Advancements in diagnosing Post-concussion Syndrome: insights into epidemiology, pathophysiology, neuropathology, neuroimaging, and salivary biomarkers.

Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS) represents a complex constellation of symptoms that persist following a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), with significant implications for patient care and outcomes. Despite its prevalence, diagnosing PCS presents considerable challenges due to the subjective nature of symptoms, the absence of specific diagnostic tests, and the overlap with other neurological and psychiatric conditions. This review explores the multifaceted diagnostic challenges associated with PCS, including the heterogeneity of symptom presentation, the limitations of current neuroimaging techniques, and the overlap of PCS symptoms with other disorders.

Understanding Functional Neurological Disorder: Recent Insights and Diagnostic Challenges.

Functional neurological disorder (FND), formerly called conversion disorder, is a condition characterized by neurological symptoms that lack an identifiable organic purpose. These signs, which can consist of motor, sensory, or cognitive disturbances, are not deliberately produced and often vary in severity. Its diagnosis is predicated on clinical evaluation and the exclusion of other medical or psychiatric situations.

Reply to Campbell et al. Comment on "Hogas et al. Salt, Not Always a Cardiovascular Enemy? A Mini-Review and Modern Perspective. 2022, , 1175".

We thank Campbell et al. for their comment [..

Salt, Not Always a Cardiovascular Enemy? A Mini-Review and Modern Perspective.

Dietary salt intake is a long-debated issue. Increased sodium intake is associated with high blood pressure, leading to salt-sensitive hypertension. Excessive salt intake leads to arterial stiffness in susceptible individuals via impaired nitric oxide action and increased endothelin-1 expression, overactivity of the renal sympathetic nervous system and also via aldosterone-independent activation of the mineralocorticoid receptor.

Oxytocin: Narrative Expert Review of Current Perspectives on the Relationship with Other Neurotransmitters and the Impact on the Main Psychiatric Disorders.

Is a cyclic neuropeptide produced primarily in the hypothalamus and plays an important neuromodulatory role for other neurotransmitter systems, with an impact on behavior, response to danger, stress, and complex social interactions, such as pair bonding and child care. This narrative expert review examines the literature on oxytocin as a brain hormone. We focused on oxytocin structure, distribution, genetics, and the oxytocin receptor system, as well as the relationship of oxytocin with other neurotransmitters and the resulting impacts on the main psychiatric disorders.

Minireview on the Connections between the Neuropsychiatric and Dental Disorders: Current Perspectives and the Possible Relevance of Oxidative Stress and Other Factors.

Although the connections between neuropsychiatric and dental disorders attracted the attention of some research groups for more than 50 years now, there is a general opinion in the literature that it remains a clearly understudied and underrated topic, with many unknowns and a multitude of challenges for the specialists working in both these areas of research. In this way, considering the previous experience of our groups in these individual matters which are combined here, we are summarizing in this minireport the current status of knowledge on the connections between neuropsychiatric and dental manifestations, as well as some general ideas on how oxidative stress, pain, music therapy or even irritable bowel syndrome-related manifestations could be relevant in this current context and summarize some current approaches in this matter.

Describing some behavioural animal models of anxiety and their mechanistics with special reference to oxidative stress and oxytocin relevance.

It is now generally accepted that animal studies are playing an important role in the understanding of anxiety disorders, since they contribute to the current knowledge regarding the mechanisms and possible therapeutic approaches in anxiety. In the present review we will detail some essential aspects of behavioral animal models of anxiety related to social defeat paradigm, elevated plus maze, elevated zero or T maze, light/dark box, social interaction test or tests based on predator models, considering the latest theories and methodological approaches in this area of research, as well as our previous studies focusing on anxiety manifestations in a variety of species including rats, zebrafish, dogs and pigs. Moreover, in this context, we will focus on the recent theories concerning oxidative stress, as well as importance of oxytocin administration (especially the intranasal route).

Purkinje cells pathology in schizophrenia. A morphometric approach.

Objectives: Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that affects more than 21 million people worldwide. Ventricle enlargement and reduction in the volume of the temporal lobe overall and in medial temporal structures constitutes the main macroscopic findings, whilst synaptic and spinal changes as well as gliosis in the hippocampal formation, the prefrontal and the entorhinal cortex stand among cardinal microscopic findings in the schizophrenic brains. In recent years, accumulated evidence comes to light about the role of cerebellum in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

ADDITIONAL DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL EVIDENCES ON THE RELEVANCE OF THE SYSTEMIC THERAPY IN ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE.

The modern treatment for alcohol dependence is still problematic, in many cases with the costs exceeding benefits. In these conditions a new management approach was developed lately, known as the systemic therapy. In this way, the crystallization and practical transposition of this new treatment approach is represented by the Clubs of Alcoholics in Treatment.

