Associations Between Air Pollution Exposure and Empirically Derived Profiles of Cognitive Performance in Older Women

Background: Elucidating associations between exposures to ambient air pollutants and profiles of cognitive performance may provide insight into neurotoxic effects on the aging brain. Objective: We examined associations between empirically derived profiles of cognitive performance and residential concentrations of particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in older women. Method: Women (N = 2,142) from the Women’s Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging completed a neuropsychological assessment measuring attention, visuospatial, language, and episodic memory abilities. Average yearly concentrations of PM2.5 and NO2 were estimated at the participant’s addresses for the 3 years prior to the assessment. Latent profile structural equation models identified subgroups of women exhibiting similar profiles across tests. Multinomial regressions examined associations between exposures and latent profile classification, controlling for covariates. Result: Five latent profiles were identified: low performance across multiple domains (poor multi-domain; n = 282;13%), relatively poor verbal episodic memory (poor memory; n = 216; 10%), average performance across all domains (average multi-domain; n = 974; 45%), superior memory (n = 381; 18%), and superior attention (n = 332; 15%). Using women with average cognitive ability as the referent, higher PM2.5 (per interquartile range [IQR] = 3.64μg/m3) was associated with greater odds of being classified in the poor memory (OR = 1.29; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.10–1.52) or superior attention (OR = 1.30; 95% CI = 1.10–1.53) profiles. NO2 (per IQR = 9.86 ppb) was associated with higher odds of being classified in the poor memory (OR = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.17–1.63) and lower odds of being classified with superior memory (OR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.67–0.97). Conclusion: Exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 are associated with patterns of cognitive performance characterized by worse verbal episodic memory relative to performance in other domains.

Pemberian Nugget Tempe terhadap Kadar Hemoglobin pada Remaja Putri

In Indonesia, 23.9 percent of adolescent girls suffer from anemia. Adolescent girls with anemia have poor memory and are less thorough in scholastic exams, resulting in inferior learning achievements. They are also more susceptible to illness, putting them at risk when they become pregnant. The goal of this study was to see how providing tempeh nuggets affected adolescent girls' hemoglobin levels at SMP Negeri in Gorontalo City. This sort of study uses a pre-experimental design with a pretestposttest research design with a single group design and a sample of 43 persons drawn by chance. Provision of tempe nuggets was the independent variable, whereas hemoglobin levels in teenage girls was the dependent variable. The average value or difference in the average hemoglobin levels of adolescent girls after being fed tempeh nuggets was 0.40 gr/dl, standard deviation was 0.42, and sig (2-tailed) = 0.000< 0.05, according to the findings of statistical test analysis with Paired T-test. Conclusion At SMP Negeri Gorontalo City, giving tempeh nuggets has an effect on hemoglobin levels in adolescent girls.

Excess risk and clusters of symptoms after COVID-19 in a large Norwegian cohort

Physical, psychological and cognitive symptoms have been reported as post-acute sequelae for COVID-19 patients but are also common in the general, uninfected population. We aimed to calculate the excess risk and identify patterns of 22 symptoms up to 12 months after COVID-19 infection. We followed more than 70,000 participants in an ongoing cohort study, the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Infected and non-infected cohort participants registered presence of 22 different symptoms in March 2021. One year after the initial infection, 13 of 22 symptoms were associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, based on relative risks between infected and uninfected subjects. For instance, 17.4% of SARS-CoV-2 infected cohort participants reported fatigue that persist 12 months after infection, compared to new occurrence of fatigue that had lasted less than 12 months in 3.8% of non-infected subjects (excess risk 13.6%). The adjusted relative risk for fatigue was 4.8 (95 % CI 3.5 to 6.7). Two main underlying factors explained 50% of the variance in the 13 symptoms. Brain fog, poor memory, dizziness, heart palpitations, and fatigue had high loadings on the first factor, while shortness-of breath and cough had high loadings on the second factor. Lack of taste and smell showed low to moderate correlation to other symptoms. Anxiety, depression and mood swings were not strongly related to COVID-19. Our results suggest that there are clusters of symptoms after COVID-19 due to different mechanisms and question whether it is meaningful to describe long COVID as one syndrome.

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PEDAGOGICAL MEMORY SUPPORT OF THE ELDERLY AGE PEOPLE

The main problem of old age is memory loss. Memory deterioration usually occurs after 50 years, and by the age of 65 every second person complains of poor memory.

‘Long COVID’ syndrome

SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in a global pandemic and an unprecedented public health crisis. Recent literature suggests the emergence of a novel syndrome known as ‘long COVID’, a term used to describe a diverse set of symptoms that persist after a minimum of 4 weeks from the onset of a diagnosed COVID-19 infection. Common symptoms include persistent breathlessness, fatigue and cough. Other symptoms reported include chest pain, palpitations, neurological and cognitive deficits, rashes, and gastrointestinal dysfunction. We present a complex case of a previously well 28-year-old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19. After resolution of her acute symptoms, she continued to experience retrosternal discomfort, shortness of breath, poor memory and severe myalgia. Investigations yielded no significant findings. Given no alternative diagnosis, she was diagnosed with ‘long COVID’.

