Search

Given that, up to date, there is no effective strategy to treat dementia, a timely start of interventions in a prodromal stage such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered an important option to lower the overall societal burden. Although autonomic functions have been related to cognitive performance, both aspects have rarely been studied simultaneously in MCI.The aim of the present study was to investigate cardiac autonomic control in older adults with and without MCI.Cardiac autonomic control was assessed by means of heart rate variability (HRV) at resting state and during cognitive tasks in 22 older adults with MCI and 29 healthy controls (HCs). Resting HRV measurement was performed for 5 minutes during a sitting position. Afterwards, participants performed three PC-based tasks to probe performance in executive functions and language abilities (i.e., Stroop, N-back, and a verbal fluency task).Participants with MCI showed a significant reduction of HRV in the frequency-domain (high frequency power) and nonlinear indices (SD2, D2, and DFA1) during resting state compared to HCs. Older individuals with MCI exhibited decreases in RMSSD and increases in DFA1 from resting state to Stroop and N-back tasks, reflecting strong vagal withdrawal, while this parameter remained stable in HCs.The results support the presence of autonomic dysfunction at the early stage of cognitive impairment. Heart rate variability could help in the prediction of cognitive decline as a noninvasive biomarker or as a tool to monitor the effectiveness of therapy and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases.

Older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) who in addition to their memory deficits also suffer from frontal-executive dysfunctions have a higher risk of developing dementia later in their lives than older adults with aMCI without executive deficits and older adults with non-amnestic MCI (naMCI). Handgrip strength (HGS) is also correlated with the risk of cognitive decline in the elderly. Hence, the current study aimed to investigate the associations between HGS and executive functioning in individuals with aMCI, naMCI and healthy controls. Older, right-handed adults with amnestic MCI (aMCI), non-amnestic MCI (naMCI), and healthy controls (HC) conducted a handgrip strength measurement via a handheld dynamometer. Executive functions were assessed with the Trail Making Test (TMT A&B). Normalized handgrip strength (nHGS, normalized to Body Mass Index (BMI)) was calculated and its associations with executive functions (operationalized through z-scores of TMT B/A ratio) were investigated through partial correlation analyses (i.e., accounting for age, sex, and severity of depressive symptoms). A positive and low-to-moderate correlation between right nHGS (rp (22) = 0.364; p = 0.063) and left nHGS (rp (22) = 0.420; p = 0.037) and executive functioning in older adults with aMCI but not in naMCI or HC was observed. Our results suggest that higher levels of nHGS are linked to better executive functioning in aMCI but not naMCI and HC. This relationship is perhaps driven by alterations in the integrity of the hippocampal-prefrontal network occurring in older adults with aMCI. Further research is needed to provide empirical evidence for this assumption., Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe; 775

Background Maximal strength-speed exercise is a powerful stimulus to acutely increase concentrations of circulating steroid hormones and homocysteine [Hcy]. There is some evidence that antioxidant beverages rich in polyphenols can attenuate [Hcy] levels and modulate endocrine responses in favor of an anabolic environment. Polyphenols-rich pomegranate (POM) have been reported to possess one of the highest antioxidant capacities compared to other purported nutraceuticals and other food stuffs. Studies focused on proving the beneficial effect of POM consumption during maximal strength exercises have only measured physical performance, muscle damage, oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, while POM effects on [Hcy] and hormonal adaptations are lacking. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of consuming natural polyphenol-rich pomegranate juice (POMj) on the acute and delayed [Hcy] and steroidal hormonal responses to a weightlifting exercises session. Methods Nine elite weightlifters (21.0 ± 1 years) performed two Olympic-weightlifting sessions after ingesting either the placebo (PLA) or POMj supplements. Venous blood samples were collected at rest and 3 min and 48 h after each session. Results Compared to baseline values, circulating cortisol [C] decreased (p

