Cognitive Problems Research Articles

Gezondheidsovertuigingen over osteoporose bij de oudere populatie: validatie van de Nederlandstalige Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale

Objective The Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale (OHBS) was developed to assess health beliefs about osteoporosis. This questionnaire consists of 42 items divided into seven subscales including seriousness, susceptibility, health motivation, calcium intake, and exercise. The aim of this study was to validate the OHBS in Dutch. Methods Dutch-speaking individuals aged over 65 years, without cognitive problems, were included in the study. Translation of the OHBS into Dutch was conducted based on international guidelines for translating a validated questionnaire into another language. A subgroup of individuals repeated the questionnaire after a period of at least seven days. Results During the translation process, no significant issues were encountered. All translation discrepancies were discussed and resolved through consensus. The results demonstrate strong test-retest reliability (Spearman's rho 0.772, p < 0.001) and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.828). The mean duration to complete the questionnaire ranges between five and ten minutes. Conclusions The Dutch version of the OHBS is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring health beliefs regarding osteoporosis. More knowledge about these health beliefs is crucial for improving communication regarding osteoporosis and fracture prevention. Moreover, the instrument can be used to identify individuals who would benefit from educational interventions.

Burning Mouth Syndrome Underlying Factors: A Roadmap From a Network Perspective.

To investigate the relationship between biological, psychological, and social factors underlying Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS). A case (n = 40) and control (n = 42) study containing 80 variables was examined using two network models based on regularized partial correlations (n = 82). The structure of the associative pathways with the BMS was revealed. Direct associations involved Gastrointestinal Alterations (0.23), Vitamin D Deficiency (0.29), Musculoskeletal Alterations (0.29), Symptom Severity Score 2 (SSS2) (0.22), Cortisol Variation (0.10), Interpersonal Sensitivity (0.04), Hostility (0.03). Global Severity Index, Symptom Severity Score 1, Psychoticism, Obsession-Compulsion, Depression, Anxiety, and Somatization were indirectly related. The SSS2 was the most influential on BMS accuracy. Gastrointestinal alterations andvitamin D deficiency show a significant influence on BMS while cortisol mediates in multiple associative pathways between musculoskeletal alterations, gastrointestinal alterations, vitamin D deficiency, non-restorative sleep, fatigue, and cognitive problems. In addition to anxiety and depression, psychoticism, interpersonal sensitivity, and hostility stand out as psychological factors that seem to be related to a lack of vitamin D. None of the factors studied seem to have a relevant predictive potential for BMS, except for nonspecific symptoms of central sensitization.

Multicenter Evaluation of Memory Remediation in Traumatic Brain Injury With Donepezil: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Memory impairments are common chronic and functionally important consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Among patients with persistent verbal memory impairments due to TBI-related cholinergic deficits, donepezil (an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor) may improve these and related problems. The Multicenter Evaluation of Memory Remediation in TBI with Donepezil (MEMRI-TBI-D) study, a four-site, randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 10-week clinical trial, evaluated the efficacy of donepezil on verbal memory impairments, co-occurring cognitive and noncognitive neuropsychiatric problems, and functional status among persons with severe, persistent, and functionally limiting verbal memory problems at least 6 months after mild, moderate, or severe TBI. Efficacy, safety, and tolerability measures were assessed. Seventy-five participants were randomly assigned to donepezil (N=37) and placebo (N=38) groups. In both modified intent-to-treat and per-protocol analyses, donepezil significantly improved memory (i.e., verbal learning, as measured by the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised Total Trials 1-3, the primary outcome measure) when compared with placebo. Treatment-responder rates in the donepezil and placebo groups were 42% and 18%, respectively, yielding a number needed to treat of 3.5. Among donepezil responders, delayed recall and processing speed also improved significantly. Treatment-emergent adverse event rates for donepezil and placebo were 46% and 8%, respectively, and mild or moderate (85%); diarrhea and nausea were significantly more common in the donepezil group, yielding a number needed to harm of 6.25 and a likelihood to be helped or harmed ratio of 1.79. These results suggest that donepezil is an efficacious treatment for severe, persistent memory impairments after predominantly severe TBI, with a relatively favorable safety and tolerability profile.

Construction and use of mental models: Organizing principles for the science of brain and mind.

