Evaluation of oxidative stress and neural plasticity markers in medical students during examinations

• Grant number: 18/23198-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): May 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): April 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Carla Patrícia Carlos
• Grantee: Flávio Pereira dos Santos Júnior
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina em São José do Rio Preto (FACERES). São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The medical course is one of the most generative of psychological stress. Students are routinely exposed to the large amount of content to be assimilated, associated with excessive workload and frequent realization of academic assessments. It is known that psychological stress is related to the increase of oxidative stress in the body, producing metabolites that generate lesions and cell death. In parallel to this, situations involving learning and memorization increase the production of neurotrophic factors, modulating neural plasticity. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate markers of oxidative stress and neural plasticity in the plasma of medical students during examinations. For this purpose, two blood samples of 30 students will be collected. One in the period immediately after the school holidays (control) and minutes before the academic assessments (study sample). Oxidative stress will be evaluated by plasma dosage of TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) and total antioxidant capacity; and neural plasticity through the dosage of the BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). Psychological stress will be investigated using the Inventory of Stress Symptoms of Lipp (ISSL) at the time of the two blood samples.