Muscle memory

Caffeine and anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are commonly used to improve muscle mass and athletic performance. Nandrolone Decanoate (ND) is one of the most abused AAS worldwide, leading to behavioral changes in both humans and rodents. Caffeine, the most widely consumed psychostimulant globally, is present in various thermogenic and gym supplements. Low and moderate doses of caffeine antagonize adenosine receptors and have been linked to improved memory and pain relief. We have previously demonstrated that consuming caffeine prevents the risk-taking behavior triggered by nandrolone...

BACKGROUND: Skeletal muscle is the main source of circulating irisin, both at rest and during physical activity. Previous studies have suggested that irisin can improve cognitive abilities. AIMS: We explored whether six months of Tai Chi (TC) practice can modulate such a relationship in healthy older persons. METHODS: This is a prospective clinical study to evaluate the effects of TC practice as compared with low intensity exercise (LI) and no exercise (NE) control groups on plasmatic irisin levels and cognitive performance...

A thermoregulatory decline occurs with age due to changes in muscle mass, vasoconstriction, and metabolism that lowers core body temperature (Tc). Although lower Tc is a biomarker of successful aging, we have previously shown this worsens cognitive performance in the APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) [1]. We hypothesized that elevating Tc with thermotherapy would improve metabolism and cognition in APP/PS1 mice. From 6-12 months of age, male and female APP/PS1 and C57BL/6 mice were chronically housed at 23 or 30°C...

CONTEXT: Rehabilitation after an anterior cruciate ligament injury is recommended to be started soon after the injury. When surgery is required, research supports the delivery of physiotherapy before anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (prehabilitation) to optimize recovery and positive outcomes. Individuals attending prehabilitation have never been questioned regarding their adherence to prehabilitation, perception of utility in meeting needs, upcoming events, or anticipated recovery goals...

INTRODUCTION: Long COVID patients experience a decrease in their quality of life due to the symptomatology produced by the disease. It is also important to understand how long COVID affects both men and women. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of long COVID symptomatology on the quality of life of Spanish adults from a gender perspective. METHODS: An observational and cross-sectional study was carried out. Participants were able to complete an online questionnaire using an online platform...

To evaluate the effect of 16 weeks of different aerobic activity on physical fitness and executive functions in primary school students. 90 right-handed students from China (Boys = 46; Girls = 44) participated in our study and were randomly separated into four groups: 20 in the control group (Con), 23 in the physical activity group (PA), 25 in the intellectual activity group (IA), 22 in the physical activity and intellectual activity group (PA + IA). The students in PA, IA and PA + IA group received aerobic exercise program lasted 40 min daily, 4 days a week for 16 weeks, regular physical activity in the PA group, intellectual activity in the IA group, physical activity couple with intellectual activity in the PA + IA group, respectively...

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), characterized by elevated homocysteine (Hcy) levels, is a known risk factor for cardiovascular, renal, and neurological diseases, as well as pregnancy complications. Our study aimed to investigate whether HHcy induced by a high-methionine (high-Met) diet exacerbates cognitive and behavioral deficits in offspring and leads to other breeding problems. Dietary HHcy was induced four weeks before mating and continued throughout gestation and post-delivery. A battery of behavioral tests was conducted on offspring between postnatal days (PNDs) 5 and 30 to assess motor function/activity and cognition...

INTRODUCTION: The problem of post-COVID symptoms is still being analysed. Many of them may be related to other conditions, but the new appearance and greater intensity of some of them, e.g. fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and neuropathic pain, seem to be related to a previous viral infection. Efforts are being made to determine in more detail the most characteristic symptoms of post-COVID syndrome. The conditions of rehabilitation after COVID-19 provide an opportunity for such observations...

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies are a heterogeneous group of rare autoimmune disorders characterized by progressive muscle weakness and the histopathologic findings of inflammatory infiltrates in muscle tissue. Although their pathogenesis remains indefinite, the association of autoantibodies with clinical manifestations and the evidence of high effectiveness of depleting therapies suggest that B cells could be implicated. Therefore, we explored the landscape of peripheral B cells in this disease by multiparametric flow cytometry, finding significant numerical decreases in memory and double negative subsets, as well as an expansion of the naïve compartment relative to healthy controls, that contribute to defining disease-associated B cell subset signatures and correlating with different clinical features of patients...

BACKGROUND: Health-care providers and front-line workers are at risk of contracting Ebola virus disease during an Ebola virus outbreak and consequently of becoming drivers of the disease. We aimed to assess the long-term immunogenicity of the Ad26.ZEBOV, MVA-BN-Filo vaccine regimen and the safety of and immune memory response to an Ad26.ZEBOV booster vaccination at 1 year or 2 years after the first dose in this at-risk population. METHODS: This open-label, single-centre, randomised, phase 2 trial was conducted at one study site within a hospital in Boende, Democratic Republic of the Congo...

