational physical activity (PA) and the risk of dementia among Japanese older adults. STUDY DESIGN This was a prospective cohort study. METHODS A total of 2194 participants aged ≥65 years from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study were followed up between 2010 and 2016. The standardised dementia scale of the long-term care insurance system was used to identify incident dementia, whereas non-occupational PA (<2 or ≥2 times/week on each intensity: light, moderate and vigorous) was assessed using a questionnaire. Cox regression was used to compute the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident dementia. RESULTS After adjustment for sociodemographic and medical characteristics, the following frequencies and intensities of non-occupational PA, compared with no non-occupational PA at all, were associated with a reduced risk of dementia: light PA ≥2 times/week (HR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.38-0.97), moderate PA <2 times/week (HR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.28-0.76), moderate PA ≥2 times/week (HR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.36-0.91), vigorous PA <2 times/week (HR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.21-0.74) and vigorous PA ≥2 times/week (HR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.15-0.57). In the sex-specific analysis, moderate PA <2 times/week and vigorous PA ≥2 times/week were associated with a reduced risk of dementia in men, whereas light and moderate PA ≥2 times/week and all frequencies of vigorous PA were associated with a reduced risk of dementia in women. CONCLUSIONS Practicing non-occupational PA was associated with a reduced risk of dementia among Japanese older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Arafa
- Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan; Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - E S Eshak
- Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan; Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, El-Minia, Egypt
| | - K Shirai
- Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - D Cadar
- Department of Behavioral Science and Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - H Iso
- Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
| | - T Tsuji
- Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tokyo, Japan
| | - S Kanamori
- Teikyo University Graduate School of Public Health, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - K Kondo
- Department of Social Preventive Medical Sciences, Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan; Center for Gerontology and Social Science, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Aichi, Japan
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31
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Lardone A, Turriziani P, Sorrentino P, Gigliotta O, Chirico A, Lucidi F, Mandolesi L. Behavioral Restriction Determines Left Attentional Bias: Preliminary Evidences From COVID-19 Lockdown. Front Psychol 2021; 12:650715. [PMID: 33935910 PMCID: PMC8080029 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.650715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 lockdown, individuals were forced to remain at home, hence severely limiting the interaction within environmental stimuli, reducing the cognitive load placed on spatial competences. The effects of the behavioral restriction on cognition have been little examined. The present study is aimed at analyzing the effects of lockdown on executive function prominently involved in adapting behavior to new environmental demands. We analyze non-verbal fluency abilities, as indirectly providing a measure of cognitive flexibility to react to spatial changes. Sixteen students (mean age 20.75; SD 1.34), evaluated before the start of the lockdown (T1) in a battery of psychological tasks exploring different cognitive domains, have been reassessed during lockdown (T2). The assessment included the modified Five-Point Test (m-FPT) to analyze non-verbal fluency abilities. At T2, the students were also administered the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). The restriction of behaviors following a lockdown determines increased non-verbal fluency, evidenced by the significant increase of the number of new drawings. We found worsened verbal span, while phonemic verbal fluency remained unchanged. Interestingly, we observed a significant tendency to use the left part of each box in the m-FPT correlated with TAS-20 and with the subscales that assess difficulty in describing and identifying feelings. Although our data were collected from a small sample, they evidence that the restriction of behaviors determines a leftward bias, suggesting a greater activation of the right hemisphere, intrinsically connected with the processing of non-verbal information and with the need to manage an emotional situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lardone
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Turriziani
- Department of Psychology, Educational Sciences and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Pierpaolo Sorrentino
- Institut de Neuroscience des Systemès, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Onofrio Gigliotta
- Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Andrea Chirico
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Lucidi
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Mandolesi
- Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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32
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Martorana A, Assogna M, DE Lucia V, Motta C, Bonomi CG, Bernocchi F, DI Donna MG, Koch G. Cognitive reserve and Alzheimer's biological continuum: clues for prediction and prevention of dementia. Minerva Med 2021; 112:441-447. [PMID: 33709673 DOI: 10.23736/s0026-4806.21.07448-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive reserve is originally an epidemiological concept that encompasses individual abilities to cope with changes. It is considered the result of a balance between processes of cellular damage and repair, and its description raised much interest in predicting and preventing cognitive decline in aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we discussed the concept of cognitive reserve considering the recent definition of AD as a biological continuum and suggest that the protection of cognitive reserve may result from efficient synaptic plasticity mechanisms. Despite pathological changes of AD appearing very early during life, long before the onset of cognitive symptoms, different variables act together to keep repair mechanisms effective guaranteeing successful aging if environmental enrichment is maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martina Assogna
