Decreased Resting State Inter- and Intra-Network Functional Connectivity Is Associated with Perceived Stress in a Sample of University Students: An eLORETA Study.

INTRODUCTION: Although the study of the Triple Network (TN) model has gained attention in the exploration of stress-related processes, the neurophysiological mechanisms of TN in relation to perceived stress have been relatively understudied in nonclinical samples so far. The main objective of the present study was to investigate, in a sample of university students, the association of perceived stress with resting state electroencephalography (EEG) functional connectivity in the TN. METHODS: Ninety university students (40 males and 50 females; mean age 22.30 ± 2.43 years; mean educational level 16.60 ± 1.62 years) were enrolled. EEG data were analyzed through the exact low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (eLORETA). RESULTS: Higher levels of perceived stress were associated with decreased delta EEG connectivity within the central executive network (CEN) and between the CEN and the salience network (SN). Higher levels of perceived stress were also associated with decreased theta EEG connectivity between the CEN and the SN. The associations between perceived stress and EEG connectivity data were significant even when relevant confounding factors (i.e., sex, age, educational level, and psychopathological symptoms) were controlled for. DISCUSSION: Taken together, our results suggest that higher levels of perceived stress are associated with a dysfunctional synchronization within the CEN and between the SN and the CEN. This functional pattern might in part reflect the negative impact of high levels of perceived stress on cognitive functioning.

Open monitoring meditation alters the EEG gamma coherence in experts meditators: The expert practice exhibit greater right intra-hemispheric functional coupling.

AIM: This study investigated the differences in frontoparietal EEG gamma coherence between expert meditators (EM) and naïve meditators (NM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study with a sample of twenty-one healthy adults divided under two groups (experts meditators vs. naive-meditators), with analyzing the intra-hemispheric coherence of frontoparietal gamma oscillations by electroencephalography during the study steps: EEG resting-state 1, during the open presence meditation practice, and EEG resting-state 2. RESULTS: The findings demonstrated greater frontoparietal EEG coherence in gamma for experts meditators in the Fp1-P3, F4-P4, F8-P4 electrode pairs during rest 1 and rest 2 (p ≤ 0.0083). In addition, we evidenced differences in the frontoparietal EEG coherence for expert meditators in F4-P4, F8-P4 during the meditation (p ≤ 0.0083). CONCLUSION: Our results can support evidence that the connectivity of the right frontoparietal network acts as a biomarker of the enhanced Open monitoring meditation training.

Effects of Manual Therapies and Resistance Exercise on Postexercise Hypotension in Women With Normal Blood Pressure.

ABSTRACT: Monteiro, ER, Pescatello, LS, Winchester, JB, Corrêa Neto, VG, Brown, AF, Budde, H, Marchetti, PH, Silva, JG, Vianna, JM, and Novaes, JdS. Effects of manual therapies and resistance exercise on postexercise hypotension in women with normal blood pressure. J Strength Cond Res 36(4): 948-954, 2022-The purpose of this investigation was to examine the acute effects of resistance exercise (RE) and different manual therapies (static stretching and manual massage [MM]) performed separately or combined on blood pressure (BP) responses during recovery in women with normal BP. Sixteen recreationally strength-trained women (age: 25.1 ± 2.9 years; height: 158.9 ± 4.1 cm; body mass: 59.5 ± 4.9 kg; body mass index: 23.5 ± 1.9 kg·m-2; baseline systolic BP median: 128 mm Hg; and baseline diastolic BP median: 78 mm Hg) were recruited. All subjects performed 6 experiments in a randomized order: (a) rest control (CON), (b) RE only (RE), (c) static-stretching exercise only (SS), (d) MM only, (e) RE immediately followed by SS (RE + SS), and (f) RE immediately followed by MM (RE + MM). RE consisted of 3 sets of bilateral bench press, back squat, front pull-down, and leg press exercises at 80% of 10RM. Static stretching and MM were applied unilaterally in 2 sets of 120 seconds to each of the quadriceps, hamstring, and calf regions. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP were measured before (rest) and every 10 minutes for 60 minutes following (Post 10-60) each intervention. There were significant intragroup differences for RE in Post-50 (p = 0.038; d = -2.24; ∆ = -4.0 mm Hg). Similarly, SBP intragroup differences were found for the SS protocol in Post-50 (p = 0.021; d = -2.67; ∆ = -5.0 mm Hg) and Post-60 (p = 0.008; d = -2.88; ∆ = -5.0 mm Hg). Still, SBP intragroup differences were found for the MM protocol in Post-50 (p = 0.011; d = -2.61; ∆ = -4.0 mm Hg) and Post-60 (p = 0.011; d = -2.74; ∆ = -4.0 mm Hg). Finally, a single SBP intragroup difference was found for the RE + SS protocol in Post-60 (p = 0.024; d = -3.12; ∆ = -5.0 mm Hg). Practitioners should be aware that SS and MM have the potential to influence BP responses in addition to RE or by themselves and therefore should be taken into consideration for persons who are hypertensive or hypotensive.

