Personality Changes Research Articles

Clinical Manifestations.

Mutations in the progranulin gene on chromosome 17(GRN) is considered as one of most common causes of frontotemporal lobe degeneration. However, the phenotype and genotype correlation of GRN varies among different cohorts and ethnicities. In Chinese people, the genotype of GRN has not been fully elucidated. 1945 patients with dementia at Peking Union Medical College Hospital underwent next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis. GRN variations classified as likely pathogenic and of uncertain significance were identified. Demographic information, clinical presentations, and neuroimaging were collected. The clinical, neuropsychological and neuroimaging characters were investigated. Three patients with four likely pathogenic mutation: p.P50fs & p.W49_P50delinsX, p.P439fs, p.R110X, and thirteen patients with uncertain significance mutations were enrolled. Cognitive dysfunction, behavior, and personality changes as well as aphasia were the most common presentations. Asymmetrical atrophy of the frontal lobe and temporal lobe appeared in 64% GRN mutation carriers. Parietal lobe dysfunction or parietal lobe atrophy existed in all patients. White matter lesions existed in 79% patients. The majority of clinical phenotype was frontotemporal lobe degeneration, though cerebral vascular lesions were obvious in some of them especially among old onset patients. The proportion of ApoE e4 carriers were higher in old onset patients than those in young onset ones. GRN mutation is rare in Chinese dementia patients. The phenotype and genotype correlation is specific and overlaps.

Slowly progressive Right Temporal Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia with ALS2 mutation: A case report

AbstractBackgroundBehavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by behavioral and personality changes. Findings show variation in the disease progression. Some patients show a rapid progression over a few years, and others show little or no changes over a decade (1) Mutations in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 2 (ALS2) gene cause autosomal recessive motor neuron diseases, including juvenile‐onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (JALS), and other associated disorders. (2) We present a rare case.MethodWe describe the clinical and imaging features of a man who presented a rare case of Slowly progressive Right Temporal Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia with ALS2 mutation.ResultA 63‐year‐old man presented a 10‐year history of insidious and slowly progressive behavioral changes. He showed reduced emotional responsiveness, with no concern since his wife had received a diagnosis of a malignancy. He followed with disinhibition, and impulsive actions such as excessive shopping with no payment, overspending, and socially inappropriate behavior. He also had a compulsive/ritualized behavior with stereotyped speech, and counting repeatedly steps. His medical family history was unremarkable. The neuropsychological evaluation showed impairment of executive functioning, MMSE 27/30. Neurological examination was normal. Brain MRI frontotemporal atrophy with a marked asymmetry in the right temporal lobe in sagittal, axial, and coronal sequences. CSF biomarkers showed elevated t‐tau with no other changes, and the genetic test showed an ALS2 heterozygous mutation., also counting repeatedly steps.ConclusionThe presence of the C9ORF72 mutation has been shown in slowly progressive FTD, however, other mutations such as ALS2 have not yet been reported with the following phenotype, as in this case (3)

Design of a Bilingual and Bicultural Dementia Screening Toolkit Integrated in the Electronic Health Record

AbstractBackgroundBased predominantly on longitudinal cohort studies, the prevalence of Alzheimer’ disease (AD) is estimated to be 3‐10% in individuals over 65 years old and has increased risk (1.5‐2.0 times) in Black and Hispanic/Latinx individuals. In our prior analyses of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) electronic health record (EHR), we found that only 1% of patients over 65 years old are diagnosed with AD, and AD is less likely to be diagnosed in Black and Hispanic/Latinx patients compared to white patients (relative risk 0.86‐0.9). One solution to the underdiagnosis of AD in real‐world clinical care, is to screen for dementia.MethodsRecent work by several University California AD Centers and the California Department of Public Health developed a short (<5 min) dementia screening tool (DST). The DST includes a three‐question questionnaire for the patient and an informant if present, followed by the Mini‐Cog if applicable (Figure 1). The questions ask about changes in language, memory, and personality (Figure 2). The DST is considered positive if any question is answered “Yes” by the patient or informant, or if the Mini‐Cog score is <3 out of 5 points. To improve care for non‐English speaking patients, we developed the questionnaire in Spanish, which was adapted to Hispanic/Latinx culture.ResultsThe DST is integrated in the EHR. The questionnaires are sent to patients prior to the visit via the messaging system. Answers to the questionnaire and the Mini‐Cog are entered into a flowsheet in an easily accessible EHR tab. We also created a documentation link that automatically loads the DST results, final score, and recommendation into provider notes. The DST is live at a diverse UCLA family medicine clinic, which sees HL and Black patients. In the first three weeks, 178 patients were screened with the toolkit and eight patients were referred for specialty care.ConclusionsWe have developed a cultural and linguistic responsive DST that is integrated in the EHR. We will continue evaluating its ability to increase appropriate diagnosis of dementia in diverse racial and ethnic groups, and share our DST including EHR integration so it can be implemented elsewhere.