- Memory Clinic, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy.,Unit of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, IRCCS Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Caterina Motta
- Unit of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, IRCCS Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Giacomo Koch
- Unit of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, IRCCS Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Human Physiology Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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33
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León-Domínguez U, Solís-Marcos I, López-Delgado CA, Martín JMBY, León-Carrión J. A Frontal Neuropsychological Profile in Fitness to Drive. ACCIDENT; ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION 2020; 148:105807. [PMID: 33069156 DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2020.105807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Traffic accidents are a global concern due to the elevated mortality rates of both drivers and pedestrians. The World Health Organization declared 2011-2020 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety, endorsing initiatives to reduce traffic-related deaths. Yet, despite these incentives, fatal accidents still occur. Different studies have linked deficits in executive functions to risky driving attitudes and crashes. The present study focuses on demographic, cognitive and personality factors, related to the prefrontal cortex, that are characteristic of drivers prone to risky behavior behind the wheel. The penalty Points System was used to classify drivers as "safe", with no point loss over a two-year period, or "risky", with full point loss during the same interval. A neuropsychological assessment of prefrontal cognitive functions was carried out on each group to identify variables associated with safe and risky behavior. Neuropsychological indexes were obtained from a continuous performance task without cue (Simple Attention), a continuous performance task with cue (Conditioned Attention), the Tower of Hanoi test and the Neurologically-related Changes in Personality Inventory (NECHAPI). A Discriminant Analysis (DA) found that education level, reaction times in Simple and Conditioned Attention, learning errors in the Tower of Hanoi and vulnerability in the personality test, best predicted whether drivers were likely to be in the safe or risky group. Finally, a cross-validation analysis performed on the same sample correctly classified 87.5% of the drivers. These data suggest that prefrontal dysfunction contributes to risky behavior behind the wheel. The inclusion of cognitive programs to identify and train drivers with this propensity could reduce risky driving, and consequently, save lives on the road.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umberto León-Domínguez
- Human Cognition and Brain Research lab, School of Psychology, University of Monterrey, San Pedro Garza, García, Mexico.
| | - Ignacio Solís-Marcos
- The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) Linköping, Sweden
| | | | | | - José León-Carrión
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain; Center for Brain Injury Rehabilitation (CRECER), Seville, Spain
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34
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Machine Learning in Neuroimaging: A New Approach to Understand Acupuncture for Neuroplasticity. Neural Plast 2020; 2020:8871712. [PMID: 32908491 PMCID: PMC7463415 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8871712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of acupuncture facilitating neural plasticity for treating diseases have been identified by clinical and experimental studies. In the last two decades, the application of neuroimaging techniques in acupuncture research provided visualized evidence for acupuncture promoting neuroplasticity. Recently, the integration of machine learning (ML) and neuroimaging techniques becomes a focus in neuroscience and brings a new and promising approach to understand the facilitation of acupuncture on neuroplasticity at the individual level. This review is aimed at providing an overview of this rapidly growing field by introducing the commonly used ML algorithms in neuroimaging studies briefly and analyzing the characteristics of the acupuncture studies based on ML and neuroimaging, so as to provide references for future research.
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35
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Beyond Alzheimer's disease: Can bilingualism be a more generalized protective factor in neurodegeneration? Neuropsychologia 2020; 147:107593. [PMID: 32882240 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Bilingualism has been argued to have an impact on cognition and brain structure. Effects have been reported across the lifespan: from healthy children to ageing adults, including clinical (ageing) populations. It has been argued that active bilingualism may significantly contribute to the delaying of the expression of Alzheimer's disease symptoms. If bilingualism plays an ameliorative role against the expression of neurodegeneration in dementia, it is possible that it could have similar effects for other neurodegenerative disorders, including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's and Huntington's Diseases. To date, however, direct relevant evidence remains limited, not least because the necessary scientific motivations for investigating this with greater depth have not yet been fully articulated. Herein, we provide a roadmap that reviews the relevant literatures, highlighting potential links across neurodegenerative disorders and bilingualism more generally.
