Yoga Nidra, a Nonpharmacological Technique in Management of Insomnia and Overall Health in Postmenopausal Women.

Yoga Nidra is a promising technique through which body is consciously simulated into a profound relaxation state similar to attained during naturally occurring deep sleep. It is aimed to attain complete emotional, physical, and mental relaxation of body and mind. In postmenopausal phase of life, regular practice of Yoga Nidra at home preferably in morning, can help in reduction in anxiety and pain associated with early morning awakenings.

Protection by Nano-Encapsulated Bacoside A and Bacopaside I in Seizure Alleviation and Improvement in Sleep- In Vitro and In Vivo Evidences.

Therapeutic options to contain seizures, a transitional stage of many neuropathologies, are limited due to the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Herbal nanoparticle formulations can be employed to enhance seizure prognosis. Bacoside A (BM3) and bacopaside I (BM4) were isolated from Bacopa monnieri and synthesized as nanoparticles (BM3NP and BM4NP, respectively) for an effective delivery system to alleviate seizures and associated conditions.

Bifunctional cysteine gold nanoclusters for β-amyloid fibril inhibition and fluorescence imaging: a distinctive approach to manage Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive complex neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions of individuals worldwide. Currently, there is no effective treatment for AD. AD is characterized by the deposition of amyloid plaques/fibrils.

Yogic Sleep and Walking Protocol Induced Improvement in Sleep and Wellbeing in Post-menopausal Subject: A Longitudinal Case Study During COVID Lockdown.

Purpose: Post-menopausal life is fairly long period of life that is marked by poor health and sleep. Fatigue amidst extraordinary pandemic stress had taken a toll on the sleep quality and overall wellbeing. Yogic sleep can be instrumental in relaxing the brain and help in achieving self-control of mind and body in the post-menopausal life.

Effects of sleep modulation during pregnancy in the mother and offspring: Evidences from preclinical research.

Disturbed sleep during gestation may lead to adverse outcomes for both mother and child. Animal research plays an important role in providing insights into this research field by enabling ethical and methodological requirements that are not possible in humans. Here, we present an overview and discuss the main research findings related to the effects of prenatal sleep deprivation in animal models.

Categories of Wistar Rats Based on Anxiety Traits: A Study Using Factor and Cluster Method.

Background: Outcomes of neurobehavioral studies are invariably affected by the variations in the anxiety traits of animals in the same species. Identifying those traits and categorizing them accordingly would improve the reproducibility of results, and reduce the variation in the results from different laboratories.

Purpose: The present study was done to identify the possible groups among the normal population of outbred adult male Wistar rats.

Immature sleep pattern in newborn rats when dams encountered sleep restriction during pregnancy.

There is a growing realization that proper sleep during pregnancy is essential for the health of the mother and the offspring. However, there are no reports on the effects of maternal sleep restriction on the sleep-wake profiles of newborns. So, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of sleep restriction during the third term of pregnancy on the sleep-wake profiles of neonates born to them.

Sleep disorders in the elderly: a growing challenge.

In contrast to newborns, who spend 16-20 h in sleep each day, adults need only about sleep daily. However, many elderly may struggle to obtain those 8 h in one block. In addition to changes in sleep duration, sleep patterns change as age progresses.

Assessment of the septal area neuronal activity during penile erections in rapid eye movement sleep and waking in the rats.

To understand the central mechanism of penile erections during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and waking, single units were recorded from the septal area in un-anesthetized head-restrained rats simultaneous with erections. Erectile events were assessed by pressure in the bulb of the corpus spongiosum of the penis and bulbospongiosus-muscle activity. Of 143 recorded neurons, 36% showed increased activity (E-type) and 24% decreased activity (I-type) during different phases of erection in REM sleep, while 10% were E-type and 35% were I-type during erections in waking.

Sleep promoting potential of low dose α-Asarone in rat model.

Commonly used hypnotics have undesirable side-effects, especially during continuous usage. On the other hand, some herbal products, which are used for prolonged periods, are suggested to have a sleep inducing property, though the claims have not been validated scientifically. The hypnotic potential of α-Asarone, an active principle of Acorus species, was tested in the present study by first identifying the optimal dose of α-Asarone for improving sleep, followed by studies that evaluated the effect of repeated administration of this optimal dose for five days on sleep deprived rats.

The effects of rapid eye movement sleep deprivation during late pregnancy on newborns' sleep.

Sleep deprivation during pregnancy is an emerging concern, as it can adversely affect the development of the offspring brain. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of deprivation of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep during the third term of pregnancy on the sleep-wake profiles of neonates in the Wistar rat model. Sleep-wake patterns were assessed through electrophysiological measures and behavioural observations during postnatal days 1-21 on pups born to REM sleep-deprived dams and control rats.

Dynamic changes in sleep pattern during post-partum in normal pregnancy in rat model.

To develop an animal model for studies on peri-partum sleep disorders, sleep patterns in female Wistar rats during pregnancy, post-partum and after weaning, were assessed and associated adaptive changes in their anxiety were examined. Adult nulliparous female rats, maintained in standard laboratory conditions with ad libitum food and water, were surgically implanted with electroencephalogram and electromyogram electrodes under anaesthesia for objective assessment of sleep-wakefulness (S-W). After post-surgical recovery, three control recordings of S-W were taken for 24h before the animals were kept for mating.

Sleep deprivation during late pregnancy produces hyperactivity and increased risk-taking behavior in offspring.

Sleep deprivation in women resulting from their modern lifestyle, especially during pregnancy, is a serious concern as it can affect the health of the newborn. Anxiety disorders and cognitive deficits in the offspring are also on the rise. However, experimental studies on the effects of sleep loss during pregnancy, on emotional development and cognitive function of the newborn, are scanty in literature.

Increased ultrasonic vocalizations and risk-taking in rat pups of sleep-deprived dams.

Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in rodent pups are analogous to cries in human babies. There is reduction in USVs in pups after experimental deprivation of rapid eye movement sleep of dams during pregnancy. However, the effects of total sleep deprivation on the USVs of newborns and their emotional development are not documented.

Reduction in ultrasonic vocalizations in pups born to rapid eye movement sleep restricted mothers in rat model.

The effects of rapid eye movement sleep restriction (REMSR) in rats during late pregnancy were studied on the ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) made by the pups. USVs are distress calls inaudible to human ears. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was restricted in one group of pregnant rats for 22 hours, starting from gestational day 14 to 20, using standard single platform method.

Report on the Women in Physiology Symposium in IUPS 2009.

A symposium entitled "Women in Physiology" was held on 30 July 2009 during IUPS in Kyoto. Seven female researchers from five countries presented their views. This article includes the summary of each speaker's talk.

Perirhinal cortex lesions delay ejaculation in rats.

Afferents from the perirhinal cortex (PRh) form a major input to the hippocampal formation, which is known to be involved in sexual behavior in rodents. But there is a lacuna in literature regarding the role of the PRh in sexual behavior. Bilateral neurotoxic lesions of the PRh delayed the ejaculation latency and prolonged the mean inter-intromission interval significantly, suggesting a facilitatory role of the PRh in male rat sex behavior.

Ambient temperature related sleep changes in rats neonatally treated with capsaicin.

Ambient temperature related sleep changes in rats neonatally treated with capsaicin. PHYSIOL BEHAV 00(0) 000-000, 2004. The study was conducted on adult male Wistar rats, neonatally treated with capsaicin to destroy the peripheral warm receptors.