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1.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38512306

ABSTRACT

Superstitious rituals are common in sports and can play a role in athletes' optimism, sense of control, and confidence in performance. Superstitious rituals have characteristics rooted in tradition and need for perfection. While superstitious rituals vary in type of activity, it is necessary to consider their impact on players and the team, and to guide athletes into positive forms of expression to optimize their performance and overall well-being when engaged in their athletic activities. This paper explores the potential benefits and challenges of superstitious rituals, and the ways in which positive alternative pathways can contribute to peak performance in athletes.

2.
Age Ageing ; 51(2)2022 02 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35150585

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Retrospective studies estimate Emergency Department (ED) delirium recognition at <20%; few prospective studies have assessed delirium recognition and outcomes for patients with unrecognized delirium. OBJECTIVES: To prospectively measure delirium recognition by ED nurses and physicians, document their confidence in diagnosis and disposition, actual dispositions, and patient outcomes. METHODS: Prospective observational study of people ≥65 years. We assessed delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method, then asked ED staff if the patient had delirium, confidence in their assessment, if the patient could be discharged, and contacted patients 1 week postdischarge. We report proportions and 95% confidence intervals (Cls). RESULTS: We enrolled 1,493 participants; mean age was 77.9 years; 49.2% were female, 79 (5.3%, 95% CI 4.2-6.5%) had delirium. ED nurses missed delirium in 43/78 cases (55.1%, 95% CI 43.4-66.4%). Nurses considered 12/43 (27.9%) patients with unrecognized delirium safe to discharge. Median confidence in their delirium diagnosis for patients with unrecognized delirium was 7.0/10. Physicians missed delirium in 10/20 (50.0%, 95% CI 27.2-72.8) cases and considered 2/10 (20.0%) safe to discharge. Median confidence in their delirium diagnosis for patients with unrecognized delirium was 8.0/10. Fifteen patients with unrecognized delirium were sent home: 6.7% died at 1 week follow-up vs. none in those with recognized delirium and 1.1% in the rest of the cohort. CONCLUSION: Delirium recognition by nurses and physicians was sub-optimal at ~50% and may be associated with increased mortality. Research should explore root causes of unrecognized delirium, and novel strategies to systematically improve delirium recognition and patient outcomes.


Subject(s)
Aftercare , Delirium , Aged , Delirium/diagnosis , Delirium/epidemiology , Delirium/therapy , Emergency Service, Hospital , Female , Geriatric Assessment/methods , Humans , Patient Discharge , Prevalence , Prospective Studies , Retrospective Studies
3.
Front Plant Sci ; 13: 1051503, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36618652

ABSTRACT

Endomembrane trafficking is essential for plant growth and often depends on a balance between secretory and endocytic pathways. VPS26C is a component of the retriever complex which has been shown to function in the recycling of integral plasma membrane proteins in human cell culture and is part of a core retriever complex in Arabidopsis that is required for root hair growth. In this work, we report a characterization of the Arabidopsis homologues of CCDC22 and CCDC93, two additional proteins required for retriever function in humans. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that CCDC22 (AT1G55830) and CCDC93 (AT4G32560) are single copy genes in plants that are present across the angiosperms, but like VPS26C, are absent from the grasses. Both CCDC22 and CCDC93 are required for root and root hair growth in Arabidopsis and localize primarily to the cytoplasm in root epidermal cells. Previous work has demonstrated a genetic interaction between VPS26C function and a VTI13-dependent trafficking pathway to the vacuole. To further test this model, we characterized the vti13 ccdc93 double mutant and show that like vps26c, ccdc93 is a suppressor of the vti13 root hair phenotype. Together this work identifies two new proteins essential for root and root hair growth in plants and demonstrate that the endosomal pathway(s) in which CCDC93 functions is genetically linked to a VTI13-dependent trafficking pathway to the vacuole.

