63 research outputs found
Investigation of the relation between substance use and cognitive performance and its mediating effect on psychopathology symptoms
Le projet de thĂšse porte sur la consommation de substances psychoactives chez les adolescents et le lien sĂ©quentiel entre la consommation de drogues, la performance cognitive, et la santĂ© mentale des jeunes. Les objectifs de la thĂšse sont : 1) de tester la relation entre la prise de cannabis, ou dâalcool, et la performance cognitive, et dâen observer la sĂ©quence, 2) de vĂ©rifier si la relation entre la consommation et la performance cognitive permet, en partie, de comprendre lâapparition de symptĂŽmes de psychopathologie chez les jeunes, et 3) de dĂ©finir les pratiques les mieux fondĂ©es empiriquement pour prĂ©venir la consommation de substances chez les adolescents.
Le premier chapitre de la thĂšse Ă©value la relation et la sĂ©quence entre les habitudes de consommation dâenviron 4000 jeunes de la rĂ©gion mĂ©tropolitaine de MontrĂ©al (Qc, Canada) et la trajectoire de leur dĂ©veloppement cognitif sur une pĂ©riode de quatre ans. Dans un deuxiĂšme chapitre, la thĂšse Ă©value comment la relation entre la consommation et la performance cognitive de ces mĂȘmes jeunes peut expliquer, sur une pĂ©riode de cinq ans, une partie de la relation observĂ©e entre la consommation et lâapparition de symptĂŽmes de psychopathologie. Dans un dernier chapitre, la thĂšse fait la revue des donnĂ©es portant sur trois types dâinterventions prĂ©ventives afin dâidentifier comment la recherche empirique peut bonifier les efforts de prĂ©vention de la toxicomanie chez les adolescents.
Les donnĂ©es ont Ă©tĂ© extraites dâune cohorte dâadolescents issus de la population gĂ©nĂ©rale, suivis longitudinalement, dans le cadre de lâĂ©tude Co-Venture (n = 3826, ĂągĂ©s de 12 ans Ă lâadmission dans lâĂ©tude, suivis annuellement pendant 5 ans).
Les rĂ©sultats ont dĂ©montrĂ© que, bien que certains facteurs semblent prĂ©disposer un sous-groupe de jeunes Ă une consommation hĂątive ainsi que des difficultĂ©s neuropsychologiques, la consommation de drogues, notamment de cannabis, semble liĂ©e, de façon Ă la fois ponctuelle et durable, Ă un dĂ©lai du dĂ©veloppement cognitif, plus particuliĂšrement des fonctions exĂ©cutives. Cette association avec le cannabis semble, en faible partie, jouer un rĂŽle mĂ©diateur dans la relation qui unit cette consommation et lâĂ©mergence de symptĂŽmes de psychopathologie chez les adolescents. Toutefois, des facteurs prĂ©disposants semblent contribuer Ă lâassociation entre ces trois variables. Bien que la recherche identifie que plusieurs programmes de prĂ©vention peuvent ĂȘtre efficaces, la majoritĂ© dâentre eux prĂ©sentent des effets modestes et ponctuels. Les programmes les plus probants semblent sâinscrire dans le registre des approches de prĂ©vention ciblĂ©es.
Pour bonifier nos mĂ©thodes de prĂ©vention de la toxicomanie chez les adolescents, nous pourrions tenir compte de certains facteurs prĂ©disposants et les utiliser comme cible dâintervention; par exemple, le fonctionnement cognitif basal pourrait constituer une piste intĂ©ressante. De plus, le tempĂ©rament ou la personnalitĂ© semblent mieux Ă©tablis pour prĂ©venir la consommation de façon durable et pour aborder les enjeux cognitifs et psychologiques associĂ©s Ă la consommation abusive de substances.
Mots-clĂ©s : Alcool, cannabis, adolescence, fonctions cognitives, symptĂŽmes de psychopathologie, devis longitudinaux, mĂ©diation, prĂ©ventionThis thesis project addresses adolescentsâ substance misuse and the sequential link between drug use, cognitive performance, and mental health outcomes in youth. The objectives of this thesis are: 1) to test the relation and sequence between cannabis or alcohol use and cognitive outcomes, 2) to verify if the relation between substance use and cognitive outcomes could help understand, in part, why young substance users report psychopathology symptoms, and 3) to review evidence-based interventions to prevent adolescent substance misuse and to assess what contribution could stem from the collected empirical data.
