Nature Knows and Psionic Success

A test could be used as a rapid screening tool in clinics to determine whether a patient’s cognitive problems are due to neurodegeneration. A new study published in the journal Nature Communications is reporting a single blood-based biomarker can detect the presence of 13 neurodegenerative disorders, from frontotemporal dementia to motor neuron disease. The test cannot specifically distinguish each disorder but instead is proposed as a way to determine whether patients with memory problems are suffering from the early stages of neurodegenerative disease.

Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a protein released into cerebrospinal fluid when brain cells are damaged. It can be detected in blood, and researchers have long investigated this biomarker as a way of easily diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s .

This new study investigated over 3,000 blood samples from a diverse cohort of subjects with the goal of finding out whether NfL blood levels could differentiate cognitively healthy subjects from those with neurodegenerative diseases.

The research found NfL levels could effectively detect subjects with one of 13 different neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Plus, even more significantly, NfL levels could be used to identify whether patients with moderate to severe depression were suffering from the early stages of neurodegeneration.

Abdul Hye, joint senior author on the study, says this particular finding means NfL levels could be used in clinical contexts to help doctors determine if a patient’s cognitive symptoms are an early sign of neurodegeneration or another kind of psychiatric problem.

“For the first time we have shown across a number of disorders that a single biomarker can indicate the presence of underlying neurodegeneration with excellent accuracy,” says Hye. “Though it is not specific for any one disorder, it could help in services such as memory clinics as a rapid screening tool to identify whether memory, thinking or psychiatric problems are a result of neurodegeneration.”

Although the study found NfL blood levels could not diagnose specific neurodegenerative conditions, the researchers note the biomarker does have value in tracking nuances within certain groups of patients. High blood NfL levels in Parkinson’s disease patients, for example, were found to signal atypical cases of the disorder. In subjects with Down syndrome high NfL levels were found to correlate with dementia.

“This suggests that the new marker could potentially be used to improve the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s in people with Down syndrome, as well as to be used as a biomarker to show whether treatments are effective or not,” explains study co-author Andre Strydom. “It is exciting that all that could be needed is a simple blood test, which is better tolerated in Down syndrome individuals than brain scans.”

As NfL levels naturally rise with age, the new study also offers age-related cut-offs separating normal from abnormal NfL levels. This will help clinicians determine whether NfL blood levels are a sign of neurodegeneration or simply a natural accumulation that comes with aging.

“Blood-based NfL offers a scalable and widely accessible alternative to invasive and expensive tests for dementia,” adds Hye. “It is already used as a routine assessment in some European countries such as Sweden or Netherlands, and our age-related cut-offs can provide a benchmark and quick accessible test for clinicians, to indicate neurodegeneration in people who are exhibiting problems in thinking and memory.”

The new study was published in the journal Nature Communications .

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Have a fascination for musical instruments? Learn where that can take you and the benefits it offers. playing music m Lockdown had a very harsh effect on people’s lives, it took a toll on everyone’s emotional and physical well-being. But that’s just the negatives, if we look on the brighter side, many people took this opportunity to rediscover themselves and some potentially had enough time to learn new things and grow their skill set. Learning instruments was one of them. As some of us might not know, incorporating music in our lives can be very beneficial and positive for us. Here are some benefits of learning to play musical instruments, read on for more. 1 Boosts Self-Confidence And Self-Discipline

The complete process of learning to play an instrument can potentially have a very positive impact on the learner’s personality as he progresses through the journey. According to research, playing an instrument can boost self-confidence and significantly increase self-discipline. The learner is required to play in front of an audience or a teacher which boosts self-confidence, and, as a part of the learning process, one has to have a lot of dedication and should be ready to invest great time and effort which can eventually add discipline in one’s day to day activities and behaviour. 2 Can Make You Smarter

According to medical science, musicians tend to have more brain power than non-musicians. This is because while learning, musicians eventually grow more grey areas in their brains, which is the powerhouse of information processing, memory, and intellectual abilities. So, does this inspire you to grab a guitar and start learning asap? Cause we still have a lot more reasons for you to do so. 3 Prevents Hearing Loss In Older Age

As we grow older, our hearing ability starts to deteriorate. That is why older people have more hearing problems than younger people. Well, it seems like that’s not the case for musicians! While learning to play an instrument, a musician develops special hearing skills which can actually keep your ears healthy and active for your entire life. 4 Strengthens The Immune System

