scholarly journals Creatine Supplementation and Brain Health

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamilton Roschel ◽  
Bruno Gualano ◽  
Sergej M. Ostojic ◽  
Eric S. Rawson

There is a robust and compelling body of evidence supporting the ergogenic and therapeutic role of creatine supplementation in muscle. Beyond these well-described effects and mechanisms, there is literature to suggest that creatine may also be beneficial to brain health (e.g., cognitive processing, brain function, and recovery from trauma). This is a growing field of research, and the purpose of this short review is to provide an update on the effects of creatine supplementation on brain health in humans. There is a potential for creatine supplementation to improve cognitive processing, especially in conditions characterized by brain creatine deficits, which could be induced by acute stressors (e.g., exercise, sleep deprivation) or chronic, pathologic conditions (e.g., creatine synthesis enzyme deficiencies, mild traumatic brain injury, aging, Alzheimer’s disease, depression). Despite this, the optimal creatine protocol able to increase brain creatine levels is still to be determined. Similarly, supplementation studies concomitantly assessing brain creatine and cognitive function are needed. Collectively, data available are promising and future research in the area is warranted.

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 410
Author(s):  
Julio J. Secades

Head injury is among the most devastating types of injury, specifically called Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). There is a need to diminish the morbidity related with TBI and to improve the outcome of patients suffering TBI. Among the improvements in the treatment of TBI, neuroprotection is one of the upcoming improvements. Citicoline has been used in the management of brain ischemia related disorders, such as TBI. Citicoline has biochemical, pharmacological, and pharmacokinetic characteristics that make it a potentially useful neuroprotective drug for the management of TBI. A short review of these characteristics is included in this paper. Moreover, a narrative review of almost all the published or communicated studies performed with this drug in the management of patients with head injury is included. Based on the results obtained in these clinical studies, it is possible to conclude that citicoline is able to accelerate the recovery of consciousness and to improve the outcome of this kind of patient, with an excellent safety profile. Thus, citicoline could have a potential role in the management of TBI.


SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A312-A312
Author(s):  
Andrew Le ◽  
Natalie Dailey ◽  
Michael Grandner ◽  
William Killgore

Abstract Introduction Sleep disturbances are commonly reported following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Specifically, one of these disturbances is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which involves repeated episodes of reduced upper-airway flow during sleep. When compared to the general population, OSA is reported at a much higher rate among the mTBI population. However, little research has investigated the relationship between OSA and cognitive performance among the mTBI population. We predicted that in those who suffered a mTBI, symptoms of sleep apnea would be predictive lower cognitive processing. Methods We collected data from 37 healthy controls (Mean age = 24.3 □ 5.8) and 145 participants with mTBI (Mean age = 24.3 □ 6.8), ranging from 2 weeks to 12 months post-injury. Participants completed the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) including questions indicative of OSA, such as “cannot breathe comfortably” and “cough or snore loudly” during sleep. We calculated the PSQI Sleep Disturbance (PSQI-SD) composite score, which ranged from 0 to 2. Participants completed the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM4), a novel computer-based assessment, to measure reaction time (RT). Results When comparing the percentage of participants in each group endorsing sleep disturbances on the PSQI-SD, we found a significant difference in the proportion of individuals scoring a 2 on PSQI-SD between the groups (□2(2) = 13.55, p = .001). In healthy controls, 8% scored 0, 89% scored 1, and 3% scored 2 on the PSQI-SD. In contrast, following mTBI, 1.4% scored 0, 72.4% scored 1, and 26.2% scored 2 on the PSQI-SD. Furthermore, PSQI-SD significantly predicted RT (□ = .18, p = .03) in the mTBI group, a relationship not observed in the control group (□ = .30, p = .07). Conclusion mTBI increases the incidence of sleep disturbances and symptoms related to OSA. Furthermore, sleep disturbances and OSA-related symptoms were predictive of cognitive performance in individuals who sustained a mTBI, but not healthy controls. Increases in PSQI-SD scores were associated with increased RT, indicating greater deficits in cognitive function, specifically reaction time. These data provide evidence that higher severity in respiratory symptoms relating to sleep apnea hinders cognitive processing, particularly for individuals who have suffered a mTBI. Support (if any):


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Zhang ◽  
Fengling He ◽  
Ting Li ◽  
Jinzhi Chen ◽  
Liping Jiang ◽  
...  

Exosomes are a subset of extracellular vesicles that act as messengers to facilitate communication between cells. Non-coding RNAs, proteins, lipids, and microRNAs are delivered by the exosomes to target molecules (such as proteins, mRNAs, or DNA) of host cells, thereby playing a key role in the maintenance of normal brain function. However, exosomes are also involved in the occurrence, prognosis, and clinical treatment of brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. In this review, we have summarized novel findings that elucidate the role of exosomes in the occurrence, prognosis, and treatment of brain diseases.


Author(s):  
Julio J Secades

Head injury is among the most devastating types of injury, specifically called Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). There is need to diminish the morbidity related with TBI and to improve the outcome of patients suffering TBI. Among the improvements on the treatment of TBI, neuroprotection is one of the upcoming improvements. Citicoline has been used in the management of brain ischemia related disorders, such as TBI. Citicoline has biochemical, pharmacological, and pharmacokinetic characteristics that make it a potentially useful neuroprotective drug for the management of TBI. A short review of these characteristics is included in this paper. Also, a narrative review of almost all the published or communicated studies performed with this drug in the management of patients with head injury is included. Based on the results obtained in these clinical studies, it is possible to conclude that citicoline was able to accelerate recovery of consciousness and to improve the outcome of this kind of patients, with an excellent safety profile. Thus, citicoline could have a potential role in the management of TBI.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily L. Dennis ◽  
Karen Caeyenberghs ◽  
Robert F. Asarnow ◽  
Talin Babikian ◽  
Brenda Bartnik-Olson ◽  
...  

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in children in both developed and developing nations. Children and adolescents suffer from TBI at a higher rate than the general population; however, research in this population lags behind research in adults. This may be due, in part, to the smaller number of investigators engaged in research with this population and may also be related to changes in safety laws and clinical practice that have altered length of hospital stays, treatment, and access to this population. Specific developmental issues also warrant attention in studies of children, and the ever-changing context of childhood and adolescence may require larger sample sizes than are commonly available to adequately address remaining questions related to TBI. The ENIGMA (Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Pediatric Moderate-Severe TBI (msTBI) group aims to advance research in this area through global collaborative meta-analysis. In this paper we discuss important challenges in pediatric TBI research and opportunities that we believe the ENIGMA Pediatric msTBI group can provide to address them. We conclude with recommendations for future research in this field of study.


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