Project description:BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:Little is known about the effect of obesity on functional decline after cardiac surgery, especially in elderly adults. Our goal was to determine the association between obesity and functional decline in the 2 years after cardiac surgery and the interaction between obesity and age. DESIGN:Retrospective cohort study. SETTING:The Health and Retirement Study, 2004-2014. PARTICIPANTS:U.S. adults aged 50 and older who indicated having cardiac surgery and had a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 kg/m2 or greater (N = 1,731). MEASUREMENTS:BMI was classified as normal or overweight (18.5-29.9 kg/m2 ) and obese (≥30 kg/m2 ). Primary outcome was decline in ability to perform an activity of daily living (ADL) after surgery. RESULTS:Respondents had a median age of 71, 59.3% were female, and 34.3% were obese. Obese respondents had a higher incidence of ADL decline (22.4%) than those who were not obese (17.1%) (P = .007). In the multivariable analysis of our full cohort, obesity was not associated with ADL decline (odds ratio (OR)=1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.90-1.59, P = .21) after cardiac surgery, although obese respondents aged 50 to 79 had greater odds of ADL decline (OR=1.45, 95% CI=1.06-2.00, P = .02). Obese respondents aged 80 and older had nonstatistically significantly lower odds of ADL decline (OR=0.61, 95% CI=0.30-1.24, P = .18) compared to non-obese respondents. CONCLUSION:The association between obesity and postoperative functional decline in survivors of cardiac surgery differed according to age. Additional research is needed to identify interventions to improve outcomes in groups of older adults in whom obesity may increase the risk of postoperative functional decline.
Project description:BackgroundIndividuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are at risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Traditional seed-based analysis has shown biased functional connectivity (FC) in SCD individuals. To investigate unbiased altered FC by the brain-wide association study (BWAS) and to determine its association with cognition in SCD individuals.MethodsMeasure of association (MA) analysis was applied to detect significant voxels with FC changes. Based on these changes, we identified regions of interest (ROIs) and conducted ROI-wise FC analyses. Correlation analyses were then performed between these FC circuits and cognition.ResultsMA analysis identified 10 ROIs with significantly altered voxels. ROI-wise FC analyses revealed 14 strengthened FC, predominantly parietal-occipital link alterations. The FC between the right superior occipital gyrus and the right postcentral gyrus correlated positively with executive function, while the FC between the right middle occipital gyrus and the left angular gyrus correlated positively with episodic memory in SCD individuals.ConclusionSCD involves multifocal impairments, of which regions of default mode network (DMN) and occipital lobe should be specially focused. Cross-hemispheric alterations indicate an internal interactive impairment pattern in SCD. The reduced FC between the right superior occipital gyrus and the right postcentral gyrus, and between the right middle occipital gyrus and the left angular gyrus, which correlate with specific cognitive functions, could serve as potential biomarkers for SCD diagnosis.
Project description:BackgroundThere is a limited understanding of the cognitive and psychiatric sequelae of COVID-19 during the post-acute phase, particularly among racially and ethnically diverse patients.ObjectiveWe sought to prospectively characterize cognition, mental health symptoms, and functioning approximately four months after an initial diagnosis of COVID-19 in a racially and ethnically diverse group of patients.MethodsApproximately four months after COVID-19 diagnosis, patients in the Johns Hopkins Post-Acute COVID-19 Team Pulmonary Clinic underwent a clinical telephone-based assessment of cognition, depression, anxiety, trauma, and function.ResultsMost Johns Hopkins Post-Acute COVID-19 Team patients assessed were women (59%) and members of racial/ethnic minority groups (65%). Of 82 patients, 67% demonstrated ≥1 abnormally low cognitive score. Patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) stays displayed greater breadth and severity of impairment than those requiring less intensive treatment. Processing speed (35%), verbal fluency (26%-32%), learning (27%), and memory (27%) were most commonly impaired. Among all patients, 35% had moderate symptoms of depression (23%), anxiety (15%), or functional decline (15%); 25% of ICU patients reported trauma-related distress. Neuropsychiatric symptoms and functional decline did not differ by post-ICU versus non-ICU status and were unrelated to global cognitive composite scores.ConclusionsAt approximately 4 months after acute illness, cognitive dysfunction, emotional distress, and functional decline were common among a diverse clinical sample of COVID-19 survivors varying in acute illness severity. Patients requiring ICU stays demonstrated greater breadth and severity of cognitive impairment than those requiring less intensive treatment. Findings help extend our understanding of the nature, severity, and potential duration of neuropsychiatric morbidity after COVID-19 and point to the need for longitudinal assessment of cognitive and mental health outcomes among COVID-19 survivors of different demographic backgrounds and illness characteristics.