4.
Methods Mol Biol ; 2149: 315-325, 2020.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32617942

ABSTRACT

The deposition and modulation of constituent polymers of plant cell walls are profoundly important events during plant development. Identification of specific polymers within assembled walls during morphogenesis and in response to stress conditions represents a major goal of plant cell biologists. Arabidopsis thaliana is a model organism that has become central to research focused on fundamental plant processes including those related to plant wall dynamics. Its fast life cycle and easy access to a variety of mutants and ecotypes of Arabidopsis have stimulated the need for rapid assessment tools to probe its wall organization at the cellular and subcellular levels. We describe two rapid assessment techniques that allow for elucidation of the cell wall polymers of root hairs and high-resolution analysis of surface features of various vegetative organs. Live organism immunolabeling of cell wall polymers employing light microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy can be effectively performed using a large microplate-based screening strategy (see Figs. 1 and 2). Rapid cryofixation and imaging of variable pressure scanning electron microscopy also allows for imaging of surface features of all portions of the plant as clearly seen in Fig. 3.


Subject(s)
Arabidopsis/metabolism , Biopolymers/metabolism , Cell Wall/chemistry , Seedlings/metabolism , Arabidopsis/ultrastructure , Cell Wall/ultrastructure , Glucans/metabolism , Plant Roots/metabolism , Seedlings/ultrastructure
5.
J Alzheimers Dis ; 75(4): 1391-1403, 2020.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32444540

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: There are currently no disease-targeted treatments for cognitive or behavioral symptoms in patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of tolcapone, a specific inhibitor of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT), in patients with bvFTD. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study at two study sites, we examined the effect of tolcapone on 28 adult outpatients with bvFTD. The primary outcome was reaction time on the N-back cognitive test. As an imaging outcome, we examined differences in the resting blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signal intensity between subjects on placebo versus tolcapone performing the N-back test. Secondary outcomes included measures of cognitive performance and behavioral disturbance using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q), and Clinical Global Impressions scale (CGI). RESULTS: Tolcapone was well tolerated and no patients dropped out. The most frequent treatment-related adverse event during tolcapone treatment was elevated liver enzymes (21%). There were no significant differences between tolcapone treatment and placebo in the primary or imaging outcomes. However, there were significant differences between RBANS total scores (p < 0.01), NPI-Q total scores (p = 0.04), and CGI total scores (p = 0.035) between treatment conditions which were driven by differences between baseline and tolcapone conditions. Further, there was a trend toward significance between tolcapone and placebo on the CGI (p = 0.078). CONCLUSIONS: Further study of COMT inhibition and related approaches with longer duration of treatment and larger sample sizes in frontotemporal lobar degeneration-spectrum disorders may be warranted.


Subject(s)
Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Frontotemporal Dementia/drug therapy , Frontotemporal Dementia/psychology , Tolcapone/therapeutic use , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Behavioral Symptoms/drug therapy , Brain/diagnostic imaging , Brain/drug effects , Cognition/drug effects , Cross-Over Studies , Double-Blind Method , Female , Frontotemporal Dementia/complications , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Treatment Outcome
6.
Psychol Assess ; 31(11): 1377-1382, 2019 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31414853

ABSTRACT

Computerized cognitive screening tools, such as the self-administered Computerized Assessment of Memory Cognitive Impairment (CAMCI), require little training and ensure standardized administration and could be an ideal test for primary care settings. We conducted a secondary analysis of a data set including 887 older adults (M age = 72.7 years, SD = 7.1 years; 32.1% male; M years education = 13.4, SD = 2.7 years) with CAMCI scores and independent diagnoses of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A study by the CAMCI developers used a portion of this data set with a machine learning decision tree model and suggested that the CAMCI had high classification accuracy for MCI (sensitivity = 0.86, specificity = 0.94). We found similar support for accuracy (sensitivity = 0.94, specificity = 0.94) by overfitting a decision tree model, but we found evidence of lower accuracy in a cross-validation sample (sensitivity = 0.62, specificity = 0.66). A logistic regression model, however, discriminated modestly in both training (sensitivity = 0.72, specificity = 0.80) and cross-validation data sets (sensitivity = 0.69, specificity = 0.74). Evidence for strong accuracy when overfitting a decision tree model and substantially reduced accuracy in cross-validation samples was replicated across 500 bootstrapped samples. In contrast, the evidence for accuracy of the logistic regression model was similar in the training and cross-validation samples. The logistic regression model produced accuracy estimates consistent with other published CAMCI studies, suggesting evidence for classification accuracy of the CAMCI for MCI is likely modest. This case study illustrates the general need for cross-validation and careful evaluation of the generalizability of machine learning models. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).


