It has been hypothesized that air pollution and ambient noise might impact neurocognitive function. Early studies mostly investigated the associations of air pollution and ambient noise exposure with ...cognitive development in children. More recently, several studies investigating associations with neurocognitive function, mood disorders, and neurodegenerative disease in adult populations were published, yielding inconsistent results. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current evidence on air pollution and noise effects on mental health in adults. We included studies in adult populations (≥18 years old) published in English language in peer-reviewed journals. Fifteen articles related to long-term effects of air pollution and eight articles on long-term effects of ambient noise were extracted. Both exposures were separately shown to be associated with one or several measures of global cognitive function, verbal and nonverbal learning and memory, activities of daily living, depressive symptoms, elevated anxiety, and nuisance. No study considered both exposures simultaneously and few studies investigated progression of neurocognitive decline or psychological factors. The existing evidence generally supports associations of environmental factors with mental health, but does not suffice for an overall conclusion about the independent effect of air pollution and noise. There is a need for studies investigating simultaneously air pollution and noise exposures in association mental health, for longitudinal studies to corroborate findings from cross-sectional analyses, and for parallel toxicological and epidemiological studies to elucidate mechanisms and pathways of action.
Investigations of adverse effects of air pollution (AP) and ambient noise on cognitive functions are apparently scarce, and findings seem to be inconsistent. The aim of this study was to examine the ...associations of long-term exposure to AP and traffic noise with cognitive performance. At the second examination of the population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall study (2006-2008), cognitive performance was evaluated in 4086 participants. Long-term residential exposure to size-specific particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) with land use regression, to and traffic noise (weighted 24-h (L
DEN
) and nighttime (L
NIGHT
) means), was assessed according to the European Union (EU) Directive 2002/49/EC. Multiple regression models were calculated for the relationship of environmental exposures with a global cognitive score (GCS) and in five cognitive subtests, using single- and two-exposure models. In fully adjusted models, several AP metrics were negatively associated with four of five subtests and with GCS. For example, an interquartile range increase in PM
2.5
was correlated with verbal fluency, labyrinth test, and immediate and delayed verbal recall. A 10 dB(A) elevation in L
DEN
and L
NIGHT
was associated with GCS. Similar but not significant associations were found for the cognitive subtests. In two-exposure models including noise and air pollution simultaneously, the associations did not change markedly for air pollution, but attenuated numerically for noise. Long-term exposures to AP and traffic noise are negatively correlated with subtests related to memory and executive functions. There appears to be little evidence for mutual confounding.
Abstract Magnetic Resonance (MR) white matter hyperintensities have been shown to predict an increased risk of developing cognitive decline. However, their actual role in the conversion to dementia ...is still not fully understood. Automatic segmentation methods can help in the screening and monitoring of Mild Cognitive Impairment patients who take part in large population-based studies. Most existing segmentation approaches use multimodal MR images. However, multiple acquisitions represent a limitation in terms of both patient comfort and computational complexity of the algorithms. In this work, we propose an automatic lesion segmentation method that uses only three-dimensional fluid-attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR) images. We use a modified context-sensitive Gaussian mixture model to determine voxel class probabilities, followed by correction of FLAIR artifacts. We evaluate the method against the manual segmentation performed by an experienced neuroradiologist and compare the results with other unimodal segmentation approaches. Finally, we apply our method to the segmentation of multiple sclerosis lesions by using a publicly available benchmark dataset. Results show a similar performance to other state-of-the-art multimodal methods, as well as to the human rater.
Although some studies reported on the association of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration and cognition, only one population-based study investigated the association of TSH ...concentration and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
To investigate the gender-specific association of low- and high-normal TSH concentrations with MCI in euthyroid participants.
Analysis sample 1 included 2,563 euthyroid participants (aged 50-80 years) from the second examination of the population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall study. Gender-specific TSH quintiles (Q1 low, Q2-Q4 middle, Q5 high TSH concentration) were determined and group comparisons of age- and education-adjusted mean scores were performed for all cognitive subtests. Analysis sample 2 included 378 participants with MCI and 931 cognitively normal participants. MCI was diagnosed according to previously published MCI criteria. Multivariate logistic regression models were performed using TSH quintiles (Q2-Q4 as reference) to assess the association of low- and high-normal TSH concentration with MCI. Models were performed unadjusted and adjusted for sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors.
Group comparisons showed significant differences only in the immediate recall of the verbal memory task in women. Only women showed a strong association of high-normal TSH concentration with MCI (unadjusted: odds ratio 2.09, 95% confidence interval 1.29-3.37, full adjusted: 1.86, 1.06-3.27). There was no association with low-normal TSH concentration in women and no association of either low- or high-normal TSH concentration with MCI in men.
