Neuroscience
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Understanding brain health is increasingly important, particularly in light of growing public health challenges related to neurological and psychiatric conditions. These include the rising prevalence of mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, as well as neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Lifestyle factors, including stress, poor diet, and insufficient physical activity, also significantly impact cognitive function. ⋯ Other factors, such as profession, genetics, income, and nutrition, were considered important but to a lesser degree. While participants were generally aware of conditions like Alzheimer's disease and depression, there was a notable gap in understanding the cognitive implications of chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, which are prevalent in Cuba. These insights highlight the need for targeted public health initiatives and educational campaigns that promote healthier behaviors and community support, particularly among young adults.
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Abnormal functional and structural connectivity of brain networks is commonly observed in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and accompanied bycognitive impairment. In this study, we revealed differences in brain structure in T2DM using a Morphometric Similarity Network (MSN) method, which quantifies structural similarities between brain regions. The associations between T2DM-associated changes in morphometric similarity (MS) and gene expression were analyzed to explore the molecular and cellular mechanism underlying MS changes in T2DM. ⋯ The MS decreased in the regions within the left sensorimotor network and the right salience/ventral attention network and increased in the regions within the bilateral visual network in the patient group. The increased MS of the bilateral visual networks in T2DM patients was negatively correlated with memory function. The transcription-neuroimaging association analysis indicated that the expression of 298 genes was significantly spatially correlated with the T2DM-related MSN abnormalities, and some of these genes are involved in biological processes such as central nervous system development and neurotransmitter transmission, which may provide possible molecular and cellular substrates for MS abnormalities and cognitive decline in T2DM.
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The central amygdaloid nucleus (CeA) and the lateral habenular nucleus (LHb) are essential nuclei playing modulatory roles in encoding noxious stimuli. Their interaction has recently been demonstrated in chronic pain-induced depression. However, little is known about the CeA-LHb pathway in a formalin-induced pain model. ⋯ The results revealed that the CeA predominantly sends projections to vesicular glutamate transporter-2 (VGluT2)-expressing neurons of the LHb, and inhibition of LHb function exhibits an analgesic effect in the formalin-induced pain model. Furthermore, activating the CeA-LHb pathway significantly attenuates pain sensation only in phase 2 of formalin-induced pain in mice. The present results indicate the participation of the LHb in inflammatory pain sensation and reveal a CeA-LHbVGluT2 pathway that displays analgesic effects in a formalin pain model.
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Maternal immune activation (MIA) induces long-term cognitive impairments by modulating the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic system. Experimental evidence suggests that maternal immune challenge with bacterial active ingredient lipopolysaccharide (LPS) reduces GABAergic tone in the offspring's prefrontal cortex. In this study, we aimed to assess whether interleukin-6 (IL-6) contributes to this reduced GABAergic system in the prefrontal cortex of juvenile offspring. ⋯ These long-lasting impacts of the MIA were alleviated when the IL-6Ab was co-administered with LPS during pregnancy. This study shows that the GABAergic system in the prefrontal cortex of female rats is highly sensitive to prenatal immune challenges. These data pave the way for exploring the specific mechanism(s) underlying the sex-dependent effects of early-life immune challenges.
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Elderly adults may have poorer recall ability than young adults and may not fully enjoy the effects of motor imagery. To understand the age bias of the effect of motor imagery on hand dexterity, we evaluated brain activation and spinal motor nerve excitability. Brain activation was evaluated from changes in oxygenated hemoglobin concentration, while spinal motor nerve excitability was evaluated from F-waves in eight young (mean age 21.0 ± 0.5 years) and eight elderly (mean age 69.5 ± 2.3 years) subjects of matched sex ratio at rest and during motor imagery. ⋯ In addition, regardless of age-related changes, causal coupling indicated the supplementary motor cortex was associated with the changes of spinal motor nerve excitability. Although the changes in brain activation during motor imagery were influenced by age, motor imagery-induced improvements in hand dexterity are also expected in the elderly. Furthermore, changes in spinal motor nerve excitability may be useful in determining the qualitative aspects of motor imagery.