Search Results (66)

The transgenic animals have been yielding invaluable insights into amyloid pathology by replicating the key features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, there is no clear relationship between senile plaques and memory deficits. Instead, cognitive impairment and synaptic dysfunction are particularly linked to a rise in Aβ_1-42 oligomer level. Thus, injection of Aβ_1-42 oligomers into a specific brain region is considered an alternative approach to investigate the effects of increased soluble Aβ species without any plaques, offering higher controllability, credibility and validity compared to the transgenic model. The hippocampal CA1 (cornu ammonis 1) region is selectively affected in the early stage of AD and specific targeting of CA1 region directly links Aβ oligomer-related pathology with memory impairment in early AD. Next, the inhibitory avoidance (IA) task, a learning paradigm to assess the synaptic basis of CA1-dependent contextual learning, triggers training-dependent synaptic plasticity similar to in vitro HFS (high-frequency stimulation). Given its reliability in assessing contextual memory and synaptic plasticity, this task provides an effective framework for studying early stage AD-related memory deficit. Therefore, in this review, we will focus on why Aβ_1-42 oligomer injection is a valid in vivo model to investigate the early stage of AD and why dorsal CA1 region serves as a target area to understand the adverse effects of Aβ_1-42 oligomers on contextual learning through the IA task. Full article

Background: Diabetic lung disease, characterized by inflammation and fibrosis, is an emerging chronic complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, systematic studies on the effects of exercise interventions remain limited. This study aimed to investigate the impact of different exercise types (swimming, resistance training, and high-intensity interval training [HIIT]) on pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in T2DM mice, and to explore underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: A T2DM mouse model was established by a high-fat diet (HFD) combined with streptozotocin (STZ) induction. Mice were randomly divided into sedentary control, swimming, resistance training, and HIIT groups, and underwent 8 weeks of exercise intervention. After the intervention, body composition was assessed. Lung histopathological changes were evaluated by hematoxylin&eosin (HE) and Masson staining. Inflammatory cytokines, fibrosis markers, and the expression of the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway were detected. Macrophage infiltration and polarization were also analyzed. Results: Exercise intervention improved body composition and reduced oxidative stress in T2DM mice. All three exercise modalities downregulated inflammatory cytokine expression, inhibited macrophage activation and M1 polarization, and promoted M2 polarization. Additionally, exercise improved lung tissue structure, reduced collagen deposition, and decreased the expression of fibrosis-related markers. Furthermore, anti-fibrotic effects were mediated by suppression of the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway and inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Among the interventions, HIIT demonstrated the strongest inhibitory effect on the TGF-β1/Smad pathway, while swimming showed the most significant anti-inflammatory benefits. Conclusions: Different types of exercise effectively alleviate pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in T2DM mice. These effects are closely related to the inhibition of oxidative stress, regulation of macrophage polarization, and suppression of TGF-β1/Smad signaling activation, with swimming and HIIT demonstrating superior protective benefits. Full article

Background/Objectives: Executive function, which includes inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, tends to decline with aging. While traditional resistance training (TRT) has shown positive effects in mitigating these declines, limited evidence is available regarding flywheel resistance training (FRT). This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of TRT and FRT on executive function in older women. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial (clinicaltrials.gov NCT05910632), 29 older women were allocated into two groups: TRT (n = 15) and FRT (n = 14). The intervention lasted eight weeks with two weekly sessions conducted at the Federal University of Viçosa. The TRT group performed exercises using machines and free weights, while the FRT group used a multi-leg isoinertial device. Executive function was assessed using the Victoria Stroop Test (inhibitory control), Digit Span Test (working memory), and Trail Making Tests A and B (cognitive flexibility). Data were analyzed using a Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (p < 0.05). Results: No significant changes were observed in inhibitory control (p = 0.350). Working memory improved significantly within both groups in forward (p = 0.002) and backward (p = 0.002) span tasks. For cognitive flexibility, Trail Making Test A showed no significant changes (p > 0.05), but Test B showed significant within-group (p = 0.030) and between-group (p = 0.020) improvements. The B-A difference was also significant (p = 0.040). Conclusions: Both resistance training modalities enhanced working memory and cognitive flexibility. However, FRT produced greater improvements in cognitive flexibility, suggesting potential advantages in cognitive aging interventions. Full article

