#12

There seems to be a lot of information about this topic. Thanks for pointing it out. I am a gum chewer for multiple reasons. I’ll add brain health to that list.

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#13

I chew gum too, and being a gum chewer, it is good to be informed about a condition called misophonia.

“Almost everyone hates noises like nails on a chalkboard, but for people with a condition called misophonia, everyday noises like the sound of chewing can cause a similar reaction, along with rage or panic.”
It is thought to have a genetic base. I have that genetic disposition, and I experience some discomfort when others chew or if they do dental flossing. My brother has it badly. He gets anxious, has a panicky feeling, and has a very hard time controlling himself when he hears someone chew gum. It is almost like a person being exposed to something that elicits a strong phobic reaction. It is good to have knowledge about this condition and that misophonia is a trait that some people have a genetic disposition for.

The Brain Basis for Misophonia: Current Biology (cell.com)

“Specifically, fMRI showed that in misophonic subjects, trigger sounds elicit greatly exaggerated blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) responses in the anterior insular cortex (AIC), a core hub of the “salience network” that is critical for perception of interoceptive signals and emotion processing. Trigger sounds in misophonics were associated with abnormal functional connectivity between AIC and a network of regions responsible for the processing and regulation of emotions, including ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), posteromedial cortex (PMC), hippocampus, and amygdala. Trigger sounds elicited heightened heart rate (HR) and galvanic skin response (GSR) in misophonic subjects, which were mediated by AIC activity. Questionnaire analysis showed that misophonic subjects perceived their bodies differently: they scored higher on interoceptive sensibility than controls, consistent with abnormal functioning of AIC. Finally, brain structural measurements implied greater myelination within vmPFC in misophonic individuals. Overall, our results show that misophonia is a disorder in which abnormal salience is attributed to particular sounds based on the abnormal activation and functional connectivity of AIC.”

#14

To help fight Alzheimer’s disease.

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#15

Yes, I found this research very interesting, hopefully it pans it pans out. Especially good since it’s a topical cream.
“Sure enough, administering the drug to the elderly mice with a topical cream got the pumps working again to the point that the team saw the flow of dirty CSF out of the brain return to the same level of efficiency seen in younger mice.”
Here’s another article about it.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/08/240815124156.htm

Aging is a key risk factor because, as we grow older, our brain’s ability to remove toxic buildup slows down. However, new research in mice demonstrates that it’s possible to reverse age-related effects and restore the brain’s waste-clearing process.

First described by Nedergaard and her colleagues in 2012, the glymphatic system is the brain’s unique waste removal process that uses cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to wash away excess proteins generated by energy hungry neurons and other cells in the brain during normal activity. Once laden with protein waste, CSF in the skull needs to make its way to the lymphatic system and ultimately the kidneys, where it is processed along with the body’s other waste. The new research combines advanced imaging and particle tracking techniques to describe for the first time in detail the route via the cervical lymph vessels in the neck through which half of dirty CSF exits the brain.

“Unlike the cardiovascular system which has one big pump, the heart, fluid in the lymphatic system is instead transported by a network of tiny pumps,” said Kelley. These microscopic pumps, called lymphangions, have valves to prevent backflow and are strung together, one after another, to form lymph vessels.

The researchers found that as the mice aged, the frequency of contractions decreased, and the valves failed.

The lymphangions are lined with smooth muscle cells, and when the researchers applied the drug to the cervical lymph vessels in older mice, the frequency of contractions and the flow of dirty CSF from the brain both increased, returning to a level of efficiency found in younger mice.

Also posted about by @Steve_Combi here:
https://mmabrasil.localizer.co/t/the-culprit-of-aging-helen-blaus-work-at-stanford-pge2-15-pdgh/8350/21?u=ng0rge

Also another thread about the same:

https://mmabrasil.localizer.co/t/cleaning-up-the-aging-brain/15652?u=ng0rge

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The Culprit of Aging - Helen Blau's work at Stanford / PGE2, 15-PDGH
#16

If true it should be quote easy to look at medical records and who used prostaglandin F2α and whether or not they developed dementia?

By the way, women have more dementia than men and the more kids, the higher the dementia risk: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circ.145.suppl_1.P142#:~:text=Conclusions%3A%20Women%20with%20three%20or,first%20child%20after%20age%2030.

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#17

Looking at the other thread on this

I reiterate my point that aspirin reduces the production of prostaglandins.

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#18

Have read today prostaglandin F2α,is used to treat glaucoma.

#19

Fantastic. Do you or someone else know what the medicine is called? Are there different brands of F2a?

#20

So what are some safer drugs that would accomplish the same thing (improving lymphangions efficiency and improving smooth muscle cells function)?

I’m already doing nasal breathing and exercise and desperately looking for things to improve my glymphatic system. I have some undiagnosed condition that requires me to nap frequently to reduce inflammation and this sounds like it could really help me.

1 Like
#21

Hi no am sorry- I just read on this. They didnt mention brands though.

#22

I’ve taken PGF2A. It’s not a pleasant drug to take. I would read up on the (rather immediate) sides.

Systemic adverse reactions include nausea and vomiting, which occur in approximately half of the patients and, to a lesser extent, diarrhea.

Source: Systemic adverse reactions to prostaglandin F2 (PGF2 alpha, dinoprostone, prostin F2 alpha, prostalmon F) - PubMed.

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#23

There is a lot of work being done lately to study the glymphatic system. No one really appreciated that it existed 20 year ago. But, here it is today, and we know it is important.

Here’s an article about using visual stimulation to trigger glymphatic activity. Neural activity induced by sensory stimulation can drive large-scale cerebrospinal fluid flow during wakefulness in humans

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#24

Sounds like the glymphatic system turns on while awake during meditation OR in over stimulation states like that article.

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#25

Oxytocin appears to have a benefit related to the glymphatic system.

It’s dirt cheap and easy to use as a nasal spray. I take 3 sprays a day of 25mcg = 15iu’s

Unlocking potential of oxytocin: improving intracranial lymphatic drainage for Alzheimer’s disease treatment

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#26

Nice graphic on how the glymphatic system works to move toxins from the brain while we sleep. I’m “happy” with my oxytocin nasal spray every night before bed :slight_smile:

glymphatic_system
glymphatic_system1775×4096 628 KB

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#27

That is a very nice and thorough graphic, thanks!

Any other possible effects you notice from the oxytocin spray?

#28

I too am happy with my oxytocin nasal spray. Along with selank and epitalon, it seems to grease the gears of my memory retrieval system.

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#29

I was once in the automatic lubrication systems business and our motto was “if you love 'er, lube 'er” and I do love my brain :slight_smile:

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#30

It’s subtle at this low dose but I do notice that I’m more calm overall.

I’m often in highly stressful situations, 3 to 5 times a week I’m often close to physical confrontations and do not know what I’m walking in to and don’t know if it will go sideways or resolve peacefully. I’ve been assaulted 3 times in the past 3 years and have come very close many more times than that.

I have found that the combination of Oxytocin and Selank do keep the PTSD’s away. Last year was very different, I was beginning to slip into an aggressive mode more often and was becoming concerned about that.

I start the morning with 2x 25mcg sprays of O and 2x 300mcg sprays of Selank. In the afternoon I’ll do another 2 to 3 sprays of Selank and then just before bed 2 sprays of O.

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#31

You don’t need to explain yourself in an open forum, or anywhere for that matter, but you seem to have a mild temperament. Do you live in a sketchy neighborhood?

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