245 results
61 Network Segregation Predicts Processing Speed in the Cognitively Healthy Oldest-old
- Sara A Nolin, Mary E Faulkner, Paul Stewart, Leland Fleming, Stacy Merritt, Roxanne F Rezaei, Pradyumna K Bharadwaj, Mary Kathryn Franchetti, Daniel A Raichlen, Courtney J Jessup, Lloyd Edwards, G Alex Hishaw, Emily J Van Etten, Theodore P Trouard, David S Geldmacher, Virginia G Wadley, Noam Alperin, Eric C Porges, Adam J Woods, Ronald A Cohen, Bonnie E Levin, Tatjana Rundek, Gene E Alexander, Kristina M Visscher
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 367-368
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Objective:
Understanding the factors contributing to optimal cognitive function throughout the aging process is essential to better understand successful cognitive aging. Processing speed is an age sensitive cognitive domain that usually declines early in the aging process; however, this cognitive skill is essential for other cognitive tasks and everyday functioning. Evaluating brain network interactions in cognitively healthy older adults can help us understand how brain characteristics variations affect cognitive functioning. Functional connections among groups of brain areas give insight into the brain’s organization, and the cognitive effects of aging may relate to this large-scale organization. To follow-up on our prior work, we sought to replicate our findings regarding network segregation’s relationship with processing speed. In order to address possible influences of node location or network membership we replicated the analysis across 4 different node sets.
Participants and Methods:Data were acquired as part of a multi-center study of 85+ cognitively normal individuals, the McKnight Brain Aging Registry (MBAR). For this analysis, we included 146 community-dwelling, cognitively unimpaired older adults, ages 85-99, who had undergone structural and BOLD resting state MRI scans and a battery of neuropsychological tests. Exploratory factor analysis identified the processing speed factor of interest. We preprocessed BOLD scans using fmriprep, Ciftify, and XCPEngine algorithms. We used 4 different sets of connectivity-based parcellation: 1)MBAR data used to define nodes and Power (2011) atlas used to determine node network membership, 2) Younger adults data used to define nodes (Chan 2014) and Power (2011) atlas used to determine node network membership, 3) Older adults data from a different study (Han 2018) used to define nodes and Power (2011) atlas used to determine node network membership, and 4) MBAR data used to define nodes and MBAR data based community detection used to determine node network membership.
Segregation (balance of within-network and between-network connections) was measured within the association system and three wellcharacterized networks: Default Mode Network (DMN), Cingulo-Opercular Network (CON), and Fronto-Parietal Network (FPN). Correlation between processing speed and association system and networks was performed for all 4 node sets.
Results:We replicated prior work and found the segregation of both the cortical association system, the segregation of FPN and DMN had a consistent relationship with processing speed across all node sets (association system range of correlations: r=.294 to .342, FPN: r=.254 to .272, DMN: r=.263 to .273). Additionally, compared to parcellations created with older adults, the parcellation created based on younger individuals showed attenuated and less robust findings as those with older adults (association system r=.263, FPN r=.255, DMN r=.263).
Conclusions:This study shows that network segregation of the oldest-old brain is closely linked with processing speed and this relationship is replicable across different node sets created with varied datasets. This work adds to the growing body of knowledge about age-related dedifferentiation by demonstrating replicability and consistency of the finding that as essential cognitive skill, processing speed, is associated with differentiated functional networks even in very old individuals experiencing successful cognitive aging.
2 Higher White Matter Hyperintensity Load Adversely Affects Pre-Post Proximal Cognitive Training Performance in Healthy Older Adults
- Emanuel M Boutzoukas, Andrew O’Shea, Jessica N Kraft, Cheshire Hardcastle, Nicole D Evangelista, Hanna K Hausman, Alejandro Albizu, Emily J Van Etten, Pradyumna K Bharadwaj, Samantha G Smith, Hyun Song, Eric C Porges, Alex Hishaw, Steven T DeKosky, Samuel S Wu, Michael Marsiske, Gene E Alexander, Ronald Cohen, Adam J Woods
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 671-672
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Objective:
Cognitive training has shown promise for improving cognition in older adults. Aging involves a variety of neuroanatomical changes that may affect response to cognitive training. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are one common age-related brain change, as evidenced by T2-weighted and Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) MRI. WMH are associated with older age, suggestive of cerebral small vessel disease, and reflect decreased white matter integrity. Higher WMH load associates with reduced threshold for clinical expression of cognitive impairment and dementia. The effects of WMH on response to cognitive training interventions are relatively unknown. The current study assessed (a) proximal cognitive training performance following a 3-month randomized control trial and (b) the contribution of baseline whole-brain WMH load, defined as total lesion volume (TLV), on pre-post proximal training change.
Participants and Methods:Sixty-two healthy older adults ages 65-84 completed either adaptive cognitive training (CT; n=31) or educational training control (ET; n=31) interventions. Participants assigned to CT completed 20 hours of attention/processing speed training and 20 hours of working memory training delivered through commercially-available Posit Science BrainHQ. ET participants completed 40 hours of educational videos. All participants also underwent sham or active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as an adjunctive intervention, although not a variable of interest in the current study. Multimodal MRI scans were acquired during the baseline visit. T1- and T2-weighted FLAIR images were processed using the Lesion Segmentation Tool (LST) for SPM12. The Lesion Prediction Algorithm of LST automatically segmented brain tissue and calculated lesion maps. A lesion threshold of 0.30 was applied to calculate TLV. A log transformation was applied to TLV to normalize the distribution of WMH. Repeated-measures analysis of covariance (RM-ANCOVA) assessed pre/post change in proximal composite (Total Training Composite) and sub-composite (Processing Speed Training Composite, Working Memory Training Composite) measures in the CT group compared to their ET counterparts, controlling for age, sex, years of education and tDCS group. Linear regression assessed the effect of TLV on post-intervention proximal composite and sub-composite, controlling for baseline performance, intervention assignment, age, sex, years of education, multisite scanner differences, estimated total intracranial volume, and binarized cardiovascular disease risk.
