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BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an Artificial Intelligence-Large Language Model (AI-LLM) at improving the readability of hand and wrist radiology reports. METHODS: The radiology reports of 100 hand and/or wrist radiographs, 100 hand and/or wrist computed tomography (CT) scans, and 100 hand and/or wrist magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were extracted. The following prompt command was inserted into the AI-LLM: "Explain this radiology report to a patient in layman's terms in the second person: [Report Text]." The report length, Flesch reading ease score (FRES), and Flesch-Kincaid reading level (FKRL) were calculated for the original radiology report and the AI-LLM-generated report. The accuracy of the AI-LLM report was assessed via a 5-point Likert scale. Any "hallucination" produced by the AI-LLM-generated report was recorded. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant improvement in mean FRES scores and FKRL scores in the AI-LLM-generated radiograph report, CT report, and MRI report. For all AI-LLM-generated reports, the mean reading level improved to below an eighth-grade reading level. The mean Likert score for the AI-LLM-generated radiograph report, CT report, and MRI report was 4.1 ± 0.6, 3.9 ± 0.6, and 3.9 ± 0.7, respectively. The hallucination rate in the AI-LLM-generated radiograph report, CT report, and MRI report was 3%, 6%, and 6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that AI-LLM effectively improves the readability of hand and wrist radiology reports, underscoring the potential application of AI-LLM as a promising and innovative patient-centric strategy to improve patient comprehension of their imaging reports.Level of Evidence: IV.
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BACKGROUND: Cheilectomy of the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) is one of the most common procedures for the management of hallux rigidus. However, there is no consensus regarding outcomes following minimally invasive dorsal cheilectomy (MIDC) for the management of hallux rigidus. AIM: To evaluate outcomes following MIDC for the management of hallux rigidus. METHODS: During November 2023, the PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases were systematically reviewed to identify clinical studies examining outcomes following MIDC for the management of hallux rigidus. RESULTS: Six studies were included. In total, 348 patients (370 feet) underwent MIDC for hallux rigidus at a weighted mean follow-up of 37.9 ± 16.5 months. The distribution of patients by Coughlin and Shurna's classification was recorded in 4 studies as follows: I (58 patients, 27.1%), II (112 patients, 52.3%), III (44 patients, 20.6%). Three studies performed an additional 1st MTPJ arthroscopy and debridement following MIDC. Retained intra-articular bone debris was observed in 100% of patients in 1 study. The weighted mean American orthopedic foot and ankle society score improved from a preoperative score of 68.9 ± 3.2 to a postoperative score of 87.1. The complication rate was 8.4%, the most common of which was persistent joint pain and stiffness. Thirty-two failures (8.7%) were observed. Thirty-three secondary procedures (8.9%) were performed at a weighted mean time of 8.6 ± 3.2 months following the index procedure. CONCLUSION: This systematic review demonstrated improvements in subjective clinical outcomes together with a moderate complication rate following MIDC for the management of hallux rigidus at short-term follow-up. A moderate re-operation rate at short-term follow-up was recorded. The marked heterogeneity between included studies and paucity of high quality comparative studies limits the generation of any robust conclusions.
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BACKGROUND: Innovation has fueled the shift from inpatient to outpatient care for orthopaedic joint arthroplasty. Given this transformation, it becomes imperative to understand what factors help assign care-settings to specific patients for the same procedure. While the comorbidities suffered by patients are important considerations, recent research may point to a more complex determination. Differences in reimbursement structures and patient characteristics across various insurance statuses could potentially influence these decisions. METHODS: Retrospective binary logistic and ordinary least square (OLS) regression analyses were employed on de-identified inpatient and outpatient orthopaedic arthroplasty data from Albany Medical Center from 2018 to 2022. Data elements included surgical setting (inpatient vs. outpatient), covariates (age, sex, race, obesity, smoking status), Elixhauser comorbidity indices, and insurance status. RESULTS: Patients insured by Medicare were significantly more likely to be placed in inpatient care-settings for total hip, knee, and ankle arthroplasty when compared to their privately insured counterparts even after Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) removed each individual surgery from its inpatient-only-list (1.65 (p < 0.05), 1.27 (p < 0.05), and 12.93 (p < 0.05) times more likely respectively). When compared to patients insured by the other payers, Medicare patients did not have the most comorbidities (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Medicare patients were more likely to be placed in inpatient care-settings for hip, knee, and ankle arthroplasty. However, Medicaid patients were shown to have the most comorbidities. It is of value to note Medicare patients billed for outpatient services experience higher coinsurance rates. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.
