Grippo Laboratory, Northern Illinois University

To Supplement or Not to Supplement Omega-3 Fatty Acids?
Written By: Linnea

Omega-3 fatty acids have been studied for decades and there has been increasing evidence found that it is beneficial for brain health, longevity, inflammation, and heart health to name a few. The majority of Americans, and millions more worldwide, are not getting enough of this crucial nutrient. There are three major components of omega-3 which are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Your body cannot produce ALA by itself, so it is necessary to get it from an outside source, and the body also cannot convert enough EPA or DHA without outside sources to make a clinical difference. Unlike omega-6 which we received plenty of in our modern diets, it is much harder to get sufficient dietary omega-3 without supplementation, although you can naturally find omega-3 fatty acids in foods like fish, krill, algae, and nuts. Current research tends to focus on how influential deficient, suboptimal, or high levels of omega-3 can affect various markers of health. While current evidence suggests almost everyone can benefit from an increase of these fatty acids, pregnant women especially should be mindful of whether they are receiving enough. Studies have shown that a lack of enough omega-3 in the diet increases the risk and rate of preterm delivery, and the component DHA is critical for fetal brain development, as well as development of the retina in the third trimester. When it comes to protective effects, there’s also evidence suggesting that increased omega-3 can be protective against developing Alzheimer’s or delaying the onset of symptoms; one way is by improving effective transport of glucose into the brain. Some other observed effects from controlled trials showed decreased inflammation, reduce risk of heart disease, slowed telomere shortening, which is a critical biomarker for aging, and improved language fluency, memory, and visual-motor coordination in otherwise healthy adults. It also appears while being critical for fetal brain development, it is not too late to reap benefits from introducing omega-3 supplementation later in life. A study looking at healthy individuals ages 50-75 years assigned one group to take 2.2 grams of fish oil daily for 26 weeks and the other group taking a placebo. They did cognitive tests, brain imaging, and blood tests before and after the intervention, and found that the fish oil group had significant improvement in executive function and beneficial effects to the white and grey matter of the brain among other benefits. The American Heart Association notes that up to 3 grams of fish oil supplementation is considered safe and there is also an International Fish Oil Standard website which does independent testing on countless fish oil supplements to check the dosage, safety, and purity of them. While the current evidence is quite promising, further research should be conducted to learn more about the underlying mechanisms that facilitate many of the benefits seen by increased supplementation of this essential nutrient.

Learn more about omega-3 fatty acids:
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/fish-and-omega-3-fatty-acids
https://academic.oup.com/cercor/article/24/11/3059/304487
https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1096/fj.201801412R https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2621042/

Image credit:
https://www.edibleisland.ca/nutrition/omega3-brainhealth/

Congratulations, Ore, on being awarded a Gladys M. Gunther Scholarship from NIU! This scholarship supports women who are conducting research in a STEM field. Ore's research is focused on the benefits of exercise and other activities that can change the brain and protect us from negative effects of social isolation and loneliness. We are proud of you, Ore!

How the Brain Processes Scary Situations

University of California Riverside researchers have examined the role of fear associations in the brain. The researchers used a rodent model to examine how memory areas of the brain are related to our experience of a scary or traumatic experience.

Many areas of the brain are important for memory and fear – including the hippocampus which is involved in memory, and the amygdala which is involved in fear reactions. Fear memories might be the result of connections between the hippocampus and amygdala.

This research can help us understand how the brain is involved in PTSD, where this fear pathway is hyperactive. However, some activity in this pathway is crucial for the survival of animals, humans included. For example, a bike accident may cause you to be more cautious on your next bike ride, based on the way that the hippocampus and amygdala communicate together to process this information.

For more information:
https://neurosciencenews.com/associative-fear-memory-15910/

Image credit:
https://www.peakmindpsychology.com/blog/The-Brain-Science-Behind-Fear

5 Things to Know About the Human Heart

1. A human heart is about the size of a fist and beats about 100,000 times per day or about 3 million beats in a lifetime! The heart’s beating pumps 6 quarts of blood that carries oxygen, hormones, metabolized nutrients, and so much more throughout the body.

2. The heart is intimately connected with the brain. The two systems function together to handle the body’s stress, emotions, physical activity, and sleep. This means that heart health is also tied to brain health, so it’s important to bear in mind both when tending to your lifestyle.

3. The heart can even function without input from the brain. It generates its own electrical impulses that maintain the pace of our heartbeat. However, chemical inputs from the brain tells the heart whether to speed up or slow down, and are necessary to sustain the functioning of the body.
4. Atherosclerosis is a common condition that refers to the buildup of cholesterol-rich blockages—or plaques—that can interfere with blood flow. It is these types of blockages that can lead to a variety of emergent and non-emergent situations such as stroke, congestive heart failure, or a myocardial infarction (heart attack).

