scholarly journals Lay Public View of Neuroscience and Science-Based Brain Health Recommendations in Slovenia

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nastja Tomat ◽  
Matej Perovnik ◽  
Gaj Vidmar ◽  
Vesna van Midden ◽  
Sara Fabjan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Science Communication ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Public Knowledge ◽  
Brain Disorders ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Preventive Practices ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Lay Public ◽  
Active Care

Background: Brain health is one of the cornerstones of a long and full life. Active care for brain health and reduction of lifestyle-related risks for brain disorders may be a key strategy in tackling the growing prevalence of mental and neurological illnesses. Public knowledge, perception, and preventive behavior need to be considered in the planning of effective strategies for brain health promotion. Our research is the first effort aimed at assessing Slovenian lay public knowledge, search and use of scientific information about the brain, and care for brain health.Methods: An online survey was used to gather data for descriptive and associative statistical analyses of a sample of the Slovenian public (n = 2568) in August 2017. Participants with formal brain-related education were excluded, leaving the remaining sample of the lay public (n = 1012). Demographic characteristics and information regarding the perceived importance and knowledge of brain health and engagement in preventive behaviors of participants were collected, and key associative analyses were carried out.Results: The majority of respondents (89%) considered brain health to be important. Over one-third (39%) considered their knowledge of the brain as sufficient relative to their needs. Most of the respondents identified science-recommended practices to be important for brain health. No recommendation was followed daily by the majority of the respondents, primarily due to declared lack of time (59%), and lack of information (32%). Information was obtained primarily from television (38%), followed by newspapers and magazines (31%), the Internet (31%), and direct conversations (27%). However, the highest-rated, preferred source of information was lectured by experts. One-third of our sample struggled with the trustworthiness of information sources. Female gender and older age were associated with a higher frequency of healthy practices. Personal or familial diagnoses of brain disorders were not associated with a higher frequency of the behavior in favor of brain health, but did affect available time and perceived value of preventive practices.Conclusions: Our research provides an initial insight into the perceptions, knowledge, and brain health-promoting behavior of the Slovenian lay public. Our findings can inform future strategies for science communication, public education and engagement, and policy-making to improve lifelong active care for brain health.

scholarly journals Assessing knowledge, concerns, and risk perceptions among Italian medical students during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manfredi Greco ◽  
Elisa Maietti ◽  
Flavia Rallo ◽  
Chiara Reno ◽  
Davide Trerè ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Volunteer Work ◽  
Risk Of Infection ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Preventive Practices ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONDuring the first phase of COVID-19 pandemic, Italian medical students transitioned from in-person to remote learning. This study was carried out to early assess students’ sources of information, perceived risk of infection, knowledge and preventive practices in order to resume academic activity. The impact of training and volunteer work was also assessed.METHODSA cross-sectional online survey was conducted in May 2020 among medical students enrolled in the School of Medicine and Surgery, Bologna University.RESULTSThe analysis included 537 responses. On average students used seven sources of information on COVID-19. Scientific journals were considered the most trustworthy but they ranked only 6th in the frequency of use. Perceived risk of infection was higher for academic activities, especially in the hospital than daily living activities. Less than 50% of students reported being trained on biological risk and use of PPE. Training received was significantly associated with both perceived risk of infection and confidence in the use of PPE. Students engaged in volunteer work had higher confidence in PPE usage.DISCUSSIONAccessible scientific information and students’ engagement in spreading correct knowledge play an important role in challenging misinformation during the pandemic crisis. Students showed suboptimal knowledge about PPE use, calling for additional training. We found a moderate-high perceived risk of infection that could be mitigated with specific educational programs and by promoting voluntary work. Students’ engagement in public health emergencies (PHE) could potentially be beneficial for their training and as well as for the healthcare system.

scholarly journals Healthy Meal, Happy Brain: How Diet Affects Brain Functioning

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatima Ahmad ◽  
Hiba Hasan ◽  
Samar Abdelhady ◽  
Walaa Fakih ◽  
Nawara Osman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attention And Memory ◽  
Brain Disorders ◽  
Omega 3 Fatty Acids ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Brain Functioning ◽  
Unhealthy Diet ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Complex Organ

Do you know that the foods you eat impact your health? Most importantly, what you eat can have negative effects on the most complex organ in your body: your brain! Amazingly, the food you eat affects neurons, which are the major cells of the brain. In the brain, an unhealthy diet that is rich in fats and sugars causes inflammation of neurons and inhibits the formation of new neurons. This can affect the way the brain works and contribute to brain disorders like depression. On the other hand, a diet that contains healthy nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, is beneficial for brain health. Such a diet improves the formation of neurons and leads to improved thinking, attention, and memory. In sum, a healthy diet makes the brain happy, so we should all pay attention to what we eat.

scholarly journals Disrupted prevention: condom and contraception access and use among young adults during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey

