RESUMO
This study explores the multifaceted influence of litter size, maternal care, exercise, and aging on rats' neurobehavioral plasticity and dentate gyrus microglia dynamics. Body weight evolution revealed a progressive increase until maturity, followed by a decline during aging, with larger litters exhibiting lower weights initially. Notably, exercised rats from smaller litters displayed higher body weights during the mature and aged stages. The dentate gyrus volumes showed no significant differences among groups, except for aged sedentary rats from smaller litters, which exhibited a reduction. Maternal care varied significantly based on litter size, with large litter dams showing lower frequencies of caregiving behaviors. Behavioral assays highlighted the detrimental impact of a sedentary lifestyle and reduced maternal care/large litters on spatial memory, mitigated by exercise in aged rats from smaller litters. The microglial dynamics in the layers of dentate gyrus revealed age-related changes modulated by litter size and exercise. Exercise interventions mitigated microgliosis associated with aging, particularly in aged rats. These findings underscore the complex interplay between early-life experiences, exercise, microglial dynamics, and neurobehavioral outcomes during aging.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity affect more than 18% of children and adolescents in the world. Obesity-related associations with brain morphology might be associated with reduced efficiency of inhibitory control. This association highlights a possible mechanism by which obesity impacts intelligence and academic achievement. Prior work indicates a mediating effect of inhibitory control on the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and intelligence and academic achievement. However, although obesity is associated with impaired math performance, we do not know whether inhibitory control also mediates the relationship between BMI and math performance. This study tests the hypothesis that inhibitory control statistically mediates the relationship between BMI and math performance. METHODS: 161 children (9 to 13 years old, 80 female) participated in the present study. We evaluated BMI; math performance, in a test composed of 20 arithmetic equations of the type x = (a × b) - c; and inhibitory control through the Flanker test. We carried out Spearman correlation tests, hierarchical multiple linear regression, and tested the confidence of the model where inhibitory control statistically mediates the indirect association between BMI and math performance. Mediation analysis in this cross-sectional study aimed to improve understanding of indirect relationships and offer insights into possible causal connections. RESULTS: Better math performance and lower BMI were associated with greater accuracy on the inhibitory control test and greater accuracy on the inhibitory control test was associated with better performance on math test. We found an indirect association between higher BMI in children and impairments in math performance, that was mediated by inhibitory control (a: -0.008, p = 0.025; b: 7.10, p = 0.0004; c: 0.05, p = 0.592; c': 0.11, p = 0.238; Indirect Effect: -0.0599, 95% CI: -0.13, -0.005). CONCLUSIONS: An indirect association between higher body mass indices in children and impairments in math performance was detected, through the impact that BMI has on inhibitory control.
Assuntos
Obesidade , Sobrepeso , Criança , Adolescente , Humanos , Feminino , Índice de Massa Corporal , Estudos Transversais , MatemáticaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Increased interindividual variability in cognitive performance during aging has been proposed as an indicator of cognitive reserve. OBJECTIVE: To determine if interindividual variability performance in episodic memory (PAL), working memory (SWM), reaction time (RTI), and sustained attention (RVP) could differentiate clusters of differential cognitive performance in healthy young and older adults and search for cognitive tests that most contribute to these differential performances. METHODS: We employed hierarchical cluster and canonical discriminant function analyses of cognitive scores using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) to identify cognitive variability in older and young adults using the coefficient of variability of cognitive performances between and within groups. We also analyzed potential influences of age, education, and physical activity. RESULTS: Cluster analysis distinguished groups with differential cognitive performance and correlation analysis revealed coefficient of variability and cognitive performance associations. The greater the coefficient of variability the poorer was cognitive performance in RTI but not in PAL and SWM. Older adults showed diverse trajectories of cognitive decline, and better education or higher percentage of physically active individuals exhibited better cognitive performance in both older and young adults. CONCLUSION: PAL and SWM are the most sensitive tests to investigate the wide age range encompassing older and young adults. In older adults' intragroup analysis PAL showed greater discriminatory capacity, indicating its potential for clinical applications late in life. Our data underscore the importance of studying variability as a tool for early detection of subtle cognitive declines and for interpreting results that deviate from normality.
