Annals of Neurosciences最新文献

Background: Family caregivers of individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) face significant challenges that can impact their well-being, coping abilities, and cognitive functioning. However, the empowerment of these caregivers often goes unnoticed, highlighting the need for supportive interventions.

Purpose: To develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a one-on-one intervention program for family caregivers of SUD patients using pre-test and post-test assessments.

Methods: A pilot study was conducted using a randomized controlled trial design with 40 family caregivers of individuals with SUD. Through a lottery method, participants were randomly assigned to either the control or experimental groups, with each group consisting of 20 caregivers. The intervention program consisted of 12 one-on-one sessions. Pre-test and post-test assessments utilized the Ryff Psychological Well-being Scale, Ways of Coping, revised by Lazarus and Folkman, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, and the Kingston Caregiver Stress Scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were analyzed using SPSS software.

Results: Significant differences were observed between the control and experimental groups in psychological well-being, cognitive functioning, coping, anxiety, and stress (p < .01). The one-on-one intervention program significantly improved well-being and coping skills while reducing anxiety and stress levels. Consequently, the program empowered caregivers and enhanced their psychological resilience in the caregiving process.

Conclusion: The findings support the effectiveness of the one-on-one intervention program in enhancing the well-being, coping skills, cognitive functioning, anxiety, and stress levels of family caregivers of individuals with SUD. This intervention program has the potential to empower caregivers and enable them to better cope with the challenges they face in providing care.

Background: Indian females have been objectified since time immemorial. The ancient Indian texts and architecture have numerous instances of sexual objectification of females. In the present time, self-objectification in girls is evident from the increasing popularity of apps like Photoshop, the rise in the makeup industry, plastic and cosmetic surgeries, and so on. This is especially relevant for females across the globe and leads to huge negative effects on women's identities.

Purpose: The aim of the present study is to assess and compare the levels of body surveillance (self-objectification), body shaming, and control beliefs in adolescent girls from co-educational schools and all-girls schools.

Methods: Four hundred adolescent girls from Convent schools in different cities in Uttar Pradesh were included in the study using purposive (homogeneous) sampling based on the inclusion criteria. The Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBCS) was used to assess body surveillance (self-objectification), body shaming, and control beliefs.

Results: The results of the study revealed that the level of body surveillance (self-objectification) was significantly high among Indian adolescent girls. It was found that all-girls schools had a higher level of body surveillance (self-objectification), body shaming, and control beliefs as compared to adolescent girls from co-educational schools.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that the phenomenon of self-objectification has numerous implications for the physical and mental well-being of girls, particularly during their formative years. Healthy behaviors and positive thoughts are the best ways to respect and honor one's body. The research suggests the need for meditation, awareness workshops, and school-level counseling for adolescent girls, especially in all-girls schools.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is typified by inflammation of dopaminergic neurons leading to the release of various inflammatory mediators. These mediators activate the transcription factor NF-κB, which in turn activates inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), leading to increased inflammation.

Purpose: This study was intended to study the effect of combination of mangiferin, a specific inhibitor of NF-κB with low-dose nitric oxide (NO) modulators.

Methods: A total of eight Wistar rats weighing 200-250 g were used in each group. Stereotactic surgery was performed to induce 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions. The treatment period extended from day 14 to day 42, during which time behavioral tests were performed to evaluate the effects of mangiferin and its combination with NO modulators. On day 42, the brains of the rats were removed for biochemical and molecular analyzes.

Results: Mangiferin significantly improved locomotor activity and decreased inflammatory chemokines levels in rats with 6-OHDA lesions. Mangiferin therapy decreased myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels and reduced oxidative stress. In particular, caspase-3, caspase-9 and COX-2 activities were significantly reduced after the mangiferin treatment. A combination of 45-µg mangiferin and 10-mg/kg L-NAME showed the greatest improvement in locomotor, behavioral, biochemical, and molecular parameters impaired by 6-OHDA.

Conclusion: In this study, mangiferin was found to protect rats with 6-OHDA lesions by inhibiting inflammation causing chemokines such as TNF-α and IL-6. Besides, the grouping of iNOS inhibitor L-NAME at a dose of 10 mg/kg with 45-µg mangiferin enhanced the anti-inflammatory and anti-Parkinsonian activity of mangiferin. Consequently, the combination therapy of mangiferin and L-NAME is promising for the treatment of PD. However, clinical trials will be required to evaluate the efficacy of this combination therapy in humans.

Background: Meditation using the "OM" mantra is the most widely used practice in India. Though reports have been published about the relaxation effect during both verbal "OM" chanting and listening to "OM" chanting, there is a paucity of literature concerning the cortical areas activated/deactivated after verbal "OM" chanting and listening to "OM" chanting using quantitative electro-encephalography (qEEG).

Purpose: The objective of this study was to compare the effects of verbal "OM" chanting and listening to "OM" chanting on cortical sources as compared to baseline, as assessed by qEEG.

Method: Twenty adult male subjects with a mean age of 27.5 ± 7.5 years and no past or present history of psychiatric, neurological, or auditory disorders or previous exposure to yoga and meditation were recruited from the undergraduate and postgraduate student population of AIIMS, New Delhi. Subjects were given a paradigm designed using E-prime for both verbal and listening to "OM" chanting of 5 min each and a 5-min relaxation period in between the tasks. Electroencephalography recording was done using a 128-channel geodesic sensor net with band-pass filtered at 1-70 Hz, and 20-sec data of eyes-closed condition, post-verbal "OM", and post-listening to "OM" chanting were segmented and pre-processed. Further, source analysis was performed on the data using standardized low-resolution electromagnetic tomography.

Result: The pre (baseline) versus post-verbal "OM" (p < .05) and post-listening to "OM" (p < .05) chanting showed significant differences in similar cortical areas in both verbal "OM" and listening to "OM" chanting except the three areas, that is, the orbital gyrus, the rectal gyrus, and the sub-callosal gyrus, which were additionally activated post-listening to "OM" chanting. Both verbal and listening to "OM" chanting induced activation of similar cortical areas, which were classified as the nodes/hubs of specific resting-state networks (RSNs) such as the attentional network, frontoparietal control network, and default mode network.

Conclusion: The study results suggest that "OM" chanting could facilitate flexible switching between various RSNs to induce a relaxed state and could improve attention simultaneously.Both verbal and listening to "OM" chanting induced common activated areas that are classified into frontoparietal, dorsal attention, and default mode network areas. And it is hypothesized that flexible switching between these RSNs could induce a relaxed state and improve attention simultaneously with the possible role of the frontoparietal network.