Article
Biology
Eduardo Loureiro-Campos, Antonio Mateus-Pinheiro, Patricia Patricio, Carina Soares-Cunha, Joana Silva, Vanessa Morais Sardinha, Barbara Mendes-Pinheiro, Tiago Silveira-Rosa, Ana Veronica Domingues, Ana Joao Rodrigues, Joao Oliveira, Nuno Sousa, Nuno Dinis Alves, Luisa Pinto
Summary: The study showed that AP2 gamma deficiency affects hippocampal neurogenesis, leading to anxious-like behavior and memory impairments as early as the juvenile phase. These behavioral impairments persist into adulthood, manifesting as deficits in behavioral flexibility and object location recognition.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bingfang Zhang, Lei Wang, Aisheng Zhan, Min Wang, Lanxiang Tian, Weixiang Guo, Yongxin Pan
Summary: Exposure to a hypomagnetic field (HMF) influences the cognitive processes of various animals, from insects to human beings. The authors show that in mice exposed to HMF, adult hippocampal neurogenesis and hippocampus-dependent learning are impaired and could be rescued by restoring ROS levels.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Chih-Ling Wang, Rika Ohkubo, Wei-Chieh Mu, Wei Chen, Jiang Lan Fan, Zehan Song, Ayane Maruichi, Peter H. Sudmant, Angela O. Pisco, Dena B. Dubal, Na Ji, Danica Chen
Summary: Aging leads to a decline in neural stem cells, neurogenesis, and cognitive function. Recent evidence shows disrupted adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus of patients with neurodegenerative disorders. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals that mitochondrial protein folding stress is prominent in activated neural stem cells/neural progenitors in the neurogenic niche, and it increases with aging, leading to dysregulated cell cycle and mitochondrial activity. This stress compromises neural stem cell maintenance and reduces neurogenesis, resulting in neural hyperactivity and impaired cognitive function. Reducing mitochondrial protein folding stress improves neurogenesis and cognitive function in old mice, suggesting a potential approach to alleviate aging-associated cognitive decline.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lidia Madrid, Javier Jimenez-Martin, Elizabeth J. Coulson, Dhanisha J. Jhaveri
Summary: The production and circuit integration of new neurons in the adult mammalian hippocampus are highly sensitive to neuronal activity, with acetylcholine playing a key role in regulating neurogenesis. Further research is needed to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms and translational potential of acetylcholine and its receptors in this process of cellular neuroplasticity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY & CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lvmei Li, Qiang Wang, Xiangping Sun, ZeLong Li, Shuwei Liu, Xian Zhang, Jinyu Zhou, Rui Zhang, Kunmei Liu, Peng Wang, Jianguo Niu, Yujun Wen, Lianxiang Zhang
Summary: Neuropsychiatric diseases are associated with early life stress (ELS) and patients often exhibit abnormal learning, memory, and emotion. The regulatory mechanism underlying these conditions remains unclear. Hippocampal synaptic plasticity (HSP) changes play an important role, and the RhoA pathway is known to regulate HSP through the modulation of dendritic spines (DS). However, the involvement of RhoA in HSP changes in ELS has not been reported. In this study, we investigated the participation and mechanisms of RhoA in HSP regulation in ELS.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Karen R. Mifsud, Clare L. M. Kennedy, Silvia Salatino, Eshita Sharma, Emily M. Price, Samantha N. Haque, Andriana Gialeli, Hannah M. Goss, Polina E. Panchenko, John Broxholme, Simon Engledow, Helen Lockstone, Oscar Cordero Llana, Johannes M. H. M. Reul
Summary: GCs act through hippocampal mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors to impact gene regulatory programs related to neuronal plasticity, ciliogenesis, and behavioral adaptation. The receptors MR and GR regulate genes involved in synaptic/neuro-plasticity, cell morphology and development, behavior, and neuropsychiatric disorders. These findings suggest a crucial role of GCs in maintaining brain health and adapting to changing environments.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Rachelle Larivee, Natalie Johnson, Natalie R. Freedgood, Heather A. Cameron, Timothy J. Schoenfeld