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36
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Elce V, Del Pizzo A, Nigro E, Frisso G, Martiniello L, Daniele A, Elce A. Impact of Physical Activity on Cognitive Functions: A New Field for Research and Management of Cystic Fibrosis. Diagnostics (Basel) 2020; 10:diagnostics10070489. [PMID: 32708398 PMCID: PMC7400241 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics10070489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease inherited by an autosomal recessive mechanism and characterized by a progressive and severe multi-organ failure. Mutations in Cystic Fibrosis Conductance Regulator (CFTR) protein cause duct obstructions from dense mucus secretions and chronic inflammation related to organ damage. The progression of the disease is characterized by a decline of lung function associated with metabolic disorders and malnutrition, musculoskeletal disorders and thoracic deformities, leading to a progressive decrement of the individual’s quality of life. The World Health Organization (WHO) qualifies Physical Activity (PA) as a structured activity produced by skeletal muscles’ movements that requires energy consumption. In the last decade, the number of studies on PA increased considerably, including those investigating the effects of exercise on cognitive and brain health and mental performance. PA is recommended in CF management guidelines, since it improves clinic outcomes, such as peripheral neuropathy, oxygen uptake peak, bone health, glycemic control and respiratory functions. Several studies regarding the positive effects of exercise in patients with Cystic Fibrosis were carried out, but the link between the effects of exercise and cognitive and brain health in CF remains unclear. Animal models showed that exercise might improve learning and memory through structural changes of brain architecture, and such a causal relationship can also be described in humans. Indeed, both morphological and environmental factors seem to be involved in exercise-induced neural plasticity. An increase of gray matter volume in specific areas is detectable as a consequence of regular training in humans. Neurobiological processes associated with brain function improvements include biochemical modifications, such as neuromodulator or neurohormone release, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) production and synaptic activity changes. From a functional point of view, PA also seems to be an environmental factor enhancing cognitive abilities, such as executive functions, memory and processing speed. This review describes the current state of research regarding the impacts of physical activity and exercise on cognitive functions, introducing a possible novel field of research for optimizing the management of Cystic Fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Elce
- MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies, Piazza San Francesco 19, 55100 Lucca, Italy;
| | - Alessandro Del Pizzo
- Dipartimento di Fisica, University of Pisa, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo, 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Ersilia Nigro
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche, Farmaceutiche, Università della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Vivaldi, 81110 Caserta, Italy; (E.N.); (A.D.)
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate SCarl, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Giulia Frisso
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate SCarl, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Napoli, Italy;
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Lucia Martiniello
- Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche, Università Telematica Pegaso, Via Porzio, Centro Direzionale, isola F2, 80143 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Aurora Daniele
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche, Farmaceutiche, Università della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Vivaldi, 81110 Caserta, Italy; (E.N.); (A.D.)
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate SCarl, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Ausilia Elce
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate SCarl, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145 Napoli, Italy;
- Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche, Università Telematica Pegaso, Via Porzio, Centro Direzionale, isola F2, 80143 Napoli, Italy;
- Correspondence:
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37
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Klimova B, Dostalova R. The Impact of Physical Activities on Cognitive Performance among Healthy Older Individuals. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10060377. [PMID: 32560126 PMCID: PMC7349640 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10060377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The population is aging in developed countries. This aging process results in many changes, both physical and mental. Over the years, there has been a gradual decline in the level of cognitive functions closely related to the ageing process, which is most often connected with ageing diseases such as dementia. So far, pharmacological treatment has not yet been able to cure this neurological disorder. Health policies around the world seek to find alternative programs and strategies to help a healthy population prevent cognitive decline and prolong active life. One such strategy appears to be physical activity. The aim of this review is to discuss the impact of physical activity on cognitive performance among healthy older individuals. The methodology of this study is based on a systematic electronic literature search of available studies found in three databases: PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. The findings suggest that any physical activity in older age seems to have a positive impact on the improvement of cognitive function. Furthermore, it appears that dancing, due to its multiple mechanisms, might have the biggest effect on the enhancement of cognitive performance in healthy older individuals. However, controlled clinical trials of physical activity intervention in older adults are rare. Therefore, further research in this area (particularly on the amount of physical activity, its intensity and type) is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanka Klimova
