Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Stanislava Vrankova, Zuzana Galandakova, Jakub Benko, Martina Cebova, Igor Riecansky, Olga Pechanova
Summary: The results of the study indicate that 10 weeks of social isolation led to a significant decrease in PPI, accompanied by a decrease in NOS activity in the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum, an increase in iNOS in the hippocampus, and an increase in CD concentration in cortex homogenate. On the other hand, 29 weeks of social isolation had an opposite effect on NOS activity, with an increase in the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum in animals reared in a social environment, accompanied by a decrease in CD concentration.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Giampiero Ferraguti, Sergio Terracina, Ginevra Micangeli, Marco Lucarelli, Luigi Tarani, Mauro Ceccanti, Matteo Spaziani, Valerio D'Orazi, Carla Petrella, Marco Fiore
Summary: Neurotrophins play multiple roles in neuronal development and are implicated in rare pediatric diseases.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Tao Tan, Wei Wang, Tiaotiao Liu, Ping Zhong, Megan Conrow-Graham, Xin Tian, Zhen Yan
Summary: Exposure to prolonged stress during critical developmental periods increases the risk of psychiatric disorders and may lead to sex-specific consequences. Studying mice subjected to chronic adolescent social isolation stress, it was found that stressed males exhibit escalated aggression while stressed females show social withdrawal. In-depth analysis of neuronal circuits revealed different physiological mechanisms contributing to these sex-specific divergent effects of stress.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Peter Karailiev, Natasa Hlavacova, Magdalena Chmelova, Natalie Z. M. Homer, Daniela Jezova
Summary: Chronic stress induced changes in tight junction protein expression in the gut and brain, with anxiogenic effects partly prevented by MR blockade in female rats. The results suggest a physiological role of MR in controlling claudin expression in the small intestine, but not in the brain cortex.
NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Sayna Bagheri, Kamyar Moradi, Elnaz Ehghaghi, Abolfazl Badripour, Mohammad Keykhaei, Amir Ashraf-Ganjouei, Mana Moassefi, Shahriar Faghani, Ahmad Reza Dehpour
Summary: Chronic social isolation stress can impair learning and memory-related behaviors, while melatonin treatment can alleviate memory impairment by modulating the BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling pathway.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Tahmineh Mokhtari, Min Lu, Ayman El-Meghawry El-Kenawy
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effects of luteolin on chronic neuropathic pain-induced mood disorders by regulating oxidative stress, neurotrophic factors, and neuroinflammation. The results showed that luteolin treatment reversed the behavioral alterations and improved chronic pain-induced anxiety and depressive-like symptoms through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. This study highlights the potential of luteolin as a therapeutic agent for mood disorders associated with chronic pain.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Kazuya Okamura, Hiroki Yoshino, Yoichi Ogawa, Kazuhiko Yamamuro, Sohei Kimoto, Yasunari Yamaguchi, Yosuke Nishihata, Minobu Ikehara, Manabu Makinodan, Yasuhiko Saito, Toshifumi Kishimoto
Summary: A lack of juvenile social experience can lead to behavioral impairments and brain dysfunction, especially in the medial prefrontal cortex. In this study, the researchers investigated the immediate effects of juvenile social isolation on the excitability and synaptic inputs of specific types of neurons in the mPFC. They found that social isolation increased excitatory inputs to certain interneurons and enhanced their firing reactivity. These findings suggest that juvenile social isolation primarily disrupts the development of circuits involving these interneurons and eventually affects circuits involving other types of neurons in adulthood.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Juliano Viana Borges, Vivian Naziaseno Pires, Betania Souza de Freitas, Gabriel Ruebensam, Vitoria Correa Vieira, Cristophod de Souza dos Santos, Nadja Schroder, Elke Bromberg
Summary: Social deprivation can cause stress in group-living mammals, but they have an amazing response of seeking social contact as a form of protection. This study explored the effects of social isolation and support on behavioral and epigenetic responses to chronic stress in middle-aged adult rats. The results showed that isolation led to decreased corticosterone levels, impaired long-term memory, and decreased BDNF gene expression, along with altered epigenetic markers. The chronic unpredictable stress protocol had different effects, mainly on epigenetic alterations, but social support prevented the adverse effects on HPA axis functioning and gene expressions.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Fei Hou, Xu Zhou, Shunheng Zhou, Haizhou Liu, Yu-E Huang, Mengqin Yuan, Jicun Zhu, Xinyu Cao, Wei Jiang
Summary: This study investigated the characteristics and dynamic patterns of DNA methylation during long-term isolation using time series data from the Mars-500 mission. The results showed minimal genome-wide methylation changes and identified six dynamic patterns. Functional enrichment analysis revealed strong functional specificity and associations with nervous system diseases, digestive system diseases, and cancers. The findings highlight the functional significance of DNA methylation dynamics during long-term isolation and their potential for protecting astronaut health.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Lujia Si, Ling Xiao, Yinping Xie, Hong Xu, Guohao Yuan, Wenqian Xu, Gaohua Wang
