Jeju National University Hospital, Korea
Objective: To compare weight and body composition between patients with falling event and without falling event in non-demented Parkinsonʼs disease patients.
Background & significance: Loss of body weight and muscle wasting are common in patients with Parkinsonʼs disease, and associated with symptoms and disease progression. The aim of this study was to explore the association between change of weight and body composition and falling events in non-demented patients with Parkinsonʼs disease
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 49 patients with Parkinsonʼs disease from Jeju National University Hospital. We excluded patient with short follow-up period less than 12 months, with severe disease state (more than H&Y stage III), or with dementia. We measured the height, body weight, body mass index, abdominal circumference, and tight circumference. We divided the patient into two groups depending on the presence of falling event in the last six months. Assessment of age, disease duration, weight and body compositions between groups were analyzed using Mann-Whitney test.
Results: 31 patients without falling event and 18 patients with falling event in last six months were enrolled. Age, disease duration, heights were not significantly different between patients with or without falling event. Patient without falling event had more weight but was not significant. Patients with falling event showed significantly low abdomen and thigh circumference (p<0.01).
Conclusions: Weight loss and decreased abdomen and thigh circumference can be risk factor of falling event in non-demented patients with Parkinsonʼs disease.
Biography:
Sook-Keun Song is an Associate Professor in Department of Neurology at Jeju National University Hospital. She is a Fellow, Division of movement disorders in Department of Neurology, Severance Hospital at Yonsei University College of Medicine. She completed her BS, Biology at Korea University. She did MS, Neurobiology at Pohang University of Science and Technical. She did MD in Yonsei University College of Medicine.
1Natural Products Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea
2Department of Physiology, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Republic of Korea
3Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Science & Kyung Hee East-West Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University, Republic of Korea
4Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Science & Technology (UST), Republic of Korea
We found that an extract of Lycoris chejuensis, and its three isolated active components, narciclasine, 7-deoxynarciclasine and 7-deoxy-trans-dihydronarciclasine, each significantly reduced the formation of amyloid-β peptides in HeLa cells transfected with an amyloid precursor protein carrying the Swedish mutation up to 45±3.6%. The extract down-regulated amyloid precursor protein, especially the mature form by up to 88%, and reduced the ability of secretases to generate toxic amyloid-β. Double-transgenic mice treated with the extract for 4 months also showed significantly reduced levels of amyloid-β and plaques while exhibiting improved memory functions in the Morris water maze and novel object recognition tests. In conclusion, the extract and isolated active components of L. chejuensis decreased the production of amyloid-β by attenuating amyloid precursor protein levels. Furthermore, the extract improved the disrupted memory functions in animals while inhibiting amyloid plaque formation. Thus, this extract, as well as its active components, could prove beneficial in the treatment of Alzheimerʼs disease.
Keywords: Lycoris chejuensis, Alzheimerʼs disease, Amyloid-beta, Amyloid-beta precursor protein, Narciclasine
Biography:
Hyun Ok Yang has complete her PhD on pharmacognogy at Seoul National University in 1993. After Post-doctoral study at University of Iowa, USA, she is now a principal research scientist at Natural Products Research Center in Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) & a professor of UST, KIST School, Republic of Korea.
1Department of Pathophysiology, Hebei Medical University, China
2Central Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, China
Alzheimerʼs disease (AD) is characterized by progressive impairment of learning, memory and cognitive functions. Glutamate as neurotransmitter plays an important role in learning, memory and cognition. The glutamate homeostasis and reutilization are associated with glutamate uptake by astrocytic glutamate transporter-1(GLT-1) and the subsequent glutamate-glutamine cycle. Increasing evidence showed the dysregulation of GLT-1 and glutamate-glutamine cycle in AD. Ceftriaxone (Cef) has been reported to up-regulate the expression and uptake activity of GLT-1. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to explore whether Cef can improve the learning and memory deficits of APP/PS1 mice at 7- and 6-month age by up-regulating the expression of GLT-1 and then promoting the glutamate-glutamine cycle by assaying the expression and activity of glutamate synthetase (GS) and the expression of system N glutamine transporter SN1, which are related to the glutamate-glutamine cycle. The learning and memory functions were examined by Novel object recognition and Morris water maze tests. The expressions of GLT-1, GS and SN1 in the hippocampus were assayed with immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis, and the GS activity was assayed with spectrophotometry. It was shown that Cef treatment in doses of 200 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg significantly improved the learning and memory deficits of the APP/PS1 mice and up-regulated the expression of GLT-1. Furthermore, the activity of GS and the expression of SN1 were significantly up-regulated as well after the Cef treatment. The above results suggested that Cef could improve the learning and memory deficits of the APP/PS1 mice in early stage of AD by promoting the glutamate-glutamine cycle. Key words: Ceftriaxone, GLT-1, glutamate-glutamine cycle, APP/PS1 mice
Biography:
Wenbin Li is a Professor in the Department of Pathophysiology, Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, China. He is now mainly interested in the fundamental study in the prevention and therapy of Alzheimerʼs disease, cerebral ischemia and the mechanism of cerebral ischemia tolerance.
