Excessive Training can make your Brain Tired

Excessive training can make the body tired, however can it make the brain tired? According to a new study, the answer is yes!

Researchers put triathletes on an excessive training load. They found they showed a form of mental fatigue. The fatigue showed reduced activity in the portion of the brain that is important for decision making. The athletes also showed more impulsive behavior, choosing immediate rewards over bigger ones that would take longer to achieve.

The lateral prefrontal portion of the brain that was affected by the overload in sport training was exactly the same which had been shown vulnerable to excessive work in earlier studies. This particular area of the brain appeared as the weak spot of the brain network which is responsible for cognitive control.

The two studies suggest a connection between physical and mental effort both of which require cognitive control. The reason for this essential control in demanding athletic training is that to maintain physical effort and to reach a distant goal, cognitive control is required. A person needs to control the automatic process that will make them stop when joints or muscles hurt.

The study originated from the National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance in France which trains athletes for Olympic games. Some of the athletes suffered from over training syndrome. Their performance plummeted when they experienced an overwhelming sense of fatigue.

The question became, does this over training syndrome arise in part from neural fatigue in the brain which is the same kind of fatigue that can be caused by excessive intellectual work?

To discover the answer, the research team recruited 37 competitive male endurance athletes who had an average age of 35. The participants were assigned to either continue on with their normal training or to increase their training by 40% per session over a 3 week period.

The physical performance of the athletes was monitored during cycling exercises which were performed on rest days. The research team assessed their subjective experience of fatigue through questionnaires every 2 days. Behavioral testing and functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning experiments were also conducted.

The results showed that physical training overload caused the athletes to feel more fatigued. Additionally, they acted more impulsively in standard tests which were used to evaluate how they would make economic choices.

The tendencies were shown as a bias in favoring immediate rewards over delayed ones. The brains of the athletes who had been overloaded physically also indicated diminished activation of the lateral prefrontal cortex which is a key region of the executive control system when they made the economic choices.

The studies findings indicate that while endurance sport is generally good for health, overdoing it can lead to adverse effects on the brain. The findings bring attention to the fact that neural states matter. People don’t make the same decisions when the brain is in a state of fatigue.

The findings may be important not only for producing the best athletes, but also for economic choice theory which typically will ignore fluctuations in the neural machinery which is responsible for decision making. It also suggests it may be important to monitor fatigue levels in order to prevent bad decision making in the judicial, political and economic domains.

Future studies will explore why exerting control during sports training or intellectual work causes the cognitive control system harder to activate in subsequent tasks. The hope is to find strategies or treatments that can help prevent such neural fatigue and the following consequences.

To view the original scientific study click below

Neuro-computational impact of physical training overload on economic decision-making.

Is Air Pollution Making Us Less Intelligent?

Air pollution may have a harmful effect on more than just the heart and lungs. A new study has shown that it could also be making us less intelligent. The study conducted on elderly people living in China, has found that long term exposure to pollution in the air may hinder cognitive performance in both math and verbal tests.

As we age, the link between mental decline and air pollution becomes stronger. Evidence already shows that air pollution and even the tiniest, invisible particulates in air pollution damages the brain not only in animals but also in humans. Traffic pollution is associated with delinquent behavior in adolescents, dementia, and also stunted development of the brain in kids who attend highly polluted schools.

Almost seven million people die every year from exposure to polluted air. 91% of the world’s population lives in places where air quality exceeds WHO guideline limits. Nine out of 10 people in the world breathe air pollution. Research suggests that older men with less education were the most affected by chronic exposure to air pollution because this group of people generally work manual jobs outdoors.

When mice were exposed to urban air pollution for a period of four months they showed reduced brain function and inflammatory responses within major regions of the brain. This indicates the brain tissues changed due to response to the harmful stimuli which was produced by the air pollution.

Scientists don’t know exactly what aspects of the air pollution particulate cocktail (size, number and composition of particles) contributes most to the reported deterioration of the brain. There is evidence however that nanoscale pollution particles could be one cause.