Assuntos
Disfunção Cognitiva , Humanos , Idoso , Adolescente , Disfunção Cognitiva/diagnóstico , Disfunção Cognitiva/psicologia , Envelhecimento/psicologia , Memória de Curto Prazo , Testes Neuropsicológicos , Cognição , Função ExecutivaRESUMO
Cognitive abilities tend to decline with aging, with variation between individuals, and many studies seek to identify genetic biomarkers that more accurately anticipate risks related to pathological aging. We investigated the influence of BDNF, NTRK2, and FNDC5 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the cognitive performance of young and older adults with contrasting educational backgrounds. We addressed three questions: (1) Is education associated with reduced age-related cognitive decline? (2) Does the presence of SNPs explain the variation in cognitive performance observed late in life? (3) Is education differentially associated with cognition based on the presence of BDNF, NTRK2, or FNDC5 polymorphisms? We measured the cognitive functions of young and older participants, with lower and higher education, using specific and sensitive tests of the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Test Assessment Battery. A three-way ANOVA revealed that SNPs were associated with differential performances in executive functions, episodic memory, sustained attention, mental and motor response speed, and visual recognition memory and that higher educational levels improved the affected cognitive functions. The results revealed that distinct SNPs affect cognition late in life differentially, suggesting their utility as potential biomarkers and emphasizing the importance of cognitive stimulation that advanced education early in life provides.
Assuntos
Disfunção Cognitiva , Memória Episódica , Humanos , Idoso , Fator Neurotrófico Derivado do Encéfalo/genética , Disfunção Cognitiva/genética , Cognição/fisiologia , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo Único , Fibronectinas/genética , Biomarcadores , Testes NeuropsicológicosRESUMO
It is already known the effectiveness of Pilates training on cognitive and functional abilities. It is also known that dual-task exercise and cognitive stimuli improve cognition and functional capacity. However, no previous report combined cognitive stimuli and Pilates in dual task and measured its effects on the cognitive and physical performances of postmenopausal women. OBJECTIVE: To apply an interventional dual-task (PILATES-COG) protocol and to evaluate its influence on memory, language, and functional physical performances on healthy, community-dwelling postmenopausal older women. METHODS: 47 women with amenorrhea for at least 12 months participated in this study. Those allocated on the PILATES-COG group underwent a 12-week, twice a week regimen of 50 min sessions of simultaneous mat Pilates exercise program and cognitive tasks. Cognitive and physical functional performance were assessed. Two-way mixed ANOVA was used for data analysis, and Bonferroni post hoc tests were used for within- and between-group comparisons. RESULTS: The PILATES-COG group showed significant improvement after the intervention in semantic verbal fluency (p < 0.001; ηρ² = 0.268), phonological verbal fluency (p < 0.019; ηρ² = 0.143), immediate memory (p < 0.001; ηρ² = 0.258), evocation memory (p < 0.001 ηρ² = 0.282), lower-limb muscle strength (p < 0.001; ηρ² = 0.447), balance (p < 0.001; ηρ² = 0.398), and dual-ask cost (p < 0.05; ηρ² = 0.111) assessments on healthy, community-dwelling postmenopausal older women. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of a feasible and effective approach using Pilates and cognitive stimulation in dual task for the reduction of age-related cognitive decline and the improvement of physical functional performance in healthy postmenopausal women.
Assuntos
Disfunção Cognitiva , Técnicas de Exercício e de Movimento , Humanos , Feminino , Idoso , Técnicas de Exercício e de Movimento/métodos , Pós-Menopausa , Atividades Cotidianas , Disfunção Cognitiva/prevenção & controle , Cognição/fisiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that physical inactivity and lack of stimulating cognitive activity are the two most significant modifiable risk factors to impair cognitive function. Although many studies that investigated the cognitive effects of physical exercise and cognitive stimuli in dual-task conditions showed improved cognitive performance, others have not confirmed these findings. The main aim of the present work is to analyze the effects of a dual-task multimodal physical exercise training, at moderate intensity, and cognitive stimulation on cognitive and physical function in healthy older adults. METHODS: This clinical trial was registered on the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (RBR-9zrx3d). Here we tested the effects of a dual-task multimodal physical exercise training, at moderate intensity, on cognitive and physical function and quality of life in community dwelling older adults. The training protocol included 24 group sessions, 2/week, per 75 min. Cognition was assessed using CANTAB automated neuropsychological tests and Functional Capacity to Exercise tests. Performance was compared from baseline to post intervention and to a non-exercise control group using Mixed Linear Model for repeated measures. RESULTS: Control (CG) and dual-task (DTEx) groups progressed differentially over time on performance of episodic memory, sustained visual attention, functional mobility, cardiorespiratory fitness, lower limbs strength resistance, agility, quality of life and dual-task performance with significant improved DTEx performance. Control group did not show any significant changes on these tests except for showing a reduction in dual-task performance. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the dual-task combination of multisensory cognitive stimulation and multimodal moderate physical exercise training, twice a week, may be adopted as an effective program to reduce progression of age-related cognitive decline and improve physical fitness and quality of life on healthy older adults. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials: https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-9zrx3d -UTN code: U1111-1233-6349.