China Initiative for Multi-Domain Intervention (CHINA-IN-MUDI) to Prevent Cognitive Decline: Study Design and Progress.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common type of irreversible dementia, is predicted to affect 152 million people by 2050. Evidence from large-scale preventive randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on modifiable risk variables in Europe has shown that multi-domain lifestyle treatments for older persons at high risk of dementia may be practical and effective. Given the substantial differences between the Chinese and European populations in terms of demographics and living conditions, direct adoption of the European program in China remains unfeasible. Although a RCT has been conducted in China previously, its participants were mainly from rural areas in northern China and, thus, are not representative of the entire nation.There is an urgent need to establish cohorts that represent different economic, cultural, and geographical situations in order to explore implementation strategies and evaluate the effects of early multi-domain interventions more comprehensively and accurately. MEDTODS: We developed an integrated intervention procedure implemented in urban neighborhood settings, namely China Initiative for Multi-Domain Intervention (CHINA-IN-MUDI). CHINA-IN-MUDI is a 2-year multicenter open-label cluster-randomised controlled trial centered around a Chinese-style multi-domain intervention to prevent cognitive decline. Participants aged 60-80 years were recruited from a nationally representative study, i.e. China Healthy Aging and Dementia Study cohort. An external harmonization process was carried out to preserve the original FINGER design. Subsequently, we standardized a series of Chinese-style intervention programs to align with cultural and socioeconomic status. Additionally, we expanded the secondary outcome list to include genomic and proteomic analyses. To enhance adherence and facilitate implementation, we leveraged an e-health application. RESULTS: Screening commenced in July 2022. Currently, 1,965 participants have been randomized into lifestyle intervention (n = 772) and control groups (n = 1,193). Both the intervention and control groups exhibited similar baseline characteristics. Several lifestyle and vascular risk factors were present, indicating a potential window of opportunity for intervention. The intervention will be completed by 2025. CONCLUSIONS: This project will contribute to the evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of intervention strategies in controlling AD risk and reducing clinical events, providing a basis for public health decision-making in China.

Extracapsular dissection versus partial superficial parotidectomy for the treatment of benign parotid tumours.

The purpose of this study was to compare the complications of patients treated for a benign parotid tumour (BPT) by extracapsular dissection (ECD) vs. partial superficial parotidectomy (PSP). A comprehensive literature investigation was conducted by searching electronic databases. A systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative studies were performed to assess ECD and PSP for the treatment of BPTs with fixed-effects models. The outcomes analysed were transient or permanent facial nerve injury, Frey syndrome, recurrence rate, infection, and salivary fistula/sialocele. A total of 1641 patients from seven studies (1120 ECD-treated and 521 PSP-treated patients) were included in this meta-analysis. Transient facial nerve injury (odds ratio (OR)=0.28, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.11-0.71; p=0.008) and Frey syndrome (OR=0.12, 95% CI: 0.03-0.48; p=0.003) were less prevalent in the ECD group. The rates of permanent facial nerve injury (OR=0.77, 95% CI: 0.35-1.70; p=0.520), recurrence rate (OR=0.17, 95% CI: 0.02-1.75; p=0.14), infection (OR=0.70, 95% CI: 0.07-6.67; p=0.76), and salivary fistula/sialocele (OR=0.40, 95% CI: 0.06-2.66; p=0.350) were similar in both groups. Although there was a trend that ECD showed a reduced risk for complications, the present results are not sufficient to conclude that ECD is more beneficial than PSP.

Enhanced default mode network connectivity with ventral striatum in subthreshold depression individuals.

Subthreshold depression (StD) is a highly prevalent condition associated with increased service utilization and social morbidity. Nevertheless, due to limitations in current diagnostic systems that set the boundary for major depressive disorder (MDD), very few brain imaging studies on the neurobiology of StD have been carried out, and its underlying neurobiological mechanism remains unclear. In recent years, accumulating evidence suggests that the disruption of the default mode network (DMN), a network involved in self-referential processing, affective cognition, and emotion regulation, is involved in major depressive disorder. Using independent component analysis, we investigated resting-state default mode network (DMN) functional connectivity (FC) changes in two cohorts of StD patients with different age ranges (young and middle-aged, n = 57) as well as matched controls (n = 79). We found significant FC increase between the DMN and ventral striatum (key region in the reward network), in both cohorts of StD patients in comparison with controls. In addition, we also found the FC between the DMN and ventral striatum was positively and significantly associated with scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), a measurement of depressive symptomatology. We speculate that this enhanced FC between the DMN and the ventral striatum may reflect a self-compensation to ameliorate the lowered reward function.

Uptake of non-invasive prenatal testing in Chinese women: money matters.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of free invasive prenatal testing on the uptake of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). STUDY DESIGN: Over a 2-year period at a Chinese tertiary prenatal diagnostic unit, women at risk of fetal trisomy were given the option of NIPT or invasive prenatal testing. Invasive prenatal testing was offered free of charge to women with a local Hukou (household registration); however, women without a local Hukou were charged for invasive prenatal testing. Both women with and without a local Hukou were charged for NIPT. RESULTS: During the first year, 2647 women with a positive trisomy 21 screening test were referred (474 women with a local Hukou and 2173 women without a local Hukou). Only 1.6% of the women with a local Hukou underwent NIPT, while this proportion was 20.6% in the women without a local Hukou. During the second year, the price of NIPT was reduced. The total number of women referred was 3047 (502 women with a local Hukou and 2545 women without a local Hukou). The uptake of NIPT in women without a local Hukou doubled, but the uptake of NIPT remained stable in women with a local Hukou. CONCLUSION: The financial impact on the uptake of NIPT should not be underestimated.

Chorionic villus sampling for early prenatal diagnosis: Experience at a mainland Chinese hospital.

The aim of this study was to describe the experience of transabdominal chorionic villus sampling (CVS) at a mainland Chinese hospital. During a 7-year period, 1,172 pregnant women chose to have CVS for prenatal diagnosis. Details and outcome of all of these cases were reviewed. The median maternal age was 29 years (range 19-45). The median gestational age was 12 weeks (range 10-14). Fetal karyotyping and thalassaemia couples were the main indications (97.2%). Overall, 112 (9.7%) chromosomal abnormalities were identified. There were 91 (7.8%) major chromosomal abnormalities, including autosomal trisomy in 70 patients, sex chromosomal abnormalities in 17, triploidy in two and unbalanced chromosomal rearrangement abnormality in two. Additionally, 137 fetuses with severe thalassaemia syndrome were found, including 86 homozygous ß-thalassaemia, and 51 homozygous α-thalassaemia or non-deletional haemoglobin H disease. The procedure failed to obtain an adequate sample in four (0.3%) patients. There were 229 pregnancies terminated for medical indications after CVS. There were three (0.3%) potentially procedure-related fetal losses. CVS is a safe and reliable prenatal diagnostic technique. It should be one of the options available to pregnant women who require prenatal diagnosis.