Review of Clinical Trials Showing the Efficacy of Memantine in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

AbstractBackgroundOver 6 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disease characterized by changes in behavior, personality and progressive decline in cognitive function and memory. Therapies may slow the progression and aid in symptomatic relief of AD. One of these is Memantine, an N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor antagonist. The objective of this review is to analyze clinical trials testing the efficacy of Memantine in the treatment of AD.MethodA search for clinical trials was conducted through clinicaltrials.gov with keywords search of “Alzheimer’s disease” and “United States” resulting in a total of 1592 clinical trials. Further inclusion criteria selected included; interventional clinical trial, with results, 65+, phase 4 which led to 23 clinical trials. Four of the 23 clinical trials were selected based upon their commonality of studying the efficacy of the drug Memantine in patients with AD.ResultA clinical trial studied whether Memantine (10mg BID) delayed the progression of driving impairment in participants with mild AD. In the group that received memantine, 100% of participants were able to pass the DriveABLE On‐Road Test at month 12 in contrast to an 83% passing rate in the placebo group. Another clinical trial reported improvements in the ratios of N‐acetylaspartate (NAA) to Creatine (Cr), NAA to choline (Cho), and NAA to myo‐inositol in comparison to baseline. Researchers analyzed the effects of implementing an individualized management program (IMP) and Memantine (10 mg BID) versus Memantine (10 mg BID) alone. Patients in the IMP and Memantine group markedly improved their Clinician Interview‐Based Assessment of Change Plus Caregiver Input Global Score while the Memantine group alone markedly got worse. Patients who took Memantine (10 mg BID) to assess the slowing of behavioral decline were reported to have improved caregiver assessment of behavioral disturbances while the placebo group did not show improvement.ConclusionMemantine may be effective in delaying the progression of driving impairment and behavioral decline. Implementing an IMP plus Memantine showed to have better outcomes than Memantine alone. None of these institutions provided data analysis to determine if data was significant.Reference: Medicine, U. S. N. L. o. (2023). “Clinicaltrials.gov.” Retrieved 01/23/2023, 2023, from https://clinicaltrials.gov/.

Using the axonal protein neurofilament light to distinguish psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders across a program of clinical research studies

Introduction:There is an urgent need for clinical blood biomarkers which can rule in/out neurological disorders early in those with psychiatric symptoms, personality or behavioural changes and/or functional decline together with cognitive symptoms. The neuronal axonal protein neurofilament light (NfL) is released from damaged neuronal axons and can be measured in in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We have undertaken a series of studies aimed at examining the clinical utility of blood and CSF NfL in assisting with the distinction between psychiatric and neurodegenerative / neurological disorders.Methods:Since 2016 we have measured blood and CSF NfL levels across multiple psychiatric and neurological populations recruited through Neuropsychiatry, Royal Melbourne Hospital and our collaborators (national and international). We have described our findings in a series of published studies. Data from our ongoing work, in larger cohorts and diagnostic groups, will be presented. The diagnostic groups include people with psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, functional neurological disorders), neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, Huntington’s disease, Niemann-Pick Type C) and neurological disorders (e.g., epilepsy).Results:Our initial pilot study (n=129) found that CSF NfL was a promising biomarker in differentiating psychiatric from neurological disorders. In our larger follow up larger study (n=498) which included more diagnostic groups CSF NfL levels exhibited high accuracy (91%), sensitivity (92%), and specificity (87%) in differentiating psychiatric from neurological disorders, and distinguished behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia from frontal lobe syndrome phenocopies/mimics, with high accuracy. We have found that NfL is not elevated in people with treatment resistant schizophrenia compared to controls and is elevated in people with Niemann-Pick Type C compared to people with psychiatric disorders and controls. Further (unpublished) data has shown that these findings are replicated with plasma NfL levels across 400 further psychiatric, neurological and control participants.Conclusions:NfL is a highly promising biomarker which differentiates psychiatric from neurological disorders with high sensitivity and specificity. The translation of NfL levels into standard clinical practice could substantially improve the clinical diagnostic process in people with complex neuropsychiatric and cognitive disorders.

