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Work (Reading, Mass.) 2021Work-related stress can be defined as an individual's reactions to work characteristics and indicates a poor relationship between coping abilities and work environment.... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Work-related stress can be defined as an individual's reactions to work characteristics and indicates a poor relationship between coping abilities and work environment. If unmanaged, stress can impact mental and physical health (e.g., causing depression and cardiovascular disease). Many individuals use maladaptive stress-coping strategies, such as sedentary activities, unhealthy eating behaviors, and alcohol consumption, which do not contribute to long-term stress management. In contrast, stress reduction programs can help people manage and effectively reduce stress in the long term.
OBJECTIVE
To gather the state of the art of work-related stress interventions, their efficacy and applications.
METHOD
The PsycINFO and EBSCOHost databases were used. The search was carried out between January 28 and March 30, 2019. Inclusion criteria were full text available, text in English or Spanish and a study population comprising workers.
RESULTS
Twenty-nine articles that included interventions involving aromatherapy, bibliotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, exercise, alternative medicine, mindfulness, technology, stress management and sensory intervention were analyzed. The interventions showed significant reductions in stress, anxiety, depression and burnout; however, most of the studies were not based on specific stress models, and control groups often received no intervention whatsoever. As a result, it is challenging to draw conclusions regarding the success of the interventions, especially if they are novel.
CONCLUSION
The results suggest that there is a broad portfolio of successful interventions regarding work-related stress. Most of the successful interventions were based on mindfulness; however, aerobic exercise and bibliotherapy may also be successful. The structure and level of evidence appear to be very relevant to the development of a successful intervention.
Topics: Anxiety Disorders; Exercise; Humans; Mindfulness; Occupational Stress; Workplace
PubMed: 34511476
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213577 -
Science (New York, N.Y.) Jan 2020The arousal state of the brain covaries with the motor state of the animal. How these state changes are coordinated remains unclear. We discovered that sleep-wake brain...
The arousal state of the brain covaries with the motor state of the animal. How these state changes are coordinated remains unclear. We discovered that sleep-wake brain states and motor behaviors are coregulated by shared neurons in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr). Analysis of mouse home-cage behavior identified four states with different levels of brain arousal and motor activity: locomotion, nonlocomotor movement, quiet wakefulness, and sleep; transitions occurred not randomly but primarily between neighboring states. The glutamic acid decarboxylase 2 but not the parvalbumin subset of SNr γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-releasing (GABAergic) neurons was preferentially active in states of low motor activity and arousal. Their activation or inactivation biased the direction of natural behavioral transitions and promoted or suppressed sleep, respectively. These GABAergic neurons integrate wide-ranging inputs and innervate multiple arousal-promoting and motor-control circuits through extensive collateral projections.
Topics: Animals; Brain Mapping; Female; GABAergic Neurons; Glutamate Decarboxylase; Male; Mice; Mice, Mutant Strains; Motor Activity; Optogenetics; Pars Reticulata; Parvalbumins; Sleep; Wakefulness
PubMed: 31974254
DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz0956 -
BJOG : An International Journal of... Feb 2023This study aimed to provide, through an umbrella review, an overview of the effect of single exercise interventions during pregnancy on gestational diabetes mellitus... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Exercise during pregnancy for preventing gestational diabetes mellitus and hypertensive disorders: An umbrella review of randomised controlled trials and an updated meta-analysis.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to provide, through an umbrella review, an overview of the effect of single exercise interventions during pregnancy on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). Also, to update the current evidence through an updated meta-analysis.
DESIGN
Umbrella review.
SETTING
PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane database of systematic reviews, Epistemonikos, SPORTDiscus, Clinicaltrials.gov, and PROSPERO register were searched from the database inception until August 2021.
POPULATION
Peer-reviewed systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and RCTs samples.
METHODS
Random-effects model was used to calculate relative risk with 95% confidence interval in the updated meta-analysis. The reference category was the groups that received usual prenatal care. AMSTAR 2 and the Cochrane Collaboration tool were used to assess the quality and GRADE approach was used to assess the overall certainly of evidence.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
GDM and HDP relative risk.
RESULTS
Twenty-three systematic reviews and meta-analyses; and 63 RCTs were included. Single exercise interventions reduced the incidence of GDM and HDP in most systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Moreover, exercise interventions during pregnancy decrease the incidence of developing GDM and GH, particularly when they are supervised, have a low to moderate intensity level, and are initiated during the first trimester of pregnancy.
