P3‐455: Eeg Topology Combined With Computer Based Cognitive Assessment As Screening Tool For Cognitive Decline

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/152558/1/alzjjalz2019063490.pd

Higher neural demands on stimulus processing after prolonged hospitalization can be mitigated by a cognitively stimulating environment

Prolonge d periods of complete physical inactivity or bed rest trigger various alterations in the functional and metabolic levels of the human body. However, bed rest-related adaptations of the central nervous system are less known and thoroughly studied. The aim of this study was to investigate brain electrophysiological changes using event-related potentials (ERPs) after 14 days of bed rest and 12 consecutive sessions of computerized cognitive training (CCT). Sixteen older (Mage= 60 years) healthy volunteers were randomly divided into a CCT treatment group and an active control group. All participants performed ERP measurements based on the foveal visual presentation of a circle on a black background before and after bed rest. After 14 days of bed rest, participants in the control group showed increased peak P1 amplitude (p = .012), decreased P1 latency (p = .024), and increased P2 amplitude (p = .036), while the CCT group also showed decreased P1 latency (p = .023) and decreased P2 latency (p = .049). Our results suggest that, even from a central adaptation perspective, prolonged periods of physical inactivity or bed rest trigger additional neural recruitment and should therefore be minimized, and that CCT may serve as a tool to mitigate this. Future research should focus on other aspects of central nervous system adaptation following periods of immobilization/hospitalization to improve our knowledge of infl uence of physical inactivity and its eff ects on cortical activity and to develop appropriate countermeasures to mitigate functional dysregulation.Dolgotrajna obdobja popolne gibalne neaktivnosti ali horizontalnega ležanja sprožijo v človeškem telesu različne spremembe na funkcionalni in metabolni ravni. Prilagoditve centralnega živčnega sistema, povezane s horizontalnim ležanjem, so manj poznane in še ne dovolj preučene. Namen te raziskave je bil oceniti možganske elektrofi ziološke spremembe z uporabo metode z dogodkom povezanih potencialov (ERP) po 14-dnevnem horizontalnem ležanju in 12 zaporednih vadbah računalniškega kognitivnega treninga (RKT). Šestnajst starejših (Mstarost= 60 let) zdravih prostovoljcev je bilo naključno razdeljenih v intervencijo RKT in aktivno kontrolno skupino. Vsi udeleženci so izvajali meritve ERP pred in po horizontalnem ležanju na podlagi fovealne vidne predstavitve kroga na črni podlagi. Po 14-dnevnem horizontalnem ležanju je analiza ERP pokazala povečano amplitudo P1 (p = ,012), zmanjšano latenco P1 (p = ,024) in povečano amplitudo P2 (p = ,036) pri kontrolni skupini, medtem ko sta se v skupini RKT latenci P1 (p = ,023) in P2 skrajšali (p = ,049). Naši rezultati kažejo, da daljša obdobja gibalne neaktivnosti ali horizontalnega ležanja sprožijo, tudi z vidika centralne prilagoditve, dodatno rekrutacijo nevronov, zato je treba taka obdobja zmanjšati na najmanjšo možno mero. Ugotovljeno je bilo tudi, da lahko RKT služi kot orodje za ublažitev upada. Prihodnje raziskave bi se morale osredotočiti še na druge vidike prilagajanja centralnega živčnega sistema po obdobjih imobilizacije/hospitalizacije, da bi izboljšali razumevanje posledic gibalne neaktivnosti in njenih učinkov na kortikalno aktivnost ter razvili ustrezne protiukrepe za blaženje funkcionalne disregulacije

