Clinical and economic characteristics associated with direct costs of Alzheimer's, frontotemporal and vascular dementia in Argentina

Background: The economic cost of dementia is high and can be predicted by cognitive and neuropsychiatric profiles. The differential costs of the various subtypes of dementia are unknown in Argentina, and this study therefore aimed to compare these costs. Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of dementia of Alzheimer-type (DAT), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and vascular dementia (VaD), and their primary caregivers, were evaluated between 2002 and 2008. Results: 104 patients with dementia (DAT = 44, FTD = 34, VaD = 26) were screened and matched by age and educational level with 29 healthy subjects. Demographic variables showed no significant differences among dementia patients. The annual direct costs were US$4625 for DAT, US$4924 for FTD, and US$5112 for VaD (p > 0.05 between groups). In the post hoc analysis VaD showed higher hospitalization costs than DAT (p < 0.001). VaD exhibited lower medication costs than FTD (p < 0.001). DAT exhibited higher anti-dementia drug costs; FTD had higher psychotropic costs. In the multivariate analysis, depression, activities of daily living, and caregiver burden were correlated with direct costs (r2 = 0.76). Conclusions: The different dementia types have different costs. Overall, costs increased with the presence of behavioral symptoms, depression and functional impairment of activities of daily living.Fil: Rojas, Galeno. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Dr. Abel Zubizarreta"; ArgentinaFil: Bartoloni, Leonardo Carlos. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Dr. Abel Zubizarreta"; ArgentinaFil: Dillon, Carol. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Dr. Abel Zubizarreta"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Serrano, Cecilia Mariela. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Dr. Abel Zubizarreta"; ArgentinaFil: Iturry, Mónica Liliana. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Dr. Abel Zubizarreta"; ArgentinaFil: Allegri, Ricardo Francisco. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Dr. Abel Zubizarreta"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Behavioral symptoms related to cognitive impairment

Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are core features of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. On one hand, behavioral symptoms in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can indicate an increased risk of progressing to dementia. On the other hand, mild behavioral impairment (MBI) in patients who usually have normal cognition indicates an increased risk of developing dementia. Whatever the cause, all dementias carry a high rate of NPI. These symptoms can be observed at any stage of the disease, may fluctuate over its course, are a leading cause of stress and overload for caregivers, and increase rates of hospitalization and early institutionalization for patients with dementia. The clinician should be able to promptly recognize NPI through the use of instruments capable of measuring their frequency and severity to support diagnosis, and to help monitor the treatment of behavioral symptoms. The aims of this review are to describe and update the construct 'MBI' and to revise the reported NPS related to prodromal stages of dementia (MCI and MBI) and dementia stages of Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration.Fil: Dillon, Carol. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas “Norberto Quirno”; ArgentinaFil: Serrano, Cecilia Mariela. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas “Norberto Quirno”; ArgentinaFil: Castro, Diego. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas “Norberto Quirno”; ArgentinaFil: Perez Leguizamón, Patricio. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas “Norberto Quirno”; ArgentinaFil: Heisecke Peralta, Silvina Lidia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas “Norberto Quirno”; ArgentinaFil: Taragano, Fernando Emilio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas “Norberto Quirno”; Argentin

Efficacy of a cognitive intervention program in patients with mild cognitive impairment

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional state between normal aging and dementia. Identifying this condition would allow early interventions that may reduce the rate of progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD). We examined the efficacy of a six-month cognitive intervention program (CIP) in patients with MCI and to assess patients' condition at one-year follow-up. Methods: Forty-six MCI participants assessed with neuropsychological, neurological, neuropsychiatry, and functional procedures were included in this study and followed up during a year. The sample was randomized into two subgroups: 24 participants (the trained group) underwent the CIP during six months while 22 (control group) received no treatment. Sixteen participants dropped out of the study. The intervention focused on teaching cognitive strategies, cognitive training, and use of external aids, in sessions of two hours, twice per week for six months. Cognitive and functional measures were used as primary outcome and all were followed up at one year. Results: The intervention effect (mean change from baseline) was significant (p < 0.05) on the Mini-Mental State Examination (1.74), the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (0.14), the Boston Naming Test (2.92), block design (-13.66), matrix reasoning (-3.07), and semantic fluency (-3.071) tasks. Four patients (one trained and three controls) progressed to dementia after one year of follow-up. Conclusions: These results suggest that persons with MCI can improve their performance on cognitive and functional measures when provided with early cognitive training and it could persist in a long-term follow-up.Fil: Rojas, Galeno J.. Hospital Británico de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Dr. Abel Zubizarreta"; ArgentinaFil: Villar, Veronica. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Dr. Abel Zubizarreta"; ArgentinaFil: Iturry, Mónica Liliana. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Dr. Abel Zubizarreta"; ArgentinaFil: Harris, Paula. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Serrano, Cecilia Mariela. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Dr. Abel Zubizarreta"; ArgentinaFil: Herrera, Jorge A.. Neurobehavioral Institute of Miami; Estados UnidosFil: Allegri, Ricardo Francisco. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Dr. Abel Zubizarreta"; Argentin

