The system allows the patient to dictate movements such as walking and kicking, while permitting the exoskeleton to manage other motions, like specific joint adjustments. In this way, the users were able to indicate the action that they wanted to perform, while the exoskeleton system ensured its safe execution.
Increased Inflammation in Mothers During Pregnancy Is Associated With Decreased Maturity in Child’s Brain Wiring
Increased inflammation in a pregnant woman, which can be triggered, for example, by exposure to stress or infection, may shape the development of her child’s brain, according to investigators.
“Previous research has suggested that many of the alterations in brain structure and connectivity associated with neuropsychiatric disorders can be traced back to conditions in the womb,” said lead author Claudia Buss, PhD, Professor of Medical Psychology at Charité—University Medicine Berlin. “Our research demonstrates that a specific elevated immune response experienced by some women during pregnancy may affect key aspects of the child’s brain development.”
Dr. Buss and her colleagues analyzed blood samples collected from 58 mothers in early, mid, and late pregnancy to determine their levels of the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), a protein that stimulates the body’s immune response to infections and stress. Then, using functional MRI (fMRI) technology, the researchers acquired brain scans of the women’s newborns during natural sleep to detect and measure brain activity patterns.
An analysis of the data revealed that IL-6 concentrations during pregnancy, particularly during early pregnancy, predicted weaker connections between specific regions of the newborns’ brains. These weaker connections were similar to those that have been previously associated with psychiatric problems in adults. The study’s findings may one day lead to the development of diagnostic and treatment approaches to detect, prevent, and reduce the likelihood of mental health problems in at-risk individuals.
Findings Suggest Possible Link Between Obesity and Cognitive Decline
Being overweight or obese is associated with brain shrinkage in cognitively healthy older adults, according to research presented at the meeting.
“Our study’s findings provide important evidence indicating that being overweight or obese is associated with poorer brain health in older adults,” said lead author Nicolas Cherbuin, PhD, Director of the Neuroimaging and Brain Laboratory at the Australian National University College of Medicine, Biology, and Environment in Canberra. “The results further underscore the importance of reducing the rate of obesity through education, population health interventions, and policy.”
Shrinkage of the hippocampus, which plays a crucial role in long-term memory, is a hallmark of cognitive decline. One possible mechanism for that shrinkage is chronic inflammation, which animal studies have shown to increase and decrease with the increase or decrease of fat tissue.
To investigate whether being overweight or obese is associated with shrinkage of the hippocampus, Dr. Cherbuin and his colleagues followed 420 cognitively healthy adults between ages 60 and 64 who were participating in a large prospective study on aging. At the start of the study and at years four and eight, the participants had their BMI assessed. They also underwent a brain scan to measure the size of their hippocampus.
The researchers found that having a higher BMI was associated with a smaller hippocampus at the study’s first assessment. In addition, greater shrinkage of the hippocampus was observed over the follow-up period among participants with higher BMIs at the start of the trial, even after controlling for factors such as age, gender, education, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and depression. These findings suggest that obesity may play a role in brain structure changes linked to cognitive decline and dementia.
Menthol and Nicotine in Combination Desensitize Airway Receptors
Menthol acts in combination with nicotine to desensitize receptors in lungs’ airways that are responsible for nicotine’s irritation, say neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) in Washington, DC.
“We know that a menthol cough drop soothes a scratchy, sore throat. The question we looked at is if and how it works when the irritant is nicotine,” said Kenneth Kellar, PhD, a Professor of Pharmacology at GUMC. “This study supports the notion that menthol is not just a flavoring, but has a pharmacologic effect.”
The FDA is considering restrictions on menthol cigarettes because it has determined that menthol in cigarettes is likely associated with increased initiation and progression to regular cigarette smoking, increased dependence, and reduced success in smoking cessation, especially among African American menthol smokers. But the FDA’s review of the available research and evidence relating to menthol cigarettes, issued in July 2013, also concluded, “From the available studies, the weight of evidence supports the conclusion that menthol in cigarettes is not associated with an increase in disease risk to the user, compared to nonmenthol cigarette smokers.”