Sex steroids-induced neurogenesis in adult brain: a better look at mechanisms and mediators

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamideh Abotalebi ◽  
Babak Ebrahimi ◽  
Raziyeh Shahriyari ◽  
Reyhaneh Shafieian
Keyword(s):  
Sex Steroids ◽  
Ventricular Zone ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Sex Steroid ◽  
Subgranular Zone ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Adult neurogenesis is the production of new nerve cells in the adult brain. Neurogenesis is a clear example of the neuroplasticity phenomenon which can be observed in most of mammalian species, including human beings. This phenomenon occurs, at least, in two regions of the brain: the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus in hippocampus and the ventricular zone of lateral ventricles. Numerous studies have investigated the relationship between sex steroid hormones and neurogenesis of adult brain; of which, mostly concentrated on the role of estradiol. It has been shown that estrogen plays a significant role in this process through both classic and non-classic mechanisms, including a variety of different growth factors. Therefore, the objective of this review is to investigate the role of female sex steroids with an emphasis on estradiol and also its potential implications for regulating the neurogenesis in the adult brain.

Between Mind and Brain:Final and Efficient Causation in Relation to Neuroplasticity

2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 194-208
Author(s):  
Derrick L. Hassert
Keyword(s):  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Rational Behavior ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Efficient Causation ◽  
Final Causes ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Behavior And Cognition

Reductionism is usually taken for granted in many areas of science, neuroscience and psychology being no exceptions. It is often assumed as scientific orthodoxy that human behavior can be reduced to “what the brain does” without recourse to a consideration of cognition. Although many philosophers and ethicists may seek to reduce or eliminate the concept of mind, other philosophers and ethicists have continually pointed out the logical inconsistencies of such an approach. Via a discussion of efficient and final causes in Aristotelian philosophy, I seek to argue that the understanding of human beings as rational and social creatures has guided and should continue to guide our approach to the care and treatment of the mentally ill. Observations concerning rational behavior and cognition, by necessity, have provided the benchmarks by which clinicians evaluate the effectiveness of somatic/pharmacological or psychological/ behavioral interventions: Eliminative reductionism is inappropriate in this area. In approaching issues pertaining to the relationship between human cognitive functioning and neural functioning, the distinction between capacity and vehicle will be used. However, the fact that mental and behavioral functioning can alter neuronal functioning (and vice versa) necessitates that those working with the mentally ill need to know both the efficient causes—the vehicles of certain capacities—and the role of the capacities themselves and how they relate to possible final causes in giving explanations for behavior. These issues become more significant when considering the ethics of treatment choice for those with mental disorders.

scholarly journals Regulation of Morphological and Functional Aspects of Sexual Dimorphism in the Brain

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chitose Orikasa
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Sex Steroids ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Functional Aspects ◽  
Neuronal Functions ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Neuroendocrine Functions

Sexual dimorphism of the adult brain regulates sex-dependent functions including reproductive and neuroendocrine activities in rodents. It is determined by sex steroid hormones during a critical perinatal period in female and male rodents. Sex steroids act on each nuclear receptor in the brain and control different physiological and neuroendocrine functions and behaviors. Several regions of the brain show evident morphological sex differences that are involved in their physiological functions. This review addresses and focuses largely on the role of sex-dependent differences in the brain, and their crucial functions in animal models. Particularly, recent intriguing data concerning the diversity of neuronal functions and sexual dimorphism are discussed.

Investigation of the relationship between farrowing environment, sex steroid concentrations and maternal aggression in gilts

1996 ◽  
Vol 1996 ◽  
pp. 34-34
Author(s):  
K.A. McLean ◽  
A.B. Lawrence ◽  
J.C. Petherick ◽  
L. Deans ◽  
J. Chirnside ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Steroids ◽  
Maternal Care ◽  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Social Rank ◽  
Sex Steroid ◽  
Maternal Behaviour ◽  
Maternal Aggression ◽  
The Relationship

Maternal oestrogen and progesterone have been shown to be important in the initiation of maternal behaviour (e.g. Shipka and Ford, 1991). It has also been suggested by Csermely and Nicosia (1991) that there is an association between social rank and the performance of maternal behaviour. This study investigated the relationships between social behaviour during pregnancy, levels of sex steroids around parturition and the level of maternal care shown by gilts. Sows and gilts are generally housed in farrowing crates during parturition and lactation. This study also ascertained whether or not the farrowing environment affected sex steroid concentrations.

Could Emotions Be Modelled through Information Processing?

