bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Self‐Reported Dementia Risk for People with Parkinson’s Disease Identifying as Sexual and Gender Minorities
Authors: Bayram Ece , Banks Sarah 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundPeople identifying as sexual and gender minorities (SGM) may have higher risk for subjective cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease, although the risk for Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) has not been investigated. Male sex is associated with a higher risk for PDD, it is unclear whether SGM status impacts the risk.MethodsData were obtained from Fox Insight on April 5th, 2023. The analysis included people (1) with adult‐onset Parkinson’s, (2) responding to questions on sex assigned at birth, gender identity, sexual orientation, (3) with at least one available Penn Parkinson’s Daily Activities Questionnaire‐15 (PDAQ‐15), (4) without dementia at baseline, based on the first PDAQ‐15 (>43). Groups consisted of people identifying as (1) SGM with female sex assigned at birth (SGM‐F, n = 75); (2) cisgender, heterosexual women (CHW, n = 2,046); (3) SGM with male sex assigned at birth (SGM‐M, n = 84); (4) cisgender, heterosexual men (CHM, n = 2,056). Sex assigned at birth and SGM status effects on dementia likelihood during follow‐up were assessed with generalized linear mixed models.ResultsOut of 159 people identifying as SGM, eight (5.0%) identified as gender minorities, 144 (90.6%) identified as sexual minorities, seven (4.4%) identified as both gender and sexual minorities. At baseline, people with female sex had better PDAQ‐15 scores than people with male sex assigned at birth; SGM‐M had the lowest scores. SGM‐M had a higher dementia likelihood compared to people not identifying as SGM. After adjusting for age, education, employment status, income, perceived discrimination level, age at Parkinson’s diagnosis, baseline PDAQ‐15 scores, that differed across groups at baseline, dementia likelihood was lower for CHW compared to people with male sex assigned at birth.ConclusionsFor PDD, SGM‐M can be at a higher risk than CHM; people with female sex can have a lower risk than people with male sex assigned at birth. Socioeconomic disadvantages can alter the sex effect on PDD risk, by putting SGM‐M at a higher risk and females at a similar risk level compared to people with male sex assigned at birth, as shown in unadjusted models. Socioeconomic disadvantages should be acknowledged and addressed to support the well‐being of SGM with Parkinson’s.
Caregiving Concerns in Lewy Body Dementia
Authors: Bayram Ece , Patel Bhavana , Stacy Kelly E , Farley Morgan , Bedenfield Noheli , Taylor Angela , Wood Julia M , Armstrong Melissa J , Holden Samantha K. ,   Lewy Body Dementia Association Community Engagement Group
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundLewy body dementia (LBD) is a common and burdensome neurodegenerative dementia, that remains under‐recognized and under‐studied. Caregivers play an important role, although research on their needs is lacking. Understanding and addressing their concerns can help improve their well‐being, the care they provide for their loved ones, and also participation in research.MethodsBetween April 7, 2021, and July 1, 2021, we queried the research priorities, symptom burden, gaps in care, and concerns of people with LBD, and caregivers of people with LBD through forced ranking in an anonymous 15‐20 minute web‐based survey. It was designed by the LBD Association Research Centers of Excellence Community Engagement Working Group and distributed by the LBD Association.ResultsParticipants included 832 caregivers (550 current, 280 former, 2 did not specify) with the majority caring for their spouse/partner (63%). They were most likely to be 70‐79 years old (33.5%), married/in a domestic partnership (71.3%), have a bachelor’s or graduate degree (32%, 34.2%), identify as woman (84%), and White (93.4%). Current caregivers were caring for a person who had been diagnosed within the past year (28.4%). Formal caregivers reported their loved one most likely died within the past year (37.5%). Overall, 80% had not participated in research previously. They were frequently concerned about how to manage caregiving alongside other responsibilities (50.1% on a daily basis), what to expect with disease progression (49.7% on a daily basis), how to handle behavior changes (45.9%), and how to support the independence of their loved one (42.6%). They were least concerned about how to obtain medical care for themselves; 34.9% never experienced this concern.ConclusionsCaregivers of people with LBD experience multiple concerns on a daily basis. Providing support, creating resources, and raising awareness about the available resources can benefit both the caregivers and their loved ones with LBD. Although our cohort was not diverse and the results should not be generalized, our findings can guide future efforts to include caregivers in clinical care, education, and research. Caregivers can provide invaluable information regarding their loved one’s state, the effectiveness of treatments, and the feasibility of research studies.
