Dynamic changes in the hippocampal memory index and biochemical indices in Sprague Dawley rats exposed to intrauterine kola nut.

Kola nut is commonly consumed by pregnant women to suppress symptoms of morning sickness. This study investigated the effects of kola nut on the biochemical indices of the hippocampus and its dependent memory. Kola nut extract was fed to pregnant dams from the first day of their pregnancy until parturition.

Vagus nerve stimulation in dementia: A scoping review of clinical and pre-clinical studies.

Background: Dementia is a prevalent, progressive, neurodegenerative condition with multifactorial causes. Due to the lack of effective pharmaceutical treatments for dementia, there are growing clinical and research interests in using vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as a potential non-pharmacological therapy for dementia. However, the extent of the research volume and nature into the effects of VNS on dementia is not well understood.

Topographic and Structural Anatomy of the Suspensory Ligament of the Penis: Implications for Phalloplasty.

Background: The suspensory ligamentous system of the penis supports the penis when erect and plays a key role during coitus. These ligaments, which are prone to injury during coitus, are clinically important in penile reconstruction procedures.

Objectives: The current study investigated the macro- and microanatomy of the suspensory ligamentous system of the penis to determine the origin, course, insertion, dimensions, and tissue composition of these ligaments, knowledge of which is vital for successful penile reconstruction procedures.

What is next in African neuroscience?

Working in Africa provides neuroscientists with opportunities that are not available in other continents. Populations in this region exhibit the greatest genetic diversity; they live in ecosystems with diverse flora and fauna; and they face unique stresses to brain health, including child brain health and development, due to high levels of traumatic brain injury and diseases endemic to the region. However, the neuroscience community in Africa has yet to reach its full potential.

A Need to Protect the Health and Rights of Anatomists Working in Dissection Laboratories.

Anatomy in the context of medical or health science often requires dissection. Anatomical dissection is the purposeful and procedural exploration of the human tissues and organs by physically cutting through defined body planes, regions, and organs to access, define and explore the structures in a manner that facilitates learning. Anatomical dissection is a basic requirement for anatomical and medical education.

Neurogenesis and Viral Infection.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are multipotent stem cells that reside in the fetal and adult mammalian brain, which can self-renew and differentiate into neurons and supporting cells. Intrinsic and extrinsic cues, from cells in the local niche and from distant sites, stringently orchestrates the self-renewal and differentiation competence of NSCs. Ample evidence supports the important role of NSCs in neuroplasticity, aging, disease, and repair of the nervous system.

Distribution of variations in anatomy of the circle of Willis: results of a cadaveric study of the Malawian population and review of literature.

Introduction: the circle of Willis is an anatomical structure of clinical importance particularly in the evaluation of neurovascular diseases. Individuals show considerable variations in the anatomical configuration of the circle of Willis. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the distribution of morphological variations of the circle of Willis in Malawians and compare with other ethnic groups.

Coadministration of ARV (Atripla) and Topiramate disrupts quail cardiac neural crest cell migration.

Introduction: Congenital anomalies such as ventricular septal defects and truncus communis have been reported with the prenatal use of antiretroviral therapy. The mechanism of antiretroviral therapy teratogenicity is unclear and is therefore the focus of this study. Some human immunodeficiency virus patients on antiretrovirals are placed on antiepileptic drugs which are also teratogenic.

Anatomical variation and distribution of the vagus nerve in the esophageal hiatus: a cross-sectional study of post-mortem cases in Uganda.

Purpose: Vagus nerve injuries during gastroesophageal surgery may cause significant symptoms due to loss of vagal anti-inflammatory and neuromodulator function. Many previous studies have shown high anatomical variability of the vagus nerve at the esophageal hiatus, but information on its variability in Uganda specifically and Africa in general is scanty. This study provides a reliable and detailed description of the anatomical variation and distribution of the vagus nerve in the esophageal hiatus region of post-mortem cases in Uganda.

Sleep Deprivation and Neurological Disorders.

Sleep plays an important role in maintaining neuronal circuitry, signalling and helps maintain overall health and wellbeing. Sleep deprivation (SD) disturbs the circadian physiology and exerts a negative impact on brain and behavioural functions. SD impairs the cellular clearance of misfolded neurotoxin proteins like -synuclein, amyloid-, and tau which are involved in major neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Curricular and pedagogical aspects of gross anatomy education for undergraduate physiotherapy students: a scoping review.

Objective: The objective of this review was to collate and map gross anatomy curricular and pedagogical approaches for physiotherapy students.

Introduction: Knowledge of anatomy is essential for physiotherapy clinical diagnosis, treatment effectiveness and safe practice. The information on this topic is sparse, and what does exist is diverse.

Putative adult neurogenesis in palaeognathous birds: The common ostrich (Struthio camelus) and emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae).

In the current study, we examined adult neurogenesis throughout the brain of the common ostrich (Struthio camelus) and emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) using immunohistochemistry for the endogenous markers PCNA which labels proliferating cells, and DCX, which stains immature and migrating neurons. The distribution of PCNA and DCX labelled cells was widespread throughout the brain of both species. The highest density of cells immunoreactive to both markers was observed in the olfactory bulbs and the telencephalon, especially the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle.

Opinions of South African physiotherapists on gross anatomy education for physiotherapy students.

Background: Physiotherapists know the depth of gross anatomical knowledge required for safe and effective clinical practice. They can offer insightful opinions on inclusions for and teaching of an anatomy curriculum for physiotherapy students.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to gather opinions of physiotherapists as to what they perceive as necessary anatomy curricular content for undergraduate physiotherapy students and identify pedagogy that should be used.

