Physical health and cognitive function independently contributed to functional disability among Chinese older adults: Data from two asian metropolises

10.4061/2011/960848Journal of Aging Research20111-

The Moderating Role of COMT and BDNF Polymorphisms on Transfer Effects Following Multi- and Single-Domain Cognitive Training Among Community-Dwelling Shanghainese Older Adults

Given the increase in research suggesting benefit following cognitive training in older adults, researchers have started to investigate the potential moderating role of genetic polymorphisms on transfer effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the moderating effect of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) polymorphisms on transfer effects following a single-domain or multi-domain training intervention in healthy community-dwelling older adults. A total of 104 men and women living in Shanghai were randomized to a multi-domain or a single-domain cognitive training (SDCT) group. COMT rs4818 SNP and the BDNF rs6265 SNP were analyzed from blood. At pre-intervention, post-intervention and at 6-month follow-up, participants completed the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), the Color-Word Stroop Test (CWST), the Trails Making Test (TMT) and the Visual Reasoning Test (VRT). COMT was found to moderate immediate memory transfer effects following single-domain training only, with G/- carriers displaying greater benefits than C/C carriers. BDNF was found to moderate attention and inhibition independent of the training, with Met/- carriers displaying better performance than Val/Val carriers. Overall, individualizing training methods with full consideration of genetic polymorphisms may promote the maximization of cognitive training benefits

The impact of cognitive training on cerebral white matter in community-dwelling elderly : one-year prospective longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging study

It has been shown that cognitive training (CogTr) is effective and recuperative for older adults, and can be used to fight against cognitive decline. In this study, we investigated whether behavioural gains from CogTr would extend to white matter (WM) microstructure, and whether training-induced changes in WM integrity would be associated with improvements in cognitive function, using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). 48 healthy community elderly were either assigned to multi-domain or single-domain CogTr groups to receive 24 sessions over 12 weeks, or to a control group. DTI was performed at both baseline and 12-month follow-up. Positive effects of multi-domain CogTr on long-term changes in DTI indices were found in posterior parietal WM. Participants in the multi-domain group showed a trend of long-term decrease in axial diffusivity (AD) without significant change in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD) or radial diffusivity (RD), while those in the control group displayed a significant FA decrease, and an increase in MD and RD. In addition, significant relationships between an improvement in processing speed and changes in RD, MD and AD were found in the multi-domain group. These findings support the hypothesis that plasticity of WM can be modified by CogTr, even in late adulthood

The effects of multi-domain versus single-domain cognitive training in non-demented older people: a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Whether healthy older people can benefit from cognitive training (CogTr) remains controversial. This study explored the benefits of CogTr in community dwelling, healthy, older adults and compared the effects of single-domain with multi-domain CogTr interventions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A randomized, controlled, 3-month trial of CogTr with double-blind assessments at baseline and immediate, 6-month and 12-month follow-up after training completion was conducted. A total of 270 healthy Chinese older people, 65 to 75 years old, were recruited from the Ganquan-area community in Shanghai. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups: multi-domain CogTr, single-domain CogTr, and a wait-list control group. Twenty-four sessions of CogTr were administrated to the intervention groups over a three-month period. Six months later, three booster training sessions were offered to 60% of the initial training participants. The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS, Form A), the Color Word Stroop test (CWST), the Visual Reasoning test and the Trail Making test (TMT) were used to assess cognitive function.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Multi-domain CogTr produced statistically significant training effects on RBANS, visual reasoning, and immediate and delayed memory, while single-domain CogTr showed training effects on RBANS, visual reasoning, word interference, and visuospatial/constructional score (all <it>P </it>< 0.05). At the 12-month posttest, the multi-domain CogTr showed training effects on RBANS, delayed memory and visual reasoning, while single-domain CogTr only showed effects on word interference. Booster training resulted in effects on RBANS, visual reasoning, time of trail making test, and visuospatial/constructional index score.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Cognitive training can improve memory, visual reasoning, visuospatial construction, attention and neuropsychological status in community-living older people and can help maintain their functioning over time. Multi-domain CogTr enhanced memory proficiency, while single-domain CogTr augmented visuospatial/constructional and attention abilities. Multi-domain CogTr had more advantages in training effect maintenance.</p> <p>Clinical Trial Registration</p> <p>Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. Registration number: ChiCTR-TRC-09000732.</p

