This is

This is especially so regarding pediatric aspects of sleep and its disorders. Health education for parents and prospective parents often pays little regard to sleep. With some commendable exceptions, medical students, and specialist trainees, including pediatricians and child psychiatrists, health visitors, child psychologists, and teachers, receive little relevant instruction despite the fact that they all come into contact with many young people whose sleep is disturbed, sometimes with serious Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical consequences. This relative neglect of children is interesting

historically. To some degree it can be seen to reflect the very gradual and sporadic Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical emergence of pediatrics in general as a branch of www.selleckchem.com/RAAS.html medicine in its own right. At times (and in some respects still), children have been thought of as little adults. The extent to which this has been the case has been hotly debated by historians. On various grounds, Aries1 argued that for many centuries childhood was not acknowledged as a distinct period of development. This view was considered by some to Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical have lingered on in some respects until as late as the 19th century; witness child labor and sometimes the use of severe punishment of the type meted out to adults. Others have vigorously contested

Aries’ claim, pointing out the various ways in which, from early times, children have been recognized by parents and both secular and Church law, for example, as being very different from adults.2 Despite this counterclaim, it is interesting to trace the slow

and (at least initially) Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical faltering development of pediatrics as a specialty, the classic account of which remains Still’s The History of Paediatrics, first published in 1931.3 Hippocrates was probably the first eminent writer to pay special attention to children’s diseases, followed, some hundreds of years later, by Soranus Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical and Galen and then, much later again, Rhazes and Ribonucleotide reductase Avicenna. Still describes the gathering (although sporadic) momentum in more recent centuries, often in relation to descriptions of individual pediatric conditions, but eventually leading to more systematic and comprehensive clinical accounts and provision of pediatric services in the 19th and 20th centuries. Along the way, a particularly notable figure, for whom Still seems to have had a special regard, was Thomas Phaire, a lawyer and physician, who in 1545 published The Bote of Chyldren, the first pediatrics textbook written by an Englishman.4 The book proved very popular, and ran to several editions. It deserves special mention for many reasons, not least because it discusses children’s sleep problems and disorders.

whole breast radiation than in all of the previously reported ra

whole breast radiation than in all of the previously reported randomized IORT studies in previous decades (4). In parallel with this resurgence in IORT interest spawned by technological advances, there have been advances in chemotherapeutic management of systemic disease that has made it increasingly important to achieve effective and durable control of the primary disease with

local therapies, thus providing a shot in the arm for intensification of radiation Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical treatment via techniques such as IORT. The accompanying article by Ashman et al. reports the Mayo Clinic Scottsdale experience with preoperative chemoradiation therapy combined with a mobile electron accelerator IORT for locally advanced and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer

patients (5). Among 48 patients treated between 2002 and 2010 with chemoradiation therapy with the intent of resection and IORT, 31 patients underwent an attempted resection. Sixteen of these patients were able to undergo a R0/R1 Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical resection whereas one patient underwent an R2 resection and the remaining 14 patients did not undergo resection. Twenty eight of these thirty one operated patients received IORT. Patients who had R0/R1 resections (with IORT) had significantly better median overall survival durations (23 vs. 10 months, P=0.002) than those Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical who had R2 resection or no resection (with IORT). Since there were no patients without IORT who were part of the study, it remains Target Selective Inhibitor high throughput screening unclear what role the IORT played in the survival outcomes achieved. It also remains unclear whether the inability of nearly half of all patients (16 of 31) to receive chemotherapy after IORT may have adversely affected overall survival of these patients. What might seem, on the surface, easier to discern is whether the additional IORT improved local control? While recognizing that comparisons to historical controls are fraught with flaws and that assessment/reporting of Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical local control

is particularly challenging Oxalosuccinic acid in pancreatic cancer patients, the reported local failure rate of 29% in unresected patients who underwent IORT seems to compare favorably to that reported for locally advanced pancreatic cancers who do not undergo IORT. While this hints at a potential local control benefit from escalated doses of radiation to the retroperitoneal margin, given the competing risk for frequent and rapid metastatic dissemination of these aggressive tumors, it is not surprising that a potential local control benefit does not translate to a survival benefit. Similar findings were reported in a recent multi-institutional retrospective analysis of IORT for resected pancreatic cancer patients where local control was excellent but there was no improvement in overall survival (6).

