Cardiovascular and lifestyle risk factors of mild cognitive impairment in UK veterans and non-veterans.

BACKGROUND: The link between poor cardiovascular health (CVH), lifestyle and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has been well established in the general population. However, there is limited research exploring these associations in ageing UK veterans. AIMS: This study explored the risk of MCI and its association with nine CVH and lifestyle risk factors (including diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, physical inactivity, the frequency of alcohol consumption and smoking) in UK veterans and non-veterans. METHODS: This prospective cohort study comprised data from the PROTECT study between 2014 and 2022. Participants comprised of UK military veterans and non-veterans aged ≥50 years at baseline. Veteran status was defined using the Military Service History Questionnaire. CVH and lifestyle risk factors were defined using a combination of self-report measures, medication history or physical measurements. MCI was defined as the presence of subjective and objective cognitive impairment. RESULTS: Based on a sample of 9378 veterans (n = 488) and non-veterans (n = 8890), the findings showed the risk of MCI significantly reduced in veterans with obesity, those who frequently consumed alcohol and were physically inactive compared to non-veterans. The risk of MCI significantly increased in veterans with diabetes (hazards ratio [HR] = 2.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-4.75, P ≤ 0.05) or high cholesterol (HR = 3.11, 95% CI 1.64-5.87, P ≤ 0.05) compared to veterans without. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified CVH and lifestyle factors of MCI in UK veterans and non-veterans. Further work is needed to understand these associations and the underpinning mechanisms which could determine intervention strategies to reduce the risk of MCI.

Rumination moderates the longitudinal associations of awareness of age-related change with depressive and anxiety symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: Lower awareness of age-related gains (AARC-gains) and higher awareness of age-related losses (AARC-losses) may be risk factors for depressive and anxiety symptoms. We explored whether: (1) Baseline AARC-gains and AARC-losses predict depressive and anxiety symptoms at one-year follow-up; (2) age and rumination moderate these associations; (3) levels of AARC-gains and AARC-losses differ among individuals with different combinations of current and past depression and/or with different combinations of current and past anxiety. METHODS: In this one-year longitudinal cohort study participants (N = 3386; mean age = 66.0; SD = 6.93) completed measures of AARC-gains, AARC-losses, rumination, depression, anxiety, and lifetime diagnosis of depression and anxiety in 2019 and 2020. Regression models with tests of interaction were used. RESULTS: Higher AARC-losses, but not lower AARC-gains, predicted more depressive and anxiety symptoms. Age did not moderate these associations. Associations of lower AARC-gains and higher AARC-losses with more depressive symptoms and of higher AARC-losses with more anxiety symptoms were stronger in those with higher rumination. Individuals with both current and past depression reported highest AARC-losses and lowest AARC-gains. Those with current, but not past anxiety, reported highest AARC-losses. CONCLUSION: Perceiving many age-related losses may place individuals at risk of depressive and anxiety symptoms, especially those who frequently ruminate.

Sleep Restriction in Elite Soccer Players: Effects on Explosive Power, Wellbeing, and Cognitive Function.

Purpose: To investigate the cognitive, physical, and perceptual effects of sleep restriction (SR) in soccer players following a night match. Methods: In a crossover design, nine male soccer players from the English Premier League 2 (age, 21 ± 5 years; height, 1.80 ± 0.75 m; body mass, 74.2 ± 6.8 kg) recorded their sleep quality and quantity with sleep logs and a subjective survey after two night matches (19:00); one where sleep duration was not altered (CON) and one where sleep was restricted by a later bed-time (SR). Countermovement jump height (CMJ), subjective wellbeing (1-5 likert scale for mood, stress, fatigue, sleep, and soreness), and cognitive function were measured at baseline and the morning following the match (+12 h; M + 1). Results: Bed-time was later in SR than CON (02:36 ± 0.17 vs. 22:43 ± 29; P = .0001; ηp2 = 0.999) and sleep duration was shorter in SR than CON (5.37 ± 0.16 vs. 8.59 h ± 0.36; P = .0001; ηp2 = 0.926). CMJ decreased by ~8% after the match in both SR and CON (P = .0001; ηp2 = 0.915) but there were no differences between the conditions (P > .05; ηp2 = 0.041-0.139). Wellbeing was rated worse after both matches (P = .0001; ηp2 = 0.949) but there were no differences between the trials (P > .05; ηp2 = 0.172-257). SR did not influence cognitive function (P > .05; interaction effects, ηp2 = 0.172-257). Conclusion: SR following a nighttime soccer match does not impair CMJ performance, subjective wellbeing, or cognitive function the following morning.