As an organizing framework for questions of mind and brain, I discuss how the brain builds and uses mental models. Mental models provide a complex, structured description of some situation in the world. The role of perception is to build such a model for the current environment; knowledge provides many of the building blocks; in episodic memory, a previous model is reinstated; in cognitive control, the model dictates a choice of action. A model, I suggest, is a compositional, whole brain state, combining information from multiple specialised brain systems into a structured description of entities in the model and their roles and relationships. The default mode network may play an organizational role as parts of a model are combined into a broader whole. The model combines an active attentional foreground with a more extensive, latent background. Foreground is based on active neural firing, orchestrated by the brain's multiple demand network. Background may also include low-intensity neural activity, but with a substantial contribution from both faster and slower aspects of synaptic change. Interplay between foreground and background underlies core aspects of cognition, including cognitive control, problem solving, abstraction, and learning. Together, these proposals suggest how integrated, whole-brain functions build mental models, providing a unifying framework for the diverse concerns of cognitive neuroscience.

Effects of tamoxifen on cognitive function in patients with primary breast cancer.

Tamoxifen may adversely affect cognitive function by interfering with estrogen action in the brain. Despite growing evidence for a relationship between tamoxifen and cognitive problems, findings remain inconclusive. While some tamoxifen-related side effects seem exposure-dependent with concentrations of tamoxifen or its main metabolite, endoxifen, this has never been investigated for cognitive function. We investigated cognitive function after two years of tamoxifen and its association with tamoxifen and endoxifen exposure. 135 women with breast cancer completed the Amsterdam Cognition Scan (ACS), an online neuropsychological test battery, after two years of tamoxifen. Test scores were converted to standardized Z-scores based on a matched 'no-cancer' control group. Tamoxifen and endoxifen concentrations and tamoxifen dose were regressed separately on cognitive functioning. Patients reported mild cognitive complaints and had worse verbal learning, processing speed, executive functioning, and motor functioning compared to matched controls. After correcting for age, mean tamoxifen and endoxifen levels, as well as tamoxifen dose, were associated with worse performance on several cognitive domains. Tamoxifen is adversely associated with objective as well as self-reported cognitive function, which may depend on the level of exposure to tamoxifen and endoxifen. Further research is warranted to confirm this hypothesis.

Research on the Influencing Factors of Second-Generation Chinese Cognitive Construction from the Perspective of Identity

Abstract: The cognitive construction issues of second-generation Chinese immigrants have received widespread attention, but there is still a lack of analysis from the perspective of identity recognition. This article analyzes the influencing factors of cognitive construction for second-generation Chinese immigrants from the viewpoint of identity recognition. This article analyzes how the cognitive construction and social concepts of second-generation Chinese immigrants are related to language and education. Based on this, there are some suggestions in the article. First, achieve the formation of diverse concepts among the second generation of Chinese descendants through family education. Second, from an individual perspective, making a balance between Eastern and Western values to form suitable values. Finally, respecting the cultures of various countries and integrating into mainstream society. Through these analyses and recommendations, it can gain a deeper understanding of the cognitive construction problems faced by second-generation Chinese immigrants and find effective solutions to promote their identity recognition and social integration.

Information Training and Media Education: a Method of Solving Students' Educational and Cognitive Problems in an Integrated Information Environment

Discusses the method of solving students' educational and cognitive problems in an integrated information environment. The purpose of the study is to determine effective forms and methods of information training and media education to ensure universal access to education throughout life. The source of the study was the works of scientists who consider issues of media education and information training as an important component of the educational and cognitive tasks of students in the context of an integrated information environment. A set of pedagogical research methods, both theoretical and practical, was used. According to experts, in the field of educational resources, the total volume of knowledge doubles every year, while the degree of satisfaction of the information needs of users in the absence of an appropriate level of skill in working with information does not improve. Computer science is today defined as one of the fundamental areas of scientific knowledge that forms a system-information approach to the analysis of the surrounding world, the study of information processes, methods and means of obtaining, transforming, transmitting, storing and using information, a rapidly developing and constantly expanding area of human practical activity associated with the use of educational resources. In this regard, media education and information training of students are considered as an important part of the professional and educational skills and abilities of students in the context of an integrated information environment. The results of the study can serve as a basis for solving educational and cognitive problems of continuous education, since today no serious economic, social, technical problem can be successfully solved without processing significant amounts of information.

