Cognitive Dysfunction in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease—Current Knowledge, Mechanisms and Perspectives

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as the hepatic component of the metabolic syndrome and now seemingly affects one-fourth of the world population. Features associated with NAFLD and the metabolic syndrome have frequently been linked to cognitive dysfunction, i.e. systemic inflammation, vascular dysfunction, and sleep apnoea. However, emerging evidence suggests that NAFLD may be a cause of cognitive dysfunction independent of these factors. NAFLD in addition exhibits dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and impaired urea cycle function, favouring systemic ammonia accumulation and further promotes systemic inflammation. Such disruption of the gut–liver–brain axis is essential in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy, the neuropsychiatric syndrome associated with progressive liver disease. Considering the growing burden of NAFLD, the morbidity from cognitive impairment is expected to have huge societal and economic impact. The present paper provides a review of the available evidence for cognitive dysfunction in NAFLD and outlines its possible mechanisms. Moreover, the clinical challenges of characterizing and diagnosing cognitive dysfunction in NAFLD are discussed

A narrative review of the active ingredients in psychotherapy delivered by conversational agents

The present narrative review seeks to unravel where we are now, and where we need to go to delineate the active ingredients in psychotherapy delivered by conversational agents (e.g., chatbots). While psychotherapy delivered by conversational agents has shown promising effectiveness for depression, anxiety, and psychological distress across several randomized controlled trials, little emphasis has been placed on the therapeutic processes in these interventions. The theoretical framework of this narrative review is grounded in prominent perspectives on the active ingredients in psychotherapy. Based on search terms derived from various theoretical perspectives, we conducted a systematic literature search of four scientific databases and identified 17 studies. Across the selected studies, three themes emerged: relationship variables, emotional venting, and cognitive factors. While methodological issues compromise the epistemic value of this evidence base, core questions also remain to be answered. Such questions include, but are not limited to, whether humans can form affectionate bonds to inanimate beings and whether these kind of mental health treatments should be understood as psychotherapy or something else. Researchers should therefore be cautious when applying theories of psychotherapy in the realm of conversational agents. We conclude the paper by introducing recommendations for future research, which we hope will help instigate methodologically sound studies in this field

A systematic review of attitudes, anxiety, acceptance, and trust towards social robots

As social robots become more common, there is a need to understand how people perceive and interact with such technology. This systematic review seeks to estimate people’s attitudes toward, trust in, anxiety associated with, and acceptance of social robots; as well as factors that are associated with these beliefs. Ninety-seven studies were identified with a combined sample of over 13,000 participants and a standardized score was computed for each in order to represent the valence (positive, negative, or neutral) and magnitude (on a scale from 1 to − 1) of people’s beliefs about robots. Potential moderating factors such as the robots’ domain of application and design, the type of exposure to the robot, and the characteristics of potential users were also investigated. The findings suggest that people generally have positive attitudes towards social robots and are willing to interact with them. This finding may challenge some of the existing doubt surrounding the adoption of robotics in social domains of application but more research is needed to fully understand the factors that influence attitudes

Personalized cognitive training: protocol for individual-level meta-analysis implementing machine learning methods

Accumulating evidence suggests that cognitive training may enhance well-being. Yet, mixed findings imply that individual differences and training characteristics may interact to moderate training efficacy. To investigate this possibility, the current paper describes a protocol for a data-driven individual-level meta-analysis study aimed at developing personalized cognitive training. To facilitate comprehensive analysis, this protocol proposes criteria for data search, selection and pre-processing along with the rationale for each decision. Twenty-two cognitive training datasets comprising 1544 participants were collected. The datasets incorporated diverse training methods, all aimed at improving well-being. These training regimes differed in training characteristics such as targeted domain (e.g., working memory, attentional bias, interpretation bias, inhibitory control) and training duration, while participants differed in diagnostic status, age and sex. The planned analyses incorporate machine learning algorithms designed to identify which individuals will be most responsive to cognitive training in general and to discern which methods may be a better fit for certain individuals

Meta-analytic evidence for a reversal learning effect on the iowa gambling task in older adults

Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) is one of the most widely used tools to assess economic decision-making. However, the research tradition on aging and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) has been mainly focused on the overall performance of older adults in relation to younger or clinical groups, remaining unclear whether older adults are capable of learning along the task. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine older adults' decision-making on the IGT, to test the effects of aging on reversal learning (45 studies) and to provide normative data on total and block net scores (55 studies). From the accumulated empirical evidence, we found an average total net score of 7.55 (+/- 25.9). We also observed a significant reversal learning effect along the blocks of the IGT, indicating that older adults inhibit the prepotent response toward immediately attractive options associated with high losses, in favor of initially less attractive options associated with long-run profit. During block 1, decisions of older adults led to a negative gambling net score, reflecting the expected initial pattern of risk-taking. However, the shift toward more safe options occurred between block 2 (small-to-medium effect size) and blocks 3, 4, 5 (medium-to-large effect size). These main findings highlight that older adults are able to move from the initial uncertainty, when the possible outcomes are unknown, to decisions based on risk, when the outcomes are learned and may be used to guide future adaptive decision-making.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Attitudinal change in elderly citizens towards social robots: the role of personality traits and beliefs about robot functionality.