These results suggest that women with high-normal TSH concentration might be at higher risk of cognitive decline. This needs to be confirmed in the longitudinal analysis.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia. This study aims to determine whether current standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is providing ...markers that can distinguish between subjects with amnestic MCI (aMCI), nonamnestic MCI (naMCI), and healthy controls (HCs).
A subset of 126 MCI subjects and 126 age-, gender-, and education-appropriate HCs (mean age, 70.9 years) were recruited from 4157 participants in the longitudinal community-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study. The burden of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), cerebral microbleeds, and brain atrophy was evaluated on transversal MR images from a single 1.5-T MR scanner by two blinded neuroradiologists. Logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic analysis were used for statistical analysis.
Occipital WMH burden was significantly increased in aMCI, but not in naMCI relative to HCs (P = .01). The combined MCI group showed brain atrophy relative to HCs (P = .01) pronounced at caudate nuclei (P = .01) and temporal horn level (P = .004) of aMCI patients and increased at the frontal and occipital horns of naMCI patients compared to either aMCI or HCs. Microbleeds were equally distributed in the MCI and control group, but more frequent in aMCI (22 of 84) compared to naMCI subjects (3 of 23).
In his cohort, increased occipital WMHs and cortical and subcortical brain atrophies at temporal horn and caudate nuclei level distinguished aMCI from naMCI subjects and controls. Volumetric indices appear of interest and should be assessed under reproducible conditions to gain diagnostic accuracy.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) describes the intermediate state between normal cognitive aging and dementia. Adverse effects of air pollution (AP) on cognitive functions have been proposed, but ...investigations of simultaneous exposure to noise are scarce.
We analyzed the cross-sectional associations of long-term exposure to AP and traffic noise with overall MCI and amnestic (aMCI) and nonamnestic (naMCI) MCI.
At the second examination of the population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall study, cognitive assessment was completed in 4,086 participants who were 50-80 years old. Of these, 592 participants were diagnosed as having MCI (aMCI, n = 309; naMCI, n = 283) according to previously published criteria using five neuropsychological subtests. We assessed long-term residential concentrations for size-fractioned particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides with land use regression, and for traffic noise weighted 24-hr (LDEN) and night-time (LNIGHT) means. Logistic regression models adjusted for individual risk factors were calculated to estimate the association of environmental exposures with MCI in single- and two-exposure models.
Most air pollutants and traffic noise were associated with overall MCI and aMCI. For example, an interquartile range increase in PM2.5 and a 10 A-weighted decibel dB(A) increase in LDEN were associated with overall MCI as follows odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.16 (1.05, 1.27) and 1.40 (1.03, 1.91), respectively, and with aMCI as follows: 1.22 (1.08, 1.38) and 1.53 (1.05, 2.24), respectively. In two-exposure models, AP and noise associations were attenuated e.g., for aMCI, PM2.5 1.13 (0.98, 1.30) and LDEN 1.46 (1.11, 1.92).
Long-term exposures to air pollution and traffic noise were positively associated with MCI, mainly with the amnestic subtype.
Tzivian L, Dlugaj M, Winkler A, Weinmayr G, Hennig F, Fuks KB, Vossoughi M, Schikowski T, Weimar C, Erbel R, Jöckel KH, Moebus S, Hoffmann B, on behalf of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall study Investigative Group. 2016. Long-term air pollution and traffic noise exposures and mild cognitive impairment in older adults: a cross-sectional analysis of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study. Environ Health Perspect 124:1361-1368; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509824.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
CEKLJ, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
This study investigated the outcome of a 5-day headache-specific multidisciplinary treatment program (MTP) and the adherence to treatment recommendations in 295 prospectively recruited consecutive ...headache patients 210 migraine, 17 tension-type headache (TTH), 68 combination headache, including 56 medication-overuse headache (MOH). Headache frequency decreased from 13.4 (±8.8) to 8.8 (±8.0) days per month after 12–18 months. Forty-three percent of the participants fulfilled the primary outcome (reduction of headache frequency of ≥50%), which was less likely in patients with combination of migraine and TTH compared to migraine (OR = 3.136,
p
= 0.002) or TTH (OR = 1.029, n.s.). Increasing number of headache days per month (OR = 1.092,
p
≤ 0.0001) and adherence to lifestyle modifications (OR = 1.269,
p
= 0.004) predicted primary outcome. 51 of 56 MOH patients were treated successfully. Thirty-five percent of the patients were adherent to pharmacological prophylaxis, 61% to relaxation therapy, and 72% to aerobic endurance sports. MTP is effective in headache treatment. Adherence to therapy was associated with better outcome.
