The differential role of socioeconomic status dimensions in depressive symptoms of aging adults: data from the Hamburg City Health cohort Study.

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) has consistently been associated with depressive symptoms, however, it remains unclear which subset of SES variables is most relevant to the development of depressive symptoms. This study determined a standardized SES-Index to test the relationship of its sub-dimensions with depressive symptoms. Methods: HCHS data (N = 10,000; analysis sample n = 8,400), comprising participants 45+ years of age, was used. A standardized approach to quantify SES was employed. Depressive symptoms were quantified using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Using multiple linear regression models, PHQ-9-scores were modeled as a function of age and sex, and (1a) total SES-Index score versus (1b) its three sub-dimension scores (education, occupational status, income). Models were compared on explained variance and goodness of fit. We determined risk ratios (RR, concerning a PHQ-9 sum score ≥ 10) based on (low, middle, high; 2a) SES-Index scores and (2b) the sub-dimension scores, with groups further differentiated by sex and age (45-64 versus 65+). We distinguished between the total SES-Index score and its three sub-dimension scores to identify relevant SES sub-dimensions in explaining PHQ-9-variability or risk of depression. Results: Among all regression models (total explained variance 4-6%), income explained most variance, but performance of the SES-Index was comparable. Low versus high income groups showed the strongest differences in depressive trends in middle-aged females and males (RRs 3.57 and 4.91). In older age, this result was restricted to females (RR ≈ 2). Middle-aged males (versus females) showed stronger discrepancies in depressive trends pertaining to low versus high SES groups. In older age, the effect of SES was absent. Education was related to depressive trends only in middle-aged females and males. In an exploratory analysis, marital status and housing slightly increased model fit and explained variance while including somatic symptoms lead to substantial increases (R2 adj = 0.485). Conclusion: In line with previous research, the study provides evidence for SES playing a significant role in depressive symptoms in mid to old age, with income being robustly linked to depressive trends. Overall, the relationship between SES and depressive trends appears to be stronger in males than females and stronger in mid compared to old age.

Do we really need ligands in Ir-catalyzed C-H borylation?

Direct borylation of C-H bonds is a privileged strategy to access versatile building blocks and valuable derivatives of complex molecules (late-stage functionalization, metabolite synthesis). This perspective aims to provide an overview and classification of the catalytic systems developed in this fast-growing area of research. Unexpected selectivity differences between two established directed-borylation systems have been discovered using high-throughput experimentation highlighting the importance of classical control experiments in catalysis research.

Markers of Biological Brain Aging Mediate Effects of Vascular Risk Factors on Cognitive and Motor Functions: A Multivariate Imaging Analysis of 40,579 Individuals.

The increasing global life expectancy brings forth challenges associated with age-related cognitive and motor declines. To better understand underlying mechanisms, we investigated the connection between markers of biological brain aging based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cognitive and motor performance, as well as modifiable vascular risk factors, using a large-scale neuroimaging analysis in 40,579 individuals of the population-based UK Biobank and Hamburg City Health Study. Employing partial least squares correlation analysis (PLS), we investigated multivariate associative effects between three imaging markers of biological brain aging - relative brain age, white matter hyperintensities of presumed vascular origin, and peak-width of skeletonized mean diffusivity - and multi-domain cognitive test performances and motor test results. The PLS identified a latent dimension linking higher markers of biological brain aging to poorer cognitive and motor performances, accounting for 94.7% of shared variance. Furthermore, a mediation analysis revealed that biological brain aging mediated the relationship of vascular risk factors - including hypertension, glucose, obesity, and smoking - to cognitive and motor function. These results were replicable in both cohorts. By integrating multi-domain data with a comprehensive methodological approach, our study contributes evidence of a direct association between vascular health, biological brain aging, and functional cognitive as well as motor performance, emphasizing the need for early and targeted preventive strategies to maintain cognitive and motor independence in aging populations.

Can a nature walk change your brain? Investigating hippocampal brain plasticity after one hour in a forest.

