Publications by authors named "Benjamin Luft"
Article Synopsis
- The study explores the biological differences linked to PTSD by examining DNA methylation changes in blood, suggesting they could indicate susceptibility or effects of trauma.
- Conducted by the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, the research included nearly 5,100 participants to identify specific genetic markers associated with PTSD.
- Results showed 11 significant CpG sites related to PTSD, with some also showing correlations between blood and brain tissue methylation, highlighting their potential role in understanding PTSD biology.
Background: The emergency personnel who responded to the World Trade Center (WTC) attacks endured severe occupational exposures, yet the prevalence of cognitive impairment remains unknown among WTC-exposed-FDNY-responders. The present study screened for mild and severe cognitive impairment in WTC-exposed FDNY responders using objective tests, compared prevalence rates to a cohort of non-FDNY WTC-exposed responders, and descriptively to meta-analytic estimates of MCI from global, community, and clinical populations.
Methods: A sample of WTC-exposed-FDNY responders (n = 343) was recruited to complete an extensive battery of cognitive, psychological, and physical tests.
Background: Amyloid-β proteins, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, are believed to play an adaptive role in the cerebral immune response.
Objective: Amyloid is believed to play a role in cerebral immune response and could play a similar role in response to air pollution exposures. In the present study, we examined whether WTC exposure duration was associated with cerebral amyloidosis in WTC responders.
Article Synopsis
- - The study analyzed cognitive decline in individuals after COVID-19, focusing on whether this decline began at the onset of the virus and was worse for those experiencing long-term effects (PASC).
- - Data from 276 COVID-19 patients and 217 controls was examined, showing significant cognitive decline in COVID-19 patients that equated to about 10.6 years of normal aging.
- - The research concluded that COVID-19 and its associated symptoms lead to notable cognitive deterioration, particularly in those with severe cases or prolonged effects.
Background: The emergency personnel who responded to the World Trade Center (WTC) attacks endured severe occupational exposures, yet the prevalence of cognitive impairment remains unknown among WTC-exposed-FDNY-responders. The present study screened for mild and severe cognitive impairment in WTC-exposed FDNY responders using objective tests, compared prevalence rates to a cohort of non-FDNY WTC-exposed responders, and descriptively to meta-analytic estimates of MCI from global, community, and clinical populations.
Methods: A sample of WTC-exposed-FDNY responders ( = 343) was recruited to complete an extensive battery of cognitive, psychological, and physical tests.
Article Synopsis
- Lyme disease, caused by spirochete bacteria transmitted by ticks, is the most common and rapidly spreading tick-borne illness in Europe and North America.
- Researchers sequenced the genomes of 47 Lyme disease isolates, revealing a diverse range of species and consistent plasmid features that are crucial for the bacteria's adaptation.
- The study highlights the genetic complexities involved, such as recombination and rapid evolution, especially in genes that interact with hosts, contributing to the bacteria's virulence while maintaining a mostly clonal population structure.
Study Objectives: Insufficient sleep costs the U.S. economy over $411 billion per year.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study investigates the link between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and differences in DNA methylation, a type of gene regulation, in blood samples from individuals diagnosed with PTSD compared to trauma-exposed controls.
- Researchers conducted a large-scale analysis involving over 5,000 participants from various civilian and military studies, using standardized procedures for PTSD assessment and DNA methylation testing.
- The results revealed 11 specific DNA methylation sites associated with PTSD, and found similarities in methylation patterns between blood and brain tissues, suggesting a biological basis for the condition.
Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and poorer pulmonary function are highly prevalent psychiatric and medical conditions. In the present study, we tested for the individual, additive, and modifying associations of PTSD symptomatology and pulmonary function with cognitive performance.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 1,401 World Trade Center (WTC) responders (mean age = 53, SD = 8 years, 92% males) participated in the study.
Importance: Reports suggest that the individuals who served in rescue operations following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) have poorer brain health than expected.
Objective: To assess the incidence of dementia before age 65 years in a prospective study of WTC responders and to compare incidence among responders with severe exposures to debris vs responders not exposed to building debris or who wore personalized protective equipment (PPE).
Design, Setting, And Participants: This prospective cohort study was conducted from November 1, 2014, to January 1, 2023, in an academic medical monitoring program available to verified WTC responders residing on Long Island, New York.
Article Synopsis
- PTSD genetics have been difficult to study compared to other psychiatric disorders, limiting our biological understanding of the condition.
- A large-scale meta-analysis involving over 1.2 million individuals identified 95 genome-wide significant loci, with 80 being new discoveries related to PTSD.
