Effects of long-term oral administration of silver nanoparticles on the cognitive functions of mammals

Introduction. Since the beginning of the XXI century, silver nanoparticles have been widely used in various industries, medicine and pharmaceuticals due to their pronounced antibacterial, antiviral and fungicidal properties. In connection with such a high demand for the use of silver nanoparticles, it is very important to understand the associated potential risks from their use. Materials and methods. In the course of the work, there has been a study of the effects of the long-term oral administration of a commercially produced dietary supplement based on silver nanoparticles with a size of 34 nm and stabilized with polyvinylpyrrolidone in an amount of 50 μg/day/animal on the cognitive functions of C57Bl/6 mice, as well as their accumulation in the brain by the method of instrumental neutron activation analysis. The dietary supplement used is recommended for people as a treatment for gastrointestinal infections. Results. It was found that after 180 days of administration, silver nanoparticles impair long-term contextual memory, and over time, the content of silver in the brain increases. Conclusion. Presumably impaired cognitive function with accumulation of silver in the brains of mice. This poses the risk of prolonged oral use of the silver nanoparticles.

The influence of cognitive function on adherence to breast cancer screening among older American women

Cognitive decline and impairment among older adults have become an important public health issue. Previous research shows older women have a greater prevalence of Alzheimer's disease than Men. Among women, breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Over half of breast cancer deaths occur in women aged 65 and older. Therefore, early detection of breast cancer through mammogram screening is important among older women. This study aimed to examine the influence of cognitive function on adherence to mammogram breast cancer screening among older American women aged 65 and older. Data from the Health and Retirement Study (2012-2016) was obtained and analyzed. The independent variable of the study was cognitive function (normal, not normal). Adherence to mammogram (low, moderate, high) was the dependent variable. Multinomial regression was performed to examine the association between cognitive function and adherence to mammogram after controlling for demographic covariates. In the study, 33.3% of respondents had impaired cognitive function and 21.7% showed low adherence to mammogram screening. Regression results found that older women with impaired cognitive function were more likely to be in low adherence group (OR=1.30, p=0.01) or moderate adherence group (OR=1.47, p<0.001) relatively to be in high adherence group compared to older women with normal cognitive function. The development and implementation of interventions are needed for reducing barriers to accessing cancer screening services in high-risk vulnerable populations. This submission is considered late-breaking research because study findings were obtained from a recently completed student's master's project.

Fetal Exposure to Acetochlor Impaired Cognitive Function in Rats via Abnormal Gut Microbiome and Metabolic Disorders

Background: Current evidence has shown that acetochlor has adverse effects on health, which has been widely used in agricultural production, while the evidence on the effects of fetal acetochlor exposure on nervous system is quite limited. The fetus period is the most sensitive window period in the whole lifetime to external stimuli. Therefore, we established a rat model fetal exposed to acetochlor. Results: Impaired cognitive function, abnormal gut microbiome and significant changes in the hippocampus and colon could be observed in the acetochlor-exposed group. We also observed remarkable impairment in the hippocampal cells in the histomorphology observation. Fecal microbiota transplantion(FMT) was performed to elucidate whether the gut microbiome mediated the acetochlor-induced abnormal behavior. Then the proteomics analysis and metabonomics analysis in the hippocampus indicated that differential expression proteins were mainly enriched in amino acid neurotransmitter-related pathways, long-term potentiation, and synaptic-related pathways and differential metabolite were mainly enriched in mutiple neurotransmitter-related pathways. Then we observed remarkable changes in the Camk2b/Erk1/2/NF-κB pathway and Prkaca/p-CREB1/BDNF pathway in the FMT group, which may cause abnormal cognitive behaviors. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that fetal exposure to acetochlor could induce abnormal behaviors in rats via disrupting the intestinal microbiome.

