1,720,961 research outputs found
Factors influencing brain recovery from stroke via possible epigenetic changes
Full text linkAim: To examine epigenetic changes leading to functional repair after damage to the central motor system.Data sources: A literature search was conducted using medical and health science electronic databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus) up to July 2023.Study selection: Data were summarized for type of intervention, study design, findings including human and animal studies.Data extraction: Data were extracted and double-checked independently for methodological quality. By means of the influence of environmental (calorie restriction or physical exercise) and other factors, epigenetic instructions were found to increase levels of BDNF and enhance synaptic neurotransmission, possibly leading to larger scale changes in structural and functional assets, which may end up to cognitive and motor repair after stroke
Het verbeteren van neuroplasticiteit en motorisch leren door middel van hersenstimulatietechnieken
No full textNeuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain to change as a result of one's experience, indicating that the brain is plastic and malleable. Synaptic plasticity is the ability of synapses to strengthen or weaken over time, in response to increases or decreases of activity. In the clinical context it determines how patients with a brain injury can recover, e. g. after stroke, in order to regain independence and to perform daily life activities (e.g. dressing, eating, self-care and personal hygiene). Previous studies have demonstrated that plasticity can be enhanced by different mechanisms.
In this PhD project we tested the effectiveness of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques to influence neuro-plasticity.
First, we tested reward related interventions which previously have been proved to boost neuroplasticity. For example monetary reward has been shown to improve the acquisition and particularly long-term retention of a newly acquired motor skill in humans. The physiological substrate mediating this effect is most likely dopamine (DA), a neuromodulator influencing cognitive, emotional, motivational and motor processes.
Secondly, we tested the effect of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), known to promote neuroplasticity, in healthy young volunteers. Previous research suggests that anodal tDCS over the primary motor cortex (M1) modulates NMDA receptor dependent processes that mediate synaptic plasticity. We tested this proposal by applying anodal versus sham tDCS while the subjects practiced to flex their thumb as fast as possible. The repetitive practice of this task has been shown to result in performance improvements that reflect use-dependent plasticity resulting from NMDA receptor mediated, long-term potentiation (LTP)-like processes. While, tDCS has received much attention because it can be easily applied in a clinical context, its underlying mechanisms are not clear yet. In order to explore its mechanisms of action we decided to develop an animal model.
In the third experiment, we developed an animal model of stroke rehabilitation that better mimics tDCS applications in humans. Here we aimed to develop an animal model where the effect of anodal tDCS over ipsilesional M1 is tested while animals perform goal-directed limb training. Accordingly, rats were trained on the pasta matrix reaching task, which allows the manipulation of limb use in order to mimic human clinical phenomena. We induced photothrombotic stroke in the M1 contralateral to the preferred limb. The photothrombotic stroke animal model aims to induce ischemic damage within a cortical area through photo-activation of a light-sensitive dye previously injected in the blood system.
We concluded that behavioural markers of use-dependent plasticity are surprisingly insensitive to monetary reward or punishment which might result from the nature of the task. Our data suggest that anodal tDCS facilitates long-term memory formation reflecting use-dependent plasticity, supporting the idea that anodal tDCS facilitates synaptic plasticity mediated by an LTP-like mechanism. Our data also showed that the application of anodal tDCS during post-stroke training on a reaching and grasping task in rats is feasible. tDCS is beneficial to upper limb recovery, only when the animals performed the grasp training. The availability of an animal model that can be used to closely mimic recovery training in stroke patients opens new avenues for gaining more mechanistic understanding of the underlying principles. Our results suggest that tDCS is a promising adjuvant therapy to facilitate motor recovery following stroke.status: Publishe
Reward modulates changes of corticomotor excitability induced by motor skill
No full textstatus: Publishe
Skleroza amiotrofike laterale, një sëmundje e re apo tashmë e njohur edhe në Shqipëri?
Full text linkAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease, characterized by progressive degeneration of motor neurons in the brain, brain stem and in the spinal cord, resulting in muscle paralysis and death from respiratory failure within 2 − 5 years.Skleroza Amiotrofike Laterale (ALS) është një sëmundje neurodegjenerative e pakurueshme, e cila karakterizohet nga një degjenerim progresiv i neuroneve motore të trurit, trungut të trurit, dhe palcës së kurrizit duke sjellë paralizë të muskujve dhe vdekje nga insuficienca respiratore brenda 2 − 5 viteve
Nutrition as a key element in anemia in the city of Bulqiza
Full text linkIntroduction and Objective: Anemia affects approximately one-third of the global population and con-tributes to increased morbidity, reduced work productivity, and impaired neurological development. A balanced diet plays a crucial role in the prevention of this condition. The objective is to understand and define the role of nutrition in the prevention, management, and study of anemia. This includes analyzing the impact of dietary choices on the occurrence, progression, and outcomes of the disease.
Materials and Methods: 200 patients diagnosed with anemia were included in the study, initially select-ed from the patient registry at the Bulqizë Health Center. Patients were interviewed monthly during their visits to consult with a doctor or to receive medication. Dietary intake, visit frequency, and adherence to the doctor’s advice were documented in the questionnaire responses.
Results: Following the diet is crucial, and 156 patients adhere to it by incorporating iron into their meals.
Iron-rich foods have positively impacted patients with anemia.
Conclusions: Our study confirms that nutrition plays a crucial role in the management of anemia. A daily balanced diet can significantly impact on your health in various ways. Iron-rich foods are essential for maintaining healthy blood levels. Regular consumption of these foods helps alleviate symptoms and improve anemia
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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