Results:RM-ANCOVA revealed two-way group*time interactions such that those assigned cognitive training demonstrated greater improvement on proximal composite (Total Training Composite) and sub-composite (Processing Speed Training Composite, Working Memory Training Composite) measures compared to their ET counterparts. Multiple linear regression showed higher baseline TLV associated with lower pre-post change on Processing Speed Training sub-composite (ß = -0.19, p = 0.04) but not other composite measures.
Conclusions:These findings demonstrate the utility of cognitive training for improving postintervention proximal performance in older adults. Additionally, pre-post proximal processing speed training change appear to be particularly sensitive to white matter hyperintensity load versus working memory training change. These data suggest that TLV may serve as an important factor for consideration when planning processing speed-based cognitive training interventions for remediation of cognitive decline in older adults.
6 Adjunctive Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Cognitive Training Alters Default Mode and Frontoparietal Control Network Connectivity in Older Adults
- Hanna K Hausman, Jessica N Kraft, Cheshire Hardcastle, Nicole D Evangelista, Emanuel M Boutzoukas, Andrew O’Shea, Alejandro Albizu, Emily J Van Etten, Pradyumna K Bharadwaj, Hyun Song, Samantha G Smith, Eric S Porges, Georg A Hishaw, Samuel Wu, Steven DeKosky, Gene E Alexander, Michael Marsiske, Ronald A Cohen, Adam J Woods
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 675-676
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Objective:
Aging is associated with disruptions in functional connectivity within the default mode (DMN), frontoparietal control (FPCN), and cingulo-opercular (CON) resting-state networks. Greater within-network connectivity predicts better cognitive performance in older adults. Therefore, strengthening network connectivity, through targeted intervention strategies, may help prevent age-related cognitive decline or progression to dementia. Small studies have demonstrated synergistic effects of combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and cognitive training (CT) on strengthening network connectivity; however, this association has yet to be rigorously tested on a large scale. The current study leverages longitudinal data from the first-ever Phase III clinical trial for tDCS to examine the efficacy of an adjunctive tDCS and CT intervention on modulating network connectivity in older adults.
Participants and Methods:This sample included 209 older adults (mean age = 71.6) from the Augmenting Cognitive Training in Older Adults multisite trial. Participants completed 40 hours of CT over 12 weeks, which included 8 attention, processing speed, and working memory tasks. Participants were randomized into active or sham stimulation groups, and tDCS was administered during CT daily for two weeks then weekly for 10 weeks. For both stimulation groups, two electrodes in saline-soaked 5x7 cm2 sponges were placed at F3 (cathode) and F4 (anode) using the 10-20 measurement system. The active group received 2mA of current for 20 minutes. The sham group received 2mA for 30 seconds, then no current for the remaining 20 minutes.
Participants underwent resting-state fMRI at baseline and post-intervention. CONN toolbox was used to preprocess imaging data and conduct region of interest (ROI-ROI) connectivity analyses. The Artifact Detection Toolbox, using intermediate settings, identified outlier volumes. Two participants were excluded for having greater than 50% of volumes flagged as outliers. ROI-ROI analyses modeled the interaction between tDCS group (active versus sham) and occasion (baseline connectivity versus postintervention connectivity) for the DMN, FPCN, and CON controlling for age, sex, education, site, and adherence.
Results:Compared to sham, the active group demonstrated ROI-ROI increases in functional connectivity within the DMN following intervention (left temporal to right temporal [T(202) = 2.78, pFDR < 0.05] and left temporal to right dorsal medial prefrontal cortex [T(202) = 2.74, pFDR < 0.05]. In contrast, compared to sham, the active group demonstrated ROI-ROI decreases in functional connectivity within the FPCN following intervention (left dorsal prefrontal cortex to left temporal [T(202) = -2.96, pFDR < 0.05] and left dorsal prefrontal cortex to left lateral prefrontal cortex [T(202) = -2.77, pFDR < 0.05]). There were no significant interactions detected for CON regions.
Conclusions:These findings (a) demonstrate the feasibility of modulating network connectivity using tDCS and CT and (b) provide important information regarding the pattern of connectivity changes occurring at these intervention parameters in older adults. Importantly, the active stimulation group showed increases in connectivity within the DMN (a network particularly vulnerable to aging and implicated in Alzheimer’s disease) but decreases in connectivity between left frontal and temporal FPCN regions. Future analyses from this trial will evaluate the association between these changes in connectivity and cognitive performance post-intervention and at a one-year timepoint.
56 Cognitive Intra-Individual Variability Profiles of a Spanish Speaking Population Living with HIV and Injection Drug Use
- Jeremy A Feiger, Rachael L. Snyder, Alec J Miller, Carmen A Davila, Kim G Carrasco, Kirk Dombrowski, Roberto Abadie, Anibal Valentin, Samodha Fernando, John T West, Charles Wood, Sydney J Bennett, Kathy S Chiou
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 52-53
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Objective:
Individuals living with HIV may experience cognitive difficulties or marked declines known as HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND). Cognitive difficulties have been associated with worse outcomes for people living with HIV, therefore, accurate cognitive screening and identification is critical. One potentially sensitive marker of cognitive impairment which has been underutilized, is intra-individual variability (IIV). Cognitive IIV is the dispersion of scores across tasks in neuropsychological assessment. In individuals living with HIV, greater cognitive IIV has been associated with cortical atrophy, poorer cognitive functioning, with more rapid declines, and greater difficulties in daily functioning. Studies examining the use of IIV in clinical neuropsychological testing are limited, and few have examined IIV in the context of a single neuropsychological battery designed for culturally diverse or at-risk populations. To address these gaps, this study aimed to examine IIV profiles of individuals living with HIV and who inject drugs, utilizing the Neuropsi, a standardized neuropsychological instrument for Spanish speaking populations.
