bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Objective cognitive performance and informant‐rated dysexecutive symptoms in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Moreno Jasmin C , Wise Lisa , O'Brien Tanner , Severson Ella , Olmos Winter , Price Barbara , Alving Loren , Woo Ellen 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundOlder adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) often exhibit memory and executive deficits on objective cognitive tests. Meanwhile, significant others often report observing symptoms of a dysexecutive nature while labeling them as “memory” difficulties. Our study examined whether objective test performances were predictive of informant‐rated executive symptoms in healthy aging, MCI, and AD.MethodParticipants included healthy older controls (n=71), individuals with MCI [n=98 (amnestic MCI n=52; non‐amnestic MCI n=43)], and persons with AD (n=40). Objective cognitive performances were measured using a standardized executive composite (Trail Making Test B and Stroop Color‐Word Interference) and a standardized memory composite (delayed recall scores from the California Verbal Learning Test‐II and Visual Reproduction‐II). Study partners completed the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX), which assesses executive behaviors and symptoms.ResultMultiple regression analyses revealed that objective memory performance predicted informant‐rated dysexecutive symptoms in the AD group and in the MCI group as a whole. In contrast, objective executive performance did not predict DEX scores in any of the groups. As expected, objective cognitive performance and DEX scores were not significantly associated in the control group.ConclusionInterestingly, we found that objective memory performance predicted informant‐rated dysexecutive symptoms in MCI and AD, while objective executive performance did not. This finding suggests that in everyday life, patient behaviors labeled as “dysexecutive” may be driven by memory deficits. For example, the DEX reviews behaviors that involve attentional difficulties and perseverative thinking, which can be assessed in both memory and executive tests. Overall, these findings underline the importance of integrating objective test performance with reports of patient symptoms in the real world.
Deregulation of CypA‐EMMPRIN pathway in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion: Implication in vascular dementia
Authors: Chai Yuek Ling , Rajeev Vismitha , Chen Christopher , Arumugam Thiruma Valavan , Lai Mitchell Kim Peng 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundChronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) has been shown to be a key mechanism in vascular cognitive impairment and dementia, leading to various pathologies including blood brain barrier disruption, extracellular matrix dysfunction and inflammation. Cyclophilin A (CypA), an oxidative stress‐induced factor, is secreted into the extracellular space upon stimulation or during cell death and binds to the extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN). EMMPRIN may in turn activate matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), leading to downstream inflammatory processes and vascular remodeling. While CypA and EMMPRIN have been studied in animal models of acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke [1‐4], their potential involvement in CCH as well as in the clinical setting of VaD awaits investigation.MethodIn the first part of the study, the bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS) model was utilised: microcoils were inserted in both the left and right common carotid arteries for 30 days to induce CCH in male C57BL/6J mice. Sham controls were operated in the same manner without the insertion of microcoils. At the 30‐days endpoint, the animals were euthanized; brain samples were collected and processed for CypA, EMMPRIN, MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 measurement using western blot. In the second part of the study, a cross‐sectional clinical study with 36 non‐cognitive impaired controls and 48 vascular dementia (VaD) subjects was performed. Blood samples were collected, and serum CypA, EMMPRIN, MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 levels were measured using sandwich ELISAs.ResultLower CypA and higher EMMPRIN levels were found in the brains of BCAS‐induced mice, and in the serum of VaD patients. While MMP‐2 was higher in BCAS‐inducted mice, MMP‐9 was higher in VaD patients. Interestingly in the clinical cohort, higher MMP‐2 was found in the presence of lacunes while MMP‐9 was higher in the presence of white matter hyperintensities, cortical infarct and lacunae, suggesting that the MMPs may be involved in differential pathways despite both being downstream of the CypA‐EMMPRIN pathway.ConclusionThe present study demonstrated that the deregulation of CypA, EMMPRIN and MMPs may play an important role during CCH, and thus be useful clinical biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets in VaD.