Cellular Automata Framework for Classification of Cognitive Impairment from Clinical Dementia Rating
Authors: Kesu Siva Manohar Reddy , Sinha Neelam , Ramasangu Hariharan 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundClinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and its evaluation have been important nowadays as its prevalence in older ages after 60 years. Early identification of dementia can help the world to take preventive measures as most of them are treatable. The cellular Automata (CA) framework is a powerful tool in analyzing brain dynamics and modeling the prognosis of Alzheimer’s disease.MethodThe proposed algorithm uses the CA framework to construct features for the classifier for the classification of classes in the dataset. A subject is assigned to a CA cell grid based on its feature values as rows and the specified number of cells in each row. When a CA grid receives a feature from a subject, the feature values are distributed among the cells using a transfer function. The distribution of featured values in the CA grid from the initialized cell to the neighboring cells in the row with a diffusion rate of 20%. Hence, redistributed CA images have been obtained for all the subjects. Deep learning architecture constituted with 4 layered Conv2d has been modeled for the classification of the CA images to classify low, moderate, and severe cognitive impairment.ResultCDR from the ADNI dataset comprising 1948 subjects has been preprocessed for the six features and three classes (i.e., Low, moderate, and severe cognitive impairment) with 70% train sets and 30% test sets. A balanced dataset of 89 subjects for moderate and severe cognitive impairment has given the classification accuracy of 96%. A balanced dataset of 363 subjects for low and moderate cognitive impairment has given the classification accuracy of 95%.ConclusionA CA framework for the classification of cognitive impairment has been achieved with good accuracy. The implementation of the CA approach and its runtime performance has an advantage over the well‐known algorithms by giving a good pathway in contributing to the classification problems.
Factors influencing frailty in older adults admitted to a tertiary level hospital of Nepal
Authors: Shrestha Prabha , Shakya Sarina , Acharya Radha 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundFrailty is significantly associated with incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and death (1). The worldwide incidence of frailty and pre frailty was estimated as 43.4 and 150.6 new cases per 1000 person‐years, respectively(2). Risk of frailty is high in Low and Middle Income countries (3) 65%‐71% of the community dwelling older adults had reported frailty in Nepal(4). We aimed to find out the frequency of frailty and it’s associated factors in older adults admitted to a tertiary level hospital of Nepal.MethodWe conducted a cross sectional analytical study with the estimated sample size of 109. Ethical approval was obtained from ethical review committee Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences. Data were collected from the older adults admitted to general wards via face to face interview after obtaining informed consent. Frailty was assessed by Groningen Frailty Index (GFI) which has total score of 15 and the participants scoring four or more were considered frail (4). Binary logistic regression analysis was done to examine the association between independent variables and frailty.ResultTotal 109 older adults participated in the study. The mean age was 72.5 (60‐90) years. Half of the participants (51.4%) were male. Nearly two third (60.6%) among them met the criteria of frailty. Mean score of frailty was 4.9 with SD 3.55. On the Binary logistic analysis, the model predicted frailty with 38% of variance (Nagelker R Square = 0.38) in the outcome. Female were at risk of frailty with odd ratio of 3.48 (p = .014) history of fall within a year predicted frailty with odd ratio 4.24 (p = .043) and the people who perceived their health as good reduced the risk of frailty with odd ratio 0.34 (p = 0.10). However, age, presence of chronic illness and number of daily drug consumption could not predict frailty in this population.ConclusionThese result raise red flags for the incidence of dementia in Nepal, as frailty is a notable precursor to worsening cognitive status. Timely management of frailty in Nepal is imperative. Further research is needed to identify the best ways to address frailty in this setting.
