Association between dietary magnesium intake, inflammation, and neurodegeneration.

Background: Consistent evidence shows that magnesium (Mg) intake is associated with lower blood pressure (BP), and that lower BP is associated with improved cerebral health. However, recent findings indicate that the positive effect of dietary Mg intake on cerebral health is not mediated by a decrease in BP. As Mg's anti-inflammatory action is a plausible alternative mechanism, the objective of this study was to investigate the associations between Mg intake and inflammation to determine whether it mediates any neuroprotective effect.

Cognitive Function Is Associated with the Genetically Determined Efficiency of DNA Repair Mechanisms.

Several modifiable risk factors for neurodegeneration and dementia have been identified, although individuals vary in their vulnerability despite a similar risk of exposure. This difference in vulnerability could be explained at least in part by the variability in DNA repair mechanisms' efficiency between individuals. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test associations between documented, prevalent genetic variation (single nucleotide polymorphism, SNP) in DNA repair genes, cognitive function, and brain structure.

Investigating the synergistic effects of hormone replacement therapy, apolipoprotein E and age on brain health in the UK Biobank.

Global prevalence of Alzheimer's Disease has a strong sex bias, with women representing approximately two-thirds of the patients. Yet, the role of sex-specific risk factors during midlife, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and their interaction with other major risk factors for Alzheimer's Disease, such as apolipoprotein E (APOE)-e4 genotype and age, on brain health remains unclear. We investigated the relationship between HRT (i.

Poorer sleep impairs brain health at midlife.

Sleep is an emerging risk factor for dementia but its association with brain health remains unclear. This study included UK Biobank (n = 29,545; mean age = 54.65) participants at imaging visit with sleep measures and brain scans, and a subset (n = 14,206) with cognitive measures.

A review of menopause nomenclature.

Menopause nomenclature varies in the scholarly literature making synthesis and interpretation of research findings difficult. Therefore, the present study aimed to review and discuss critical developments in menopause nomenclature; determine the level of heterogeneity amongst menopause definitions and compare them with the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop criteria. Definitions/criteria used to characterise premenopausal and postmenopausal status were extracted from 210 studies and 128 of these studies were included in the final analyses.

Age, menstruation history, and the brain.

Objectives: To investigate the cross-sectional association between measures of menstruation history (including menopausal status, age of menopause, age of menarche, and duration of reproductive stage) and brain volume.

Methods: Women (aged 45 to 79 years) from the UK Biobank were included (n = 5,072) after excluding those who had (1) hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy, (2) ever used menopausal hormone therapy, (3) ever had a stroke, or (4) were perimenopausal. Multiple linear hierarchical regression models were computed to quantify the cross-sectional association between measures of menstruation history and brain volume.

Longitudinal Changes in Fat Mass and the Hippocampus.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between fat mass (i.e., body mass index [BMI], waist circumference [WC], and waist to hip ratio [WTHR]) and hippocampal volumes.

Lipid profile differences during menopause: a review with meta-analysis.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine lipid profile differences between premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Methods: The present review used a meta-analytic approach. Sixty-six studies were included, which provided a total sample of 114,655 women consisting of 68,394 that were premenopausal and 46,261 that were postmenopausal.

Fat mass changes during menopause: a metaanalysis.

Objective: Data: Fat mass has been shown to increase in aging women; however, the extent to which menopausal status mediates these changes remains unclear. The purpose of this review was to determine (1) how fat mass differs in quantity and distribution between premenopausal and postmenopausal women, (2) whether and how age and/or menopausal status moderates any observed differences, and (3) which type of fat mass measure is best suited to the detection of differences in fat mass between groups.

Study: This review with metaanalyses is reported according to Metaanalysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines.

First Behavioural Characterisation of a Knockout Mouse Model for the Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-β Superfamily Cytokine, MIC-1/GDF15.

Macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1), also known as growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), is a stress response cytokine. MIC-1/GDF15 is secreted into the cerebrospinal fluid and increased levels of MIC-1/GDF15 are associated with a variety of diseases including cognitive decline. Furthermore, Mic-1/Gdf15 knockout mice (Mic-1 KO) weigh more, have increased adiposity, associated with increased spontaneous food intake, and exhibit reduced basal energy expenditure and physical activity.

A visual MRI atrophy rating scale for the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia continuum.

Our objective was to distinguish ALS, ALS-FTD and bvFTD via a novel visual MRI cortical atrophy scale that can be employed in a clinical setting. MRI images of 100 participants (33 ALS, 11 ALS-FTD, 22 bvFTD and 34 controls) were rated in four brain areas: orbitofrontal cortex, anterior temporal pole, anterior cingulate, and motor cortex. Areas were rated on a 5- point Likert scale by two raters blinded to the diagnosis.