PMID: 

Brain Plast. 2019 Dec 26 ;5(1):105-122. Epub 2019 Dec 26. PMID: 31970064

Abstract Title: 

Yoga Effects on Brain Health: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature.

Abstract: 

Yoga is the most popular complementary health approach practiced by adults in the United States. It is an ancient mind and body practice with origins in Indian philosophy. Yoga combines physical postures, rhythmic breathing and meditative exercise to offer the practitioners a unique holistic mind-body experience. While the health benefits of physical exercise are well established, in recent years, the active attentional component of breathing and meditation practice has garnered interest among exercise neuroscientists. As the scientific evidence for the physical and mental health benefits of yoga continues to grow, this article aims to summarize the current knowledge of yoga practice and its documented positive effects for brain structure and function, as assessed with MRI, fMRI, and SPECT. We reviewed 11 studies examining the effects of yoga practice on the brain structures, function and cerebral blood flow. Collectively, the studies demonstrate a positive effect of yoga practice on the structure and/or function of the hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex and brain networks including the default mode network (DMN). The studies offer promising early evidence that behavioral interventions like yoga may hold promise to mitigate age-related and neurodegenerative declines as many of the regions identified are known to demonstrate significant age-related atrophy.

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PMID: 

Front Hum Neurosci. 2019 ;13:425. Epub 2019 Dec 2. PMID: 31849629

Abstract Title: 

Possible Effect of Binaural Beat Combined With Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response for Inducing Sleep.

Abstract: 

Sleep is important to maintain physical and cognitive functions in everyday life. However, the prevalence of sleep disorders is on the rise. One existing solution to this problem is to induce sleep using an auditory stimulus. When we listen to acoustic beats of two tones in each ear simultaneously, a binaural beat is generated which induces brain signals at a specific desired frequency. However, this auditory stimulus is uncomfortable for users to listen to induce sleep. To overcome this difficulty, we can exploit the feelings of calmness and relaxation that are induced by the perceptual phenomenon of autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR). In this study, we proposed a novel auditory stimulus for inducing sleep. Specifically, we used a 6 Hz binaural beat corresponding to the center of the theta band (4-8 Hz), which is the frequency at which brain activity is entrained during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) in sleep stage 1. In addition, the"ASMR triggers"that cause ASMR were presented from natural sound as the sensory stimuli. In session 1, we combined two auditory stimuli (the 6 Hz binaural beat and ASMR triggers) at three-decibel ratios to find the optimal combination ratio. As a result, we determined that the combination of a 30:60 dB ratio of binaural beat to ASMR trigger is most effective for inducing theta power and psychological stability. In session 2, the effects of these combined stimuli (CS) were compared with an only binaural beat, only the ASMR trigger, or a sham condition. The combination stimulus retained the advantages of the binaural beat and resolved its shortcomings with the ASMR triggers, including psychological self-reports. Our findings indicate that the proposed auditory stimulus could induce the brain signals required for sleep, while simultaneously keeping the user in a psychologically comfortable state. This technology provides an important opportunity to develop a novel method for increasing the quality of sleep.

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PMID: 

J Nerv Ment Dis. 2020 Feb ;208(2):155-160. PMID: 31977827

Abstract Title: 

Efficacy of Binaural Beat Meditation Technology for Treating Anxiety Symptoms: A Pilot Study.

Abstract: 

The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of a novel binaural beat meditation technology for the treatment of anxiety symptoms in both psychiatric outpatients and nonpatients. Twenty psychiatric outpatients with anxiety disorder and eight individuals (nonpatients) in the healing professions were given the opportunity to use this meditation technology over the course of 2 weeks to 2 months. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scores were measured in all participants over the course of the study. Of the 20 outpatients who took part in the study, nine used the meditations as planned, whereas 11 did not for various reasons (could not download, forgot, did not have time, etc.), resulting in the formation of three treatment groups: psychiatry + meditation (n = 8), psychiatry only (n = 10), and meditation only (n = 8). The psychiatry + meditation group showed a 13.5-point (26.5%) decrease in State-Anxiety (t = 5.28, p = 0.001), a 14.1-point (24.7%) decrease in Trait-Anxiety (t = -5.12, p = 0.001), and a 27.6-point (25.6%) decrease in Total Anxiety (t = 7.63, p≤ 0.001). The psychiatry-only group showed a 4.2-point (8.4%) decrease in State-Anxiety (t = -2.20, p = 0.05) and a 7.0-point (6.9%) decrease in Total Anxiety (t = -2.61, p = 0.02). The meditation only showed a 3.5-point (9.8%) decrease in Trait-Anxiety (t = -2.47, p = 0.04). In a multiple regression analysis controlling for sociodemographic factors, medications, and treatment-related variables, the only statistically significant improvement in anxiety was seen in the psychiatry + meditation group for the Total Anxiety score (p

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PMID: 

Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2020 Feb 6. Epub 2020 Feb 6. PMID: 32037024

Abstract Title: 

Meditation and Endocrine Health and Wellbeing.

