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Diabetic retinopathy(DR)has been traditionally considered a purely microvascular disease in the retina. Currently, mainstream therapies focus only on advanced vascular complications and a single molecular target-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF). However, the research is shifting towards a more comprehensive view that DR is a neurovascular disease caused by neurovascular unit(NVU)injury. In the early stage of DR, diabetic retinal neurodegeneration(DRN)dominates and may precede the retinal microvascular abnormalities. Moreover, neuronal apoptosis can further lead to microvascular injury and blood-retinal barrier(BRB)disruption. Therefore, it makes sense to develop new therapeutic strategies to prevent or reverse DRN. However, no drug targeting DRN has been approved for clinical use. In recent years, it has become a trend to study the protective effect of traditional Chinese medicine on the retina. The primary research focuses on Chinese herb monomers. This article reviews the research status of representative monomers in DRN to provide references for the early treatment of DR and development of new drugs.
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Aim To investigate the protective effect of orcinol glucoside on dexamethasone(DEX)-induced osteoblast injury and its mechanism. Methods Primary osteoblasts were extracted from calvaria of neonatal mice and cultured in medium with DEX(1 μmol•L
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Traditional Chinese medicine Scrophulariae Radix, which is also called Yuan Shen, black Shen, is the dried root of Scrophularia ningpoensis of the Scrophulariaceae family. Research has indicated that the chemical constituents of Scrophulariae Radix mainly include terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, organic acids, volatile oils, steroids, sugars, flavonoids, alkaloids and phenols, among which iridoids and phenylpropanoids were the main active constituents. It has been reported that extracts of Scrophulariae Radix or its active substances have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anti-tumor, anti-fatigue, uric acid-lowering, anti-depression, myocardial cell-protective and other pharmacological activities, and can regulate cardiovascular system, central nervous system and immune system. This paper reviewed the present research achievements of Scrophulariae Radix in chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, processing methods, toxicity and other aspects, and the clinical application of Scrophulariae Radix in ancient and modern times was illustrated. This paper aimed to provide reference for further research of Scrophulariae Radix and facilitated its clinical application.
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Plant Roots/chemistry , Scrophularia/chemistryABSTRACT
Angelicae Sinensis Radix is one of the main Chinese medicinal materials with both medicinal and edible values. It has the functions of tonifying and activating blood, regulating menstruation and relieving pain, and moistening intestines to relieve constipation. It is mainly produced in the southeastern Gansu province, and that produced in Minxian, Gansu is praised for the best quality. The chemical components of Angelicae Sinensis Radix mainly include volatile oils, organic acids, and polysaccharides, which have anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, immunomodulatory and other pharmacological effects. Therefore, this medicinal material is widely used in clinical practice. By reviewing the relevant literature, this study systematically introduced the research status about the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of processed Angelicae Sinensis Radix products, aiming to provide a theoretical reference and support for the future research, development, and clinical application of related drugs.
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology , Angelica sinensis , Oils, Volatile , Anti-Inflammatory Agents , PainABSTRACT
Excessive and persistent inflammatory responses are a potential pathological condition that can lead to diseases of various systems, including nervous, respiratory, digestive, circulatory, and endocrine systems. Cannabinoid type 2 receptor(CB2R) belongs to the G protein-coupled receptor family and is widely distributed in immune cells, peripheral tissues, and the central nervous system. It plays a role in inflammatory responses under various pathological conditions. The down-regulation of CB2R activity is an important marker of inflammation and and CB2R modulators have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. This study explored the relationship between CB2R and inflammatory responses, delved into its regulatory mechanisms in inflammatory diseases, and summarized the research progress on CB2R modulators from plants other than cannabis, including plant extracts and monomeric compounds, in exerting anti-inflammatory effects. The aim is to provide new insights into the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases.