Prospective memory and depression symptoms in mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Olmos Winter , Moore Jacob , Saravia Sarah , Moreno Jasmin C , Donny Chandler , Baez Abril , Hernandez Juan Pablo , Miller Christopher , Alving Loren , Woo Ellen 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundProspective memory involves executing an intended action in the future. This cognitive ability declines in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease and affects everyday functioning. Prospective memory is usually assessed by asking participants to execute a single action in the future. We developed a complex prospective memory test that involves selecting the correct action to execute based on the context of the situation. In this study, we examined both types of prospective memory and their relationships with depression symptoms. Prospective memory involves significant cognitive effort, which could be dampened by depression symptoms.MethodParticipants included healthy controls (n= 58) and persons with amnestic MCI (n= 28) and non‐amnestic MCI (n= 36). Before testing, all participants were informed that they should request a pill after completing each of 10 neuropsychological tests that would be administered. Simple prospective memory was assessed using the total number of correct requests. They were also told that if the most recent test involved memorization, they should request one pill, and if it did not, they should request two pills. The number of correct contingency‐based requests was used to assess complex prospective memory. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was used to measure depressive symptoms.ResultAnalyses of variance revealed that the amnestic MCI group performed significantly worse in simple prospective memory compared to both the controls and the non‐amnestic MCI group. The same pattern was found for complex prospective memory. We found that GDS scores did not predict prospective memory in any group.ConclusionOverall, we found that older adults with objective memory deficits (amnestic MCI) had difficulties with both simple and complex prospective memory, while those with no memory impairment (controls and non‐amnestic MCI) performed better on these tests. Importantly, depressive symptoms were not associated with performance on prospective memory tests for any of the groups. These findings suggest that prospective memory tests are useful for assessing MCI and are resistant to the impact of depressive symptoms.
Balance, movement confidence, and cognition: Exploring the impacts of a group motion‐based technology intervention for people with dementia and mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Dove Erica , Wang Rosalie , Zabjek Karl , Astell Arlene J. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundExercise can impact balance, movement confidence, and cognition among people with dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, engaging and accessible ways for this population to exercise are lacking. Motion‐based technology, which people with dementia and MCI can learn to use and enjoy using, could be a potential solution. The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of a group motion‐based technology intervention on balance, movement confidence, and cognition among people with dementia and MCI.MethodParticipants with dementia and MCI (n=28; 53.6% female) were recruited from four community‐based adult day programs and invited to partake in a 10‐week Xbox Kinect bowling intervention. Before and after the intervention, participants completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini‐BEST) to measure cognition and balance, respectively. Video recordings were taken during the first, middle, and final week of the intervention and coded using video analysis software, to measure movement confidence. Quantitative data from the MoCA, Mini‐BEST, and coded video recordings were compared using a series of related‐samples Wilcoxon signed rank tests.ResultAt baseline, participants with dementia and MCI were substantially impaired with regards to balance (mean Mini‐BEST: 14.58/28), cognition (mean MoCA: 12.86/30), and mobility (57.1% mobility device users). Among the participants who completed the study, there was no significant decline in balance (Z‐score=‐1.276, p=0.202), movement confidence (Z‐score=‐0.359, p=0.719), or cognition (Z‐score=‐0.060, p=0.952), suggesting a potential maintenance effect of the intervention.ConclusionFirstly, the findings highlight the prevalence of mobility and balance impairments among people with dementia and MCI, in addition to confirming their cognitive impairment. Secondly, this study also highlights the potential of using motion‐based technology to support the function and well‐being of people with dementia and MCI. That is, the finding of no significant decline in function among the participants can be considered a positive finding, given the generally progressive nature and trajectory of dementia.
Associations between neuropsychiatric symptoms, white matter microstructural integrity, and diagnostic status in the spectrum of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Kaplan Elizabeth , Correia Stephen , Oh Hwamee 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundRecent studies have found that individuals who have undergone psychological stress and/or are affected by a chronic stress‐related disorder have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). However, currently the biological mechanism underlying this relationship remains elusive. We hypothesized that white matter integrity loss may be a potential mediator between psychological stress and the development of AD. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between neuropsychiatric symptoms as a proxy of stress responses, white matter microstructural integrity, and diagnostic status along the spectrum of AD.MethodWe evaluated the relationship between neuropsychiatric symptoms, white matter microstructural integrity, and diagnostic status along the spectrum of AD in 133 participants (ages 55.2‐90.4 years) selected from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI‐2). Total scores in a brief Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI‐Q) were used to represent individuals’ psychological stress responses. We quantified white matter integrity measures using diffusion tensor imaging scans processed by the FMRIB's Diffusion Toolbox followed by the FSL Tract‐Based Spatial Statistics toolbox.ResultNPI‐Q scores representing stress responses significantly differed across diagnostic groups. Specifically, patients with AD (N=40, mean age=74.39) showed significantly higher NPI‐Q scores compared with cognitively normal (CN) older adults (N=44, mean age=73.39) and patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)(N=49, mean age=75.64). Whole brain voxel‐wise analyses with white matter integrity measures as quantified as fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) showed significant FA and MD differences (p ≤ 0.01) in the splenium, cingulum, superior longitudinal fasciculus, posterior thalamic radiation and the corpus callosum regions when controlling for age and sex. These differences were greater for AD patients compared with CN participants than those with MCI. NPI‐Q scores, however, were not related to a degree of white matter integrity in this sample.ConclusionSignificant group differences are shown in stress responses and white matter integrity across the diagnostic groups in the AD spectrum, which is consistent with the literature. Future studies are warranted to integrate reliable biological markers of stress responses to assess the impact of stress responses on microstructural changes and AD pathologies.
