Clinical features and their relations to molecular alteration in Tuberous sclerosis: integrated viewpoints from physicians and scientists

Tuberous sclerosis is a genetic disorder characterized by abnormal of cutaneous and neurological features. This disease is resulted from the mutation of TSC1 (tuberous sclerosis complex 1) gene on chromosome 9 or TSC2 gene on chromosome 16, encoding for hamartin and tuberin respectively. Both molecules form a heterodimer and inhibit the intracellular downstream cascade, particularly mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) pathway, which has an important role in proliferation and differentiation of cell. Mutation of TSC1 or TSC2 leads to dysregulation of mTOR function and causes abnormal signs and symptoms in this disease. Currently, scientists have developed various types of animal models of tuberous sclerosis in order to study the effects of TSC1 or TSC2 genes suppression in behavioral, structural, and molecular levels. In addition, the administration of substance inhibiting mTOR function is successfully done in animal model and causes improvement of neurological symptoms. However, the application of this agent in treatment of tuberous sclerosis-related tumors in human is still under clinical trial. Finally, the advancement in tuberous sclerosis research leads to the better understanding about the relationship between genetic & molecular changes and clinical signs & behaviors, as well as development of new therapeutic approach in this disease

Auditory preattentive processing of Thai vowel change perception in consonant-vowel (CV) syllables

Event-related potential (ERP) responses to infrequently presented spoken deviant syllables /pi/ among repetitive standard /pc/ syllables were recorded in Thai subjects who ignored these stimuli while reading books of their choices. The vowel across-category changes elicited a change-specific mismatch negativity response (MMN). The across-category change perception of vowels in consonant-vowel (CV) syllables was also assessed using low- resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA). The LORETA-MMN generator appeared in the left auditory cortex, emphasizing the role of the left hemisphere in speech processing already at a preattentive processing level also in CV-syllables

Effectiveness of neurobic exercise program on memory performance in community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment: A randomized controlled crossover trial

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an early stage of cognitive decline in individuals who are still able to perform their activities of daily living. They are at increased risk of developing dementia. Improving and maintaining cognitive functions are essential goals for older people with MCI to delay or prevent the transition to dementia. Objective: This study investigated the effect of the neurobic exercise program on memory performance among community-dwelling older adults with MCI. Methods: A single-blind, randomized, controlled, two-period crossover design was used. Thirty-two older adults who met the study criteria were randomly assigned to one of two sequence groups, A (n =16) and B (n = 16). Group A received three weeks of neurobic exercise, followed by a three-week washout period, and then three weeks of the traditional brain exercise program. Group B received the treatments in the reverse order but otherwise in a similar manner. Two aspects of memory performance were evaluated: subjective memory and objective memory. Blinded evaluators measured the outcomes four times at baseline, post-intervention (week 3), follow-up stage (week 7), and the end of the study (week 9). Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and repeated measures ANOVA were employed for data analyses. Results:  For subjective memory, rmANOVA revealed a significant difference of within-subject (F1.437, 43.113 = 9.324, p <0.05) and interaction effect (time*group) (F1.437, 43.113 = 12.313, p <0.05) and also showed significant differences of within-subject (F1.794,53.811 = 28.931, p < .05) and interaction effect (time*group) (F1.794, 53.811 = 31.190, p <0.05) for objective memory. The study results revealed that the participants in both groups had significantly lower mean scores on the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE), indicating better or improved subjective memory. They also had significantly higher mean scores on the Common Objects Memory Test (COMT) after receiving the neurobic exercise program, indicating improvement in cognitive performance. Conclusion: The neurobic exercise intervention could improve subjective and objective memory among community-dwelling older adults with MCI more than those who received the traditional brain exercise program. Therefore, the neurobic exercise program can be used by the nurse and multidisciplinary teams to enhance memory performance among older adults with MCI.   Trial registration: Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR) 20210326003

Effects of Inhaled Rosemary Oil on Subjective Feelings and Activities of the Nervous System

Rosemary oil is one of the more famous essential oils widely used in aromatherapy. However, the effects of rosemary oil on the human body, in particular the nervous system, have not been sufficiently studied. This study investigates the effects of the inhalation of rosemary oil on test subjects’ feelings, as well as its effects on various physiological parameters of the nervous system. Twenty healthy volunteers participated in the experiment. All subjects underwent autonomic nervous system (ANS) recording. This consisted of measurements of skin temperature; heart rate; respiratory rate; blood pressure; evaluations of the subjects’ mood states; and electroencephalography (EEG) recordings in the pre-, during treatment, and post-rosemary inhalation periods as compared with control conditions. Our results showed significant increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate after rosemary oil inhalation. After the inhalation treatments, subjects were found to have become more active and stated that they felt “fresher”. The analysis of EEGs showed a reduction in the power of alpha1 (8–10.99 Hz) and alpha2 (11–12.99 Hz) waves. Moreover, an increment in the beta wave (13–30 Hz) power was observed in the anterior region of the brain. These results confirm the stimulatory effects of rosemary oil and provide supporting evidence that brain wave activity, autonomic nervous system activity, as well as mood states are all affected by the inhalation of the rosemary oil

Proof-of Concept that an Acute Trophic Factors Intervention After Spinal Cord Injury Provides an Adequate Niche for Neuroprotection, Recruitment of Nestin-Expressing Progenitors and Regeneration.

Trophic factor treatment has been shown to improve the recovery of brain and spinal cord injury (SCI). In this study, we examined the effects of TSC1 (a combination of insulin-like growth factor 1 and transferrin) 4 and 8 h after SCI at the thoracic segment level (T12) in nestin-GFP transgenic mice. TSC1 treatment for 4 and 8 h increased the number of nestin-expressing cells around the lesion site and prevented Wallerian degeneration. Treatment with TSC1 for 4 h significantly increased heat shock protein (HSP)-32 and HSP-70 expression 1 and 2 mm from lesion site (both, caudal and rostral). Conversely, the number of HSP-32 positive cells decreased after an 8-h TSC1 treatment, although it was still higher than in both, non-treated SCI and intact spinal cord animals. Furthermore, TSC1 increased NG2 expressing cell numbers and preserved most axons intact, facilitating remyelination and repair. These results support our hypothesis that TSC1 is an effective treatment for cell and tissue neuroprotection after SCI. An early intervention is crucial to prevent secondary damage of the injured SC and, in particular, to prevent Wallerian degeneration

Proof-of Concept that an Acute Trophic Factors Intervention After Spinal Cord Injury Provides an Adequate Niche for Neuroprotection, Recruitment of Nestin-Expressing Progenitors and Regeneration

Trophic factor treatment has been shown to improve the recovery of brain and spinal cord injury (SCI). In this study, we examined the effects of TSC1 (a combination of insulin-like growth factor 1 and transferrin) 4 and 8 h after SCI at the thoracic segment level (T12) in nestin-GFP transgenic mice. TSC1 treatment for 4 and 8 h increased the number of nestin-expressing cells around the lesion site and prevented Wallerian degeneration. Treatment with TSC1 for 4 h significantly increased heat shock protein (HSP)-32 and HSP-70 expression 1 and 2 mm from lesion site (both, caudal and rostral). Conversely, the number of HSP-32 positive cells decreased after an 8-h TSC1 treatment, although it was still higher than in both, non-treated SCI and intact spinal cord animals. Furthermore, TSC1 increased NG2 expressing cell numbers and preserved most axons intact, facilitating remyelination and repair. These results support our hypothesis that TSC1 is an effective treatment for cell and tissue neuroprotection after SCI. An early intervention is crucial to prevent secondary damage of the injured SC and, in particular, to prevent Wallerian degeneration