Brain Behavior and Immunity Integrative最新文献

The Wim Hof method (WHM) is a behavioral intervention technique that consists of deep breathing exercises, cold exposure and meditation. In light of the crucial role of the cannabinoid system in modulating neurotransmitter release through a negative feedback mechanism that aims at the maintenance of network homeostasis, our study investigated changes in cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor binding following a longitudinal (6 weeks) WHM intervention in 4 male controls using the F18]FMPEP-d2 PET tracer, an inverse CB1 receptor agonist. Results revealed a global increase in CB1 receptor binding of ∼20%, with largest increases found in brain regions associated with the interoceptive network such as the anterior cingulate, the orbitofrontal cortex OFC), the anterior insular cortex (AIC) and the brainstem. Furthermore, in the same participants a whole-body cold-stress paradigm was used to systematically evoke sympathetic and parasympathetic responses. Post-intervention, participants showed increased engagement of regions like the anterior insula and the orbitofrontal cortex that have been respectively classified as belonging to the brain’s interoceptive (AIC) and executive (OFC) sub-networks. Our results suggest that a relatively short 6-week WHM intervention positively impacts brain markers that have been associated with stress resistance, mood, anxiety and interoceptive function.

In the last decade, meditation practice has been extended and is becoming increasingly popular whereas, the research to understand the effects of meditation on the health is growing. The aim of this review/commentary is explored how meditation can modulate stress and stress effects on brain-endocrine-immune axis to understand the main genomic/metabolomic elements and mechanisms involved in the effects of meditation on the inflammatory process including the modulation of the pain. World Health Organization considers that by 2030 depression and stress-related disorders will be the most widespread health problems, closely followed by inflammatory processes such as autoimmune diseases, allergy and diseases associated to chronic low-grade inflammation. Thus, this review contributes to the evidence-based integration of meditation practices into clinical care for reducing the burden of chronic diseases and lowering the overall cost of healthcare; and analysing the limitations, safety, and possible contraindications.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of finger exercise on cognitive function and activities of daily living (ADL) through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods

A comprehensive search was conducted in four English databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, Cochrane Library) and two Chinese databases (Wanfang, China National Knowledge Infrastructure) from inception to June 2023. The inclusion criteria focused on RCTs evaluating the impact of finger exercise on cognitive function. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool. Data synthesis was performed using random-effects models, calculating weighted mean differences (WMDs) or standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were conducted to explore potential sources of heterogeneity.

Results

Twelve studies were included in the review, with 11 (covering 1215 participants) eligible for meta-analysis. The results demonstrated that a positive effect of finger exercise on general cognitive function and ADL. Subgroup analysis revealed significant effects in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) but less pronounced effects in patients with dementia or Alzheimer's disease (AD), particularly at moderate to severe stages. Population, exercise hours, and age were identified as significant moderators for the pooled effects.

Conclusions

This systematic review and meta-analysis provide evidence supporting the positive effects of finger exercise in improving cognitive decline. However, the majority of reviewed studies were conducted in the Chinese population, thus warranting more rigorous studies in diverse populations to validate and strengthen these findings. Further investigation into the optimal exercise routines and frequency may position finger exercises as a cost-effective and convenient intervention against cognitive decline in healthy or MCI older adults.

The impairment of cognitive flexibility (CF) exists to varying degrees in several psychiatric disorders and is increasingly recognized as the important etiological and pathological factors in these disorders. Our previous research has demonstrated that adolescent social stress (ASS) can lead to cognitive dysfunction in adult mice, accompanied by immune changes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), mainly manifested by reduced levels of cytokine TNFα. The present study aimed to further investigate the mechanisms of TNFα receptor and the downstream neuroplasticity-related molecules involved in cognitive dysfunction induced by ASS. Cognitive flexibility was assessed using Attentional Set Shifting Task (AST). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot (WB) methods were use to determine mRNA and protein level of TNFα receptor (TNFR) and downstream signaling molecules, including nuclear transcript factor NF-κB and CREB, pCREB and Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). We found that ASS significantly decreased the mRNA and protein expression of TNFα receptor 2 (TNFR2), but not TNFR1 of the mPFC in adult mice. Direct up-regulation TNFR2 expression by microinjection of adeno-associated virus (AAV) encoding TNFR2 into the mPFC reversed the impairment of CF and the decrease of BDNF protein levels in stressed adult mice compared to that in controls. These findings demonstrated that mPFC TNFR2 plays critical roles in cognitive inflexibility induced by ASS, which effects may be mediated by neuroplastic molecules, and could be a promising target for treating cognitive dysfunction in psychiatric disorders.