Multimodal mechanisms of human socially reinforced learning across neurodegenerative diseases

Social feedback can selectively enhance learning in diverse domains. Relevant neurocognitive mechanisms have been studied mainly in healthy persons, yielding correlational findings. Neurodegenerative lesion models, coupled with multimodal brain measures, can complement standard approaches by revealing direct multidimensional correlates of the phenomenon. To this end, we assessed socially reinforced and non-socially reinforced learning in 40 healthy participants as well as persons with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (n = 21), Parkinson's disease (n = 31) and Alzheimer's disease (n = 20). These conditions are typified by predominant deficits in social cognition, feedback-based learning and associative learning, respectively, although all three domains may be partly compromised in the other conditions. We combined a validated behavioural task with ongoing EEG signatures of implicit learning (medial frontal negativity) and offline MRI measures (voxel-based morphometry). In healthy participants, learning was facilitated by social feedback relative to non-social feedback. In comparison with controls, this effect was specifically impaired in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and Parkinson's disease, while unspecific learning deficits (across social and non-social conditions) were observed in Alzheimer's disease. EEG results showed increased medial frontal negativity in healthy controls during social feedback and learning. Such a modulation was selectively disrupted in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia. Neuroanatomical results revealed extended temporo-parietal and fronto-limbic correlates of socially reinforced learning, with specific temporo-parietal associations in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and predominantly fronto-limbic regions in Alzheimer's disease. In contrast, non-socially reinforced learning was consistently linked to medial temporal/hippocampal regions. No associations with cortical volume were found in Parkinson's disease. Results are consistent with core social deficits in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, subtle disruptions in ongoing feedback-mechanisms and social processes in Parkinson's disease and generalized learning alterations in Alzheimer's disease. This multimodal approach highlights the impact of different neurodegenerative profiles on learning and social feedback. Our findings inform a promising theoretical and clinical agenda in the fields of social learning, socially reinforced learning and neurodegeneration.Fil: Legaz, Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Abrevaya, Sofia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Dottori, Martín. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Campo, Cecilia González. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Birba, Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Martorell Caro, Miguel Angel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Aguirre, María Julieta. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Slachevsky, Andrea. Universidad de Chile.; ChileFil: Aranguiz, Rafael. Instituto Nacional de Geriatría; ChileFil: Serrano, Cecilia Mariela. Unidad Asistencial "Dr. César Milstein"; ArgentinaFil: Gillan, Claire M.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Leroi, Iracema. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: García, Adolfo Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. University of California; Estados Unidos. Trinity College; Estados Unidos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; Argentina. Universidad de Santiago de Chile; ChileFil: Fittipaldi, Sol. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Ibañez, Agustin Mariano. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. University of California; Estados Unidos. Trinity College; Estados Unidos. Universidad Adolfo Ibañez; Chile. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Mild cognitive Impairment: risk of dementia according to subtypes