Background: Cognitive control (CC) underpins our ability to maintain task focus, update goals, and flexibly shift between strategies, and it is closely tied to prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity. Electronic gaming (e-gaming), such as the first-person shooter (FPS) genre, is a specialized domain that demands refined CC skills developed over years of practice. Although previous research has demonstrated that PFC hemodynamic activity can effectively evaluate CC in several skilled domains, the impact of prolonged FPS experience on CC and its underlying neural correlates remains unclear. Objectives: In this study, we examined differences in both behavioral performance and PFC hemodynamic responses between 70 novices and 50 experienced FPS gamers (n=120). Methods: We targeted three core CC subdomains—updating, shifting, and inhibition—by employing the Digit–Symbol Substitution Task, Dual Visual Search Task, and Stroop Task, respectively. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)-based PFC activity was recorded as participants engaged in each task. Results: Experienced gamers showed higher levels of prefrontal neural efficiency for updating and shifting, but minimal differences for inhibitory control. Conclusions: These findings inform neuroergonomic approaches to performance evaluation and may be generalized to other complex, real-world environments that rely on extensive training for skill acquisition. Full article

Under accelerated global warming, frequent droughts pose mounting threats to vegetation productivity, yet the spatiotemporal patterns and primary controls of drought resilience (DR) in China remain insufficiently quantified. This study aimed to characterize DR trends across Köppen–Geiger climate zones in China from 2001 to 2020 and to identify the dominant drivers and their interactions. We constructed a hazard–exposure–adaptability framework, combining multi-source satellite observations and the station data. A Bayesian-optimized Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM, version 4.3.0) model was trained under five-fold cross-validation. Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis decomposed each driver’s main and interaction effects on DR. The results indicated that DR was better in tropical regions, whereas arid and polar regions require more attention. From 2001 to 2020, 45.3% of China’s land area saw DR increases, while 36.4% declined. The key drivers influencing DR were temperature, sunlight hours, potential evapotranspiration, and precipitation. Notably, an increase in sunlight hours was often accompanied by a decrease in precipitation, resulting in suboptimal DR in China. When the normalized precipitation fell within the range of 0.12 to 0.65, elevated temperature exhibited an inhibitory effect on DR. Overall, this study established a DR assessment framework, elucidated its spatiotemporal dynamics, and revealed key driver interactions, offering timely insights for ecosystem research and management in the face of climate change. Full article

Background/Objectives: Numerous research studies link the improvement in executive functions and school success. However, there is hardly any research analyzing the transfer of this improvement to behavioral problems. This study analyzed whether improving executive functions, through contextualized daily activities, decreases these behaviors. Methods: Fifty third-year kindergarten students participated, divided into experimental and active control groups, with pre- and post-intervention measurements. The students in the experimental group were trained with the EFE-P program and the students in the control group received regular curriculum activities. The EFE-P program (i) has been designed with the aim of improving their executive functions, using a game-based approach; (ii) not only involves cognitive activities, but also behavioral and emotional activities, related to the warm aspects of executive functions; and (iii) consists of three units (inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility), with each unit involving 7 sessions (21 sessions in total), with an approximate duration of 30 min each. Results: Analysis of the data using a generalized linear mixed effects model revealed that students in the experimental group scored lower for behavioral problems than those in the active control group and the effect sizes were large for all of them: aggressiveness (d = 1.25); hyperactivity (d = 0.77); attention deficit (d = 1.12); anxiety (d = 0.82); and depression (d = 1.51). Conclusions: After discussing the results, it is concluded that intervention in executive functions induces, by way of distant transfer, a decrease in behavioral problems in preschool; the role of contextualized activities in real situations is emphasized; and several implications for practice and research are discussed. Full article