Are women at a higher risk of dementia? A National Study of Underlying Background Medical Conditions
Authors: Rotstein Anat , Kodesh Arad , Levine Stephen Z 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundStudies of the association between sex and the risk of incident dementia are inconsistent, in part conceivably due to sex‐specific background medical conditions.MethodA prospective national cohort study which consisted of 112,204 members of a nonprofit Israeli health maintenance organization born between 1902 and 1952 who entered the cohort on January 1, 2002, without a dementia diagnosis and were followed up to January 1, 2020. Participants were aged 50 to 100 years. Incident dementia was ascertained based on medical diagnoses with International Classification of Diseases codes from the Ninth (331.0‐331.9) and Tenth (F00–F03) revisions. Cox regression models were fitted to quantify the association between sex and the risk of incident dementia with Hazard Ratios (HR) and their 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) unadjusted and adjusted for 34 sources of potential confounding.ResultsWomen had a higher unadjusted risk for dementia. After adjustment for two demographic factors (birth year and socioeconomic status) and 32 medical conditions (psychiatric disorders, musculoskeletal system, and connective tissue disorders, metabolic syndromes, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, neurological diseases, genitourinary, digestive, malignant diseases, and injuries) the association between sex and dementia was no longer significant.ConclusionThe commonly reported increased dementia risk for women does not extend once a history of selected medical conditions is considered, suggesting that a more focused outlook on the association between sex and dementia may be a step forward in the identification of at‐risk groups and dementia prevention.
Later‐life cognitive and behavioral changes in older adults with Long COVID
Authors: Azhar Sabika , Guan Dylan X. , Smith Eric E. , Ismail Zahinoor 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundIndividuals diagnosed with COVID‐19 may continue to experience symptoms long after infection. Research suggests that the COVID‐19 virus may be linked to brain pathology and dementia risk, possibly due to neurological complications and long‐term cognitive effects. Mild Behavioral Impairment (MBI) is an early indicator of dementia risk characterized by later life onset of persistent changes in behavior or personality. To better understand the consequences of COVID‐19 on older adults, we investigated whether older adults who experienced Long COVID reported more severe later‐life emergent cognitive and behavioral symptoms linked to elevated dementia risk.MethodParticipants were from the Canadian Platform for Research Online to Investigate Health, Quality of Life, Cognition, Behavior, Function, and Caregiving in Aging (CAN‐PROTECT), who self‐reported testing positive for COVID‐19 (n = 684), stratified by whether they reported having Long COVID. The severity of subjective cognitive symptoms was measured with the Everyday Cognition scale (ECog‐II). The severity of MBI symptoms was measured with the MBI Checklist (MBI‐C). We modelled associations between Long COVID (exposure) and ECog‐II or MBI‐C total scores using negative binomial regression models (zero‐inflated, if appropriate), adjusting for age, sex, education, ethnocultural origin, marital status, employment status, and number of vaccine doses administered.ResultParticipants (81.7% female, mean age 63.7±7.3 years) who experienced Long COVID (n = 41) reported an ECog‐II total score 1.73 times higher (95% CI: 1.32‐2.32, p ≤0.001), and an MBI‐C total score 2.18 times higher (95% CI: 1.46‐3.22, p≤0.001) than those without Long COVID. Effect sizes differed for each of the ECog‐II and MBI‐C domains (Table 2). The greatest magnitude of effect was seen in the executive function domain for ECog‐II with a 2.32 times greater score (95% CI: 1.57‐3.60, p≤0.001), and psychotic symptoms domain for MBI with a 3.49 times higher score (95% CI: 1.57‐7.92, p = 0.002), compared to those without Long COVIDConclusionAmong older adults who tested positive for COVID‐19, those who experienced Long COVID symptoms reported more severe cognitive and behavioral symptoms that indicate elevated risk for dementia. Future studies should investigate symptoms over time and mechanisms linking Long COVID with potential prodromal cognitive and behavioral symptoms for dementia.