El deterioro cognitivo leve (DCL) presenta 3 subtipos clínicos: amnésico (DCLa), múltiples dominios (DCLmd) y dominio único no amnésico (DCLduna), cuya evolutividad a demencia no ha sido extensamente estudiada. El objetivo de este trabajo es evaluar la conversión a demencia de los diferentes subtipos de DCL y determinar los factores de riesgo asociados a la misma. Métodos: Se reclutaron 127 pacientes con Deterioro Cognitivo Leve (edad 70,21; DS 13,17) fueron evaluados con una batería neuropsicológica y neuropsiquiátrica y clasificados en 3 grupos: DCLa (n=20), DCLmd (n=98) y DCLduna (n=9). Diecisiete controles normales (edad 74,59; DE 10,63) fueron incluidos. Resultados: El 27,1% de los pacientes con DCL desarrolló demencia tipo Alzheimer (promedio 11,12 meses, DE=0,183). Ninguno de los controles convirtió a demencia. El 35% (n=7) del grupo con DCLa convirtió a Demencia: un 20% (n=4) a 6 meses y un 15% (n=3) a 12 meses; 11,1% (n=1) del grupo con DCLduna convirtió a demencia en 6 meses. El 31,6% (n=31) de DCLmd rotó a demencia: el 15,3% (n=15) en 6 meses y un 16,3% (n=16) al año. La edad (p<0,05, β=1,03) aumentó la probabilidad de conversión a demencia. El grupo de DCLmd fue el más frecuente, sin embargo fue mayor la conversión a demencia en el DCLa, siendo la edad y la jubilación las variables que aumentaron la probabilidad de conversión.Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has 3 clinical subtypes: amnestic (aMCI), multiple domains (mdMCI) and nonamnestic single domain (na-SD-MCI) whose evolutive possibility to dementia has not been profoundly studied. Objective: This paper aims to determine the conversion to dementia of the different subtypes of MCI and determine risk factors associated to conversion to dementia. Methods: A total of 127 patients diagnosed with MCI (age=70.21; SD=13.17) were evaluated with a neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric battery. They were classified into 3 groups: amnestic MCI (n=20), multipledomain MCI (n=98), non-amnestic MCI (n=9). Seventeen normal subjects (age=74.59; SD=10.63) were included. Results: Of those included, 27.1% developed Alzheimer’s type dementia [average time for conversion to Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) 11.12 months (SD=0.183)]. None of the controls developed dementia. Thirty-five percent (n=7) of amnestic MCI converted to AD: 20% (n=4) at 6 months and 15% (n=3) at 12 months); 11.1% (n=1) of the non-amnestic single domain MCI converted to AD at 6 months. It was found that 31.6% (n=31) of multiple domain MCI rotated to AD: 15.3% (n=15) at 6 months and 16.3% (n=16) at 12 months. Age (p<0.05, β=1.03) increased the likelihood of rotation to AD. Multi-domain MCI subtype was the most frequent. However, the conversion to dementia in amnestic subtype was the highest, age and retirement being the variables that increased the likelihood of conversion to Dementia.Fil: Serrano, Cecilia Mariela. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital ; Argentina. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas “Norberto Quirno”; ArgentinaFil: Dillon, Carol. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital ; Argentina. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas “Norberto Quirno”; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Leis, Adriana Mónica. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital ; ArgentinaFil: Taragano, Fernando Emilio. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital ; Argentina. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas “Norberto Quirno”; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Allegri, Ricardo Francisco. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital ; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Multimodal neurocognitive markers of naturalistic discourse typify diverse neurodegenerative diseases