Participants and Methods:Spanish speaking adults residing in Puerto Rico (n=90) who are HIV positive and who inject drugs (HIV+I), HIV negative and who inject drugs (HIV-I), HIV positive who do not inject drugs (HIV+), or healthy controls (HC) completed the Neuropsi battery as part of a larger research protocol. The Neuropsi produces 3 index scores representing cognitive domains of memory, attention/memory, and attention/executive functioning. Total battery and within index IIV were calculated by dividing the standard deviation of T-scores by mean performance, resulting in a coefficient of variance (CoV). Group differences on overall test battery mean CoV (OTBMCoV) were investigated. To examine unique profiles of index specific IIV, a cluster analysis was performed for each group.
Results:Results of a one-way ANOVA indicated significant between group differences on OTBMCoV (F[3,86]=6.54, p<.001). Post-hoc analyses revealed that HIV+I (M=.55, SE=.07, p=.003), HIV-I (M=.50, SE=.03, p=.001), and HIV+ (M=.48, SE=.02, p=.002) had greater OTBMCoV than the HC group (M=.30, SE=.02). To better understand sources of IIV within each group, cluster analysis of index specific IIV was conducted. For the HIV+ group, 3 distinct clusters were extracted: 1. High IIV in attention/memory and attention/executive functioning (n=3, 8%); 2. Elevated memory IIV (n=21, 52%); 3. Low IIV across all indices (n=16, 40%). For the HIV-I group, 2 distinct clusters were extracted: 1. High IIV across all 3 indices (n=7, 24%) and 2. Low IIV across all 3 indices (n=22, 76%). For the HC group, 3 distinct clusters were extracted: 1. Very low IIV across all 3 indices (n=5, 36%); 2. Elevated memory IIV (n=6, 43%); 3. Elevated attention/executive functioning IIV with very low attention/memory and memory IIV (n=3, 21%). Sample size of the HIV+I group was insufficient to extract clusters.
Conclusions:Current findings support IIV in the Neuropsi test battery as clinically sensitive marker for cognitive impairment in Spanish speaking individuals living with HIV or who inject drugs. Furthermore, the distinct IIV cluster types identified between groups can help to better understand specific sources of variability. Implications for clinical assessment in prognosis and etiological considerations are discussed.
9 Connecting memory and functional brain networks in older adults: a resting state fMRI study
- Jori L Waner, Hanna K Hausman, Jessica N Kraft, Cheshire Hardcastle, Nicole D Evangelista, Andrew O’Shea, Alejandro Albizu, Emanuel M Boutzoukas, Emily J Van Etten, Pradyumna K Bharadwaj, Hyun Song, Samantha G Smith, Steven T DeKosky, Georg A Hishaw, Samuel S Wu, Michael Marsiske, Ronald Cohen, Gene E Alexander, Eric C Porges, Adam J Woods
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 527-528
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Objective:
Nonpathological aging has been linked to decline in both verbal and visuospatial memory abilities in older adults. Disruptions in resting-state functional connectivity within well-characterized, higherorder cognitive brain networks have also been coupled with poorer memory functioning in healthy older adults and in older adults with dementia. However, there is a paucity of research on the association between higherorder functional connectivity and verbal and visuospatial memory performance in the older adult population. The current study examines the association between resting-state functional connectivity within the cingulo-opercular network (CON), frontoparietal control network (FPCN), and default mode network (DMN) and verbal and visuospatial learning and memory in a large sample of healthy older adults. We hypothesized that greater within-network CON and FPCN functional connectivity would be associated with better immediate verbal and visuospatial memory recall. Additionally, we predicted that within-network DMN functional connectivity would be associated with improvements in delayed verbal and visuospatial memory recall. This study helps to glean insight into whether within-network CON, FPCN, or DMN functional connectivity is associated with verbal and visuospatial memory abilities in later life.
Participants and Methods:330 healthy older adults between 65 and 89 years old (mean age = 71.6 ± 5.2) were recruited at the University of Florida (n = 222) and the University of Arizona (n = 108). Participants underwent resting-state fMRI and completed verbal memory (Hopkins Verbal Learning Test - Revised [HVLT-R]) and visuospatial memory (Brief Visuospatial Memory Test - Revised [BVMT-R]) measures. Immediate (total) and delayed recall scores on the HVLT-R and BVMT-R were calculated using each test manual’s scoring criteria. Learning ratios on the HVLT-R and BVMT-R were quantified by dividing the number of stimuli (verbal or visuospatial) learned between the first and third trials by the number of stimuli not recalled after the first learning trial. CONN Toolbox was used to extract average within-network connectivity values for CON, FPCN, and DMN. Hierarchical regressions were conducted, controlling for sex, race, ethnicity, years of education, number of invalid scans, and scanner site.
Results:Greater CON connectivity was significantly associated with better HVLT-R immediate (total) recall (ß = 0.16, p = 0.01), HVLT-R learning ratio (ß = 0.16, p = 0.01), BVMT-R immediate (total) recall (ß = 0.14, p = 0.02), and BVMT-R delayed recall performance (ß = 0.15, p = 0.01). Greater FPCN connectivity was associated with better BVMT-R learning ratio (ß = 0.13, p = 0.04). HVLT-R delayed recall performance was not associated with connectivity in any network, and DMN connectivity was not significantly related to any measure.
Conclusions:Connectivity within CON demonstrated a robust relationship with different components of memory function as well across verbal and visuospatial domains. In contrast, FPCN only evidenced a relationship with visuospatial learning, and DMN was not significantly associated with memory measures. These data suggest that CON may be a valuable target in longitudinal studies of age-related memory changes, but also a possible target in future non-invasive interventions to attenuate memory decline in older adults.
