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Rahgozar S, Giménez-Llort L. Design and effectiveness of an online group logotherapy intervention on the mental health of Iranian international students in European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1323774. [PMID: 38449504 PMCID: PMC10915759 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1323774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The secondary impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to widespread psychological challenges, significantly strained international students' mental health. The present work sought to design and assess the efficacy of an Online Group Logotherapy Protocol, an existential psychology approach developed by Viktor Frankl, to reduce anxiety and depression levels among Iranian international students who were migrants/refugees in different European countries during the pandemic. Methods The study recruited 70 students (58 females and 12 males, age range 20-35, 6 EU countries) experiencing moderate levels of anxiety and depression as measured by the Beck Anxiety (BAI) and Depression (BDI) Inventories at pre-test. Half the participants received a short-term closed group intervention comprising 6 online sessions / 90 min of logotherapy. The control group received 6 sessions without specific psychological treatment. Results The designed logotherapy sessions consisted of 1. Fundamentals of logotherapy, 2. Existential concerns, 3. Introspection, 4. Self-awareness and growth, 5. Empowering and facing challenges, 6. Meaning of life and conclusions. Five logotherapy techniques were used: Socratic Dialog, Modification of Attitude, Paradoxical Intention, Dereflection, and Logodrama. After the sessions, the post-test MANCOVA analysis showed a more potent effect of logotherapy reducing depression and anxiety than that elicited without intervention. The Eta coefficient suggests that the observed difference explains the effect of logotherapy with a strong power of 89%. Conclusion These findings unveil (1) the benefits of online group sessions despite the geographical distance and (2) the relevance of logotherapy effectively reducing depression and anxiety in such complex scenarios where psychological resources and cultural competencies are limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirin Rahgozar
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Singh D, Nasir S, Sharma J, Giménez-Llort L, Shahnawaz MG. Psychological Distress in Low-Income and Economically Marginalized Populations in India: Protective and Risk Factors. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:92. [PMID: 38392445 PMCID: PMC10886196 DOI: 10.3390/bs14020092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Studies at the juncture of development economics and public health take on considerable responsibility in addressing inequality and related mental health distress. Mental healthcare in economically marginalized populations requires depicting the linkages between socioeconomic status and psychological distress. In the present work, a sequential mixed-methods design was used to study 190 people in such communities in India. Gender-dependent psychological distress was found according to the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10) with moderate distress in women (M = 26.30, SD = 9.15) and mild distress in men (M = 21.04, SD = 8.35). Regression analysis indicated that gender significantly predicted psychological distress, followed by age, marital status, and the level of education of the head of the family. The Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of semi-structured interviews of the six women who scored the highest on the distress scale unveiled three master themes: (1) manifestation of psychological distress, (2) contextual challenges, and (3) sources of strength and resilience. Overall, participants reported a lack of resources, community violence, gender discrimination, and widespread substance use as major contributors to the ongoing distress. These findings can pave the way for future studies to expand beyond independent economic indicators and curate clinical interventions for culturally competent mental healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipti Singh
- Department of Psychology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Shagufta Nasir
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juhi Sharma
- Light Up-Emotions Matter Foundation, New Delhi 110096, India
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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Català-Solsona J, Lutzu S, Lituma PJ, Fábregas-Ordoñez C, Siedlecki D, Giménez-Llort L, Miñano-Molina AJ, Saura CA, Castillo PE, Rodriguez-Álvarez J. Nr4a2 blocks oAβ-mediated synaptic plasticity dysfunction and ameliorates spatial memory deficits in the APP Sw,Ind mouse. bioRxiv 2024:2024.01.24.577010. [PMID: 38328087 PMCID: PMC10849715 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.24.577010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease AD is associated with disruptions in neuronal communication, especially in brain regions crucial for learning and memory, such as the hippocampus. The amyloid hypothesis suggests that the accumulation of amyloid-beta oligomers (oAβ) contributes to synaptic dysfunction by internalisation of synaptic AMPA receptors. Recently, it has been reported that Nr4a2, a member of the Nr4a family of orphan nuclear receptors, plays a role in hippocampal synaptic plasticity by regulating BDNF and synaptic AMPA receptors. Here, we demonstrate that oAβ inhibits activity-dependent Nr4a2 activation in hippocampal neurons, indicating a potential link between oAβ and Nr4a2 down-regulation. Furthermore, we have observed a reduction in Nr4a2 protein levels in postmortem hippocampal tissue samples from early AD stages. Pharmacological activation of Nr4a2 proves effective in preventing oAβ-mediated synaptic depression in the hippocampus. Notably, Nr4a2 overexpression in the hippocampus of AD mouse models ameliorates spatial learning and memory deficits. In conclusion, the findings suggest that oAβ may contribute to early cognitive impairment in AD by blocking Nr4a2 activation, leading to synaptic dysfunction. Thus, our results further support that Nr4a2 activation is a potential therapeutic target to mitigate oAβ-induced synaptic and cognitive impairments in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
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Tanaka M, Szabó Á, Vécsei L, Giménez-Llort L. Emerging Translational Research in Neurological and Psychiatric Diseases: From In Vitro to In Vivo Models. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15739. [PMID: 37958722 PMCID: PMC10649796 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Revealing the underlying pathomechanisms of neurological and psychiatric disorders, searching for new biomarkers, and developing novel therapeutics all require translational research [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Tanaka
- Danube Neuroscience Research Laboratory, HUN-REN-SZTE Neuroscience Research Group, Hungarian Research Network, University of Szeged (HUN-REN-SZTE), Tisza Lajos krt. 113, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary;
| | - Ágnes Szabó
- Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary;
- Doctoral School of Clinical Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 6, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Vécsei
- Danube Neuroscience Research Laboratory, HUN-REN-SZTE Neuroscience Research Group, Hungarian Research Network, University of Szeged (HUN-REN-SZTE), Tisza Lajos krt. 113, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary;
- Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary;
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Campus Bellaterra, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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Maurel S, Giménez-Llort L, Alegre-Martin J, Castro-Marrero J. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis Based on Clinical and Neuropsychological Symptoms Reveals Distinct Subgroups in Fibromyalgia: A Population-Based Cohort Study. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2867. [PMID: 37893239 PMCID: PMC10604090 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11102867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a condition characterized by musculoskeletal pain and multiple comorbidities. Our study aimed to identify four clusters of FM patients according to their core clinical symptoms and neuropsychological comorbidities to identify possible therapeutic targets in the condition. We performed a population-based cohort study on 251 adult FM patients referred to primary care according to the 2010 ACR case criteria. Patients were aggregated in clusters by a K-medians hierarchical cluster analysis based on physical and emotional symptoms and neuropsychological variables. Four different clusters were identified in the FM population. Global cluster analysis reported a four-cluster profile (cluster 1: pain, fatigue, poorer sleep quality, stiffness, anxiety/depression and disability at work; cluster 2: injustice, catastrophizing, positive affect and negative affect; cluster 3: mindfulness and acceptance; and cluster 4: surrender). The second analysis on clinical symptoms revealed three distinct subgroups (cluster 1: fatigue, poorer sleep quality, stiffness and difficulties at work; cluster 2: pain; and cluster 3: anxiety and depression). The third analysis of neuropsychological variables provided two opposed subgroups (cluster 1: those with high scores in surrender, injustice, catastrophizing and negative affect, and cluster 2: those with high scores in acceptance, positive affect and mindfulness). These empirical results support models that assume an interaction between neurobiological, psychological and social factors beyond the classical biomedical model. A detailed assessment of such risk and protective factors is critical to differentiate FM subtypes, allowing for further identification of their specific needs and designing tailored personalized therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Maurel
- Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
- Institut de Neurosciències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose Alegre-Martin
- Division of Rheumatology, Clinical Unit in ME/CFS and Long COVID, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain;
- Division of Rheumatology, Research Unit in ME/CFS and Long COVID, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesús Castro-Marrero
- Division of Rheumatology, Research Unit in ME/CFS and Long COVID, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
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Muntsant A, Castillo-Ruiz MDM, Giménez-Llort L. Survival Bias, Non-Lineal Behavioral and Cortico-Limbic Neuropathological Signatures in 3xTg-AD Mice for Alzheimer's Disease from Premorbid to Advanced Stages and Compared to Normal Aging. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13796. [PMID: 37762098 PMCID: PMC10531136 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241813796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Pre-clinical research in aging is hampered by the scarcity of studies modeling its heterogeneity and complexity forged by pathophysiological conditions throughout the life cycle and under the sex perspective. In the case of Alzheimer's disease, the leading cause of dementia in older adults, we recently described in female wildtype and APP23 mice a survival bias and non-linear chronology of behavioral signatures from middle age to long life. Here, we present a comprehensive and multidimensional (physical, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric-like symptoms) screening and underlying neuropathological signatures in male and female 3xTg-AD mice at 2, 4, 6, 12, and 16 months of age and compared to their non-transgenic counterparts with gold-standard C57BL/6J background. Most variables studied detected age-related differences, whereas the genotype factor was specific to horizontal and vertical activities, thigmotaxis, coping with stress strategies, working memory, and frailty index. A sex effect was predominantly observed in classical emotional variables and physical status. Sixteen-month-old mice exhibited non-linear age- and genotype-dependent behavioral signatures, with higher heterogeneity in females, and worsened in naturalistically isolated males, suggesting distinct compensatory mechanisms and survival bias. The underlying temporal and spatial progression of Aβ and tau pathologies pointed to a relevant cortico-limbic substrate roadmap: premorbid intracellular Aβ immunoreactivity and pSer202/pThr205 tau phosphorylation in the amygdala and ventral hippocampus, and the entorhinal cortex and ventral hippocampus as the areas most affected by Aβ plaques. Therefore, depicting phenotypic signatures and neuropathological correlates can be critical to unveiling preventive/therapeutic research and intervention windows and studying adaptative behaviors and maladaptive responses relevant to psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Muntsant
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
| | | | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
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Giménez-Llort L. Editorial: The crosstalk of different mechanisms in cognitive impairment associated with aging, Alzheimer's disease, and related dementias. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1258893. [PMID: 37662549 PMCID: PMC10471964 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1258893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Nasir S, Giménez-Llort L. The Trajectory of Depression through Disenfranchised Grief in Young Widows in Times of COVID-19: A Case Report from Rural India. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:653. [PMID: 37622793 PMCID: PMC10451176 DOI: 10.3390/bs13080653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic was one of this century's deadliest and most widespread viral outbreaks, with higher mortality rates in men than women. Disruptions in funeral rituals and customs, no social recognition of the losses, and limited social support have complicated the grieving process and are linked to disenfranchised (not openly acknowledged, socially recognized, or publicly mourned) grief. Depression is also highly comorbid with complicated grief. Losing a spouse can be devastating, and this is more severe for women with limited or no resources, who are vulnerable because of the patriarchal society. In the current COVID-19 era, increased uncertainty and disenfranchised grief can worsen the clinical scenario and hamper interventions, as highlighted by the present case report on disenfranchised grief with depressive symptoms in a 30-year-old woman from rural India who, after a year of marriage, lost her husband due to COVID-19. This case study emphasizes the impact of multiple types of disadvantages due to sociodemographic and cultural determinants that can complicate the grieving process in the current context. The bioecological model of grief recovery considers individual features and societal/environmental factors to postulate the appropriate intervention. Finding meaning and purpose in life and restoration-oriented coping were successful for the clinical management of the patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shagufta Nasir