Objectives

To examine the effectiveness of short-term progressive muscle relaxation therapy in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and aggression/agitation, in patients on an inpatient psychiatric unit. Additionally, to determine the impact of clinical and sociodemographic factors on its effectiveness.

Methods

Inpatients at an academic medical center psychiatric hospital were invited to participate in a progressive muscle relaxation activity and filled out pre- and post-activity surveys querying symptoms of depression, anxiety, and aggression/agitation, using a created Likert scale.

Results

The 57 participants in this study showed an average decrease in every symptom domain, including − 0.93 in agitation/aggressive symptoms (p < 0.001), − 2.14 in depressive symptoms (p < 0.001), and − 1.81 in anxiety symptoms (p < 0.001). While diagnosis did not appear to be significantly related to change in score, patients with different primary diagnoses had changes in different symptom domains, with patients with Bipolar Disorder having statistically significant changes in aggression (−1.57, p = 0.012) and depression (−2.36, p < 0.001), but not in anxiety. Patients with Depression had significant changes in depression (−2.08, p < 0.001) and anxiety (−1.96, p < 0.001) but not in aggression/agitation, while patients with a Schizophrenia spectrum illness had changes in depression alone (−2.33, p = 0.008). Sociodemographic variables had no significant impact.

Conclusions

The findings in this study indicate that a short-term progressive muscle relaxation intervention can lead to statistically and clinically significant acute changes across various symptom domains and in patients with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses, and support the implementation of this non-invasive and budget-friendly exercise.

Background

Lifetime prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is double among veterans compared to civilians and women compared to men. Inflammatory factors are increasingly implicated in symptoms of PTSD. Yoga shows promise to reduce psychological symptoms of PTSD and positively impact inflammatory responses. The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of yoga to reduce symptoms of PTSD and depression in addition to investigating the impact of treatment on inflammatory markers in women veterans with PTSD secondary to military sexual trauma.

Methods

We collected dried blood spot samples, self-report and clinician administered measures of PTSD, and self-reported depression symptoms at baseline, 2 weeks, and 3 months post-intervention from a subset of women veterans diagnosed with PTSD (N = 27) who were randomized to either Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY; a movement therapy) or cognitive processing therapy (CPT; a talk therapy) as part of a larger multisite RCT. Concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured using multiplex bead-based immunoassay at baseline and post-intervention (2 weeks and 3 months). Generalized estimating equations examined changes in symptoms of PTSD, depression, and inflammatory markers over time. We hypothesized decreases in IL-6 and CRP and increases in IL-10 in TCTSY participants compared to CPT participants and that PTSD and depression symptoms would improve over time in both groups.

Results

From baseline to 3 months post-intervention, IL-6 (β = 0.10, p < 0.05), IL-10 (β = 0.68, p < 0.05), and CRP (β = 0.77, p < 0.05) increased in TCTSY participants relative to those randomized to CPT. PTSD and depression symptoms reduced in both groups over time (CAPS-5 β = −3.96, PCL-5 β = −4.66, and BDI-II β = −2.70, all p < 0.05); groups did not differ in magnitude of symptom reduction.

Conclusions

Findings indicate that TCTSY has the potential to improve symptoms of PTSD and depression and alter inflammatory markers. The findings are limited by our sample size and the immune factors we examined. Future directions for related research would benefit from measuring a wider array of stress response components.