29 Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Status, Injection Drug Use, and Cognitive Effects in a Spanish-Speaking Population
- Rachael L. Snyder, Alec J. Miller, Jeremy A. Feiger, Carmen A. Davila, Kim G. Carrasco, Kirk Dombrowski, Roberto Abadie, Anibal Valentin, Samodha Fernando, John T. West, Charles Wood, Sydney J. Bennett, Kathy S. Chiou
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- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 442-443
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Objective:
Injection drug use is a significant public health crisis with adverse health outcomes, including increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Comorbidity of HIV and injection drug use is highly prevalent in the United States and disproportionately elevated in surrounding territories such as Puerto Rico. While both HIV status and injection drug use are independently known to be associated with cognitive deficits, the interaction of these effects remains largely unknown. The aim of this study was to determine how HIV status and injection drug use are related to cognitive functioning in a group of Puerto Rican participants. Additionally, we investigated the degree to which type and frequency of substance use predict cognitive abilities.
Participants and Methods:96 Puerto Rican adults completed the Neuropsi Attention and Memory-3rd Edition battery for Spanish-speaking participants. Injection substance use over the previous 12 months was also obtained via clinical interview. Participants were categorized into four groups based on HIV status and injection substance use in the last 30 days (HIV+/injector, HIV+/non-injector, HIV/injector, HIV-/non-injector). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to determine differences between groups on each index of the Neuropsi battery (Attention and Executive Function; Memory; Attention and Memory). Multiple linear regression was used to determine whether type and frequency of substance use predicted performance on these indices while considering HIV status.
Results:The one-way ANOVAs revealed significant differences (p’s < 0.01) between the healthy control group and all other groups across all indices. No significant differences were observed between the other groups. Injection drug use, regardless of the substance, was associated with lower combined attention and memory performance compared to those who inject less than monthly (Monthly: p = 0.04; 2-3x daily: p < 0.01; 4-7x daily: p = 0.02; 8+ times daily: p < 0.01). Both minimal and heavy daily use predicted poorer memory performance (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, respectively). Heavy heroin use predicted poorer attention and executive functioning (p = 0.04). Heroin use also predicted lower performance on tests of memory when used monthly (p = 0.049), and daily or almost daily (2-6x weekly: p = 0.04; 4-7x daily: p = 0.04). Finally, moderate injection of heroin predicted lower scores on attention and memory (Weekly: p = 0.04; 2-6x weekly: p = 0.048). Heavy combined heroin and cocaine use predicted worse memory performance (p = 0.03) and combined attention and memory (p = 0.046). HIV status was not a moderating factor in any circumstance.
Conclusions:As predicted, residents of Puerto Rico who do not inject substances and are HIVnegative performed better in domains of memory, attention, and executive function than those living with HIV and/or inject substances. There was no significant difference among the affected groups in cognitive ability. As expected, daily injection of substances predicted worse performance on tasks of memory. Heavy heroin use predicted worse performance on executive function and memory tasks, while heroin-only and combined heroin and cocaine use predicted worse memory performance. Overall, the type and frequency of substance is more predictive of cognitive functioning than HIV status.
The Role of Social Defeat in Neurological differences in Psychotic Patients
- A. Malaviya, P. A. Lalousis, S. J. Wood, A. Bertolino, S. B. Borgwardt, P. Brambilla, J. Kambeitz, R. Lencer, C. Pantelis, S. Ruhrmann, R. K. Salokangas, F. Schultze-Lutter, E. Meisenzahl, N. Koutsouleris, R. Upthegrove
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- Journal:
- European Psychiatry / Volume 66 / Issue S1 / March 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 19 July 2023, p. S183
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Introduction
The social defeat hypothesis (SDH) suggests that a chronic experience of social defeat increases the likelihood of the development of psychosis. The SDH indicates that a negative experience of exclusion leads to an increase in the baseline activity of the mesolimbic dopamine system (MDS), which in turn leads to the onset of psychosis. Social defeat models have previously been produced using animal models and preclinical literature; however, these theories have not fully been tested in human clinical samples. There have been studies implying changes in brain structure due to social defeat interactions; however, research evidence is varied.
ObjectivesThis study aims to uncover whether exposure to SoDe has an impact on brain structure. Furthermore, we hope to understand if these changes are relevant to other mental health disorders.
Methods698 (506 no SoDe, 191 SoDe) participants between the ages of 15-41 were recruited from the PRONIA-FP7 study. SoDe was measured from the self-reported questionnaires’ Bullying Scale’ and ‘The Everyday Discrimination Scale’. T1-weighted structural MRI data were processed; five 2 sample t-test analyses were carried out to compare the GMV differences in the entire sample and between the four groups.
ResultsThe VBM analysis showed significant group interactions in the right thalamus proper when comparing participants who had experience SoDe to participants who had not experienced SoDe including all 4 groups along with left cerebral white matter differences. In the ROP subgroup, significant group interactions in the left cerebellum white matter were found along with right cerebral white matter, left cerebral white matter and right Thalamus proper.
ConclusionsThe findings suggest that there are significant group interactions in thalamus and cerebral white matter. This is in keeping with some previous research suggesting volumetric changes in the thalamus due to stress and psychosis. Similarly for white matter there is some evidence suggesting differences due to SoDe and psychosis. However, there is a scarcity of research in this area with different research suggesting distinctive findings and therefore the evidence is inconclusive. In the ROP group analysis significant group interactions were present in the cerebellum due to SoDe experience. There is research suggesting the cerebellum’s role in multiple different aspects like social interaction, higher-order cognition, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and psychotic symptoms, with every research suggesting multiple different things the role of the cerebellum in SoDe in the ROP population is in question. Nonetheless this large-scale research presents some interesting novel finding and leads the way to a new area of research. Further analysis will explore the relationship between groups on markers of stress (CRP) and neuroinflammation as potential mediation of the environmental effects of SoDe.
Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
SAMPLE PREPARATION METHODS USED AT THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY RADIOCARBON FACILITY
- R E Wood, R Esmay, E Usher, S J Fallon
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- Radiocarbon / Volume 65 / Issue 2 / April 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 03 February 2023, pp. 573-589
- Print publication:
- April 2023
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The Single Stage AMS radiocarbon facility at the Australian National University has operated for the past 14 years. This paper presents the pretreatment methods used for the major sample types dated and reflects on whether quality assurance protocols can adequately detect altered materials. The majority of fossil samples dated by the facility are from tropical and arid environments where diagenesis of both organic samples and carbonates is often severe. A large proportion of the samples submitted cannot be dated, and screening and quality assurance methods are crucial. Based on analysis of 250 measurements on bone collagen, quality assurance indicators for bone are revised. From May 2021, the laboratory has accepted dates on collagen where yield >0.5%, %C is in the range of 39.7–46.9, and the C:N ratio is between 3.00 and 3.30.
Evaluation of brainstem disruption following penetrating captive-bolt shot in isolated cattle heads: comparison of traditional and alternative shot-placement landmarks
- JN Gilliam, JK Shearer, RJ Bahr, S Crochik, J Woods, J Hill, J Reynolds, JD Taylor
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- Animal Welfare / Volume 25 / Issue 3 / August 2016
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 January 2023, pp. 347-353
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Currently recommended landmarks for captive-bolt euthanasia of cattle often result in failure to penetrate the brainstem. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability to disrupt the brainstem by placing the shot at a higher position on the head. Intact heads from euthanased animals or natural mortalities were used for this study. Heads were grouped as adult (> 2 years), young (6-24 months) and neonate (< 1 month) and randomly assigned to either the LOW group (the intersection of two lines drawn from the medial canthus to the top of the opposite ear) or the HIGH group (midline halfway between the top of the poll and an imaginary line connecting each lateral canthus). Each head received a single shot from a CASH penetrating captive bolt with bolt length and power load selected based on manufacturer's recommendations. Computed tomography images of each head were evaluated independently by two veterinary radiologists. Brainstem disruption was assumed to occur if the bolt passed caudal to the presphenoid bone and deep to the third ventricle and was within 1.5 cm of midline. Brainstem disruption occurred in 16/18 adult HIGH and 7/14 adult LOW heads, 13/16 young HIGH and 11/19 young LOW heads, and 11/11 neonate HIGH and 14/14 neonate LOW heads. The higher shot location landmarks used in this study increased the probability of disrupting the brainstem when adult cattle were shot with a penetrating captive bolt which should reduce the risk of regaining sensibility. Reliable brainstem disruption is a precondition for considering penetrating captive bolt as a single-step euthanasia method. Further research is needed to determine if this method will reliably ensure a humane death.
Captive-bolt euthanasia of cattle: determination of optimal-shot placement and evaluation of the Cash Special Euthanizer Kit® for euthanasia of cattle
- JN Gilliam, JK Shearer, J Woods, J Hill, J Reynolds, JD Taylor, RJ Bahr, S Crochik, TA Snider
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- Animal Welfare / Volume 21 / Issue S2 / June 2012
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 January 2023, pp. 99-102
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Humane euthanasia of cattle represents a challenge to the beef and dairy industries. Penetrating captive bolt, while traditionally considered to be only a stunning method, can be an effective single-step euthanasia method if both the cerebral cortex and brainstem are disrupted. This report describes a preliminary study investigating the likelihood of brainstem disruption for two captive-bolt shot locations. Heads were collected from 15 cattle that died or were euthanised for reason unrelated to the study and were then randomly assigned to one of two shot placement groups. Heads in the first group (n = 7) were shot at the intersection of two lines drawn from the medial canthus to the opposite horn or top of the opposite ear. Heads in the second group (n = 8) were shot at the intersection of two lines drawn for the lateral canthus to the opposite horn or top of the opposite ear. The guns were held perpendicular (as assessed visually) to the plane of the forehead. Shot placement was then assessed using computed tomography and disruption of the brainstem was determined. In the first group, the captive bolt failed to disrupt the brainstem in any of the heads. In the second group, the bolt disrupted the brainstem in 6 of 8 heads. The results suggest that selecting a higher shot location leads more readily to disruption of the brainstem which reduces the risk of regaining sensibility and should therefore improve animal welfare when cattle are euthanised with a penetrating captive bolt.
Validity of the NIH toolbox cognitive battery in a healthy oldest-old 85+ sample
- Sara A. Nolin, Hannah Cowart, Stacy Merritt, Katalina McInerney, P. K. Bharadwaj, Mary Kate Franchetti, David A. Raichlen, Cortney J. Jessup, G. Alex Hishaw, Emily J. Van Etten, Theodore P. Trouard, David S. Geldmacher, Virginia G. Wadley, Eric S. Porges, Adam J. Woods, Ron A. Cohen, Bonnie E. Levin, Tatjana Rundek, Gene E. Alexander, Kristina M. Visscher
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue 6 / July 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 14 October 2022, pp. 605-614
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Objective:
To evaluate the construct validity of the NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery (NIH TB-CB) in the healthy oldest-old (85+ years old).
Method:Our sample from the McKnight Brain Aging Registry consists of 179 individuals, 85 to 99 years of age, screened for memory, neurological, and psychiatric disorders. Using previous research methods on a sample of 85 + y/o adults, we conducted confirmatory factor analyses on models of NIH TB-CB and same domain standard neuropsychological measures. We hypothesized the five-factor model (Reading, Vocabulary, Memory, Working Memory, and Executive/Speed) would have the best fit, consistent with younger populations. We assessed confirmatory and discriminant validity. We also evaluated demographic and computer use predictors of NIH TB-CB composite scores.
