April 2021

Alpha-synuclein seeds in olfactory mucosa of patients with isolated REM sleep behaviour disorder

We provide evidence that the α-synuclein RT-QuIC assay enables the molecular detection of neuronal α-synuclein aggregates in olfactory mucosa of patients with isolated RBD and Parkinson’s disease. Although the overall sensitivity was moderate in this study, nasal swabbing is attractive as a simple, non-invasive test and might be useful as part of a screening battery […]

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Synucleinopathy-associated pathogenesis in Parkinson’s disease and the potential for brain-derived neurotrophic factor

Within this review, we will present a comprehensive overview of the data linking synuclein-associated Lewy pathology with intracellular dysfunction. We first present the alterations in neuronal proteins and transcriptome associated with LBs in postmortem human PD tissue. We next compare these findings to those associated with LB-like inclusions initiated by in vitro exposure to α-syn

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Control of lymphocyte functions by gut microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids

This review specifically highlights the regulatory functions of DF and SCFAs in the immune system with a focus on major innate and adaptive lymphocytes. Current information regarding how SCFAs regulate innate lymphoid cells, T helper cells, cytotoxic T cells, and B cells and how these functions impact immunity, inflammation, and allergic responses are discussed. CLICK

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Dietary restrictions modulate the gut microbiota: Implications for health and disease

The data suggest that changing the gut microbiota composition by dietary restriction has the potential to positively influence the progression of several diseases such as obesity, diabetes, neurological diseases or inflammatory bowel disease. Finally, the relevance of the findings for clinical practice is evaluated and approaches for future research are proposed. CLICK TO REVIEW

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Microbiota-derived short chain fatty acids modulate microglia and promote Ab plaque deposition

Despite increased microglial recruitment to Ab plaques upon SCFA supplementation, microglia contained less intracellular Ab. Taken together, our results demonstrate that microbiota-derived SCFA are critical mediators along the gut-brain axis which promote Ab deposition likely via modulation of the microglial phenotype. CLICK TO REVIEW

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Delayed orthostatic hypotension in Parkinson’s disease

Linear trends across the pre-ordered OH subtypes found that clinical parameters worsened along with the orthostatic challenge. Clinical scales deteriorated and the linear gradient was maintained during the follow-up period. This study suggests that delayed OH is a mild form of classical OH in PD. PD with delayed OH has milder disease severity and progression.

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Intermittent metabolic switching, neuroplasticity and brain health

Here, we consider how intermittent metabolic switching, repeating cycles of a metabolic challenge that induces ketosis (fasting and/or exercise) followed by a recovery period (eating, resting and sleeping), may optimize brain function and resilience throughout the lifespan, with a focus on the neuronal circuits involved in cognition and mood. Such metabolic switching impacts multiple signalling

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Dual Roles of Microglia in the Basal Ganglia in Parkinson’s Disease

The activated microglia then eliminate the hyperactive glutamatergic synapses. Synapse elimination may be the mechanism underlying the compensation that masks the appearance of PD symptoms despite substantial DAergic neuronal loss. Microglial senescence may correlate with their enhanced neurotoxicity in the SNc and the reduced compensatory actions in the basal ganglia outputs. The dual roles of

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