scholarly journals Evaluation of the Effect of Time Change in Cognitive Function in Volunteers in Tehran

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjan Erfani ◽  
Hedayat Sahraei ◽  
Zahra Bahari ◽  
Gholam Hossein Meftahi ◽  
Boshra Hatef ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Reaction Time ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Reduction Reaction ◽  
Plasma Cortisol Level ◽  
Mental Fatigue ◽  
Time Change ◽  
General Mental Health ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Time Changes

<strong></strong><p><strong>BACKGROUND:</strong> Time change (which can lead to sleep duration decrements) can lead to brain dysfunction if repeated. In the present study, cognitive functions of the volunteers were evaluated before and after the time changes in Tehran.</p><p><strong>METHODS:</strong> Eleven, voluntary healthy persons (21±2 year old) were evaluated for their cognitive functions including sustain attention, reaction time, and mental fatigue twenty-one days before the time changes and thirty-eight days after time change using PASAT software. In addition, plasma cortisol level was measured before and after the time changes.</p><p><strong>RESULTS:</strong> After the time changes salivary cortisol concentration increase, but general mental health was decreased. Sustain attention was shortened after time change which was significantly different compared with before the time changes. Reaction time was increased after the time changes in comparison with the before the time changes, but was not statistically significant. In addition, mental fatigue was increased after the time changes.</p><p><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> It seems that time change may reduce brain cognitive functions which are manifested by general mental health, sustain attention reduction, reaction time as well as mental fatigue.</p>

scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the General Mental Health in Sweden: No Observed Changes in the Dispensed Amount of Common Psychotropic Medications in the Region of Scania

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjam Wolfschlag ◽  
Cécile Grudet ◽  
Anders Håkansson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Psychotropic Medications ◽  
Interrupted Time Series Analysis ◽  
Swedish Population ◽  
General Mental Health ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The One

Some first investigations have focused on the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for the general mental health after its outbreak in 2020. According to multiple self-reporting surveys, symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression have risen worldwide. Even some studies based on health care records start to be published, providing more objective and statistically reliable results. Additionally, concerns have been raised, to what extend the access to mental health care has been compromised by the COVID-19 outbreak. The aim of this study was to detect changes in prescription trends of common psychotropic medications in the Swedish region of Scania. The monthly dispensed amounts of selected pharmaceuticals were compared from January 2018 until January 2021, regarding the prescription trends before and after the outbreak of COVID-19. Using an interrupted time series analysis for each medication, no general trend changes were observed. On the one hand, a possible deterioration of the general mental health could not be confirmed by these results. On the other hand, the access to mental health care did not seem to be impaired by the pandemic. When interpreting findings related to the COVID-19 pandemic, regional differences and country-specific approaches for coping with the pandemic should be considered. The Swedish population, for instance, never experienced a full “lock-down” and within Sweden the time point of the outbreak waves differed regionally. In general, the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on mental health are still unclear and need to be investigated further in an international comparison.

scholarly journals Improvement of Stress-Induced Changes Related To Mood and Cognitive Function in Healthy Young Adults Following Supplementation With Ajwa Dates

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Nurlaily Abdullah ◽  
Rafidah Hanim Mokhtar ◽  
Abdul Aziz Marwan ◽  
Nor Azila Noh
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Reaction Time ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Coronary Risk ◽  
Test Analysis ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Induced Changes

This study tested the effects of Ajwa dates supplementation on stress-induced changes to mood and cognitive functions in healthy young adults. 20 young adults were selected to receive seven dates per day for six weeks. Subjects completed measures of mood (POMS and DASS-21 questionnaires), and cognitive functions (simple reaction time, Stroop, n-back tests) before and after six weeks of supplementation: following an acute stressor task (Trier Social Stress test). Analysis of coronary risk and renal profiles were also done before and after six weeks of supplementation. Parameters related to mood including tension subscale in POMS, and stress subscale in DASS-21 significantly improved from baseline to week six. Significant improvements were also observed in the mean reaction time of Stroop, 1-back and 2-back tests after week six. There were no changes in coronary risk and renal profile after six weeks of supplementation. Our findings indicate that Ajwa dates supplementation has the potential to alleviate stress-induced changes in mood and cognitive functions in healthy young adults without adverse effect on renal functions.