In vivo brain levels of acetylcholine and 5-hydroxytryptamine after oleoylethanolamide or palmitoylethanolamide administrations are mediated by PPARα engagement.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) is a nuclear receptor that has been linked to the modulation of several physiological functions, including the sleep-wake cycle. The PPARα recognizes as endogenous ligands the lipids oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), which in turn, if systemically injected, they exert wake-promoting effects. Moreover, the activation of PPARα by the administration of OEA or PEA increases the extracellular contents of neurotransmitters linked to the control of wakefulness; however, the role of PPARα activated by OEA or PEA on additional biochemicals related to waking regulation, such as acetylcholine (ACh) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), has not been fully studied. Here, we have investigated the effects of treatments of OEA or PEA on the contents of ACh and 5-HT by using in vivo microdialysis techniques coupled to HPLC means. For this purpose, OEA or PEA were systemically injected (5, 10 or 30 mg/kg; i.p.), and the levels of ACh and 5-HT were collected from the basal forebrain, a wake-related brain area. These pharmacological treatments significantly increased the contents of ACh and 5-HT as determined by HPLC procedures. Interestingly, PPARα antagonist MK-886 (30 mg/kg; i.p.) injected before the treatments of OEA or PEA blocked these outcomes. Our data suggest that the activation of PPARα by OEA or PEA produces significant changes on ACh and 5-HT levels measured from the basal forebrain and support the conclusion that PPARα is a suitable molecular element involved in the regulation of wake-related neurotransmitters.

Event-related potential (P300): the effects of levetiracetam in cognitive performance.

BACKGROUND: The current study is a reanalysis in the time domain of EEG data collection in healthy adults during an oddball paradigm using levetiracetam (LEV) vs. placebo acute administration. Specifically, the event-related potential (ERP) technique provides a tool for exploring the EEG responses to a specific event/stimulus. One of the ERP components widely studied is the P300 component, which is associated with the last stage of information processing and a general measurement of "cognitive efficiency." METHODS: The sample was composed of thirteen healthy right-handed individuals randomized to participate under two conditions: LEV and placebo. Electrophysiological measures were collected before and after drug intake. We explored the oddball paradigm, which is commonly used with healthy individuals to investigate the stages of information processing. RESULTS: The electrophysiological results showed a main effect of condition on P300 amplitude for the frontal (F3, Fz, F4), central (C3, Cz, C4), and parietal electrodes (P3, Pz, P4). The post hoc comparisons (Scheffé's test) demonstrated the significant differences between electrodes. Regarding P300 latency, all regions represented a main effect of condition. A P300 latency reduction was observed during LEV condition compared with placebo. CONCLUSION: Our study observed the ERP component-P300-through the variation of its amplitude and latency to evaluate a supposed higher CNS efficiency when participants were under the LEV effect. Our findings sustain this premise, mainly due to reducing in P300 latency for the LEV condition, supporting the neural efficiency hypothesis.