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Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators/pharmacology , Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists/pharmacology , Receptors, Cannabinoid , Cannabinoids/pharmacology , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacologyABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the effectiveness of applet-assisted teaching in the pedagogy of stomatology and gain suggestions for the improvement of the applet.Methods:Using digital technology, we built a professional atlas applet for Oral Histopathology that covered a wide range of contents including illustrations, histological slides, schematic diagrams, and hand-drawn pictures of knowledge points. Based on the WeChat platform, the applet had the functions of bilingual (Chinese/English) annotation and real-time interactive communication between teachers and students. Thirty dental students were given quizzes before and after using the atlas applet. The scores were analyzed using the t-test with SPSS 22.0 software. At the same time, 45 students filled a questionnaire after using the applet for one month, which involved comments on the use of the digital atlas, the degree of satisfaction and suggestions for the applet during learning, and suggestions for its co-use by teachers and students in the future. Results:After using the atlas applet to assist with learning, the test scores of the students were improved significantly in all domains. There were significant differences between the test and control groups in the score of completion questions [(17.00±2.61) vs. (15.03±1.85), P<0.05], the score of identification of images [(27.93±5.08) vs. (25.13±3.31), P<0.05], and the total score [(78.77±8.59) vs. (72.90±6.08), P<0.05]. The questionnaire feedback showed that the students were highly satisfied with the atlas applet-assisted learning, the function of teacher-student interaction, and the overall performance of the applet. Conclusion:An atlas is one of the crucial teaching tools of Oral Histopathology for its intuitionistic and realistic presentation of tissue structures, which plays an important role in the theoretical learning process for dental students. The combination of the atlas and electronic media based on portable mobile devices is beneficial for students' understanding of knowledge.
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OBJECTIVE@#To investigate whether the antihypertensive mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) is associated with attenuating phenotype transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) via phosphoinositide3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways.@*METHODS@#Eight Wistar-ktoyo (WKY) rats were set as normal blood pressure group (normal group). A total of 32 spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHRs) were randomly divided into 4 groups using random number tables: a model group, an EA group, an EA+PI3K antagonist group (EA+P group), and an EA+p38 MAPK agonist+extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) agonist group (EA+M group) (n=8/group). SHRs in EA group, EA+P group and EA+M group received EA treatment 5 sessions per week for continuous 4 weeks, while rats in the normal and model groups were bundled in same condition. The systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) of each rat was measured at 0 week and the 4th week. After 4-week intervention, thoracic aorta was collected for hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, immunohistochemistry [the contractile markers α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and calponin and the synthetic marker osteopontin (OPN)] and Western blot [α-SMA, calponin, OPN, PI3K, phosphorylated-Akt (p-Akt), Akt, p-p42/44 ERK, total p42/44 ERK, p-p38 MAPK and total p38 MAPK].@*RESULTS@#EA significantly reduced SBP, DBP and MAP (P<0.01). HE staining showed that the wall thickness of thoracic aorta in EA group was significantly decreased (P<0.01). From results of immunohistochemistry and Western blot, EA increased the expression of α-SMA and calponin, and decreased the expression of OPN (P<0.01). In addition, the expression of PI3K and p-Akt increased (P<0.01), while the expression of p-p42/44 ERK and p-p38 MAPK decreased in EA group (P<0.01). However, these effects were reversed by PI3K antagonist, p38 MAPK agonist and ERK agonist.@*CONCLUSIONS@#EA was an effective treatment for BP management. The antihypertensive effect of EA may be related with inhibition of phenotypic transformation of VSMCs, in which the activation of PI3K/Akt and the repression of MAPK pathway were involved.
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Animals , Rats , Electroacupuncture , Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/metabolism , MAP Kinase Signaling System , Muscle, Smooth, Vascular , Phenotype , Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism , Rats, Inbred SHRABSTRACT
[Abstract] Objective To assess the effect of wogonoside on the inflammation after rat spinal cord injury. Methods Rats (n = 95) were subjected to dorsal spinal cord transection at T
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Cannabinoid receptor type 2( CB2 R),a member of the G protein-coupled receptor( GPCR) superfamily,has a variety of biological activities,such as regulating pain response,resisting inflammation and fibrosis,and mediating bone metabolism. Some CB2 R regulators exhibit a good regulatory effect on bone metabolism. Cannabinoids in Cannabis sativa can cause psychoactive effects despite various pharmacological actions they exerted by targeting CB2 R. Therefore,it is of great significance to discover CB2 R regulators in non-Cannabis plants for finding new lead compounds without psychoactive effects and elucidating the action mechanism of plant drugs. The present study clarifies the discovery,structure,and physiological functions of CB2 R,especially its regulatory effects on bone metabolism,summarized CB2 R regulators extracted from non-Cannabis plants,and systematically analyzes the regulatory effects of CB2 R regulators on bone metabolism in animals,osteoblasts,and osteoclasts,to provide a scientific basis for the discovery of new CB2 R regulators and the development of anti-osteoporotic drugs.