Learning a musical instrument can have a direct effect on your immune system as well. According to research, playing an instrument can strengthen your immune response by promoting the production of immunoglobulin-A, which is a type of natural anti-viral killer cell. 5 Increases Time-Management

Learning to play an instrument can also help you regulate your time management skills. As challenging as it sounds like, if you desire to achieve something at any cost, for example learning an instrument and incorporate it as a part of your skill chart, can really help you to understand how not to waste your time and manage it wisely as you’ll tend to schedule your practice hours in-between your busy schedule. 6 Reduces Stress

Playing an instrument or listening to music, in general, can have a positive effect on your mental health. It can significantly reduce stress and pain by suppressing the stress hormone. That’s why learning an instrument is widely assumed to be a natural anti-depressant. 7 Incorporates Patience And Persistence

The learning process involved in mastering an instrument requires a lot of patience and consistent practice. That is why it can help you to be more patient and you gradually learn how to control your mind and be calmer. 8 Cultivates Creativity

Once you master your instrument and develop a more clear sense of learning and creating new things in music to express yourself, you eventually become more creative without even knowing it. Music is art, and the more you learn how to use your paintbrush, imagination, and your skills correctly, your painting or your art will turn out to be more beautiful, and the more you’ll be able to express yourself. 9 Increases Expression And Emotional Stability

Musicians tend to express their emotions more effortlessly and on a deeper level according to research. If you find it difficult to convey your feelings to other people, then, deciding to learn an instrument can really help you get past this problem easily. 10 Improves Memory

Learning an instrument can improve your memory capabilities. It is proven that engaging in musical activities can make one have significantly better memory and brain functioning.

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Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News Statisticians like to say, “All models are wrong, but some are useful.” Mapmakers could say the same thing about their maps. Mapmakers, however, could add that some maps complement each other, or have the potential to do so. Such potential is beginning to be realized for brain maps, which are still—forgive the expression—all over the map. Some brain maps illustrate neuroanatomy in exquisite detail, some capture spatial information about the flicker and glow of signaling events, and some indicate how gene expression or protein expression varies from place to place within the brain.

Unfortunately, brain maps of different types correlate hardly at all. Consider the gaps between whole-brain neuroimaging, which relies on tools such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and neurobiological imaging, which relies on tools such as immunohistochemistry and next-generation sequencing.

Neuroimaging may be undertaken noninvasively, in living organisms, but it suffers from poor resolution. In contrast, neurobiological imaging may achieve molecular and cellular resolution, but it is typically invasive, requiring the use of postmortem tissue.

Bridging the divides between different types of brain maps could help scientists relate large-scale brain functions to the molecular and cellular activities that support these functions. For example, processes such as perception and memory could be analyzed at a deeper level. Also, conditions such as autism, schizophrenia, and neurodegenerative disease could be better correlated with molecular phenomena. Instead of accumulating mere genotype-phenotype associations, scientists could detail pathways and mechanisms.

In this article, we’ll briefly touch on two well-developed types of brain mapping—the creation of molecular brain atlases, and the modeling of brain activities. Finally, we’ll look at nascent efforts to bridge these kinds of brain mapping. Specifically, we’ll report on recent progress in the development of molecular fMRI, an alternative form of fMRI that monitors brain activity through the use of chemical or genetically encoded probes. Deriving insights from brain atlases

Brain mapping is an audacious pursuit, one that has inspired multiple “big science” initiatives. Among the most prominent initiatives is the Human Brain Atlas. This initiative, which was undertaken by the Allen Institute for Brain Science, is consolidating anatomical and gene expression information.

The Allen Institute’s stated mission is to provide publicly available resources that accelerate basic and clinical research of the human brain in normal and disease states. Examples of how the Allen Institute’s work is assisting researchers can be found at the organization’s website, which presents “Data Stories.” One of these stories describes how researchers at the University of Cambridge merged data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas with MRI brain scans and made an important discovery about the teenage brain.

The scientists used MRI to study the brain structure of almost 300 individuals aged 14–24 years old. By comparing the brain structure of teenagers of different ages, the scientists found that during adolescence, the outer regions of the brain, known as the cortex, shrink in size, becoming thinner. However, as this happens, levels of myelin—the sheath that “insulates” nerve fibers, allowing them to communicate efficiently—increase within the cortex.

These findings appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , in an article titled, “Adolescence is associated with genomically patterned consolidation of the hubs of the human brain connectome.” The article also indicated that the “topologically focused process of cortical consolidation was associated with expression of genes enriched for normal synaptic and myelin-related processes and risk of schizophrenia.”