The impact of blackcurrant juice on attention, mood and brain wave spectral activity in young healthy volunteers.

There is a growing body of evidence from randomized controlled trials which indicates that consumption of berries has a positive effect upon the cognitive function of healthy adults. It has been recommended that studies combining cognitive and physiological measures be undertaken in order to strengthen the evidence base for the putative effects of flavonoid consumption on cognitive outcomes. This pilot study utilized a randomized, double-blind and placebo controlled crossover design to assess the influence of the acute administration of anthocyanin-rich blackcurrant juice, standardized at 500 mg of polyphenols, on mood and attention. Additionally, this trial used electroencephalography (EEG) to assess if any changes in cognitive performance are associated with changes in localized prefrontal cortex neuronal activity in nine healthy young adults. Outcomes from the pilot EEG data highlight an anxiolytic effect of the consumption of a single serve blackcurrant juice, as indexed by a suppression of α spectral power, and an increase in the slow wave δ and θ spectral powers. There was also an indication of greater alertness and lower fatigue, as indexed by an increase in ß power and suppression of α spectral power. Outcomes from the CogTrack™ system indicated a small acute increase in reaction times during the digit vigilance task.

A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled pilot trial of a combined extract of sage, rosemary and melissa, traditional herbal medicines, on the enhancement of memory in normal healthy subjects, including influence of age.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate for the first time the effects of a combination of sage, rosemary and melissa (Salvia officinalis L., Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Melissa officinalis L.; SRM), traditional European medicines, on verbal recall in normal healthy subjects. To devise a suitable study design for assessing the clinical efficacy of traditional herbal medicines for memory and brain function. METHODS: Forty-four normal healthy subjects (mean age 61 ± 9.26y SD; m/f 6/38) participated in this study. A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled pilot study was performed with subjects randomised into an active and placebo group. The study consisted of a single 2-week term ethanol extract of SRM that was chemically-characterised using high resolution LC-UV-MS/MS analysis. Immediate and delayed word recall were used to assess memory after taking SRM or placebo (ethanol extract of Myrrhis odorata (L.) Scop.). In addition analysis was performed with subjects divided into younger and older subgroups (≤ 62 years mean age n = 26: SRM n = 10, Placebo n = 16; ≥ 63 years n = 19: SRM n = 13, Placebo n = 6). RESULTS: Overall there were no significant differences between treatment and placebo change from baseline for immediate or delayed word recall. However subgroup analysis showed significant improvements to delayed word recall in the under 63 year age group (p < 0.0123) with Cohen's effect size d = 0.92. No adverse effects were observed. CONCLUSION: This pilot study indicates that an oral preparation of SRM at the selected dose and for the period of administration is more effective than a placebo in supported verbal episodic memory in healthy subjects under 63 years of age. Short- and long- term supplementation with SRM extract merits more robust investigation as an adjunctive treatment for patients with Alzheimer's disease and in the general ageing population. The study design proved a simple cost effective trial protocol to test the efficacy of herbal medicines on verbal episodic memory, with future studies including broader cognitive assessment.

Online assessment of risk factors for dementia and cognitive function in healthy adults.

