A 6-items questionnaire (6-QMD) captures a Mediterranean like dietary pattern and is associated with memory performance and hippocampal volume in elderly and persons at risk for Alzheimer’s disease

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that adherence to Mediterranean-like diet reduces cognitive decline and brain atrophy in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, lengthy dietary assessments, such as food frequency questionnaires (FFQs), discourage more frequent use. OBJECTIVE: Here we aimed to validate a 6-items short questionnaire for a Mediterranean-like diet (6-QMD) and explore its associations with memory performance and hippocampal atrophy in healthy elders and individuals at risk for AD. METHODS: We analyzed 938 participants (N = 234 healthy controls and N = 704 participants with an increased AD risk) from the DZNE-Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Study (DELCODE). The 6-QMD was validated against the Mediterranean Diet (MeDi) score and the Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) score, both derived from a detailed FFQ. Furthermore, associations between the 6-QMD and memory function as well as hippocampal atrophy were evaluated using linear regressions. RESULTS: The 6-QMD was moderately associated with the FFQ-derived MeDi adherence score (ρ = 0.25, p < 0.001) and the MIND score (ρ = 0.37, p= < 0.001). Higher fish and olive oil consumption and lower meat and sausage consumption showed significant associations in a linear regression, adjusted for diagnosis, age, sex and education, with memory function (β = 0.1, p = 0.008) and bilateral hippocampal volumes (left: β = 0.15, p < 0.001); (right: β = 0.18, p < 0.001)). CONCLUSIONS: The 6-QMD is a useful and valid brief tool to assess the adherence to MeDi and MIND diets, capturing associations with memory function and brain atrophy in healthy elders and individuals at increased AD dementia risk, making it a valid alternative in settings with time constraints

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation for the Treatment of Self-Reported Depression, With or Without Comorbid Anxiety: A Meta-Analytic Review of Randomized, Controlled Trials

Previous research, including multiple meta-analytic investigations, has examined the potential benefits of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for the treatment of depressive symptoms, though researchers have not consistently examined the potential moderating influence of co-morbid anxiety on treatment outcomes. The current meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for the treatment of major depressive disorder or dysthymia, with or without a comorbid anxiety diagnosis. Randomized, placebo controlled trials, without medical, psychiatric, neurological, or psychological comorbidities (with exception of co-morbid anxiety) were included. Nine studies (k = 15) were included with a total of 885 participants, 486 in treatment conditions (166 males, 320 females) and 399 in placebo conditions (121 males, 278 females), with an average age of 47.6 (12.4) in the treatment group and 47 (12) in the placebo group. Depression change was measured with established and validated depression measures. The overall effect size for reduction in depressive symptoms in the omega-3 treatment groups was relatively small relative to placebo-control groups (d = -.21, 95% CI = -.35, -.06). The only significant moderator was comorbidity status (Qb = 12.78, p = .002), with depression-only studies (i.e., those excluding co-morbid anxiety) resulting in a large effect size (d = -.82, 95% CI = -1.2, -.46) compared to studies allowing comorbid anxiety, which resulted in no effect (d = -.1, 95% CI = -.3, .06). Results highlight the importance of considering the moderating role of co-morbid anxiety when examining the potential effectiveness of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for management of depression. Implications and suggestions are discussed

Formal ways of protecting intellectual property: Experiences of individual inventors and entrepreneurs

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Evaluation of the LIKSA pre-seed programme

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