Volumetric alterations in the basal ganglia in autism Spectrum disorder: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Recent research indicates that some brain structures show alterations in conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Among them, are the basal ganglia that are involved in motor, cognitive and behavioral neural circuits. OBJECTIVE: Review the literature that describes possible volumetric alterations in the basal ganglia of individuals with ASD and the impacts that these changes have on the severity of the condition. METHODOLOGY: This systematic review was registered in the design and reported according to the PRISMA Items and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023394787). The study analyzed data from published clinical, case-contemplate, and cohort trials. The following databases were consulted: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, using the Medical Subject Titles (MeSH) "Autism Spectrum Disorder" and "Basal Ganglia". The last search was carried out on February 28, 2023. RESULTS: Thirty-five eligible articles were collected, analyzed, and grouped according to the levels of alterations. CONCLUSION: The present study showed important volumetric alterations in the basal ganglia in ASD. However, the examined studies have methodological weaknesses that do not allow generalization and correlation with ASD manifestations.

Fatores de risco para a Síndrome de burnout em enfermeiros de um hospital público de Mossoró/RN, Brasil / Risk factors for burnout syndrome in nurses at a public hospital in Mossoró/RN, Brazil

Objetivo: Avaliar os fatores de risco para o aparecimento da Síndrome de burnout em enfermeiros trabalhadores do Hospital Regional Tarcísio de Vasconcelos Maia em Mossoró/RN. Métodos: Estudo exploratório, descritivo, quantitativo e transversal com 119 enfermeiros de março a setembro de 2022. Os dados foram coletados a partir da aplicação de um formulário com informações sócio-organizacionais e do Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, contendo 19 itens que refletem o burnout profissional em uma escala categorizada como burnout baixo, intermediário e alto. Resultados: A maioria dos entrevistados era do sexo feminino (81%), com média de 36,4 anos de idade, casada (70%), com especialização na área (74%) e dois empregos (59%). Identificou-se maior prevalência de níveis elevados de burnout pessoal (44%) e níveis intermediários de burnoutrelacionado ao trabalho (52%) e relacionado ao cliente (50%). Houve forte correlação positiva entre número de vínculos empregatícios para as dimensões burnout pessoal (r = 0,74; p = 0,03) e relacionado ao trabalho (r = 0,81; p = 0,02), forte correlação positiva entre carga horária de trabalho e burnout pessoal (r = 0,68; p = 0,04) e moderada correlação positiva entre carga horária de trabalho e burnout relacionado ao trabalho (r = 0,53; p = 0,04). Conclusões: A exposição a jornadas de trabalho prolongadas resultou em aumento dos níveis de exaustão física e psíquica nos enfermeiros, interferindo negativamente nos aspectos profissionais e pessoais. Estudos futuros focando em estratégias para garantir uma melhor condição de trabalho ao enfermeiro são necessários, visando proporcionar uma melhor saúde ocupacional aos trabalhadores

Objective: To evaluate the risk factors for the onset of burnout syndrome in nursing workers at the Hospital Regional Tarcísio de Vasconcelos Maia in Mossoró/RN. Methods: Exploratory, descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional study with 119 nurses from March to September 2022. Data were collected from the application of a form with socio-organizational information and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, containing 19 items that reflect the professional burnout on a scale categorized as low, intermediate and high burnout. Results: Most respondents were female (81%), with an average age of 36.4 years, married (70%), with specialization in the area (74%) and two jobs (59%). A higher prevalence of high levels of personal burnout (44%) and intermediate levels of work-related (52%) and client-related burnout (50%) were identified. There was a strong positive correlation between the number of employment relationships for the personal burnout (r = 0.74; p = 0.03) and work-related (r = 0.81; p = 0.02) dimensions, a strong positive correlation between load hours of work and personal burnout (r = 0.68; p = 0.04) and a moderate positive correlation between workload and work-related burnout (r = 0.53; p = 0.04). Conclusions: Exposure to long working hours resulted in increased levels of physical and mental exhaustion in nurses, negatively interfering with professional and personal aspects. Future studies focusing on strategies to ensure a better working condition for nurses are needed, aiming to provide better occupational health for workers. Keywords: Burnout syndrome; Occupational stress; Nursing

Adult human neural cells in culture following traumatic brain injury

Objective: The present study aims to evaluate the viability of adult human neural cells in culture obtained from traumatized brain tissues collected in emergency surgery procedures. Methods: Exploratory, descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional study evaluating samples obtained from patients who underwent traumatic brain injury with extrusion of brain tissue submitted to cell culture in a standardized medium, being preserved during 168h. After observation under phase contrast microscopy and immunohistochemical processing for neuronal (MAP-2) and glial (GFAP) markers, morphometric parameters of neural cells (cell body area, dendritic field length and fractal dimension) were evaluated using ImageJ software, with data obtained after 24, 72 and 168h being compared using non-parametric Kruskal Wallis test, followed by Dunn's post hoc test. Results: The explant of the nervous tissue revealed a consolidated pattern of cell migration into the culture medium. Cell proliferation, upon reaching confluence, presented an aspect of cellular distribution juxtaposed along the culture medium at all time points analyzed. Both neurons and glial cells remained viable after 168h in culture, with their morphologies not varying significantly throughout the time points evaluated. Immunohistochemistry for MAP-2 showed a relatively well-preserved cytoskeletal organization. GFAP immunoreactivity revealed activated astrocytes especially at the later time point. Conclusions: Our results point out the viability of cell culture from traumatized human nervous tissue, opening up perspectives for the use of substances of natural origin that may contribute neuroprotectively to neuronal maintenance in culture, allowing future translational approach.

