Active lifestyle facilitates recovery after spinal cord injury

In recent research, scientist have described the influence of an active lifestyle on the regenerative capacity of the peripheral nervous system, that is, the set of cranial and spinal nerves that control motor and sensory functions.

The research for the first time has identified a molecular pathway related to physical activity that stimulates nerve regeneration after a spinal cord injury. The study was carried out in mice and rats.
It was already known, by studies with rodents, the benefits for the brain of an active lifestyle, explained the lead author of the study.

Laboratory animals that live in enriched environments, with wheels for exercise, toys and the presence of other animals, show better performance in memory and orientation tests, have more neurogenesis in the hippocampus, and also more dendritic spines, the structures of neurons that allow the formation of synapses or contacts between neuronal cells. And now, this work shows that the peripheral nervous system also benefits from an active lifestyle, highlighted the Dr.

The finding explained why people who have led an 'active lifestyle' recover more after spinal cord injury than those with 'less active' lifestyles.

Although the work is still at an early stage, the findings open a ' realistic path' that tests the links between pre-existing active lifestyle and subsequent recovery from a spinal injury, and possibly paves the way for clinical trials in human patients, said researchers. 

Essentially, by increasing the activity of neurons that detect environmental atimuli, we have been able to promote the regenerative potential of the nerves after a spinal cord injury, explained the Dr. who was part of the study.

We have shown that environmental enrichment, how housing the mice in a larger cage than usual, with other mice, with more toys, tunnels, swings, wheels etc, increases the activity of the neurons. 
This enriched environment leads to changes in gene expression that cause the nerves to be more likely to regenerate, added the Dr.

In addition, the researchers identified a key molecule in this process called CREB-Binding Protein (CBP), a regulator of gene expression capable that alters the expression of several genes, and thus increases the ability to regenerate damaged nerves.

Each cell of the human body contains a long strand of DNA, about 2 meters long, with genetic information. To fit inside the cell nucleus this DNA is wound in proteins called histones, forming a kind of pearl necklace. In order for genes to be expressed, the collar must unwind partially and accurately at the right time. And it is at this point where the CBP protein intervenes.

The research team has been working with the CBP protein for a long time, and they have a mouse model that lacks this protein in specific neuronal types.

By putting the deficient animals in CBP in an enriched environment, we saw that they are not able to respond to these stimuli and there is no increase in the repair of injuries, explained the Dr. Thanks to this animal model, it was clear that CBP is a key molecule, capable of becoming a therapeutic target to increase regeneration after spinal cord injury.

In tests with mice and rats, administering a compound that increases the activity of the CBP protein six hours after the injury of the column, and subsequently, once a week promoted the regeneration of the damaged nerve fibres.

After the injury and treatment with the drug, the rats, which otherwise could not walk correctly, recovered significant mobility in their hind legs, compared to the control animals, without treatment.

Although this treatment may not be fat from being tested in the clinic, more studies are needed to show that the drug is safe in humans. Once verified, it could potentially be combined with neuro-rehabilitation to treat people who have suffered a spinal cord injury.

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Human brain cells develop throughout life

Human beings keep making new brain cells throughout their lives, even into the 90s, a finding that may pave the way to treatments for Alzheimer’s disease –linked to loss in brain cells, according to a study. Scientists had earlier thought that most of our neurons – brain cells that send electrical signals – are indeed in place by the time we are born.

The team looked at the brains of 58 deceased people who were aged between 43 and 97 and focused on the hippocampus – a part of the brain involved in memory and emotion – lost in Alzheimer’s patients. They were able to spot immature or “new” neurons in the brains that they examined, the BBC reported.

In healthy brains there was a “slight decrease” in the amount of this neurogenesis with age. “I believe we would be generating new neurons as long as we need to learn new things,” researcher was quoted .  “And that occurs during every single second of our life,” she added.

However, the study says in people at the beginning of Alzheimer’s, the number of new neurons forming fell from 30,000 per millimetre to 20,000 per millimetre. “That’s a 30 per cent reduction in the very first stage of the disease,”she said.

“It’s very surprising for us, it’s even before the accumulation of amyloid beta (a hallmark of Alzheimer’s) and probably before symptoms, it’s very early.”

Understanding why there is a decrease in neurogenesis could lead to new treatments in both Alzheimer’s and normal ageing, she said.

“While we start losing nerve cells in early adulthood, this research shows that we can continue to produce new ones even into our 90s,” said a researcher.

Alzheimer’s radically accelerates the rate at which we lose nerve cells and this research provides convincing evidence that it also limits the creation of new nerve cells.”

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Anti-anxiety drug can reverse brain deficits caused by alcohol

Researchers have identified an anti-anxiety drug that could potentially reverse the damage caused to the brain by alcohol abuse. 

Alcohol abuse and addiction is characterised by extended periods of heavy alcohol use, binges and abstinence, and anxiety and depression which contribute to relapse.

The findings showed that tandospirone can help our brains reboot and reverse the damage on the regeneration of brain cells, caused by heavy alcohol consumption.

"Tandospirone drug is available only in China and Japan. It is commonly used there and shown to be highly effective in treating general anxiety and well tolerated with limited adverse effects," saida researcher.

In the study, adult mice who underwent two weeks of daily treatment with the drug tandospirone saw a reduction in anxiety-like behaviours associated with alcohol withdrawal.

