Neuroscience
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The conversion of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD) is related to various factors. The causal relationships among these factors remain unclear. This study aims to investigate pathways of the progression by using causal analysis and build a predictive model with high accuracy. ⋯ Our study elucidated the initiating factors and three independent pathways involved in the conversion of MCI to AD. The predictive value of each factor was clarified and a multi-predictor nomogram was established with high accuracy.
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Increasing evidence indicates that neuropeptide FF (NPFF) produces analgesic effects and augments opioid-induced analgesia at the spinal level. However, our recent research demonstrated that NPFF exerted complex opioid-modulating effects in an inflammatory pain model after intrathecal (i.t.) injection. Consistent with previous findings, we found that i.t. ⋯ Moreover, these modulating effects of spinal NPFFR2 were selectively targeting mu-opioid receptor, had no effect on delta- and kappa-opioid receptor agonist-induced analgesia. Finally, the opioid-modulating effects of NPFF were further verified using in vitro calcium imaging assay, demonstrating that pretreated with NPFF in primary-cultured spinal neurons significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of morphine on high-K+-induced neuronal excitability. Taken together, our results suggested that NPFF exhibited dual modulating effects on morphine-induced analgesia after i.t. administration, which provides a possible mechanism to explain the complex opioid-modulating effects of endogenous NPFF systems.
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Loneliness is intricately connected to social cognition, yet the precise brain mechanisms that underscore their relationship need further exploration. The present study employed a theory of mind processing task that engaged participants in assessing the trajectories of geometric shapes while undergoing fMRI scans. The comprehensive data pool encompassed loneliness assessments and brain imaging data from a cohort of 157 participants. ⋯ Furthermore, functional connectivity among the social network, the default mode network, and somatomotor networks emerged as crucial factors in prediction. Brain regions contributed strongly in prediction are involved in a variety of social cognitive processes, including intention inference, empathy, and information integration. The results illuminate the association between brain functional connectivity induced by social cognition and loneliness, which enhance the comprehensive understanding of this complex emotional state and may have implications for its diagnosis and intervention.
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Heart failure (HF) frequently suffers from brain abnormalities and cognitive impairments. This study aims to investigate brain structure and function alteration in patients with chronic HF. This retrospective study included 49 chronic HF and 49 health controls (HCs). ⋯ Decreased GMV showed positive correlations with cognitive performance (r = 0.025-0.577, p = 0.025-0.001), while decreased fractional anisotropy was negatively correlated with anxiety scores (r = -0.339, p = 0.040) in patients with chronic HF. This study revealed that patients with chronic HF exhibited brain structure injury affecting gray matter and white matter, as well as FC abnormalities of brain regions responsible for cognition, sensorimotor and visual function. These findings suggest GMV could serve as a neuroimaging biomarker for cognitive impairments and a potential target for neuroprotective therapies in patients with chronic HF.
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A decline in mitochondrial functions associated with ageing is the key factor of free radical generation which contributes to age-related pathologies. Protecting healthy functional mitochondrial networks with antioxidants is critical in promoting healthy ageing. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of ergothioneine (EGT)-rich Lentinula edodes extract (LE-ETH) against tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) assaulted senescent HT22 cells. ⋯ A total of 23 compounds consisting of phenols, fatty acids, and sterols were identified in the ethanolic extract. Pentanoic acid was the major compound identified in LE-ETH. These findings demonstrated that EGT-rich L.edodes mushroom is a potential neuroprotective agent which could serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for the preservation of mitochondrial functions in healthy ageing explorations.