فصلنامه علوم اعصاب شفای خاتم
سال یازدهم شماره 4 (پیاپی 57، پاییز 1402)

Ferroptosis is a type of iron-dependent cell death that has been identified in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Exercise and resveratrol (RSV) can delay neurodegenerative diseases, especially AD. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of aerobic training and RSV on hippocampal ferroptosis in a rat model of AD.

In this experimental study, 35 male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: Control (CTRL), AD, AD-Training (ADT), AD-RSV (ADRSV), and AD-Training-RSV (ADTRSV). The ADRSV and ADTRSV groups received 20 mg/Kg of RSV orally during the intervention period. An aerobic exercise program including running on a treadmill with a speed of 6-18 meters per minute, was performed 5 days a week for eight weeks. Iron and GSH levels were measured by ELISA and gene expression by Real time-PCR method.

AD induction caused a significant increase in iron level and a decrease in GSH, Gpx4, Nrf2, and HO-1 expression compared to the CTRL group. Exercise and RSV decreased iron and increased GSH, Nrf2, and HO-1 values compared to the AD group. Moreover, a significant increase was observed in the levels of GSH, Gpx4, Nrf2, and HO-1 in the ADTRSV group compared to the ADT and ADRSV groups compared to the other groups.

AD induction was associated with an increase in ferroptosis indices, and aerobic exercise activity and RSV administration improved this process. Considering the effect of aerobic training and RSV, these two treatment methods can be used together to improve neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD.

One of the most common consequences of disability is mental and psychological problems. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of resistance training on the psychological well-being and mental toughness of physical-motor disabled women.

The study method was a quasi-experimental type with a pre-test and post-test research design that included two experimental and control groups. The statistical population in this research was all women with physical-motor disabilities in Tehran, Iran. Thirty inactive women with physical-motor disability voluntarily participated in the study and were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The experimental group performed resistance exercises for 8 weeks, three one-hour sessions per week. The tools used in this study included the Reef psychological well-being questionnaire and the Sheard Mental Toughness Scale (SMTQ).

The results showed a significant increase in psychological well-being and mental toughness of physical-motor disabled women following resistance training.

Performing resistance exercises can improve the psychological well-being and mental toughness of physical-motor disabled women.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a critical neurological condition that may impair motor, sensory, and autonomic functions. Spinal cord injury severely affects the independence and quality of life of the injured person and his family. At the cellular level, inflammation, impaired axonal regeneration, and neuronal death are responsible for complications after SCI. Due to the high mortality rate and complications caused by SCI, there is a need for effective treatment. Despite the advances made in SCI repair, the optimal treatment for complete recovery after SCI has not yet been found. The goal of therapeutic interventions in spinal cord injury is to prevent the further expansion of the injury and repair the damaged tissue. At the functional level, existing treatments focus on techniques that aim to restore some degree of walking or motor activity. One of these techniques is learning to walk on a treadmill.

In this study, we have investigated the impact of treadmill training on the restoration of motor ability, as well as the myelination and repair of neurons in rats with a contusion model. The assessment involved two groups: the sham group (experiencing a lesion without movement rehabilitation) and the treatment group (undergoing a lesion followed by movement rehabilitation).

Motor rehabilitation with a treadmill improved the motor performance of animals compared to the sham group. However, it did not affect sensory function. The motor rehabilitation group showed a significant increase in the sucrose test compared to the sham group. The size of the spinal cord lesion cavity and nerve tissue repair showed a significant decrease in the rehabilitation group compared to the sham group.

The results of this study showed that motor neurorehabilitation contributes to the restoration and enhancement of cell function, affecting not only functional and behavioral functions but also the tissue and cellular recovery.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can affect the peripheral and central nervous system. Headache, cerebrovascular disease, anosmia, taste and vision disorders, and neuropathic pain have been observed in patients with COVID-19. In this study, the effect of predisposing factors, such as blood sugar level and age, on the occurrence of changes in the function of some cranial nerves has been investigated.

