Trust in crisis: Conspiracy mentality, lack of trust and religiosity predicted conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 in a Norwegian sample

Crises are associated with a search for meaning and security. In recent years, they have also been associated with increased attention to conspiracy theories. Such theories about COVID-19 have been many. We have looked at several COVID-specific conspiracy theories and their relation to a number of other factors, including religiosity in a highly educated Norwegian convenience sample (n=1225). Conspiracy mentality, lack of trust, and religiosity were directly associated with conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19, whereas self-reported stress and negative emotions related to the pandemic had only small, indirect effects. Unlike previous research findings, we found no effect of gender or age

Blood Pressure and T-Tau in Spinal Fluid Are Associated With Delayed Recall in Participants With Memory Complaints and Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine if systolic blood pressure (SBP), total-tau (t-tau), and beta-amyloid (Aβ) in the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) were associated with the results on the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Word List (CERAD-WL) immediate and delayed recall, and the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) in “younger” older adults, controlling for age and sex. Method: We included 72 participants, mean age: 62.9 (SD 8.6, range 41–76) from a Norwegian memory clinic; eight were diagnosed with subjective cognitive decline, 32 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 30 with dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (DAT), and two with combined DAT and vascular dementia (VaD). Data were examined in three fitted multiple linear regression models using the CERAD-WL immediate and delayed recall, and MMSE as dependent variables; and SBP, t-tau, and Aβ as independent variables, controlling for age and sex. Results: The strongest associations were found in the model using CERAD-WL delayed recall as the dependent variable, where 45% of the variance was explained (standardized Beta = −0.313, p = 0.004 for t-tau and standardized Beta −0.238, p = 0.01 for SBP). The unique contribution of age was close to 8%, t-tau close to 7%, and SBP above 5%. When cardiovascular medication was entered into the analysis, the explained variance increased to 51% and Aβ became significant (standardized Beta = 0.216, p = 0.03). Participants on this medication exhibited worse performance on CERAD-WL delayed recall than those who were not on medication. Age (7%), t-tau (6%), and SBP (5%) showed the same unique contribution, whereas medication contributed 6% and Aβ contributed 4%. CERAD-WL immediate recall, and MMSE yielded similar findings, but explained variance was poorer for these two variables. Conclusions: Both elevated SBP and t-tau were associated with poorer cognitive performance, especially delayed recall. Those on cardiovascular medication were more impaired than were participants who were not on this medication—a finding that probably reflected cerebral incidents in the medicated group.publishedVersio

The Peripheral Kynurenine Pathway and Psychosomatic Comorbidity in Subjects with Morbid Obesity Undergoing Bariatric Surgery

Background: The Kynurenine pathway (KP) is involved in various disorders, but little is known about the KP and psychosomatic complaints. The aim was to study the peripheral KP and psychosomatic comorbidity in subjects with morbid obesity. Methods: Psychosomatic comorbidity (perceived general health, muscle-skeletal pain, well-being, mood disorders, fatigue, self-esteem, sleepiness, and sense of humour) was registered, and serum samples were collected six months before and after bariatric surgery. Results: A total of 141 subjects (men/women, 116/25) with a mean age of 43.0 (SD 8.7) years and BMI of 42.1 (SD 3.8) kg/m2 were included. No significant associations were seen between the psychosomatic disorders and the KP. There was a significant downregulation of all KP metabolites after surgery, a reduction in CRP, and strong associations between CRP and the KP, particularly with the ratios of Kynurenine/Tryptophan and Quinolinic acid (QA)/Xanthurenic acid (XA). The QA/XA ratio was negatively associated with diabetes. Conclusions: The peripheral KP seemed to be of minor importance for the psychosomatic comorbidity in subjects with morbid obesity. The downregulation of all KP metabolites after bariatric surgery indicated reduced inflammation. The QA/XA ratio seemed to be a marker of insulin sensitivity and favourable glucose control.The Peripheral Kynurenine Pathway and Psychosomatic Comorbidity in Subjects with Morbid Obesity Undergoing Bariatric SurgerypublishedVersio

