Perceptual distortions characteristic of Alice in Wonderland syndrome in contemporary figurative painting.

Background: Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS) is a neurological condition characterized by perceptual distortions, most of which are visual in nature (metamorphopsias). Over the past decade there has been a movement in contemporary figurative painting away from strict mimesis toward depicting distortions of the painting's subject, called disrupted realism. In certain cases the similarities between the distortions in those paintings and those characteristic of AIWS are so striking that we suspect that artists may have experienced distorted perceptions themselves and used them for creative inspiration.

The TRIBE model: How socioemotional processes fuel end-of-life treatment in the United States.

Prior interventions have repeatedly failed to decrease the prescription and receipt of treatments and procedures that confer more harm than benefit at the End-of-Life (EoL); new approaches to intervention are needed. Ideally, future interventions would be informed by a social-ecological conceptual model that explains EoL healthcare utilization patterns, but current models ignore two facts: (1) healthcare is an inherently social activity, involving clinical teams and patients' social networks, and (2) emotions influence social activity. To address these omissions, we scaffolded Terror Management Theory and Socioemotional Selectivity Theory to create the Transtheoretical Model of Irrational Biomedical Exuberance (TRIBE).

The protective effect of early dietary fat consumption on Alzheimer's disease-related pathology and cognitive function in mice.

Introduction: It has been suggested that obesity may influence Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, yet the numerous publications on this topic have inconsistent results and conclusions.

Methods: Our study examined the effect of varying the timing of high-fat diet (HFD) consumption on AD-related pathology and cognition in transgenic Tg6799 AD mice.

Results: HFD feeding starting at or before 3 months of age, prior to severe AD pathology, had protective effects in AD mice: reduced extracellular amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition, decreased fibrinogen extravasation into the brain parenchyma, and improved cognitive function.