This multi-center study compared the therapeutic effect of a cognitive-behavioral minimal contact program (MCT) to the effect of a brochure (bibliotherapy) for the prevention of medication overuse ...headache (MOH) in migraine patients. Seven German headache centers recruited 182 migraine patients with high triptan or analgesic intake frequency. Patients were randomly allocated to either the MCT-group, receiving both an MCT program and an educational brochure or to the biblio-group receiving only the brochure. All participants continued usual medical treatment. Course of headaches, intake of analgesics or triptans after training, 3months post-training as well as 1–2years (mean 15.7months) later and psychological variables were defined as outcome variables. A significant decline was observed in the number of headache days (11.0–8.8), migraine days (7.3–5.7) and medication intake days (7.4–6.1) from pre to post in the MCT-group (p<0.001 each) and in the biblio-group (p<0.001 each). The pre-to-post-improvements were maintained from pre- to short- and from pre- to long-term follow-up (p<0.001 each) in both groups. Both groups improved significantly from pre to post in psychological variables, e.g. pain acceptance: p<0.001; pain catastrophizing: p<0.001; functional pain coping: p<0.001; and pain related internal control beliefs: p<0.01. Psychological improvements remained stable in both groups at short- and long-term follow-up. During the study, none of the patients developed an MOH. MCT- and bibliotherapy are useful in migraine patients to prevent medication overuse headache or the transition of episodic to chronic headache.
Several studies reported on the association of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) with dementia. Studies on the association of T2DM and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are rare.
To evaluate the gender-specific ...association of T2DM with MCI and MCI subtypes (amnestic MCI (aMCI) and non-amnestic MCI (naMCI)) in a middle-aged (50-65 years) and old-aged (66-80 years) population-based study sample.
We compared 560 participants with MCI (aMCI n = 289, naMCI n = 271) with 1,376 cognitively normal participants from the Heinz Nixdorf Recall study. Diabetic status was based on self-reported physician's diagnosis or treatment with anti-diabetic medication. We performed group comparisons regarding all cognitive subtests for participants with and without T2DM. Logistic regression models (adjusted for age, education, cardiovascular risk factors, and depression) were used to determine the association of T2DM with MCI and MCI subtypes.
In the middle-aged group, fully adjusted models showed an association (odds ratio, 95% CI) of T2DM with MCI that was more pronounced in men (total: 2.03, 1.23-3.36, men: 2.16, 1.12-4.14, women 1.69, 0.73-3.89). T2DM was associated with MCI subtypes (aMCI: 2.01, 1.08-3.73; naMCI: 2.06, 1.06-3.98), whereas, the association was stronger with naMCI in men (2.61, 1.14-5.98) and with aMCI in women (3.02, 1.27-7.17). We found no total or gender-specific association of T2DM with MCI or MCI subtypes in the old-aged group.
Our data show that T2DM is associated with MCI and MCI subtypes in middle-aged, but not in old-aged participants. Furthermore, the results indicate a gender-specific vulnerability of T2DM on cognition, especially in MCI subtypes.
There is increasing evidence that anemia is associated with cognitive impairment. Therefore, the aim of the study was to examine the cross-sectional association of anemia as well as the persistence ...of anemia over the last five years with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and MCI subtypes (amnestic/non-amnestic MCI (aMCI/naMCI)). Out of 4,157 participants (50% men, 50-80 years) of the second examination (t1) of a cohort study (baseline (t0) 2000-2003), we included 4,033 participants with available hemoglobin information and complete cognitive assessment. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin <13 g/dl in men (n = 84) and <12 g/dl in women (n = 79). Group comparisons were used to compare the cognitive subtests. To determine the association of MCI with anemia at t1, with anemia five years prior to the cognitive assessment (t0) and anemia at both time points, we used logistic regression models and included 579 participants with MCI and 1,438 cognitively normal participants out of the total cohort. Anemic participants showed lower performances in verbal memory and executive functions. The fully adjusted odds ratios (OR) for MCI, aMCI, and naMCI in anemic versus non-anemic participants were 1.92 (95% -CI, 1.09-3.39), 1.96 (1.00-3.87), and 1.88 (0.91-3.87). Anemia at both times points showed a non-significant association with naMCI (OR 3.74, 0.94-14.81, fully adjusted). Our results suggest that anemia is associated with an increased risk of MCI independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The association of anemia and MCI has important clinical relevance, because many causes of anemia can be treated effectively.
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