Cognitive Balance Research Articles

Diverse phenotype of Ménière’s disease associated with family history, thyroid disorder, migraine and associated disorders

ObjectiveTo better understand the clinical phenotype of Ménière’s disease (MD), we examined family history, thyroid disorder, migraine, and associated disorders in complaints of people living with MD. MethodWe designed the study as a retrospective and examined data gathered from 912 participants with MD. Their data were originally collected by the Finnish Ménière Federation (FMF). The survey data included individual case histories for environmental factors, comorbidities, disease-specific complaints, impact-related questions, cognitive complaints, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and sense of coherence (SOC). ResultsWe observed significant differences between those with and without sporadic occurrence, family history, thyroid disorder, and migraine-associated complaints. Family history explained 20% of variability in patient complaints. Patients with a family history of MD whose disease started at younger age experienced balance problems, more severe vertigo spells, more severe vestibular drop attacks (VDA), and less nausea, although they had good SOC. Thyroid disorder explained 14% of variability in patient complaints. MD patients with a thyroid disorder comorbidity suffered more often from constant dizziness, balance problems, greater impact of hearing problems, cognitive complaints, and poor HRQoL. Migraine explained 12% of variability in patients’ complaints and was associated with poor SOC and cognitive balance problems. MD patients with both thyroid disorder and migraine used antidepressants more often than other groups. Logistic regression analysis showed comorbidities of ischemic brain disorder (among 7.1%), kidney insufficiency (among 1.2%), and diabetes (among 7.3%) had statistically significant but restricted association with balance and gait problems, VDA, and reduced HRQoL. ConclusionsFamily history of MD and thyroid disorder or migraine comorbidities in MD influence the complaint pattern and partially explain complex symptom profiles, including symptoms of cognitive problems. Confounders play a minimal role in complaint profile and impact of MD whereas comorbidities influence the complaint structure and partly explain the complex symptom profile in MD.

The role of Foxo3a in neuron-mediated cognitive impairment.

Cognitive impairment (COI) is a prevalent complication across a spectrum of brain disorders, underpinned by intricate mechanisms yet to be fully elucidated. Neurons, the principal cell population of the nervous system, orchestrate cognitive processes and govern cognitive balance. Extensive inquiry has spotlighted the involvement of Foxo3a in COI. The regulatory cascade of Foxo3a transactivation implicates multiple downstream signaling pathways encompassing mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, autophagy, and apoptosis, collectively affecting neuronal activity. Notably, the expression and activity profile of neuronal Foxo3a are subject to modulation via various modalities, including methylation of promoter, phosphorylation and acetylation of protein. Furthermore, upstream pathways such as PI3K/AKT, the SIRT family, and diverse micro-RNAs intricately interface with Foxo3a, engendering alterations in neuronal function. Through several downstream routes, Foxo3a regulates neuronal dynamics, thereby modulating the onset or amelioration of COI in Alzheimer's disease, stroke, ischemic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, and traumatic brain injury. Foxo3a is a potential therapeutic cognitive target, and clinical drugs or multiple small molecules have been preliminarily shown to have cognitive-enhancing effects that indirectly affect Foxo3a. Particularly noteworthy are multiple randomized, controlled, placebo clinical trials illustrating the significant cognitive enhancement achievable through autophagy modulation. Here, we discussed the role of Foxo3a in neuron-mediated COI and common cognitively impaired diseases.

Dampak Permainan Lego terhadap Perkembangan Kognitif Anak Usia Dini

This study aims to determine the effect of Lego games on cognitive development of early childhood (5-6 years) in Ra Bani Asyyfa and Paud Nurul Hassanah Pandeglang Banten. The method used is quesi experiment with Non Equivalent Control Group Design approach. The sampling technique uses total sampling technique. The sampling technique uses total sampling technique. The research results showed that out of 30 games, the majority of children's cognitive balance started to be balanced (MB) when they were given a game of playing, namely 21 games (70%) were playing. Meanwhile, of the 30 respondents, the majority of children's cognitive balance was attributed to playing games, as many as 25 respondents (83%) were categorized as very well balanced (BSB), but there were 5 respondents (17%) whose cognitive development was still developing according to expectations (BSH). This was caused by many types of the respondent's gender is male based on, The results of the Wilcoxon Uiji are known as the Asymp value. Sig. (2-tailed) equal to 0.001 < 0.005. Conclusion There is a significant relationship between the influence of Lego games on the cognitive development of early childhood (5-6 years). Keywords: Playing Lego , Cognitive , Child Development, Ages 5-6

