Características cognitivas y neurofisiológicas en ancianos sanos con factores de riesgo genético de Enfermedad de Alzheimer

A pesar de la gran cantidad de investigaciones que se han llevado a cabo en relación a la Enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA) en los últimos 20 años, aún no se ha desarrollado un tratamiento eficaz para detener o retrasar su progresión. En la actualidad, uno de los temas de mayor interés consiste en la búsqueda de marcadores tempranos que permitan predecir la EA, tanto para el diagnóstico precoz, como para su prevención mediante la intervención farmacológica y/o la estimulación cognitiva. En este sentido, los factores de riesgo genético cobran especial protagonismo al contribuir en más de un 60% al desarrollo de esta enfermedad.Cada vez es mayor el número de trabajos focalizados en la búsqueda de genes candidatos, estudios de asociación del genoma completo (GWAS en inglés), etc., con el fin de proporcionar nuevas perspectivas sobre su patogénesis y los beneficios que podrían derivarse de un abordaje precoz de la misma. Gracias a ello se sabe que el ser portador del alelo ε4 del gen de la apolipoproteína E (APOE ε4) es el factor de riesgo genético más importante de la EA de origen tardío. Asimismo, se han descubierto polimorfismos genéticos de diversos genes (CLU, PICALM, CR1 o BDNF) que también parecen estar asociados con la enfermedad..

The role of life satisfaction in the association between problematic technology use and anxiety in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

13 p.The main aim of this study is to explore problematic technology use among adolescents (Internet, video games, mobiles, and television) and its association with anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, we also analysed the possible moderating role of life satisfaction in this relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. A cross-sectional survey of 4025 children and adolescents (52% females and 48% males) between 12 and 18?years old was carried out to explore problematic technology use and its correlation with anxiety and life satisfaction after pandemic lockdown. Four multivariate regressions containing the independent variable (problematic technology use), the moderator (life satisfaction), and their interaction were entered to predict the outcome (anxiety). The moderated models were examined using SPSS PROCESS macro software (Model 1). Analyses showed significant positive correlations with anxiety and negative correlations with life satisfaction regarding problematic technology use (mobile phone, television, and internet). Both gender and age had a significant direct effect on anxiety (showing that women and older participants had the greatest anxiety). In the moderation analysis, when life satisfaction was higher, the presence of anxiety symptoms depended to a greater extent on the problematic use of technology. Our results confirm that problematic technology use is related to higher levels of anxiety in adolescents, with differences by age and gender. The results also showed that life satisfaction mediated the relationship between technology abuse and anxiety, such that when life satisfaction was higher, the presence of anxiety symptoms was more dependent on problematic technology use. These findings have implications for health and education professionals

Age and APOE genotype affect the relationship between objectively measured physical activity and power in the alpha band, a marker of brain disease

BACKGROUND: Electrophysiological studies show that reductions in power within the alpha band are associated with the Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) continuum. Physical activity (PA) is a protective factor that has proved to reduce AD risk and pathological brain burden. Previous research has confirmed that exercise increases power in the alpha range. However, little is known regarding whether other non-modifiable risk factors for AD, such as increased age or APOE ε4 carriage, alter the association between PA and power in the alpha band. METHODS: The relationship between PA and alpha band power was examined in a sample of 113 healthy adults using magnetoencephalography. Additionally, we explored whether ε4 carriage and age modulate this association. The correlations between alpha power and gray matter volumes and cognition were also investigated. RESULTS: We detected a parieto-occipital cluster in which PA positively correlated with alpha power. The association between PA and alpha power remained following stratification of the cohort by genotype. Younger and older adults were investigated separately, and only younger adults exhibited a positive relationship between PA and alpha power. Interestingly, when four groups were created based on age (younger-older adult) and APOE (E3/E3-E3/E4), only younger E3/E3 (least predicted risk) and older E3/E4 (greatest predicted risk) had associations between greater alpha power and higher PA. Among older E3/E4, greater alpha power in these regions was associated with improved memory and preserved brain structure. CONCLUSION: PA could protect against the slowing of brain activity that characterizes the AD continuum, where it is of benefit for all individuals, especially E3/E4 older adults

