Improvement of cognitive performance by a nutraceutical formulation: Underlying mechanisms revealed by laboratory studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas B. Shea
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Long-term effects of early pain and injury

2021 ◽  
pp. 21-37
Author(s):  
Orla Moriarty ◽  
Suellen M. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Tissue Injury ◽  
Afferent Input ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Nociceptive Pathways ◽  
Noxious Stimuli ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Nociceptive pathways are functional following birth, and acute responses to noxious stimuli have been documented from early in development in clinical and laboratory studies. The ability of noxious afferent input to alter the level of sensitivity of nociceptive pathways in the adult nervous system, with, for example, the development of central sensitization, is well established. However, the developing nervous system has additional susceptibilities to alterations in neural activity, and pain in early life may produce effects not seen following the same input at older ages. As a result, early tissue injury may lead to persistent changes in somatosensory processing and altered sensitivity to future noxious stimuli. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that neonatal pain can result in long-term changes in cognitive and affective behavior. Effects of pain in early life are superimposed on a highly plastic developing system, and long-term outcomes vary depending on the type and severity of the injury, and on the evaluation methods used. Laboratory studies allow evaluation of different injuries, potential confounding factors, underlying mechanisms, and potential analgesic modulation.

Long-term effects of early pain and injury: animal models

2013 ◽  
pp. 20-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suellen M. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Tissue Injury ◽  
Afferent Input ◽  
Somatosensory Processing ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Nociceptive Pathways ◽  
Acute Responses ◽  
Noxious Stimuli ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Nociceptive pathways are functional following birth and acute responses to noxious stimuli have been documented from early development in both clinical and laboratory studies. The ability of noxious afferent input to alter the level of sensitivity of nociceptive pathways in the adult nervous system, with, for example the development of central sensitization, is well established (Woolf, 2011). However, the developing nervous system has additional susceptibilities to alterations in neural activity, and increases due to pain and injury in early life may produce effects not seen following the same input at older ages. As a result, early tissue injury may lead to persistent changes in somatosensory processing and altered sensitivity to future noxious stimuli. The impact of early pain and injury cannot be simply viewed as increasing or decreasing sensitivity as results vary depending on the type and severity of injury and the outcomes used for assessment. Laboratory studies allow evaluation of different forms of injury, potential confounding factors, underlying mechanisms, and potential for modulation by analgesia.

scholarly journals Ecologically relevant thermal fluctuations enhance offspring fitness: biological and methodological implications for studies of thermal developmental plasticity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Hall ◽  
Daniel A. Warner
Keyword(s):  
Natural Variation ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Thermal Fluctuations ◽  
Thermal Ecology ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Successful Development ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Thermal Environments ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

ABSTRACTNatural thermal environments are notably complex and challenging to mimic in controlled studies. Consequently, our understanding of the ecological relevance and underlying mechanisms of organismal responses to thermal environments is often limited. For example, studies of thermal developmental plasticity have provided key insights into the ecological consequences of temperature variation, but most laboratory studies use treatments that do not reflect natural thermal regimes. While controlling other important factors, we compared the effects of naturally fluctuating temperatures to commonly used laboratory regimes on development of lizard embryos and offspring phenotypes and survival. We incubated eggs in 4 treatments – 3 that followed procedures commonly used in the literature, and one that precisely mimicked naturally fluctuating nest temperatures. To explore context-dependent effects, we replicated these treatments across two seasonal regimes: relatively cool temperatures from nests constructed early in the season and warm temperatures from late-season nests. We show that natural thermal fluctuations have a relatively small effect on developmental variables but enhance hatchling performance and survival at cooler temperatures. Thus, natural thermal fluctuations are important for successful development and simpler approximations (e.g. repeated sine waves, constant temperatures) may poorly reflect natural systems under some conditions. Thus, the benefits of precisely replicating real-world temperatures in controlled studies may outweigh logistical costs. Although patterns might vary according to study system and research goals, our methodological approach demonstrates the importance of incorporating natural variation into controlled studies and provides biologists interested in thermal ecology with a framework for validating the effectiveness of commonly used methods.