Student Misconceptions about Heat Transfer Mechanisms: An Island Ethnophysics Study

Learners’ conceptual frameworks vary greatly, but they develop from their everyday experiences over time and change as they mature. Their intuitive understanding of the world around them often needs to match scientific concepts as seen by experts. It is essential in culturally based teaching to recognize how these naïve conceptions differ from scientific explanations of concepts and why children construct these ideas. Heat transfer mechanisms are conceptually rich material. Particularly in the Indonesian context, little effort has been made to reduce misconceptions. This prompted us to conduct a study in this area. We present a study on students’ misconceptions about heat transfer mechanisms, namely conduction, convection, and radiation. This study aimed to analyze students’ misconceptions about heat transfer mechanisms through an ethnophysics study. The method used was a non-experimental quantitative case study. In addition, a survey was conducted in the form of a diagnostic test in the form of questions related to heat transfer for 100 students. The findings in the field show that students experience relatively high misconceptions. So far, teachers have not accustomed students to learning from contextual things in the form of local wisdom around them. They have given scientific questions to search for, find, and provide answers and solutions to these natural phenomena. The teacher mainly pursues cognition and physics problems in textbooks and less explores contextual matters. Future research is suggested to develop physics teaching materials based on local wisdom oriented to 21st-century life skills that can support students to live in the future. Keywords: student misconceptions, heat transfer mechanisms, island ethnophysics

NCOG-05. HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL) IN THE PHASE 2 FIREFLY-1 (PNOC026) TRIAL OF THE TYPE II RAF INHIBITOR TOVORAFENIB IN RELAPSED/REFRACTORY (R/R) PEDIATRIC LOW-GRADE GLIOMA (PLGG)

Abstract BACKGROUND Despite favorable long-term survival, ongoing disease and treatment-related morbidity substantially impact the HRQOL of patients with pLGG. Tovorafenib is a selective, CNS-penetrant, type II RAF inhibitor. Results from the ongoing FIREFLY-1 (NCT04775485) phase 2 study (Kilburn LK, et al. Nat Med. 2023) showed clinically meaningful responses and a manageable safety profile in pLGG. Vision remained stable or improved in 89% of evaluable patients with optic pathway gliomas (Nysom K, et al. Neuro-Oncol. 2023). METHODS FIREFLY-1 arm 1 patients 6 months–25 years of age with RAF-altered r/r pLGG received tovorafenib 420 mg/m2 weekly (600 mg max) in 28-day cycles. Exploratory measures included longitudinal assessment of PedsQL in patients ≥2 years of age. PedsQL 3.0 Cancer Module child self-reports Total Score and 8 subscales were used to assess HRQOL from 0 (worst)–100 (fewer problems/symptoms) (as of December 22, 2022) baseline (BL) to cycle 13 (C13) in patients ≥5 years of age. RESULTS For the PedsQL 3.0 Cancer Module, 51 completed self-reports at BL, and 32 at C13 due to continued attrition over time. Median Total Score was 81.5 (range: 46.3-100) at BL and 85.2 (range: 50-100) at C13. At C4, 16% worsened (decrease >10 points) and 11% improved (increase >10 points); by C13, 11% worsened and 33% improved. For Cognitive Problems, patients scored a median of 75 (range: 5-100) at BL and 85 (range: 20-100) at C13, with 11% and 26% improved at C4 and C13, respectively. A similar trend was seen with Nausea. Pain and Hurt remained even throughout (median: 87.5). Treatment Anxiety was not a major concern (median: 100, C1-C13); Procedural Anxiety improved over time (median: 58.3 BL; 79.2 at C13). CONCLUSIONS HRQOL generally remained stable, or improved, in the majority of patients with r/r pLGG during the first year of treatment with tovorafenib.

Study identifies eight traumatic and ACEs to psychiatric risk across development

There are eight TRACEs (traumatic and adverse childhood experiences) which can lead to mental health and cognitive problems during adolescents, according to researchers. Using the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) data from the National Institutes of Health, the researchers drew on reports from youth and their caregivers to look at longitudinal change and how it is moderated by the TRACEs.