- Department of Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Kralove, Rokitanskeho 62, 50003 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
- Correspondence:
| | - Radka Dostalova
- Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Education, University of Hradec Kralove, Rokitanskeho 62, 50003 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic;
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Sebri V, Savioni L, Triberti S, Mazzocco K, Pravettoni G. How to Train Your Health: Sports as a Resource to Improve Cognitive Abilities in Cancer Patients. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2096. [PMID: 31572274 PMCID: PMC6753215 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
From a cognitive-psychological perspective, physical exercise (PE) and sports are an interesting tool for improving people's cognitive abilities. One field of application for such a tool is decision making (DM) support in chronic patients, cancer patients, and survivors in particular. On the one hand, cancer patients and survivors have to continually take important decisions about their own care (e.g., treatment choice; changes in lifestyle), in collaboration with caregivers and health providers; on the other hand, side effects of treatment may be detrimental to cognitive abilities, such as attention, which make the health DM tasks even more demanding, complex, and emotionally disruptive for patients. Since cancer patients have to engage in healthy activities both for improving their own quality of life and for sustaining the effects of medications, clinical advice to engage in sport and PE is becoming more and more widespread within interventions. However, while sports are usually seen as healthy physical activities, their impact on cognitive abilities is mostly overlooked in the literature. The hypothesis of the present work is that sports could be fully exploited in their potential as focused exercises for cognitive ability training, in the field of cognitive training for chronic patients specifically. Indeed, literature shows that different sports (e.g., individual or team-based) influence and possibly augment cognitive abilities such as focused and divided attention, working memory, and DM under time constraints. Moreover, besides providing training for cognitive abilities, the experience of sports may represent an opportunity to explore, train and sharpen DM abilities directly: we identify five ways in which sport experiences may influence DM processes, and provide indications for future research on the topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Sebri
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Savioni
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Triberti
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Ketti Mazzocco
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriella Pravettoni
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
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Serra L, Gelfo F, Petrosini L, Di Domenico C, Bozzali M, Caltagirone C. Rethinking the Reserve with a Translational Approach: Novel Ideas on the Construct and the Interventions. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 65:1065-1078. [PMID: 30149458 DOI: 10.3233/jad-180609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The concept of brain, cognitive, and neural reserves has been introduced to account for the apparent discrepancies between neurological damage and clinical manifestations. However, these ideas are yet theoretical suggestions that are not completely assimilated in the clinical routine. The mechanisms of the reserves have been extensively studied in neurodegenerative pathologies, in particular in Alzheimer's disease. Both human and animal studies addressed this topic by following two parallel pathways. The specific aim of the present review is to attempt to combine the suggestions derived from the two different research fields to deepen the knowledge about reserves. In fact, the achievement of a comprehensive theoretical framework on reserve mechanisms is an essential step to propose well-timed interventions tailored to the clinical characteristics of patients. The present review highlights the importance of addressing three main aspects: the definition of reserve proxy measures, the interaction between reserve level and therapeutic interventions, and the specific time-window of reserve efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Serra
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Gelfo
- Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Petrosini
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurophysiology and Behaviour, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Psychology, University Sapienza of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Marco Bozzali
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Clinical Imaging Science Center, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Systemic Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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Gelfo F. Does Experience Enhance Cognitive Flexibility? An Overview of the Evidence Provided by the Environmental Enrichment Studies. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:150. [PMID: 31338030 PMCID: PMC6629767 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroplasticity accounts for the ability of the brain to change in both structure and function in consequence of life experiences. An enhanced stimulation provided by the environment is able to create a form of brain, neural, and cognitive reserve, which allows an individual to cope better with the environmental demands, also in case of neural damage leading to cognitive decline. With its complex manipulation of several stimuli, the animal experimental paradigm of environmental enrichment (EE) appears particularly effective in modulating the ability to successfully respond to the ever-changing characteristics of the environment. According to this point, it could be very relevant to analyze the specific effects of EE on cognitive flexibility (CF). CF could be defined as the ability to effectively change behavior in response to the environmental condition changing. This review article is specifically aimed to summarize and focus on the available evidence in relation to the effects of EE on CF. To this aim, findings obtained in behavioral tasks specifically structured to investigate animal CF, such as reversal learning and attentional set-shifting tests (tasks based on the request of responding to a rewarding rule that changes, within one or multiple perceptual dimensions), are reviewed. Data provided on the structural and biochemical correlates of these findings are also enumerated. Studies realized in healthy animals and also in pathological models are considered. On the whole, the summarized evidence clearly supports the specific beneficial effects of EE on CF. However, further studies on this key topic are strictly required to gain a comprehensive and detailed framework on the mechanisms by which an enhanced stimulation could improve CF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Gelfo
