Annals of Neurosciences最新文献

Background: Fostering a healthy upbringing is of utmost importance to an individual and a supportive family system helps them grow holistically. Adolescence is an important stage for an individual to grow and form strong bonds with their peers.

Purpose: The objective of the current study was to ascertain the level of self-esteem, resilience and suicidal ideation among orphan and non-orphan adolescents. Gender differences in self-esteem, resilience and suicidal ideation were also studied.

Method: A sample of 160 adolescents (80 orphan and 80 non-orphan adolescents) comprising of equal number of male and female participants in the age group of 15-18 years were included in the study. Data was collected from adolescent orphans and non-orphans going to government schools in the urban sector in Pune, Maharashtra.

Results: Means, S. Ds, Pearson's correlation and t-test were calculated: Mean resilience score was found to be significantly (P = .048) higher among orphans (129.73 + 29.53) as compared to non-orphans (120.39 + 29.70). Mean self-esteem and suicidal ideation did not vary significantly among orphans and non-orphans. The mean self-esteem score was significantly higher (P = .048) among females (27.61 + 4.09) as compared to males (26.43 + 3.41). There was no significant gender difference in resilience and suicidal ideation scores. The high resilience scores emphasise the need to study ways to enhance well-being among both orphans and non-orphan adolescents to foster a healthy fulfilling upbringing.

Conclusion: The study goes on to show that a similar upbringing would foster similar results in individuals, irrespective of their backgrounds. Since self-esteem and suicidal ideation are similar among orphans and non-orphans, further research would help identify the various factors that foster self-esteem and resilience among these adolescents and likewise plan interventions in the future.

Background: Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and long-term adult disability worldwide. Stroke causes neurodegeneration and impairs synaptic function. Understanding the role of synaptic proteins and associated signalling pathways in stroke pathology could offer insights into therapeutic approaches as well as improving rehabilitation-related treatment regimes.

Purpose: The current study aims to analyse synaptic transcriptome changes in acute and long-term post-stroke (1 day, 7 day timepoints), especially focusing on pre- and postsynaptic genes.

Methods: We performed data mining of the recent mRNA sequence from isolated mouse brain micro-vessels (MBMVs) after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) stroke model. Using the SynGO (Synaptic Gene Ontologies and annotations) bioinformatics platform we assessed synaptic protein expression and associated pathways, and compared synaptic protein changes at 1 day and 7 day post-stroke.

Results: Enrichment analysis of the MBMVs identified significant alterations in the expression of genes related to synaptic physiology, synaptic transmission, neuronal structure, and organisation. We identified that the synaptic changes observed at the 7 day timepoint were initiated by the regulation of specific presynaptic candidates 1 day (24h) post-stroke, highlighting the significance of presynaptic regulation in mediating organising of synaptic structures and physiology. Analysis of transcriptomic data from human postmortem stroke brains confirmed similar presynaptic signalling patterns.

Conclusion: Our findings identify the changes in presynaptic gene regulation in micro-vessels following ischaemic stroke. Targeting presynaptic active zone protein signalling could represent a promising therapeutic target in mitigating ischaemic stroke.

Background: University students confront a wide range of issues during their pursuit of education. Understanding these issues is essential for developing effective treatments and support systems.

Purpose: This study aims to delineate the landscape of scholarly literature pertaining to psychosocial, academic, and psychological issues among university students. It further identifies key journals and publishing trends within the fields, thereby significantly contributing to this domain. Additionally, this study outlines the scientific field networks that offer theoretical and conceptual foundations for exploring the psychosocial, academic, and psychological challenges faced by university students. Furthermore, it also intends to systematically categorise various types of problems encountered by university students in India.

Methods: To systematically gather and investigate the problems encountered by students in higher education, this study utilises bibliometric analysis, highlighting topics related to mental health. Data were extracted from Scopus and Web of Sciences databases.

Results: The analysis of the literature yielded 12 overarching categories related to challenges faced by university students: stress, academic stress, depression, anxiety, internet/ smartphone addiction/ gaming disorder, low self-esteem, loneliness, insomnia, suicidal ideations, eating disorders, drug addiction, adjustment issues.

Conclusion: Academic institutions should prioritise student mental health, as it affects academic performance and can lead to psychological disorders. Universities need Guidance and Counselling Cells staffed with professionals to help students manage psychosocial, academic, and psychological challenges.

Background: Neural activity and subjective experiences indicate that breath-awareness practices, which focus on mindful observation of breath, promote tranquil calm and thoughtless awareness.

Purpose: This study explores the impact of tristage Ānāpānasati-based breath meditation on electroencephalography (EEG) oscillations and self-reported mindfulness states in novice meditators following a period of effortful cognition.