Summary: This study developed a new model combining social isolation with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) and found that social isolation aggravated depressive-like behaviors, memory deficits, and social withdrawal through the inhibition of the ERK/KEAP1/NRF2 signaling pathway. These findings provide molecular evidence for the effects of post-stress social isolation on mental health, and suggest that antioxidant stress signaling may be a target for intervention.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Min Kyung Song, Joo Hee Lee, Youn-Jung Kim
Summary: Handling and social isolation have different effects on the behavior and neurobiological changes in adolescent rats, with handling reducing anxiety and depression levels while social isolation impairs stress responses, increases anxiety and depression levels, and affects cognitive function.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Lindsay L. Sailer, Pooja P. Patel, Ashley H. Park, Joanna Moon, Amit Hanadari-Levy, Alexander G. Ophir
Summary: Chronic stress can lead to negative mental and physical health outcomes. Early-life adversity, such as social isolation, can have lasting impacts on individuals' wellbeing. This study found that social support can mitigate the effects of early-life stress. Additionally, the study examined the role of genes related to social and stress-coping behaviors in the lateral septum.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Moustafa Algamal, Andrew J. Pearson, Coral Hahn-Townsend, Ioana Burca, Michael Mullan, Fiona Crawford, Joseph O. Ojo
Summary: This study assessed the impact of chronic stress on HPA axis function and fear memory deficits in a mouse model, finding that mice exposed to chronic stress exhibited exaggerated fear memory recall and weakened HPA axis functionality. Neuroendocrinal testing suggested that alterations in adrenal MC2 receptor reactivity may be related to the attenuated stress response in the model.
PROGRESS IN NEURO-PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jaromir Myslivecek
Summary: Social species form organizations to support individuals, as isolation may be a stressor. When studying the effects of social isolation on cholinergic signaling, it is important to consider the differences in isolation schemes and receptor subtypes.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Grisel Cavieres, Francisco Bozinovic, Jose Miguel Bogdanovich, Daniela S. Rivera
Summary: Social interaction has positive effects on animal performance by preventing stress-related events, providing security, and enhancing reproductive output and survival. This study investigates the effects of prolonged chronic social isolation stress on behavioral, cognitive, and physiological performance in the long-lived rodent Octodon degus. The results demonstrate that social stress increases anxiety-like behaviors and reduces social and working memory in male degus. Moreover, social stress decreases the multifractal complexity of basal metabolic rate, indicating a decreased ability to respond to environmental stressors and an unhealthy state. This study integrates cognitive-behavioral performance and multifractal dynamics of physiological signals in response to prolonged social isolation, highlighting the importance of social interactions for the well-being and overall performance of social animals.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Drahomir Michalko, Martin Marko, Igor Riecansky
Summary: This study examines the contribution of automatic and controlled processes to semantic retrieval in the SVF task. The findings suggest that the relative contribution of these processes changes over time and task demands, with individuals with less efficient interference control showing steeper retrieval slowing. Additionally, poorer working-memory capacity is associated with slower retrieval in the SVF task.
PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH-PSYCHOLOGISCHE FORSCHUNG
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Martin Marko, Drahomir Michalko, Jozef Dragasek, Zuzana Vancova, Dominika Jarcuskova, Igor Riecansky
Summary: Category and letter verbal fluency assessment is widely used in research, but the processes measured by these assessments are still debated. A psychometric study was conducted, showing that category fluency primarily involves free-associative retrieval, while letter fluency suppresses habitual semantic associates. These findings indicate that category and letter fluency tasks reflect partially distinct forms of memory search and retrieval control.
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Martin Marko, Igor Riecansky
Summary: Growing evidence suggests that a domain-general executive control plays a crucial role in semantic memory retrieval. This study conducted two experiments to examine the interaction between executive control and word retrieval tasks. The results showed that both forms of executive load affected retrieval fluency, with a greater impact on the controlled performance. These findings suggest that executive control supports accessing relevant knowledge and inhibiting task-inappropriate retrieval candidates through adaptive gating of semantic activation and interference control.
