Neuroanatomical aspects of the body awareness

The cerebral cortex is the most complex part of the human brain and is responsible for thinking, reasoning, cognitive functions, memory and sensory perception processes, among others. The cerebral cortex can be classified into areas, from the specific functions it performs. Particularly noteworthy are the cortical areas, which integrate from multimodal stimuli and enable the individual to perceive his own body and its relationship with the space around it. This capacity is built from the attitudes and values that the individual has in relation to his or her body (body image) and the dimensional perception of its segments (body schema). This process depends on complex neural mechanisms that are related to different cortical areas. The aim of this study was to compare the cortical areas involved in the construction of body perception: body image and schema. As a result, it was observed that the areas with predominance in the perception of body size are more related to the right parietal region and those related to cognitive aspects are located in the prefrontal area and parts of the limbic system.

Morphological changes caused by aging on skeletal musclesand effects of exercise: a literature review

The main components of the skeletal muscle are myocytes, capillaries and interstitial tissue. Aging affects thesecomponents differently with loss of muscle fibers (sarcopenia) as the most important change since it is theprimary responsible for muscle function decrease with aging. Among non-pharmacological factors that may havea beneficial influence on the effects of aging on the muscle, exercises are the most appropriate. Both resistanceand aerobic exercises have proven to curtail the effects of muscle aging. The aim of this paper is to presenta review of the main morphological changes that aging brings about in muscles and show the importance ofexercising to minimize these changes.

Effect of prenatal low-protein diet in subepicardial neuron of rat: a morphological study

Heart autonomic ganglia are known to play an important role in cardiac rhythm control, protecting againstcertain arrhythmias due to their parasympathetic activity. Cardiac disorders may arise following starvingstates during pregnancy; cardiac performance and cardiac fibers have been shown to suffer deleterious effectsunder starvation. Morphology of these plexuses may suffer interference of extrinsic factors, but data is stilllacking about the effects of low protein diet during pregnancy and early postnatal period on subepicardialneuron structure. Two groups of pregnant Wistar rats were submitted to different diets according to itsprotein content, normal and 5% casein, until 21 days after delivery. The offspring was divided in two groups,D and N, according to their motherLs diet, low and normal protein respectively, and then sacrificed. Theatrial neurons were identified by ƒÀ-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and adenine dinucleotidephosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d) staining. Profile areas of the nerve cell bodies were measured. NADHstaining did not show significant differences between groups but NADPH- d profile areas of nerve cell bodiesfrom group D were smaller than in control group. Ultrastructural changes were observed in group D rats:agglomerated ribosomes, increase in nucleoli density and irregular chromatin.Low-protein diet in rats at earlydevelopmental stages interferes in size, and ultrastructure of subepicardial neurons. Even though underfeedingduring perinatal period did not produce neuronal death, neuron development is delayed and permanentchanges can supervene in long term.

The formation of the physical education professional: teaching the discipline of human anatomy

The aim of this work was to understand how the discipline of Human Anatomy is taught during the formationof the Physical Education professional, nine teachers who work at universities in São Paulo and its metropolitanarea were observed and interviewed. The main characteristics observed during these teachers’ pedagogicactions were gathered in an analytical matrix aiming at understanding the established phenomenon. After theassociations were established between the procedures carried out by the analyzed subjects and the theoreticalfoundation proposed by David Ausubel’s Theory, it was observed that this discipline is developed withoutconsidering the essential elements that allow the Significative Learning and, therefore, it has been collaboratedlittle for the professional formation, as it adopts a pedagogical model based on contents represented by theaccumulation of information disconnected from the reality and the academic and professional needs that areassociated with Physical Education.

Low protein diet during perinatal period decreasesthe number of subepicardial neurons in rats

Subepicardial plexus of the atria is an interdependent heart control system and its structure and functionmay be influenced by external factors. We studied the influence of protein deprivation on subepicardialneurons at early development stages by subjecting rats to a low protein diet (5% of casein) during pre and postnatal period. Atrial neurons were identified by histochemical methods b-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide(NADH) reaction, b-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d) reaction andAcetylcholinesterase (AChE) reaction and counted in 21 day-old rats. Besides a significant reduction in bodyand heart weight, the total number of neurons decreased 46% in the undernourished group as compared tocontrol animals. Our data suggest that deficient nutrition during early developmental period may produceirreversible deleterious changes later in life.