Risks, urological complications and possible ways to overcome the COVID neuroinfection (clinical lecture)

In patients with coronavirus infection, the nervous system involvement is very diverse. It undeniably directly affects the function of genitourinary system and other body systems. This can be most prominently manifested in urination, the complex and complicated process of bladder emptying. These symptoms are well-known and can be identified from the very first minutes of doctor-patient communication under the condition of knowledge about the symptoms and willingness for focused identification. Conscious control of urination requires complex interactions between the autonomic (sympathetic and parasympathetic) and the somatic nervous system. Medical history is important for diagnosis. On the one hand, the information obtained is twice as subjective, being the physician’s subjective assessment of the patient’s subjective perceptions. However, one should not forget about the need for individual approach to diagnosis taking into account each patient’s characteristics. Drug therapy should be accomplished only through the joint effort of urologist and neurologist during both therapy and rehabilitation.

NEUROLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF SHAD CHAKRA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO VATA DOSHA

Chakra are believed to be part of subtle body, thought to vitalize the physical and mental status of an individual. Muladhara, Swadhishtana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha and Ajna are called Shadchakra. Ayurveda is based on Tridosha Sidhantha, in which Vata Dosha has prime control over all functions of body, renders Prana to livings. Functions and site of Vata Dosha and Shad Chakra are found to be identical in some constituents. The function of Chakra is to spin and draw in this universal life force energy to keep the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical health of the body in balance. Prana Vata is seen related with Ajna Chakra, Udana Vata with Vishuddha Chakra, Vyana Vata with Anahata Chakra, Samana Vata with Manipura Chakra, Apana Vata with Muladhara and Swadhishtana Chakra respectively. Vata Dosha prompts all types of actions, coordinates physical and mental activities, likewise Chakra modulate the flow of subtle energy. Movement of energy is vital to life and the energetic process in body is caused by nervous system. The autonomic and somatic nervous system is most relevant with action of Chakra dealing with involuntary and voluntary response of the body as per need.

The connectome of the Caenorhabditis elegans pharynx

Detailed anatomical maps of individual organs and entire animals have served as invaluable entry points for ensuing dissection of their evolution, development, and function. The pharynx of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a simple neuromuscular organ with a self-contained, autonomously acting nervous system, composed of 20 neurons that fall into 14 anatomically distinct types. Using serial EM reconstruction, we re-evaluate here the connectome of the pharyngeal nervous system, providing a novel and more detailed view of its structure and predicted function. Contrasting the previous classification of pharyngeal neurons into distinct inter- and motorneuron classes, we provide evidence that most pharyngeal neurons are also likely sensory neurons and most, if not all, pharyngeal neurons also classify as motorneurons. Together with the extensive cross-connectivity among pharyngeal neurons, which is more widespread than previously realized, the sensory-motor characteristics of most neurons define a shallow network architecture of the pharyngeal connectome. Network analysis reveals that the patterns of neuronal connections are organized into putative computational modules that reflect the known functional domains of the pharynx. Compared to the somatic nervous system, pharyngeal neurons both physically associate with a larger fraction of their neighbors and create synapses with a greater proportion of their neighbors. We speculate that the overall architecture of the pharyngeal nervous system may be reminiscent of the architecture of ancestral, primitive nervous systems.

Dissonance of Selected Neuroscience Techniques at Detection of Emotions in Advertising Spots

In addition to advanced brain imaging techniques and growing interest in the study of consumer reactions with influence of marketing stimuli a new interdisciplinary study has developed on a borderland of neuroscience, economic and psychological studies – neuromarketing. Despite a certain form of insecurity whether the brain imaging technologies provide useful information for control of marketing, more and more marketers identify with their application in conventional market research. The main aim of this contribution is to clarify the influence of a selected advertising spot on the final emotional state of consumers by researching a brain activity of respondents and activity of somatic nervous system, specifically the face expressions. Cortical brain activity was detected by 16channel wireless electroencephalograph by Epoc and changes of mimic muscles were monitored by a biometric device the Facereader by Noldus. The subject of the research is the dissonance of the selected neuroscience techniques with influence of chosen advertising emotional appeals like fear, disgust and sadness. In the end of our contribution, the way of using the neuroscience technology and psychology for detection of consumer emotional involvement of consumers is explained.

The Contribution ofα-Synuclein Spreading to Parkinson’s Disease Synaptopathy

Synaptopathies are diseases with synapse defects as shared pathogenic features, encompassing neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). In sporadic PD, the most common age-related neurodegenerative movement disorder, nigrostriatal dopaminergic deficits are responsible for the onset of motor symptoms that have been related toα-synuclein deposition at synaptic sites. Indeed,α-synuclein accumulation can impair synaptic dopamine release and induces the death of nigrostriatal neurons. While in physiological conditions the protein can interact with and modulate synaptic vesicle proteins and membranes, numerous experimental evidences have confirmed that its pathological aggregation can compromise correct neuronal functioning. In addition, recent findings indicate thatα-synuclein pathology spreads into the brain and can affect the peripheral autonomic and somatic nervous system. Indeed, monomeric, oligomeric, and fibrillaryα-synuclein can move from cell to cell and can trigger the aggregation of the endogenous protein in recipient neurons. This novel “prion-like” behavior could further contribute to synaptic failure in PD and other synucleinopathies. This review describes the major findings supporting the occurrence ofα-synuclein pathology propagation in PD and discusses how this phenomenon could induce or contribute to synaptic injury and degeneration.

Homing in on consciousness in the nervous system: An action-based synthesis

What is the primary function of consciousness in the nervous system? The answer to this question remains enigmatic, not so much because of a lack of relevant data, but because of the lack of a conceptual framework with which to interpret the data. To this end, we have developedPassive Frame Theory, an internally coherent framework that, from an action-based perspective, synthesizes empirically supported hypotheses from diverse fields of investigation. The theory proposes that the primary function of consciousness is well-circumscribed, serving thesomatic nervous system. For this system, consciousness serves as a frame that constrains and directs skeletal muscle output, thereby yielding adaptive behavior. The mechanism by which consciousness achieves this is more counterintuitive, passive, and “low level” than the kinds of functions that theorists have previously attributed to consciousness. Passive frame theory begins to illuminate (a) what consciousness contributes to nervous function, (b) how consciousness achieves this function, and (c) the neuroanatomical substrates of conscious processes. Our untraditional, action-based perspective focuses on olfaction instead of on vision and isdescriptive(describing the products of nature as they evolved to be) rather thannormative(construing processes in terms of how they should function). Passive frame theory begins to isolate the neuroanatomical, cognitive-mechanistic, and representational (e.g., conscious contents) processes associated with consciousness.