Applying evidence-based cross-disciplinary concepts helps to explain the heterogeneity in pain, function, and biological measures in individuals with knee pain with/at risk of osteoarthritis.

Introduction: Factors contributing to individual differences in knee osteoarthritis remain elusive. Dispositional traits and socioeconomic status are independent predictors of mental and physical health, although significant variability remains. Dispositional traits serve as the biological interface for life experiences.

Developing a fair and interpretable representation of the clock drawing test for mitigating low education and racial bias.

The clock drawing test (CDT) is a neuropsychological assessment tool to screen an individual's cognitive ability. In this study, we developed a Fair and Interpretable Representation of Clock drawing test (FaIRClocks) to evaluate and mitigate classification bias against people with less than 8 years of education, while screening their cognitive function using an array of neuropsychological measures. In this study, we represented clock drawings by a priorly published 10-dimensional deep learning feature set trained on publicly available data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS).

Digital assessment of cognition in neurodegenerative disease: a data driven approach leveraging artificial intelligence.

Introduction: A rapid and reliable neuropsychological protocol is essential for the efficient assessment of neurocognitive constructs related to emergent neurodegenerative diseases. We developed an AI-assisted, digitally administered/scored neuropsychological protocol that can be remotely administered in ~10 min. This protocol assesses the requisite neurocognitive constructs associated with emergent neurodegenerative illnesses.

Association Between Preoperative Anemia and Cognitive Function in a Large Cohort Study of Older Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery.

Background: The etiology of anemia has tremendous overlap with the disease states responsible for cognitive decline. We used data from a perioperative database of older adults undergoing elective surgery with anesthesia to (1) examine relationships among preoperative anemia blood markers, preoperative screeners of cognitive function, and chronic disease status; and (2) examine the relationship of these factors with operative outcomes. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the association between preoperative anemia blood markers and cognition measured by a preoperative cognitive screener.

Cannabis Use and Inhalational Anesthesia Administration in Older Adults: A Propensity-matched Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Cannabis use is associated with higher intravenous anesthetic administration. Similar data regarding inhalational anesthetics are limited. With rising cannabis use prevalence, understanding any potential relationship with inhalational anesthetic dosing is crucial.

Cannabis use and acute postoperative pain outcomes in older adults: a propensity matched retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Cannabis use is increasing among older adults, but its impact on postoperative pain outcomes remains unclear in this population. We examined the association between cannabis use and postoperative pain levels and opioid doses within 24 hours of surgery.

Methods: We conducted a propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study using electronic health records data of 22 476 older surgical patients with at least 24-hour hospital stays at University of Florida Health between 2018 and 2020.

Dysexecutive difficulty and subtle everyday functional disabilities: the digital Trail Making Test.

Background: Digital neuropsychological tests reliably capture real-time, process-based behavior that traditional paper/pencil tests cannot detect, enabling earlier detection of neurodegenerative illness. We assessed relations between informant-based subtle and mild functional decline and process-based features extracted from the digital Trail Making Test-Part B (dTMT-B).

Methods: A total of 321 community-dwelling participants (56.

Environmental and sociocultural factors are associated with pain-related brain structure among diverse individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain: intersectional considerations.

Chronic musculoskeletal pain including knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Previous research indicates ethnic-race groups differ in the pain and functional limitations experienced with knee OA. However, when socioenvironmental factors are included in analyses, group differences in pain and function wane.

Development of a Probabilistic Boolean network (PBN) to model intraoperative blood pressure management.

Background: Blood pressure is a vital sign for organ perfusion that anesthesiologists measure and modulate during surgery. However, current decision-making processes rely heavily on clinicians' experience, which can lead to variability in treatment across surgeries. With the advent of machine learning, we can now create models to predict the outcomes of interventions and guide perioperative decision-making.

A Network Analysis of Digital Clock Drawing for Command and Copy Conditions.

Graphomotor and time-based variables from the digital Clock Drawing Test (dCDT) characterize cognitive functions. However, no prior publications have quantified the strength of the associations between digital clock variables as they are produced. We hypothesized that analysis of the production of clock features and their interrelationships, as suggested, will differ between the command and copy test conditions.

Using digital assessment technology to detect neuropsychological problems in primary care settings.

Introduction: Screening for neurocognitive impairment and psychological distress in ambulatory primary and specialty care medical settings is an increasing necessity. The Core Cognitive Evaluation™ (CCE) is administered/scored using an iPad, requires approximately 8 min, assesses 3- word free recall and clock drawing to command and copy, asks questions about lifestyle and health, and queries for psychological distress. This information is linked with patients' self- reported concerns about memory and their cardiovascular risks.

Perioperative Extracellular Brain Free-Water Changes for Older Adults Electing Total Knee Arthroplasty with General versus Spinal Anesthesia: A Pilot Study.

Background: Recent research shows that older adults electing to undergo total knee arthroplasty with general anesthesia have a pre- to postoperative acute increase in molecular free-water within their cerebral white matter. It is unknown if this change is similar for individuals who elect spinal anesthesia methods.

Objective: To explore white matter microstructural changes in a pilot sample of older adults undergoing total knee arthroplasty and receiving general or spinal anesthesia.