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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41
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Cognitive reserve impacts on disability and cognitive deficits in acute stroke. J Neurol 2019; 266:2495-2504. [PMID: 31254064 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-019-09442-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2019] [Revised: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although post-stroke cognitive deficit can significantly limit patient independence and social re-integration, clinical routine predictors for this condition are lacking. 'Cognitive reserve' limits the detrimental effects of slowly developing neurodegeneration. We aimed to determine whether comparable effects also exist in acute stroke. Using 'years of education' as a proxy, we investigated whether cognitive reserve beneficially influences cognitive performance and disability after stroke, whilst controlling for age and lesion size as measure of stroke pathology. METHODS Within the first week of ischemic right hemisphere stroke, 36 patients were assessed for alertness, working memory, executive functions, spatial neglect, global cognition and motor deficit at 4.9 ± 2.1 days post-stroke, in addition to routine clinical tests (NIH Stroke Scale, modified Rankin Scale on admission < 24 h post-stroke and at discharge 9.5 ± 4.7 days post-stroke). The impact of education was assessed using partial correlation analysis adjusted for lesion size, age, and the time interval between stroke and assessment. To validate our results, we compared groups with similar age and lesion load, but different education levels. RESULTS In the acute stroke phase, years of education predicted both severity of education independent (alertness) and education dependent (working memory, executive functions, global cognition) cognitive deficits and disability (modified Rankin Scale). Spatial neglect seemed to be independent. INTERPRETATION Proxies of cognitive reserve should be considered in stroke research as early as in the acute stroke phase. Cognitive reserve contributes to inter-individual variability in the initial severity of cognitive deficits and disability in acute stroke, and may suggest individualised rehabilitation strategies.
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Key periods of cognitive decline in a nonhuman primate model of cognitive aging, the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). Neurobiol Aging 2019; 74:1-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Carmona S, Martínez-García M, Paternina-Die M, Barba-Müller E, Wierenga LM, Alemán-Gómez Y, Pretus C, Marcos-Vidal L, Beumala L, Cortizo R, Pozzobon C, Picado M, Lucco F, García-García D, Soliva JC, Tobeña A, Peper JS, Crone EA, Ballesteros A, Vilarroya O, Desco M, Hoekzema E. Pregnancy and adolescence entail similar neuroanatomical adaptations: A comparative analysis of cerebral morphometric changes. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:2143-2152. [PMID: 30663172 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mapping the impact of pregnancy on the human brain is essential for understanding the neurobiology of maternal caregiving. Recently, we found that pregnancy leads to a long-lasting reduction in cerebral gray matter volume. However, the morphometric features behind the volumetric reductions remain unexplored. Furthermore, the similarity between these reductions and those occurring during adolescence, another hormonally similar transitional period of life, still needs to be investigated. Here, we used surface-based methods to analyze the longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging data of a group of 25 first-time mothers (before and after pregnancy) and compare them to those of a group of 25 female adolescents (during 2 years of pubertal development). For both first-time mothers and adolescent girls, a monthly rate of volumetric reductions of 0.09 mm3 was observed. In both cases, these reductions were accompanied by decreases in cortical thickness, surface area, local gyrification index, sulcal depth, and sulcal length, as well as increases in sulcal width. In fact, the changes associated with pregnancy did not differ from those that characterize the transition during adolescence in any of these measures. Our findings are consistent with the notion that the brain morphometric changes associated with pregnancy and adolescence reflect similar hormonally primed biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Carmona
- Sección de Neuroimagen, Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Madrid, Spain.,Sección de Neuroimagen, Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Unidad de Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Magdalena Martínez-García
- Sección de Neuroimagen, Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Madrid, Spain.,Sección de Neuroimagen, Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Unidad de Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Paternina-Die
- Sección de Neuroimagen, Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Unidad de Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Leganés, Spain
| | - Erika Barba-Müller
- Institute of Mental Health Vidal i Barraquer, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lara M Wierenga
- Brain and Development Laboratory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Yasser Alemán-Gómez
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Clara Pretus