Subject(s)
Inpatients , Insurance Coverage , Humans , Retrospective Studies , Male , Female , Insurance Coverage/statistics & numerical data , United States , Inpatients/statistics & numerical data , Middle Aged , Aged , Medicare , Medicaid , Orthopedic Procedures/statistics & numerical data , Orthopedic Procedures/economics , OutpatientsABSTRACT
Co-occurring intellectual/developmental disability (IDD) and overweight/obesity (OW/OB) is an important consideration of IDD psychiatric care. The relationship between OW/OB and comorbid diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or IDD remains inadequately described in existing literature. The purpose of this study is to explore these co-occurring diagnoses. Improved understanding of associated comorbidities can guide clinicians toward interventions to minimize complications associated with OW/OB. We conducted a retrospective review of adult patients of a telepsychiatry clinic with IDD or ASD defined by DSM-5. ICD-10 diagnosis of IDD or ASD, demographics, BMI, comorbidities, and current medications were recorded. Binary logistic regression was used to estimate associations between each predictor and the outcomes overweight (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). Prevalence of obesity in these 412 adults was 52.4% (95% CI 47.5, 57.3). There was a significant inverse relationship between IDD severity and the odds of each outcome (p < .001). 80.3% of patients were being actively treated with an antidepressant. Patients taking an antidepressant had twice the odds of obesity (adjusted OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.23, 3.41, p = .006). These findings provide a sense of urgency for prevention of OW/OB and its associated medical sequelae. Prevalence of obesity was higher in this sample compared to the general population. The inverse relationship between IDD severity and OW/OB warrants further research examining age, caregiver involvement, and access to care as potential modifiers.
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PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an Artificial Intelligence-Large Language Model (AI-LLM) at improving the readability of knee radiology reports. METHODS: Reports of 100 knee X-rays, 100 knee computed tomography (CT) scans and 100 knee magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were retrieved. The following prompt command was inserted into the AI-LLM: 'Explain this radiology report to a patient in layman's terms in the second person:[Report Text]'. The Flesch-Kincaid reading level (FKRL) score, Flesch reading ease (FRE) score and report length were calculated for the original radiology report and the AI-LLM generated report. Any 'hallucination' or inaccurate text produced by the AI-LLM-generated report was documented. RESULTS: Statistically significant improvements in mean FKRL scores in the AI-LLM generated X-ray report (12.7 ± 1.0-7.2 ± 0.6), CT report (13.4 ± 1.0-7.5 ± 0.5) and MRI report (13.5 ± 0.9-7.5 ± 0.6) were observed. Statistically significant improvements in mean FRE scores in the AI-LLM generated X-ray report (39.5 ± 7.5-76.8 ± 5.1), CT report (27.3 ± 5.9-73.1 ± 5.6) and MRI report (26.8 ± 6.4-73.4 ± 5.0) were observed. Superior FKRL scores and FRE scores were observed in the AI-LLM-generated X-ray report compared to the AI-LLM-generated CT report and MRI report, p < 0.001. The hallucination rates in the AI-LLM generated X-ray report, CT report and MRI report were 2%, 5% and 5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the promising use of AI-LLMs as an innovative, patient-centred strategy to improve the readability of knee radiology reports. The clinical relevance of this study is that an AI-LLM-generated knee radiology report may enhance patients' understanding of their imaging reports, potentially reducing the responder burden placed on the ordering physicians. However, due to the 'hallucinations' produced by the AI-LLM-generated report, the ordering physician must always engage in a collaborative discussion with the patient regarding both reports and the corresponding images. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.
