No abstract

Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) is a serious mental disorder that affects the development and emotional growth of affected patients. The brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is recognized as one of the possible markers of the framework and its evolution. Abnormalities in BDNF signaling in the hippocampus could explain the cognitive decline seen in patients with TB. Our aim with this study was to evaluate possible changes in hippocampal volume in children and adolescents with BD and associate them to serum BDNF. Subjects included 30 patients aged seven to seventeen years from the ProCAB (Program for Children and Adolescents with Bipolar Disorder). We observed mean right and left hippocampal volumes of 41910.55 and 41747.96 mm3, respectively. No statistically significant correlations between peripheral BDNF levels and hippocampal volumes were found. We believe that the lack of correlation observed in this study is due to the short time of evolution of BD in children and adolescents. Besides studies with larger sample sizes to confirm the present findings and longitudinal assessments, addressing brain development versus a control group and including drug-naive patients in different mood states may help clarify the role of BDNF in the brain changes consequent upon BD.

The effect of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) on maturation of nociceptive pathways has been sparsely explored. To investigate whether neonatal HIE alters neuronal activity, nociceptive behavior, and serum neuroplasticity mediators (brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF] and tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF]) in the short, medium, and long term. Neonate male Wistar rats were randomized to receive a brain insult that could be either ischemic (left carotid artery ligation [LCAL]), hypoxic (8% oxygen chamber), hypoxic-ischemic (LCAL and hypoxic chamber), sham-ischemic, or sham-hypoxic. Neuronal activity (c-Fos activation at region CA1 and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus), nociceptive behavior (von Frey, tail-flick, and hot-plate tests), neuroplasticity mediators (BDNF, TNF), and a cellular injury marker (lactase dehydrogenase [LDH]) were assessed in blood serum 14, 30, and 60 days after birth. Neonatal HIE persistently reduced c-Fos activation in the ipsilateral hippocampal region CA1; however, contralateral c-Fos reduction appeared only 7 weeks after the event. Neonatal HIE acutely reduced the paw withdrawal threshold (von Frey test), but this returned to normal by the 30th postnatal day. Hypoxia reduced serum LDH levels. Serum neuroplasticity mediators increased with age, and neonatal HIE did not affect their ontogeny. Neonatal HIE-induced reduction in neuronal activity occurs acutely in the ipsilateral hippocampal region CA1 and persists for at least 60 days, but the contralateral effect of the insult is delayed. Alterations in the nociceptive response are acute and self-limited. Serum neuroplasticity mediators increase with age, and remain unaffected by HIE.

No abstract

Moringa oleífera é uma planta da família Moringácea, mais conhecida por moringa, também é popularmente chamada de acácia-branca, arvore rabanete de cavalo, cedro, moringueiro e quiabo-de-esquina. As folhas e vagens são utilizadas na alimentação humana (como em saladas, chás ou tempero). Destaca-se por ser um coagulante natural e alternativo usado na purificação, clarificação e eliminação de partículas e microorganismos presentes na água. O presente projeto propôs a utilização do pó da semente para tratamento da água utilizada na escola. O experimento foi realizado no laboratório da EEEP Francisco das Chagas Vasconcelos, onde foram tratadas as amostras de água da torneira e do bebedouro com a semente de moringa. Foi analisado a turbidez, ph e coliformes totais das amostras e em seguida feito o comparativo desses indicativos. Após o tratamento percebeu-se que a água ficou muito limpa e clara em relação a natural, devido a presença de proteínas com baixo peso molecular, ao ser adicionado, o pó é dissolvido e adquire cargas positivas que atraem partículas negativamente carregadas formando flocos densos que sedimentam. Além disso, a semente também contém proteínas que ajudam na coagulação, e possuem um alto poder de inibir as atividades microbiológicas.

Background Emotional memory is an important type of memory that is triggered by positive and negative emotions. It is characterized by an enhanced memory for emotional stimuli which is usually coupled with a decrease in memory of neutral preceding events. Emotional memory is strongly associated with amygdala function and therefore could be disrupted in neuropsychiatric disorders. To our knowledge, there is no translated and culturally adapted instrument for the Brazilian Portuguese speaking population to assess emotional memory. Objective To report the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of a Brazilian Portuguese version of the Emotional Memory Scale, originally published by Strange et al. in 2003. Methods The author of the original scale provided 36 lists with 16 words each. Translation was performed by three independent bilingual translators. Healthy subjects assessed how semantically related each word was within the list (0 to 10) and what the emotional valence of each word was (-6 to +6). Lists without negative words were excluded (negative selection), most positive and most unrelated words were excluded (positive and semantic selection, respectively), and lists with low semantic relationship were excluded (semantic assessment). Results Five lists were excluded during negative selection, four words from each list were excluded in positive and semantic selection, and 11 lists were excluded during semantic assessment. Finally, we reached 20 lists of semantically related words; each list had one negative word and 11 neutral words. Conclusion A scale is now available to evaluate emotional memory in the Brazilian population and requires further validation on its psychometrics properties.

No abstract