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Journal of Clinical Medicine Jun 2024Dementia remains an underdiagnosed syndrome, and there is a need to improve the early detection of cognitive decline. This narrative review examines the role of... (Review)
Review
Dementia remains an underdiagnosed syndrome, and there is a need to improve the early detection of cognitive decline. This narrative review examines the role of neuropsychological assessment in the characterization of cognitive changes associated with dementia syndrome at different states. The first section describes the early indicators of cognitive decline and the major barriers to their identification. Further, the optimal cognitive screening conditions and the most widely accepted tests are described. The second section analyzes the main differences in cognitive performance between Alzheimer's disease and other subtypes of dementia. Finally, the current challenges of neuropsychological assessment in aging/dementia and future approaches are discussed. Essentially, we find that current research is beginning to uncover early cognitive changes that precede dementia, while continuing to improve and refine the differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders that cause dementia. However, neuropsychology faces several barriers, including the cultural diversity of the populations, a limited implementation in public health systems, and the adaptation to technological advances. Nowadays, neuropsychological assessment plays a fundamental role in characterizing cognitive decline in the different stages of dementia, but more efforts are needed to develop harmonized procedures that facilitate its use in different clinical contexts and research protocols.
PubMed: 38929971
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13123442 -
Brain Sciences Jun 2024As cancer progresses, patients may experience physical decline, which can impair their ability to carry out essential daily tasks. The aim of this study was to analyze...
As cancer progresses, patients may experience physical decline, which can impair their ability to carry out essential daily tasks. The aim of this study was to analyze the levels of physical activity in patients with advanced cancer undergoing systemic treatment and its relationship with sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological factors. A prospective, cross-sectional, multicenter study was carried out in 15 oncology departments in Spain. Patients with locally advanced, unresectable, or metastatic cancer who were candidates for systemic treatment were included. Participants completed demographic information and psychological scales. In total, 508 patients were included in the study, the majority of whom were male, over the age of 65, and diagnosed with bronchopulmonary tumors (36%) and metastatic disease. Based on their physical activity levels, participants were categorized as sedentary (20%, = 190), engaging in light physical activity (43%, = 412), or demonstrating moderate physical activity (37%, = 351). Patients who were over 65 years old; had a worse baseline status (ECOG ≥ 1); lacked a partner; had a lower educational level; or were retired or unemployed were found to have lower levels of physical activity. Those with sedentary physical activity reported higher levels of psychological distress, anxiety, depression, somatization, and physical symptoms, as well as worse functional status, global health status, and well-being. Understanding the complex interplay between physical activity and sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological factors can help neuroscientists develop tailored exercise interventions that address the unique needs of advanced cancer patients.
PubMed: 38928572
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14060573 -
Brain Sciences Jun 2024This study was designed to examine the relationships among the impulsivity construct as a personality trait, the dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), and...
This study was designed to examine the relationships among the impulsivity construct as a personality trait, the dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), and testosterone in a sample of 120 healthy middle-aged males (M = 44.39; = 12.88). The sum of the three BIS-11 scales, the SR, and the five UPPS-P scales correlated with DHEA-S 0.23 ( < 0.006) and testosterone 0.19 ( < 0.04), controlling for age. Partial correlations showed that DHEA-S was significantly related to motor impulsivity (0.24; < 0.008), Sensitivity to Reward (0.29; < 0.002), Lack of Premeditation (0.26; < 0.05), and, to a lesser extent, Sensation Seeking (0.19; < 0.04) and Positive Urgency (0.19; < 0.04). Testosterone correlated with attention impulsivity (0.18; < 0.04), Sensation Seeking (0.18; < 0.04), and Positive Urgency (0.22; < 0.01). Sensitivity to Reward, Negative Urgency, and Positive Urgency were significant predictors of DHEA-S (R = 0.28), and Positive Urgency for testosterone (R = 0.09). Non-parametric LOESS graphical analyses for local regression allowed us to visualize the non-linear relationships between the impulsivity scales with the two androgens, including non-significant trends. We discuss the implications of these results for impulsive biological personality traits, the limitations of our analyses, and the possible development of future research.
PubMed: 38928569
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14060569 -
Nature Communications Jun 2024The claustrum has been linked to attention and sleep. We hypothesized that this reflects a shared function, determining responsiveness to stimuli, which spans the axis...