Project description:ObjectiveTo examine the utility of resting-state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI) measurements of network integrity as a predictor of future cognitive decline in preclinical Alzheimer disease (AD).MethodsA total of 237 clinically normal older adults (aged 63-90 years, Clinical Dementia Rating 0) underwent baseline β-amyloid (Aβ) imaging with Pittsburgh compound B PET and structural and rs-fcMRI. We identified 7 networks for analysis, including 4 cognitive networks (default, salience, dorsal attention, and frontoparietal control) and 3 noncognitive networks (primary visual, extrastriate visual, motor). Using linear and curvilinear mixed models, we used baseline connectivity in these networks to predict longitudinal changes in preclinical Alzheimer cognitive composite (PACC) performance, both alone and interacting with Aβ burden. Median neuropsychological follow-up was 3 years.ResultsBaseline connectivity in the default, salience, and control networks predicted longitudinal PACC decline, unlike connectivity in the dorsal attention and all noncognitive networks. Default, salience, and control network connectivity was also synergistic with Aβ burden in predicting decline, with combined higher Aβ and lower connectivity predicting the steepest curvilinear decline in PACC performance.ConclusionsIn clinically normal older adults, lower functional connectivity predicted more rapid decline in PACC scores over time, particularly when coupled with increased Aβ burden. Among examined networks, default, salience, and control networks were the strongest predictors of rate of change in PACC scores, with the inflection point of greatest decline beyond the fourth year of follow-up. These results suggest that rs-fcMRI may be a useful predictor of early, AD-related cognitive decline in clinical research settings.
Project description:ObjectiveCognitive impairment is prevalent among individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Effort has been made to identify individuals at risk for cognitive decline and dementia. Objectively-defined subtle cognitive decline (Obj-SCD) is a novel classification that may identify individuals at risk for cognitive decline prior to a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We examined the utility of Obj-SCD criteria to predict future cognitive decline and difficulties with activities of daily living (ADLs) among individuals with PD.MethodThe sample included 483 individuals newly diagnosed with PD. Participants were followed for a five-year span with yearly visits where they completed neuropsychological tests. Participants were categorized as cognitively normal (CN), the newly proposed Obj-SCD, PD-MCI or Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). Analyses determined if utilization of Obj-SCD criteria predicted subsequent cognitive impairment and difficulties with ADLs.ResultsAt baseline, 372 (77%) participants were classified as CN, 40 (8.3%) classified as Obj-SCD, and 71 (14.7%) classified as PD-MCI. Analyses revealed that relative to the CN group, participants classified as Obj-SCD at baseline, were more likely to develop PD-MCI or PDD within 5 years (odds ratio 2.413; 95% confidence interval 1.215-4.792). Furthermore, the Obj-SCD represented an intermediate level of impairment, relative to the CN and PD-MCI groups, on an independent measure of cognition (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) and ADL.ConclusionsFindings provide evidence that Obj-SCD criteria can identify individuals at risk for cognitive decline and impairments in ADL. Obj-SCD criteria may identify individuals at risk for cognitive impairment who are not detected by PD-MCI criteria.
Project description:Cognitive impairment and functional disability are major determinants of caregiving needs and societal health care costs. Although the incidence of severe sepsis is high and increasing, the magnitude of patients' long-term cognitive and functional limitations after sepsis is unknown.To determine the change in cognitive impairment and physical functioning among patients who survive severe sepsis, controlling for their presepsis functioning.A prospective cohort involving 1194 patients with 1520 hospitalizations for severe sepsis drawn from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative survey of US residents (1998-2006). A total of 9223 respondents had a baseline cognitive and functional assessment and had linked Medicare claims; 516 survived severe sepsis and 4517 survived a nonsepsis hospitalization to at least 1 follow-up survey and are included in the analysis.Personal interviews were conducted with respondents or proxies using validated surveys to assess the presence of cognitive impairment and to determine the number of activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs (IADLs) for which patients needed assistance.Survivors' mean age at hospitalization was 76.9 years. The prevalence of moderate to severe cognitive impairment increased 10.6 percentage points among patients who survived severe sepsis, an odds ratio (OR) of 3.34 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.53-7.25) in multivariable regression. Likewise, a high rate of new functional limitations was seen following sepsis: in those with no limits before sepsis, a mean 1.57 new limitations (95% CI, 0.99-2.15); and for those with mild to moderate limitations before sepsis, a mean of 1.50 new limitations (95% CI, 0.87-2.12). In contrast, nonsepsis general hospitalizations were associated with no change in moderate to severe cognitive impairment (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.80-1.67; P for difference vs sepsis = .01) and with the development of fewer new limitations (mean among those with no limits before hospitalization, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.39-0.57; P for difference vs sepsis <.001 and mean among those with mild to moderate limits, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.23-0.63; P for difference = .001). The declines in cognitive and physical function persisted for at least 8 years.Severe sepsis in this older population was independently associated with substantial and persistent new cognitive impairment and functional disability among survivors. The magnitude of these new deficits was large, likely resulting in a pivotal downturn in patients' ability to live independently.