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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Johansson B, Oasa S, Muntsant Soria A, Tiiman A, Söderberg L, Amandius E, Möller C, Lannfelt L, Terenius L, Giménez-Llort L, Vukojević V. The interwoven fibril-like structure of amyloid-beta plaques in mouse brain tissue visualized using super-resolution STED microscopy. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:142. [PMID: 37542303 PMCID: PMC10403925 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01086-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Standard neuropathologic analysis of Alzheimer's brain relies on traditional fluorescence microscopy, which suffers from limited spatial resolution due to light diffraction. As a result, it fails to reveal intricate details of amyloid plaques. While electron microscopy (EM) offers higher resolution, its extensive sample preparation, involving fixation, dehydration, embedding, and sectioning, can introduce artifacts and distortions in the complex brain tissue. Moreover, EM lacks molecular specificity and has limited field of view and imaging depth. RESULTS In our study, we employed super-resolution Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) microscopy in conjunction with the anti-human APP recombinant antibody 1C3 fluorescently labelled with DyLightTM633 (1C3-DyLight633). This combination allowed us to visualize amyloidogenic aggregates in vitro and in brain sections from a 17-month-old 3×Tg-AD mouse with sub-diffraction limited spatial resolution. Remarkably, we achieved a spatial resolution of 29 nm in vitro and 62 nm in brain tissue sections, surpassing the capabilities of conventional confocal microscopy by 5-10 times. Consequently, we could discern individual fibrils within plaques, an achievement previously only possible with EM. CONCLUSIONS The utilization of STED microscopy represents a groundbreaking advancement in the field, enabling researchers to delve into the characterization of local mechanisms that underlie Amyloid (Aβ) deposition into plaques and their subsequent clearance. This unprecedented level of detail is especially crucial for comprehending the etiology of Alzheimer's disease and developing the next generation of anti-amyloid treatments. By facilitating the evaluation of drug candidates and non-pharmacological interventions aiming to reduce amyloid burden, STED microscopy emerges as an indispensable tool for driving scientific progress in Alzheimer's research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Johansson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-17176, Stockholm, Sweden
- Theme Aging, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, SE-17176, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sho Oasa
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-17176, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Aida Muntsant Soria
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ann Tiiman
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-17176, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | | | | | - Lars Terenius
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-17176, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vladana Vukojević
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-17176, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Fraile-Ramos J, Garrit A, Reig-Vilallonga J, Giménez-Llort L. Hepatic Oxi-Inflammation and Neophobia as Potential Liver-Brain Axis Targets for Alzheimer's Disease and Aging, with Strong Sensitivity to Sex, Isolation, and Obesity. Cells 2023; 12:1517. [PMID: 37296638 PMCID: PMC10252497 DOI: 10.3390/cells12111517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) has classically focused on alterations that occur in the brain and their intra- and extracellular neuropathological hallmarks. However, the oxi-inflammation hypothesis of aging may also play a role in neuroimmunoendocrine dysregulation and the disease's pathophysiology, where the liver emerges as a target organ due to its implication in regulating metabolism and supporting the immune system. In the present work, we demonstrate organ (hepatomegaly), tissue (histopathological amyloidosis), and cellular oxidative stress (decreased glutathione peroxidase and increased glutathione reductase enzymatic activities) and inflammation (increased IL-6 and TNF𝛼) as hallmarks of hepatic dysfunction in 16-month-old male and female 3xTg-AD mice at advanced stages of the disease, and as compared to age- and sex-matched non-transgenic (NTg) counterparts. Moreover, liver-brain axis alterations were found through behavioral (increased neophobia) and HPA axis correlations that were enhanced under forced isolation. In all cases, sex (male) and isolation (naturalistic and forced) were determinants of worse hepatomegaly, oxidative stress, and inflammation progression. In addition, obesity in old male NTg mice was translated into a worse steatosis grade. Further research is underway determine whether these alterations could correlate with a worse disease prognosis and to establish potential integrative system targets for AD research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Fraile-Ramos
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Garrit
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Reig-Vilallonga
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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Haydabrus A, Linskiy I, Giménez-Llort L. Social Media Use, Fake News and Mental Health during the Uncertain Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ukraine. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:bs13040339. [PMID: 37102853 PMCID: PMC10135461 DOI: 10.3390/bs13040339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
A sample of 351 adults (women/men 4:1) aged 18 to 60 participated in an online survey administered during the first two waves (15 March-25 April and 10 October-25 November 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine. The user ethnography profile was Generation Z (born in the 1990s), female (81.2%), Instagrammer (60.3%), unmarried (56.9%) and student (42.9%). An increased time spent on social media (3.18 h/day), searching for COVID-19-related information (1.01 h/day) after the first COVID-19 case and the observation of fake news that went viral (58.8%) decreased in the second wave. Alterations (increase or reduction) in sleep patterns (46.7%) and changes (increase or loss) in appetite (32.7%) affected participants' well-being, but only sleep ameliorated in the second wave. Mental health reports unveiled moderate perceived stress (PSS-10: 20.61 ± 1.13) and mild anxiety (GAD-7: 14.17 ± 0.22), which improved in the second wave. A higher prevalence of severe anxiety (8.5%) was found among individuals in the first survey (8.5%) than those in the second (3.3%). Social media counteracted physical distance policies and played as an immediate source of (mis)information for users, but also anticipated the impact of the most uncertain times of this COVID-19 physical health crisis on well-being and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andriy Haydabrus
- Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology, School of Medicine, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, 61022 Kharkiv, Ukraine
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08192 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Igor Linskiy
- Institute of Neurology, Psychiatry and Narcology, National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, 61068 Kharkiv, Ukraine
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08192 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08192 Barcelona, Spain
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Solé M, Marazuela P, Castellote L, Bonaterra-Pastra A, Giménez-Llort L, Hernandez-Guillamon M. Therapeutic effect of human ApoA-I-Milano variant in aged transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Br J Pharmacol 2023. [PMID: 36872299 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Therapies based on apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I), classically tested for cardiovascular diseases, were recently proposed for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Based on a drug reprofiling approach, our objective was to explore the use of a natural variant of ApoA-I form, ApoA-I-Milano (M), as a treatment for AD. ApoA-I-M contains the R173C mutation, and confers protection against atherosclerosis development, although ApoA-I-M carriers exhibit low HDL levels. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Middle-aged (12-month-old) and aged (21-month-old) APP23 mice were intraperitoneally treated for 10 weeks with human recombinant ApoA-I-M (hrApoA-I-M) protein or saline. Pathology progression through behavioral parameters and biochemical determinations was evaluated. KEY RESULTS In middle-aged group, hrApoA-I-M treatment reduced the anxiety behavior associated with this AD model. In aged mice, hrApoA-I-M reversed T-maze performance alterations, a cognitive improvement accompanied by neuronal loss recovery in the dentate gyrus. Aged mice treated with hrApoA-I-M showed lower brain Aβ40 soluble levels and elevated Aβ40 levels in cerebrospinal fluid, without modifying insoluble brain Aβ burden. Interestingly, hrApoA-I-M sub-chronic treatment induced a molecular effect on the cerebrovasculature, increasing occludin expression and ICAM-1 presence, as well as promoting an elevation of plasma soluble RAGE in all hrApoA-I-M-treated mice, drastically decreasing the AGEs/sRAGE ratio, a marker of endothelial damage. CONCLUSION Peripheral hrApoA-I-M treatment shows a beneficial impact on working memory, involving mechanisms related with brain Aβ mobilization and modulation of the levels of cerebrovascular markers. IMPLICATIONS Our study shows the potential therapeutic applicability of a safe and noninvasive treatment based on peripheral administration of hrApoA-I-M in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montse Solé
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Neuroscience (INc), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
| | - Paula Marazuela
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Castellote
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Laboratories, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Bonaterra-Pastra
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Translational Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience (INc), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mar Hernandez-Guillamon
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
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13
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Baeta-Corral R, De la Fuente M, Giménez-Llort L. Sex-dependent worsening of NMDA-induced responses, anxiety, hypercortisolemia, and organometry of early peripheral immunoendocrine impairment in adult 3xTg-AD mice and their long-lasting ontogenic modulation by neonatal handling. Behav Brain Res 2023; 438:114189. [PMID: 36343697 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The neuroimmunomodulation hypothesis for Alzheimer's disease (AD) postulates that alterations in the innate immune system triggered by damage signals result in adverse effects on neuronal functions. The peripheral immune system and neuroimmunoendocrine communication are also impaired. Here we provide further evidence using a longitudinal design that also studied the long-lasting effects of an early life sensorial intervention (neonatal handling, from postnatal day 1-21) in 6-month-old (early stages of the disease) male and female 3xTg-AD mice compared to age- and sex-matched non-transgenic (NTg) mice with normal aging. The behavioral patterns elicited by the direct exposure to an open field, and the motor depression response evoked by NMDA (25 mg/kg, i.p) were found correlated to the organometry of peripheral immune-endocrine organs (thymus involution, splenomegaly, and adrenal glands' hypertrophy) and increased corticosterone levels, suggesting their potential value for diagnostic and biomonitoring.The NMDA-induced immediate and depressant motor activity and endocrine (corticosterone) responses were sensitive to sex and AD-genotype, suggesting worse endogenous susceptibility/neuroprotective response to glutamatergic excitotoxicity in males and in the AD-genotype. 3xTg-AD females showed a reduced immediate response, whereas the NTg showed higher responsiveness to subsequent NMDA-induced depressant effect than their male counterparts. The long-lasting ontogenic modulation by handling was shown as a potentiation of NMDA-depressant effect in NTg males and females, while sex × treatment effects were found in 3xTg-AD mice. Finally, NMDA-induced corticosterone showed sex, genotype and interaction effects with sexual dimorphism enhanced in the AD-genotype, suggesting different endogenous vulnerability/neuroprotective capacities and modulation of the neuroimmunoendocrine system.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Baeta-Corral
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - M De la Fuente
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology, School of Biology, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - L Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
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14