The control of socioeconomically important parasitic roundworms (nematodes) of animals has become challenging or ineffective due to problems associated with widespread resistance in these worms to most classes of chemotherapeutic drugs (anthelmintics) currently available. Thus, there is an urgent need to discover and develop novel compounds with unique mechanisms of action to underpin effective parasite control programmes. Here, we evaluated an in silico (computational) approach to accelerate the discovery of new anthelmintics against the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus (barber’s pole worm) as a model system. Using a supervised machine learning workflow, we trained and assessed a multi-layer perceptron classifier on a labelled dataset of 15,000 small-molecule compounds, for which extensive bioactivity data were previously obtained for H. contortus via high-throughput screening, as well as evidence-based datasets from the peer-reviewed literature. This model achieved 83% precision and 81% recall on the class of ‘active’ compounds during testing, despite a high imbalance in the training data, with only 1% of compounds carrying this label. The trained model was then used to infer nematocidal candidates by in silico screening of 14.2 million compounds from the ZINC15 database. An experimental assessment of 10 of these candidates showed significant inhibitory effects on the motility and development of H. contortus larvae and adults in vitro, with two compounds exhibiting high potency for further exploration as lead candidates. These findings indicate that the present machine learning-based approach could accelerate the in silico prediction and prioritisation of anthelmintic small molecules for subsequent in vitro and in vivo validations. Full article

The purpose of this study was to explore the development and relationship between mindfulness and executive function (EF) in students in grades 4–5 and investigate mindfulness training’s impact on mindfulness and EF in grade 4 students in rural China. Study 1 measured mindfulness and EF in Chinese students in grades 4–5. Differences in the level of mindfulness among children in grade 4 (n = 159) and grade 5 (n = 187) in rural China were analyzed by multi-factor analysis of variance. Correlation and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to explore the relationship between mindfulness and EF in grade 4 (n = 103) and grade 5 (n = 124). Study 2 included 45 4th graders with a general mindfulness level, with 21 children in the experimental group receiving 12 mindfulness training lessons. The mindfulness and EF scores of individuals in the mindfulness and control groups were tested before and after the intervention. Study 1 showed that 4th graders had significantly lower mindfulness scores than 5th graders. EFs in grades 4–5 were significantly correlated with mindfulness. Study 2 revealed that mindfulness training significantly improved the experimental group’s mindfulness and working memory. A non-significant improvement in inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility was observed. There was a significant difference in mindfulness in grades 4 and 5 of Chinese rural upper-grade elementary school. Children who perform well in mindfulness also perform well in EFs. Mindfulness training improved the mindfulness and working memory of 4th graders in rural China with a general mindfulness level. Full article

This systematic review investigates the effectiveness of virtual reality as a tool in the treatment of eating disorders, either alone or in combination with other therapies. The limitations of traditional therapies, along with the high prevalence of eating disorders, have driven research into the use of virtual reality techniques as a new approach to treatment. The review includes studies published between November 2021 and February 2025, focusing on virtual reality-based interventions for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and body image disturbances. A total of 228 articles were screened, with eight meeting the inclusion criteria. The studies show that virtual reality interventions, particularly when combined with other therapeutic techniques, can significantly improve psychological and behavioral factors related to eating disorders. Virtual reality exposure and inhibitory control training were the main interventions. The results indicate that virtual reality exposure is effective in reducing body concerns, food anxiety, and attentional bias, while inhibitory control training shows mixed results in binge eating disorder treatment. Despite the promising findings, limitations such as small sample sizes and lack of follow-up highlight the need for further research. Future studies should aim to include larger, more diverse samples and explore the long-term effectiveness of the interventions. Full article

