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Elixir for the aging mind: An empirical review of the neuroprotective effect of meditation in elderly
Abstracts / Journal of the Anatomical Society of India 66S (2017) S1–S78
handedness, siblings’ and parents’ handedness, number of siblings and birth order, and number of spoken languages. The 3D-visual analytic skills, were evaluated via a cross sectional survey and objectively-evaluated via a professional visual IQ testing. Statistics proven that there was no significant correlation between the 3D-visual skills and any of the tested parameters. Significance was considered at a p-value of 0.05 or less. Conclusion: In this sample of 103 tested subjects, all of which were non-professional Anatomists. Our tested hypothesis of the presence of potential correlation between handedness (and other parameters of cerebral dominance) with the 3D visual analytic skills, were statistically proven to be non-existent. Conflicts of interest The author has none to declare. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jasi.2017.08.136 130 Effect of Centellaasiatica and Clitoriaternatea plant extracts on dendritic spine density of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons in restraint stressed albino mice
S43
pharynx. Limited data is available on development and morphological maturation of rNST in human foetus. Therefore this work was conducted to observe the morphological maturation and cell characteristics within the developing rNST. Material and methods: Ten aborted human foetuses ranging from 14 to 30 weeks of gestation were collected from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, LN Hospital after institutional ethical clearance and written consent from parents. The foetuses were processed in the Department of Anatomy, Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi. Desired tissue from the brainstem of foetuses was stained using H&E, Cresyl violet and Weil’s stain. Results: Histological observations showed that during initial stages of development the nucleus was a cluster of small neurons with only a few large neurons but at around 18 weeks of gestation the nucleus was more organized and had increased number of mostly small to medium sized neurons with few large neurons and appearance of thin fiber bundle. At 24 weeks the nucleus had compactly arranged neurons and fiber bundle was thick. In later ages, the cells within rNST matured only morphologically. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the rNST shows rapid period of growth between 18 and 24 weeks of gestation. Conflicts of interest The author has none to declare.
Hemamalini ∗ , Muddanna S. Rao JSS Medical College, Mysuru, India Introduction: Centellaasiatica (CeA) and Clitoriaternatea (CTR) are used in Ayurveda as a brain tonic to promote brain growth and enhance memory. In the present study the effect of restraint stress, CeA and CTR plant extracts on the dendritic spine density of hippocampal CA3 neurons was investigated. Materials and methods: Three months old albino mice were divided into five groups. Group (i) was normal control, Group (ii) was saline control, Group (iii) was stress group, mice were stressed in a wire mesh restrainer for 6 h/day for 6 weeks. Group (iv) was stress + CeA treated group. Group (v) was stress + CTR. Group (iv) and Group (v) mice were also stressed like group (iii) but they received orally CeA and CTR extracts throughout the stress period. After 6 weeks, brain were removed, hippocampus was dissected and processed for Golgi staining. Results: Results showed significant decrease in dendritic spine density in stressed group, which was increased in CeA and CTR extract treated groups. Conclusion: CeA and CTR plant extracts protected the dendrites from stress-induced neurodegeneration. Conflicts of interest The authors have none to declare. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jasi.2017.08.137 131 A neurohistological study on development of rostral part of nucleus of the solitary tract (rNST) in human fetuses
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jasi.2017.08.138 132 Elixir for the aging mind: An empirical review of the neuroprotective effect of meditation in elderly Madhumita Patnaik Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, India Introduction: Cognitive functions gradually decline with age, but individual variations exist. Frontal cortical thinning is implicated for cognitive decline in elderly. This review aims to evaluate the potential of meditation in slowing neural aging in elderly. Materials and methods: The papers reviewed were accessed online by database search and most were case controlled studies and cross-sectional in design. Few studies used higher imaging techniques to identify the neuro-anatomical changes due to meditation but others used standardized tests available to measure various cognitive parameters. Results: The studies included have reported a modest improvement in cognitive parameters and slower age related gray matter thinning in specific cortical regions of the elderly meditators. Conclusion: Existing studies have methodological limitations. Rigorous longitudinal studies are needed to validate the findings and compare different meditation styles, and determine the duration and hours/week of meditation needed to get reproducible results. Conflicts of interest The author has none to declare.