Shanghai University of Sport, China
Background: Working memory (WM), which refers to the ability to temporarily store and manipulate information that underpins many cognitive processes. It is critical to the daily life and will decline with aging, but can be improved at any time over the lifespan. Therefore, proper interventions on the decline could improve the quality of life of the elderly. The effect of exercise on WM has been a subject of increasing interest over the past few years.
Objective: The study aims to determine whether long-term highly physical activity affects WM among postmenopausal women from behavioral and neuroelectric perspectives.
Methods: The postmenopausal women were screened by physical tests and grouped into a higher physical activity group (HG; n = 20) and moderate physical activity group (MG; n=20) according to their physical activity level. They were also required to complete the 1-back task (high workload) and 3-back task (low workload).
Results: The behavioral results showed that the HG had quicker and more accurate response in both high and low load conditions compared to the MG. The HG showed increased P3 amplitude than MG in both tasks. The P3 latency in 3-back task was significantly longer than that in 1-back for MG, while there was no significant difference between two load conditions in HG.
Conclusion: Our results confirmed that physical activity was positively related to working memory in postmenopausal women and that this positive relationship was associated with the allocation of more attentional resources to increase the efficiency across different memory workloads.
Biography:
Chenglin Zhou is a professor in the School of Sport Science at the Shanghai University of Sport. In 2016, he was elected to the Yangtze river scholars Distinguished Professor. Chenglin Zhou also serves as the vice chairman of Professional Committee of Sport Psychology, the member of Psychology Teaching Committee, and the member of China Social Neuroscience Committee etc. He is the reviewer of Sport Science, Progress in Psychology, Chinese Sport Medicine, and Journal of Shanghai University of Sport etc. Chenglin Zhou has successfully applied for 18 research projects and published more than 70 papers to date.
1Department of Sport Psychology, School of Sport Science, Shanghai University of Sport, China
2Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
3Institute of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Shenzhen University, China
Background: Human emotions play a powerful role in the decision making process. The influence of emotion on decision making is common in everyday life and has drawn much attention from researchers. According to previous literature, both state emotions (transient responses associated with the current situation) and dispositional emotions (e.g. anxiety) have significant impacts on decision making. However, little is known about their interaction effects on decision making, which is the main interest of the current study.
Objective: In this study, to investigate the influence of incidental emotions on decision making in high-anxious individuals, they and the low-anxious individuals were required to perform a monetary gambling task.
Methods: Behavioral (the average number of risk-avoidant choices) and electroencephalography (FRN and P3 components) responses were recorded to explore the stages of option assessment and outcome evaluation during decision making, respectively. Incidental emotions were elicited by facial expression pictures presented on the background, which included four conditions (control, neutral, fearful, and happy).
Results: The behavioral results showed that there was no significant difference between groups in the average numbers of risk avoidant choices. However, the ERP results showed smaller feedback-related negativity (FRN) amplitudes in high-anxious participants than low-anxious participants in the control, neutral, and fearful conditions, but not in the happy condition, for small outcomes. The P3 amplitudes were larger in high-anxious participants compared to their counter parts in the fearful and happy conditions, but not in the other conditions.
Conclusion: In short, the interaction effects between trait anxiety and facial emotions manifested on the outcome evaluation stage of decision making.
Biography:
Yingying Wang is currently a Ph.D candidate majoring in sport psychology in Shanghai University of Sport. Yingying Wang has got the approval from China Scholarship Council and become a visiting student in University of Jyvaskyla (JYU) in Finland from January 26, 2018 to January 26, 2019. Her primary research interests are in the areas of sport neuroscience and decision making. She has published in Biological Psychology.
