Search results for "Neuronal Plasticity"
showing 6 items of 166 documents
Autonomic nervous control of the urinary bladder
2013
The autonomic nervous system plays an important role in the regulation of the urinary bladder function. Under physiological circumstances, noradrenaline, acting mainly on β(3) -adrenoceptors in the detrusor and on α(1) (A) -adrenoceptors in the bladder outflow tract, promotes urine storage, whereas neuronally released acetylcholine acting mainly on M(3) receptors promotes bladder emptying. Under pathophysiological conditions, however, this system may change in several ways. Firstly, there may be plasticity at the levels of innervation and receptor expression and function. Secondly, non-neuronal acetylcholine synthesis and release from the urothelium may occur during the storage phase, leadi…
Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation over the right hemisphere improves auditory comprehension in a case of dementia.
2017
Background Noninvasive transcranial stimulation methods have been increasingly employed in order to improve cognitive performance in neurological patients. In previous studies with both stroke patients and healthy subjects, noninvasive stimulation of temporal-parietal regions and their homologue produced an improvement in linguistic tasks. Objective The aim of the current study was to evaluate if anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over Brodmann areas 39/40 (angular and supramarginal gyri) could promote the recovery of linguistic functions, in particular comprehension and naming, in a single patient affected by dementia. Methods Three preliminary explorative single session…
Nicotinic receptor agonists as neuroprotective/neurotrophic drugs. Progress in molecular mechanisms
2007
In the present work we reviewed recent advances concerning neuroprotective/neurotrophic effects of acute or chronic nicotine exposure, and the signalling pathways mediating these effects, including mechanisms implicated in nicotine addiction and nAChR desensitization. Experimental and clinical data largely indicate long-lasting effects of nicotine and nicotinic agonists that imply a neuroprotective/neurotrophic role of nAChR activation, involving mainly alpha 7 and alpha 4 beta 2 nAChR subtypes, as evidenced using selective nAChR agonists. Compounds interacting with neuronal nAChRs have the potential to be neuroprotective and treatment with nAChR agonists elicits long-lasting neurotrophic e…
Impact of pharmacological and environmental manipulations on neuronal structural plasticity and dynamics
2017
El sistema nervioso de vertebrados es uno de los más estudiados, aunque peor comprendidos, del organismo de mamíferos. Desde que Ramón y Cajal postuló su teoría celular de este sistema (Ramón y Cajal 1909), la neurona se ha postulado como su unidad funcional. Sin embargo, durante las últimas décadas se ha revolucionado la visión que se tenía de éste. Una de las percepciones más asentadas era que, tras el desarrollo embrionario, el sistema nervioso se mantenía inmutable. Sin embargo, ahora sabemos que diferentes formas de plasticidad gobiernan su adaptación, que son necesarias para importantes procesos del día a día, tales como el aprendizaje y la memoria (Smythies 2002; Berlucchi and Buchte…
Modulation of Human Motor Cortical Excitability and Plasticity by Opuntia Ficus Indica Fruit Consumption: Evidence from a Preliminary Study through N…
2022
Indicaxanthin (IX) from Opuntia Ficus Indica (OFI) has been shown to exert numerous biological effects both in vitro and in vivo, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuro-modulatory activity in rodent models. Our goal was to investigate the eventual neuro-active role of orally assumed fruits containing high levels of IX at nutritionally-relevant amounts in healthy subjects, exploring cortical excitability and plasticity in the human motor cortex (M1). To this purpose, we applied paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation and anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) in basal conditions and followed the consumption of yellow cactus pear fruits containing IX or white ca…
Induction of neuronal plasticity during adulthood. Role of cortical interneurons and plasticity-related molecules.
2019
La complejidad del sistema nervioso de los vertebrados representa un reto a la hora de conocer su funcionamiento. Hace ya más de cien años que se postuló la neurona como unidad básica de procesamiento, generación y transmisión de la información a través de este sistema, y, con el paso de los años, ha evolucionado el conocimiento sobre esta unidad funcional. La idea clásica del sistema nervioso central (SNC) adulto es la de un tejido asombrosamente interconectado y complejo, pero prácticamente inmutable y muy poco adaptable a los cambios. No obstante, esta visión se ha ido desplazando, formándose una nueva idea del SNC adulto que, aunque de manera más limitada que durante el desarrollo, tamb…