The association between household and family composition and mental health of the elderly: mediating role of lifestyle.

BACKGROUND: Mental health in the elderly has multiple determinants, and studies indicate household and family composition, economic status, and family support are key factors. However, these are difficult to modify, and better lifestyle for the elderly can be a possible intervention. The current study examined the mediating role of lifestyle in the association between these three types of the household and family composition (living alone, living with a spouse, and living with children) and mental health in older adults. METHODS: We studied 5,407 participants (58.7% female, age 45 + years) from the Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative Project. All participants underwent a battery of examinations to measure degree loneliness, depression, and global cognitive function. We also surveyed personal lifestyles. We used a mediation analysis to determine the relative contribution of each lifestyle factor on mental health outcomes. RESULTS: Older adults living alone rarely participated in mental and social activities and often had irregular diets; those adults living with children spent most of their time caring for grandchildren and had irregular eating and sleeping schedules; those living with a spouse often engaged in a variety of leisure activities and had the best life habits. Mediation analyses showed that dietary and sleeping irregularity partially mediated the negative effects of living alone on mental health, and were moderated by age and gender. CONCLUSIONS: Living with a spouse was associated with benefits for the mental health of middle-aged and older adults (especially older and female individuals), through modifying better lifestyles than those of individuals with the other two types of the household and family composition.

Cerebellar gray matter and white matter damage among older adults with prediabetes.

AIMS: To investigate alterations in cerebrum and cerebellum in prediabetes. Cerebellar injury in diabetes is traceable, but it has not been systematically studied, and whether cerebellar injury occurs and the degree of damage in prediabetes are not known. METHODS: The current study investigated cerebral and cerebellar gray matter volume, white matter volume, white matter microstructure and white matter hyperintensity on T1-weighted, T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and diffusion tensor imaging scans in 78 individuals with normal glucose metabolism, 92 with prediabetes, and 108 with type 2 diabetes. RESULTS: Participants with prediabetes showed significant gray matter and white matter atrophy, microstructural damage in the cerebellar and cerebral regions. Additionally, widespread structural alterations were observed in the diabetic stage. The function of the damaged brain area was further decoded in Neurosynth, and the damaged cerebellar area with prediabetic lesions was closely related to motor function, while the area affected by diabetes was related to complex cognitive function in addition to motor function. CONCLUSIONS: Cerebellar injury had already appeared in the prediabetic stage, and cerebellar injury was aggravated in the diabetic stage; therefore, the cerebellum is a key area that is damaged early in the development of diabetes.

Mapping Brain Synergy Dysfunction in Schizophrenia: Understanding Individual Differences and Underlying Molecular Mechanisms.

To elucidate the brain-wide information interactions that vary and contribute to individual differences in schizophrenia (SCZ), an information-resolved method is employed to construct individual synergistic and redundant interaction matrices based on regional pairwise BOLD time-series from 538 SCZ and 540 normal controls (NC). This analysis reveals a stable pattern of regionally-specific synergy dysfunction in SCZ. Furthermore, a hierarchical Bayesian model is applied to deconstruct the patterns of whole-brain synergy dysfunction into three latent factors that explain symptom heterogeneity in SCZ. Factor 1 exhibits a significant positive correlation with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) positive scores, while factor 3 demonstrates significant negative correlations with PANSS negative and general scores. By integrating the neuroimaging data with normative gene expression information, this study identifies that each of these three factors corresponded to a subset of the SCZ risk gene set. Finally, by combining data from NeuroSynth and open molecular imaging sources, along with a spatially heterogeneous mean-field model, this study delineates three SCZ synergy factors corresponding to distinct symptom profiles and implicating unique cognitive, neurodynamic, and neurobiological mechanisms.

Age-related enhancement of the association between episodic memory and gray matter volume in medial temporal and frontal lobes.