Results:Findings suggest the six-factor model (Vocabulary, Reading, Memory, Working Memory, Executive, and Speed) had a better fit than alternative models. NIH TB-CB tests had good convergent and discriminant validity, though tests in the executive functioning domain had high inter-correlations with other cognitive domains. Computer use was strongly associated with higher NIH TB-CB overall and fluid cognition composite scores.
Conclusion:The NIH TB-CB is a valid assessment for the oldest-old samples, with relatively weak validity in the domain of executive functioning. Computer use’s impact on composite scores could be due to the executive demands of learning to use a tablet. Strong relationships of executive function with other cognitive domains could be due to cognitive dedifferentiation. Overall, the NIH TB-CB could be useful for testing cognition in the oldest-old and the impact of aging on cognition in older populations.
The association between area-level residential instability and gray matter volume changes
- B. Ku, J. Addington, C. Bearden, K. Cadenhead, T. Cannon, M. Compton, B. Cornblatt, B. Druss, M. Keshavan, D. Mathalon, T. Mcglashan, D. Perkins, L. Seidman, W. Stone, M. Tsuang, S. Woods, E. Walker
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- Journal:
- European Psychiatry / Volume 65 / Issue S1 / June 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 September 2022, p. S787
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Introduction
Area-level residential instability (ARI), an index of social fragmentation, has been shown to explain the association between urbanicity and psychosis. Urban upbringing has been shown to be associated with decreased gray matter volumes (GMV)s of brain regions corresponding to the right caudal middle frontal gyrus (CMFG) and rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC).
ObjectivesWe hypothesize that greater ARI will be associated with reduced right posterior CMFG and rACC GMVs.
MethodsData were collected at baseline as part of the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study. Counties where participants resided during childhood were geographically coded using the US Censuses to area-level factors. ARI was defined as the percentage of residents living in a different house five years ago. Generalized linear mixed models tested associations between ARI and GMVs.
ResultsThis study included 29 HC and 64 CHR-P individuals who were aged 12 to 24 years, had remained in their baseline residential area, and had magnetic resonance imaging scans. ARI was associated with reduced right CMFG (adjusted β = -0.258; 95% CI = -0.502 – -0.015) and right rACC volumes (adjusted β = -0.318; 95% CI = -0.612 – -0.023). The interaction terms (ARI X diagnostic group) in the prediction of both brain regions were not significant, indicating that the relationships between ARI and regional brain volumes held for both CHR-P and HCs.
ConclusionsLike urban upbringing, ARI may be an important social environmental characteristic that adversely impacts brain regions related to schizophrenia.
DisclosureNo significant relationships.
Pain perception and physiological correlates in body-focused repetitive behavior disorders
- Christine Lochner, Janine Roos, Martin Kidd, Gaironeesa Hendricks, Tara S. Peris, Emily J. Ricketts, Darin D. Dougherty, Douglas W. Woods, Nancy J. Keuthen, Dan J. Stein, Jon E. Grant, John Piacentini
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- Journal:
- CNS Spectrums / Volume 28 / Issue 2 / April 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 22 March 2022, pp. 197-204
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Background
Behaviors typical of body-focused repetitive behavior disorders such as trichotillomania (TTM) and skin-picking disorder (SPD) are often associated with pleasure or relief, and with little or no physical pain, suggesting aberrant pain perception. Conclusive evidence about pain perception and correlates in these conditions is, however, lacking.
MethodsA multisite international study examined pain perception and its physiological correlates in adults with TTM (n = 31), SPD (n = 24), and healthy controls (HCs; n = 26). The cold pressor test was administered, and measurements of pain perception and cardiovascular parameters were taken every 15 seconds. Pain perception, latency to pain tolerance, cardiovascular parameters and associations with illness severity, and comorbid depression, as well as interaction effects (group × time interval), were investigated across groups.
ResultsThere were no group differences in pain ratings over time (P = .8) or latency to pain tolerance (P = .8). Illness severity was not associated with pain ratings (all P > .05). In terms of diastolic blood pressure (DBP), the main effect of group was statistically significant (P = .01), with post hoc analyses indicating higher mean DBP in TTM (95% confidence intervals [CI], 84.0-93.5) compared to SPD (95% CI, 73.5-84.2; P = .01), and HCs (95% CI, 75.6-86.0; P = .03). Pain perception did not differ between those with and those without depression (TTM: P = .2, SPD: P = .4).
ConclusionThe study findings were mostly negative suggesting that general pain perception aberration is not involved in TTM and SPD. Other underlying drivers of hair-pulling and skin-picking behavior (eg, abnormal reward processing) should be investigated.
Characterizing sustained social anxiety in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis: trajectory, risk factors, and functional outcomes
- Wisteria Deng, Jean Addington, Carrie E. Bearden, Kristin S. Cadenhead, Barbara A. Cornblatt, Daniel H. Mathalon, Diana O. Perkins, Larry J. Seidman, Ming T. Tsuang, Scott W. Woods, Elaine F. Walker, Tyrone D. Cannon
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- Journal:
- Psychological Medicine / Volume 53 / Issue 8 / June 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 11 February 2022, pp. 3644-3651
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Background
While comorbidity of clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR-P) status and social anxiety is well-established, it remains unclear how social anxiety and positive symptoms covary over time in this population. The present study aimed to determine whether there are more than one covariant trajectory of social anxiety and positive symptoms in the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study cohort (NAPLS 2) and, if so, to test whether the different trajectory subgroups differ in terms of genetic and environmental risk factors for psychotic disorders and general functional outcome.
MethodsIn total, 764 CHR individuals were evaluated at baseline for social anxiety and psychosis risk symptom severity and followed up every 6 months for 2 years. Application of group-based multi-trajectory modeling discerned three subgroups based on the covariant trajectories of social anxiety and positive symptoms over 2 years.
