Poor Memory Research Articles

Contextual cues prompt greater improvements in alcohol consumption recall for people with higher working memory capacities

ABSTRACT Objective Alcohol research often relies on surveys to assess how much alcohol participants consume. Therefore, improving accuracy in surveys is a priority for researchers. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between working memory and self-reported alcohol consumption. Method Two hundred and eighty-five respondents (203 female, mean age = 55.60, SD = 7.35) were recruited online to complete three working memory tests and two alcohol consumption measures: one included contextual cues (Within-Location Beverage Specific; WLBS) and the other did not (Graduated Frequency; GF). Results Contrary to expectations, while all respondents reported higher alcohol consumption in response to the WLBS than the GF, those who scored high on working memory measures gained greater benefits from the inclusion of contextual cues than those who scored low. Conclusions Thus, while contextual cues in alcohol consumption surveys elicit higher levels of reported consumption, they may still lead to under-reporting by those with poorer working memories. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: People under-report their alcohol consumption Providing contextual cues in surveys can help Working memory influences ability to recallbehaviours like alcohol consumption What this topic adds: Increased contextual cues help those with better working memory While increasing contextual cues increase reported consumption, it does so disproportionately for those with good working memory While increased contextual cues lead to higher reported consumption they may also lead to increased under-reporting of a range of behaviours in those with poor working memory, relative to those who do not have poor working memory.

Characteristics of Working Memory and Mental Verbs in Preschool Children

Objectives: The purpose of study was to examine preschool children’s attribute to understand mental verbs (emotion, cognitive) depending on their working memory ability. Methods: The participants were 45 children who were 5 years old. They were classified into groups: higher, intermediate and lower group, based on the results of a working memory task which included non-word repetition and judging whether a sentence was said with correct grammar. We analyzed their understanding of mental verbs and gave them mental verb comprehension task. Results: First, there was a statistically significant difference among the three groups in understanding mental verbs. Second, in examining the difference in comprehension between the two different types of mental verbs among the three groups, both emotional verbs and cognitive verbs showed higher understanding in the order of higher group working memory, intermediate group, and lower group respectively. Lastly, in analyzing the difference in comprehension of the two different types of mental verbs within the three groups; in the higher group, children performed better on cognitive verbs performed compared to emotion verbs; there was no difference in the intermediate group; and in the lower group, children performed better on the emotion verbs compared to the cognitive verbs. Conclusion: This study could be an indication of a shortage of capacity in comprehension or in processing those words due to poor working memory compared to the other groups that performed relatively better. Therefore, this suggests that there is a need to understand the importance of considering children’s working memory and improving it as we provide intervention for them, rather than solely focusing on vocabulary comprehension or expanding expression.

Language Fluency Deficits in Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome.

Recent neurocognitive studies of patients with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) find consistent deficits in memory and processing speed. Language fluency deficits are observed as well but may be secondary to poor memory and slowing rather than an independent deficit. This study performed a secondary analysis of data presented previously, including individuals with PTLDS and comparison samples of healthy volunteers (HC) and patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), to determine if language fluency deficits could be accounted for by poor performance in these other neurocognitive domains. Basic verbal abilities, memory, and processing speed were all significantly associated with fluency performance. MDD patients' fluency deficits relative to HC were accounted for by these covariates. However, PTLDS patients' poorer fluency performance relative to both other groups was not. Language fluency appears to be an independent area of neurocognitive deficit within the constellation of PTLDS symptoms.

Cache-oblivious Hilbert Curve-based Blocking Scheme for Matrix Transposition

This article presents a fast SIMD Hilbert space-filling curve generator, which supports a new cache-oblivious blocking-scheme technique applied to the out-of-place transposition of general matrices. Matrix operations found in high performance computing libraries are usually parameterized based on host microprocessor specifications to minimize data movement within the different levels of memory hierarchy. The performance of cache-oblivious algorithms does not rely on such parameterizations. This type of algorithm provides an elegant and portable solution to address the lack of standardization in modern-day processors. Our solution consists in an iterative blocking scheme that takes advantage of the locality-preserving properties of Hilbert space-filling curves to minimize data movement in any memory hierarchy. This scheme traverses the input matrix, in O(nm) time and space, improving the behavior of matrix algorithms that inherently present poor memory locality. The application of this technique to the problem of out-of-place matrix transposition achieved competitive results when compared to state-of-the-art approaches. The performance of our solution surpassed Intel MKL version after employing standard software prefetching techniques.