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Hakimizadeh E, Tadayon S, Zamanian MY, Soltani A, Giménez-Llort L, Hassanipour M, Fatemi I. Gemfibrozil, a lipid-lowering drug, improves hepatorenal damages in a mouse model of aging. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2023; 37:599-605. [PMID: 36600528 DOI: 10.1111/fcp.12865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Gemfibrozil (GFZ) is a medication of the fibrate category with agonistic effects on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPAR-α) and is effective for hypertriglyceridemia and mixed dyslipidemia. This agent also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The current study investigated the effects of GFZ on hepatorenal damages in a D-galactose (D-gal)-induced aging model. We used 28 male mice, which were equally and randomly divided into four groups as follows: normal, D-gal (150 mg/kg/day; intraperitoneal [i.p.], for 6 weeks), GFZ (100 mg/kg/day GFZ, orally [p.o.] for 6 weeks), and the combined D-gal + GFZ. Liver and kidney function indices were measured as serum creatinine, blood urine nitrogen, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase. Oxidative stress in hepatic and renal tissue was evaluated through malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase levels. Finally, the liver and kidney tissues were assessed for histopathological lesions. The results showed that D-gal-induced aging leads to abnormalities in liver and kidney function indices. D-gal also induced significant oxidative stress and histopathological lesions in these organs. GFZ improved function indices and oxidative stress compared to the D-gal-treated animals. Histological evaluations of the liver and kidney also confirmed these results. These data provide evidence for the potential therapeutic of GFZ in clinical practice for mitigating the hepatorenal damages of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Hakimizadeh
- Physiology-Pharmacology Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Saeedeh Tadayon
- Physiology-Pharmacology Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Yasin Zamanian
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Afsaneh Soltani
- School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències & Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mahsa Hassanipour
- Physiology-Pharmacology Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Iman Fatemi
- Research Center of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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15
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Zamanian MY, Giménez-Llort L, Nikbakhtzadeh M, Kamiab Z, Heidari M, Bazmandegan G. The Therapeutic Activities of Metformin: Focus on the Nrf2 Signaling Pathway and Oxidative Stress Amelioration. Curr Mol Pharmacol 2023; 16:331-345. [PMID: 35726417 DOI: 10.2174/1874467215666220620143655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, the health-protective and therapeutic properties of MET have been discussed, focusing on the effect of MET on the Nrf2 expression in patients with different pathological conditions. Metformin (MET) regulates high blood glucose, thus being an integral part of the antidiabetic medications used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus. It belongs to biguanide class medications that are administered through the oral route. Moreover, the agent is widely known for its anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. The MET modulates the nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor-2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway, which in turn yields the above-mentioned medical benefits to patients. The Nrf2 signaling pathways are modulated in multiple ways described subsequently: 1) MET acts on the cancer cells and inactivates Raf-ERK signaling, thus reducing Nrf2 expression, 2) MET obstructs the expression of proteins that are involved in apoptosis of tumor cells and also prevents tumor cells from oxidation through an AMPK-independent pathway; 3) MET carries out Keap1-independent mechanism for reducing the levels of Nrf2 protein in cancer cells; 4) MET upregulates the Nrf2-mediated transcription to stimulate the anti-oxidant process that prevents oxidative stress in cells system and consequently gives neuroprotection from rotenone and 5) MET downregulates p65 and upregulates Nrf2 which helps improve the angiogenesis impairment stimulated by gestational diabetes mellitus. This article presents an analysis of the health-protective properties of MET and also sheds light on the effect of MET on the Nrf2 expression in patients with different pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Yassin Zamanian
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan 6718773654, Iran
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan 6718773654, Iran
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències & Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona E-08193, Spain
| | - Marjan Nikbakhtzadeh
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14155-6559, Iran
| | - Zahra Kamiab
- Clinical Research Development Unit, Ali-Ibn Abi-Talib Hospital, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan 7717933777, Iran
- Department of Family Medicine, Ali-Ibn Abi- Talib Hospital, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan 7717933777, Iran
| | - Mahsa Heidari
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran 1417935840, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Bazmandegan
- Clinical Research Development Unit, Ali-Ibn Abi-Talib Hospital, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan 7717933777, Iran
- Department of Family Medicine, Ali-Ibn Abi- Talib Hospital, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan 7717933777, Iran
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16
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Nasir S, Ghazi Shahnawaz M, Giménez-Llort L. Uneven Implications of Lockdown Amid COVID-19 in India: From Harassment, Stigma, Crime, and Internally Displaced People to Stress and Coping Strategies in the Middle/Upper Class. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:348. [PMID: 36285917 PMCID: PMC9599041 DOI: 10.3390/bs12100348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A content analysis of an English Newspaper, The Times of India (the world's largest newspaper by circulation) during the first national lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic identified nine different categories culled out from a total of 129 news categories reporting unprecedented COVID-19 stories. Half of them portrayed two sides of a coin: from daily wagers and migrant workers, including internally displaced people (23/129), harassment and stigma (4/129), and crime (3/129) to stressors and coping strategies for middle/upper class individuals (39/129). Reports evidenced increased vulnerability in the lower layers of Indian stratified society. Yet, two years later, the uneven implications on physical and mental health are scarcely studied by scientific researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shagufta Nasir
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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17
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Muntsant A, Giménez-Llort L. Crosstalk of Alzheimer’s disease-phenotype, HPA axis, splenic oxidative stress and frailty in late-stages of dementia, with special concerns on the effects of social isolation: A translational neuroscience approach. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:969381. [PMID: 36185472 PMCID: PMC9520301 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.969381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Coping with emotional stressors strongly impacts older people due to their age-related impaired neuroendocrine and immune systems. Elevated cortisol levels seem to be associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), alterations in the innate immune system result in crosstalk between immune mediators and neuronal and endocrine functions. Besides, neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, or agitation are observed in most patients. Here, we studied the psychophysiological response to intrinsic (AD-phenotype) and extrinsic (anxiogenic tests) stress factors and their relation to liver, kidneys, heart, and spleen oxidative status in 18-months-old female gold-standard C57BL/6 mice and 3xTg-AD mice model for AD. The emotional, cognitive, and motor phenotypes were assessed under three different anxiogenic conditions. Survival, frailty index, and immunoendocrine status (corticosterone levels and oxidative stress of peripheral organs) were evaluated. Genotype differences in neuropsychiatric-like profiles and cognitive disfunction in 3xTg-AD females that survived beyond advanced stages of the disease persisted despite losing other behavioral and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) physiological differences. A secondary analysis studied the impact of social isolation, naturally occurring in 3xTg-AD mice due to the death of cage mates. One month of isolation modified hyperactivity and neophobia patterns and disrupt the obsessive-compulsive disorder-like digging ethogram. Frailty index correlated with spleen organometrics in all groups, whereas two AD-specific salient functional correlations were identified: (1) Levels of corticosterone with worse performance in the T-maze, (2) and with a lower splenic GPx antioxidant enzymatic activity, which may suppose a potent risk of morbidity and mortality in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Muntsant
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- *Correspondence: Lydia Giménez-Llort,
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18
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Haydabrus A, Santana-Santana M, Lazarenko Y, Giménez-Llort L. Current War in Ukraine: Lessons from the Impact of War on Combatants' Mental Health during the Last Decade. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:10536. [PMID: 36078250 PMCID: PMC9518138 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ukrainian Military Hospital retrospective analysis during a decade of conflicts (3995 records) unveils specific mental health ICD-10-CM distribution per rank and the long-lasting impact of active conflict or trench warfare. Most hospitalizations in all years of observation were among soldiers. Anxiety-related disorders have been present since 'peacetime', mainly among professional soldiers and high ranks, pointing to the need for rank-tailored psychological training in skills to reduce the anxiety burden. High frequency of psychoactive substance use emerged with acute conflicts and in nonprofessional soldiers during wartime. This dictates the need to strengthen the selection of military personnel, considering the tendency to addiction. Military operations multiply the hospitalizations in psychiatric hospitals. The data warn about a 'need for free beds effect', which is worse for soldiers. This is relevant to estimating and planning the need for hospital resources for the current situation where the general population has been recruited for defense. In the current war, tightening the rules of sobriety in units and up to a ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages in areas where hostilities are taking place is recommended. The specific impact on nonprofessional soldiers is relevant to the current war, with the general population of Ukraine recruited for defense and combat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andriy Haydabrus
- Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology, School of Medicine, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, 61022 Kharkiv, Ukraine
| | - Mikel Santana-Santana
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yuriy Lazarenko
- Military Medical Clinical Center of the Northern Region, 61000 Kharkiv, Ukraine
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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19
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Castillo-Mariqueo L, Giménez-Llort L. Clasping, ledge-score coordination and early gait impairments as primary behavioural markers of functional impairment in Alzheimer's disease. Behav Brain Res 2022; 435:114054. [PMID: 35961538 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Motor performance facilitates the understanding of the functional state related to the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). At the translational level, this brief report refines the characterization of the motor dysfunction of the 3xTg-AD mouse model in different motor tasks, focusing on the abnormal clasping reflex and coordination impairments measured through the Phenotype Scoring System four items screening originally developed for models of ataxia. We studied male 3xTg-AD mice at 6, 12, and 16 months of age (mimicking the early, advanced, and late stages of the disease, respectively) and their age-matched non-transgenic counterparts with normal aging. According to the score, incidence, or severity of the four items and the total score, the 3xTg-AD mice showed deficiencies in all score elements. Clasping was increased independently of age, and its severity worsened with repeated testing. In contrast, the impairment of coordination worsened with the progress of the disease. The gait score was sensitive to genotype since early stages, and the worse ledge score was evident at 16 months. Kyphosis and ledge scores were sensitive to age. The impairments and functional limitations of male 3xTg-AD mice related to the stages of AD provide a scenario that allows understanding the heterogeneity of non-cognitive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Castillo-Mariqueo
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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20
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Ferrer-Torres A, Giménez-Llort L. Misophonia: A Systematic Review of Current and Future Trends in This Emerging Clinical Field. IJERPH 2022; 19:ijerph19116790. [PMID: 35682372 PMCID: PMC9180704 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Misophonia is a scarcely known disorder. This systematic review (1) offers a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the literature since 2001, (2) identifies the most relevant aspects but also controversies, (3) identifies the theoretical and methodological approaches, and (4) highlights the outstanding advances until May 2022 as well as aspects that remain unknown and deserve future research efforts. Misophonia is characterized by strong physiological, emotional, and behavioral reactions to auditory, visual, and/or kinesthetic stimuli of different nature regardless of their physical characteristics. These misophonic responses include anger, general discomfort, disgust, anxiety, and avoidance and escape behaviors, and decrease the quality of life of the people with the disorder and their relatives. There is no consensus on the diagnostic criteria yet. High comorbidity between misophonia and other psychiatric and auditory disorders is reported. Importantly, the confusion with other disorders contributes to its underdiagnosis. In recent years, assessment systems with good psychometric properties have increased considerably, as have treatment proposals. Although misophonia is not yet included in international classification systems, it is an emerging field of growing scientific and clinical interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Ferrer-Torres