The claustrum has been linked to attention and sleep. We hypothesized that this reflects a shared function, determining responsiveness to stimuli, which spans the axis of engagement. To test this hypothesis, we recorded claustrum population dynamics from male mice during both sleep and an attentional task ('ENGAGE'). Heightened activity in claustrum neurons projecting to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACCp) corresponded to reduced sensory responsiveness during sleep. Similarly, in the ENGAGE task, heightened ACCp activity correlated with disengagement and behavioral lapses, while low ACCp activity correlated with hyper-engagement and impulsive errors. Chemogenetic elevation of ACCp activity reduced both awakenings during sleep and impulsive errors in the ENGAGE task. Furthermore, mice employing an exploration strategy in the task showed a stronger correlation between ACCp activity and performance compared to mice employing an exploitation strategy which reduced task complexity. Our results implicate ACCp claustrum neurons in restricting engagement during sleep and goal-directed behavior.
Topics: Animals; Gyrus Cinguli; Male; Sleep; Neurons; Mice; Claustrum; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Behavior, Animal; Attention; Wakefulness
PubMed: 38926345
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48829-6 -
European Journal of Investigation in... May 2024The prevalence of diagnosed cases of autism has increased rapidly, which has raised interest in studying the variables related to the well-being of these families. The... (Review)
Review
The prevalence of diagnosed cases of autism has increased rapidly, which has raised interest in studying the variables related to the well-being of these families. The purpose of this paper is to review the recent literature on other variables related to family well-being, such as parenting styles. We conducted a systematic review using the PRISMA check list and bias assessment with the aim of analyzing if the concepts of autism, well-being and parenting style are related. We screened 755 references from relevant databases like Scopus, Pubmed, PscyInfo EBSCO, Web of Science and Dialnet, updated on May 2024. Sixteen full text articles and abstracts were read. It was identified that the authoritative parenting style, as well as those based on warmth, establishing relationships and emotional bonding, and low expressed emotion were positively related to family well-being. On the other hand, authoritarian, permissive and overprotective styles, as well as critical, punishing and training-based, were negatively associated with well-being and quality of family life.
PubMed: 38921067
DOI: 10.3390/ejihpe14060101 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2024Gender incongruence (GI) is characterized by a marked incongruence between an individual's experienced/expressed gender and the assigned sex at birth. It includes strong...
INTRODUCTION
Gender incongruence (GI) is characterized by a marked incongruence between an individual's experienced/expressed gender and the assigned sex at birth. It includes strong displeasure about his or her sexual anatomy and secondary sex characteristics. In some people, this condition produces a strong distress with anxiety and depression named gender dysphoria (GD). This condition appears to be associated with genetic, epigenetics, hormonal as well as social factors. Given that L-glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, also associated with male sexual behavior as well as depression, we aimed to determine whether metabotropic glutamate receptors are involved in GD.
METHODS
We analyzed 74 single nucleotide polymorphisms located at the metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1, mGluR3, mGluR4, mGluR5, mGluR7 and mGluR8) in 94 transgender 94 cisgender people. The allele and genotype frequencies were analyzed by c2 test contrasting male and female cisgender and transgender populations. The strength of the associations was measured by binary logistic regression, estimating the odds ratio (OR) for each genotype. Measurement of linkage disequilibrium, and subsequent measurement of haplotype frequencies were also performed considering three levels of significance: P ≤ 0.05, P ≤ 0.005 and P ≤ 0.0005. Furthermore, false positives were controlled with the Bonferroni correction (P ≤ 0.05/74 = 0.00067).
RESULTS
After analysis of allele and genotypic frequencies, we found twenty-five polymorphisms with significant differences at level P ≤ 0.05, five at P ≤ 0.005 and two at P ≤ 0.0005. Furthermore, the only two polymorphisms (rs9838094 and rs1818033) that passed the Bonferroni correction were both related to the metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 (mGluR7) and showed significant differences for multiple patterns of inheritance. Moreover, the haplotype T/G [OR=0.34 (0.19-0.62); P<0.0004] had a lower representation in the transgender population than in the cisgender population, with no evidence of sex cross-interaction.