Rakhee Sharma Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi, India Introduction: The rostral part of nucleus of the solitary tract plays an important role as first central relay center for taste sensation arising from tongue, palate, epiglottis and upperpart of
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jasi.2017.08.139
handedness, siblings’ and parents’ handedness, number of siblings and birth order, and number of spoken languages. The 3D-visual analytic skills, were evaluated via a cross sectional survey and objectively-evaluated via a professional visual IQ testing. Statistics proven that there was no significant correlation between the 3D-visual skills and any of the tested parameters. Significance was considered at a p-value of 0.05 or less. Conclusion: In this sample of 103 tested subjects, all of which were non-professional Anatomists. Our tested hypothesis of the presence of potential correlation between handedness (and other parameters of cerebral dominance) with the 3D visual analytic skills, were statistically proven to be non-existent. Conflicts of interest The author has none to declare. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jasi.2017.08.136 130 Effect of Centellaasiatica and Clitoriaternatea plant extracts on dendritic spine density of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons in restraint stressed albino mice
S43
pharynx. Limited data is available on development and morphological maturation of rNST in human foetus. Therefore this work was conducted to observe the morphological maturation and cell characteristics within the developing rNST. Material and methods: Ten aborted human foetuses ranging from 14 to 30 weeks of gestation were collected from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, LN Hospital after institutional ethical clearance and written consent from parents. The foetuses were processed in the Department of Anatomy, Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi. Desired tissue from the brainstem of foetuses was stained using H&E, Cresyl violet and Weil’s stain. Results: Histological observations showed that during initial stages of development the nucleus was a cluster of small neurons with only a few large neurons but at around 18 weeks of gestation the nucleus was more organized and had increased number of mostly small to medium sized neurons with few large neurons and appearance of thin fiber bundle. At 24 weeks the nucleus had compactly arranged neurons and fiber bundle was thick. In later ages, the cells within rNST matured only morphologically. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the rNST shows rapid period of growth between 18 and 24 weeks of gestation. Conflicts of interest The author has none to declare.
Hemamalini ∗ , Muddanna S. Rao JSS Medical College, Mysuru, India Introduction: Centellaasiatica (CeA) and Clitoriaternatea (CTR) are used in Ayurveda as a brain tonic to promote brain growth and enhance memory. In the present study the effect of restraint stress, CeA and CTR plant extracts on the dendritic spine density of hippocampal CA3 neurons was investigated. Materials and methods: Three months old albino mice were divided into five groups. Group (i) was normal control, Group (ii) was saline control, Group (iii) was stress group, mice were stressed in a wire mesh restrainer for 6 h/day for 6 weeks. Group (iv) was stress + CeA treated group. Group (v) was stress + CTR. Group (iv) and Group (v) mice were also stressed like group (iii) but they received orally CeA and CTR extracts throughout the stress period. After 6 weeks, brain were removed, hippocampus was dissected and processed for Golgi staining. Results: Results showed significant decrease in dendritic spine density in stressed group, which was increased in CeA and CTR extract treated groups. Conclusion: CeA and CTR plant extracts protected the dendrites from stress-induced neurodegeneration. Conflicts of interest The authors have none to declare. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jasi.2017.08.137 131 A neurohistological study on development of rostral part of nucleus of the solitary tract (rNST) in human fetuses
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jasi.2017.08.138 132 Elixir for the aging mind: An empirical review of the neuroprotective effect of meditation in elderly Madhumita Patnaik Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, India Introduction: Cognitive functions gradually decline with age, but individual variations exist. Frontal cortical thinning is implicated for cognitive decline in elderly. This review aims to evaluate the potential of meditation in slowing neural aging in elderly. Materials and methods: The papers reviewed were accessed online by database search and most were case controlled studies and cross-sectional in design. Few studies used higher imaging techniques to identify the neuro-anatomical changes due to meditation but others used standardized tests available to measure various cognitive parameters. Results: The studies included have reported a modest improvement in cognitive parameters and slower age related gray matter thinning in specific cortical regions of the elderly meditators. Conclusion: Existing studies have methodological limitations. Rigorous longitudinal studies are needed to validate the findings and compare different meditation styles, and determine the duration and hours/week of meditation needed to get reproducible results. Conflicts of interest The author has none to declare.
Rakhee Sharma Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi, India Introduction: The rostral part of nucleus of the solitary tract plays an important role as first central relay center for taste sensation arising from tongue, palate, epiglottis and upperpart of
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jasi.2017.08.139