Associations between 24-Hour Movement Behaviours and Global Cognition in a Cross-Sectional Sample of American Children

AbstractObjectiveThe prevalence of child overweight in the Czech Republic is substantially lower than that in the USA. The objective of the present pilot study was to explore dietary intakes, frequency of dining in fast-food establishments, and the amount and intensity of physical activity between a sample of American and Czech children.DesignA cross-sectional correlational pilot study.SettingFour public schools in the USA and four public schools in the Czech Republic.SubjectsNinety-five Czech and forty-four American 4–6th graders from urban public schools participated in the study. Dietary intake and number of fast-food visits were evaluated using two multiple-pass 24 h recalls. Physical activity was measured using the modified Self-Administered Physical Activity Checklist.ResultsAmerican children (mean age 10·8 (se 0·2) years) consumed more energy and fat, less fruits and vegetables, more soft drinks, and visited fast-food establishments more often than Czech children (mean age 11·0 (se 0·1) years). Although no differences were found in vigorous activity by nationality, Czech children spent significantly more time in moderate physical activities than American children.ConclusionsDespite the influx of some negative Western dietary trends into the country, Czech children had a healthier diet and were more physically active than American children. Further research is warranted to determine whether the same differences in dietary intakes, physical activity and fast-food visits exist between nationally representative samples of American and Czech children.

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Elderly patients with cognitive impairments on an ambulance care

Russian Family Doctor ◽

10.17816/rfd70198 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 19-27

Author(s):

Tatiana Andreevna Bogdanova ◽

Anna V. Turusheva ◽

Elena V. Frolova ◽

Dmitriy L. Logunov

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Memory Impairment ◽

Complete Blood Count ◽

Beta Blockers ◽

Blood Pressure Measurement ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Cognitive Disorders ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Global Cognition

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is one of the most common geriatric syndromes that occur in the elderly. Dementia is a severe cognitive disorder that results in the professional, social, and functional impairment and gradual loss of independence. However, in most cases, the stage of dementia is preceded by a long period of non-dementia cognitive impairment. In this regard, one of the priorities of public health is to identify potentially reversible forms of dementia and cognitive impairment in the early stages. AIM: To assess demographic characteristics, co-morbidities and factors that are associated with cognitive impairment in adults aged 65 years and over and to determine the prevalence of cognitive disorders in aging population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: cross-sectional study included all patients aged 65 years and older who attended the ambulance care from 24.10.2019 to 15.12.2019 in Saint Petersburg. Measurements: the Montreal cognitive assessment test, the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. Data collection included a full medical history, blood pressure measurement, a medication review and blood tests (complete blood count, lipids, hormones, glucose, ALT, AST and creatinine). RESULTS: The prevalence of mild cognitive impairment was 62.9 % (95 % CI 56-70), severe cognitive impairment 8.2 %. We detected that hypertension, stroke, sleep disorders, subjective memory complaints and symptoms of depression were identified as factors associated with CI after adjustment for covariates. Hypertension and depression were related with cognitive impairment (p 0.05). Also patients with depression scored worse in global cognition and attention function (p 0.05). Patients with diabetes had association with a decrease in abstraction function (p = 0.02). Low hemoglobin levels were related with poor global cognition and memory impairment (p 0.01). Beta-blocker use was significantly associated with poor global cognition and memory impairment (p 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We found that elders have a high prevalence of cognitive disorders. We also demonstrated association between co-morbidities and factors as hypertension, anemia, diabetes, depression and administration of beta-blockers with poor cognitive performance in the elderly.