Quantitative analysis of age and life-history stage related changes in DCX expression in the male Japanese quail (Cortunix japonica) telencephalon.

Most avian neurogenesis studies focused on the song control system and little attention has been given to non-song birds such as the Japanese quail. However, the only few neurogenesis studies in quails mainly focused on the sex steroid sensitive areas of the brain such as the medial preoptic and lateral septal nuclei. Despite the important role the quail telencephalon plays in filial imprinting and passive avoidance learning, neurogenesis in this structure has been completely overlooked.

The brain of the tree pangolin (Manis tricuspis). IV. The hippocampal formation.

Employing a range of standard and immunohistochemical stains we provide a description of the hippocampal formation in the brain of the tree pangolin. For the most part, the architecture, chemical neuroanatomy, and topological relationships of the component parts of the hippocampal formation of the tree pangolin were consistent with that observed in other mammalian species. Within the hippocampus proper fields CA1, 3, and 4 could be identified with certainty, while CA2 was tentatively identified as a small transitional zone between the CA1 and CA3 fields.

Changes to the somatosensory barrel cortex in C57BL/6J mice at early adulthood (56 days post-natal) following prenatal alcohol exposure.

Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) have impaired sensory processing skills as a result of neurodevelopmental anomalies. The somatosensory barrel field of rodent brain is a readily accessible model for studying the effects of alcohol exposure. Within the barrel field, the posterior medial barrel subfield (PMBSF) receives sensory inputs from the large vibrissae on the contralateral face.

Age-related changes in Ki-67 and DCX expression in the BALB/ c mouse (Mus Musculus) brain.

Several studies have identified age as one of the strongest regulators of neurogenesis in the mammalian brain. However, previous age-related studies focused mainly on changes in neurogenesis during different stages of adulthood and did not describe changes in neurogenesis through the different life history stages of the animal. The aim of this study was therefore to determine time course changes in neurogenesis in the male BALB/c mouse brain at postnatal ages 1 week to 12 weeks, spanning juvenile, sub adult and adult life history stages.

Brain of the tree pangolin (Manis tricuspis). III. The unusual locus coeruleus complex.

Here, we used a range of immunohistochemical stains, focussing on tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine-β-hydroxylase, to show that within the pons of tree pangolins clusters of noradrenergic neurons are present. No noradrenergic neurons were observed in the pontine periventricular gray matter (A6 and A4 groups missing), with all noradrenergic neurons being found within the pontine tegmentum (A7 and A5 groups). The tree pangolin is unique in lacking the locus coeruleus (A6) cell group observed in all vertebrates previously studied; however, noradrenergic axons and terminal networks were found throughout the cerebral cortex.

The brain of the tree pangolin (Manis tricuspis). II. The olfactory system.

This study employed a range of neuroanatomical stains to determine the organization of the main and accessory olfactory systems within the brain of the tree pangolin. The tree pangolin has a typically mammalian olfactory system, but minor variations were observed. The main olfactory system is comprised of the layered main olfactory bulb (MOB), the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON), the rostral olfactory cortex (including the taenia tecta, anterior hippocampal continuation and induseum griseum), the olfactory tubercle (Tu), the lateral olfactory tract (lot) and the olfactory limb of the anterior commissure, the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract (NLOT), the piriform cortex (PIR) and a typically mammalian rostral migratory stream (RMS).

Changes in neurogenesis with post‑hatching age in the male Japanese quail (Cortunix japonica) brain.

Most avian neurogenesis studies have previously focused on the song control system and little attention has been given to non‑song birds. The objective of this study was to assess changes in neurogenesis associated with post‑hatching age (3‑12 weeks) in the Japanese quail brain using proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and doublecortin (DCX) immunohistochemistry. PCNA‑immunoreactive (ir) cells were observed mainly in the olfactory bulb ventricular zone, telencephalic ventricular zones and cerebellum.

Putative Adult Neurogenesis in Old World Parrots: The Congo African Grey Parrot () and Timneh Grey Parrot ().

In the current study, we examined for the first time, the potential for adult neurogenesis throughout the brain of the Congo African grey parrot () and Timneh grey parrot () using immunohistochemistry for the endogenous markers proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), which labels proliferating cells, and doublecortin (DCX), which stains immature and migrating neurons. A similar distribution of PCNA and DCX immunoreactivity was found throughout the brain of the Congo African grey and Timneh grey parrots, but minor differences were also observed. In both species of parrots, PCNA and DCX immunoreactivity was observed in the olfactory bulbs, subventricular zone of the lateral wall of the lateral ventricle, telencephalic subdivisions of the pallium and subpallium, diencephalon, mesencephalon and the rhombencephalon.

Gross anatomy education for South African undergraduate physiotherapy students.

Eight faculties in South Africa offer undergraduate physiotherapy training with gross anatomy included as a basis for clinical practice. Little information exists about anatomy education for this student body. A 42-question peer-reviewed survey was distributed to physiotherapy gross anatomy course coordinators in all the eight faculties.

Changes in the Cholinergic, Catecholaminergic, Orexinergic and Serotonergic Structures Forming Part of the Sleep Systems of Adult Mice Exposed to Intrauterine Alcohol.

We examined the effect of chronic prenatal alcohol exposure on certain neuronal systems involved with the sleep-wake cycle of C57BL/6J mice exposed to prenatal alcohol once they had reached 56 days post-natal. Pregnant mice were exposed to alcohol, through oral gavage, on gestational days 7-16, with recorded blood alcohol concentration (BAC)s averaging 1.84 mg/ml (chronic alcohol group, CA).