- L’Alfatier-Centro Médico Psicológico, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-934-761-700
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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21
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Hakimizadeh E, Zamanian MY, Borisov VV, Giménez-Llort L, Ehsani V, Kaeidi A, Hassanshahi J, Khajehasani F, Movahedinia S, Fatemi I. Gemfibrozil, a lipid-lowering drug, reduces anxiety, enhances memory, and improves brain oxidative stress in d-galactose-induced aging mice. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2022; 36:501-508. [PMID: 34989025 DOI: 10.1111/fcp.12752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Gemfibrozil (GFZ) is a lipid-lowering drug with several other effects, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In the current study, chronic d-galactose treatment (d-gal, 150 mg/kg/day; i.p., 6 weeks) induced a model of accelerated aging in male mice and was used to study the behavioral, anti-oxidative, and neuroprotective effects of GFZ (100 mg/kg/day; p.o.). Anxiety-like behaviors were assessed using the elevated plus-maze while working memory was measured by spontaneous alternation in a Y-maze. Brain oxidative stress was determined by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities. Neuropathological evaluation of the brain with hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome staining was also performed. The results demonstrated that the anxious-like phenotype and the cognitive impairments observed in d-gal-treated mice could be prevented in those animals coadministered with GFZ. Besides, the decrease in SOD and GPx antioxidant enzymatic activities and increase of MDA levels were also prevented in the brains of d-gal plus GFZ treated mice. Preliminary hematoxylin-eosin staining also suggested neuroprotective effects of GFZ. The results of Masson's trichrome staining showed no evidence of fibrosis in brain sections of different experimental groups. The current data provide novel insights into GFZ in the d-galactose-induced aging mouse model that open promising future research lines to determine inflammatory mediators and cell signaling underlying these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Hakimizadeh
- Physiology-Pharmacology Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Yassin Zamanian
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.,School of Nahavand Paramedical, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Vitaliy Viktorovich Borisov
- Department of Propaedeutics of Dental Diseases, Institute of Dentistry, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vahid Ehsani
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Ayat Kaeidi
- Physiology-Pharmacology Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Jalal Hassanshahi
- Physiology-Pharmacology Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Khajehasani
- Department of Radiology, Afzalipour Medicine School, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Sajjadeh Movahedinia
- Department of Pathology, Afzalipour Medicine School, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Iman Fatemi
- Research Center of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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22
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Jiménez-Altayó F, Cabrera A, Bagán A, Giménez-Llort L, D’Ocon P, Pérez B, Pallàs M, Escolano C. An Imidazoline 2 Receptor Ligand Relaxes Mouse Aorta via Off-Target Mechanisms Resistant to Aging. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:826837. [PMID: 35645795 PMCID: PMC9133327 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.826837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Imidazoline receptors (IR) are classified into three receptor subtypes (I1R, I2R, and I3R) and previous studies showed that regulation of I2R signaling has neuroprotective potential. In order to know if I2R has a role in modulating vascular tone in health and disease, we evaluated the putative vasoactive effects of two recently synthesized I2R ligands, diethyl (1RS,3aSR,6aSR)-5-(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)-4,6-dioxo-1-phenyl-1,3a,4,5,6,6a-hexahydropyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole -1-phosphonate (B06) and diethyl [(1-(3-chloro-4-fluorobenzyl)-5,5-dimethyl-4-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-4-yl]phosphonate] (MCR5). Thoracic aortas from Oncins France 1 (3- to 4-months-old) and C57BL/6 (3- to 4- and 16- to 17-months-old mice) were mounted in tissue baths to measure isometric tension. In young mice of both strains, MCR5 induced greater relaxations than either B06 or the high-affinity I2R selective ligand 2-(2-benzofuranyl)-2-imidazoline (2-BFI), which evoked marginal responses. MCR5 relaxations were independent of I2R, as IR ligands did not significantly affect them, involved activation of smooth muscle KATP channels and inhibition of L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, and were only slightly modulated by endothelium-derived nitric oxide (negatively) and prostacyclin (positively). Notably, despite the presence of endothelial dysfunction in old mice, MCR5 relaxations were preserved. In conclusion, the present study provides evidence against a functional contribution of I2R in the modulation of vascular tone in the mouse aorta. Moreover, the I2R ligand MCR5 is an endothelium-independent vasodilator that acts largely via I2R-independent pathways and is resistant to aging. We propose MCR5 as a candidate drug for the management of vascular disease in the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesc Jiménez-Altayó
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- *Correspondence: Francesc Jiménez-Altayó,
| | - Anna Cabrera
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea Bagán
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry (Associated Unit to CSIC), Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pilar D’Ocon
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Spain
- Estructura de Recerca Interdisciplinar en Biotecnologia i Biomedicina (ERI BIOTECMED), Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Belén Pérez
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mercè Pallàs
- Pharmacology Section, Toxicology and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Institut de Neurociències, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carmen Escolano
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry (Associated Unit to CSIC), Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Galea E, Weinstock LD, Larramona-Arcas R, Pybus AF, Giménez-Llort L, Escartin C, Wood LB. Multi-transcriptomic analysis points to early organelle dysfunction in human astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 166:105655. [PMID: 35143967 PMCID: PMC9504227 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The phenotypic transformation of astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still not well understood. Recent analyses based on single-nucleus RNA sequencing of postmortem Alzheimer's disease (AD) samples are limited by the low number of sequenced astrocytes, small cohort sizes, and low number of differentially expressed genes detected. To optimize the detection of astrocytic genes, we employed a novel strategy consisting of the localization of pre-determined astrocyte and neuronal gene clusters in publicly available whole-brain transcriptomes. Specifically, we used cortical transcriptomes from 766 individuals, including cognitively normal subjects (Controls), and people diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia due to AD. Samples came from three independent cohorts organized by the Mount Sinai Hospital, the Mayo Clinic, and the Religious Order Study/Memory and Aging Project (ROSMAP). Astrocyte- and neuron-specific gene clusters were generated from human brain cell-type specific RNAseq data using hierarchical clustering and cell-type enrichment scoring. Genes from each cluster were manually annotated according to cell-type specific functional Categories. Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used to establish changes in these functional categories among clinical cohorts. We highlight three novel findings of the study. First, individuals with the same clinical diagnosis were molecularly heterogeneous. Particularly in the Mayo Clinic and ROSMAP cohorts, over 50% of Controls presented down-regulation of genes encoding synaptic proteins typical of AD, whereas 30% of patients diagnosed with dementia due to AD presented Control-like transcriptomic profiles. Second, down-regulation of neuronal genes related to synaptic proteins coincided, in astrocytes, with up-regulation of genes related to perisynaptic astrocytic processes (PAP) and down-regulation of genes encoding endolysosomal and mitochondrial proteins. Third, down-regulation of astrocytic mitochondrial genes inversely correlated with the disease stages defined by Braak and CERAD scoring. Finally, we interpreted these changes as maladaptive or adaptive from the point of view of astrocyte biology in a model of the phenotypical transformation of astrocytes in AD. The main prediction is that early malfunction of the astrocytic endolysosomal system, associated with progressive mitochondrial dysfunction, contribute to Alzheimer's disease. If this prediction is correct, therapies preventing organelle dysfunction in astrocytes may be beneficial in preclinical and clinical AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Galea
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Bioquímica, Unitat de Bioquímica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, 08010 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Laura D Weinstock
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, USA
| | - Raquel Larramona-Arcas
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Bioquímica, Unitat de Bioquímica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alyssa F Pybus
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, USA
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Forense, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carole Escartin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Levi B Wood
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, USA; George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, USA.
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24
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Castillo-Mariqueo L, Giménez-Llort L. Impact of Behavioral Assessment and Re-Test as Functional Trainings That Modify Survival, Anxiety and Functional Profile (Physical Endurance and Motor Learning) of Old Male and Female 3xTg-AD Mice and NTg Mice with Normal Aging. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10050973. [PMID: 35625710 PMCID: PMC9138863 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10050973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Longitudinal approaches for disease-monitoring in old animals face survival and frailty limitations, but also assessment and re-test bias on genotype and sex effects. The present work investigated these effects on 56 variables for behavior, functional profile, and biological status of male and female 3xTg-AD mice and NTg counterparts using two designs: (1) a longitudinal design: naïve 12-month-old mice re-tested four months later; and (2) a cross-sectional design: naïve 16-month-old mice compared to those re-tested. The results confirmed the impact as (1) improvement of survival (NTg rested females), variability of gait (3xTg-AD 16-month-old re-tested and naïve females), physical endurance (3xTg-AD re-tested females), motor learning (3xTg-AD and NTg 16-month-old re-tested females), and geotaxis (3xTg-AD naïve 16-month-old males); but (2) worse anxiety (3xTg-AD 16-month-old re-tested males), HPA axis (3xTg-AD 16-month-old re-tested and naïve females) and sarcopenia (3xTg-AD 16-month-old naïve females). Males showed more functional correlations than females. The functional profile, biological status, and their correlation are discussed as relevant elements for AD-pathology. Therefore, repetition of behavioral batteries could be considered training by itself, with some variables sensitive to genotype, sex, and re-test. In the AD-genotype, females achieved the best performance in physical endurance and motor learning, while males showed a deterioration in most studied variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Castillo-Mariqueo
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence:
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25
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Giménez-Llort L. ‘You’re Not Alone for China’: The First Song in Times of COVID-19 to Keep the Faith in a World Crying in Silence. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:bs12040088. [PMID: 35447660 PMCID: PMC9026831 DOI: 10.3390/bs12040088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Collective mourning is an expression of societal maturity, cohesion, and respect. The world is in grief, but in early January 2020, before nobody could even imagine that SARS-CoV-2 would turn into the COVID-19 pandemic, a music video version of a pop ballad about love and isolation was spread across a Chinese social network. The song ‘You Are Not Alone’ was adapted as a cover by young foreigners living in China to express their support to bereaved families and frontline workers and encourage the people of China, their second home. At that time, the rest of the world looked to distant China but could hardly expect to face the same adversity months later. The authors reported that the music video was a spontaneous artistic expression copying such traumatic events and the mourning process. The present work analyses how the music was blended with lyrics and images describing the outbreak in Wuhan to reach their goal. The original song and this shortened version for China were compared regarding musical and lyric structures and main characteristics. Additionally, an analysis of the two videos was done regarding cinemetric variables and non-verbal communication that emphasized the power of songs to express deep sorrow and sympathy but also to give hope. Psychological first aid, the five stages of the mourning process by Kübler-Ross, the dual-process model by Stroebe and Schut, and Taylor’s tend-to-befriend provided a better understanding of the translation from interpersonal to societal mourning. Finally, other memorable songs that society spontaneously chose to be performed alone or together to cope with sudden and dramatic situations, mitigate physical distancing, and alleviate human suffering are discussed. Music, lyrics, and artistic performance are playing a key role in building social and emotional ties during this pandemic, hampering individual and social pain and sorrow despite cultural barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; ; Tel.: +34-935812378
