Feasibility and acceptability of a home-based virtual group exercise program in global Asian adult population: Baseline characteristics of a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To determine the potential influence of a home-based virtual group exercise on people's long-term overall health consequences in global Asian population. METHODS: We recruited 1021 participants from more than 7 regions across the globe including Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, United States, Canada, Europe, and other regions. All the participants attended the virtual group Qigong exercise 60-minute bi-weekly with instructors for 6 months from June 2022 to December 2022. The physical, mental, and social well-being and other variables were measured via online questionnaires. RESULTS: The majority were 51 to 65 (50.6%) years old, female (90.2%), married (68.5%), and came from Taiwan (48.9%). Older adults had higher scores on measures of overall health and exercise adherence, and lower scores on measures of sleep quality and depressive symptoms compared with younger counterparts (P < .05). Most of them (95.3%) acknowledged that the improvement of health status was their motivating factor for exercise. Eighty nine percent of the participants believed that social media played an important role in this exercise program. CONCLUSION: This study will suggest such approach has great potential to reduce health disparities and can be implemented to underserved population who has limited recourses to join in-person exercise program.

Sleep Quality and Subjective Cognitive Decline among Older Adults: The Mediating Role of Anxiety/Depression and Worries.

Background: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in older individuals has been implicated as a possible precursor to Alzheimer's disease. Poor sleep quality and anxiety/depressive symptoms have been linked to the progression of SCD, but these associations and older adults' worries have yet to be fully established in the Chinese older adult population, which is one of the largest in the world. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between sleep quality, anxiety/depression symptoms, and worries, and SCD prevalence among Chinese community-dwelling older individuals. Methods: A total of 707 adults aged between 60 and 99 from Shanghai, China, completed self-report questionnaires that covered their cognitive and mental well-being, as well as demographic information. Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) was evaluated using the memory/cognition syndromes of the old adult self-report (OASR). Sleep quality, anxiety/depression, and worries were measured from their respective sections of the OASR. Results: The general linear regression models showed that poorer sleep quality was associated with an increased prevalence of anxiety/depression symptoms, worries, and SCD among older adults. As suggested by the mediation analysis, anxiety/depression and worries were significant mediators in the relationship between sleep quality and SCD prevalence, and these two factors also have a serial mediation effect between sleep quality and SCD prevalence. Conclusions: Poorer sleep quality is associated with a higher rate of SCD among older adults, and a higher prevalence of anxiety/depression and worries mediate this relationship, suggesting possible mechanism pathways that lead to SCD. These factors may provide the basis for early, targeted interventions for older adults' mental health preservation and improved quality of life.

Developing and evaluating a mindfulness-based finger/hand exercise intervention for ethnically diverse older adults with and without disabilities: A feasibility study.

Few exercise interventions target ethnic minority older adults, especially those with disability. We evaluated feasibility of newly-developed finger/hand exercises to promote health in ethnically diverse older adults with/without disability. We conducted 10-minute video exercises daily, supervised by research assistants. The feasibility, evaluated via three studies, focused on recruitment, intervention fidelity, safety, outcome assessment, and acceptability. Studies varied in design and delivery methods, being conducted across settings (senior centers, apartments). We enrolled 101 Chinese older adults (mean age = 72) without disability in Study 1, and 15 older Africans/Hispanics with disability (mean age = 70) in Studies 2 and 3. Intervention, either in-person or online, was implementable and acceptable with high fidelity. Attendance was satisfactory (79.6%, 74.2%, 76.7%) and attrition was low (12%, 0%, 0%). Outcome measures data was ascertained. No adverse events were observed. Preliminary findings indicate feasibility, acceptability, and safety of the simple finger/hand exercise for diverse older adults.

The miR-25802/KLF4/NF-κB signaling axis regulates microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease.

Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation plays a critical role in the occurrence and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In recent years, studies have increasingly explored microRNAs as biomarkers and treatment interventions for AD. This study identified a novel microRNA termed miR-25802 from our high-throughput sequencing dataset of an AD model and explored its role and the underlying mechanism. The results confirmed the miRNA properties of miR-25802 based on bioinformatics and experimental verification. Expression of miR-25802 was increased in the plasma of AD patients and in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 and 5 × FAD mice carrying two and five familial AD gene mutations. Functional studies suggested that overexpression or inhibition of miR-25802 respectively aggravated or ameliorated AD-related pathology, including cognitive disability, Aß deposition, microglial pro-inflammatory phenotype activation, and neuroinflammation, in 5 × FAD mice and homeostatic or LPS/IFN-γ-stimulated EOC20 microglia. Mechanistically, miR-25802 negatively regulates KLF4 by directly binding to KLF4 mRNA, thus stimulating microglia polarization toward the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype by promoting the NF-κB-mediated inflammatory response. The results also showed that inhibition of miR-25802 increased microglial anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype activity and suppressed NF-κB-mediated inflammatory reactions in the brains of 5 × FAD mice, while overexpression of miR-25802 exacerbated microglial pro-inflammatory M1 activity by enhancing NF-κB pathways. Of note, AD-associated manifestations induced by inhibition or overexpression of miR-25802 via the NF-κB signaling pathway were reversed by KLF4 silencing or upregulation. Collectively, these results provide the first evidence that miR-25802 is a regulator of microglial activity and establish the role of miR-25802/KLF4/NF-κB signaling in microglia-mediated neuroinflammation, suggesting potential therapeutic targets for AD.

Effects of Mind-Body Qigong Exercise on Overall Health, Fatigue/Sleep, and Cognition in Older Chinese Immigrants in the US: An Intervention Study with Control.

Background: Culturally relevant exercises may help improve health and address disparities faced by older immigrants due to language and cultural barriers. Few studies have focused on such exercise interventions among older Chinese immigrants at US daycare centers. Methods: We conducted a 10-week nonrandomized controlled trial in older Chinese immigrants in Philadelphia, US. The intervention group practiced Chinese Qigong (Baduanjin) 5 days a week guided by trained research assistants and video instructions. The control group maintained their usual daily activities. We collected self-report assessments on overall health, sleep, and fatigue and implemented two computerized cognitive tests measuring psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) and memory twice, preintervention and postintervention. Repeated measures general linear model (GLM) and paired samples t-tests were used for data analyses. Results: Eighty-eight older adults (Qigong, n = 53; control, n = 35) with an average age of 78.13 (SD = 5.05) were included. Groups showed no significant differences at baseline evaluation. After the 10-week exercise, the intervention group showed significant improvements in overall health (p=0.032), fatigue (p < 0.001), and cognitive functions including memory (p=0.01), response speed (p=0.002), and response time (p=0.012) on the PVT, as well as marginally significant benefits in sleep (p=0.058). Between-group comparisons identified significant group-by-time interactions in health (p=0.024), sleep (p=0.004), fatigue (p=0.004), and memory (p=0.004). Conclusion: We revealed significant positive effects of Qigong in older Chinese immigrants across multiple health domains. Findings highlight the potential of a culturally relevant exercise in addressing health disparities.

Causal association between systemic lupus erythematosus and the risk of migraine: A Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have found that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) often have comorbid headache, especially migraine. However, the causal relationship between genetically determined SLE and migraine risk remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) study to explore this causal association. METHODS: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provided the instrumental variables. We selected summary data from GWAS of SLE as exposure (5201 SLE patients and 9066 controls). Both outcome GWAS data were from the Finnish Gene GWAS, including migraine with aura, migraine with aura and triptan purchases, and migraine without aura. The main MR approach was inverse-variance weighted. Pleiotropy and heterogeneity were detected using the MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier, MR-Egger intercept test, leave-one-out analysis, and Cochran's Q test. RESULTS: There was a significant association between genetically predicted SLE susceptibility and increased risk of migraine with aura [odds ratio (OR) = 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02-1.08, p = .001]. The result was consistent when the outcome was migraine with aura and triptan purchases [OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.02-1.08, p = .001]. However, we found no association between SLE and migraine without aura. Our MR study showed no pleiotropy or heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that genetic susceptibility to SLE increases the incidence of migraine with aura but not migraine without aura. It is necessary for the routine evaluation and early recognition of migraine in patients with SLE in clinical settings.

The landscape of PBMCs in AQP4-IgG seropositive NMOSD and MOGAD, assessed by high dimensional mass cytometry.

OBJECTIVES: Data on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) characteristics of aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-IgG seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) are lacking. In this study, we describe the whole PBMCs landscape of the above diseases using cytometry by time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CyTOF). METHODS: The immune cell populations were phenotyped and clustered using CyTOF isolated from 27 AQP4-IgG seropositive NMOSD, 11 MOGAD patients, and 15 healthy individuals. RNA sequencing was employed to identify critical genes. Fluorescence cytometry and qPCR analysis were applied to further validate the algorithm-based results that were obtained. RESULTS: We identified an increased population of CD11b+ mononuclear phagocytes (MNPs) in patients with high expression of CCR2, whose abundance may correlate with brain inflammatory infiltration. Using fluorescence cytometry, we confirmed the CCR2+ monocyte subsets in a second cohort of patients. Moreover, there was a wavering of B, CD4+ T, and NKT cells between AQP4-IgG seropositive NMOSD and MOGAD. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings describe the whole landscape of PBMCs in two similar demyelinated diseases and suggest that, besides MNPs, T, NK and B, cells were all involved in the pathogenesis. The identified cell population may be used as a predictor for monitoring disease development or treatment responses.