Essentially, the researchers found that during adolescence, brain regions that have the strongest link to the schizophrenia risk genes are developing most rapidly. “As these regions are important hubs that control how regions of our brain communicate with each other, it shouldn’t be too surprising that when something goes wrong there, it will affect how smoothly our brains work,” Edward T. Bullmore, PhD, the study’s senior author and head of psychiatry at Cambridge, noted in a statement. “If one imagines these major hubs of the brain network to be like international airports in the airline network, then we can see that disrupting the development of brain hubs could have as big an impact on communication of information across the brain network as disruption of a major airport, like Heathrow, will have on flow of passenger traffic across the airline network.” Using machine learning to map brain activity

A recent contribution to GEN by Richard A. Stein, MD, PhD, discussed how artificial intelligence technology is helping researchers derive more information from fMRI scans. According to Stein, the technology is helping researchers clarify the brain’s notoriously obscure structure-function relationships. He even describes how an improved understanding of these relationships could help clinicians detect early signs of neurodegeneration in individual patients.

Stein’s contribution appears in full on the GEN website. A representative excerpt is presented in a sidebar (“Mapping How the Brain Organizes Semantic Activity”) that accompanies this article. The excerpt describes how researchers at the University of California are using machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence, to visualize human brain activity.

According to Stein, such work demonstrates how clinicians may use functional imaging to guide early diagnostic, therapeutic, or prognostic decisions. For example, functional imaging could help clinicians improve the management of conditions such as autism spectrum disorder or neurodegenerative diseases.

“Functional imaging,” Stein notes, “would be especially valuable if it could help clinicians distinguish between conditions that would otherwise appear to be the same condition.” He adds that making such distinctions is often difficult in neuroscience, given that “behavior is a low-dimensional reflection of the high-dimensional brain
processes that produce it.” Extending neuroimaging with molecular probes

To generate functional images of the brain, scientists generally rely on fMRI, a noninvasive technique that tracks the magnetic signals that accompany changes in the oxygenation of hemoglobin. Essentially, hemoglobin is a natural (and convenient) contrast agent or probe of a chemical interaction that correlates with neural activity. What if other probes could be deployed, probes that would allow noninvasive neuroimaging to approach the specificity and resolution of optical neuroimaging?

This question drives researchers in the laboratory of Alan P. Jasanoff, PhD, a professor of biological […]

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The benefits of fish oil come mainly from its ability to reduce inflammation in your body.

This makes it ideal for boosting heart health, especially for people with preexisting heart issues.

Fish oil may also help fight off depression because it can increase serotonin levels.

Fish oil is a natural oil found in fatty fish like salmon, herring, and sardines. But you can also take it as a supplement.

The majority of health benefits in fish oil comes from the omega-3 fatty acids it contains, which help support the heart, brain, and general wellbeing.

Here’s what researchers have found so far on the health benefits of consuming fish oil regularly. 1. Helps fight inflammation

Fish is one of the best providers of omega-3 fatty acids – a category of fats that you might be lacking in your diet.

“Americans typically have a much higher intake of omega-6 fats which are prevalent in refined vegetable oils from soybeans, corn and sunflower seeds,” says Julie Stefanski, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics .

Omega-6 acids aren’t necessarily bad for you, but the ratio of omega-3 fats to omega-6 fats is important for your health. Having enough omega-6 fats but too little omega-3 fats can put you at risk for chronic inflammation , Stefanski says.

Fighting chronic inflammation is vital, since inflammation can increase your risk of diseases like cancer, arthritis, and heart disease. 2. Supports heart health

Taking fish oil may help boost heart health, especially for people already suffering from heart problems .

A 2017 review found that taking fish oil supplements can help prevent heart attacks in people with coronary artery disease . The researchers also found that regularly consuming fish oil reduced the risk of hospitalization in people with heart failure – however, they say more research is needed to confirm these results.

This may be partly due to the anti-inflammatory effects of fish oil. “Reducing inflammation is a key factor in reducing risk of cardiovascular disease,” Stefanski says.

To get heart health benefits, the American Heart Association recommends eating two servings of fatty fish like salmon per week. One serving is ¾ cup or 3.5 ounces of cooked fish. 3. May improve brain function

Your brain uses the omega-3 fats in fish oil, among other nutrients, to build brain cells, which is especially important as you age.

For example, studies have shown that people with degenerative neurological disorders often have low levels of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) – a type of omega-3 fatty acid.