Cognitive equilibrium and instability : Lyapunov stability analysis in mental health research

Mental well-being is often seen as a fragile state, akin to a tightrope walk of balance. In our paper, “Cognitive Equilibrium and Instability: Lyapunov Stability Analysis in Mental Health Research,” we explore the nuanced dance between consistency and change in the realm of cognitive function. Drawing on Lyapunov Stability principles from the study of dynamic systems, we offer new perspectives on mental health mechanics. We propose that the mind is in a state of perpetual flux, constantly adjusting to a spectrum of influences to maintain cognitive balance. Our work involves identifying these points of balance and assessing their robustness using Lyapunov Stability Analysis. We examine how various factors, such as stress, environmental changes, and biological variations, can disrupt this balance, possibly leading to states of well-being or illness. Through our models, we illuminate the evolution and path of mental health conditions. Our methodology is a synthesis of theoretical models and real-world data, including neuroimaging, clinical, and psychological evaluations. Case studies in our paper demonstrate the application of our models to conditions like anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, revealing the fluid nature of these ailments. This work goes on to discuss the practical implications of our findings in the clinical setting. By identifying pivotal points of potential instability, our model serves as a tool for early identification of mental health concerns, guiding the creation of specific therapeutic interventions. Additionally, our work supports a tailored approach to mental health care, appreciating the individual cognitive patterns unique to each person. Our paper contributes to the burgeoning field of computational psychiatry, blending mathematical analysis with a perspective centered on the human experience. It sets the stage for future interdisciplinary research aimed at decoding the intricacies of the human psyche.

Mapping the Path to Cognitive Balance: Applying the States of Mind Model and Network Analysis to Eating Disorder Patients.

Background: In eating disorders (EDs), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) represents one of the first-line treatment options albeit with sub-optimal results. The assessment of cognitive balance through an index measuring increased adaptive thinking and reduced maladaptive thinking, the desired outcomes, and the ultimate goal of CBT treatments warrants attention. The states of mind model (SOM) provides a framework through which a cognitive balance index can be defined. The current cross-sectional controlled study tested the clinical utility of the SOM model in a sample of ED outpatients. Methods: ED outpatients (n = 199) were assessed at baseline with the attitudes and beliefs scale-2 (ABS-2) for rational beliefs (RBs) and irrational beliefs (IBs), from which a SOM ratio score index (RBs/(RBs + IBs)) was calculated, the eating disorder inventory-3 (EDI-3) for ED symptoms and ED-related psychopathological features, the psychological well-being scales (PWB) for positive psychological functioning. A matched control sample (n = 95) was also assessed with the ABS-2. Results: ED patients exhibited significantly lower SOM and RB scores compared to controls. Network analysis results highlighted the centrality of the SOM-cognitive balance index, PWB-self-acceptance, and EDI-3-general psychological maladjustment, as well as the importance of the influence that cognitive balance and general psychological maladjustment exert on each other. Conclusions: The findings support the clinical utility of the SOM ratio applied to cognitions in EDs. This demonstrates its ability to differentiate such patients from controls and in capturing worse ED-related general psychopathology as well as compromised aspects of psychological well-being, in particular self-acceptance and environmental mastery. It thus might be considered in CBT treatment of EDs a potential cognitive clinimetric and clinical index of ED severity indicating key difficulties in counteracting maladaptive thinking with adaptive thinking.

