Babys Brain Development

CoronaVirus Updates

3D 'assembloid' shows how SARS-CoV-2 infects brain cells

New York, July 17 (IANS) A team of researchers has produced a stem cell model that demonstrates a potential route of entry of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, into the human brain.The findings published in the journal Nature Medicine, indicate that one potential route of SARS-CoV-2 into the brain is through the blood vessels, where SARS-CoV-2 can infect pericytes and then SARS-CoV-2 can spread to other types of brain cells."Clinical and epidemiological observations suggest that the brain can become involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection," said senior author Joseph Gleeson from the University of California San Diego."The prospect of Covid-19-induced brain damage has become a primary concern in cases of 'long COVID,' but human neurons in culture are not susceptible to infection. Prior publications suggest that the cells that make the spinal fluid could become infected with SARS-CoV-2, but other routes of entry seemed likely," Gleeson added.The team confirmed that human neural cells are resistant to SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, recent studies hinted that other types of brain cells might serve as a 'Trojan horse.'Pericytes are specialised cells that wrap around blood vessels -- and carry the SARS-CoV-2 receptor.The researchers introduced pericytes into three-dimensional neural cell cultures -- brain organoids -- to create "assembloids" -- a more sophisticated stem cell model of the human body.These assembloids contained many types of brain cells in addition to pericytes, and showed robust infection by SARS-CoV-2.The coronavirus was able to infect the pericytes, which served as localised factories for the production of SARS-CoV-2. These locally produced SARS-CoV-2 could then spread to other cell types, leading to widespread damage.With this improved model system, they found that the supporting cells known as astrocytes were the main target of this secondary infection."Alternatively, the infected pericytes could lead to inflammation of the blood vessels, followed by clotting, stroke or hemorrhages, complications that are observed in many patients with SARS-CoV-2 who are hospitalised in intensive care units," Gleeson noted.--IANSvc/kr
Research

Keeping your brain active may delay dementia by 5 years

New York, Reading, writing letters and playing card games or puzzles even in advanced old age may help delay the onset of Alzheimer's dementia by up to five years. The research, published in the online issue of journal journal Neurology, looked at 1,978 people with an average age of 80 who did not have dementia at the start of the study and were followed for seven years. People with the highest levels of activity, on average, developed dementia at age 94. The people with the lowest cognitive activity, on average, developed dementia at age 89, a difference of five years. "The good news is that it's never too late to start doing the kinds of inexpensive, accessible activities we looked at in our study," said Robert S. Wilson, from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. "Our findings suggest it may be beneficial to start doing these things, even in your 80s, to delay the onset of Alzheimer's dementia," Wilson added. To test the idea that low cognitive activity may be an early sign of dementia, not the other way around, researchers also looked at the brains of 695 people who died during the study. Brain tissue was examined for markers of Alzheimer's like amyloid and tau protein deposits, but researchers found no association between how active they were cognitively and markers of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders in their brains. "It is important to note, after we accounted for late life level of cognitive activity, neither education nor early life cognitive activity were associated with the age at which a person developed Alzheimer's dementia. Our research suggests that the link between cognitive activity and the age at which a person developed dementia is mainly driven by the activities you do later in life," Wilson noted.   (IANS)
CoronaVirus Updates

Chosen path of development despite

Bengaluru, July 2 (IANS) Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said that the Narendra Modi government has chosen a path of increasing allocation for infrastructure building, and concentrating on health infrastructure with the pandemic hitting the country in 2020.Sitharaman, who concluded her two-day visit to Karnataka where she reviewed ongoing projects, and interacted with industry leaders, told reporters that from a stage when it did not even manufacture PPE, did not have enough ventilators or sufficient centres to test virology samples, the country has walked a long way of progress."With decision to increase allocation for infrastructure building now this year, we are looking at improving health infrastructure at the block level too," she said.She said that the Centre began facing the Covid challenge in March 2020 with the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) which has been extended from this March till November 2021.She said that this fiscal's budget was prepared for pandemic-affected economy and its recovery in mind but after the second wave, the government was ensuring focus on medical infrastructure, and focusing on paediatric care.Noting that the country was observing the 30th anniversary of the 1991 economic liberalisation, she said that the Reserve Bank is also monitoring and extending credit support too."In this tenure, the government passed agriculture bills which have now become Acts... labour codes, mining sector reforms, reforms to financial sector, reform to distribution network of power are all being undertaken even during the pandemic while in our previous tenure, we had passed Goods and Service Tax (GST) and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). Our primary focus has been bringing reforms," she maintained.To a question on extending GST compensation, Sitharaman reiterated that a special session of the GST Council would discuss this issue of extension, if any, after July 2022."The Union government cannot take separate steps, the GST Council decides on the formula of compensation to states," she said.Regarding pending GST compensation to states, she said that as per the discussions held in October 2020 with all the states on loss of revenue, and as a result of lack of money to pay the compensation, a formula was arrived at and based on it for the year 2020-21, whatever was agreed to be given through back-to-back borrowing has already been given."If the Union government gets better revenue, even the remaining amount will be paid or it will added to next year, depending on the situation," she added.On technical glitches in the new income tax e-filing portal, the Finance Minister said that hopefully the Infosys team which has developed it will completely sort it out. "There are one or two issues on which they are working on. When this new system developed by them became operational, people from nearly eight different parts of the country voiced grievances... since then, the team has been sorting out these issues," she said.In 2019, Infosys was awarded a contract to develop the next-generation income tax filing system to reduce processing time for returns from 63 days to one day and to expedite refunds.--IANSnbh/vd
CoronaVirus Updates