Neurodegeneration has multiscalar impacts, including behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurofunctional disruptions. Can diseasedifferential alterations be captured across such dimensions using naturalistic stimuli? To address this question, we assessed comprehension of four naturalistic stories, highlighting action, nonaction, social, and nonsocial events, in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) relative to Alzheimer’s disease patients and healthy controls. Text-specific correlates were evaluated via voxel-based morphometry, spatial (fMRI), and temporal (hd-EEG) functional connectivity. PD patients presented action–text deficits related to the volume of action–observation regions, connectivity across motor-related and multimodalsemantic hubs, and frontal hd-EEG hypoconnectivity. BvFTD patients exhibited social–text deficits, associated with atrophy and spatial connectivity patterns along social-network hubs, alongside right frontotemporal hd-EEG hypoconnectivity. Alzheimer’s disease patients showed impairments in all stories, widespread atrophy and spatial connectivity patterns, and heightened occipitotemporal hd-EEG connectivity. Our framework revealed disease-specific signatures across behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurofunctional dimensions, highlighting the sensitivity and specificity of a single naturalistic task. This investigation opens a translational agenda combining ecological approaches and multimodal cognitive neuroscience for the study of neurodegeneration.Fil: Birba, Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Fittipaldi, María Sol. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Cediel Escobar, Judith Cristina. Universidad del Valle; Colombia. Universidad Icesi; ColombiaFil: Gonzalez Campo, Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Legaz, Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Galiani, Agostina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Díaz Rivera, Mariano N.. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura, Ciencia y Tecnologia. Secretaria de Gobierno de Ciencia Tecnologia E Innovacion Productiva. Agencia Nacional de Promocion Cient y Tecnologica. Fondo Fiduciario de Promocion de la Industria del Software.; ArgentinaFil: Martorell Caro, Miquel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Alifano Ferrero, Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Piña Escudero, Stefanie. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Cardona, Juan Felipe. Universidad del Valle; ColombiaFil: Neely, Alejandra. Universidad Adolfo Ibañez; ChileFil: Forno, Gonzalo. Universidad Adolfo Ibañez; Chile. Universidad de Los Andes; Chile. Universidad de Chile; Chile. Universidad de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Carpinella, Mariela. Instituto Conci Carpinella; Argentina. Universidad Catolica de Cuyo - Sede San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Slachevsky, Andrea. Hospital del Salvador; Chile. Universidad de Chile; Chile. Universidad del Desarrollo; ChileFil: Serrano, Cecilia Mariela. Unidad Asistencial "Dr. César Milstein"; ArgentinaFil: Sedeño, Lucas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Ibáñez, Santiago Agustín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. Universidad Adolfo Ibañez; Chile. Trinity College; Estados UnidosFil: García, Adolfo Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. Trinity College; Estados Unidos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Educación Elemental y Especial; Argentina. Universidad de Santiago de Chile; Chil

Towards affordable biomarkers of frontotemporal dementia: A classification study via network's information sharing

Developing effective and affordable biomarkers for dementias is critical given the difficulty to achieve early diagnosis. In this sense, electroencephalographic (EEG) methods offer promising alternatives due to their low cost, portability, and growing robustness. Here, we relied on EEG signals and a novel information-sharing method to study resting-state connectivity in patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and controls. To evaluate the specificity of our results, we also tested Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. The classification power of the ensuing connectivity patterns was evaluated through a supervised classification algorithm (support vector machine). In addition, we compared the classification power yielded by (i) functional connectivity, (ii) relevant neuropsychological tests, and (iii) a combination of both. BvFTD patients exhibited a specific pattern of hypoconnectivity in mid-range frontotemporal links, which showed no alterations in AD patients. These functional connectivity alterations in bvFTD were replicated with a low-density EEG setting (20 electrodes). Moreover, while neuropsychological tests yielded acceptable discrimination between bvFTD and controls, the addition of connectivity results improved classification power. Finally, classification between bvFTD and AD patients was better when based on connectivity than on neuropsychological measures. Taken together, such findings underscore the relevance of EEG measures as potential biomarker signatures for clinical settings.Fil: Dottori, Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Sedeño, Lucas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Martorell Caro, Miguel Angel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Alifano, Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Hesse Rizzi, Eugenia Fátima. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería; ArgentinaFil: Mikulan, Ezequiel Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: García, Adolfo Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Educación Elemental y Especial; ArgentinaFil: Ruiz Tagle, Amparo. Centre for Advanced Research in Education; ChileFil: Lillo, Patricia. Universidad de Chile; Chile. Gerosciences Center for Brain Health and Metabolism; ChileFil: Slachevsky, Andrea. Universidad de Chile; Chile. Gerosciences Center for Brain Health and Metabolism; Chile. Hospital del Salvador; Chile. Centre for Advanced Research in Education; Chile. Clínica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo; ChileFil: Serrano, Cecilia Mariela. Clínica de Memoria y Equilibrio; ArgentinaFil: Fraiman Borrazás, Daniel Edmundo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Ibáñez Barassi, Agustín Mariano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; Argentina. The University of New South Wales; Australia. Macquarie University; Australia. Universidad Autónoma del Caribe; Colombia. Universidad Adolfo Ibañez; Chil

Watershed-Induced Limnological and Microbial Status in Two Oligotrophic Andean Lakes Exposed to the Same Climatic Scenario