BACKGROUND: Episodic memory (EM) deteriorates as a result of normal aging as well as Alzheimer's disease. The neural underpinnings of such age-related memory impairments in older individuals are not well-understood. Although previous research has unveiled the association between gray matter volume (GMV) and EM in the elderly population, such findings exhibit variances across distinct age cohorts. Consequently, an investigation into the dynamic evolution of this relationship with advancing age is imperative. RESULT: The present study utilized a sliding window approach to examine how the correlation between EM and GMV varied with age in a cross-sectional sample of 926 Chinese older adults. We found that both verbal EM (VEM) and spatial EM (SEM) exhibited positive correlations with GMV in extensive areas primarily in the temporal and frontal lobes and that these correlations typically became stronger with older age. Moreover, there were variations in the strength of the correlation between EM and GMV with age, which differed based on sex and the specific type of EM. Specifically, the association between VEM and GMVs in the insula and parietal regions became stronger with age for females but not for males, whereas the association between SEM and GMVs in the parietal and occipital regions became stronger for males but not for females. At the brain system level, there is a significant age-related increase in the correlations between both types of EM and the GMV of both the anterior temporal (AT) system and the posterior medial (PM) system in male group. In females, both types of EM show stronger age-related correlations with the GMV of the AT system compared to males. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed a significant positive correlation between GMV in most regions associated with EM and age, particularly in the frontal and temporal lobes. This discovery offers new insights into the connection between brain structure and the diminishing episodic memory function among older individuals.

Leisure activities as reserve mediators of the relationship between loneliness and cognition in aging.

Previous studies have found that loneliness affects cognitive functions in older persons. However, the influence of loneliness on different cognitive fields and the internal mechanism of the relationship are unclear. A total of 4772 older persons aged above 50 years (Mean = 65.31, SD = 6.96, 57.7% female) were included in this study. All the participants completed the characteristics scale, as well as the loneliness scale, leisure activity scale, and cognitive function tests in six domains. The results showed that 17.6% of participants had high loneliness, while 16.7% of participants had low loneliness. Associations were observed between higher levels of loneliness and lower scores in general cognitive ability, memory, and executive functions. Mediation analysis suggested that leisure activities, encompassing mental, physical, and social activities, were associated with cognitive functions in the context of loneliness. These results indicate that leisure activities may play a significant role in the relationship between loneliness and cognitive functions in older adults. The study highlights the importance of considering leisure activities in this demographic to potentially mitigate the adverse cognitive effects associated with loneliness.

Vascular Risk Factors and Brain Health in Aging: Insights from a Community-Based Cohort Study.

Background: The aging population and high rates of Alzheimer's disease (AD) create significant medical burdens, prompting a need for early prevention. Targeting modifiable risk factors like vascular risk factors (VRFs), closely linked to AD, may provide a promising strategy for intervention. Objective: This study investigates how VRFs influence cognitive performance and brain structures in a community-based cohort. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 4,667 participants over 50 years old, drawn from the Beijing Ageing Brain Rejuvenation Initiative project, were meticulously examined. Cognitive function and VRFs (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and smoking), were comprehensively assessed through one-to-one interviews. Additionally, a subset of participants (n = 719) underwent MRI, encompassing T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted scans, to elucidate gray matter volume and white matter structural network organization. Results: The findings unveil diabetes as a potent detriment to memory, manifesting in atrophy within the right supramarginal gyrus and diminished nodal efficiency and degree centrality in the right inferior parietal lobe. Hypertension solely impaired memory without significant structural changes. Intriguingly, individuals with comorbid diabetes and hypertension exhibited the most pronounced deficits in both brain structure and cognitive performance. Remarkably, hyperlipidemia emerged as a factor associated with enhanced cognition, and preservation of brain structure. Conclusions: This study illuminates the intricate associations between VRFs and the varied patterns of cognitive and brain structural damage. Notably, the synergistic effect of diabetes and hypertension emerges as particularly deleterious. These findings underscore the imperative to tailor interventions for patients with distinct VRF comorbidities, especially when addressing cognitive decline and structural brain changes.

Altered synaptic currents, mitophagy, mitochondrial dynamics in Alzheimer's disease models and therapeutic potential of Dengzhan Shengmai capsules intervention.

Emerging research suggests a potential association of progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with alterations in synaptic currents and mitochondrial dynamics. However, the specific associations between these pathological changes remain unclear. In this study, we utilized Aß42-induced AD rats and primary neural cells as in vivo and in vitro models. The investigations included behavioural tests, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) analysis, Nissl staining, thioflavin-S staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Golgi-Cox staining, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), immunofluorescence staining, proteomics, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) detection, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) assessment, mitochondrial morphology analysis, electrophysiological studies, Western blotting, and molecular docking. The results revealed changes in synaptic currents, mitophagy, and mitochondrial dynamics in the AD models. Remarkably, intervention with Dengzhan Shengmai (DZSM) capsules emerged as a pivotal element in this investigation. Aß42-induced synaptic dysfunction was significantly mitigated by DZSM intervention, which notably amplified the frequency and amplitude of synaptic transmission. The cognitive impairment observed in AD rats was ameliorated and accompanied by robust protection against structural damage in key brain regions, including the hippocampal CA3, primary cingular cortex, prelimbic system, and dysgranular insular cortex. DZSM intervention led to increased IDE levels, augmented long-term potential (LTP) amplitude, and enhanced dendritic spine density and length. Moreover, DZSM intervention led to favourable changes in mitochondrial parameters, including ROS expression, MMP and ATP contents, and mitochondrial morphology. In conclusion, our findings delved into the realm of altered synaptic currents, mitophagy, and mitochondrial dynamics in AD, concurrently highlighting the therapeutic potential of DZSM intervention.

