Risk-taking, peer-influence and child maltreatment: A neurocognitive investigation

Maltreatment is associated with increased risk of a range of psychiatric disorders, many of which are characterized by altered risk-taking propensity. Currently, little is known about the neural correlates of risk-taking in children exposed to maltreatment, nor whether their risk-taking is atypically modulated by peer influence. Seventy-five 10-14 year-old children (maltreated (MT) group: N = 41; non-maltreated Group (NMT): N = 34) performed a Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), under three different peer influence conditions: while alone; while being observed by a peer; while being encouraged by a peer to take risks. The MT group engaged in less risk-taking irrespective of peer influence. There was no differential effect of peer influence on risk-taking behaviour across groups. At the neural level the right anterior insula (rAI) exhibited altered risk-sensitivity across conditions in the MT group. Across groups and conditions, rAI risk-sensitivity was negatively associated with risk-taking and within the MT group greater rAI risk-sensitivity was related to more anxiety symptoms. These findings suggest that children with a history of maltreatment show reduced risk-taking but typical responses to peer influence. Abnormal rAI functioning contributes to the pattern of reduced risk-taking and may predispose children exposed to maltreatment to develop future psychopathology

Autobiographical memory: A candidate latent vulnerability mechanism for psychiatric disorder following childhood maltreatment

BACKGROUND: Altered autobiographical memory (ABM) functioning has been implicated in the pathogenesis of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and may represent one mechanism by which childhood maltreatment elevates psychiatric risk. AIMS: To investigate the impact of childhood maltreatment on ABM functioning. METHOD: Thirty-four children with documented maltreatment and 33 matched controls recalled specific ABMs in response to emotionally-valenced cue words during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). RESULTS: Children with maltreatment experience showed reduced hippocampal and increased middle temporal and para-hippocampal activation during positive ABM recall compared to peers. During negative ABM recall they exhibited increased amygdala activation, and greater amygdala connectivity with the salience network. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood maltreatment is associated with altered ABM functioning, specifically reduced activation in areas encoding specification of positive memories, and greater activation of the salience network for negative memories. This pattern may confer latent vulnerability to future depression and post-traumatic stress disorder

Influence of coronary artery disease on morbidity and mortality after abdominal aortic aneurysmectomy: A population-based study, 1971–1987

AbstractThe prognostic importance of coronary artery disease at the time of elective abdominal aortic aneurysmectomy was evaluated among 131 residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota who underwent elective aneurysmectomy from 1971 to 1987 and were followed up to 1988 for death and cardiac events (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, coronary bypass surgery and angioplasty). Before aneurysmectomy, 75 patients (Group 1) had no clinically recognized coronary disease, 47 patients (Group 2) had suspected or overt uncorrected coronary artery disease (history of prior myocardial infarction, angina or a positive stress test) and 9 patients (Group 3) had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting or coronary angioplasty.The 30 day operative mortality rate was 3% (2 of 75) in Group 1 and 9% (4 of 47) in Group 2 (p = 0.15). According to Kaplan-Meier analysis, estimated survival 8 years after aneurysmectomy was 59% (expected rate 68%, p = 0.29) in Group 1 versus 34% (expected rate 61%, p = 0.01) in Group 2. The cumulative incidence rate of cardiac events at 8 years was 15% and 61%, respectively, for patients without and with suspected/overt coronary artery disease (p < 0.01). Using multivariable proportional hazards analysis, uncorrected coronary artery disease was associated with a nearly twofold increased risk of death (hazard ratio 1.79, 95% confidence interval 1.06 to 3.00) and a fourfold increased risk of cardiac events (hazard ratio 3.71, 95% confidence interval 1.79 to 7.69).These population-based data support an aggressive lifelong approach to the management of coronary artery disease in patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysmectomy

Autobiographical memory as a latent vulnerability mechanism following childhood maltreatment: Association with future depression symptoms and prosocial behavior

OBJECTIVES: Childhood maltreatment is associated with altered neural reactivity during autobiographical memory (ABM) recall and a pattern of overgeneral memory (OGM). Altered ABM and OGM have been linked with psychopathology and poorer social functioning. The present study investigated the association between altered ABM and subsequent socio-emotional functioning (measured two years later) in a sample of adolescents with (N = 20; maltreatment group, MT) and without (N = 17; non-MT group) documented childhood maltreatment histories. METHOD: At baseline, adolescents (aged 12.6 ± 1.45 years) were administered the Autobiographical Memory Test to measure OGM. Participants also recalled specific ABMs in response to emotionally valenced cue words during functional MRI. Adolescents in both groups underwent assessments measuring depressive symptoms and prosocial behavior at both timepoints. Regression analyses were carried out to predict outcome measures at follow-up controlling for baseline levels. RESULTS: In the MT group, greater OGM at baseline significantly predicted reduced prosocial behavior at follow-up and showed a trend level association with elevated depressive symptoms. Patterns of altered ABM-related brain activity did not significantly predict future psycho-social functioning. CONCLUSIONS: The current findings highlight the potential value of OGM as a cognitive mechanism that could be targeted to reduce risk of depression in adolescents with prior histories of maltreatment

Functional brain plasticity following childhood maltreatment: A longitudinal fMRI investigation of autobiographical memory processing

