Vol 21, No 4 (2021)

BACKGROUND: At school, children constantly acquire new knowledge, which provokes changes in the brain structures, especially during intensive learning. Neuroplasticity enables a person to realize his potential, to show giftedness. However, data on electroencephalographic (EEG) features during the sleep in gifted schoolchildren are insufficient and contradictory.

AIM: To study the features of EEG sleep patterns according to neurophysiological research data in intellectually gifted schoolchildren and their correlation with verbal and non-verbal mental abilities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 48 lyceum students aged 14-15 years were examined. All participants were performed the Wechsler-Intelligence test (children’s version) to determine them intelligence quotient (IQ). Two groups of adolescents were identified: the main group (n = 20) — with a high IQ (137.0±12.7 points), the control group (n = 28) — with an average IQ (110.9±10.4 points). Neurophysiological examination during the sleep was performed using an ambulatory wireless system for registration of electroencephalograms and polysomnograms “Neuron-Spectrum-AM” (“Neurosoft”, Ivanovo, Russian Federation,). The identification and analysis of EEG sleep patterns: cyclic alternating patterns and sleep spindles were carried out according to standard methods. Differences between groups were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05.

RESULTS: In gifted schoolchildren, significant changes were revealed as an increase in the time and the rate of cyclic alternating patterns with a predominance of A1 subtype (p = 0.0001) and a decrease in the proportion of А2-A3 subtypes, as well as an increase of sleep spindles density (p = 0.01), which significantly correlated with the Wechsler-Intelligence Test’s scores. So, percentage of A1 subtype had correlation with the index of thinking flexibility, while percentage of A2 subtype correlated with general and non-verbal intelligence, non-verbal visual-spatial abilities, the index of working memory) and the index of verbal perception, as well as the sleep spindles index and sleep spindles frequency peak correlated with the index of verbal perception, the index of working memory, the index of information processing speed and general intelligence.

CONCLUSIONS: Thus, we have demonstrated significant changes in the sleep microstructure and different correlations depending on the IQ values in schoolchildren, which was not previously covered in the literature. Cyclic alternating patterns and sleep spindles are recommended to be considered as physiological indicators of intelligence and academic performance, as well as specific markers of neuroplasticity in the intensification of learning.

BACKGROUND: Reactions of human cardiovascular system to complex dynamic postural loads were under investigation by previous authors. Individual limiting mode of postural loads, i.e. alternating negative-positive periodic changes of body position angle on tilting table with regard to clinostatic position, was defined. It was demonstrated that application of oscillatory passive dynamic postural loads can cause certain hemodynamic reactions, which expression depend on postural loads dynamic characteristics and subject’s primary state.

AIM: Aim of the study is to develop comprehensive methodology (practice) that explores regulation mechanisms of cardiovascular, respiratory, central and autonomic nervous systems and their reactions to physiological strains with assigned properties (intensity, direction, periodicity and duration of postural loads).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 30 young healthy participants took part in the study. Physiological indicators were registered in dynamic mode synchronously with trajectory of participant’s motion. This study implemented common statistical methods as much as original means of analysis by integrating theory of dynamic systems.

RESULTS: Evaluation of synchronously registered physiological indicators by means of instrumental and software application, in particular, postural loads protocols of various intensity and motion direction, showed that oscillatory passive dynamic postural mode allows considerable improvements in overall blood circulation and gas exchange in the lungs. These changes constitute in a rise of systemic and local blood flow without significant shift of arterial pressure, increased frequency of heartbeats and respiratory rate.

CONCLUSIONS: Continuous monitoring of participant’s condition during complex postural loads give an opportunity for studying a set of physiological reactions and has a future implication in scientifically approved recommendations that describe practical use of postural loads as a correction technology for human health state and training.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a disease which course depends on a number of factors, including genetic ones, among which the genes of the innate immune system receptors – TLR (toll-like receptors), which play a central role in the development of innate immunity reactions, are of particular interest. The SARS-CoV-2 virus structure includes, in addition to the nucleocapsid, a protein-lipid membrane envelope, which determines the recognition of virus components by different TLRs, including TLR2 subfamily receptors (TLR1, 6, 10), which genetic polymorphisms occur with different frequencies in different human populations and affect not only the functional activity of the innate immunity but also determine the quality of the adaptive immune response.

AIM: The study aimed to determine the association of polymorphisms of toll-like receptor genes TLR1, TLR6 and TLR10 with the severity of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in the Russian population of the Chelyabinsk region.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 86 patients from COVID-departments of hospitals in Chelyabinsk with a diagnosis of bilateral pneumonia with a degree of severity: moderate (M-BLP, n = 36) or severe (S-BLP, n = 50). The control group consisted of 100 healthy individuals from the register of the Chelyabinsk regional hemotransfusion station (“Control”). All the individuals studied belonged to the Russian ethnic group. Polymorphisms 1805T>G of TLR1 gene, 745C>T of TLR6 gene and 721A>C of TLR10 gene were determined using polymerase chain reaction with restriction fragment length polymorphism. The analysis of the association between genotypes and the status of individuals was carried out using the correspondence analysis and the Monte Carlo method.

RESULTS: It was revealed that the differences between the studied groups are completely determined by TLR1 genotypes. The GG genotype with statistical significance is more often detected in the “Control” group compared to M-BLP and S-BLP (p < 0.001, OR = 12.94) and can be assessed as protective in relation to the development of bilateral pneumonia in COVID-19. The TT genotype can be considered as predisposing to the development of a severe form of bilateral pneumonia in COVID-19 (p = 0.022): the TT genotype is significantly less common (OR = 0.20) in the M-BLP group compared to S-BLP.

CONCLUSIONS: It can be assumed that the genetic variant 1805*G of the TLR1 gene, which provides a moderate pro-inflammatory response and predominates in European populations, gives an advantage to its owners, preventing the development of complicated conditions in COVID-19 infection.

Atherosclerosis of the blood vessels is one of the main causes of severe chronic vascular pathologies, which quite often lead to the fatal end. It is well known that the development of atherosclerosis is an inflammatory process going through several stages until the formation of an atherosclerotic plaque. The latter, due to increased instability, would come off and cause thromboembolism. Low density lipoproteins, endothelium, platelets, neutrophils, monocytes / macrophages and smooth muscle cells of the vessel wall are all active participants in the development of atherosclerosis. Thus, they trigger and carry out the process by forming a platelet thrombus on the surface of the ulcerated calcified atherosclerotic plaque. In the recent time interest in the role of platelets in inflammatory processes has grown immensely, first of all due to their ability to interact with cells participating in different stages of atherosclerosis development through adhesion, formation of aggregations, the exchange of exovesicles and microparticles, as well as through the mutually increasing secretion of cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and other chemical mediators. This review is devoted to the role of platelets in the formation and regulation of the multicellular ensemble and also local cell modules specific for each stage of atherosclerosis development.

Migraine is a heterogeneous neurological disease characterized by the development of periodic attacks of severe throbbing headache and related disorders, which occur in 11–15% of the adult population of the planet. The article discusses the main forms of migraine with aura, migraine without aura, hereditary hemiplegic migraine in the context of their main clinical symptoms, molecular genetic risk factors involved in vascular and neurological processes, including activation trigeminovascular system. Emphasis is placed on the role of polymorphisms, hormone genes, neurotransmitters, their receptors, ion imbalance, ion channels, cytokines and growth factors, adhesion molecules, metabolic enzymes, matrix metalloproteases, vascular tone enzymes, antioxidant defense, lipid metabolism, proteins with a not yet established function.