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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26
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Bengoetxea de Tena I, Moreno-Rodríguez M, Llorente-Ovejero A, Monge-Benito S, Martínez-Gardeazabal J, Onandia-Hinchado I, Manuel I, Giménez-Llort L, Rodríguez-Puertas R. HANDLING AND NOVEL OBJECT RECOGNITION MODULATE FEAR RESPONSE AND ENDOCANNABINOID SIGNALING IN NUCLEUS BASALIS MAGNOCELLULARIS. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 55:1532-1546. [PMID: 35266590 PMCID: PMC9313565 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Storage of aversive memories is of utmost importance for survival, allowing animals to avoid upcoming similar stimuli. However, without reinforcement, the learned avoidance response gradually decreases over time. Although the molecular mechanisms controlling this extinction process are not well known, there is evidence that the endocannabinoid system plays a key role through CB1 receptor‐mediated modulation of cholinergic signaling. In this study, we measured fear extinction throughout 7 months using naïve rats, assessed in passive avoidance (PA) test in a non‐reinforced manner. Then, we evaluated the effect of gentle handling and non‐aversive novel object recognition test (NORT) on the extinction and expression of fear memories by measuring passive avoidance responses. Neurochemical correlates were analyzed by functional autoradiography for cannabinoid, cholinergic, and dopaminergic receptors. Despite results showing a gradual decrease of passive avoidance response, it did not fully disappear even after 7 months, indicating the robustness of this process. Meanwhile, in rats that received gentle handling or performed NORT after receiving the PA aversive stimulus, extinction occurred within a week. In contrast, gentle handling performed before receiving the aversive stimulus exacerbated fear expression and triggered escape response in PA. The neurochemical analysis showed increased cannabinoid and cholinergic activity in the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) in rats that had performed only PA, as opposed to rats that received gentle handling before PA. Additionally, a correlation between CB1 mediated‐signaling in the NBM and freezing in PA was found, suggesting that the endocannabinoid system might be responsible for modulating fear response induced by aversive memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Bengoetxea de Tena
- Dept. Pharmacology, Fac. of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - M Moreno-Rodríguez
- Dept. Pharmacology, Fac. of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - A Llorente-Ovejero
- Dept. Pharmacology, Fac. of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - S Monge-Benito
- Dept. Audiovisual Communication and Advertising, Fac. of Social Sciences and Communication, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - J Martínez-Gardeazabal
- Dept. Pharmacology, Fac. of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - I Onandia-Hinchado
- Dept. Clinical and Health Psychology and Research Methodology, Fac. of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - I Manuel
- Dept. Pharmacology, Fac. of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain.,Neurodegenerative Diseases, BioCruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - L Giménez-Llort
- Dept. Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine & Institute of Neuroscience, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - R Rodríguez-Puertas
- Dept. Pharmacology, Fac. of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain.,Neurodegenerative Diseases, BioCruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain
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27
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Webster-Cordero F, Giménez-Llort L. The Challenge of Subjective Cognitive Complaints and Executive Functions in Middle-Aged Adults as a Preclinical Stage of Dementia: A Systematic Review. Geriatrics (Basel) 2022; 7:geriatrics7020030. [PMID: 35314602 PMCID: PMC8938842 DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics7020030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Subjective cognitive complaints correspond to a heterogeneous construct that frequently occurs in the early stages of older adult life. Despite being a common source of worry for middle-aged people, it can be underestimated when clinical and neuropsychological assessments discard any underlying pathological processes. Negative age stereotyping but also self-stereotyping can contribute to doing so. Although its diagnosis is a challenge, its implication as a possible predictor of mild cognitive impairment or dementia increases the interest in its early diagnosis and intervention. The present systematic review analyzes the empirical data on the relationship between these complaints and early executive dysfunction with possible predictive value for preclinical stages of dementia. The sixteen papers obtained from the PubMed and Embase databases were exploratory, cross-sectional and prospective in scope. The studies corroborated the relationship between subjective cognitive complaints and some executive processes, which is noteworthy since many people with subjective executive complaints progress to dementia. The relational studies confirmed that impaired executive performance is associated with CSF biomarkers and reduced cortical volume in specific brain regions. However, the heterogeneity of reports in these studies demands stronger efforts in future research with specific tools applied in clinical and neuropsychological assessments and analyzed under a gender perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Webster-Cordero
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital Santa Inés, Cuenca 010107, Ecuador
- Correspondence: (F.W.-C.); (L.G.-L.); Tel.: +593-98-488-4724 (F.W.-C.); +34-93-5812378 (L.G.-L.)
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: (F.W.-C.); (L.G.-L.); Tel.: +593-98-488-4724 (F.W.-C.); +34-93-5812378 (L.G.-L.)
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28
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Giménez-Llort L, Torres-Lista V, Oghagbon EK, Pereira HVFS, Gijsberts MJHE, Invitto S. Editorial: Death and Mourning Processes in the Times of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19). Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:922994. [PMID: 35711605 PMCID: PMC9196876 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.922994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Virginia Torres-Lista
- Dirección de Investigación, Catholic University Santa Maria La Antigua, Panama, Panama.,Scientific Research Center for Social Sciences (CENICS), Panama, Panama
| | - Efosa K Oghagbon
- College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria
| | | | | | - Sara Invitto
- INSPIRE LAB - Laboratory of Cognitive and Psychophysiological Olfactory Processes, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
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29
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Oghagbon EK, Prieto-Pino J, Dogoh F, Ogiator M, Giménez-Llort L. Diabetes/Dementia in Sub-saharian Africa and Nigerian Women in the Eye of Storm. Curr Alzheimer Res 2021; 19:161-170. [PMID: 34784865 DOI: 10.2174/1567205018666211116093747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In the next few years, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is projected to dramatically increase globally, but most of the cases will occur in low-to-middle-income countries. Some of the major risk factors for diabetes accelerate the development of dementia in African-Americans, thus leading to a higher prevalence of dementia than Caucasians. Sub-Saharan Africa women have a disproportionately two-to-eight fold increased prevalence of dementia. In the eye of this storm, Nigeria holds the highest number of diabetics on the African continent, and its prevalence is rising in parallel to obesity, hypertension, and the population's aging. The socio-economic impact of the rising prevalence of DM and dementia will be huge and unsustainable for the healthcare system in Nigeria, as has been recognized in developed economies. Here, we analyze the current situation of women's health in Nigeria and explore future perspectives and directions. The complex interplay of factors involved in diabetes and dementia in Nigerian women include key biological agents (metabolic syndrome, vascular damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, insulin resistance), nutritional habits, lifestyle, and anemia, that worsen with comorbidities. In addition, restricted resources, lack of visibility, and poor management result in a painful chain that increases the risk and burden of disease in Nigerian women from youth to elderly ages. Heath policies to increase the ra- tio of mental health professionals per number of patients, mostly in rural areas, foment of proactive primary care centers, and interventions targeting adolescents and adult women and other specific mothers-children pairs are strongly required for a sustainable development goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efosa K Oghagbon
- Department of Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Basic & Allied Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi. Nigeria
| | - José Prieto-Pino
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona. Spain
| | - Faeren Dogoh
- Department of Chemical Pathology, Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi. Nigeria
| | - Monday Ogiator
- Department of Internal Medicine, Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi. Nigeria
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona. Spain
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30
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Marín-Pardo D, Giménez-Llort L. Olfactory Signatures in the Food Finding Test in Mice With Normal and Alzheimer's Disease-Pathological Aging With Special Concerns on the Effects of Social Isolation. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:733984. [PMID: 34675767 PMCID: PMC8523944 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.733984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The temporal course and the severity of the involution of sensory systems through aging can be critical since they ensure the ability to perceive and recognize the world. In older people, sensory impairments significantly increase their risk of biological, psychological, and social impoverishment. Besides this, olfactory loss is considered an early biomarker in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) neurodegenerative process. Here we studied olfactory ethograms in middle-aged male and female gold-standard C57BL/6 mice and 3xTg-AD mice, a genetic model of AD that presents cognitive dysfunction and a conspicuous neuropsychiatric-like phenotype. A paradigm involving 1-day food deprivation was used to investigate the ethological patterns shown in the olfactory inspection of a new cage and the sniffing, finding, and eating of hidden food pellets. The sniffing–find–eat temporal patterns were independent of the loss of weight and unveiled (fast) olfactory signatures in Alzheimer’s disease, differing from those (slow progressive) in normal aging. Male 3xTg-AD mice exhibited an early signature than female mice, opposite to animals with normal aging. The sequence of actions was correlated in male and female 3xTg-AD mice in contrast to control mice. Social isolation, naturally occurring in male 3xTg-AD due to the death of cage mates, emphasized their olfactory patterns and disrupted the behavioral correlates. The paradigm provided distinct contextual, sex, and genotype olfactory ethogram signatures useful to investigate olfactory function in normal and AD-pathological aging. Isolation had an impact on enhancing the changes in the olfactory signature here described, for the first time, in the 3xTg-AD model of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Marín-Pardo
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Castillo-Mariqueo L, Pérez-García MJ, Giménez-Llort L. Modeling Functional Limitations, Gait Impairments, and Muscle Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease: Studies in the 3xTg-AD Mice. Biomedicines 2021; 9:1365. [PMID: 34680482 PMCID: PMC8533188 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9101365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gait impairments in Alzheimer's disease (AD) result from structural and functional deficiencies that generate limitations in the performance of activities and restrictions in individual's biopsychosocial participation. In a translational way, we have used the conceptual framework proposed by the International Classification of Disability and Health Functioning (ICF) to classify and describe the functioning and disability on gait and exploratory activity in the 3xTg-AD animal model. We developed a behavioral observation method that allows us to differentiate qualitative parameters of psychomotor performance in animals' gait, similar to the behavioral patterns observed in humans. The functional psychomotor evaluation allows measuring various dimensions of gait and exploratory activity at different stages of disease progression in dichotomy with aging. We included male 3xTg-AD mice and their non-transgenic counterpart (NTg) of 6, 12, and 16 months of age (n = 45). Here, we present the preliminary results. The 3xTg-AD mice show more significant functional impairment in gait and exploratory activity quantitative variables. The presence of movement limitations and muscle weakness mark the functional decline related to the disease severity stages that intensify with increasing age. Motor performance in 3xTg-AD is accompanied by a series of bizarre behaviors that interfere with the trajectory, which allows us to infer poor neurological control. Additionally, signs of physical frailty accompany the functional deterioration of these animals. The use of the ICF as a conceptual framework allows the functional status to be described, facilitating its interpretation and application in the rehabilitation of people with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Castillo-Mariqueo