CONCLUSION
We provide genetic evidence that the mGluR7, and therefore glutamatergic neurotransmission, may be involved in GI and GD.
Topics: Humans; Male; Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; Female; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Adult; Transgender Persons; Gender Dysphoria; Genotype; Young Adult; Middle Aged; Linkage Disequilibrium
PubMed: 38919484
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1382861 -
Social Cognitive and Affective... Jun 2024Gaze direction and pupil dilation play a critical role in communication and social interaction due to their ability to redirect and capture our attention and relevance...
Gaze direction and pupil dilation play a critical role in communication and social interaction due to their ability to redirect and capture our attention and relevance for emotional information. The present study aimed to explore whether the pupil size and the gaze direction of the speaker affect language comprehension. Participants listened to sentences that could be correct or contain a syntactic anomaly, while the static face of a speaker was manipulated in terms of gaze direction (direct, averted) and pupil size (mydriasis, miosis). Left anterior negativity (LAN) and P600 linguistic ERP components were observed to syntactic anomalies for all conditions. The speaker's gaze did not impact syntactic comprehension. However, the amplitude of the LAN component for mydriasis (dilated pupil) was larger than for miosis (constricted pupil) condition. Larger pupils are generally associated with care, trust, interest, and attention, which might facilitate syntactic processing at early automatic stages. The result also supports the permeable and context-dependent nature of syntax. Previous studies also support an automatic nature of syntax (fast and efficient), which combined with the permeability to relevant sources of communicative information, such as pupil size and emotions, is highly adaptive for language comprehension and social interaction.
PubMed: 38918898
DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsae047 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2024
PubMed: 38915846
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1436479 -
Social Cognitive and Affective... Jun 2024Malfunctioning in executive functioning has been proposed as a risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV). This is not only due to its effects on behavioral...
Malfunctioning in executive functioning has been proposed as a risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV). This is not only due to its effects on behavioral regulation, but also because of its association with other variables such as sexism. Executive dysfunctions have been associated with frontal and prefrontal cortical thickness. Therefore, our first aim was to assess differences in cortical thickness in frontal and prefrontal regions, as well as levels of sexism, between two groups of IPV perpetrators (with and without executive dysfunctions) and a control group of non-violent men. Second, we analyzed whether the cortical thickness in the frontal and prefrontal regions would explain sexism scores. Our results indicate that IPV perpetrators classified as dysexecutive exhibited a lower cortical thickness in the right rostral anterior cingulate superior frontal bilaterally, caudal middle frontal bilaterally, right medial orbitofrontal, right paracentral, and precentral bilaterally when compared with controls. Furthermore, they exhibited higher levels of sexism than the rest of the groups. Most importantly, in the brain structures that distinguished between groups, lower thickness was associated with higher sexism scores. This research emphasizes the need to incorporate neuroimaging techniques to develop accurate IPV profiles or subtypes based on neuropsychological functioning.
PubMed: 38915189
DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsae046 -
Social Cognitive and Affective... Jun 2024Friendships increase mental wellbeing and resilient functioning in young people with childhood adversity (CA). However, the mechanisms of this relationship are unknown....
Early adolescent perceived friendship quality aids affective and neural responses to social inclusion and exclusion in young adults with and without adverse childhood experiences.
Friendships increase mental wellbeing and resilient functioning in young people with childhood adversity (CA). However, the mechanisms of this relationship are unknown. We examined the relationship between perceived friendship quality at age 14 after the experience of CA and reduced affective and neural responses to social exclusion at age 24. Resilient functioning was quantified as psychosocial functioning relative to the degree of CA severity in 310 participants at age 24. From this cohort, 62 young people with and without CA underwent functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to assess brain responses to social inclusion and exclusion. We observed that good friendship quality was significantly associated with better resilient functioning. Both friendship quality and resilient functioning were related to increased affective responses to social inclusion. We also found that friendship quality, but not resilient functioning, was associated with increased dorsomedial prefrontal cortex responses to peer exclusion. Our findings suggest that friendship quality in early adolescence may contribute to the evaluation of social inclusion by increasing affective sensitivity to positive social experiences and increased brain activity in regions involved in emotion regulation to negative social experiences. Future research is needed to clarify this relationship with resilient functioning in early adulthood.
PubMed: 38902943
DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsae044