Subclinical structural atypicality of retinal thickness and its association with gray matter volume in the visual cortex of maltreated children.

Childhood maltreatment is reportedly associated with atypical gray matter structures in the primary visual cortex (V1). This study explores the hypothesis that retinal structures, the sensory organs of vision, are associated with brain atypicality and child maltreatment and examines their interrelation. General ophthalmologic examinations, visual cognitive tasks, retinal imaging, and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were conducted in children and adolescents aged 9-18 years with maltreatment experiences (CM) and typically developing (TD) children. The retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), the most superficial of the ten distinct retinal layers, was found to be significantly thinner in both eyes in CM. While whole-brain analysis using Voxel-based morphometry revealed a significantly larger gray matter volume (GMV) in the thalamus in CM, no significant correlation with RNFL thickness was observed. However, based on region-of-interest analysis, a thinner RNFL was associated with a larger GMV in the right V1. Although it cannot be ruled out that this outcome resulted from maltreatment alone, CM demonstrated subclinical structural atypicality in the retina, which may also correlate with the immaturity of V1 development. Examination of retinal thickness offers a novel clinical approach to capturing characteristics associated with childhood maltreatment.

Brain structures and functional connectivity in neglected children with no other types of maltreatment.

Child maltreatment can adversely affect brain development, leading to vulnerabilities in brain structure and function and various psychiatric disorders. Among the various types of child maltreatment, neglect has the highest incidence rate (76.0%); however, data on its sole adverse influence on the brain remain limited. This case-control brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study identified the changes in gray matter structure and function that distinguish neglected children with no other type of maltreatment (Neglect group, n = 23) from typically developing children (TD group, n = 140), and investigated the association between these structural and functional differences and specific psychosocial phenotypes observed in neglected children. Our results showed that the Neglect group had a larger right and left anterior cingulate cortex (R/L.ACC) and smaller left angular gyrus (L.AG) gray matter volume. The larger R/L.ACC was associated with hyperactivity and inattention. Resting-state functional analysis showed increased functional connectivity (FC) between the left supramarginal gyrus (L.SMG) in the salience network (SN) and the right middle frontal gyrus (R.MFG) simultaneously with a decrease in FC with the L.ACC for the same seed. The increased FC for the R.MFG was associated with difficulty in peer problems and depressive symptoms; a mediating effect was evident for depressive symptoms. These results suggest that the structural atypicality of the R/L.ACC indirectly contributes to the disturbed FCs within the SN, thereby exacerbating depressive symptoms in neglected children. In conclusion, exposure to neglect in childhood may lead to maladaptive brain development, particularly neural changes associated with depressive symptoms.

Diffusion tensor imaging of white-matter structural features of maltreating mothers and their associations with intergenerational chain of childhood abuse.

Child abuse causes lifelong adverse outcomes for both physical and mental health, although many are resilient. Efforts to prevent this issue from the parental side require an understanding of the neurobiological basis that leads abusive parents to perpetrate abuse and the influence of the intergenerational chain of childhood abuse. Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the brain white-matter fiber structures between 11 maltreating mothers who had been recognized as having conducted child abuse prior to the intervention and 40 age-matched control mothers using tract-based spatial statistics. There was a significantly reduced axial diffusivity (AD) and a similar trend in fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right corticospinal tract in maltreating mothers compared to control mothers. Therefore, maltreating mothers may have excessive control over the forcefulness of voluntary movements. These features also decreased as the number of childhood abuse experiences increased, suggesting that an intergenerational chain of child abuse may also be involved. Other aspects observed were that the higher the current depressive symptoms, the lower the AD and FA values; however, they were not related to parental practice or empathy. These results corroborate the neurobiological features that perpetrate behaviors in abusive mothers.

Benefits of Wasabi Supplements with 6-MSITC (6-Methylsulfinyl Hexyl Isothiocyanate) on Memory Functioning in Healthy Adults Aged 60 Years and Older: Evidence from a Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive functions decline with age. Declined cognitive functions negatively affect daily behaviors. Previous studies showed the positive effect of spices and herbs on cognition. In this study, we investigated the positive impact of wasabi, which is a traditional Japanese spice, on cognitive functions. The main bioactive compound of wasabi is 6-MSITC (6 methylsulfinyl hexyl isothiocyanate), which has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory functions. Anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories have an important role in cognitive health. Therefore, 6-MSITC is expected to have positive effects on cognitive function. Previous studies showed the beneficial effects on cognitive functions in middle-aged adults. However, it is unclear that 6-MSITC has a positive effect on cognitive functions in healthy older adults aged 60 years and over. Here, we investigated whether 12 weeks' 6-MSITC intervention enhances cognitive performance in older adults using a double-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT). METHODS: Seventy-two older adults were randomly assigned to 6-MSITC or placebo groups. Participants were asked to take a supplement (6-MSITC or a placebo) for 12 weeks. We checked a wide range of cognitive performances (e.g., executive function, episodic memory, processing speed, working memory, and attention) at the pre- and post-intervention periods. RESULTS: The 6-MSITC group showed a significant improvement in working and episodic memory performances compared to the placebo group. However, we did not find any significant improvements in other cognitive domains. DISCUSSION: This study firstly demonstrates scientific evidence that 6-MSITC may enhance working memory and episodic memory in older adults. We discuss the potential mechanism for improving cognitive functions after 6-MSITC intake.