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - M. José Pérez-García
- Department of Neuroscience, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, 08035 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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32
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Castillo-Mariqueo L, Giménez-Llort L. Kyphosis and bizarre patterns impair spontaneous gait performance in end-of-life mice with Alzheimer's disease pathology while gait is preserved in normal aging. Neurosci Lett 2021; 767:136280. [PMID: 34601039 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The shorter life spans of mice provide an exceptional experimental gerontology scenario. We previously described increased bizarre (disruptive) behaviors in the 6-month-old 3xTg-AD mice model for Alzheimer's disease (AD), compared to C57BL/6J wildtype (NTg), when confronting new environments. In the present work, we evaluated spontaneous gait and exploratory activity at old age, using 16-month-old mice. Male sex was chosen since sex-dependent psychomotor effects of aging are stronger in NTg males than females and, at this age, male 3 × Tg-AD mice are close to an end-of-life status due to increased mortality rates. Mice's behavior was evaluated in a transparent test box during the neophobia response. Stretching, jumping, backward movements and bizarre circling were identified during the gait and exploratory activity. The results corroborate that in the face of novelty and recognition of places, old 3xTg-AD mice exhibit increased bizarre behaviors than mice with normal aging. Furthermore, bizarre circling and backward movements delayed the elicitation of locomotion and exploration, in an already frail scenario, as shown by highly prevalent kyphosis in both groups. Thus, the translational study of co-occurrence of psychomotor impairments and anxiety-like behaviors can be helpful for understanding and managing the progressive functional deterioration shown in aging, especially in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Castillo-Mariqueo
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Giménez-Llort L, Martín-González JJ, Maurel S. Secondary Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic in Fatigue, Self-Compassion, Physical and Mental Health of People with Multiple Sclerosis and Caregivers: The Teruel Study. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1233. [PMID: 34573254 PMCID: PMC8467200 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11091233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The secondary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are distress triggers and risk factors for mental health. Conversely, self-compassion skills and compassionate thoughts/behaviors towards suffering may contribute to their alleviation. Both psychological constructs are interrelated in life-threatening diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The Teruel Study retrospectively evaluated the impact of strict confinement on the 44 people with MS of this Spanish province and 24 caregivers, specifically assessing (1) fears and perceptions; (2) self-compassion (people with MS) and compassion (caregivers); (3) physical and mental health, and fatigue. Despite better housing conditions, people with MS considered confinement very difficult to handle, more than their caregivers, but they were less afraid of COVID-19 and worsening of MS. Still, they recognized worse health than before confinement. Reclusion and lack of walks were the worst of confinement. Caregivers also referred to lack of leisure and uncertainty-fear. All agreed the best was staying with the family, but some found 'nothing' positive. Self-compassion remained moderate-high and strongly correlated with their moderate levels of social function, vitality, physical role, and global health. Physical and cognitive fatigue scores were high, and self-compassion negatively correlated with them, explaining a 19% variance in global health. The high compassion of the caregivers did not correlate with any variable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Medical Psychology Unit, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Sara Maurel
- Department of Medicine, Hospital del Vall d’Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, Universidad País Vasco, 48940 Leioa, Spain
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Muntsant A, Ramírez-Boix P, Leal-Campanario R, Alcaín FJ, Giménez-Llort L. The Spanish Intergenerational Study: Beliefs, Stereotypes, and Metacognition about Older People and Grandparents to Tackle Ageism. Geriatrics (Basel) 2021; 6:geriatrics6030087. [PMID: 34562988 PMCID: PMC8482193 DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics6030087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ageism can be seen as systematic stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination of people because of their age. For a long time, society has accepted negative stereotypes as a norm. When referring to older adults, the United Nations Global Report on Ageism warns about a severe impact. The Intergenerational Study for a Healthy Aging, a questionnaire about believes, stereotypes, and knowledge about older people and grandparents, was administered to 326 Spanish biology and medical students. Here we report the results of stereotype analysis through adjective qualification of the youth and older people performed before the survey. Content analysis of two open questions about metacognition at the end of the survey is also presented. The results show that: (1) The questionnaire promoted metacognition; (2) Positive metacognition toward grandparents was higher than for the general old population; (3) Most participants were not conscious about ageism; (4) Gender was a key factor—male students were more ageist than females; (5) The feeling of guilt was higher in the questionnaire about older people; (6) The metacognition exercise elicited thoughts and, in few cases, the need to take action to tackle ageism. In conclusion, both activities promoted active thoughts about older people vs. grandparents and helped participants realize unconscious ageism—specifically toward the older population—serving as an awareness activity that may help tackle ageism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Muntsant
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, E-080193 Barcelona, Spain; (A.M.); (P.R.-B.)
- Institut de Neurociències, Autonomous University of Barcelona, E-080193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paula Ramírez-Boix
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, E-080193 Barcelona, Spain; (A.M.); (P.R.-B.)
- Institut de Neurociències, Autonomous University of Barcelona, E-080193 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Francisco Javier Alcaín
- Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain;
- Oxidative Stress and Neurodegeneration Group, Regional Centre for Biomedical Research CRIB, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, E-080193 Barcelona, Spain; (A.M.); (P.R.-B.)
- Institut de Neurociències, Autonomous University of Barcelona, E-080193 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-(93)-5812378
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Cañete T, Giménez-Llort L. Preserved Thermal Pain in 3xTg-AD Mice With Increased Sensory-Discriminative Pain Sensitivity in Females but Affective-Emotional Dimension in Males as Early Sex-Specific AD-Phenotype Biomarkers. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:683412. [PMID: 34354580 PMCID: PMC8329418 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.683412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The increase of the aging population, where quite chronic comorbid conditions are associated with pain, draws growing interest across its investigation and the underlying nociceptive mechanisms. Burn injuries associated problems might be of relevance in the older adult’s daily life, but in people with dementia, exposure to high temperatures and heat sources poses a significantly increased risk of burns. In this brief report, the hind paws and tail pain withdrawal reflexes and the emotional responses to thermal nociception in 3xTg-AD mice were characterized for the first time in the plantar test and compared to their non-transgenic (NTg) counterparts. We studied a cohort of male and female 3xTg-AD mice at asymptomatic (2 months), early (6 months), middle (9 months), and advanced (12 and 15 months) stages of the disease and as compared to sex- and age-matched NTg control mice with normal aging. At 20 and 40W intensities, the sensorial-discriminative thresholds eliciting the withdrawal responses were preserved from asymptomatic to advanced stages of the disease compared to NTg counterparts. Moreover, 3xTg-AD females consistently showed a greater sensory-discriminative sensitivity already at premorbid ages, whereas increased emotionality was shown in males. False-negative results were found in “blind to sex and age” analysis, warning about the need to study sexes independently. The current results and previous report in cold thermal stimulation provide two paradigms unveiling sex-specific early AD-phenotype nociceptive biomarkers to study the mechanistic underpinnings of sex-, age- and AD-disease-dependent thermal pain sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toni Cañete
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Santana-Santana M, Bayascas JR, Giménez-Llort L. Fine-Tuning the PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway Intensity by Sex and Genotype-Load: Sex-Dependent Homozygotic Threshold for Somatic Growth but Feminization of Anxious Phenotype in Middle-Aged PDK1 K465E Knock-In and Heterozygous Mice. Biomedicines 2021; 9:747. [PMID: 34203450 PMCID: PMC8301321 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9070747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
According to the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), phenotypic differences among disorders may be explained by variations in the nature and degree of neural circuitry disruptions and/or dysfunctions modulated by several biological and environmental factors. We recently demonstrated the in vivo behavioral translation of tweaking the PI3K/Akt signaling, an essential pathway for regulating cellular processes and physiology, and its modulation through aging. Here we describe, for the first time, the in vivo behavioral impact of the sex and genetic-load tweaking this pathway. The anxiety-like phenotypes of 61 mature (11-14-month-old) male and female PDK1 K465E knock-in, heterozygous, and WT mice were studied. Forced (open-field) anxiogenic environmental conditions were sensitive to detect sex and genetic-load differences at middle age. Despite similar neophobia and horizontal activity among the six groups, females exhibited faster ethograms than males, with increased thigmotaxis, increased wall and bizarre rearing. Genotype-load unveiled increased anxiety in males, resembling female performances. The performance of mutants in naturalistic conditions (marble test) was normal. Homozygotic-load was needed for reduced somatic growth only in males. Factor interactions indicated the complex interplay in the elicitation of different negative valence system's items and the fine-tuning of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway intensity by genotype-load and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikel Santana-Santana
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08016 Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08016 Barcelona, Spain
| | - José-Ramón Bayascas
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08016 Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08016 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08016 Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08016 Barcelona, Spain
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Giménez-Llort L, Johansson B. Editorial: Pharmacology of BPSD (Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia). Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:704421. [PMID: 34211400 PMCID: PMC8239212 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.704421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Björn Johansson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Theme Inflammation and Aging, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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Giménez-Llort L, Marin-Pardo D, Marazuela P, Hernández-Guillamón M. Survival Bias and Crosstalk between Chronological and Behavioral Age: Age- and Genotype-Sensitivity Tests Define Behavioral Signatures in Middle-Aged, Old, and Long-Lived Mice with Normal and AD-Associated Aging. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9060636. [PMID: 34199476 PMCID: PMC8228433 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9060636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
New evidence refers to a high degree of heterogeneity in normal but also Alzheimer's disease (AD) clinical and temporal patterns, increased mortality, and the need to find specific end-of-life prognosticators. This heterogeneity is scarcely explored in very old male AD mice models due to their reduced survival. In the present work, using 915 (432 APP23 and 483 C57BL/6 littermates) mice, we confirmed the better survival curves in male than female APP23 mice and respective wildtypes, providing the chance to characterize behavioral signatures in middle-aged, old, and long-lived male animals. The sensitivity of a battery of seven paradigms for comprehensive screening of motor (activity and gait analysis), neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms was analyzed using a cohort of 56 animals, composed of 12-, 18- and 24-month-old male APP23 mice and wildtype littermates. Most variables analyzed detected age-related differences. However, variables related to coping with stress, thigmotaxis, frailty, gait, and poor cognition better discriminated the behavioral phenotype of male APP23 mice through the three old ages compared with controls. Most importantly, non-linear age- and genotype-dependent behavioral signatures were found in long-lived animals, suggesting crosstalk between chronological and biological/behavioral ages useful to study underlying mechanisms and distinct compensations through physiological and AD-associated aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-93-581-23-78
| | - Daniela Marin-Pardo
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paula Marazuela
- Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), E-08035 Barcelona, Spain; (P.M.); (M.H.-G.)