Mental health and coping methods of medical students during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: a descriptive cross-sectional study

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic that occurred at the end of 2019, especially the fourth wave in Vietnam, has affected the world not only in terms of economy, society, and physical health but also affected the mental health of population in general and of medical students in particular. The use of different coping methods may be protective or risk factors for mental health problems. Objectives: 1. To investigate the prevalence of anxiety, stress, and depression among medical students during the Covid -19 pandemic 2. To describe several coping behavior among medical students during the pandemic. Subjects and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted on 2350 students of medicine programme range from the first year to the sixth year in the school year 2021 - 2022 at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Using the DASS-21 scale to survey anxiety, depression and stress in research subjects and a self-designed questionnaire to describe the coping methods of medical students. Results: out of 2350 sample, the prevelance of depression, anxiety, and stress was 38%, 33.2%, and 17% respectively. 13.8% had both anxiety and stress, 15.4% had both stress and depression, and 12.8% had a combination of anxiety, depression and stress. Coping behavior was commonly selected including: eating and sleeping regularly as usual (68.1%); doing exercise at home at least 5 days/week and 30 minutes/day (23.9%); 36.5% of students performed their favorite activities under appropriate conditions most of the time or often. In addition, 59.7% of students had learn new things on the internet, 4.5% of students had practiced meditation and relaxation, 2.9% of students had chosen to write a diary and things they were grateful for; 32% had still maintain contacted with friends via video calls, text messages and 34.4% had chosen to participate in volunteer activities. Conclusion: This study highlights a high rate of anxiety, stress and depression among medical students during the fouthth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Personal lifestyle changes and social activities were amongst the most comon coping behavior reported. Key words: DASS-21, mental health, coping methods, Medical Students, Covid-19 Pandemic.

Factors associated with caregiver burden in early onset dementia: the LEAF study

AbstractBackgroundEarly‐onset dementia is often predicted to have a greater care burden than late‐onset dementia. Indeed, previous studies have reported that caregivers of early‐onset dementia suffer more than those of late‐onset dementia. We explored the factors that determine care burden in early‐onset dementia.MethodCaregivers whose patients participated in a longitudinal study of early onset dementia and family members (LEAF) were asked to respond to questionnaires regarding caregiver features and care burden such as CAS‐K (Korean Version of Caregiver Activity Survey), ZBI (Zarit Burden Interview), and SF‐36v2® (Short‐Form Health Survey 36 version 2). Correlation and linear regression analyses were conducted to clarify the factors affecting care burden, using commercial software (SPSS 23.0;SPSS Inc. Chicago,IL,USA).ResultA total of 255 caregivers (54.5±25.3 years old, 54.9% female) were divided into three groups depending on the clinical diagnosis of the patients they cared for (EOAD 181; FTD 53; other EOD 21). There were no statistical differences of demographic characteristics and care burden related variables among three groups of caregivers. The general burden for caregivers and time spent in caregiving were higher in patients with shorter education years, lower mini‐mental state examination(MMSE) scores (‐0.381, p<0.001), higher clinical dementia rating(CDR) (0.359, p<0.001), higher CDR sum of boxes (0.418, p<0.001), decreased level of activities of daily living (ADL, basic ‐0.334, p<0.001; instrumental 0.527, p<0.001), higher geriatric depression scale (GDS, 0.245, p<0.001) and higher body mass index(BMI, 0.149, p<0.05). Caregivers with a high Beck depression inventory(BDI) (0.218, p<0.001) spent more time for caring patients. The general care burden was greater in younger caregivers (‐0.142, p<0.05) and in caregivers with lower average monthly income(‐0.166, p<0.001), decreased physical function (‐0.142, p<0.05), poorer mental health (‐0.150, p<0.05), and more physical/emotional role limitation (‐0.464, p<0.001).ConclusionThis study is expected to have implications in that it also reviews the economic status of caregivers and ongoing personal and social changes according to the care burden. Demographic and clinical factors of patients and caregivers predict care burden in early‐onset dementia. This suggests that it is possible and necessary to attempt to reduce care burden through adjustment and support for related factors.