That might explain why a 2010 study found that older adults who took 900 mg of DHA supplements daily for six months performed better on memory and learning tests than those without any treatment. 4. May help improve mental health

Depression has been linked to higher levels of inflammation, therefore fish oil’s anti-inflammatory properties may help fight off mental health issues like depression.

A 2016 review of 13 studies found that taking omega-3 supplements helps to improve depression symptoms like sadness and fatigue by reducing inflammation in your brain cells.

EPA fatty acids, one of the main acids in fish oil, are especially helpful for depression because they increase your levels of serotonin , an important mood-boosting chemical. So it may be best to look for fish oil supplements with a “high EPA” label.

The review also found that omega-3 supplements work especially well when combined with antidepressants . 5. Supports fetus development during pregnancy

Fish oil provides nutrients that are essential for the development of the baby and the health of the parent, Stefanski says.

Studies show that taking daily fish oil supplements with at least 300 mg of DHA during pregnancy can help a baby’s healthy development by: Supporting vision development

Improving the development of brain functions

Lowering the risk of allergies

But it’s important to know that some fish contain relatively high levels of mercury, which can damage a fetus’s developing brain and nervous system . This is why experts recommend avoiding large fish like swordfish, king mackerel, and shark. Smaller fish like salmon, light tuna, and sardines tend to have a lower risk.”Some women who are concerned about mercury levels in fish may choose to avoid fish during pregnancy and turn to supplements,” Stefanski says. If you decide to use supplements, look for products that conduct third-party testing for mercury content, Stefanski says, as this can provide a more accurate measure of mercury levels. Insider’s takeaway Fish oil can have a variety of health benefits thanks to its rich supply of omega-3 fatty acids. Adding fish to your diet or taking daily supplements may help improve your heart and brain health, as well as support a healthy pregnancy.You can get fish oil in your diet by eating fish every week or by taking daily supplements.4 benefits of eating acai, from regulating blood sugar to helping digestion 15 delicious low-calorie foods that are filling and can help you lose weight Why anti-inflammatory diets are great for overall health and a 7-day meal plan to get started How to use apple cider vinegar to help you lose weight, according to dietitians

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Abstract

Acute cannabis intoxication may induce neurocognitive impairment and is a possible cause of human error, injury and psychological distress. One of the major concerns raised about increasing cannabis legalization and the therapeutic use of cannabis is that it will increase cannabis‐related harm. However, the impairing effect of cannabis during intoxication varies among individuals and may not occur in all users. There is evidence that the neurocognitive response to acute cannabis exposure is driven by changes in the activity of the mesocorticolimbic and salience networks, can be exacerbated or mitigated by biological and pharmacological factors, varies with product formulations and frequency of use and can differ between recreational and therapeutic use. It is argued that these determinants of the cannabis-induced neurocognitive state should be taken into account when defining and evaluating levels of cannabis impairment in the legal arena, when prescribing cannabis in therapeutic settings and when informing society about the safe and responsible use of cannabis. Author information

Contributions

The authors contributed equally to all aspects of the article. Corresponding author

Additional information

Peer review information

Nature Reviews Neuroscience thanks S. Bhattacharyya (who co-reviewed with C. Davies), Z. Cooper, W. Hall and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Glossary

Compounds found in cannabis or that are synthetically produced to mimic naturally occurring cannabinoids. Psychomotor deficits Psychotomimetic effects Endocannabinoids Xenon-enhanced computed tomography A neuroimaging method in which the subject inhales xenon gas to assess changes in cerebral blood flow. Positron emission tomography A magnetic resonance imaging technique that uses radioactive substances known as radiotracers to visualize and measure changes in metabolic processes, and in other physiological activities such as receptor occupancy. Arterial spin labelling A non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging technique that uses arterial water as an endogenous tracer to measure cerebral blood flow. Functional connectivity A measure of similarity or correlation between brain signals arising from anatomically separated brain regions that indicates that the regions are functionally connected. Executive network A frontoparietal brain network involved in sustained attention, complex problem-solving and working memory. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy A non-invasive proton imaging technique that allows for the quantitative assessment of regional brain biochemistry. Functional magnetic resonance imaging A non-invasive technique for measuring and mapping brain activity based on changes in blood oxygen level-dependent signals that indicate underlying neural activity. A brain network primarily consisting of the medial prefrontal cortex, the posterior cingulate cortex and the angular gyrus that is active when a person is focused on internal mental state processes and the brain is at wakeful rest. Inhibitory control A cognitive process that permits an individual to inhibit their impulses in order to select a more appropriate goal-directed response. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms Common genetic variations occurring when a single nucleotide at a single position in the genome differs among people. A disorder arising from repeated or continuous substance use characterized by preoccupation with and impaired control over substance use, as well as physiological features such as tolerance and withdrawal. Pharmacokinetics The disposition of a drug within the body over a period of time as characterized by the four main phases of absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination. Field sobriety tests Tests of balance, coordination and divided attention that are performed by the police to determine whether a driver is impaired. About this article