Cognitive and Behavioral Outcomes of Snoring Among Adolescents

Snoring is central to sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), which arises from nocturnal upper airway resistance. Habitual snoring is associated with cognitive and behavioral problems in young children, but less is known about these associations in adolescents. To assess the longitudinal associations of snoring with cognition and problem behaviors among adolescents. This cohort study was a secondary analysis of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study dataset (release 5.0), which enrolled 11 875 children and a parent or caregiver from June 1, 2016, to October 15, 2018, at 21 participating US research institutions and followed-up for 5 years. The analysis was performed between December 2023 and April 2024. Parent-reported snoring categorized as none, nonhabitual (<3 nights/week), and habitual (≥3 times/week). Cognition was assessed using 5 measures from the National Institutes of Health Toolbox (NIH-TB), and caregiver-reported problem behaviors were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), including Total Problems, Internalizing Problems, and Externalizing Problems. Longitudinal associations of snoring with these assessment measures were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models stratified by obesity. Model fits were assessed after including the fixed-effects of age, sex at birth, race, family income, follow-up time, visit type, and the random-effects of site and identification number. The study included data from 11 862 children at year 1 (mean age, 119.0 months [95% CI, 118.8 to 119.1 months]; 6164 male [52.2%]) and 11 198, 10 870, 10 064, and 4668 children at years 2 to 5, respectively. The proportion of habitual snorers decreased from 811 participants (6.8%) in year 1 to 150 participants (3.2%) in year 5. Snoring was not associated with any of the NIH-TB scores. A statistically significant association of snoring was identified with all CBCL scales. The largest-magnitude association was of snoring with the CBCL Total Problems scale among adolescents with obesity (β = 3.18; 95% CI, 2.59-3.77). In this cohort study analyzing associations of snoring with cognitive test scores and problem behaviors based on the ABCD dataset, the prevalence of snoring declined over time; snoring in adolescents was associated with problem behaviors but not cognitive deficits. These findings may aid shared decision-making regarding treatment options such as adenotonsillectomy for adolescents with SDB.

Disjunction and access to knowledge: Educational implications

In classical logic, it is possible to derive ‘either p or q’ from ‘p’ (where p and q are sentences with any content). This is a cognitive problem, since people often tend not to make inferences of that kind. This paper analyzes the solution the theory of mental models gives for this problem. Based on that solution, the paper proposes to use tasks with inferences such as that mentioned in the educational context. The idea is that those tasks can allow assessing certain learnings. In particular, they can reveal in some cases whether students understand the relations between the semantic contents assigned to p and q. This is because, following the theory of mental models, whenever q implies p, the inference must be accepted.

Safety and Efficacy of Ashwagandha Root Extract on Cognition, Energy and Mood Problems in Adults: Prospective, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study.

This prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study assessed the effects of Ashwagandha root extract (ARE) on cognition, energy, and mood in adults with self-reported cognitive and energy problems. Healthy subjects aged 30-75 years were randomized to receive ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract (ARE) 600 mg/day (n = 60)/identical placebo (n = 60) orally for 8 weeks. Cognitive function was assessed at baseline and week 8 using a Computerized Mental Performance Assessment System (COMPASS). Secondary outcomes were Profile of Mood States Abbreviated Version (POMS-A), Mental Fatigue Scale (MFS) and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult (BRIEF-A) for effects on mood, mental fatigue and executive function, respectively, assessed at baseline, week 4 and 8. Greater improvement (p < .05) from baseline scores were seen with ARE as against placebo for COMPASS items episodic memory, working memory and accuracy of attention. ARE also improved the POMS-A, MFS and BRIEF-A scores from baseline suggesting an improvement in mood, vigor, and an increase in the executive functioning respectively with ARE. The herb was well tolerated and had a good patient compliance with no serious adverse events reported in either of the groups. This study suggests that a dose of 600 mg a day can improve cognition, energy, and mood in adults with self-reported cognitive and energy problems.

Progressive Myoclonus Epilepsy and Beyond: A Systematic Review of SEMA6B-related Disorders.

Progressive myoclonus epilepsy (PME) is a rare, clinically and genetically heterogeneous epilepsy syndrome, and pathogenic variants in the semaphorin 6B (SEMA6B) gene have recently been reported to be among the causes of PME. Cases with pathogenic variants in the SEMA6B gene are extremely rare, only a limited number of cases have been reported in the literature. In this systematic review, we aimed to present a summary of a PME case in which a heterozygous nonsense variant of c.2086C > T p.(Gln696*) in the SEMA6B gene was detected in the etiology and other cases with SEMA6B pathogenic variant in the literature. Except for our case, 35 cases from 12 studies were included. The main clinical findings in these patients were cognitive problems, seizures, gait and speech disturbances, and cognitive and/or motor regression, and they had a wide spectrum of severity. Response to antiseizure medications was also highly variable, almost half of the patients had pharmacoresistant seizures. Patients were divided into four different phenotypic groups according to their clinical presentations: PME (18/36), developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (13/36), neurodevelopmental disorder (4/36), and epilepsy (1/36), respectively. In conclusion, although SEMA6B has been associated with PME, it may actually cause a much broader phenotypic spectrum. Due to their extreme rarity, our knowledge of SEMA6B-related disorders is limited. As with all other rare diseases, each new SEMA6B-related disorder case could contribute to a better understanding of the disease. A better understanding of the disease may allow the development of specific treatment options in the future.