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Animals , Cannabinoids/pharmacology , Cannabis , Osteoblasts , Osteoclasts , Receptors, CannabinoidABSTRACT
Methotrexate(MTX) is a commonly used antimetabolite, which can be used in the treatment of a variety of diseases. However, hepatotoxicity in the use of MTX severely limits its clinical use. Therefore, how to prevent and treat hepatotoxicity of MTX has become an urgent clinical problem. This paper summarizes and analyzes relevant literatures on the prevention and treatment of hepa-totoxicity caused by MTX with traditional Chinese medicines and natural medicines in recent years. MTX-induced hepatotoxicity mechanisms include folate pathway, oxidative stress damage and adenosine pathway, of which oxidative stress theory is the main research direction. A total of 14 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine and natural medicine extracts including white peony root, and 21 kinds of natural monomer compounds, including berberine, play an anti-MTX-induced hepatotoxic effect by resisting oxidative stress, inhibiting inflammation and regulating signal pathways. According to current studies on the prevention and treatment of hepatotoxicity induced by MTX with traditional Chinese medicines and natural medicines, there are insufficiencies, such as partial and superficial mechanism studies, inadequate combination of experimental research and clinical practice, non-standard experimental design and lack of application of advanced technologies and methods. This paper systematically reviewed the effects and mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicines and natural medicines against hepatotoxicity induced by MTX and defined current studies and deficiencies, in the expectation of proposing new study strategies and directions and providing scientific basis for rational clinical use of MTX and development of new drugs against MTX hepatotoxicity.
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Humans , Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/prevention & control , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions , Liver/metabolism , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , Methotrexate/toxicity , Oxidative StressABSTRACT
Objectives: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of unilateral/bilateral bone conduction hearing rehabilitation in patients with bilateral microtia accompanied with severe conductive hearing loss following staged auricle reconstruction and bonebridge implantation. Methods: Thirty-two patients, including 20 males and 12 females, with an average age of 11.8, who received surgical treatment in Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) from March, 2016 to January, 2020 with bilateral microtia-atresia were included. Hearing thresholds, speech perception and high-resolution CT of the temporal bone were evaluated prior to surgery and individualized surgery plans (staged auricle reconstruction and bonebridge implantation) were made. Hearing thresholds and speech perception in quiet and noise (SNR = 5 dB) using unilateral Bonebridge were tested two weeks after the implantation surgery when the Bonebridge was activated and at 3th, 6th, 12th month after activation. Hearing thresholds and speech perception were also tested at least three months after the activation of the Bonebridge under three conditions: unaided, unilateral Bonebridge, and bilateral bone conduction hearing devices (Bonebridge plus contralateral ADHEAR). The international hearing aid assessment questionnaire (IOI-HA) and Glasgow children's benefit questionnaire were used to evaluate the subjective benefits of the patients. SPSS 21.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: Among these 32 patients, nine were conducted Bonebridge implantation surgery before auricle reconstruction, six were simultaneously with auricle reconstruction and 17 were implanted after auricle reconstruction surgery. Compared with unaided, the mean hearing thresholds (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz) and speech perception following unilateral BCHD and bilateral BCHD attachment were improved significantly (P<0.05 each). The speech perceptin in noise of bilateral BCHD was better than unilateral (P<0.05 each). The modified questionnaire revealed high levels of patient satisfaction following use of both unilateral and bilateral devices. Conclusions: Individulized surgical procedures involving auricle reconstruction and Bonebridge implantation are safe and effective for patients with bilateral microtia-atresia, solving both appearance and hearing problems. Speech perception in noise is better following bilateral BCHD than unilateral BCHD attachment.
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Child , Female , Humans , Male , Bone Conduction , Congenital Microtia/surgery , Ear, External , Hearing Aids , Hearing Loss, Conductive/surgery , Speech PerceptionABSTRACT
The present study aimed to provide the protection strategies for wild germplasm resources of original plants of Viticis Fructus and a theoretical basis for the sustainable use of Viticis Fructus. The genetic diversity and genetic structures of the 232 indivi-duals in 19 populations of Vitex rotundifolia and V. trifolia were analyzed by eight SSR markers with tools such as Popgene32, GenAlex 6.502, and STRUCTURE. Bottleneck effect was detected for the population with more than 10 individuals. The results indicated that 42 and 26 alleles were detected from the populations of V. rotundifolia and V. trifolia, respectively, with average expected heterozygo-sities of 0.448 6 and 0.583 9, which are indicative of low genetic diversity. AMOVA revealed the obvious genetic variation of V. rotundifolia and V. trifolia within population(84.43%, P<0.01; 60.37%, P<0.01). Furthermore, in eight SSR loci, six from V. rotundifolia populations and two from V. trifolia populations failed to meet Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium expectations(P<0.05), which confirmed that the populations experienced bottleneck effect. As assessed by Mantel test, geographical distance posed slight impacts on the genetic variation between the populations of V. rotundifolia and V. trifolia. Principal component analysis(PCA) and STRUCTURE analysis demonstrated evident introgression of genes among various populations. The original plants of Viticis Fructus were confirmed low in genetic diversity and genetic differentiation level. Therefore, the protection of wild resources of original plants of Viticis Fructus should be strengthened to ensure its sustainable use.