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High-intensity physical activity is not associated with better cognition in the elder: evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

Alzheimer s Research & Therapy ◽

10.1186/s13195-021-00923-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Zhiyuan Wu ◽

Haiping Zhang ◽

Xinlei Miao ◽

Haibin Li ◽

Huiying Pan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Episodic Memory ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mixed Effect ◽

Global Cognition

Abstract Background To evaluate the association of physical activity (PA) intensity with cognitive performance at baseline and during follow-up. Methods A total of 4039 participants aged 45 years or above from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were enrolled in visit 1 (2011–2012) and followed for cognitive function in visit 2 (2013–2014), visit 3 (2015–2016), and visit 4 (2017–2018). We analyzed the association of PA intensity with global cognition, episodic memory, and mental intactness at baseline using adjusted regression methods and evaluated the long-term effect of PA intensity using multiple measures of cognition scores by mixed effect model. Results In cross-sectional analysis, mild and moderate PA, rather than vigorous PA, was associated with better cognitive performance. The results remained consistent in multiple sensitivity analyses. During the follow-up, participant with mild PA had a 0.56 (95% CI 0.12–0.99) higher global cognition, 0.23 (95% CI 0.01–0.46) higher episodic memory, and 0.33 (95% CI 0.01–0.64) higher mental intactness, while those with moderate PA had a 0.74 (95% CI 0.32–1.17) higher global score, 0.32 (95% CI 0.09–0.54) higher episodic memory, and 0.43 (95% CI 0.12–0.74) higher mental intactness, compared with individuals without PA. Vigorous PA was not beneficial to the long-term cognitive performance. Conclusions Our study indicates that mild and moderate PA could improve cognitive performance, rather than the vigorous activity. The targeted intensity of PA might be more effective to achieve the greatest cognition improvement considering age and depressive status.

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Social Determinants of Delayed Gratification Among American Children

Caspian Journal of Neurological Sciences ◽

10.32598/cjns.6.22.2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 181-189

Author(s):

Shervin Assari ◽

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Delay Discounting ◽

Family Income ◽

Social Groups ◽

Ethnic Disparities ◽

Study Data ◽

Latino Children ◽

Delayed Gratification ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

American Children

Background: A wide array of Socioeconomic Status (SES) indicators show differential effects for the members of diverse social groups. Researchers know a little about the ethnic variation and the effects of family income on delay discounting which is the predictor of risk behaviors. Objectives: This study examined the effect of family income and its differences on delayed gratification between Latino and non-Latino children. Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional analytical study, data came from wave one of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study which included 3903 non-Latino or Latino Black or White American children who are between 9 and 10 years old. The predictor was family income. Data were collected from 21 sites in the US, in 2018. The outcome was the children’s delay discounting. We measured delay discounting, which reflected individuals’ tendency to assign less value to remote outcomes and rewards (inversely correlated with delayed gratification). Data analysis was done by linear regression in SPSS V. 22. Results: According to our pooled sample regression, higher family income was associated with lower children delay discounting (Beta=-0.05, P=0.021). We found a significant interaction between family income and ethnicity, suggesting that the association between family income and delay discounting is stronger for Latino compared with non-Latino children (Beta=-0.09, P=0.043). Conclusion: Not all ethnic disparities are due to socioeconomic status gaps. Across diverse social groups, differential returns of socioeconomic status indicators, such as family income, also contribute to ethnic disparities in health.

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Elevated Anxiety Relates to Future Executive Dysfunction: A Cross-Lagged Panel Network Analysis of Psychopathology and Cognitive Functioning Components

10.31234/osf.io/hrfqa ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nur Hani Zainal ◽

Michelle G. Newman

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Network Analysis ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Language Processing ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Executive Dysfunction ◽

Causal Inferences ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Motor Behaviors ◽

