Brain tumor patients who are long-term survivors after whole-brain irradiation (WBI) often suffer cognitive impairment, including dementia. Although the pathogenic mechanisms remain poorly understood, our studies suggest that radiation-induced cognitive impairment may be a form of vascular dementia. We used a fractionated dose of gamma-rays that is biologically similar to that given to brain tumor patients. The brains of adult rats were irradiated with 40 Gy, in eight 5 Gy fractions over 4 weeks. Cognitive function was assessed prior to WBI and up to 9 months post-irradiation using a partially-baited radial arm maze. A significant increase in working memory errors was found in the irradiated rats by two-way ANOVA (p=0.0042). The increased errors occurred primarily at 6 and 9 months (p < 0.05, student's t-test). Vessel density was quantified using a stereology method with computerized image processing and analysis. Vessel density was unchanged 24 h after the last dose, but significantly decreased (p=0.002), by approximately 30%, from 10 weeks to 52 weeks. Thus, cognitive impairment arose after brain capillary loss in irradiated rats that show no other gross brain pathology. Capillary loss may play an important role in radiation-induced dementia and this may be a model of vascular dementia.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jns.2007.01.014 | DOI Listing |
Viruses
December 2024
Department of Medical Oncology, Medical University of Sofia, University Hospital "Tsaritsa Yoanna", 1527 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Central nervous system (CNS) infections caused by SARS-CoV-2 are uncommon. This case report describes the clinical progression of a 92-year-old female who developed a persistent neuroinfection associated with SARS-CoV-2. The patient initially presented with progressive fatigue, catarrhal symptoms, and a fever (38.
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November 2024
Department of Toxicology, Drug Industry, Management and Legislation, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Victor Babeş" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timişoara, Romania.
The COVID-19 outbreak, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was linked to significant neurological and psychiatric manifestations. This review examines the physiopathological mechanisms underlying these neuropsychiatric outcomes and discusses current management strategies. Primarily a respiratory disease, COVID-19 frequently leads to neurological issues, including cephalalgia and migraines, loss of sensory perception, cerebrovascular accidents, and neurological impairment such as encephalopathy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSensors (Basel)
December 2024
Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 S McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Alzheimer's Related Dementias (ADRD) are projected to affect 50 million people globally in the coming decades. Clinical research suggests that Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a precursor to dementia, offers a critical window of opportunity for lifestyle interventions to delay or prevent the progression of AD/ADRD. Previous research indicates that lifestyle changes, including increased physical exercise, reduced caloric intake, and mentally stimulating activities, can reduce the risk of MCI.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharmaceutics
November 2024
School of Basic Medical Sciences, Dali University, Dali 671003, China.
In the original publication [...
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToxics
December 2024
Environmental, Genetics, and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy.
Background: A limited number of studies have investigated the role of environmental chemicals in the etiology of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We performed a cross-sectional study of the association between exposure to selected trace elements and the biomarkers of cognitive decline.
Methods: During 2019-2021, we recruited 128 newly diagnosed patients with MCI from two Neurology Clinics in Northern Italy, i.
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