Influence of Social Media on Post-Purchase Dissonance : An Empirical Study

Purpose : Post-purchase dissonance refers to a customer’s dissatisfaction after buying a product or service. This study focused on the role of social media in influencing customer dissonance. The growing online purchases and product returns due to dissatisfaction have increased the importance of post-purchase dissonance. This fact induced us to undertake this study. Methodology : The data for this study were collected online via a questionnaire using Google Forms. We prepared the questionnaire after carefully reviewing the extant literature. Eight items were adopted from the scale developed by Sweeney et al. (2000). Using R software, multiple regression models were used to analyze the data and test the hypotheses. Finally, a structural equation model was developed to establish the model fit. Findings : In this study, we found that online purchases by themselves alone did not result in postpurchase dissonance. However, social media has been found to have a significant moderating role in precipitating dissonance. Practical Implications : The findings of this study are both important and straightforward. Firms should closely monitor social media. Social media can easily sway the cognitive balance that the customers may have reached before making a purchase. With the increased social media usage to check for products before purchases (Mason et al., 2021), it has become all the more important for firms to keep a close watch on social media. Originality : The study’s originality lies in the fact that the study considered the role of social media, particularly in online purchases..

A cognitive balance approach to understanding intergroup attitudes in post-Brexit Northern Ireland.

Cognitive balance theory posits that a drive for cognitively consistent thoughts modulates interpersonal relations. We extended cognitive balance theory to intergroup relations and tested it in a real-life setting where intergroup relations are under strain: Northern Ireland in the wake of the UK's withdrawal from the EU. We predicted that when the groups of Irish people and British people in Northern Ireland are perceived as more compatible, intergroup bias would be lower than when groups are perceived as less compatible. We collected data of residents of Northern Ireland before the UK's official withdrawal from the EU (N = 604) and after (N = 350). As hypothesized, attitudes towards British people positively related to attitudes towards Irish people when participants perceived the groups as more compatible. We found the opposite relationship at low levels of perceived compatibility. Exploratory cross-lagged panel analyses did not show that these effects occurred longitudinally, suggesting that cognitive balance does not drive judgements over time possibly because people are less likely to notice inconsistent responses across different time points. The present research demonstrates that intergroup attitudes assessed at a certain point in time follow cognitive balance principles.

How folk music induces destination image: A synthesis between sensory marketing and cognitive balance theory

Music is acknowledged as an excellent means of evoking favorable behaviors and brand image, and this research puts auditory sensory input at center stage. By drawing on sensory marketing and cognitive balance theories, it proposes a model leading from music perception to destination image through the mediation of historical nostalgia, mental imagery, and music-induced emotion. The boundary conditions of self–brand congruence and fantasy proneness are examined. Survey results point to the importance of musical sensory inputs in the mental imagery creation of a place, and it is conditioned based upon different levels of self–brand congruence and fantasy personality traits. Moreover, this research enriches the literature on music-related tourism appeal and destination image development. It also informs destination operators to better capitalize on music to provide an effective tool for enhancing destination image.

Walking hand in hand: The role of affection-sharing in understanding the social network effect in same-sex, mixed-sex, and gender-diverse relationships.

Individuals who perceive greater support or approval for their relationships from friends and family also report greater relationship stability and commitment and better mental and physical health (known as the "social network effect"). These associations have been explained, in part, through three cognitive-affective processes: uncertainty reduction, cognitive balance, and dyadic identity formation. However, we know less about cognitive-behavioral mechanisms that might help explain the social network effect. In this study, we propose and test a model in which physical affection-sharing acts as one such behavioral mechanism. In a sample of 1848 individuals in same-sex (n = 696), mixed-sex (n = 1045), and gender-diverse (n = 107) relationships, we found support for our overall model. Our findings suggest that perceived support for one's relationships is a significant predictor of perceived support for physical affection-sharing, which in turn predicts the frequency of affection-sharing in private and public contexts and, ultimately, relationship well-being. However, we also found that relationship type moderates these associations, highlighting how the experience of sharing affection with one's partner changes for many in marginalized relationships, especially in public. We conclude by discussing how our findings contribute to theories of social support for relationships, underscoring the importance of considering affective, cognitive, and behavioral factors relevant to the process. We also emphasize the understudied role of context in shaping affection-sharing experiences across all relationship types.

