Effects of a Nutritional Supplement on Cognitive Function in Aged Dogs and on Synaptic Function of Primary Cultured Neurons

Pero, Maria Elena; Cortese, Laura; Mastellone, Vincenzo; Tudisco, Raffaella; Musco, Nadia; Scandurra, Anna; D’Aniello, Biagio; Vassalotti, Giuseppe; Bartolini, Francesca; Lombardi, Pietro

doi:10.3390/ani9070393

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…In the standard dual solution version of this experiment, animals are subjected to repeated learning sessions to obtain food consistently from a speci c goal box positioned in one of the lateral arms, for instance, one in the East, while consistently starting from the South (Packard 2009). This paradigm has previously been used to investigate orientation differences between the sexes in other mammals, such as dogs (Pero et al 2019;Scandurra et al 2018). C. aperea is a species characterized by a polygynous mating system (Sachser et al 1999).…”

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confidence: 99%

Sex differences in Guinea Pigs' Performance in a Spatial Navigation Task

Scandurra,

Sadile,

Lucrezia

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Spatial navigation has been extensively investigated for detecting sex differences in mammals, and the domesticated guinea pig (Cavia aperea porcellus) serves as a promising species for such studies, due to distinct parental investment between the sexes. In our exploration of sex-related effects on spatial navigation, we focused on the learning performance and spatial strategy (allocentric or egocentric) employed by guinea pigs in a plus maze paradigm. Results show that 50% of the animals completed the spatial navigation test. Regarding sex differences, 24.2% of females completed the test, while the completion rate for males was significantly higher at 64%. Males achieved the learning criterion with a significantly lower number of trials compared to females, indicating superior spatial abilities in the plus maze paradigm. Like their wild counterparts, male domestic guinea pigs exhibited better spatial skills than females. However, we observed no sex difference in the preference of strategy or the latency of task resolution.

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Section: )mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex differences in Guinea Pigs' Performance in a Spatial Navigation Task

Scandurra,

Sadile,

Lucrezia

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…Strictly adhering to a treatment protocol combining drug treatment, dietary supplementation, and environmental enrichment results in satisfactory clinical outcomes [8]. Dietary supplements, more adequately known as nutraceuticals, have shown a sharp increase in veterinary medicine in recent years [43]. In modern medicine, the administration of nutraceuticals in the prevention and treatment of animal diseases is as joint as it is in humans due to their safety profile, cost-effectiveness, and ease of finding [44].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

"Evaluation of the Impact of a Novel Nutraceutical Product through the Membrane Lipidomic Analysis in Aging Dogs with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction"

Clerico

2024

BJSTR

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Advances in lipidomics revealed the crucial role of fatty acids in physiological and pathological conditions. Imbalances in fatty acid biodistribution might drive the development of canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD), a disabling disease requiring multidisciplinary treatments. There is a growing focus on nutraceuticals, being adjuvant therapies with negligible adverse events. This paper evaluates the effect of Neurogen Pet Ultra ® supplementation in aging dogs with CCD. Twenty-four CCD dogs were administered with Neurogen Pet Ultra ® for 60 days, followed by 60 days without supplementation. The erythrocyte membrane lipidome was examined in all 24 dogs at the study entry while in the 12 patients who completed the study, even at days 60 and 120. A cluster of 10 fatty acids was quantitatively analyzed using gas chromatography. Diseased dogs' fatty acid values were statistically compared with those of 8 senior healthy dogs. Dogs with CCD displayed alterations of the fatty acid profile, mainly represented by the increase of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid families (p = 0.0011 and 0.0194, respectively) and the decrease of the polyunsaturated family (p = 0.0009). Nutraceutical supplementation resulted in a statistically significant normalization of the content of nearly all fatty acids. Lipid modifications in treated dogs were evaluated throughout the follow-up period, showing marked improvements over time. The capability of Neurogen Pet Ultra ® to remodel the lipid imbalance confirms its favorable effect on CCD dogs. Moreover, these findings provide new tools for an accurate disease diagnosis, along with the validation of an unbiased method to monitor any therapy.

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“…In addition to pharmacological intervention, natural supplements may also be used, and, indeed, their use in veterinary medicine showed a sharp increase in recent years [ 9 ]. Generally, supplements have potentially fewer side effects, and their use is not contraindicated with most drugs or disease processes (e.g., renal, hepatic, or cardiac dysfunction) in dogs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of a Nutritional Supplement (DìRelaxTM) on Anxiety in Dogs in a Randomized Control Trial Design

Scandurra

Mastellone

Pero

et al. 2022

Animals

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This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of DìRelaxTM, a nutraceutical formulated to reduce anxiety in dogs, using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. The C-BARQ questionnaire, some clinical investigations, and the impossible task test were performed in dogs before and after treatment. The C-BARQ questionnaire is particularly useful for assessing the frequency and severity of problematic behaviors. The impossible task paradigm provides insight into the decision-making processes in the realm of expectancy frustration. Results showed an ameliorative effect on the performances of treated dogs during the solvable phases, with a significant decrease in the time needed to solve the task. No behavioral difference was found between treated and untreated anxious dogs during the unsolvable phase. According to the results from the C-BARQ questionnaire, some of the behaviors appeared to improve. Clinical investigations, including a complete blood cell count and blood chemistry, showed no difference between groups, thus suggesting the safety of the product. In general, this study suggests that DìRelaxTM can be safely administered with no adverse effects and can exercise a beneficial effect on anxious dogs by enhancing their cognitive abilities, but further studies should investigate the best method of administration.

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Effects of a Nutritional Supplement on Cognitive Function in Aged Dogs and on Synaptic Function of Primary Cultured Neurons

Cited by 6 publications

References 47 publications

Sex differences in Guinea Pigs' Performance in a Spatial Navigation Task

Sex differences in Guinea Pigs' Performance in a Spatial Navigation Task

"Evaluation of the Impact of a Novel Nutraceutical Product through the Membrane Lipidomic Analysis in Aging Dogs with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction"

Effects of a Nutritional Supplement (DìRelaxTM) on Anxiety in Dogs in a Randomized Control Trial Design

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