Research Topic: cognitive dysfunction

Serotonin 5-HT2A receptor expression is chronically decreased in the anterior cerebral cortex of male rats following repetitive low-level blast exposure

Military Veterans exposed to blast explosions often develop long-term problems with memory, anxiety, and PTSD. Researchers found that in rats exposed to blast, a brain receptor called 5-HT2A becomes less active, particularly in the front part of the brain involved in thinking and emotions. This decrease in the receptor correlates with anxiety-like behaviors in the animals. Since psychedelic substances like psilocybin activate this same receptor, the findings suggest that such substances might help treat PTSD and cognitive problems in blast-injured Veterans.

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The progress of the microbe-gut-brain axis in sepsis-associated encephalopathy

Sepsis can cause brain dysfunction called sepsis-associated encephalopathy, leading to memory problems and confusion in about one-third to two-thirds of sepsis patients. The bacteria in your gut communicate with your brain through multiple pathways, and when sepsis disrupts this communication, it causes harmful inflammation in the brain. Treatments like probiotics and transplanting healthy gut bacteria from donors show promise in animal studies and early human trials for improving memory and cognitive function after sepsis.

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Reprogramming astrocytic NDRG2/NF-κB/C3 signaling restores the diabetes-associated cognitive dysfunction

This study found that regular exercise helps protect the brain of diabetic people from cognitive decline by boosting a protein called NDRG2 in astrocytes (brain support cells). The research shows that NDRG2 works by blocking harmful immune responses that damage synapses (connections between brain cells). In diabetic mice, exercise improved memory and learning ability while increasing NDRG2 levels, while blocking this protein reversed these benefits.

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