Measuring Cognition in Clinical Trials in Parkinson's Disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, and Related Disorders: Roundtable Proceedings and Roadmap for Research.

Emerging research suggests that Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) share underlying pathology and may represent a single, biologically defined disease spectrum. Cognitive changes are among the most worrisome symptoms for patients with PD, and are the core feature of DLB. While the cognitive changes experienced by individuals with PD and mild cognitive impairment share some clinical characteristics with patients who have undiagnosed or prodromal DLB, these changes are distinct from other types of dementias, such as Alzheimer's disease.

Improvements in Maternal Cardiovascular Health Over the Perinatal Period Longitudinally Predict Lower Postpartum Psychological Distress Among Individuals Who Began Their Pregnancies With Overweight or Obesity.

Background: Adverse cardiovascular events during pregnancy (eg, preeclampsia) occur at higher rates among individuals with overweight or obesity (body mass index ≥25 kg/m) and have been associated with postpartum depression. The present study examined whether changes in cardiovascular health (CVH) during the perinatal period, as defined by the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 framework, predicted postpartum psychological functioning among individuals with prepregnancy body mass index ≥25 kg/m.

Methods And Results: Pregnant individuals (N = 226; mean ± SD age = 28.

Mindfulness in Pregnancy and Postpartum: Protocol of a Pilot Randomized Trial of Virtually Delivered Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy to Promote Well-Being during the Perinatal Period.

Background: During the period from pregnancy through the first year postpartum, vulnerable individuals are at elevated risk for the onset or worsening of psychological distress, and accessible (e.g., virtually delivered) mental health interventions are needed.

Associations between prenatal loss of control eating and cardiovascular health during pregnancy.

Objective: Loss of control (LOC) eating (feeling unable to control food type/amount eaten) during pregnancy is common and linked to risk for poor cardiovascular health (CVH), but it is unclear whether prenatal LOC eating directly relates to CVH during pregnancy. The current study tested associations between prenatal LOC eating and CVH during pregnancy in a sample with prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25.

Method: At 12-20 weeks' gestation, participants ( = 124) self-reported: prenatal LOC eating, diet, physical activity, nicotine use, sleep; height/weight were measured.

Improvements in cardiovascular health over the perinatal period predicts lower postpartum psychological distress.

Background: Adverse cardiovascular events during pregnancy (e.g., pre-eclampsia) occur at higher rates among individuals with pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity (body mass index [BMI]≥25kg/m) and have been associated with postpartum depression.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with hippocampal resting state connectivity in women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

Background: Breast cancer and its treatment are associated with aberrant patterns of resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) between the hippocampus and several areas of the brain, which may account for poorer cognitive outcomes in patients. Higher cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) has been associated with enhanced rsFC and cognitive performance; however, these associations have not been well studied in breast cancer. We examined the relationship between CRF, rsFC of the hippocampus, and cognitive performance among women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

Reduced brain activity during a working memory task in middle-aged apolipoprotein E ε4 carriers with overweight/obesity.

Objective: The apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE ε4) allele and midlife obesity are independent risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Both of these risk factors are also associated with differences in brain activation, as measured by blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) responses, in the absence of detectable cognitive deficits. Although the presence of these risk factors may influence brain activity during working memory tasks, no study to date has examined whether the presence of the ε4 allele explains variation in working memory brain activity while matching for levels of overweight/obesity.

Aerobic exercise improves episodic memory in late adulthood: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Aerobic exercise remains one of the most promising approaches for enhancing cognitive function in late adulthood, yet its potential positive effects on episodic memory remain poorly understood and a matter of intense debate. Prior meta-analyses have reported minimal improvements in episodic memory following aerobic exercise but have been limited by restrictive inclusion criteria and infrequent examination of exercise parameters.

Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to determine if aerobic exercise influences episodic memory in late adulthood ( = 70.

Obesity, Psychological Distress, and Resting State Connectivity of the Hippocampus and Amygdala Among Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer.

Objective: Overweight and obesity [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m] are associated with poorer prognosis among women with breast cancer, and weight gain is common during treatment. Symptoms of depression and anxiety are also highly prevalent in women with breast cancer and may be exacerbated by post-diagnosis weight gain. Altered brain function may underlie psychological distress.

Addressing the biological embedding of early life adversities (ELA) among adults through mindfulness: Proposed mechanisms and review of converging evidence.

