Publications by authors named "Natalia Arias"

Introduction: Social media significantly impacts body image perception, particularly on visually driven platforms that propagate idealized, edited images. These platforms reinforce unrealistic beauty standards, contributing to body dissatisfaction and mental health issues such as anxiety and eating disorders. Movements like body positivity advocate for diverse body acceptance and challenge these ideals, yet questions remain about its long-term efficacy in reshaping body image perceptions and promoting psychological wellness.

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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are linked by shared genetic mutations and overlapping clinical features, forming a clinical spectrum. This systematic review and meta-analysis analysed 97 studies, including 3212 patients with key ALS/FTD gene mutations, to identify gene-specific behavioural profiles. () mutations were strongly associated with psychotic symptoms and aggression, while () mutations had minimal cognitive effects.

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Introduction: The escalating prevalence of obesity presents a multifaceted challenge involving genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors, with significant public health implications. Photobiomodulation (PBM) may positively influence metabolic activities in adipose cells and regulate inflammation, potentially impacting obesity.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess the effects of transabdominal PBM treatments in preclinical and clinical obesity studies, covering a range of physical, psychological, and physiological variables.

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Purpose: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a prevalent disease caused by high fat and high cholesterol intake, which leads to systemic deterioration. The aim of this research is to conduct a psychobiological exploration of MASH in adult male rats.

Methods: Subjects who were administered a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet for 14 weeks.

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Unlabelled: A systematic review and meta-analysis examined the impact of gut microbiota in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Dysbiosis may influence neurodegeneration by affecting gut permeability and neurotrophic factors, leading to cognitive decline. The study analyzed microbiome differences between patients with AD and healthy individuals, as well as the impact of various interventions in both preclinical and clinical studies.

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Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) studies often aim to measure changes in the brain's hemodynamic response in relation to a specific intervention. We recently showed how a fNIRS device could induce photobiomodulatory effects on cognition by using its near-infrared (NIR) light. However, so far, fNIRS research has overlooked the stimulatory potential intrinsic to this technique.

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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons, resulting in muscle weakness, paralysis, and eventually patient mortality. In recent years, neuromodulation techniques have emerged as promising potential therapeutic approaches to slow disease progression and improve the quality of life of ALS patients. A systematic review was conducted until August 8, 2023, to evaluate the neuromodulation methods used and their potential in the treatment of ALS.

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Article Synopsis
  • The text discusses the lack of research on the impact of climate change on cancer care in Colombia, focusing on insights from oncology nurses in Valle del Cauca and Antioquia.
  • It emphasizes the importance of patient-centered communication and how nurses help patients understand strategies to mitigate health effects from climate change.
  • The conclusion calls for further research on communication practices among oncology nurses in other Colombian hospitals, considering cultural factors, cancer stigma, and barriers to care in addressing climate change challenges in health.
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal, adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive muscular weakness due to the selective loss of motor neurons. Mutations in the gene Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) were identified as one cause of ALS. Here, we report that mutations in FUS lead to upregulation of synaptic proteins, increasing synaptic activity and abnormal release of vesicles at the synaptic cleft.

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Physical activity has been demonstrated to have a significant impact on gut microbial diversity and function. Emerging research has revealed certain aspects of the complex interactions between the gut, exercise, microbiota, and neurodegenerative diseases, suggesting that changes in gut microbial diversity and metabolic function may have an impact on the onset and progression of neurological conditions. This study aimed to review the current literature from several databases until 1 June 2023 (PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) on the interplay between the gut, physical exercise, microbiota, and neurodegeneration.

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Article Synopsis
  • Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is traditionally used to measure brain activity by detecting changes in tissue oxygenation through near-infrared light.
  • Recent studies indicate that fNIRS can also potentially enhance neural activity through a process known as photobiomodulation (PBM), rather than just serving as a measurement tool.
  • In experiments, healthy participants using an active fNIRS device experienced faster reaction times and improved accuracy on cognitive tests, while a control group using a non-functional device showed no benefits, suggesting that the neuromodulatory effects of fNIRS should be further explored in future research.
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Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been implemented as a prevention against HIV; however, its impact on mental health, sexual and life satisfaction has not been addressed.

Method: We assessed 114 HIV-negative participants from Spain with ages ranging from 19 to 58 years; 60.5% were PrEP users ( n = 69) and 39.