Promoting Cultural Change Towards Dementia Friendly Communities: A Multi-level Intervention in Japan

BackgroundEffective strategies to develop dementia-friendly communities (DFCs) are needed in aging societies. We aimed to propose a strategy to develop DFCs from a Japanese perspective and to evaluate an intervention program that adopted the strategy.MethodsThis study implemented a multi-level intervention that emphasized nurturing community social capital in a large apartment complex in the Tokyo metropolitan area in 2017. We offered an inclusive café that was open for extended hours as a place to socialize and a center for activities that included monthly public lectures. Individual consultation on daily life issues was also available for free at the café. Postal surveys were sent out to all older residents aged 70 years and older in 2016 and 2019. With a one-group pre-test and post-test design, we assessed changes in the proportion of older residents who had social interaction with friends and those who were confident about living in the community, even if they were living with dementia.ResultsTotals of 2,633 and 2,696 residents completed the pre and post-intervention surveys, respectively. The mean age of the pre-intervention respondents was 77.4 years; 45.7% lived alone and 7.7% reported living with impaired cognitive function. The proportion of men who had regular social interaction and were confident about living in their community with dementia increased significantly from 38.8–44.5% (p=0.008) and from 34.1–38.3% (p=0.045), respectively. Similar significant increases were observed in the subgroup of men living with impaired cognitive function, but not in the same subgroup for women.ConclusionsThe intervention benefitted male residents who were less likely to be involved in the community’s web of social networks at baseline. A strategy to create DFCs that emphasizes nurturing community social capital can form a foundation for DFCs.Trial registrationThis study was retrospectively registered in the University hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) Clinical Trial Registry (registry number: UMIN000038193, date of registration: Oct 3, 2019).

COGNITIVE NEUROPSYCHOLOGY IN THE SYSTEM OF MODERN REHABILITATION

Modern medicine is increasingly confronted with diseases in the field of neuropsychology and often people suffer from impaired cognitive function. Therefore, the issue of rehabilitation in the field of cognitive neuropsychology has always remained relevant. Moreover, the rapid development of modern technology is also helping to improve the process of rehabilitation and recovery. The neuropsychological direction is the most important aspect of the neurorehabilitation of this category of patients. Methods of neuropsychological diagnostics have proven their validity in the clinic of strokes, traumatic brain injuries, neuroinfections, brain tumors, etc. In this regard, this article examines the role of cognitive neuropsychology in the system of modern neurorehabilitation.

Economic burden of comorbid chronic conditions among survivors of stroke in China: 10-year longitudinal study

Background The coexistence of chronic diseases among people with stroke is common. However, little is known about the extent of incremental healthcare expenditures associated with having physically and psychologically chronic conditions among stroke survivors. Methods We used the nationally representative data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, including 36,076 participants enrolled as our analytic cohort of ten years of follow-up visits (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015). Chronic conditions include hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and impaired cognitive function. Two-part models were used to estimate the effect of comorbid chronic conditions on total annual healthcare expenditure, out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare expenditure, and incidence of catastrophic healthcare expenditure (CHE). Results Among survivors of stroke during 2006 to 2015, the prevalence rates of hypertension, diabetes, obesity and impaired cognitive function were 75.5, 9.8, 12.7 and 65.1%, significantly higher than those among adults without stroke history (27.9, 2.7, 10.0 and 41.2%). Having hypertension ($794.5, p = 0.004), diabetes ($3978.5, p < 0.001) were associated with the largest incremental total healthcare expenditures. Stroke survivors with diagnosed hypertension and diabetes had additional 5.7 (p < 0.001) and 10.4 (p < 0.001) percentage point of CHE rate, respectively. Total healthcare expenditures were $2413.0 (P < 0.001) and $5151.7 (P < 0.001) higher among patients with 2, and ≥ 3 chronic conditions, respectively, than those individuals with no chronic conditions. Conclusions Excess expenditures associated with chronic diseases were substantial among stroke survivors. These results highlight the needs for both prevention and better management of multimorbidity among stroke survivors, which in turn may lower the financial burden of treating these concurrent comorbidities.

