Fatigue is a Brain-Derived Emotion that Regulates the Exercise Behavior to Ensure the Protection of Whole Body Homeostasis
An influential book written by A. Mosso in the late nineteenth century proposed that fatigue that “at first sight might appear an imperfection of our body, is on the contrary one of its most marvelous perfections. The fatigue increasing more rapidly ...
Norepinephrine signals through astrocytes to modulate synapses
Locus ceruleus (LC)–derived norepinephrine (NE) drives network and behavioral adaptations to environmental saliencies by reconfiguring circuit functional connectivity, but the underlying synapse-level mechanisms are elusive. Here, we show that NE ...
Effective Common Chinese Herbal Medicines Used in Treating... : World Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine
and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure. Data screening was carried out for the abstracts and full texts of the data. The top 15 Chinese herbal medicines with the highest occurring frequency were selected, statistically analyzed, and classified by their medicinal properties, actions, and indications according to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2015 edition. The top 15 effective common Chinese herbal medicines comprise Chai Hu, Huang Qin, Jin Qian Cao, Bai Shao, Yin Chen, Yu Jin, Chuan Lian Zi, Yan Hu Suo, Zhi Shi, Ban Xia, Bai Zhu, Pu Gong Ying, Gan Cao, Zhi Zi, and Qing Pi. The predominant natures were cold, cool, and warm. This combination can clear stagnant heat, warm Yang, and regulate Qi dynamics. In addition, bitter, pungent, and sweet were the predominant flavors. They can clear dampness-heat, regulate Qi dynamics to relieve cramps and pain, as well as tonify the deficiency. Along with entering the liver and gallbladder meridians, these herbal medicines also entered the spleen, stomach, and lung meridians to prevent potential disease transmission. The combinatorial medicinal actions of the effective common Chinese herbal medicine highlight the importance of the holistic concept of traditional Chinese medicine when treating CCLGDHS. In addition, the inclusion of activating blood to promote blood circulation, relieving cramps and alleviating pain, and tonifying the spleen and stomach represents a new finding in the treatment principle for CCLGDHS....
Language Matters: What Not to Say to Patients with Long COVID, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Other Complex Chronic Disorders
People with Long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and other complex chronic disorders consistently report having difficulty obtaining effective and compassionate medical care and being disbelieved, judged, ...
Therapeutic approach with IVIG in patients affected by connective tissue disease
The infusion of high-dose intravenous IgG (IVIG) may result in clinical improvement and immunological changes in patients affected by connective tissu…
Investigating the mechanisms of Xiaoyaosan on premenstrual dysphoric disorder using metabolomics technology
Xiaoyaosan has been used to treat mental disorders in China for thousands of years. Xiaoyaosan may also provide a potential therapeutic advantage in t…
Co-sleeping with pets, stress, and sleep in a nationally-representative sample of United States adults
This cross-sectional study tested the direct and stress-buffering effects of co-sleeping with pets on human sleep characteristics in a nationally-representative sample of United States adults. Participants completed questionnaires assessing their ...
BackgroundAn increasing number of nerve guide scaffolds have been used to replace the “gold-standard” autologous nerve graft for repairing peripheral nerve d...
Omalizumab For a Case Of Monoclonal Mast Cell Activation Syndrome With Recurrent Anaphylaxis
Monoclonal mast cell activation syndrome (MMCAS) is a clonal mast cell disorder presenting
with recurrent anaphylaxis due to mast cell mediator release. Antihistamines, antileukotrienes
and mast cell stabilizers are used to prevent anaphylaxis, but control can be difficult
to achieve. Omalizumab is a humanized murine monoclonal antibody that binds free IgE
in serum, preventing IgE binding to the surface of mast cells/basophils. There are
only a few case reports on use of omalizumab in MMCAS. Here, we present a case of
MMCAS with recurrent unprovoked anaphylaxis responding to treatment with omalizumab.