Altered autobiographical memory (ABM) processing characterizes some individuals with experiences of childhood maltreatment. This fMRI study of ABM processing evaluated potential developmental plasticity in neural functioning following maltreatment. Adolescents with (N = 19; MT group) and without (N = 18; Non-MT group) documented childhood maltreatment recalled specific ABMs in response to emotionally valenced cue words during fMRI at baseline (age 12.71 ± 1.48) and follow-up (14.88 ± 1.53 years). Psychological assessments were collected at both timepoints. Longitudinal analyses were carried out with BOLD signal changes during ABM recall and psychopathology to investigate change over time. In both groups there was relative stability of the ABM brain network, with some developmental maturational changes observed in cortical midline structures (ventromedial PFC (vmPFC), posterior cingulate cortex (pCC), and retrosplenial cortex (rSC). Significantly increased activation of the right rSC was observed only in the MT group, which was associated with improved psychological functioning. Baseline group differences in relation to hippocampal functioning, were not detected at follow-up. This study provides preliminary empirical evidence of functional developmental plasticity in children with documented maltreatment experience using fMRI. This suggests that altered patterns of brain function, associated with maltreatment experience, are not fixed and may reflect the potential to track a neural basis of resilience

Extent of hypoattenuation on CT angiography source images in Basilar Artery occlusion: prognostic value in the Basilar Artery International Cooperation Study

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Background and Purpose:&lt;/b&gt; The posterior circulation Acute Stroke Prognosis Early CT Score (pc-ASPECTS) quantifies the extent of early ischemic changes in the posterior circulation with a 10-point grading system. We hypothesized that pc-ASPECTS applied to CT angiography source images predicts functional outcome of patients in the Basilar Artery International Cooperation Study (BASICS).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Methods:&lt;/b&gt; BASICS was a prospective, observational registry of consecutive patients with acute symptomatic basilar artery occlusion. Functional outcome was assessed at 1 month. We applied pc-ASPECTS to CT angiography source images of patients with CT angiography for confirmation of basilar artery occlusion. We calculated unadjusted and adjusted risk ratios (RRs) of pc-ASPECTS dichotomized at &#8805;8 versus &#60;8. Primary outcome measure was favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale scores 0–3). Secondary outcome measures were mortality and functional independence (modified Rankin Scale scores 0–2).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; Of 158 patients included, 78 patients had a CT angiography source images pc-ASPECTS ≥8. Patients with a pc-ASPECTS ≥8 more often had a favorable outcome than patients with a pc-ASPECTS &#60;8 (crude RR, 1.7; 95% CI, 0.98–3.0). After adjustment for age, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, and thrombolysis, pc-ASPECTS &#8805;8 was not related to favorable outcome (RR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.8–2.2), but it was related to reduced mortality (RR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.5–0.98) and functional independence (RR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1–3.8). In post hoc analysis, pc-ASPECTS dichotomized at &#8805;6 versus &#60;6 predicted a favorable outcome (adjusted RR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.2–7.5).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/b&gt; pc-ASPECTS on CT angiography source images independently predicted death and functional independence at 1 month in the CT angiography subgroup of patients in the BASICS registry.&lt;/p&gt

Diabetic cats have decreased gut microbial diversity and a lack of butyrate producing bacteria

none11noneKieler, Ida Nordang*; Osto, Melania; Hugentobler, Leoni; Puetz, Lara; Gilbert, M. Thomas P.; Hansen, Torben; Pedersen, Oluf; Reusch, Claudia E.; Zini, Eric; Lutz, Thomas A.; Bjørnvad, Charlotte ReinhardKieler, Ida Nordang; Osto, Melania; Hugentobler, Leoni; Puetz, Lara; Gilbert, M. Thomas P.; Hansen, Torben; Pedersen, Oluf; Reusch, Claudia E.; Zini, Eric; Lutz, Thomas A.; Bjørnvad, Charlotte Reinhar

Genome-resolved metagenomics suggests a mutualistic relationship between Mycoplasma and salmonid hosts

Salmonids are important sources of protein for a large proportion of the human population. Mycoplasma species are a major constituent of the gut microbiota of salmonids, often representing the majority of microbiota. Despite the frequent reported dominance of salmonid-related Mycoplasma species, little is known about the phylogenomic placement, functions and potential evolutionary relationships with their salmonid hosts. In this study, we utilise 2.9 billion metagenomic reads generated from 12 samples from three different salmonid host species to I) characterise and curate the first metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of Mycoplasma dominating the intestines of three different salmonid species, II) establish the phylogeny of these salmonid candidate Mycoplasma species, III) perform a comprehensive pangenomic analysis of Mycoplasma, IV) decipher the putative functionalities of the salmonid MAGs and reveal specific functions expected to benefit the host. Our data provide a basis for future studies examining the composition and function of the salmonid microbiota

Predicting outcomes after acute reperfusion therapy for basilar artery occlusion

Background and purpose Basilar artery occlusion (BAO) leads to high rates of morbidity and mortality, despite successful recanalization. The discordance between flow restoration and long-term functional status clouds clinical decision-making regarding further aggressive care. We sought to develop and validate a practical, prognostic tool for the prediction of 3-month favorable outcome after acute reperfusion therapy for BAO. Methods This retrospective, multicenter, observational study was conducted at four high-volume stroke centers in the USA and Europe. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of favorable outcome (90-day modified Rankin scale scores 0-2) and derive a clinically applicable prognostic model (the Pittsburgh Outcomes after Stroke Thrombectomy-Vertebrobasilar (POST-VB) score). The POST-VB score was evaluated and internally validated with regard to calibration and discriminatory ability. External validity was assessed in patient cohorts at three separate centers. Results In the derivation cohort of 59 patients, independent predictors of favorable outcome included smaller brainstem infarct volume on post-procedure magnetic resonance imaging (P = 125. Conclusions The POST-VB score effectively predicts 3-month functional outcome following acute reperfusion therapy for BAO and may aid in guiding post-procedural care.Peer reviewe