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Hakimizadeh E, Zamanian M, Giménez-Llort L, Sciorati C, Nikbakhtzadeh M, Kujawska M, Kaeidi A, Hassanshahi J, Fatemi I. Calcium Dobesilate Reverses Cognitive Deficits and Anxiety-Like Behaviors in the D-Galactose-Induced Aging Mouse Model through Modulation of Oxidative Stress. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10050649. [PMID: 33922431 PMCID: PMC8145666 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10050649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The long-term treatment of mice with D-galactose (D-gal) induces the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and is a well-accepted experimental model of oxidative stress-linked cognitive disorders in physiological aging. Calcium dobesilate (CaD, Doxium®) is an established vasoactive and angioprotective drug commonly used for the clinical treatment of diabetic retinopathy and chronic venous insufficiency. It has antioxidant properties and controls vascular permeability. In the current study, we evaluated the protective effects of CaD (50 and 100 mg/kg/day p.o.) in male mice treated with D-gal (500 mg/kg/day p.o.) for six weeks. Results demonstrated that body weight loss, anxiety-like and cognitive impairments of D-gal-treated animals were reversed by CaD administration as evaluated by the measurement of mice performance in elevated plus-maze, Y-maze, and shuttle box tests. CaD treatment also inhibited the oxidative stress in aging mouse brains by decreasing malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) enzyme activities. These results could open new perspectives for the clinical use of CaD in treating and preventing cognitive impairment in older people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Hakimizadeh
- Physiology-Pharmacology Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan 7717933777, Iran; (E.H.); (A.K.); (J.H.)
| | - Mohammad Zamanian
- School of Nahavand Paramedical, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan 6718773654, Iran;
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan 6718773654, Iran
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institute of Neuroscience & Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Clara Sciorati
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy;
| | - Marjan Nikbakhtzadeh
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14155-6559, Iran;
| | - Małgorzata Kujawska
- Department of Toxicology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Dojazd 30, 60-631 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Ayat Kaeidi
- Physiology-Pharmacology Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan 7717933777, Iran; (E.H.); (A.K.); (J.H.)
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan 7717933777, Iran
| | - Jalal Hassanshahi
- Physiology-Pharmacology Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan 7717933777, Iran; (E.H.); (A.K.); (J.H.)
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan 7717933777, Iran
| | - Iman Fatemi
- Research Center of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman 7616913555, Iran
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +989133431737
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Castillo-Mariqueo L, Giménez-Llort L. Translational Modeling of Psychomotor Function in Normal and AD-Pathological Aging With Special Concerns on the Effects of Social Isolation. Front Aging 2021; 2:648567. [PMID: 35822009 PMCID: PMC9261363 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2021.648567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
One year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, its secondary impacts can be globally observed. Some of them result from physical distancing and severe social contact restrictions by policies still imposed to stop the fast spread of new variants of this infectious disease. People with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias can also be significantly affected by the reduction of their activity programs, the loss of partners, and social isolation. Searching for the closest translational scenario, the increased mortality rates in male 3xTg-AD mice modeling advanced stages of the disease can provide a scenario of “naturalistic isolation.” Our most recent work has shown its impact worsening AD-cognitive and emotional profiles, AD-brain asymmetry, and eliciting hyperactivity and bizarre behaviors. Here, we further investigated the psychomotor function through six different psychomotor analysis in a set of 13-month-old 3xTg-AD mice and their non-transgenic counterparts with normal aging. The subgroup of male 3xTg-AD mice that lost their partners lived alone for the last 2–3 months after 10 months of social life. AD's functional limitations were shown as increased physical frailty phenotype, poor or deficient psychomotor performance, including bizarre behavior, in variables involving information processing and decision-making (exploratory activity and spontaneous gait), that worsened with isolation. Paradoxical muscular strength and better motor performance (endurance and learning) was shown in variables related to physical work and found enhanced by isolation, in agreement with the hyperactivity and the appearance of bizarre behaviors previously reported. Despite the isolation, a delayed appearance of motor deficits related to physical resistance and tolerance to exercise was found in the 3xTg-AD mice, probably because of the interplay of hyperactivity and mortality/survivor bias. The translation of these results to the clinical setting offers a guide to generate flexible and personalized rehabilitation strategies adaptable to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Castillo-Mariqueo
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- *Correspondence: Lydia Giménez-Llort
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Giménez-Llort L. An Ethnography Study of a Viral YouTube Educational Video in Ecuador: Dealing With Death and Grief in Times of COVID-19. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:648569. [PMID: 34305667 PMCID: PMC8299051 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.648569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In Western societies, death is a social and educational taboo. Poor education about death and mourning processes and overprotective family and social attitudes move children away from death to avoid "unnecessary suffering." The COVID-19 outbreak highlighted these shortcomings and the difficult management of grief's complexity under sudden and unexpected scenarios. The need for immediate and constant updates related to COVID-19 benefited from social media coverage's immediacy. The use of YouTube as a digital platform to disseminate/search for knowledge exploded, raising the need to conduct ethnographic studies to describe this community's people and culture and improve the booming social media's educational capacity and quality. The present virtual ethnography studied 255,862 YouTube views/users and their behavior related to "Vuela Mariposa, Vuela," a children's story available online since 2009 (not monetized) about the cycle of life, death, and disenfranchised grief (not acknowledged by society) that went viral (+>999%) on May. To our knowledge, this case study is the first original research that explores the ethnography of (i) a viral video, (ii) on death and grief taboo topics, (iii) for prescholars, and (iv) before and during the COVID pandemic. The quantitative and qualitative analyses identified a change in the users' profiles, engagement, and feedback. During the previous 11 years, the users were 35-44 years old Mexican and Spanish women. Those in grief used narrative comments to explain their vital crisis and express their sorrow. In the pandemic, the analysis pointed to Ecuador as the virality geographical niche in a moment when the tragic scenarios in its streets were yet unknown. The timeline match with the official records confirmed the severity of their pandemic scenario. The viral video reached a broad population, with normal distribution for age, and including male gender. Engagement by non-subscribers, direct search (traffic sources), and mean visualization times suggested educational purposes as confirmed by the users' feedback with critical thinking referring to the cycle of life's meaning and societal mourning. For the youngest users, the video was part of academic assignments. The ethnography pointed at YouTube as a flexible education resource, immediately reaching diverse users, and being highly sensitive to critical events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Ferrer-Torres A, Giménez-Llort L. Confinement and the Hatred of Sound in Times of COVID-19: A Molotov Cocktail for People With Misophonia. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:627044. [PMID: 34040551 PMCID: PMC8141632 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.627044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Forced strict confinement to hamper the COVID-19 pandemic seriously affected people suffering from misophonia (M+) and those living with them. Misophonia is a complex neurophysiological and behavioral disorder of multifactorial origin, characterized by an intense physiological and emotional response produced by intolerance to auditory stimuli of the same pattern, regardless of physical properties. The present work studied the secondary impact that strict confinement caused in 342 adults (224 women: 118 men) regularly attending a medical psychological center in Barcelona. Misophonia, usually underdiagnosed, showed a prevalence of 35%, the same for women (37%) than men (31%). A retrospective analysis using a physical-psychological-social inventory of 10 variables evaluated the number of individuals that during confinement and self-confinement (March 11 - June 29, 2020) canceled (mostly M-) and/or requested a therapeutic intervention, the reasons for their request, and the strategies they used to self-manage the situation. Ten main variables indicated that the confinement exponentially increased the effects of misophonia compared with results from the same individuals during the last quarter of 2019. Most people diagnosed with misophonia continued with tele-assistance during the confinement because of this impact's self-concern. Besides the impacts as part of the general population, M+ also developed different symptoms causing significant personal, social, and job/occupational imbalance, as compared to M-. Health, fears, conflicts with neighbors, study-related difficulties were outstanding reasons for consultations. The LSB-50 test for 'Psychological and Psychosomatic Symptoms' applied to M+ revealed the increase of 8 of 9 items of this psychopathological test. Sleep disorders (coronasomnia), hostility, depression, and somatization were more severe than in previous assessments. Women presented the worst psychological and psychosomatic states (eight out of nine, as compared to one out of nine in males). The study unveiled the complex physical-psychological-social burden, the need for dissemination and a gender perspective to understand the secondary impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the population with misophonia. The results also show that in this new COVID era people suffering from misophonia need to develop coping strategies addressing modifiable risk and protective factors. They deserve familial/social comprehension, stronger clinical support and a gender medicine perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Ferrer-Torres
- L'Alfatier - Centro Médico Psicológico, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Ferrer-Torres A, Giménez-Llort L. Sounds of Silence in Times of COVID-19: Distress and Loss of Cardiac Coherence in People With Misophonia Caused by Real, Imagined or Evoked Triggering Sounds. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:638949. [PMID: 34276431 PMCID: PMC8278014 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.638949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The extreme, unprecedented situations in the current COVID-19 pandemic are risk factors for psychosocial stress for the entire population. However, strict confinement had a particular impact on people suffering from misophonia and their families. Misophonia is a condition in which hearing certain sounds triggers intense anger, disgust and even severe autonomic nervous system responses. This prospective cohort study examined the impact of strict confinement (Spain, March 14-June 21, 2020) on a sample of 24 people (16 women and eight men) who had been diagnosed with moderate to extreme misophonia and were regularly attending a medical psychology center in Barcelona. The 3-month period of confinement caused general emotional maladjustment, distress, and a transitory crisis. Long-term biomonitoring of their heart variability rate (HRV) enabled to identify a significant increase in physiological arousal after the confinement period, which had already been recorded in a loss of cardiac coherence under basal rest/relaxation conditions. Certain auditory stimuli triggered adverse responses, lowered HRV scores, and an increased stress level and heart rate. Loss of cardiac coherence in their responses to these auditory stimuli (triggering mouth, nose and other sounds), as well as to non-triggering mouth, nose and other sounds was increased when compared to two assessments performed during the previous year. Despite the limited sample size, sex differences were observed in the incidence. Loss of cardiac coherence worsened with the severity of the misophonia. Most importantly, imagined or evoked triggering sounds, as well as real ones, were enough to cause the aversive responses, as displayed by the increased loss of cardiac coherence with respect to the at-rest basal level. A semi-structured interview revealed the exceptional nature of the situations, increased hyper-sensorial sensitivity, fear of being infected with or dying from COVID-19, the patients' coping strategies, and the difficulties and constraints they faced. Finally, the article gives recommendations for better management of misophonia. Improved knowledge of this disorder would help address the current lack of health and social care, hopefully preventing this shortfall's impact on social and affective relationships, which are particulary important for well-being now and in the coming periods of physical distancing measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Ferrer-Torres
- Centro Médico Psicológico L'Alfatier, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Centro Médico Psicológico L'Alfatier, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Sánchez-Ventura J, Giménez-Llort L, Penas C, Udina E. Voluntary wheel running preserves lumbar perineuronal nets, enhances motor functions and prevents hyperreflexia after spinal cord injury. Exp Neurol 2020; 336:113533. [PMID: 33264633 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.113533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Perineuronal nets (PNN) are a promising candidate to harness neural plasticity since their activity-dependent modulation allows to either stabilize the circuits or increase plasticity. Modulation of plasticity is the basis of rehabilitation strategies to reduce maladaptive plasticity after spinal cord injuries (SCI). Hence, it is important to understand how spinal PNN are affected after SCI and rehabilitation. Thus, this work aims to describe functional and PNN changes after thoracic SCI in mice, followed by different activity-dependent therapies: enriched environment, voluntary wheel and forced treadmill running. We found that the contusion provoked thermal hyperalgesia, hyperreflexia and locomotor impairment as measured by thermal plantar test, H wave recordings and the BMS score of locomotion, respectively. In the spinal cord, SCI reduced PNN density around lumbar motoneurons. In contrast, activity-based therapies increased motoneuron activity and reversed PNN decrease. The voluntary wheel group showed full preservation of PNN which also correlated with reduced hyperreflexia and better locomotor recovery. Furthermore, both voluntary wheel and treadmill running reduced hyperalgesia, but this finding was independent of lumbar PNN levels. In the brainstem sensory nuclei, SCI did not modify PNN whereas some activity-based therapies reduced them. The results of the present study highlight the impact of SCI on decreasing PNN at caudal segments of the spinal cord and the potential of physical activity-based therapies to reverse PNN disaggregation and to improve functional recovery. As modulating plasticity is crucial for restoring damaged neural circuits, regulating PNN by activity is an encouraging target to improve the outcome after injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Sánchez-Ventura
- Institute of Neurosciences, Department Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Bellaterra, Spain
| | - L Giménez-Llort
- Institute of Neurosciences, Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - C Penas
- Institute of Neurosciences, Department Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Bellaterra, Spain
| | - E Udina
- Institute of Neurosciences, Department Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Bellaterra, Spain.
