CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets (Formerly Current Drug Targets - CNS & Neurological Disorders) - Volume 14, Issue 9, 2015

Objective: To investigate the effect of 8-week whole body vibration training on gait performance and lower extremity function in stroke patients with knee hyperextension. Methods: Total 30 subjects with stroke were randomized into the control group (n=15) or the intervention group (n=15). The patients of intervention group were treated with whole body vibration while the control group was treated with placebo. The walking fun Read More

The pathophysiology of depression is related to neurobiological changes that occur in the monoamine system, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, neurogenesis system and the neuroimmune system. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the research of the effects of exercise on brain function, with a special focus on its effects on brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cortisol and other biomarkers. Thus, the ai Read More

Physical exercise has long been recognized to benefit locomotor and cardiovascular systems. Although an increasing body of evidence also suggests it to be an effective non-medicinal remedy for mental disorders such as depression, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. A recent study has demonstrated that increases of the adipocytesecreted hormone adiponectin in the central nervous system following exercise Read More

Mental practice is an internal reproduction of a motor act (whose intention is to promote learning and improving motor skills). Some studies have shown that other cognitive strategies also increase the strength and muscular resistance in healthy people by the enhancement of the performance during dynamic tasks. Mental training sessions may be primordial to improving muscle strength in different subjects. The a Read More

There is a lack of knowledge about the influence of individual physical activities on the quality of life (QoL) of older adults, especially in strength training and swimming, two popular activities. Objectives: to assess and compare the perceived QoL levels among sedentary, swimming and strength training groups in elderly individuals. Methods: Twenty one subjects were evaluated: 9 sedentary, 10 swimming and 12 strength Read More

Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) is a public health problem and older women have higher incidence of this symptom, which affect body balance, functional capacity and behavior. The purpose of this study was to verifying the effect of exercises with Nintendo Wii on CLBP, functional capacity and mood of elderly. Thirty older women (68 ± 4 years; 68 ± 12 kg; 154 ± 5 cm) with CLBP participated in this study. Elderly individuals Read More

Force plate is considered gold standard tool to assess body balance. However the Wii Balance Board (WBB) platform is a trustworthy equipment to assess stabilometric components in young people. Thus, we aim to examine the reliability of measures of center of pressure with WBB in healthy elderly women. Twenty one healthy and physically active women were enrolled in the study (age: 64 ± 7 years; body mass index: 29 ± 5 Read More

Depression is a common and disabling disease that affects over 100 million people worldwide and can have a significant impact on physical and mental health, reducing their quality of life. Thus, the aim of this article was to provide information on research results and key chains related to the therapeutic effects of chronic aerobic exercise compared with other types of interventions to treat depression, which may become a Read More

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders observed currently. It is a normal adaptive response to stress that allows coping with adverse situations. Nevertheless, when anxiety becomes excessive or disproportional in relation to the situation that evokes it or when there is not any special object directed at it, such as an irrational dread of routine stimuli, it becomes a disabling disorder and is considered to be pa Read More

Schools are an ideal setting to implement physical activity programs targeted at youths’ learning and intellectual abilities, as exercise has been associated with improvement in cognitive skills and academic proficiency. A systematic review of the literature was performed to examine the effects of school-based physical activity interventions on academic achievement and cognitive outcomes. A search for relevant papers Read More

Some evidence shows that aerobic training can attenuate the aging effects on the brain structures and functions. However, the strength exercise effects are poorly discussed. Thus, in the present study, the effects of strength training on the brain in elderly people and Alzheimer`s disease (AD) patients were revised. Furthermore, it a biological explanation relating to strength training effects on the brain is proposed. Brain atroph Read More

The objective of the present study was to verify which physiological (percentage of maximum oxygen consumption - %VO2 or percentage of maximum heart rate - %HR) or psychological (ratings of perceived exertion - RPE) variable is the best predictor of affective responses during continuous (CT) and interval (HIT) exercise sessions. Fourteen men underwent 3 exercise sessions on the treadmill. In the first session, a Read More

In the present study we examined the moderating effect of the power motive on salivary cortisol responses to acute psychosocial stress and exercise in adolescents. Fifty-seven high school students aged M = 14.8 years participated in the study. The Operant Motive Test was applied to measure the implicit power motive and the Personality Research Form was used to measure the explicit power motive. Salivary cortisol l Read More

Recent studies have shown that, in addition to its well-known erythropoietic effects, erythropoietin has anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and neurotrophic effects in different tissues including the retina and optic nerve. In this review, we made a comprehensive search to define the therapeutic potential of erythropoietin in retinal and optic nerve diseases that lead to blindness.

One of the biggest problems and challenges for the development of new drugs and treatment strategies against Alzheimer Disease (AD) is the crossing of target drugs into the blood brain barrier. The use of nanoparticles in drug delivery therapy holds much promise in targeting remote tissues, and as a result many studies have attempted to study the ultrastructural localization of nanoparticles in various tissues. Howeve Read More