2021 ◽  
pp. bmjsrh-2020-200975
Author(s):  
Ruth Lewis ◽  
Carolyn Blake ◽  
Michal Shimonovich ◽  
Nicky Coia ◽  
Johann Duffy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Initial Response ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Routine Practice ◽  
Sexual Risk Taking ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Preventive Practices

BackgroundThe initial response to COVID-19 in the UK involved a rapid contraction of face-to-face sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and widespread use of remote workarounds. This study sought to illuminate young people’s experiences of accessing and using condoms and contraception in the early months of the pandemic.MethodsWe analysed data, including open-text responses, from an online survey conducted in June–July 2020 with a convenience sample of 2005 16–24-year-olds living in Scotland.ResultsAmong those who used condoms and contraception, one quarter reported that COVID-19 mitigation measures had made a difference to their access or use. Open-text responses revealed a landscape of disrupted prevention, including changes to sexual risk-taking and preventive practices, unwanted contraceptive pathways, unmet need for sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, and switches from freely provided to commercially sold condoms and contraception. Pandemic-related barriers to accessing free condoms and contraception included: (1) uncertainty about the legitimacy of accessing SRH care and self-censorship of need; (2) confusion about differences between SRH care and advice received from healthcare professionals during the pandemic compared with routine practice; and (3) exacerbation of existing access barriers, alongside reduced social support and resources to navigate SRH care.ConclusionsEmerging barriers to STI and pregnancy prevention within the context of COVID-19 have the potential to undermine positive SRH practices, and widen inequalities, among young people. As SRH services are restored amid evolving pandemic restrictions, messaging to support navigation of condom and contraception services should be co-created with young people.

scholarly journals Public knowledge, preferences and experiences about medical substitute decision-making: a national cross-sectional survey

2021 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002619
Author(s):  
Marcus Sellars ◽  
Julien Tran ◽  
Linda Nolte ◽  
Ben White ◽  
Craig Sinclair ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Public Knowledge ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Medical Decisions ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Minimal Support ◽  
Substitute Decision Maker ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
Advance Care

ObjectiveTo describe the Australian adult public’s knowledge and experiences regarding substitute decision-making for medical decisions and their preferences for obtaining information about the substitute decision-maker (SDM) role.MethodsThis is a national cross-sectional online survey of the Australian adult public. The survey examined participants’ advance care planning (ACP) awareness and experience, SDM experiences and preferences for obtaining more information about SDM, and participant knowledge about SDM.ResultsOf 1586 people who opened the survey, 1120 (70.6%) were included in the final sample. 13% (n=142) of participants indicated they had acted as an SDM. A median score of two correct responses out of five showed low to moderate knowledge about the SDM role among all participants, with only 33% reporting awareness of SDM laws existing in Australia. While most (59%) participants ranked a health professional as their preferred source of obtaining information about supporting SDMs, few participants who had been an SDM (n=64, 45%) reported obtaining any support in making medical decisions. The median SDM knowledge scores for people who had discussed ACP (3.0 vs 2.0, U=1 45 222, z=6.910, p<0.001), documented their ACP preferences (3.0 vs 2.0, U=71 984, z=4.087, p<0.001) or acted in the SDM role (3.0 vs 2.0, U=56 353, z=−3.694, p<0.001) were significantly higher compared with those who had not.ConclusionsThe Australian public may have low to moderate knowledge about the SDM role and access only minimal support when making challenging medical decisions.

scholarly journals Social Volunteering in Aging Adults Increases Regions of the Amygdala and Correlates With Enhanced Generativity

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 795-795
Author(s):  
Michelle Carlson
Keyword(s):  
Social Engagement ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Volunteer Program ◽  
Intention To Treat ◽  
Intervention Impact ◽  
Aging Adults ◽  
The Brain

Abstract The Brain Health Study (BHS) of the Baltimore Experience Corps Trial (BECT) examined whether a randomized, controlled trial of an intergenerational social volunteer program, entitled Experience Corps, increased subregions of the amygdala related to socioemotional memory and risk for Alzheimer’s disease in aging adults. We further assessed functional correlates of these intervention-related changes and changes in aging adults’ developmental need to be generative, or, to give back to the well-being of others. The BHS simultaneously randomized 112 men and women (59 intervention; 53 control) within BECT to evaluate intervention impact on biomarkers of brain health at baseline and annual follow-ups during the two-year trial. Intention-to-treat analyses revealed program-specific increases in the shape of the centromedial and basomedial regions of the left amygdala (p’s≤0.05 adjusted), which were correlated with increases in generativity (p’s =0.06). Meaningful social engagement buffered amygdalar declines important to preservation of emotionally salient memory and risk for dementia. Part of a symposium sponsored by Brain Interest Group.