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and greater amounts of physical activity have been associated with lower intraindividual variability (IIV) in executive function in children and older adults. In the present study, we examined whether CRF, measured as maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), and daily volume of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) were associated with IIV of reaction time during performance of the incongruent condition of the Stroop task in younger adults. Further, we examined whether the thickness of the cingulate cortex was associated with regulating variability in reaction time performance in the context of CRF or physical activity. METHODS: CRF (measured as VO2max), accelerometry-measured MVPA, Stroop performance, and thickness of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) derived from magnetic resonance imaging data were collected in 48 younger adults (ageâ¯=â¯24.58 ± 4.95 years, mean ± SD). Multiple regression was used to test associations between IIV during the Stroop task and CRF, MVPA, and rACC thickness. Mediation was tested using maximum likelihood estimation with bootstrapping. RESULTS: Consistent with our predictions, higher VO2max was associated with greater rACC thickness for the right hemisphere and greater daily amounts of MVPA were associated with greater rACC thickness for both the left and right hemispheres. Greater thickness of the right rACC was associated with lower IIV for the incongruent condition of the Stroop task. CRF and MVPA were not directly associated with IIV. However, we did find that IIV and both CRF and MVPA were indirectly associated via the thickness of the right rACC. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that higher CRF and greater daily volume of MVPA may be associated with lower IIV during the Stroop task via structural integrity of the rACC. Randomized controlled trials of MVPA would provide crucial information about the causal relations between these variables.
RESUMO
ABSTRACT Introduction: Physical exercise has been associated with maintenance of physical abilities and the reduction of age-related cognitive decline, and is considered both a low-cost primary prevention strategy and a non-pharmacological treatment of cognitive dysfunction in older people. However, the contribution of each type of physical exercise to the cognitive health of the elderly population has not yet been fully investigated. Objective: This study investigated the possible influences of water-based and resistance training exercises on the cognitive performance of healthy older adults in automated tests, and investigated which test(s) would be the most effective indicator of differences in aging cognitive performance. Methods: Three groups of community-dwelling healthy older adults: water-based exercise group, resistance training group and sedentary group, were assessed using an automated set of neuropsychological tests (CANTAB) and tests to assess functional exercise capacity. Results were compared by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson linear correlation. Results: The water-based exercise group had the best functional exercise capacity scores and the best performance in the reaction time evaluation (response and movement latencies). The resistance training group had less movement latency than the sedentary group. Functional mobility was positively correlated with response and movement latency. Conclusions: Taken together our findings show that physical exercise contributes to the preservation of cognitive function in healthy older adults and that water-based exercise has better results than resistance training in terms of reaction time. Moreover, the changes related to reaction time function were detected before the changes in working memory functions, sustained attention and learning in the sedentary participants, suggesting that this variable could be an early sensitive indicator of subtle cognitive changes associated with aging. Level of Evidence II; Retrospective study.
RESUMO Introdução: A prática de exercícios físicos tem sido associada à manutenção das habilidades físicas e redução do declínio cognitivo durante o envelhecimento, sendo considerada uma estratégia de prevenção primária de baixo custo, assim como tratamento não-farmacológico da disfunção cognitiva em idosos. Entretanto, a contribuição das diferentes modalidades de exercícios físicos sobre a saúde cognitiva da população idosa carece de investigação. Objetivo: O presente estudo investigou as possíveis influências da hidroginástica e musculação no desempenho cognitivo dos adultos idosos saudáveis em testes automatizados e qual(is) teste(s) seria o indicador mais sensível das diferenças de desempenho cognitivo. Métodos: Três grupos de idosos saudáveis, residentes na comunidade, praticantes de hidroginástica, musculação ou sedentários foram avaliados através de uma bateria automatizada de testes neuropsicológicos (CANTAB) e testes para avaliação da capacidade funcional ao exercício. Os resultados foram comparados através da análise de variância de 1 critério (ANOVA) e da correlação linear de Pearson. Resultados: O grupo de hidroginástica apresentou melhor capacidade funcional ao exercício e melhor desempenho na avaliação do tempo de reação (latências de resposta e de movimento). Os praticantes de musculação apresentaram menor latência de movimento do que os sedentários. A mobilidade funcional foi positivamente correlacionada às latências de resposta e de movimento. Conclusão: Considerados em conjunto, nossos resultados indicam que o exercício físico contribui para a preservação da função cognitiva em idosos saudáveis e que a hidroginástica apresenta melhores resultados do que a musculação em relação ao tempo de reação. Além disso, as mudanças relacionadas à função tempo de reação foram detectadas antes das mudanças nas funções de memória de trabalho, atenção sustentada e aprendizado nos participantes sedentários, sugerindo que essa variável pode ser um indicador sensível e precoce de sutis mudanças cognitivas associadas ao envelhecimento. Nível de Evidência II; Estudo retrospectivo.
