Resolving anxiety-like behaviour inconsistencies in the elevated plus maze by tracking exploration depth and timing.

The anxiety-like behaviour provoked by the elevated plus maze is primarily measured by the degree to which a rodent explores or avoids the risker, unenclosed arms. Measures such as arm entries and total time spent within the arm are conventionally used, but their analysis often produces inconsistent inferences about the level of anxiety-like behaviour being observed. This inconsistency occurs because the measures do not correlate with one another, raising the question of how validly they capture both the exploratory and avoidance motivations that typify anxiety-like behaviour.

Milk free of A1 β-casein supports superior gains in cognition and quality of life, relative to conventional milk, in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Objectives: To determine whether the regular consumption of milk free from A1 β-casein (A1PF milk) improves cognitive performance to a greater extent than conventional milk, and if so, whether such improvements are associated with an increase in the serum titres of reduced glutathione (GSH).

Design: A multi-centre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial with two parallel arms, conducted from 7 March 2023 to 13 October 2023.

Setting: Two hospitals in Tianjin, China.

A Breath of Fresh Air: Perspectives on Inhaled Nutrients and Bacteria to Improve Human Health.

We propose that the human respiratory system and olfactory pathways sequester airborne nutrients (vitamins, fatty acids, and trace minerals) that are beneficial for health, which we term "aeronutrients." In addition, airborne bacteria, termed "aeromicrobes," have the potential for positive health effects by improving species diversity in the microbiotas of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. These concepts have implications for people living in urban areas or those who have limited access to nature, such as astronauts exposed for long periods to highly filtered air that may be depleted of aeronutrients and aeromicrobes.

A Triple Mystery of Insidious Organ Failure: Are the Lung, Kidney and Brain All Damaged by the Ageing Pulse?

This review explores the hypothesis that dementia in several forms, chronic kidney disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis have a common cause in pulse-induced capillary haemorrhage. All three conditions are age-related and characterised by insidious onset, uncertainty about their cause, exacerbation by hypertension, resistance to treatment and the relentlessness of their progression. We argue that the three conditions are the clinical outcomes of damage caused by pulse-induced haemorrhage from capillaries.

Effects of Different Cow-Milk Beta-Caseins on the Gut-Brain Axis: A Narrative Review of Preclinical, Animal, and Human Studies.

The gut and brain communicate through bidirectional neural, endocrine, and immune signals to coordinate central nervous system activity with gastrointestinal function. Dysregulated inflammation can promote immune cell activation and increase entero-endocrine signaling and intestinal permeability; hence, a functional gut-brain axis is necessary for a healthy digestive system. The consumption of milk products can lead to gut discomfort via effects on gastrointestinal tract function and the inflammatory state, which, in turn, affect the brain.

Interrelatedness of steering and lateral position parameters: Recommendations for the assessment of driving performance.

Introduction: Loss of attention leads to less steady driving within the lane and is one of the main causes of road accidents. To improve road safety, vehicle-based parameters such as steering wheel angle and lateral position are used to objectively assess driving performance, especially in monotonous driving tasks.

Method: The present driving simulator study investigated the extent to which eight commonly used parameters are independent indicators of driving performance.

The Catastrophe of Intracerebral Hemorrhage Drives the Capillary-Hemorrhage Dementias, Including Alzheimer's Disease.

This review advances an understanding of several dementias, based on four premises. One is that capillary hemorrhage is prominent in the pathogenesis of the dementias considered (dementia pugilistica, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, traumatic brain damage, Alzheimer's disease). The second premise is that hemorrhage introduces four neurotoxic factors into brain tissue: hypoxia of the tissue that has lost its blood supply, hemoglobin and its breakdown products, excitotoxic levels of glutamate, and opportunistic pathogens that can infect brain cells and induce a cytotoxic immune response.

Is driving experience all that matters? Drivers' takeover performance in conditionally automated driving.

Introduction: In conditionally automated driving, drivers are allowed to engage in non-driving related tasks (NDRTs) and are occasionally requested to take over vehicle control in situations that the automation system cannot handle. Drivers may not be able to adequately perform such requests if they have limited driving experience. This study investigates the influence of driving experience on takeover performance in conditionally automated driving.

