scholarly journals Effects of long-lasting social isolation and re-socialization on cognitive performance and brain activity: a longitudinal study in Octodon degus

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela S. Rivera ◽  
Carolina B. Lindsay ◽  
Carolina A. Oliva ◽  
Juan Francisco Codocedo ◽  
Francisco Bozinovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Synaptic Transmission ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Synaptic Proteins ◽  
Stressful Situation ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Octodon Degus ◽  
Socially Isolated

Abstract Social isolation is considered a stressful situation that results in increased physiological reactivity to novel stimuli, altered behaviour, and impaired brain function. Here, we investigated the effects of long-term social isolation on working memory, spatial learning/memory, hippocampal synaptic transmission, and synaptic proteins in the brain of adult female and male Octodon degus. The strong similarity between degus and humans in social, metabolic, biochemical, and cognitive aspects, makes it a unique animal model that can be highly applicable for further social, emotional, cognitive, and aging studies. These animals were socially isolated from post-natal and post-weaning until adulthood. We also evaluated if re-socialization would be able to compensate for reactive stress responses in chronically stressed animals. We showed that long-term social isolation impaired the HPA axis negative feedback loop, which can be related to cognitive deficits observed in chronically stressed animals. Notably, re-socialization restored it. In addition, we measured physiological aspects of synaptic transmission, where chronically stressed males showed more efficient transmission but deficient plasticity, as the reverse was true on females. Finally, we analysed synaptic and canonical Wnt signalling proteins in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex, finding both sex- and brain structure-dependent modulation, including transient and permanent changes dependent on stress treatment.

scholarly journals Social isolation impacts late-life socio-cognitive decline in APP/PS1 mice

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Rens ◽  
Rudi D’Hooge ◽  
Ann Van der Jeugd
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Social Recognition ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Y Maze ◽  
The Social ◽  
Socially Isolated

AbstractIn this study the effects of social isolation (SI) were investigated in APP/PS1 mice. It was found that SI during adolescence has an impact on anxiogenic behaviour, such that isolated animals tend to explore a threatening environment less than non-isolated animals as assessed with the EPM test, and that this holds for both AD and non-AD mice. While no evidence was found for any differences in short-term memory as assessed by the Y-maze, long-term memory seemed to be affected in a context-dependent manner. Object memory as assessed with the NOR test was affected in APP/PS1 mice compared to WT mice, but this deficit was not induced or influenced by SI. When it comes to social recognition memory however, we found that SI exacerbated the social memory deficit in AD mice, and even induced a deficit in WTs. Associative fear memory as assessed with the PA test suggested that WTs perform better when group housed, and APP/PS1 mice better when socially isolated. The link between isolation and AD, or cognition in general, may be more complex than initially thought. The effect of isolation may not be the same for AD versus non-AD subjects.

Gender Differences in the Social Consequences of Unemployment: How Job Loss Affects the Risk of Becoming Socially Isolated

2020 ◽  
pp. 095001702096790
Author(s):  
Jan Eckhard
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Small Extent ◽  
Financial Situation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Socially Isolated ◽  
Short Time ◽  
The Unemployed ◽  
The Impact

Using longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, the study examines whether the impact of unemployment on the risk of becoming socially isolated is different for women and men and whether it can be traced back to financial straits. An isolating effect of unemployment is found only with regard to men, to long-term unemployment, and to social isolation in terms of scarce contact to friends and family. There is no such effect with regard to women, to short-time unemployment, and to social isolation in terms of a non-participation in civic associations. It is also found that the isolating impact of unemployment is only to a small extent attributable to the financial situation of the unemployed.

scholarly journals A novel murine model to study the impact of maternal depression and antidepressant treatment on biobehavioral functions in the offspring

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Scarborough ◽  
Flavia S. Mueller ◽  
Ulrike Weber-Stadlbauer ◽  
Daniele Mattei ◽  
Lennart Opitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Antidepressant Treatment ◽  
Antenatal Depression ◽  
Model System ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Obstetric Outcomes ◽  
Molecular Abnormalities ◽  
Socially Isolated ◽  
The Impact

