scholarly journals Social engagement after stroke – is it relevant to cognitive function? A cross-sectional analysis of UK Biobank data

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Bogna A. Drozdowska ◽  
Carlos A. Celis-Morales ◽  
Donald M. Lyall ◽  
Terence J. Quinn
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Prospective Memory ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Numerical Reasoning ◽  
Health Lifestyle

Background: Findings from studies in older adult populations suggest that measures of social engagement may be associated with health outcomes, including cognitive function. Plausibly the magnitude and direction of this association may differ in stroke.  The disabling nature of stroke increases the likelihood of social isolation and stroke survivors are at high risk of cognitive decline. We assessed the association between social engagement and cognitive function in a sample of stroke survivors. Methods: We included available data from stroke survivors in the UK Biobank (N=8776; age range: 40-72; 57.4% male). In a series of regression models, we assessed cross-sectional associations between proxies of social engagement (frequency of family/friend visits, satisfaction with relationships, loneliness, opportunities to confide in someone, participation in social activities) and performance on domain specific cognitive tasks: reaction time, verbal-numerical reasoning, visual memory and prospective memory. We adjusted for demographics, health-, lifestyle-, and stroke-related factors. Accounting for multiple testing, we set our significance threshold at p<0.003. Results: After adjusting for covariates, we found independent associations between faster reaction times and monthly family visits as compared to no visit (standardised beta=-0.32, 99.7% CI: -0.61 to -0.03, N=4,930); slower reaction times and religious group participation (standardised beta=0.25, 99.7% CI 0.07 to 0.44, N=4,938); and poorer performance on both verbal-numerical reasoning and prospective memory tasks with loneliness (standardised beta=-0.19, 99.7% CI: -0.34 to -0.03, N=2,074; odds ratio=0.66, 99.7% CI: 0.46 to 0.94, N=2,188; respectively). In models where all proxies of social engagement were combined, no associations remained significant. Conclusions: We found limited task-specific associations between cognitive performance and proxies of social engagement, with only loneliness related to two tasks. Further studies are necessary to confirm and improve our understanding of these relationships and investigate the potential to target psychosocial factors to support cognitive function in stroke survivors.

scholarly journals Social engagement after stroke – is it relevant to cognitive function? A cross-sectional analysis of UK Biobank data

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Bogna A. Drozdowska ◽  
Carlos A. Celis-Morales ◽  
Donald M. Lyall ◽  
Terence J. Quinn
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Prospective Memory ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Numerical Reasoning ◽  
Health Lifestyle

Background: Findings from studies in older adult populations suggest that measures of social engagement may be associated with health outcomes, including cognitive function. Plausibly the magnitude and direction of this association may differ in stroke.  The disabling nature of stroke increases the likelihood of social isolation and stroke survivors are at high risk of cognitive decline. We assessed the association between social engagement and cognitive function in a sample of stroke survivors. Methods: We included available data from stroke survivors in the UK Biobank (N=8776; age range: 40-72; 57.4% male). In a series of regression models, we assessed cross-sectional associations between proxies of social engagement (frequency of family/friend visits, satisfaction with relationships, loneliness, opportunities to confide in someone, participation in social activities) and performance on domain specific cognitive tasks: reaction time, verbal-numerical reasoning, visual memory and prospective memory. We adjusted for demographics, health-, lifestyle-, and stroke-related factors. Accounting for multiple testing, we set our significance threshold at p<0.003. Results: After adjusting for covariates, we found independent associations between faster reaction times and monthly family visits as compared to no visit (standardised beta=-0.32, 95% CI: -0.51 to -0.13, p=0.001, N=4,930); slower reaction times and religious group participation (standardised beta=0.25, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.38, p<0.001, N=4,938); and poorer performance on both verbal-numerical reasoning and prospective memory tasks with loneliness (standardised beta=-0.19, 95% CI: -0.29 to -0.08, p<0.001, N=2,074; odds ratio=0.66, 95% CI: 0.52 to 0.84, p=0.001, N=2,188; respectively). In models where all proxies of social engagement were combined, no associations remained significant. Conclusions: We found limited task-specific associations between cognitive performance and proxies of social engagement, with only loneliness related to two tasks. Further studies are necessary to confirm and improve our understanding of these relationships and investigate the potential to target psychosocial factors to support cognitive function in stroke survivors.

