Materials and Methods: The experiment was divided into short-term treatment (45 days) and long-term treatment (90 days), with each group divided into nine sub-groups consisting of six animals each. Sub-groups 1 and 2 served as normal, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) controls, respectively. Sub-groups 3-9 received sodium arsenite in drinking water (50 mg/L). In addition, sub-group 4 received NAC (210 mg/kg b.wt) orally once daily, sub-groups 5-7 received aqueous seed extract of M. pruriens (350 mg/kg b.wt, 530 mg/kg b.wt, and 700 mg/kg b.wt) orally once daily and sub-groups 8 and 9 received a combination of NAC and aqueous seed extract of M. pruriens (350 mg/kg b.wt and 530 mg/kg b.wt) orally once daily. Following the treatment, the blood was drawn retro-orbitally to assess the liver (serum alanine transaminase [ALT], serum aspartate transaminase, and serum alkaline phosphatase) and kidney (serum urea and serum creatinine) functions. Learning and memory were assessed by passive avoidance test. Animals were sacrificed by an overdose of ketamine, and their Nissl stained hippocampal sections were analyzed for alterations in neural cell numbers in CA1 and CA3 regions.
Results: In the short-term treatment, groups administered with M. pruriens 530 mg/kg b.wt alone and combination of NAC + M. pruriens 350 mg/kg b.wt exhibited a significant improvement in memory retention, less severe neurodegeneration, and decrease in serum ALT levels. In long-term treatment, groups administered with M. pruriens 700 mg/kg b.wt alone and combination of NAC+M. pruriens 350 mg/kg b.wt, respectively, showed better memory retention, decreased neural deficits, and reduced levels of kidney and liver enzymes.
Conclusion: The seed extract of M. pruriens showed significant enhancement in memory and learning. The number of surviving neurons in the CA1 and CA3 regions also increased on treatment with M. pruriens. Serum ALT, serum urea, and serum creatinine levels showed significant improvement on long-term treatment with M. pruriens.
Materials and Methods: Twenty-four pregnant rats were randomly grouped into a control group (C), a stress group (S), and a stress group treated with TH. Eight male pups from each group were randomly chosen and they were sacrificed at eight or ten weeks of age following the novel object recognition test. Their brains were removed and histological changes and levels of MDA and NMDA receptors in the hippocampus were determined.
Results: The offspring from TH group showed significantly increased preference index (p<0.05) with higher neuronal number compared to S group. A significantly lower level of MDA and NMDA receptors were shown in TH group (P<0.01; P<0.05 respectively) compared to S group. The parameters investigated were not significantly different between C and TH groups.
Conclusion: The study has shown that memory alteration, changes in hippocampus histology, MDA and NMDA receptor levels could be prevented by TH administration during prenatal stress. The results suggest the beneficial effects of Tualang honey in prenatally stressed rat offspring.
METHODS: This experimental study was done on a sample of 86 caregivers of elderly with dementia in 2018. The study sample was selected from memory clinic of Taleghani Hospital and randomly assigned into groups (intervention n = 43, control n = 43 groups). The well-being was measured using the World Health Organization - Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), before and two months after the intervention. Cyberspace-based educational intervention was conducted for one month. The SPSS software version 23 was employed in data analysis.
RESULTS: The mean age of the caregivers in the intervention and control groups were (M = 51.95, SD = 10.90) and (M = 51.36, SD = 15.12) respectively. No significant difference was found between two groups in terms of age, gender and level of education. The results of analysis showed that while the well-being of the intervention group was significantly increased (t (38) = -11.38, P<0.001) the well-being in the control group was significantly reduced ( t(36) =4.71 , P<0.001).
CONCLUSION: The findings showed that cyberspace-based education can improve the well-being of caregivers of the elderly with dementia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched PubMed and Scopus electronic databases to identify eligible reports on cognitive changes following PT of PBT according to PRISMA guidelines. Reports were extracted for information on demographics and cognitive outcomes. Then, they were systematically reviewed based on three themes: (1) comparison with photon therapy, (2) comparison with baseline cognitive measures, to population normative mean or radiotherapy-naïve PBT patients and (3) effects of dose distribution to cognition.
RESULTS: Thirteen reports (median size (range): 70 (12-144)) were included. Four reports compared the cognitive outcome between PBT patients treated with proton to photon therapy and nine compared with baseline/normative mean/radiotherapy naïve from which two reported the effects of dose distribution. Reports found significantly poorer cognitive outcome among patients treated with photon therapy compared with proton therapy especially in general cognition and working memory. Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) was consistently associated with poorer cognitive outcome while focal therapy was associated with minor cognitive change/difference. In limited reports available, higher doses to the hippocampus and temporal lobes were implicated to larger cognitive change.
CONCLUSION: Available evidence suggests that PT causes less cognitive deficits compared with photon therapy. Children who underwent focal therapy with proton were consistently shown to have low risk of cognitive deficit suggesting the need for future studies to separate them from CSI. Evidence on the effect of dose distribution to cognition in PT is yet to mature.
PURPOSE: To examine relationship between ulam consumption and the working memory and cognitive flexibility among aging adults from low-income households who are more susceptible to cognitive decline.
STUDY TYPE: Cross-sectional.
POPULATION/SUBJECTS: Thirty-two aging adults (45-75 years old).
FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: Task-based fMRI, 3.0T, T1 -weighted anatomical images, T2 *-weighted imaging data.
ASSESSMENT: The dietary and ulam consumption were assessed using the respective validated Dietary History and semiquantitative Food Frequency questionnaires. Working memory and cognitive flexibility were evaluated by using neuropsychological batteries (ie, mini-mental state examination [MMSE], Digit Span, and Rey auditory verbal learning test [RAVLT]) and task-based fMRI (N-back and Stroop Color Word Test [SCWT]). Brodmann's areas 9 and 46 were the regions of interest (ROIs) of DLPFC activation.
STATISTICAL TESTS: Multiple linear regression used to understand the relationship between ulam consumption and the working memory and cognitive flexibility, while analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare the difference of working memory and cognitive flexibility among four percentiles of ulam consumption, after age, gender, and education years adjustments. Significance was decided by two-sided, P
PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of stochastic resonance on lateralization of auditory working memory regions, and also to examine the brain-behavior relationship during stochastic resonance.
STUDY TYPE: Cross-sectional.
POPULATION/SUBJECTS: Forty healthy young adults (18-24 years old).
FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3.0T, T1 , and T2 *-weighted imaging.
ASSESSMENT: The auditory working memory performance was assessed using a backward recall task. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity during task performance. Functional MRI data were analyzed using SPM12 and WFU PickAtlas.
STATISTICAL TESTS: One-way independent analyses of variance (ANOVA) were conducted on the behavioral and functional data to examine the main effect of noise level on performance (P