Methods: Eighty-nine novice meditators (82 males; Mean Age = 24.59 years) underwent a breath-based meditation intervention consisting of three stages: Resting State (RS), Breath Counting (BC), and Breath Focus (BF). EEG assessed neural oscillatory changes throughout the three stages while providing spectral indices for arousal and cognitive workload (CWL) stagewise. State mindfulness and breath awareness-related self-reported feedback were also collected using the Amsterdam Resting-State Questionnaire (ARSQ) post-BF stage and the curated Breath Count Feedback (BCF) post-BC stage, respectively. The internal reliability and construct validity of the standardised ARSQ and the designed BCF were satisfactorily computed within our sample. A within-subjects cross-sectional neurobehavioural examination of the breath self-regulatory novice experiences was thus conducted.

Results: The breath-based intervention significantly increased alpha power across all stages, indicating relaxation. Theta and delta powers increased during BC and BF in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), suggesting enhanced working memory and focused attention. Gamma power in meditation-associated brain regions and occipital beta oscillations showed significant positive correlations with breath counts, reflecting improved visual and attentional concentration. Lower pre-meditative arousal and smaller in-meditation CWL levels were associated with fewer distractions and increased confidence accuracy during BC.

Conclusion: The results suggest that BC may serve as a valuable tool for improving present-centric control and concentration, highlighting the importance of managing CWL and arousal levels to optimise meditation outcomes.

Background: Taylor and Palmer introduced an angiosome (vascular) concept in reconstructive plastic surgery in 1987. The angiosome is considered a segment of a nerve (cranial or peripheral nerve) supplied by a primary source of blood vessels.

Purpose: To observe the arteries supplying the vestibulocochlear nerves (VIII) from the brainstem till their termination. To analyse the neurovascular relationship of the vestibulocochlear nerve.

Methods: In total, 45 formalin-fixed cadaveric heads with the base of the skull were studied by dissection and histological methods.

Results: At the level of the pontomedullary junction, it is supplied by the anterior inferior cerebellar artery; within the internal acoustic canal, the cochlear nerve is provided by the cochlear artery, the vestibular nerve is supplied by a vestibular artery, which is the fine branch of the labyrinthine artery.

Conclusion: Their vascular supply influences the functioning of nerves. The labyrinthine artery is a thin, slender end artery, making it more vulnerable to circulatory disturbances.

Background: Studies suggest that obesity predisposes individuals to developing cognitive dysfunction and an increased risk of dementia, but the nature of the relationship remains largely unexplored for better prognostic predictors.

Purpose: This study, the first of its kind in Indian participants with obesity, was intended to explore the use of quantification of different neurocognitive indices with increasing body mass index (BMI) among middle-aged participants with obesity. Additionally, machine-learning models were used to analyse the predictive performance of BMI for different cognitive functions.

Methods: In the cross-sectional analytical study, a total of 137 (n = 137) participants were included. Out of the total, 107 healthy obese (BMI = 23.0-30.0 kg m^-2; age between 36 and 55 years of both genders) were recruited from the out-patient department of the Department of Endocrinology and General Medicine, and 30 participants were recruited as the control group, between March 2023 to February 2024. The participants underwent neuropsychological assessments, including mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

Results: Significant (p < .05) differences were observed for neurocognitive functions for the obese group versus the control group. According to the correlation heatmaps, BMI was significantly (p < .05) negatively associated with BDNF. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed a substantial (p < .05) decline in BDNF with a change in BMI, accenting its significant impact on cognitive ageing. Additionally, consistent decreasing trends were observed across the MoCA and MMSE, confirming the robustness of the findings across diverse analytical methodologies. Furthermore, the linear regression model and super vector machine model contributed additional evidence to the consistency of the trends in cognitive decline linked to BMI variations.

Conclusion: The preliminary results of the present study support that increased BMI is an important physiological indicator that influences neurocognition and neuroplasticity in individuals with obesity.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a range of long-term health issues in recovered patients, collectively known as "post-COVID syndrome."

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of combined pranayama techniques, specifically Sheetali and Bhramari, on pulmonary function and heart rate variability in post-COVID patients.

Methods: A randomised controlled trial was conducted with 90 post-COVID patients (aged 19-40). Participants were divided into three groups of 30 each: control, Bhramari Pranayama and Sheetali Pranayama. The intervention groups practiced their respective pranayama techniques for 15 minutes twice daily for 6 months. Outcome measures included Pulmonary Function Tests (PFT) and Heart Rate Variability (HRV), assessed at baseline, 3 months and 6 months.