A Scale-Free Gradient of Cognitive Resource Disruptions in Childhood Psychopathology

The Hurst exponent (H) isolated in fractal analyses of neuroimaging time-series is implicated broadly in cognition. The connection between H and the mathematics of criticality makes it a candidate measure of individual differences in cognitive resource allocation. Relationships between H and multiple mental disorders have been detected, suggesting that H is transdiagnostically associated with psychopathology. Here, we demonstrate a gradient of decreased H with increased general psychopathology and attention-deficit/hyperactivity extracted factor scores during a working memory task which predicts concurrent and future working memory performance in 1,839 children. This gradient defines psychological and functional axes which indicate that psychopathology is associated with an imbalance in resource allocation between fronto-parietal and sensory-motor regions, driven by reduced resource allocation to fonto-parietal regions. This suggests the hypothesis that impaired cognitive function associated with psychopathology follows from a reduced cognitive resource pool and a reduction in resources allocated to the task at hand.

Latihan Sosialisasi Dan Senam Aerobik Low Impact Meningkatkan Kemampuan Bersosialisasi pada Pasien Isolasi Sosial

Schizophrenia is brain damage that results in impaired cognitive function, activity, language, impaired vision of reality and interpersonal relationships and has behavioral changes such as agitated and aggressive behavior. In general, it is characterized by fundamental deviations, characteristics of thoughts and perceptions, as well as the presence of an unnatural or blunt effect. The purpose of this study was to determine the ability to socialize in schizophrenic patients with social isolation nursing problems before and after being given socialization training and low impact aerobic exercise at the Mitra Sakti Social Welfare Institution, Pesawaran Regency, Lampung Province. The method in this study used nursing actions in the form of socialization exercises and low impact aerobic exercise on 5 patients schizophrenic with social isolation nursing problems reported in the form of case studies. The results showed that after being given nursing actions in the form of socialization exercises and low impact aerobic exercise, the five participants increased their social skills. Nurses are expected to provide optimal application of socialization training and aerobic exercise to schizophrenic patients with social isolation nursing problems. Keywords : Low impact aerobic exercise, schizophrenia, social isolation, socialization exercises

Economic Burden of Comorbid Chronic Conditions Among Survivors of Stroke in China: 10-Year Longitudinal Study

Background: The coexistence of chronic diseases among people with stroke is common. However, little is known about the extent of incremental healthcare expenditures associated with having physically and psychologically chronic conditions among stroke survivors.Methods: We used the nationally representative data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, including 36,076 participants enrolled as our analytic cohort of ten years of follow-up visits (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015). Chronic conditions include hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and impaired cognitive function. Two-part models were used to estimate the effect of comorbid chronic conditions on total annual healthcare expenditure, out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare expenditure, and incidence of catastrophic healthcare expenditure (CHE).Results: Among survivors of stroke during 2006 to 2015, the prevalence rates of hypertension, diabetes, obesity and impaired cognitive function were 75.5%, 9,8%, 12.7% and 65.1%, significantly higher than those among adults without stroke history (27.9%, 2.7%, 10.0% and 41.2%). Having hypertension ($794.5, p=0.004), diabetes ($3978.5, p<0.001) were associated with the largest incremental total healthcare expenditures. Stroke survivors with diagnosed hypertension and diabetes had additional 5.7 (p<0.001) and 10.4 (p<0.001) percentage point of CHE rate, respectively. Total healthcare expenditures were $2413.0 (P<0.001) and $5151.7 (P<0.001) higher among patients with 2, and ≥3 chronic conditions, respectively, than those individuals with no chronic conditions.Conclusions: Excess expenditures associated with chronic diseases were substantial among stroke survivors. These results highlight the needs for both prevention and better management of multimorbidity among stroke survivors, which in turn may lower the financial burden of treating these concurrent comorbidities.