Summary: Stressors during adolescence can affect brain development and have long-lasting impacts on behavior. This study used a transgenic neurogenesis ablation rat model to investigate the functional effects of reduced hippocampal neurogenesis during adolescence. The results showed that long-term neurogenesis ablation starting in adolescence can lead to hippocampal atrophy and increased behavioral caution and despair in stressful environments.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana Catarina Ferreira, Fernanda Marques
Summary: Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is an acute phase protein involved in iron binding. Recent studies have found that LCN2 plays a significant role in regulating iron levels and redox state. In the central nervous system, the absence of LCN2 affects neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation, impacting hippocampal-dependent tasks. Additionally, stress and voluntary running are known regulators of neurogenesis. This study shows that LCN2-null mice do not respond to chronic stress exposure.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Ji Yeon Hong, Jae-Jun Ban, Qing-Ling Quan, Ji-Eun Eom, Hee Soon Shin, Jin Ho Chung
Summary: Tomato and lemon extracts can reduce cellular oxidative stress and increase neurogenesis, while the mixture of the two shows synergistic effects in anti-oxidation and hippocampal neurogenesis.
Article
Neurosciences
Samuel B. R. Harley, Emily F. Willis, Samreen N. Shaikh, Daniel G. Blackmore, Pankaj Sah, Marc J. Ruitenberg, Perry F. Bartlett, Jana Vukovic
Summary: Selective removal of BDNF from microglia increases production of newborn neurons and interferes with self-renewal, reducing overall density. Microglial BDNF is identified as an important factor regulating microglial population dynamics and states, influencing neurogenesis under both homeostatic and pathologic conditions.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Hao Liu, Zhi Yang, Chunyan Yu, Hao Dong, Shiyan Wang, Gang Wang, Denian Wang
Summary: This study reveals that Tau plays a critical role in stress responses and anxiety-related behavior. The expression of Tau is increased after social defeat stress, and the phosphorylation of Tau disrupts the structural plasticity of neurons and inhibits the proliferation of newborn neurons, influencing stress responses and anxiety-related behavior.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Il Bin Kim, Seon-Cheol Park
Summary: Depression is characterized by impairments in adult neurogenesis, particularly in the hippocampus. Disruption of hippocampal neurogenesis in depression may be a consequence of neural circuitry impairments, with the entorhinal cortex playing a regulatory role. However, the exact mechanisms by which disruption of neural circuitry leads to neurogenesis impairments in depression, specifically regarding the regulatory role of the entorhinal cortex, remain unclear.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Shan Shao, Yawen Zheng, Zibing Fu, Jiaxin Wang, Yu Zhang, Cheng Wang, Xuetao Qi, Tingting Gong, Longyu Ma, Xi Lin, Haitao Yu, Shulu Yuan, You Wan, Haolin Zhang, Ming Yi
Summary: Chronic pain is a major global medical problem. Recent evidence suggests that the hippocampus plays a role in modulating chronic pain, but the exact mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, a neural ensemble in the ventral hippocampal CA1 region was found to respond to noxious stimuli and become hypersensitive after peripheral inflammation. Manipulating the activity of these neurons in mice induced chronic pain-like behaviors or reduced pain-related behaviors, depending on the context. Additionally, specific pathways from the ventral hippocampus to the basolateral amygdala and infralimbic cortex were found to be involved in pain modulation at different stages of chronic inflammatory pain.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Rachel G. Pizzie, David J. M. Kraemer
Summary: Different emotion regulation strategies, such as cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, can have different effects on the relationship between math anxiety and math accuracy. The use of cognitive reappraisal was found to reduce the negative impact of physiological arousal on math accuracy for both high and low math anxious individuals, showing promise as a technique for improving math performance in the presence of math anxiety.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julia Leschik, Beat Lutz, Antonietta Gentile
