AbstractThe aim of this study was to assess the influence of drug therapy (DT) with pramiracetam and memory training (MT), each alone, and in combination (DTMT), on both the objective memory and metamemory performance. Thirty-five non-depressed, non-demented healthy elderly (mean age: 64.8 years) with objective (story recall) and/or subjective (cognitive difficulties scale) memory loss were randomly included in four...
Abstract STUDY OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy of melatonin compared to placebo in improving sleep parameters in patients with primary sleep disorders. DESIGN: PubMed was searched for randomized, placebo-controlled trials examining the effects of melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders. Primary outcomes examined were improvement in sleep latency, sleep quality and total sleep time. Meta-regression was performed...
Abstract: Drinking alcohol in moderation is often considered a health-conscious behavior, associated with improved cardiovascular and brain health. However, "moderate" amounts of alcohol include drinking 3-4 alcohol beverages in a day, which is closer to binge drinking and may do more harm than good. Here we examined how daily drinking of moderate-high alcohol alters the production of new neurons...
Vitamin B-12 deficiency is a common problem encountered in developing countries of the world. In Europe and North America it is frequently encountered in the elderly and in people whose diets are compromised such as alcoholics. Recent data has shown that cobalamin deficiency may occur in 5% to 40% of the general population. The prevalence as stated earlier is...
ABSTRACT: The new age of nutraceuticals is now embracing the centuries old herbal extract of Ginkgo biloba (Mantissa Plantarum Altera, 1771, Ginkgoceae). The standardized preparation of the Ginkgo leaf extract (EGb 761) contained 2 main bioactive constituents, flavonoid glycosides (24%) and terpene lactones (6%), along with less than 5 ppm of the allergenic component, ginkgolic acid. The Ginkgo...
Experiments reported in this study have been performed in order to investigate cholinergic and GABA-ergic neurotransmitter systems and substance P in the realization of internal inhibition and pain reinforcement. This was accomplished during the elaboration of inhibitory and defensive conditioned reflexes to light flashes in alert, nonimmobilized rabbits. Present results together with a review of past research indicate that...
We studied the role of oxidative stress and the effect of vinpocetine (1.5, 3 or 6 mg/kg) and piracetam (150 or 300 mg/kg) in acute demyelination of the rat brain following intracerebral injection of ethidium bromide (10 μl of 0.1%). Results: ethidium bromide caused (1) increased malondialdehyde (MDA) in cortex, hippocampus and striatum; (2) decreased total antioxidant capacity (TAC)...
"Social cognitive theory is rooted in a view of human agency in which individuals are agents proactively engaged in their own development and can make things happen by their actions... This conceptual extension makes the theory applicable to human adaptation and change in collectivistically-oriented societies as well as individualistically-oriented ones."
Recent studies have reported improvements in a variety of cognitive functions following sole working memory (WM) training. In spite of the emergence of several successful training paradigms, the scope of transfer effects has remained mixed. This is most likely due to the heterogeneity of cognitive functions that have been measured and tasks that have been applied. In the present...
The aim of the present study was to review neuroprotective therapy from the preclinical point of view as a potential tool for the treatment of stroke, as well as to discuss neuroprotective effects of the apovincaminic acid derivative vinpocetine (Cavinton). Our own in vivo and in vitro experiments were aimed at further characterizing pharmacological effects involved in the vinpocetine-induced...