Association between residential greenness and depression symptoms in Chinese community-dwelling older adults.

BACKGROUND: Studies of residential greenness and depression symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in China are limited. However, understanding the role of greenness in depression symptoms among older adults can inform depression prevention and interventions. OBJECTIVE: This study explored the relationship between residential greenness and depression symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in China. METHODS: A cluster random sampling method was used to survey 7512 community-dwelling adults aged 60 and above from three towns in Shanghai. Depression symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS30). Residential greenness was measured using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the enhanced vegetation index (EVI). Long-term greenspace exposure was defined as the mean NDVI and EVI in the three years prior to the baseline survey. Controlling for the covariates, the relationship between greenness and depression symptoms was assessed using binomial logistic regression and mixed-effects linear regression. Interaction analysis was conducted to explore which covariates potentially alter the association. We also assessed the mediating role of physical activity. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression symptoms among the participants was 13.72%. Higher residential greenness was associated with lower odds of depression symptoms, after adjusting for covariates. In the logistic regression analysis, the odds of depression symptoms decreased with increasing NDVI and EVI. In linear regression analysis, GDS30 scores decreased with increasing NDVI and EVI. Interaction analyses revealed that higher NDVI and EVI were more protective against depression among male individuals and older adults living with others than among female individuals and older adults living alone. Additionally, physical activity had a masking effect on residential greenness and depression symptoms. CONCLUSION: Higher residential greenness is associated with lower odds of depression symptoms in community-dwelling Chinese older adults. Increasing urban and neighborhood green spaces may contribute to the prevention and intervention of depression symptoms in community-dwelling older adults.

Comprehension of irony in autistic children: The role of theory of mind and executive function.

Although previous studies have examined irony comprehension in autistic children and potential impact factors, the relationship between theory of mind (ToM), executive function (EF), symptoms of autism, and comprehension of irony in this population remains largely unknown. This study explored irony comprehension in autistic children and examined the roles of ToM and EF in linking autism symptoms to deficits in irony comprehension. Twenty autistic children were compared with 25 typically developing (TD) children in an irony story picture task, ToM task, and EF task. The results showed that autistic children had impaired comprehension of irony compared with TD children, and performance on ironic stories showed a significant moderate discriminatory effect in predicting autistic children. A ToM deficit has also been proposed for autistic children. Comprehension of irony was significantly correlated with second-order ToM (2nd ToM) but was not significantly correlated with any components of EF. Moreover, 2nd ToM can predict the level of irony comprehension and mediate the relationship between symptoms of autism and irony comprehension. Taken together, these findings suggest that irony comprehension may offer a potential cognitive marker for quantifying syndrome manifestations in autistic children, and 2nd ToM may provide insight into the theoretical mechanism underlying the deficit in irony comprehension in this population.

A scoping review of physiological biomarkers in autism.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by pervasive deficits in social interaction, communication impairments, and the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors. This complex disorder is a significant public health concern due to its escalating incidence and detrimental impact on quality of life. Currently, extensive investigations are underway to identify prospective susceptibility or predictive biomarkers, employing a physiological biomarker-based framework. However, knowledge regarding physiological biomarkers in relation to Autism is sparse. We performed a scoping review to explore putative changes in physiological activities associated with behaviors in individuals with Autism. We identified studies published between January 2000 and June 2023 from online databases, and searched keywords included electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), electrodermal activity markers (EDA), eye-tracking markers. We specifically detected social-related symptoms such as impaired social communication in ASD patients. Our results indicated that the EEG/ERP N170 signal has undergone the most rigorous testing as a potential biomarker, showing promise in identifying subgroups within ASD and displaying potential as an indicator of treatment response. By gathering current data from various physiological biomarkers, we can obtain a comprehensive understanding of the physiological profiles of individuals with ASD, offering potential for subgrouping and targeted intervention strategies.