Neural pathways of the association between pain and suicide

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S23-S23
Author(s):  
K. van Heeringen
Keyword(s):  
Suicidal Behaviour ◽  
Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Physical Pain ◽  
Psychological Pain ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Psychological Stressors ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
Behaviour Changes ◽  
The Brain

Physical pain and psychological pain are risk factors for suicidal behaviour, and understanding of the neural pathways linking pain and suicide may contribute to suicide prevention. Neuroimaging studies have shown changes in association with physical and psychological pain and with suicidal behaviour. Psychological stressors such as social exclusion may trigger emotional pain that is associated with functional changes in the prefontal cortex, cingulate cortex, thalamus, and parahippocampal gyrus. This functional network shows considerable overlap with brain areas involved in physical pain and suicidal behaviour. Changes in the brain motivation-valuation circuitry may predict pain persistence and thus contribute to the development of suicidal thoughts and behaviours.Disclosure of interestThe author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.

A systematic review of association between pain and suicidal behavior in elderly people

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S174-S174
Author(s):  
J. Santos ◽  
S. Martins ◽  
L.F. Azevedo ◽  
L. Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Suicidal Behavior ◽  
Suicidal Behaviour ◽  
Suicide Ideation ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Psychological Pain ◽  
Competing Interest

IntroductionSuicide rates worldwide are highest in elderly people compared to younger ages. The recognition of risk factors for late life suicide may be crucial, since one in four attempts is consummated. In this context, pain has been identified as a major event raising the probability for suicide in elders although very little research has examined this association.ObjectiveTo conduct a systematic review to examine whether pain is a risk factor for suicidal behaviour (suicide ideation/attempt/suicide) in elderly people.MethodsThe Cochrane Collaboration's guidelines and PRISMA statement were used. The electronic databases considered were MEDLINE, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus and PsycARTICLES. Search terms were “pain”, “suicide*” and “elderly”. Studies that assessed the relation between pain and suicidal behavior among people aged ≥ 60 years were included.ResultsOf the 2655 references founded, only 41 articles met the inclusion criteria. Most of the quantitative studies concluded that there is a relationship between pain and late life suicidal ideation, in particular severe and chronic pain. Physical or psychological pain was also reported as the cause of attempting suicide in two studies and was considered an important risk factor for committed suicide in eight of them.ConclusionThe results suggest that pain is a risk factor for suicidal behaviour in elderly people, especially suffering from severe and chronic pain, which are in accordance with previous reviews in this field. Future studies are needed to clarify this association and highlight about the importance of pain in suicide prevention initiatives for elders.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Current Strategies and Novel Drug Approaches for Alzheimer Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 676-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roma Ghai ◽  
Kandasamy Nagarajan ◽  
Meenakshi Arora ◽  
Parul Grover ◽  
Nazakat Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cholinergic Neurons ◽  
Amyloid Plaque ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Personality Changes ◽  
Traditional Therapies ◽  
Novel Drug ◽  
The Brain

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a chronic, devastating dysfunction of neurons in the brain leading to dementia. It mainly arises due to neuronal injury in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus area of the brain and is clinically manifested as a progressive mental failure, disordered cognitive functions, personality changes, reduced verbal fluency and impairment of speech. The pathology behind AD is the formation of intraneuronal fibrillary tangles, deposition of amyloid plaque and decline in choline acetyltransferase and loss of cholinergic neurons. Tragically, the disease cannot be cured, but its progression can be halted. Various cholinesterase inhibitors available in the market like Tacrine, Donepezil, Galantamine, Rivastigmine, etc. are being used to manage the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The paper’s objective is to throw light not only on the cellular/genetic basis of the disease, but also on the current trends and various strategies of treatment including the use of phytopharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. Enormous literature survey was conducted and published articles of PubMed, Scifinder, Google Scholar, Clinical Trials.org and Alzheimer Association reports were studied intensively to consolidate the information on the strategies available to combat Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, several strategies are being investigated for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Immunotherapies targeting amyloid-beta plaques, tau protein and neural pathways are undergoing clinical trials. Moreover, antisense oligonucleotide methodologies are being approached as therapies for its management. Phytopharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals are also gaining attention in overcoming the symptoms related to AD. The present review article concludes that novel and traditional therapies simultaneously promise future hope for AD treatment.