Effects of chronic exercise on the inhibitory control of children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Inhibitory control is a main component of executive functions that relate to the ability to control prepotent responses and to resist interferences. Deficits in inhibitory control have been associated with numerous disorders, but exercise has become a promising approach to benefit this domain. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to provide synthesized information and effect size calculations of the benefits of chronic exercise interventions on the inhibitory control of healthy children and adolescents. A systematic search of PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, ERIC, SPORTDiscus, and PsycArticles identified 4166 articles to be screened for eligibility. A total of 10 studies (3138 participants) met the inclusion criteria. A random-effects analysis model was performed in three variables: accuracy, reaction time and combined scores. The results showed a very small but statistically significant effect in accuracy (d = 0.14, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.27, P =.04), and two almost null effects (statistically non-significant), in the reaction time (d = 0.03, 95% CI -0.10 to 0.16, P =.62) and the combined scores (d = 0.06, 95% CI -0.03 to 0.15, P =.17). Despite the high number of studies that reported positive outcomes, this meta-analysis found only modest benefits in the inhibitory control of healthy children and adolescents after they participated in different chronic exercise interventions. The strict inclusion criteria of this study and the high variability in the designs of the exercise interventions included, among other reasons, might explain the obtained results.

Natural Cannabinoids as Templates for Sleep Disturbances Treatments.

The sleep-wake cycle is a complex composition of specific physiological and behavioral characteristics. In addition, neuroanatomical, neurochemical and molecular systems exerts influences in the modulation of the sleep-wake cycle. Moreover, homeostatic and circadian mechanisms interact to control the waking or sleeping states. As many other behaviors, sleep also develops pathological features that include several signs and symptoms corresponding to medical conditions known as sleep disorders.In addition to the neurobiological mechanisms modulating sleep, external elements also influence the sleep-wake cycle, including the use of Cannabis sativa (C. sativa). In this regard, and over the last decades, the interest of studying the pharmacology of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the principal psychoactive constituent of C. sativa, has been addressed. Moreover, in recent years, the focus of scientific interest has moved on to studying the second plant constituent with non-psychotropic pharmacological properties: Cannabidiol (CBD).The pharmacological and pharmaceutical interest of CBD has been focus of attention due to the accumulating body of evidence regarding the positive outcomes of using CBD for the treatment of several health issues, such as psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, epilepsy, etc. Since the most prominent sleep disruptions include excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), current treatments include the use of drugs such as stimulants of antidepressants. Notwithstanding, side effects are commonly reported among the patients under prescription of these compounds. Thus, the search of novelty therapeutical approaches aimed to treat ESD may consider the use of cannabinoid-derived compounds, such as CBD. In this chapter, we will show experimental evidence regarding the potential role of CBD as a wake-inducing compound aimed to manage EDS.

Systemic Injections of Cannabidiol Enhance Acetylcholine Levels from Basal Forebrain in Rats.

Cannabis sativa is a plant that contains more than 500 components, of which the most studied are Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Several studies have indicated that CBD displays neurobiological effects, including wake promotion. Moreover, experimental evidence has shown that injections of CBD enhance wake-related compounds, such as monoamines (dopamine, serotonin, epinephrine, and norepinephrine). However, no clear evidence is available regarding the effects of CBD on additional wake-related neurochemicals such as acetylcholine (ACh). Here, we demonstrate that systemic injections of CBD (0, 5, 10 or 30 mg/kg, i.p.) at the beginning of the lights-on period, increase the extracellular levels of ACh collected from the basal forebrain and measured by microdialysis and HPLC means. Moreover, the time course effects on the contents of ACh were present 5 h post-injection of CBD. Altogether, these data demonstrate that CBD increases ACh levels in a brain region related to wake control. This study is the first to show the effects of ACh levels in CBD-treated rats and suggests that the basal forebrain might be a site of action of CBD for wakefulness modulation.

Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Anxiety Symptoms and Cortical Activity in Patients with Panic Disorder: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: The effects of the aerobic exercise on anxiety symptoms in patients with Panic Disorder (PD) remain unclear. Thus, the investigation of possible changes in EEG frontal asymmetry could contribute to understand the relationship among exercise, brain and anxiety. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the acute effects of aerobic exercise on the symptoms of anxiety and the chronic effects of aerobic exercise on severity and symptoms related to PD, besides the changes in EEG frontal asymmetry. METHODS: Ten PD patients were divided into two groups, Exercise Group (EG; n=5) and Control Group (CG; n=5), in a randomized allocation. At baseline and post-intervention, they submitted the psychological evaluation through Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), EEG frontal asymmetry, and maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max). On the second visit, the patients of EG being submitted to the aerobic exercise (treadmill, 25 minutes, and 50-55% of heart rate reserve) and the CG remained seated for the same period of time. Both groups submitted a psychological evaluation with Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) at baseline, immediately after (Post-0), and after 10 minutes of the rest pause (Post-10). The patients performed 12 sessions of aerobic exercise with 48-72 hours of interval between sessions. RESULTS: In EG, SUDS increased immediately after exercise practice and showed chronic decrease in BAI and BDI-II as well as increased in VO2max (Post-intervention). CONCLUSION: Aerobic exercise can promote increase in anxiety acutely and regular aerobic exercise promotes reduction in anxiety levels.