ICF, An Immunodeficiency Syndrome: DNA Methyltransferase 3B Involvement, Chromosome Anomalies, and Gene Dysregulation

The immunodeficiency, centromeric region instability, and facial anomalies syndrome (ICF) is the only disease known to result from a mutated DNA methyltransferase gene, namely, DNMT3B. Characteristic of this recessive disease are decreases in serum immunoglobulins despite the presence of B cells and, in the juxtacentromeric heterochromatin of chromosomes 1 and 16, chromatin decondensation, distinctive rearrangements, and satellite DNA hypomethylation. Although DNMT3B is involved in specific associations with histone deacetylases, HP1, other DNMTs, chromatin remodelling proteins, condensin, and other nuclear proteins, it is probably the partial loss of catalytic activity that is responsible for the disease. In microarray experiments and real-time RT-PCR assays, we observed significant differences in RNA levels from ICF vs. control lymphoblasts for pro- and anti-apoptotic genes (BCL2L10, CASP1, and PTPN13); nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, NF-κB, and TNFa signalling pathway genes (PRKCH, GUCY1A3, GUCY1B3, MAPK13; HMOX1, and MAP4K4); and transcription control genes (NR2F2 and SMARCA2). This gene dysregulation could contribute to the immunodeficiency and other symptoms of ICF and might result from the limited losses of DNA methylation although ICF-related promoter hypomethylation was not observed for six of the above examined genes. We propose that hypomethylation of satellite 2at1qh and 16qh might provoke this dysregulation gene expression by trans effects from altered sequestration of transcription factors, changes in nuclear architecture, or expression of noncoding RNAs

The Role of Career Incentives in Environmental Regulation: Evidence from China’s Environmental One-Vote Veto Evaluation Regime

This paper applies a difference-in-differences approach to examine the effectiveness of China’s One-Vote Veto environmental regulation regime, which links pollution reduction targets with local officials’ promotion. Using a rich set of data for 286 Chinese cities, we show that the new political incentive induced significant tradeoff between economic growth and environmental protection. The regime shifts significantly reduced industrial SO2 emissions; however, the environmental improvement was limited only to the reduction of the targeted pollutants that are linked to performance evaluation. Firm-level evidence shows that emission reduction was mainly achieved by reducing new polluting production activities, increasing pollution abatement capacity and improving abatement performance. It is also found that compliance with emissions reduction targets indeed increases the promotion chances of local officials

Prediction of the Factors Influencing the Shengjing Classification of Portal Vein Thrombosis after Splenectomy for Portal Hypertension in Cirrhosis: A Single-Center Retrospective Case-Control Study

Objective. To compare the survival time of patients with portal vein thrombosis after splenectomy for portal hypertension in cirrhosis and explore the influencing factors of the Shengjing classification. Methods. Clinical data of 108 patients with portal vein thrombosis after splenectomy in the department of general surgery of our hospital from November 2011 to December 2018 were selected, and a retrospective analysis was performed. Results. Among 108 patients with postoperative PVST formation, 9 had type Ia, 32 type Ib, 39 type IIa, 20 type IIb, 5 type IIIa, 3 type IIIb, and 0 type IV. Survival analysis showed that the difference in survival time distribution among the Shengjing typing groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). The higher the classification level, the shorter the survival time and the higher the risk of death. The results of a single-factor analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in the PVST Shengjing typing groups between the preoperative group with or without hepatitis, preoperative d-dimer level, and postoperative day 14 fibrinogen (FIB) level (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the OR value of higher PVST Shengjing typing in patients with hepatitis was 4.634 times higher than that in patients without hepatitis (95% CI: 1.593-13.478, χ2=7.922, P=0.005<0.05). Preoperative d-dimer volume increased by 1 μg/L; the OR value of higher grade PVST Shengjing typing was 1.001 times higher (95% CI: 1.000-1.002) than that of lower grade PVST Shengjing typing (χ2=8.369, P=0.004<0.05). Conclusions. The survival time of patients with portal vein system thrombosis after splenectomy was significantly different among Shengjing typing groups, and the higher the classification level, the shorter the survival time and the higher the risk of death. In patients with portal hypertension in cirrhosis and PVST formation after splenectomy, if the preoperative d-dimer level is high or accompanied by hepatitis virus, the formation of PVST will involve a wide range, the disease is more serious, and the prognosis is also poor, so corresponding preventive measures should be taken to avoid the aggravation of PVST