Tandospirone reversed the effects of 15 weeks of binge-like alcohol consumption on neurogenesis -- the ability of the brain to grow and replace neurons (brain cells).

This was also accompanied by a significant decrease in binge-like alcohol intake.

"This is a novel discovery that tandospirone can reverse the deficit in neurogenesis caused by alcohol," said the lead author of the study.

The study also opens the way to look at if neurogenesis is associated with other substance-abuse deficits, such as in memory and learning, and whether this compound can reverse these.

"Tandospirone is not just another drug that shows promise in helping to reduce binge drinking," the researcher said.

"While it could possibly have that effect, it might be able to help reboot the brain and reverse the deficits the alcohol abuse causes - both the inhibition to the brain's ability to regenerate, and the behavioural consequences that come from what alcohol is doing to the brain, like increases in anxiety and depression," she noted.

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How to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease has no known cure to date, which is what makes preventive care so much more important. Keep in mind that there are no proven methods of prevention, but medical experts agree that certain lifestyle changes can help to minimize the risk of developing Alzheimer’s or at the very least delay the onset and progression of the disease.

While researchers continue to investigate and gather supporting evidence here are some steps that you can take to lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s:

Stay active – Regular exercise and physical activity can go a long way to keeping you healthy and fit as you age. Some studies indicate that physical activity helps to boost endurance of cells and tissues to oxidative stress and other processes that are important in neurogenesis and memory improvement.

Mental stimulation – Make it a point to engage in intellectually stimulating activities, whether solving puzzles at your coffee table, or debating philosophical and political conundrums! 

Healthy eating – Increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, while cutting down on unhealthy foods like red meats, fried food and junk food. The Mediterranean diet is widely regarded as one of the healthiest and most balanced diets. Claims that have been backed by several studies suggest that it could help lower the risk of Alzheimer’s.

Optimal weight – Obesity may not be a direct cause for Alzheimer’s but it does increase the risk because of other health conditions that develop as a result of obesity.

Kick the butt –Smoking poses a variety of health risks, so it’s only logical to assume that it ups the risk of Alzheimer’s as well. Either way, quitting smoking will improve your general health, reducing the risk of various health complications and conditions that would otherwise increase the risk of Alzheimer’s.

Most of these changes may not have a direct bearing on your risk of Alzheimer’s, but they do have a definite impact on your general health and well-being, which will reduce the risk of various health conditions that would otherwise make you more susceptible to Alzheimer’s.

As the end-goal with all of these lifestyle changes is the betterment of your health, it should go without saying that you need to actively monitor your health with regular check-ups and seek treatment for any health condition as soon as it surfaces. Diabetes, high cholesterol or hypertension can put you at risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Psychological problems like anxiety disorders and depression can also greatly increase the risk, so it’s important to seek help when needed.

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Seasonal allergies may impact your brain

In a shocking revelation, a recent study throws light on the fact that seasonal allergies may lay substantial impact on brain.

The researchers examined a part (hippocampus) of the brain that is responsible for forming new memories and neurons throughout life during an allergic reaction and found that there was an increase in the numbers of new neurons in the hippocampus. 

The formation and functioning of neurons is linked to the brain's immune cells 'microglia'.

The findings of the analysis raised a question on what could be the consequences of allergies on memory.

The scientists discovered that same allergic reaction that kicks the body's immune system in high gear has opposite effect on resident immune cells of the brain.

Barbara Klein, one of the authors of the study, said: "It was highly unexpected to see the deactivation of microglia in the hippocampus. Partly because other studies have shown the reverse effect on microglia following bacterial infection."

"We know that the response of immune system in the body is different in case of an allergic reaction vs a bacterial infection. What this tells us is that the effect on the brain depends on type of immune reaction in the body," added Klein.

Allergic reaction also causes an increase in Neurogenesis, the growth and development of nervous tissue, which is known to decline with age.

The study was published in the open-access journal 'Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience'.

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Chronic Stress Early In Life May Cause Anxiety, Aggression In Later Life

A group of researchers from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 

(CSHL) conducted some tests to analyse the effects of social stress 

during adolescence upon later life. A research team led by 

Associate Professor Grigori Enikolopov at CSHL conducted 

certain tests on mice to see the effect of stress faced in early life 

on the later life. The study got published in the online journal 

PLOS ONE. They took mice who were 1 month old as they are 

comparatively equal to human adolescents. These mice were put 

with aggressive adult male mice in separate cages. The younger 

were attacked by the adult males whenever they were brought 

together, causing social-defeat stress in the young mice, as 

scientists term it. Subsequently, these mice were put to behavioral 

tests. It was found that the young mice had increased anxiety 

levels due to fear, isolation, and lack of communication with 

others. As a result, they suffered from slow nerve-cell growth, 

called neurogenesis. In another test, some young mice were given 

similar social stress but they after some time they were removed 

from such environment. In some time, they recovered their nerve-

cell growth and started to show signs of normalcy. It proved that 

young mice possessed the resilience to recover biologically as 

well in behavioral aspects. However, it was observed that even in 

the second set of mice that showed signs of recovery, there were 

two behavioral changes. Even in adulthood, the mice who had 

social stress in early life used to get anxious too easily and were 

more aggressive in their interactions. 

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