Cognitive Deficiency in Cannabis Consumers

While being the most abused psychoactive substance (PS), cannabis is also the least researched PS (especially) in Indonesia. Since 24% of total PS abusers within the last year is students, we could only form an a priori on what cannabis consumption might lead to for the cognitive functions of the students. A study to explore what would happen to cognitive functions due to cannabis consumption is important. This article aims (1) to explore the effects induced by cannabis to human cognitive functions and (2) to explore which part of the brain correlated with cognitive functions affected by cannabis consumption. We conduct a literature review to answer the questions. This article shows that there is no clear conclusion whether cannabis induced positive or negative effects to human cognitive functions. It is due to various sampling technique used by the studies cited within this article. Several rationalizations stated to support our finding.

Ambiguous Self-Induced Disinformation (ASID) Attacks: Weaponizing a Cognitive Deficiency

Humans quickly and effortlessly impose narrative context onto ambiguous stimuli, as demonstrated through psychological projective testing and ambiguous figures. We suggest that this feature of human cognition may be weaponized as part of an information operation. Such Ambiguous Self-Induced Disinformation (ASID) attacks would employ the following elements: the introduction of a culturally consistent narrative, the presence of ambiguous stimuli, the motivation for hypervigilance, and a social network. ASID attacks represent a reduced-risk, low-investment on the part of the adversary with a potentially significant reward, making this a likely tactic of choice for information operators within the context of gray-zone conflicts.

Cognitions and chronic cerebrovascular disease (small vessel disease)

Vascular cognitive diseases (VCD) are the conditions when cerebrovascular diseases result in cognitive impairment. However, these diseases can lead by themselves to cognitive deficiency and amount to 15–30 % of dementia cases. It is important that age-associated cognitive impairments commonly resulted from comorbid vascular and neurogenerative pathologies. Among many mechanisms involving in VCD, cerebral small vessel disease is likely to be the most common and results in cognitive impairment regardless of the stroke. VCD is characterized by abnormalities affecting the brain structure and functioning of small vessels and manifests itself in numerous neuroimaging and neurologic signs. Cerebral small vessel disease is associated with various sporadic and hereditary diseases, which is the effect of the complex interrelation of genetic and vascular risk factors. The prevalence of cerebral small vessel disease increases with age, and the two most common sporadic types are arteriolosclerosis, which may be called hypertensive arteriopathy, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. New approaches to the therapy enable to use the drugs directed at this pathology, which are available in Ukraine, particularly Ticolin and Dinar.

Cognitive Deficiencies pathophysiology are mainly an unknown area. Curing the neurological conditions could be an objective for gene therapy

Currently, it appears that the pathophysiology of Cognitive Deficiency (CD) is mostly uncharted territory. In this study, we used both clinical research and mouse models to identify the reported Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) symptoms and to explain how tissue damage occurs in SLE, which helps us develop optimal therapies for CD. The primary goal of treatment is to cure the neurological problem, rather than repair the immunological issues. It should be noted that CD develops even in the absence of flares, indicating that treating it would need much more intensive immunosuppression with more damage. For further study on CD, it will be necessary to collaborate amongst neurologists, rheumatologists, and immunologists. This work would succeed by advancing the ability to unveil or hide the fundamental mechanism of CD.

Congenital hypothyroidism impairs spine growth of dentate granule cells by downregulation of CaMKIV

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH), a common neonatal endocrine disorder, can result in cognitive deficits if delay in diagnose and treatment. Dentate gyrus (DG) is the severely affected subregion of the hippocampus by the CH, where the dentate granule cells (DGCs) reside in. However, how CH impairs the cognitive function via affecting DGCs and the underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated. In the present study, the CH model of rat pups was successfully established, and the aberrant dendrite growth of the DGCs and the impaired cognitive behaviors were observed in the offspring. Transcriptome analysis of hippocampal tissues following rat CH successfully identified that calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CaMKIV) was the prominent regulator involved in mediating deficient growth of DGC dendrites. CaMKIV was shown to be dynamically regulated in the DG subregion of the rats following drug-induced CH. Interference of CaMKIV expression in the primary DGCs significantly reduced the spine density of dendrites, while addition of T3 to the primary DGCs isolated from CH pups could facilitate the spine growth of dendrites. Insights into relevant mechanisms revealed that CH-mediated CaMKIV deficiency resulted in the significant decrease of phosphorylated CREB in DGCs, in association with the abnormality of dendrites. Our results have provided a distinct cell type in hippocampus that is affected by CH, which would be beneficial for the treatment of CH-induced cognitive deficiency.