scholarly journals Consumption of Red Meat Is Negatively Associated with Cognitive Function: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of UK Biobank

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 1510-1510
Author(s):  
Huifeng Zhang ◽  
Janet Cade ◽  
Laura Hadie
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Prospective Memory ◽  
Red Meat ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Meat Intake ◽  
Visual Spatial ◽  
Additional Portion ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Sectional Analysis

Abstract Objectives In the largest study of its type, we tested for associations between red meat consumption and cognitive function using data from half a million participants enrolled into the UK Biobank cohort study. Methods Baseline data was obtained from the UK Biobank cohort, comprising half a million participants aged 37–73 years recruited between 2006 and 2010. The intake of red meat (frequency per week) was obtained using a self-reported food frequency questionnaire. Cognitive tests included the reaction-time (RT) test (reaction ability, N = 496, 695), fluid intelligence (FI) (reasoning ability, N = 165,467), the numeric memory test (short-term memory, N = 50,364), the pairs-matching (PM) test (visual-spatial memory, N = 482,650) and the prospective memory test (N = 171,509). Logistic and linear regression modelling was conducted with adjustment for potential confounders including age at recruitment, sex, ethnicity, Townsend deprivation index, smoking, alcohol, education, body mass index, physical activity level, sleeping hours, stroke history, and family history of dementia. Results Each additional portion per week of red-meat intake was associated with slower reaction time by 0.26 milliseconds (95% CI: 0.02, 0.50), lower FI score by 0.01 points (−0.02, −0.00), reduced numeric memory by 0.02 digits (−0.03, −0.01), and increased odds of incorrect prospective memory by 1% (0%, 2%). In men these associations were larger regarding the RT test (β = 0.54, [0.21, 0.87]), FI score (β = −0.02, [−0.03, −0.01]), and prospective memory (OR = 1.03, [1.01, 1.04]), while in women these were not significant. In terms of the PM test, a single additional portion of red-meat intake was associated with reduced incorrect matches by 0.004 pairs (−0.003, −0.006), both in men (β = −0.003, [−0.001, −0.005]) and women (β = −0.006, [−0.004, −0.008]). Conclusions In this cross-sectional analysis of the adult UK population, higher intake of red meat was associated with poorer cognitive function including reaction and reasoning ability, short-term and prospective memory especially among men; but not visual-spatial memory which showed a weak protective effect of red meat. Funding Sources The joint scholarship of University of Leeds and China Scholarship Council.

scholarly journals Is glycaemia associated with poorer brain health and risk of dementia? Cross sectional and follow-up analysis of the UK Biobank

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Garfield ◽  
Aliki-Eleni Farmaki ◽  
Sophie V. Eastwood ◽  
Rohini Mathur ◽  
Christopher T. Rentsch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
White Matter Hyperintensities ◽  
Undiagnosed Diabetes ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Uk