Abstract MP16: Excessive White Matter Hyperintensity Burden and Functional Outcomes After Acute Ischemic Stroke

Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sungmin Hong ◽  
Anne-katrin Giese ◽  
Markus D Schirmer ◽  
Adrian V Dalca ◽  
Anna Bonkhoff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Functional Outcomes ◽  
Life Time ◽  
Stroke Recovery ◽  
White Matter Hyperintensity ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Stroke Outcomes ◽  
The Brain

Objective: Ability of the brain to recover after an acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is linked to the pre-stroke burden of white matter hyperintensity (WMH), a radiographic marker of brain health. We sought to determine the excessive WMH burden in an AIS population and investigate its association with 3-month stroke outcomes. Data: We used 2,435 subjects from the MRI-GENIE study. Three-month functional outcomes of 872 subjects among those subjects were measured by 90-day modified Ranking Scale (mRS). Methods: We automatically quantified WMH volume (WMHv) on FLAIR images and adjusted for a brain volume. We modeled a trend using the factor analysis (FA) log-linear regression using age, sex, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease and smoking as input variables. We categorized three WMH burden groups based on the conditional probability given by the model (LOW: lower 33%, MED: middle 34%, and HIGH: upper 33%). The subgroups were compared with respect to mRS (median and dichotomized odds ratio (OR) (good/poor: mRS 0-2/3-6)). Results: Five FA components out of seven with significant relationship to WMHv (p<0.001) were used for the regression modeling (R 2 =0.359). The HIGH group showed higher median (median=2, IQR=2) mRS score than LOW (median=1, IQR=1) and MED (median=1, IQR=1). The odds (OR) of good AIS outcome for LOW and MED were 1.8 (p=0.0001) and 1.6 (p=0.006) times higher than HIGH, respectively. Conclusion: Once accounted for clinical covariates, the excessive WMHv was associated with worse 3-month stroke outcomes. These data suggest that a life-time of injury to the white matter reflected in WMH is an important factor for stroke recovery and an indicator of the brain health.

Atlas of 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT brain perfusion in pediatric brain disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saleh A Othman ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Brain Perfusion ◽  
Brain Disorders ◽  
Hmpao Spect ◽  
Perfusion Scan ◽  
Pediatric Brain ◽  
The Brain ◽  
99Mtc Hmpao

Background: Blood flow to the brain is in parallel with brain metabolism in almost all brain disorders except in brain tumors and therefore regional cerebral blood flow can be used as a marker of metabolic brain activity and hence it is closely linked to neuronal activity, the activity distribution is presumed to reflect neuronal activity levels in different areas of the brain. Purpose: The aim of this work is to demonstrate to pediatrician in general and pediatric neurologist in particular the variations in cerebral perfusion during normal development which should be taken into consideration at the time of interpreting SPECT brain perfusion scan in different pediatric brain disorders. Method: Brain SPECT was performed 10 minutes after an intravenous injection of 11.1 MBq/kg (0.3 mCi/kg), and the minimum dose is 185 MBq (5 mCi) of 99mTc-HMPAO (4). Results: This was a retrospective analysis of SPECT brain perfusion scan of pediatric patients performed between October 2015 and December 2019 at our institution. We selected normal and abnormal studies in pediatric population with age range (5 months - 14 years). Conclusion: Although anatomic cross sectional imaging give details of neurological structural changes, SPECT perfusion mirrors indirectly both metabolic and neuronal activity changes. Therefore, accurate interpretation of SPECT perfusion will consolidate its role as part of the diagnostic protocol and used when the findings of other imaging modalities do not explain the symptoms or fail partially or completely in determining the etiology of brain disorders in pediatric patients.

scholarly journals Big data to smart data in Alzheimer's disease: The brain health modeling initiative to foster actionable knowledge

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1014-1021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo Geerts ◽  
Penny A. Dacks ◽  
Viswanath Devanarayan ◽  
Magali Haas ◽  
Zaven S. Khachaturian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Actionable Knowledge ◽  
Smart Data ◽  
The Brain

scholarly journals Generation of Vascularized Brain Organoids to Study Neurovascular Interactions

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen-Ge Luo ◽  
Xin-Yao Sun ◽  
Xiang-Chun Ju ◽  
Yang Li ◽  
Peng-Ming Zeng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Development ◽  
Neural Development ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Aging Process ◽  
Neural Progenitors ◽  
Brain Disorders ◽  
Specific Population ◽  
Neurovascular Interactions ◽  
The Brain

The recently developed brain organoids have been used to recapitulate the processes of brain development and related diseases. However, the lack of vasculatures, which regulate neurogenesis, brain disorders, and aging process, limits the utility of brain organoids. In this study, we induced vessel and brain organoids respectively, and then fused two types of organoids together to obtain vascularized brain organoids. The fused brain organoids were engrafted with robust vascular network-like structures, and exhibited increased number of neural progenitors, in line with the possibility that vessels regulate neural development. Fusion organoids also contained functional blood-brain-barrier (BBB)-like structures, as well as microglial cells, a specific population of immune cells in the brain. The incorporated microglia responded actively to immune stimuli to the fused brain organoids. Thus, the fusion organoids established in this study allow modeling interactions between the neuronal and non-neuronal components in vitro, in particular the vasculature and microglia niche.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document