Frontiers | Dietary Polyphenols and Their Role in Oxidative Stress-Induced Human Diseases: Insights Into Protective Effects, Antioxidant Potentials and Mechanism(s) of Action
Dietary polyphenols including phenolic acids, flavonoids, catechins, tannins, lignans, stilbenes, and anthocyanidins are widely found in grains, cereals, pul...
Diagnosis of mast cell activation syndrome: a global “consensus-2”
The concept that disease rooted principally in chronic aberrant constitutive and reactive activation of mast cells (MCs), without the gross MC neoplasia in mastocytosis, first emerged in the 1980s, but only in the last decade has recognition of “mast cell activation syndrome” (MCAS) grown significantly. Two principal proposals for diagnostic criteria have emerged. One, originally published in 2012, is labeled by its authors as a “consensus” (re-termed here as “consensus-1”). Another sizable contingent of investigators and practitioners favor a different approach (originally published in 2011, newly termed here as “consensus-2”), resembling “consensus-1” in some respects but differing in others, leading to substantial differences between these proposals in the numbers of patients qualifying for diagnosis (and thus treatment). Overdiagnosis by “consensus-2” criteria has potential to be problematic, but underdiagnosis by “consensus-1” criteria seems the far larger problem given (1) increasing appreciation that MCAS is prevalent (up to 17% of the general population), and (2) most MCAS patients, regardless of illness duration prior to diagnosis, can eventually identify treatment yielding sustained improvement. We analyze these proposals (and others) and suggest that, until careful research provides more definitive answers, diagnosis by either proposal is valid, reasonable, and helpful.
Pharmacokinetics of Single-Dose Oral Pregabalin Administration in Normal Cats
Objective: To describe the pharmacokinetic parameters of oral pregabalin in normal cats after single oral dosing.Animals: Six healthy adult research cats.Procedures: Following sedation and indwelling catheter placement, one oral (4 mg/kg) dose of pregabalin was administered. Blood samples were collected at 0, 15 and 30 min and 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, and 36 h after administration. Plasma pregabalin concentrations were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and subjected to pharmacokinetic analysis using commercial software.Results: Four of six cats developed moderate sedation after pregabalin administration. The peak pregabalin concentration was 8.3 ± 1.6 μg/ml which occurred at 2.9 ± 1.2 h. Elimination half-life was 10.4 ± 2.6 h and area under the curve was 133.9 ± 71.5 μg-h/ml. Time above the minimum therapeutic concentration for seizure control in dogs and people (2.8 μg/ml) was 17.6 ± 6.2 h. Using these data, predicted minimum, maximum and average steady state concentrations were calculated for 12 and 24 h dosing intervals.Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Pregabalin (4 mg/kg) administered orally to cats results in plasma concentrations within the range considered to be efficacious for seizure control in dogs and humans between 1.5 and at least 12 h. Because of moderate sedative side effects in the majority of cats at this dose and high calculated maximum steady state concentrations, a lower dose, given more frequently (1–2 mg/kg q 12 h), should be...
New research reveals that lockdowns had an impact on gut microbes and allergies in newborns
Lockdowns imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the gut microbiome development of babies born during these periods according to new research from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Children’s Health Ireland and APC Microbiome Ireland. More ...
Low Baseline Pneumococcal Antibody Titers Predict Specific Antibody Deficiency, Increased Upper Respiratory Infections, and Allergy Sensitization
Inadequate titers of pneumococcal antibody (PA) are commonly present among patients with recurrent respiratory infections.We sought to determine the effect of the degree of inadequacy in baseline PA titers on the subsequent polysaccharide vaccine response, ...
The Relationship between Autism and Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes/Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders
Considerable interest has arisen concerning the relationship between hereditary connective tissue disorders such as the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS)/hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) and autism, both in terms of their comorbidity as well as co-occurrence ...
Autism in England: assessing underdiagnosis in a population-based cohort study of prospectively collected primary care data
Substantial age-related differences in the proportions of people diagnosed suggest
an urgent need to improve access to adult autism diagnostic services.