Cortical lipid metabolic pathway alteration of early Alzheimer's disease and candidate drugs screen.

BACKGROUND: Lipid metabolism changes occur in early Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Yet little is known about metabolic gene changes in early AD cortex. METHODS: The lipid metabolic genes selected from two datasets (GSE39420 and GSE118553) were analyzed with enrichment analysis. Protein-protein interaction network construction and correlation analyses were used to screen core genes. Literature analysis and molecular docking were applied to explore potential therapeutic drugs. RESULTS: 60 lipid metabolic genes differentially expressed in early AD patients' cortex were screened. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that up-regulated genes were mainly focused on mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and mediating the activation of long-chain fatty acids, phosphoproteins, and cholesterol metabolism. Down-regulated genes were mainly focused on lipid transport, carboxylic acid metabolic process, and neuron apoptotic process. Literature reviews and molecular docking results indicated that ACSL1, ACSBG2, ACAA2, FABP3, ALDH5A1, and FFAR4 were core targets for lipid metabolism disorder and had a high binding affinity with compounds including adenosine phosphate, oxidized Photinus luciferin, BMS-488043, and candidate therapeutic drugs especially bisphenol A, benzo(a)pyrene, ethinyl estradiol. CONCLUSIONS: AD cortical lipid metabolism disorder was associated with the dysregulation of the PPAR signaling pathway, glycerophospholipid metabolism, adipocytokine signaling pathway, fatty acid biosynthesis, fatty acid degradation, ferroptosis, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, and fatty acid elongation. Candidate drugs including bisphenol A, benzo(a)pyrene, ethinyl estradiol, and active compounds including adenosine phosphate, oxidized Photinus luciferin, and BMS-488043 have potential therapeutic effects on cortical lipid metabolism disorder of early AD.

Cortical thickness reveals sex differences in verbal and visuospatial memory.

Although previous studies have reported the sex differences in behavior/cognition and the brain, the sex difference in the relationship between memory abilities and the underlying neural basis in the aging process remains unclear. In this study, we used a machine learning model to estimate the association between cortical thickness and verbal/visuospatial memory in females and males and then explored the sex difference of these associations based on a community-elderly cohort (n = 1153, age ranged from 50.42 to 86.67 years). We validated that females outperformed males in verbal memory, while males outperformed females in visuospatial memory. The key regions related to verbal memory in females include the medial temporal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and some regions around the insula. Further, those regions are more located in limbic, dorsal attention, and default-model networks, and are associated with face recognition and perception. The key regions related to visuospatial memory include the lateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, and some occipital regions. They overlapped more with dorsal attention, frontoparietal and visual networks, and were associated with object recognition. These findings imply the memory performance advantage of females and males might be related to the different memory processing tendencies and their associated network.

White Matter Plasticity Underpins Cognitive Gains After Multidomain Adaptive Computerized Cognitive Training.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of computerized cognitive training (CCT) on white matter (WM) neuroplasticity and neuropsychological performance. METHODS: A total of 128 community older adults (64.36 ±â€…6.14 years) were recruited and randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. Participants in the intervention group received a home-based, multidomain, and adaptive CCT for 30 minutes, 2 days per week for 1 year. Neuropsychological assessments, diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and T1-weighted structural MRI were performed at the pre- and post-intervention visits. RESULTS: Eighty-one of 128 participants (41 in the intervention group and 40 in the control group) completed the 1-year intervention, and 61 of them (27 in the intervention group and 34 in the control group) underwent MRI scans twice. After excluding attrition bias, a significant time-by-group interaction on the Stroop Color-Word Test (SCWT; F = 51.85, p < .001) was found, showing improvement in the intervention group and a decline in the control group. At the brain level, the intervention group exhibited increased axial diffusivity in the left posterior thalamic radiation, and this increase was significantly correlated with reduced SCWT reaction time (r = ‒0.42, p = .029). No significant time-by-group interactions were found for gray matter volume. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that conducting multidomain adaptive CCT is an effective and feasible method to counteract cognitive decline in older adults, with WM neuroplasticity underpinning cognitive improvements. This study contributes to the understanding of the neural basis for the beneficial effect of CCT for older adults.