ResultsOne of the subgroups showed sustained social anxiety over time despite moderate recovery in positive symptoms, while the other two showed recovery of social anxiety below clinically significant thresholds, along with modest to moderate recovery in positive symptom severity. The trajectory group with sustained social anxiety had poorer long-term global functional outcomes than the other trajectory groups. In addition, compared with the other two trajectory groups, membership in the group with sustained social anxiety was predicted by higher levels of polygenic risk for schizophrenia and environmental stress exposures.
ConclusionsTogether, these analyses indicate differential relevance of sustained v. remitting social anxiety symptoms in the CHR-P population, which in turn may carry implications for differential intervention strategies.
Neurobiology of subtypes of trichotillomania and skin picking disorder
- Jon E. Grant, Richard A. I. Bethlehem, Samuel R. Chamberlain, Tara S. Peris, Emily J. Ricketts, Joseph O’Neill, Darin D. Dougherty, Dan Stein, Christine Lochner, Douglas W. Woods, John Piacentini, Nancy J. Keuthen
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- Journal:
- CNS Spectrums / Volume 28 / Issue 1 / February 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 03 November 2021, pp. 98-103
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Background
Trichotillomania (TTM) and skin picking disorder (SPD) are common and often debilitating mental health conditions, grouped under the umbrella term of body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs). Recent clinical subtyping found that there were three distinct subtypes of TTM and two of SPD. Whether these clinical subtypes map on to any unique neurobiological underpinnings, however, remains unknown.
MethodsTwo hundred and fifty one adults [193 with a BFRB (85.5% [n = 165] female) and 58 healthy controls (77.6% [n = 45] female)] were recruited from the community for a multicenter between-group comparison using structural neuroimaging. Differences in whole brain structure were compared across the subtypes of BFRBs, controlling for age, sex, scanning site, and intracranial volume.
ResultsWhen the subtypes of TTM were compared, low awareness hair pullers demonstrated increased cortical volume in the lateral occipital lobe relative to controls and sensory sensitive pullers. In addition, impulsive/perfectionist hair pullers showed relative decreased volume near the lingual gyrus of the inferior occipital–parietal lobe compared with controls.
ConclusionsThese data indicate that the anatomical substrates of particular forms of BFRBs are dissociable, which may have implications for understanding clinical presentations and treatment response.
Practices and activities among healthcare personnel with severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection working in different healthcare settings—ten Emerging Infections Program sites, April–November 2020
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- Nora Chea, Taniece Eure, Austin R. Penna, Cedric J. Brown, Joelle Nadle, Deborah Godine, Linda Frank, Christopher A. Czaja, Helen Johnston, Devra Barter, Betsy Feighner Miller, Katie Angell, Kristen Marshall, James Meek, Monica Brackney, Stacy Carswell, Stepy Thomas, Lucy E. Wilson, Rebecca Perlmutter, Kaytlynn Marceaux-Galli, Ashley Fell, Sarah Lim, Ruth Lynfield, Sarah Shrum Davis, Erin C. Phipps, Marla Sievers, Ghinwa Dumyati, Cathleen Concannon, Kathryn McCullough, Amy Woods, Sandhya Seshadri, Christopher Myers, Rebecca Pierce, Valerie L. S. Ocampo, Judith A. Guzman-Cottrill, Gabriela Escutia, Monika Samper, Sandra A. Pena, Cullen Adre, Matthew Groenewold, Nicola D. Thompson, Shelley S. Magill
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- Journal:
- Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology / Volume 43 / Issue 8 / August 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 02 June 2021, pp. 1058-1062
- Print publication:
- August 2022
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Healthcare personnel with severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection were interviewed to describe activities and practices in and outside the workplace. Among 2,625 healthcare personnel, workplace-related factors that may increase infection risk were more common among nursing-home personnel than hospital personnel, whereas selected factors outside the workplace were more common among hospital personnel.
‘Spending all this time stressing and worrying and calculating’: marginal food security and student life at a Diverse Urban University
- Ryan J Gamba, Michael T Schmeltz, Nancy Ortiz, Alina Engelman, Juleen Lam, Adianez Ampil, Maria M Pritchard, Joshua Kier Adrian Santillan, Esteban S Rivera, Lana Mariko Wood, Darice Ingram, Kate Cheyne, Sarah Taylor
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- Journal:
- Public Health Nutrition / Volume 24 / Issue 10 / July 2021
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 26 March 2021, pp. 2788-2797
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Objective:
Food security status is a continuum ranging from high to very low food security. While marginal food security falls next to high food security on the spectrum, new quantitative research indicates marginal food security status is associated with negative health outcomes and poor academic performance among college students. Qualitative research focusing on college students experiencing marginal food security has not been conducted. The current study aims to qualitatively explore experiences of college students with marginal food security and to identify themes to better understand and provide context regarding how marginal food security impacts students.
Design:Students were recruited for semi-structured interviews with questions designed to study the challenges associated with students’ food situations. All interviews were recorded and transcribed with themes identified via an inductive approach.
Setting:A large public university on the US west coast.
Participants:Thirty college students.
Results:Key themes that emerged: purchasing cheap unhealthy foods, insufficient time to prepare and eat meals on a regular basis, stress and anxiety around the inability to eat healthy food and future health issues, self-perception of health when eating poorly along with physical symptoms and low academic motivation by not fully participating in their courses due to few healthy food options or missing meals.
Conclusion:Marginal food security can potentially diminish students’ health and their capacity to learn and succeed in their coursework. The results emphasise that students experiencing marginal food security should not be grouped with students experiencing high food security.
