Measures of Resting State EEG Rhythms for Clinical Trials in Alzheimer’s Disease:Recommendations of an Expert Panel

The Electrophysiology Professional Interest Area (EPIA) and Global Brain Consortium endorsed recommendations on candidate electroencephalography (EEG) measures for Alzheimer's disease (AD) clinical trials. The Panel reviewed the field literature. As most consistent findings, AD patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia showed abnormalities in peak frequency, power, and "interrelatedness" at posterior alpha (8-12Hz) and widespread delta (<4Hz) and theta (4-8Hz) rhythms in relation to disease progression and interventions. The following consensus statements were subscribed: (1) Standardization of instructions to patients, resting state EEG (rsEEG) recording methods, and selection of artifact-free rsEEG periods are needed; (2) power density and "interrelatedness" rsEEG measures (e.g., directed transfer function, phase lag index, linear lagged connectivity, etc.) at delta, theta, and alpha frequency bands may be use for stratification of AD patients and monitoring of disease progression and intervention; and (3) international multisectoral initiatives are mandatory for regulatory purposes

Consolidation of vocabulary during sleep : the rich get richer?

Sleep plays a role in strengthening new words and integrating them with existing vocabulary knowledge, consistent with neural models of learning in which sleep supports hippocampal transfer to neocortical memory. Such models are based on adult research, yet neural maturation may mean that the mechanisms supporting word learning vary across development. Here, we propose a model in which children may capitalise on larger amounts of slow-wave sleep to support a greater demand on learning and neural reorganisation, whereas adults may benefit from a richer knowledge base to support consolidation. Such an argument is reinforced by the well-reported “Matthew effect”, whereby rich vocabulary knowledge is associated with better acquisition of new vocabulary. We present a meta-analysis that supports this association between children’s existing vocabulary knowledge and their integration of new words overnight. Whilst multiple mechanisms likely contribute to vocabulary consolidation and neural reorganisation across the lifespan, we propose that contributions of existing knowledge should be rigorously examined in developmental studies. Such research has potential to greatly enhance neural models of learning

SHELDON Smart habitat for the elderly.

An insightful document concerning active and assisted living under different perspectives: Furniture and habitat, ICT solutions and Healthcare

Predicting Decision-Making in Relation to Health-Risk Behavior in College Freshmen

Method/Measurements: A cross-sectional correlational design explored the relationships between decision-making, health-risk behaviors and social support systems in college freshmen. The aims of the study were: 1) to explore the relationship between decision-making and health-risk behaviors among college freshmen; 2) to determine whether or not family support and social support jointly predict decision-making among college freshmen; and 3) to ascertain whether or not the effect of family support on decision-making is different for male and female college freshmen. Measurement was collected at one time-point and participants in this study completed on-line questionnaires through a web-based online survey software application with measures of the following variables: decision-making (Adolescent Decision-Making Questionnaire); health-risk behavior (Adapted National Youth Risk Behavior Survey); and family support and social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support). A convenience sample of 200 freshmen aged 18 to 19 years participated from a local, private Catholic university located in Chicago. This study was approved by the institutional review board at Loyola University Chicago. Data Analysis: The primary study hypothesis was that decision-making will be associated with health-risk behaviors in college freshmen. SPSS Statistics version 24 was used to perform all statistical analyses. To test the primary hypothesis, the analysis included descriptive statistics on all study variables and correlations. Findings include positive decision-making was associated with a decrease in health risk behavior, and negative decision-making was associated with an increase in health risk behavior. The secondary and tertiary hypotheses were tested using linear regression and multiple regression analyses. Family support and social support was found to be significant predictors of positive decision-making and negative decision-making . Hence, social context played a significant role that impacted freshmen decision-making. Also, the effect of family support on positive decision-making was the same for male and female college freshmen and was statistically significant. Correspondingly, regression analysis results found that family support predicted negative decision-making in female college freshmen. Together, these findings extend the evidence that adolescence involves a period of developing decision-making processes which may help explain health-risk behavior, and more specifically, findings demonstrate a synergistic impact of social support systems on decision-making in college freshmen. Nursing and Healthcare Implications: Overall, findings from this study support the need to identify and implement interventions that may be developed to improve freshmen\u27s decision-making skills and to enhance their ability to exercise mature control over their own behavior, leading to better early college experiences. Integrated care team models, comprised of nursing professionals, especially nurse practitioners along with mental health professionals and health promotion educators have been shown to be effective in improving college students\u27 physical, psychological and emotional health. Ultimately, nurse practitioners have the unique opportunity to develop evidence-based practice guidelines to improve freshmen\u27s decision-making and coping skills while engaging in simultaneous collaborative care. The overall benefit could potentially reduce freshmen health-risk behavior thereby achieving positive health outcomes and successful educational outcomes that, in turn may result in improved undergraduate retention rates. This research, while making an important contribution to the literature, contributes to the health of college freshmen by highlighting key social support systems, hence focusing efforts on strengthening decision-making and coping skills in this subset of students

The importance of "scaffolding" in clinical approach to deafness across the lifespan

Throughout the present work of thesis, the concept of scaffolding will be used as a fil rouge through the chapters. What I mean for “scaffolding approach”, therefore, is an integrated and multidisciplinary clinical and research methodology to hearing impairments that could take into account persons as a whole; an approach that needs to be continuously adapted and harmonized with the individuals, pursuant to their progress, their limits and resources, in consideration of their audiological, cognitive, emotional, personal, and social characteristics. The following studies of our research group will be presented: A study (2020) designed to assess the effects of parent training (PT) on enhancing children’s communication development (chapter two); Two studies of our research group (2016; 2020) concerning variables influencing comprehension of emotions and nuclear executive functions in deaf children with cochlear implant (chapter three and chapter four) In chapter five a presentation and description of our Mind-Active Communication program, main topics and aims, multidisciplinary organizations of group and individual sessions with a description of used materials and methodology is given. Finally, a preliminary evaluation to explore the use of this multidisciplinary rehabilitative program on quality of life, psychological wellbeing, and hearing abilities in a sample of cochlear implanted elderly persons is reported

Evolution: From Big Bang to Nanorobots

The present volume is the fourth issue of the Yearbook series entitled ‘Evolution’. The title of the present volume is ‘From Big Bang to Nanorobots’. In this way we demonstrate that all phases of evolution and Big History are covered in the articles of the present Yearbook. Several articles also present the forecasts about future development. The main objective of our Yearbook as well as of the previous issues is the creation of a unified interdisciplinary field of research in which the scientists specializing in different disciplines could work within the framework of unified or similar paradigms, using the common terminology and searching for common rules, tendencies and regularities. At the same time for the formation of such an integrated field one should use all available opportunities: theories, laws and methods. In the present volume, a number of such approaches are used