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Abstract Background Developing interventions for older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) has the potential to prevent dementia in this at-risk group. Preclinical models indicate that Citrus-derived phytochemicals could benefit cognition and inflammatory processes, but results from clinical trials are still preliminary. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of long-term supplementation with Citrus peel extract on cognitive performance and inflammation in individuals with SCD. Methods Eighty participants were randomly assigned to active treatment (400 mg of Citrus peel extract containing 3.0 mg of naringenin and 0.1 mg of auraptene) or placebo at 1:1 ratio for 36 weeks. The primary endpoint was the change in the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) total score across the 36-week trial period. Other cognitive outcomes included tests and scales evaluating verbal memory, attention, executive and visuospatial functions, and memory concerns. The secondary endpoint was the change of interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels over the 36-week trial period in a subsample of 60 consecutive participants. An Intention-to-treat approach with generalized linear mixed models was used for data analysis. Results The RBANS total score showed significant improvement in both Citrus peel extract and placebo groups at 36 weeks (p for time

Abstract Functional connectivity patterns in the human brain, like the friction ridges of a fingerprint, can uniquely identify individuals. Does this “brain fingerprint” remain distinct even during Alzheimer’s disease (AD)? Using fMRI data from healthy and pathologically ageing subjects, we find that individual functional connectivity profiles remain unique and highly heterogeneous during mild cognitive impairment and AD. However, the patterns that make individuals identifiable change with disease progression, revealing a reconfiguration of the brain fingerprint. Notably, connectivity shifts towards functional system connections in AD and lower-order cognitive functions in early disease stages. These findings emphasize the importance of focusing on individual variability rather than group differences in AD studies. Individual functional connectomes could be instrumental in creating personalized models of AD progression, predicting disease course, and optimizing treatments, paving the way for personalized medicine in AD management.

Abstract In this study, phylogenetic and biogeographic methods are used to investigate the evolutionary relationships between various types of Italian pasta ripiena (filled pasta) and related representatives from across Eurasia, using information from their geography, shape, content and cooking methods. Our results showed that, with the exception of the Sardinian Culurgiones, all the other pasta ripiena from Italy likely had a single origin in the northern parts of the country. Based on the proposed evolutionary hypothesis, the Italian pasta are divided into two main clades: a ravioli clade mainly characterized by a more or less flat shape, and a tortellini clade mainly characterized by a three-dimensional shape. The implications of these findings are further discussed.

Objective: An emerging marker of depression in the perinatal period is represented by a reduction in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, reflected by heart rate variability (HRV). This scoping review aims to map the association between HRV and depression during the perinatal period and to understand its potential clinical implications. Introduction: Previous evidence associated ANS dysfunction and depressive symptomatology in the general population. Few observational and intervention studies investigated how HRV could be related to both pre- and post-partum depressive symptoms. However, high heterogeneity in the study designs and methods has been reported. Therefore, this scoping review plans to combine all these findings to build a starting point for future research. Inclusion criteria: This scoping review will consider articles focusing on the association between HRV and depression in the peripartum and – when available – on the impact of interventions on HRV and how this correlates with changes in depressive symptoms. Studies will be included with no restrictions on participants’ age, peripartum time points for the assessment, and HRV parameters collected. Methods: We will perform a systematic search using the Medline (PubMed), PsychInfo, and Web of Science (WoS) databases. Two authors will independently screen titles, abstracts, and then full-text articles that meet the inclusion criteria. The review will include only journal articles published in English, with no time limitations. Data will be extracted and presented in tables and/or graphical representations to summarise and describe the results. Extracted data will be reported in a comprehensive summary.

Abstract A combination of evidence, based on genetic, fossil and archaeological findings, indicates that Homo sapiens spread out of Africa between ~70-60 thousand years ago (kya). However, it appears that once outside of Africa, human populations did not expand across all of Eurasia until ~45 kya. The geographic whereabouts of these early settlers in the timeframe between ~70-60 to 45 kya has been difficult to reconcile. Here we combine genetic evidence and palaeoecological models to infer the geographic location that acted as the Hub for our species during the early phases of colonisation of Eurasia. Leveraging on available genomic evidence we show that populations from the Persian Plateau carry an ancestry component that closely matches the population that settled the Hub outside Africa. With the paleoclimatic data available to date, we built ecological models showing that the Persian Plateau was suitable for human occupation and that it could sustain a larger population compared to other West Asian regions, strengthening this claim.

