Canadian Neurovascular Health Society

Please see information and link below regarding free upcoming UBC presentations on brain health. VIRTUAL BRAIN HEALTH SYMPOSIUM The Physical Activity for Precision Health at the University of British Columbia would like to welcome you to the 2021 Virtual Brain Health Symposium! This symposium will bring together internationally renowned experts in the fields of exercise, sleep, brain injury, microbiome, physical environment, social enrichment, and cognitive training. The Bra...in Health Symposium will highlight and advance knowledge on the role of various lifestyle strategies for promoting cognitive and brain health, while providing opportunities for collaboration and connections between scientists, new investigators, trainees, and stakeholders. The symposium will start off with our keynote speaker, Dr. Kaarin Anstey, on Thursday, April 29th, 2021. Speaker sessions will occur every Friday afterwards, from April 30th to June 4th, 2021. Speakers will include: Dr. Shelina Babul, PhD Dr. Deborah Barnes, MPH, PhD Dr. Olivier Beauchet, MD, PhD Dr. Sylvie Belleville, PhD Dr. Kirsten Berding, RD, PhD Dr. Louis Bherer, MPs, PhD Dr. Michael Brauer, ScD Dr. Stephen Cunnane, PhD Dr. Payam Dadvand, MD, PhD Dr. Brett Finlay, PhD Dr. Paul Gardiner, PhD Dr. Art Kramer, PhD Dr. John Leddy, MD Dr. Andrew Lim, MD Dr. Andrea Rosso, MPH, PhD Dr. Adam Spira, PhD Dr. Naznin Virji-Babul, PT, PhD Dr. Michelle Voss, PhD Dr. Shawn Youngstedt, PhD https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2021-virtual-brain-health-sympo

The formation of CCSVI may be based on the inflammatory process, facilitated by multiple risk factors, among which medical history of immunological diseases may play a significant role due to the intricate relationship between inflammation and coagulation. Moreover, CCSVI may also cause an independent inflammatory injury in venous walls, leading to focal stenosis or thrombus, without attacks from autoimmune antibodies. https://atm.amegroups.com/article/view/59254/html

More evidence that eating a diet rich in polyphenols helps both the gut and immune system. Mmm, berries and dark chocolate! [Abstract only] https://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com//S0261-5/fulltext

Free ISNVD Webinar March 4th ISNVD Webinar COVID 19: Aerosol Transmission, Pathogenesis, and Vaccines https://isnvd.org/files/ISNVD_webinar_0304_final.pdf

The coronavirus can affect brain functioning and cause mental decline equivalent to the brain aging by about 10 years, according to a new study published on the preprint server MedRxiv. The study hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed. Even those who have recovered from COVID-19 may face chronic cognitive consequences, they found. In the worst cases, the mental decline was similar to a drop in 8.5 IQ points. The results align with the ‘brain fog’ reported by many people who, even ...months after recovery, say they are unable to concentrate on work or focus how they did before, Adam Hampshire, the lead research and a doctor at Imperial College London, told The Times of London. Note: comment from Dr. Rob Tarzwell That one has no baseline cognitive screening and accepted self-report of COVID status without PCR+. Risk of bias is extreme. https://www.medrxiv.org//10/2020.10.20.20215863v1.full.pdf

"[Developmental venous anomalies] DVAs demonstrated a higher prevalence in the MS group in comparison to controls. We confirmed the association between DVAs and FLAIR anomalies in MS patients. However, currently there are no evidences that the presence of DVAs may be used in MS differential diagnosis. [Abstract only] http://scholar.google.ca/scholar_url

Via Dr. Paulo Zamboni: A super article with elegant pics reporting cause, location, collateral circles and symptoms in course of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7538781/

CCSVI may not be harmful to the patients in the upright position such as daytime routine activities. However, the cerebral blood outflow through IJV, which is supposed to be the main drainage route, will be blocked by the lesions in the supine position, such as when sleeping. The blood flow of the paraspinal collateral veins may be not enough to completely compensate that of IJVs (27). It could be inferred that gravity assists the vertebral venous return in the upright posit...ion and the central venous pressure in the upright position is lower than that in the supine position, which can prevent venous reflux (29). Whereas, as there is no valve in the paraspinal collateral veins, the loss of gravity assisting venous return, and the increase of central venous pressure will increase the risk of cerebral venous stasis and reflux in the supine position by vertebral venous drainage (29). Additionally, it was reported that the clearance rate of metabolic waste in the brain increased significantly during sleep (30). Moreover, the damaged clearance of metabolic waste through the cerebral venous system may contribute to the pathogenesis of vascular cognitive impairment (31, 32). In this study, the decreased diameter and the increased flow velocity at the stenosis segment showed the significantly disturbed jugular venous outflow in patients with CCSVI (33). The abnormal collateral vessels, the reduced cerebral perfusion, and the chronic clinical symptoms could be relieved after the correction of CCSVI, which further indicated the significance of IJV drainage (14). Therefore, IJV with valves will keep a steady venous return when sleeping in the supine position and long-term CCSVI may result in brain damage. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7538781/