Cellular and Molecular Pathophysiology of Traumatic Brain Injury: What Have We Learned So Far?

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of long-lasting morbidity and mortality worldwide, being a devastating condition related to the impairment of the nervous system after an external traumatic event resulting in transitory or permanent functional disability, with a significant burden to the healthcare system. Harmful events underlying TBI can be classified into two sequential stages, primary and secondary, which are both associated with breakdown of the tissue homeostasis due to impairment of the blood-brain barrier, osmotic imbalance, inflammatory processes, oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, and apoptotic cell death, ultimately resulting in a loss of tissue functionality. The present study provides an updated review concerning the roles of brain edema, inflammation, excitotoxicity, and oxidative stress on brain changes resulting from a TBI. The proper characterization of the phenomena resulting from TBI can contribute to the improvement of care, rehabilitation and quality of life of the affected people.

Aerobic Physical Training Attenuates Oxidative Stress in the Spinal Cord of Adult Rats Induced by Binge-like Ethanol Intake.

Binge drinking is the most frequent consumption pattern among young adults and remarkably changes the central nervous system; thus, research on strategies to protect it is relevant. This study aimed to investigate the detrimental effects of binge-like EtOH intake on the spinal cord of male rats and the potential neuroprotective effects provided by moderate-intensity aerobic physical training. Male Wistar rats were distributed into the 'control group', 'training group', 'EtOH group', and 'training + EtOH'. The physical training protocol consisted of daily 30-min exercise on a treadmill for 5 consecutive days followed by 2 days off during 4 weeks. After the fifth day of each week, distilled water ('control group' and 'training group') or 3 g/kg of EtOH diluted at 20% w/v ('EtOH group' and 'training + EtOH group') was administered for 3 consecutive days through intragastric gavage to simulate compulsive consumption. Spinal cord samples were collected for oxidative biochemistry and morphometric analyses. The binge-like EtOH intake induced oxidative and tissue damage by decreasing reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, increasing lipid peroxidation (LPO), and reducing motor neurons (MN) density in the cervical segment. Even under EtOH exposure, physical training maintained GSH levels, reduced LPO, and prevented MN reduction at the cervical segment. Physical training is a non-pharmacological strategy to neuroprotect the spinal cord against oxidative damage induced by binge-like EtOH intake.

Physical exercise and flaxseed oil supplementation influence the glial plasticity in the rat hippocampus.

Brain benefits from physical exercise associated with antioxidant supplements such as flaxseed oil. This low cost and simple association may improve hippocampal plasticity, which may work as a preventive and effective therapy in neuroprotection and neuroplasticity processes. This work evaluated the effects of physical exercise with flaxseed oil supplementation (Linum usitatissimum L.) in the hippocampus of Wistar rats. We separated male Wistar rats into four experimental groups: control group (sedentary), a sedentary group with a supplemental diet of flaxseed oil, a group under exercise program with flaxseed oil supplementation, and a group exclusively under exercise program. The swimming exercise consisted of a progressive 28­day protocol followed by behavioral assessment, brain perfusion, microtomy, immunohistochemistry for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), cellular morphology, and optical density analysis. We used the ANOVA test with Tukey's post­test for behavioral analysis. The exercise program with flaxseed oil supplementation was able to alter the GFAP expression in astrocytes in the CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus regions of the hippocampus and modulate the behavioral aspects of memory and anxiety.

Neurobiological effects of forced swim exercise on the rodent hippocampus: a systematic review.

Forced swimming is a common exercise method used for its low cost and easy management, as seen in studies with the hippocampus. Since it is applied for varied research purposes many protocols are available with diverse aspects of physical intensity, time and periodicity, which produces variable outcomes. In the present study, we performed a systematic review to stress the neurobiological effects of forced swim exercise on the rodent hippocampus. Behavior, antioxidant levels, neurotrophins and inflammatory markers were the main topics examined upon the swimming effects. Better results among these analyses were associated with forced exercise at moderate intensity with an adaptation period and the opposite for continuous exhausting exercises with no adaptation. On further consideration, a standard swimming protocol is necessary to reduce variability of results for each scenario investigated about the impact of the forced swimming on the hippocampus.Forced swimming is a common exercise method used for its low cost and easy management, as seen in studies with the hippocampus. Since it is applied for varied research purposes many protocols are available with diverse aspects of physical intensity, time and periodicity, which produces variable outcomes. In the present study, we performed a systematic review to stress the neurobiological effects of forced swim exercise on the rodent hippocampus. Behavior, antioxidant levels, neurotrophins and inflammatory markers were the main topics examined upon the swimming effects. Better results among these analyses were associated with forced exercise at moderate intensity with an adaptation period and the opposite for continuous exhausting exercises with no adaptation. On further consideration, a standard swimming protocol is necessary to reduce variability of results for each scenario investigated about the impact of the forced swimming on the hippocampus.