Challenges with phenotyping dementia in a low resource setting; Frontotemporal dementias (FTDs) as a case study in Nigeria

AbstractBackgroundPhenotyping dementia is a major problem in low resource settings like Nigeria and it has implication for research and management of people with dementia. Challenges associated with phenotyping dementia are embedded in poor health financing and lack of health personnel. This study aimed at scoping studies on dementia in Nigeria to identify those related to frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and describe the pattern of its presentation in a memory clinic as a means of highlighting challenges of phenotyping.MethodA literature search of studies on dementia that reported FTDs as a phenotype and or described profile or pattern of FTDs in Nigeria was conducted. In addition, a review of hospital records of all persons clinically diagnosed with dementia (PWD) using the ICD 10 criteria was conducted. Those with FTD phenotypes were identified. The cohort comes from a memory clinic in University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Records of these individuals with FTDs were reviewed and data (including sociodemographic details, clinical profile and pattern of presentation) extracted for case series report.ResultsLiterature search yielded 2 studies; a retrospective study that reported dementia phenotypes including FTD and a case report. From a total of 216 PWD, we identified and included 14 persons with FTDs (6.5%) in this case series. Initially, 32 records of tentative diagnosis of FTD were identified, however, 18 persons with incomplete evaluation after the initial assessment were excluded. The mean age (±S.D) of those included (n = 14) is 67.7(±8.4). The main presenting complaints were behavioral with 57.1% presenting to the hospital at least a year after onset of symptoms. The most common behavioral problem identified was personality change accompanied with disinhibition in 9 persons (64.3%). Symptoms started before age 60 years in only one person. Two of the 14 persons had an initial diagnosis of schizophrenia until subsequent review with neuroimaging. Delay in carrying out neuroimaging due to financial constraint was a major challenge in making a diagnosis.ConclusionThere is paucity of data on FTDs in Nigeria. Out‐of‐pocket payment for assessment is a major setback in phenotyping dementia and it has implication on both clinical practice and research.

Gender-based violence comes on the scene: Creative Arts Therapies intervention in prison with men who committed or tried to commit feminicide

Gender-based violence is a pervasive phenomenon to be prevented. This study presents the findings of an intermodal psychodrama intervention aimed at counteracting the risk of future violent behaviour. Six prisoners who committed or tried to commit femicide participated in 10 psychodrama sessions in prison. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the sessions’ transcripts and interviews. Four themes were found: (1) participants’ preliminary motivation, (2) positive and critical aspects of the intervention, (3) personal and relational changes, and (4) reflections on gender roles. The project increased participants’ well-being and led them to new reflections on themselves, others and their relationship with women.

“New stage, new reality, new role”

Learning is being shaped/reshaped in this digital era and the pace of these changes is accelerated by the use of social media. Many teachers are spending an increased amount of time creating and distributing content via social media platforms. It is suggested that this practice can support their cognitive, affective, social and identity growth (Trust et al., 2022). At the same time, there is a growing body of literature debating the pros and cons of adopting social media in higher education (Willems et al., 2018; Hamadi et al., 2022). Although there is a significant number of studies examining the teachers’ use of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for professional and educational reasons (Park, 2022; Davis & Yi, 2022; Randahl et al, 2022; Greenhalgh, 2021), a scarce attention has been paid to teachers, who create visual media content for YouTube. We aimed to explore the motivations and values related to teachers’ engagement in YouTube content creation practice. As we analysed the several theoretical lines of literature, we are settled on a comprehensive framework for interrogating the data. From the outset, we viewed the YouTube platform both as a landscape for teachers to interact and create artefacts, and an affective space appropriated by its users (Reckwitz, 2012). To this we added the concept of imagined communities (Gr?dinaru, 2016) that connects teacher through virtual sociability and sustain them as they create digital goods. Goffman’s theory of performance (1959) offered an additional layer of understanding the sense of belonging to these communities. Finally, we suggested the value creation framework by Wenger-Trayner et al (2019), which includes five dimensions of value for professional development. In the second part of our research, we applied our framework analytically to 105 YouTube video channels identified as teacher produced content. To date, in-depth, purposive, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with 15 participants (school teachers) through Skype, Zoom and/or Facebook Messenger. Our intention is to reach about 50 over the course of the study adding higher education teachers as well. Our initial analysis showed the three key messages: • Teachers take a proactive role believing that nowadays is the time of creating and sharing new knowledge; • Teachers signing up for this proactive vision become a part of the imagined community of like-minded colleagues; • The process of video-making involves constant research for new teaching ideas and personal transformative changes. We believe that our study may provide some implications for tertiary education. Importantly, it explores and analyses a different image of teaching and learning, crafted in visual media, which might spark enthusiasm to embrace the video sharing platforms in higher education and enhance agency in the digital world.