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo understand the relationship across the glycaemic spectrum with incident dementia, brain structure, and cognitive decline.Research Design and Methods: UK Biobank participants, aged 40-69 at recruitment. HbA1c and diabetes diagnosis define baseline glycaemic categories. Outcomes included incident vascular dementia (VD), Alzheimer’s dementia (AD), hippocampal volume (HV), white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume, cognitive function and decline. All results are in reference to normoglycaemic individuals (HbA1c 35-<42 mmol/mol).Results210433 (47%), 15246 (3%), 3280 (0.7%), 20793 (5%) individuals had low HbA1c, pre-diabetes, undiagnosed diabetes, and known diabetes, respectively. Pre- and known diabetes markedly increased incident VD, (hazard ratios (HR) 1.51, 95%CI=1.01;2.25 and 1.96, 95%CI=1.49;2.58, respectively), less so AD (1.18, 0.92;1.52 and 1.13 0.95,1.33), adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic variables. For VD, multivariate adjustment, driven by antihypertensives, attenuated associations, HR 1.27, 0.84;1.91 and 1.45,1.07;1.97. Pre- and known diabetes conferred elevated risks of cognitive decline (odds ratio OR 1.53, 1.02;2.29 and 1.49, 1.02;2.18, respectively). People with pre-diabetes, undiagnosed and known diabetes had higher WMH volumes (4%, 30%, 3%, respectively), and lower HV (34.51 mm3, 11.73 mm3 and 61.13 mm3 respectively). People with low-normal HbA1c (<35 mmol/mol) had 5% lower WMH volume and 13.6 mm3 greater HV than normoglycaemic individuals.ConclusionsPre and known diabetes increase VD risks, less so AD. Excess VD risks were largely accounted for by treated hypertension. Hyperglycaemic states were associated with adverse, whereas low normal HbA1c was associated with favourable brain structure compared to normoglycaemic individuals. Our findings have implications for cardiovascular medication in hyperglycaemia for brain health.Type-2 diabetes and, more generally, hyperglycaemic states, have been associated with poorer cognitive function (such as learning and memory)(1), increased risk of dementia(2) and alterations in key brain structures, particularly the hippocampus(3). In contrast, recent evidence from a randomised crossover trial also suggests that, in people with diabetes, even modest hypoglycaemia has a detrimental effect on cognitive function(4). Thus, it is also important to explore how low levels of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) relate to these outcomes. A previous paper explored the cross sectional association between baseline diabetes and two cognition measures in the UK Biobank (reaction time and visual memory)(5). The authors found that diabetes was associated with poorer scores on the reaction time test, but paradoxically, better scores on the visual memory test. They did not explore other outcomes or lesser glycaemic states.Memory loss is the most conclusively reported adverse effect of hyperglycaemia on cognitive function(6). Hippocampal atrophy is a crucial feature of age-related memory loss and the hippocampus is particularly vulnerable to the neurotoxic consequences of diabetes(7). Evidence relating diabetes to the presence and progression of white matter hyperintensities is equivocal(8), but some research suggests that those with diabetes have greater volumes of white matter hyperintensities(9,10). Although there have been numerous studies in this area, the role of glycaemia in brain health across the entire glycaemic spectrum remains unclear, in particular no studies have investigated how lesser hyperglycaemic states relate to these outcomes, as most studies have focused on diagnosed diabetes only.Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the associations between five glycaemic states across the entire spectrum (low HbA1c, normoglycaemia, pre-diabetes, undiagnosed diabetes and known diabetes) and Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) risk, vascular dementia (VD) risk, baseline cognitive function and cognitive decline, hippocampal volume, and white matter hyperintensities volume in the UK Biobank. We hypothesised that there would be a U-shaped association between glycaemia and our outcomes of interest, such that those with lower and higher HbA1c would have worse outcomes than those with normal glycaemic levels.

scholarly journals MODERATE, REGULAR ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN OLDER COMMUNITY-DWELLING ADULTS

2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
E.T. Reas ◽  
G.A. Laughlin ◽  
D. Kritz-Silverstein ◽  
E. Barrett-Connor ◽  
L.K. McEvoy
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Alcohol Intake ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Frequency Of Alcohol Intake ◽  
Self Assessed Health

Background: Evidence suggests that moderate alcohol consumption may protect against cognitive decline and dementia. However, uncertainty remains over the patterns of drinking that are most beneficial. Objective: To examine associations between amount and frequency of alcohol consumption with multiple domains of cognitive function in a well-characterized cohort of older community-dwelling adults in southern California. Design: Observational, cross-sectional cohort study. Setting: A research visit between 1988-1992 in Rancho Bernardo, California. Participants: 1624 participants of the Rancho Bernardo Study (mean age ± SD = 73.2 ± 9.3 years). Measurements: Participants completed a neuropsychological test battery, self-administered questionnaires on alcohol consumption and lifestyle, and a clinical health evaluation. We classified participants according to average amount of alcohol intake into never, former, moderate, heavy and excessive drinkers, and according to frequency of alcohol intake, into non-drinkers, rare, infrequent, frequent and daily drinkers. We examined the association between alcohol intake and cognitive function, controlling for age, sex, education, exercise, smoking, waist-hip ratio, hypertension and self-assessed health. Results: Amount and frequency of alcohol intake were significantly associated with cognitive function, even after controlling for potentially related health and lifestyle variables. Global and executive function showed positive linear associations with amount and frequency of alcohol intake, whereas visual memory showed an inverted U-shaped association with alcohol intake, with better performance for moderate and infrequent drinkers than for non-drinkers, excessive drinkers or daily drinkers. Conclusions: In several cognitive domains, moderate, regular alcohol intake was associated with better cognitive function relative to not drinking or drinking less frequently. This suggests that beneficial cognitive effects of alcohol intake may be achieved with low levels of drinking that are unlikely to be associated with adverse effects in an aging population.

