Cognitive outcomes after unruptured intracranial aneurysm treatment with endovascular coiling

BackgroundWe aimed to determine the effects of endovascular coiling of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) on cognition to inform treatment decisions. We present the first study using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to determine neurocognitive changes after endovascular coiling.MethodsWe prospectively collected data on all patients with UIAs undergoing endovascular coiling, primary or assisted. Patients completed the MoCA prior to intervention and 1 month and 6 months' post-procedure. A repeated measures linear mixed effects model was used to compare pre-procedure and post-procedure cognition.ResultsThirty-three patients with 33 aneurysms who underwent coiling from April 2017 to May 2020 were included (mean age 55.5, 81.8% female). All procedures used general anesthesia. There was no difference between baseline and post-procedure MoCA scores at any time interval (P>0.05). Mean MoCA scores at baseline, 1 month post-procedure, and 6 months' post-procedure were 25.4, 26.8, and 26.3 respectively. There was also no difference between pre- and post-procedure scores on any individual MoCA domain (visuospatial, naming, memory, attention, language, abstraction, delayed recall, and orientation) at any time interval (P>0.05). Seventeen patients had follow-up MRI or CT imaging, of which 11.8% showed radiographic changes or ischemia. 77.8% of patients with 6-month angiographic follow-up achieved class I, and 22.2% achieved class II Raymond–Roy Occlusion. Thirty-two out of 33 patients had follow-up mRS ≤2.ConclusionOur study suggests that endovascular coiling does not diminish neurocognitive function. Patients with UIAs in our cohort also had baseline MoCA scores below the cut-off for mild cognitive impairment despite pre-procedure mRS and NIHSS of 0.

Cognitive domains association with genetic variability of apolipoprotein E in a sample of elderly Russians

Актуальным является поиск генетических вариантов связывающих снижение различных сфер мыслительных процессов с возрастом и болезнью Альцгеймера. Цель исследования - поиск взаимосвязи белковых гаплотипов двух полиморфных вариантов гена APOE с вариабельностью восьми доменов когнитивных функций пожилых людей, определяемых по баллам батареи тестов Монреальской шкалы оценки когнитивных функций (МоСА). Две наиболее высоко статистически значимые ассоциации выявлены для генотипа ε3/ε3 в сравнении с носителями аллеля ε4. Это домены памяти (р=0,002) и зрительно конструктивных навыков (р=0,007). Не обнаружено статистически значимых ассоциаций для когнитивных сфер: внимание и концентрация, исполнительные функции, язык, абстрактное мышление, счет и ориентация. Возможно, обнаруженные ассоциации обуславливают общую генетическую природу наследования болезни Альцгеймера, психических расстройств, деменции и интеллекта у пожилых людей. The search for genetic variants linking the decline in various areas of cognitive processes with age and Alzheimer’s disease is relevant. The aim was to search for the relationship of protein haplotypes of two polymorphic variants in the APOE gene with the eight cognitive function domains variability in f the elderly. Domains were determined by the battery score of the Montreal Cognitive Assessmnet (MoCA). The two most highly statistically significant associations were identified for the ε3/ε3 genotype in comparison with carriers of the ε4 allele. These are memory (p = 0.002) and visuospatial abilities (p = 0.007) domains. No statistically significant associations were revealed for cognitive domains: attention and concentration, executive functions, language, abstraction, calculations and orientation. Possibly, the identified associations determine the general genetic baseline of inheritance of Alzheimer’s disease, mental disorders, dementia and intelligence in the elderly.

Self-Presentation and Language Abstraction in Recruitment Context

The present research explicates how job applicants employ language abstraction to present themselves as a good or bad candidate. According to the LIB theory (Maass, Salvi, Arcuri, & Semin, 1989), we tested the hypothesis that, with positive instruction (i.e., to be recruited), participants’ responses would be more abstract with positive items and more concrete with negative items. Conversely, we expected that participants’ responses would be more concrete with positive items and more abstract with negative ones when the instruction was negative (i.e., to not be recruited). Results of this experiment (N = 85 French participants) confirm our hypothesis and revealed a strong interaction effect between level of language abstraction and goal of self-presentation. Implications for linguistic bias effect and normative behavior in the interpersonal context of recruitment are discussed.