The factor structure of Big Five personality trait measures at the between- and within-person levels

The cross-sectional factor structure of Big Five personality trait measures is a weighted blend of the factor structure at the between-person level (i.e., the level of time-invariant interpersonal personality differences) and the factor structure at the within-person level (i.e., the level of intrapersonal personality fluctuations and changes). Thus, the Big Five might not represent the underlying factors at either of the two levels. To probe this issue, I fit multilevel exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA) models to longitudinal data from the Netherlands and Australia ( N = 15,085 and 22,582, respectively). In both data sets, the canonical Big Five emerged at the between- but not at the within-person level. At the within-person level, a two-factor structure appeared to be most suitable. Factor 1 indicated positive attitudes towards the self. Factor 2 indicated neuroticism or negative attitudes towards the self. The two factors might reflect short-term fluctuations in positive and negative affect rather than long-lasting personality changes. The findings are tentative due to methodological limitations. We need more research on the within-person factor structure of personality trait measures to clarify what fluctuations and changes they assess and whether we need to revise the way we measure and analyze trait changes.

The Effect Of Gadgets On Changes In The Personality Of Children

The VUCA world means the world we live in today, where changes occur very quickly, are unpredictable, are influenced by many factors that are difficult to control, and truth and reality are very subjective. VUCA is closely related to modern human life, in which the modern world is always experiencing a very rapid acceleration of change. Personality Psychology is a branch of Psychology which, when interpreted in terms of terminology, means that the study of human personality through human behavior or daily life that characterizes that person. At present, children use gadgets very often in their daily lives, but excessive use of gadgets will have a negative impact on children's social and emotional development. The labor impacts of using gadgets on children include children becoming private individuals, sleep disturbances, being alone, violent behavior, fading creativity and threats of cyberbullying. But on the other hand, when gadgets are used wisely by children, it can help them develop their thinking processes, problem solving skills, and increase their creativity in various ways. Changes in a child's personality when addicted to gadgets are very diverse, ranging from positive to negative impacts. When viewed from the negative impact, children will tend to get angry easily, like to be rebellious, imitate behavior on gadgets and talk to themselves on gadgets. Meanwhile, from the positive impact, it can facilitate communication, as a medium for children's entertainment, increase comfort in learning and increase children's knowledge.

Plato’s Periagōgē: Changing Direction as a Central Aspect of Education

Plato’s concept of periagōgē, as presented in the Analogy of the Cave, serves as a fundamental component of his philosophy of education, illustrating the process of “changing direction” or “redirecting” one’s mind’s eye from ignorance to the Form of the Good. Plato’s understanding of culture or education, paideia, accentuates the shift from passive observation to active participation in the pursuit of ultimate knowledge and ethical excellence. This educational change of direction, from passive to active, unfolds as our entire soul turns toward the Form of the Good. Maintaining the soul’s proper direction and alignment involves cultivating the lower parts of the soul through the emulation of good habits, good behavior, and proper feelings, while concurrently strengthening the higher reasoning powers through mathematical sciences, culminating in dialectics. Such an educational redirecting of the soul aims at the Form of the Good as its teleologic, practical, and paradigmatic axis around which we are revolving as we go about our daily endeavors. Those who were able to grasp the Form of the Good, not only undergo inevitable personal change but also bear the responsibility of guiding others toward such a transformation, as their teachers and mentors, just like Socrates did. Consequently, periagōgē in the right direction, or aspiration toward the right ideals, promotes personal betterment but also extends its effects towards society, where such enlightened individuals help others to stay on the right path.