Subject(s)
Algorithms , Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted/methods , Neuropsychological Tests/standards , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cognitive Dysfunction/psychology , Computers , Female , Humans , Machine Learning , Male , Middle Aged , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and Specificity
7.
Innov Aging ; 3(2): igz015, 2019 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31276050

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Depression is an important risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) but little is known about the mechanisms of this association. Given sex differences in both AD and depression, we sought to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine whether there are sex differences in their association, as this may improve understanding of underlying mechanisms. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Reviews were searched for observational studies including both sexes and examining the association between history of depression and AD. RESULTS: Forty studies, including 62,729 women and 47,342 men, were identified. Meta-analysis was not possible because only 3 studies provided sufficient data. Seven studies provided information about the influence of sex for a qualitative synthesis. Two found an association in men only, 2 in women only, and 3 reported no sex differences. The 2 studies finding an association in women only were unique in that they had the shortest follow-up periods, and were the only clinic-based studies. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The findings of our systematic review show that there are important methodological differences among the few studies providing data on the influence of sex on depression as a risk factor for AD. Had all 40 studies provided sex-segregated data, these methodological differences and their impact on sex effects could have been examined quantitatively. We encourage researchers to report these data, as well as potential moderating factors, so that the role of sex differences can be better understood.

8.
Can J Neurol Sci ; 46(5): 499-511, 2019 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31309917

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The Comprehensive Assessment of Neurodegeneration and Dementia (COMPASS-ND) cohort study of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA) is a national initiative to catalyze research on dementia, set up to support the research agendas of CCNA teams. This cross-country longitudinal cohort of 2310 deeply phenotyped subjects with various forms of dementia and mild memory loss or concerns, along with cognitively intact elderly subjects, will test hypotheses generated by these teams. METHODS: The COMPASS-ND protocol, initial grant proposal for funding, fifth semi-annual CCNA Progress Report submitted to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research December 2017, and other documents supplemented by modifications made and lessons learned after implementation were used by the authors to create the description of the study provided here. RESULTS: The CCNA COMPASS-ND cohort includes participants from across Canada with various cognitive conditions associated with or at risk of neurodegenerative diseases. They will undergo a wide range of experimental, clinical, imaging, and genetic investigation to specifically address the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of these conditions in the aging population. Data derived from clinical and cognitive assessments, biospecimens, brain imaging, genetics, and brain donations will be used to test hypotheses generated by CCNA research teams and other Canadian researchers. The study is the most comprehensive and ambitious Canadian study of dementia. Initial data posting occurred in 2018, with the full cohort to be accrued by 2020. CONCLUSION: Availability of data from the COMPASS-ND study will provide a major stimulus for dementia research in Canada in the coming years.


Évaluation complète d'une étude de cohorte canadienne portant sur la démence et la neuro-dégénérescence. Contexte : L'évaluation globale de la neuro-dégénérescence et de la démence (COMPASS-ND), étude de cohorte du Consortium canadien en neuro-dégénérescence associée au vieillissement (CCNV), représente une initiative nationale visant à promouvoir la recherche portant sur la démence et à soutenir les programmes de recherche des équipes du CCNV. Totalisant 2310 sujets recrutés partout au pays, cette cohorte longitudinale regroupe des individus fortement « phénotypés ¼ qui présentent diverses formes de démence et de pertes de mémoire légères. En plus de sujets âgés dont les fonctions cognitives sont intactes, ces 2310 sujets ont permis de valider les hypothèses formulées par les équipes du CCNV. Méthodes : Nous avons utilisé de nombreux documents pour décrire cette étude : le protocole de la COMPASS-ND ; la demande initiale de subvention ; le cinquième rapport d'étape semi-annuel du CCNV soumis aux Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada (IRSC) en décembre 2017 ; ainsi que d'autres documents produits à la suite de modifications consécutives à la mise en œuvre de ce projet. Résultats: L'étude de cohorte COMPASS-ND du CCNV inclut des participants de partout au Canada dont les divers états cognitifs sont associés à des maladies neurodégénératives ou au risque d'en souffrir. Ils feront l'objet d'un large éventail d'examens expérimentaux, cliniques, génétiques et d'imagerie afin d'aborder de manière spécifique les causes, le diagnostic, le traitement et la prévention de ces états cognitifs chez les personnes âgées. Les données obtenues à la suite d'évaluations cliniques et cognitives, ainsi que celles issues d'échantillons biologiques, d'imagerie cérébrale, de tests génétiques et de dons de cerveaux, seront utilisées pour tester les hypothèses générées par les équipes de recherche du CCNV et d'autres chercheurs canadiens. Cette étude constitue donc à ce jour l'étude canadienne la plus complète et la plus ambitieuse au sujet de la démence. La présentation des données initiales ayant eu lieu en 2018, la cohorte devrait atteindre sa taille maximale d'ici à 2020.Conclusion : La disponibilité des données de l'étude COMPASS-ND stimulera considérablement la recherche sur la démence au Canada au cours des prochaines années.


