Phosphatidylserine in the brain: metabolism and function.

This work proposes a methodology for sleep stage classification based on two main approaches: the combination of features extracted from electroencephalogram (EEG) signal by different extraction methods, and the use of stacked sequential learning to incorporate predicted information from nearby sleep stages in the final classifier. The feature extraction methods used in this work include three representative ways of extracting information from EEG signals: Hjorth features, wavelet transformation and symbolic representation. Feature selection was then used to evaluate the relevance of individual features from this set of methods. Stacked sequential learning uses a second-layer classifier to improve the classification by using previous and posterior first-layer predicted stages as additional features providing information to the model. Results show that both approaches enhance the sleep stage classification accuracy rate, thus leading to a closer approximation to the experts' opinion.

Combination of heterogeneous eeg feature extraction methods and stacked sequential learning for sleep stage classification

Background

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed behavioural disorder of childhood, affecting 3–5% of school-age children. The present study investigated whether the supplementation of soy-derived phosphatidylserine (PS), a naturally occurring phospholipid, improves ADHD symptoms in children.



Methods

Thirty six children, aged 4–14 years, who had not previously received any drug treatment related to ADHD, received placebo (n = 17) or 200 mg day–1 PS (n = 19) for 2 months in a randomised, double-blind manner. Main outcome measures included: (i) ADHD symptoms based on DSM-IV-TR; (ii) short-term auditory memory and working memory using the Digit Span Test of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children; and (iii) mental performance to visual stimuli (GO/NO GO task).



Results

PS supplementation resulted in significant improvements in: (i) ADHD (P < 0.01), AD (P < 0.01) and HD (P < 0.01); (ii) short-term auditory memory (P < 0.05); and (iii) inattention (differentiation and reverse differentiation, P < 0.05) and inattention and impulsivity (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in other measurements and in the placebo group. PS was well-tolerated and showed no adverse effects.



Conclusions

PS significantly improved ADHD symptoms and short-term auditory memory in children. PS supplementation might be a safe and natural nutritional strategy for improving mental performance in young children suffering from ADHD.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jhn.12090

The effect of phosphatidylserine administration on memory and symptoms of attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder: a randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial

Omega-3 fatty acids administered in phosphatidylserine improved certain aspects of high chronic stress in men.

Inactivity and a lack of engagement with exercise is a pressing health problem in the United States and beyond. Immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) is a promising medium to motivate users through engaging virtual environments. Currently, modern iVR lacks a comparative analysis between research and consumer-grade systems for exercise and health. This article examines two such iVR mediums: the Cave Automated Virtual Environment (CAVE) and the head-mounted display (HMD). Specifically, we compare the room-scale Mechdyne CAVE and HTC Vive Pro HMD with a custom in-house exercise game that was designed such that user experiences were as consistent as possible between both systems. To ensure that our findings are generalizable for users of varying abilities, we recruited 40 participants with and without cognitive disabilities with regard to the fact that iVR environments and games can differ in their cognitive challenge between users. Our results show that across all abilities, the HMD excelled in in-game performance, biofeedback response, and player engagement. We conclude with considerations in utilizing iVR systems for exergaming with users across cognitive abilities.

https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3396249

On Shooting Stars: Comparing CAVE and HMD Immersive Virtual Reality Exergaming for Adults with Mixed Ability

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of phosphatidylserine (PS) on cognition and cortical activity after mental stress. After familiarization, 16 healthy subjects completed cognitive tasks after induced stress in a test–re-test design (T1 and T2). Directly after T1, subjects were assigned double-blind to either PS or placebo groups followed by T2 after 42 days. At T1 and T2, cortical activity was measured at baseline and immediately after stress with cognitive tasks using electro-encephalography (EEG). EEG was recorded at 17 electrode positions and fast Fourier transforms (FFT) determined power at Theta, Alpha-1, Alpha-2, Beta-1 and Beta-2. Statistics were calculated using ANOVA (group × trial × time). The main finding of the study was that chronic supplementation of phosphatidylserine significantly decreases Beta-1 power in right hemispheric frontal brain regions (F8; P < 0.05) before and after induced stress. The results for Beta-1 power in the PS group were connected to a more re...

T. Barthel

Papers

Influence of phosphatidylserine on cognitive performance and cortical activity after induced stress