Project description:AimsWe evaluated whether Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) subtypes could be empirically derived within the Sino Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Decline (SILCODE) SCD cohort and examined associated neuroimaging markers, biomarkers, and clinical outcomes.MethodsA cluster analysis was performed on eight neuropsychological test scores from 124 SCD SILCODE participants and 57 normal control (NC) subjects. Structural and functional neuroimaging indices were used to evaluate the SCD subgroups.ResultsFour subtypes emerged: (1) dysexecutive/mixed SCD (n = 23), (2) neuropsychiatric SCD (n = 24), (3) amnestic SCD (n = 22), and (4) cluster-derived normal (n = 55) who exhibited normal performance in neuropsychological tests. Compared with the NC group, each subgroup showed distinct patterns in gray matter (GM) volume and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF). Lower fractional anisotropy (FA) values were only found in the neuropsychiatric SCD group relative to NC.ConclusionThe identification of empirically derived SCD subtypes demonstrates the presence of heterogeneity in SCD neuropsychological profiles. The cluster-derived normal group may represent the majority of SCD individuals who do not show progressive cognitive decline; the dysexecutive/mixed SCD and amnestic SCD might represent high-risk groups with progressing cognitive decline; and finally, the neuropsychiatric SCD may represent a new topic in SCD research.
Project description:As the world ages, it becomes urgent to unravel the mechanisms underlying brain aging and find ways of intervening with them. While for decades cognitive aging has been related to localized brain changes, growing attention is now being paid to alterations in distributed brain networks. Functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) has become a particularly useful tool to explore large-scale brain networks; yet, the temporal course of connectivity lifetime changes has not been established. Here, an extensive cross-sectional sample (21-85 years old, N = 887) from a public fcMRI database was used to characterize adult lifespan connectivity dynamics within and between seven brain networks: the default mode, salience, dorsal attention, fronto-parietal control, auditory, visual and motor networks. The entire cohort was divided into young (21-40 years, mean ± SD: 25.5 ± 4.8, n = 543); middle-aged (41-60 years, 50.6 ± 5.4, n = 238); and old (61 years and above, 69.0 ± 6.3, n = 106) subgroups. Correlation matrices as well as a mixed model analysis of covariance indicated that within high-order cognitive networks a considerable connectivity decline is already evident by middle adulthood. In contrast, a motor network shows increased connectivity in middle adulthood and a subsequent decline. Additionally, alterations in inter-network interactions are noticeable primarily in the transition between young and middle adulthood. These results provide evidence that aging-related neural changes start early in adult life.
Project description:ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine whether older adults are at higher risk of lasting functional and cognitive decline after surgery, and the impact of decline on survival and healthcare use.Summary background dataPatient-centered outcomes after surgery are poorly characterized.MethodsUsing data from the Health and Retirement Study linked with Medicare, we matched older adults (≥65 years) who underwent one of 163 high-risk elective operations (ie, inpatient mortality of ≥1%) with nonsurgical controls between 1992 and 2012. Functional decline was defined as an increase in the number of activities of daily living (ADLs) and/or instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) requiring assistance from baseline. Cognitive decline was defined by worse response to a test of memory and mental processing from baseline. Using logistic regression, we examined whether surgery was associated with functional and cognitive decline, and whether declines were associated with poorer survival and increased healthcare use.ResultsThe matched cohort of patients who did not undergo surgery consisted of 3591 (75%) participants compared to 1197 (25%) who underwent surgery. Patients who underwent surgery were at higher risk of functional and cognitive declines [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.23-1.87 and aOR 1.32, 95% CI: 1.03-1.71]. Declines were associated with poorer long-term survival [hazard ratio (HR) 1.67, 95% CI: 1.43-1.94 and HR 1.35, 95% CI: 1.15-1.58], and were significantly associated with nearly all measures of increased healthcare utilization (P < 0.001).ConclusionOlder adults undergoing high-risk surgery are at increased risk of developing lasting functional and cognitive declines.