Joint contributions from brain activity and activity-independent functional connectivity to working memory aging.

Working memory (WM) impairment has been well characterized in normal aging. Various studies have explored changes in either the regional activity or the interregional connectivity underlying the aging process of WM. We proposed that brain activity and connectivity would independently alter with aging and affect WM performance. WM was assessed with a classical N-back task during functional magnetic resonance imaging in a community-based sample comprising 168 elderly subjects (aged 55-86 years old). Following the rationale of background functional connectivity, we assessed age-related alterations in brain activity and seed-based interregional connectivity independently. Analyses revealed age-related decrease in positive activity of the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and an increase in the negative activity of the ventral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and the local functional dysfunctions were accompanied by alterations in their connectivity to other cortical regions. Importantly, regional activity impairments in the IPL and ACC could mediate age-related effects on accuracy rate and reaction time, respectively, and those effects were further counterbalanced by enhancement of their background functional connectivity. We thus claimed that age-induced alterations in regional activity and interregional connectivity occurred independently and contributed to WM changes in aging. Our findings presented the way brain activity and functional connectivity interact in the late adulthood, thus providing a new perspective for understanding WM and cognitive aging.

Effect of the duration of hypertension on white matter structure and its link with cognition.

The relation between hypertension (HTN) and cognition has been reported inclusive results, which may be affected by disease duration. Our study aimed to examine the influence of HTN duration on cognition and its underlying white matter (WM) changes including macrostructural WM hyperintensities (WMH) and microstructural WM integrity. A total of 1218 patients aged ≥55 years with neuropsychological assessment and a subgroup of 233 people with imaging data were recruited and divided into 3 groups (short duration: <5 years, medium duration: 5-20 years, long duration: >20 years). We found that greater HTN duration was preferentially related to worse executive function (EF), processing speed (PS), and more severe WMH, which became more significant during long duration stage. The reductions in WM integrity were evident at the early stage especially in long-range association fibers and then scattered through the whole brain. Increasing WMH and decreasing integrity of specific tracts consistently undermined EF. Furthermore, free water imaging method greatly enhanced the sensitivity in detecting HTN-related WM alterations. These findings supported that the neurological damaging effects of HTN is cumulative and neuroimaging markers of WM at macro- and microstructural level underlie the progressive effect of HTN on cognition.

Divergent brain regional atrophy and associated fiber disruption in amnestic and non-amnestic MCI.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the pathological characteristics of various mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subtypes is crucial for the differential diagnosis of dementia. The purpose of this study was to feature divergent symptom-deficit profiles in amnestic MCI (aMCI) and non-amnestic MCI (naMCI). METHODS: T1 and DTI MRI data from a total of 158 older adults with 50 normal controls, 56 aMCI, and 52 naMCI were included. The voxel-wise gray matter volumes and the number of seed-based white matter fiber bundles were compared among these three groups. Furthermore, correlation and mediation analyses between the neuroimaging indices and cognitive measures were performed. RESULTS: The aMCI with specific memory abnormalities was characterized by volumetric atrophy of the left hippocampus but not by damage in the linked white matter fiber bundles. Conversely, naMCI was characterized by both the altered volume of the right inferior frontal gyrus and the significant damage to fiber bundles traversing the region in all three directions, not only affecting fibers around the atrophied area but also distant fibers. Mediation analyses of gray matter-white matter-cognition showed that gray matter atrophy affects the number of fiber bundles and further affects attention and executive function. Meanwhile, fiber bundle damage also affects gray matter volume, which further affects visual processing and language. CONCLUSIONS: The divergent structural damage patterns of the MCI subtypes and cognitive dysfunctions highlight the importance of detailed differential diagnoses in the early stages of pathological neurodegenerative diseases to deepen the understanding of dementia subtypes and inform targeted early clinical interventions.

Multi-domain cognition dysfunction accompanies frontoparietal and temporal amyloid accumulation in the elderly.