Visualization of “Subclinical Consequence” After Successful and Uneventful Surgical Intervention for Unruptured Cerebral Aneurysms

There are many studies on post-operative cognitive function after surgical clipping (SC) and endovascular coiling (EC) for unruptured cerebral aneurysms, but few reports focusing on possible subclinical damage. The aim of the present study was to detect the subclinical damage after surgical intervention. Patients with anterior circulation aneurysms who underwent either SC (SC group) or EC (EC group) were recruited. Imaging studies and evaluation of cognitive function were performed within 1 month preoperatively and at 6 months and 2 years postoperatively. The ipsilateral/contralateral cerebral blood flow (CBF) ratio (I/C ratio) calculated from values in four regions of interest (ROIs) placed on N-isopropyl-p-[123I] iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP)-single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was used to detect "subclinical consequence". "Subclinical consequence" was defined as post-operative CBF reduction without abnormality in other radiological examinations and cognitive tests. There were 14 patients in the SC group (mean age, 60.6±11.7 years) and 33 patients in the EC group (mean age, 67.5±7.2 years). All cognitive assessment results showed no significant reduction through the survey period. However, I/C ratios were restored by 2 years in the EC group not but in the SC group. I/C ratios at 6 months and 2 years were significantly lower in the SC group than the EC group (P<0.01). 123IMP-SPECT revealed a statistically significant reduction in ipsilateral CBF in patients who had an uneventful clinical course and no cognitive problems. The subclinical consequence could persist for at least 2 years following SC, and was less pronounced following EC.

Depressive symptom trajectories among general population during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iceland: a prospective cohort study (2020–2023)

IntroductionWhile changes in the prevalence of depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic have been described across populations, few studies have incorporated multidimensional variables to characterise the varying effects of the...

The Epistemological Frontier in the Culture of Science Communication after Paul Feyerabend

The subject of the study is the heuristic potential of the theoretical construct of the “epistemological frontier”, which describes the state of scientific knowledge in the context of methodological pluralism. The post-non-classical stage in the development of science is characterized by the coexistence of concepts about the object, formulated in various paradigms and based on different theoretical approaches. The culture of scientific communication, as an area of creation, preservation and development of scientific knowledge, which is the object of our attention, is significantly expanding, including different epistemological traditions. Therefore, there is a methodological need to include in the orbit of theoretical attention the area of scientific knowledge formed between two or more concepts that are not reducible to a common dialectical basis. The purpose of the article is to reveal the descriptive and heuristic potential of the “epistemological frontier” construct for studying the event horizon between the extreme values of the cosmological foundations of scientific creativity designated by P. Feyerabend (Aristotelian and modern, post-Copernian). To achieve this within the framework of philosophical and analytical methodology, the author solves two scientific and cognitive problems: formalizes the construct of “epistemological frontier” and examines its applicability for understanding Feyerabend's philosophy. The theoretical construct of “epistemological frontier” proposed by the author certainly requires further theoretical criticism, including clarification of the limits of its application. Its heuristic potential lies primarily in the fact that it can be used to record the simultaneous validity and truth of contradictory provisions formulated on the basis of various theoretical positions: the multidimensionality of truth, even if it is paradoxical, is thus no longer a sign of the falsity of one of the judgments. The coexistence of contradictory truths is becoming the norm, especially in the field of social and humanitarian sciences.

Psychological Risk Factors on Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Patients: Insights From National Readmission Database Analysis.