Omega-3 Supplementation Reduces Schizotypal Personality in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: Based on a childhood intervention from ages 3 to 5 years that included additional fish consumption and which resulted in reduced schizotypal personality at age 23, we had previously hypothesized that omega-3 could reduce schizotypy. The current study tests the hypothesis that omega-3 supplementation reduces schizotypy in children. STUDY DESIGN: In this intention-to-treat, randomized, single-blind, stratified, factorial trial, a community sample of 290 children aged 11-12 years were randomized into Omega-3 Only, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Only, Omega-3 + CBT, and Control groups. Schizotypy was assessed using the SPQ-C (Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire for Children) at 0 months (baseline), 3 months (end of treatment), 6 months (3 months post-treatment), and 12 months (9 months post-treatment). STUDY RESULTS: A significant group × time interaction (P = .013) indicated that, compared with Controls, total schizotypy scores were reduced in both Omega-3 Only and Omega-3 + CBT groups immediately post-treatment (d = 0.56 and 0.47, respectively), and also 3 months after supplementation terminated (d = 0.49, d = 0.70). Stronger findings were observed for the interpersonal schizotypy factor, with both omega-3 groups showing reductions 9 months post-treatment compared with the CBT Only group. Schizotypy reductions were significantly stronger for those with higher dietary intake of omega-3 at intake. Sensitivity analyses confirmed findings. CONCLUSIONS: Results are unique in the field and suggest that omega-3 can help reduce schizotypal personality in community-residing children. From an epidemiological standpoint, if replicated and extended, these findings could have implications for early prevention of more significant schizotypal features developing later in adolescence. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: "Healthy Brains & Behavior: Understanding and Treating Youth Aggression (HBB)." ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00842439, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00842439.

Multi-Dimensional Multiplexed Metasurface Holography by Inverse Design.

Multi-dimensional multiplexed metasurface holography extends holographic information capacity and promises revolutionary advancements for vivid imaging, information storage, and encryption. However, achieving multifunctional metasurface holography by forward design method is still difficult because it relies heavily on Jones matrix engineering, which places high demands on physical knowledge and processing technology. To break these limitations and simplify the design process, here, an end-to-end inverse design framework is proposed. By directly linking the metasurface to the reconstructed images and employing a loss function to guide the update of metasurface, the calculation of hologram can be omitted; thus, greatly simplifying the design process. In addition, the requirements on the completeness of meta-library can also be significantly reduced, allowing multi-channel hologram to be achieved using meta-atoms with only two degrees of freedom, which is very friendly to processing. By exploiting the proposed method, metasurface hologram containing up to 12 channels of multi-wavelength, multi-plane, and multi-polarization is designed and experimentally demonstrated, which exhibits the state-of-the-art information multiplexing capacity of the metasurface composed of simple meta-atoms. This method is conducive to promoting the intelligent design of multifunctional meta-devices, and it is expected to eventually accelerate the application of meta-devices in colorful display, imaging, storage and other fields.

Nutritional Status and Physical Exercise Are Associated with Cognitive Function in Chinese Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Role of Happiness.

We aim to assess the relationship between nutrition status, physical exercise, and cognitive function and particularly examine how happiness modifies and mediates the relationship, among 699 seniors aged 60 and above in Shanghai, China. Linear regression models were used to validate the effects of nutrition and exercise on cognitive function and to test their interaction effects with happiness. When the interactions were significant, stratified analyses in sub-groups were conducted. Mediation effects of happiness were examined using two-step causal mediation models. We confirmed that better nutrition (p < 0.001) and exercise (p = 0.009) were significantly associated with less cognitive decline. Furthermore, the effects of nutrition and exercise on cognitive decline were significant in the unhappy (happiness < 20) (p < 0.001) and younger (age < 74) sub-groups (p = 0.015). Happiness partially mediated 11.5% of the negative association of cognitive decline with nutrition (p = 0.015) and 23.0% of that with exercise (p = 0.017). This study suggests that happiness moderates and partially mediates the effects of exercise and nutrition on cognitive status. The beneficial effects of exercise and nutrition were stronger in less happy or younger seniors. Future intervention studies are required to confirm this path relationship.