- Researchers identified 43 potential causal genes linked to neurotransmitter activity, developmental processes, synaptic function, and immune regulation, enhancing our knowledge of the neurobiological systems involved in PTSD.
Symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can persist for months or years after infection, a condition called Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). Whole-brain white matter and cortical gray matter health were assessed using multi-shell diffusion tensor imaging. Correlational tractography was utilized to dissect the nature and extent of white matter changes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Responders of the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster suffer from co-morbidities. A Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) nutrition intervention with physical activity was implemented among WTC responders with overweight/obesity and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Methods: WTC Health Program members ( = 62), 45-65 years, males 87%, body mass index (BMI) 27-45 kg/m randomized to MedDiet ( = 31) or usual nutrition counseling ( = 31).
Background: Cognitive impairment is the most common and disabling manifestation of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2. There is an urgent need for the application of more stringent methods for evaluating cognitive outcomes in research studies.
Objective: To determine whether cognitive decline emerges with the onset of COVID-19 and whether it is more pronounced in patients with Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 or severe COVID-19.
Objective: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common, debilitating, and associated with an increased risk of health problems, including cardiovascular disease. PTSD is related to poor autonomic function indicated by reduced heart rate variability (HRV). However, very little work has tested the timescale or direction of these effects, given that most evidence comes from cross-sectional studies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- PTSD genetics are harder to study compared to other mental health disorders, resulting in limited biological insights from past research.
- A large-scale analysis involving over 1.2 million individuals found 95 significant genetic loci related to PTSD, with 80 being new discoveries.
- The study identified 43 potential causal genes linked to neurotransmitters, synaptic function, and immune responses, enhancing understanding of PTSD's biological mechanisms and suggesting new research directions.
World Trade Center (WTC) responders are susceptible to both cognitive and neuropsychiatric impairments, particularly chronic posttraumatic stress disorder. The present study examined self-reported behavioral impairments in a sample of 732 WTC responders, 199 of whom were determined to have high risk of WTC-related cortical atrophy by an artificial neural network. We found that responders at increased risk of cortical atrophy showed behavioral impairment across five domains: motivation, mood, disinhibition, empathy, and psychosis (14.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWorld Trade Center (WTC) responders exposed to traumatic and environmental stressors during rescue and recovery efforts have a high prevalence of chronic WTC-related post-traumatic stress disorder (WTC-PTSD). We investigated neural mechanisms underlying WTC-PTSD by applying eigenvector centrality (EC) metrics and data-driven methods on resting state functional magnetic resonance (fMRI). We identified how EC differences relate to WTC-exposure and behavioral symptoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Chronically re-experiencing the memory of a traumatic event might cause a glial response. This study examined whether glial activation would be associated with PTSD in a study of responders present after the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks without comorbid cerebrovascular disease.
Methods: Plasma was retrieved from 1,520 WTC responders and stored for a cross-sectional sample of responders of varying levels of exposure and PTSD.
Introduction: The clock drawing task (CDT) is frequently used to aid in detecting cognitive impairment, but current scoring techniques are time-consuming and miss relevant features, justifying the creation of an automated quantitative scoring approach.
Methods: We used computer vision methods to analyze the stored scanned images ( = 7,109), and an intelligent system was created to examine these files in a study of aging World Trade Center responders. Outcomes were CDT, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score, and incidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Background: How sleep is impacted by stress ("sleep reactivity to stress") and how stress is impacted by sleep ("stress reactivity to sleep") are trait-like characteristics of individuals that predict depression, anxiety, and insomnia. However, pathways between reactivity and functional impairment (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: World Trade Center (WTC) responders are experiencing a high risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, though the etiology remains inadequately characterized. This study investigated whether WTC exposures and chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were correlated with plasma biomarkers characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology.
Methods: Eligible participants included WTC-exposed individuals with a baseline cognitive assessment and available plasma sample.
Background: Genetic factors contribute to individual differences in the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A portion of genetic predisposition can be captured using polygenic risk scores (PRS). Relatively little is known about the associations between PRS and COVID-19 severity or post-acute COVID-19 in community-dwelling individuals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study investigates the connection between cognitive impairment among World Trade Center (WTC) responders and factors like genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's disease, PTSD, and educational attainment.
- Results indicate that higher polygenic scores for Alzheimer's are linked to increased mild cognitive impairment, while higher scores for educational attainment are associated with lower risk, although PTSD symptoms and exposure severity had a stronger impact.
- The findings suggest that many WTC responders may exhibit mild cognitive impairments similar to Alzheimer's, but the effects of PTSD and the nature of their rescue work are even more significant predictors of cognitive issues.