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Giménez-Llort L, Bernal ML, Docking R, Muntsant-Soria A, Torres-Lista V, Bulbena A, Schofield PA. Pain in Older Adults With Dementia: A Survey in Spain. Front Neurol 2020; 11:592366. [PMID: 33329344 PMCID: PMC7715009 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.592366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The risk of suffering pain increases significantly throughout life, reaching the highest levels in its latest years. Prevalence of pain in nursing homes is estimated to range from 40 to 80% of residents, most of them old adults affected with dementia. It is already known that pain is under-diagnosed and under-treated in patients with severe cognitive impairment and poor/absent verbal communication, resulting in a serious impact on their quality of life, psychosocial, and physical functioning. Under-treated pain is commonly the cause of behavioral symptoms, which can lead to misuse of antipsychotic treatments. Here, we present two Regional and National Surveys in Spain (2015–2017) on the current practices, use of observational tools for pain assessment, guidelines, and policies. Results, discussed as compared to the survey across central/north Europe, confirm the professional concerns on pain in severe dementia, due to poor standardization and lack of guidelines/recommendations. In Spain, observational tools are scarcely used because of their difficulty and low reliability in severe dementia, since the poor/absent verbal communication and comprehension are considered limiting factors. Behavioral observation tools should be used while attending the patients, in a situation including rest and movement, should be short (3–5 min) and scored using a numeric scale. Among the pain items to score, “Facial expression” and “Verbalization” were considered essential and very useful, respectively. This was in contrast to “Body movements” and “Vocalizations,” respectively, according to the survey in central/north Europe. Scarce time availability for pain assessment and monitoring, together with low feasible and time-consuming tools, can make pain assessment a challenge. The presence of confounding factors, the low awareness and poor knowledge/education of specific tools for this population are worrisome. These complaints draw future directions to improve pain assessment. More time available, awareness, and involvement of the teams would also benefit pain assessment and management in cognitive impairment. The experiences and opinions recorded in these surveys in Spain and other E.U. countries were considered sources of knowledge for designing the “PAIC-15 scale,” a new internationally agreed-on meta-tool for Pain Assessment in Impaired Cognition and the “Observational pain assessment” in older persons with dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Maria Luisa Bernal
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Aida Muntsant-Soria
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Virginia Torres-Lista
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Antoni Bulbena
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Patricia A Schofield
- Abertay University, Dundee, United Kingdom.,Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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Giménez-Llort L, Castillo-Mariqueo L. PasoDoble, a Proposed Dance/Music for People With Parkinson's Disease and Their Caregivers. Front Neurol 2020; 11:567891. [PMID: 33281705 PMCID: PMC7688894 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.567891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Managing the heterogeneity of Parkinson's disease symptoms and its progressive nature demands strategies targeting the hallmark disrupted neurotransmission but also the comorbid derangements and bolstering neuroprotection and regeneration. Strong efforts are done to find disease-modifying strategies, since slowing disease progression is not enough to hamper its burden and some motor symptoms are resistant to dopamine-replacement therapy. The inclusion of non-pharmacological strategies can provide such a multitarget umbrella approach. The silent long-term biological process that precedes the clinical onset of disease is a challenge but also an opportunity to reinforce healthy lifestyle known to exert preventive/therapeutic effects. These non-pharmacological strategies are foreseen as able to reduce the prevalence and the global impact of long-term diseases demanding strong management of patient-caregiver quality of life. In this regard, European guidelines for Parkinson's disease recommend physical-related activities such as aerobic exercise and dancing known to improve functional mobility and balance in patients. Here, we propose “PasoDoble,” a novel dance/music patient-caregiver intervention with additional preventive value. The rationale is founded on evidence-based therapeutic benefits of dance/music therapy and the singular features of this widely extended Hispanic dance/music targeting motor symptoms, mood/cognition, and socialization: (i) As a dance, an easy and simple double-step pattern (back-and-forward and lateral movements) that evolves from a spontaneous individual dance to a partnered dancing, performed in social groups and involving dancing-figures of increasing complexity; (ii) “PasoDoble,” as a music that can be sung, has musical rhythmicity with high groove and familiarity that will help to synchronize the steps to the rhythm of music; (iii) Widely extended (Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and USA) and easy-to-learn for others. As a regular dancing “PasoDoble” can improve and preserve function, mood and socialization, as an intervention the method is structured to improve gait and balance; facilitate movement, reaching and grasping; muscle power and joint mobility; reduce of risk of falls, and increase of aerobic capacity. Finally, this easy-to-implement into patient care and free-living environments (elderly social centers, home care) rehabilitation programs can promote positive emotions and self-esteem, with added general improvement of social attachment and recognition, thus improving the quality of life of patient-caregiver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lidia Castillo-Mariqueo
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Torres-Lista V, Giménez-Llort L. Vibrating Tail, Digging, Body/Face Interaction, and Lack of Barbering: Sex-Dependent Behavioral Signatures of Social Dysfunction in 3xTg-AD Mice as Compared to Mice with Normal Aging. J Alzheimers Dis 2020; 69:969-977. [PMID: 31156176 PMCID: PMC6598105 DOI: 10.3233/jad-190253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Modeling of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), classically focused on the subject-environment interaction, foresees current social neuroscience efforts as improving the predictive validity of new strategies. Here we studied social functioning among congeners in 13–14-month-old mice with normal aging in naturalistic and experimental conditions and depicted behavioral signatures of dysfunction in age-matched 3xTg-AD mice. The most sensitive variables were vibrating tail, digging, body/face and self-grooming, that can be easily used in housing routines and the assessment of strategies. Sex-specific signatures (vibrating tail, digging, and grooming) defined female 3xTg-AD mice ethogram. All animals sleep huddled while barbering was only found in females with normal aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Torres-Lista
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
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Rahgozar S, Giménez-Llort L. Foundations and Applications of Logotherapy to Improve Mental Health of Immigrant Populations in the Third Millennium. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:451. [PMID: 32581861 PMCID: PMC7290245 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shirin Rahgozar
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Pagès G, Giménez-Llort L, García-Lareu B, Ariza L, Navarro M, Casas C, Chillón M, Bosch A. Intrathecal AAVrh10 corrects biochemical and histological hallmarks of mucopolysaccharidosis VII mice and improves behavior and survival. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 28:3610-3624. [PMID: 31511867 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type VII is a lysosomal storage disease caused by ß-glucuronidase deficiency, prompting glycosaminoglycan accumulation in enlarged vesicles, leading to peripheral and neuronal dysfunction. Here, we present a gene therapy strategy using lumbar puncture of AAVrh10 encoding human β-glucuronidase (AAVrh10-GUSB) to adult MPS VII mice. This minimally invasive technique efficiently delivers the recombinant vector to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with a single intrathecal injection. We show that AAVrh10 delivery to the CSF allows global, stable transduction of CNS structures. In addition, drainage of AAVrh10-GUSB from the CSF to the bloodstream resulted in the transduction of somatic organs such as liver, which provided a systemic β-glucuronidase source sufficient to achieve serum enzyme activity comparable to wild type mice. ß-glucuronidase levels were enough to correct biochemical and histopathological hallmarks of the disease in the CNS and somatic organs at short and long term. Moreover, the progression of the bone pathology was also reduced. Importantly, the biochemical correction led to a significant improvement in the physical, cognitive and emotional characteristics of MPS VII mice, and doubling their life span. Our strategy may have implications for gene therapy in patients with lysosomal storage diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Pagès
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Spain
| | - L Giménez-Llort
- Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Spain
| | - B García-Lareu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Spain
| | - L Ariza
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Spain
| | - M Navarro
- Center of Animal Biotechnology and Gene Therapy (CBATEG), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Spain.,Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Spain
| | - C Casas
- Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - M Chillón
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.,Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona 08035, Spain
| | - A Bosch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona 08035, Spain
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Giménez-Llort L, Santana-Santana M, Bayascas JR. The Impact of the PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway in Anxiety and Working Memory in Young and Middle-Aged PDK1 K465E Knock-In Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:61. [PMID: 32457586 PMCID: PMC7225327 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction and dysregulation at the genetic, neural, and behavioral levels point at the fine-tuning of broadly spread networks as critical for a wide array of behaviors and mental processes through the life span. This brain-based evidence, from basic to behavioral neuroscience levels, is leading to a new conceptualization of mental health and disease. Thus, the Research Domain Criteria considers phenotypic differences observed among disorders as explained by variations in the nature and degree of neural circuitry disruptions, under the modulation of several developmental, compensatory, environmental, and epigenetic factors. In this context, we aimed to describe for the first time the in vivo behavioral impact of tweaking the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway known to play an essential role in the regulation of cellular processes, leading to diverse physiological responses. We explored the effects in young (YA, 3–4 months of age) and mature (MA, 11–14 months of age) male and female PDK1 K465E knock-in mice in a battery of tests under different anxiogenic conditions. The results evidenced that the double mutation of the PDK1 pleckstrin homology (PH) domain resulted in an enhancement of the negative valence system shown as an increase of responses of fear- and anxiety-like behaviors in anxiogenic situations. Interestingly, this seemed to be specific of YA and found regulated at middle age. In contrast, cognitive deficits, as measured in a spatial working memory task, were found in both YA and MA mutants and independently of the level of their anxious-like profiles. These distinct age- and function-dependent impacts would be in agreement with the distinct cortical and limbic deficits in the Akt signaling in the brain we have recently described in these same animals. The elicitation of age- and neuronal-dependent specific patterns suggests that fine-tuning the intensity of the PKB/Akt signal that enables diverse physiological response has also its in vivo translation into the negative valence system and age is a key regulatory factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mikel Santana-Santana
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Ramón Bayascas
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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