Global Cognition

Background: Vulnerability models posit that reduced cognitive functioning abilities (e.g., verbal fluency, working memory (WM)) precede and relate to future heightened psychopathology. Conversely, scar theory postulates that elevated psychopathology coincides with subsequent reduced cognitive functioning. However, most studies so far have been cross-sectional and tested global cognitive functioning-psychopathology relations. Objective: Thus, we used cross-lagged panel network analysis (CLPN) to facilitate causal inferences and differentiation of components on this topic. Method: Community adults (n = 856) participated in this eight-year study across four waves of assessment, each spaced about two years apart. Nine psychopathology components (aberrant motor behaviors (AMB), agitation, apathy, anxiety, delusions, depression, disinhibition, hallucinations, irritability) and seven cognitive functioning (attention, episodic memory, global cognition, language, processing speed, verbal fluency, WM) multi-item nodes were assessed with various performance-based cognitive functioning tests and the caregiver-rated Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Results: Contemporaneous networks consistently showed negative associations among global cognition/verbal fluency and agitation, AMB, or hallucinations, during all waves of assessment. Nodes that were most influential across communities in contemporaneous networks were delusions, depression, WM, and verbal fluency. For temporal networks, heightened anxiety (versus other neuropsychiatric nodes), had the largest negative relations with future decreased executive and related cognitive functioning nodes. Further, executive function nodes (e.g., verbal fluency) tended to be impacted by, rather than influential on, other nodes, across all time-points. Discussion: Findings supported scar (vs. vulnerability) model. The efficacy of evidence-based cognitive-behavioral and related psychopharmacological treatments may be enhanced by adding executive function training. Other theoretical and clinical implications were discussed.

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Mental Rotation in American Children: Diminished Returns of Parental Education in Black Families

Pediatric Reports ◽

10.3390/pediatric12030028 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 130-141

Author(s):

Shervin Assari

Keyword(s):

Mental Rotation ◽

Social Stratification ◽

Parental Education ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Efficiency Score ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

White Children ◽

Family Socioeconomic Status ◽

White Families ◽

American Children

Background: While parental education and family socioeconomic status (SES) are associated with an increase in children’s cognitive functioning, and less is known about racial variation in these effects. Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDRs) suggest that, under racism and social stratification, family SES and particularly parental education show weaker effects on children’s tangible outcomes for marginalized, racialized, and minoritized families, particularly Blacks, compared to Whites. Aim: We conducted this study to compare the effect of parental education on children’s mental rotation abilities, as an important aspect of cognitive function, by race. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 11,135 9–10-year-old American children. Data came from baseline of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. The independent variable was parental education. The dependent variable, mental rotation, was measured by the Little Man Task. Ethnicity, gender, age, marital status, and household income were the covariates. Results: Parental education was positively associated with mental rotation. However, parental education showed a weaker association with mental rotation in Black than in White families. This was documented by a significant interaction between race and parental education on children’s efficiency score. Conclusion: Parental education shows a weaker correlation with mental rotation of Black rather than White children, which is probably because of racism, social stratification, and discrimination. This finding is in line with the MDRs phenomenon and suggests that marginalization and racism may interfere with the influences of parental assets and resources and Black American children’s development.

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Investigating Potential Dose–Response Relationships between Vitamin D Status and Cognitive Performance: A Cross-Sectional Analysis in Middle- to Older-Aged Adults in the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph19010450 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 450

Author(s):

Janis D. Harse ◽

Kun Zhu ◽

Romola S. Bucks ◽

Michael Hunter ◽

Ee Mun Lim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Dose Response ◽

Linear Trend ◽

Healthy Ageing ◽

Vitamin D Status ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Serum 25Ohd ◽

Ageing Study ◽

Global Cognition

Low vitamin D status has been linked to adverse cognitive outcomes in older adults. However, relationships at higher levels remain uncertain. We aimed to clarify patterns of association between vitamin D status and cognitive performance, using flexible regression methods, in 4872 middle- to older-aged adults (2678 females) from the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study. Cross-sectional associations of serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and performance in cognitive domains were modelled using linear regression and restricted cubic splines, controlling for demographic, lifestyle, and health factors. Mean ± SD serum 25OHD levels were 78 ± 24 nM/L for women and 85 ± 25 nM/L for men. Increasing levels in women were associated with better global cognition (linear trend, p = 0.023) and attention accuracy (continuity of attention), with improvement in the latter plateauing around levels of 80 nM/L (nonlinear trend, p = 0.035). In men, increasing levels of serum 25OHD were associated with better attention accuracy (linear trend, p = 0.022), but poorer semantic verbal fluency (linear trend, p = 0.025) and global cognition (nonlinear trend, p = 0.015). We identified patterns of association between serum 25OHD levels and cognitive performance that may reflect early dose–response relationships, particularly in women. Longitudinal analyses extending through to older ages may help to clarify the nature, strength, and temporality of these relationships.

