AIMS Neuroscience最新文献

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a predominant neurotrophic factor in the brain, indispensable for neuronal growth, synaptic development, neuronal repair, and hippocampal neuroplasticity. Among its genetic variants, the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is widespread in the population and has been associated with the onset and aggravation of diverse pathologies, including metabolic conditions like obesity and diabetes, cardiovascular ailments, cancer, and an array of psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric disorders constitute a broad category of mental health issues that influence mood, cognition, and behavior. Despite advances in research and treatment, challenges persist that hinder our understanding and effective intervention of these multifaceted conditions. Achieving and maintaining stable body weight is pivotal for overall health and well-being, and the relationship between psychiatric conditions and body weight is notably intricate and reciprocal. Both weight gain and loss have been linked to varying mental health challenges, making the disentanglement of this relationship critical for crafting holistic treatment strategies. The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism's connection to weight fluctuation in psychiatric patients has garnered attention. This review investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms by which the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism moderates body weight among individuals with psychiatric disorders. It posits the polymorphism as a potential biomarker, offering prospects for improved monitoring and therapeutic approaches for mental illnesses.

Acute transverse myelitis (ATM) is an inflammatory disorder caused by many etiologies, from postinfectious to autoimmune. Rarely, ATM cases have been reported after both COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 vaccination. We described our experience with ATM after COVID-19 infection and conducted a literature review.

Case finding methods: We reported a case of longitudinally extensive ATM after COVID 19 infection, who also received convalescent plasma therapy, and present a comprehensive literature review of ATM cases reported after COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 vaccination. The literature search was done using PubMed and Google scholar with keywords and selected peer-reviewed articles. The search included all cases from Jan 2020 to Sept 2022.

Results: A total of 60 ATM cases reported association with post COVID 19 infection, and 23 ATM cases reported association with post COVID 19 vaccinations. Among post COVID 19 ATM cases, the mean age was 49 years and the youngest reported was 7-month-old. A total of 55% (33) were longitudinally extensive ATM. The most common symptom was lower extremity weakness. One case was reported as necrotizing myelitis on biopsy, and another case overlapped with syndrome of GBS and longitudinal ATM. No cases reported using convalescent plasma therapy after infection. Almost all the ATM cases were treated with steroids, but some cases needed additional treatment since not all responded adequately. Six cases (10%) responded with steroids plus plasmapheresis, and 5 cases (8%) responded with steroids + IVIG, especially in the pediatric age group. One case reported a positive response after treatment with eculizumab, and another with infliximab. Two cases (3%) remained paraparetic. Among post covid-19 vaccine ATM cases, 4 cases (17%) were reported as longitudinally extensive ATM. Five cases (21%) had symptom onset within a week after vaccination. Almost all reported a response to steroids except for one case which reported fatality after the 58^th day after vaccination.

Conclusion: ATM, in the setting of acute COVID-19 infection, has been described in multiple cases and is a rare complication of COVID-19 vaccination.

Marijuana has been used by humans for thousands of years for both medicinal and recreational purposes. This included the treatment of pain, inflammation, seizures, and nausea. In the 1960s, the structure of the principal psychoactive ingredient Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol was determined, and over the next few decades, two cannabinoid receptors were characterized along with the human endocannabinoid system and what it affects. This includes metabolism, the cardiovascular and reproductive systems, and it is involved in such conditions as inflammation, cancer, glaucoma, and liver and musculoskeletal disorders. In the central nervous system, the endocannabinoid system has been linked to appetite, learning, memory, and conditions such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, stroke, multiple sclerosis, neurodegeneration, addiction, and epilepsy. It was the profound effectiveness of cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, to relieve the symptoms of Dravet syndrome, a severe form of childhood epilepsy, that recently helped spur marijuana research. This has helped substantially to change society's attitude towards this potential source of useful drugs. However, research has also revealed that the actions of endocannabinoids, such as anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, and the phytocannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, were not just due to interactions with the two cannabinoid receptors but by acting directly on many other targets including various G-protein receptors and cation channels, such as the transient receptor potential channels for example. This mini-review attempts to survey the effects of these 4 important cannabinoids on these currently identified targets.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal and intricate neurodegenerative disease that impacts upper and lower motor neurons within the central nervous system, leading to their progressive destruction. Despite extensive research, the pathogenesis of this multifaceted disease remains elusive. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for seven medications designed to address ALS and mitigate its associated symptoms. These FDA-sanctioned treatments are Qalsody, Relyvrio, Radicava, Rilutek, Tiglutik, Exservan, and Nuedexta. In this review, the effects of these seven drugs on ALS based on their mechanism of action, dosing, and clinical presentations are comprehensively summarized. Each medication offers a distinct approach to manage ALS, aiming to alleviate the burdensome symptoms and slow the disease's progression, thereby improving the quality of life for individuals affected by this neurological condition. However, despite these advancements in pharmaceutical interventions, finding a definitive cure for ALS remains a significant challenge. Continuous investigation into ALS pathophysiology and therapeutic avenues remains imperative, necessitating further research collaborations and innovative approaches to unravel the complex mechanisms underlying this debilitating condition.

