Exercise, sedentary pastimes, and cognitive performance in healthy older adults.

Background: Moderately vigorous physical activity (MVPA) provides a protective affect against cognitive decline and cardiovascular risk factors. Less is known about sedentary pastimes or non exercise physical activity (NEPA) and cognitive performance.

Method: 125 healthy adults 65 or older with no clinical evidence of cognitive impairment were enrolled.

Characterization of olfactory bulb glomeruli in schizophrenia.

Olfactory deficits, observed in schizophrenia, may be associated with a disruption of synaptic transmission in the olfactory system. Using immunohistochemistry and optical densitometry, we assessed the integrity of the synaptic connection between olfactory receptor neurons and olfactory bulb target neurons in schizophrenia by comparing the level of eight proteins, expressed in the olfactory bulb glomeruli, among schizophrenia and control subjects. In schizophrenia, no change was observed in the levels of OMP, GAP43 and NCAM, proteins expressed by olfactory receptor neurons, suggesting an intact innervation of the olfactory bulb by these neurons.

The expression of retinoic acid receptor alpha is increased in the granule cells of the dentate gyrus in schizophrenia.

Mounting evidence suggests that schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disease resulting in dysfunctional connectivity between various brain regions. Retinoid pathway dysregulation has been proposed as a potentially important factor in the etiology of schizophrenia. Retinoid signaling plays a central role in many aspects of development, ranging from neurogenesis to activity-dependent plasticity, and regulates the expression of many candidate genes for schizophrenia.

Microtubule-associated protein MAP2 expression in olfactory bulb in schizophrenia.

Previous studies have described alterations in presynaptic and postsynaptic elements in various parts of the CNS in schizophrenia, which may, at least in part, be due to abnormalities in neurodevelopmental processes. The olfactory bulb (OB) is a unique CNS area for examining synaptic development and plasticity in schizophrenia because it undergoes continuous reinnervation throughout life. Moreover, olfactory deficits and reduced OB volume have been observed in schizophrenia.