Age-group-specific association of oral health and systemic health on cognitive function: a cross-sectional study of Korean elders.

BACKGROUND: Although the importance of oral and systemic healthcare for elderly people is increasing owing to the rapid ageing of the population in South Korea, studies on the relationship between oral health, systemic health, and cognitive function, as well as on the prediction of cognitive function by oral and systemic health depending upon age groups are lacking. METHODS: We included 5,975 out of 6,488 participants from the 8th wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) panel data, divided the participants into three age groups, and performed a hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis to explain cognitive function with four types of predictors: oral health status, sociodemographic factors, objective health status, and subjective health status. RESULTS: Oral health status was positively correlated with systemic health status and cognitive function. Of all ages over 54, cognitive function was significantly predicted by oral health variables, such as the number of functional teeth, masticatory ability, and Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI); sociodemographic variables, such as age, sex, education level, and residence; and systemic health variables, such as diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, cancer or malignant tumours, cerebrovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis, depressive symptom, and self-rated health status. Oral health variables explained cognitive function differently by age group; GOHAI appeared important predictor in the group aged < 75 years, whereas the number of functional teeth did in the group aged ≥ 75 years. Educational level, masticatory ability, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health status were pivotal factors age-independently. CONCLUSIONS: The general and age-group-specific association between oral health, systemic health, and cognitive function were confirmed, suggesting that age-group-specific oral healthcare should be emphasized for the effective management of systemic and cognitive health in the elderly group.

Genetic and environmental contributions to psychopathological symptoms in adulthood: Clarifying the role of individual and parental risk factors.

Psychopathology-related suicide attempts and deaths are increasing, and the research focus remains on mental disorder in childhood and adolescence. We examined the genetic and environmental contributions to internalizing, externalizing, and general psychopathological distress to clarify the role of individual/parental risk factors for suicide in young adults. Data from 1206 young adults were obtained from a publicly available dataset from the Human Connectome Project. Heritability estimates were analyzed by twin modelling using OpenMx and data from a subsample of 402 monozygotic and dizygotic twins. The estimated prevalence of psychopathological symptoms ranged from 9 to 16%. The heritability of internalizing, externalizing, and general psychopathological distress reached significance, with estimates ranging from 22 to 46%. Shared (common) environments contributed to aggressive behavior (30 %). Determining factors for psychopathological distress (internalizing, externalizing, general) were evaluated using logistic regression analysis. Household income (<$50,000), childhood conduct problems, and maternal drug or alcohol problems were common risk factors of internalizing, externalizing, and general psychopathological distress. Marijuana dependence and maternal anxiety were additional risk factors of externalizing distress. The presence of alcohol and maternal drug or alcohol problems was linked to general psychopathological distress. The results highlight risk factors associated with psychopathological symptoms that should be considered in the early detection of high-risk groups and implementation of family-based interventions. Providing continuous care and/or follow-up in at-risk children and young adults may improve mental health and well-being.

Psychological Resilience Enhances the Orbitofrontal Network in the Elderly With Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Background: It has been suggested that maintaining the efficient organization of the brain's functional connectivity (FC) supports neuroflexibility under neurogenerative stress. This study examined psychological resilience-related FC in 112 older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: Using a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) approach, we investigated reorganization of the orbitofrontal gyrus (OFG)/amygdala (AMG)/hippocampus (HP)/parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) FC according to the different levels of resilience scale. Results: Compared with the low resilient group, the high resilient group had greater connectivity strengths between the left inferior OFG and right superior OFG (P < 0.05, Bonferroni corrected), between the right inferior OFG and left PHG (P < 0.05, Bonferroni corrected), and between the right middle OFG and left PHG (false discovery rate < 0.05). Conclusion: Psychological resilience may be associated with enhancement of the orbitofrontal network in the elderly with MCI.