In cities, the incidence of mental disorders is higher, while visits to nature have been reported to benefit mental health and brain function. However, there is a lack of knowledge about how exposure to natural and urban environments affects brain structure. To explore the causal relationship between exposure to these environments and the hippocampal formation, 60 participants were sent on a one hour walk in either a natural (forest) or an urban environment (busy street), and high-resolution hippocampal imaging was performed before and after the walks. We found that the participants who walked in the forest had an increase in subiculum volume, a hippocampal subfield involved in stress response inhibition, while no change was observed after the urban walk. However, this result did not withstand Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Furthermore, the increase in subiculum volume after the forest walk was associated with a decrease in self-reported rumination. These results indicate that visits to nature can lead to observable alterations in brain structure, with potential benefits for mental health and implications for public health and urban planning policies.

Differences in impact of current and former shift work on cardiovascular risk factors, carotid atherosclerosis, and white matter integrity.

Study Objectives: The association of shift work (SW) and disrupted circadian rhythm with markers of large artery atherosclerosis and cerebral small vessel disease is uncertain. We aimed to study the separate association of current and former SW with these markers. Methods: We included participants from the population-based Hamburg City Health Study. SW was defined by monthly working hours between 06:00 pm and 07:00 am containing night shifts for at least 12 months. Cross-sectional data were obtained from structured questionnaires, laboratory analyses, physical examinations, brain magnetic resonance imaging, and carotid ultrasound. We performed multivariable regression analysis with carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and peak-width skeletonized mean diffusivity (PSMD) as dependent variables. Results: Three hundred and forty-four current, 238 former, and 7162 never-shift workers were included. The median age was 60 years for both current and former shift workers, and total duration of SW was comparable for the two groups. Current shift workers were less frequently female (27.3% vs. 44.5%; p < .001), had more frequent hyperlipidemia (31.5% vs. 22.3%; p = .024), and diabetes (16.2% vs. 3.2%; p < .001). After adjustment for age and sex, reduced quality of sleep (ß = 1.61, p = .001) and low education (ß = 2.63, p < .001) were associated with current but not former SW. Adjusted for age and sex, the current SW was associated with higher CIMT (ß = 0.02, p = .001) and PSMD (ß = 9.06e-06, p = .006), whereas former SW was not. Adjusted for risk factors, current SW remained associated with PSMD (ß = 9.91e-06, p = .006) but not with CIMT. Conclusions: Current SW was associated with CIMT and with PSMD, with the latter association remaining after adjustment for risk factors. Former SW showed no associations with CIMT or PSMD. This may indicate that current SW is linked with increased neurovascular risk through disrupted circadian rhythms. Trial Registration Information: The trial was submitted at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, under NCT03934957 on January 4, 2019. The first participant was enrolled in February 2016.

Blue skies: Does the visual composition of sky guide subjective judgments of naturalness in the environment?

Expanding on previous findings, that highlighted the significance of sky in environmental perception, our analysis investigated whether the visual composition of the sky shapes perceptions of environmental naturalness. The study employed a novel, free-selection task in which participants viewed a series of environmental images with varying levels of natural and urban elements, as well as different sky visibility conditions, and were asked to identify "nature" within these images. The task procedure also involved subjective ratings of each scene. Using previously gathered data, we reassessed 105 participants' selection of the sky as "nature" across 96 photos of diverse outdoor scenes to understand which visuospatial features influence these perceptions. Utilizing the Boruta feature selection algorithm, we identified key characteristics-fractal dimensions, brightness, and entropy in brightness, hue, and saturation-that significantly predicted the selection of sky as "nature", irrespective of the environment type (urban or natural). Results indicated that lower fractal dimensions are preferred for sky selected as "nature", inversely affecting the naturalness judgment of scenes with the additional effect of brightness. These findings enhance our understanding of how visuospatial features influence environmental perception, offering implications for future research directions and theoretical advancements in understanding environmental perception.