Journal of Genius and Eminence Creating order in the mind: Borges’ paradoxical mirror

In this essay we propose, based on the ideas of L. Rapkine and J. Monod on the physical reasons for aesthetic appreciation, that the interest of creative scientists in Jorge Luis Borges’ works is produced by an apparently contradictory effect: on the one hand, the serenity that these texts induce in the mind of an innovative person and, on the other, the modification of the cognitive balance that causes the complexity of these texts and that operates as a creative force. We illustrate this idea with the specific case of the story “Blue Tigers”. We show that this text by Borges, in a reader who is sensitive to it, injects information that puts the mind in a state far from the level of cognitive equilibrium. When it comes to solving a scientific problem, the search for new ways to solve the problem is enhanced by this condition in which the cognitive balance is cancelled. That is the condition in which the creation of new ideas seems possible.

Brain network deficits in breast cancer patients after early neoadjuvant chemotherapy: A longitudinal MRI study.

Breast cancer (BC) patients who undergo chemotherapy are likely to develop chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment (CRCI). Recent studies of BC patients after chemotherapy have used graph theory to investigate the topological properties of the brain functional connectome. However, little is known about structural morphological networks in BC patients after early neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Brain morphological network organization in 47 female participants with BC was investigated before and after NAC. Topological properties of brain networks were ascertained based on morphological similarities in regional gray matter using a graph theory approach based on 3D T1-weighted MRI data. Nonparametric permutation testing was used to assess longitudinal-group differences in topological metrics. Compared with BC patients before NAC, BC patients after early NAC showed significantly increased global efficiency (p=.048), decreased path length (p=.033), and abnormal nodal properties and connectivity, mainly located in the central executive network (CEN). The change in the network efficiency of the right caudate was negatively correlated with the change in the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale score (r=-.435, p=.008), and the change in the nodal degree of the left superior frontal gyrus (dorsolateral part) was positively correlated with the change in the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy score (r=.547, p=.002). BC participants showed randomization in global properties and dysconnectivity in the CEN after early NAC. NAC may disrupt the cognitive balance of the brain morphological network in individuals with BC.

Review: The Construction of the Supernatural in Euro-American Cultures: Something Nice About Vampires, by Benson Saler

Review: <i>The Construction of the Supernatural in Euro-American Cultures: Something Nice About Vampires</i>, by Benson Saler

LEADERSHIP INTELLIGENCE: CONTENT AND STRUCTURE IN THE CONDITIONS OF INDUSTRY 4.0

The article states that most organizations today recognize the fact that smart leadership contributes to overall organizational effectiveness and change. After all, such leaders not only have skills and knowledge accumulated through experience, but are also able to manage (maneuver) them in order to effectively achieve goals and implement changes. The article emphasizes that the globalized and unpredictable environment requires the formation of a new level of leadership intelligence. The purpose of this article is to form the content of leadership intelligence, which is designed to realize the possibilities of Industry 4.0. In addition, it is important to justify its components, the integration of which will provide various mechanisms contributing to a better understanding and interpretation of behavior and events in organizations. The key to the success of leadership intelligence of the highest level should be the managers’ awareness of the need to form their own emotional stability, ensuring cognitive balance and taking into account local cultural models and spiritual norms. We also noted that a leader must have cognitive skills, business skills, interpersonal skills, and strategic skills. In addition, he should be characterized by openness and transparency, emotional honesty, social perception, employee orientation, a culture of mistakes, the ability to think broadly, quickly and critically, understand the unique requirements of the environment and see the opportunities of today. The structure of leadership intelligence, which consists of the elements of launching an anti-stress mechanism aimed at development, change and humanity, is substantiated. Such components are the coefficient of intelligence, emotional, cultural and spiritual coefficients.