scholarly journals Medication Monitoring for People with Dementia in Care Homes: The Feasibility and Clinical Impact of Nurse-Led Monitoring

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Jordan ◽  
Marie Gabe ◽  
Louise Newson ◽  
Sherrill Snelgrove ◽  
Gerwyn Panes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Adverse Drug Reaction ◽  
Intervention Study ◽  
Clinical Impact ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Care Plans ◽  
Medication Monitoring ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Before And After

Objectives. People with dementia are susceptible to adverse effects of medicines. However, they are not always closely monitored. We explored (1) feasibility and (2) clinical impact of nurse-led medication monitoring.Design. Feasibility “before-and-after” intervention study.Setting. Three care homes in Wales.Participants. Eleven service users diagnosed with dementia, taking at least one antipsychotic, antidepressant, or antiepileptic medicine.Intervention. West Wales Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) Profile for Mental Health Medicines.Outcome Measures. (1) Feasibility: recruitment, retention, and implementation. (2) Clinical impact: previously undocumented problems identified and ameliorated, as recorded in participants’ records before and after introduction of the profile, and one month later.Results. Nurses recruited and retained 11 of 29 eligible service users. The profile took 20–25 minutes to implement, caused no harm, and supplemented usual care. Initially, the profile identified previously undocumented problems for all participants (mean 12.7 (SD 4.7)). One month later, some problems had been ameliorated (mean 4.9 (3.6)). Clinical gains included new prescriptions to manage pain (2 participants), psoriasis (1), Parkinsonian symptoms (1), rash (1), dose reduction of benzodiazepines (1), new care plans for oral hygiene, skin problems, and constipation.Conclusions. Participants benefited from structured nurse-led medication monitoring. Clinical trials of our ADR Profile are feasible and necessary.

scholarly journals Caffeine and Cognitive Functions in Sports: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 868
Author(s):  
Jorge Lorenzo Calvo ◽  
Xueyin Fei ◽  
Raúl Domínguez ◽  
Helios Pareja-Galeano
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Reaction Time ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Caffeine Intake ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Research Protocols ◽  
The Relationship

Cognitive functions are essential in any form of exercise. Recently, interest has mounted in addressing the relationship between caffeine intake and cognitive performance during sports practice. This review examines this relationship through a structured search of the databases Medline/PubMed and Web of Science for relevant articles published in English from August 1999 to March 2020. The study followed PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria were defined according to the PICOS model. The identified records reported on randomized cross-over studies in which caffeine intake (as drinks, capsules, energy bars, or gum) was compared to an identical placebo situation. There were no filters on participants’ training level, gender, or age. For the systematic review, 13 studies examining the impacts of caffeine on objective measures of cognitive performance or self-reported cognitive performance were selected. Five of these studies were also subjected to meta-analysis. After pooling data in the meta-analysis, the significant impacts of caffeine only emerged on attention, accuracy, and speed. The results of the 13 studies, nevertheless, suggest that the intake of a low/moderate dose of caffeine before and/or during exercise can improve self-reported energy, mood, and cognitive functions, such as attention; it may also improve simple reaction time, choice reaction time, memory, or fatigue, however, this may depend on the research protocols.

scholarly journals The Association between Physical Activity and Selected Parameters of Psychological Status and Dementia in Older Women

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7549
Author(s):  
Angelika Cisek-Woźniak ◽  
Kinga Mruczyk ◽  
Rafał W. Wójciak
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Regular Physical Activity ◽  
Psychological Status ◽  
The Impact

