La vejez y el cerebro

El paso de los años lleva consigo una variedad de cambios que generan ganancias y pérdidas de diversa índole; por lo que el envejecer no puede ser visto sólo como una etapa de decadencia. Resulta importante, pues, exponer mitos y realidades con relación al cerebro, la memoria y la capacidad de seguir siendo activo. Para entender estos aspectos, las investigaciones en el ámbito de las neurociencias del siglo XXI han sido un excelente aporte

The Effect of an 8-week Core Training Program on 1-Mile and 100-Meter Dash Outdoor Running Times in College-Aged Athletes

The Effect of an 8-week Core Training Program on 1 Mile and 100-M Dash Outdoor Running Times in College-Aged Athletes Background: The core provides proximal stability of the trunk which enhances power production and strength with distal limb movement. With almost half a million NCAA athletes in the United States, in a high-revenue industry, there is a strong incentive for athletes, coaches and industry alike to discover strategies to improve athletic performance. Available literature has studied the correlation between increasing core strength and the augmentation of balance and stability, power generation, core endurance, neuromuscular control and injury prevention. However, these studies are limited in females\u3emales and in sports specific environments. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of an 8-week core training program on the outdoor running performance of college-aged athletes, specifically their 1 mile and 100-meter dash times. The study aims to determine whether incorporating a core training program into the regular training regimen of college-aged athletes will lead to significant improvements in their running times. Methods: Participants:Participants include male and female college-aged athletes between the ages of 18 and 25 years of age and must either have a minimum of 1 year of athletic participation on a collegiate-level sports team or currently be listed on an active collegiate athletic roster. Additionally, inclusion criteria includes only English-speaking participants secondary to lack of resources for adequate translation. Recruitment: Participants are recruited from three local college campuses, Misericordia University, King’s College, and Wilkes University on a volunteer basis via the use of flyers being posted in buildings around campus and emails that will be sent to athletic directors and coaches. Program Interventions: Following initial data collection (week 0), participants complete an 8-week core endurance program. Participants complete an exercise log following each training session and survey. The program is completed 3 times per week and lasts approximately 45 minutes, 30 minutes for exercise and 15 minutes for logging data at the end of each week. Procedures: Participant data for the 100 Meter dash and 1-Mile run and core endurance collected at pretest (week 0), mid-test (week 4) and posttest (week 8) utilizing Dashr Timing System and McGill Core Endurance test, respectively. The running assessments take place at Mangelsdorf field at Misericordia University (Dallas, PA) on an NCAA approved outdoor running track. The McGill core endurance tests consist of three exercises completed within a series and includes the following: a trunk flexor endurance test, a trunk lateral endurance test (on both sides), and a trunk extensor endurance test. Following data collection, participants perform an 8-week core training program 3X/week with two sessions performed as a home exercise program and one session performed with the researchers at the University. Over the course of the training program the subjects will complete weekly check-ins, one time per week via the online google survey, to ensure they are completing exercises with the intended form and intensity. Hypothesis: Based on prior studies we hypothesize that by increasing the strength and endurance of the core musculature there will be a decrease in the amount of time it takes to complete a 100-meter sprint and a 1 mile run, an increase in core strength, and a negative correlation between core strength and running times. Results/Conclusion: To be determined.https://digitalcommons.misericordia.edu/research_posters2023/1012/thumbnail.jp

BCR-ABL1 doubling-times and halving-times may predict CML response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors

In Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), successful treatment requires accurate molecular monitoring to evaluate disease response and provide timely interventions for patients failing to achieve the desired outcomes. We wanted to determine whether measuring BCR-ABL1 mRNA doubling-times (DTs) could distinguish inconsequential rises in the oncogene’s expression from resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Thus, we retrospectively examined BCR-ABL1 evolution in 305 chronic-phase CML patients receiving imatinib mesylate (IM) as a first line treatment. Patients were subdivided in two groups: those with a confirmed rise in BCR-ABL1 transcripts without MR3.0 loss and those failing IM. We found that the DTs of the former patients were significantly longer than those of patients developing IM resistance (57.80 vs. 41.45 days, p = 0.0114). Interestingly, the DT values of individuals failing second-generation (2G) TKIs after developing IM resistance were considerably shorter than those observed at the time of IM failure (27.20 vs. 41.45 days; p = 0.0035). We next wanted to establish if decreases in BCR-ABL1 transcripts would identify subjects likely to obtain deep molecular responses. We therefore analyzed the BCR-ABL1 halving-times (HTs) of a different cohort comprising 174 individuals receiving IM in first line and observed that, regardless of the time point selected for our analyses (6, 12, or 18 months), HTs were significantly shorter in subjects achieving superior molecular responses (p = 0.002 at 6 months; p < 0.001 at 12 months; p = 0.0099 at 18 months). Moreover, 50 patients receiving 2G TKIs as first line therapy and obtaining an MR3.0 (after 6 months; p = 0.003) or an MR4.0 (after 12 months; p = 0.019) displayed significantly shorter HTs than individuals lacking these molecular responses. Our findings suggest that BCR-ABL1 DTs and HTs are reliable tools to, respectively, identify subjects in MR3.0 that are failing their assigned TKI or to recognize patients likely to achieve deep molecular responses that should be considered for treatment discontinuation

Clinical implications of discordant early molecular responses in CML patients treated with imatinib

A reduction in BCR-ABL1/ABL1IS transcript levels to <10% after 3 months or <1% after 6 months of tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy are associated with superior clinical outcomes in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients. In this study, we investigated the reliability of multiple BCR-ABL1 thresholds in predicting treatment outcomes for 184 subjects diagnosed with CML and treated with standard-dose imatinib mesylate (IM). With a median follow-up of 61 months, patients with concordant BCR-ABL1/ABL1IS transcripts below the defined thresholds (10% at 3 months and 1% at 6 months) displayed significantly superior rates of event-free survival (86.1% vs. 26.6%) and deep molecular response (≥ MR4; 71.5% vs. 16.1%) compared to individuals with BCR-ABL1/ABL1IS levels above these defined thresholds. We then analyzed the outcomes of subjects displaying discordant molecular transcripts at 3-and 6-month time points. Among these patients, those with BCR-ABL1/ABL1IS values >10% at 3 months but <1% at 6 months fared significantly better than individuals with BCR-ABL1/ABL1IS <10% at 3 months but >1% at 6 months (event-free survival 68.2% vs. 32.7%; p < 0.001). Likewise, subjects with BCR-ABL1/ABL1IS at 3 months >10% but <1% at 6 months showed a higher cumulative incidence of MR4 compared to patients with BCR-ABL1/ABL1IS <10% at 3 months but >1% at 6 months (75% vs. 18.2%; p < 0.001). Finally, lower BCR-ABL1/GUSIS transcripts at diagnosis were associated with BCR-ABL1/ABL1IS values <1% at 6 months (p < 0.001). Our data suggest that when assessing early molecular responses to therapy, the 6-month BCR-ABL1/ABL1IS level displays a superior prognostic value compared to the 3-month measurement in patients with discordant oncogenic transcripts at these two pivotal time points