FaIRClocks: Fair and Interpretable Representation of the Clock Drawing Test for mitigating classifier bias against lower educational groups.

The clock drawing test (CDT) is a neuropsychological assessment tool to evaluate a patient's cognitive ability. In this study, we developed a ir and nterpretable epresentation of drawing tests () to evaluate and mitigate bias against people with lower education while predicting their cognitive status. We represented clock drawings with a 10-dimensional latent embedding using Relevance Factor Variational Autoencoder (RF-VAE) network pretrained on publicly available clock drawings from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) dataset.

Elucidating individual differences in chronic pain and whole person health with allostatic load biomarkers.

Chronic pain is a stressor that affects whole person functioning. Persistent and prolonged activation of the body's stress systems without adequate recovery can result in measurable physiological and neurobiological dysregulation recognized as allostatic load. We and others have shown chronic pain is associated with measures of allostatic load including clinical biomarker composites, telomere length, and brain structures.

Contributions of Cardiovascular Burden, Peripheral Inflammation, and Brain Integrity on Digital Clock Drawing Performance in Non-Demented Older Adults.

Background: Greater cardiovascular burden and peripheral inflammation are associated with dysexecutive neuropsychological profiles and a higher likelihood of conversion to vascular dementia. The digital clock drawing test (dCDT) is useful in identifying neuropsychological dysfunction related to vascular etiology. However, the specific cognitive implications of the combination of cardiovascular risk, peripheral inflammation, and brain integrity remain unknown.

Neurocognitive Operations Underlying Working Memory Abilities: An Analysis of Latency and Time-Based Parameters.

Background: The theory of executive attention (Fuster, 2015) suggests considerable plasticity regarding when specific neurocognitive operations are recruited to bring executive tasks to fruition.

Objective: We tested the hypothesis that differing neurocognitive operations are recruited upon the initiation of a response, but that other distinct neurocognitive operations are recruited towards the middle or end of a response.

Methods: The Backward Digit Span Test (BDST) was administered to 58 memory clinic patients (MCI, n = 22; no-MCI, n = 36).

A Real-Time Neurophysiologic Stress Test for the Aging Brain: Novel Perioperative and ICU Applications of EEG in Older Surgical Patients.

As of 2022, individuals age 65 and older represent approximately 10% of the global population [1], and older adults make up more than one third of anesthesia and surgical cases in developed countries [2, 3]. With approximately > 234 million major surgical procedures performed annually worldwide [4], this suggests that > 70 million surgeries are performed on older adults across the globe each year. The most common postoperative complications seen in these older surgical patients are perioperative neurocognitive disorders including postoperative delirium, which are associated with an increased risk for mortality [5], greater economic burden [6, 7], and greater risk for developing long-term cognitive decline [8] such as Alzheimer's disease and/or related dementias (ADRD).

Sex, sepsis and the brain: defining the role of sexual dimorphism on neurocognitive outcomes after infection.

Sexual dimorphisms exist in multiple domains, from learning and memory to neurocognitive disease, and even in the immune system. Male sex has been associated with increased susceptibility to infection, as well as increased risk of adverse outcomes. Sepsis remains a major source of morbidity and mortality globally, and over half of septic patients admitted to intensive care are believed to suffer some degree of sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE).

Fairness in the prediction of acute postoperative pain using machine learning models.

Introduction: Overall performance of machine learning-based prediction models is promising; however, their generalizability and fairness must be vigorously investigated to ensure they perform sufficiently well for all patients.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate prediction bias in machine learning models used for predicting acute postoperative pain.

Method: We conducted a retrospective review of electronic health records for patients undergoing orthopedic surgery from June 1, 2011, to June 30, 2019, at the University of Florida Health system/Shands Hospital.

Free Water Fraction Predicts Cognitive Decline for Individuals with Idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Free water fraction (FWF) is considered a metric of microstructural integrity and may be useful in predicting cognitive decline in idiopathic Parkinson's Disease (PD). We sought to determine if higher FWF within the dorsal portion of the caudate nucleus and basal nucleus of Meynert, two regions associated with cognitive decline in PD, predict change in cognition over a two-year span. Due to the existence of cognitive and neurophysiological subgroups within PD, we statistically categorized participants based on FWF in these regions.

The functional connectivity and neuropsychology underlying mental planning operations: data from the digital clock drawing test.

We examined the construct of mental planning by quantifying digital clock drawing digit placement accuracy in command and copy conditions, and by investigating its underlying neuropsychological correlates and functional connectivity. We hypothesized greater digit misplacement would associate with attention, abstract reasoning, and visuospatial function, as well as functional connectivity from a major source of acetylcholine throughout the brain: the basal nucleus of Meynert (BNM). Participants ( = 201) included non-demented older adults who completed all metrics within 24 h of one another.

Relationships Between Cognitive Screening Composite Scores and Pain Intensity and Pain Disability in Adults With/At Risk for Knee Osteoarthritis.

Objectives: Chronic pain, cognitive deficits, and pain-related disability are interrelated. The prevalence of chronic pain and undiagnosed cognitive difficulties in middle age and older adults is increasing. Of the cognitive systems, executive function and episodic memory are most relevant to chronic pain.