This haplotype showed higher frequencies in SZ (P = 0 021) and i

This haplotype showed higher frequencies in SZ (P = 0.021) and in BP (P = 0.0075) patients than in controls (Table 3). Interestingly, when all patients were pooled together, this risk haplotype remained significant (P = 0.0016) and held after Bonferroni corrections. To strengthen the power of our analysis and to highlight at-risk haplotypes, the analysis was then repeated with haplotypes formed by two-marker combinations excluding rs3813065. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Omnibus tests showed

more significant P-values in combined SZ and BP patients compared to controls (omnibus test: P = 0.0032, X2 = 23.11, df = 8). SZ only and BP only versus controls showed the same tendency (omnibus tests: P = 0.0084, X2 = 17.25, df = 6 and P = 0.017, X2 = 17.09, df = 7, respectively). Moreover, even after corrections for multiple testing, one main haplotype (CA)13-G was more frequent in the pooled population Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of SZ and BD patients than in controls (P = 5.81 × 10−4). This risk haplotype was also statistically significant in SZ patients (P

= 0.0011) and showed a trend of association in Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical BD patients (P = 0.022). Table 3 Haplotype analysis of the PIK3C3 gene in bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ) As multiple positive findings were expected and found, the FDR q-value was calculated to quantify the joint probability of multiple findings reflecting true associations as opposed to false positives, taking into account all comparisons performed to test the three hypotheses. The three top associations of the Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical multiple comparisons (Table 2) were attributed a q-value of 0.09 or less. While, after multiple comparison corrections, it was not possible to reject all of the null 4��8C manufacturer hypotheses at a conventional level of statistical significance, all three of them were very unlikely to represent Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical false positives. Interaction analysis between PIK3C3 and BDNF variants After the omnibus test, one interaction remained statistically significant between rs6265 (BDNF) and rs8095411 (PIK3C3) in SZ compared to controls (omnibus test: P = 0.04637, X2 = 3.968, df = 1). This result is mainly supported by Oxymatrine genotype interaction rs6265/ rs8095411 A/G-A/G (16.46%

vs. 6.8%, P = 0.028). This interaction did not survive the Bonferroni test for multiple corrections. Discussion The aim of this case-control study was to assess the potential role of PIK3C3 genetic variants in SZ and BD patients and its possible interaction with a BDNF polymorphism. The analysis of the single marker yields a difference, albeit modest, in allele distribution of the rs3813065 (-432C>T) with respect to BD, but not SZ. This result replicates the previous study from Stopkova et al. (2004). Moreover, the minor allele distribution is similar to that described in previous publications, which reported that it was very rare in USA and Czech populations while homozygote was missing in Jewish populations in Israel (Stopkova et al. 2004).

30 Any intervention along this signalling pathway could reduce t

30 Any intervention along this signalling pathway could reduce the inflammation and consequently, induce damages. Figure 4 The chemical structures of apigenin and resveratrol (A and C), the core

structures and related chemical groups (B and D). Several RAGE blockers such as TTP488 and PF-04494700 have been tested. In addition, naturally occurring biopolymers such as hyaluronic acid is shown to have antagonizing activity.98 Hyaluronic acid injection has also Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical been introduced as a treatment for osteoarthritis.81 In addition to chemicals and polymers as antagonists for RAGE, antibodies against the receptor can be an alternative way of antagonizing the receptor. Inhibition of AGE-Induced Inflammation by Catalase, NADPH Oxidase Inhibitors The physiological role of NO signalling as