Učinkovitost računalniškega kognitivnega treninga v domovih starejših občanov

Ohranjanje in krepitev fi zičnega in kognitivnega zdravja je pri starejših osebah izziv, še posebej pri tistih, ki so podvržene pospešenim starostnim ali nevrodegenerativnim spremembam. Obstoječe nefarmakološke intervencije lahko stabilizirajo ali upočasnijo kognitivni upad, vendar se učinkovite preventivne tretmaje, ki bi zakasnili pojavnost simptomov, še raziskuje. Eden izmed nefarmakoloških tretmajev je kognitivni trening. Namen naše raziskave je bil oceniti izvedljivost in učinkovitost kognitivnega treninga z nalogo prostorske navigacije pri stanovalcih domov starejših občanov. Enaintrideset stanovalcev (povprečna starost 81,6 leta, razpon 69%94 letpovprečna ocena MoCA 22,8 točke, razpon 17%277 moških) je bilo naključno razporejenih v kontrolno skupino ali intervencijsko skupino. Slednja je bila vključena v dvomesečni kognitivni trening (2-krat tedenskoskupaj 16 treningov), v katerem so udeleženci vadili učenje virtualnega labirinta. Vsi udeleženci raziskave so bili merjeni pred in po intervenciji na nevropsihološki ocenjevalni bateriji testov. Udeleženci kontrolne skupine niso prejeli nobene posebne obravnave in so tako sodelovali le na %pred in po% meritvah. Pomembne izboljšave so bile ugotovljene le pri Reyjevem testu slušno-besednega učenja (AVLT), kjer so udeleženci v intervencijski skupini značilno izboljšali svoj rezultat v primerjavi s kontrolno skupino. Kljub omejeni učinkovitosti kognitivnega treninga je bila naša intervencija izvedljiva in pozitivno sprejeta s strani večine udeležencev. Nadaljnje raziskave bi morale ovrednotiti dolgoročne učinke kognitivnega treninga na druge funkcionalne sposobnosti in aktivnosti vsakodnevnega življenja. Na splošno naša raziskava ponuja empirične dokaze, da je kognitivni trening sprejemljiv za stanovalce domov za starejše občane, in kar je najpomembneje, da lahko izboljša mnemonične kognitivne sposobnosti.Maintaining and improving physical and cognitive health is becoming a challenging task, especially for older people who are exposed to accelerated age- or neurodegenerative-related decline. Existing non-pharmacological interventions may stabilize or slow down cognitive decline, but eff ective preventive treatments that would delay the symptom onset are currently being explored. One of such non-pharmacological treatments is cognitive training, which has gained in popularity over the last two decades. The aim of our research was to evaluate the feasibility and eff ectiveness of cognitive training with spatial navigation task in nursing home residents. Thirty-one nursing home residents (mean age = 81.6 years, range 69%94 yearsmean MoCA score = 22.8, range 17%277 male) were randomly assigned to control or intervention group, where they underwent a 2-month cognitive training (two-times weeklyaltogether 16 sessions) with virtual maze navigation. Participants were measured pre- and post-intervention on neuropsychological assessment battery, while the control group received no specifi c treatment and performed pre- and postmeasurements only. The only signifi cant improvements were found on Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) where participants in the intervention group signifi cantly improved as compared to their control counterparts. Despite limited generalization of cognitive training, our intervention was feasible and positively perceived by the majority of nursing home residents. Future studies should evaluate long-term eff ects and generalization to other functional capabilities as well as activities of daily living. Overall, our study provides empirical evidence that cognitive training is accepted by nursing home residents, and most importantly, can improve mnemonic cognitive abilities

The Role of Enhanced Cognition to Counteract Detrimental Effects of Prolonged Bed Rest: Current Evidence and Perspectives

Prolonged periods of physical inactivity or bed rest can lead to a significant decline of functional and cognitive functions. Different kinds of countermeasures (e.g., centrifugation, nutritional, and aerobic interventions) have been developed to attempt to mitigate negative effects related to bed rest confinement. The aim of this report is to provide an overview of the current evidence related to the effectiveness of computerized cognitive training (CCT) intervention during a period of complete physical inactivity in older adults. CCT, using a virtual maze navigation task, appears to be effective and has long-lasting benefits (up to 1.5 years after the study). Moreover, enhanced cognition (executive control) reduces decline in the ability to perform complex motor-cognitive dual-tasks after prolonged period of bed rest. It has been demonstrated that CCT administration in older adults also prevents bed rest stress-related physiological changes [these groups showed minimal changes in vascular function and an unchanged level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)] while control subjects showed decreased peripheral vascularization and increased plasma level of the neurotrophin BDNF during a 14-day bed rest. In addition, the effects of CCT are evident also from the brain electrocortical findings: CCT group revealed a decreased power in lower delta and theta bands while significant increases in the same EEG spectral bands power were found in control subjects. If we consider an increase of power in delta band as a marker of cortical aging, then the lack of shift of EEG power to lower band indicates a preventive role of CCT on the cortical level during physiological deconditioning induced by 2-week bed rest immobilization. However, replication on a larger sample is required to confirm the observed findings. Applications derived from these findings could be appropriate for implementation of hospital treatment for bed ridden patients as well as for fall prevention programs

O3‐06‐01: Nih Toolbox Cognition Tablet Battery In Identification Of Early Cognitive Impairment

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/152934/1/alzjjalz2019064654.pd

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

Hemispheric Interactions and Event-Related Potentials in Lateralized Stroop and Stroop Analog Tasks