The Interplay of Travelers’ Psychological Distance, Language Abstraction, and Message Appeal Type in Social Media Advertising

Effectiveness of destination advertising to potential tourists has been enhanced with the use of personalized orientation. After an online search for information about a destination, individuals are exposed to advertisements related to the destination on their social media newsfeed. However, further understanding is warranted in terms of how these destination messages should be crafted. Thus, our research aims to uncover how destination advertising design, message appeal type, and language abstraction level interact with a message recipient’s psychological distance to his or her trip to influence consumer response to the advertising. Based on construal level theory, we conducted a scenario-based experiment, using manipulated messages and psychological distance state to assess message effectiveness. The findings show that the type of message design respondents favor can vary either by perceived temporal distance to their travel plans or spatial distance to the travel destination.

Cognitive Function Declines Significantly during Haemodialysis in a Majority of Patients: A Call for Further Research

Introduction: Cognitive impairment (CI) is very common condition that occurs in haemodialysis patients and it is associated with reduced functional capacity and mortality. We assessed the change in cognitive function during haemodialysis and associated risk factors. Methods: All patients ≥50 years, on haemodialysis for ≥3 months, no dementia from 2 dialysis centres were selected. Cognition was assessed before and after a haemodialysis session using parallel versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) tool. Multiple regression was used to examine potential confounders. Results: Eight-two patients completed both tests – median age 73 (52–91) years, 59% male, dialysis vintage 41 (3–88) months. Sixty-two (76%) had CI at baseline. Cognition declined over dialysis (MOCA 21 ± 4.8 to 19.1 ± 4.1, p < 0.001) and domains affected were attention, language, abstraction and delayed recall. Age and dialysis vintage were independently associated with decline. Conclusion: Cognitive function declines over a haemodialysis session and this has significant clinical implications over health literacy, self-management and tasks like driving. More research is needed to find the cause for this decline in cognition.

Linguistic Discrimination Toward Roma: Can Intergroup Threat Enhance Bias?

This study tested whether intergroup threat enhances prejudice and discrimination toward the highly discriminated out-group of Roma. An implicit measure of linguistic discrimination, namely language abstraction of terms used in Roma descriptions, and an explicit measure of affective prejudice, that is, feelings thermometer, were employed. The relation between implicit and explicit discrimination was also analyzed. Threat enhanced linguistic derogation and affective prejudice toward Roma. Linguistic abstraction mediated threat’s effect on affective prejudice. The implications of the findings were discussed with reference to the role of language in shaping intergroup relations and social exclusion.

Linguistic Bias

Social categorization and stereotypes play a pervasive and fundamental role in social perception, judgment, and interaction. Although stereotypes are functional by allowing us to make sense of our complex social environment, their use can promote prejudice and discrimination when individuals are treated based on generic stereotypic expectancies, rather than on available individuating information. Prejudice and discrimination emerge from generalized (negative) stereotypic associations that people hold about social categories. These stereotypes become socially shared within (sub)cultures through communications about categorized people and their behavior. Research on biased language use reveals the communicative and linguistic processes through which stereotypes are formed and maintained. When communicating about other people and their behavior, our language echoes the existing stereotypic expectancies we have with categorized individuals (often without our conscious awareness). A linguistic bias is defined as a systematic asymmetry in word choice that reflects the social-category cognitions that are applied to the described group or individual(s). Three types of biases are distinguished in the literature that reveal, and thereby maintain, social-category cognitions and stereotypes. First, when labeling individuals, the types of category labels that we choose reflect existing social category cognitions. Second, once target individuals are labeled as members of a category, people tend to communicate predominantly stereotype-congruent information (rather than incongruent information). Third, research has revealed several biases in how we formulate information about categorized individuals. These formulation differences (e.g., in language abstraction, explanations, use of negations, irony) subtly reveal whether a target’s behavior was stereotypically expected or not. Behavioral information that is in line with social-category knowledge (i.e., stereotype-consistent) is formulated differently compared to incongruent information (i.e., stereotype-inconsistent). In addition, when communicating with individuals we have categorized in a given social category, our language may subtly reveal the stereotypic expectancies we have about our conversation partners. It is important to be aware of these stereotype maintaining biases as they play an important role in consensualizing both benevolent and harmful stereotypes about social categories.