The beneficial effects of Prosopis africana (PA) on human health have been demonstrated; however, its protective effects against heavy metals (HM) are not yet understood. This study evaluated the potential neuroprotective effects of PA in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum. To accomplish this, we divided 35 albino Sprague Dawley rats into five groups. Group I did not receive either heavy metal mixture (HMM) or PA. Group II received a HMM of PbCl₂ (20 mg/kg), CdCl₂ (1.61 mg/kg), HgCl₂ (0.40 mg/kg), and NaAsO₃ (10 mg/kg) orally for a period of two months. Groups III, IV, and V received HMM along with PA at doses of 500, 1000, and 1500 mg/kg, respectively. PA caused decreased levels of HM accumulation in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum and improved performance in the Barnes maze and rotarod tests. PA significantly reduced levels of IL-6 and TNF-α. PA increased concentrations of SOD, CAT, GSH, and Hmox-1 and decreased the activities of AChE and Nrf2. In addition, levels of MDA and NO decreased in groups III, IV, and V, along with an increase in the number of live neurons. In conclusion, PA demonstrates a complex neuroprotective effect with the potential to alleviate various aspects of HM-induced neurotoxicity.

The central nervous system (CNS) and the immune system collectively coordinate cellular functionalities, sharing common developmental mechanisms. Immunity-related molecules exert an influence on brain development, challenging the conventional view of the brain as immune-privileged. Chronic inflammation emerges as a key player in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), with increased stress contributing to the disease progression and potentially exacerbating existing symptoms. In this study, the most significant gene signatures from selected RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data from AD patients and healthy individuals were obtained and a functional analysis and biological interpretation was conducted, including network and pathway enrichment analysis. Important evidence was reported, such as enrichment in immune system responses and antigen processes, as well as positive regulation of T-cell mediated cytotoxicity and endogenous and exogenous peptide antigen, thus indicating neuroinflammation and immune response participation in disease progression. These findings suggest a disturbance in the immune infiltration of the peripheral immune environment, providing new challenges to explore key biological processes from a molecular perspective that strongly participate in AD development.

Stress has emerged as a prominent and multifaceted health concern in contemporary society, manifesting detrimental effects on individuals' physical and mental health and well-being. The ability to accurately predict stress levels in real time holds significant promise for facilitating timely interventions and personalized stress management strategies. The increasing incidence of stress-related physical and mental health issues highlights the importance of thoroughly understanding stress prediction mechanisms. Given that stress is a contributing factor to a wide array of mental and physical health problems, objectively assessing stress is crucial for behavioral and physiological studies. While numerous studies have assessed stress levels in controlled environments, the objective evaluation of stress in everyday settings still needs to be explored, primarily due to contextual factors and limitations in self-report adherence. This short review explored the emerging field of real-time stress prediction, focusing on utilizing physiological data collected by wearable devices. Stress was examined from a comprehensive standpoint, acknowledging its effects on both physical and mental well-being. The review synthesized existing research on the development and application of stress prediction models, underscoring advancements, challenges, and future directions in this rapidly evolving domain. Emphasis was placed on examining and critically evaluating the existing research and literature on stress prediction, physiological data analysis, and wearable devices for stress monitoring. The synthesis of findings aimed to contribute to a better understanding of the potential of wearable technology in objectively assessing and predicting stress levels in real time, thereby informing the design of effective interventions and personalized stress management approaches.

Huntington's disease (HD), a rare autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease, causes the gradual deterioration of neurons in the basal ganglia, specifically in the striatum. HD displays a wide range of symptoms, from motor disturbances such as chorea, dystonia, and bradykinesia to more debilitating symptoms such as cognitive decline, behavioral abnormalities, and psychiatric disturbances. Current research suggests the potential use of dietary interventions as viable strategies for slowing the progression of HD. Most notably, the Mediterranean, vegan, carnivore, paleo, and ketogenic diets have gained attention due to their hypothesized impact on neuroprotection and symptomatic modulation in various neurodegenerative disorders. Despite substantial nutritional differences among these diets, they share a fundamental premise-that dietary factors have an influential impact in modifying pertinent biological pathways linked to neurodegeneration. Understanding the intricate interactions between these dietary regimens and HD pathogenesis could open avenues for personalized interventions tailored to the individual's specific needs and genetic background. Ultimately, elucidating the multifaceted effects of these diets on HD offers a promising framework for developing comprehensive therapeutic approaches that integrate dietary strategies with conventional treatments.

The brain-gut axis refers to the communication between the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract, with the gut microbiome playing a crucial role. While our understanding of the interaction between the gut microbiome and the host's physiology is still in its nascent stage, evidence suggests that the gut microbiota can indeed modulate host behavior. Understanding the specific mechanisms by which the gut microbiota community modulates the host's behavior remains the focus of present and future neuro-gastroenterology studies. This paper reviews several pieces of evidence from the literature on the impact of gut microbiota on host behavior across animal taxa. We explore the different pathways through which this modulation occurs, with the aim of deepening our understanding of the fascinating relationship between the gut microbiome and the central nervous system.

Epigenetic regulation of gene expression is involved in the progression of mental disorders, including deviant behavior, brain developmental, and personality disorders. The large number of genes has been studied for their activity association with stress and depression; however, the obtained results for the majority of these genes are contradictory. The aim of our study was to investigate the possible contribution of methylation level changes to the development of personality disorders and deviant behavior. A systematic study of CpG Islands in 21 target regions, including the promoter and intron regions of the 12 genes was performed in DNA samples extracted from peripheral blood cells, to obtain an overview of their methylation status. High-throughput sequencing of converted DNA samples was performed and calling of the methylation sites on the "original top strand" in CpG islands was carried out in the Bismark pipeline. The initial methylation profile of 77 patients and 48 controls samples revealed a significant difference in 7 CpG sites in 6 genes. The most significant hypermethylation was found for the target sites of the HTR2A (p-value = 1.2 × 10^-13) and OXTR (p-value = 2.3 × 10^-7) genes. These data support the previous reports that alterations in DNA methylation may play an important role in the dysregulation of gene expression associated with personality disorders and deviant behavior, and confirm their potential use as biomarkers to improve thediagnosis, prognosis, and assessment of response to treatment.