Plankton-generated chaos in the modelled dynamics of haddock

1995 ◽  
Vol 350 (1332) ◽  
pp. 109-118 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Food Supply ◽  
Chaotic Dynamics ◽  
Larval Density ◽  
Larval Survival ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Model Parameterization ◽  
Regions Of Stability ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Plankton Model ◽  
Stock And Recruitment

This study illustrates the feasibility of regimes of chaotic dynamics in gadoid populations. A previously developed plankton model related fish larval survival to larval density and their copepod food supply. This model is extended to a full-population model, incorporating age structure, fishing and a stockrecruitment relation implicit in the plankton model. Parameterization is based upon the Georges’ Bank haddock. It is shown that regions of stability, aperiodic and chaotic-like dynamics exist as both the copepod food-supply and fishing rates are varied. The deterministic aperiodic dynamics are significantly complicated by additional stochastic elements. The implications are that chaotic dynamics are plausible and that analyses of output data on stock and recruitment can reveal relatively little; field and laboratory studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Traditional fitting of stock and recruitment relations may give an overly optimistic interpretation for fisheries managers.

Gamma-Glutamyltransferase (GGT) as a biomarker of cognitive decline at the end of life: contrasting age and time to death trajectories

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 981-990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus Praetorius Björk ◽  
Boo Johansson
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Gamma Glutamyltransferase ◽  
Time To Death ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

ABSTRACTBackground:A recently published study suggests that Gamma-Glutamyltransferase (GGT) in midlife is related to an increased risk of dementia. In the present longitudinal study, we explore the effects of serum GGT on cognitive decline and dementia also in more advanced ages.Methods:We analyzed GGT in a sample of 452 individuals, aged 80 years and older at baseline, with the purpose to explore subsequent effects on cognitive performance. We specifically modeled GGT to cognitive change, time to death, and dementia.Results:Our main finding is that a higher level of GGT is associated with cognitive decline prior to death and vascular dementia in late life. These findings were evident across cognitive domains.Conclusions:This is the first longitudinal study to report on significant associations in late life between GGT, cognitive performance and dementia. Further research is needed to examine the underlying mechanisms of GGT as a marker of age-related cognitive decline.

scholarly journals Real-time cognitive performance and positive symptom expression in schizophrenia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maud Dupuy ◽  
Majd Abdallah ◽  
Joel Swendsen ◽  
Bernard N’Kaoua ◽  
Sandra Chanraud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Positive Symptom ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Symptom Expression ◽  
Causal Nature ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Moment

AbstractDeficits in cognitive functions are frequent in schizophrenia and are often conceptualized as stable characteristics of this disorder. However, cognitive capacities may fluctuate over the course of a day and it is unknown if such variation may be linked to the dynamic expression of psychotic symptoms. This investigation used Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to provide mobile tests of cognitive functions and positive symptoms in real time. Thirty-three individuals with schizophrenia completed five EMA assessments per day for a one-week period that included real-time assessments of cognitive performance and psychotic symptoms. A subsample of patients and 31 healthy controls also completed a functional MRI examination. Relative to each individual’s average score, moments of worsened cognitive performance on the mobile tests were associated with an increased probability of positive symptom occurrence over subsequent hours of the day (coef = 0.06, p < 0.05), adjusting for the presence of psychotic symptoms at the moment of mobile test administration. These prospective associations varied as a function of graph theory indices in MRI analyses. These findings demonstrate that cognitive performance is prospectively linked to psychotic symptom expression in daily life, and that underlying brain markers may be observed in the Executive Control Network. While the potential causal nature of this association remains to be investigated, our results offer promising prospects for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of symptom expression in schizophrenia.

scholarly journals Economic, social, and physiological resilience predict brain structure and cognitive performance in 9 - 10-year-old children