Drowsiness detection (DD) has become a relevant area of active research in biomedical signal processing. Recently, various deep learning (DL) researches based on the EEG signals have been proposed to detect fatigue conditions. The research presented in this paper proposes an EEG classification system for DD based on DL networks. However, the proposed DD system is mainly realized into two procedures; (i) data acquisition and (ii) model analysis. For the data acquisition procedure, two key steps are considered, which are the signal collection using a wearable Emotiv EPOC+ headset to record 14 channels of EEG, and the signal annotation. Furthermore, a data augmentation (DA) step has been added to the proposed system to overcome the problem of over-fitting and to improve accuracy. As regards the model analysis, a comparative study is also introduced in this paper to argue the choice of DL architecture and frameworks used in our DD system. In this sense, The proposed DD protocol makes use of a convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture implemented using the Keras library. The results showed a high accuracy value (90.42%) in drowsy/awake discrimination and revealed the efficiency of the proposed DD system compared to other research works.

Balancing is a complex task requiring the integration of visual, somatosensory and vestibular inputs. The vestibular system is linked to the hippocampus, a brain structure crucial for spatial orientation. Here we tested the immediate and sustained effects of a one-month-long slackline training program on balancing and orientation abilities as well as on brain volumes in young adults without any prior experience in that skill. On the corrected level, we could not find any interaction effects for brain volumes, but the effect sizes were small to medium. A subsequent within-training-group analysis revealed volumetric increments within the somatosensory cortex and decrements within posterior insula, cerebellum and putamen remained stable over time. No significant interaction effects were observed on the clinical balance and the spatial orientation task two months after the training period (follow-up). We interpret these findings as a shift away from processes crucial for automatized motor output towards processes related to voluntarily controlled movements. The decrease in insular volume in the training group we propose to result from multisensory interaction of the vestibular with the visual and somatosensory systems. The discrepancy between sustained effects in the brain of the training group on the one hand and transient benefits in function on the other may indicate that for the latter to be retained a longer-term practice is required.

Western societies are currently experiencing a tremendous demographic change with an unprecedented increase in absolute and relative numbers of senior citizens. Several studies indicate that physical exercise could play a key role in healthy ageing and prevention of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. The ageing process varies widely between individuals; nevertheless, it is apparent that many physical, cognitive and motoric parameters degrade in old age. The transition between normal and pathological ageing, namely dementia, is smooth and clinically often difficult to detect. The most common model for this transitional phase is that of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI is associated with an increased risk for later Alzheimer's disease, especially when memory functions are affected in the first place. This chapter illustrates the impact of diverse lifestyle factors on neuroplasticity and the prevention of dementia. It describes the aerobic endurance sport. The dance programme was especially designed to boost constant learning by presenting participants with new choreography all the time.

Recent reviews summarizing epidemiological, cross-sectional and Interventional studies have indicated that physical exercise may play a key role in healthy aging and in the prevention of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases1. Thereby, cardiovascular, coordinative and cognitive training induces different neoplastic processes. Especially the results from animal research suggested that a combination of physical exercise with sensory enrichment has the strongest effect on the neurogenesis – primary in the hippocampus – and that only this combination ensures the enduring survival of the newborn cells2. Dancing has been suggested to constitute a human homolog to this enriched environmental conditions as it poses demands both on physical, coordinative and cognitive functions. During dancing much afferent (perception of melody and rhythm in context of time pressure) and efferent (transformation into complex movements, which involved different body parts) information must be processed in the brain. Moreover, dancing involves different balance situations (one leg standing position, single leg turns, and bipedal leg turns) which require the integration of input from the vestibular, visual and sensory systems. Based on these considerations, we recently performed a randomized controlled trial with 26 healthy seniors who took part either in an 18-month dance or a traditional sport program3. The dance program was especially designed to boost constant learning by presenting participants with new choreographies all the time. Compared to participants of the sports group, the dancers showed volume increases in the gray matter of the brain in parahippocampal and precentral regions (Fig. 1). Especially the aspect of music as an additional stimulus is very essential when considering the impact of dancing on the brain plasticity. Rhythm, articulation and dynamics are direct prescriptions for variability in motor control; they influence the execution.The current state of research suggests that physical exercise in general and dance, in particular, can counteract age-related cognitive decline and reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. In an actual pilot study, we investigate the impact of dancing with dance walkers in patients with dementia on cognitive and physiological parameters.