2015 ◽  
pp. 63-82
Author(s):  
Ebrahim Oshni Alvandi
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Processing System ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Context Sensitive ◽  
Emotional Agents ◽  
The Brain

One way to evaluate cognitive processes in living or nonliving systems is by using the notion of “information processing”. Emotions as cognitive processes orient human beings to recognize, express and display themselves or their wellbeing through dynamical and adaptive form of information processing. In addition, humans behave or act emotionally in an embodied environment. The brain embeds symbols, meaning and purposes for emotions as well. So any model of natural or autonomous emotional agents/systems needs to consider the embodied features of emotions that are processed in an informational channel of the brain or a processing system. This analytical and explanatory study described in this chapter uses the pragmatic notion of information to develop a theoretical model for emotions that attempts to synthesize some essential aspects of human emotional processing. The model holds context-sensitive and purpose-based features of emotional pattering in the brain. The role of memory is discussed and an idea of control parameters that have roles in processing environmental variables in emotional patterning is introduced.

scholarly journals Kynurenic acid and cancer: facts and controversies

2019 ◽  
Vol 77 (8) ◽  
pp. 1531-1550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Walczak ◽  
Artur Wnorowski ◽  
Waldemar A. Turski ◽  
Tomasz Plech
Keyword(s):  
Kynurenic Acid ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Cancer Cell Proliferation ◽  
Gastrointestinal Microbiota ◽  
Tryptophan Metabolite ◽  
Peripheral Cells ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Kynurenic acid (KYNA) is an endogenous tryptophan metabolite exerting neuroprotective and anticonvulsant properties in the brain. However, its importance on the periphery is still not fully elucidated. KYNA is produced endogenously in various types of peripheral cells, tissues and by gastrointestinal microbiota. Furthermore, it was found in several products of daily human diet and its absorption in the digestive tract was evidenced. More recent studies were focused on the potential role of KYNA in carcinogenesis and cancer therapy; however, the results were ambiguous and the biological activity of KYNA in these processes has not been unequivocally established. This review aims to summarize the current views on the relationship between KYNA and cancer. The differences in KYNA concentration between physiological conditions and cancer, as well as KYNA production by both normal and cancer cells, will be discussed. The review also describes the effect of KYNA on cancer cell proliferation and the known potential molecular mechanisms of this activity.

Drugs and Drug Policy

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A.R. Kleiman ◽  
Jonathan P. Caulkins ◽  
Angela Hawken
Keyword(s):  
Drug Policy ◽  
Illicit Trade ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Control Drug ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Drugs And Crime ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Drug Free ◽  
The Brain

While there have always been norms and customs around the use of drugs, explicit public policies--regulations, taxes, and prohibitions--designed to control drug abuse are a more recent phenomenon. Those policies sometimes have terrible side-effects: most prominently the development of criminal enterprises dealing in forbidden (or untaxed) drugs and the use of the profits of drug-dealing to finance insurgency and terrorism. Neither a drug-free world nor a world of free drugs seems to be on offer, leaving citizens and officials to face the age-old problem: What are we going to do about drugs? In Drugs and Drug Policy, three noted authorities survey the subject with exceptional clarity, in this addition to the acclaimed series, What Everyone Needs to Know. They begin by, defining "drugs, " examining how they work in the brain, discussing the nature of addiction, and exploring the damage they do to users. The book moves on to policy, answering questions about legalization, the role of criminal prohibitions, and the relative legal tolerance for alcohol and tobacco. The authors then dissect the illicit trade, from street dealers to the flow of money to the effect of catching kingpins, and show the precise nature of the relationship between drugs and crime. They examine treatment, both its effectiveness and the role of public policy, and discuss the beneficial effects of some abusable substances. Finally they move outward to look at the role of drugs in our foreign policy, their relationship to terrorism, and the ugly politics that surround the issue. Crisp, clear, and comprehensive, this is a handy and up-to-date overview of one of the most pressing topics in today's world.

scholarly journals Sex Differences in Energy Metabolism Need to Be Considered with Lifestyle Modifications in Humans

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betty N. Wu ◽  
Anthony J. O'Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Energy Metabolism ◽  
Body Fat ◽  
Sex Steroids ◽  
Energy Homeostasis ◽  
Energy Restriction ◽  
Metabolic Effects ◽  
Lifestyle Modifications ◽  
The Relationship

