Publications by authors named "Blier P"

Identification of physiological processes setting thermal tolerance limits is essential to describe adaptive response to temperature changes. We use the North American Daphnia pulex complex, which makes a remarkable model for comparative physiology as it is composed of clones differing in heat tolerance, ploidies and with a wide geographic distribution. The fatty acid composition of 18 diploid and triploid D.

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  • The study aimed to investigate the effects of lemborexant (LEM) on individuals with insomnia who also experience mild depression or anxiety symptoms.
  • Over a 12-month period, 61 subjects out of 949, who were using medications for depression/anxiety, were evaluated for changes in sleep quality and related measures while being treated with either LEM or a placebo.
  • Results showed that while LEM was effective for improving sleep metrics in the subpopulation, the placebo response was stronger, resulting in a smaller effect size for LEM compared to the overall study population, but no new safety concerns were identified.
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Assessment of electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in depression has provided insights into neural profiles of the illness. However, there is limited understanding on how symptom severity and risk factors, such as childhood adversity, influence EEG features. Eyes-closed EEG was acquired in N = 28 depressed individuals being treated in a tertiary psychiatric setting.

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The impact of mutations on the mitochondria deserves specific interest due to the crucial role played by these organelles on numerous cellular functions. This study examines the effects of repeated bottlenecks on mitochondrial function and fitness. Daphnia pulex mutation accumulation lines (MA) lines were maintained for over 120 generations under copper and no copper conditions.

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  • Mitochondria play a crucial role in producing ATP necessary for cellular function, particularly in crucial tissues like the heart and brain, and their dysfunction at high temperatures is linked to hyperthermic death.
  • As temperatures rise, the efficiency and capacity for ATP synthesis in cardiac and brain mitochondria decline, leading to insufficient ATP for cellular needs and potential organ failure.
  • This commentary explores potential causes of mitochondrial failure during hyperthermia, including increased leak respiration and structural changes in the inner mitochondrial membrane that could disrupt proton transport and reduce ATP production.
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  • Current antidepressants show limited effectiveness, prompting research to identify biological targets for new treatments and understand their mechanisms.
  • The study utilized EEG data from two Canadian trials to examine how changes in brain wave patterns (neural oscillations) correlate with symptom improvement in patients undergoing pharmacological and CBT treatments.
  • Findings indicate that early increases in theta waves and late changes in delta and alpha waves are linked to better treatment outcomes, with common patterns observed in both treatment methods, enhancing our understanding of how depression treatments work.
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Mitochondria play a key role in aging. Here, we measured integrated mitochondrial functions in experimentally evolved lines of the seed beetle Acanthoscelides obtectus that were selected for early (E) or late (L) reproduction for nearly 4 decades. The 2 lines have markedly different lifespans (8 days and 13 days in the E and L lines, respectively).

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Addition of dopamine (DA)/serotonin (5-HT) partial agonists to 5-HT/norepinephrine (NE) reuptake inhibitors are commonly used to enhance the antidepressant response. The simultaneous inhibition of 5-HT and NE transporters with venlafaxine and its combination of brexpiprazole, which blocks the α-adrenergic autoreceptor on NE terminals, could constitute a superior strategy. Anesthetized rats received venlafaxine and brexpiprazole for 2 and 14 days, then the firing activity of dorsal raphe nucleus 5-HT, locus coeruleus NE, and ventral tegmental area DA neurons were assessed.

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  • Heart failure due to heat stress is a significant concern for aquatic ectotherms, and mitochondrial dysfunction may play a key role in this issue.
  • The study focused on the thermal sensitivity of cardiac mitochondria in three-spined stickleback fish, examining factors like temperature, fatty acid composition, and age.
  • Results showed that while temperature strongly affected mitochondrial respiration, fish age also influenced it, revealing higher EPA levels in older fish but no direct correlation with critical thermal maximum (CTmax).
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Introduction: Little is known about the interplay between genetics and epigenetics on antidepressant treatment (1) response and remission, (2) side effects, and (3) serum levels. This study explored the relationship among single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), DNA methylation (DNAm), and mRNA levels of four pharmacokinetic genes, , , , and , and its effect on these outcomes.