High-frequency assessment of mood, personality, and cognition in healthy younger, healthy older and adults with cognitive impairment

ABSTRACT Increased variability in cognitive scores, mood or personality traits can be indicative of underlying neurological disorders. Whether variability in cognition is due to changes in mood or personality is unknown. A total of 66 younger adults, 51 healthy older adults and 38 participants with cognitive impairment completed 21 daily sessions of attention, working memory, mood, and personality assessment. Group differences in mean performance and variability were examined using Bayesian mixed effects location scale models. Variability in attention decreased from younger to older adults and then increased again in cognitive impairment. Younger adults were more variable in agreeableness, openness and conscientiousness compared to older adults. The clinically impaired group differed from the healthy older adults in terms of variability on attention, openness, and conscientiousness. Healthy aging results in greater stability in personality traits over short intervals yet this stability is not redundant with increased stability in cognitive scores.

Changing Ourselves

Abstract: Change in personality is viewed in two contrasting ways. Sometimes it is seen as an indicator of psychopathology or inauthenticity, associated with reduced well-being. Yet the ability to change oneself is also viewed as a sign of positive self-development, a process of becoming more authentic and associated with increased well-being. This meta-analysis sought to compare these two perspectives and determine whether personality change can contribute to a good life. Sixteen independent samples (24,000 participants) were analyzed to test the relationships between traits change and authenticity, traits change and well-being, and values change and well-being. Trait change was positively related to authenticity, while value change was associated with increased well-being. Moderator analysis indicated that the type of change (over role or time) did not influence the relationship between trait change and authenticity, nor did the length of time over which change took place influence the personality change and well-being relationship. Including traits and values allows a more holistic understanding of personality change and demonstrates that personality change is not damaging to living well, having instead a minimally positive association with well-being and authenticity.

The Application of the Sorogan and Takrir Methods in Increasing Understanding of Arabic Texts

Learning is a process in which a person changes his behavior as a result of experience. Therefore, researchers are interested in researching the Institute of Youth Education, Pacul Gowang Jombang. The focus of research in writing this thesis is: (1) How is Surugan Takreer applied in the Youth Education Institute? (2) How do students at the Institute for Youth Education understand Arabic texts? (3) What are the motives and obstacles in applying Surugan Takreer to increase Arabic texts in the Youth Education Institute? The type of research used is descriptive qualitative research. The study data collection techniques used are observation, interviews and in-depth documentation. While analyzing the data used are Miles and Hubermin's theory which is data reduction, data presentation and conclusion. This study also validated the data with expanded participation, continued monitoring, and triangulation of sources and techniques. The search result is (1) Applying the Surugan and Takreer method through the Yellow Book (a) The purpose of using the Surugan and Takreer method will be easier to justify if there are errors. In reading Arabic texts in the Yellow Book (B) Preparation for learning to read Arabic texts by nderes first before Surujan. (c) In practice, students read in front of the teacher and the teacher listens while making corrections. Advantages of the Surujan method: (a) The objectivity of this method, in addition to facilitating reading, is more important for preserving and preserving the reading that the reader possesses (b) Preparing for learning to read the Yellow Book by the repeating method, that is, repeating the reading until it is completely memorized. (c) Application of learning to read Arabic texts in the yellow book, i.e. students present their reading before the teacher so that the teacher can justify if there is an error in the reading. (d) Evaluation is carried out by bringing evidence of stored reading, at which time the teacher gives grades.

Coexisting with anomie: Experiences of persons living with early-stage dementia: A grounded theory study.

Individuals in the early stages of dementia often endure elevated levels of stress and anxiety, which can hinder their ability to adapt to the progression of dementia. To mitigate the negative impacts of dementia more effectively, it is necessary to explore the trajectory of the adaptation process of persons living with dementia. This study aimed to construct a theoretical framework for the adaptation process of individuals in the early stages of dementia. Participants were dyads of persons diagnosed with mild dementia or mild cognitive impairment (≥ 60 years of age) and their primary family caregivers. This longitudinal study used a grounded theory approach to explore the adaptation trajectory changes in persons with mild dementia over a 3-year period. Data were collected from dyads with face-to-face interviews. Analysis of the interview data revealed the core category was 'Coexisting with anomie: Progressive disappointment and striving', which was comprised of three categories: awareness of alienation, unsettled feelings, and restorative avoidance coping. Categories changed depending on levels of cognition and constituted progressive and cyclical dynamic processes. Four contextual factors positively or negatively influenced adaptation: level of insight about dementia, personal traits, caregiving style of the caregiver, and level of social interactions. These findings provide a new perspective about the mental health of persons in early-stage dementia. Understanding coexisting with anomie and related influencing factors could facilitate the development of support interventions by mental health nursing staff, which could improve emotional safety, promote psychological well-being, and increase quality of life for persons living with dementia.