In this study, 1138 men and women with COVID-19 (18-89 years old) hospitalized in Shahid Mostafa Hospital in Ilam City without a history of diabetes were studied. Fasting blood sugar levels, taste disorders, smell disorders, sore throat, and various blood factors were studied in these individuals.

The rate of dysfunction of the 1st, sensory part of the 7th, and the 9th cranial nerves in non-diabetic patients with COVID-19 showed an inverse correlation with blood sugar level. Furthermore, the incidence of smell and taste disorders in patients with COVID-19 without a history of diabetes showed an inverse correlation with increasing age.

Coronavirus can cause partial or complete dysfunction in the activity of some cranial nerves.  The incidence of impaired sense of smell and taste in patients with COVID-19 decreases with increasing fasting blood sugar levels as well as with increasing age.

Body image is one of the most important aspects of individual mental health. People with limb amputation may face various problems related to body image. Therefore, this study aimed to develop the structural relations between mindfulness and body image concerns in individuals with amputations with the mediating role of Mental Toughness.

This study was a descriptive-correlational study with structural equation modeling. The statistical population of this research was made up of amputees who referred to the comprehensive rehabilitation center of the Red Crescent Society of Tehran between April and October of 2022, and 260 people were selected by purposive sampling. To collect data, Littleton's Body Image Concern questionnaire, Baer's Five Facet Mindfulness questionnaire, and Clough's Mental Toughness questionnaire were used.

Our findings showed that the research model has a good fit and the causal model of the relationship between mindfulness, mental Toughness, and body image concern in people with amputations. Furthermore, mindfulness and mental toughness have a direct effect on body image concerns. Moreover, mindfulness has an indirect effect on body image concerns through mental toughness.

Our results indicate the importance of the role of mindfulness and mental toughness in body image concerns of people with amputations. Implementation of programs to improve mindfulness and mental toughness in people with amputation can lead to a reduction in their body image concerns.

Measuring learning skills in the perceptual-motor field is a practical approach to a better understanding of brain functions. The bilateral learning transfer task of the brain is a task with the coordination of two hands and the interaction of the cognitive function of the brain hemispheres. The purpose of the current research is to measure the performance of the mental maze and the learning of bilateral neural transmission in right-handed and left-handed people.

This study was of a causal-comparative type using a random sampling of 40 female and male students of Shiraz School of Medical Sciences. The research tools included Peterson's mental maze, the motor learning test of drawing in the mirror, and Chapman's questionnaire.

The results of the multivariate analysis of covariance showed that the average error and drawing time in the mirror was much lower in the right-handed group than in the left-handed individuals. The right-handed group had a lower mean mental maze error than the left-handed group.

our findings suggest that right-handed people with superior hand skills perform better in bilateral brain transfer learning tasks and draw the figure in the mirror with less time and error. Moreover, they leave behind better skills in spatial memory, which is responsible for storing information in the environment and spatial orientation.

The main purpose of this research is to explore and analyze changes in various frequency bands of brain signals among two distinct groups: memorizers and non-memorizers of the Quran. This investigation focuses on the execution of visual memory tests using Cantab software, with an emphasis on selecting optimal feature channels and employing different classifiers.

First, brain signals were recorded from 15 Quran memorizers and 15 non-Quran memorizers during the performance of delayed matching to sample (DMS), Paired Associates Learning (PAL), and Spatial Recognition Memory image memory tests using Cantab software. Following appropriate pre-processing, non-linear features such as Lyapunov profile, correlation dimension, entropy, and detrended fluctuation analysis parameters were extracted. The selection of relevant channels was performed using T-TEST, Sequential Forward Selection, and Genetic Algorithm (GA) methods. Classification involved the use of multi-layer perceptron (MLP), Support Vector Machine, and naïve Bayes algorithms.

