Effect of vestibular stimulation on spatial and verbal memory in college students.

BACKGROUND.: Excessive stress may have an adverse effect on learning and memory of students. It was reported that stimulation of the vestibular system enhances memory through its connections with the hippocampus, limbic system and neo cortex. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of vestibular stimulation in the modulation of memory in healthy human subjects. METHODS.: For this longitudinal follow-up study, we assessed spatial and verbal memory of participants followed by vestibular stimulation. A total of 240 healthy college students of 18-24 years, of either sex were selected after obtaining written consent from them. Participants were randomly assigned into four groups-control male and female group and vestibular male and female groups. Vestibular stimulation was administered by making the participants swing on a swing, according to their comfort (back to front direction) as standardized by previous methods. Spatial and verbal memory tests were used to assess memory. Data were analysed using two-way ANOVA followed by the Bonferroni post-hoc tests to compare differences between groups. RESULTS.: Baseline values of spatial and verbal memory scores were not significantly different between the control and intervention groups. Significant enhancement was observed in spatial memory following vestibular stimulation in males but not female subjects. Contrary to this, significant decrease in spatial memory was observed in both males and females due to pre-examination stress who did not receive any vestibular stimulation. Significant enhancement was observed in verbal memory scores in both males and females who received vestibular stimulation, whereas verbal memory was significantly decreased in males and females in the control groups during the pre-examination period. CONCLUSION.: Our study provides evidence to support vestibular stimulation as an efficient method to enhance memory and to prevent pre-examination associated stress-induced changes on memory. We recommend vestibular stimulation as a simple approach to improve verbal memory among students to cope with their pre-examination stress.

Controlled Vestibular Stimulation, Standardization Of A Physiological Method To Release Stress In College Students.

The present study was designed to standardize optimal vestibular stimulation and to investigate its impact on anxiety levels in college students. Vestibular stimulation was achieved by swinging on a swing (Back to front direction) and the participants were advised to adjust frequency, duration and intensity, according to comfort. Frequency, intensity and duration were recorded manually. The anxiety status was assessed by using Spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) before and after vestibular stimulation. It has been observed that the anxiety status was significantly decreased after vestibular stimulation. There is a need for future study with larger sample size to substantiate the therapeutic validity of vestibular stimulation as a physiological treatment for stress relief and stress related disorders among college students.

Effect of different forms of acute stress in the generation of reactive oxygen species in albino Wistar rats.

Stress is common for all organisms either in the form of eustress (beneficial) or as distress (harmful). Stress is highly diverse in present world and its effects in organisms are well studied. This study is a comparative effect of stress in the generation of reactive oxygen species in albino Wistar rats, which are seldom reported. Here animals were grouped into four and the test animals of each group were administered with any one of the following stress, namely forced swimming induced stress (FS), and noise induced stress (NS), immobilization stress (IS) and overcrowding stress (OS). After stress administration, serum cortisol was estimated as a bio marker of stress in the albino rats, and the liver homogenate were used to estimate superoxide dismutase (SOD) by using rat Elisa kit in the spectrophotometer. The data were processed with unpaired 't' test. The cortisol levels were found to be increased in a highly significant level (P < 0.001) in all the groups as compared to the normal control. And the stress level was found to be maximum in the FS group in comparison with other groups. The mean cortisol level in different stress groups such as FS, NS, IS and OS were found to be 4.15, 3.7, 3.63, 3.62 µ gm/dl respectively. Among all the stressed groups, the SOD level in the FS group were found to be increased in a highly significant level (P < 0.001) in comparison with normal control group. The SOD level in FS group was (30.75 U/mgm. protein) followed by OS (28.96), noise (28.88) and IS (28.77).

Mutation of the gene encoding cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein in autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa.

Inadequate levels of all-trans-retinol in the blood cause retinal dysfunction; hence, genes implicated in retinal vitamin-A metabolism represent candidates for inherited retinal degenerations. In the current study, molecular genetic analysis of a consanguineous pedigree segregating for non-syndromic autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP) indicated that the affected siblings were homozygous by descent for a G4763A nucleotide substitution in RLBP1, the gene encoding cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP). This substitution is predicted to replace an arginine with glutamine at residue 150. CRALBP is not expressed in photoreceptors but is abundant in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and Müller cells of the neuroretina, where it carries 11-cis-retinol and 11-cis-retinaldehyde. When expressed in bacteria, recombinant CRALBP (rCRALBP) containing the R150Q substitution was less soluble than wild-type rCRALBP. Mutant rCRALBP was purified from the soluble cell lysate and the protein structure was verified by mass spectrometry. The mutant protein lacked the ability to bind 11-cis-retinaldehyde. These findings suggest that arRP in the current pedigree results from a lack of functional CRALBP, presumably leading to disruption of retinal vitamin-A metabolism.