The more involved, the more willing to participate: An analysis of the internal mechanism of positive spillover effects of pro-environmental behaviors

Due to the public characteristics of the ecological environment, there is an inevitable “free-rider” defect in the pro-environmental behaviors. Therefore, it is essential to study residents' pro-environmental behaviors to guide them to adopt pro-environmental behaviors actively. In the field of environmental behavior, recent studies have identified a phenomenon called “behavior spillover.” Research in this field is still in its infancy. The related research has significant single characteristic: most of them are based on a single theory to explain the spillover effect of pro-environmental behavior. This paper takes the case of D Street in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China to research the internal mechanism of positive spillover effects of pro-environmental behaviors. This street is transitioning from not attaching importance to environmental protection to attaching importance to environmental protection, and thus it is a pioneering, representative, and practical sample. This paper takes the theory of planned behavior and cognitive balance theory involving cognition, emotion, and behavior as basic theoretical tools and introduces parallel and chain mediation approaches to cognitive and emotional pathways, in combination with other theories, to examine the factors influencing initial environmental participation behavior on subsequent willingness to participate in a comprehensive way. The study found that in addition to the direct effect environmental protection participation behavior has on subsequent participation willingness, our study found three pathways from Pro-environmental Behaviors to willingness, namely: (1) participating behavior → knowledge → willingness, (2) participating behavior → pleasure → willingness, and (3) participating behavior → knowledge → pleasure → willingness. This paper's aim is to theoretically confirm the complex intermediary mechanism of the positive spillover effect of pro-environmental behavior and to highlight the need to strengthen publicity and education so that residents can appreciate the necessity of environmental protection knowledge and internalize knowledge into positive, stable, and continuous emotions and attitudes, so as to promote their spontaneous environmental protection participation behavior.

Construction of Cognitive Model of Family Education Decision-Making Based on Neural Network.

Family's academic cognition influences the family's academic concept, rearing fashion, and academic participation. It is no longer solely associated to kid's bodily and intellectual development; however, additionally associated to household concord and social progress. With the development of the times, the complicated traits of training proceed to pose new challenges to parents. Exploring the composition and operation mechanism of family training decision-making cognition is envisioned to stop up the key to promote parents' orderly coaching participation and home university cooperation. However, the associated lookup of usual cognitive mannequin has terrible steadiness and prediction charge in focus results. This paper constructs a cognitive model of family training decision-making principally based totally on neural network. Through the assessment of relevant data, they have an effect of the cognitive model of family coaching decision-making mainly based totally on neural neighborhood evaluated from the accuracy, root suggest rectangular error RMSE, and AUC curve. The experimental effects exhibit that the prediction accuracy of the cognitive mannequin of household training decision-making primarily based on neural community is 15% greater than that of the standard model, and the cognitive balance of the mannequin is 8.2%. This paper demonstrates the effectiveness, feasibility, and practicability of the mannequin in realistic teaching.

Effectiveness of Adapted Taekwondo, Multi-Component Training and Walking Exercise on Health Status in Independent Older Women: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (TKD &amp; Aging Project)

Simple SummaryThe benefits of regular physical activity on various health variables in older people have been extensively reported in scientific evidence. Resistance training, multi-component training, and walking exercise are the most commonly used physical activity interventions in older people, while interventions with adapted taekwondo are less common but have similar results to the strategies mentioned above. As a result, this study protocol aims to analyze and compare the effects of an adapted taekwondo program with respect to multi-component training and walking exercise on health status in independent older women. Secondarily, we analyze the variability of the inter-individual response and compare it according to the designated training system. According to the current scientific evidence we expect that adapted taekwondo will produce more significant effects and greater inter-individual responses in cognitive status, brain activity, health-related quality of life, and postural balance than the other training methods. If this intervention proves effective, it could be an alternative for older women.This study protocol aims to analyze and compare the effects of an adapted taekwondo program with respect to multi-component training and walking exercise on health status in independent older women. Secondarily, we analyze the variability of the inter-individual response and compare it according to the designated training system. The sample will consist of 64 women between 60 and 65 years, randomly assigned to experimental group 1 (n = 16; adapted taekwondo), experimental group 2 (n = 16; multi-component training), experimental group 3 (n = 16, walking exercise) or control group (n = 16; no intervention). The experimental groups will perform the designated training for three sessions (60 min per session) per week over 16-weeks, while the control group will not receive any treatment. The main outcome will provide information about (i) blood pressure, (ii) lipid profile, (iii) frequency of food consumption, (iv) body composition, (v) cognitive status, (vi) brain activity, (vii) health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and (viii) physical-functional fitness. Our hypothesis indicates that adapted taekwondo produces more significant effects and greater inter-individual responses in cognitive status, brain activity, HRQoL, and postural balance than the others training methods. If this intervention proves effective, it could be an alternative for older women.