Blood Pressure in Different Dementia Disorders, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Subjective Cognitive Decline

The aim of the study was to investigate whether blood pressure (BP) differed among people with different dementia diagnoses, mild cognitive impairment, and subjective cognitive decline and whether BP differences were observed across age and sex. Our study population comprised clinical data from 6,236 patients (53.5% women) aged 45–97 years (Mean = 73.9, SD = 9.6) referred to dementia assessment in 42 outpatient clinics across Norway during 2009–2019. Patients with the following diagnoses were included: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD), Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Vascular dementia (VaD), mixed AD and VaD, and dementia in Parkinson’s disease/Lewy body disease (PDD/LBD). For all diagnostic groups, SBP increased with age until about 80 years, after which it trended downward, whereas DBP declined after 60 years of age for all diagnostic groups. Patients aged 65 years and younger with SCD had lower SBP compared to AD patients at the same age, but SBP increased rapidly with increasing age, resulting in a substantially higher SBP at 80 + years compared with all other diagnostic groups. No other differences in SBP or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were found among patients with the different dementia diagnosis. Neither SBP nor DBP differed between MCI and AD groups. An interaction between age and gender was found for SBP at younger ages, as women started out with a lower pressure than men did but ended up with higher SBP. Conclusion: Among 80+ patients, blood pressure did not differ as a function of the various dementia disorders. The SBP for the SCD patients of various age groups differed from all other diagnostic groups, indicating either that internal regulation of BP in older people is a risk factor for dementia or that brain damage causing dementia or MCI may led to changes in blood pressure. Brain aging seems to influence SBP differently in men and womenpublishedVersio

Blood pressure in dementia, mild cognitive impairment, and subjective cognitive decline related to time of death

Objective: It is unknown whether systolic blood pressure (SBP) drop is part of the normal aging process or due to the onset of dementia for some people. SBP drop is referring to the decrease in blood pressure often seen before death. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine whether SBP at time of diagnosis of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, or subjective cognitive decline was associated with years prior to death, and whether these associations were modified by diagnoses, age, and sex. Methods: Participants were 2,236 patients from the Norwegian Registry of Persons Assessed for Cognitive Symptoms (NorCog), who died during follow-up (2009-2017) for whom we had valid blood pressure measurements. Mean age at diagnosis was 77.5 years (SD 8.3), and patients were followed for an average of 3.9 years (SD 2.2, maximum 10.5 years). The patients had subjective cognitive decline (95), mild cognitive impairment (573), dementia (1,401), or no diagnoses related to cognitive deficits (167). SBP as dependent variable was regressed against years prior to death. Results: In men, SBP was 1.8 mmHg lower per year closer to death (p < .01), and this trend was linear without any acceleration. This association between years prior to death and SBP in men was not modified by age, year of diagnosis, or diagnosis. There was no such association in women. Conclusion: SBP was significantly lower for those diagnosed close to death in men, but not in women. This association was not modified by either age or onset of diagnosis. Thus, the lowering of SBP is more related to closeness to death and sex than to dementia or age. The downward trend was linear all 10 years prior to death, with no acceleration closer to death.publishedVersio

Cognition in Patients With Memory Difficulties and Dementia Relative to APOE e4 Status

The aim of this study was to investigate whether cognitive performance was equally influenced by Apolipoprotein E (APOE, with its three alleles, e2, e3, and e4) in patients with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In addition, we examined a group of patients with a combination of Vascular dementia (VaD) and AD (VaD/AD). We asked if the APOE e4 allele influenced cognition in these patient groups in the same way. Our study comprised data from 1,991 patients (55% women), with a mean age of 70.9 years (SD 10.8) and 12.1 years of education (SD 3.8). Of them, 1,111 (56%) had at least one APOE e4 allele; 871 (44%) had one and 240 (12%) had two e4 alleles. Three neurocognitive tests were used to measure cognition: the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the 10-word test of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Word List (CERAD-WL) (immediate and delayed recall), and the Trail Making Test Part A (TMTA). The APOE genotypes were regressed against cognitive function using linear regression, adjusting for diagnosis, age, sex, and education. The interaction diagnosis∗APOE was investigated. The allele type had the largest effect on cognitive performance assessed by the CERAD-WL delayed recall test, less for the other tests. Those without the e4 type scored 0.7 units better than those with e4 allele(s) (p < 0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant inverse dose-response pattern between number of e4 alleles and cognitive performance; those with one allele scored 0.4 units better than those with two alleles (p = 0.006), and those without e4 scored 0.7 units better than those with one e4 (p < 0.001). This pattern did not differ between the four diagnostic groups studied.publishedVersio