Women have a higher proportion of body fat compared to men. However, women consume fewer kilojoules per kilogram lean mass and burn fat more preferentially during exercise compared with men. During gestation, women store even greater amounts of fat that cannot be solely attributed to increased energy intake. These observations suggest that the relationship between kilojoules consumed and kilojoules utilised is different in men and women. The reason for these sex differences in energy metabolism is not known; however, it may relate to sex steroids, differences in insulin resistance, or metabolic effects of other hormones such as leptin. When considering lifestyle modifications, sex differences in energy metabolism should be considered. Moreover, elucidating the regulatory role of hormones in energy homeostasis is important for understanding the pathogenesis of obesity and perhaps in the future may lead to ways to reduce body fat with less energy restriction.

scholarly journals The Change in William I. Thomas’s View of Biology

Stan Rzeczy ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 75-94
Author(s):  
Łukasz Remisiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Psychological Development ◽  
Departure Point ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain

In this article the author shows how the exploding role of biology in William Thomas’s sociology and social psychology has changed. Since the beginning of his career, this researcher addressed numerous topics that involved both biological and social factors – he commented on the nature of gender, race, instincts, prejudice and evolution. His departure point was biologism, which proclaimed that innate predispositions are a variable independent of social processes. In the following years, Thomas changed his beliefs, recognising that it was culture and society that left its mark on physiological and psychological development. The changes in Thomas’s reasoning are described by the author against the background of past and present views on the relationship between society and the brain, claiming that his late views could resonate with today’s approaches.

scholarly journals Length of the Neurogenic Period—A Key Determinant for the Generation of Upper-Layer Neurons During Neocortex Development and Evolution

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara K. Stepien ◽  
Samir Vaid ◽  
Wieland B. Huttner
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Exact Nature ◽  
Cortical Neurogenesis ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Development And Evolution

The neocortex, a six-layer neuronal brain structure that arose during the evolution of, and is unique to, mammals, is the seat of higher order brain functions responsible for human cognitive abilities. Despite its recent evolutionary origin, it shows a striking variability in size and folding complexity even among closely related mammalian species. In most mammals, cortical neurogenesis occurs prenatally, and its length correlates with the length of gestation. The evolutionary expansion of the neocortex, notably in human, is associated with an increase in the number of neurons, particularly within its upper layers. Various mechanisms have been proposed and investigated to explain the evolutionary enlargement of the human neocortex, focussing in particular on changes pertaining to neural progenitor types and their division modes, driven in part by the emergence of human-specific genes with novel functions. These led to an amplification of the progenitor pool size, which affects the rate and timing of neuron production. In addition, in early theoretical studies, another mechanism of neocortex expansion was proposed—the lengthening of the neurogenic period. A critical role of neurogenic period length in determining neocortical neuron number was subsequently supported by mathematical modeling studies. Recently, we have provided experimental evidence in rodents directly supporting the mechanism of extending neurogenesis to specifically increase the number of upper-layer cortical neurons. Moreover, our study examined the relationship between cortical neurogenesis and gestation, linking the extension of the neurogenic period to the maternal environment. As the exact nature of factors promoting neurogenic period prolongation, as well as the generalization of this mechanism for evolutionary distinct lineages, remain elusive, the directions for future studies are outlined and discussed.

Finger-based representation of mental arithmetic

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Andres ◽  
Mauro Pesenti
Keyword(s):  
Mental Arithmetic ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Imaging Studies ◽  
Simple Arithmetic ◽  
Number Representations ◽  
Fixed Order ◽  
Arithmetic Performance

Human beings are permanently required to process the world numerically and, consequently, to perform computations to adapt their behaviour and they have developed various calculation strategies, some of them based on specific manipulations of the fingers. In this chapter, we argue that the way we express physically numerical concepts by raising fingers while counting leads to embodied representations of numbers and calculation procedures in the adult brain. To illustrate this, we focus on number and finger interactions in the context of simple arithmetic operations. We show that the fixed order of fingers on the hand provides human beings with unique facilities to increment numerical changes or represent a cardinal value while solving arithmetic problems. In order to specify the influence of finger representation on mental arithmetic both at the cognitive and neural level, we review past and recent findings from behavioural, electrophysiological, and brain imaging studies. We start with anthropological and developmental data showing the role of fingers in the acquisition of arithmetic knowledge, then address the issue of whether number and finger interactions are also observed in adults solving arithmetic problems mentally. We suggest that arithmetic performance depends on the integrity of finger representations in children and adults. Finally, we overview the results of recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies showing a common brain substrate for finger and number representations during and after the acquisition of arithmetic skills.

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