COVID-19 outbreaks in a transmission control scenario: challenges posed by social and leisure activities, and for workers in vulnerable conditions, Spain, early summer 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 community-wide transmission declined in Spain by early May 2020, being replaced by outbreaks and sporadic cases. From mid-June to 2 August, excluding single household outbreaks, 673 outbreaks were notified nationally, 551 active (>6,200 cases) at the time. More than half of these outbreaks and cases coincided with: (i) social (family/friends’ gatherings or leisure venues) and (ii) occupational (mainly involving workers in vulnerable conditions) settings. Control measures were accordingly applied

How cognitive reserve influences older adults’ cognitive state, executive functions and language comprehension: A structural equation model.

Cognitive reserve has been defined as the individuals’ ability to tolerate age-related and neurodegenerative changes in the brain without developing clinical symptoms or signs of disease. Formal education, occupational attainment, and knowledge of other languages have been assessed as the most relevant factors determining cognitive reserve. The main objective of this study was to develop a structural equation model that reflects the direct influence of cognitive reserve on old adults’ general cognitive status and executive functioning, and indirectly on sentence comprehension performance through executive functions mediation. One hundred and fifty-eight Spanish-speaking older adults, cognitively intact, were assessed to obtain cognitive reserve data, general cognitive status, executive functioning (inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility), and sentence comprehension measures. High indicators of adjustment of the proposed model were obtained. The most related factors to cognitive reserve were education and occupational attainment. As we hypothesize, cognitive reserve had a higher direct significant relation to cognitive status and, in a lesser extent, to executive functioning. Participants‘ general cognitive status and executive function were high and directly related. Furthermore, cognitive reserve has an indirect positive relation to sentence comprehension via executive functions’ mediatio

Spatiotemporal oscillatory patterns during working memory maintenance in mild cognitive impairment and subjective cognitive decline

Working memory (WM) is a crucial cognitive process and its disruption is among the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. While alterations of the neuronal processes underlying WM have been evidenced in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), scarce literature is available in subjective cognitive decline (SCD). We used magnetoencephalography during a WM task performed by MCI (n=45), SCD (n=49) and healthy elders (n=49) to examine group differences during the maintenance period (0–4000ms). Data were analyzed using time–frequency analysis and significant oscillatory differences were localized at the source level. Our results indicated significant differences between groups, mainly during the early maintenance (250–1250ms) in the theta, alpha and beta bands and in the late maintenance (2750–3750ms) in the theta band. MCI showed lower local synchronization in fronto-temporal cortical regions in the early theta–alpha window relative to controls (p=2×10−03) and SCD (p=4×10−03), and in the late theta window relative to controls (p=1×1003) and SCD (p=0.01). Early theta–alpha power was significantly correlated with memory scores (rho=0.24,p=0.02) and late theta power was correlated with task performance (rho=0.24,p=0.03) and functional activity scores (rho=−0.23,p=0.02). In the early beta window, MCI showed reduced power in temporo-posterior regions relative to controls (p=3×10−03) and SCD (p=0.02). Our results may suggest that these alterations would reflect that memory-related networks are damaged.Ministerio de Economía y CompetitividadDepto. de Psicología Experimental, Procesos Cognitivos y LogopediaDepto. de Radiología, Rehabilitación y FisioterapiaFac. de PsicologíaFac. de MedicinaTRUEpu

Cómo la reserva cognitiva influye en el estado cognitivo, las funciones ejecutivas y la comprensión del lenguaje de personas mayores: un modelo de ecuaciones estruturales

