Neuroprotección

Impacto del Aprendizaje del Inglés Sobre los Procesos Cognitivos en Adultos Mayores. Un Estudio Preliminar en Cuenca

A descriptive exploratory study, before and after a six-month english learning course for seniors is conducted to evaluate the cognitive effect of learning another language in this age group in the city of Cuenca.

Materials and Methods: 80 adults of average age 70.48 ± 4.9 years (31 men, 19 women) were included; who underwent neurological and neuropsychological evaluation at baseline, six and twelve months after the course; including tests for executive function (working memory and attention processes).

Results: Data show significant statistical association between impaired olfactory perception related to age. Neuropsychological tests show interesting data relating cognitive maintenance and even improvement in the Performance Testing Direct and inverse series (Wais III) and Symbol Digital Modality Test (SMDT) six and twelve months after initiating a learning course of English.

Conclusion: The study suggests that learning English, even without functional objective of a new language, may have protective effect on the executive functions and neuronal brain networks are claimed the first findings in patients with cognitive impairment. We suggest perform this follow up long term in time to find strongest evidence, related to international bibliography.

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Palabras clave: demencia, deterioro cognitivo, inglés, Neuroprotección,

Keywords: Cognitive decline, dementia, english, Neuroprotection,

Neuroprotección en la Isquemia Cerebral. Experiencias con la Eritropoyetina Humana Recombinante.

The current therapeutic strategies are oriented to reestablish the cerebral blood flow and to protect the nervous cells during cerebrovascular disease. Searching neuroprotective agents has been guided to block some of the molecular events that nervous cells suffer as a consequence of ischemia. Human recombinant erythropoietin constitutes a recent proposal, demonstrating to have neuroprotective mechanisms of action at more than one level, appearing to be a short term promising option. Its erythropoietic action can represent an convenience for chronic treatments or in secondary prevention. The use of an erythropoietin with low content of sialic acids –with neuroprotective activity but not erythropoietic– may be a good option. This molecule should be administered by a non systemic route as is the intranasal in order to prevent the hepatic degradation. Intranasal administration of human recombinant erythropoietin has shown to be quick and safe in accessing the brain, it does not stimulate erythropoiesis in acute treatments and it shows therapeutic effectiveness in several models of cerebral ischemia in rodents. This proposal can become a therapeutic option in cerebrovascular diseases.