RESUMEN Introducción: La práctica de ejercicios físicos ha sido asociada al mantenimiento de las habilidades físicas y reducción de la disminución cognitiva durante el envejecimiento, siendo considerada una estrategia de prevención primaria de bajo costo, así como tratamiento no farmacológico de la disfunción cognitiva en personas de la tercera edad. Entretanto, la contribución de las diferentes modalidades de ejercicios físicos sobre la salud cognitiva de la población de la tercera edad carece de investigación. Objetivo: El presente estudio investigó las posibles influencias de la hidrogimnasia y musculación en el desempeño cognitivo de los adultos de la tercera edad saludables en tests automatizados y qué test(s) sería el indicador más sensible de las diferencias de desempeño cognitivo. Métodos: Tres grupos de personas de la tercera edad saludables, residentes en la comunidad, practicantes de hidrogimnasia, musculación o sedentarios fueron evaluados a través de una batería automatizada de tests neuropsicológicos (CANTAB) y tests para evaluación de la capacidad funcional para el ejercicio. Los resultados fueron comparados a través del análisis de variancia de 1 criterio (ANOVA) y de la correlación lineal de Pearson. Resultados: El grupo de hidrogimnasia presentó mejor capacidad funcional para el ejercicio y mejor desempeño en la evaluación del tiempo de reacción (latencias de respuesta y de movimiento). Los practicantes de musculación presentaron menor latencia de movimiento que los sedentarios. La movilidad funcional fue positivamente correlacionada a las latencias de respuesta y de movimiento. Conclusión: Considerados en conjunto, nuestros resultados indican que el ejercicio físico contribuye para la preservación de la función cognitiva en personas de la tercera edad saludables y que la hidrogimnasia presenta mejores resultados que la musculación con relación al tiempo de reacción. Además, los cambios relacionados a la función tiempo de reacción fueron detectados antes que los cambios em las funciones de memoria de trabajo, atención sustentada y aprendizaje en los participantes sedentarios, sugiriendo que esa variable puede ser un indicador sensible y precoz de sutiles cambios cognitivos asociados al envejecimiento. Nivel de Evidencia II; Estudio retrospectivo.
RESUMO
We investigated possible interaction between an arbovirus infection and the ME7 induced mice prion disease. C57BL/6, females, 6-week-old, were submitted to a bilateral intrahippocampal injection of ME7 prion strain (ME7) or normal brain homogenate (NBH). After injections, animals were organized into two groups: NBH (n = 26) and ME7 (n = 29). At 15th week after injections (wpi), animals were challenged intranasally with a suspension of Piry arbovirus 0.001% or with NBH. Behavioral changes in ME7 animals appeared in burrowing activity at 14 wpi. Hyperactivity on open field test, errors on rod bridge, and time reduction in inverted screen were detected at 15th, 19th, and 20th wpi respectively. Burrowing was more sensitive to earlier hippocampus dysfunction. However, Piry-infection did not significantly affect the already ongoing burrowing decline in the ME7-treated mice. After behavioral tests, brains were processed for IBA1, protease-resistant form of PrP, and Piry virus antigens. Although virus infection in isolation did not change the number of microglia in CA1, virus infection in prion diseased mice (at 17th wpi) induced changes in number and morphology of microglia in a laminar-dependent way. We suggest that virus infection exacerbates microglial inflammatory response to a greater degree in prion-infected mice, and this is not necessarily correlated with hippocampal-dependent behavioral deficits.