Background: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been described as a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity affecting cognitive, emotional, and social functioning. While pharmacological and behavioral treatments remain primary, physical activity (PA) (digital and non-digital versions) has emerged as a great complementary intervention due to its potential impact on executive functions, emotional regulation, and neurobiological markers. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the effects of PA on ADHD symptoms, executive function, and emotional regulation, exploring its potential impact and new practical applications in digital and non-digital treatment. Methods: This narrative review assessed 132 studies published between 1 January 2010 and January 2025, ensuring the inclusion of the most recent and relevant findings. The review was conducted in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science, using a predefined combination of terms related to ADHD, physical activity, executive function, neuroplasticity, and emotional regulation. Results: Regular PA improves executive functions, attention, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility in ADHD. Aerobic exercise enhances sustained attention, high-intensity training improves impulse control, and coordinative activities boost cognitive flexibility. Non-digital and digital innovations, such as exergaming and wearable fitness trackers, offer promising solutions to improve adherence to PA regimens, reinforcing their role as a key intervention in ADHD management. Conclusions: PA could be a valuable complementary intervention for ADHD through a hybrid approach that may improve cognitive and emotional functioning while addressing comorbidities. Full article

Background/Objectives: Cognitive challenges in attention and executive function worsen over time in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and suicidal risk. These difficulties persist beyond acute episodes, with limited targeted treatments available. Neurologic music therapy (NMT) is effective for cognitive rehabilitation in brain injuries and developmental disabilities, suggesting potential benefits for adults with MDD and suicide risk. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of short-term NMT on cognitive function in adults with MDD. Methods: Adults aged 18+ with MDD and suicidal ideations participated in an 8-week single-arm open label study with 45-min individual in-person NMT sessions using musical attention control training (MACT) and musical executive function training (MEFT). Participants provided feedback on feasibility and acceptability, and pre- and post-intervention assessments included neurocognitive tasks and questionnaires on suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, and quality of life. Results: A total of 18 individuals enrolled, and 10 participants completed the study protocol. Of the participants, 100% were satisfied with their experience with NMT, with 100% noting improvements in attention and 80% in executive function. Participants experienced some improvements in short-term memory (Digit Span Forward Test), cognitive flexibility (Trail Making Test B), and inhibitory control (Stroop Task). Significant reduction in suicidal ideation intensity (Beck Suicidal Scale of Ideation) was observed, as well as significant improvements in quality of life. Conclusions: This is the first study using NMT to demonstrate feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness with respect to cognitive function in adults with MDD and suicide risk, providing preliminary data for future randomized controlled trials. Full article

To compare the effects of different exercise training on executive function (EF) in obese or overweight individuals. PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, MEDLINE, and CINAHL. The included articles, in English, should have been published from January 2000 to February 2024. All included studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of exercise intervention in overweight or obese populations. The primary outcomes are EFs, which encompass core functions (e.g., inhibitory control, working memory (WM), and cognitive flexibility (CF)) and higher-level functions (e.g., responding, planning, and problem-solving). Therefore, the primary outcomes should include at least one of the above indicators. Additionally, given the focus of many exercise intervention studies on academic performance (AP) in obese adolescents, a secondary outcome includes AP. This meta-analysis synthesizes findings from 20 RCTs published between 2010 and 2023, encompassing a total of 1183 overweight or obese participants. Interventions were categorized into seven types: control training (CT), aerobic exercise (AE), resistance training (RT), coordinated physical activity (CPA), prolonged time of exercise (PTE), high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and AE combined with RT (mix mode, MIX). The surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) results demonstrated the preferable effects of various interventions on EF improvement. SUCRA values indicate that CPA performs best in improving the accuracy and reaction speed of CF, as well as the reaction speed of inhibitory control in children and adolescents. AE shows significant effects in enhancing AP in this population. Additionally, PTE excels in improving CF and inhibitory control in middle-aged and older adults. Through subgroup analysis based on age and intervention duration, we found AE exhibited a significant effect on interventions for the 0–17 age group (SMD = 0.84, 95%CI = 0.31~1.38, p = 0.002) and interventions lasting 8–16 weeks showed significant improvement in EFs (SMD = 0.53, 95%CI = 0.00~1.05, p = 0.048). There was also a significant difference between CPA intervention and CT (SMD = 1.12, 95%CI = 0.45~1.80, p = 0.001) in children and adolescents. Additionally, PTE showed significant effects for middle-aged adults aged 17–59 (SMD = 0.93, 95%CI = 0.11~1.96, p < 0.027). Conclusions: This NMA found that CPA and AE have significant benefits for CF, inhibitory control, and AP in children and adolescents. Furthermore, PTE improves EFs in adults and older adults. Combining the findings of this study with previous related research, we recommend that OW/OB begin by interrupting prolonged sedentary behavior and increasing fragmented physical activity, gradually incorporating AE, RT, and CPA (such as jump rope). Full article