These nanoscale particles are around 2,000 times smaller than the diameter of a single human hair. They can be moved throughout the body by the bloodstream after they are inhaled. They can even reach the brain directly from the olfactory nerves which give the brain information about smell. This allows the particles to bypass the blood brain barrier which normally protects the brain from a variety of harmful things that circulate in the bloodstream.

Brain samples from postmortem people who had been exposed to high levels of air pollution while living in Manchester, UK and Mexico City showed the typical signs of Alzheimer’s disease. This included clumps of abnormal protein fragments or plaques between nerve cells; an abundance of metal rich nanoparticles such as copper, nickle, cobalt, platinum and iron; and inflammation.

These metal rich nanoparticles found in these brains samples are found to be similar to those that are found everywhere in urban air pollution. These form from burning oil and other fuels, and wear in brakes and engines. They are very often associated with other types of hazardous compounds including polyaromatic hydrocarbons which are naturally found in fossil fuels and can lead to liver and kidney damage and also cancer.

Inhaling nanoparticles found in air pollution repeatedly may have a variety of negative effects on the brain including chronic inflammation of the nerve cells in the brain. When air pollution is inhaled, it may activate microglia, the brain’s immune cells. Breathing air pollution can constantly activate the killing response in these immune cells which can allow dangerous molecules which are known as reactive oxygen species, to form much more often. High levels of these particular molecules might cause cell damage and cell death.

The newest study showing the link between air pollution and the decline in intelligence along with the evidence already known in regards to the link between air pollution and the development of dementia, makes a case for reducing air pollution even more compelling.

Changes that include a combination of regulation and policy changes and changes to vehicle technology could provide practical ways to reduce the health burden of air pollution throughout the world.

There are a variety of things we can do to protect ourselves. Walking or cycling more and driving less can help reduce air pollution. Driving smoothly and without fierce acceleration or braking, and avoiding driving during rush hours can also help reduce emissions. Keeping car windows closed and recirculating air in the car may also help to reduce exposure to pollution during traffic jams.

Young children are the most vulnerable to health concerns with air pollution since their brains are still developing. Unfortunately, many schools are located near major roads which means a substantial reduction in air pollution is necessary. One solution to help is by planting specific tree species that are good at capturing particulates around schools and along roads.

Indoor pollution can also lead to health problems. Ventilation during cooking is needed. Open fires whether indoors or outdoors are also significant sources of particulate pollution. Wood burning stoves produce a large percentage of outdoor air pollution during the winter months. Dry, well seasoned wood should be used along with efficient ecodesign rated stoves.

Additionally, what is good for the heart is also good for the brain. Keeping the brain stimulated and active, eating a good diet which is rich in antioxidants and then keeping active and fit can help build up resistance to air pollution effects. Since it isn’t yet known exactly what mechanisms of air pollution causes damages to our brain and if their effects can be reversed, the best way a person can protect themselves is to avoid and reduce pollution exposure as much as possible.

To view the original scientific study click below

The impact of exposure to air pollution on cognitive performance.

Why We Gain Weight with Age

As we get older, it can sometimes become more difficult to keep our weight in check. New research at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden along with collaboration with researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden and the University of Lyon in France, has discovered why this is.

During the aging process lipid turnover in our fat tissue decreases which makes it much easier for people to gain weight. This can occur even if we don’t exercise less than before or don’t eat as much.

The research team discovered the fat cells in 54 women and men turn over during an average time period of 13 years. During that time all participants, regardless of whether they lost or gained weight, showed decreases in lipid turnover in their fat tissue. This is the rate at which lipid or fat located in the fat cells is removed and stored.

Participants who didn’t compensate for this by eating less calories increased their weight by an average of 20%. These results indicate that processes in our fat tissue help regulate changes body weight during the aging process in a way that is independent of other factors.

The team also examined lipid turnover in 41 women who had bariatric surgery and how the lipid turnover rate affected the ability for them keep the weight off for 4 to 7 years following surgery.

The result indicated that only those participants who had a low rate before surgery were able to increase their lipid turnover and then maintain their weight loss. The team believe these people might have had more room for increasing their lipid turnover than the participants who already had a high level previous to the surgery.