AbstractAntenatal psychopathology negatively affects obstetric outcomes and exerts long-term consequences on the offspring’s wellbeing and mental health. However, the precise mechanisms underlying these associations remain largely unknown. Here, we present a novel model system in mice that allows for experimental investigations into the effects of antenatal depression-like psychopathology and for evaluating the influence of maternal pharmacological treatments on long-term outcomes in the offspring. This model system in based on rearing nulliparous female mice in social isolation prior to mating, leading to a depressive-like state that is initiated before and continued throughout pregnancy. Using this model, we show that the maternal depressive-like state induced by social isolation can be partially rescued by chronic treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluoxetine (FLX). Moreover, we identify numerous and partly sex-dependent behavioral and molecular abnormalities, including increased anxiety-like behavior, cognitive impairments and alterations of the amygdalar transcriptome, in offspring born to socially isolated mothers relative to offspring born to mothers that were maintained in social groups prior to conception. We also found that maternal FLX treatment was effective in preventing some of the behavioral and molecular abnormalities emerging in offspring born to socially isolated mothers. Taken together, our findings suggest that the presence of a depressive-like state during preconception and pregnancy has sex-dependent consequences on brain and behavioral functions in the offspring. At the same time, our study highlights that FLX treatment in dams with a depression-like state can prevent abnormal behavioral development in the offspring.

scholarly journals Possible Consequences of Social Isolation For Children During The Pandemic Process: A Model Proposal

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Control Group Design ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Post Test

The aim of the present study is to review the existing literature on possible consequences of social isolation for children and propose a model that supports preschool children’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical development, who have been living their daily lives under social isolation conditions for a period of around 3 months in Turkey and who are likely to be exposed to new conditions of the normalization process where social distancing is recommended by health authorities. To help achieve this goal, a mobile application with a software feature such as a mobile timer and model reminder, a functional website and activities are designed to be integrated into the model by treating them as components of a systematic process called PEDAM (Pedagogical Support Assistance Model). The primary limitation of this study is that the proposed model has not yet been tested in an experimental, pre-test/post-test control group design or in a large sample. The main reason why it has not been applied experimental or long-term empirical research design in this study is that there is still a risk of transmission of COVID-19 for both children and adults. A second reason has to do with the necessity and responsibility to taking immediately initiative and action for the children who are in critical and sensitive periods of development. PEDAM is a model to ensure that parents have access to appropriate content and to control the content systematically, using only materials and physical activities whose positive effects are supported by existing researches.It is believed that PEDAM can give researchers from different disciplines an idea to design other applications for the planning of the Covid 19 pandemic process. Keywords: Covid 19, Social Isolation, Preschool Children, Model Suggestion

scholarly journals Neddylation regulates excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa M. Brockmann ◽  
Michael Döngi ◽  
Ulf Einsfelder ◽  
Nils Körber ◽  
Damian Refojo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Synaptic Plasticity ◽  
Synaptic Transmission ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Long Term Potentiation ◽  
Excitatory Synaptic Transmission ◽  
Synaptic Proteins ◽  
Post Translational Modification ◽  
Post Translational Modifications ◽  
Synaptic Neurotransmission

AbstractPost-translational modifications, like phosphorylation, ubiquitylation, and sumoylation, have been shown to impact on synaptic neurotransmission by modifying pre- and postsynaptic proteins and therefore alter protein stability, localization, or protein-protein interactions. Previous studies showed that post-translational modifications are essential during the induction of synaptic plasticity, defined by a major reorganization of synaptic proteins. We demonstrated before that neddylation, a post-translational modification that covalently binds Nedd8 to lysine-residues, strongly affects neuronal maturation and spine stability. We now analysed the consequences of inhibiting neddylation on excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity, which will help to narrow down possible targets, to make educated guesses, and test specific candidates. Here, we show that acute inhibition of neddylation impacts on synaptic neurotransmission before morphological changes occur. Our data indicate that pre- and postsynaptic proteins are neddylated since the inhibition of neddylation impacts on presynaptic release probability and postsynaptic receptor stabilization. In addition, blocking neddylation during the induction of long-term potentiation and long-term inhibition abolished both forms of synaptic plasticity. Therefore, this study shows the importance of identifying synaptic targets of the neddylation pathway to understand the regulation of synaptic transmission and plasticity.