Early life adversities (ELA) are prevalent and have a profound and adverse impact across the lifespan, including on age-related health outcomes, yet interventions to remediate its adverse impact are scarce. This paper presents evidence for mindfulness training to reduce the elevated mental and physical health risks linked to ELA among adults by targeting biological mechanisms of ELA leading to these adverse health outcomes. We first provide a brief overview of ELA, its adverse health impacts, and mechanisms that might be responsible.

Promoting brain health through physical activity among adults exposed to early life adversity: Potential mechanisms and theoretical framework.

Adverse childhood experiences such as abuse, neglect, and poverty, profoundly alter neurobehavioral development in a manner that negatively impacts health across the lifespan. Adults who have been exposed to such adversities exhibit premature and more severe age-related declines in brain health. Unfortunately, it remains unclear whether the negative effects of early life adversity (ELA) on brain health can be remediated through intervention in adulthood.

Melanopsin-driven pupil response in summer and winter in unipolar seasonal affective disorder.

A retinal subsensitivity to environmental light may trigger Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) under low wintertime light conditions. The main aim of this study was to assess the responses of melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells in participants (N= 65) diagnosed with unipolar SAD compared to controls with no history of depression. Participants attended a summer visit, a winter visit, or both.

Documenting the course of loss of control over eating prior to, during and after pregnancy among women with pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity.

Objective: Loss of control over eating (LOC) is common among women, particularly those with overweight and obesity (OV/OB), and predicts weight gain. Given the importance of understanding weight and eating behaviors during pregnancy, we sought to characterize LOC across pregnancy and the postpartum period among women with pre-pregnancy OV/OB.

Methods: Pregnant women (N = 257; 28.

Relationship between Dispositional Mindfulness, Psychological Health, and Diet Quality among Healthy Midlife Adults.

Mindfulness, a practice of non-judgmental awareness of present experience, has been associated with reduced eating psychopathology and emotion-driven eating. However, it remains unclear whether mindfulness relates to diet quality. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine whether dispositional mindfulness is associated with diet quality and to explore psychological factors relating dispositional mindfulness to diet quality.

The Effects of a 12-Month Weight Loss Intervention on Cognitive Outcomes in Adults with Overweight and Obesity.

Obesity is associated with poorer executive functioning and reward sensitivity. Yet, we know very little about whether weight loss through diet and/or increased exercise engagement improves cognitive function. This study evaluated whether weight loss following a dietary and exercise intervention was associated with improved cognitive performance.

Correlates of Physical Activity Engagement among Pregnant Women with Overweight and Obesity.

Background: Excess weight during pregnancy increases risk for adverse obstetrical outcomes. Physical activity (PA) may buffer these effects, although it is unclear what factors are associated with PA in women who begin pregnancy with overweight/obesity. The present study sought to characterize the demographic and psychological correlates of PA among women with prepregnancy overweight/obesity.

Comparison of Food Cue-Evoked and Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Obesity.

Objective: Obesity is associated with differences in task-evoked and resting-state functional brain connectivity (FC). However, no studies have compared obesity-related differences in FC evoked by high-calorie food cues from that observed at rest. Such a comparison could improve our understanding of the neural mechanisms of reward valuation and decision making in the context of obesity.

Comparing PTSD treatment retention among survivors of military sexual trauma utilizing clinical video technology and in-person approaches.

Introduction: Interventions such as Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) have demonstrated efficacy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following military sexual trauma (MST). However, MST survivors report a number of logistical and social barriers that impede treatment engagement. In an effort to address these barriers, the Veterans Health Administration offers remote delivery of services using clinical video technology (CVT).

Effect of dietary restraint and mood state on attentional processing of food cues.

Background And Objectives: Research linking dietary restraint to attentional bias toward food cues has been equivocal, suggesting that dietary restraint may only influence attentional processing of food in certain contexts. The present study examined whether negative mood strengthens the association between dietary restraint and attention bias for food.

Methods: Healthy female participants were randomized to either a neutral (n = 47) or negative mood (n = 49) induction.

Demographic and psychiatric predictors of engagement in psychotherapy services conducted via clinical video telehealth.

Introduction: Military veterans are at high risk for developing mental health problems. Unfortunately, veterans have relatively low rates of engagement in mental health services compared with non-veterans. In order to address barriers to mental health care services, the Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA) has implemented clinical video telehealth (CVT).

Alterations in emotion generation and regulation neurocircuitry in depression and eating disorders: A comparative review of structural and functional neuroimaging studies.

Major depression and eating disorders (EDs) are highly co-morbid and may share liability. Impaired emotion regulation may represent a common etiological or maintaining mechanism. Research has demonstrated that depressed individuals and individuals with EDs exhibit impaired emotion regulation, with these impairments being associated with changes in brain structure and function.