Darbepoetin alpha has an anxiolytic and anti-neuroinflammatory effect in male rats.

Aims: We aimed to investigate the anxiolytic effect of darbepoetin alpha (DEPO), an erythropoietin derivative, in a neuroinflammation model regarding different behaviors and biological pathways.

Methods: Forty adult male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups (control, LPS, DEPO, and DEPO + LPS). The rats were treated with 5 µg /kg DEPO once a week for four weeks, after which neuroinflammation was induced with 2 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Comparison of the effects of open- and closed-skill exercise on cognition and peripheral proteins: A cross-sectional study.

Previous research indicates that different exercise modes might create different effects on cognition and peripheral protein signals. This study aimed to compare the effects of long-term participation in an open and closed-skill exercise on cognitive functions and Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and Cathepsin B levels. 18 fencers, 18 swimmers, 18 sedentary controls between 18-25 years old participated in the study.

Right Anterior Theta Hypersynchrony as a Quantitative Measure Associated with Autistic Traits and K-Cl Cotransporter KCC2 Polymorphism.

Our aim was to use theta coherence as a quantitative trait to investigate the relation of the polymorphisms in NKCC1 (rs3087889) and KCC2 (rs9074) channel protein genes to autistic traits (AQ) in neurotypicals. Coherence values for candidate connection regions were calculated from eyes-closed resting EEGs in two independent groups. Hypersynchrony within the right anterior region was related to AQ in both groups (p < 0.

Effect of Exercise on Major Depressive Disorder and Schizophrenia: A BDNF Focused Approach.

Psychiatric disorders are remarkable health problems that cause a massive social and economic burden, and the issue of their long-term and effective treatment is subjected to discussion. The effect of physical activity and exercise is under investigation in the treatment of the major depressive disorder (MDD) and schizophrenia which are accompanied by cognitive dysfunctions. Scientists focus on the positive effects of exercise on learning, memory and attention parameters while investigating the regulatory role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

Assessing Theory of Mind by Humor: The Humor Comprehension and Appreciation Test (ToM-HCAT).

Theory of Mind (ToM) may be defined as the ability to understand the mental states, such as beliefs, desires, intentions, and emotions, of others. Impairment of ToM ability leads to disorders with pathologies in social skills, such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. In addition to differences in ToM ability among patient populations, there is variation between neurotypical individuals.

Evaluation of cognitive slowing in OCD by means of creating incongruence between lexicon and prosody.

Studies indicate that patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have slowing in cognitive processing, especially in the presence of a conflict. This study aimed to determine whether decision and motor times in OCD patients were affected by manipulating the congruence/incongruence of lexical and prosodic aspects of commands. An experimental paradigm was designed to simulate a situation that can trigger anxiety and obsessions in OCD patients.

Corpus callosum has different channels for transmission of spatial frequency information.

Many studies suggest that separate retinocortical channels with different conduction speeds transmit the information about high and low spatial frequencies (SF). Similarly, separate callosal channels may be responsible for the transfer of different SFs. To test this hypothesis, interhemispheric transfer time (IHTT) was estimated using visual evoked potentials (VEPs) elicited by reversal of different SF checkerboard patterns, which were presented either in the right or left visual hemifield.

Aspects of foot preference: differential relationships of skilled and unskilled foot movements with motor asymmetry.

In this research different aspects of foot preference were examined in 50 participants. The relationship between foot preference, hand preference, and hand/foot-tapping performance was analysed in detail. For foot preference, a practical behavioural test consisting of 14 daily foot movements was developed.

Frontal and posterior ERPs related to line bisection.

The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamic nature of the cortical visuospatial attention processes during the line bisection test, which is sensitive to perceptual asymmetries. EEGs of 26 normal volunteers were recorded during the administration of a computerized line bisection test, which requires participants mark the midline of lines using a mouse. Two event-related potentials subsequent and time locked to the line presentations, namely, P300 and a positive slow wave, were obtained.

Directional preferences in turning behavior of girls and boys.

Turning biases in humans and animals are known to be related to dopaminergic asymmetry between the brain hemispheres. A laboratory method, in which turning preference was evaluated, was adapted based upon the turning of the subject toward a particular sound in a square room. One of the aims of this study was to investigate the reliability of this method with children, and the other aim was to research the turning preference in boys and girls.

Time-frequency analysis of visual evoked potentials for interhemispheric transfer time and proportion in callosal fibers of different diameters.

This study is an extension of the experimental research of Nalçaci et al., who presented 16 subjects with a reversal of checkerboard pattern as stimuli in the right visual field or left visual field and recorded EEG at O1, O2, P3, and P4. They applied the chosen bandpass filters (4-8, 8-15, 15-20, 20-32 Hz) to the VEPs of subjects and obtained four different components for each VEP.

[Reliability and validity of a handedness questionnaire].

Objective: In this study, the validity and reliability of the hand preference item of a 13-item questionnaire adapted from Chapman and Chapman (1987) were investigated.

Method: This questionnaire requires subjects to indicate which hand they usually use for various actions as follows: writing, drawing, throwing, using a hammer, using a toothbrush, using an eraser on paper, using scissors, holding a match when striking it, stirring a can of paint, using a spoon, using a screwdriver, twisting off the lid of a jar, and using a knife. Each item was scored as "1" for right, "2" for either, or "3" for left, and the handedness of subjects was scored from 13 (the strongest right-hand preference) to 39 (the strongest left-hand preference).

[Reliability and validity of Turkish version of magical ideation scale in university students].

Objective: Schizoptypal disorder shares many clinical, neuropsychological and neurophysiological features with schizophrenia and is included in the schizophrenia spectrum. Patients with schizotypal disorder or individuals with mild schizotypal features are therefore highly valuable in the study of neuropsychological and neurophysiological characteristics of psychosis, and in particular schizophrenia, as they are likely to be free of the potential confounding factors of medication, chronic hospitalization and manifest psychosis. We report here the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Magical Ideation Scale (MIS), a self-report questionnaire that focuses on delusion-like beliefs and hallucination-like experiences and that has been used to quantify an important dimension of schizotypy.

Line bisection task performance and resting EEG alpha power.

Neurologically normal subjects generally err to the left of veridical center when performing a line bisection task, a phenomenon termed "pseudoneglect." We hypothesized that resting electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha oscillations may show relationships with attentional mechanisms and give some clues about the underlying mechanisms of pseudoneglect. We recorded resting EEGs of 41 subjects and tested them with a paper-pencil line bisection task.