Brain-Driven Representation Learning Based on Diffusion Model

Interpreting EEG signals linked to spoken language presents a complex challenge, given the data's intricate temporal and spatial attributes, as well as the various noise factors. Denoising diffusion probabilistic models (DDPMs), which have recently gained prominence in diverse areas for their capabilities in representation learning, are explored in our research as a means to address this issue. Using DDPMs in conjunction with a conditional autoencoder, our new approach considerably outperforms traditional machine learning algorithms and established baseline models in accuracy. Our results highlight the potential of DDPMs as a sophisticated computational method for the analysis of speech-related EEG signals. This could lead to significant advances in brain-computer interfaces tailored for spoken communication

Differences in Prefrontal, Limbic, and White Matter Lesion Volumes According to Cognitive Status in Elderly Patients with First-Onset Subsyndromal Depression

The purpose of this preliminary study was to test the hypothesis that subsyndromal depression is associated with the volume of medial prefrontal regional gray matter and that of white matter lesions (WMLs) in the brains of cognitively normal older people. We also explored the relationships between subsyndromal depression and medial prefrontal regional gray matter volume, limbic regional gray matter volume, and lobar WMLs in the brains of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). We performed a cross-sectional study comparing patients with subsyndromal depression and nondepressed controls with normal cognition (n = 59),MCI (n = 27),and AD (n = 27),adjusting for sex, age, years of education, and results of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Frontal WML volume was greater, and right medial orbitofrontal cortical volume was smaller in cognitively normal participants with subsyndromal depression than in those without subsyndromal depression. No volume differences were observed in medial prefrontal, limbic, or WML volumes according to the presence of subsyndromal depression in cognitively impaired patients. The absence of these changes in patients with MCI and AD suggests that brain changes associated with AD pathology may override the changes associated with subsyndromal depression

Differences in Prefrontal, Limbic, and White Matter Lesion Volumes According to Cognitive Status in Elderly Patients with First-Onset Subsyndromal Depression

The purpose of this preliminary study was to test the hypothesis that subsyndromal depression is associated with the volume of medial prefrontal regional gray matter and that of white matter lesions (WMLs) in the brains of cognitively normal older people. We also explored the relationships between subsyndromal depression and medial prefrontal regional gray matter volume, limbic regional gray matter volume, and lobar WMLs in the brains of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). We performed a cross-sectional study comparing patients with subsyndromal depression and nondepressed controls with normal cognition (n = 59),MCI (n = 27),and AD (n = 27),adjusting for sex, age, years of education, and results of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Frontal WML volume was greater, and right medial orbitofrontal cortical volume was smaller in cognitively normal participants with subsyndromal depression than in those without subsyndromal depression. No volume differences were observed in medial prefrontal, limbic, or WML volumes according to the presence of subsyndromal depression in cognitively impaired patients. The absence of these changes in patients with MCI and AD suggests that brain changes associated with AD pathology may override the changes associated with subsyndromal depression

Corrigendum: Behavioral and Neuroimaging Evidence for Facial Emotion Recognition in Elderly Korean Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer's Disease, and Frontotemporal Dementia

Background: Facial emotion recognition (FER) is impaired in individuals with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) when compared to healthy older adults. Since deficits in emotion recognition are closely related to caregiver burden or social interactions, researchers have fundamental interest in FER performance in patients with dementia.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the performance profiles of six facial emotions (i.e., fear, anger, disgust, sadness, surprise, and happiness) and neutral faces measured among Korean healthy control (HCs), and those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), AD, and FTD. Additionally, the neuroanatomical correlates of facial emotions were investigated.Methods: A total of 110 (33 HC, 32 MCI, 32 AD, 13 FTD) older adult participants were recruited from two different medical centers in metropolitan areas of South Korea. These individuals underwent an FER test that was used to assess the recognition of emotions or absence of emotion (neutral) in 35 facial stimuli. Repeated measures two-way analyses of variance were used to examine the distinct profiles of emotional recognition among the four groups. We also performed brain imaging and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) on the participants to examine the associations between FER scores and gray matter volume.Results: The mean score of negative emotion recognition (i.e., fear, anger, disgust, and sadness) clearly discriminated FTD participants from individuals with MCI and AD and HC [F(3,106) = 10.829, p 2 = 0.235], whereas the mean score of positive emotion recognition (i.e., surprise and happiness) did not. A VBM analysis showed negative emotions were correlated with gray matter volume of anterior temporal regions, whereas positive emotions were related to gray matter volume of fronto-parietal regions.Conclusion: Impairment of negative FER in patients with FTD is cross-cultural. The discrete neural correlates of FER indicate that emotional recognition processing is a multi-modal system in the brain. Focusing on the negative emotion recognition is a more effective way to discriminate healthy aging, MCI, and AD from FTD in older Korean adults.</p