Ramaekers, J.G., Mason, N.L., Kloft, L. et al. The why behind the high: determinants of neurocognition during acute cannabis exposure. Nat Rev Neurosci (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-021-00466-4

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( Natural News ) A new Alzheimer’s treatment called focused therapeutic ultrasound beams sound waves into brain tissue and stimulates the brain’s waste removal system, safely enabling a clearance of the plaques, clumps and tangles that block memories. This non-invasive technology uses sound waves to safely open the blood-brain barrier where your ‘janitorial’ microglial cells can sweep out the garbage for a few hours, including beta-amyloid clumps (sticky proteins) and neurofibrillary tangles (that clog neurons), the two most common lesions in the brain that build up over time, blocking memories while leading to strokes and dementia.

A team at the Queensland Brain Institute in Australia was successful in treating 75 mice with focused therapeutic ultrasound, with astonishing 75 percent success rate at restoring memory. With no damage done to surrounding brain tissue, the ultrasound beams loosened the plaque, clumps and tangles enough for a few hours that the microglial cells were able to do their job again, clearing the ‘trash’ out of the memory ‘hallways.’ After that, nutrients are able to flow to these parts of the brain that were clogged and riddled with plaques. Ultrasound proves successful in three memory and performance tasks for mice

Did you know that, on average, the protein-coding regions of the mouse and human genomes are 85 percent identical? That’s why humans should pay CLOSE attention to studies that scientists run on mice.

Mice were put through tests with mazes, new objects, and ‘places to avoid.’ Three out of every four mice that were treated with sound waves were able to navigate better through the maze, recognize there were new objects in the pathways, and remember the places to avoid that they had experienced before.

The research is published in Science Translational Medicine and should fundamentally change the way dementia is being treated from here on out. Sheep trials are next, then humans.

It’s important to know what causes Alzheimer’s, too. We can’t just rely on new technologies to save us all after we pollute our brain and blood with toxins for years and years. Here are the main ‘evil four’ blood vessel clogging culprits to watch out for:

#1. Canola oil – even organic canola coagulates in the body and blood, causing blockages and less blood/nutrients/oxygen to flow. Most other processed oils coagulate eventually, so avoid them when you can.

#2. Heavy metal toxins – consider all the heavy metal toxins we ingest, via mercury and aluminum in vaccines, aluminum in most antacids, and aluminum pots and pans (and foil) that people use to cook. Ever heard of “Mad Hatter Syndrome” from mercury overload?

#3. Saturated animal fat – Yes, meat, eggs, cheese and just about everything dairy – that’s the health downfall of over 250 million Americans who eat them with every meal, causing inflammation, clogging of blood vessels, and eventually, heart attacks, strokes and dementia. It’s the same fat that clogs the veins and capillaries in your brain. The same fat causes strokes. They’re the same saturated fat deposits on the walls of your blood vessels. Plant based diets help prevent this, and according to this new research out of Australia, non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical ultrasound treatment can help clear it all out.

#4. Margarine – Oh, deadly margarine. It is not a substitute for butter. It’s a substitute for sanity, as it clogs arteries with its unhealthy combination of trans fats and saturated fats. You’ll find it in millions of American products, like baked goods, muffins, cakes, pastries, and doughnuts (often also called vegetable shortening). It’s super cheap because it makes Big Pharma a fortune when you eat it. It has a longer shelf life than butter, as it shortens human life by causing dementia and strokes. Covid-19 mRNA vaccines now proven to cause your body to create the plaques, proteins and prions that cause dementia

We have to avoid building up all these plaques. Yet, to the contrary, the Covid vaccines are designed so that the human body now creates millions of proteins ( plaques and prions ) that may soon CAUSE dementia for those victims who get the whole series of dirty jabs for the lab-made China virus.

Tune your internet frequency to NaturalCures.news for updates on how to prepare and take care of your body and mind with natural cures, superfoods, supplements and whole organic food.

Sources for this article include:

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( Natural News ) A review published in the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology shows that a person’s diet can improve or worsen his mental health, depending on the quality of the foods that he eats. European researchers arrived at this conclusion after reviewing past studies that examined the potential link between nutrition and mental health .