Abstract: 

Meditation is a popular practice for reducing stress and improving mental health and wellbeing. Its effects are mediated largely by the endocrine system, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and energy homeostasis. The limited evidence available indicates that changes associated with endocrine function following meditation correspond with improvements in mental health. However, this field of study is hampered by a lack of consensus as to definition and types of meditation and the mixed quality of reported studies. Moreover, the exact mechanisms by which meditation operates remain unclear and more robust studies are required to explore this by delineating the target populations, forms, dosages, and modes of delivery of meditation, comparison groups, and health experiences and outcomes used.

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PMID: 

Nutr Neurosci. 2020 Jan 22:1-9. Epub 2020 Jan 22. PMID: 31965911

Abstract Title: 

Adherence to Mediterranean diet and subsequent cognitive decline in men with cardiovascular disease.

Abstract: 

Evidence from recent years highlighted the importance of the Mediterranean diet for brain health. We investigated the association between adherence to Mediterranean diet and change in cognitive functions two decades later in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD).Participants were men with a history of CVD, who previously participated in the Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention (BIP) trial between 1990 and 1997, had a food diary record, and underwent cognitive evaluations 14.6 ± 1.9 years (T1) and 19.9 ± 1.0 years after baseline (T2) as part of the BIP Neurocognitive study (= 200, mean age at 57.3 ± 6.3 years). Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was determined from the self-administered 4-day food diary record, with patients categorized into high, middle and poor levels of adherence if they received>5, 4-5 and

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PMID: 

Geroscience. 2020 Jan 24. Epub 2020 Jan 24. PMID: 31981007

Abstract Title: 

One-year Mediterranean diet promotes epigenetic rejuvenation with country- and sex-specific effects: a pilot study from the NU-AGE project.

Abstract: 

Mediterranean diet has been proposed to promote healthy aging, but its effects on aging biomarkers have been poorly investigated. We evaluated the impact of a 1-year Mediterranean-like diet in a pilot study including 120 elderly healthy subjects from the NU-AGE study (60 Italians, 60 Poles) by measuring the changes in their epigenetic age, assessed by Horvath's clock. We observed a trend towards epigenetic rejuvenation of participants after nutritional intervention. The effect was statistically significant in the group of Polish females and in subjects who were epigenetically older at baseline. A genome-wide association study of epigenetic age changes after the intervention did not return significant (adjusted p value

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PMID: 

Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2020 Feb ;35:40-46. Epub 2019 Nov 15. PMID: 31987120

Abstract Title: 

The effect of a Mediterranean diet on metabolic parameters in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Abstract: 

BACKGROUND: Dietary habit can play a key role in the prevention and treatment of fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Although many studies have investigated the effect of Mediterranean diet on NAFLD, findings are inconsistent and there is no systematic review on this topic. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to summarize the effect of Mediterranean diet on serum metabolic indices and anthropometric measures among NAFLD patients.METHODS: We searched titles, abstracts, and keywords of articles indexed in Science Direct, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar databases up to October 2018 to identify eligible RCT studies. Randomized clinical trials assessing the effects of MD on NAFLD were included.RESULTS: The present study included 10 randomized controlled trials, which involved a total of 856 adults with NAFLD. According to the result, MD may improve anthropometric measures, lipid profile, glycemic indices, liver enzyme, and NAFLD severity indices among patients with NAFLD.CONCLUSION: We found that MD could alleviate NAFLD severity parameters but differences between studies should be taken into account. Finally, in order to draw a firm link between MD and NAFLD, more clinical trials with adequate sample size and better methodology should be done.