Dynamics and risk of transmission of bovine tuberculosis in the emerging dairy regions of Ethiopia
- G. A. Mekonnen, A. J. K. Conlan, S. Berg, B. T. Ayele, A. Mihret, A. Olani, H. Asgedom, The ETHICOBOTS consortium , J. L. N. Wood, G. Ameni
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- Journal:
- Epidemiology & Infection / Volume 149 / 2021
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 24 February 2021, e69
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The Ethiopian government has several initiatives to expand and intensify the dairy industry; however, the risk of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) spread is a challenge. To assess the rate of expansion and risk factors for transmission of bTB within-herds, we carried out a repeated cross-sectional survey at two time points, 2016/17 and 2018, in three regional cities, namely, Gondar, Hawassa and Mekelle, representing the emerging dairy belts of Ethiopia. The total number of herds involved was 128, comprising an average of 2303 cattle in each round. The Single Intradermal Comparative Cervical Tuberculin (SICCT) test was used to identify reactor status and data on herd-level risk factors were collected using a structured questionnaire. In the first survey, the apparent prevalence of bTB, as measured by the SICCT test, was 4.5% (95% CI 3.7–5.4%) at the individual animal-level and 24% (95% CI 17.5–32%) at the herd-level. There was no statistically significant change in the overall apparent prevalence or regional distribution at the second survey, consistent with the infection being endemic. The incidence rate was estimated at 3.6 (95% CI 2.8–4.5) and 6.6 (95% CI 3.0–12.6) cases/100 cattle (or herd)-years at the animal- and herd-levels, respectively. Risk factors significantly associated with the within-herd transmission of bTB were age group and within-herd apparent prevalence at the start of the observation period. We noted that farmers voluntarily took steps to remove reactor cattle from their herds as a consequence of the information shared after the first survey. Removal of reactors between surveys was associated with a reduced risk of transmission within these herds. However, with no regulatory barriers to the sale of reactor animals, such actions could potentially lead to further spread between herds. We therefore advocate the importance of setting up regulations and then establishing a systematic bTB surveillance programme to monitor the impact prior to implementing any control measures in Ethiopia.
The Qualitative Transparency Deliberations: Insights and Implications
- Alan M. Jacobs, Tim Büthe, Ana Arjona, Leonardo R. Arriola, Eva Bellin, Andrew Bennett, Lisa Björkman, Erik Bleich, Zachary Elkins, Tasha Fairfield, Nikhar Gaikwad, Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Mary Hawkesworth, Veronica Herrera, Yoshiko M. Herrera, Kimberley S. Johnson, Ekrem Karakoç, Kendra Koivu, Marcus Kreuzer, Milli Lake, Timothy W. Luke, Lauren M. MacLean, Samantha Majic, Rahsaan Maxwell, Zachariah Mampilly, Robert Mickey, Kimberly J. Morgan, Sarah E. Parkinson, Craig Parsons, Wendy Pearlman, Mark A. Pollack, Elliot Posner, Rachel Beatty Riedl, Edward Schatz, Carsten Q. Schneider, Jillian Schwedler, Anastasia Shesterinina, Erica S. Simmons, Diane Singerman, Hillel David Soifer, Nicholas Rush Smith, Scott Spitzer, Jonas Tallberg, Susan Thomson, Antonio Y. Vázquez-Arroyo, Barbara Vis, Lisa Wedeen, Juliet A. Williams, Elisabeth Jean Wood, Deborah J. Yashar
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- Journal:
- Perspectives on Politics / Volume 19 / Issue 1 / March 2021
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 06 January 2021, pp. 171-208
- Print publication:
- March 2021
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In recent years, a variety of efforts have been made in political science to enable, encourage, or require scholars to be more open and explicit about the bases of their empirical claims and, in turn, make those claims more readily evaluable by others. While qualitative scholars have long taken an interest in making their research open, reflexive, and systematic, the recent push for overarching transparency norms and requirements has provoked serious concern within qualitative research communities and raised fundamental questions about the meaning, value, costs, and intellectual relevance of transparency for qualitative inquiry. In this Perspectives Reflection, we crystallize the central findings of a three-year deliberative process—the Qualitative Transparency Deliberations (QTD)—involving hundreds of political scientists in a broad discussion of these issues. Following an overview of the process and the key insights that emerged, we present summaries of the QTD Working Groups’ final reports. Drawing on a series of public, online conversations that unfolded at www.qualtd.net, the reports unpack transparency’s promise, practicalities, risks, and limitations in relation to different qualitative methodologies, forms of evidence, and research contexts. Taken as a whole, these reports—the full versions of which can be found in the Supplementary Materials—offer practical guidance to scholars designing and implementing qualitative research, and to editors, reviewers, and funders seeking to develop criteria of evaluation that are appropriate—as understood by relevant research communities—to the forms of inquiry being assessed. We dedicate this Reflection to the memory of our coauthor and QTD working group leader Kendra Koivu.1
Dysphagia presentation and management following coronavirus disease 2019: an acute care tertiary centre experience
- Part of
- C Dawson, R Capewell, S Ellis, S Matthews, S Adamson, M Wood, L Fitch, K Reid, M Shaw, J Wheeler, P Pracy, P Nankivell, N Sharma
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- Journal:
- The Journal of Laryngology & Otology / Volume 134 / Issue 11 / November 2020
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 10 November 2020, pp. 981-986
- Print publication:
- November 2020
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Objectives
As the pathophysiology of Covid-19 emerges, this paper describes dysphagia as a sequela of the disease, including its diagnosis and management, hypothesised causes, symptomatology in relation to viral progression, and concurrent variables such as intubation, tracheostomy and delirium, at a tertiary UK hospital.
ResultsDuring the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, 208 out of 736 patients (28.9 per cent) admitted to our institution with SARS-CoV-2 were referred for swallow assessment. Of the 208 patients, 102 were admitted to the intensive treatment unit for mechanical ventilation support, of which 82 were tracheostomised. The majority of patients regained near normal swallow function prior to discharge, regardless of intubation duration or tracheostomy status.
ConclusionDysphagia is prevalent in patients admitted either to the intensive treatment unit or the ward with Covid-19 related respiratory issues. This paper describes the crucial role of intensive swallow rehabilitation to manage dysphagia associated with this disease, including therapeutic respiratory weaning for those with a tracheostomy.