The Effects of the Task Balance Training Program on the Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels, Cognitive Function, and Postural Balance in Old People.

Exercise in the form of physical activity can provide neuroprotective benefits. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the task balance training program (TBT program) on the glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor levels, cognitive function, and postural balance in old people. The population of this study was the old people members of the Batara Hati Mulia Gowa Foundation who were willing to participate in the study (n = 66). The sample of this study was obtained through a random sampling technique to determine the treatment (n = 32) and control (n = 34) groups. Before and after implementing the TBT program, glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) level measurement and cognitive function and postural balance assessment were performed. Cognitive function was measured by using Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA). Postural balance was measured in two ways by using the timed up and go (TUG) test and Tinetti performance-oriented mobility assessment (POMA). The treatment group showed significantly greater changes than the control group in GDNF levels (2.24 (±0.63) vs. 1.24 (±0.43), P = 0.001), cognitive function (24.66 (±3.42) vs. 19.18 (±2.67), P = 0.001), and postural balance (TUG [14.00 (±4.04) vs. 18.68 (±3.98)]; POMA [26.53 (±1.74) vs. 23.47 (±3.06)], P = 0.001) after training. The treatment group also showed a significant relationship between GDNF levels and cognitive function (r = 0.840, P = 0.001) and postural balance (TUG [r = 0.814, P = 0.001]; POMA [r = 0.630, P = 0.001]). The TBT program affects the levels of GDNF in old people. The TBT program involves cognitive function improvement and affects postural balance changes in old people.

Do valence and effects of meta-stereotype conform to the rewarding principle?

<p id=C10>The term meta-stereotype refers to the beliefs of in-group members regarding the stereotypes that out-group members hold about them. Its valence can be positive or negative, and its effects can also be positive or negative. Previous researchers have held the view that the valence and effects of meta-stereotype conform to the “rewarding principle.” In other words, positive meta-stereotype activation would have a positive effect, and negative meta-stereotype activation would have a negative effect. However, recent studies, have found that this relationship was not consistent. Up to now, the nature of the relationship between the valence and effects of meta-stereotype is still a matter of debate. <p id=C11>For the negative meta-stereotype activation, its threat effect conforms to the rewarding principle, whereas the reactance effect does not. The threat effect of the negative meta-stereotype is that its activation could result in psychological conflict for individuals engaged in social situations. This may induce them to face a loss of cognitive balance and experience anxiety and stress, resulting in negative consequences. In contrast, it is possible for the activation of negative meta-stereotype to have a positive effect, that is, the reactance effect. When the negative meta-stereotype is activated, individuals perceive that they are being negatively evaluated by the out-group members. They may act to refute the negative evaluation. They would then display positive behaviors in a way to maintain a positive in-group image or prove their own abilities. It was found that the threat and reactance effects of negative meta-stereotype differ in the research scope, mechanism, and interventions that would eliminate the negative effects of meta-stereotype. <p id=C12>For the positive meta-stereotype activation, its boost effect conforms to the rewarding principle, whereas the choking effect does not. In general, the positive meta-stereotype reflects the positive evaluation by the out-group to the in-group members; that is, it contains a number of positive characteristics. Therefore, the activation of the positive meta-stereotype can lead to a boost effect. Specifically, when individuals feel that they are positively viewed by the out-group members, they not only feel better about themselves, but also are encouraged to give back to other out-group members in helpful, constructive way. In contrast, positive meta-stereotype activation may also have a negative effect; that is, the choking effect. If individuals perceive that the out-group members hold very high expectations of them, they may feel substantially more pressure. This can bring about undesirable outcomes. They might focus too intensely on themselves, or even feel worry and doubt their own abilities, and subsequently perform badly. After comparing previous studies of the boost and choking effects of positive meta-stereotype, it was found that the differences between them were in the research scope, mechanism, and the mode of activation. <p id=C13>Based on the analysis of the four effects mentioned above, it appears that the effects of meta-stereotype activation of different valences are influenced by a variety of factors at the individual and the group levels. Among them, the individual-level factors are the difficulty of retrieving the meta-stereotype, the internal resources, the degree of meta-stereotype personalization, and the impression management motivation; the group-level factors include group social status. <p id=C14>Although research on meta-stereotype has gradually expanded, it still mainly focuses on the threat effect of the negative meta-stereotype and the boost effect of the positive meta-stereotype respectively. Studies on the reactance effect of the negative meta-stereotype and the choking effect of the positive meta-stereotype are limited. Many issues remain to be addressed. Future research can further expand the fields and preconditions of the diverse effects activated by the negative and positive meta-stereotypes, explore the interventions to eliminate the negative effects of meta-stereotype, and investigate the role of meta-stereotype activation mode.