Researchers are increasingly looking into ME/CFSa disease that sounds almost identical to long-haul coronavirus, but up until now got a lot less attention https://time.com/5897992/long-haul-coronavirus-me-cfs/

Via Dr. Paolo Zamboni: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/10/10/834/htm

Intermittent Fasting Improves Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Alters Gut Microbiota in Metabolic Syndrome Patients [* Note: while this studies results cannot be generalized, the type of intermittent fasting described in this study may be beneficial to anyone dealing with vascular dysfunction and inflammation.] Intermittent fasting (IF) is an effective strategy to the improvement of cardiometabolic health.... Objective To examine the effects of IF on cardiometabolic risk factors and the gut microbiota in patients with metabolic syndrome (MS). Design Randomized clinical trial. Setting Community Health Service Center. Patients Adults with MS, 30-50 years of age. Intervention 8 weeks of two-day modified IF. Main Outcome Measure Cardiometabolic risk factors including body composition, oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines, and endothelial function were assessed at baseline and 8 weeks. The diversity, composition, and functional pathways of the gut microbiota, as well as circulating gut-derived metabolites were also measured. Results 39 patients with MS were included: 21 in the IF group and 18 in the control group. On fasting days, participants in the IF group reduced 69% of the calorie intake compared to nonfasting days. The 8-week IF significantly reduced fat mass, ameliorated oxidative stress, modulated inflammatory cytokines, and improved the vasodilatory parameters. Furthermore, IF induced significant changes in gut microbiota communities, increased the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and decreased the circulating levels of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Gut microbiota alteration attributed to the IF was significantly associated with cardiovascular risk factors and resulted in distinct genetic shifts of carbohydrate metabolism in the gut community. Conclusion IF induces a significant alteration of the gut microbial community and functional pathways in a manner, which is closely associated with the mitigation of cardiometabolic risk factors. The study provides potential mechanistic insights into the prevention of adverse outcomes associated with MS. https://academic.oup.com///10.1210/clinem/dgaa644/5918106

More on long term effects of COVID experienced by some people: https://neurosciencenews.com/ptsd-covid-brain-fog-17133/amp/

Neurological and neurovascular symptoms found in COVID-19 patients: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/acn3.51210

Different people will have different levels of vulnerability to such particulate exposure but our new findings indicate that what air pollutants you are exposed to, what you are inhaling and swallowing, are really significant in development of neurological damage. With this in mind, control of nanoparticulate sources of air pollution becomes critical and urgent. It may be reassuring for us to look at this study and note it was done in Mexico City, but none of us is immune... from the deleterious effects of smog and vehicle pollution. Children often play low to the ground where these pollutants settle, so that might also be a factor. https://neurosciencenews.com/air-pollution-children-neu/amp

FDA Issues Recommendations for Certain High-Risk Groups Regarding Mercury-Containing Dental Amalgam. Includes people with pre-existing neurological disease such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease" [Took them long enough...] https://www.fda.gov//fda-issues-recommendations-certain-hi

Abstract Sleep is evolutionarily conserved across all species, and impaired sleep is a common trait of the diseased brain. Sleep quality decreases as we age, and disruption of the regular sleep architecture is a frequent antecedent to the onset of dementia in neurodegenerative diseases. The glymphatic system, which clears the brain of protein waste products, is mostly active during sleep. Yet the glymphatic system degrades with age, suggesting a causal relationship between sl...eep disturbance and symptomatic progression in the neurodegenerative dementias. The ties that bind sleep, aging, glymphatic clearance, and protein aggregation have shed new light on the pathogenesis of a broad range of neurodegenerative diseases, for which glymphatic failure may constitute a therapeutically targetable final common pathway. [Abstract only available. ] https://science.sciencemag.org/content/370/6512/50

Iron Metabolism in Oligodendrocytes and Astrocytes, Implications for Myelination and Remyelination - Veronica T. Cheli, J. Correale, Pablo M. Paez, Juana M. Pasquini, 2020 (via Dr. Paolo Zamboni) https://journals.sagepub.com/d/pdf/10.1177/1759091420962681