an extracellular signalling molecule is now widely appreciated.99 Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is another messenger with similar biochemical characteristics similar to NO, and is predominantly involved in pro-inflammatory signalling.100,101 Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Hydrogen peroxide can act as a messenger and transmit pro-inflammatory signals between adjacent cells.102 It can act both as a mediator molecule and a toxic substance. In higher concentrations it is toxic, and in lower concentrations it is a messenger.103 The special role of H2O2 in inflammation by some types of cells such as T-cells has been extensively investigated.104 Hydrogen Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical peroxide belongs to ROS, and it has been hypothesised

that H2O2 acts as a messenger in gene regulation and signal transduction pathways.105 It has also been Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical reported that the concentration of H2O2 in leukocytes increases from 1 to 100 mM selleck kinase inhibitor during phagocytosis.106 Various activities within the cells are related to H2O2 production. Schematic presentation of the chemical reactions Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical involved in antioxidant defense mechanisms,107 are shown in figure 5. Figure 5 Schematic presentation of the chemical reactions involved in antioxidant defense mechanisms. Conclusion While there are several studies about glycated proteins, the number of reports regarding the signalling network triggered by glycated proteins is limited. The publications reviewed herein might indicate that AGE-RAGE signalling pathway was a possible signalling pathway. In addition to inflammatory response, oxidative below stress is another mechanism through which the destructive effects of glycated protein in AD and other age-related diseases are prominent. It is still unclear what the second messenger of the RAGE, which results in the receptor activation, is. It might also be possible to conclude that the understanding of the pathway can help in finding an inhibitory compound useful in AD. Conflict of Interest: None declared
Background: The effects of different opioids on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and pain have not been conclusively determined.

2008a,b2008b; Fortin et al 2012; Jones et al 2013) Importantly

2008a,b2008b; Fortin et al. 2012; Jones et al. 2013). Importantly, these tracts also project to regions known to respond during cue-elicited craving, including the supplementary motor area, medial frontal cortex, insula, and dorsal striatum (Claus et al. 2011; Schacht et al. 2013). In addition to posterior cortical regions, we

also found significant, inverse correlations between white matter integrity and BOLD response in frontal regions including the inferior, medial, and superior frontal gyri. Lateral Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical frontal regions typically have been implicated in cognitive control and goal-directed behavior. Given that response to alcohol cues in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and medial frontal gyrus has been Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical positively

associated with alcohol problem severity (Claus et al. 2011), our findings could be interpreted as providing further evidence of engagement of these regions in individuals with more extensive drinking histories. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical The negative correlation of BOLD activity in these regions with white matter integrity suggests the possibility that, although these regions may come online to a greater degree during alcohol cue presentation, lower white matter integrity in tracts that project to limbic and temporal regions (e.g., fornix, cingulate, and superior longitudinal fasciculus) may result in less effective control Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical over representations in bottom-up processing streams. Notably, the fornix and cingulate are consistently implicated in studies of alcohol dependence (Schulte et al. 2010). Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical A caveat to these interpretations is that several tracts, such as the superior longitudinal fasciculus, are quite large and are known to incorporate several subcomponents (Fernández-Miranda et al. 2008a; Schmahmann et al. 2008). Future studies examining

the relation of cue reactivity to specific subtracts would be useful. A recent study found that alcohol-dependent participants had lower gray matter volume of lateral frontal, medial frontal, and parietal-occipital COX signaling inhibitors clusters compared to healthy control participants and that volume of Dimethyl sulfoxide the medial frontal and parietal-occipital clusters significantly predicted time to relapse, after controlling for age, IQ, years of alcohol use, and consumption over the 90 days preceding treatment (Rando et al. 2011). The clusters that predicted relapse in that study were consistent with the clusters of BOLD activity in the anterior and posterior cingulate, precuneus/cuneus, and medial prefrontal cortex associated with lower FA in our study.