Digital nature: Unveiling the impact and safety of FlowVR group intervention for depression in a feasibility trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study addresses the limitations of existing interventions for depression, such as a deficit-oriented focus, overlooking the utilization of positive elements such as nature, and neglecting the incorporation of group effects. The present feasibility study examines FlowVR, a resource-oriented, nature-inspired virtual reality (VR)-based group therapy. Previously tested individually in a pilot study for non-clinical participants, FlowVR has demonstrated positive effects on depressive symptoms. This study assesses the impact and safety of FlowVR in a group setting within a clinical sample using a one-armed study design. METHOD: Forty-two inpatients and day patients with depression were recruited. Before and after the FlowVR intervention period of 4 weeks (two sessions per week), depressive symptoms were assessed (Beck Depression Inventory-II; BDI). Symptomatology (i.e., depressive symptoms), depression-associated variables (i.e., self-efficacy), intervention-specific variables (feeling of flow), and VR-specific variables (simulator sickness) were assessed before and after each session. RESULTS: Linear mixed effect models showed that symptomatology (depression, negative affect, current anxiety), depression-associated constructs (self-efficacy, motivation), and intervention-specific variables (flow) improved over the course of the sessions. No variable deteriorated more in one session compared to any other session. The lasso regression identified five potential predictors for the change in depression (BDI-II), yet these could not be validated in a subsequent linear regression analysis. CONCLUSION: To conclude, FlowVR had the hypothesized positive impact over the course of the sessions, showing, for example, improvements in symptomatology. The sessions have demonstrated safety with no notable deteriorations. Therefore, FlowVR is deemed safe for clinical patients and group settings. However, further research is needed to explore predictors for the change in depression.

Symptom Network Analysis in a Large Sample of Children and Adults with a Chronic Tic Disorder.

BACKGROUND: Chronic tic disorders (CTD) are multifaceted disorders characterized by multiple motor and/or vocal tics. They are often associated with complex tics including echophenomena, paliphenomena, and coprophenomena as well as psychiatric comorbidities such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to uncover the inter-relational structure of CTD and comorbid symptoms in children and adults and to understand changes in symptom structure across development. METHODS: We used network and graph analyses to uncover the structure of association of symptoms in childhood/adolescence (n = 529) and adulthood (n = 503) and how this structure might change from childhood to adulthood, pinpointing core symptoms as a main target for interventions. RESULTS: The analysis yielded core symptom networks in young and adult patients with CTD including complex tics and tic-related phenomena as well as touching people and objects. Core symptoms in childhood also included ADHD symptoms, whereas core symptoms in adults included symptoms of OCD instead. Interestingly, self-injurious behavior did not play a core role in the young CTD network, but became one of the central symptoms in adults with CDT. In addition, we found strong connections between complex motor and vocal tics as well as echolalia and echopraxia. CONCLUSIONS: Next to other complex tics, echophenomena, paliphenomena, and coprophenomena can be regarded core symptoms of CTD. ADHD symptoms are closely related to CTD in childhood, whereas symptoms of OCD and self-injurious behavior are closely associated with CTD in adults. Our results suggest that a differentiation between motor and vocal tics is somewhat arbitrary.

Are we afraid of the woods? - An investigation of the implicit and explicit fear reactions to forests.

The beneficial effects of nature exposure have been repeatedly documented and encourage frequent and regular contact with nature and especially highlight forests. However, in human history, forests have also been associated with negative emotions such as fear and were seen as dangerous environments. While existing literature could demonstrate that natural environments can evoke fear, the focus was on the explicit perception. Given that research has shown the significance of additional implicit processes in fear-related behaviour, we aim to explore the presence of an implicit fear response to forests. Therefore, in an online study, we investigated the explicit and implicit fear reactions to forests by a Northern German sample of N = 256. Using three explicit measurements, we investigated fear and danger perception on a semantic and visual level of the stimulus category "forest" compared to the human-made urban green space "park" and the urban setting "house". Additionally, we assessed the unconscious response tendencies towards the forest within three implicit tasks: Subliminal Priming Procedure (SPP), Affect Misattribution Procedure (AMP) and Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT). Within the analyzed sample, the subliminally presented word forest evoked a stronger positive valence response compared to park (SPP). In contrast to houses, the forest showed a stronger approach and weaker avoidance tendency (AAT). At the same time, both the three explicit and one implicit measurement (AMP) showed a stronger fear perception of forests compared to parks or houses. Considering the increasingly utilised beneficial effects of nature in interventions, these findings should be acknowledged when implementing nature exposure in interventions and treatments.

