Implicit prejudices are often costly to the self and others since implicit prejudices can impair cognitive functioning, social interactions, physical health, and psychological wellbeing (Brondolo et al. 2012; Gendler 2011; Maina et al. 2018). A variety of different interventions have, therefore, been used in an attempt to decrease implicit prejudice in participants, including psychopharmacology, interpersonal and imaginary contact, cognitive and emotional training, and adopting alternative perspectives through virtual embodiment (Maister et al. 2015; Paluck et al. 2021; Terbeck et al. 2012). Recently, brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have also been used with the goal of decreasing implicit prejudice in participants (Wang et al. 2019; Yuan et al. 2023). But, how effective, if at all, is tDCS at decreasing implicit prejudice? The purpose of this research is to address this question by systematically reviewing all relevant studies that compare the influence of tDCS versus sham stimulation on implicit prejudice, as measured by a variety of implicit association tests (IATs). Using a random effects model, this meta-analysis found a very small effect for the use of tDCS versus sham stimulation on decreasing implicit associations in women (k = 28, SMD = -0.140, p = 0.026). Yet, this research found a small effect for the use of tDCS versus sham stimulation on increasing implicit associations in men (k = 28, SMD = 0.252, p = 0.012). Here, I discuss the results of this research on tDCS and implicit associations, its practical value, and its limitations and prospects for future work.

Introduction: Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a potential target for treating inflammation, neurodegeneration, and cancer. Reduced levels of PP2A are associated with neurodegeneration, along with increased levels of endogenous PP2A inhibitors. In cancer treatment, PP2A is a tumor suppressor, the inhibition of which hyperactivates multiple oncogenic signaling pathways and could be lethal to cancer cells particularly in combination with other anticancer drugs.

Methods: The effects of PP2A inhibitor (LB-100) alone and in combination with either Wee1 kinase inhibitor (adavosertib), paclitaxel, or doxorubicin were assessed on primary human glioblastoma grade 4 cells. The methodology included high-throughput imaging with ImageExpress PICO, real-time quantitative cell analysis with xCELLigence, and cell death induction analysis with flow cytometry. We conducted a behavioral study using C57BL/6J mice to assess cognitive deficiencies after treatment with LB-100. The mice received intraperitoneal injections of LB-100 at a dose of 1.5 mg/kg on days 1, 3, and 5, repeated in 5 cycles.

Results: Our initial findings indicate that glioblastoma cells were sensitive to LB-100, while its combinations with adavosertib and doxorubicin were synergistic. Additionally, continuous LB-100 treatment for 3 weeks resulted in significant body weight loss but did not show any noticeable cognitive changes.

Conclusions: It is important to investigate the effects of PP2A inhibition on neurodegeneration to assess its potential as a cancer therapy with minimal impact on cognition.

Quantitative, temporal and spatial processes are proposed to be part of a magnitude system sharing the right intraparietal sulcus (r-IPS) as a common neural substrate (Walsh et al., 2003). Specificities for time and space are reported, identifying a role of the right Precuneus (r-Precuneus) in temporal estimations (Skye et al., 2023). Translating this evidence to the language domain, in line with the extended embodied knowledge framework, studies associated the IPS with the processing of quantity-related concepts (Catricalà et al., 2020). No evidence is available for time- and space-related concepts. Here we investigated the causal role of r-IPS and r-Precuneus in representing time- and space-related concepts using TMS.

Fifty-six time- and space-related nouns, matched for frequency, length, age-of-acquisition, emotional valence, and mean priming effect were selected. Priming to a category label (TIME or SPACE) modulated the neural activation prior to TMS and target presentation. Subjects had to indicate the target’s category. Fifty-six congruent and 56 incongruent trials were presented for r-IPS, r-Precuneus, and sham-baseline (Vertex) sites. Twenty-two healthy subjects participated. We performed a repeated measure ANOVA on the priming effect with TMS site as within-subject factor.

For both time- and space-related concepts the r-IPS stimulation abolished the priming effect reported for the Vertex (p=0.016), whereas r-Precuneus (p<0.006) stimulation was effective only for time-related concepts.

In line with the Magnitude theory (Walsh et al., 2003), results highlight the r-IPS as the shared substrate for linguistic stimuli connected to space and time. Instead, the r-Precuneus was tuned only for time concepts, which supports its role in temporal judgements.

Introduction

The impact of earthquakes on mental health, including increased depression and anxiety levels, is well known. The 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquake resulted in significant damage and loss of life. However, limited research has focused on the mental health issues related to this earthquake, and it remains unclear whether individuals indirectly affected by the earthquake, such as friends or parents, experience depression and anxiety.

Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the specific effects of the Kahramanmaras earthquake on the mental health of medical students. We specifically examined the levels of depression and anxiety they experienced during this period, considering factors such as gender, hobbies, smoking status, alcohol use, and exercise.