Methods: The Canadian Biomarker Integration Network for Depression-1 dataset consisted of 177 individuals with major depressive disorder treated for 8 weeks with escitalopram (ESC) followed by 8 weeks with ESC monotherapy or augmentation with aripiprazole.

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Background: The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) last published clinical guidelines for the management of major depressive disorder (MDD) in 2016. Owing to advances in the field, an update was needed to incorporate new evidence and provide new and revised recommendations for the assessment and management of MDD in adults.

Methods: CANMAT convened a guidelines editorial group comprised of academic clinicians and patient partners.

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Cognitive deficits in depression are pervasive and include impairments in attention and higher-order functions but the degree to which low-level sensory processes are affected is unclear. The present work examined event-related potential (P50 and N100) features of auditory sensory gating (i.e.

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Introduction: To date, no robust electroencephalography (EEG) markers of antidepressant treatment response have been identified. Variable findings may arise from the use of group analyses, which neglect individual variation. Using a combination of group and single-participant analyses, we explored individual variability in EEG characteristics of treatment response.

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Background: Life history theory predicts trade-offs between reproduction and survival in species like the northern gannet (). During breeding, demanding foraging conditions lead them to expand their foraging range and diversify their diet, increasing the risk of reproductive failure. Changing partners may enhance breeding success but lead to more physiological costs.

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Ketamine acts primarily by blocking the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor at the phencyclidine site. The rapid antidepressant properties of ketamine were demonstrated in the clinic and several behavioral models of depression in rodents. We hypothesized that the normalization of abnormal activity of monoamine neurons in Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats contributes to the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine.

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Background: Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats manifest abnormalities in the function of monoamine receptors and transporters, as well as levels of these neurotransmitters in the brain. The present study assessed alterations in the firing activity of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]), norepinephrine (NE), and dopamine (DA) neurons, as well as the activity of 5-HT and NE receptors and transporters in the hippocampus.

Methods: In vivo electrophysiological recordings were conducted in male WKY and Wistar rats.

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Objectives: Treatment-emergent sexual dysfunction is frequently reported by individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) on antidepressants, which negatively impacts treatment adherence and efficacy. We investigated the association of polymorphisms in pharmacokinetic genes encoding cytochrome-P450 drug-metabolizing enzymes, and , and the transmembrane efflux pump, P-glycoprotein (i.e.

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Importance: Untreated depression is a growing public health concern, with patients often facing a prolonged trial-and-error process in search of effective treatment. Developing a predictive model for treatment response in clinical practice remains challenging.

Objective: To establish a model based on electroencephalography (EEG) to predict response to 2 distinct selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications.

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Species with a wide distribution can experience significant regional variation in environmental conditions, to which they can acclimatize or adapt. Consequently, the geographic origin of an organism can influence its responses to environmental changes, and therefore its sensitivity to combined global change drivers. This study aimed at determining the physiological responses of the northern shrimp, Pandalus borealis, at different levels of biological organization and from four different geographic origins, exposed to elevated temperature and low pH to define its sensitivity to future ocean warming and acidification.

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Pharmacotherapies for the treatment of major depressive disorder were serendipitously discovered almost seven decades ago. From this discovery, scientists pinpointed the monoaminergic system as the primary target associated with symptom alleviation. As a result, most antidepressants have been engineered to act on the monoaminergic system more selectively, primarily on serotonin, in an effort to increase treatment response and reduce unfavorable side effects.

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Researchers from diverse disciplines, including organismal and cellular physiology, sports science, human nutrition, evolution and ecology, have sought to understand the causes and consequences of the surprising variation in metabolic rate found among and within individual animals of the same species. Research in this area has been hampered by differences in approach, terminology and methodology, and the context in which measurements are made. Recent advances provide important opportunities to identify and address the key questions in the field.

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