The results could open up new treatments for obesity. Previous studies have shown that one method to speed up lipid turnover in fat tissue is to engage in more exercise. The new research does support that notion and also indicates that long term result of weight loss surgery could improve if combined with an increase in physical activity.

The majority of people who struggle with severe obesity have a prolonged struggle with their weight. Furthermore, the global problem with obesity and obesity related diseases has encouraged researchers to understand lipid dynamics and what regulates the size of fat mass.

To view the original scientific study click below

Adipose lipid turnover and long-term changes in body weight.

Metabolites Linked to Intestinal Stem Cell Function

Biologists at MIT’s Koch Institute of Integrative Cancer Research have shown that high levels of ketone bodies which are molecules produced through the breakdown of fat, help our intestines maintain a large pool of adult stem cells. These stem cells are critical for keeping the intestinal lining in our bodies healthy.

The team also found that intestinal stem cells also produce unusually high levels of ketone bodies in the absence of a high fat diet. The ketone bodies activate Notch, a well known signaling pathway. This pathway was previously shown to help regulate the differentiation of stem cells.

Ketone bodies are an example of how metabolites instruct stem cell fate within the intestines. Ketone bodies which are normally thought to perform a vital role in maintenance of energy during episodes of nutritional stress, engage the Notch pathway in order to enhance the function of stem cells. Changes in levels of ketone bodies in different diets or nutritional states enable stem cells to adapt to a variety of physiologies.

While studying mice, the team found that a ketogenic diet gave stem cells in the intestines a regenerative boost which enabled them to better recover from any damage to the lining of the intestine when compared to stem cells in the mice on a regular diet.

Adult stem cells can differentiate into a variety of different cell types and are found in tissues throughout the body. These particular stem cells are especially important in the intestine since the intestinal lining is replaced every few days. The lab had shown in previous studies that fasting will enhance stem cell function within aged mice. A high fat diet can stimulate a rapid growth of populations of stem cells in the intestine.

The team wanted to study the potential role of metabolism in the function of stem cells within the intestines. Through analyzing gene expression data, they discovered several enzymes that were involved in the production of ketone bodies to be more abundant in stem cells in the intestines than in other cell types.

When a very high fat diet was consumed, cells will use these enzymes to turn fat into ketone bodies which the body will use for fuel when carbohydrates are absent. However, these enzymes are so active in the stem cells within the intestines, they have unusually high ketone body levels even when a normal diet is consumed.

To the surprise of the team, they found the ketones stimulate the Notch signaling pathway. This is known to be critical for the regulation of stem cell functions such as damaged tissue regeneration.
Stem cells within the intestines can generate ketone bodies by themselves and then use them to sustain their own stemness by fine tuning a hardwired developmental pathway which controls stem cell fate and lineage.

By using mice, the team showed that a ketogenic diet would enhance this effect. The mice that were on this diet were better able to regenerate new tissue within the intestines. When the mice were fed a high sugar diet, they noted the opposite effect. Both stem cell function and ketone production declined.

This study helped the team answer some questions raised by previous work which showed that both a high fat diet and fasting enhance the function of intestinal stem cells. The newest findings suggest that by stimulating ketogenesis through any type of diet which limits carbohydrate intake helps promote the proliferation of stem cells.

During periods of food deprivation, ketone bodies will become highly induced within the intestine and therefore play a vital role in the process of enhancing and preserving the activity of stem cells. During times when food isn’t readily available, the intestine needs to preserve the function of stem cells so that when nutrients become replete, the body has a pool of very active stem cells which can then go on to repopulate the intestinal cells.

These findings suggest that a ketogenic diet which drives the production of ketone bodies in the intestine, could be helpful for damage repair in the lining of the intestines.

To view the original scientific study click below:

Study links certain metabolites to stem cell function in the intestine.

Gecko Cells may Help with Spinal Cord Treatments in Humans

A researcher at the University of Guelph has discovered the gecko’s spinal cord tail houses a special cell type known as the radial glia. When the tail detaches, these cell types jump into action by making and proliferating different types of proteins in response to the injury. It is believed this discovery may have implications for spinal cord treatments in humans.