Subject(s)
Artificial Intelligence , Comprehension , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Humans , Knee Joint/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an Artificial Intelligence Large Language Model (AI-LLM) at improving the readability foot and ankle orthopedic radiology reports. METHODS: The radiology reports from 100 foot or ankle X-Rays, 100 computed tomography (CT) scans and 100 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were randomly sampled from the institution's database. The following prompt command was inserted into the AI-LLM: "Explain this radiology report to a patient in layman's terms in the second person: [Report Text]". The mean report length, Flesch reading ease score (FRES) and Flesch-Kincaid reading level (FKRL) were evaluated for both the original radiology report and the AI-LLM generated report. The accuracy of the information contained within the AI-LLM report was assessed via a 5-point Likert scale. Additionally, any "hallucinations" generated by the AI-LLM report were recorded. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant improvement in mean FRES scores in the AI-LLM generated X-Ray report (33.8 ± 6.8 to 72.7 ± 5.4), CT report (27.8 ± 4.6 to 67.5 ± 4.9) and MRI report (20.3 ± 7.2 to 66.9 ± 3.9), all p < 0.001. There was also a statistically significant improvement in mean FKRL scores in the AI-LLM generated X-Ray report (12.2 ± 1.1 to 8.5 ± 0.4), CT report (15.4 ± 2.0 to 8.4 ± 0.6) and MRI report (14.1 ± 1.6 to 8.5 ± 0.5), all p < 0.001. Superior FRES scores were observed in the AI-LLM generated X-Ray report compared to the AI-LLM generated CT report and MRI report, p < 0.001. The mean Likert score for the AI-LLM generated X-Ray report, CT report and MRI report was 4.0 ± 0.3, 3.9 ± 0.4, and 3.9 ± 0.4, respectively. The rate of hallucinations in the AI-LLM generated X-Ray report, CT report and MRI report was 4%, 7% and 6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: AI-LLM was an efficacious tool for improving the readability of foot and ankle radiological reports across multiple imaging modalities. Superior FRES scores together with superior Likert scores were observed in the X-Ray AI-LLM reports compared to the CT and MRI AI-LLM reports. This study demonstrates the potential use of AI-LLMs as a new patient-centric approach for enhancing patient understanding of their foot and ankle radiology reports. Jel Classifications: IV.
Subject(s)
Artificial Intelligence , Comprehension , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Foot/diagnostic imaging , Ankle/diagnostic imaging , LanguageABSTRACT
This review aims to summarize recent studies regarding the specific modalities of physical therapy as a form of treatment for patients with facial paralysis, analyze the different components of physical therapy, and provide healthcare providers with guidance for their best practice in treating patients with facial paralysis. This paper will discuss the mechanism, indications, and impact factors for facial retraining, evaluate the standards for facial retraining, the creation of a treatment plan, and analyze the combined use of facial retraining with botulinum toxin injections and the application of facial retraining in post facial reanimation patients. Other modes of physical therapy, including electrical stimulation, dry needling, and acupuncture, will be addressed. Lastly, the application of new digital technology will be discussed.
Subject(s)
Botulinum Toxins, Type A , Facial Paralysis , Synkinesis , Humans , Facial Paralysis/therapy , Facial Muscles , Physical Therapy Modalities , Face , Synkinesis/drug therapyABSTRACT
Background: The Broström procedure with suture tape augmentation has become commonplace for surgical treatment of chronic lateral ankle instability. However, there is no consensus among surgeons whether internal bracing of the ATFL alone or a combined ATFL and calcaneofibular ligament (CFL) internal brace produces superior clinical outcomes. This retrospective study aims to investigate whether isolated internal bracing of the ATFL has comparable outcomes to combined ATFL and CFL brace. Methods: There were 85 patients from a single tertiary medical center's electronic medical record identified who underwent an ATFL or ATFL and CFL reconstruction between January 2017 and December 2020. Postoperative outcomes including patient satisfaction, ankle instability, ankle pain, and the need for revision surgery at 1-year follow-up were evaluated. Results: Forty-eight patients underwent isolated ATFL reconstruction, and 37 underwent combined ATFL and CFL reconstruction. The choice was made between the 2 options based on surgeon preference. At 1-year follow-up, postoperative outcomes were statistically indistinguishable between the 2 treatment groups. Conclusion: The modified Broström reconstruction with ATFL and CFL reconstruction with an internal brace did not produce superior functional outcomes measured at 1 year compared to isolated ATFL reconstruction. Further investigation of long-term functional outcomes is needed to evaluate the long-term efficacy of combined or single-ligament reconstruction.Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective study.
