The behavior of an individual changes from neonate to elderly due to the development of the central nervous system (CNS). One of the important components of the CNS is the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which bathes the brain and spinal cord. CSF has changing properties throughout life, including composition and volume imbalance. However, a specific age group that shows prevailing abnormality- corresponding behavior remains unclear. The objective of this article is to explore how such changes reflect on one's psychological as well as physical processing. Production of CSF could be affected by many factors, including its flow, absorption, volume, and composition. Prenatally, congenital malformations and infections hold the greatest risk of impacting the child's physical and mental growth. In adolescents, transmission of external substances like alcohol or drugs in the cerebrospinal fluid is known to impact severe mood changes that potentially result in suicide and depression. In the adult working population, the influence of stress levels on CSF composition causes anxiety and sleep disorders. Finally, the reduced production of CSF was found to be associated with memory deficits and Alzheimer's disease in the aging group. From the collected evidence, it can be observed that CSF played an important role in behavioral changes and may be associated with neurodegenerations. By linking the CSF abnormalities to the clinical symptoms at different stages of life, it may provide additional information in the diagnosis of diseases that are associated with neuropsychological changes.
Matched MeSH terms: Central Nervous System/physiology
Bioassay and immunohistochemical studies have detected the presence of prosaposin in the central nervous system (CNS) of mammals. Here, first time, we have determined the partial cDNA sequence of pigeon prosaposin and mapped the distribution of its mRNA in the pigeon CNS. The predicted amino acid sequence of pigeon prosaposin showed 93 and 60% identity to chicken and human prosaposin, respectively. In situ hybridization, autoradiograms showed that the prosaposin mRNA expression was found in the olfactory bulb, prepiriform cortex, Wulst, mesopallium, nidopallium, hippocampal formation, thalamus, tuberis nucleus, pre-tectal nucleus, nucleus mesencephalicus lateralis, pars dorsalis, nucleus isthmi, pars parvocellularis and magnocellularis, Edinger-Westphal nucleus, optic tectum, cerebellar cortex and nuclei, vestibular nuclei and gray matter of the spinal cord. These results suggest that the cDNA sequence of pigeon prosaposin is comparable to other vertebrates, and the general distribution pattern of prosaposin mRNA resembles those are found in mammals.
Matched MeSH terms: Central Nervous System/physiology*
There is evidence for impairment in both central nervous system (CNS) and autonomic nervous system (ANS) function with prolonged alcohol use. While these impairments persist into abstinence, partial recovery of function has been demonstrated in both systems during sleep. To investigate potential ANS dysfunction associated with cortical CNS responses (impairment in CNS-ANS coupling), we assessed phasic heart rate (HR) fluctuation associated with tones that did and those that did not elicit a K-complex (KC) during stable N2 non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in a group of 16 recently abstinent alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients (41.6 ± 8.5 years) and a group of 13 sex- and age-matched control participants (46.6 ± 9.3 years). Electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) data were recorded throughout the night. Alcohol consumption questionnaires were also administered to the AUD patients. AUD patients had elevated HR compared to controls at baseline prior to tone presentation. The HR fluctuation associated with KCs elicited by tone presentation was significantly smaller in amplitude, and tended to be delayed in time, in the AUD group compared with the control group, and the subsequent deceleration was also smaller in AUD patients. In both groups, the increase in HR was larger and occurred earlier when KCs were produced than when they were not, and there was no difference in the magnitude of the KC effect between groups. Phasic HR changes associated with KCs elicited by tones are impaired in AUD participants, reflecting ANS dysfunction possibly caused by an alteration of cardiac vagal trafficking. However, only the timing of the HR response was found to relate to estimated lifetime alcohol consumption in AUD. The clinical meaning and implications of these novel findings need to be determined.
Matched MeSH terms: Central Nervous System/physiology*