The selected optimal channels were primarily associated with frontal, parietal, and occipital brain regions involved in the attention network and visual memory of Quran memorizers. In most instances, the average power of low-frequency components in brain signals was found to be higher in memorizers than in non-memorizers. The MLP neural network, utilizing optimal channels selected by the GA method, demonstrated the highest accuracy between memorizers and non-memorizers at 94.79%.

Analysis of EEG data revealed that the power ratio of low-frequency components, the power ratio of low-to-high-frequency components, and the power ratio of theta to beta bands indicated an increase in relaxation and patience among the memorizer group during the retrieval phase of visual memory. This enhanced concentration and attention, leading to a higher percentage of correct answers and increased reaction time in the memorizer group during the implementation of visual memory tests using Cantab software. The MLP neural network, employing features selected by the GA method, particularly sample and approximate entropy in D, A5 sub-bands, and in the occipital, parietal, and central brain regions, achieved a superior accuracy percentage in the implementation of the DMS test.

Spinal cord injury is a disease related to the central nervous system that leads to impaired sensory and motor functions, loss of axon, cell body and glial cell support. Currently, the treatment of spinal injuries is limited to physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and surgery. However, current treatment methods cannot fully and effectively regenerate damaged nerve fibers and improve nerve function. Neural tissue engineering has focused on building biomimetic scaffolds inspired by the complex structure of the spinal cord together with cells to repair spinal cord lesions. In recent years, the 3D bioprinting technique has been used to make highly specialized and complex biological models, such as the spinal cord. Bioprinting is done by placing bioink on a substrate in layers. The additive approach of bioprinting enables the construction of fine 3D tissue models with precise control over the spatial position of cells.

The application of 3D bioprinting technology in the field of making cell-rich scaffolds and in vivo studies in spinal cord injury models indicate the bright prospects of this technology in the field of treating spinal lesions. However, to completely simulate the spinal cord tissue and improve the nerve function of the spinal cord after injury, it is necessary to conduct more research with different cells, biomaterials, and spinal cord injury models. In this review article, the method of 3D bioprinting, the types of printing techniques in spinal cord tissue engineering, and the studies conducted in line with the application of bioprinting in the treatment of spinal cord injuries are discussed.

Optimizing tissue engineering processes requires models to predict structural and functional results by identifying relationships between different parameters and analyzing diverse processes. According to related medical studies, artificial intelligence has shown significant potential for data analysis and prediction. In the current study, the articles available in Google Scholar and PubMed, which were in the field of artificial intelligence applications in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, were selected and studied. Artificial intelligence can play an effective role in designing, determining compounds, manufacturing, predicting the characteristics of various biomaterials and scaffolds, predicting cell behaviors, replacing animal studies, controlling biological reactors. Furthermore, using artificial intelligence leads to saving time and cost, accelerating and facilitating the achievement of optimal results.

The use of artificial intelligence, including machine learning and deep learning, in the field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, makes it possible to analyze all types of tabular and image data, and has shown significant potential for data analysis, optimization, and prediction.

Spreading Depression (SD) is a pathophysiological phenomenon that occurs as a transient wave of depolarization of neurons and glial cells, and results in a temporary suppression of the activity of neurons. In this phenomenon, there is a disturbance in the distribution and balance of ions between the extracellular and intracellular environments and in cellular metabolism. Furthermore, SD is accompanied by a short increase in bioelectrical activity, followed by a strong transient depression of neuronal activity and a long-term excitability of the neuronal network. Recently, the neuroinflammatory function of this phenomenon, as one of the main contributors to neurological diseases, has been widely investigated. The role of SD has been revealed in some neurological diseases, such as migraine with aura, epilepsy, transient global amnesia, and cerebrovascular diseases, including cerebral ischemia-infarction and stroke, as well as intracranial hemorrhage caused by traumatic head injury.

Despite the large and growing body of evidence, the exact mechanism of SD propagation is still not clear and requires more in-depth investigations. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the underlying mechanism of SD and highlight the role of SD in the development of neuroinflammatory diseases.