Neighborhood predictors of short sleep duration and bedtime irregularity among children in the United States: results from the 2019-2020 National Survey of Children's Health.

BACKGROUND: Environmental factors may contribute to short sleep duration and irregular bedtime in children. Neighborhood factors and children's sleep duration and bedtime regularity remain a less investigated area. The aim of this study was to investigate the national and state-level proportions of children with short sleep duration and irregular bedtime and their neighborhood predictors. METHODS: A total of 67,598 children whose parents completed the National Survey of Children's Health in 2019-2020 were included in the analysis. Survey-weighted Poisson regression was used to explore the neighborhood predictors of children's short sleep duration and irregular bedtime. RESULTS: The prevalence of short sleep duration and irregular bedtime among children in the United States (US) was 34.6% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 33.8%-35.4%] and 16.4% (95% CI = 15.6%-17.2%) in 2019-2020, respectively. Safe neighborhoods, supportive neighborhoods, and neighborhoods with amenities were found to be protective factors against children's short sleep duration, with risk ratios ranging between 0.92 and 0.94, P < 0.05. Neighborhoods with detracting elements were associated with an increased risk of short sleep duration [risk ratio (RR) = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.00-1.12] and irregular bedtime (RR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.03-1.28). Child race/ethnicity moderated the relationship between neighborhood with amenities and short sleep duration. CONCLUSIONS: Insufficient sleep duration and irregular bedtime were highly prevalent among US children. A favorable neighborhood environment can decrease children's risk of short sleep duration and irregular bedtime. Improving the neighborhood environment has implications for children's sleep health, especially for children from minority racial/ethnic groups.

Sleep deprivation attenuates neural responses to outcomes from risky decision-making.

Sleep loss impacts a broad range of brain and cognitive functions. However, how sleep deprivation affects risky decision-making remains inconclusive. This study used functional MRI to examine the impact of one night of total sleep deprivation (TSD) on risky decision-making behavior and the underlying brain responses in healthy adults. In this study, we analyzed data from N = 56 participants in a strictly controlled 5-day and 4-night in-laboratory study using a modified Balloon Analogue Risk Task. Participants completed two scan sessions in counter-balanced order, including one scan during rested wakefulness (RW) and another scan after one night of TSD. Results showed no differences in participants' risk-taking propensity and risk-induced activation between RW and TSD. However, participants showed significantly reduced neural activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and bilateral insula for loss outcomes, and in bilateral putamen for win outcomes during TSD compared with RW. Moreover, risk-induced activation in the insula negatively correlated with participants' risk-taking propensity during RW, while no such correlations were observed after TSD. These findings suggest that sleep loss may impact risky decision-making by attenuating neural responses to decision outcomes and impairing brain-behavior associations.

Social Distancing in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Associated Factors, Health Outcomes, and Implications.

Social distancing has reemerged as a public health measure for containing the spread of COVID-19. This integrative review aims to analyze the historical use of social distancing, the current application during COVID-19, individual factors that affect social distancing practices, and consequential health outcomes. We analyzed relevant literature from searches conducted on Scopus, PubMed, and PsycINFO. We found that resources, culture, age, gender, and personality are associated with the degree to which people practice social distancing. Furthermore, social distancing changes our lifestyles and behavior and results in multifaceted health outcomes, including decreased physical activity and sunlight exposure, increased weight gain, and impaired sleep quality. On the positive side, social distancing has been linked to reduced crime rates and environmental damage, as well as better social and family ties. Future interventions may be utilized to increase adherence to social distancing practices and to mitigate the negative health effects of social distancing.

Erratum: Implications of miR-148a-3p/p35/PTEN signaling in tau hyperphosphorylation and autoregulatory feedforward of Akt/CREB in Alzheimer's disease.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2021.11.019.].

Integration of FUNDC1-associated mitochondrial protein import and mitochondrial quality control contributes to TDP-43 degradation.