scholarly journals ANALISIS FUNGSI KOGNITIF PADA LANSIA DITINJAU DARI JENIS KELAMIN, RIWAYAT PENDIDIKAN, RIWAYAT PENYAKIT, AKTIVITAS FISIK, AKTIVITAS KOGNITIF, DAN KETERLIBATAN SOSIAL

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arti Febriyani Hutasuhut ◽  
Marisa Anggraini ◽  
Reza Angnesti
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Education History ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
History Of

ABSTRACT: ANALYSIS OF COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS IN ELDERLY IN TERMS OF GENDER, EDUCATION HISTORY, DISEASE HISTORY, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES, AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT One of the disorders caused by degeneration in the elderly is cognitive impairment This study aims to determine the factors that influence cognitive function in the elderly in the work area of the Kedaton Bandar Lampung Health Center in 2018. This research is an analytical survey with a cross-sectional approach. The research subjects were 107 elderly people living in the working area of the Kedaton Health Center in Bandar Lampung. Data in this study were obtained through interviews using questionnaires, social disengagement scale, and MMSE. Data analyzed using chi-square test. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between education, history of illness, physical activity, cognitive activity, and social involvement with cognitive function, whereas for sex, no significant relationship was found with cognitive function. Keywords:  Cognitive Function, Gender, Educational History, History of Illness, Physical Activity, Cognitive Activity, Social Engagement, Elderly Salah satu gangguan akibat degenerasi pada lansia yaitu gangguan kognitif. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi fungsi kognitif pada lansia di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Kedaton Bandar Lampung tahun 2018. Penelitian ini merupakan survey analitik dengan pendekatan cross-sectional. Subyek penelitian adalah 107 orang lansia yang tinggal di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Kedaton Bandar Lampung. Data dalam penelitian ini diperoleh melalui wawancara menggunakan kuesioner, skala social disengagement, dan MMSE. Analisis data menggunakan uji chi-square. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara pendidikan, riwayat penyakit, aktivitas fisik, aktivitas kognitif, dan keterlibatan sosial dengan fungsi kognitif, sedangkan untuk jenis kelamin, tidak ditemukan hubungan signifikan dengan fungsi kognitif.  Kata Kunci : Fungsi Kognitif, Jenis Kelamin, Riwayat Pendidikan, Riwayat Penyakit, Aktivitas Fisik, Aktivitas Kognitif, Keterlibatan Sosial, Lansia

scholarly journals Similar cognitive deficits in mice and humans in the chronic phase post-stroke identified using the touchscreen-based paired-associate learning task

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Zhen Chow ◽  
Lin Kooi Ong ◽  
Murielle G. Kluge ◽  
Prajwal Gyawali ◽  
Frederick R. Walker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Paired Associate ◽  
Chronic Phase ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Paired Associate Learning ◽  
Chronic Stroke ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Associate Learning ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Post Stroke