Infant Care: Predictors of Outdoor Walking, Infant Carrying and Infant Outdoor Sleeping.

BACKGROUND: Although spending time outdoors is beneficial for development, little is known about outdoor time during infancy. The aim of this study was to assess frequencies and durations of (1a) outdoor walking and carrying in mother-infant dyads and (1b) infant outdoor sleeping in a stationary cot or pram. We furthermore aimed to identify associations of (2a) outdoor walking and carrying and (2b) infant outdoor sleeping, with infant, maternal and environmental sample characteristics. METHODS: An online survey was distributed among mothers of 0- to 12-month-old infants. Initially, 1453 mothers were recruited, of which 1275 were included in the analyses. With respect to (1a) the outcomes of interest were: mother-infant dyads' total weekly duration of walking in minutes, frequency of walking on weekdays, as well as weekends, and the frequency of using an infant carrier during walks, as well as the daily duration of carrying in hours (indoors and outdoors together). With respect to (1b) the outcome variables were: placing the infant outdoors to sleep (yes/no), the total weekly duration of outdoor sleeping and the weekly frequency of outdoor sleeping. For aim 2, associations of the outcome variables with infant (i.e., age), maternal (i.e., working status) and environmental (i.e., house type) sample characteristics were assessed. RESULTS: Mother-infant dyads engaged in walks for a total weekly duration of 201 min, for approximately one to three walks over weekdays (Monday through Friday), as well as one to three walks on the weekend. The infant carrier was used by 22% of mothers at least half of the time during outdoor walks, and 18% reported a daily duration of infant carrying of one hour or more. Among other associations, infant and maternal enjoyment of outdoor walking correlated positively with the duration as well as the frequency of walking during weekdays and during the weekend. Furthermore, employed mothers walked for a shorter duration and less frequently on weekdays as compared to mothers on maternity leave or mothers without a paid job. The availability of nearby recreational areas correlated positively with the weekly duration and frequency of walks. The infant carrier was used more frequently during outdoor walks if more than one child lived in the household. Infant carrying during outdoor walks was also related to infant behavior at night. Roughly a third of the mothers (29%) regularly had their infant sleep outdoors for a weekly duration of four hours and a weekly frequency of approximately one to two times. Younger infants, infants of mothers with higher education and infants living in detached houses were more likely to be placed outdoors to sleep. DISCUSSION: We identified associations of infant, maternal and environmental characteristics with outdoor time spent during infancy. These results lay the foundation for future research on the effects of the outdoors on child development as well as on facilitators and barriers for caregivers.

Low-Level Visual Features of Window Views Contribute to Perceived Naturalness and Mental Health Outcomes.

Previous studies have shown that natural window views are beneficial for mental health, but it is still unclear which specific features constitute a 'natural' window view. On the other hand, studies on image analysis found that low-level visual features (LLVFs) are associated with perceived naturalness, but mainly conducted experiments with brief stimulus presentations. In this study, research on the effects of window views on mental health was combined with the detailed analysis of LLVFs. Healthy adults rated window views from their home and sent in photographs of those views for analysis. Content validity of the 'ecological' view assessment was evaluated by checking correlations of LLVFs with window view ratings. Afterwards, it was explored which of the LLVFs best explained variance in perceived percentage of nature and man-made elements, and in ratings of view quality. Criterion validity was tested by investigating which variables were associated with negative affect and impulsive decision-making. The objective and subjective assessments of nature/sky in the view were aligned but objective brightness was unreliable. The perceived percentage of nature was significantly explained by green pixel ratio, while view quality was associated with fractals, saturation, sky pixel ratio and straight edge density. The higher subjective brightness of rooms was associated with a lower negative affect, whereas results for impulsive decision-making were inconsistent. The research highlights the validity to apply LLVFs analysis to ecological window views. For affect, subjective brightness seemed to be more relevant than LLVFs. For impulsive decision-making, performance context needs to be controlled in future studies.