Effect of om chanting and yoga nidra on blood pressure and lipid profile in hypertension - A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension (HTN) is a major public health concern, and elevated blood pressure (BP) is a distinct risk factor for all - causes of morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVES: Considering the growing evidence of yoga interventions in the management of hypertension, the objective of the current randomized controlled study is to assess the effect of OM chanting and Yoga nidra (Relaxation technique) on BP and lipid profile in individuals with HTN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty patients with diagnosed HTN were recruited and randomized equally to either the experimental group or the control group. Patients in the experimental group received a combination of OM chanting and Yoga nidra, five days a week for a period of 2 months and patients in the control group continued with their regular conventional medications. BP and lipid profile parameters were assessed at baseline, 30th day and 60th day for both the groups. RESULTS: After 2 months of intervention, a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the BP and lipid profile was observed in the intervention group when compared to the control group. The reduction in systolic and diastolic BP and LDL were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in the experimental group. In addition, there is a significant increase in HDL levels in the experimental group. No adverse events were reported during the trial period. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrates the efficacy of Om chanting and Yoga nidra in reducing blood pressure and improving lipid profiles in patients with HTN. These particular yoga interventions could thus be considered a safer form of complementary therapy in the management of HTN, alongside conventional management. REGISTRATION: Clinical trial identifier- CTRI/2020/02/023400.

Biochemical effects of feeding soft drink and ethanol.

This work was undertaken to study whether consumption of alcoholic beverage mixed with soft drinks could reduce the metabolic effect caused by ethanol. When 24 hr fasted rats were intragastrically fed rum (with 40% ethanol) diluted (1:1) with water, 3.0 ml (0.5 g ethanol) per 100 g body weight and sacrificed 12 hr later in fasting condition, exhibited higher levels of triacyl glycerol, glucose, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL), aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in serum, higher levels of total cholesterol, triacyl glycerol and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in both liver and kidneys, and lower levels of serum albumin. When fasted rats were fed 3.0 ml soft drink (0.31 mg caffeine), they showed increased levels of triacyl glycerol, glucose, ALT and ALP in the serum, TBARS in liver and kidneys, triacyl glycerol and total cholesterol in kidneys and lower levels of serum albumin. Soft drink feeding did not reduce serum total cholesterol but reduced HDL levels. Also soft drink did not alter liver lipids. When a mixture of 1.5 ml diluted rum (0.25 g ethanol) and 1.5 ml soft drink (0.154 mg caffeine) were fed to the fasted rats, the serum parameters increased similar to rats fed rum only except that total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol were unaltered. TBARS in kidneys and liver were also increased but triacyl glycerol levels were not altered. Thus feeding ethanol with soft drink does not reduce the metabolic effects of ethanol but it will prevent ethanol induced serum HDL cholesterol rise.

Vestibular stimulation: A simple but effective intervention in diabetes care.

Despite the complexities of the relationship between vestibular stimulation and endocrine disorders being well known, research efforts to understand these complexities are lacking. Interestingly vestibular stimulation may potentially prevent/delay development/progression of diabetes. Here we review the science behind this concept and highlight the need for necessary translational research in this area. Current evidence supports the use of vestibular stimulation not only as a potential intervention to prevent or delay the development of diabetes mellitus in at-risk population, but also to use it as supplementary therapy for diabetic patients management. We urge clinicians to recommend vestibular stimulation by simple means like swing as a goal in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Homozygosity mapping of autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa locus (RP22) on chromosome 16p12.1-p12.3.

Autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP) is a genetically and clinically heterogeneous and progressive degenerative disorder of the retina, leading usually to severe visual handicap in adulthood. To date, disease loci/genes have been mapped/identified only in a minority of cases. DNA samples were collected from 20 large consanguineous Indian families, in which arRP segregated and that were suitable for homozygosity mapping of the disease locus. After excluding linkage to all known arRP loci, a genome-wide scan was initiated. In two families, homozygosity mapping, haplotype analysis, and linkage data mapped the disease locus (RP22) in an approximately 16-cM region between D16S287 and D16S420 on the proximal short arm of chromosome 16. No mutation has been found by direct sequencing in the gene (CRYM) encoding micron crystallin, which maps in the critical region.