Aiming to provide a feasible crawling motion analysis method for clinical application, this study introduced electromyography (EMG)-based motion intention recognition technology into the pattern recognition of inter-limb coordination during human crawling for the first time. Eight inter-limb coordination modes (ILCMs) were defined. Ten adult participants were recruited, and each participant performed hands-knees crawling at low, medium, and fast speeds in self-selected ILCMs and the eight predefined ILCMs, respectively...

This research introduces an advanced robotic finger designed for future generalist robots, closely mimicking the natural structure of the human finger. The incorporation of rarely discussed anatomical structures, including tendon sheath, ligaments, and palmar plates, combined with the usage of anatomically proven 3D models of the finger, give rise to the highly accurate replication of human-like soft mechanical fingers. Benefiting from the accurate anatomy of muscle insertions with the utilization of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wires' muscle-like actuation properties, the bonding in-between the flexor tendons and extensor tendons allows for the realization of the central and lateral band of the finger anatomy...

Biological species can walk, swim, fly, jump, and climb with fast response speeds and motion complexity. These remarkable functions are accomplished by means of soft actuation organisms, which are commonly composed of muscle tissue systems. To achieve the creation of their biomimetic artificial counterparts, various biomimetic stimuli-responsive materials have been synthesized and developed in recent decades. They can respond to various external stimuli in the form of structural or morphological transformations by actively or passively converting input energy into mechanical energy...

Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs), particularly (17α,20E)-17,20-[(1-methoxyethylidene)bis(oxy)]-3-oxo-19-norpregna-4,20-diene-21-carboxylic-acid-methyl-ester (YK11), are increasingly popular among athletes seeking enhanced performance. Serving as an Androgen Receptor (AR) agonist, YK11 stimulates muscle growth while inhibiting myostatin. Our study delved into the impact of YK11 on the rat hippocampus, analyzing potential alterations in neurochemical mechanisms and investigating its synergistic effects with exercise (EXE), based on the strong relationship between SARM users and regular exercise...

BACKGROUND: Low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) is a post-proctectomy consequence characterized by variable and unpredictable bowel function, including clustering, urgency, and incontinence, which significantly impacts the quality of life. Currently, there is no established gold-standard therapy for LARS. PRIMARY STUDY OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Paula method of exercise as part of an integrative treatment approach for patients with LARS...

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) with rapid postnatal catch-up growth is strongly associated with pulmonary vascular dysfunction in adulthood, whereas IUGR with delayed growth in early postnatal life results in long-term brain deficits. In the present study, it was hypothesized that IUGR with early moderate catch-up growth may alleviate pulmonary vascular remodeling in adulthood without affecting memory function. An IUGR model was established by restricting maternal nutrition during pregnancy. Different growth patterns were achieved by adjusting the litter size in each group during lactation...

INTRODUCTION: With the prolongation of the COVID-19 pandemic, more individuals are experiencing sequelae after COVID-19 infection, also known as post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PCS). The aims of this study were to describe the prevalence and characteristics of PCS symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, and depression and to compare these symptoms according to participant characteristics in patients who had been previously hospitalized due to COVID-19. DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used...

OBJECTIVE: Aging is a natural process associated with a decline in cognition. However, the mediating effect of physical function and circulating myokines on this relationship has yet to be fully clarified. This study investigated how muscle strength and circulating insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels mediate the relationship between age and cognitive functions. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 1255 participants aged 25-74 years included in the Midlife in the United States II study were retrospectively analyzed...

Treatment for higher-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) involves intravesical immunotherapy with Bacillus Calmette Guérin (BCG); however, disease recurrence and progression occur frequently. Systemic immunity is critical for successful cancer immunotherapy; thus, recurrence of NMIBC may be due to suboptimal systemic activation of anti-tumor immunity after local immunotherapy. We previously reported that systemically acquired trained immunity (a form of innate immune memory) in circulating monocytes is associated with increased time-to-recurrence in patients with NMIBC treated with BCG...

Stem cells respond and remember mechanical cues from the microenvironment, which modulates their therapeutic effects. Chromatin organization and energy metabolism regulate the stem cell fate induced by mechanical cues. However, the mechanism of mechanical memory is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of mechanical amplitude, frequency, duration, and stretch cycle on mechanical memory in mesenchymal stem cells. It showed that the amplitude was the dominant parameter to the persistence of cell alignment...