Summary: Newborn neurons in the adult hippocampus are regulated by various factors, with elevated glucocorticoid levels leading to downregulation of adult neurogenesis. Adult neurogenesis is suggested to protect against stress-induced psychiatric diseases, serving as a resilience mechanism. Mechanisms underlying this include neurotransmitter dysregulation, immune pathways, and gut-brain axis influenced by microbiota changes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Alexandra J. Fiocco, Brad A. Meisner
AGING & MENTAL HEALTH
(2020)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Jennifer J. Lee, Neil R. Brett, Vincent C. H. Wong, Julia O. Totosy de Zepetnek, Alexandra J. Fiocco, Nick Bellissimo
APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY NUTRITION AND METABOLISM
(2019)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Alexandra J. Fiocco, Danielle D'Amico, Louis de Beaumont, Judes Poirier, Sonia Lupien
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Geneva Millett, Alexandra J. Fiocco
Summary: The study found that the Java Music Club (JMC), a social support program, can help LTC residents reduce loneliness, depressive symptoms, and subjective memory complaints. Qualitative interviews with participants revealed that the JMC promoted social engagement, with important group elements including the group facilitator and composition.
AGING & MENTAL HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Danielle D'Amico, Matthew D. Parrott, Carol E. Greenwood, Guylaine Ferland, Pierrette Gaudreau, Sylvie Belleville, Danielle Laurin, Nicole D. Anderson, Marie-Jeanne Kergoat, Jose A. Morais, Nancy Presse, Alexandra J. Fiocco
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexandra J. Fiocco, Geneva Millett, Danielle D'Amico, Laura Krieger, Yadurshana Sivashankar, Seung Hwan Lee, Richard Lachman
Summary: This study found that immersive Virtual Reality (VR) tourism has positive effects on the psychosocial wellbeing of older adults in residential care, reducing anxiety and fatigue while increasing social engagement and quality of life.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alexandra J. Fiocco, Charlie Gryspeerdt, Giselle Franco
Summary: This study conducted one-on-one interviews with community-dwelling older adults in Ontario, Canada, and identified that the main challenges they faced during the pandemic were perceived threat of infection and coping with various challenges. Participants shared coping strategies including behavioral, emotion-focused, and social support to maintain health and well-being.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alexandra J. Fiocco
Summary: The inaugural Canadian Stress Research Summit bridged science and community, fostering collaboration among Canadian scholars. The conference report outlined keynote addresses, themed symposia, spotlight presentations, and conference feedback, highlighting important methodological considerations in understanding the relationship between stress exposure and various outcomes of interest.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Alexandra J. Fiocco, Lauren Hytman
Summary: This mixed-methods study examined the long-term benefits of mindfulness training for family caregivers of persons with neurodegenerative disease. The results show that mindfulness training has the potential to support caregivers' mental health and well-being 12 months following program completion. However, continued supports are required to facilitate continued practice.
Article
Psychology, Applied
Katlyn Peck, Julia Totosy de Zepetnek, Alexandra J. Fiocco
Summary: Although the acute stress response is adaptive for survival, frequent and intermittent activation of the acute stress response may have negative health consequences over time. The study aimed to examine the potential inoculation effect of music on acute stress reactivity using a comprehensive set of stress indices. Results failed to show a significant inoculation effect of music on the stress response, and exploratory analyses did not reveal differential effects based on sex or age.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STRESS MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Danielle D'Amico, Maya E. Amestoy, Alexandra J. Fiocco
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Gerontology
Vivian Huang, Alexandra J. Fiocco
JOURNAL OF CROSS-CULTURAL GERONTOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Vivian Huang, Kitty Ching Lo, Alexandra J. Fiocco
PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Sasha Mallya, Alexandra J. Fiocco
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Alexandra J. Fiocco, Sasha Mallya, Mitra Farzaneh, Diana Koszycki