Ganoderic Acid A Promotes Amyloid-β Clearance (In Vitro) and Ameliorates Cognitive Deficiency in Alzheimer’s Disease (Mouse Model) Through Autophagy Induced by Activating Axl

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is thought to be caused by amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation in the central nervous system due to deficient clearance. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of ganoderic acid A (GAA) on Aβ clearance in microglia and its anti-AD activity. Aβ degradation in BV2 microglial cells was determined using an intracellular Aβ clearance assay. GAA stimulated autophagosome formation via the Axl receptor tyrosine kinase (Axl)/RAC/CDC42-activated kinase 1 (Pak1) pathway was determined by Western blot analyses, and fluorescence-labeled Aβ42 was localized in lysosomes in confocal laser microscopy images. The in vivo anti-AD activity of GAA was evaluated by object recognition and Morris water maze (MWM) tests in an AD mouse model following intracerebroventricular injection of aggregated Aβ42. The autophagy level in the hippocampus was assayed by immunohistochemical assessment against microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light-chain 3B (LC3B). Intracellular Aβ42 levels were significantly reduced by GAA treatment in microglial cells. Additionally, GAA activated autophagy according to increased LC3B-II levels, with this increased autophagy stimulated by upregulating Axl and Pak1 phosphorylation. The effect of eliminating Aβ by GAA through autophagy was reversed by R428, an Axl inhibitor, or IPA-3, a Pak1 inhibitor. Consistent with the cell-based assay, GAA ameliorated cognitive deficiency and reduced Aβ42 levels in an AD mouse model. Furthermore, LC3B expression in the hippocampus was up-regulated by GAA treatment, with these GAA-specific effects abolished by R428. GAA promoted Aβ clearance by enhancing autophagy via the Axl/Pak1 signaling pathway in microglial cells and ameliorated cognitive deficiency in an AD mouse model.

COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS AFTER CEREBRAL STROKE

Cognitive deficiency is often present and recognized in patients – stroke-survivors in different stages of strokes. This is a huge problem of the modern society because patients with cognitive decline have less rehabilitation capacities, less motivation, more risks of the second vascular event. We analyzed the results of our clinical tests in a small number of patients who were hospitalized for medical-and-psychological rehabilitation. We performed several assessments for evaluating cognitive and psychological deficiency in them. The mean age of our patients was 63 years, and more than 75% of them had strokes in carotid arteries. We diagnosed mild (60%) and moderate (33.4%) cognitive impairment in this cohort. The group was asked to give their opinion about the quality of life that they had. The mean number was 5.7 out of 10 using visual analogues scale. The lower were the cognitive functions, the less obvious were emotional problems and affective disorders in the patients of this study. Cognitive rehabilitation is one of the modern and promising directions in rehabilitation medicine. Research papers published worldwide and some results of this pilot study indicate the better prognosis for patients with less cognitive impairment.

IntelligenceGym — is an effective tool to improve cognitive functions in the elderly

Aim. The aim of our study was to verify the effectiveness of the innovative IntelligenceGym training in improving cognitive abilities in the elderly.Material and methods. We developed an original training method that requires interaction between motor and cognitive functions. In our study 123 women and 89 men, aged 68–76 were examined. The inclusion criteria were Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores of 23 to 25 at inclusion, autonomy in walking, medical certification to participate in light physical activity. We have proposed to the participants to attend IntelligenceGym training one hour twice a week for 24 weeks. Cognitive performance was assessed before and after intervention included MMSE, Forward and Backward Digit Span Test, Rey’s Auditory Verbal Learning test (RAVLT), TMT-A, TMT-B. Moreover, motor performance was tested by using the Time Up and Go (TUG) test.Results.The cognitive assessment after IntelligenceGym training showed statistically significant improvement in all the scores tested (t-test performed). The results showed that participants of the IntelligenceGym training had particularly improved performance in Digit Span, MMSE and TMT-B tests and also improvements in motor TUG test.Conclusion. These findings indicate that the IntelligenceGym training is an efficient tool to improve cognitive performance in older adults with borderline or mild cognitive deficiency.

Moyamoya Disease: The Intersection of Medical Illness and Mental Distress in Children and Adolescents

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a progressive vascular disorder in where the carotid artery becomes narrowed, reducing blood flow to the brain. This most commonly presents as stroke in children and young adults, and commonly occurs between 5 and 10 years of age in children and between 30 and 50 years of age. In MMD survivors, the mental disorders are of highest prevalence which include depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to studies, anxiety and PTSD are associated with neurological disability, while depression and anxiety are associated with greater cognitive deficiency. The purpose of this case is to increase awareness of an unusual presentation of MMD as psychiatry disorder. It is important for early diagnosis and timely intervention.