Embodied Loss and the Psychophysiological Effects of Pain Examined With Traditional and New Behavioral Measures

2021 ◽  
pp. 105413732110206
Author(s):  
Preston A. Long ◽  
X. T. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Loss Aversion ◽  
Behavioral Measure ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
Physical Pain ◽  
Psychological Pain ◽  
Behavioral Measures ◽  
Removal Time ◽  
Pain Duration ◽  
Information Ambiguity ◽  
Diminishing Sensitivity

Based on a robust decision phenomenon of loss aversion, people are distinctly more sensitive to losses than to gains. The psychological pain experienced due to a loss is greater than the pleasure experienced due to a gain of the same amount. We argue that physical pain can be viewed as a psychological loss with diminishing sensitivity. Pain thus would be preferred summed rather than distributed. The results from 89 student-participants recruited from a public university in the Midwest US revealed that chronic pain is correlated with reduced subjective life expectancy and increased impulsivity. We found a significant propensity to prefer sharp-and-shorter pain to milder-and-longer pain. The loss-aversion score predicted this propensity in pain management. We developed a new behavioral measure of Band-Aid removal as a predictor for pain duration-intensity tradeoff. The higher the Band-Aid removal time, the higher the preference for higher-duration and lower intensity, and the lower willingness to seek medical attention for pain. The participants also revealed a higher willingness to seek medical help for generalized pain than localized pain to reduce information ambiguity.

Nicotine as therapeutic agent in treatment of mood disorders

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S552-S552
Author(s):  
C. Tsopelas ◽  
N. Petros ◽  
D. Maria ◽  
P. Dimitris ◽  
G.G. Angelica ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mood Disorders ◽  
Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Web Search ◽  
Therapeutic Agent ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Medical Databases ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
The Brain

IntroductionThe plant that has as active ingredient nicotine was chewed or smoked for many years from American natives, for its therapeutic properties. Nowadays after the extensive negative attitude towards smoking, the main provider of nicotine, researchers are now pointing out the therapeutic possibilities of nicotine in mood disorders, as a substance that is acting in the acetylcholine receptors in the brain.AimsIn this review we are trying to explore the possibilities of nicotine use as a therapeutic agent.MethodsWe did a detailed research of the main medical databases, and web search engines for relevant studies. We scrutinize them independently, before reaching consensus about appropriateness for inclusion in the study.ResultsDiadermal administration of nicotine has a positive effect in depressive disorder in 3–8 days, an effect that in one study was reversed after cessation of nicotine. Patients with depression and/or healthy subjects show improvement of attention and working memory after diadermal use of nicotine. Research is not conclusive in the sustainability of these positive affects as other researchers emphasize their short effect in mood.ConclusionNicotine presents as part of novel and promising therapeutic agents with complex interactions with other neurotransmitters in the brain. Before condemning nicotine along with smoking we should acknowledge the potential use of nicotine as a therapeutic compound since research shows that some of these positive effects appear not only to smokers after abstinence but also to non-smokers.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Pain Detection and the Privacy of Subjective Experience

2007 ◽  
Vol 33 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 433-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam J. Kolber
Keyword(s):  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Physical Pain ◽  
Medical Evidence ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Pain Symptoms ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Neuroimaging Techniques