- Neuroimaging of mental disorders group, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.,Unitat de Recerca en Neurociència Cognitiva, Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis Marcos-Vidal
- Sección de Neuroimagen, Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Unidad de Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Leganés, Spain
| | - Laura Beumala
- Unitat de Recerca en Neurociència Cognitiva, Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Romina Cortizo
- Unitat de Recerca en Neurociència Cognitiva, Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Pozzobon
- Assisted Medicine Reproduction, IVI Clinic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marisol Picado
- Neuroimaging of mental disorders group, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.,Unitat de Recerca en Neurociència Cognitiva, Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Florencio Lucco
- Assisted Medicine Reproduction, IVI Clinic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - David García-García
- Sección de Neuroimagen, Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Unidad de Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Soliva
- Unitat de Recerca en Neurociència Cognitiva, Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adolf Tobeña
- Unitat de Recerca en Neurociència Cognitiva, Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jiska S Peper
- Brain and Development Laboratory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Eveline A Crone
- Brain and Development Laboratory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Oscar Vilarroya
- Neuroimaging of mental disorders group, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.,Unitat de Recerca en Neurociència Cognitiva, Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Desco
- Sección de Neuroimagen, Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Madrid, Spain.,Sección de Neuroimagen, Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Unidad de Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Leganés, Spain.,Unidad de Imagen Avanzada, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (F.S.P), Madrid, Spain
| | - Elseline Hoekzema
- Brain and Development Laboratory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Martins IJ. Human survival and immune mediated mitophagy in neuroplasticity disorders. Neural Regen Res 2019; 14:735. [PMID: 30632516 PMCID: PMC6352586 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.247482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ian James Martins
- Centre of Excellence in Alzheimer's Disease Research and Care, Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; McCusker Alzheimer's Research Foundation, Hollywood Medical Centre, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
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Kalbe E, Roheger M, Paluszak K, Meyer J, Becker J, Fink GR, Kukolja J, Rahn A, Szabados F, Wirth B, Kessler J. Effects of a Cognitive Training With and Without Additional Physical Activity in Healthy Older Adults: A Follow-Up 1 Year After a Randomized Controlled Trial. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:407. [PMID: 30618714 PMCID: PMC6305338 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Combining cognitive training (CT) with physical activity (CPT) has been suggested to be most effective in maintaining cognition in healthy older adults, but data are scarce and inconsistent regarding long-term effects (follow-up; FU) and predictors of success. Objective: To investigate the 1-year FU effects of CPT versus CT and CPT plus counseling (CPT+C), and to identify predictors for CPT success at FU. Setting and Participants: We included 55 healthy older participants in the data analyses; 18 participants (CPT group) were used for the predictor analysis. Interventions: In a randomized controlled trial, participants conducted a CT, CPT, or CPT+C for 7 weeks. Outcome Measures: Overall cognition, verbal, figural, and working memory, verbal fluency, attention, planning, and visuo-construction. Results: While within-group comparisons showed cognitive improvements for all types of training, only one significant interaction Group × Time favoring CPT in comparison to CPT+C was found for overall cognition and verbal long-term memory. The most consistent predictor for CPT success (in verbal short-term memory, verbal fluency, attention) was an initial low baseline performance. Lower education predicted working memory gains. Higher levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and lower levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor at baseline (BDNF) predicted alternating letter verbal fluency gains. Discussion: Within-group comparisons indicate that all used training types are helpful to maintain cognition. The fact that cognitive and sociodemographic data as well as nerve growth factors predict long-term benefits of CPT contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying training success and may ultimately help to adapt training to individual profiles. Clinical Trial Registration: WHO ICTRP (http://apps.who.int/trialsearch/), identifier DRKS00005194.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Kalbe
- Department of Medical Psychology, Neuropsychology and Gender Studies & Center for Neuropsychological Diagnostics and Intervention, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Mandy Roheger
- Department of Medical Psychology, Neuropsychology and Gender Studies & Center for Neuropsychological Diagnostics and Intervention, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kay Paluszak
- Department of Medical Psychology, Neuropsychology and Gender Studies & Center for Neuropsychological Diagnostics and Intervention, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Julia Meyer
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Dermatological Prevention and Rehabilitation, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Jutta Becker
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gereon R Fink
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Juraj Kukolja
- Department of Neurology, HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Andreas Rahn
- Department of Geriatrics, St. Franziskus-Hospital Lohne, Lohne, Germany
| | - Florian Szabados
- Laboratory Services Laborarztpraxis Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Brunhilde Wirth
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Josef Kessler