Brain functional connectivity during visual short‐term memory binding after cognitive training in preclinical phases of dementia
Authors: Soto Marcio , Camlla Rosangela , Vilca Brenda Chino , Parra Mario A. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundNeuroimaging studies have shown changes in functional connectivity after cognitive training in preclinical phases of dementia. What is not yet clear is the neurophysiological aspects of these changes. Our objective was analyze the effect of cognitive training on brain functional connectivity during visual short term memory binding (VSTMB) task in preclinical phases of dementia.MethodThe final sample was composed of 5 older adults with subjective cognitive decline (mean age = 62.08, SD = 6.48) and 4 with mild cognitive impairment (mean age = 62.93, SD = 6.75). All participants underwent assessment with VSTMB test (shape only and shape‐color) while we recorded their EEG with 160‐channel system (Brain Vision ActiChamp), at baseline and 3 months after cognitive training. The program lasted 24 sessions and was focused on attention, executive function and memory domains.ResultWe found a significant improvement of visuospatial memory at behavioral level (p<.05). In shape only test phase, we found a post training activity diminution in fronto‐central right ROIs, in intermediate and late time windows (FDR p < .05), an enhancement in fronto‐central right ROI and early time window (FDR p < .05) and parietal‐posterior left ROI in late time windows (FDR p<.05). In shape‐color binding condition, significant differences were found for encoding phase presenting post training activity enhancement for fronto‐central left ROI in intermediated and late time windows (FDR p < .05).ConclusionCognitive training changed functional connectivity in anterior and posterior regions during shape only test phase. During shape‐color condition there was a connectivity increased in anterior regions during encoding phase. These findings are discussed in the light of cognitive and neurophysiological aging models.
Diet and resting state brain functional connectivity across the adult lifespan
Authors: Gu Yian , Burns Eleanna , Habeck Christian , Mensing Ashley , Noofoory Diala , Babukutty Reshma S , Stern Yaakov 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundHealthy diets are associated with reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, better cognition, and healthier brain structural measures. However, the relationship between nutrition and diet and resting‐state functional connectivity (rsFC) remains unclear.MethodThe current study included 370 individuals across the adult lifespan (20–80 years). Dietary information was self‐reported using a food frequency questionnaire, from which the Mediterranean diet score (MeDi, range 0‐55) was calculated. Participants underwent a resting‐state imaging on a 3T MRI scanner. Within‐network and between‐network connectivity values were computed based on 10 predefined networks. Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine the association between tertiles of MeDi and rsFC in the overall study population as well as within three age groups [99 young (20‐45 years); 147 middle‐aged (46‐65 years), and 124 older adults (66‐80 years)]. Similar analyses were done for omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) consumption. All models were controlled for potential confounders including age, sex, education, race/ethnicity, caloric intake, IQ, and scrubbing percentage.ResultAmong all subjects, higher MeDi was associated with lower global within‐network connectivity (highest vs. lowest tertile of MeDi, b=‐0.014, p=0.031) but not with global between‐network connectivity. Among all ten individual networks, higher MeDi was associated with lower within‐network connectivity of the default‐mode network (DMN) but not with any other individual networks. Analyses stratified by age groups found the associations between rsFC and diet could mainly be seen in older adults. Among the somatomotor networks, higher MeDi was associated with higher within‐network connectivity for hand and auditory networks but was associated with lower within‐DMN connectivity. For between‐network connectivity, higher MeDi was associated with higher global connectivity (highest vs. lowest tertile of MeDi, b=0.019, p=0.015) as well as higher connectivity for almost all individual networks except for the DMN. No association between MeDi and rsFC was found in younger and middle‐aged adults. Findings on omega‐3 PUFA were similar to MeDi, except that omega‐3 PUFA was not associated with within‐network connectivity of the DMN.ConclusionOur findings suggest that in older adult, healthier dietary factors are associated with higher both within‐ and between‐ network connectivity except for within‐DMN rsFC values.