1Department of Pathophysiology, Hebei Medical University, China
2Central Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, China
Alzheimerʼs disease (AD) is characterized by progressive impairment of learning, memory and cognitive functions. Glutamate as neurotransmitter plays an important role in learning, memory and cognition. Excitatory synaptic transmission of glutamatergic neuron requires a continuous release of glutamate from presynaptic terminals. Increasing evidence has shown the down-regulated expression of neuronal glutamine transport (GLnT), vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) in hippocampal neurons of AD mice. Ceftriaxone (Cef) has been reported to alleviate the cognition deficits of APP/PS1 mice. Therefore, in order to elucidate the mechanism involved in the improvement of Cef for the cognition deficits of APP/PS1 mice, the present study was undertaken to explore whether Cef can up-regulate the expression of GLnT, VGLUTs and metabotropic glutamate receptors 2 and 3 (mGLuR2/3), which are related to the release of glutamate from presynaptic terminals, and whether Cef could impact the levels of Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42. The learning and memory functions were examined by Novel object recognition and Morris water maze tests. The expressions of GLnT, VGLUTs and mGLuR2/3 in the hippocampus were assayed with immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. It was shown that Cef treatment in doses of 200 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg significantly improved the learning and memory deficits of the APP/PS1 mice and up-regulated the expression of GLnT, VGLUTs and mGLuR2/3. However, Cef had no effects on the levels of soluble and insoluble Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42. The above results suggested that Cef could upregulate the expression of proteins associated the releasing of glutamate from neurons, which might contribute to the improvement of Cef for the cognitive deficits of the APP/PS1 mice in early stage of AD.
Keywords: Ceftriaxone, GLnT, VGLUTs, APP/PS1 mice
Biography:
Shujuan Fan is a Doctor in Department of Pathophysiology, Hebei Medical University, China. She graduated from Hebei medical university. At present, She mainly focuses on the fundamental research of the prevention and therapy of Alzheimerʼs disease.
1Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Italy
2Centre for the Study of Movement Disorder, Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Italy
Parkinsonʼs disease [PD] is characterized by disorders of visuospatial dysfunction, negatively impacting everyday functioning. Visuospatial difficulties seem to be more prominent in those whose motor symptoms begin on the left body side [LPD] than the right body side [RPD]. The aim of the case report is to assess these potential contributors through performance on a visuospatial line bisection task.
Participants included 2 PD patients with motor symptoms asymmetry [LPD, RPD] and 10 normal controls. Visuospatial attention was assessed using a line bisection task, in which participants were asked to mark the middle of 40 horizontal lines. Twenty lines were bisected using the right hand and twenty lines using the left hand.
Results show that all participants produced a leftward bisection bias that was greater in the left than in the right hand condition. Both the PD patients produced a significant greater leftward deviation than controls when the task is performed with the right hand, and with the left hand for the LPD when he/she performed the task with the left hand. Conversely, the RPD patient produced a significant greater rightward deviation than controls when he/she performed the task with the left hand.
These data are congruent with research in humans supporting the idea that dopamine plays an important role in spatial orienting. Pseudoneglect is viewed as reflecting right hemisphere specialization for processing spatial information, resulting in orienting toward the contralateral hemispace. Our results suggest that visuospatial function in PD could reflect asymmetric dopamine neurotransmission in LPD/RPD.
Biography:
Francesco Terrenzio has obtained his Bachelorʼs degree in Psychology at the University of Chieti-Pescara and is currently studying for a Masterʼs degree in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Turin. His research is focused on neurodegenerative diseases, with a strong interest in the Parkinsonʼs disease. During his internship at the Molinette Neurology department, he is performing a research to explore visuospatial impairment in Parkinsonʼs patients.
Kyung Hee University, South Korea
Excessive mitochondrial fission is a prominent early event, and contributes to mitochondrial dysfunction, synaptic failure and neuronal cell death in the progression of Alzheimerʼs disease (AD). In the present study, we examine the role of Drp1, a key regulator of mitochondrial fragmentation, in mitochondrial and synaptic dysfunction-induced by Aβ, and AD-like neuropathology and cognitive functions in AD mice. Our results demonstrate that the treatment of a Drp1 inhibitor, Mdivi-1 alleviates mitochondrial fragmentation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, ROS production, and ATP reduction in neurons treated with Aβ oligomers. Furthermore, Drp1 inhibition significantly improves learning and memory, synaptic density, and prevents mitochondrial fission, lipid peroxidation, BACE1 expression and Aβ deposition in an AD mouse model. These results provide evidence that Drp1 plays an important role in Aβ-mediated and AD-related neuropathology, and in cognitive function in an AD animal model. Thus, inhibiting excessive Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission may be an efficient therapeutic avenue for AD.
Biography:
Dong-Hyung Cho is an Associate Professor in Graduate School of East-West Medical Science at Kyung Hee Universtiy (South Korea). He obtained PhD at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology at 2005. He was a post-doctoral fellow in Sanford Burnham Preys Medical Discovery Institute in San Diego, USA. He has focused on mitochondrial dynamics and selective autophagy.
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