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European Journal of Pharmacology Aug 2024Short-chain fatty acids, such as butyric acid, derived from the intestinal fermentation of dietary fiber, have been proposed as a treatment for certain pathologies of...
Short-chain fatty acids, such as butyric acid, derived from the intestinal fermentation of dietary fiber, have been proposed as a treatment for certain pathologies of the central nervous system. Our research group has shown that tributyrin (TB), a butyric acid prodrug, reverses deficits in spatial memory and modulates hippocampal synaptic plasticity. In the present work, diets enriched in either saturated (SOLF; Saturated OiL-enriched Food) or unsaturated (UOLF; Unsaturated OiL-enriched Food) fat were supplied during either 2 h or 8 weeks to 5-week-old male and female mice undergoing a treatment schedule with TB. After the dietary treatment, spatial learning and memory (SLM) was assessed in both the Y-maze and the eight-arm radial maze (RAM). Hippocampal expression of genes involved in glutamatergic transmission as well as synaptic plasticity (long-term potentiation -LTP- and long-term depression -LTD-) were also analyzed. Our results show that 2 h of SOLF intake impaired LTP as well as the performance in the Y-Maze in juvenile male mice whereas no effect was found in females. Moreover, TB reversed both effects in SLM and LTP in males. In the case of chronic intake, both SOLF and UOLF deteriorated SLM measured in the RAM in both sexes whereas TB only reversed LTP impairment induced by SOLF in male mice. These results suggest that TB may have a potentially beneficial influence on learning and memory processes, contingent upon the type of diet and the sex of the individuals.
Topics: Animals; Male; Female; Mice; Neuronal Plasticity; Triglycerides; Memory, Short-Term; Hippocampus; Maze Learning; Sex Characteristics; Dietary Fats; Fatty Acids; Long-Term Potentiation
PubMed: 38852700
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176726 -
Appetite Jun 2024
PubMed: 38851981
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107541 -
Translational Psychiatry Jun 2024Major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) are highly disabling illnesses defined by different psychopathological, neuroimaging, and cognitive profiles.... (Review)
Review
Major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) are highly disabling illnesses defined by different psychopathological, neuroimaging, and cognitive profiles. In the last decades, immune dysregulation has received increasing attention as a central factor in the pathophysiology of these disorders. Several aspects of immune dysregulations have been investigated, including, low-grade inflammation cytokines, chemokines, cell populations, gene expression, and markers of both peripheral and central immune activation. Understanding the distinct immune profiles characterizing the two disorders is indeed of crucial importance for differential diagnosis and the implementation of personalized treatment strategies. In this paper, we reviewed the current literature on the dysregulation of the immune response system focusing our attention on studies using inflammatory markers to discriminate between MDD and BD. High heterogeneity characterized the available literature, reflecting the heterogeneity of the disorders. Common alterations in the immune response system include high pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-α. On the contrary, a greater involvement of chemokines and markers associated with innate immunity has been reported in BD together with dynamic changes in T cells with differentiation defects during childhood which normalize in adulthood, whereas classic mediators of immune responses such as IL-4 and IL-10 are present in MDD together with signs of immune-senescence.
Topics: Humans; Bipolar Disorder; Depressive Disorder, Major; Cytokines; Inflammation Mediators; Biomarkers; Inflammation; Interleukin-6
PubMed: 38851764
DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02921-z -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Traditional methods for evaluating decision-making provide valuable insights yet may fall short in capturing the complexity of this cognitive capacity, often providing...
Traditional methods for evaluating decision-making provide valuable insights yet may fall short in capturing the complexity of this cognitive capacity, often providing insufficient for the multifaceted nature of decisions. The Kalliste Decision Task (KDT) is introduced as a comprehensive, ecologically valid tool aimed at bridging this gap, offering a holistic perspective on decision-making. In our study, 81 participants completed KDT alongside established tasks and questionnaires, including the Mixed Gamble Task (MGT), Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), and Stimulating & Instrumental Risk Questionnaire (S&IRQ). They also completed the User Satisfaction Evaluation Questionnaire (USEQ). The results showed excellent usability, with high USEQ scores, highlighting the user-friendliness of KDT. Importantly, KDT outcomes showed significant correlations with classical decision-making variables, shedding light on participants' risk attitudes (S&IRQ), rule-based decision-making (MGT), and performance in ambiguous contexts (IGT). Moreover, hierarchical clustering analysis of KDT scores categorized participants into three distinct profiles, revealing significant differences between them on classical measures. The findings highlight KDT as a valuable tool for assessing decision-making, addressing limitations of traditional methods, and offering a comprehensive, ecologically valid approach that aligns with the complexity and heterogeneity of real-world decision-making, advancing research and providing insights for understanding and assessing decision-making across multiple domains.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Decision Making; Adult; Young Adult; Surveys and Questionnaires; Adolescent; Gambling; Risk-Taking
PubMed: 38849446
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63752-y -
Age-related changes in brain oscillatory patterns during an n-back task in children and adolescents.International Journal of... Jun 2024The development of brain oscillatory responses and their possible role in the working memory (WM) performance of children, adolescents and young adults was investigated....