Cognitive reserve has been defined as the individuals’ ability to tolerate age-related and neurodegenerative changes in the brain without developing clinical symptoms or signs of disease. Formal education, occupational attainment, and knowledge of other languages have been assessed as the most relevant factors determining cognitive reserve. The main objective of this study was to develop a structural equation model that reflects the direct influence of cognitive reserve on old adults’ general cognitive status and executive functioning, and indirectly on sentence comprehension performance through executive functions mediation. One hundred and fifty eight Spanish-speaking older adults, cognitively intact, were assessed to obtain cognitive reserve data, general cognitive status, executive functioning (inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility), and sentence comprehension measures. High indicators of adjustment of the proposed model were obtained. The most related factors to cognitive reserve were education and occupational attainment. As we hypothesize, cognitive reserve had a higher direct significant relation to cognitive status and, in a lesser extent, to executive functioning. Participants’ general cognitive status and executive function were high and directly related. Furthermore, cognitive reserve has an indirect positive relation to sentence comprehension via executive functions’ mediation.Ministerio de Economía y CompetitividadDepto. de Psicología Experimental, Procesos Cognitivos y LogopediaFac. de PsicologíaTRUEpu

A multivariate model of time to conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease

The present study was aimed at determining which combination of demographic, genetic, cognitive, neurophysiological, and neuroanatomical factors may predict differences in time to progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). To this end, a sample of 121 MCIs was followed up during a 5-year period. According to their clinical outcome, MCIs were divided into two subgroups: (i) the “progressive” MCI group (n = 46; mean time to progression 17 ± 9.73 months) and (ii) the “stable” MCIgroup (n = 75; mean time of follow-up 31.37 ± 14.58 months). Kaplan–Meier survival analyses were applied to explore each variable’s relationship with the progression to AD. Once potential predictors were detected, Cox regression analyses were utilized to calculate a parsimonious model to estimate differences in time to progression. The final model included three variables (in order of relevance): left parahippocampal volume (corrected by intracranial volume, LP_ ICV), delayed recall (DR), and left inferior occipital lobe individual alpha peak frequency (LIOL_IAPF). Those MCIs with LP_ICV volume, DR score, and LIOL_IAPF value lower than the defined cutoff had 6 times, 5.5 times, and 3 times higher risk of progression to AD, respectively. Besides, when the categories of the three variables were “unfavorable” (i.e., values below the cutoff), 100% of cases progressed to AD at the end of follow-up. Our results highlighted the relevance of neurophysiological markers as predictors of conversion (LIOL_IAPF) and the importance of multivariate models that combine markers of different nature to predict time to progression from MCI to dementia.Depto. de Medicina Legal, Psiquiatría y PatologíaFac. de MedicinaTRUEpu

Young alcohol binge drinkers have elevated blood endotoxin, peripheral inflammation and low cortisol levels: neuropsychological correlations in women

Alcohol binge drinking is a pattern of heavy alcohol consumption that is increasingly practiced by adolescents and young adults. Evidence indicates that alcohol binges induce peripheral inflammation and an exacerbated neuroimmune response that may participate in alcohol‐induced cognitive/behavioral dysfunctions. Here, we recruited 20‐year‐old male and female university students who were identified as binge drinkers for at least 2 years. Compared with controls, young alcohol binge drinkers had elevated levels of blood endotoxin and upregulated markers of the toll‐like receptor 4/NF‐κB inflammatory pathway in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, together with pro‐inflammatory cytokine/chemokine release, oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. These changes positively correlate with the estimated blood alcohol levels achieved during alcohol binge intoxication and negatively correlate with the time elapsed from the last alcohol consumption. The immune/inflammatory changes were more prominent in female drinkers, who showed elevated levels of alcohol danger‐associated molecules, such as high mobility group box 1, indicating that there are sex‐related differences in the peripheral inflammatory response to alcohol. In contrast, cortisol levels were decreased in alcohol binge drinkers. Finally, higher levels of inflammatory markers, mainly monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1, as well as LPS, high mobility group box 1, toll‐like receptor 4, IL‐6 and ciclooxygenase‐2, correlated with worse scores on episodic memory and executive functioning tasks in female binge drinkers but not in male binge drinkers. These results emphasize possible risky consequences of alcohol use in binge episodes during young adulthood and call attention to sex‐related differences in the alcohol‐induced immune/inflammatory and neurocognitive responses.Depto. de Psicología Experimental, Procesos Cognitivos y LogopediaFac. de PsicologíaTRUEpu