CONCLUSION
Based on the findings, obstetric and physical exercise professionals could recommend exercise interventions during pregnancy as an effective strategy to improve maternal outcomes.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Diabetes, Gestational; Exercise; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced; Pre-Eclampsia; Prenatal Care; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 36156844
DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.17304 -
Osteoporosis International : a Journal... Aug 2020This systematic review and meta-analysis set out to determine the effect of dynamic resistance exercise (DRT) on areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in postmenopausal... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Effects of dynamic resistance exercise on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis with special emphasis on exercise parameters.
This systematic review and meta-analysis set out to determine the effect of dynamic resistance exercise (DRT) on areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in postmenopausal women and derive evidence-based recommendations for optimized training protocols. A systematic review of the literature according to the PRISMA statement included (a) controlled trials, (b) of isolated DRT with at least one exercise and one control group, (c) with intervention durations ≥ 6 months, (d) aBMD assessments at lumbar spine or proximal femur, (e) in cohorts of postmenopausal women. We searched eight electronic databases up to March 2019 without language restrictions. The meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model. Standardized mean differences (SMD) for BMD changes at lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and total hip (TH) were defined as outcome measures. Moderators of the exercise effects, i.e., "intervention length," "type of DRT," "training frequency," "exercise intensity," and "exercise volume," were addressed by sub-group analyses. The study was registered in the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO) under ID: CRD42018095097. Seventeen articles with 20 exercise and 18 control groups were eligible. SMD average is 0.54 (95% CI 0.22-0.87) for LS-BMD, 0.22 (0.07-0.38) for FN-BMD, and 0.48 (0.22-0.75) for TH-BMD changes (all p ≤ 0.015). While sub-group analysis for FN-BMD revealed no differences within categories of moderators, lower training frequency (< 2 sessions/week) resulted in significantly higher BMD changes at LS and TH compared to higher training frequency (≥ 2 sessions/week). Additionally, free weight training was significantly superior to DRT devices for improving TH-BMD. This work provided further evidence for significant, albeit only low-moderate, effects of DRT on LS-, FN-, and TH-BMD. Unfortunately, sub-analysis results did not allow meaningful exercise recommendations to be derived. This systematic review and meta-analysis observed a significant low-moderate effect of dynamic resistance exercise on bone mineral density changes in postmenopausal women. However, sub-group analyses focusing on exercise characteristics found no results that enable the derivation of meaningful exercise recommendations in the area of exercise and osteoporosis prevention or therapy.
Topics: Aged; Bone Density; Exercise; Female; Femur Neck; Humans; Lumbar Vertebrae; Middle Aged; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal; Postmenopause; Resistance Training
PubMed: 32399891
DOI: 10.1007/s00198-020-05441-w -
Theranostics 2021Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by death of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. However, so far,...
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by death of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. However, so far, there is no effective treatment for ALS. In this study, R13, a prodrug of 7,8-dihydroxyflavone, selectively activating tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) signaling pathway, was administered prophylactically to 40-day old SOD1 mice for 90 days. The motor performance was investigated by rotarod test, climbing-pole test, grip strength test and hanging endurance test. Afterwards, the spinal cord and medulla oblongata of 130-day old mice were harvested, and the proteomics revealed the effect of R13 on mouse protein expression profile. Astrocytes and microglial proliferation were assessed by immunohistochemical analysis. The number of motor neurons in the spinal cord is determined by Nissl staining. The effect of R13 on gastrocnemius morphology was assessed by HE staining. The effect of R13 on the survival rate was accomplished with worms stably expressing G93A SOD1. Behavioral tests showed that R13 significantly attenuated abnormal motor performance of SOD1 mice. R13 reduced the advance of spinal motor neuron pathology and gastrocnemius muscle atrophy. The proliferation of microglia and astrocytes was reduced by R13 treatment. Mitochondriomics analysis revealed that R13 modified the mitochondrial protein expression profiles in the medulla oblongata and spinal cord of SOD1 mice, particularly promoting the expression of proteins related to oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Further study found that R13 activated AMPK/PGC-1α/Nrf1/Tfam, promoted mitochondrial biogenesis and ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction. Lastly, R13 prolonged the survival rate of worms stably expressing G93A SOD1. These findings suggest oral R13 treatment slowed the advance of motor system disease in a reliable animal model of ALS, supporting that R13 might be useful for treating ALS.