The associations of body shape and composition with incident dementia and cognitive changes
Authors: Wu Zimu , Owen Alice , Woods Robyn , Cribb Lachlan , Zhou Zhen , Chong Trevor T.‐J. , Orchard Suzanne , Shah Raj C. , Wolfe Rory , McNeil John J , Sheets Kerry M. , Murray Anne , Ryan Joanne 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundAlthough the importance of body weight in later life for brain health has been established, less is known about body shape and composition. This study aims to examine their associations with dementia and cognitive changes in older adults.MethodData were obtained from over 17,000 community‐dwelling individuals aged 65‐98 years, recruited in Australia and the US. We assessed body shape using the ratio of waist circumference to body mass index (WBR), and estimated lean (LM) and fat mass (FM) by the Hume formula. Dementia diagnosis was adjudicated according to DSM‐IV. Global cognition, verbal fluency, episodic memory, and psychomotor speed were assessed annually for 11 years. Cox regression and mixed‐effects models were used respectively, to estimate the associations with incident dementia and cognitive changes over time.ResultA higher WBR was associated with higher dementia risk in men (HR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.04‐1.93, p = 0.03), and with greater decline in all cognitive tests in both genders (coefficients: ‐0.123 to ‐0.030, all p‐values<0.05). Conversely, lower dementia risk was shown in greater LM (men, HR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95‐0.99, p<0.001; women, HR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.95‐0.98, p<0.001) and FM (men, HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.48‐0.80, p<0.001; women, HR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.49‐0.81, p<0.001). Also, they showed slower decline in global cognition, episodic memory, and psychomotor speed (coefficients: 0.002 to 0.007, all p‐values<0.05).ConclusionHigher body weight in later life, independent of composition, may benefit brain health. However, increased abdominal fat poses risks for cognitive impairments.
The neuroprotective properties of GLP‐1R agonists correlate with their ability to cross the blood‐brain barrier
Authors: Holscher Christian 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundGlucagon‐like peptide 1 (GLP‐1) is a peptide hormone that plays several physiological roles in treating diabetes and in protecting the brain. Recent clinical trials testing 4 different GLP‐1 class drugs in phase 2 trials showed a clear correlation between neuroprotection and the ability to cross the BBB. Exenatide and Lixisenatide both showed excellent protective effects in patients Parkinson’s disease (PD) and both drugs can readily cross the BBB. Liraglutide showed limited effects and can only cross the BBB at a low rate. A pegylated form of exenatide NLY01 did not show any effects in a clinical trial and the drug does not cross the BBB.MethodWe tested a novel dual GLP‐1/GIP agonist that can cross the BBB easily and compared it to Semaglutide, a GLP‐1 class drug on the market to treat diabetes in the 3xFAD tg mouse model of AD. Water maze tests and in vivo electrophysiology had been conducted, and synapses quantified using the GOLGI method. Biomarkers were analyzed by histology and western blot to test for inflammation.ResultIn a direct comparison, the dual agonist was superior to Semaglutide in improving learning and memory, in vivo LTP in the hippocampus, activation of microglia and release of pro‐inflammatory cytokines. Synapse numbers were enhanced by both drugs.ConclusionThe results demonstrate that enhanced BBB penetration of GLP‐1 class drugs shows superior neuroprotective effects in a 3xtg mouse model of AD. This mirrors the observations from clinical trials in PD patients that show enhanced protection with drugs that can cross the BBB better.