Current abdominal radiation uses volumetric data from CT based pl

Current abdominal radiation uses volumetric data from CT based planning to better define targets and organs at risk. One or both of the kidneys often lie in close proximity to target structures. As the kidneys are inherently radiosensitive and renal tolerance limits are often less than prescribed therapeutic doses, the kidneys are major dose limiting structures

in abdominal radiation treatment fields. Progressive renal dysfunction following abdominal radiation Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical has been reported (1)-(13). Emami et al described the probability of developing normal tissue complications and suggested organ tolerance limits based on volume of organ irradiated to various doses (14). For kidney, the tolerance limits for 5% probability of complications at 5 years (TD 5/5) are 23 Gy for whole organ, 30 Gy for 2/3 volume, and 50 Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Gy to 1/3 volume. The Emami tolerances do not specifically address the relative contribution of each kidney to overall renal function. Split renal function Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical is commonly assessed prior to abdominal radiation. Split renal function can be measured using renal scintigraphy with each kidney’s relative function expressed as a percentage of total function. Assessment of the

relative contribution of each kidney to overall renal function by renogram may guide radiation treatment planning and design of shielding for renal sparing. This study evaluated renal function prior to and following abdominal radiation with concurrent chemotherapy in the treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical The association between split function on Technetium99m MAG-3 renal scintigraphy, change in creatinine clearance, and radiation dose volume parameters was analyzed. Methods

and materials Patient selection Patients with gastrointestinal malignancies treated Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical with abdominal chemoradiation between 2002 and 2009 were identified. Patients were included in this analysis if they received concurrent chemotherapy and three-dimensional conformal abdominal radiation, had at least one kidney included in the radiation treatment fields, had pre-radiation renal scintigraphy performed, received at least 20 Gy, and had laboratory data and ALOX15 dosimetric parameters available for review. Chemoradiation All patients underwent CT simulation. Three-dimensional conformal radiation treatment planning was performed using Theraplan Plus treatment planning system (MDS Nordion, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) and Eclipse Treatment Planning System (Varian Medical Services, Palo Alto, CA, USA). Abdominal radiation was delivered on linear accelerators using 6-23 MV photons. Dose and field arrangements selleck chemicals varied by primary site. Targets and organs at risk were contoured. Treatment plans were designed to encompass the primary target and areas at risk with margin.

8,9,11,106,108,109

Table III Selected placebo-controlled

8,9,11,106,108,109

Table III. Selected placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials of post-traumatic stress disorder treatment. The available literature suggests that a trial period of about 8 to 12 weeks should be undertaken to assess efficacy.8,111 Long-term studies suggest that maintenance treatment should be continued in responders for at least a year.102,112 Limited data exists on a number of other medication classes in PTSD. For example, the anticonvulsants lamotrigine and topiramate have been found to be effective as either monotherapy113,114 or augmentation Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical strategy.115 Once again, however, given the relative paucity of data, such agents are not considered a first-line option in the pharmacotherapy Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of PTSD. Limited work has been undertaken in patients not responding to initial SSRI/SNRI treatment, or in special populations such as children and adolescents.41,116 In treatment-refractory patients, switching to a different SSRI/SNRI can be considered, but has not been well studied. Augmentation with an atypical antipsychotic (eg. risperidone or olanzapine) has been found efficacious

Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical in some studies.117-119 Other considerations include the addition of an anticonvulsant agent, for example topiramate.115 Treatment guidelines emphasize the need for ongoing assessment of the risk:benefit ratio of such strategies, for example, monitoring metabolic effects.8,106 Animal studies of stress have given impetus to the question of whether PTSD can be prevented by early pharmacotherapy. Early proof-of-principle studies suggested that the β-blocker, propanolol, may be efficacious in this Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical context.120,121 The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been well-studied in both animal and human work on stress, and the administration of IV hydrocortisone in the hospital setting has been suggested useful in PTSD prophylaxis.122,123,3 However, subsequent work with propanolol and other agents has not always been supportive of the early work,124,125 and further research in this area remains necessary. Laboratory research also led to the Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical hypothesis that D-cycloserine, a partial agonist at NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) glutamate receptors,126 may be useful

in enhancing CBT in PTSD. Early proof-of-principle trials have shown promise.127,128 This is a particularly exciting development, as it represents that, for perhaps the first time, a translational approach in anxiety disorders has led to an efficacious Linifanib (ABT-869) new treatment. Various other molecular targets for CBT augmentation have been suggested,12 but further work is needed to confirm the effectiveness of such approaches in the clinical context. LY294002 purchase Social anxiety disorder The pharmacotherapy of patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD) was given initial impetus by the finding that MAOIs are effective, but TCAs are not. As in the case of PD and OCD, this suggested that particular agents might be efficacious for particular anxiety disorders.