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Alleles , Fruit/genetics , Genetic Variation , Geography , Microsatellite Repeats , Vitex/geneticsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment on inflammatory reaction, apoptosis and expression of Yes-associated protein (YAP) of ischemic penumbra of cerebral cortex in cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury rats, and to explore the possible mechanism of its neuroprotection effect.@*METHODS@#A total of 84 SD rats were randomized into a sham operation group (12 rats), a model group (18 rats), an EA group (18 rats), an EA+YAP virus transfection group (18 rats) and an EA+virus control group (18 rats). Except for the sham operation group, thread embolization method was adopted to establish the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model in rats of the other groups. EA was applied at "Baihui" (GV 20) and "Dazhui" (GV 14) for 30 min in the 3 EA intervention groups 2 h before model establishment, disperse-dense wave, 2 Hz/15 Hz in frequency and 1 mA in intensity. Adenovirus transfection technique was used to induce gene silencing of YAP in the EA+YAP virus transfection group, and adenovirus vectors was injected as negative control in the EA+virus control group 4 d before model establishment. Twenty-four hours after model establishment, neurological function score was evaluated, the relative cerebral infarction area was observed by TTC staining, the apoptosis in the ischemic penumbra of cerebral cortex was detected by TUNEL staining, the levels of inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in the ischemic penumbra of cerebral cortex was detected by ELISA method, the expression of YAP was detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the sham operation group, the expression of YAP was increased in the model group (@*CONCLUSION@#Electroacupuncture pretreatment can effectively improve the ischemia reperfusion injury, its mechanism may be related to up-regulating the expression of YAP in the ischemic penumbra of cerebral cortex and relieving the apoptosis and inflammatory reaction.
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Animals , Rats , Brain Ischemia/therapy , Electroacupuncture , Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Reperfusion Injury/therapyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To systematically evaluate the protective effects of Humulus lupulus L. extract (HLE) on osteoporosis mice.@*METHODS@#In vivo experiment, a total of 35 12-week-old female ICR mice were equally divided into 5 groups: the sham control group (sham); the ovariectomy with vehicle group (OVX); the OVX with estradiol valerate [EV, 0.2 mg/(kg•d)] the OVX with low- or high-dose HLE groups [HLE, 1 g/(kg•d) and 3 g/(kg•d)], 7 in each group. Treatment began 1 week after the ovariectomized surgery and lasted for 12 weeks. Bone mass and trabecular bone mircoarchitecture were evaluated by micro computed tomography, and bone turnover markers in serum were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. In vitro experiment, osteoblasts and osteoclasts were treated with HLE at doses of 0, 4, 20 and 100 µg/mL. Biomarkers for bone formation in osteoblasts and bone resorption in osteoclasts were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the OVX group, HLE exerted bone protective effects by the increase of estradiol (P<0.05), the improvement of cancellous bone structure, bone mineral density (P<0.01) and the reduction of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), bone gla-protein, c-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (CTX-I) and deoxypyridinoline levels (P<0.01 for all). In vitro experiment, compared with the control group, HLE at 20 µg/mL promoted the cell proliferation (P<0.01), and increased the expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2 and osteopontin levels in osteoblasts (both P<0.05). HLE at 100 µg/mL increased the osteoblastic ALP activities, and HLE at all dose enhanced the extracellular matrix mineralization (both P<0.01). Furthermore, compared with the control group, HLE at 20 µg/mL and 100 µg/mL inhibited osteoclastic TRAP activity (P<0.01), and reduced the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and cathepsin K (both P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#HLE may protect against bone loss, and have potentials in the treatment of osteoporosis.
