The Liver-Brain axis
The Liver-Brain axis
The Liver-Brain axis
The liver-brain axis refers to the bidirectional communication between the liver and the brain. Disruptions in this axis can contribute to a variety of diseases. Understanding the interplay between these two organs can help in understanding, diagnosing, and treating a range of medical conditions.
Here are a few key points about the liver-brain axis:
Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE): One of the most well-known manifestations of the liver-brain axis disruption is hepatic encephalopathy, which occurs when the liver fails to detoxify ammonia and other substances. This leads to a buildup of these toxins in the bloodstream, which can cross the blood-brain barrier and affect brain function. Symptoms range from confusion and personality changes to coma in severe cases.
Inflammatory Signaling: The liver, when exposed to harmful substances or during diseases like fatty liver or hepatitis, can produce inflammatory cytokines. These cytokines can reach the brain and might play a role in mood disorders, cognitive changes, and fatigue.
Metabolite Exchange: The liver plays a crucial role in metabolizing various substances in our body, and an imbalance in these can influence brain function. For instance, a buildup of bilirubin in conditions like jaundice can lead to kernicterus, a type of brain damage.
Gut-Brain-Liver Axis: The gut, liver, and brain are interconnected. For instance, the gut microbiota can produce substances that are metabolized by the liver and can then influence brain function. This is often studied in the broader context of the gut-brain axis, but the liver's intermediary role is essential.
Brain Impact on Liver: Just as the liver can influence brain function, the brain can also affect liver function. The central nervous system can influence hepatic glucose production, lipid metabolism, and other liver functions. Chronic stress, for instance, can impact liver function and health through this bidirectional axis.
Alcohol and the Liver-Brain Axis: Chronic alcohol consumption can have deleterious effects on both the liver and the brain. Alcohol can lead to liver diseases like fatty liver, hepatitis, and cirrhosis. Meanwhile, it can also directly damage the brain and contribute to cognitive impairments, mood disturbances, and dependence. Alcohol-induced liver damage can exacerbate brain dysfunction.
Research into the liver-brain axis is ongoing, and a more detailed understanding will likely provide novel therapeutic targets for conditions affecting either or both organs.
Neuroscience 2023 and Artificial Intelligence
Neuroscience Meeting 2023 SBNeC - Summary of selected neuroscientific topics
(generated by ChatGPT):
Homeostasis Perception and Emotion in Panic
Antropologia Amerindia América Latina
Newborn Behavioral Observation
"Muscle matters: from human disease to human performance"
Transgenerational memories of trauma - epigenetic, physiological and mental health factors
Efeito de Realidade Virtual e Gamificação no Aprendizado
Vida moderna, Ritmos Biológicos, Sono, Homeostasia Fisiológica e Processos Cognitivos
Long-term cognitive and emotional impairments associated to hypercholesterolemia
Short- and long-term effects of ethanol on astrocyte functioning
Caffeine effects on brain development
Obesidade do neurodesenvolvimento ao envelhecimento
Repercussões fisiológicas e celulares da exposição aos pesticidas em períodos críticos do desenvolvimento
Distúrbios do Crescimento Celular
Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Nutrition
Cancer as a developmental disease
Scientific Question and Experimental Design
Epilepsy Neuroscience and Perception
Active Learning to Improve Engagement
The molecular basis of Exercise-induced skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis
Neurochemical Underpinnings of Psychedelic-Induced Ego Dissolution
Recent advances in the neuroendocrine control of hydromineral homeostasis
Psychoneuroimmunology Immunoneuroendocrine interactions
Aproveitando a natureza dinâmica da memória para eliminar experiências traumáticas
Acerca da modificação de memórias episódicas
The biological response of ayahuasca
Variabilidade da frequência cardíaca como marcador da integração neurovisceral
Inteligência artificial, psicodélicos, e saúde mental
Efeitos do isolamento social e do enriquecimento ambiental na plasticidade do sistema nervoso
Neurociências e Educação: Reflexões sobre o Transtorno de Déficit de Atenção e Hiperatividade (TDAH)
Cellular and molecular networks underlying psychiatric disorders
NEUROCIÊNCIAS E EDUCAÇÃO: PRÁTICAS BASEADAS EM EVIDÊNCIAS
O que sabemos hoje sobre as expressões faciais na psicopatia?
Aspectos Funcionais e Estruturais da Interação Glia-Neurônio
As bases neurobiológicas da aprendizagem e memória
O uso de jogos educacionais como estratégia de aprendizagem ativa
Processamento cerebral implícito - a construção de estereótipos
Neuroimagem funcional aplicada ao comportamento humano
O cérebro em tarefas cognitivas e no estado de repouso. Introdução à conectividade funcional