MEMORY & COGNITION
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Rastislav Rovny, Martin Marko, Drahomir Michalko, Milan Mitka, Barbora Cimrova, Zuzana Vancova, Dominika Jarcuskova, Jozef Dragas, Gabriel Minarik, Igor Riecansky
Summary: The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is crucial for synaptic plasticity, which is a potential neurobiological mechanism for learning and memory. A specific variant in the BDNF gene, Val66Met (rs6265), has been associated with memory and cognition in both healthy individuals and clinical populations. This study investigated how BDNF Val66Met genotype influences the consolidation of episodic declarative and procedural memories in adults. The carriers of the Met66 allele exhibited a greater level of forgetting overnight (24 hours after encoding), but not immediately or 20 minutes after word presentation. Val66Met genotype did not have an impact on motor learning. These findings suggest that BDNF plays a role in the neuroplasticity involved in episodic memory consolidation during sleep.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sofia Elisa Alzuri, Nicolas Matias Rosas, Natasa Hlavacova, Daniela Jezova, Beata Fuchsova
Summary: The neuronal membrane glycoprotein M6a (GPM6A) plays a role in neuronal remodeling and plasticity. Chronic stress can regulate the expression of Gpm6a through miR-124-mediated impact on Hdac5 and Mef2c. BDNF can activate Gpm6a expression.
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Aneta Bednarova, Viera Habalova, Silvia Farkasova Iannaccone, Ivan Tkac, Dominika Jarcuskova, Michaela Krivosova, Matteo Marcatili, Natasa Hlavacova
Summary: Since suicide and suicidal behavior are highly heritable, identifying genetic markers for predicting suicide risk is crucial in clinical practice. This case-control study explored the associations between completed suicide and genetic polymorphisms in BDNF (rs6265, rs962369), SLC6A4 (5-HTTLPR), and FTO (rs9939609) genes, considering sex and BMI. The findings revealed a significant association between BDNF rs962369 variant and completed suicide, particularly in males. Furthermore, an association between BDNF rs962369 variant and BMI was observed, indicating that heterozygotes with the TC genotype had lower average BMI. The FTO polymorphism did not influence BMI in Slovak suicide completers, but an inverse association between BMI and completed suicide was found.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Drahomir Michalko, Martin Marko, Igor Riecansky
Summary: Emerging work in semantic cognition examines the relationship between semantic memory structure and goal-directed memory retrieval processes. However, these objectives are neglected in the assessment and interpretation of semantic verbal fluency tasks. This study investigates how the organization of semantic knowledge moderates the relationship of retrieval fluency with working memory and interference control capacities in verbal fluency tasks.
Article
Neurosciences
Diana Bzduskova, Martin Marko, Zuzana Hirjakova, Igor Riecansky, Jana Kimijanova
Summary: Fear of heights significantly affects posture adaptation to balance-destabilizing events, with individuals experiencing intense fear showing a stiffer posture compared to those with low fear. This finding is particularly pronounced during virtual height exposure.
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marie Obdrzalkova, Libor Ustohal, Natasa Hlavacova, Michaela Mayerova, Eva Ceskova, Tomas Kasparek, Daniela Jezova
Summary: This pilot study aimed to investigate whether dysregulation of neuroendocrine biomarker signaling pathways in the first episode of non-affective psychosis is a predictive factor of treatment outcome. The study revealed that lower baseline aldosterone and higher baseline cortisol concentrations may predict a more favorable treatment outcome for patients with the first episode of psychosis.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Dominika Petrikova, Martin Marko, Rastislav Rovny, Igor Riecansky
Summary: Recent research has shown that the cerebellum plays a role in language functions and is involved in lexical-semantic memory. This study used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to target the cerebellum and found that anodal stimulation facilitated the retrieval of semantically related words, while cathodal stimulation had the opposite effect, although not significant.
BRAIN STRUCTURE & FUNCTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hui-Ting Huang, Shun-Fen Tzeng
Summary: Our study demonstrates the role of interleukin-33 (IL-33) in a demyelinating mouse model induced by cuprizone (CPZ), showing that IL-33 can alleviate the reduction of APC+ OLs and the decline of IL-33 levels in the corpus callosum, and promote the expression of myelin basic protein (MBP).
NEUROCHEMISTRY INTERNATIONAL
(2024)