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Objective To explore the role and mechanism of stabilizing microtubules of endothelial cells and pericytes for ameliorating the dysfunction of microvasculature after spinal cord injury(SCI). Methods The endothelial cells and pericytes from rat brain microvascular tissue (microvessel) were separated and subjected to glucose oxygen deprivation (OGD). The cell viability was detected by CCK-8 and the expression of α-tubulin was detected by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Rats (n = 36) were subjected to dorsal spinal cord transection at T
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Objective:To observe the effect of cognitive training based on PASS theory on cognition in patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI). Methods:From August, 2018 to June, 2019, 42 patients with PSCI were randomly divided into control group (n = 21) and intervention group (n = 21). The intervention group accepted computer-assisted cognitive training based on the PASS theory, and the control group accepted routine computer-assisted cognitive training, for four weeks. They were assessed with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Lowenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) before and after training. Results:There were 18 patients in each group finishing the trail. After training, the scores of MMSE and LOTCA increased in both groups (t > 8.831, P < 0.001), and increased more in the intervention group than in the control group (t > 2.198, P < 0.05). For the LOTCA factors scores, it increased in orientation, visual perception, spatial perception, motion praxis, visuomotor organization and thinking operations in both groups (t > 2.122, P < 0.05) after training, and increased more in the intervention group than in the control group in visual perception, spatial perception and thinking operations (t > 2.356, P < 0.05), and the differences of visuomotor organization was more in the intervention group than in the control group (t = 2.354, P < 0.05). Conclusion:Cognitive training based on PASS theory can improve cognition for patients with PSCI, especially for visual perception, spatial perception, thinking operations and visuomotor organization.
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Objective:To analyze the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) Toujie Quwen granules in the treatment of coronavirs disease-2019(COVID-19) in the early stage, and its effect on relevant inflammatory index expression of COVID-19. Method:A total of 65 COVID-19 cases were diagnosed and divided into 2 groups: the treatment group (n=32) and the control group (n=33). Before and after treatment,TCM syndrome score,WBC,LYM,LYM%,NEU%,PCT,CRP and D-dimer were compared. Result:After 10 days of treatment,the TCM syndrome score of the treatment group was significantly reduced(P<0.05),while the absolute value of lymphocyte was up-regulated,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05), according to the inter-group comparison, there were statistically significant differences in the absolute value of LYM and NEU%(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in WBC count and LYM%. The levels of CRP,PCT and D-dimer in the two groups were reduced after treatment,with statistically significant differences between two groups (P<0.05). After treatment,the differences of CRP and PCT was statistically significant between both groups(P<0.05),but the difference in D-dimer was not statistically significant. There was no difference in the effect of chest CT examination between the both groups. Conclusion:The clinical syndrome and inflammatory particles of COVID-19 can be alleviated by early and timely use of Toujie Quwen granules.
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Rubus chingii Hu, a member of the rosaceae family, is extensively distributed in China and Japan. Its unripe fruits (Fupenzi in Chinese) have a long history of use as an herbal tonic in traditional Chinese medicine for treating various diseases commonly associated with kidney deficiency, and they are still in use today. Phytochemical investigations on the fruits and leaves of R. chingii indicate the presence of terpenoids, flavonoids, steroids, alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, phenolics, and organic acids. Extracts or active substances from this plant are reported to have various pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antifungal, antithrombotic, antiosteoporotic, hypoglycemic, and central nervous system-regulating effects. This review provides up-to-date information on the botanical characterizations, traditional usages, chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, toxicity, and quality control of R. chingii. Possible directions for future research are also briefly proposed. This review aims to supply fundamental data for the further study of R. chingii and contribute to the development of its clinical use.
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Aging leads to cognitive decline, including memory, attention, language and execution. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder closely related to age. Decreased cognitive function is one of its core symptoms. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been used in old healthy adults and AD patients to improve aging-related cognitive impairment. tDCS can improve memory (situational memory, semantic memory and working memory), language, error awareness and attentional functions in the old adults, which were influenced by many factors, such as education levels, stimulation parameters and individual task baseline scores, etc. For AD patients, tDCS may improve their cognitive function, which is influenced by the factors as anatomical differences, severity of disease, stimulation parameters and assessment tools, etc. Cognitive training combined with tDCS can further improve cognitive function in old adults and AD patients.
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Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a noninvasive and painless brain stimulation technique, can improve cognition and alleviate behavioral and psychological symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease through several mechanisms associated with neuronal plasticity, brain network, neurotransmitter, neurotrophic factors, and so on.