Many types of lizards are able to detach a portion of their tail in order to avoid predators. They can then regenerate a new one. Unlike mammals, lizard tails include a spinal cord. The researcher found the spinal cord of the tail contains a large number of proteins and stem cells which are known to support stem cell growth.

It has been known that the gecko’s spinal cord can regenerate. But it hasn’t been known until now which cells were playing a key role in this regeneration. People are extremely bad at dealing with injuries to the spinal cord. It is the hope that what has been learned from the geckos can coax human spinal cord injuries into repairing themselves.

Geckos can regrow a new tail within 30 days which is faster than any other lizard type. In the wild, they will detach their tail when a predator grabs them. The severed tail will continue to wiggle which distracts the predator long enough for the lizard to escape.

For the lab research, the researcher simulated this by pinching the gecko’s tail which caused it to drop. Once the tail has detached, the site of the tail loss will begin to repair itself. This will eventually lead to a new spinal cord and new tissue formation. For the study, the science professors investigated what would happen at the cellular level before and then after detachment.

The team discovered that the spinal cord of the gecko houses a special stem cell type and these stem cells are normally fairly quiet. However when the tail becomes detached, everything will change temporarily. The cells will begin making different proteins and will proliferate more in response to the tail injury.

Ultimately, a brand new spinal cord is made. Once the injury has healed and the spinal cord has been restored, the cells will return to a resting state.

People however, respond to spinal cord injuries by making scar tissue as opposed to new tissue. The scar tissue will seal the wound very quickly, however sealing the injury prevents any regeneration. This is a quick fix, however in the long term it is problematic.

This might be why humans have a limited ability to repair their spinal cord. Humans are missing the key types of cells required for regeneration.

The study is one of several parts of a series of investigations into the regenerative abilities of the central nervous system of geckos. The next part is to examine how the gecko makes new brain cells. Geckos can regenerate many tissue throughout the bodies which makes them ideal models for studying tissue
redevelopment and wound healing.

To view the original scientific study click below

Neural stem/progenitor cells are activated during tail regeneration in the leopard gecko

Brain Health Linked to Oral Health

Two new studies have explored the relationship between cognitive decline and oral health and also perceived social support and stress among older Chinese Americans. Two Rutgers studies found evidence that there is a key relationship between poor oral health and cognitive aspects such as executive function and memory.

The research team interviewed over 2,700 Chinese Americans who were 60 and older. Both studies came from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago. They discovered that almost 50% of the participants reported experiencing tooth symptoms and 25.5% reported dry mouth.

In the first study, the participants were quizzed on their oral health and were also given five cognitive tests to complete. In this study those who reported tooth symptoms also experienced declines in episodic memory and cognition which are often times precursors to dementia.

For the second study the participants were asked if they had experienced dry mouth issues. They were then asked to measure their perceived social support, stress and social strain levels using predefined scales. The researchers found in the second study that stress increased symptoms of dry mouth which leads to poorer overall oral health.

The team did not find any significant relationship between cognitive problems and gums. However, they believe participants might have been less likely to report gum issues since they may find them less problematic.

Ethnic and racial minorities are especially vulnerable to the negative results of poor oral health. This group of people typically have less access to preventative dental care which can be exacerbated by lower socioeconomic status and language barriers. Chinese Americans who are older are at particular risk for having oral health symptoms due to not visiting a dental office regularly and lack of dental insurance.

The team believes with the increasing burdens of oral health disease among the older Chinese Americans, there is a need for investigations into psychosocial factors due to the current emphasis on health behaviors and physical diseases in oral health.

Efforts to increase social support to alleviate the stress that leads to dry mouth issues can help preserve older adults health, well being and limit cognitive decline. The studies demonstrate the importance of examining oral health outcomes later in life.

By working collaboratively, healthcare providers and dental providers can better identify oral health symptoms as potential risk factors of decline in cognition among the fast growing and vulnerable older population. The primary focus should include improving the quality of life and promoting optimal oral health.