Topics: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Animals; Central Nervous System; Flavones; Humans; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Mitochondria; Motor Activity; Superoxide Dismutase; Superoxide Dismutase-1
PubMed: 34158851
DOI: 10.7150/thno.56070 -
Obesity Facts 2021Children are becoming less physically active as opportunities for safe active play, recreational activities, and active transport decrease. At the same time, sedentary...
Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Sleep Duration of Children Aged 6-9 Years in 25 Countries: An Analysis within the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) 2015-2017.
BACKGROUND
Children are becoming less physically active as opportunities for safe active play, recreational activities, and active transport decrease. At the same time, sedentary screen-based activities both during school and leisure time are increasing.
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to evaluate physical activity (PA), screen time, and sleep duration of girls and boys aged 6-9 years in Europe using data from the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI).
METHOD
The fourth COSI data collection round was conducted in 2015-2017, using a standardized protocol that included a family form completed by parents with specific questions about their children's PA, screen time, and sleep duration.
RESULTS
Nationally representative data from 25 countries was included and information on the PA behaviour, screen time, and sleep duration of 150,651 children was analysed. Pooled analysis showed that: 79.4% were actively playing for >1 h each day, 53.9% were not members of a sport or dancing club, 50.0% walked or cycled to school each day, 60.2% engaged in screen time for <2 h/day, and 84.9% slept for 9-11 h/night. Country-specific analyses of these behaviours showed pronounced differences, with national prevalences in the range of 61.7-98.3% actively playing for >1 h/day, 8.2-85.6% were not members of a sport or dancing club, 17.7-94.0% walked or cycled to school each day, 32.3-80.0% engaged in screen time for <2 h/day, and 50.0-95.8% slept for 9-11 h/night.
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of engagement in PA and the achievement of healthy screen time and sleep duration are heterogenous across the region. Policymakers and other stakeholders, including school administrators and parents, should increase opportunities for young people to participate in daily PA as well as explore solutions to address excessive screen time and short sleep duration to improve the overall physical and mental health and well-being of children.
Topics: Child; Europe; Exercise; Female; Humans; Leisure Activities; Male; Motor Activity; Parents; Pediatric Obesity; Schools; Screen Time; Sleep; Sports; World Health Organization
PubMed: 33352575
DOI: 10.1159/000511263 -
Age and Ageing May 2021Hypertension is a risk factor for both cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, with an increasing incidence with advancing patient age. Exercise interventions have... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Hypertension is a risk factor for both cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, with an increasing incidence with advancing patient age. Exercise interventions have the potential to reduce blood pressure in older adults, however, rates of exercise uptake and adherence are low, with 'lack of time' a commonly cited reason. As such, there remains the need for time-efficient physical activity interventions to reduce blood pressure in older adults.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the effect of three, novel time-efficient physical activity interventions on resting blood pressure in older adults.
METHODS
Forty-eight, healthy, community-dwelling older adults (mean age: 71 years) were recruited to a 6-week randomised control trial. Resting blood pressure was measured before and after one of three supervised, time-efficient interventions: high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on a cycle ergometer; isometric handgrip training (IHG); unilateral, upper limb remote ischaemic preconditioning (RIPC) or non-intervention control.
RESULTS
Both HIIT and IHG led to a statistically significant reduction in resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 9 mmHg, with no significant change in the RIPC or control groups. There was no change in diastolic blood pressure or pulse pressure in any group.
CONCLUSIONS
Supervised HIIT or IHG using the protocols described in this study can lead to statistically significant and clinically relevant reductions in resting SBP in healthy older adults in just 6 weeks.
Topics: Aged; Blood Pressure; Exercise; Hand Strength; Humans; Hypertension; Risk Factors
PubMed: 33068100
DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afaa211 -
Handbook of Clinical Neurology 2020Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) provide a powerful new tool for basic neuroscience investigators. This is because the BCI approach forges a tight link between the... (Review)
Review
Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) provide a powerful new tool for basic neuroscience investigators. This is because the BCI approach forges a tight link between the observation of neural activity and well-controlled manipulations of neural activity, driven by the BCI user's own volition. As in all branches of science, progress in neuroscience rests on observation and manipulation. In neuroscience, our observations are typically measurements of neural activity and behavior, and our manipulations are lesions and the addition of neural activity through direct neural stimulation, which cause changes in behavior and in the activity of other neurons. A BCI links observation and manipulation directly because the participant in the experiment observes a mapping of his or her own neural activity, and through volitional control, manipulates that activity. Researchers employing the BCI approach in a basic neuroscience context have made new progress toward understanding the neural basis of motor control, learning, and cognition. To date, most of the basic research using the BCI approach has been applied to understanding the motor system, but future basic science research objectives using the BCI approach include the neural basis of cognitive and emotional function, and explorations of the computational limits of neural circuitry.