Harnessing student feedback to transform teachers: Role of emotions and relationships.

Feedback is crucial to promote learning and improve performance. However, we lack a nuanced understanding of how medical teachers reflect on and internalise (or not) student feedback (SF). This study aims to fill this gap by exploring how teachers make sense of SF to improve their performance and nurture their personal and professional development. In this cross-sectional qualitative study based on a constructivist paradigm, 14 medical teachers individually drew a Rich Picture (RP) of a feedback experience in which they received informal or formal feedback from students, resulting in a personal or professional change. After the drawing, we interviewed the participants to deepen our understanding of teachers' experiences. We analysed the drawings and interview transcripts using an iterative process of thematic analysis. SF that culminated in personal or professional change is a highly emotional experience for teachers, often with long-lasting consequences. It may threaten or reassure their self-concept and professional identity, generating feedback avoidance or feedback-seeking behaviour. SF is particularly powerful in transforming teaching practices when teachers feel connected to students through an honest and constructive relationship. Remarkably, some teachers intentionally build relationships with certain (selected) students to get 'qualified' feedback. SF acceptance also increases when teachers are open to receiving feedback and there is an institutional culture that values feedback. Finally, medical teachers believe that formal (planned) feedback is relevant to improve the curriculum, while informal (spontaneous) feedback is important for promoting teachers' personal and professional development. SF has the potential to become a transformative learning experience for teachers. The student-teacher relationship and teachers' emotional reactions affect the way teachers make sense of and internalise SF and enact behavioural change. Understanding the complexity surrounding SF is vital for supporting teachers in seizing opportunities for growth and in nurturing a meaningful relationship with the act of teaching.

Individual Transilience in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Transilience, the perceived capacity to persist, adapt flexibly, and positively transform in the face of an adversity, is a promising construct for understanding human adaptation to climate change risks. However, the question remains whether transilience is also relevant for adaptation to other adversities. In this paper, we investigate the role of transilience in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which posed a more urgent and acute threat to individuals compared to climate change. We conducted two studies in Italy and the Netherlands to examine whether people perceived transilience in the face of COVID-19 across different time points and countries, in which the severity of the pandemic and government measures varied. Furthermore, we studied the relationship between transilience and adaptive responses, including individual and collective adaptation behaviors, cognitive coping, well-being, and positive personal change. The results suggest that people perceive transilience in the face of COVID-19, and that higher transilience promotes adaptive responses and mental health in the face of COVID-19, in the Netherlands, but not in Italy. Moreover, longitudinal analyses indicate that transilience may be causally related to future behaviors and well-being. These findings suggest that transilience may be a robust predictor of adaptive responses and well-being in the context of different adversities, although this may depend on the specific context. Future research directions and theoretical implications are discussed.

Unlocking the Therapeutic Potential of Medicinal Plants for Alzheimer’s Disease: Preclinical to Clinical Trial Insights

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, multifactorial, and unremitting neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory loss, personality changes, and cognitive impairment. It has become more prevalent in recent years. Therefore, understanding the pathophysiology of AD and developing efficient therapeutic strategies are essential. Moreover, the progression of the disease is unaffected by the pharmaceutical approaches discovered to date. Additionally, the failure of over 200 potential drug candidates in clinical trials over the past decade suggests the complexity and difficulty of both the disease and its underlying causes. Therefore, research focused on medicinal plant-based natural products in the search for novel neuroprotective therapeutic candidates for AD is essential. Indeed, several scientific investigations have demonstrated the efficacy of many medicinal plants and their principal phytochemicals in the treatment of AD. This review article covered the pathophysiological mechanisms of AD, the necessity for natural products as anti-AD treatments, and the most recent preclinical studies revealing the function of neuroprotective medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds in the effective management of AD. In addition, the review also presents clinical trial data of promising anti-AD formulations/agents of plant origin. Revealing recent findings and highlighting the clinical trial data related to the development of new treatments for AD would promote further research in this field and pave the way for the development of more effective and safe treatments for this debilitating disease.