Twelve protections evolved for the brain, and their roles in extending its functional life.

As human longevity has increased, we have come to understand the ability of the brain to function into advanced age, but also its vulnerability with age, apparent in the age-related dementias. Against that background of success and vulnerability, this essay reviews how the brain is protected by (by our count) 12 mechanisms, including: the cranium, a bony helmet; the hydraulic support given by the cerebrospinal fluid; the strategically located carotid body and sinus, which provide input to reflexes that protect the brain from blood-gas imbalance and extremes of blood pressure; the blood brain barrier, an essential sealing of cerebral vessels; the secretion of molecules such as haemopexin and (we argue) the peptide Aβ to detoxify haemoglobin, at sites of a bleed; autoregulation of the capillary bed, which stabilises metabolites in extracellular fluid; fuel storage in the brain, as glycogen; oxygen storage, in the haemoprotein neuroglobin; the generation of new neurones, in the adult, to replace cells lost; acquired resilience, the stress-induced strengthening of cell membranes and energy production found in all body tissues; and cognitive reserve, the ability of the brain to maintain function despite damage. Of these 12 protections, we identify 5 as unique to the brain, 3 as protections shared with all body tissues, and another 4 as protections shared with other tissues but specialised for the brain.

Associations Between Amyloid Burden, Hypoxemia, Sleep Architecture, and Cognition in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with an increased risk of amyloid-β (Aβ) burden, the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, and cognitive decline.

Objective: To determine the differential impacts of hypoxemia and slow-wave sleep disruption on brain amyloid burden, and to explore the effects of hypoxemia, slow-wave sleep disruption, and amyloid burden on cognition in individuals with and without OSA.

Methods: Thirty-four individuals with confirmed OSA (mean±SD age 57.

Effects of whole-body vibration on driver drowsiness: A review.

Introduction: Whole-body vibration has direct impacts on driver vigilance by increasing physical and cognitive stress on the driver, which leads to drowsiness, fatigue and road traffic accidents. Although sleep deprivation, sleep apnoea and alcohol consumption can also lead to driver drowsiness, exposure to steady vibration is the factor most readily controlled by changes to vehicle design, yet it has received comparatively less attention.

Methods: This review investigated interrelationships between the various components of whole-body vibration and the physiological and cognitive parameters that lead to driver drowsiness, as well as the effects of vibration parameters (frequency, amplitude, waveform and duration).

Association between cognitive dysfunction and nocturnal peaks of blood pressure estimated from pulse transit time in obstructive sleep apnoea.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is characterised by recurrent episodes of partial or complete cessation of breathing during sleep and an increased effort to breathe. Patients with untreated OSA exhibit cognitive impairment that is only partly accounted for by hypoxia and sleep disruption, suggesting that other factors remain to be identified. OSA can involve repeated spikes of nocturnal blood pressure because of increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system during sleep.

Quantitative analysis of size and regional distribution of corpora amylacea in the hippocampal formation of obstructive sleep apnoea patients.

Corpora amylacea (CoA) are spherical aggregates of glucose polymers and proteins within the periventricular, perivascular and subpial regions of the cerebral cortex and the hippocampal cornu ammonis (CA) subfields. The present study quantified the distribution of CoA in autopsied hippocampi of patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) using ethanolamine-induced fluorescence. CoA were observed in 29 of 30 patients (96.

Association between nocturnal activity of the sympathetic nervous system and cognitive dysfunction in obstructive sleep apnoea.

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with repetitive breathing obstructions during sleep. These episodes of hypoxia and associated arousals from sleep induce physiological stress and nocturnal over-activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). One consequence of OSA is impairment in a range of cognitive domains.

Differential associations of hypoxia, sleep fragmentation, and depressive symptoms with cognitive dysfunction in obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by recurrent episodes of partial or complete cessation of breathing during sleep and increased effort to breathe. This study examined patients who underwent overnight polysomnographic studies in a major sleep laboratory in Saudi Arabia. The study aimed to determine the extent to which intermittent hypoxia, sleep disruption, and depressive symptoms are independently associated with cognitive impairments in OSA.

Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea Is Associated with Higher Brain Amyloid Burden: A Preliminary PET Imaging Study.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been linked to an increase risk of dementia. Few studies have cross-sectionally examined whether clinically-confirmed OSA is associated with a higher brain amyloid burden.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare brain amyloid burden in individuals with untreated OSA and healthy controls, and explore associations between amyloid burden and polysomnographic and subjective measures of sleep, demographics, and mood.

Alzheimer's disease neuropathology in the hippocampus and brainstem of people with obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) involves intermittent cessations of breathing during sleep. People with OSA can experience memory deficits and have reduced hippocampal volume; these features are also characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD), where they are accompanied by neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques in the hippocampus and brainstem. We have recently shown reduced hippocampal volume to be related to OSA severity, and although OSA may be a risk factor for AD, the hippocampus and brainstems of clinically verified OSA cases have not yet been examined for NFTs and Aβ plaques.

Measurement of hand grip strength in the elderly: A scoping review with recommendations.

Introduction: Hand grip strength has been widely used as a lead measure in geriatric conditions such as frailty. However, diversity in assessment protocols and methodologies creates uncertainty in the comparison of outcome measurements. The aim of this study was to review the literature relating to the measurement of hand grip strength in older adults, in order to develop further consensus in relation to the use of existing protocols in clinical and community settings, with an emphasis on practicality and suitability for frail persons.

Matrine Protects Against MCD-Induced Development of NASH via Upregulating HSP72 and Downregulating mTOR in a Manner Distinctive From Metformin.

The present study investigated the effects of matrine on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in mice induced by a methionine choline-deficient (MCD) diet and the mechanism involved. The study was performed in C57B/6J mice fed a MCD diet for 6 weeks to induce NASH with or without the treatment of matrine (100 mg/kg/day in diet). Metformin was used (250 mg/kg/day in diet) as a comparator for mechanistic investigation.

What is the optimal chair stand test protocol for older adults? A systematic review.

To determine the chair stand test protocol that is most suitable for older adults in clinical settings by reviewing the currently available methods. Five electronic English databases were searched and details of methods used on individuals aged ≥65 years in the included studies were compared, including the instrument used to record time, units of measurement, chair characteristics (seat height, armrests), footwear, permission to use upper extremities and walking aids, pace of performance, total number of chair stands, timing points, total number of recorded and practice tests. A total of 23 eligible studies were identified.

Assessment of Gait Speed in Older Adults.

Background And Purpose: Gait speed is an important measure of functional ability and has been widely used in older adults as an indicator of frailty. However, the diversity in measurement protocols in clinical settings creates variability in outcome measures. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature relating to the measurement of gait speed in older adults, to propose a protocol suitable for use in clinical and community settings.

Autobiographical Memory From Different Life Stages in Individuals With Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Objectives: Autobiographical memory dysfunction is a marker of vulnerability to depression. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) experience high rates of depression and memory impairment, and autobiographical memory impairments have been observed compared to healthy controls; however, these groups were not age-matched. This study aimed to determine whether individuals with untreated OSA have impaired autobiographical memory when compared to age-matched controls, and to assess the quality of autobiographical memories from three broad time points.

Global, Regional, and Country-Specific Lifetime Risks of Stroke, 1990 and 2016.

Background: The lifetime risk of stroke has been calculated in a limited number of selected populations. We sought to estimate the lifetime risk of stroke at the regional, country, and global level using data from a comprehensive study of the prevalence of major diseases.

Methods: We used the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2016 estimates of stroke incidence and the competing risks of death from any cause other than stroke to calculate the cumulative lifetime risks of first stroke, ischemic stroke, or hemorrhagic stroke among adults 25 years of age or older.

Neuropathological investigation of cell layer thickness and myelination in the hippocampus of people with obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is commonly associated with memory impairments. Although MRI studies have found volumetric differences in the hippocampus of people with OSA compared with controls, MRI lacks the spatial resolution to detect changes in the specific regions of the hippocampus that process different types of memory. The present study performed histopathological investigations on autopsy brain tissue from 32 people with OSA (17 females and 15 males) to examine whether the thickness and myelination of the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (EC) vary as a function of OSA severity.