Identification of a choroid plexus vascular barrier closing during #intestinal inflammation

Locking down access to the brainInflammatory bowel disease is best known for intestinal symptoms but can also cause a variety of extraintestinal manifestations in other organs. It can also be associated with cognitive and psychiatric effects, including anxiety and depression. Using mouse models of intestinal inflammation, Carloni et al. uncovered a potential pathogenic link between… Continue reading Identification of a choroid plexus vascular barrier closing during #intestinal inflammation

Dietary #DHA prevents cognitive impairment and inflammatory gene expression in aged male rats fed a diet enriched with refined #carbohydrates

•A processed-foods diet (PD) impaired learning and memory in aged male rats. •PD increased inflammatory genes in the hippocampus and amygdala of aged rats. •DHA supplementation prevented memory deficits in PD-fed aged rats. •DHA supplementation ameliorated increases in inflammatory gene expression. •PD consumption led to increased weight gain in young and aged rats. AbstractThe consumption… Continue reading Dietary #DHA prevents cognitive impairment and inflammatory gene expression in aged male rats fed a diet enriched with refined #carbohydrates

All-cause and cause-specific mortality in people with #mental disorders and intellectual disabilities, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: cohort study

People with mental disorders and intellectual disabilities experience excess mortality compared with the general population. The impact of COVID-19 on exacerbating this, and in widening ethnic inequalities, is unclear. METHODSProspective data (N=167,122) from a large mental healthcare provider in London, UK, with deaths from 2019 to 2020, used to assess age- and gender-standardised mortality ratios… Continue reading All-cause and cause-specific mortality in people with #mental disorders and intellectual disabilities, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: cohort study

Effect of Transcranial Near-Infrared #Light 1068 nm Upon #Memory Performance in Aging Healthy Individuals: A Pilot Study

We present a pilot study of near-infrared (NIR) 1068 nm transcranial photobiomodulation therapy (PBM-T). Impact upon motor function, memory, and processing speed in healthy individuals, older than 45 years of age, was evaluated. Methods: PBM-T was performed at home using a transcranial phototherapy device, a helmet that comprised 14 air cooled light emitting diode panel arrays,… Continue reading Effect of Transcranial Near-Infrared #Light 1068 nm Upon #Memory Performance in Aging Healthy Individuals: A Pilot Study

A microRNA signature that correlates with cognition and is a target against #cognitive decline

While some individuals age without pathological memory impairments, others develop age-associated cognitive diseases. Since changes in cognitive function develop slowly over time in these patients, they are often diagnosed at an advanced stage of molecular pathology, a time point when causative treatments fail. Thus, there is great need for the identification of inexpensive and minimal… Continue reading A microRNA signature that correlates with cognition and is a target against #cognitive decline

Fecal #microbiota transplantation from mice exposed to chronic intermittent hypoxia elicits #sleep disturbances in naïve mice

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic prevalent condition characterized by intermittent hypoxia (IH) and sleep fragmentation (SF). Evidence suggests that OSA can alter the gut microbiome (GM) diversity and composition that may then promote the occurrence of some of the OSA-associated morbidities. However, it is unclear whether perturbations in the GM caused by IH… Continue reading Fecal #microbiota transplantation from mice exposed to chronic intermittent hypoxia elicits #sleep disturbances in naïve mice

Circuit-specific enteric #glia regulate #intestinal motor neurocircuits

Neurons have long been considered the main active cell type within the circuitry of the enteric nervous system (ENS), giving rise to a neurocentric paradigm that has tended to overlook the role of enteric glia as key regulators of gut motility. Understanding how simple synapse-level interactions give rise to complex, network-level behaviors remains a fundamental… Continue reading Circuit-specific enteric #glia regulate #intestinal motor neurocircuits

Total #sleep deprivation reduces top-down regulation of #emotion without altering bottom-up affective processing

Sleep loss is reported to influence affective processing, causing changes in overall mood and altering emotion regulation. These aspects of affective processing are seldom investigated together, making it difficult to determine whether total sleep deprivation has a global effect on how affective stimuli and emotions are processed, or whether specific components of affective processing are… Continue reading Total #sleep deprivation reduces top-down regulation of #emotion without altering bottom-up affective processing

Optimal Blood #Pressure Keeps Our #Brains Younger

Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a major health risk factor and the leading global cause of premature death. Hypertension is also a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. However, when elevated blood pressure starts impacting cerebral health is less clear. We addressed this gap by estimating how a validated measure of brain health relates… Continue reading Optimal Blood #Pressure Keeps Our #Brains Younger