Physical activity has an unquestionable impact on broadly understood human health. One interesting issue related to this is the importance of movement on mental health and cognitive functioning. Research shows that regular physical activity improves the cognitive functioning of adults and people with mental disorders. Regular physical activity can be an important and powerful protective factor in cognitive impairment and dementia in the elderly, and exercise is an important non-pharmacological treatment for mild cognitive impairment or neurodegenerative diseases. This study aims to present the impact of physical activity on selected cognitive functions in physically active women over 60 years of age. The research was carried out in a group of 110 generally healthy women from the area of western Poland over 60 years of age, who were divided into four groups based on the intensity of their physical activity. A pedometer (sport watch) and a physical activity diary were used to measure physical activity. Body Mass Index was assessed. Selected cognitive functions were assessed using the MMSE test, motor and psychomotor skills were measured, and Luria’s auditory memory test and recall test, a clock drawing test, and a GDS test were performed. There were statistically significant relationships between the level of physical activity and the effectiveness of cognitive processes. These results show that about 5000 steps a day is enough to see a positive effect on the mental health and cognitive functioning of this group of the elderly population. The women had an average BMI of 28.1 ± 4.7. BMI, indicating an overweight condition (over 30 kg/m2), was observed in 31% of women. The results of this study lead the authors to conclude that physical activity positively influences cognitive function and can be recommended for all seniors who do not have other serious comorbidities that would prevent them from playing sports.

scholarly journals Electroconvulsive Therapy and Age: Effectiveness, Safety and Tolerability in the Treatment of Major Depression among Patients under and over 65 Years of Age

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 582
Author(s):  
Monika Dominiak ◽  
Anna Z. Antosik-Wójcińska ◽  
Marcin Wojnar ◽  
Paweł Mierzejewski
Keyword(s):  
Major Depression ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Electroconvulsive Therapy ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Serious Adverse Events ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
Resistant Depression

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains the most effective therapy in treatment-resistant depression. However, the safety of ECT has been consistently questioned, particularly among elderly patients. We assessed the efficacy and safety of ECT in patients before and after 65 years old. The study was conducted between 2015 and 2018 and included 91 patients (61 under and 29 over 65 years old) with major depression undergoing ECT. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was used to evaluate efficacy. Cognitive functions were assessed using: MMSE, RAVLT, Trail Making Test, Stroop Test and Autobiographical Memory Interview-Short Form. ECT was more effective in older patients as compared to younger (p < 0.001). No serious adverse events were observed in either group. Increased blood pressure and arrhythmias were more common in the older compared to the younger group (p = 0.044 and p = 0.047, respectively), while disturbances of consciousness did not differ between groups (p = 0.820). Most of the cognitive functions remained unchanged compared to baseline, whereas the outcomes of MMSE, RAVLT and Stroop tests showed greater improvements in the older compared to the younger group (all p < 0.05). The decline in the retrieval consistency of autobiographical memory was more pronounced in the younger group (p = 0.024). ECT is a highly effective, safe and well-tolerated method of treating depression regardless of age.

scholarly journals Brain Training and Sulforaphane Intake Interventions Separately Improve Cognitive Performance in Healthy Older Adults, Whereas a Combination of These Interventions Does Not Have More Beneficial Effects: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 352
Author(s):  
Rui Nouchi ◽  
Qingqiang Hu ◽  
Toshiki Saito ◽  
Natasha Yuriko dos Santos Kawata ◽  
Haruka Nouchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Active Control ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Brain Training ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Double Blinded

Background: Earlier studies have demonstrated that a single-domain intervention, such as a brain-training (BT) game alone and a sulforaphane (SFN) intake, positively affects cognition. This study examined whether a combined BT and SFN intake intervention has beneficial effects on cognitive function in older adults. Methods: In a 12-week double-blinded randomized control trial, 144 older adults were randomly assigned to one of four groups: BT with SFN (BT-S), BT with placebo (BT-P), active control game (AT) with SFN (AT-S), and active control game with placebo (AT-P). We used Brain Age in BT and Tetris in AT. Participants were asked to play BT or AT for 15 min a day for 12 weeks while taking a supplement (SFN or placebo). We measured several cognitive functions before and after the intervention period. Results: The BT (BT-S and BT-P) groups showed more improvement in processing speed than the active control groups (AT-S and AT-P). The SFN intake (BT-S and AT-S) groups recorded significant improvements in processing speed and working memory performance unlike the placebo intake groups (BT-P and AT-P). However, we did not find any evidence of the combined intervention’s beneficial effects on cognition. Discussion: We discussed a mechanism to improve cognitive functions in the BT and SFN alone interventions.

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