Psychosocial risk factors (PSRFs) have emerged as important nontraditional risk factors for poor medical outcomes but have not been well-studied in the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In this study, we retrospectively examined in-hospital and short-term outcomes in patients with PSRFs who underwent HSCT. We used the National Readmission Database (NRD) to identify patients who underwent HSCT between 2011 and 2020. Patients were stratified based on the presence of either 0 or ≥ 1 PSRFs, which included factors such as mental illness, substance abuse, cognitive problems, a low income level, and an uninsured status. Patients were also classified into allogeneic-HSCT (allo-HSCT) and autologous-HSCT (auto-HSCT) groups. Our primary endpoints were in-hospital and short-term outcomes. In this nationally representative cohort, 90,747 patients underwent auto-HSCT, while 26,600 patients underwent allo-HSCT. In the auto-HSCT group, individuals with PSRFs exhibited notably higher in-hospital mortality (2.4% vs. 2.8%; p<0.001) and 30-day all-cause readmission rates (14.4% vs. 17.8%; p<0.001) compared to those without PSRFs. Similarly, within the allo-HSCT group, patients with PSRFs had significantly higher in-hospital mortality (5.4% vs. 6.4%; p<0.001) and 30-day all-cause readmission rates (27.3% vs. 31.2%; p<0.001) compared to those without PSRFs. After adjusting for risk factors, the presence of PSRFs emerged as a substantial predictor for heightened 30-day readmission in allo-HSCT and auto-HSCT. The presence of PSRFs is correlated with poorer in-hospital and short-term outcomes after both allo-HSCT and auto-HSCT, with a more pronounced effect observed in allo-HSCT. This research underscores the significance of pinpointing high-risk patients and implies support for merging PSRFs after HSCT is beneficial.

You Say Potato, I Say Vegetable; You Say Tomato, I Say Fruit: Cognitive Validity of Food Group–Based Dietary Recall Questions

BackgroundThere is a need for valid, standardized approach for list-based questionnaires to measure food group consumption for indicators of diet quality including dietary diversity. ObjectivesA common method for collecting dietary diversity data consists of open-ended food group questions, e.g. “Yesterday, did you eat any vegetables, such as cucumber, cabbage, or celery?” We sought to examine the cognitive validity of open-ended questions that require respondents to categorize foods and closed-ended alternatives using sentinel foods. MethodsPretesting and 83 cognitive interviews were conducted in 5 languages in São Paulo and New York City in 2018. In structured interviews, respondents were asked to describe their thought processes in answering each question. Their feedback and responses to closed-ended and open-ended food group questions were compared. The Gallup World Poll then piloted 2 versions of the questionnaire in a nationally representative sample of 1000 in Brazil in 2018. ResultsRespondents in all settings miscategorized foods when asked open-ended food group questions (0%–82%, depending on the food group), respondents varied in their ability to think of other foods that belonged to specified food groups (35%–50% could think of any items), and open-ended questions presented an additional cognitive burden. There were no significant differences between the results from closed-ended and open-ended questions in the national pilot test. In the context of a multitopic survey, the finalized questionnaire took 3–5 min to answer, had no additional training requirements, and enumerators reported similar ease in administration as other survey modules. ConclusionsFor data collection on food group consumption, open-ended questions requiring respondents to categorize foods present cognitive validity problems. Closed-ended questions using sentinel foods reduce or eliminate ambiguity, presenting lower cognitive burden and greater comprehension. Based on these results, the closed-ended method has been adopted in international survey platforms for measuring dietary diversity and other aspects of diet quality.

Emotional and behavioral problems are associated with hypothalamic development from childhood to adolescence: Findings from a longitudinal cohort study

BackgroundDespite the pivotal role of the hypothalamus in regulating various physiological processes, our understanding of its developmental trajectory and subregional organization during childhood and adolescence remains limited, as well as how emotional and behavioral problems can impact hypothalamic development, potentially leading to neurodevelopmental disorders. MethodsThis population-based longitudinal cohort study utilized data from a representative sample of 702 children, who were followed two to five times. Emotional and behavioral problems were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Linear mixed models were employed to delineate developmental trajectories and behavioral regulation. ResultsUsing an automated segmentation technique, we quantified the volumes and asymmetries of the hypothalamus and its subregions in a large longitudinal sample of 702 subjects aged 6–15 years with 1371 MRI scans, and mapped their developmental trajectories. Our findings indicate that while the anterior and posterior regions of the hypothalamus exhibit a tendency toward decline, the tubular region demonstrates a linear increase which is influenced by lateralization, sex, and intracranial volume. Furthermore, emotional and behavioral problems - particularly emotional symptoms and peer relationship problems - are related to faster development in superior tubular and anterior-superior regions. ConclusionsIn this study, we initially delineated the developmental trajectories of the hypothalamus and its subregions from childhood to adolescence based on a longitudinal cohort study. Our findings revealed that the development of hypothalamus followed the pattern of “lateral early to medial late, and dorsomedial early to ventromedial late”, and the emotional and behavioral problems are associated with faster hypothalamic development. This study provides preliminary evidence regarding the impact of emotional and behavioral problems on the dynamic development of the hypothalamus, offering a crucial foundation for future prevention and intervention strategies targeting cognitive and emotional behavioral problems.