It is helpful to understand the pathology of Alzheimer's disease by exploring the relationship between amyloid-ß accumulation and cognition. The study explored the relationship between regional amyloid-ß accumulation and multiple cognitions and study their application value in the Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. 135 participants completed 18F-florbetapir Positron Emission Tomography (PET), structural MRI, and a cognitive battery. Partial correlation was used to examine the relationship between global and regional amyloid-ß accumulation and cognitions. Then, a support vector machine was applied to determine whether cognition-related accumulation regions can adequately distinguish the cognitively normal controls (76 participants) and mild cognitive impairment (30 participants) groups or mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease (29 participants) groups. The result showed that amyloid-ß accumulation regions were mainly located in the frontoparietal cortex, calcarine fissure, and surrounding cortex and temporal pole regions. Episodic memory-related regions included the frontoparietal cortices; executive function-related regions included the frontoparietal, temporal, and occipital cortices; and processing speed-related regions included the frontal and occipital cortices. Support vector machine analysis showed that only episodic memory-related amyloid-ß accumulation regions had better classification performance during the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Assessing regional changes in amyloid, particularly in frontoparietal regions, can aid in the early detection of amyloid-related decline in cognitive function.

Effect of transversus abdominis plane block combined with low-dose dexmedetomidine on elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy.

Introduction: Colon cancer is a common malignancy, for which surgery is currently the preferred therapy. Aim: To assess the effect of transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB) combined with low-dose dexmedetomidine on elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy. Material and methods: Sixty-two elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy between March 2021 and March 2022 were randomly selected and equally divided into Group A (low-dose dexmedetomidine) and Group B (TAPB + low-dose dexmedetomidine) by the randomized double-blind method. The treatment outcomes were compared. Results: The resting and active Visual Analogue Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores were lower in Group B than those in Group A at 6 h, 1 day, 2 days and 3 days after operation (p < 0.05). The two groups had no significant differences in the levels of cluster of differentiation 4+ (CD4+), CD8+ and free Cor, CD4+/CD8+ ratio and NK cell level before anesthesia (p > 0.05). At 24 h after the operation, the level of CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ ratio and NK cell level were higher in Group B than those in Group A, and the levels of CD8+ and free Cor were lower in Group B (p < 0.05). Group B had higher partial pressure of oxygen ((45.52 ±11.14) mm Hg) and pH (7.42 ±0.06) (p < 0.05) and lower partial pressure of carbon dioxide ((4.05 ±0.32) mm Hg) than those of Group A (p < 0.05). Conclusions: TAPB combined with low-dose dexmedetomidine can exert better anesthetic, analgesic and sedative effects, and ameliorate stress responses.

Brain development mediates the relationship between self-reported poor parental monitoring and adolescent anxiety.

Adolescence is the peak period for the onset of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Brain networks of cognitive and affective control in adolescents are not well developed when their exposure to external stimuli suddenly increases.Reasonable parental monitoring is especially important during this period.To examine the role of parental monitoring in the development of functional brain networks of GAD, we conducted a cross-validation-based predictive study based on the functional brain networks of 192 participants. We found that a set of functional brain networks, especially the default mode network and its connectivity with the frontoparietal network, could predict the ages of adolescents, which was replicated in three independent samples.Importantly, the difference between predicted age and chronological age significantly mediated the relationship between parental monitoring and anxiety levels. These findings suggest that inadequate parental monitoring plays a crucial role in the delayed development of specific brain networks associated with GAD in adolescents. Our work highlights the important role of parental monitoring in adolescent development.

Prebiotics modulate the microbiota-gut-brain axis and ameliorate cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice.

PURPOSE: Prebiotics, including fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), stimulate beneficial gut bacteria and may be helpful for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aimed to compare the effects of FOS and GOS, alone or in combination, on AD mice and to identify their underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Six-month-old APP/PS1 mice and wild-type mice were orally administered FOS, GOS, FOS + GOS or water by gavage for 6 weeks and then subjected to relative assays, including behavioral tests, biochemical assays and 16S rRNA sequencing. RESULTS: Through behavioral tests, we found that GOS had the best effect on reversing cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice, followed by FOS + GOS, while FOS had no effect. Through biochemical techniques, we found that GOS and FOS + GOS had effects on multiple targets, including diminishing Aß burden and proinflammatory IL-1ß and IL-6 levels, and changing the concentrations of neurotransmitters GABA and 5-HT in the brain. In contrast, FOS had only a slight anti-inflammatory effect. Moreover, through 16S rRNA sequencing, we found that prebiotics changed composition of gut microbiota. Notably, GOS increased relative abundance of Lactobacillus, FOS increased that of Bifidobacterium, and FOS + GOS increased that of both. Furthermore, prebiotics downregulated the expression levels of proteins of the TLR4-Myd88-NF-κB pathway in the colons and cortexes, suggesting the involvement of gut-brain mechanism in alleviating neuroinflammation. CONCLUSION: Among the three prebiotics, GOS was the optimal one to alleviate cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice and the mechanism was attributed to its multi-target role in alleviating Aß pathology and neuroinflammation, changing neurotransmitter concentrations, and modulating gut microbiota.

