The Reversal of Memory Deficits in an Alzheimer's Disease Model Using Physical and Cognitive Exercise.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia in the world, accounting for 50-75% of cases. Currently, there is limited treatment for AD. The current pharmacological therapy minimizes symptom progression but does not reverse brain damage. Studies focused on nonpharmacological treatment for AD have been developed to act on brain plasticity and minimize the neurotoxicity caused by the amyloid-beta (Aß) peptide. Using a neurotoxicity model induced by Aß in rats, the present study shows that physical (PE) and cognitive exercise (CE) reverse recognition memory deficits (with a prominent effect of long-term object recognition memory), decrease hippocampal lipid peroxidation, restore the acetylcholinesterase activity altered by Aß neurotoxicity, and seems to reverse, at least partially, hippocampal tissue disorganization.

Maternal Deprivation Induces Memory Deficits That Are Reduced by One Aerobic Exercise Shot Performed after the Learning Session.

During the neonatal period, the brain is susceptible to external influences. Exposure to stressful events during this phase of life influences brain development and impacts adult life. In animals, the maternal deprivation (MD) model is effective in mimicking stress in the early stages of development. In contrast, physical exercise seems to be able to prevent deficits in memory consolidation. Although the effects of chronic exercise in cognition are already well established, little is known about the effects of acute aerobic exercise. Here, male Wistar rats divided into deprived (MD) and nondeprived (NMD) rats were submitted to the object recognition (OR) memory test. Immediately after OR training, some of the rats were submitted to a single aerobic exercise session for 30 minutes. Memory consolidation and persistence were evaluated by retention tests performed 24 h and 7, 14, and 21 days after OR training. We show that a single physical exercise session is able to modulate learning by promoting memory consolidation and persistence in rats with cognitive deficits induced by MD. Hippocampal dopamine levels, measured by HPLC, were not altered after OR training in rats that performed and in rats that did not perform an exercise session; on the other hand, while OR training promoted increase of hippocampal norepinephrine in NMD rats, the MD rats did not present this increase, regardless of the practice or not of exercise.

Home-based vs. laboratory-based practical activities in the learning of human physiology: the perception of students.

Different tools have been used to facilitate the teaching and learning process in different areas of knowledge. Practical activities represent a form of teaching in which students not only listen to theoretical concepts but are also able to link theory and practice, and their importance in the biological sciences is notable. Sometimes, however, there is neither the time nor the resources to promote laboratory practices in physiology classes. In this sense, home-based practical activities may be an interesting alternative. Here, different approaches of practical activities were used and students' perceptions of the contributions of home-based practical activities (HBPA) and laboratory-based practical activities (LBPA) for physiology learning were collected. After each approach, the students evaluated the activities through an anonymous questionnaire. A total of 49 students completed the questionnaires, and the results demonstrate that both HBPA and LBPA were considered important contributors to physiology learning but that this contribution was more significant in the case of LBPA (χ2 = 4.356, P = 0.037).

Observing and understanding arterial and venous circulation differences in a physiology laboratory activity.

The purpose of the present article is to describe three simple practical experiments that aim to observe and discuss the anatomic and physiological functions and differences between arteries and veins as well as the alterations observed in skin blood flow in different situations. For this activity, students were divided in small groups. In each group, a volunteer is recruited for each experiment. The experiments only require a sphygmomanometer, rubber bands, and a clock and allow students to develop a hypothesis to explain the different responses to the interruption of arterial and venous blood flow. At the end, students prepare a short report, and the results are discussed. This activity allows students to perceive the presence of physiology in their daily lives and helps them to understand the concepts related to the cardiovascular system and hemodynamics.