A neurologist with abdominal pain goes to see a gastroenterologist for treatment. The gastroenterologist asks the neurologist where it hurts. The neurologist replies, “In my head, of course.” Indeed, while we can feel pain throughout much of our bodies, pain signals undergo most of their processing in the brain. Using neuroimaging techniques like functional magnetic resonance imaging (“fMRI”) and positron emission tomography (“PET”), researchers have more precisely identified brain regions that enable us to experience physical pain. Certain regions of the brain's cortex, for example, increase in activation when subjects are exposed to painful stimuli. Furthermore, the amount of activation increases with the intensity of the painful stimulus. These findings suggest that we may be able to gain insight into the amount of pain a particular person is experiencing by non-invasively imaging his brain.Such insight could be particularly valuable in the courtroom where we often have no definitive medical evidence to prove or disprove claims about the existence and extent of pain symptoms.

scholarly journals Contribution of Neuroinflammation to the Pathogenesis of Cancer Cachexia

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessio Molfino ◽  
Gianfranco Gioia ◽  
Filippo Rossi Fanelli ◽  
Alessandro Laviano
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Proinflammatory Cytokines ◽  
Adaptive Response ◽  
Energy Homeostasis ◽  
Cancer Cachexia ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
The Brain

Inflammation characterizes the course of acute and chronic diseases and is largely responsible for the metabolic and behavioral changes occurring during the clinical journey of patients. Robust data indicate that, during cancer, functional modifications within brain areas regulating energy homeostasis contribute to the onset of anorexia, reduced food intake, and increased catabolism of muscle mass and adipose tissue. In particular, functional changes are associated with increased hypothalamic concentration of proinflammatory cytokines, which suggests that neuroinflammation may represent the adaptive response of the brain to peripheral challenges, including tumor growth. Within this conceptual framework, the vagus nerve appears to be involved in conveying alert signals to the hypothalamus, whereas hypothalamic serotonin appears to contribute to triggering catabolic signals.

scholarly journals Immunoreactivity of the calbindin D28k in the parahippocampal gyrus of chinchilla

2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-391
Author(s):  
Radosław Szalak ◽  
Jadwiga Jaworska-Adamu ◽  
Karol Rycerz ◽  
Paweł Kulik ◽  
Marcin Bartłomiej Arciszewski
Keyword(s):  
Brain Area ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Immunofluorescence Staining ◽  
Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽  
Neuronal Cell Bodies ◽  
Entorhinal Area ◽  
Calbindin D28k ◽  
Retzius Cells ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Ten adult male chinchillas were used. The localisation of calbindin D28k (CB) was examined with the use of two types of reactions: immunocytochemical peroxidase-antiperoxidase and immunofluorescence staining with a specific monoclonal antibody against CB. Immunocytochemical examination demonstrated the presence of CB-positive neurons in the following layers of all parts the parahippocampal gyrus (PG): marginal, external cellular, middle cellular, and internal cellular, i.e. in entorhinal area, parasubiculum, and presubiculum. Immunofluorescence staining revealed the presence of CB in both Hu C/Dimmunoreactive (IR) neurons and nervous fibers of the PG. CB-IR neuronal cell bodies were moderately numerous (ca. 10% of Hu C/D-IR neurons) and clearly distinguished from the background. Each layer of the brain area consisted of two types of neurons: pyramidal and multiform. Among the second type of neurons, four kinds of morphologically different neuronal subclasses were observed: multipolar, bipolar, round, and Cajal-Retzius cells. It is concluded that the expression of CB in the PG of the chinchilla is species specific and limited to several subclasses of neurons

Inflammation and Pruning May Inform Risk to Psychiatric Disorders. Lessons From Large Genetic Data

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S56-S56
Author(s):  
C. Crisafulli
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Molecular Mechanics ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Molecular Pathway ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Single Effect ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
The Brain ◽  
New Hypothesis