Cannabis-Induced Hypodopaminergic Anhedonia and Cognitive Decline in Humans: Embracing Putative Induction of Dopamine Homeostasis

Over years, the regular use of cannabis has substantially increased among young adults, as indicated by the rise in cannabis use disorder (CUD), with an estimated prevalence of 8. 3% in the United States. Research shows that exposure to cannabis is associated with hypodopaminergic anhedonia (depression), cognitive decline, poor memory, inattention, impaired learning performance, reduced dopamine brain response-associated emotionality, and increased addiction severity in young adults. The addiction medicine community is increasing concern because of the high content of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) currently found in oral and vaping cannabis products, the cognitive effects of cannabis may become more pronounced in young adults who use these cannabis products. Preliminary research suggests that it is possible to induce 'dopamine homeostasis,' that is, restore dopamine function with dopamine upregulation with the proposed compound and normalize behavior in chronic cannabis users with cannabis-induced hypodopaminergic anhedonia (depression) and cognitive decline. This psychological, neurobiological, anatomical, genetic, and epigenetic research also could provide evidence to use for the development of an appropriate policy regarding the decriminalization of cannabis for recreational use.

ДЕТСКИЕ ЧЕРЕПНО-МОЗГОВЫЕ ТРАВМЫ И ИХ ПОСЛЕДСТВИЯ / CHILDHOOD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES

Черепно-мозговые травмы – довольно частое явление в детском возрасте. В результате черепно-мозговых травм могут наблюдаться разнообразные двигательные, когнитивные и познавательные нарушения, а также такие психические процессы, как расстройства памяти, восприятия, внимания и речи. Успешное лечение требует систематического реабилитационного подхода. / Pediatric cranio-cerebral injuries, which are quite common, are likely to result in a range of traumatic injuries: motional, cognitive and perceptive. Childhood brain injuries are associated with such subsequent mental illnesses and processes as poor memory functioning, distorted perception, attention and speech disorders. Effective treatment process requires an integrated and systematic rehabilitation approach.

Dementia Diagnosis and Challenges in Minority Populations

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are underdiagnosed in the United States, with potentially higher rates of underdiagnosis among minority groups. Our objective was to examine perceptions of dementia, the utility and timeliness of diagnosis, and experiences obtaining diagnosis and care in minorities. We recruited 17 family caregivers of African American (n=11), Latino (n=3), and Asian (n=3) persons with dementia (PWD) to complete surveys and semi-structured interviews. Caregivers were mostly female (n=14), children of PWD (n=14), and had greater than high school education (n=16). Mean PWD age at diagnosis was 76 years (range 63-90) with mean 17 months from symptom observation to diagnosis (range 0.5-36 months). Interview themes were coded using a grounded theory approach. Emerging themes related to concerns prior to diagnosis, diagnosis experiences, timeliness of diagnosis, ways to improve diagnosis and care, familiarity with dementia, and stigma. Poor memory was the most common early concern; caregivers also noted behavioral symptoms, weight loss, family stress, and PWD vulnerability. Caregivers recalled key moments when they knew something was wrong. Primary care was the most frequent starting point in diagnosis; longstanding primary care relationships both facilitated and hindered diagnosis. Nine of the 17 caregivers felt diagnosis was delayed. Caregivers preferred clinicians who were forthcoming with the diagnosis and what to expect and noted the importance of family meetings or counseling. Prior experience or knowledge of dementia was common. Caregiver perspectives and experiences elicited in this study may be translated to interventions and clinical practices that proactively detect and address dementia in minorities.

Do Memory Problems in Older Drivers Impact Driving Frequency in Metro Versus Non-Metro Communities?

Perceived memory problems may cause older adults to limit functional activities such as driving. For those individuals living in non-metropolitan communities, greater distances between activities, lack of public transportation, and fewer support systems may make reducing driving frequency less feasible. We hypothesized that older adults in non-metropolitan communities would be more likely to continue frequent driving even if they also perceived memory problems. We used the National Health and Aging Trends Study to examine the association between reported memory difficulty and the frequency of driving. These data were then stratified by metropolitan versus non-metropolitan classification using both ordinal logistic regression and Chi-Squared testing. In both metropolitan and non-metropolitan communities, respondents were more likely to report reductions in driving frequency if they also reported memory problems. However, in both metropolitan and non-metropolitan communities, the majority of respondents reporting fair or poor memory continued to report frequent driving; and, there were no statistical differences in frequency of reported driving between metropolitan and non-metropolitan respondents. These analyses suggest that strategies are necessary in both metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas to help older drivers with perceived memory difficulties to recognize when they need to limit driving. Further research is necessary to determine which strategies are likely to be effective in metropolitan and/or non-metropolitan communities.