Microglia have been shown to regulate sleep homeostasis and depressive behavior. However, the mechanism of how microglia are involved in the pathogenesis of depression and insomnia is not well understood. Given the complex and interdependent relationship between sleep and depression, it is important and worthy to clarify the role of microglia in this comorbidity. This review summarizes the current understandings of microglia in insomnia and depression, as well as suggesting their shared mechanisms in neuroinflammation, synaptic plasticity and purinergic signaling, which may promote the precise treatment of comorbid insomnia and depression and facilitate early intervention of insomnia to prevent the onset of depression.

Objective

There is no existing yoga that is designed specifically according to the traits of college-stressed students. So a novel Mano Shakti Yoga (MSY) was designed to alleviate stress-induced anxiety and depression in college students, which was assessed by physical and psychological measurements.

Methods

A total number of 73 students with stress were recruited and were then randomly allocated into two groups: a) the yoga group received MSY intervention for 12 sessions, and b) the control group received no yogic intervention. And Zung’s self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), Zung’s self-rating depression scale (SDS), and cortisol saliva (CS) were assessed pre- and post- yoga intervention in both groups.

Results

The post-yoga measurement, including SAS, SDS, and CS levels, were significantly decreased compared with the pre-yoga in the yoga group. However, there was no significant difference in the control group.

Conclusion

MSY, which focuses on body-mind interaction and integration, can effectively improve the psychological and physical state of high-stressed college students.

Objective

Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) has been found to be inefficient in patients with chronic pain. Animal and human studies showed that CPM is involved in acupuncture analgesia. This study explored the relationship between the potency of CPM and the extent of acupuncture analgesia.

Materials and methods

Thirty-five (35) participants with chronic non-specific low back pain or knee osteoarthritis were given sessions of acupuncture treatment at the pain sites twice per week for four weeks. Participants were asked to complete a diary, before and after the treatment, to monitor changes in clinical pain intensity, daily pain duration and analgesic intake. The potency of CPM was assessed before and after the treatment course. Correlation between potency of CPM and extent of acupuncture analgesia was analysed.

Results

Clinical average pain intensity (0.79 ± 1.09, p < 0.01), daily pain duration (1.45 ± 3.77 hr, p = 0.03) and analgesic intake (1.41 ± 3.96, p = 0.04) decreased significantly after treatment, while potency of CPM increased significantly (18.21 ± 49.94%, p = 0.04). Pearson correlations showed those with less efficient baseline CPM presented with better pain reduction after treatment. Those with less efficient baseline CPM were associated with greater improvement in potency of CPM after treatment (r = 0.60, p < 0.01). There was no association between the change in potency of CPM and the change in clinical pain intensity.

Conclusions

Individuals have varied acupuncture analgesia. People with less efficient baseline CPM would likely benefit from local acupuncture with greater pain relief and improved potency of CPM. Larger studies with a control arm are needed to confirm these results.

Background

Insomnia is associated with long-term morbidity for the patient’s health and well-being. This study was intended to determine if raw onion juice therapy, an anecdotal home-remedy, is effective in improving sleep, reducing fatigue, and improving quality of life (QoL) when used along with yoga and naturopathy-based lifestyle interventions (YNBL).

Materials and methods

Fifty-eight patients were randomized into two groups: the onion juice group (10 ml onion juice) or the placebo group (10 ml rice water) for 10 days along with the YNBL intervention. The Epworth sleepiness scale, insomnia severity index, total sleep time, sleep latency onset, fatigue severity scale, and SF-12 QoL were assessed at baseline and at the end of the 10th day. All the participants, investigators, and statisticians were blinded to the participants’ group assignments.

Results

The raw onion juice group reported a significant reduction in daytime sleepiness (z = −2.839, p = 0.005), insomnia severity (z = −2.493, p = 0.013) and a significant improvement in total sleep time (z = −3.388, p = 0.001), when compared to the placebo group receiving rice water. Similarly, we observed a significant improvement in the quality of life domains (i) physical component summary (PCS) t(54) = 5.345, p = 0.000, and (ii) mental component summary (MCS) t(54) = 3.579, p = 0.001 in the experimental group compared to placebo.

Conclusion

Raw onion juice therapy is safe and effective in the management of insomnia as it improves sleep-related parameters, reduces fatigue, and enhances QoL. Future studies with longer follow-up periods and a larger sample size are warranted to substantiate the present findings.