Hello friends and followers of NFBSupport!
This is certainly a much delayed newsletter. Life has been a whirlwind for the NFBSupport team! Ironically, things have calmed down as we enter the holiday season and so here we are, back to the newsletter!
Inflammation, Inflammation, Inflammation, oh, and the Gut
Starting with Parkinson's disease. A new study from Dr. Borghammer and Dr. Van Den Berge has shown that Parkinson's disease is far more complicated than previously thought (https://neurosciencenews.com/gut-brain-parkinsons-15179/). Their research has shown that there are multiple types of Parkinson's, with some originating in the brain, some in the gut, and some seeming to start in both at the same time. This makes targeting therapies and treatment more difficult than targeting one origin point for all patients.
Continuing down that road, in a review published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, Dr. Brudek discusses the relation of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Parkinson's (https://neurosciencenews.com/ibd-parkinsons-15204/). To quote the article which put it quite succinctly: "Many epidemiological and genetic studies have found that there seems to be an increased risk of developing PD among people with IBD. The association between IBD and PD may simply be that IBD is just one type of intestinal inflammation, so it is not IBD specifically that increases the PD risk but perhaps intestinal or peripheral inflammation in a broader sense."
Following the path of gut inflammation, a study from the University of Alberta found (expectedly) that sugar binges increase risk of IBD (https://neurosciencenews.com/ibd-sugar-binges-15205/). In the study the researchers showed in mice that just two days on a high-sugar diet and lack of short-chain fatty acids notably increased gut permeability. Future studies could lead to short-chain fatty acid supplements to protect the gut from sugar.
Related to everything inflammatory, a research team from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and the University of Bonn have found a direct link between amyloid buildup and tau pathology through inflammation and the NLRP3 inflammasome (https://neurosciencenews.com/alzheimers-inflammation-15235/). In particular, the NLRP3 inflammasome handles inflammation responses in the brain, but they have recently discovered that when amyloid beta starts to build up, it can trigger the inflammasome to influence enzymes that induce a “hyperphosphorylation” of tau proteins, thus leading to tau pathology. In short, the inflammasome is the missing link from the buildup of amyloid beta plaque around neurons to the buildup of tau proteins in the neurons which results in many of our common neurodegenerative disorders.
More inflammation: new research from the University of Virginia Health System has shown that Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), previously though bystanders in inflammation, actively play a major role in modulating the inflammatory environment that attacks the Myelin in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (https://neurosciencenews.com/progenitor-cells-multiple-sclerosis-15037/). According to their study, OPCs are major players in the inflammation and this discovery could lead to targeted therapies that could not only stop progression of MS but also promote repair and recovery.
On the upside, an international team led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, have discovered a short-chain fatty acid that stimulates production of a pro-longevity hormone called FGF21 (https://neurosciencenews.com/gut-bacteria-aging-15203/). The discovery is centered around butyrate, which is produced through microbial fermentation of dietary fibre in the lower intestinal tract. Production of butyrate decreases with age, but the team discovered that the bacteria from older mice (24 months old) would increase production of butyrate when transplanted into younger mice (6 weeks old). After this discovery they found that simply providing the younger mice with butyrate produced similar neurogenesis and neuro-stimulatory effects. The article sums it up pretty well: "The discovery shows that gut microbes can compensate and support an ageing body through positive stimulation."
Differences and Babies
A team at Carnegie Mellon University recently proved that there is no gender difference in mathematical ability (https://neurosciencenews.com/boy-girl-math-ability-15185/). Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) while children watched educational videos and took tests, they found no difference in brain activity or capability.
A new study from the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) found (via fMRI) that: "during fetal development, the functional connectome begins to take form as early as the late second trimester of pregnancy" (https://neurosciencenews.com/fetal-adult-brain-networks-15164/). They found a 61% overlap in motor, visual, auditory and some cognitive functions, meaning prenatal environmental factors have a serious impact on later development.
In a bit of a fun twist, a new study from University College London found that when babies hiccup it triggers a large wave of brainwaves which may be related to helping babies learn how to regulate breathing (https://neurosciencenews.com/baby-hiccups-brain-15225/). They believe that hiccups may be a system for the body to understand the functions of the diaphragm.
Duh Article of the Week!
PM 2.5 exposure linked to brain atrophy and memory decline (https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-11-exposure-pm-pollution-linked-brain.html). PM 2.5 stands for particulate matter that is smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter. So what kind of stuff is PM 2.5? That would be smoke, smog, exhaust, dust, and similar particulates. Their research was primarily on seniors with an examination of mental health cross-referenced with environmental records for locations. This doesn't point to the mechanisms by which the issues were caused but their results did account for differences in income, education, race, geographic region, cigarette smoking and other factors.
A bit of interesting fun:
White noise can increase hearing acuity (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191112142926.htm). I'll let the article do the talking: "the data of the research group showed that white noise significantly inhibited the activity of the nerve cells in the auditory cortex. Paradoxically, this suppression of the neuronal excitation led to a more precise perception of the pure tones."
Hope you enjoyed the long one this time!
Ciao!
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