Attitudes towards robots influence the tendency to accept or reject robotic devices. Thus it is important to investigate whether and how attitudes towards robots can change. In this pilot study we investigate attitudinal changes in elderly citizens toward a tele-operated robot in relation to three parameters: (i) the information provided about robot functionality, (ii) the number of encounters, (iii) personality type. Fourteen elderly residents at a rehabilitation centre participated. Pre-encounter attitudes towards robots, anthropomorphic thinking, and personality were assessed. Thereafter the participants interacted with a tele-operated robot (Telenoid) during their lunch (c. 30 min.) for up to three days. Half of the participants were informed that the robot was tele-operated (IC) whilst the other half were naïve to its functioning (UC). Post-encounter assessments of attitudes towards robots and anthropomorphic thinking were undertaken to assess change. Attitudes towards robots were assessed with a new generic 35-item questionnaire (Attitudes towards social robots scale: ASOR-5), offering a differentiated conceptualization of the conditions for social interaction.There was no significant difference between the IC and UC groups in attitude change towards robots though trends were observed. Personality was correlated with some tendencies for attitude changes; Extraversion correlated with positive attitude changes to intimate-personal relatedness with the robot (r=.619) and to psychological relatedness (r=.581) whilst Neuroticism correlated negatively (r=-.582) with mental relatedness with the robot. The results tentatively suggest that neither information about functionality nor direct repeated encounters are pivotal in changing attitudes towards robots in elderly citizens. This may reflect a cognitive congruence bias where the robot is experienced in congruence with initial attitudes, or it may support action-based explanations of cognitive dissonance reductions, given that robots, unlike computers, are not yet perceived as action targets. Specific personality traits may be indicators of attitude change relating to specific domains of social interaction. Implications and future directions are discussed

Digitally delivered psychotherapy: Efficacy, effectiveness, and ethics: EFFEKTER, EGNETHED OG ETIK

Digitally delivered psychotherapy is increasingly being offered as an alternative or supplement to conventional face-to-face therapy to treat a range ofmental and somatic issues. This development calls for a critical exploration of the potential consequences of moving psychotherapy from the physicalspace with direct client contact into the digital space. Digital solutions overcome geographical barriers, enable help for people with limited mobility,and have the potential to offer a high degree of flexibility and treatment individualization. Conversely, digitally delivered psychotherapy could be insufficiently sensitive to psychological change and symptom fluctuations among clients, and building and maintaining a therapeutic alliance onlinemay require different therapeutic skills. The question is not whether psychotherapy will be digitized but rather how clinical psychology may reap thebenefits and address the professional and ethical challenges associated with increasing digitization. Explorations into disorders and client types whichcan be effectively treated with digital interventions are needed. Additional research into the optimization and implementation of digital psychotherapiesis necessary to ensure high-quality help online to those in need. Digitalt leveret psykoterapi tilbydes i stigende grad som alternativ eller supplement til konventionel face-to-face-terapi i behandlingen af en række psykiske og somatiske problemstillinger. Men hvad er konsekvenserne af at flytte dele af psykoterapien fra det fysiske rum med direkte klientkontakt over i detdigitale rum? Digitale løsninger mindsker geografiske barrierer, muliggør hjælp til personer med begrænset mobilitet og tilbyder fleksible, individualiserede behandlingsforløb. Omvendt er digitalt leveret psykoterapi måske utilstrækkeligt sensitiv over for alvorlige psykiske udsving blandt klienterne, ligesomonline allianceopbygning og -fastholdelse kræver særlige terapeutiske virkemidler. Spørgsmålet er ikke, om der vil ske en øget digitalisering af psykoterapi, men snarere hvordan den kliniske psykologi vil høste gevinsterne og håndtere de faglige og etiske udfordringer forbundet med den stigende digitalisering.Grænserne for, hvilke lidelser og klienttyper som kan behandles effektivt og etisk forsvarligt gennem digitale interventioner, bør udforskes, ligesom forskning i optimering og implementering er nødvendig for at kvalitetssikre udbuddet på det digitale psykoterapi-marked.&nbsp

What is in three words? Exploring a three-word methodology for assessing impressions of a social robot encounter online and in real life

We explore the impressions and conceptualisations produced by participants after their first encounter with the teleoperated robot, Telenoid R1