Subject(s)
Aging , Dementia , Neurodegenerative Diseases , Research Design , Canada , Cohort Studies , Female , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Male
9.
J Am Geriatr Soc ; 67(11): 2370-2375, 2019 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31355442

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Recognition of delirium in the emergency department (ED) is poor. Our objectives were to assess: (1) the diagnostic accuracy of the Predicting Emergency department Delirium with an Interactive Computer Tablet (PrEDICT) "serious game" to identify older ED patients with delirium compared to clinical recognition and (2) the feasibility of the PrEDICT application compared to existing tests of attention. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: ED of a Canadian tertiary care center. PARTICIPANTS: We included ED patients, aged 70 years and older, with a minimum 4-hour stay. We excluded anyone with critical illness, communication barriers, and visual impairment or those unable to use a computer tablet. None had prevalent delirium by ED clinicians' routine clinical assessment. MEASUREMENTS: Participants were asked to tap targets on a tablet at four difficulty levels. Time and accuracy were automatically recorded. Other measures included the Confusion Assessment Method, the Delirium Severity Index, the Digit Vigilance Test (DVT), and the Choice Reaction Test (CRT). RESULTS: We enrolled 203 patients. Their average age was 80.6 years, 49.8% were female, and their average ED length of stay was 15.9 hours. Sixteen subjects had clinically unrecognized delirium, and 14 of them completed the PrEDICT game (87.5%). We developed a threshold score with 100% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI] = 76.8%-100.0%) and 59.7% specificity (95% CI = 52.3%-66.6%) to identify patients with clinically unrecognized delirium. The area under the curve was 0.86 (95% CI = 0.77-0.94). Completion rates were 196/203 (96.6%) for the PrEDICT serious game compared to 128/203 (63.1%) for the CRT and 51/203 (25.1%) for the DVT. CONCLUSION: Older ED patients were able to use our serious game, including 87.5% of those with clinically unrecognized delirium. The PrEDICT application has potential to act as a sensitive screening tool to identify older ED patients with clinically unrecognized delirium. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2370-2375, 2019.


Subject(s)
Attention/physiology , Computers, Handheld , Delirium/diagnosis , Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data , Geriatric Assessment/methods , Mass Screening/methods , Video Games , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Delirium/epidemiology , Delirium/physiopathology , Feasibility Studies , Female , Humans , Length of Stay , Male , Mental Status Schedule , Ontario/epidemiology , Predictive Value of Tests , Prevalence , Prognosis , Prospective Studies , Risk Factors
10.
Parkinsonism Relat Disord ; 60: 32-42, 2019 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30361136

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Better awareness of the cognitive domains affected in non-demented Parkinson's Disease (PD) should improve understanding of cognitive disease mechanisms. A complete understanding of the cognitive areas impaired in non-demented PD is hindered because most studies use small clinical samples without comparison to healthy controls. This meta-analysis examined cumulative evidence across studies to determine if there were impairments in non-demented PD in the three cognitive domains thought to be most widely affected in PD: frontal executive, visuospatial, and verbal memory. Because there are well-documented sex differences in PD, a second objective was to explore sex differences in these findings. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO databases were searched (1988-March 2017). Random effects models were used to compute and compare effect sizes of differences between PD patients and controls within cognitive domains. Sex differences in effect sizes were also examined in these comparisons. Moderating factors including age, disease duration, motor symptom severity, levodopa dosage, and depression were examined through meta-regression. RESULTS: PD patients showed deficits of moderate effect sizes in all three cognitive domains relative to controls. Significant sex differences were observed only for frontal executive abilities, with male PD patients showing greater deficits than female PD patients relative to controls. No moderators of effect sizes were identified in the domain specific overall or sex-segregated meta-analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that non-demented PD patients have deficits of moderate magnitude in frontal executive, verbal memory, and visuospatial abilities. Our findings of greater frontal executive deficits in males warrant further confirmation.