Methods

The study included medical students enrolled at Kars Kafkas University in Kars, Turkey. We used the Beck Depression and Beck Anxiety scales to assess depression and anxiety levels. Participants were categorized into two groups: those with family members affected by the earthquake and those without affected family members.

Results

Our research suggests that university students with family members affected by the Kahramanmaras earthquake may have had higher levels of depression and anxiety compared to unaffected students. Within the earthquake-affected group, close to half of the individuals were discovered to have moderate depression (45.71%).

Conclusion

The study results suggest that individuals who had family members impacted by the earthquake exhibited increased levels of depression and anxiety in contrast to those who did not have affected family members. However, it is important to note that there may be confounding factors influencing these results.

Introduction: Assistive devices are commonly prescribed for individuals with Parkinson's Disease (PD), but a lack of evidence and information on individuals' perceptions limits their prescription in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to investigate the immediate effects and perceptions of cane use in individuals with PD. Methods: An ongoing clinical trial (CAAE: 75158123.2.0000.5149) included individuals with PD, ≥40 years, on stable antiparkinsonian medication, able to walk independently and use a cane. Participants were given a cane and instructed on its use. They were assessed using the 10-meter walk test (speed, cadence, step length) and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test under randomized conditions (with and without cane) and asked about perceived changes, necessity, and satisfaction with the device (Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology). Descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon, and paired t-tests were used (α=5%). Results: A total of 15 individuals were included. Statistically significant differences were found for cadence (without: 1.85±0.23 steps/second; with: 1.61±0.68 steps/second; p=0.02) and TUG (without: 9.73±1.87 seconds; with: 11.42±1.65 seconds; p≤0.001). Most participants reported no perceived difference in fear of falling (60%) or gait performance (53%) with the cane. The perceived need for a cane increased from 20% before the study to 47% afterward. 'Effectiveness' was the item with the lowest satisfaction. Conclusion: The immediate use worsened mobility. Although the perception of need has increased among individuals, the majority reported not perceiving changes with the use of the device. Future studies should consider the effect of device training on these outcomes.

Picture naming involves mapping a visual input to a semantic representation and linking it to a word form for spoken output (Catricalà et al., 2020). Naming performance is affected by the properties of the words/pictures, but previous studies have failed to univocally identify the naming stage(s) and the brain regions affected by each variable. We explored the impact of the main variables on behavioural performance and brain metabolism in neurodegenerative patients.

A total of 178 neurodegenerative patients were administered the CaGi picture naming test (Catricalà et al., 2013) and underwent a FDG-PET scan. We extracted the components underlying the variables’ structure with principal component analysis. We calculated the impact of each variable/component on the patients’ performance, adopting an item-level procedure (de Marco et al., 2023) and correlating the obtained measures with the brain metabolism extracted from 11 regions of interest.

Four components emerged, namely word form, visual, lexical, and semantic. Stimuli with a simpler word form (short and with many phonological neighbours) and lexical structure (acquired early in life, frequent, and familiar) were named correctly more often, while more difficult ones induced semantic errors.

Gradual specialization emerged across regions, with the anterior temporal lobe contributing to multiple naming stages; the posterior fusiform gyrus supporting visual, semantic, and lexical properties; and the middle posterior temporal and inferior frontal gyri representing an interface between lexico-semantics and phonology.

These results go beyond one-to-one correspondence between a variable and a unique naming stage/brain area, suggesting that the same brain area can support relatively different naming stages depending on the network into which it is embedded.

Introduction: Migraine is a disorder that comes with severe pain syndrome, and its molecular mechanisms are unstudied. The trigeminal (TG) system is considered a source of pain signals in migraine, since the activation of trigeminal nerve afferents leads to nociceptive signaling and headache. Endogenous neurotransmitters like ATP and serotonin can contribute to nociceptive signaling in this structure, but the role of dopaminergic signaling remains unclear

Methods: The activity of TG afferents was recorded using the isolated rat hemi-scull preparation (male rats, P 40-45, Wistar and DAT-KO groups). To analyze the excitability of TG afferents, we applied a high-potassium-containing solution (KCl 5 mM, 10 mM, 25 mM and 50 mM). KCl induces membrane depolarization and increases the rate of action potential (AP) generation; therefore, it can be used to evaluate the level of excitability.

Results: In rats from the control group (Wistar rats), the minimal concentration of KCl that significantly increased frequency of APs was 25 mM (from 282±60 APs per 5 min to 816±110 APs per 5 min; n= 6; p=0.009). In DAT-KO rats, the baseline frequency of APs was higher at 956±168 APs per 5 min; KCl (5 mM) significantly increased the frequency of APs up to 1349±169.5 APs per 5 min (n=6, p=0.036), as did KCL 10 mM (from 1247±112 APs per 5 min to 3364±1562 APs per 5 min, n=6, p=0.03).