Results: At 3 months, both pranayama groups showed moderate improvements in pulmonary function and HRV compared to baseline. By 6 months, these improvements were significantly enhanced. The Bhramari group showed increased FVC from 3.2 ± 0.5 L to 3.5 ± 0.4 L at 3 months, and to 3.7 ± 0.4 L at 6 months (P < .001). Similarly, the Sheetali group reflected improved FVC from 3.3 ± 0.4 L to 3.5 ± 0.3 L at 3 months, reaching 3.7 ± 0.3 L at 6 months (P < .001). HRV measures showed a similar trend, with SDNN and RMSSD in the Bhramari group and Sheetali pranayama group.

Conclusion: This study provides novel insights into the combined effects of Bhramari and Sheetali Pranayama on post-COVID patients. The findings suggest significant improvements in respiratory function and autonomic nervous system balance.

Background: Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune neuromuscular disease primarily caused by autoantibodies against nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at the neuromuscular junction. However, extrathymic malignancies need to be considered in the elderly population.

Purpose: Although thymic malignancy is the most common tumour association, several extrathymic malignancies complicated with myasthenia gravis have been reported. During the review of the literature, there are only a few reports of myasthenia occurring as a paraneoplastic manifestation of renal cell carcinoma.

Methods: We present a 64-year-old elderly gentleman with progressive weakness. The patient underwent routine blood investigations, AChR antibody testing repetitive nerve stimulation test (RNST), contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen and radical nephrectomy with histopathological analysis.

Results: The patient improved significantly with immune modulatory therapies and underwent surgical intervention. He also later started on adjuvant chemotherapy based on histopathological reports and analysis. This case highlights the need for evaluation of extrathymic malignancy in late-onset myasthenia gravis.

Conclusion: Our case highlights the need for screening for extrathymic malignancies in patients presenting with late-onset myasthenia gravis, which had good outcomes if identified early initiation of treatment.

Background: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy, characterised by compression of the median nerve at the wrist. Traditional understanding views CTS as a distal compression issue, but recent evidence suggests potential proximal involvement.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of proximal median nerve conduction velocity (CV) slowing in CTS patients and examine its association with CTS severity.

Methods: In this retrospective observational study, data were analysed from 80 CTS patients and 40 controls from the Electrophysiology Lab at a tertiary care institute. Nerve conduction studies (NCS) evaluated the median nerve's conduction velocity and latency. Patients were classified by CTS severity, and nerve conduction parameters were statistically compared between groups.

Results: CTS patients exhibited significantly prolonged distal motor latency (DML) (5.2 ± 0.8 ms) and reduced forearm motor conduction velocity (MCV) (55.3 ± 4.1 m/s) compared to controls (P < .01). Approximately 27.45% of CTS hands showed proximal median nerve slowing. The severity classification showed that Grade 3 CTS was the most prevalent (47%), followed by Grade 2 (23%) and Grade 1 (10%). There was a negative correlation between distal latency and forearm conduction velocity, suggesting that as distal latency increases, forearm conduction velocity decreases. Post-operatively, significant improvements were observed in distal latency (mean decrease: 1.2 ± 0.5 ms, P < .01), but median nerve conduction velocity remained unchanged. While there was a trend towards improvement in CMAP amplitude, the difference did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusion: A subset of CTS cases exhibits reduced proximal median nerve conduction velocity, which correlates with CTS severity. This suggests retrograde degeneration may contribute to CTS pathology, challenging the traditional view of CTS as a purely distal compression disorder.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative brain disease characterised by motor and non-motor symptoms. Motor disabilities, including dystonia and dyskinesia, cause speech and movement difficulties and limit many aspects of life. Factors affecting PD refer to the various internal and external conditions that contribute to the onset, severity and progression of the disease. These factors can be broadly categorised into genetic, environmental and lifestyle-related factors.

Summary: The primary objective of this prospective cohort study is to investigate the association between environmental exposures and genetic predisposition and the risk of developing PD. Secondary objectives include examining the relationships between these factors and clinical outcomes in PD, such as disease severity and progression. We have utilised the data from other research studies, which primarily involve recruiting a cohort of individuals at high risk for PD based on their family history and/or environmental exposure history. These research studies also include participants who will undergo clinical evaluations, including neurological examinations and cognitive assessments, and provide biospecimens for genetic analysis. Environmental exposure histories will be obtained through questionnaires and medical records fetched by the authors of these research studies. In all these studies, participants were followed up regularly over several years to monitor the development of PD and to assess disease progression.

Key message: This study provided valuable insights into the role of environmental exposures and genetic predisposition in the development and progression of PD. The results of this study may inform strategies for preventing or delaying the onset of PD in high-risk individuals, as well as guide the development of targeted interventions for those already diagnosed with the disease.