Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · 8d

This is super interesting analysis!!

Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 8d

On the morning of Keir Starmer's conference speech here's a new post on an odd psychopathology in British politics - our main parties don't like the people who vote for them - the dreaded Professional Managerial Class. And so they are acting out like a divorced dad seeking cooler voters. 1/n

British Politics' Midlife Crisis

Why British Parties Can't Make Peace with Their Actual Voters

benansell.substack.com

Reposted by Catherine Hall

Gernot Wagner @gwagner.com · Aug 10

Civilization, visualized

Positively mesmerizing: www.chronotrains.com/en/explore/2...

Cities reachable by train from Vienna in under 10 hours

5 30 76

Reposted by Catherine Hall

Silvia Anderle @silvia-anderle.bsky.social · Aug 5

Delighted to share our latest review in Nature Reviews Neuroscience!
We examine the growing evidence that vascular dysfunction plays a key role in cognitive decline in ageing and dementia, and argue that preserving/restoring CBF should be central to future therapies.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The vascular contribution to cognitive decline in ageing and dementia - Nature Reviews Neuroscience

Growing evidence suggests that reduced cerebral blood flow contributes to cognitive decline in ageing and dementia. Attwell and colleagues discuss the underlying mechanisms and functional consequences...

www.nature.com

3 27 70

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Aug 6

Thanks Leon! Hope yours has gone well too?

1 1

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Aug 6

Very excited that this is official now! Lots of setting up currently but will be recruiting soon!!

UK Dementia Research Institute @ukdri.ac.uk · Aug 4

Delighted to welcome a new Group Leader to our flagship vascular dementia research centre with @thebhf.bsky.social 🎉👏

Prof Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social and her team will examine how changes in blood flow & oxygen supply drive the onset of vascular dementia & Alzheimer’s👉 buff.ly/gyouoEV

1 2 18

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Jun 11

- from the best stats analysis to the coolest talk at a conference to AI to skills they've developed. These folks are exciting and excited!

1

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Jun 11

I'm collating slides for our collaborator group lab Summer Symposium tomorrow. The brief is "cool things you learnt over the last year" and I cannot over-emphasise how optimistic I am about the future of science with this bunch of trainees' contributions!

1 2

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Apr 22

Please consider supporting the Wildlife Trusts' purchase and work in the Rothbury Estate in Northumberland to create a huge wildlife corridor from the hills to the sea and protect species like the red squirrel and golden eagle. Donations currently match funded!
donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...

Rothbury Estate for Nature and the Nation – Big Give

Rothbury Estate offers a unique chance to create one of England’s largest nature recovery areas. By protecting its rich heritage, supporting local farmers and improving public access, The Wildlife Tru...

donate.biggive.org

2

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Mar 16

Toooooooooon!

1

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Feb 23

Ooh this sounds Amazing!!!!

1 2

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Feb 21

Whoop! Fab news!

1

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Feb 20

Me! But you/ UK Glia should do a starter pack!

1

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Feb 13

@physoc.bsky.social has a starter pack of physiologists. Hooray!! go.bsky.app/2KU1XD6

10 17

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Feb 13

Welcome Orla - so lovely to see you here!!

1

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Jan 30

Thanks Leon!

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Jan 30

Thanks so much Craig!!

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Jan 30

So neurovascular coupling is more immediately sensitive to physical activity level - but maybe changes in basal neurovascular function take longer to develop? Better keep up that exercise routine (she says, hypocritically)!

Anyway thanks again team and to you for reading!

2

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Jan 30

Secondly, neurovascular coupling (how well blood vessels respond to active neurons) is well correlated with the amount of exercise, even from the first time point we measured. Conversely measures of baseline function only became correlated with exercise level later on.

A graph showing box plots of correlation coefficients between all neurovascular functional measures and the physical activity level of the mice. Data is split into correlations of activity with measures of basal neurovascular function and with measures of neurovascular coupling. Correlations of exercise with neurovascular coupling are high even from the beginning of the experiment, but correlations between exercise and basal function only emerge after several months of differential physical activity across mice.

1

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Jan 30

Firstly, exercise increases vessel diameters by pericytes - suggesting it dilates them!

an image of a pericyte in red on a capillary in green, above a cartoon showing points on the capillary where we measured its diameter, near and further from the pericyte soma

A graph showing capillary diameter at different distances from the pericyte soma, for APOE4 and APOE3 mice provided with an exercise wheel or no wheel. Generally, the capillary diameters are larger near the pericyte, and diameters are larger in the mice with access to a wheel.

1 1

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Jan 30

Thanks so much to @AnderleSilvia, @OrlaBonBon and @BrainEnergyLab for such hard work for so long. You are all amazing!

Please check out the paper - there's lots more there!

Also thanks to the excellent reviewers. Here are two cool insights we wouldn't have got to without them!

1

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Jan 30

But what it does suggest, is that exercise might particularly protect APOE4 carriers by protecting neurovascular function. So let's all go to the gym!

1

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Jan 30

In sedentary APOE4 mice, neurons can't increase their blood flow very well when neurons are active - over time could this mean neurons don't get enough energy, promoting Alzheimer's disease?

1 1

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Jan 30

And the reduction in neurovascular function in these APOE4 sedentary mice was biggest when neurons were active - when they are using more energy so need more blood flow. So there's a bigger effect when the system is under pressure.

1 1

Catherine Hall @cathnaledi.bsky.social · Jan 30

But mice with the genetic risk factor for AD - APOE4 - were especially sensitive to exercise. The worst neurovascular function was consistently seen in APOE4 sedentary mice.

1 1