No abstract

In older adults with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI), the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) probes indicated cognitive impairments most frequently in memory. This study aimed to investigate a) the cognitive features of aMCI using memory CANTAB tests and b) whether the clinical diagnosis of aMCI can be externally validated by these CANTAB measurements. We tested CANTAB tests that are specific to aMCI on 65 healthy controls and 66 people with aMCI who were diagnosed using Petersen`s criteria. These tests were spatial working memory (SWM), visual pattern recognition memory (PRM), delayed matching to sample (DSM), spatial span (SSP), and rapid visual information processing (RVP). The key aMCI features are impairments in PRM and DSM, whilst deficits in SSP and RVP are other, albeit somewhat less important features of aMCI. Nevertheless, neural network analyses including 10 CANTAB domains specific for MCI showed that only 70.8 percent of all subjects were properly identified with a sensitivity of 77.3%, specificity of 65.4% and an area under the ROC curve of 0.760. K-means cluster analysis using the same specific CANTAB test scores discovered 2 clusters with an adequate silhouette measure of cohesion and separation including a cluster with 36 subjects showing impairments in most neurocognitive tests. Deficits in spatial working, pattern recognition and visuospatial working memory as well as rapid visual information processing are key features of aMCI. Nevertheless, the clinical diagnosis of aMCI according to Petersen`s criteria is overinclusive because too many healthy controls are allocated to this group.

This study aims to systematically review and meta-analyze the nitro-oxidative stress (O&NS)/antioxidant (ANTIOX) ratio in the peripheral blood of people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We searched PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science for articles published from inception until July 31, 2021. Forty-six studies on 3.798 MCI individuals and 6.063 healthy controls were included. The O&NS/ANTIOX ratio was significantly higher in MCI than in controls with a Standardized Mean Difference (SMD)=0.378 (95% CI: 0.250; 0.506). MCI individuals showed increased lipid peroxidation (SMD=0.774, 95%CI: 4.416; 1.132) and O&NS-associated toxicity (SMD=0.621, CI: 0.377; 0.865) and reduced glutathione (GSH) defenses (SMD=0.725, 95%CI: 0.269; 1.182) as compared with controls. MCI was also accompanied by significantly increased homocysteine (SMD=0.320, CI: 0.059; 0.581), but not protein oxidation, and lowered non-vitamin (SMD=0.347, CI: 0.168; 0.527) and vitamin (SMD=0.564, CI: 0.129; 0.999) antioxidant defenses. The results show that MCI is at least in part due to increased neuro-oxidative toxicity and suggest that treatments targeting lipid peroxidation and the GSH system may be used to treat or prevent MCI.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the direct and indirect effects of expectations for marital relationships and premarital sexual permissiveness on intent to marry of Vietnamese emerging adults. Patients and Methods: Our cross-sectional study was focused on emerging adults including 344 participants, undergraduate students from universities in Viet Nam. This study was assessed by using the PLS-SEM approach. Results:The main findings demonstrated that (i) sexual orientation have a significant effect on marital intention; (ii) individuals' expectations for marital relationship have a direct effect on marital intention; and (iii) premarital sexuality permissiveness mediates the relationship between expectations for marital relationship and marital intention. Conclusion: Our results contribute important documents and clearer understanding of emerging adults' expectations and requirements in a relationship for the marriage decision-making process.