OBJECTIVE: Several potentially modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia have been identified, including low educational attainment, smoking, diabetes, physical inactivity, hypertension, midlife obesity, depression, and perceived social isolation. Managing these risk factors in late midlife and older age may help reduce the risk of dementia; however, it is unclear whether these factors also relate to cognitive performance in older individuals without dementia. METHOD: Data from 14 201 non-demented individuals aged >50 years who enrolled in the online PROTECT study were used to examine the relationship between cognitive function and known modifiable risk factors for dementia. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted on 4 cognitive outcomes assessing verbal and spatial working memory, visual episodic memory, and verbal reasoning. RESULTS: Increasing age was associated with reduced performance across all tasks. Higher educational achievement, the presence of a close confiding relationship, and moderate alcohol intake were associated with benefits across all 4 cognitive tasks, and exercise was associated with better performance on verbal reasoning and verbal working memory tasks. A diagnosis of depression was negatively associated with performance on visual episodic memory and working memory tasks, whereas being underweight negatively affected performance on all tasks apart from verbal working memory. A history of stroke was negatively associated with verbal reasoning and working memory performance. CONCLUSION: Known modifiable risk factors for dementia are associated with cognitive performance in non-demented individuals in late midlife and older age. This provides further support for public health interventions that seek to manage these risk factors across the lifespan.

Maximizing signal-to-noise ratio in the presence of coil coupling.

Crosstalk due to coupling produces noise correlation between receiver coils. It has been stated that this correlation reduces the signal-to-noise ratio obtainable from combining signals from the coils. In this paper, it is shown that the effects of crosstalk on the signal-to-noise ratio may in theory be eliminated by properly combining signals. Equations are derived which show how the signals from two coils should be combined in the presence of crosstalk in order to obtain the same signal-to-noise ratio as in an ideal case of no crosstalk. The deviation from optimum signal-to-noise ratio due to imperfect circuits and amplifiers is discussed. An experimental technique for achieving the proper combination of signals is presented.

Is alexithymia related to psychosomatic disorder and somatizing?

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among alexithymia (as measured by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale--TAS and the scored version of the Archetypal 9 Test--SAT9), the presence or absence of classical psychosomatic disease, and the experience and expression of physical signs and symptoms. Subjects included thirty-two physical signs and symptoms. Subjects included thirty-two in-patients on a psychosomatic medicine unit (somatizing group), thirty-one out-patients who presented to a psychology clinic (psychiatric group), and thirty-four dental patients (comparison group). All subjects completed the TAS, the SAT9, the Hypochondriasis scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI Hs), the Physical Malfunctioning subscale of the MMPI (MMPI Physm), the Somatic Complaints subscale of the MMPI (MMPI Somc), the Hypochondriasis and Denial scales of the Basic Personality Inventory (BPI Hs and BPI Dn), and a demographic questionnaire. Age was significantly correlated with some of the TAS subscales (p < 0.001). There was no significant differences in SAT9 or TAS scores among the three subject groups (SAT9 F(2, 87) = 1.88, p = 0.16; TAS F(2, 92) = 2.91, p = 0.06). MMPI Hs, MMPI Physm, MMPI Somc, BPI Hs could significantly predict TAS (R = 0.46, F(4, 89) = 6.06, p = 0.0002) but not SAT9 scores (R = 0.26, F(5, 84) = 1.54, p = 0.20). Neither TAS (F(2, 92) = 2.13, p = 0.12) or SAT9 (F(2, 87) = 0.095, p = 0.91) scores differed significantly between subjects grouped according to whether they had none, one, or two or more classical psychosomatic disorders.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Double resonant quadrature birdcage.

The combined acquisition of proton images and localized spectra is considered essential to the application of NMR techniques to human and animal research. The ideal imaging/spectroscopy coil for our purposes would be one that provides the highest possible signal-to-noise, high homogeneity, and operation on two or more frequencies without retuning requirements or cable changes. To address these needs we have developed a quadrature double-tuned birdcage. We have incorporated our earlier work on the transformer coupled double-tuned surface coil into the birdcage structure by placing two birdcages in a coaxial configuration. This structure resonates at 34.6 MHz (phosphorus resonance at 2.0 T) and 85.5 MHz (proton resonance at 2.0 T). The quadrature performance of this coil for phosphorus was excellent, with a signal-to-noise that was 133% of our linear reference. The proton performance was less efficient, with a signal to noise that was 67% of our linear reference, but still quite sufficient for imaging. A phosphorus spectra and proton image of a rat abdomen are shown.