scholarly journals Post-weaning social isolation increases ΔFosB/FosB protein expression in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in mice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Noback ◽  
Gongliang Zhang ◽  
Noelle White ◽  
James C. Barrow ◽  
Gregory V. Carr
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Critical Periods ◽  
Drug Induced ◽  
Related Transcription Factor ◽  
Socially Isolated

AbstractSocial isolation is a growing public health concern across the lifespan. Specifically, isolation early in life, during critical periods of brain development, increases the risk of psychiatric disorders later in life. Previous studies of isolation models in mice have shown distinct neurological abnormalities in various regions of the brain, but the mechanism linking the experience of isolation to these phenotypes is unclear. In this study, we show that ΔFosB, a long-lived transcription factor associated with chronic stress responses and drug-induced neuroplasticity, is upregulated in the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of adult C57BL/6J mice isolated for two weeks post-weaning. Additionally, a related transcription factor, FosB, is also increased in the medial prefrontal cortex in socially isolated females. These results show that short-term isolation during the critical post-weaning period has long-lasting and sex-dependent effects on gene expression in brain.

Addressing COVID-19 Worry and Social Isolation in Home-Based Primary Care

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Elizabeth Weiskittle ◽  
Michelle Mlinac ◽  
LICSW Nicole Downing
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Mental Health Providers ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Home Based Primary Care ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Socially Isolated

Social distancing measures following the outbreak of COVID-19 have led to a rapid shift to virtual and telephone care. Social workers and mental health providers in VA home-based primary care (HBPC) teams face challenges providing psychosocial support to their homebound, medically complex, socially isolated patient population who are high risk for poor health outcomes related to COVID-19. We developed and disseminated an 8-week telephone or virtual group intervention for front-line HBPC social workers and mental health providers to use with socially isolated, medically complex older adults. The intervention draws on skills from evidence-based psychotherapies for older adults including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Problem-Solving Therapy. The manual was disseminated to VA HBPC clinicians and geriatrics providers across the United States in March 2020 for expeditious implementation. Eighteen HBPC teams and three VA Primary Care teams reported immediate delivery of a local virtual or telephone group using the manual. In this paper we describe the manual’s development and clinical recommendations for its application across geriatric care settings. Future evaluation will identify ways to meet longer-term social isolation and evolving mental health needs for this patient population as the pandemic continues.

scholarly journals Converging Robotic Technologies in Targeted Neural Rehabilitation: A Review of Emerging Solutions and Challenges

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 2084
Author(s):  
Kostas Nizamis ◽  
Alkinoos Athanasiou ◽  
Sofia Almpani ◽  
Christos Dimitrousis ◽  
Alexander Astaras
Keyword(s):  
Point Of Care ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Technological Evolution ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Specific Patient ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Hybrid Solutions ◽  
New Research ◽  
Rehabilitation Robotic

Recent advances in the field of neural rehabilitation, facilitated through technological innovation and improved neurophysiological knowledge of impaired motor control, have opened up new research directions. Such advances increase the relevance of existing interventions, as well as allow novel methodologies and technological synergies. New approaches attempt to partially overcome long-term disability caused by spinal cord injury, using either invasive bridging technologies or noninvasive human–machine interfaces. Muscular dystrophies benefit from electromyography and novel sensors that shed light on underlying neuromotor mechanisms in people with Duchenne. Novel wearable robotics devices are being tailored to specific patient populations, such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, and amputated individuals. In addition, developments in robot-assisted rehabilitation may enhance motor learning and generate movement repetitions by decoding the brain activity of patients during therapy. This is further facilitated by artificial intelligence algorithms coupled with faster electronics. The practical impact of integrating such technologies with neural rehabilitation treatment can be substantial. They can potentially empower nontechnically trained individuals—namely, family members and professional carers—to alter the programming of neural rehabilitation robotic setups, to actively get involved and intervene promptly at the point of care. This narrative review considers existing and emerging neural rehabilitation technologies through the perspective of replacing or restoring functions, enhancing, or improving natural neural output, as well as promoting or recruiting dormant neuroplasticity. Upon conclusion, we discuss the future directions for neural rehabilitation research, diagnosis, and treatment based on the discussed technologies and their major roadblocks. This future may eventually become possible through technological evolution and convergence of mutually beneficial technologies to create hybrid solutions.

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