APOE – a genetic marker of comorbidity in subjects with morbid obesity

Background: In population-based studies, the genetic variability of the APOE E alleles have been associated with health outcomes. Health problems are common in subjects with obesity. This study explored associations between the APOE E alleles and comorbidity in subjects with morbid obesity. Methods: The study included consecutive subjects referred for evaluation of bariatric surgery with morbid obesity (defined as BMI > 40 or > 35 kg/m2 with complications related to obesity). The subjects followed a conservative weight loss program for 6 months before surgery and had a follow-up visit 12 months after surgery. Demographic data and a set psychosomatic scores (musculoskeletal pain, WHO-5 Well-Being Index, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Hopkins Symptom Check-list 10; Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Fatigue Severity Scale) were collected, and blood samples were analysed for haematological and biochemical parameters and APOE alleles. Results: One hundred and forty subjects (men/women: 32 (23%)/108 (77%) with mean age 43.0 (SD 8.7) years and BMI 42.1 (SD 3.8) kg/m2 were included. One hundred and eight and 92 subjects had data after conservative treatment and 12 months after surgery, respectively. The prevalence of the APOE alleles were: E2E2: 1 (0.7%), E2E3: 13 (9.3%), E2E4: 4 (2.9%), E3E3: 71 (50.7%), E3E4: 47 (33.6%), and E4E4: 4 (2.9%). The prevalence rates were as anticipated in a Norwegian population. The weight loss during conservative treatment and after bariatric surgery was independent of E allele variability. E2 was associated with a significant or clear trend toward improvement of all psychosomatic disorders. There was a significant fall in CRP during the two treatment periods with weight loss. E2 and E4 were significantly associated with high and low CRP, respectively, but no associations were seen between CRP and comorbidity. Conclusions: The most marked finding was the association between E2 and improvement of all psychosomatic disorders. The positive and negative associations between CRP and E2 and E4, respectively, could indicate effects on inflammation and immunological reactions.acceptedVersio

Relationships of sources of meaning and resilience with meaningfulness and satisfaction with life: A population-based study of Norwegians in late adulthood

Health-promoting initiatives incorporating meaning-making to enhance the well-being of people in late adulthood are important, particularly as the number of older people is increasing. Resilience and sources of meaning may be related to individuals’ experience of meaningfulness and satisfaction with life. However, few studies have investigated these relations among people in late adulthood. In the present exploratory study, we asked the following questions: What are the differences regarding scores on sources of meaning, resilience, meaningfulness, and satisfaction between people in late adulthood (≥65) and other adults (18–64)? What is the association between sources of meaning and meaningfulness, and between resilience and meaningfulness? What is the association between sources of meaning and satisfaction with life, and between resilience and satisfaction with life? A cross-sectional design was used. A population-based sample of 925 participants (aged 18–91 years) was recruited from the National Population Register in Norway. Of these, 219 participants were 65 years old and older (mean age 73 years). Additionally, sub-analyses for the age-group ≥ 75 (N = 71) were performed. Independent-samples t-tests, chi-square tests, one-way ANOVA, and linear regressions adjusted for demographics, anxiety, and depression were performed utilizing standardized questionnaires. It was found that people in late adulthood (≥65 years) scored significantly higher on meaningfulness compared to younger adults (18–64). Of the sources of meaning, vertical self-transcendence, including explicit religiosity and spirituality, had the strongest relation to meaningfulness for people in late adulthood, after adjusting for demographics, anxiety, and depression. For the same group, accomplishment, including generativity and unselfish engagement with the surroundings and future generations, also stood out as a prominent source of meaning when related to meaningfulness. No sources of meaning were associated with satisfaction with life in the older group. No associations between resilience and meaningfulness, nor between resilience and satisfaction with life, were found among people in late adulthood. However, positive associations were found between resilience and meaningfulness, as well as between resilience and satisfaction with life, in the 18– 64 age group. Longitudinal research and interventional studies are needed to confirm whether the designated sources contribute to meaningfulness in a Norwegian context. The implications of the findings are discussed.publishedVersio