Linking Cognitive Integrity to Working Memory Dynamics in the Aging Human Brain.

Aging is accompanied by a decline of working memory, an important cognitive capacity that involves stimulus-selective neural activity that persists after stimulus presentation. Here, we unraveled working memory dynamics in older human adults (male and female) including those diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using a combination of behavioral modeling, neuropsychological assessment, and MEG recordings of brain activity. Younger adults (male and female) were studied with behavioral modeling only. Participants performed a visuospatial delayed match-to-sample task under systematic manipulation of the delay and distance between sample and test stimuli. Their behavior (match/nonmatch decisions) was fit with a computational model permitting the dissociation of noise in the internal operations underlying the working memory performance from a strategic decision threshold. Task accuracy decreased with delay duration and sample/test proximity. When sample/test distances were small, older adults committed more false alarms than younger adults. The computational model explained the participants' behavior well. The model parameters reflecting internal noise (not decision threshold) correlated with the precision of stimulus-selective cortical activity measured with MEG during the delay interval. The model uncovered an increase specifically in working memory noise in older compared with younger participants. Furthermore, in the MCI group, but not in the older healthy controls, internal noise correlated with the participants' clinically assessed cognitive integrity. Our results are consistent with the idea that the stability of working memory contents deteriorates in aging, in a manner that is specifically linked to the overall cognitive integrity of individuals diagnosed with MCI.

Videogame training increases clinical well-being, attention and hippocampal-prefrontal functional connectivity in patients with schizophrenia.

Recent research shows that videogame training enhances neuronal plasticity and cognitive improvements in healthy individuals. As patients with schizophrenia exhibit reduced neuronal plasticity linked to cognitive deficits and symptoms, we investigated whether videogame-related cognitive improvements and plasticity changes extend to this population. In a training study, patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls were randomly assigned to 3D or 2D platformer videogame training or E-book reading (active control) for 8 weeks, 30 min daily. After training, both videogame conditions showed significant increases in sustained attention compared to the control condition, correlated with increased functional connectivity in a hippocampal-prefrontal network. Notably, patients trained with videogames mostly improved in negative symptoms, general psychopathology, and perceived mental health recovery. Videogames, incorporating initiative, goal setting and gratification, offer a training approach closer to real life than current psychiatric treatments. Our results provide initial evidence that they may represent a possible adjunct therapeutic intervention for complex mental disorders.

Randomized Controlled Trial on Imaginal Retraining for Problematic Alcohol Use: A Dismantling Study.

Imaginal retraining (IR) is an approach-avoidance procedure that has shown promising results in previous studies. The aim of the present study was to dismantle the efficacy of IR's components in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). We conducted a RCT with nine conditions comprising eight intervention groups and a waitlist control group (WLC). Alcohol craving (primary outcome), consumption, depressive symptoms, quality of life, subjective appraisal, and side effects were assessed online at baseline, post intervention (6 weeks), and follow-up (12 weeks). The sample consisted of 426 participants (age: M = 47.22, SD = 11.82, women: 50.5%). The intervention groups received instructions for four different components of IR (mood induction, mental avoidance of unhealthy stimuli, motor avoidance of unhealthy stimuli, approach to healthy stimuli) that were each conveyed with or without prior psychoeducation (PE). The intervention was delivered online. At total of 163 individuals (42.9%) used the intervention at least once. No group differences were found for any primary or secondary outcome after Sidák correction. Uncorrected statistics showed effects of significantly decreased alcohol consumption for the approach + PE group in the intention-to-treat and the merged motor avoidance group in the per-protocol analyses at post assessment compared with the WLC. Exploratory moderation analyses revealed that individuals with high visualization skills benefited most. The authors conclude that visualization training and motivational components may increase the efficacy and adherence of IR.