The utility of the Oral Trail Making Test in telehealth assessments with cognitively impaired older adults
Authors: Saurman Jessica L. , Vickers Kayci L. , Rodriguez Amy D. , Andrews Morgan , Gradone Andrew M. , Jean Kharine R. , Goldstein Felicia C 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundDue to the recent COVID‐19 pandemic, many clinicians have transitioned to telehealth‐based cognitive assessments as a practical alternative to in‐person evaluations. Meta‐analysis has shown that verbally‐mediated measures of cognition are the most easily adapted to telehealth administration, while measures that include visual or motor components are more variably impacted. The Oral Trail Making Test (O‐TMT) is one verbal measure of executive function that removes motor and visual demands. However, there is a dearth of research related to the use of the O‐TMT in cognitively impaired older adults to evaluate executive function. Therefore, this project aimed to examine the relationship between O‐TMT scores with other neuropsychological measures in individuals with cognitive impairment.MethodForty‐one participants enrolled in the Emory Cognitive Empowerment Program underwent telehealth‐based neuropsychological assessment that included the O‐TMT. The O‐TMT is comprised of two parts. Part A requires individuals to count out loud from 1 to 25 and is primarily a measure of processing speed and simple attention. Part B requires individuals to alternate saying numbers and letters (1‐A, 2‐B, etc.) and is a measure of mental flexibility. Time to completion as well as total errors are captured during administration. Participants also completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as a measure of global cognitive function, a measure of practical reasoning (Test of Practical Judgement), and a self‐report measure of cognitive change (Everyday Cognition). Correlational analyses were completed to examine the relationship between O‐TMT scores and global cognitive function, practical judgment, and subjective cognitive status.ResultsThe sample consisted of older adults (Mage = 72.84, SDage = 8.20) who were well‐educated (Myears = 16.07, SDyears = 2.22). O‐TMT Part B Time to Completion was moderately correlated with total MoCA score (r = ‐0.36, p = 0.03), such that slower performance was associated with poorer overall cognitive function. The O‐TMT was not significantly correlated with practical judgment or subjective cognitive status.ConclusionResults of the current study indicate poorer performance on the O‐TMT part B is associated with poorer overall cognitive function on the MoCA. Future research should examine the sensitivity and specificity of the O‐TMT part B for individuals who are cognitively impaired.
Ambient air pollutants and indoor air quality are associated with cognitive impairment in older adults: A six‐year cohort study
Authors: Tsao Shu‐Ping , Chen Jen‐Hau , Chen Jia‐Kun , Yu Hwa‐Lung , Chiou Jeng‐Min , Yeh Su‐Ling , Chen Ta‐Fu , Chen Yen‐Ching 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundExposure to air pollutants have known to increase the risk of cognitive impairment. Some older adults spend a long time indoors. However, limited studies have evaluated the effect of time staying indoors on the association between exposure to ambient air pollutants and cognitive function in older adults.MethodThis cohort study is part of the ongoing Taiwan Initiative for Geriatric Epidemiological Research (2011‐present). A total of 605 older adults were recruited at baseline (2011‐2013) with three biennial follow‐ups, and 496 participants were included after exclusion. The data of six air pollutants including sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter in diameter ≤ 2.5µm (PM2.5) and 2.5‐10µm (PMcoarse), carbon monoxide, and ozone were obtained from 26 monitor stations of Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (TEPA) between 1993 and 2019. Spatial‐Time Analysis Rendering with Bayesian Maximum Entropy was utilized to estimate the individual air pollutants’ exposure. Hours staying indoors were collected across four seasons. Generalized linear mixed model was utilized to explore the association between long‐term exposure to air pollutants and global or domain‐specific cognitive function (memory, attention, executive function, and language) over 6 years adjusted for some covariates. Stratified analyses were performed by median hours staying indoors every day.ResultThe mean age of the study participants were 72.4 years at baseline. PM2.5 was the only pollutant with a 14‐year average level (29.0 µm/m3) higher than the TEPA air quality standards. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM2.5 was associated with poor global cognition (β=‐0.19) and executive function (β=‐0.08), and the former effect became more evident in those with hours staying indoors < 13 hours/day (β=‐0.31). An IQR increase in PMcoarse was associated with poor global cognition (β=‐0.21) and verbal fluency (β=‐0.10), which became more evident in those stayed indoors ≥13 hours/day (β=‐0.32 and ‐0.13, respectively). Exposure to PMcoarse was associated with poor attention (β=‐0.15). No significant association was observed between other air pollutants and the performance of logical memory.ConclusionLong‐term exposure to PM2.5 or PMcoarse showed detrimental effect on cognitive function in community‐dwelling older adults and indoor air quality may play a role on these associations.