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BACKGROUND: Atypical fibroxanthomas (AFX) are rare malignant cutaneous neoplasms. Unfortunately, limited clinicopathologic and outcomes data on this cancer exists. OBJECTIVE: We report the clinical, pathologic, and treatment characteristics, as well as oncologic outcomes in this single-institution retrospective analysis. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study compiled clinical, pathologic, treatment, and outcome data for all patients with AFX on definitive excision diagnosed, evaluated, and treated primarily by surgical resection at a single institution between 2000-2020. Descriptive statistics evaluated clinical and pathologic characteristics. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional-hazards models were used to evaluate overall survival and recurrence-free survival. RESULTS: 78 patients with AFX were identified. The majority were elderly, immunocompetent, Caucasian men. 85% of tumors were located on the head and neck. 63% of patients were correctly diagnosed only after complete resection of the index lesion. The median surgical margin was 1.0 cm. Overall, only 1.3% (1/78) of patients developed a local recurrence (RFS). No patients died of disease. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that resection margins of 1 cm achieve excellent local control with close to 99% RFS and 100% disease-specific survival.
Subject(s)
Skin Neoplasms , Male , Humans , Aged , Retrospective Studies , Skin Neoplasms/pathology , Margins of Excision , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathologyABSTRACT
We propose the hypothesis that small high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) by virtue of their capacity to exchange lipids, affecting neuronal membrane composition and vascular and synaptic functions. Concentrations of small HDLs in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma were measured in 180 individuals ≥60 years of age using ion mobility methodology. Small HDL concentrations in CSF were positively associated with performance in three domains of cognitive function independent of apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 status, age, sex, and years of education. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between levels of small HDLs in CSF and plasma. Further studies will be aimed at determining whether specific components of small HDL exchange across the blood, brain, and CSF barriers, and developing approaches to exploit small HDLs for therapeutic purposes.
Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease , Humans , Alzheimer Disease/cerebrospinal fluid , Apolipoproteins E , Apolipoprotein E4 , Brain , Cognition , Amyloid beta-Peptides/cerebrospinal fluidABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In Canterbury, near complete identification of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases during a limited outbreak provides unique insights into sequelae. AIMS: The current study aimed to measure symptom persistence, time to return to normal activity, generalised anxiety and health-related quality of life (HrQoL) among COVID-19 survivors compared with uninfected participants. METHODS: The authors conducted a prospective cohort study of people tested for COVID-19 by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction of nasopharyngeal swabs from 1 March to 30 June 2020. They enrolled participants who tested positive and negative at a 1:2 ratio, and administered community-acquired pneumonia, 7-item generalised anxiety disorder (GAD-7) and HrQoL (RAND-36) questionnaires. RESULTS: The authors recruited 145 participants, 48 with COVID-19 and 97 without COVID-19. The mean time from COVID-19 testing to completing the health questionnaire was 306 days. The mean age of patients was 46.7 years, and 70% were women. Four (8%) COVID-19-positive and eight (8%) COVID-19-negative participants required hospitalisation. Fatigue (30/48 [63%] vs 13/97 [13%]; P < 0.001), dyspnoea (13/48 [27%] vs 6/97 [6%]; P < 0.001) and chest pain (10/48 [21%] vs 1/97 [1%]; P < 0.001) were persistent in those with COVID-19. Fewer COVID-19-positive participants returned to normal activity levels (35/48 [73%] vs 94/97 97%; P < 0.001), with longer times taken (median 21 vs 14 days; P = 0.007). The GAD-7 and RAND-36 scores of both groups were similar across all anxiety and HrQoL subscales. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent symptoms and longer recovery times were found in COVID-19 survivors, but not impaired generalised anxiety levels or HrQoL compared with COVID-19-uninfected participants.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , Female , Middle Aged , Male , COVID-19/epidemiology , SARS-CoV-2 , COVID-19 Testing , New Zealand/epidemiology , Prospective Studies , Quality of Life , Disease OutbreaksABSTRACT
Disturbances in the brain's capacity to meet its energy demand increase the risk of synaptic loss, neurodegeneration, and cognitive decline. Nutritional and metabolic interventions that target metabolic pathways combined with diagnostics to identify deficits in cerebral bioenergetics may therefore offer novel therapeutic potential for Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevention and management. Many diet-derived natural bioactive components can govern cellular energy metabolism but their effects on brain aging are not clear. This review examines how nutritional metabolism can regulate brain bioenergetics and mitigate AD risk. We focus on leading mechanisms of cerebral bioenergetic breakdown in the aging brain at the cellular level, as well as the putative causes and consequences of disturbed bioenergetics, particularly at the blood-brain barrier with implications for nutrient brain delivery and nutritional interventions. Novel therapeutic nutrition approaches including diet patterns are provided, integrating studies of the gut microbiome, neuroimaging, and other biomarkers to guide future personalized nutritional interventions.