How emotional contexts modulate item memory in individuals with high and low negative affect and worry.

Emotional stimuli are usually remembered with high confidence. Yet, it remains unknown whether-in addition to memory for the emotional stimulus itself-memory for a neutral stimulus encountered just after an emotional one can be enhanced. Further, little is known about the interplay between emotion elicited by a stimulus and emotion relating to affective dispositions. To address these questions, we examined (1) how emotional valence and arousal of a context image preceding a neutral item image affect memory of the item, and (2) how such memory modulation is affected by two hallmark features of emotional disorders: trait negative affect and tendency to worry. In two experiments, participants encoded a series of trials in which an emotional (negative, neutral, or positive) context image was followed by a neutral item image. In experiment 1 (n = 42), items presented seconds after negative context images were remembered better and with greater confidence compared to those presented after neutral and positive ones. Arousal ratings of negative context images were higher compared to neutral and positive ones and the likelihood of correctly recognizing an item image was related to higher arousal of the context image. In experiment 2 (n = 59), better item memory was related to lower trait negative affect. Participants with lower trait negative affect or tendency to worry displayed higher confidence compared to those with high negative affect or tendency to worry. Our findings describe an emotional "carry-over" effect elicited by a context image that enhances subsequent item memory on a trial-by-trial basis, however, not in individuals with high trait negative affect who seem to have a general memory disadvantage.

Deficits in memory metacognitive efficiency in late adulthood are related to distinct brain profile.

The tendency of falsely remembering events that did not happen in the past increases with age. This is particularly evident in cases in which features presented at study are re-presented at test in a recombined constellation (termed rearranged pairs). Interestingly, older adults also express high confidence in such false memories, a tendency that may indicate reduced metacognitive efficiency. Within an existing cohort study, we aimed at investigating age-related differences in memory metacognitive efficiency (as measured by meta d' ratio) in a sample of 1522 older adults and 397 young adults. The analysis showed an age-related deficit in metacognition which was more pronounced for rearranged pairs than for new pairs. We then explored associations between cortical thickness and memory metacognitive efficiency for rearranged pairs in a subsample of 231 older adults. By using partial least square analysis, we found that a multivariate profile composed by ventromedial prefrontal cortex, insula, and parahippocampal cortex was uniquely associated with between-person differences in memory metacognitive efficiency. These results suggest that the impairment in memory metacognitive efficiency for false alarms is a distinct age-related deficit, above and beyond a general age-related decline in memory discrimination, and that it is associated with brain regions involved in metacognitive processes.

Spatial characteristics of non-communicable diseases and their associations to social conditions in a large urban cohort in Germany-Results from the Hamburg City Health Study.

BACKGROUND: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for many deaths. They are associated with several modifiable and metabolic risk factors and are therefore prone to significant regional variations on different scales. However, only few intra-urban studies examined spatial variation in NCDs and its association with social circumstances, especially in Germany. Thus, the present study aimed to identify associations of personal risk factors and local social conditions with NCDs in a large German city. METHODS: This study is based on a population-based cohort of the Hamburg City Health Study including 10,000 probands. Six NCDs were analyzed (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], coronary heart disease [CHD], diabetes mellitus, heart failure, depression, and hypertension) in 68 city district clusters. As risk factors, we considered socio-demographic variables (age, sex, education) and risk behaviour variables (smoking, alcohol consumption). Logistic regression analyses identified associations between the district clusters and the prevalence rates for each NCD. Regional variation was detected by Gini coefficients and spatial cluster analyses. Local social condition indexes were correlated with prevalence rates of NCDs on city district level and hot-spot analyses were performed for significant high or low values. RESULTS: The analyses included 7,308 participants with a mean age of 63.1 years (51.5% female). The prevalence of hypertension (67.6%) was the highest. Risk factor associations were identified between smoking, alcohol consumption and education and the prevalence of NCDs (hypertension, diabetes, and COPD). Significant regional variations were detected and persisted after adjusting for personal risk factors. Correlations for prevalence rates with the local social conditions were significant for hypertension (r = 0.294, p < 0.02), diabetes (r = 0.259, p = 0.03), and COPD (r = 0.360, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that regional differences in NCD prevalence persist even after adjusting for personal risk factors. This highlights the central role of both personal socio-economic status and behaviors such as alcohol and tobacco consumption. It also highlights the importance of other potential regional factors (e.g. the environment) in shaping NCD prevalence. This knowledge helps policy- and decision-makers to develop intervention strategies.