The first chapter of this thesis assesses the relation and sequence between substance use behaviour of nearly 4000 youth from the Montreal metropolitan area (QC, Canada) and their cognitive development over four years. In a second chapter, this thesis analyzes how the association between substance use and cognitive outcomes could partially explain, over five years, the link observed between substance use and the appearance of psychopathology symptoms. In a final chapter, this thesis reviews data surrounding three types of preventative interventions to identify how empirical research could improve addiction prevention strategies.
The data was extracted from a group of adolescents issued from the general population followed longitudinally in the scope of the Co-Venture study (n = 3826, from 12 years of age upon admission to the study, followed up annually for a period of five years).
The results demonstrated that, although certain factors seem to predispose a sub-group of young people to early consumption and neuropsychological difficulties, drug consumption, especially cannabis consumption, seem to reliably predict a delay in the development of cognitive faculties, particularly the executive functions of the brain. This association with cannabis appears, to a small extent, to partially mediate the link already observed between said consumption and the emergence of psychopathology symptoms in adolescents. Still, predisposing factors seem to contribute to the association between these three variables. Although research would appear to show that several prevention strategies could be effective, most of them present modest and punctual results. The best-substantiated programs appeared to be those that adhered to a targeted prevention approach.
To improve our methods of substance use prevention, one could take predisposing factors into account and use them to inform specialized intervention. Baseline cognitive functioning could constitute a particularly promising avenue. All the same, certain predisposing factors such as temperament or personality seem better equipped to prevent early-onset substance misuse and to address the psychological and cognitive issues associated with adolescent substance intake.
To improve addiction prevention methods in adolescents, one could factor into account predisposing factors and use them to inform specialized intervention; for example, baseline cognitive functioning could constitute a promising avenue. In addition, temperament or personality traits seem better established to prevent early-onset substance use and to address the psychological and cognitive issues associated with adolescentsâ substance misuse.
Key words: Alcohol, cannabis, adolescence, cognitive functions, psychopathology symptoms, longitudinal data, mediation, preventio
Occlusion of LTP-Like Plasticity in Human Primary Motor Cortex by Action Observation
Passive observation of motor actions induces cortical activity in the primary motor cortex (M1) of the onlooker, which could potentially contribute to motor learning. While recent studies report modulation of motor performance following action observation, the neurophysiological mechanism supporting these behavioral changes remains to be specifically defined. Here, we assessed whether the observation of a repetitive thumb movement â similarly to active motor practice â would inhibit subsequent long-term potentiation-like (LTP) plasticity induced by paired-associative stimulation (PAS). Before undergoing PAS, participants were asked to either 1) perform abductions of the right thumb as fast as possible; 2) passively observe someone else perform thumb abductions; or 3) passively observe a moving dot mimicking thumb movements. Motor evoked potentials (MEP) were used to assess cortical excitability before and after motor practice (or observation) and at two time points following PAS. Results show that, similarly to participants in the motor practice group, individuals observing repeated motor actions showed marked inhibition of PAS-induced LTP, while the âmoving dotâ group displayed the expected increase in MEP amplitude, despite differences in baseline excitability. Interestingly, LTP occlusion in the action-observation group was present even if no increase in cortical excitability or movement speed was observed following observation. These results suggest that mere observation of repeated hand actions is sufficient to induce LTP, despite the absence of motor learning
Quorum Sensing Signaling Molecules Produced by Reference and Emerging Soft-Rot Bacteria (Dickeya and Pectobacterium spp.)