Abstract For many chronic stroke survivors, persisting cognitive dysfunction leads to significantly reduced quality of life. Translation of promising therapeutic strategies aimed at improving cognitive function is hampered by existing, disparate cognitive assessments in animals and humans. In this study, we assessed post-stroke cognitive function using a comparable touchscreen-based paired-associate learning task in a cross-sectional population of chronic stroke survivors (≥ 5 months post-stroke, n = 70), age-matched controls (n = 70), and in mice generated from a C57BL/6 mouse photothrombotic stroke model (at six months post-stroke). Cognitive performance of stroke survivors was analysed using linear regression adjusting for age, gender, diabetes, systolic blood pressure and waist circumference. Stroke survivors made significantly fewer correct choices across all tasks compared with controls. Similar cognitive impairment was observed in the mice post-stroke with fewer correct choices compared to shams. These results highlight the feasibility and potential value of analogous modelling of clinically meaningful cognitive impairments in chronic stroke survivors and in mice in chronic phase after stroke. Implementation of validated, parallel cross-species test platforms for cognitive assessment offer the potential of delivering a more useful framework for evaluating therapies aimed at improving long-term cognitive function post-stroke.

scholarly journals Recent Caffeine Drinking Associates with Cognitive Function in the UK Biobank

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1969
Author(s):  
Marilyn C. Cornelis ◽  
Sandra Weintraub ◽  
Martha Clare Morris
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Fluid Intelligence ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Test Time ◽  
Caffeine Intake ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Caffeine Metabolism ◽  
The Impact

Clinical evidence points to the premise that caffeine may benefit cognition, but whether these findings extend to real life settings and amidst factors that impact caffeine metabolism is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of recent caffeine drinking on cognitive ability while additionally accounting for lifestyle and genetic factors that impact caffeine metabolism. We included up to 434,900 UK Biobank participants aged 37–73 years, recruited in 2006–2010, who provided biological samples and completed touchscreen questionnaires regarding sociodemographic factors, medical history, lifestyle, and diet. Recent caffeine drinking (yes/no in the last hour) was recorded during a physical assessment. Participants completed at least one of four self-administered cognitive function tests using the touchscreen system: prospective memory (PM), pairs matching (Pairs), fluid intelligence (FI), and reaction time (RT). Multivariable regressions were used to examine the association between recent caffeine drinking and cognition test scores. We also tested interactions between recent caffeine drinking and a genetic caffeine-metabolism score (CMS) on cognitive function. Among white participants, recent caffeine drinking was associated with higher performance on RT but lower performance on FI, Pairs, and PM (p ≤ 0.004). Similar directions of associations for FI (p = 0.09), Pairs (p = 0.03), and PM (p = 0.34) were observed among non-white participants. No significant and consistent effect modification by age, sex, smoking, test time, habitual caffeine intake, or CMS was observed. Caffeine consumed shortly before tasks requiring shorter reaction times may improve task performance. Potential impairments in memory and reasoning tasks with recent caffeine drinking warrant further study.

scholarly journals Commonly prescribed drugs associate with cognitive function: a cross-sectional study in UK Biobank

BMJ Open ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
pp. e012177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejo J Nevado-Holgado ◽  
Chi-Hun Kim ◽  
Laura Winchester ◽  
John Gallacher ◽  
Simon Lovestone
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional

scholarly journals Genetic contributions to trail making test performance in UK Biobank

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saskia P Hagenaars ◽  
Simon R Cox ◽  
W David Hill ◽  
Gail Davies ◽  
David CM Liewald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Profile Analysis ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Trail Making Test ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Numerical Reasoning ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
Shared Genetic

AbstractThe Trail Making Test is a widely used test of executive function and has been thought to be strongly associated with general cognitive function. We examined the genetic architecture of the trail making test and its shared genetic aetiology with other tests of cognitive function in 23 821 participants from UK Biobank. The SNP-based heritability estimates for trail-making measures were 7.9 % (part A), 22.4 % (part B), and 17.6 % (part B – part A). Significant genetic correlations were identified between trail-making measures and verbal-numerical reasoning (rg > 0.6), general cognitive function (rg > 0.6), processing speed (rg > 0.7), and memory (rg > 0.3). Polygenic profile analysis indicated considerable shared genetic aetiology between trail making, general cognitive function, processing speed, and memory (standardized β between 0.03 and 0.08). These results suggest that trail making is both phenotypically and genetically strongly associated with general cognitive function and processing speed.

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