Two oscillating masses with smooth, spherical contour were found

Two oscillating masses with smooth, spherical contour were found in the LV apex (Fig. 1A). The size of masses were estimated 22 by 29 mm and 14 by 18 mm respectively. The patient received unfractionated heparin Proteasome structure intravenously for 5 days, followed by oral warfarin therapy. On the 8th hospital day, follow-up echocardiography revealed partial resolution of thrombi with resultant highly movable friable remnants (Fig. 1B). One the 18th hospital day,

follow-up echocardiography revealed nearly complete resolution of thrombi (Fig. 1C). Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical The patient was discharged home uneventfully. Fig. 1 Transthoracic echocardiography. Apical 4 chamber view revealed two oscillating masses with smooth, spherical contour were found in the Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical LV apex (A). The size of masses were estimated 22 by 29 mm and 14 by 18 mm respectively. On the 8th hospital

day, follow-up … Ball shaped-masses in LV may be thrombi, vegetations or tumors. Although echocardiography is the procedure of choice for the diagnosis of cardiac mass, differentiation between myxoma and thrombus may be very difficult if the mass size is small, contours are smooth, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical or attachment site is atypical or ill-defined.1) Short-term anticoagulation therapy, which can differentiate thrombi from tumors, makes unnecessary surgical procedure avoidable.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) associated with atrial septal defect (ASD) is clinically important due to increased morbidity and mortality.1),2) Closure of septal defect is one of the options in the treatment in these patients. If the patient’s pulmonary arterial pressure is more than 2/3 the

systemic pressure, closure can be done with a net left-to-right shunt of at least Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical 1.5 : 1 or evidence of reversibility of the shunt in the cardiac catheterization.2) Recently, there are several reports Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical about transient use of pulmonary arterial vasodilators in the successful management of PAH in the perioperative period.3),4) Here, we reports a case of remarkable recovery of severe PAH after ASD closure followed by oral endothelin receptor antagonist, bosentan (Tracleer, Actelion, Allschwil, Switzerland). Case A 31-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of worsening of exertional dyspnea for 3 months. Initially, she felt exertional dyspnea about 18 months ago, just after delivery of her second baby. Her symptom got worse with time and presented with exertional dyspnea of NYHA class III, orthopnea, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea at the time of admission. Initial her vital signs were body temperature ADP ribosylation factor 36.4℃, heart rate 60/min, respiratory rate 20/min and blood pressure 90/50 mmHg. There was regular heart beat with wide fixed splitting of S2 at the pulmonic valve area and there was no clubbing of the fingers and nails. On her admission, the chest X-ray showed cardiomegaly and dilated pulmonary trunk. The transthoracic echocardiogram revealed about 1.5 cm sized secundum type ASD with bidirectional shunt (mainly left to right shunt).

Mice Except where otherwise indicated, all mice in the present ex

Mice Except where otherwise indicated, all mice in the present experiments were C57BL/6J purchased from the Animal Resources Centre in Western Australia (http://www.arc.wa.gov.au/). They were housed in a temperature-controlled environment with a 12:12 h light:dark cycle and ad libitum access to standard Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical rodent pellets and water. All

mice were >8 weeks old (i.e., sexually mature) at the beginning of experimentation and mice in each experiment were age matched and randomly assigned to different experimental groups. Mating Mated mice were housed together in pairs continuously for 7 days in standard mouse boxes. Experimental Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical groups were male–female pair (mated), male–male pair (control males), and female–female pair (control females). No other manipulations were performed except for standard animal husbandry (daily observation and topping up food and water when necessary), which was applied equally across experimental groups. Female mice were