Laguna Negra and Lo Encañado are two oligotrophic Andean lakes forming part of the system fed by meltwater from distinct glacial tongues of the Echaurren glacier in central Chile, which is in a recession period. The recent increase in temperature and decline in precipitation have led to an increase of glacial meltwater and sediments entering these lakes. Although the lacustrine systems are also hydrogeologically connected, the limnology of the lakes is strongly controlled by the surface processes related to the respective sub-watersheds and hydrology. Watershed characteristics (area and length, slope, lithology, resistance to erosion, among others) affect the chemical and physical characteristics of both lakes (e.g., nutrient concentration and turbidity). We studied physical and chemical variables and performed 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to determine the specific microbial signature of the lakes. The transparency, temperature, turbidity and concentrations of chlorophyll-a, dissolved organic matter, nutrients and the total number of cells, revealed the different status of both lakes at the time of sampling. The predominant bacterial groups in both lakes were Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, and Bacteroidetes. Interestingly, the contribution of phototrophs was significantly higher in LN compared to LE (13 and 4% respectively) and the major fraction corresponded to Anoxygenic Phototrophs (AP) represented by Chloroflexi, Alpha, and Betaproteobacteria. Multivariate analyses showed that the nutrient levels and the light availability of both lakes, which finally depend on the hydrological characteristics of the respective watersheds, explain the differential community composition/function. The abundance of a diverse photoheterotrophic bacterioplankton community suggests that the ability to utilize solar energy along with organic and inorganic substrates is a key function in these oligotrophic mountain lakes

Interoception primes emotional processing: multimodal evidence from neurodegeneration

Recent frameworks in cognitive neuroscience and behavioral neurology underscore interoceptive priors as core modulators of negative emotions. However, the field lacks experimental designs manipulating the priming of emotions via interoception and exploring their multimodal signatures in neurodegenerative models. Here, we designed a novel task that involves interoceptive and control-exteroceptive priming conditions followed by post-interoception and post-exteroception facial emotion recognition (FER). We recruited 114 participants, including healthy controls (HCs) as well as patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). We measured online EEG modulations of the heart-evoked potential (HEP), and associations with both brain structural and resting-state functional connectivity patterns. Behaviorally, post-interoception negative FER was enhanced in HCs but selectively disrupted in bvFTD and PD, with AD presenting generalized disruptions across emotion types. Only bvFTD presented impaired interoceptive accuracy. Increased HEP modulations during post-interoception negative FER was observed in HCs and AD, but not in bvFTD or PD patients. Across all groups, post-interoception negative FER correlated with the volume of the insula and the ACC. Also, negative FER was associated with functional connectivity along the (a) salience network in the post-interoception condition, and along the (b) executive network in the post-exteroception condition. These patterns were selectively disrupted in bvFTD (a) and PD (b), respectively. Our approach underscores the multidimensional impact of interoception on emotion, while revealing a specific pathophysiological marker of bvFTD. These findings inform a promising theoretical and clinical agenda in the fields of nteroception, emotion, allostasis, and neurodegeneration.Fil: Salamone, Paula Celeste. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Legaz, Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Sedeño, Lucas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Moguilner, Sebastian Gabriel. University of California; Estados Unidos. Trinity College; Irlanda. Fundación Escuela de Medicina Nuclear; ArgentinaFil: Fraile Vázquez, Matías. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez Campo, Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Fittipaldi, María Sol. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; ArgentinaFil: Yoris, Adrián Isidro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Miranda, Magdalena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Birba, Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; ArgentinaFil: Galiani, Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Abrevaya, Sofia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Neely, Alejandra. Universidad Adolfo Ibañez; ChileFil: Martorell Caro, Miguel Angel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Alifano Ferrero, Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Villagra, Roque. Universidad de Chile; ChileFil: Anunziata, Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Oliveira, Maira Okada de. University of California; Estados Unidos. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil. Hospital Santa Marcelina; BrasilFil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Slachevsky, Andrea. Universidad de Chile.; Chile. Gerosciences Center for Brain Health and Metabolism; Chile. Universidad del Desarrollo; ChileFil: Serrano, Cecilia Mariela. Unidad Asistencial "Dr. César Milstein"; ArgentinaFil: García, Adolfo Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. University of California; Estados Unidos. Trinity College; Irlanda. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Educación Elemental y Especial; Argentina. Universidad de Santiago de Chile; ChileFil: Ibáñez, Santiago Agustín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. University of California; Estados Unidos. Trinity College; Irlanda. Universidad Adolfo Ibañez; Chil