The Role of Tryptophan Dysmetabolism and Quinolinic Acid in Depressive and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Emerging evidence suggests that neuroinflammation is involved in both depression and neurodegenerative diseases. The kynurenine pathway, generating metabolites which may play a role in pathogenesis, is one of several competing pathways of tryptophan metabolism. The present article is a narrative review of tryptophan metabolism, neuroinflammation, depression, and neurodegeneration. A disturbed tryptophan metabolism with increased activity of the kynurenine pathway and production of quinolinic acid may result in deficiencies in tryptophan and derived neurotransmit ters. Quinolinic acid is an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor agonist, and raised levels in CSF, together with increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, have been reported in mood disorders. Increased quinolinic acid has also been observed in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and HIV-related cognitive decline. Oxidative stress in connection with increased indole-dioxygenase (IDO) activity and kynurenine formation may contribute to inflammatory responses and the production of cytokines. Increased formation of quinolinic acid may occur at the expense of kynurenic acid and neuroprotective picolinic acid. While awaiting ongoing research on potential pharmacological interventions on tryptophan metabolism, ad equate protein intake with appropriate amounts of tryptophan and antioxidants may offer protection against oxidative stress and provide a balanced set of physiological receptor ligands.publishedVersio

Neurocognitive Outcome and Compensating Possibilities in Children and Adolescents Treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia With Chemotherapy Only

Aim: To examine the neurocognitive outcomes in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in remission who were treated with systemic chemotherapy only (CTO).Methods: Neurocognitive performances in 36 children and adolescents, aged 8.4–15.3 years, in long-term remission from ALL 4.3–12.4 years post diagnosis, without relapse, and with no pre-diagnosis history of neurodevelopmental disorder were compared with 36 healthy controls matched for gender, age, and parents’ socio-economic status. The former patients and the healthy controls completed an extensive battery of standardized neuropsychological tests.Results: Survivors who were treated by CTO obtained significantly lower scores than did healthy controls on the domains of Copy and drawing (p = 0.001; Cohen’s d 0.85; after controlling for Type 1 errors q = 0.006), Arithmetic (p = 0.001; Cohen’s d 0.80; after controlling for Type 1 errors, q = 0.006), and Tactile sensory functions (p = 0.008; Cohen’s d 0.65; after controlling for Type 1 errors, q = 0.03). Fifty percent of the ALL group were more than 1 SD below the control groups mean on Copy and drawing. There was an interaction between age and group (ALL vs. Control, p = 0.042) on Copy and drawing, indicating that the youngest ALL patients exhibited the worst performance. The oldest ALL patients performed equal to or better than the controls. A tendency in the same direction was seen for Arithmetic and Tactile sensory functions. The ALL survivors exhibited a steeper rising learning slope on repeated tests, with lower scores on a tactile problem-solving task, tactile sensory tests, verbal memory, and visual attention, but they performed as well as the controls when stimuli were repeated.Conclusion: The results indicate that neurocognitive long-term sequelae in ALL survivors are limited to specific domains – particularly complex drawing, arithmetic, and tactile processing, and novelty processing. Cognitive deficits are shown among the youngest ALL patients. Intervention programs and school programs should account for difficulties with processing new information and taking advantage of repetitions as a strength, which may prevent survivors from falling behind their peers