Comprehension of metaphors in patients with mild cognitive impairment: Evidence from behavioral and ERP data.

The ability of metaphor comprehension reflects the cognitive status of elders. This study explored the ability of Chinese aMCI patients to access metaphorical meaning based on linguistic models of metaphor processing. ERPs were recorded from 30 aMCI patients and 30 control participants when judging the meaningfulness of literal sentences, conventional metaphors, novel metaphors, and anomalous expressions.

Older adults' refusal speech act in cognitive assessment: A multimodal pragmatic perspective.

This paper explores how older adults with different cognitive abilities perform the refusal speech act in the cognitive assessment in the setting of memory clinics. The refusal speech act and its corresponding illocutionary force produced by nine Chinese older adults in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Basic was annotated and analyzed from a multimodal perspective. Overall, regardless of the older adults' cognitive ability, the most common discursive device to refuse is the demonstration of their inability to carry out or continue the cognitive task.

Sex differences in dementia risk and risk factors: Individual-participant data analysis using 21 cohorts across six continents from the COSMIC consortium.

Introduction: Sex differences in dementia risk, and risk factor (RF) associations with dementia, remain uncertain across diverse ethno-regional groups.

Methods: A total of 29,850 participants (58% women) from 21 cohorts across six continents were included in an individual participant data meta-analysis. Sex-specific hazard ratios (HRs), and women-to-men ratio of hazard ratios (RHRs) for associations between RFs and all-cause dementia were derived from mixed-effect Cox models.

The influence of energy consumption and research and development on carbon emission in China: a modified spatial Durbin model approach.

Global warming continues to be an intimidating factor for environmental protection and promoting environmental quality requires urgent attention. This research aims to explore the influence of research and development, environmental regulation, and energy consumption on carbon emissions in China using the modified spatial Durbin model. The dynamic threshold model was introduced in anticipation of a possible endogeneity bias.

Coping strategies and resilience among patients with hypertension in Ghana.

Background: Hypertension is associated with high morbidity and mortality and this has been linked to poor treatment and control rates. To optimize drug treatment, patient-centered strategies such as coping, resilience, and adherence to medication may improve control rates and decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension. This study, therefore, assessed coping skills and resilience among patients with hypertension in Ghana.

Subtle Differences in Cognition in 70-Year-Olds with Elevated Cerebrospinal Fluid Neurofilament Light and Neurogranin: A H70 Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Most research on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neurofilament light protein (NfL) as a marker for neurodegeneration and neurogranin (Ng) for synaptic dysfunction has largely focused on clinical cohorts rather than population-based samples.

Objective: We hypothesized that increased CSF levels of NfL and Ng are associated with subtle cognitive deficits in cognitively unimpaired (CU) older adults.

Methods: The sample was derived from the Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies and comprised 258 CU 70-year-olds, with a Clinical Dementia Rating score of zero.

Gut microbial DNA and immune checkpoint gene Vsig4/CRIg are key antagonistic players in healthy aging and age-associated development of hypertension and diabetes.

Aims: Aging is associated with the development of insulin resistance and hypertension which may stem from inflammation induced by accumulation of toxic bacterial DNA crossing the gut barrier. The aim of this study was to identify factors counter-regulating these processes. Taking advantage of the Chromogranin A (CgA) knockout (CgA-KO) mouse as a model for healthy aging, we have identified (V-set and immunoglobulin domain containing 4) as the critical checkpoint gene in offsetting age-associated hypertension and diabetes.

SMP30-mediated synthesis of vitamin C activates the liver PPARα/FGF21 axis to regulate thermogenesis in mice.

The vitamin-C-synthesizing enzyme senescent marker protein 30 (SMP30) is a cold resistance gene in Drosophila, and vitamin C concentration increases in brown adipose tissue post-cold exposure. However, the roles of SMP30 in thermogenesis are unknown. Here, we tested the molecular mechanism of thermogenesis using wild-type (WT) and vitamin C-deficient SMP30-knockout (KO) mice.

Research on nonstroke dementia screening and cognitive function prediction model for older people based on brain atrophy characteristics.

Background: Brain atrophy is an important feature in dementia and is meaningful to explore a brain atrophy model to predict dementia. Using machine learning algorithm to establish a dementia model and cognitive function model based on brain atrophy characteristics is unstoppable.

Method: We acquired 157 dementia and 156 normal old people.

Biomechanical effect of age-related structural changes on cervical intervertebral disc: A finite element study.