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Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and substance P (SP) are known from animal models and in vitro studies as proinflammatory mediators. In this study, peripheral blood concentrations of H2S and SP were measured in patients with Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteraemia. Fifty patients were recruited from general wards at Christchurch Hospital, during 2020-2021. Samples from age- and sex-matched healthy subjects previously recruited as controls for studies of cardiovascular disease were used as controls. The concentrations of H2S were higher than controls on day 0, day 1, and day 2, and SP was higher than controls on all 4 days. The concentrations of H2S were highest on day 0, whereas SP concentrations were higher on day 2 than other days. Interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein were significantly higher on day 0 and day 1, respectively. The concentrations of H2S and SP did not differ between 15 non-septic (SIRS 0-1) and the 35 septic subjects (SIRS ≥ 2). Substance P concentrations were higher in subjects with abdominal infection than urinary tract infections on day 0 (p = 0.0002) and day 1 (p = 0.0091). In conclusion, the peak H2S concentrations precede the SP peak in patients with Gram-negative bacteraemia, but this response varies with the site of infection.
Subject(s)
Bacteremia , Escherichia coli Infections , Hydrogen Sulfide , Animals , Escherichia coli/metabolism , Humans , Hydrogen Sulfide/metabolism , Klebsiella pneumoniae/metabolism , Substance PABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Mechanistic studies in animal models implicate a role for saturated fatty acids in neurodegeneration, but validation of this finding in human studies is still lacking. OBJECTIVE: We investigated how cerebrospinal levels of sphingomyelins (SM) and phosphatidylcholine (PC)-containing saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids associate with total tau and phosphorylated tau (p-tau). METHODS: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lipids were measured in two cohorts, a discovery and a confirmation cohort of older non-demented individuals from the University of Southern California and Huntington Medical Research Institutes cohorts. Lipid analysis was performed using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography, and individual PC and SM lipid species were measured using tandem mass spectrometry. In addition, CSF levels of Aß42, total tau, and p-tau-181 were measured using an MSD multiplex assay. RESULTS: The discovery cohort (nâ=â47) consisted of older individuals and more females compared to the confirmation cohort (nâ=â46). Notwithstanding the age and gender differences, and a higher p-tau, Aß42, and LDL-cholesterol in the discovery cohort, CSF concentrations of dipalmitoyl-PC (PC32a:0) were significantly associated with p-tau in both cohorts. Similarly, total saturated PC but not mono or polyunsaturated PCs correlated with p-tau concentrations in both cohorts. CONCLUSION: Saturated PC species in CSF associate with early markers of neurodegeneration and are potential early disease progression biomarkers. We propose mechanisms by which saturated PC may promote tau hyperphosphorylation.
Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease , Amyloid beta-Peptides , Alzheimer Disease/cerebrospinal fluid , Amyloid beta-Peptides/cerebrospinal fluid , Animals , Biomarkers/cerebrospinal fluid , Fatty Acids , Female , Humans , Peptide Fragments/cerebrospinal fluid , Phosphatidylcholines , Phosphorylation , Sphingomyelins , tau Proteins/cerebrospinal fluidABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Effective pain management results in improved patient satisfaction, reduced anxiety, and improved comfort. However, concern exists regarding the effects of pain medications on cognition and patient ability to consent for procedures, hospital admission, or to refuse recommended medical interventions. METHODS: This prospective, case-control study was conducted at a Level 1 Trauma Center. Eligible subjects included ED patients ages 18 and older with a triage pain score of 1 or higher, who received non-narcotic analgesic agents. Cognition was measured before and after non-narcotic pain medication using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). A control group consisted of 35 healthy volunteers who completed the DSST at baseline and one hour. RESULTS: Among 46 subjects, the mean age was 33. The mean triage pain score was 7. Before medication, the average DSST score was 39.5. After medication, the average DSST score was 42.9. There was a significant within-subject average change in DSST score (pre-post) of 3.4 (95% confidence interval: 1.6, 5.2), p < 0.001. Among the control group, the mean baseline DSST score was 64.2 (SD 10.7). One hour later the mean DSST score had increased to 71.1 (SD 10.4). Overall, the mean within-subject change over time in DSST was 6.9 (SD 8.0) with 95% CI 4.2 to 9.7. There was not enough evidence to detect relationships between change in DSST scores and age, triage pain, triage HR, triage RR, change in pain scores, gender, ethnicity, mode of arrival nor insurance (all with p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We found significant variation in DSST scores among ED patients with pain. Treatment of pain with nonsedating analgesic agents was not associated with improved scores on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test among ED patients with acute painful conditions, compared to control subjects.
Subject(s)
Acute Pain , Acute Disease , Acute Pain/drug therapy , Adolescent , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Cognition , Emergency Service, Hospital , Humans , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
When reasoning about science studies, people often make causal theory errors by inferring or accepting a causal claim based on correlational evidence. While humans naturally think in terms of causal relationships, reasoning about science findings requires understanding how evidence supports-or fails to support-a causal claim. This study investigated college students' thinking about causal claims presented in brief media reports describing behavioral science findings. How do science students reason about causal claims from correlational evidence? And can their reasoning be improved through instruction clarifying the nature of causal theory error? We examined these questions through a series of written reasoning exercises given to advanced college students over three weeks within a psychology methods course. In a pretest session, students critiqued study quality and support for a causal claim from a brief media report suggesting an association between two variables. Then, they created diagrams depicting possible alternative causal theories. At the beginning of the second session, an instructional intervention introduced students to an extended example of a causal theory error through guided questions about possible alternative causes. Then, they completed the same two tasks with new science reports immediately and again 1 week later. The results show students' reasoning included fewer causal theory errors after the intervention, and this improvement was maintained a week later. Our findings suggest that interventions aimed at addressing reasoning about causal claims in correlational studies are needed even for advanced science students, and that training on considering alternative causal theories may be successful in reducing casual theory error.
Subject(s)
Problem Solving , Students , Humans , WritingABSTRACT
Synaptic dysfunctions precede cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease by decades, affect executive functions, and can be detected by quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG). We used quantitative electroencephalography combined with Stroop testing to identify changes of inhibitory controls in cognitively healthy individuals with an abnormal versus normal ratio of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid/total-tau. We studied two groups of participants (60-94 years) with either normal (CH-NAT or controls, n = 20) or abnormal (CH-PAT, n = 21) CSF amyloid/tau ratio. We compared: alpha event-related desynchronization (ERD), alpha spectral entropy (SE), and their relationships with estimated cognitive reserve. CH-PATs had more negative occipital alpha ERD, and higher frontal and occipital alpha SE during low load congruent trials, indicating hyperactivity. CH-PATs demonstrated fewer frontal SE changes with higher load, incongruent Stroop testing. Correlations of alpha ERD with estimated cognitive reserve were significant in CH-PATs but not in CH-NATs. These results suggested compensatory hyperactivity in CH-PATs compared to CH-NATs. We did not find differences in alpha ERD comparisons with individual CSF amyloid(A), p-tau(T), total-tau(N) biomarkers.