Topics: Brain; Brain-Computer Interfaces; Electroencephalography; Humans; Learning; Motor Activity; Neurosciences
PubMed: 32164855
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-444-63934-9.00017-2 -
Theranostics 2020Neuropsychological deficits, including impairments in learning and memory, occur after spinal cord injury (SCI). In experimental SCI models, we and others have reported...
Neuropsychological deficits, including impairments in learning and memory, occur after spinal cord injury (SCI). In experimental SCI models, we and others have reported that such changes reflect sustained microglia activation in the brain that is associated with progressive neurodegeneration. In the present study, we examined the effect of pharmacological depletion of microglia on posttraumatic cognition, depressive-like behavior, and brain pathology after SCI in mice. Young adult male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to moderate/severe thoracic spinal cord contusion. Microglial depletion was induced with the colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) antagonist PLX5622 administered starting either 3 weeks before injury or one day post-injury and continuing through 6 weeks after SCI. Neuroinflammation in the injured spinal cord and brain was assessed using flow cytometry and NanoString technology. Neurological function was evaluated using a battery of neurobehavioral tests including motor function, cognition, and depression. Lesion volume and neuronal counts were quantified by unbiased stereology. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that PLX5622 pre-treatment significantly reduced the number of microglia, as well as infiltrating monocytes and neutrophils, and decreased reactive oxygen species production in these cells from injured spinal cord at 2-days post-injury. Post-injury PLX5622 treatment reduced both CD45 microglia and CD45 myeloid counts at 7-days. Following six weeks of PLX5622 treatment, there were substantial changes in the spinal cord and brain transcriptomes, including those involved in neuroinflammation. These alterations were associated with improved neuronal survival in the brain and neurological recovery. These findings indicate that pharmacological microglia-deletion reduces neuroinflammation in the injured spinal cord and brain, improving recovery of cognition, depressive-like behavior, and motor function.
Topics: Administration, Oral; Animals; Behavior Observation Techniques; Behavior, Animal; Brain; Cognitive Dysfunction; Depression; Disease Models, Animal; Humans; Inflammation; Learning; Male; Memory; Mice; Microglia; Motor Activity; Organic Chemicals; Reactive Oxygen Species; Spinal Cord; Spinal Cord Injuries
PubMed: 33052221
DOI: 10.7150/thno.49199 -
Developmental Medicine and Child... May 2021To determine if constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is more effective than standard care in improving upper-limb activity outcomes in children with neonatal... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
AIM
To determine if constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is more effective than standard care in improving upper-limb activity outcomes in children with neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP).
METHOD
Twenty-one children with NBPP (mean age 25mo, SD=10.3, range=17-48mo; 11 males, 10 females) were enrolled in a crossover trial and randomly allocated to first receive CIMT or standard care, each for 8 weeks. The intervention arm consisted of 3 weeks of casting the unaffected limb followed by 5 weeks of transference activities. The Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA) was used to measure bimanual activity performance at baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks, scored by blinded raters. The Pediatric Motor Activity Log-Revised (PMAL-R) was used as a caregiver-reported secondary outcome measure.
RESULTS
After concealed random allocation (n=21), there were no significant differences on demographics or baseline measures. CIMT was superior compared to control in terms of bimanual activity performance with a mean difference in AHA change score of 4.8 (SD=10.5, p=0.04, Cohen's δ=0.46). There were no significant differences between treatment conditions on the PMAL-R.
INTERPRETATION
CIMT is favored over standard care for bimanual activity performance. Future research should investigate a longer follow-up period, additional comparator interventions, and analyse differences by participant characteristics.
WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS
Gains in bimanual activity performance were greater after constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) compared to no CIMT. Frequency and quality of movement were not significantly different between treatment groups.
Topics: Child, Preschool; Cross-Over Studies; Female; Humans; Infant; Motor Activity; Movement; Neonatal Brachial Plexus Palsy; Physical Therapy Modalities; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33219706
DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.14741