Previous literature has investigated the biomechanical response of healthy and degenerative discs, but the biomechanical response of suboptimal healthy intervertebral discs received less attention. The purpose was to compare the biomechanical responses and risk of herniation of young healthy, suboptimal healthy, and degenerative intervertebral discs. A cervical spine model was established and validated using the finite element method.

Comparative analysis of sensitivity and specificity of computer-aided cognitive test in screening mild cognitive impairment patients and test of reliability and validity.

Objectives: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the computer-aided cognitive test (CACT).

Methods: 219 Subjects of Tongji Hospital's Brain Health cohort (115 cases of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients and 104 cases of normal controls) were enrolled, of which 24 cases received a retest after 2 weeks. Finally, the reliability and validity of the scale were tested and analyzed.

Subjective age, worry and risk-related perceptions in older adults in times of a pandemic.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, older people have been in the spotlight of the public debate. Given their higher risk of severe outcomes of the disease, they have been described as especially vulnerable and as a burden to others and society. We thus wanted to investigate how older people's perception of their own age, that is their subjective age, as well as their Covid-19 related risks and worries were related during the pandemic and whether these relationships varied according to participants' subjective health.

Health-seeking behaviour, referral patterns and associated factors among patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases in Ghana: A cross-sectional mixed method study.

Background: Challenges exist in the diagnosis and management of autoimmune rheumatic diseases in low and middle income countries due to factors, such as poverty and under-resourced healthcare infrastructure. Furthermore, other contributory factors such as societal, cultural and religious practices influence health seeking behaviour which has a bearing on access and delivery of healthcare.

Objectives: To examine the health seeking behaviour and referral patterns of Ghanaian patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases and assess the associated factors that influence these.

Risk assessment of ICU patients through deep learning technique: A big data approach.

Background: Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients are exposed to various medications, especially during infusion, and the amount of infusion drugs and the rate of their application may negatively affect their health status. A deep learning model can monitor a patient's continuous reaction to tranquillizer therapy, analyze the treatment plans of experts to avoid severe situations such as reverse medication associations, work with a convenient mediator, and change the treatment plans of specialists as needed.

Methods: Generally, patients' treatment histories are linked together via a period grouping connection, which is usually burdened by missing information.

Challenges and support needs of parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD) in Accra, Ghana.

Background: Parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD) have diverse challenges and needs. If met, these parents are able to provide adequate care for their children. Unfulfilled needs like information about their child's diagnosis, counselling, and poor access to informal and formal supports increase parental stress and hinder their potential to provide optimal care for their children and themselves.

Time trends in depression prevalence among Swedish 85-year-olds: repeated cross-sectional population-based studies in 1986, 2008, and 2015.

Background: Octogenarians of today are better educated, and physically and cognitively healthier, than earlier born cohorts. Less is known about time trends in mental health in this age group. We aimed to study time trends in the prevalence of depression and psychotropic drug use among Swedish 85-year-olds.

Future time perspective and personality trait change during the retirement transition: Insights from a six-wave longitudinal study in Sweden.

The present study examined associations between two future time perspective (FTP) dimensions (perceived opportunities and perceived time) and the Big Five personality traits during older adulthood, a developmental period that has received limited attention in personality development. Specifically, it tested whether FTP dimensions were cross-sectionally associated with personality traits, as well as if they predicted changes on those traits during a time when participants were transitioning to retirement. Participants from the Health, Ageing and Retirement Transitions in Sweden (HEARTS) study (N = 5,913, M = 63.

Phenotype correlations reveal the relationships of physiological systems underlying human ageing.

Ageing is characterized by degeneration and loss of function across multiple physiological systems. To study the mechanisms and consequences of ageing, several metrics have been proposed in a hierarchical model, including biological, phenotypic and functional ageing. In particular, phenotypic ageing and interconnected changes in multiple physiological systems occur in all ageing individuals over time.

Overweight/obesity and chronic health conditions in older people with intellectual disability in Ireland.

Background: This study examines overweight/obesity and chronic health conditions (CHCs) in older people with intellectual disability (ID).

Methods: Data for this cross-sectional observational study emanated from Wave 2 of the Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, a longitudinal study assessing the health and well-being of older Irish adults with ID aged ≥40 years across all levels of ID. Participation involves an interview process and collation of objective health measures.

Neural Mechanism of Repeated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Enhance Visual Working Memory in Elderly Individuals With Subjective Cognitive Decline.

Visual working memory (VWM), the core process inherent to many advanced cognitive processes, deteriorates with age. Elderly individuals usually experience defects in the processing of VWM. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is a key structure for the top-down control of working memory processes.