The neuropsychological dimensions of postinfectious neuromyasthenia (chronic fatigue syndrome): a preliminary report.

Postinfectious neuromyasthenia (PIN) is a clinical syndrome of protracted and incomplete recovery after an apparent viral-like illness. Medical investigation yields few abnormalities which might account for the symptomatology. A substantial number of PIN patients complain of cognitive changes. Specific complaints include impaired attention, concentration and abstraction skills. This study was designed to systematically investigate whether the aforementioned subjective complaints could be quantified objectively using standard neuropsychological instruments. Results indicated that on all tests but one, the subjects' performances were significantly higher than those of their age matched groups in the normative data. Specifically, PIN patients scored significantly better than their age matched norms on tests of concentration, attention and abstraction. What is most striking is the discrepancy between the subjective complaints of cognitive impairment and the objective results of the subjects' performances on all tests. These findings suggest that psychological factors may play an important role in the cognitive functioning of individuals diagnosed with postinfectious neuromyasthenia.

A comparison of double-tuned surface coils.

The combined acquisition of proton images and localized spectra is considered essential to the practical application of NMR techniques to human and animal research. Double-tuned surface coils which have been introduced to the literature are intended to address the problem; however, a careful evaluation of available designs is lacking. The "trap" method, the loop gap resonator design, and the transformer-coupled double-tuned design are evaluated here using bench tests of signal intensity and Q as well as signal-to-noise measurements on a 2-T imager/spectrometer. Comparisons are made relative to optimized single-tuned circuits of the same size for both protons at 85 MHz and phosphorus at 34 MHz. The results suggest that the "trap" design and the transformer coupled design are very efficient (98%) in the low-frequency mode (34 MHz) while the loop gap resonator is relatively inefficient (82%). In the high-frequency mode (85 MHz) the loop gap resonator is 75% efficient while the "trap" design and the transformer coupled coil are closer to 50% efficient.

Radon progeny as sources of gross-alpha radioactivity anomalies in ground water.

Gross-alpha radiation data from ground water samples are subject to variability introduced as a result of analytical procedure. For example, ground water in the surficial aquifer of central Florida commonly has gross-alpha radioactivity in excess of 555 Bq m-3 (15 pCi L-1). This activity, commonly unsupported by Ra, often results from the 222Rn progeny. The relatively short-lived daughters of 222Rn can give rise to variations in gross-alpha measurements of up to 2 orders of magnitude in replicate samples. Polonium-210, a longer-lived Rn daughter, is also found in concentrations greater than predicted by the Ra content. As a consequence, it is suggested that gross-alpha measurements include Po analyses with Ra and U when standards are exceeded. It should be recognized that, depending on the activity of 210Pb, 210Po activity may vary significantly with holding time. Variations of measured Po activity in replicate samples collected and prepared by present methods indicate that Po analyses may be inconsistent and frequently underestimate total Po activity. Sample preparation methods and measurement techniques are discussed which greatly improve the overall accuracy and consistency of gross-alpha and Po analyses.

Selective Fourier transform localization.

We have introduced the selective Fourier transform technique for spectral localization. This technique allows the acquisition of a high-resolution spectrum from a selectable location with control over the shape and size of the spatial response function. The shape and size of the spatial response are defined during data acquisition and the location is selectable through processing after the data acquisition is complete. The technique uses pulsed-field-gradient phase encoding to define the spatial coordinates. In this paper the theoretical basis of the selective Fourier transform technique is developed and experimental results are presented, including comparisons of spectral localization using either the selective Fourier transform method or conventional multidimensional Fourier transform chemical-shift imaging.

A transformer-coupled double-resonant probe for NMR imaging and spectroscopy.

A new type of double-resonant coil which takes advantage of the properties of a radio-frequency transformer is described. Two concentric loops are wound in close proximity to yield a high mutual inductance. The primary side is tuned to 34 MHz for 31P and the secondary side is tuned to 85 MHz for protons. A single lead allows program control over frequency without the need to rearrange cabling. Proton and phosphorus spectroscopy are made possible over essentially the same volume of interest without the need for repositioning the sample.