The researchers found strong evidence that the Mediterranean diet, which is a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and olive oil, exerts a protective effect against depression. Other studies also suggest that following a ketogenic diet , which is high in fat and low in carbohydrates, could reduce the frequency of seizures in children with epilepsy.

A poor diet, on the other hand, is associated with mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder. Meanwhile, vitamin B12 deficiency has been linked to fatigue, memory problems and the development of depression . According to the review, taking vitamin B12 supplements could improve mental health in people with vitamin B12 deficiency.

Moreover, a few studies also found that consuming too much refined sugar during pregnancy could increase children’s risk of developing hyperactivity and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, could protect children from these conditions.

The researchers concluded that while the link between mental health and certain foods is comparatively weak, there is adequate evidence to support a direct association between a person’s overall diet and mental health . How your diet impacts your mental health

What you eat affects how you feel because your mental and digestive health are closely linked . To start with, ninety-five percent of your serotonin – a neurotransmitter that plays a role in mediating mood – is produced in your digestive tract, which is lined with millions of neurons.

Good gut bacteria influence the function of those neurons, as well as your production of serotonin and other neurotransmitters. They are considered good bacteria because they play an important role in your health. For starters, they protect the lining of your intestines, reduce inflammation and improve how well your body absorbs nutrients from food. In addition, they also activate neural pathways that travel directly between your gut and brain. (Related: Many mental illnesses are inflammation based: More and more science backs up a link between gut health and mental health .)

Given the digestive system’s role in mental health, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that your diet also influences your mood. Indeed, studies show that people who follow the Mediterranean diet and other “traditional” diets have up to a 35 percent lower risk of developing depression than those who follow a typical Western diet.

Researchers attribute this difference to the fact that traditional diets include more vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains and seafood, and only modest amounts of lean meat and dairy. Traditional diets are also devoid of processed foods and refined sugars, which are staples of a Western diet. In addition, many of the unprocessed foods in traditional diets are fermented, meaning they are rich in live beneficial microorganisms called probiotics. Best brain foods to improve your mental health

Check out the following foods to improve your mental health : Oily fish – Salmon , mackerel and sardines are rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Studies suggest that an omega-3 deficiency can increase your risk of developing depression.

Probiotic foods – Fermented foods like kombucha and sauerkraut contain probiotics, which promote good gut health.

Whole grains – Whole grains are excellent sources of B vitamins such as vitamin B12 , which is important for brain health.

Leafy greens – Green leafy vegetables like spinach are chock-full of folate, another B vitamin. Research shows that people with depression tend to have low levels of folate.

Your diet can improve your mental well-being or increase your risk of mental disorders. Adopt a healthy diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains for better mental health.

BrainHealthBoost.com has more tips on how to improve your brain health.

Sources include:

VeryWellMind.com

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Part 2 of two

For years, researchers have been paving the way for Down’s syndrome treatment studies by carrying out longitudinal observation studies. These have identified imaging, fluid biomarker, and cognitive measures that could serve as selection or outcome measures. In parallel, clinicians have identified people with Down’s who are willing to take part in trials. Hundreds are expected to join trial-ready cohorts this year. Encouraged by the completion of AC Immune’s Phase 1 trial of an anti-amyloid vaccine in people with Down’s (see Part 1 ), researchers hope to test several other anti-amyloid treatments in these cohorts within the next few years.

“It is truly amazing how much work has happened in the last five years,” Michael Rafii, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, told Alzforum. Juan Fortea, Hospital of Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain, agreed. “It is a very exciting time for DS research, which benefits from a dramatic increase in attention and funding,” he wrote.

Natural History Studies
Efforts to characterize clinical and biomarker changes during AD progression in people with DS have gained momentum ( Rafii et al., 2021 ). At present, at least nine cohorts in six countries are collecting biomarker data (see sidebar). Six cohorts in the EU are part of the European Horizon 21 Consortium, which tracks AD biomarkers and cognitive changes in more than 1,000 Down’s syndrome volunteers. In the U.S., The Alzheimer’s Disease in Down Syndrome (ADDS) and Neurodegeneration in Aging Down Syndrome (NiAD) cohorts recently merged to create the National Institute on Aging’s Alzheimer’s Biomarkers Consortium–Down Syndrome (ABC-DS) ( Handen et al., 2020 ). In this cohort, scientists have collected imaging, fluid, and cognitive biomarkers from more than 400 people with DS age 25 and older. “The planned enrollment is just over 700, and there is a particular focus on increasing diversity,” Laurie Ryan, NIA, Bethesda, Maryland, told Alzforum. The scientists will compare how AD biomarkers change in DS relative to sporadic AD, search for genes that modify AD risk in DS, and apply what they learn to precision medicine approaches and clinical trials.