Though TDP-43 protein can be translocated into mitochondria and causes mitochondrial damage in TDP-43 proteinopathy, little is known about how TDP-43 is imported into mitochondria. In addition, whether mitochondrial damage is caused by mitochondrial mislocalization of TDP-43 or a side effect of mitochondria-mediated TDP-43 degradation remains to be investigated. Here, our bioinformatical analyses reveal that mitophagy receptor gene FUNDC1 is co-expressed with TDP-43, and both TDP-43 and FUNDC1 expression is correlated with genes associated with mitochondrial protein import pathway in brain samples of patients diagnosed with TDP-43 proteinopathy. FUNDC1 promotes mitochondrial translocation of TDP-43 possibly by promoting TDP-43-TOM70 and DNAJA2-TOM70 interactions, which is independent of the LC3 interacting region of FUNDC1 in cellular experiments. In the transgenic fly model of TDP-43 proteinopathy, overexpressing FUNDC1 enhances TDP-43 induced mitochondrial damage, whereas down-regulating FUNDC1 reverses TDP-43 induced mitochondrial damage. FUNDC1 regulates mitochondria-mediated TDP-43 degradation not only by regulating mitochondrial TDP-43 import, but also by increasing LONP1 level and by activating mitophagy, which plays important roles in cytosolic TDP-43 clearance. Together, this study not only uncovers the mechanism of mitochondrial TDP-43 import, but also unravels the active role played by mitochondria in regulating TDP-43 homeostasis.

EEG Biofeedback Decreases Theta and Beta Power While Increasing Alpha Power in Insomniacs: An Open-Label Study.

Insomnia, often associated with anxiety and depression, is a prevalent sleep disorder. Biofeedback (BFB) treatment can help patients gain voluntary control over physiological events such as by utilizing electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) power. Previous studies have rarely predicted biofeedback efficacy by measuring the changes in relative EEG power; therefore, we investigated the clinical efficacy of biofeedback for insomnia and its potential neural mechanisms. We administered biofeedback to 82 patients with insomnia, of whom 68 completed 10 sessions and 14 completed 20 sessions. The average age of the participants was 49.38 ± 12.78 years, with 26 men and 56 women. Each biofeedback session consisted of 5 min of EMG and 30 min of EEG feedback, with 2 min of data recorded before and after the session. Sessions were conducted every other day, and four scale measures were taken before the first, fifth, and tenth sessions and after the twentieth session. After 20 sessions of biofeedback treatment, scores on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were significantly reduced compared with those before treatment (-5.5 ± 1.43,t = -3.85, p = 0.006), and scores on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) (-7.15 ± 2.43, t = -2.94, p = 0.012) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) (STAI-S: -12.36 ± 3.40, t = -3.63, p = 0.003; and STAI-T: -9.86 ± 2.38, t = -4.41, p = 0.001) were significantly lower after treatment than before treatment. Beta and theta power were significantly reduced after treatment, compared with before treatment (F = 6.25, p = 0.014; and F = 11.91, p = 0.001). Alpha power was increased after treatment, compared with before treatment, but the difference was not prominently significant (p > 0.05). EMG activity was significantly decreased after treatment, compared with before treatment (F = 2.11, p = 0.015). Our findings suggest that BFB treatment based on alpha power and prefrontal EMG relieves insomnia as well as anxiety and depression and may be associated with increased alpha power, decreased beta and theta power, and decreased EMG power.

Dynamic Changes in the Renal Function of Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients with Reduced eGFR After Emergency Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Renal dysfunction greatly influences decision-making for emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This observational study investigated renal function changes and risk factors for renal injury in patients with AMI with reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) who underwent emergency PCI. The study included 85 patients with AMI with decreased eGFR who underwent emergency PCI, categorized into stage 2, 3, and 4 chronic kidney disease groups. Baseline data, laboratory indicators, coronary characteristics, and serum creatinine concentration were monitored at multiple time points. Renal injury was defined using two criteria: an increase in serum creatinine level by 0.3 mg/dL or a 50% increase from baseline. During the 1-year follow-up, renal injury incidence varied from 1.18% to 15.29%. The pattern showed an increasing trend in the 1st week after PCI, peaking at 1 week, followed by a decrease at 3 months, and another increase at one year. Low basal eGFR, high contrast agent dosage, and diabetes were associated with renal injury according to logistic regression analysis. The eGFR cutoff value of 35.475 mL/minute·1.73 m2 had a sensitivity of 83.05% and specificity of 57.69% for predicting renal injury based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. In summary, patients with AMI with basal eGFR lower than 35.475 mL/minute·1.73 m2 have a higher risk of renal injury after PCI. These findings emphasize the importance of assessing renal function and considering associated risk factors when deciding on emergency PCI for AMI with reduced eGFR.