BackgroundIt's known that psychiatric disorders are caused to either environmental and genetics factors. Through the years several hypotheses were tested and many genes were screened for association, resulting in a huge amount of data available for the scientific community. Despite that, the molecular mechanics behind psychiatric disorders remains largely unknown. Traditional association studies may be not enough to pinpoint the molecular underpinnings of psychiatric disorder. We tried to applying a methodology that investigates molecular-pathway-analysis that takes into account several genes per time, clustered in consistent molecular groups and may successfully capture the signal of a number of genetic variations with a small single effect on the disease. This approach might reveal more of the molecular basis of psychiatric disorders.Methodsi)We collected data on studies available in literature for the studied disorder (e.g. Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder);ii)We extracted a pool of genes that are likely involved with the disease;iii)We used these genes as starting point to map molecular cascades function-linked. The molecular cascades are then analyzed and pathways and sub-pathways, possibly involved with them, are identified and tested for association.Results/discussionWe obtained interesting results. In particular, signals of enrichment (association) were obtained multiple times on the molecular pathway associated with the pruning activity and inflammation. Molecular mechanics related to neuronal pruning were focused as a major and new hypothesis for the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders and the role of inflammatory events has been extensively investigated in psychiatry. intersting, inflammatory mechanics in the brain may also play a role in neuronal pruning during the early development of CNS.Disclosure of interestThe author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals The Anorexigenic Neural Pathways of Oxytocin and Their Clinical Implication

2018 ◽  
Vol 107 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuko Maejima ◽  
Shoko Yokota ◽  
Katsuhiko Nishimori ◽  
Kenju Shimomura
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Fat Mass ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Leptin Resistance ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Feeding Regulation ◽  
Food Intake Regulation ◽  
Intake Regulation ◽  
The Brain

Oxytocin was discovered in 1906 as a peptide that promotes delivery and milk ejection; however, its additional physiological functions were determined 100 years later. Many recent articles have reported newly discovered effects of oxytocin on social communication, bonding, reward-related behavior, adipose tissue, and muscle and food intake regulation. Because oxytocin neurons project to various regions in the brain that contribute to both feeding reward (hedonic feeding) and the regulation of energy balance (homeostatic feeding), the mechanisms of oxytocin on food intake regulation are complicated and largely unknown. Oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) receive neural projections from the arcuate nucleus (ARC), which is an important center for feeding regulation. On the other hand, these neurons in the PVN and supraoptic nucleus project to the ARC. PVN oxytocin neurons also project to the brain stem and the reward-related limbic system. In addition to this, oxytocin induces lipolysis and decreases fat mass. However, these effects in feeding and adipose tissue are known to be dependent on body weight (BW). Oxytocin treatment is more effective in food intake regulation and fat mass decline for individuals with leptin resistance and higher BW, but is known to be less effective in individuals with normal BW. In this review, we present in detail the recent findings on the physiological role of oxytocin in feeding regulation and the anorexigenic neural pathway of oxytocin neurons, as well as the advantage of oxytocin usage for anti-obesity treatment.

Economics & Practical Applications for Applied Trauma Theory

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Bathory
Keyword(s):  
World Wide ◽  
Rural Tourism ◽  
Clinical Population ◽  
Intergenerational Effects ◽  
Mass Trauma ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
The World ◽  
South Eastern Europe ◽  
The Brain

The effects of global warming are becoming apparent throughout the world. Europe has begun to experience more severe winters and increased rain (Steffen, 2011). Massive flooding in South Eastern Europe has devastated communities and repeatedly strains the economy of these regions resulting in mass trauma to the residents of multiple countries. Intergenerational effects of trauma (Kaitz, Levy, Ebstein, Faraone, & Mankuta, 2009) have been noted to be an increasing world-wide concern. These traumatic effects are not only psychologically based but result in structural and functional changes within the brain and body (van der Kolk, Roth, Pelcovitz, Sunday, & Spinazzola, 2005; Bathory, 2011; Bathory, 2012a; Bathory, 2012b). This paper explores the application of sustainable energy and rural tourism to assist mass victims of natural disaster flooding. The author provides the cultural precedents for marketing, as well as the psychoneurobiological rationale and application for an intervention to a large non-clinical population.

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