Auditory Cognitive Training Improves Brain Plasticity in Healthy Older Adults: Evidence From a Randomized Controlled Trial.

The number of older adults is increasing globally. Aging is associated with cognitive and sensory decline. Additionally, declined auditory performance and cognitive function affect the quality of life of older adults. Therefore, it is important to develop an intervention method to improve both auditory and cognitive performances. The current study aimed to investigate the beneficial effects of auditory and cognitive training on auditory ability and cognitive functions in healthy older adults. Fifty healthy older adults were randomly divided into four training groups-an auditory-cognitive training group (AC training; n = 13), an auditory training group (A training; n = 13), a cognitive training group (C training; n = 14), and an active control group (n = 12). During the training period, we reduced the sound intensity level in AC and A training groups and increase training task difficulty in AC, A, and C training groups based on participants' performance. Cognitive function measures [digit-cancelation test (D-CAT); logical memory (LM); digit span (DS)], auditory measures [pure-tone audiometry (PTA)], and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were performed before and after the training periods. We found three key findings. First, the AC training group showed difference between other training groups (A, C, and active control training groups) in regional gray matter volume (rGMV) in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the left inferior temporal gyrus (L. ITG), the left superior frontal gyrus, the left orbitofrontal cortex, the right cerebellum (lobule 7 Crus 1). Second, the auditory training factor groups (ATFGs, the AC and A training groups) improved auditory measures and increased the rGMV and functional connectivity (FC) in the left temporal pole compared to the non-ATFGs (the C training group and active control group). Third, the cognitive training factor groups (CTFGs; the AC and C training groups) showed statistically significant improvement in cognitive performances in LM and D-CAT compared to the non-CTFGs (the A training group and active control group). Therefore, the auditory training factor and cognitive training factor would be useful in enhancing the quality of life of older adults. The current AC training study, the plasticity of the brain structure was observed after 4 weeks of training.

Subjective hearing handicap is associated with processing speed and visuospatial performance in older adults without severe hearing handicap.

OBJECTIVE: Age-related hearing loss is a common disorder with significant consequences for quality of life. This study assessed the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE) and cognition (Mini Mental State Exam; MMSE, Logical Memory; LM, Symbol Search; SS, Stroop Test; ST, and Mental Rotation; MR) to investigate which cognitive domains are most strongly involved with hearing self-assessment in older adults. METHODS: The HHIE and cognitive measures were administered to 196 older adults (average age = 67.7 ± 4.3 years, male 56, female 140) without cognitive impairment and without severe hearing handicap. We conducted permutation tests of multiple regression analysis of the standardized scores on the HHIE and cognitive tests. RESULTS: HHIE showed a significant negative correlation between processing speed performance on the SS (standardized ß = -0.095, adjusted p = 0.04) and visuospatial performance on the MR (standardized ß = -0.145, adjusted p = 0.04), and no correlation between the scores of the HHIE and either episodic memory performance on the LM (standardized ß = 0.060, adjusted p = 0.22) or executive function performance on the ST (standardized ß = 0.053, adjusted p = 0.32). CONCLUSION: People reporting higher hearing handicaps should watch for poor cognitive function in processing speed and visuospatial abilities. These results imply that higher HHIE can have adverse effects on age-related cognitive decline.

Brain activity predicts future learning success in intensive second language listening training.

This study explores neural mechanisms underlying how prior knowledge gained from pre-listening transcript reading helps comprehend fast-rate speech in a second language (L2) and applies to L2 learning. Top-down predictive processing by prior knowledge may play an important role in L2 speech comprehension and improving listening skill. By manipulating the pre-listening transcript effect (pre-listening transcript reading [TR] vs. no transcript reading [NTR]) and type of languages (first language (L1) vs. L2), we measured brain activity in L2 learners, who performed fast-rate listening comprehension tasks during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Thereafter, we examined whether TR_L2-specific brain activity can predict individual learning success after an intensive listening training. The left angular and superior temporal gyri were key areas responsible for integrating prior knowledge to sensory input. Activity in these areas correlated significantly with gain scores on subsequent training, indicating that brain activity related to prior knowledge-sensory input integration predicts future learning success.