Systematic combinations of major cannabinoid and terpene contents in Cannabis flower and patient outcomes: a proof-of-concept assessment of the Vigil Index of Cannabis Chemovars - Journal of Cannabis Research
Background Little is known about the frequency with which different combinations of phytochemicals (chemovars) arise in Cannabis flower or whether common chemovars are associated with distinct pharmacodynamics and patient health outcomes. This study created a clinically relevant, user-friendly, scalable chemovar indexing system summarizing primary cannabinoid and terpene contents and tested whether the most frequently consumed chemovars differ in their treatment effectiveness and experienced side effects. Methods Between 09/10/2016 and 03/11/2021, 204 people used the freely available, educational mobile software application, Releaf App, to record 6309 real-time consumption sessions using 633 distinct Cannabis flower products, unique at the user level, with terpene and cannabinoid potency information. The indexing system is based on retrospective data analysis of the products’ primary and secondary terpene contents and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) potencies and yielded a total of 478 distinct chemovars. Analyses of covariances (ANCOVAs) were used to compare symptom levels and side effects experienced across the five most common chemovars before and after cannabis consumption for app users overall and for those treating chronic pain and depression or anxiety. Results Examination of the five most frequently consumed chemovars showed significant differences in symptom treatment effectiveness for chronic pain and for depression and anxiety (ps .001). While the effects varied in magnitude, the five chemovars were effective across conditions except for MC61 (mercene .01–0.49%/beta-caryophyllene .01 to 0.49%/THC 20–25%/CBD 0.01–1.0%), which exacerbated feelings of anxiety or depression. The chemovars also differed in their association with experiencing positive, negative, and context-specific side effects, with two chemovars, MC61 and MC62 (mercene .01–0.49%/beta-caryophyllene .01–0.49%/THC 20–25%/CBD 1–5%), generating two to three fewer positive side effects and as much as one more negative and two more context-specific side effects than the other three chemovars. Conclusions The findings provide “proof-of-concept” that a simple, yet comprehensive chemovar indexing system can be used to identify systematic differences in clinically relevant patient health outcomes and other common experiences across Cannabis flower products, irrespective of the product’s commercial or strain name. This study was limited by self-selection into cannabis and app use and a lack of user-specific information. Further research using this chemovar indexing system should assess how distinct combinations of phytochemicals interact with user-level characteristics to produce general and individualized Cannabis consumption experiences and health outcomes, ideally using randomized methods to assess differences in effects across chemovars.
The “Connectivome Theory”: A New Model to Understand Autism Spectrum Disorders
The classical approach to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is often limited to considering their neuro-functional aspects. However, recent scientific literature has shown that ASDs also affect many body systems and apparatuses such as the immune system, the sensory-motor system, and the gut-brain axis. The connective tissue, a common thread linking all these structures, may have a pathogenetic role in the multisystem involvement of ASD. Depending on its different anatomical sites, the connective tissue performs functions of connection and support; furthermore, it acts as a barrier between the external and internal environments, regulating the interchange between the two and performing immunological surveillance. The connective tissue shares a close relationship with the central nervous system, the musculoskeletal system and the immune system. Alterations in brain connectivity are common to various developmental disorders, including ASD, and for this reason here we put forward the hypothesis that alterations in the physiological activity of microglia could be implicated in the pathogenesis of ASD. Also, muscle hypotonia is likely to clinically correlate with an altered sensoriality and, in fact, discomfort or early muscle fatigue are often reported in ASDs. Furthermore, patients with ASD often suffer from intestinal dysfunctions, malabsorption and leaky gut syndrome, all phenomena that may be linked to reduced intestinal connectivity. In addition, at the cutaneous and subcut...
Folate-Deficient Hypermobility Syndrome: A New Diagnosis - The Fascia Institute
Jacques Courseault, MD, CAQSM, FAAPMR
August 26, 2022 - The area of hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos research is gaining more traction with the recognition of peculiar clinically presenting patterns in flexible patients. Because of the thorough evaluation performed at the Tulane Hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos Clinic, we noticed a trend of high folate levels during the screening. To