Relationship Among Body Image, Anthropometric Parameters and Mental Health in Physical Education Students.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of body image dissatisfaction (BID) is currently high. Given that psychological well-being is associated with the body measurements imposed by esthetic standards, BID is an important risk factor for mental disorders. OBJECTIVE: Identify the prevalence of BID, and compare anthropometric and mental health parameters between individuals satisfied and dissatisfied with their body image. METHOD: A total of 140 university students completed the silhouette scale to screen for BID. Anthropometric measures, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and body fat percentage (BFP) were used. To investigate mental health, The State-Trait Anxiety Inventories (STAI-S and STAI-T), Profile of Mood States (POMS) scale and Quality of Life (QOL-36) questionnaire were used to investigate mental health. The Student's t-test was applied to compare anthropometric and mental health parameters. RESULTS: 67.1% of university students exhibited BID. There was a significant difference (p = 0.041) in BF and WC (p = 0.048) between dissatisfied and satisfied individuals. With respect to mood states, significant differences were observed for anger (p = 0.014), depression (p = 0.011), hostility (p = 0.006), fatigue (p = 0.013), mental confusion (p = 0.021) and total mood disturbance (TMD) (p = 0.001). The mental aspect of QOL was significantly higher (p = 0.001) in satisfied university students compared to their dissatisfied counterparts. CONCLUSION: BID was high and it seems to be influenced by anthropometric measures related to the amount and distribution of body fat. This dissatisfaction may have a negative effect on the quality of life and mood state of young adults.

Acute Affective Responses and Frontal Electroencephalographic Asymmetry to Prescribed and Self-selected Exercise.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to compare affective responses and frontal electroencephalographic alpha asymmetry induced by prescribed exercise (PE) and self-selected exercise (SS). METHOD: Twenty active participants underwent a submaximal exercise test to estimate maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max). Participants enrolled a cross-over randomized study where each participant completed three conditions: PE (50%PVO2max), SS and Control. The electroencephalography was performed before and after exercise. The feeling scale, felt arousal scale and heart rate were recorded before, during and after each condition. The ratings of perceived exertion were recorded during and after each condition. RESULTS: The heart rate and ratings of perceived exertion showed higher values in the PE and SS conditions compared to controls, with no differences between the PE and SS conditions. For the feeling scale, the SS presented higher values compared to the PE and Control conditions. The felt arousal scale presented higher values in the PE and SS conditions compared to control. There was no interaction between condition and moment, or main effect for condition and moment for frontal alpha asymmetry (InF4-InF3). CONCLUSION: The SS provided better affective responses compared to PE, thus can consider self-selected intensity as an appropriate option. In general, no frontal alpha asymmetry was seen due to an exercise intervention.

Comparative study of subcortical atrophy in patients with frontotemporal dementia and dementia with extrapyramidal signs.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the severity of subcortical atrophy in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) without extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) and dementia with EPS. In addition, we aim to verify if there is correlation between demographic and clinical characteristics and subcortical atrophy in the groups. Methodology : The sample was composed of 21 patients with dementia and EPS as well as 19 patients with FTD without EPS. A linear assessment was conducted in order to identify the degree of subcortical atrophy (i.e., bifrontal index - BFI) using MRI. Moreover, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) and the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) were used to investigate clinical aspects. Results : It was verified that patients with dementia and EPS was older than the patients with FTD (p=0.01). The severity of cognitive deficits was associated with BFI, as well as the dementia severity in the EPS group. Conclusion : FTD group presented mean BFI scores above the cutoff for normal elderly population, indicating the presence of subcortical atrophy in this group. Mean BFI was higher (although not statistically significant) in FTD group than in dementia with EPS, which can suggest at least that subcortical pathology in FTD may be as important as in the dementia with EPS group. Subcortical atrophy is a good biological marker for cognitive deterioration in FTD and in dementia with EPS.