5. Scientists are perpetually studying strategies to prevent these diseases. One current field of research is focusing on stress reduction to improve both brain and heart health. Activities that can reduce stress on the body include not smoking, not drinking, eating a well-balanced diet, exercising, and maintaining a positive attitude.

For more reading:
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/stress-and-heart-health
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/atherosclerosis
https://www.livescience.com/34655-human-heart.html

Image credit:
https://www.istockphoto.com/vector/cute-cartoon-human-heart-internal-organ-emotions-and-poses-set-vector-illustration-gm1136595279-302754381

February is Black History Month and American Heart Month. To help bring awareness to both of these highly important topics, check out the statistics about heart health in minorities from the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health:

Heart Disease and African Americans - The Office of Minority Health Source: CDC 2020. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table A-1a. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/shs/tables.htm

February is American Heart Month. Check out this website for lots of great resources:

American Heart Month | NHLBI, NIH When we take care of as part of our self-care, we set an example for those around us to do the same.

We're so happy for our colleague and collaborator, Dr. Doug Wallace, who received the NIU Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award this year! Congrats on this well-deserved honor, Doug! Thank you also for sharing your interesting insights about getting involved in research at the recent Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference. It is wonderful for our students to hear from great role models.

Congratulations, Tommy, for a great poster presentation at the recent virtual NIU Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference. Tommy joined several other undergraduate students in psychology at this conference. His presentation focused on our ongoing projects investigating the protective influence of environmental and pharmacological interventions against social stress. Great job, Tommy! We are proud of you!

Congratulations, Marigny, on your Master's thesis defense! Marigny's thesis research focused on the role of early life social stress - and the importance of re-socialization after experiencing stress - on social and emotional development. Her research used the prairie vole model to investigate these important research questions, to help us better understand the consequences of early life stress, as well as inform treatment and prevention strategies for children and adolescents who experience stress. Congratulations on your important research, Marigny! We are proud of you!

Highlighting Famous Scientists: Alan Turing (1912-1954)
Born in: England

“Can machines think?” This was the question Alan Turing set out to answer as he worked on the very earliest computers, creating the field of artificial intelligence and the Turing Test, which to this day stands as a litmus test for whether machines can be said to be sentient.

Born in London in 1912, Turing was an English computer scientist, mathematician, and mathematical biologist who rose to prominence for his work during World War 2. Turing worked for the English government as cryptanalyst, breaking German codes so that the Allies could defeat them in key naval battles. After the war, Turing worked on early computers, including the Automated Computing Engine, which was one of the first computers that could run stored programs. It was during this time he made key theories about the nature of artificial intelligence. For this reason he is considered to be the father of the field.

Turing was prosecuted for homosexuality in 1952, and died 2 years later from cyanide poisoning, which was ruled to be a su***de. The United Kingdom later apologized for this in 2009, and Turing stands as an inspiration to aspiring scientists and students of computer science and artificial intelligence all over the world.

For more information: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/05/obituaries/alan-turing-overlooked.html

Image credit: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alan-Turing

Feelings of Social Isolation Change the Brain: Loneliness and feelings of isolation can contributes to depression and anxiety. Recent evidence indicates that social isolation may also affect certain areas of the brain. Researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital investigated the impact of social isolation on brain function and behavior using mice. Isolated mice exhibited behaviors associated with depression. Further analysis indicated that specific regions of the brain associated with thinking and emotions were less active compared to mice who were not isolated. These findings suggest that areas of the brain associated with emotions and thoughts can be altered by social isolation. The good news about the study findings is that following targeted medical and social treatments, these social deficits were reversed. A better understanding of how the brain responds to social stress will allow for increased therapeutic interventions for many psychological and emotional states.

Researchers Discover a Specific Brain Circuit Damaged by Social Isolation During Childhood - Neuroscience News Social isolation experienced during childhood has an impact on adult brain function and behavior. Following two weeks of social isolation immediately following weaning in male mice, researchers noticed a failure in activation of medial prefrontal cortex neurons projecting to the posterior paraventri...

Check out this inspiring article about Ore, a graduate student in the Grippo Lab. Congratulations, Ore! We are proud of you!

Psychology doctoral student discovers online community, confidence to join voices of social justice advocacy - NIU Today Being raised in tiny Brownsburg, Indiana, while not only Black but Nigerian, confronted NIU doctoral candidate Ore Akinbo with challenges from many sides. Standing on one side: her professional path of neuroscience and behavior. On another, her white classmates and teachers. On