Classical Stroop stimuli and newly developed face/word Stroop analog stimuli were used to investigate hemispheric interactions in Stroop interference effects (SEs) and corresponding event-related potentials (ERPs). Lateralized stimuli were presented unilaterally and bilaterally as congruent or incongruent color strip-word or face-word pairs (to invoke right hemisphere (RH) and left hemisphere (LH) specialization, respectively, in the latter case). The common finding for such tasks is that responses for the congruent condition are faster and more accurate than for the incongruent condition (i.e., the SE). A primary prediction is that the SE will be maximized when both the distractor and target components, or distractor alone, are presented to the specialized hemisphere (i.e., LH for words and RH for faces). A total of 88 right-handed University of North Texas students participated in one of four experiments. Participants manually responded to one component of the stimuli (i.e., color, face, or word), while ignoring the other. Behaviorally, participants showed a robust SE across all experiments, especially for the face/word task with word targets. Findings from the face/word Stroop analog tasks also indicated that SEs were produced by selective attention to either faces or words, implicating a role for top-down (controlled) processes. Hemispheric asymmetries were observed only for bilateral presentations of the face/word Stroop analog stimuli and did not differ for word versus face targets. The results suggest that the LH is less susceptible to interference from the RH than vice versa. Electrophysiologically, anterior N1 and P1, posterior P1 and N1, N2, and P3 components were identified. A SE was found for P3 amplitudes, but not latencies, across all four experiments such that the congruent condition generated greater amplitudes than the incongruent condition, suggesting that the P3 is an index of task difficulty. Surprisingly, SEs were also observed for the early ERP components, albeit embedded in higher order interactions. Taken together, the ERP evidence suggests that there is no single locus of the SE, and instead, the SE appears to be distributed over several stages of information processing

Generalised anxiety in Slovenian university students during the Covid-19 pandemic

Pandemija covida-19 je po vsem svetu povzročila negotovost, strahove in skrbi ter s tem povečala možnost pojavljanja anksioznosti. V spletni anketi, ki smo jo izvedli aprila 2020 na vzorcu Slovencev, starih 18 let in več, smo zbrali podatke o generalizirani anksioznosti, nevroticizmu, psihosocialni ranljivosti, izgubi zaznanega nadzora in vplivu različnih z epidemijo povezanih težav. Prispevek predstavlja rezultate 110 študentov (med njimi 78 % žensk) ter jih primerja z rezultati neštudentov (n = 779). Ugotovili smo, da so bili za študente v primerjavi z ostalimi udeleženci značilni višja gene-ralizirana anksioznost, večja izguba zaznanega nadzora in večji vpliv težav, povezanih z epidemijo. Pri študentih je bila generalizirana anksioznost pozitivno povezana z vplivom z epidemijo povezanih omejitev, izgubo zaznanega nadzora in nevroticizmom. Študija izpostavlja dejavnike tveganja za generalizirano anksioznost študentov med zdravstveno krizo in podaja možne usmeritve za razvoj preventivnih ukrepov.The Covid-19 pandemic has caused increased fears, worries and uncertainty worldwide, thus also increasing the potential for anxiety. Using an online survey conducted in April 2020 with a sample of Slovenian participants aged 18 and over, we collected data on generalised anxiety, neuroticism, psychosocial vulnerability, loss of perceived control and the impact of various difficulties encountered during the pandemic. This paper presents the results of 110 university students and compares these results with those of a non-student sample (n = 779). We found that students experienced higher levels of generalised anxiety, loss of perceived control and pandemic-related difficulties than non-students. Among students, generalised anxiety was positively associated with the perceived impact of pandemic--related restrictions, loss of perceived control and neuroticism. This study sheds light on risk factors for generalised anxiety among students during the health crisis and shows possible directions for the development of preventive interventions

EEG asymmetry and cognitive testing in MCI identification

Background: Finding the baseline resting-state EEG markers for early identification of cognitive decline can contribute to the identification of individuals at risk of further change. Potential applications include identifying participants for clinical trials, early treatment, and evaluation of treatment, accessible even from a community setting. Methods: Analyses were completed on a sample of 99 (ages 60–90) consensus-diagnosed, community-dwelling African Americans (58 cognitively typical/HC, and 41 mildly cognitively impaired/MCI), who were recruited from the Michigan Alzheimer\u27s Disease Research Center (MADRC) and the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology. In addition to neuropsychological testing with CogState and Toolbox computerized batteries, resting-state EEGs (rsEEG, eyes closed) were acquired before and after participants were engaged in a visual motion direction discrimination task. rsEEG frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) and frontal beta asymmetry (FBA) were calculated. Results: FAA showed no difference across groups for the pre-task resting state. FBA was significantly different between groups, with more asymmetric frontal beta in MCI. Both physiological indices, however, along with computerized neuropsychological tests were significant predictors in logistic regression classification of MCI vs. control participants. Conclusion: rsEEG asymmetries can contribute significantly to successful discrimination of older persons with MCI from those without, over and above cognitive testing, alone