Test-retest reliability of brain responses to risk-taking during the balloon analogue risk task.

The Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) provides a reliable and ecologically valid model for the assessment of individual risk-taking propensity and is frequently used in neuroimaging and developmental research. Although the test-retest reliability of risk-taking behavior during the BART is well established, the reliability of brain activation patterns in response to risk-taking during the BART remains elusive. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and evaluated the test-retest reliability of brain responses in 34 healthy adults during a modified BART by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Dice's similarity coefficients (DSC). Analyses revealed that risk-induced brain activation patterns showed good test-retest reliability (median ICC â€‹= â€‹0.62) and moderate to high spatial consistency, while brain activation patterns associated with win or loss outcomes only had poor to fair reliability (median ICC â€‹= â€‹0.33 for win and 0.42 for loss). These findings have important implications for future utility of the BART in fMRI to examine brain responses to risk-taking and decision-making.

Volume, density, and thickness brain abnormalities in mild cognitive impairment: an ALE meta-analysis controlling for age and education.

Prior meta-analyses have provided important information regarding which brain areas are structurally compromised in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). These studies have not however separated volume, density, and thickness, controlled for important demographic influences, considered null findings, or recognized studies indicating increased brain volumes in MCI individuals. Furthermore, there is a question as to whether deficits extend into cortical regions, and also into the thalamus. This study aims to address these issues using activation likelihood estimation (ALE) analyses with a sample size more than twice that of prior meta-analyses. A total of 71 studies were identified and entered into the ALE analysis which consisted of 2262 with MCI and 1902 healthy controls. Three major clusters were identified showing decreased gray matter volume in the MCI group compared to controls, with the most salient decreases being in the hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, and the amygdala. Reduced thalamic volume was also observed, but to a lesser extent. Density was reduced in the left hippocampus, while thickness was reduced in the uncus. No significant cluster emerged from an ALE meta-analysis of studies finding volume increases in MCI individuals. While the MCI group was significantly older and less educated than controls, controlling for these factors still resulted in significant, albeit attenuated findings. These results support hippocampal and parahippocampal deficits in MCI, and further highlight the amygdala, thalamus, and uncus as other areas to be considered in future MCI studies.

A Distinct Epidemiologic Pattern of Precancerous Lesions of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in a High-risk Area of Huai'an, Jiangsu Province, China.

Better understanding of esophageal precancerous lesions (EPL) can inform prevention strategies for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Here, a cross-sectional epidemiologic study based on the Early Diagnosis and Early Treatment Project of Esophageal Cancer database from 2011 to 2017 was performed to fully investigate and characterize the epidemiology of EPL in rural Huai'an District. Data of 11,518 participants ages 35-75 years were collected through face-to-face interviews by questionnaire. Participants underwent a routine endoscopy examination, tissues were biopsied, and diagnosed according to the histologic criteria of dysplasia. Unconditional univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to obtain crude and adjusted odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals, respectively. A total of 667 subjects were diagnosed with EPL. Factors associated with an increased risk of EPL included: drinking shallow well water and surface water, irregular diet, excessive smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke, consumption of corn, corn flour, pickled food, fried food, and hot food, and having a history of digestive system diseases. In addition, liquor use, but not other alcohol types, contributed to risk of EPL. Consumption of deep well water and vegetables, fruits, and animal livers were associated with lower EPL risk. This study suggested a completely distinct pattern that alcohol use plays only a minor role in EPL and excessive tobacco use shows a significant association in rural Huai'an District, while eating habits and environmental exposure may be the dominant factors. This work may be promising to provide scientific evidence to support primary prevention of ESCC in this region.