Physical activity interventions in schools for improving lifestyle in European countries.

BACKGROUND: In the last decades, children's and adolescents' obesity and overweight have increased in European Countries. Unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyle have been recognized to determine such an epidemic. Schools represent an ideal setting to modify harmful behaviors, and physical activity could be regarded as a potential way to avoid the metabolic risks related to obesity. Methods : A systematic review of the literature was carried out to summarize the evidence of school-based interventions aimed to promote, enhance and implement physical activity in European schools. Only randomized controlled trials were included, carried out in Europe from January 2000 to April 2014, universally delivered and targeting pupils aged between 3 and 18 years old. Results : Forty-seven studies were retrieved based either on multicomponent interventions or solely physical activity programs. Most aimed to prevent obesity and cardiovascular risks among youths. While few studies showed a decrease in BMI, positive results were achieved on other outcomes, such as metabolic parameters and physical fitness. Conclusion : Physical activity in schools should be regarded as a simple, non-expensive and enjoyable way to reach all the children and adolescents with adequate doses of moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Enhance range-of-motion and hypotensive effect in elderly submitted to three manual therapy techniques: Cross-over study.

The present study has two objectives: 1) to verify the effect of Maitland mobilization, manual massage (MM), and static stretching (SS) on the acute range-of-motion (ROM) responses, over 30 min, in the elderly; 2) to verify the effect of Maitland's mobilization, MM, and SS on blood pressure (BP) responses, over 60 min, in the elderly. Sixteen inactive elderly men were recruited. After familiarization, all subjects performed the experimental conditions throughout four remaining sessions. Each session included two baselines ROM measures in randomized order. After baseline, participants completed the control group, Maitland, MM, and SS conditions and retesting immediately (Post-0) e again throughout 30-min following intervention. All conditions increased ankle, hip, and shoulder ROM for at least 10-min post-intervention. Systolic BP hypotensive effects were found for all experimental protocols when compared to baseline values. In conclusion, it was observed that Maitland, MM, and SS conditions enhance ROM and promote hypotensive effect post-intervention. These results have a practical prescription and rehabilitation implications and may be used in the elderly population, since a movement limitation can be treated by global interventions in a non-limited, as well as promoting cardiovascular protection through the hypotensive effects in the same experimental session.

Decrease in reaction time for volleyball athletes during saccadic eye movement task: A preliminary study with evoked potentials.

AIM: This preliminary study investigated the differences in event-related potential and reaction time under two groups (athletes vs. non-athletes). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The P300 was analyzed for Fz, Cz, and Pz electrodes in thirty-one healthy volunteers divided into two groups (volleyball athletes and non-athletes). In addition, the participants performed a saccadic eye movement task to measure reaction time. RESULTS: The EEG analysis showed that the athletes, in comparison to the no-athletes, have differences in the P300 in the frontal area (p = 0.021). In relation to reaction time, the results show lower reaction time for athletes (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The volleyball athletes may present a greater allocation of attention during the execution of the inhibition task, since they have a lower reaction time for responses when compared to non-athletes.

Absolute beta power in exercisers and nonexercisers in preparation for the oddball task.

BACKGROUND: High levels of physical conditioning are associated with improvements in cognitive performance. In this sense, electroencephalographic (ECG) correlates are used to investigate the enhancing role of physical exercise on executive functions. Oscillations in the ß frequency range are proposed to be evident during sensorimotor activity. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ECG changes influenced by aerobic and resistance exercises performed in an attention task by analyzing the differences in absolute ß power in the prefrontal and frontal regions before, during, and after the oddball paradigm in practitioners and nonpractitioners of physical exercise. METHODS: There were 15 physical activity practitioners (aged 27 ± 4.71) and 15 nonpractitioners (age 28 ± 1.50) recruited. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was implemented to observe the main effect and the interaction between groups and moments (rest 1, pre-stimulus, and rest 2). RESULTS: An interaction between group and moment factors was observed for Fp1 (p < 0.001); Fp2 (p = 0.001); F7 (p < 0.001); F8 (p < 0.001); F3 (p < 0.001); Fz (p < 0.001); and F4 (p < 0.001). Electrophysiological findings clarified exercisers' specificity and neural efficiency in each prefrontal and frontal subarea. CONCLUSION: Our findings lend support to the current understanding of the cognitive processes underlying physical exercise and provide new evidence on the relationship between exercise and cortical activity.

