Neuroscience
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Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) often result in limited prospects for recovery and a high incidence of disability. Melatonin (Mel), a hormone, is acknowledged for its neuroprotective attributes. Mel was examined in this study to discover if it alleviates SCIs via the sirtuin1/dynamin-related protein1 (SIRT1/Drp1) signaling pathway. ⋯ Additionally, Mel exhibited the potential to mitigate neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction by modulating the levels of Drp1 and TOMM20, thereby addressing the underlying factors contributing to this dysfunction. Furthermore, when SIRT1 was downregulated, it reversed the positive effects of Mel. Overall, our present study suggests that Mel has the capacity to modulate the SIRT1/Drp1 pathway, thereby ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction, attenuating inflammation and apoptosis, and enhancing neural function subsequent to SCIs.
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Competition, an essential component of social interaction, frequently occurs in daily life, and the impact of intimate relationships on women's competition has not yet been revealed. In this study, the visual target paradigm was used to explore the neural mechanisms underlying the regulation of female competitiveness by intimate relationships using event-related potential (ERP) data, time-frequency analysis, and brain functional connectivity. The research results indicate that, the P1, the N4, and the LPP were sensitive to the impact of intimate relationships on competition. ⋯ The results indicate that competition with unfamiliar individuals of the opposite gender can make female focus on the competitive task, causing synchronous activation of corresponding brain regions. When competing with a romantic partner, women's focus decreases, their willingness to compete decreases, and the synchrony of brain functional connectivity decreases. This study suggests that intimate relationship weakens women's competitiveness, which is of significant importance for understanding high-quality intimate relationship and promoting the development of healthy competition.
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Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the first-line pharmacological treatment for a variety of anxiety-, trauma- and stressor-related disorders. Although they are efficacious, therapeutic improvements require several weeks of treatment and are often associated with an initial exacerbation of symptoms. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) has been proposed as an important target for the modulation of emotional responses and the therapeutic effects of SSRIs. ⋯ Acute fluoxetine decreased serotonergic activity in the DR, while chronic treatment led to serotonergic activity that was indistinguishable from that of control levels in DRD and DRV subpopulations. Chronic fluoxetine facilitated fear extinction, which was associated with rostral DRD inhibition. These findings provide further evidence that SSRIs can alter aspects of learning and memory processes and are consistent with a role for discrete populations of DR serotonergic neurons in regulating fear- and anxiety-related behaviours.