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PMID: 

Neurobiol Dis. 2017 Dec ;108:249-260. Epub 2017 Sep 6. PMID: 28888971

Abstract Title: 

Fungal infection in neural tissue of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Abstract: 

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease and the main cause of motor neuron pathology. The etiology of the disease remains unknown, and no effective therapy exists to halt the disease or improve the quality of life. Here, we provide compelling evidence for the existence of fungal infection in ALS. Immunohistochemistry analysis using a battery of antifungal antibodies revealed fungal structures such as yeast and hyphae in the motor cortex, the medulla and the spinal cord, in eleven patients with ALS. Some fungal structures were localized intracellularly and even intranuclearly, indicating that this infection is not the result of post-mortem colonization. By contrast, this burden of fungal infection cannot be observed in several CNS areas of control subjects. PCR analysis and next generation sequencing of DNA extracted from frozen neural tissue identified a variety of fungal genera including Candida, Malassezia, Fusarium, Botrytis, Trichoderma and Cryptococcus. Overall, our present observations provide strong evidence for mixed fungal infections in ALS patients. The exact mixed infection varies from patient to patient consistent with the different evolution and severity of symptoms in each ALS patient. These novel findings provide a logical explanation for the neuropathological observations of this disease, such as neuroinflammation and elevated chitinase levels, and could help to implement appropriate therapies.

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PMID: 

Oncotarget. 2018 Jan 19 ;9(5):6308-6319. Epub 2018 Jan 4. PMID: 29464074

Abstract Title: 

A lethal synergy induced by phellinus linteus and camptothecin11 in colon cancer cells.

Abstract: 

Side effects of anti-cancer drugs are always challenging for effective cancer treatments. The polysaccharides extracted from(PLGL) have been widely used in treating cancers. However, the mechanism by which PLGL antagonizes cancerous growth has not been fully investigated. The current study demonstrated that human colon cancer HCT116 and HT29 cells became highly susceptible to cell death when being co-treated with PLGL and low dose of camptothecin11 (CPT11, a topoisomerase inhibitor-based drug), the efficacy of which was comparable as that generated by the high dose of CPT11. However, the co-treatment, unlike high doses of CPT11, was not cytotoxic to the control immortalized colon Caco-2 cells. The co-treatment caused high percentages of the colon cancer cells to accumulate in S phase of the cell cycle, which was also seen in the same cells received the high dose of CPT11 treatment. Chk1 was phosphorylated, and then rapidly degraded in the cancer cells treated with the high dose of CPT11 or co-treatment, but not in the cells treated with PLGL alone or low doses of CPT11. PLGL appeared enhancing CPT11 inhibitory effect on topoisomerase, and Chk1 degradatopm in the cancer cells. Furthermore, cyclin E (clnE) became unstable at the transcription level in co-treated or PLGL-treated colon cancer cells. The data suggested that PLGL functions in two ways to achieve its lethal synergy with CPT11 in colon cancer cells. Our findings are of potential significance as PLGL represents a promising medicine for overcoming the side effects of CPT11 and perhaps also for improving other CPTs-based regimens.

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PMID: 

Front Immunol. 2019 ;10:286. Epub 2019 Feb 26. PMID: 30863401

Abstract Title: 

Polyphenols Attenuate Inflammatory Response Via Modulating the Crosstalk Between Macrophages and Adipocytes.

Abstract: 

Obesity is characterized as a chronic state of low-grade inflammation with progressive immune cell infiltration into adipose tissue. Adipose tissue macrophages play a critical role in the establishment of chronic inflammatory states and metabolic dysfunctions.(.)andextract polyphenols exhibit anti-carcinogenesis, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant activities. However, the action ofpolyphenols in obesity-related inflammation has not been reported. The aim of this study was to explore the anti-inflammatory action of polyphenols fromextract (ISE) in macrophages and the interaction between macrophages and adipocytes.RAW264.7 macrophages were stimulated with LPS or conditioned medium of hypertrophied 3T3-L1 adipocytes or cocultured with differentiated adipocytes in the presence of different doses of ISE. The inflammatory cytokines were evaluated by ELISA, the MAPK, NF-κB, and IL-6/STAT3 signals were determined by immunoblotting, and the migrated function of macrophages was determined by migration assay.ISE suppressed the inflammatory mediators including NO, TNF-α, IL-6, and MCP-1 induced by either LPS or conditioned medium derived from 3T3-L1 adipocytes. ISE also decreased the production of these inflammatory mediators in cocultures of 3T3-L1 adipocytes and RAW264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, ISE blocked RAW264.7 macrophages migration toward 3T3-L1 adipocytes in cocultures. Finally, this effect of ISE might be mediated via inhibiting ERK, p38, and STAT3 activation.Our findings indicate the possibility that ISE suppresses the interaction between macrophages and adipocytes, attenuates chronic inflammation in adipose tissue and improves obesity-related insulin resistance and complication, suggesting that ISE might be a valuable medicinal food effective in improving insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.

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