Subject(s)
Cognitive Dysfunction/physiopathology , Executive Function/physiology , Parkinson Disease/physiopathology , Sex Characteristics , Space Perception/physiology , Verbal Learning/physiology , Visual Perception/physiology , Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology , Humans , Parkinson Disease/complications
11.
Plant J ; 94(4): 595-611, 2018 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29495075

ABSTRACT

The large retromer complex participates in diverse endosomal trafficking pathways and is essential for plant developmental programs, including cell polarity, programmed cell death and shoot gravitropism in Arabidopsis. Here we demonstrate that an evolutionarily conserved VPS26 protein (VPS26C; At1G48550) functions in a complex with VPS35A and VPS29 necessary for root hair growth in Arabidopsis. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation showed that VPS26C forms a complex with VPS35A in the presence of VPS29, and this is supported by genetic studies showing that vps29 and vps35a mutants exhibit altered root hair growth. Genetic analysis also demonstrated an interaction between a VPS26C trafficking pathway and one involving the SNARE VTI13. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that VPS26C, with the notable exception of grasses, has been maintained in the genomes of most major plant clades since its evolution at the base of eukaryotes. To test the model that VPS26C orthologs in animal and plant species share a conserved function, we generated transgenic lines expressing GFP fused with the VPS26C human ortholog (HsDSCR3) in a vps26c background. These studies illustrate that GFP-HsDSCR3 is able to complement the vps26c root hair phenotype in Arabidopsis, indicating a deep conservation of cellular function for this large retromer subunit across plant and animal kingdoms.


Subject(s)
Arabidopsis Proteins/metabolism , Arabidopsis/genetics , Gravitropism/genetics , Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism , Proteins/metabolism , Arabidopsis/growth & development , Arabidopsis/physiology , Arabidopsis Proteins/genetics , Endosomes/physiology , Genes, Reporter , Humans , Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/genetics , Membrane Proteins , Multiprotein Complexes , Phenotype , Phylogeny , Plant Roots/genetics , Plant Roots/growth & development , Plant Roots/physiology , Proteins/genetics , Recombinant Fusion Proteins , SNARE Proteins/genetics , SNARE Proteins/metabolism , Vesicular Transport Proteins/genetics , Vesicular Transport Proteins/metabolism
12.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci ; 73(7): 1185-1189, 2018 09 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28025281

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The number of drivers with dementia is expected to increase over the coming decades. Because dementia is associated with a higher risk of crashes, driving cessation becomes inevitable as the disease progresses, but many people with dementia resist stopping to drive. This meta-analysis examines whether there are sex differences in the prevalence and incidence of driving cessation among drivers with dementia and compares the pattern of sex differences in drivers with dementia to those without dementia. Method: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, and CINAHL were searched in July 2015 for observational studies of sex differences in driving cessation. Meta-analyses were performed using a random-effects model. Results: Twenty studies provided data on sex differences in driving cessation in older adults with or without dementia. Driving cessation was significantly more prevalent in women with dementia than men (odds ratio [OR] = 2.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.50-2.98), and the same pattern was found in women without dementia (OR = 2.74, 95% CI = 1.85-4.06). Discussion: Our findings suggest that the patterns of driving cessation differ between men and women with dementia, and this may have implications for sex-specific approaches designed to support drivers with dementia both before and after driving cessation.


Subject(s)
Automobile Driving , Dementia/psychology , Aged , Automobile Driving/psychology , Automobile Driving/statistics & numerical data , Dementia/complications , Dementia/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Incidence , Male , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Sex Factors
13.
Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord ; 32(2): 114-119, 2018.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29140858

ABSTRACT

Computerized cognitive assessment tools may facilitate early identification of dementia in the primary care setting. We investigated primary care physicians' (PCPs') views on advantages and disadvantages of computerized testing based on their experience with the Computer Assessment of Mild Cognitive Impairment (CAMCI). Over a 2-month period, 259 patients, 65 years and older, from the family practice of 13 PCPs completed the CAMCI. Twelve PCPs participated in an individual interview. Generally, PCPs felt that the relationship between them and their patients helped facilitate cognitive testing; however, they thought available paper tests were time consuming and not sufficiently informative. Despite concerns regarding elderly patients' computer literacy, PCPs noticed high completion rates and that their patients had generally positive experiences completing the CAMCI. PCPs appreciated the time-saving advantage of the CAMCI and the immediately generated report, but thought the report should be shortened to 1 page and that PCPs should receive training in its interpretation. Our results suggest that computerized cognitive tools such as the CAMCI can address PCPs' concerns with cognitive testing in their offices. Recommendations to improve the practicality of computerized testing in primary care were suggested.