Autopsy study shows Covid harms brain like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's

New York, June 23 (IANS) People who died of Covid-19 showed signs that were similar to the brains of individuals who died of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, according to a study.Both groups presented similar inflammation and impairment in brain circuits, said researchers from the Stanford School of Medicine and the Saarland University in Germany.The findings, published in the journal Nature, may help explain why about one-third of individuals hospitalised for Covid report symptoms of neurological problems like fuzzy thinking, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, and depression.The team analysed brain tissues from eight individuals who died of the disease, and brain samples from 14 people who died of other causes were used as controls for the study."The brains of patients who died from severe Covid-19 showed profound molecular markers of inflammation, even though those patients didn't have any reported clinical signs of neurological impairment," said Tony Wyss-Coray, Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford."Viral infection appears to trigger inflammatory responses throughout the body that may cause inflammatory signalling across the blood-brain barrier, which in turn could trip off neuroinflammation in the brain," he added.Further, the team found that the activation levels of many genes, associated with inflammatory processes, differed in the Covid-19 patients' brains versus the control group's brains.There also were signs of distress in neurons in the cerebral cortex, the brain region that plays a key role in decision-making, memory and mathematical reasoning.The outermost layers of the cerebral cortex of patients who died of Covid-19 showed molecular changes suggesting suppressed signalling by excitatory neurons, along with heightened signalling by inhibitory neurons, which act like brakes on excitatory neurons. This kind of signalling imbalance has been associated with cognitive deficits and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, the researchers explained.In addition, the peripheral immune cells called T cells, were significantly more abundant in brain tissue from dead Covid-19 patients. In healthy brains, these immune cells are few and far between."It's likely that many Covid-19 patients, especially those reporting or exhibiting neurological problems or those who are hospitalised, have these neuroinflammatory markers we saw in the people we looked at who had died from the disease," Wyss-Coray said. It may be possible to find out by analysing these patients' cerebrospinal fluid, whose contents to some extent mirror those of the living brain."Our findings may help explain the brain fog, fatigue, and other neurological and psychiatric symptoms of long Covid," he noted.--IANSrvt/vd
Food and Nutrition

Top Brain-Boosting Food For Kids

Right food can help you improve your memory, concentration, and brain function. The brain, like the rest of the body, absorbs nutrients from the food we eat. Therefore, it is very important for kids to consume highly-nutritious food which are brain-boosters. Dietician Vidhi Chawla suggests some: Eggs Filling your child's breakfast plate with a combination of carbs, protein, and a small amount of healthy fat will help him or her stay energised throughout the day. Eggs are high in protein and as an added bonus they contain choline, which aids memory. Oily Fish Oily fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids and beneficial for brain development and health. Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary components of the cell's building blocks. Fish such as salmon, mackerel, fresh tuna, trout, sardines, and herring are high in omega-3 fatty acids and should be consumed once a week. Oats/Oatmeal Oatmeal and oats are excellent sources of energy and "fuel" for the brain. They are high in fibre, which keeps kids satisfied and prevents them from snacking on junk food. They're also high in vitamins E, B complex, and zinc, which help kids' brains function at their best. Use any topping, such as apples, bananas, blueberries, or even almonds over it. Colourful Veggies Coloured vegetables are rich in anti-oxidants, which help to keep brain cells healthy. Tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, or spinach are some vegetables to include in your child's diet. It's simple to incorporate vegetables into spaghetti sauces or soups. Milk, Yogurt And Cheese Milk, yoghurt, and cheese are high in protein and B vitamins, which are necessary for the growth of brain tissue, neurotransmitters, and enzymes, all of which play important roles in the brain. These foods are also high in calcium, which is necessary for the development of strong and healthy teeth and bones. Children's calcium requirements vary depending on their age, but two to three calcium-rich sources should be consumed each day. Don't worry if your child doesn't like milk; there are other ways to include dairy in his or her diet: When making porridge, puddings, or pancakes, use milk instead of water. Beans Beans are a great source of protein and vitamins and minerals for your children. Kidney and pinto beans contain Omega 3 more than any other beans. Sprinkle mixed beans on salad, mash them and spread them on pita pockets, or combine them with shredded lettuce and cheese to make the perfect sandwich filler. Read More► Can Gardening Be An Effective Way to Fight Depression?
CoronaVirus Updates

Brain-dead TN man gives new

Chennai, June 21 (IANS) A brain-dead young male aged 27 saved two patients at the MGM Healthcare here with his organs.In a statement issued here, MGM Healthcare, a private hospital said the young man was admitted to a private hospital in Salem after he suffered a traumatic brain injury in a road traffic accident.Despite the best efforts of the experts, he was declared brain dead.After an approved brain death certificate and thorough counselling of the family, they agreed to donate his organs in order to save the lives of a few individuals.The accident victims' heart and lungs were retrieved by a team of experts in Salem and a green corridor was created in Salem and Chennai to transport both the organs.According to MGM Healthcare, the organs were airlifted from Salem and transported to Chennai in less than two hours using a helicopter.The experts at MGM Healthcare performed life-saving surgeries to give a new lease of life to the critically-ill patients.Both the patients are stable and the surgeries were performed following all necessary Covid-19 protocols to avoid any infection.His remaining organs were dispatched to other hospitals.--IANSvj/dpb