The Role of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Burden in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: Insights from a Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Cai Hanlin , Huang Keru , Yang Feng , Hu Na , He Jiaojiang , Gao Hui , Feng Shiyu , Qin Linyuan , Wang Ruihan , Wang Shan , Liao Qian , Liu Yi , Zhou Liangxue , Zhou Dong , Hao Zilong , Chen Qin 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundThe pathogenesis and pathophysiology of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) remain unclear. The cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) pathology may play a crucial role in patients with iNPH. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of CSVD in patients with probable iNPH and examined the associations between CSVD burden and clinical characteristics and prognosis after shunt surgery.MethodWe enrolled patients with iNPH from an ongoing prospective cohort study in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University from August 2021 to present. The clinical characteristics, cognitive assessment, quantitative gait analyses, and MRI were prospective collected. Those patients who underwent shunt surgery were followed up at 3 months after. CSVD imaging markers including the CSVD burden, PWMH Fazekas, DWMH Fazekas, BG‐EPVS, and CSO‐EPVS scores, and the presence of lacunes and CMBs were evaluated. The linear and logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between the CSVD imaging markers and clinical features and outcomes in patients with iNPH.ResultAmong the 65 patients with iNPH (Age: 74.82 ± 6.23 years, Male: 69%), 83% (54/65) patients had at least one type of CSVD imaging markers and 63% (41/65) patients had CSVD score≧2. Age and hypertension were the highest risk factors. The CSVD score was associated with poorer Stroop test scores, a shorter stride length, lower step height, a faster cadence, and a longer Timed‐Up and Go test time. Adjusting for age, sex, years of education, and vascular risk factors, it remained associated with a shorter stride length. The CSVD score had increased trends for poor improvement in patients with shunt surgery.ConclusionOur study showed the high occurrence of CSVD imaging abnormality in patients with iNPH, and the comorbid CSVD were associated with more severe gait disturbances and cognitive decline, suggesting that CSVD may be involved in the pathogenesis of iNPH.
Retinal biomarkers for predicting Alzheimer’s disease and Frontotemporal dementia: A prospective cohort study of 30573 participants
Authors: Wang Ruihan 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundAlzheimer’s disease (AD) and Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are the two most common causes of early‐onset dementia. Differentiating between AD and FTD can be challenging due to overlapping cognitive and behavioral manifestations. However, evidence on non‐invasive and early‐stage biomarkers for differentiating AD and FTD is still limited. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), as a non‐invasive retinal imaging technique, has provided enhanced access to detailed retinal neuronal structure. Our aim was to identify retinal biomarkers for predicting AD and FTD in non‐demented population and explore underlying brain structural mechanism.MethodWe involved a total of 30573 UK Biobank participants without dementia, ocular disorders, and diabetes who underwent baseline retinal OCT imaging. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the associations of macular OCT measurements with the risk of AD and FTD, adjusted for multiple confounding factors. Mediation models were applied to explore the underlying mechanisms driven by brain structures in subgroup participants with MRI scans.ResultThe mean age at recruitment was 55.27, and 46.10% of the participants were male. During a mean follow‐up of 9.15 ± 2.59 years, 148 AD and 8 FTD patients were identified. Greater thickness of ganglion cell‐inner plexiform layer (GC‐IPL) was associated with reduced risk of AD (HR, 0.968; 95% CI, 0.938–0.999; p=0.044), while thicker retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) at inner superior subfield was associated with lower risks of FTD (HR, 0.710; 95% CI, 0.534–0.943; p=0.018). Decreased cortical (mainly including regions in occipital, temporal, and parietal cortices) and subcortical (thalamus and hippocampus) grey matter volume, and white matter integrity mediated the effects of GC‐IPL thickness on AD risk.ConclusionOur findings provides evidence regarding the longitudinal association between macular OCT measurements and dementia. Thinning of the inner retinal layer is linked to a higher risk of AD, while thinning of the outer retinal layer is associated with an increased risk of FTD. Brain structures related to visual pathways mainly mediate the association between GC‐IPL and AD.