Brand Depressionsforschung

Physical exercise stimulates the release of endogenous opioid peptides supposed to be responsible for changes in mood, anxiety, and performance. Exercise alters sensitivity to these effects that modify the efficacy at the opioid receptor. Although there is evidence that relates exercise to neuropeptide expression in the brain, the effects of exercise on opioid receptor binding and signal transduction mechanisms downstream of these receptors have not been explored. Here, we characterized the binding and G protein activation of mu opioid receptor, kappa opioid receptor or delta opioid receptor in several brain regions following acute (7 days) and chronic (30 days) exercise. As regards short- (acute) or long-term effects (chronic) of exercise, overall, higher opioid receptor binding was observed in acute-exercise animals and the opposite was found in the chronic-exercise animals. The binding of [(35) S]GTPγS under basal conditions (absence of agonists) was elevated in sensorimotor cortex and hippocampus, an effect more evident after chronic exercise. Divergence of findings was observed for mu opioid receptor, kappa opioid receptor, and delta opioid receptor receptor activation in our study. Our results support existing evidence of opioid receptor binding and G protein activation occurring differentially in brain regions in response to diverse exercise stimuli. We characterized the binding and G protein activation of mu, kappa, and delta opioid receptors in several brain regions following acute (7 days) and chronic (30 days) exercise. Higher opioid receptor binding was observed in the acute exercise animal group and opposite findings in the chronic exercise group. Higher G protein activation under basal conditions was noted in rats submitted to chronic exercise, as visible in the depicted pseudo-color autoradiograms.

Aims: This study examined whether the association between sleep duration, as well as sleep continuity, and cognitive function differs between normally developing preterm children compared to full-term children during middle childhood. Methods: A total of 58 early preterm (<32 weeks' gestation) and 55 full-term children, aged 6-10 years and enrolled in elementary school, were assessed on sleep duration, sleep continuity and cognitive function. We used in-home polysomnographic recordings of total sleep time, sleep efficiency and nocturnal awakenings. Cognitive tests included intelligence, arithmetic, selective attention, verbal memory, and visuospatial memory. Results: Preterm children showed poorer performance in intelligence, arithmetic, selective attention, and visuospatial memory (d = 0.38-0.79, p < 0.05) and more objectively assessed nocturnal awakenings (d = 0.40, p = 0.03) than full-term children. Associations of sleep efficiency and cognitive functions (intelligence,...

ABSTRACT In this study, we investigate sleep quantity and quality and their association with anger-related reactions, symptoms of ADHD, depressive symptoms, physical health complaints, and life satisfaction in male prison inmates. Furthermore, we examine whether good sleep hygiene in the prison context (physical exercise during the day, switching the television off at night, limiting caffeine and cigarette consumption) is related to sleep quantity and quality. Forty-nine prison inmates (mean age = 39.37; SD = 13.95) completed questionnaires assessing sleep quality and quantity, sleep hygiene, and psychosocial and physical functioning. Short sleep duration (6 h or less) and poor sleep quality were related to higher levels of aggressiveness in aggression-provoking social situations and more physical health complaints. In addition, poor sleep quality was related to higher levels of rumination and more symptoms of ADHD. Daily caffeine consumption, a sleep hygiene variable, was related to shorter sleep duration. The results suggest that, among a sample of male prison inmates, adequate sleep duration and good sleep quality were associated with better psychosocial adjustment.

Sleep disturbance in childhood is common and a risk factor for poor mental health. Evidence indicates that disturbed sleep is associated with altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) activity. Knowledge regarding the association between HPAA-activity and objective sleep measures particularly regarding sleep architecture in school-age children is missing. Sleep-electroencephalography was administered to 113 children aged 6-10 years (including 58 children born very preterm and 55 born at term) during one night at the children's homes and sleep duration, sleep continuity, and sleep architecture were assessed. To assess the cortisol awakening response at the following morning, cortisol secretion was measured at awakening, 10, 20, and 30min later. Regression analyses controlling child age, gender, prematurity status, and the awakening time revealed that morning cortisol secretion was negatively associated with sleep duration and slow wave sleep and positively associated wit...