Also in the U.S., the LIFE-DSR natural history study aims to follow 270 people with DS aged 25 and older for 32 months, measuring plasma AD biomarkers, cognition, and behavior. It recruits using the U.S. Down Syndrome Clinical Trials Network (DS-CTN), which includes 11 clinic sites in nine states.

Biomarkers: Similar in Alzheimer’s and Down’s
What have researchers learned so far about how biomarkers change in Down’s?

Markers begin shifting in a similar way, but at a much earlier age than in AD. In one cross-sectional study, Fortea and colleagues correlated memory, imaging, and fluid biomarker measures with age in 388 people with DS from the DABNI and DiDS cohorts ( Fortea et al., 2020 ). They found that cerebrospinal fluid Aβ42/40 ratios fell and plasma neurofilament light (NfL) concentrations crept up in people’s 20s. Amyloid PET ligand uptake and CSF phospho-tau181 (p-tau181) began rising, while brain glucose metabolism started waning, by the 30s. The hippocampus atrophied and memory declined in people’s 40s. All this culminated in an AD diagnosis at an average age of 54.

In short, Fortea found almost identical AD biomarker trajectories in DS as did researchers led by Randall Bateman, Washington University, St. Louis, in autosomal-dominant AD (see image below and Bateman et al., 2012 ). “There is nothing to suggest that AD is categorically different in DS than in the general population,” Bradley Christian, University of Wisconsin, Madison, told Alzforum.

Likewise, researchers led by Dominic Walsh, then at Harvard Medical School, saw plasma Aβ42 fall, NfL rise, and the N-terminal tau fragment NT1 fall, then rise, in people with DS as they aged. Change was fastest in the 20s to 40s ( Mengel et al., 2020 ). Striking Similarity . Biomarkers and memory decline track similarly in familial AD (left) and DS (right). Most begin to change 15 to 20 years before age of symptom onset (dashed vertical line). For CDR-SOB and Cambridge Cognitive Examination – Down Syndrome ( CAMCOG-DS), higher and lower scores, respectively, indicate worsening. CAMCOG-DS measures seven cognitive domains: orientation, language understanding and production, memory, attention, praxis, abstraction, and visual construction. [Courtesy of Bateman et al., NEJM, 2012 (left) , and Fortea et al., Lancet, 2020 . ]

Tracking Plaques and Tangles
How can this biomarker information be used in clinical trials of DS?

In the case of Aβ, the data suggest it might help select the right candidates for trials. Christian and colleagues grouped people from the ABC-DS cohort by how fast their PET amyloid load changed ( Zammit et al., 2021 ). Three groups emerged: “Aβ-negatives,” “Aβ-positives,” and a group deemed “converters” (see image below). Negatives had a low plaque load at baseline, which grew slowly. Positives had a high baseline plaque load, which grew quickly. Converters had a negative scan at baseline but accumulated plaques as fast as did positives. All About Speed. People with DS, grouped by how fast plaques deposit in their brains over two to four measurement time points. [Courtesy of Zammit et al., NeuroImage, 2021.] Christian proposed that lowering the amyloid-positivity threshold might catch some of the converters, and thus identify a group of people with DS who are at the earliest point of amyloid accumulation, irrespective of their age. He believes this might be a good group to test in trials of anti-amyloid therapies.

Similarly, scientists led by Ira Lott, University of California, Irvine, have identified a pattern of plaque accumulation that might indicate imminent dementia in DS. They took five PET scans over four years in 19 DS adults 40 years old or older without dementia at baseline. In five volunteers who developed dementia during the study, plaques built up in the same brain regions that typically accumulate amyloid in AD, including the inferior parietal cortex and temporal lobes. Buildup in the prefrontal and superior frontal cortices and posterior cingulate best predicted transition to dementia ( Keator et al., 2020 ).

Focusing on change in specific regions of the brain might offer a […]

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On average , the typical American adult spends roughly six-and-a-half hours each and every day sitting down. Obviously, this isn’t good. According to the World Health Organization , leading a sedentary life doubles one’s risk of developing heart disease. What’s more, lounging more and exercising less is perhaps the shortest and surest path to weight gain , enduring back and shoulder pain, and—per recent research published in the Journal of Sports Sciences — poor mental health that could spiral into depression.