The development of brain oscillatory responses and their possible role in the working memory (WM) performance of children, adolescents and young adults was investigated. A set of 0- and 1-back tasks with letter stimuli were administered to a final sample of 131 subjects (between 6 and 20 years of age). A decrease in response times (RTs) and an increase of the sensitivity index d-prime (d') were seen with increased age. RTs increased and d' decreased with load, indicating higher difficulty for higher loads. Event-related synchronization (ERS) and event-related desynchronization (ERD) were obtained by the convolution of Morlet wavelets on the recorded EEG. Statistical analyses were performed of the absolute and relative power of brain oscillations defined by topography, frequency and latency. Posterior alpha and beta ERD, and frontocentral theta ERS, were induced by the stimuli presented during the n-back task. While relative theta ERS increased with age, absolute theta ERS, absolute and relative alpha and, absolute beta ERD, decreased with age. Age-related improvement in behavioral performance was mediated by relative theta. Alpha and beta ERD were more pronounced for the most difficult task (1-back) and for the target condition. Globally, there was high consistency of the effects of target type and task load across development. Theta ERS maturation is a crucial step for improving WM performance during development, while alpha and beta ERD maturation seem to be less critical for behavioral performance improvement with age, possibly due to a sufficient level of alpha-beta ERD for good performance in young children.
PubMed: 38849088
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2024.112372 -
Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil) 2024• Peruvian maca is a popular supplement consumed to increase energy and sexual health. • Studies report it also has anti-sinflammatory and neuroprotective effects....
• Peruvian maca is a popular supplement consumed to increase energy and sexual health. • Studies report it also has anti-sinflammatory and neuroprotective effects. • Stimulant properties of this supplement raise questions about its effects on sleep. • Investigation of possible reinforcing characteristics is also recommended.
Topics: Humans; Lepidium; Quality of Life; Sleep; Peru; Plant Extracts; Sleep Wake Disorders
PubMed: 38848635
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinsp.2024.100398 -
Sex Differences in Temporal Sleep Patterns, Social Jetlag, and Attention in High School Adolescents.Sleep Science (Sao Paulo, Brazil) Jun 2024Insufficient sleep and irregular sleep hours are common in adolescents, who experience a delayed sleep phase due to biopsychosocial changes associated with puberty,...
Insufficient sleep and irregular sleep hours are common in adolescents, who experience a delayed sleep phase due to biopsychosocial changes associated with puberty, resulting in later sleep times. However, early morning class hours shorten sleep duration on weekdays. This condition is harmful to cognitive performance, which may be accentuated in girls due to a greater sleep need and less resistance to sleep deprivation. In this study, we evaluated sex differences concerning temporal sleep patterns, social jetlag, and attention in high school adolescents attending morning classes. Students ( = 146 - F: 73-16.1 ± 0.8 years; M: 73-16.2 ± 0.9 years) completed a Health and Sleep questionnaire, kept a sleep diary for 10 days, which incorporated a Maldonado Sleepiness Scale, and performed a Continuous Performance Task. Girls went to bed earlier and woke up on weekends, and spent more time in bed at night and in 24 h on weekdays and weekends, while they also had a greater irregularity in wake-up times ( < 0.05). There were no differences between sexes in terms of social jetlag, sleep debt, and sleepiness upon awakening ( > 0.05). Regarding attention, the girls had a longer reaction time in phasic alertness ( < 0.01) and a tendency to have fewer errors in selective attention ( = 0.06). These results persisted when controlled for sleep parameters. Therefore, we suggest that girls have a greater sleep need and less resistance to sleep deprivation, while the differences in attention performance could be due to different strategies, the girls could be making a trade, increasing reaction time in favor of better accuracy, while the boys could be prioritizing a faster response time.
PubMed: 38846590
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1777831 -
Drug and Alcohol Dependence Jul 2024Binge drinking at adolescence is a risk factor for problematic alcohol (ethanol) consumption later in life, yet the murine studies that modelled this phenomenon via...