International audienceBACKGROUND: Several small diffusible molecules are involved in bacterial quorum sensing and virulence. The production of autoinducers-1 and -2, quinolone, indole and Îł-amino butyrate signaling molecules was investigated in a set of soft-rot bacteria belonging to six Dickeya or Pectobacterium species including recent or emerging potato isolates. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using bacterial biosensors, immunoassay, and chromatographic analysis, we showed that soft-rot bacteria have the common ability to produce transiently during their exponential phase of growth the N-3-oxo-hexanoyl- or the N-3-oxo-octanoyl-l-homoserine lactones and a molecule of the autoinducer-2 family. Dickeya spp. produced in addition the indole-3-acetic acid in tryptophan-rich conditions. All these signaling molecules have been identified for the first time in the novel Dickeya solani species. In contrast, quinolone and Îł-amino butyrate signals were not identified and the corresponding synthases are not present in the available genomes of soft-rot bacteria. To determine if the variations of signal production according to growth phase could result from expression modifications of the corresponding synthase gene, the respective mRNA levels were estimated by reverse transcriptase-PCR. While the N-acyl-homoserine lactone production is systematically correlated to the synthase expression, that of the autoinducer-2 follows the expression of an enzyme upstream in the activated methyl cycle and providing its precursor, rather than the expression of its own synthase. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Despite sharing the S-adenosylmethionine precursor, no strong link was detected between the production kinetics or metabolic pathways of autoinducers-1 and -2. In contrast, the signaling pathway of autoinducer-2 seems to be switched off by the indole-3-acetic acid pathway under tryptophan control. It therefore appears that the two genera of soft-rot bacteria have similarities but also differences in the mechanisms of communication via the diffusible molecules. Our results designate autoinducer-1 lactones as the main targets for a global biocontrol of soft-rot bacteria communications, including those of emerging isolates
Global variations in diabetes mellitus based on fasting glucose and haemogloblin A1c
Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) are both used to diagnose
diabetes, but may identify different people as having diabetes. We used data from 117
population-based studies and quantified, in different world regions, the prevalence of
diagnosed diabetes, and whether those who were previously undiagnosed and detected
as having diabetes in survey screening had elevated FPG, HbA1c, or both. We developed
prediction equations for estimating the probability that a person without previously
diagnosed diabetes, and at a specific level of FPG, had elevated HbA1c, and vice versa.
The age-standardised proportion of diabetes that was previously undiagnosed, and
detected in survey screening, ranged from 30% in the high-income western region to 66%
in south Asia. Among those with screen-detected diabetes with either test, the agestandardised
proportion who had elevated levels of both FPG and HbA1c was 29-39%
across regions; the remainder had discordant elevation of FPG or HbA1c. In most low- and
middle-income regions, isolated elevated HbA1c more common than isolated elevated
FPG. In these regions, the use of FPG alone may delay diabetes diagnosis and
underestimate diabetes prevalence. Our prediction equations help allocate finite
resources for measuring HbA1c to reduce the global gap in diabetes diagnosis and
surveillance.peer-reviewe
Les conduites alimentaires hivernales dans le rayon de Roquefort modifient la composition chimique du lait de brebis
National audienc
Brebis laitiÚre : Une alimentation adaptée
4 illus. Numéro spécial laitNational audienc
Infrared-emitting, peptidase-resistant fluorescent ligands of the bradykinin B2 receptor: application to cytofluorometry and imaging
Soil charcoal to assess the impacts of past human disturbances on tropical forests
The canopy of many central African forests is dominated by light-demanding tree species that do not regenerate well under themselves. The prevalence of these species might result from ancient slash-and-burn agricultural activities that created large openings, while a decline of these activities since the colonial period could explain their deficit of regeneration. To verify this hypothesis, we compared soil charcoal abundance, used as a proxy for past slash-and-burn agriculture, and tree species composition assessed on 208 rainforest 0.2 ha plots located in three areas from Southern Cameroon. Species were classified in regeneration guilds (pioneer, non-pioneer light-demanding, shade-bearer) and characterized by their woodspecific gravity, assumed to reflect light requirement. We tested the correlation between soil charcoal abundance and: (i) the relative abundance of each guild, (ii) each species and family abundance and (iii) mean wood-specific gravity. Charcoal was found in 83% of the plots, indicating frequent past forest fires. Radiocarbon dating revealed two periods of fires: âârecentââ charcoal were on average 300 years old (up to 860 BP, n = 16) and occurred in the uppermost 20 cm soil layer, while ââancientââ charcoal were on average 1900 years old (range: 1500 to 2800 BP, n = 43, excluding one sample dated 9400 BP), and found in all soil layers. While we expected a positive correlation between the relative abundance of light demanding species and charcoal abundance in the upper soil layer, overall there was no evidence that the current heterogeneity in tree species composition can be explained by charcoal abundance in any soil layer. The absence of signal supporting our hypothesis might result from (i) a relatively uniform impact of past slash-and-burn activities, (ii) pedoturbation processes bringing ancient charcoal to the upper soil layer, blurring the signal of centuries-old Human disturbances, or (iii) the prevalence of other environmental factors on species composition
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