Objective: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies showed that patients with cognitive dysfunction and fatigue after COVID-19 exhibit impaired cortical GABAergic activity, as revealed by reduced long-interval intracortical inhibition (LICI). Aim of this study was to test the effects of co-ultramicronized palmitoylethanolamide/luteolin (PEA-LUT), an endocannabinoid-like mediator able to enhance GABA-ergic transmission and to reduce neuroinflammation, on LICI.
Methods: Thirty-nine patients (26 females, mean age 49.9 ± 11.4 years, mean time from infection 296.7 ± 112.3 days) suffering from persistent cognitive difficulties and fatigue after mild COVID-19 were randomly assigned to receive either PEA-LUT 700 mg + 70 mg or PLACEBO, administered orally bid for eight weeks. The day before (PRE) and at the end of the treatment (POST), they underwent TMS protocols to assess LICI. We further evaluate short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI) and long-term potentiation (LTP)-like cortical plasticity.
Results: Patients treated with PEA-LUT but not with PLACEBO showed a significant increase of LICI and LTP-like cortical plasticity. SAI remained unaffected.
Conclusions: Eight weeks of treatment with PEA-LUT restore GABA activity and cortical plasticity in long Covid patients.
Significance: This study confirms altered physiology of the motor cortex in long COVID-19 syndrome and indicates PEA-LUT as a candidate for the treatment of this post-viral condition.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2022.10.017 | DOI Listing |
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Department of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum 44780, Germany.
The novelty, saliency, and valency of ongoing experiences potently influence the firing rate of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the locus coeruleus (LC). Associative experience, in turn, is recorded into memory by means of hippocampal synaptic plasticity that is regulated by noradrenaline sourced from the LC, and dopamine, sourced from both the VTA and LC. Two persistent forms of synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation (LTP), and long-term depression (LTD) support the encoding of different kinds of spatial experience.
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January 2025
Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
Protein translation is crucial for fear extinction, a process vital for adaptive behavior and mental health, yet the underlying cell-specific mechanisms remain elusive. Using a Tet-On 3G genetic approach, we achieved precise temporal control over protein translation in the infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex () during fear extinction. In addition, our results reveal that the disruption of cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein 1 (Cpeb1) leads to notable alterations in cell type-specific translational programs, thereby affecting fear extinction.
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January 2025
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Background: Cranial defects from trauma, surgery, or congenital conditions require precise reconstruction to restore cranial vault integrity. Autogenous calvarial grafts are preferred for their histocompatibility and biomechanical properties, but their success depends on a well-developed diploic space. Although prior studies have described overall skull thickness development, less is known about how diploic thickness changes through adulthood.
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January 2025
Department of Mathematics, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, United Kingdom.
Understanding the relation between cortical neuronal network structure and neuronal activity is a fundamental unresolved question in neuroscience, with implications to our understanding of the mechanism by which neuronal networks evolve over time, spontaneously or under stimulation. It requires a method for inferring the structure and composition of a network from neuronal activities. Tracking the evolution of networks and their changing functionality will provide invaluable insight into the occurrence of plasticity and the underlying learning process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Center on Translational Neuroscience, Institute of National Security, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China.
Postpartum depression (PPD) profoundly impacts the mental and physical health of women globally and is an incurable psychological disorder. Traditional pharmacological treatments often have strong side effects and may adversely affect infant health through breastfeeding, underscoring the critical need for natural and gentle treatment strategies. Sugemule-7, a traditional Chinese medicine comprising multiple natural plant ingredients, represents a potentially safer and more effective alternative.
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