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Gut microbiota dysbiosis plays a significant role in the progression of liver disease, and no effective drugs are available for the full spectrum. In this study, we aimed to explore the dynamic changes of gut microbiota along the liver disease spectrum, together with the changes in cognition and brain metabolism. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups reflecting different stages of liver disease: control diet (NC); high-fat, high-cholesterol diet (HFHC), emulating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; control diet + thioacetamide (NC + TAA), simulating acute liver failure; and high-fat, high-cholesterol diet + thioacetamide (HFHC + TAA) to assess the effect of the superimposed damages.

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Oxidative stress has been recognized as a contributing factor in aging and in the progression of multiple neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's dementia, ischemic stroke, and head and spinal cord injury. The increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, altered metal homeostasis, and compromised brain antioxidant defence. All these changes have been reported to directly affect synaptic activity and neurotransmission in neurons, leading to cognitive dysfunction.

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Hexanucleotide repeat expansions in C9orf72 are the most common cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The mechanisms by which the expansions cause disease are not properly understood but a favoured route involves its translation into dipeptide repeat (DPR) polypeptides, some of which are neurotoxic. However, the precise targets for mutant C9orf72 and DPR toxicity are not fully clear, and damage to several neuronal functions has been described.

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Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been largely used in neuroscience as an alternative non-invasive neuroimaging technique, primarily to measure the oxygenation levels of cerebral haemoglobin. Its portability and relative robustness against motion artefacts made it an ideal method to measure cerebral blood changes during physical activity. Usually referred to as 'functional' NIRS (fNIRS) when used to monitor brain changes during motor or cognitive tasks, this technique often involves the montage the probes on the forehead of the participants to gauge the neurophysiological underpinning of executive functioning.

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Metabolism and nutrition have a significant role in epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation, which can influence gene expression. Recently, it has been suggested that bioactive nutrients and gut microbiota can alter DNA methylation in the central nervous system (CNS) through the gut-brain axis, playing a crucial role in modulating CNS functions and, finally, behavior. Here, we will focus on the effect of metabolic signals in shaping brain DNA methylation during adulthood.

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A hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) with synaptic dysfunction identified as an early pathological hallmark. Although TDP-43 pathology and overt neurodegeneration are largely absent from the cerebellum, the pathological hallmarks of RNA foci and dipeptide repeat protein (DPR) inclusions are most abundant. Here, we present a systematic literature search in the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science and Science Direct up until March 5, 2021, which yielded 19,515 publications.

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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a complex neurodegenerative disease caused by degeneration of motor neurons (MNs). ALS pathogenic features include accumulation of misfolded proteins, glutamate excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction at distal axon terminals, and neuronal cytoskeleton changes. Synergies between loss of C9orf72 functions and gain of function by toxic effects of repeat expansions also contribute to C9orf72-mediated pathogenesis.

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Aging is inevitable and it is one of the major contributors to cognitive decline. However, the mechanisms underlying age-related cognitive decline are still the object of extensive research. At the biological level, it is unknown how the aging brain is subjected to progressive oxidative stress and neuroinflammation which determine, among others, mitochondrial dysfunction.

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Objectives: To analyse the physical activity carried out by the adolescents in the study, its relationship to being overweight (overweight+obese) and to analyse the structure of the social network of friendship established in adolescents doing group sports, using different parameters indicative of centrality.

Setting: It was carried out in an educational environment, in 11 classrooms belonging to 5 Schools in Ponferrada (Spain).

Participants: 235 adolescents were included in the study (49.

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Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is one of the most prevalent diseases globally. A high-fat, high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet leads to an early NASH model. It has been suggested that gut microbiota mediates the effects of diet through the microbiota-gut-brain axis, modifying the host's brain metabolism and disrupting cognition.

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Background: Technology has provided a new way of life for the adolescent population. Indeed, strategies aimed at improving health-related behaviors through digital platforms can offer promising results. However, since it has been shown that peers are capable of modifying behaviors related to food and physical exercise, it is important to study whether digital interventions based on peer influence are capable of improving the weight status of adolescents.

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Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a central role in hepatic encephalopathy (HE), due to changes in enzyme cytochrome c-oxidase (CCO), causing a decline in brain metabolism. We used an HE animal model and applied intracranial administration of methylene blue (MB) and transcranial photobiomodulation (PBM), both targeting CCO, to determine their differential effects on recovering cognition. Five groups of rats were used: sham-operated group + saline (SHAM + SAL, n = 6), hepatic encephalopathy + SAL (HE + SAL, n = 7), SHAM + methylene blue (SHAM + MB, n = 7), HE + MB (n = 7), HE + PBM (n = 7).

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