Neuroscience
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It is becoming increasingly recognized that, in addition to psychological stress, unbalanced maternal nutritional habits can threaten fetal brain development. Maternal obesity is one of the most pressing public health problems facing the world today, as about 40% of pregnant women are obese or gain excessive weight worldwide. ⋯ We argue that maternal Omega-3 supplementation, among the many dietary strategies available, is especially promising as it buffers oxidative stress and inflammation, both recognized as candidate mechanisms underlying the negative long-term effects of maternal obesity on the offspring. Notwithstanding the current knowledge, both preclinical studies and clinical trials are needed to refine current strategies addressing dietary content and length of administration according to individual characteristics and needs.
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Hypothyroidism is known to affect memory consolidation, and our prior research highlighted the potential of chrysin as a therapeutic agent to restore cognitive function. The present study aimed to investigate the action mechanism of chrysin on memory deficits in hypothyroid in C57BL/6 female mice. We assessed cognitive flexibility, declarative, working, and aversive memories while analyzing the BDNF/TrkB/AKT/Creb neuroplasticity signaling pathway and synaptic function in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. ⋯ Chrysin treatment effectively reversed these memory deficits, restored cognitive flexibility, and improved protein levels. Our findings suggest that hypothyroidism impairs cognitive flexibility and memory through the BDNF/TrkB/AKT/Creb pathway, which chrysin modulates, operating as a neuroprotector in hypothyroidism. This research sheds light on the potential therapeutic benefits of chrysin for memory-related issues in hypothyroidism.
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Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of disorders characterized by progressive degeneration of discrete groups of neurons causing severe disability. The main risk factor is age, hence their incidence is rapidly increasing worldwide due to the rise in life expectancy. Although the causes of the disease are not identified in about 90% of the cases, in the last decades there has been great progress in understanding the basis for neurodegeneration. ⋯ These compounds exert neuroprotective effects through different mechanisms of action, some overlapping, but each demonstrating a principal biological activity: QCT as an antioxidant, CBD as an anti-inflammatory, and DMT as a promoter of neuroplasticity. This review summarizes current knowledge on these activities, potential therapeutic benefits of these compounds and their limitations as candidates for neuroprotective therapies. We envision that treatments with QCT, CBD, and DMT could be effective either when combined or when targeting different stages of these diseases.
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Flavonoids are a broad family of polyphenolic chemicals that are present in a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants. Because of their neuroprotective qualities, flavonoids have attracted a lot of interest. The potential of flavonoids to control synaptic plasticity-a crucial process underlying memory, learning, and cognitive function-is becoming more and more clear. ⋯ Flavonoids can reduce the symptoms of neurodegeneration, prevent synaptic loss, and enhance cognitive function, according to experimental studies. However, there are still obstacles to using these findings in clinical settings, such as limited bioavailability and the need for consistent dose. The focus of future research should be on improving flavonoid delivery systems and combining them with conventional medications.
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Media multitasking has become pervasive in our daily lives, yet its impact on cognitive abilities remains contentious, with more evidence supporting adverse effects (scattered attention hypothesis) than benefits (trained attention hypothesis). Recent studies have increasingly focused on the training effects of behavioral training on anticipatory brain functions, which involve cognitive and motor preparation before stimulus onset, assessed using event-related potentials (ERPs). This study investigated whether media multitasking enhances anticipatory brain functions and how task difficulty influences this relationship. ⋯ Our results suggest that HMM can flexibly adjust resource allocation based on task demands to maintain their response speed advantage. These findings suggest that LMM may possess a relatively steady acceleration/brake system, whereas HMM exhibit a more adaptable system capable of responding flexibly to diverse situations. Overall, these results underscore the training effects of media multitasking on anticipatory brain functions, supporting the trained attention hypothesis.