Abstract Background The development of effective strategies to maintain good mental health of older adults is a public health priority. Mindfulness-based interventions have the potential to improve psychological well-being and cognitive functions of older adults, but little is known about the effect of such interventions when delivered through internet. During the COVID-19 pandemic we evaluated short- and long-term cognitive, psychological, and physiological effects of a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) delivered via web-based videoconference in healthy older adults. Methods Fifty older adults participated in an 8-week MBI, which comprised structured 2-h weekly group sessions. A comprehensive evaluation encompassing cognitive (verbal memory, attention and processing speed, executive functions) and psychological assessments (depression and anxiety symptoms, mindfulness, worries, emotion regulation strategies, well-being, interoceptive awareness and sleep) was conducted. Additionally, electroencephalography (EEG) data were recorded before and after the MBI and at the 6-month follow-up (T6). Data were analyzed using an intention-to-treat approach, using linear mixed models adjusted for age. The effect size for time was computed as omega squared. Results We observed significant improvements from pre-MBI to post-MBI and at the T6 across several measures. These improvements were notable in the areas of verbal memory (California Verbal Learning Test, p ≤ .007), attention and executive functions (Trail Making Test A and BA, p

In neuropsychology and clinical psychology, the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) experiences for knowledge acquisition and the potential for modifying conduct are well documented. Consequently, the scope of VR experiences for educational purposes has expanded in the health field in recent years. In this study, we sought to assess the effectiveness of ViveDe in a psychoeducational caregiver program. ViveDe is a VR application that presents users with possible daily life situations from the perspective of individuals with dementia. These situations can be experienced in immersive mode through 360° video. This research aimed to ascertain the associations between the sense of presence that can be achieved in VR and some users’ psychological characteristics, such as distress and empathetic disposition. The study involved 36 informal caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. These participants were assessed using scales of anxiety and depression, perceived stress, empathy, and emotional regulation. They were asked to participate in a six-session psychoeducation program conducted online on dementia topics, in addition to experiencing the ViveDe application. The immersive VR sessions enabled the caregivers to directly experience the symptoms of dementia (e.g., spatial disorientation, agnosia, difficulty in problem-solving, and anomia) in everyday and social settings. The results indicated that although the experience in ViveDe (evaluated using the XRPS scale and five questions about emotional attunement) showed efficacy in producing a sense of first-person participation in the symptoms of dementia, further research is needed to confirm this. The structural equation model provided evidence that the characteristics of individuals who enjoy the VR experience play a determining role in the perceived sense of presence, which in turn affects the efficacy of the VR experience as a psychoeducational tool. Further research will be conducted to ascertain the potential role of these elements in conveying change in the caregivers of people with dementia. This will help us study the long-term effectiveness of a large-scale psychoeducation program in VR.

Abstract INTRODUCTION We investigated in vivo the microstructural integrity of the pathway connecting the locus coeruleus to the transentorhinal cortex (LC‐TEC) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). METHODS Diffusion‐weighted MRI scans were collected for 21 AD, 20 behavioral variants of FTD (bvFTD), and 20 controls. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean, axial, and radial diffusivities (MD, AxD, RD) were computed in the LC‐TEC pathway using a normative atlas. Atrophy was assessed using cortical thickness and correlated with microstructural measures. RESULTS We found (i) higher RD in AD than controls; (ii) higher MD, RD, and AxD, and lower FA in bvFTD than controls and AD; and (iii) a negative association between LC‐TEC MD, RD, and AxD, and entorhinal cortex (EC) thickness in bvFTD (all p