Subject(s)
Cognition Disorders/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted/methods , Neuropsychological Tests , Physicians, Primary Care/psychology , Primary Health Care , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Neuropsychological Tests/standards , Qualitative Research
14.
Alzheimers Dement (N Y) ; 3(4): 660-667, 2017 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29255793

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Despite important sex differences, there remains a paucity of studies examining sex and gender differences in neurodegeneration. The Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA), a national network of researchers, provides an ideal platform to incorporate sex and gender. METHODS: CCNA's Women, Gender, Sex and Dementia program developed and implemented a six-component strategy involving executive oversight, training, research collaboration, progress report assessment, results dissemination, and ongoing manuscript review. The inclusion of sex and gender in current and planned CCNA projects was examined in two progress reporting periods in 2016. RESULTS: Sex and gender research productivity increased substantially for both preclinical (36%-45%) and human (56%-60%) cohorts. The main barrier was lack of funding. DISCUSSION: The Women, Gender, Sex and Dementia strategy resulted in a major increase of sex and gender into research on neurodegenerative disorders. This best practice model could be utilized by a wide variety of large multidisciplinary groups.

15.
Neurology ; 89(15): 1633-1642, 2017 Oct 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28916533

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a meta-analysis that investigates sex differences in the prevalence of mutations in the 3 most common genes that cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD)-chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72), progranulin (GRN), or microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT)-in patients clinically diagnosed with these conditions. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases were searched (inception to June 30, 2016). Studies of patients with FTD or ALS that reported the number of men and women with and without mutations of interest were selected. Female to male pooled risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each mutation were calculated using random-effects models. RESULTS: Thirty-two articles reporting 12,784 patients with ALS (including 1,244 C9orf72 mutation carriers) revealed a higher prevalence of female patients with C9orf72-related ALS (RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04-1.29). Twenty-three articles reporting 5,320 patients with FTD (including 488 C9orf72 mutation carriers) revealed no sex differences in C9orf72-related FTD (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.81-1.12). Thirty-six articles reporting 3,857 patients with FTD (including 369 GRN mutation carriers) revealed a higher prevalence of female patients with GRN-related FTD (RR 1.33, 95% CI 1.09-1.62). Finally, 21 articles reporting 2,377 patients with FTD (including 215 MAPT mutation carriers) revealed no sex difference in MAPT-related FTD (RR 1.21, 95% CI 0.95-1.55). CONCLUSIONS: Higher female prevalence of C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansions in ALS and GRN mutations in FTD suggest that sex-related risk factors might moderate C9orf72 and GRN-mediated phenotypic expression.


Subject(s)
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/epidemiology , Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/genetics , Frontotemporal Dementia/epidemiology , Mutation/genetics , C9orf72 Protein , Databases, Bibliographic/statistics & numerical data , Female , Frontotemporal Dementia/genetics , Humans , Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/genetics , Male , Microtubule-Associated Proteins/genetics , Progranulins , Proteins/genetics , Sex Factors
17.
Nutrients ; 9(1)2017 Jan 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28067763

ABSTRACT

Evidence of an association between added sugars (AS) and the risk of obesity has triggered public health bodies to develop strategies enabling consumers to manage their AS intake. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has strongly recommended a reduction of free sugars to 10% of total dietary energy (TE) and conditionally recommended a reduction to 5% TE to achieve health benefits. Despite food labelling being a policy tool of choice in many countries, there is no consensus on the mandatory addition of AS to the nutrition panel of food labels. An online survey was conducted to explore consumer ability to identify AS on food labels and to investigate consumer awareness of the WHO guidelines in relation to sugar intakes. The questionnaire was tested for participant comprehension using face-to-face interviews prior to conducting the online study. The online survey was conducted in Northern Ireland during May 2015 and was completed by a convenient sample of 445 subjects. Results showed that just 4% of respondents correctly classified 10 or more ingredients from a presented list of 13 items, while 65% of participants were unaware of the WHO guidelines for sugar intake. It may be timely to reopen dialogue on inclusion of AS on food product nutrition panels.