ANTECEDENTES: Níveis elevados de condicionamento físico estão associados a melhorias no desempenho cognitivo. Nesse sentido, correlatos eletroencefalográficos são utilizados na investigação do papel aprimorador do exercício físico sobre as funções executivas. Tem sido proposto que as oscilações na faixa de frequência ß são evidenciadas durante a atividade sensório-motora. OBJETIVO: Investigar as alterações eletroencefalográficas influenciadas por exercícios aeróbio e resistido realizados em uma tarefa atencional analisando as diferenças da potência absoluta de ß nas regiões pré-frontal e frontal antes, na preparação e depois do paradigma oddball em praticantes e não praticantes de exercício físico. MéTODOS: Foram recrutados 15 praticantes de atividade física (idade 27 ± 4.71) e 15 não praticantes (idade 28 ± 1.50). Uma análise de variância (ANOVA) de duas vias foi implementada para observação do efeito principal e a interação entre os grupos e os momentos (repouso 1, pré-estímulo e repouso 2). RESULTADOS: Uma interação entre os fatores grupo e momento para Fp1 (p < 0,001); Fp2 (p = 0,001); F7 (p < 0,001); F8 (p < 0,001); F3 (p < 0,001); Fz (p < 0,001); e F4 (p < 0,001) foi observada. Os achados eletrofisiológicos esclareceram a especificidade e a eficiência neural dos praticantes de exercício físico em cada subárea pré-frontal e frontal. CONCLUSãO: Nossos achados promovem o entendimento atual dos processos cognitivos subjacentes ao exercício físico e acrescentam novas evidências sobre a relação exercício e atividade cortical.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) to Treat Social Anxiety Disorder: Case Reports and a Review of the Literature.

OBJECTIVES: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common and debilitating anxiety disorders. However, few studies had been dedicated to the neurobiology underlying SAD until the last decade. Rates of non-responders to standard methods of treatment remain unsatisfactorily high of approximately 25%, including SAD. Advances in our understanding of SAD could lead to new treatment strategies. A potential non invasive therapeutic option is repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Thus, we reported two cases of SAD treated with rTMS Methods: The bibliographical search used Pubmed/Medline, ISI Web of Knowledge and Scielo databases. The terms chosen for the search were: anxiety disorders, neuroimaging, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. RESULTS: In most of the studies conducted on anxiety disorders, except SAD, the right prefrontal cortex (PFC), more specifically dorsolateral PFC was stimulated, with marked results when applying high-rTMS compared with studies stimulating the opposite side. However, according to the "valence hypothesis", anxiety disorders might be characterized by an interhemispheric imbalance associated with increased right-hemispheric activity. With regard to the two cases treated with rTMS, we found a decrease in BDI, BAI and LSAS scores from baseline to follow-up. CONCLUSION: We hypothesize that the application of low-rTMS over the right medial PFC (mPFC; the main structure involved in SAD circuitry) combined with high-rTMS over the left mPFC, for at least 4 weeks on consecutive weekdays, may induce a balance in brain activity, opening an attractive therapeutic option for the treatment of SAD.

The Endocannabinoid System as a Biomarker for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications in Depression and Anxiety.

BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety belong to a family of mental disturbances that have increased significantly in recent years. The etiology of both disorders comprises multiple and complex factors, from genetic background to environmental influence. Since depression and anxiety present severe symptoms, they represent a greater clinical burden and greater therapeutic difficulty. Currently, standardized diagnostic procedures for depression and anxiety allow for the addition of further treatments, including psychotherapy and/or pharmacological intervention, with effective outcomes. However, further steps should be considered with regard to consideration of the endocannabinoid system's role in depression and anxiety. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to review the evidence from animal research and clinical studies on the role of cannabinoid receptors, the major endocannabinoids -anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG)- and the enzymes related to the synthesis and degradation of these chemicals as putative biomarkers for diagnostic and therapeutic elements of depression and anxiety. METHODS: This review included the online search, identification, and analysis of articles (basic and clinical trials) published in English in PubMed linked to the role of cannabinoid receptors, AEA, 2- AG, and the enzymes associated with the synthesis and degradation of these endocannabinoids in depression and anxiety. RESULTS: The neurobiological relevance of the endocannabinoid system offers genetic or pharmacological manipulation of this system as a potential strategy for the diagnostic and clinical management of mood disorders, including depression and anxiety. CONCLUSION: Although the described approach in this review is promising, no solid evidence is yet available, and along with additional experiments using animal models that mimic human depression and anxiety, clinical trials are needed to explore the role of the endocannabinoid system's elements as well as the anandamide membrane transporter, none of which have been adequately studied in depression and anxiety.

Differences between hemispheres and in saccade latency regarding volleyball athletes and non-athletes during saccadic eye movements: an analysis using EEG.

BACKGROUND: The saccadic eye movement is responsible for providing focus to a visual object of interest to the retina. In sports like volleyball, identifying relevant targets quickly is essential to a masterful performance. The training improves cortical regions underlying saccadic action, enabling more automated processing in athletes. OBJECTIVE: We investigated changes in the latency during the saccadic eye movement and the absolute theta power on the frontal and prefrontal cortices during the execution of the saccadic eye movement task in volleyball athletes and non-athletes. We hypothesized that the saccade latency and theta power would be lower due to training and perceptual-cognitive enhancement in volleyball players. METHODS: We recruited 30 healthy volunteers: 15 volleyball athletes (11 men and 4 women; mean age: 15.08 ± 1.06 years) and 15 non-athletes (5 men and 10 women; mean age: 18.00 ± 1.46 years). All tasks were performed simultaneously with electroencephalography signal recording. RESULTS: The latency of the saccadic eye movement presented a significant difference between the groups; a shorter time was observed among the athletes, associated with the players' superiority in terms of attention level. During the experiment, the athletes observed a decrease in absolute theta power compared to non-athletes on the electrodes of each frontal and prefrontal area. CONCLUSION: In the present study, we observed the behavior of reaction time and absolute theta power in athletes and non-athletes during a saccadic movement task. Our findings corroborate the premise of cognitive improvement, mainly due to the reduction of saccadic latency and lower beta power, validating the neural efficiency hypothesis.

ANTECEDENTES: O movimento ocular sacádico é responsável por dar foco a um objeto visual de interesse para a retina. Em esportes como o vôlei, identificar alvos relevantes o mais rápido possível é essencial para se ter um desempenho magistral. O treinamento melhora as regiões corticais subjacentes à ação sacádica, e permite um processamento mais automatizado em atletas. OBJETIVO: Investigamos as mudanças na latência durante o movimento ocular sacádico e a potência teta absoluta nos córtices frontal e pré-frontal durante a execução da tarefa de movimento ocular sacádico em atletas e não atletas de voleibol. Nossa hipótese é a de que a latência sacádica e a potência teta seriam menores em atletas devido ao treinamento e ao aprimoramento perceptivo-cognitivo em jogadores de voleibol. MéTODOS: Ao todo, 30 voluntários saudáveis foram recrutados para este estudo: 15 atletas de voleibol (11 homens e 4 mulheres; idade média: 15,08 ± 1,06 anos) e 15 não atletas (5 homens e 10 mulheres; idade média: 18,00 ± 1,46 anos). Todas as tarefas foram realizadas simultaneamente com o registro do sinal eletroencefalográfico. RESULTADOS: O resultado da latência do movimento ocular sacádico apresentou diferença significativa entre os grupos, sendo observado menor tempo entre os atletas, associado à superioridade dos jogadores em termos de nível de atenção. Durante o experimento, nos eletrodos de cada área frontal e pré-frontal, observou-se uma diminuição na potência teta absoluta nos atletas em comparação aos não atletas. CONCLUSãO: Neste estudo, observou-se o comportamento do tempo de reação e da potência teta absoluta em atletas e não atletas durante uma tarefa de movimento sacádico. Nossos achados corroboram a premissa de melhora cognitiva, principalmente pela redução da latência sacádica e menor potência beta, o que valida a hipótese de eficiência neural.