Background: Young people with intellectual developmental disabilities have a persistent delay in the development of executive functions. Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly being used as a cognitive intervention tool, with significant effectiveness demonstrated in different types of populations. Methods: This pilot study aims to investigate the impact of a cognitive training program utilizing VR on young adults diagnosed with intellectual developmental disabilities (IDDs). The participants (N = 15) served as their own control group and were assessed three times: weeks 0, 8, and 16, with a rest period (0–8 weeks) and an intervention period (8–16 weeks). The assessments included measures of cognitive function provided by E-Prime^® (Version 3). Results: Overall, an improvement in working memory and inhibitory control was found after the intervention, but not in sustained attention. Conclusions: These findings suggest that VR-based cognitive training holds promise as an effective intervention for enhancing cognitive abilities in young adults with intellectual developmental disabilities. This study provides a foundation for future investigations into VR’s role in cognitive rehabilitation and its potential to support daily living skills and overall quality of life for individuals with IDDs. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects and broader applicability of VR interventions. Full article

The current study aimed to evaluate the effect different modalities (pictures and words) of food stimuli have on inhibitory control under different homeostatic states. To this end, the homeostatic state was altered by asking participants to fast for 16 h (n = 67) or eat lunch as usual (n = 76) before completing an online stop-signal task with modal (pictures) and amodal (words) food and valenced-matched non-food stimuli. The inclusion of non-food stimuli allowed us to test the food specificity of the effect. We found a significant Group × Modality × Stimulus Type interaction (F(1,141) = 5.29, p = 0.023, η_p² = 0.036): fasted individuals had similar inhibitory capacity for modal and amodal food stimuli but better inhibitory capacity for non-food words compared to images, while there were no inhibitory differences in dependence on either modality or stimulus type in satiated individuals. Thus, we were able to show that inhibitory capacities to modal compared to amodal stimuli depend on participants’ current state of fasting. Future studies should focus on how this lowered inhibitory capacity influences food intake, as well as the role of stimulus valence in cognitive processing, to clarify potential implications for dieting and weight loss training. Full article

Repetitive motion or exercise is associated with oxidative stress and muscle inflammation, which can lead to declining grip strength and muscle damage. Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and can be extracted from Chaenomeles speciosa through ultrasonic sonication. We investigated the association between grip strength declines and muscle damage induced by lambda carrageenan (LC) injection and exercise exposure in rats. We also assessed the reparative effects of transdermal pretreatment and post-treatment with C. speciosa extracts (CSEs) by using a supersonic atomizer. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of CSEs for cells was 10.5 mg/mL. CSEs significantly reduced the generation of reactive oxygen species and inflammatory factors (interleukin [IL]-6 and IL-1β) in in vitro cell tests. Rats subjected to LC injection and 6 weeks of exercise exhibited significantly increased inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6). Hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed inflammatory cell infiltration and evident muscle damage in the gastrocnemius muscle, which exhibited splitting and the appearance of the endomysium and perimysium. The treated rats’ grip strength significantly declined. Following treatment with CSEs, the damaged muscles exhibited decreased IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels and normal morphologies. Moreover, grip strength significantly recovered. Pretreatment with CSEs yielded an immediate and significant increase in grip strength, with an increase of 180% and 165% occurring in the rats exposed to LC injection and exercise within the initial 12 h period, respectively, compared with the control group. Pretreatment with CSEs delivered transdermally using a supersonic atomizer may have applications in sports medicine and training or competitions. Full article