But if there is a perfect exercise antidote to sitting, there’s a case to be made that it’s squatting.

One fascinating study from last year, conducted by the University of Southern California and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , found that a tribe of hunter-gatherers living in Tanzania rest for long periods each day (9-10 hours) yet show little to no signs of the chronic diseases linked to sedentary behavior that are so prevalent in the West. What are they doing differently? Instead of sitting all day the tribe members squat or kneel for hours on end.

Furthermore, researchers of the world’s oldest living people have observed that they have a habit for sitting on the floor, which results in more squats every day. “The longest-lived women in the history of the world lived in Okinawa, and I know from personal experience that they sat on the floor,” Dan Buettner , a researcher and journalist, recently explained to Well+Good . “I spent two days with a 103-year-old woman and saw her get up and down from the floor 30 or 40 times, so that’s like 30 or 40 squats done daily.”

If you’re still not sold on the benefits of squatting more every day, read on, because here we explain everything that happens to your body when you make squatting a regular thing. And for more great exercise advice, don’t miss The Secret Exercise Trick for Flatter Abs After 40 . Shutterstock Squats may make you think of your glutes, but a solid squatting regimen works more than just the derrière. Squats also work and tone abs, obliques, the muscles surrounding the spine, and the transverse abdominis (deep core muscles). Research published in The Journal of Human Kinetics reports squats activate the erector spinae (spine muscles) four times more than planks. Those muscles also play a big role in standing upright, so squats can also help improve posture. Aside from parts of your upper body, the squat essentially strengthens every single muscle you need to fight gravity. For more great exercises you can do, see these 5-Minute Exercises for a Flatter Stomach Fast . Shutterstock The positive impact of exercise on the brain is well documented. Recent research shows just a quick, half-hour walk promotes improved blood flow to the brain and better memory skills among older adults. Interestingly, squats are especially effective at preventing cognitive decline, according to top experts.

Damian M. Bailey , Ph.D., a professor of physiology and biochemistry at the UK’s University of South Wales’ Neurovascular Research Unit and an advisor to the European Space Agency, recently appeared on the BBC Radio 4 podcast ” Just One Thing .” On the air, he said squats are a must for anyone concerned about their brain health.

“Squats intermittently challenge the brain with an increase of blood flow and a decrease of blood flow,” he explained. “What we have identified is that three to five minutes of squat stands three times a week is even more effective in terms of how the brain is adapting and responding to that exercise than steady-state exercise.” For more on this, check out The One Exercise That’s Best for Beating Back Alzheimer’s . Some people are natural-born athletes, while the rest of us have to put in much more work to see the same athletic results. A regular squatting routine may not turn you into Michael Jordan, but it can help improve explosive strength, speed, and overall athletic performance. A study published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine found a jump squat routine for just eight weeks helped improve a group of athletes’ sprint times, explosive strength, and other “athletic performance tasks.” Shutterstock We’ve established that squatting is great for a number of muscle groups, but what about your bones? Sure enough, squatting can also help support strong bones and greater bone density, especially in old age.

In one research project , a group of post-menopausal women dealing with osteoporosis followed a squatting routine for 12 weeks. By the end of the regimen, bone density in their necks and spines had increased by 2.9% and 4.9% respectively.

“People may be physically active, and many times people know they need to exercise to prevent obesity, heart disease or diabetes,” says Pamela Hinton, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at The University of Missouri-Columbia. “However, you also really need to do specific exercises to protect your bone health.” Dr. Hinton co-authored another study that concluded that weight-bearing exercises like squats promote bone formation among men.

And to learn how to do a proper squat, simply reference The Secret Trick That Makes Every Exercise Better, Says Top Trainer . When it comes to the mind, squats are the gift that just keeps giving. Research published in Frontiers in Neuroscience reports that squats—and leg exercises, in general—are essential to proper brain and nervous system functioning.

When we think about muscles, we tend to think of biceps or pecs, but the body’s biggest muscles reside within the legs. So, weight-bearing leg exercises send signals to the brain to create more and more new nerve cells, which help us learn, deal with stress, and adapt.

“It is no accident that we are meant to be active: to walk, run, crouch to sit, and use our leg muscles to lift things,” says study co-author Dr. Raffaella Adami from the Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy. “Neurological health is not a one-way street with the brain telling the muscles ‘lift,’ ‘walk,’ and so on.” And for […]

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