checked for pregnancy Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical at the time of killing. Environment enrichment Environment-enriched mice (males only) were housed together in groups of n = 6 mice each continuously for 14 days in nonstandard boxes measuring 27 cm wide, 42 cm long, and 16 cm deep. Mice were assigned to one of three different groups: (1) standard housed (SH) comprising litter only; (2) PHA-665752 chemical structure running wheel (RW) comprising SH plus 2 RWs (per cage); and (3) environment enriched (EE) comprising RW plus toys (ropes, ladders, tunnels, and objects) with which to explore, play, climb, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical hide,

and nest. EE mice were also “super-enriched” for 1 h/day 5 days (Monday–Friday)/week. Super enrichment occurred at the same time each day (usually midday during the light cycle) Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical and comprised placement into a larger cage (46 cm wide, 69 cm long, and 40 cm deep) containing novel toys. These toys were cleaned with soapy water and 80% ethanol after each session and a different set of toys was presented at each session. These mice were returned to their EE cage following super enrichment. Tissue collection, processing, science and immunohistochemistry Immediately following the behavioral manipulations, mice were killed with sodium pentobarbitone (100 mg/kg i.p.) and perfused intracardially with 37°C heparinized phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) followed by 4% paraformaldehyde in PBS (1.15 mL/g body weight). The brain was removed and placed in PBS containing 30% sucrose for 2–3 days. Serial sections (40 μm thick) were cut through the midbrain and pons in the coronal plane using a cryostat. Every fourth section was incubated in 5% normal goat serum and 0.

Unlike testosterone, the primary male gonadal hormone, which grad

Unlike testosterone, the primary male gonadal hormone, which gradually and moderately decreases with male aging,37 estrogen production in women ceases suddenly around the time of menopause.38 Indeed, epidemiological evidence has linked the loss of estrogen with an increased risk for the development of AD, and suggested that Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical estrogen replacement would significantly decrease the incidence of AD (for reviews see39,40). Despite the majority of epidemiological and basic research that suggest beneficial actions

of estradiol, some clinical trials examining the role of hormone replacement therapy in the development of AD, including the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), have provided conflicting

results.41–43 Finally, it has been suggested that women are at greater risk for dementia and AD simply because they Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical live longer, and thus more selleck likely to develop age-related disorders. A support for this notion came from the Leisure World Cohort Study, which suggested that estrogen therapy is associated with longevity, rather than dementia.44 Genes To date, no clear evidence has shown an association between genetic factors and dementia in the oldest-old. This may seem at odds, since the genetic factors that are most consistently associated with dementia in younger elderly (particularly AD)45 and longevity46 are all related to a specific family of proteins—the Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical lipoproteins. These genetic factors include: 1) the ε4 allele of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene that has been independently associated with increased risk of late-onset Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical (age ≥ 65) AD47,48 and reduced chance of becoming a centenarian;49 and the genes for 2) microsomal transfer protein (mediates the rate-limiting step in lipoprotein synthesis); and 3) cholesteryl ester transfer protein (affects HDL and LDL particle size), which have been

associated with longevity.50,51 None of these genes were associated with dementia in the oldest-old. In fact, the presence of the ApoE ε4 allele seems Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical to lose its significance in predicting NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE AD as age progresses.52 The lack of associations between dementia and lipoproteins in very old age add further evidence to the hypothesis that the oldest-old are likely to be biologically different from the younger-old. Physical activity In studies of younger elderly, physical activity has consistently been associated with decreased risk of dementia.53–56 A possible explanation is that physically active individuals are more resistant to adverse risk factor changes, which modulate the risk of dementia, such as diabetes or diabetes-like metabolic disorders (reviewed in57,58) and cardiovascular diseases (reviewed in 59,60). Other mechanisms may involve direct influences of physical activity on brain plasticity61 and structural and functional brain reserves.