A latent clinical-anatomical dimension relating metabolic syndrome to brain structure and cognition.

The link between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and neurodegenerative as well as cerebrovascular conditions holds substantial implications for brain health in at-risk populations. This study elucidates the complex relationship between MetS and brain health by conducting a comprehensive examination of cardiometabolic risk factors, brain morphology, and cognitive function in 40,087 individuals. Multivariate, data-driven statistics identified a latent dimension linking more severe MetS to widespread brain morphological abnormalities, accounting for up to 71% of shared variance in the data. This dimension was replicable across sub-samples. In a mediation analysis, we could demonstrate that MetS-related brain morphological abnormalities mediated the link between MetS severity and cognitive performance in multiple domains. Employing imaging transcriptomics and connectomics, our results also suggest that MetS-related morphological abnormalities are linked to the regional cellular composition and macroscopic brain network organization. By leveraging extensive, multi-domain data combined with a dimensional stratification approach, our analysis provides profound insights into the association of MetS and brain health. These findings can inform effective therapeutic and risk mitigation strategies aimed at maintaining brain integrity.

Subjective evaluation of home environment and levels of self-reported depression in middle to old age: Results from the HCHS study.

OBJECTIVES: The immediate living environment might, like other lifestyle factors, be significantly related to mental well-being. The current study addresses the question whether five relevant subjective home environment variables (i.e., protection from disturbing nightlight, daylight entering the home, safety at home, quality of window views, and noise disturbance) are associated with levels of self-reported depression over and above well-known sociodemographic and common lifestyle variables. METHODS: Data from the Hamburg City Health Study (HCHS) were analyzed. In N = 8757 with available PHQ-9 depression data, multiple linear regression models were computed, with demographic data, lifestyle variables, and variables describing the subjective evaluation of the home environment. RESULTS: The model explained 15% of variance in depression levels, with ratings for the subjective evaluation of home environment accounting for 6%. Better protection from disturbing light at night, more daylight entering the home, feeling safer, and perceived quality of the window views, were all significantly associated with lower, while more annoyance by noise was associated with higher levels of self-reported depression. Results did not differ if examining a sample of the youngest (middle-aged participants: 46-50 years) versus oldest (70-78 years) participants within HCHS. CONCLUSION: Beyond studying the role of lifestyle factors related to self-reported depression, people's homes may be important for subclinical levels of depression in middle and older age, albeit the direction of effects or causality cannot be inferred from the present study. The development of a consensus and tools for a standardized home environment assessment is needed.

Neural correlates of an illusionary sense of agency caused by virtual reality.

Sense of agency (SoA) is the sensation that self-actions lead to ensuing perceptual consequences. The prospective mechanism emphasizes that SoA arises from motor prediction and its comparison with actual action outcomes, while the reconstructive mechanism stresses that SoA emerges from retrospective causal processing about the action outcomes. Consistent with the prospective mechanism, motor planning regions were identified by neuroimaging studies using the temporal binding (TB) effect, a behavioral measure often linked to implicit SoA. Yet, TB also occurs during passive observation of another's action, lending support to the reconstructive mechanism, but its neural correlates remain unexplored. Here, we employed virtual reality (VR) to modulate such observation-based SoA and examined it with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). After manipulating an avatar hand in VR, participants passively observed an avatar's "action" and showed a significant increase in TB. The binding effect was associated with the right angular gyrus and inferior parietal lobule, which are critical nodes for inferential and agency processing. These results suggest that the experience of controlling an avatar may potentiate inferential processing within the right inferior parietal cortex and give rise to the illusionary SoA without voluntary action.