Formation of a PVP-protected C/UO2/Pt catalyst in a direct ethanol fuel cell.

In order to solve the problem that UO2 in direct ethanol fuel cell anode catalysts is easily lost in acidic solution, resulting in the degradation of catalytic performance, this paper prepared a C/UO2/PVP/Pt catalyst in three steps by adding polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The test results by XRD, XPS, TEM and ICP-MS showed that PVP had a good encapsulation effect on UO2, and the actual loading rates of Pt and UO2 were similar to the theoretical values. When 10% PVP was added, the dispersion of Pt nanoparticles was significantly improved, which reduced the particle size of Pt nanoparticles and provided more ethanol electrocatalytic oxidation reaction sites. The test results by electrochemical workstation showed that the catalytic activity as well as the stability of the catalysts were optimized due to the addition of 10% PVP.

SORL1 rs1699102 Moderates the Effect of Sex on Language Network.

BACKGROUND: Language ability differs between the sexes. However, it is unclear how this sex difference is moderated by genetic factors and how the brain interacts with genetics to support this specific language capacity. Previous studies have demonstrated that the sorting protein-related receptor (SORL1) polymorphism influences cognitive function and brain structure differently in males and females and is associated with Alzheimer's disease risk. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sex and the SORL1 rs1699102 (CC versus T carriers) genotype on language. METHODS: 103 non-demented Chinese older adults from Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative (BABRI) database were included in this study. Participants completed language tests, T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and resting-state functional MRI. Language test performance, gray matter volume, and network connections were compared between genotype and sex groups. RESULTS: The rs1699102 polymorphism moderated the effects of sex on language performance, with the female having reversed language advantages in T carriers. The T allele carriers had lower gray matter volume in the left precentral gyrus. The effect of sex on language network connections was moderated by rs1699102; male CC homozygotes and female T carriers had higher internetwork connections, which were negatively correlated with language performance. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that SORL1 moderates the effects of sex on language, with T being a risk allele, especially in females. Our findings underscore the importance of considering the influence of genetic factors when examining sex effects.

Naoxin'an capsules protect brain function and structure in patients with vascular cognitive impairment.

Introduction: Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is one of the most common types of dementia. Naoxin'an capsule (NXA), a traditional Chinese medicine compound, has been used to treat VCI for a long time in the clinic. Previous studies proved that the NXA capsules could ameliorate the cerebral mitochondrion deficits of VCI animals. This study aimed to investigate the protectiveness of NXA on human brain structure and function in patients with VCI. Methods: In total, 100 VCI patients were enrolled in this 24-week trial and randomly divided into the NXA capsules group (n = 50) and the ginkgo biloba capsules control group (n = 50). Before and after the treatment, cognitive behavior tests and multimodal brain magnetic resonance imaging were analyzed to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of NXA treatment on VCI patients after 24 weeks. Results: We found that the NXA group significantly improved overall cognitive ability (Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive section, p = 0.001; Mini-Mental Status Examination, p = 0.003), memory (Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure test, p < 0.001) and executive function (Trail Making Test-A, p = 0.024) performance after treatment compared with the control group. For brain function, the degree of centrality in the left middle frontal gyrus, right postcentral gyrus, and left supplementary motor area increased in the NXA group and decreased in the ginkgo biloba group after treatment. The fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) of the left precentral and right superior parietal gyrus increased, and the fALFF of the right parahippocampal and left inferior temporal gyrus decreased in the NXA group after treatment. For brain structure, the gray matter density of the left postcentral gyrus increased in the NXA group after treatment, and the total volume of white matter hyperintensity showed a decreasing trend but was not statistically significant. Furthermore, the improvement effect of NXA on executive function was associated with changes in brain function. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the NXA capsules improved cognitive performance and multiregional brain function, as well as gray matter structure in the postcentral gyrus.