Publications by authors named "Anthony Murkar"

Background: The present study investigated whether sleep deprivation affects attention capture in young and older adults using event-related potentials (ERPs).

Methods: Eleven young adults (20-30 y) and nine older adults (60-70 y) were tested following both normal sleep (NS) and total sleep deprivation (TSD). ERPs were recorded during an auditory discrimination task consisting of standard and deviant stimuli.

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The first aim of the present review is to provide an in-depth description of the cannabinoids and their known effects at various neuronal receptors. It reveals that cannabinoids are highly diverse, and recent work has highlighted that their effects on the central nervous system (CNS) are surprisingly more complex than previously recognized. Cannabinoid-sensitive receptors are widely distributed throughout the CNS where they act as primary modulators of neurotransmission.

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This study aimed to evaluate changes in sleep during the COVID-19 outbreak, and used data-driven approaches to identify distinct profiles of changes in sleep-related behaviours. Demographic, behavioural and psychological factors associated with sleep changes were also investigated. An online population survey assessing sleep and mental health was distributed between 3 April and 24 June 2020.

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Gilg. is a neotropical vine native to Central America, investigated as part of a targeted study of the plant family Marcgraviaceae. Our previous research showed that extract of leaf and small branch extract had anxiolytic effects in animals and acts as an agonist for the GABA receptor at the benzodiazepine binding site.

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: Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, a CB1 receptor agonist) and Cannabidiol (CBD, a non-competitive antagonist of endogenous CB1 and CB2 ligands) are two primary components of species, and may modulate fear learning in mammals. The CB1 receptor is widely distributed throughout the cortex and some limbic regions typically associated with fear learning. Humans with posttraumatic disorder (PTSD) have widespread upregulation of CB1 receptor density and reduced availability of endogenous cannabinoid anandamide, suggesting a role for the endocannabinoid system in PTSD.

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Research suggests sleep plays a role in the consolidation of recently acquired memories for long-term storage. rapid eye movement (REM) sleep has been shown to play a complex role in emotional-memory processing, and may be involved in subsequent waking-day emotional reactivity and amygdala responsivity. Interaction of the hippocampus and basolateral amygdala with the medial-prefrontal cortex is associated with sleep-dependent learning and emotional memory processing.

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Recent research has suggested that some of the inter-individual variation in sleep spindle activity is due to innate learning ability. Sleep spindles have also been observed to vary following learning in both young and older adults. We examined the effect of procedural task acquisition on sleep stages and on sleep spindles in an adolescent sample.

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Participants in the current study were 75 males, including 25 Canadian soldiers, 25 heavy gamers who play military based video games such as "Call of Duty," and a control group comprised of 25 males. One dream per participant was analyzed using Hall and Van de Castle content analysis guidelines, including aggression, threat, and previously established scales for intensity of aggression and emotion. The dreams of soldiers had a higher frequency of both aggression and threat, and were also more intense in aggression and emotion than both the heavy gamers and the controls.

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