Conclusion: The TG nerve of rats from the DAT-KO group exhibited increased sensitivity to KCL application, indicating higher excitability.

The study is supported by Russian Science Foundation #23-15-00328.

Introduction. Cholesterol is a key element of cell cytoplasmic membranes. Cholesterol can oxidize into oxysterols, including 24-hydroxycholesterol (24-HC), which crosses the blood-brain barrier and affects various systems, embedded in cytoplasmic membranes or directly through membrane receptors. Meningeal afferents of trigeminal (TG) nerve is a site of nociceptive signaling origin in migraine headache. ATP which releases from endothelial cells and nerve endings plays a key role activation TG afferents directly and through degranulation of mast cells (MC). This work addresses the effect of 24-HC on trigeminal nerve afferent activity and MC in meninges of rats.

Methods. TG electrical activity and the morphology of MC were studied in a rat hemi-skull preparation (P30–40).

Results. Application of ATP (100 μM) increases frequency of TG action potentials (APs) 5 times compared to its baseline activity (n = 6). Incubation of hemiskull preparation in 24-HC (1 µM) for 20 or 40 min did not affect the background AP frequency, however decreased ATP effect (AP increased 3 times). MC degranulation promotes release of proinflammatory mediators which directly activate TG afferents or induce sensitization. ATP (100 µM) increased the degree of MC degranulation to 11±3.3% (n=10) compared to control values of 1.9±0.87 (n=5). Preincubation in 24-HC suppressed the ATP effect, reducing the fraction of degranulated mast cells to 5±1.26 (n=4).

Conclusion. 24-hydroxycholesterol reduces pronociceptive effects of ATP in TG afferents, and increases the stability of the MC in meninges thus providing protective properties in trigeminovascular system.

The work was carried out with funds from the Strategic Academic Leadership Program (PRIORITY 2030)."

Introduction: Recurrent stroke contributes to the high global burden of stroke. Consequently, stroke secondary prevention has been considered a priority solution to reduce the global stroke burden. Stroke secondary prevention should include health education to encourage the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors. However, it is unclear which aspects of stroke knowledge should be addressed in these educational efforts. This study aims to identify whether knowledge variables about stroke are predictors of the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors post-stroke.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that included individuals post-stroke from a Brazilian metropolis using the Stroke RiskometerTM App. Binary logistic regression models (α=5%) were employed. Dependent variables included smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, physical activity, and the simultaneous adoption of four healthy behaviors. Independent variables included knowledge about what stroke is, its signs and symptoms, risk factors for its occurrence, and the individual's opinion that they may have a new stroke.

Results: A total of 75 individuals (63±13 years; 50% male) were included. The results demonstrated that having knowledge about the risk factors for stroke occurrence was a significant predictor for physical activity participation (B: 1.08, Odds Ratio (OR): 2.95, 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI): 1.03-8.41, p=0.043) and for the simultaneous adoption of four healthy behaviors (B: 1.45, OR: 4.27, 95%CI: 1.15-15.82, and p=0.030).

Conclusions: It is important to identify individuals who do not have knowledge about the risk factors for stroke and provide educational actions when the objective is to promote physical activity and the simultaneous adoption of all healthy lifestyle behaviors in secondary stroke prevention actions.

Introduction: Recurrent stroke contributes to the global stroke burden, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Brazil. Consequently, secondary stroke prevention, centered on adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors, is a priority solution to reduce the global burden of strokes. While predictors of the adoption of healthy behaviors post-stroke have been studied in high-income countries, identifying these predictors in middle-income countries can help target individuals for secondary prevention and develop focused interventions. This study aims to investigate whether sociodemographic and clinical risk factors for recurrent stroke predict the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors post-stroke in a middle-income country.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that included individuals post-stroke from a Brazilian metropolis using the Stroke RiskometerTM App, from September 2021 to February 2023. Binary logistic regression models (α=5%) were employed. The dependent variables were as follows: four separate healthy lifestyle behaviors and their simultaneous adoption. The independent variables were as follows: age, sex, cardiac conditions, hypertension, diabetes, body mass index, and emotional stress or depression.

Results: In total, 81 individuals (63±14 years) were included in the study; they had the following characteristics: 22% spent ≥2.5 hours in physical activity/week, 68% consumed ≥2 servings of fruits and/or vegetables/day, 88% were non-smokers, 95% reported safe alcohol consumption, and 16% adopted all four healthy behaviors. Individuals who did not experience emotional stress or depression were more likely to not smoke (B=1.896, p=0.04) and older individuals were less likely to adopt all four healthy behaviors (B=-0.072, p=0.02).

Conclusions: Emotional stress or depression and age were predictors of adopting healthy behaviors post-stroke in a middle-income country. These variables should be targeted in prioritizing individuals for secondary stroke prevention and in developing interventions.