Age-related dendritic and spinal alterations of pyramidal cells of the human visual cortex.

Introduction: Normal aging is characterized by deterioration of visual abilities, affecting mainly visual acuity, contrast and wavelength sensitivity. In the present study we attempted to describe the morphological and morphometric alterations of the dendrites and the dendritic spines of the pyramidal cells of the visual cortex during normal aging, in order to approach the visual impairment of aged individuals from a neuropathological point of view.

Material And Methods: We studied the visual cortex in 20 brains using the Golgi technique.

The oxidative stress hypothesis in Alzheimer's disease.

Oxidative stress may be involved in many somatic and psychiatric pathological states including dementia. The hypothesis of oxidative stress involvement in dementia is supported by much scientific data through biochemical, genetic and molecular studies. Thus, there are many reports of an increased level of the markers for oxidative damage, alterations in the specific activity of the antioxidant system, mutations in specific genes, mitochondrial disturbances and also several connections between oxidative stress and amyloid plaques.

The effects of short-term nicotine administration on behavioral and oxidative stress deficiencies induced in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.

Background: We previously demonstrated that a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) induced lesion of substantia nigra (SN), which is a very well known animal model of Parkinson's disease, resulted in memory deficits and increased brain oxidative stress. Also, recent reports had suggested that nicotine from smoke may contribute, at least in some parts, to the apparent neuroprotective effect of tobacco use in Parkinson's disease.

Subjects And Methods: In this way, in the present study we were interested to examine the effects of low-dose nicotine administration (5 days, 0.

Hippocampal neuronal loss in the CA1 and CA3 areas of Alzheimer's disease patients.

Background: It is believed that in Alzheimer's disease (AD) some areas of the brain are particularly vulnerable to specific degenerative processes and that they could exhibit neuronal dysfunction in the earliest stage of the disease. The implications of the hippocampus in memory processes are very well known and it is likely that the hippocampus would be among the first areas of the brain affected by the pathogenic mechanisms occurring in AD. However, the distinction between the neurodegenerative changes that accompany normal ageing and those that characterize AD is not clear.

The interdependence of the reactive species of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon.

This mini-review tries to summarize the main interdependences between the free radicals of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon. Also, the main metabolic pathways for these radical species are described, as well as how these affect their interaction and functional implications. Emphasis is made on the metabolic disturbances induced by stressing aggressions that produce radical species.

Cardiovascular risk factors as potential markers for mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an early stage of cognitive decline that has a significant risk of converting to dementia. Cardiovascular pathology appears to have a major impact in cognitive decline, and it is clear that early identification and correction of cardiovascular morbidity could have a major impact on cognitive functioning.

Subjects And Methods: Our study was conducted in order to identify some cardiovascular risk factors among patients with cognitive decline (MCI or Alzheimer disease-AD) and to find if there is any correlation with the degree of cognitive decline.

The effects of pergolide on memory and oxidative stress in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.

One of the most widely used animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) involves injecting 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) directly into the substantia nigra (SN). Some recent reports speculated that dopaminergic drugs may exert brain antioxidant activity, which could explain some of their protective actions. In this way, the aim of the present study was to examine the effects of low-dose pergolide on memory deficits and brain oxidative stress in a 6-OHDA-induced rat model of PD.

Oxidative stress in schizophrenia - focusing on the main markers.

Oxidative stress is the condition arising from imbalance between toxic reactive oxygen species and antioxidant systems. It is believed that increased oxidative stress may be relevant to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In this way, the main markers of the lipid peroxidation processes include 4-hydroxynonenal and malondialdehyde.

Evaluation of antioxidant enzymes activities and lipid peroxidation in schizophrenic patients treated with typical and atypical antipsychotics.

Studies performed in schizophrenia patients have generally suggested the presence of a compromised antioxidant system, but this is not always consistent with specific observed parameters, which on the whole, show evidences of dysregulation. There are also controversies regarding the oxidative stress status in patients treated with typical vs. atypical antipsychotics.

[The effects of some cholinergic drugs on cognitive processes and oxidative stress in rat].

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced within the body during oxygen metabolism and living organisms have developed several defense mechanisms to protect themselves from oxidative stress. Under normal conditions, ROS and antioxidant systems are in balance. Oxidative stress is caused by the imbalance between production of pro-oxidants and the antioxidant defenses.

Changes of some oxidative stress markers in the serum of patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a nosological entity proposed as an intermediate state between normal aging and dementia. MCI seems to represent an early stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and there is a great interest in the relationship between MCI and the progression to AD. Some studies have demonstrated an accumulation of products of free radical damage in the central nervous system and in the peripheral tissues of subjects with AD or mild cognitive impairment.