Physical Exercise Counteracts Aging-Associated White Matter Demyelination Causing Cognitive Decline.

In the central nervous system, oligodendrocytes wrap around neuronal axons to form myelin, an insulating layer or sheath that allows for the efficient conductance of action potentials. In addition to structural insulation, myelin provides encased axons with nutrient, metabolic and defensive support. Demyelination, or myelin loss, can therefore cause axonal dysfunction, leading to neurological impairment and disease.

The Incidence of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Ohio 2016-2018: The Ohio Population-Based ALS Registry.

Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal, neuromuscular disease with no cure. ALS incidence rates have not been assessed specifically in Ohio, yet the state contains both metropolitan and rural areas with a variety of environmental factors that could contribute to disease etiology. We report the incidence of ALS in Ohio residents diagnosed from October 2016 through September 2018.

Gene-Environment-Time Interactions in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Hypotheses and Research Approaches.

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's diseases are age-related neurodegenerative diseases. ALS is not a single entity but a syndrome with many different causes. In all 3 diseases, gene mutations account for only 10-15% of cases.

Identifying aerosolized cyanobacteria in the human respiratory tract: A proposed mechanism for cyanotoxin-associated diseases.

Cyanobacteria produce harmful toxins that have been associated with several acute conditions and chronic human diseases, like gastroenteritis, non-alcoholic liver disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Aerosol from waterbodies appears to be a likely mechanism for exposure. We conducted a study of human biospecimens focused on the cyanobacterial aerosilization process by evaluating the extent to which cyanobacteria can invade the human respiratory tract.

Benzodiazepines and the potential trophic effect of antidepressants on dentate gyrus cells in mood disorders.

Modest antidepressant response rates of mood disorders (MD) encourage benzodiazepine (BZD) co-medication with debatable benefit. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis may underlie antidepressant responses, but diazepam co-administration impairs murine neuron maturation and survival in response to fluoxetine. We counted neural progenitor cells (NPCs), mitotic cells, and mature granule neurons post-mortem in dentate gyrus (DG) from subjects with: untreated Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) IV MD (n = 17); antidepressant-treated MD (MD*ADT, n = 10); benzodiazepine-antidepressant-treated MD (MD*ADT*BZD, n = 7); no psychopathology or treatment (controls, n = 18).