Interactions between subjective memory complaint and objective cognitive deficit on memory performances

Background Subjective memory complaint (SMCs) is a common trait amongst older population. The subjective cognition about their memory could depend on objective cognition. The aim of the current study was to examine the interaction between subjective memory cognition (i.e., SMC) and objective cognition on cognitive functions in participants from older generation. Methods A total of 219 patients, 181 normal control (NC) patients and 38 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), were examined through standardized and comprehensive clinical evaluation and neuropsychological assessment. The Subjective Memory Complaints Questionnaire was used to assess SMCs along with five cognitive tasks were used to evaluate cognitive decline over following areas: verbal memory, visuospatial memory, attention, fluency, and language. Results The results of 2 × 2 two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that there were significant interactions between SMCs and cognitive status (NC, MCI) on memory performances. NC with SMCs showed significantly lower performance in verbal memory and visuospatial memory compared to NCs without SMCs. Conversely, no effect was observed in the MCI group. Conclusion There are interactions between subjective cognition (i.e., SMC) and objective cognition (i.e., cognitive status) on memory performances in older adults. The roles of SMCs on memory performances should be interpreted with older adults objective cognitive status.This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (No. NRF-2017R1D1A1A02018479). This funding source had no role in the design of this study and will not have any role during its execution, analyses, interpretation of the data, or decision to submit result

Exploring the mechanisms between socio-economic status and health: Mediating roles of health-related behaviors before and during COVID-19.

The relationship between individuals' socioeconomic characteristics and their health outcomes is widely acknowledged. However, the specific mechanisms through which these factors are interconnected have not been studied sufficiently. The current study investigated the association among socio-economic status (education of parents, economic status of family) and perceived health mediated by physical activity and sedentary time (purpose for study or not), before and during Covid-19. Three cross-sectional and population-based representative surveys from 2019, 2020, and 2021 were utilized. Overall, 167,099 Korean adolescents (57,303 in 2019, 54,948 in 2020, 54,848 in 2021) participated. A multi-group structural equation model showed that socio-economic status was associated with perceived health through physical activity and sedentary behaviors. Both measures of socio-economic status were positively associated with sedentary time for study purposes, but negatively associated with purposes other than study. Higher education of parents negatively predicted physical activity, whereas higher economic status of family positively predicted physical activity. The impact of socio-economic status on sedentary time tended to increase after the pandemic. Covid-19 significantly affected adolescents' health and health-related behaviors. Comprehensive policies considering adolescents' socio-economic status and their physical activity and sedentary time would mitigate the health effects of the pandemic

Associations among socio-economic status (parental education, economic status of family), health-related behaviors (physical activities, sedentary time for study purposes, sedentary time for purposes other than study) and perceived health.

Significant paths were presented in the solid black lines and standardized regression coefficients of 2019/2020/2021 were presented. In addition, the significant differences in the coefficient across the year were presented as asterisk mark.</p

Trends in physical activity and sedentary time and perceived health.

Trends in physical activity and sedentary time and perceived health.</p

General characteristics of participants.

The relationship between individuals’ socioeconomic characteristics and their health outcomes is widely acknowledged. However, the specific mechanisms through which these factors are interconnected have not been studied sufficiently. The current study investigated the association among socio-economic status (education of parents, economic status of family) and perceived health mediated by physical activity and sedentary time (purpose for study or not), before and during Covid-19. Three cross-sectional and population-based representative surveys from 2019, 2020, and 2021 were utilized. Overall, 167,099 Korean adolescents (57,303 in 2019, 54,948 in 2020, 54,848 in 2021) participated. A multi-group structural equation model showed that socio-economic status was associated with perceived health through physical activity and sedentary behaviors. Both measures of socio-economic status were positively associated with sedentary time for study purposes, but negatively associated with purposes other than study. Higher education of parents negatively predicted physical activity, whereas higher economic status of family positively predicted physical activity. The impact of socio-economic status on sedentary time tended to increase after the pandemic. Covid-19 significantly affected adolescents’ health and health-related behaviors. Comprehensive policies considering adolescents’ socio-economic status and their physical activity and sedentary time would mitigate the health effects of the pandemic.</div