Psycho-cognitive assessment and quality of life in older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-carrying the rs4713916 gene polymorphism (G/A) of gene FKBP5 and response to pulmonary rehabilitation: a proof of concept study.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by pulmonary and extra-pulmonary multi-morbidity including depression, anxiety and cognitive disorders. Several studies investigated the association of the FKBP5 gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorders. The FKBP5 gene codifies the FKBP51 protein which modulates the glucocorticoid receptor in the adaptive stress response. Genetic variants of the FKBP5 gene have been associated to a higher risk of developing mental disorders. We analyzed the association of genetic variants and stress exposure investigating the susceptibility to psychological distress and the impact on cognitive balance and quality of life (QoL) of COPD patients carrying the rs4713916 polymorphism (G/A) and we examined its association, with COPD rehabilitative outcomes. A pilot study evaluated cognitive, psychological, clinical alterations/disorders, QoL, and coping strategies in 70 older adults with COPD, undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation, stratified according to the FKBP5 rs4713916 genotype (GG or GA). Carriers of rs4713916 polymorphisms (G/A) show better cognitive performances, a higher degree of independence in the daily living activities, better QoL, no presence of depressive mood and anxiety symptoms, no family history of psychiatric disorders, more ability to cope with stressors by avoiding emotions but demanding emotional support, and lesser use of anti-anxiety, anti-depressant, anti-psychotic, hypnotic-sedative drugs. No difference was found in the number of comorbidities. These results offer valuable insights into the role of FKBP5 in the complex network of mechanisms associated to clinical, psychological and behavioral features of COPD patients.

Relationship between motor-cognitive functions and hemodynamic response of individuals with chronic stroke during and after an acute bout of aerobic exercise

Background: Individuals post-stroke commonly presents functional and cardiorespiratory deficits besides a physical inactivity lifestyle in the chronic phase of disease. Considering this, there is a hypothesis that hemodynamic responses could be affected by motor, cognitive and cardiorespiratory deficits during the aerobic exercise. In order to identify functional conditions that can influence the aerobic performance of these individuals, correlations between functional variables and hemodynamic responses during and after the aerobic exercise were studied. As a secondary purpose, the ability of return to hemodynamic resting state were also analyzed. Methods: In this experimental study, after being evaluated about their motor and cognitive function, balance and prognosis, forty participants underwent a 30-minute aerobic exercise session on a treadmill. Training heart rate, arterial blood pressure, oxygen pulse saturation, heart rate, and respiratory rate were measured before begin the exercise session, every five minutes during the exercise and five minutes after it. Results: Cardiorespiratory parameters within normality limits in all phases of the exercise and the capacity of returning to the resting state were observed. Moderate inverse correlations were found between Berg Scale and oxygen pulse saturation (r=-0.401, p=0.01), between MMSE and diastolic blood pressure (r=-0.406, p=0.009), age and diastolic blood pressure (r=-0.435, p=0.005) and between injury time and RR (r=-0.454, p=0.003). Relationship between the lesion side and the 20 minute phase of aerobic exercise was also observed (p=0.042). Conclusion: Post- stroke individuals present moderate correlation between hemodynamic and respiratory responses during aerobic exercise and balance, muscle strength, injury time, age and side of lesion. They also have the capacity to return to their cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular resting state right after the activity besides their cardiorespiratory deficits.