Subject(s)
Diet, Carbohydrate Loading/adverse effects , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Non-Nutritive Sweeteners/adverse effects , Nutritive Sweeteners/adverse effects , Adult , Consumer Behavior , Consumer Health Information , Dental Caries/epidemiology , Dental Caries/etiology , Dental Caries/prevention & control , Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted , Female , Food Labeling , Humans , Internet , Male , Northern Ireland/epidemiology , Nutrition Policy , Nutrition Surveys , Obesity/epidemiology , Obesity/etiology , Obesity/prevention & control , Patient Compliance , Risk , United Kingdom/epidemiology , World Health Organization
18.
Alzheimers Dement ; 13(3): 267-273, 2017 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27998721

ABSTRACT

Recent population studies suggest an intriguing inverse relationship between several types of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Understanding the intersection of the underlying biology for these two distinct families of diseases with one another may offer novel approaches to identify new therapeutic approaches and possible opportunities to repurpose existing drug candidates. The Alzheimer's Association and the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation convened a one-day workshop to delve into this discussion. Workshop participants outlined research focus areas, potential collaborations, and partnerships for future action.


Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Dementia/complications , Neoplasms , Alzheimer Disease/complications , Alzheimer Disease/drug therapy , Alzheimer Disease/epidemiology , Dementia/epidemiology , Drug Discovery , Humans , Neoplasms/epidemiology , Neoplasms/etiology , Neoplasms/therapy
19.
Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord ; 31(1): 62-68, 2017.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27341011

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: We evaluated effects of providing primary care physicians (PCPs) with reports of their patients' results on the Computer Assessment of Mild Cognitive Impairment (CAMCI) by examining their documented care approaches after receipt of the report. METHODS: Patients were 65 years and above, without a diagnosis or previous workup for dementia, seen consecutively over 2 months by one of 13 PCPs. PCPs indicated whether they, patients, or families had concerns about patients' cognition. A total of 259 patients individually completed the CAMCI and results were provided to the PCP. Two raters blind to CAMCI results recorded care approaches documented by PCPs at the first visit within 3 months of report (n=181). RESULTS: In total, 28 different care approaches were grouped as related to Cognition or Safety/Self-Care. Negative binomial regression revealed that the number of care approaches was significantly associated with performance on the CAMCI for both Cognition and Safety/Self-care domains. These findings remained significant when covariates included PCPs' cognitive concern before CAMCI results, and patients' age, sex, number of comorbidities, and living arrangements. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that PCPs documented more care approaches in patients with greater cognitive impairment based on the CAMCI results and this was independent of their, the patients', or families' prior concerns about their patients' cognition.


Subject(s)
Cognition Disorders/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted/methods , Neuropsychological Tests/standards , Physicians, Primary Care/psychology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Canada , Female , Geriatric Assessment , Humans , Male , Primary Health Care
20.
Ageing Res Rev ; 35: 176-199, 2017 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27771474

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: More women have Alzheimer's disease (AD) than men. Understanding sex differences in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may further knowledge of AD etiology and prevention. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine sex differences in the prevalence and incidence of MCI, which included amnestic and non-amnestic subtypes. METHOD: Systematic searches were performed in July 2015 using MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO for population-or community-based studies with MCI data for men and women. Random-effects model were used. RESULTS: Fifty-six studies were included. There were no statistically significant sex differences in prevalence or incidence of amnestic MCI. There was a significantly higher prevalence (p=0.038), but not incidence, of non-amnestic MCI among women. There were no sex differences in studies that combined both subtypes of MCI. CONCLUSION: The only statistically significant finding emerging from this study was that women have a higher prevalence of non-amnestic MCI. To better understand sex differences in the preclinical stages of dementia, studies must better characterize the etiology of the cognitive impairment.


Subject(s)
Aging/psychology , Alzheimer Disease , Cognitive Dysfunction , Memory Disorders/diagnosis , Aged , Alzheimer Disease/etiology , Alzheimer Disease/prevention & control , Cognition , Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnosis , Cognitive Dysfunction/epidemiology , Humans , Incidence , Prevalence , Sex Factors
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