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Cutuli D, Berretta E, Laricchiuta D, Caporali P, Gelfo F, Petrosini L. Pre-reproductive Parental Enriching Experiences Influence Progeny's Developmental Trajectories. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:254. [PMID: 30483072 PMCID: PMC6240645 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
While the positive effects of environmental enrichment (EE) applied after weaning, in adulthood, during aging, or even in the presence of brain damage have been widely described, the transgenerational effects of pre-reproductive EE have been less examined. And yet, this issue is remarkable given that parental environmental experience may imprint offspring’s phenotype over generations through many epigenetic processes. Interactions between individual and environment take place lifelong even before conception. In fact, the environment pre-reproductively experienced by the mother and/or the father exerts a substantial impact on neural development and motor and cognitive performances of the offspring, even if not directly exposed to social, cognitive, physical and/or motor enrichment. Furthermore, pre-reproductive parental enrichment exerts a transgenerational impact on coping response to stress as well as on the social behavior of the offspring. Among the effects of pre-reproductive parental EE, a potentiation of the maternal care and a decrease in global methylation levels in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of the progeny have been described. Finally, pre-reproductive EE modifies different pathways of neuromodulation in the brain of the offspring (involving brain-derived neurotrophic factor, oxytocin and glucocorticoid receptors). The present review highlights the importance of pre-reproductive parental enrichment in altering the performances not only of animals directly experiencing it, but also of their progeny, thus opening the way to new hypotheses on the inheritance mechanisms of behavioral traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debora Cutuli
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Erica Berretta
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Laricchiuta
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Caporali
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Gelfo
- Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Petrosini
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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Ashokan A, Lim JWH, Hang N, Mitra R. Complex housing causes a robust increase in dendritic complexity and spine density of medial prefrontal cortical neurons. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7308. [PMID: 29743496 PMCID: PMC5943332 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25399-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Prelimbic cortex and infralimbic cortex, parts of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, are critical brain regions for generating a flexible behavioral response to changing environmental contingencies. This includes the role of these brain structures in the extinction of learned fear, decision making and retrieval of remote memories. Dendritic structure of medial prefrontal cortex neurons retains significant structural plasticity in adulthood. This has been mainly demonstrated as dendritic atrophy and loss of dendritic spines due to chronic stress. It remains unknown if housing condition of the animals itself can cause opposing changes in the dendritic organization. In that backdrop, here we report that short-term increase in complexity of the housing causes a robust increase in complexity of dendritic architecture of prelimbic and infralimbic neurons. This is reflected in the dendritic expansion of prelimbic neurons and increase in spine density of prelimbic and infralimbic neurons. These results suggest that non-invasive changes in the housing environment can be harnessed to study brain reserves for the flexible and species-typical behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Ashokan
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Jamien Wee Han Lim
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Nicholas Hang
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Rupshi Mitra
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore.
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48
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Mandolesi L, Polverino A, Montuori S, Foti F, Ferraioli G, Sorrentino P, Sorrentino G. Effects of Physical Exercise on Cognitive Functioning and Wellbeing: Biological and Psychological Benefits. Front Psychol 2018; 9:509. [PMID: 29755380 PMCID: PMC5934999 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 366] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Much evidence shows that physical exercise (PE) is a strong gene modulator that induces structural and functional changes in the brain, determining enormous benefit on both cognitive functioning and wellbeing. PE is also a protective factor for neurodegeneration. However, it is unclear if such protection is granted through modifications to the biological mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration or through better compensation against attacks. This concise review addresses the biological and psychological positive effects of PE describing the results obtained on brain plasticity and epigenetic mechanisms in animal and human studies, in order to clarify how to maximize the positive effects of PE while avoiding negative consequences, as in the case of exercise addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Mandolesi
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Arianna Polverino
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy.,Istituto di Diagnosi e Cura Hermitage Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
| | - Simone Montuori
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Foti
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Giampaolo Ferraioli
- Department of Science and Technology, Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Sorrentino
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy.,Istituto di Diagnosi e Cura Hermitage Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.,Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, CNR, Pozzuoli, Italy
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