The association between intermediate-term sulfur dioxide exposure and outpatient visits for Parkinson's disease: a time-series study in southwestern China.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common human neurodegenerative disorder, and the pathogenesis of it remains poorly understood. Limited studies have shown that both long- and short-term exposure to air pollutants may be associated with increased risk of PD while lacking evidence on the effects of intermediate-term exposure. In this study, over-dispersed Poisson generalized additive models (GAMs) were applied to explore the association between intermediate-term sulfur dioxide (SO2) exposure and outpatient visits for PD in Chongqing, China, and further stratified analyses were performed by age and gender. A total of 39,984 PD cases from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2019 (2191 days) were included. The association of intermediate-term SO2 exposure with outpatient visits for PD was statistically significant: per 1 µg/m3 increase of SO2 corresponded to 2.34% (95% CI: 0.88%, 3.80%) elevation in monthly PD outpatient visits at lag 0 (the concurrent month). Stratified analyses showed that the associations between SO2 and PD outpatient visits were stronger in younger (≤ 60 years) and female patients. In conclusion, intermediate-term SO2 exposure can be associated with an increased risk of PD outpatient visits. Our results highlight the importance of recognizing the role of intermediate-term SO2 exposure in the development of PD. In addition to focusing on the effects of long-term or short-term air pollutants, it is necessary to pay more attention to the health effects of intermediate-term exposure time windows of air pollutants, which will facilitate policy formulation and public health interventions for health risks.

820-nm Transcranial near-infrared stimulation on the left DLPFC relieved anxiety: A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a chronic mood disease associated with abnormal brain network connections, including decreased activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Cortical excitability can be increased with 820-nm transcranial near-infrared stimulation (tNIRS), while transcranial magnetic stimulation with electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) can help evaluate time-varying brain network connectivity. A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial was conducted to assess the efficacy of tNIRS on the left DLPFC and the impact on time-varying brain network connections in GAD patients. METHODS: A total of 36 GAD patients were randomized to receive active or sham tNIRS for 2 weeks. Clinical psychological scales were assessed before, after, and at the 2-, 4-, and 8-week follow-ups. TMS-EEG was performed for 20 min before and immediately after tNIRS treatment. The healthy controls did not receive tNIRS and only had TMS-EEG data collected once in the resting state. RESULTS: The Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) scores of the active stimulation group decreased post-treatment compared with the sham group (P = 0.021). The HAMA scores of the active stimulation group at the 2-, 4-, and 8-week follow-up assessments were lower than those before treatment (P < 0.05). The time-varying EEG network pattern showed an information outflow from the left DLPFC and the left posterior temporal region after active treatment. CONCLUSION: Herein, 820-nm tNIRS targeting the left DLPFC had significant positive effects on therapy for GAD that lasted at least 2 months. tNIRS may reverse the abnormality of time-varying brain network connections in GAD.

Effectiveness of Baduanjin (a Type of Qigong) on Physical, Cognitive, and Mental Health Outcomes: A Comprehensive Review.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to comprehensively review empirical evidence on the effectiveness of Baduanjin exercise, one type of mind-body focused qigong exercise, on individuals' physical, cognitive, and mental well-being; outline potential mechanisms; and, suggest potential implication strategies for using Baduanjin in clinical practices and for future research. Methods: Recent randomized-controlled studies and systematic reviews/meta-analyses published in English were searched in PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus up to July 2022. The search terms include Baduanjin and sleep, chronic illness, cognition, mental health, etc. We only selected papers that specifically studied the health effects of Baduanjin, excluding those that involved other forms of Qigong or other traditional Chinese medical practices. Since many RCT studies have already been included in the review papers that we selected, only those not covered in the review papers were selected to avoid repetition. Results: 19 recent randomized-controlled studies and 8 systematic reviews were identified. In general, the effectiveness of Baduanjin exercise on individuals' physical, cognitive, and mental health is evident. Baduanjin has proven to be effective in improving sleep quality, including reducing difficulties in getting asleep and reducing daytime sleepiness. It also reduces fatigue and improves the quality of life for patients with other physical health issues, such as cancer, musculoskeletal pain, and chronic illnesses. The effectiveness of Baduanjin exercise is also evident in cognition, improving executive functions, and slowing down age-related cognitive deterioration. Similarly, Baduanjin alleviates various types of mental illnesses, increases patients' social competence, and enhances emotional regulation. Conclusion: There is initial evidence on the safety and efficacy of Baduanjin in improving individuals' various aspects of health and well-being, suggesting that Baduanjin may serve as an effective adjunct to conventional treatments for a variety of clinical health benefits. More research is needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of Baduanjin in other non-Chinese ethnic populations.