To view the original scientific studies click below

Oral Health Symptoms and Cognitive Function Among US Community-Dwelling Chinese Older Adults

New Cell Discovery for Healing Hearts

New research at the University of Calgary has discovered what was once an unidentified cell population in the pericardial fluid which is found inside the sac that surrounds the heart. This discovery could possibly lead to new treatments for people with injured hearts. The study was funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

The team discovered that a specific cell known as a Gata6+ pericardial cavity macrophage, helped heal an injured heart in a mouse. This cell was found in the pericardial fluid of a mouse that had a heart injury. The same cells were also found in the human pericardium of people who also had injured hearts. This confirmed that the cells that repair offer promise of a new therapy for people with heart disease.

Heart doctors had not previously explored the possibility that cells which are outside the heart might participate in the repair and healing of hearts following injury. Compared to other organs, the heart has a very limited capacity for repair which is why heart disease is the number one cause of death in North America.

The discovery of this new cell which can help heal an injured heart muscle will open the possibility of new hope and therapies for millions of people who suffer from diseases of the heart. It has always been known that the heart sits inside a strange fluid filled sac. It is now known that this pericardial fluid is quite rich with healing cells. These particular cells might hold the secret to regeneration and repair of new heart muscle.

By working together and bringing expertise across many disciplines, the initial researchers with a cardiac surgeon and clinician researcher, identified this cell in less than three years. This is a relatively fast time frame to move from lab research and animals to people.

The next goal is to recruit a basic scientist to move the current research to a broader study of repair of the human heart. The new program will further extend the collaboration between clinical and basic research to identify new therapeutics aimed at improving heart repair.

To view the original scientific study click below

Gata6+ Pericardial Cavity Macrophages Relocate to the Injured Heart and Prevent Cardiac Fibrosis.

Enhance Cognitive Youth with Online Brain Games

A new study conducted at the University of California, Irvine, has found that online brain game exercises can help people in their 70’s and 80’s multitask cognitively even as well as people 50 years younger! This valuable tool, gives older adults the ability to handle today’s daily onslaught of information which can be very taxing for seniors.

Like our bodies, we can work out and train our brains to improve mental performance. The research has discovered that older people who completed some very specific tasks gained the ability to beef up their brain’s ability to switch between tasks in a game which was at a level similar to 20 and 30 year people who were untrained.

The findings emphasize the cognitive cost of multitasking. Multitasking dilutes function through splitting focus. The findings indicate ways in which people throughout their lifespan can beat brain drain which can be brought on by the natural aging process and the increasingly crowded multimedia environment.

For the study the team partnered with Lumosity which is an online platform offering a variety of daily brain training games. They focused on data obtained from Lumonsity’s “Ebb and Flow” game which is a task switching games which challenges the ability of the brain to shift between cognitive processes interpreting movement and shapes.

Of the millions of individuals who played Ebb and Flow between 2012 and 2017, the team randomly sampled performance of approximately 1,000 users within two categories – those who ranged in age from 21 to 80 and had finished fewer than 60 sessions of training; and adults aged 71 to 80 who had logged a minimum of 1,000 sessions.

The research team found that the majority of the older and highly practiced players matched or exceeded the performance of the younger users who didn’t play the game very much. Any lead seniors however, significantly declined after the 21 to 30 year old participants completed at least 10 practice sessions.

Improved lifestyles and advances in the medical field have allowed people to live longer. Brain health is an important factor in that equation. With consistent upkeep, cognitive youth can be retained into the golden years.

To view the original scientific study click below

A large-scale analysis of task switching practice effects across the lifespan.

Double Early Mortality Risk Linked to Sedentary Lifestyle

According to a recent study, 20 years of a sedentary lifestyle is linked to two times the risk of premature death when compared to being physically active. The HUNT study’s findings suggest that in order to get maximum health benefits from physical activity to protect against premature cardiovascular and all cause death, a person needs to be continually physically active.