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Information Content and Efficiency in the Spoken Discourse of Individuals With Parkinson's Disease

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2018_jslhr-l-17-0338 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 61 (9) ◽

pp. 2259-2274 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Angela Roberts ◽

Danielle Post

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Information Content ◽

Speech Intelligibility ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Control Group ◽

Primary Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Severity Scores ◽

Global Cognition

Purpose This study compared the information content and information efficiency of spoken language in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) to a healthy comparator group. Method Nineteen participants with PD and 19 healthy older adults completed the prospective, cross-sectional study. In the primary analysis, 2 language samples elicited by standardized protocols were analyzed for group differences using standard discourse informativeness measures including main events (MEs; Wright, Capilouto, Wagovich, Cranfill, & Davis, 2005) analyzed as %MEs and correct information units (CIUs; Nicholas & Brookshire, 1993) analyzed as %CIUs and CIUs/min. In exploratory analyses, the following were examined: (a) associations among conceptual (%MEs) and lexical (%CIUs and CIUs/min) measures and (b) associations among informativeness measures and age, education, disease severity/duration, global cognition, speech intelligibility, and a verb confrontation naming measure. Results In the primary analysis, the PD group differed significantly from the control group on conceptual (%MEs) and lexical measures of content (%CIUs) and efficiency (CIUs/min). In exploratory analyses, for the control group %MEs were significantly correlated with CIUs/min. Significant associations among conceptual and lexical measures of informativeness were not found in the PD group. For controls, there were no significant correlations between informativeness measures and any of the demographic or speech/cognitive/language variables. In the PD group, there was a significant and positive association between CIUs/min and Dementia Rating Scale–Second Edition scores (Mattis, 2001). A significant but negative correlation was found between CIUs/min and motor severity scores. However, %MEs and verb naming were significantly and positively correlated. Conclusions Individuals with PD without dementia demonstrated reduced discourse informativeness that reflects disruptions to both conceptual and lexical discourse processes. In exploratory analyses, reduced efficiency of information content was associated with global cognition and motor severity. Clinical and research implications are discussed within a Cognitivist framework of discourse production (Sheratt, 2007).

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Cognitive correlates of cerebellar resting-state functional connectivity in Parkinson disease

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000008754 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 94 (4) ◽

pp. e384-e396 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Baijayanta Maiti ◽

Jonathan M. Koller ◽

Abraham Z. Snyder ◽

Aaron B. Tanenbaum ◽

Scott A. Norris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Parkinson Disease ◽

Resting State ◽

Cognitive Status ◽

Association Cortex ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Clinical Dementia Rating ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Global Cognition

ObjectiveTo investigate in a cross-sectional study the contributions of altered cerebellar resting-state functional connectivity (FC) to cognitive impairment in Parkinson disease (PD).MethodsWe conducted morphometric and resting-state FC-MRI analyses contrasting 81 participants with PD and 43 age-matched healthy controls using rigorous quality assurance measures. To investigate the relationship of cerebellar FC to cognitive status, we compared participants with PD without cognitive impairment (Clinical Dementia Rating [CDR] scale score 0, n = 47) to participants with PD with impaired cognition (CDR score ≥0.5, n = 34). Comprehensive measures of cognition across the 5 cognitive domains were assessed for behavioral correlations.ResultsThe participants with PD had significantly weaker FC between the vermis and peristriate visual association cortex compared to controls, and the strength of this FC correlated with visuospatial function and global cognition. In contrast, weaker FC between the vermis and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was found in the cognitively impaired PD group compared to participants with PD without cognitive impairment. This effect correlated with deficits in attention, executive functions, and global cognition. No group differences in cerebellar lobular volumes or regional cortical thickness of the significant cortical clusters were observed.ConclusionThese results demonstrate a correlation between cerebellar vermal FC and cognitive impairment in PD. The absence of significant atrophy in cerebellum or relevant cortical areas suggests that this could be related to local pathophysiology such as neurotransmitter dysfunction.

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