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marybel Robledo Gonzalez ◽  
Clare E. Palmer ◽  
Kristina A. Uban ◽  
Terry L. Jernigan ◽  
Wesley K. Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Economic Disadvantage ◽  
Risk And Resilience ◽  
Socioeconomic Context ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Cognitive Test Performance

AbstractWhile children with economic disadvantage are at risk for poorer outcomes in cognitive and brain development, less understood is the contribution of other factors in the broader socioeconomic context that may more closely index the underlying mechanisms influencing risk and resilience. We examined brain structure and cognitive test performance in association with economic disadvantage and 22 measures in the broader socioeconomic context among n = 8,158 demographically diverse 9-10-year-old children from the ABCD Study. Total cortical surface area and total cognition scores increased as a function of income-to-needs, with the steepest differences most apparent among children below and near poverty relative to their wealthier peers. We found three latent factors encompassing distinct relationships among our proximal measures, including social, economic, and physiological well-being, each associated with brain structure and cognitive performance independently of economic advantage. Our findings will inform future studies of risk and resilience in developmental outcomes for children with economic disadvantage.

scholarly journals Light, Sleep and Performance in Diurnal Birds

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-131
Author(s):  
Anne E. Aulsebrook ◽  
Robin D. Johnsson ◽  
John A. Lesku
Keyword(s):  
Urban Ecology ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Early Development ◽  
Optimal Performance ◽  
Artificial Light ◽  
Subsequent Performance ◽  
Adaptive Value ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Light Sleep

Sleep has a multitude of benefits and is generally considered necessary for optimal performance. Disruption of sleep by extended photoperiods, moonlight and artificial light could therefore impair performance in humans and non-human animals alike. Here, we review the evidence for effects of light on sleep and subsequent performance in birds. There is accumulating evidence that exposure to natural and artificial sources of light regulates and suppresses sleep in diurnal birds. Sleep also benefits avian cognitive performance, including during early development. Nevertheless, multiple studies suggest that light can prolong wakefulness in birds without impairing performance. Although there is still limited research on this topic, these results raise intriguing questions about the adaptive value of sleep. Further research into the links between light, sleep and performance, including the underlying mechanisms and consequences for fitness, could shed new light on sleep evolution and urban ecology.

scholarly journals Ecologically relevant thermal fluctuations enhance offspring fitness: biological and methodological implications for studies of thermal developmental plasticity

2020 ◽  
Vol 223 (19) ◽  
pp. jeb231902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Hall ◽  
Daniel A. Warner
Keyword(s):  
Natural Variation ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Thermal Fluctuations ◽  
Thermal Ecology ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Successful Development ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Thermal Environments ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

ABSTRACTNatural thermal environments are notably complex and challenging to mimic in controlled studies. Consequently, our understanding of the ecological relevance and underlying mechanisms of organismal responses to thermal environments is often limited. For example, studies of thermal developmental plasticity have provided key insights into the ecological consequences of temperature variation, but most laboratory studies use treatments that do not reflect natural thermal regimes. While controlling other important factors, we compared the effects of naturally fluctuating temperatures with those of commonly used laboratory regimes on development of lizard embryos and offspring phenotypes and survival. We incubated eggs in four treatments: three that followed procedures commonly used in the literature, and one that precisely mimicked naturally fluctuating nest temperatures. To explore context-dependent effects, we replicated these treatments across two seasonal regimes: relatively cool temperatures from nests constructed early in the season and warm temperatures from late-season nests. We show that natural thermal fluctuations have a relatively small effect on developmental variables but enhance hatchling performance and survival at cooler temperatures. Thus, natural thermal fluctuations are important for successful development and simpler approximations (e.g. repeated sine waves, constant temperatures) may poorly reflect natural systems under some conditions. Thus, the benefits of precisely replicating real-world temperatures in controlled studies may outweigh logistical costs. Although patterns might vary according to study system and research goals, our methodological approach demonstrates the importance of incorporating natural variation into controlled studies and provides biologists interested in thermal ecology with a framework for validating the effectiveness of commonly used methods.

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