The focus of the study was to see how changes in physical activity over a 22 year period were related to subsequent death. Most previous studies investigating the relationship between longevity and physical activity asked the participants just once what their level of physical activity was then followed them for several years. However, physical activity is a behavior that can change with many people. Therefore, it is important to see how such changes over time may relate to the risk of death in the future.

The HUNT study asked all residents of Norway who were age 20 and older to participate in their study for three time periods – 1984 to 1986, 1995 to 1997, and 2006 to 2008. At each time point the participants were asked about their duration and frequency of leisure time physical activity. The study used the data obtained from the first and third surveys.

23,146 men and women were included in the analysis. Physical activity was categorized as inactive, moderate level which was less than two hours per week, and high which was two or more hours per week. The participants were then divided into groups depending on their levels of activity at each survey date.

The data from the physical activity was linked to information in regards to deaths until the end of 2013 through the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry. The death risk in each physical activity group was compared to the reference group which was participants who reported a high level of physical activity at each survey.

When compared to the reference group, the participants who were inactive 1984 to 1986 and 2006 to 2008 showed a 2 fold higher likelihood of all cause death and a 2.7 fold higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. The participants with moderate physical activity at both time periods had 60% and 90% higher risks of all cause and cardiovascular deaths, respectively, when compared to the reference group.

In regards to the participants who changed categories between the surveys who went from inactive status to active status, they had a mortality risk that fell between those who were continually active or continually inactive. However, those who went from a highly active status to inactive had a similar risk of death as those who were inactive at both survey times.

The team notes that there are clear recommendations in regards to the amount of exercise adults should be engaging in to optimize their health. This is 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of a more vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity.

Another important point is that levels of physical activity even lower than the advised levels will give some health benefits. Physical fitness is shown to be more important than the amount of exercise. This includes all types of exercise that will make a person breathe heavily.

People should engage in activities they like and are encouraged to get more movement into their everyday life. The data indicates that a person can compensate for a previously sedentary lifestyle and the sooner they get active, the sooner positive results will occur. The team’s advice is to establish good exercise habits as early in life as possible. The benefits from an active lifestyle go beyond protection from premature death. They also effect the body’s cognitive function and organs. Being physically active helps people live longer and better lives.

First Cornea Transplant made with Reprogrammed Stem Cells

A research team at the Osaka University has conducted the world’s first corneal tissue transplant using reprogrammed stem cells derived from skin tissue. The patient was a Japanese woman in her 40’s who suffered from an epithelial stem cell deficiency in her cornea. This condition can make vision blurry and can lead to blindness.

The patient received the transplant on her left eye on July 25th and was released from the hospital on August 23rd. Her eyesight had improved considerably and no problems have been detected so far. Since this was the first operation of it’s type, the team will continue to monitor the patient quite closely.

For the procedure, the team created sheets of corneal cells from induced pluripotent stem cells. These cell types are created by reprogramming adult skin cells obtained from a donor into an embryonic state where they can transform into other types of cells such as corneal cells. The cells which are transplanted are expected to continue making more corneal cells and therefore help in sight recovery.

The thin sheet like corneal tissues used by the team do not contain immune cells which leads the team to believe they are unlikely to be rejected. Conventional corneal transplant operations are subject to rejection due to the fact that immune cells get implanted with the rest of the cornea.

The team believe that just one transplant should remain effective throughout a patient’s lifetime. They plan to conduct another transplant later this year.

These pluripotent stem cells can grow into any type of body tissue. The world’s first clinical study using these stem cells was conducted in 2014 transplanting retina cells into a women who had age related macular degeneration. In the future it will become possible to create any part of the body using this technique. In addition the patients own tissue could be used so that the cells in the new gland or organ will contain the patients own DNA.

Kohji Nishida, the team leader, may have created a new treatment for people suffering from corneal disease. Current procedures require waiting for corneal donations from donors who are deceased. About 1,600 patients in Japan are waiting for corneal donations.

The team hopes to make the treatment practical in five years. Corneal disease is a result of loss of cells in the part of the eye that produce the cornea due to injury or illness.

To view the original scientific study click below

Woman is first to receive cornea made from ‘reprogrammed’ stem cells.

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