BACKGROUND
Binge drinking at adolescence is a risk factor for problematic alcohol (ethanol) consumption later in life, yet the murine studies that modelled this phenomenon via ethanol self-administration have provided mixed findings. Antagonism of the sigma-1 receptor (S1-R) system at adolescence modulates ethanol's motivational effects and intake. It is still unknown, however, whether this antagonism would protect against enhanced ethanol intake at adulthood after adolescent binge ethanol exposure.
METHODS
Exp. 1 and 2 tested adults male or female Wistar rats -exposed or not to ethanol self-administration at adolescence (postnatal days 31-49; nine 2-hour sessions of access to 8-10% ethanol)- for ethanol intake using 24-h two-bottle choice test (Exp. 1) or time restricted, single-bottle, tests (Exp. 2). Experiments 2-5 evaluated, in adolescent or adult rats, the effects of the S1-R antagonist S1RA on ethanol intake and on ethanol-induced conditioned taste or place aversion. Ancillary tests (e.g., novel object recognition, ethanol-induced locomotor activity) were also conducted.
RESULTS
Adolescent ethanol exposure promoted ethanol consumption at both the restricted, single-bottle, and at the two-bottle choice tests conducted at adulthood. S1RA administration reduced ethanol intake at adulthood and facilitated the development of ethanol-induced taste (but not place) aversion.
CONCLUSIONS
S1RA holds promise for lessening ethanol intake after chronic and substantial ethanol exposure in adolescence that results in heightened ethanol exposure at adulthood. This putative protective effect of S1-R antagonism may relate to S1RA exacerbating the aversive effects of this drug.
Topics: Animals; Male; Rats; Female; Self Administration; Rats, Wistar; Ethanol; Binge Drinking; Receptors, sigma; Alcohol Drinking; Sigma-1 Receptor; Age Factors
PubMed: 38838478
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111338 -
Nature Communications Jun 2024Functional interactions between brain regions can be viewed as a network, enabling neuroscientists to investigate brain function through network science. Here, we...
Functional interactions between brain regions can be viewed as a network, enabling neuroscientists to investigate brain function through network science. Here, we systematically evaluate 768 data-processing pipelines for network reconstruction from resting-state functional MRI, evaluating the effect of brain parcellation, connectivity definition, and global signal regression. Our criteria seek pipelines that minimise motion confounds and spurious test-retest discrepancies of network topology, while being sensitive to both inter-subject differences and experimental effects of interest. We reveal vast and systematic variability across pipelines' suitability for functional connectomics. Inappropriate choice of data-processing pipeline can produce results that are not only misleading, but systematically so, with the majority of pipelines failing at least one criterion. However, a set of optimal pipelines consistently satisfy all criteria across different datasets, spanning minutes, weeks, and months. We provide a full breakdown of each pipeline's performance across criteria and datasets, to inform future best practices in functional connectomics.
Topics: Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Connectome; Brain; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Male; Adult; Female; Nerve Net; Brain Mapping; Young Adult
PubMed: 38834553
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48781-5 -
Sleep Medicine Jul 2024Sleep problems constitute a common and heterogeneous complaint in pediatric palliative care (PPC), where they often contribute to disease morbidity and cause additional...
OBJECTIVE
Sleep problems constitute a common and heterogeneous complaint in pediatric palliative care (PPC), where they often contribute to disease morbidity and cause additional distress to children and adolescents and their families already facing the burden of life-threatening and life-limiting conditions. Despite the significant impact of sleep problems, clinical evidence is lacking. The application of general pediatric sleep recommendations appears insufficient to address the unique challenges of the PPC dimension in terms of disease variability, duration, comorbidities, complexity of needs, and particular features of sleep problems related to hospice care. Therefore, we initiated an international project aimed at establishing a multidisciplinary consensus.
METHODS
A two-round Delphi approach was adopted to develop recommendations in the areas of Definition, Assessment/Monitoring, and Treatment. After selecting a panel of 72 worldwide experts, consensus (defined as ≥75% agreement) was reached through an online survey.
RESULTS
At the end of the two voting sessions, we obtained 53 consensus recommendations based on expert opinion on sleep problems in PPC.
CONCLUSIONS
This study addresses the need to personalize sleep medicine's approach to the palliative care setting and its peculiarities. It provides the first international consensus on sleep problems in PPC and highlight the urgent need for global guidance to improve sleep-related distress in this vulnerable population and their caregivers. Our findings represent a crucial milestone that will hopefully enable the development of guidelines in the near future.
Topics: Humans; Palliative Care; Consensus; Delphi Technique; Sleep Wake Disorders; Child; Adolescent; Pediatrics; Internationality
PubMed: 38833942
DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2024.05.042