Abstract

Objectives: Care for community‐dwelling people with dementia is frequently delegated to relatives, who find themselves in the role of informal caregivers with no practical management knowledge. This situation exposes caregivers to increased risk for emotional wellbeing. The current study aims to test whether the integration of the efficacy of an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience into an online psychoeducational program impacts caregiver empathy and therefore emotional wellbeing. Methods: One‐hundred informal caregivers of mild‐to‐moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients will be enrolled and randomly assigned to (i) an online psychoeducational program (control arm); or (ii) an online psychoeducational program integrated with VR (experimental arm). VR will consist of 360‐degree videos involving the caregivers to an immersive experience of dementia symptoms from the patient's perspective. Before, after the intervention and after 2 months, all participants will complete validated clinical scales for caregiver burden and anxiety (primary outcomes) and sense of competence and dispositional empathy (secondary outcomes). A subsample of 50 participants will also undergo MRI exam, including structural and functional (resting‐state and task‐functional MRI [fMRI]) sequences. The fMRI task paradigm will use emotional stimuli to evaluate the neural correlate of empathy, by stressing its cognitive and affective components. The main outcome will be the change in the clinical assessment; the secondary outcome will be the change in brain connectivity of networks subserving the empathic and emotional functioning. Results: We expect that the psychoeducational program will decrease anxiety and stress, enabling caregivers to perceive themselves capable of managing AD patients at home, educating them on symptom handling and boosting their cognitive empathy. In the experimental intervention, the VR‐based experience will act as an add‐on to psychoeducation, leading to greater improvement in the assessed clinical dimensions. VR should, in fact, enable a deeper understanding of disease symptoms and improve caregivers' cognitive empathy. We expect that the experimental intervention will result in deeper comprehension of disease symptoms and further strengthen caregivers' cognitive empathy. At the neural level, we expect to observe increased activation in circuits subserving cognitive empathy and decreased activation in circuits underlying affective empathy. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first randomized controlled trial assessing the effect of combining psychoeducational interventions with VR‐based experience in caregivers, and assessing both clinical and imaging outcomes. Trial Registration: Registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05780476) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In neuropsychology and clinical psychology, the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) experiences for knowledge acquisition and the potential for modifying conduct are well documented. Consequently, the scope of VR experiences for educational purposes has expanded in the health field in recent years. In this study, we sought to assess the effectiveness of ViveDe in a psychoeducational caregiver program. ViveDe is a VR application that presents users with possible daily life situations from the perspective of individuals with dementia. These situations can be experienced in immersive mode through 360° video. This research aimed to ascertain the associations between the sense of presence that can be achieved in VR and some users' psychological characteristics, such as distress and empathetic disposition. The study involved 36 informal caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. These participants were assessed using scales of anxiety and depression, perceived stress, empathy, and emotional regulation. They were asked to participate in a six-session psychoeducation program conducted online on dementia topics, in addition to experiencing the ViveDe application. The immersive VR sessions enabled the caregivers to directly experience the symptoms of dementia (e.g., spatial disorientation, agnosia, difficulty in problem-solving, and anomia) in everyday and social settings. The results indicated that although the experience in ViveDe (evaluated using the XRPS scale and five questions about emotional attunement) showed efficacy in producing a sense of first-person participation in the symptoms of dementia, further research is needed to confirm this. The structural equation model provided evidence that the characteristics of individuals who enjoy the VR experience play a determining role in the perceived sense of presence, which in turn affects the efficacy of the VR experience as a psychoeducational tool. Further research will be conducted to ascertain the potential role of these elements in conveying change in the caregivers of people with dementia. This will help us study the long-term effectiveness of a large-scale psychoeducation program in VR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: We investigated in vivo the microstructural integrity of the pathway connecting the locus coeruleus to the transentorhinal cortex (LC‐TEC) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). METHODS: Diffusion‐weighted MRI scans were collected for 21 AD, 20 behavioral variants of FTD (bvFTD), and 20 controls. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean, axial, and radial diffusivities (MD, AxD, RD) were computed in the LC‐TEC pathway using a normative atlas. Atrophy was assessed using cortical thickness and correlated with microstructural measures. RESULTS: We found (i) higher RD in AD than controls; (ii) higher MD, RD, and AxD, and lower FA in bvFTD than controls and AD; and (iii) a negative association between LC‐TEC MD, RD, and AxD, and entorhinal cortex (EC) thickness in bvFTD (all p < 0.050). DISCUSSION: LC‐TEC microstructural alterations are more pronounced in bvFTD than AD, possibly reflecting neurodegeneration secondary to EC atrophy. Highlights: Microstructural integrity of LC‐TEC pathway is understudied in AD and bvFTD.LC‐TEC microstructural alterations are present in both AD and bvFTD.Greater LC‐TEC microstructural alterations in bvFTD than AD.LC‐TEC microstructural alterations in bvFTD are associated to EC neurodegeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]