Response of brain-derived neurotrophic factor to combining cognitive and physical exercise.

Purpose: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is well known for its potential to promote brain plasticity. It has been proposed that combining cognitive and physical exercise (CCPE) may have the potential to generate more synergistic benefits in cognitive function than either cognitive exercise (CE) or physical exercise (PE) alone. The purpose of this study was to examine acute responses of peripheral BDNF levels and cognitive performance to CE, PE, and CCPE.

Early Detection of Cerebral Infarction After Focal Ischemia Using a New MRI Indicator.

Prolongation of the T2 relaxation time, an increase in T2-weighted signal intensity (T2-SI), and a decrease in the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) calculated from diffusion-weighted images (DWI) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are conventional indicators of the vasogenic (interstitial) or cytotoxic (cellular) cerebral edema that develops after ischemic stroke. However, these parameters obtained on stroke imaging have not given us a precise threshold at which we can determine the viability or vulnerability of the tissue, allowing us to decide on an intervention that will help reversible tissue in the acute phase. Here, we introduce a new indicator-the essential diffusion coefficient or EDC, calculated from the T2-SI and ADC-that permits detection of irreversible brain damage after induction of experimental, focal cerebral ischemia.

Effect of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been considered an essential mediator responsible for the beneficial effects of physical activity in preventing cognitive impairment. This study aimed at examining the effects of a single bout of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on levels of BDNF in the plasma and on cognitive performance in healthy adult men. Thirteen healthy adult men participated in three experimental sessions.

Plasminogen Tochigi mice exhibit phenotypes similar to wild-type mice under experimental thrombotic conditions.

Plasminogen (Plg) is a precursor of plasmin that degrades fibrin. A race-specific A620T mutation in Plg, also known as Plg-Tochigi, originally identified in a patient with recurrent venous thromboembolism, causes dysplasminogenemia with reduced plasmin activity. The Plg-A620T mutation is present in 3-4% of individuals in East Asian populations, and as many as 50,000 Japanese are estimated to be homozygous for the mutant 620T allele.

Possible Signaling Pathways Mediating Neuronal Calcium Sensor-1-Dependent Spatial Learning and Memory in Mice.

Intracellular Ca2+ signaling regulates diverse functions of the nervous system. Many of these neuronal functions, including learning and memory, are regulated by neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1). However, the pathways by which NCS-1 regulates these functions remain poorly understood.