Emotions and Cognition of Dhildren with Autism Spectrum Disorders During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulty controlling emotions, difficulty maintaining attention, relatively poor memory, and difficulty in speaking. Attention, memory, and speech are parts of cognition. During the covid-19 pandemic, individuals with autism feel more stressed because they have lost their routine. This type of research is quantitative descriptive with a cross sectional approach. The sampling technique is purposive sampling. The number of samples used were 59 ASD children aged 5-11 years. Emotional data was collected using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children, Short Form/PANAS-C-S scale, attention data was collected using the inattention subscale of the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham scale, version IV (SNAP-IV), memory data was collected using the Observer questionnaire. Memory Questionnaire-Parent Form (OMQ-PF), and speech data were collected using the speech subscale of ATEC. The data obtained were analyzed descriptively. The results showed the average positive emotion (PA) of children with ASD = 18.20; negative emotional level (NA) = 12.42; emotion (PA + NA) = 5.78; inattention = 24.80; memory = 83.51; and speech = 26.71. The mean of positive emotions in ASD children is lower, negative emotions are higher, and overall good emotions are lower than normal children aged 8-11 years. The mean inattention score in children with ASD was included in the criteria for severe attention deficit symptoms. The mean memory of ASD children is lower than normal children aged 5-16 years. The average speech score of children with ASD is lower than the score normally achieved by normal children. The emotions and cognition of children with ASD during the covid-19 pandemic were lower than normal children. Efforts are needed to increase positive emotions and improve cognitive function which include: attention, memory, and speech in ASD children with various therapies that are suitable for each individual.

Association of ambient air pollutants and cognitive impairment in a community‐dwelling elderly population: A four‐year cohort study

AbstractBackgroundLong‐term ambient air pollution has known to affect cognitive function. However, limited studies investigated the relationship between co‐exposure to ambient air pollutants and cognitive functions in non‐demented older adults. Therefore, this study aimed to explore this association in a community‐based prospective cohort study.MethodThis four‐year prospective cohort study is part of the ongoing Taiwan Initiative Geriatric Epidemiological Research (TIGER, 2011‐present) and included 286 non‐demented older adults between 2015‐2019. Ambient air pollution data were collected from 29 monitoring stations from Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (TEPA) between 1994 and 2019. Global and domain‐specific (memory, attention, executive function, and language) cognitive functions were assessed using the Taiwanese version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA‐T) and a battery of neuropsychological tests. The generalized linear mixed models were used to evaluate the association of co‐exposure to air pollutants with cognitive function adjusting for important covariates. Furthermore, we conducted stratified analyses by olfaction, known as an early marker of dementia.ResultExcept for PM2.5, the annual average exposure of the other five pollutants was below the TEPA standards. A 25‐year high‐level exposure of NO2 (≥ 27.7 ppb) was associated with good performance executive function (β = 0.25) over four years. For joint effect, high‐level (the highest tertile) PM2.5 with low to medium concentration level of NO2, CO, or SO2 were significantly associated with the poor performance of memory (β = ‐0.39 to ‐0.35). Similarly, high‐level PM2.5 with low to medium concentration level of NO2, PM10 with O3 were significantly associated with poor executive function (β = ‐0.28 to ‐0.19). In participants with normal olfaction, high co‐exposure level to PM2.5 and PM10, with CO, SO2, O3, and NO2 was significantly associated with poor memory and executive function (β = ‐0.55 to ‐0.30). No significant associations were found in participants with abnormal olfaction.ConclusionLong‐term low to medium‐level co‐exposure to NO2, CO, or SO2 and high‐level PM2.5 was associated with poor memory; co‐exposure to O3 with PM10 and co‐exposure to NO2 with PM2.5 was associated with poor executive function. A revision on exposure standards shall be considered to protect older adults at the preclinical phase of dementia.

Differential impact of APOE on associations between phosphorylated tau 181 and multi‐domain cognitive outcomes using cerebrospinal fluid and plasma markers

AbstractBackgroundBiomarkers of phosphorylated tau have previously been linked to cognitive function in prodromal Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the differential dynamics of various biomarker methods used as indicators of tau accumulation remain under investigation, particularly with respect to their associations with cognitive function and the moderating influence of APOE.MethodData for 741 participants from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative with concurrent plasma, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and neuropsychological data were included. T‐tests assessed for cognitive classification (cognitively unimpaired [CU] vs mild cognitive impairment [MCI]) and APOE ε4 [carrier vs. non‐carrier] differences in levels of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (p‐tau181) measured in plasma and CSF. Multiple linear regression assessed for a main effect of plasma and CSF p‐tau181 on domains of memory, language, and executive function, as well as the moderating effect of APOE ε4 status, adjusting for age, sex, education, and cognitive classification. Sensitivity analyses included CSF amyloid‐beta 1‐42 as a covariate and stratified by cognitive classification.ResultResults indicated that both the MCI group and the APOE ε4 carrier group had significantly higher levels of plasma (cognitive group t=5.84, p<.001; APOE group t=4.89, p<.001) and CSF p‐tau181 (cognitive group t=5.14, p<.001; APOE group t=10.18, p<.001). For plasma p‐tau181, a main effect was observed only for memory (t=‐2.20, p=.03), whereas APOE ε4 interactions were observed only for language (t=‐2.65, p=.01) and executive function (t=‐2.19, p=.03) with ε4 carriers exhibiting a stronger negative association. For CSF p‐tau181, both a main effect (t=‐5.04, p<.001) and APOE ε4 interaction (t=‐2.10, p=.04) were observed only for memory. Sensitivity analyses revealed that these findings were driven by the MCI group and were largely unchanged when including amyloid‐beta 1‐42 as a covariate.ConclusionPlasma and CSF p‐tau181 are both elevated in the context of increased AD risk and both are associated with poorer memory. However, different patterns for plasma p‐tau181 emerge across other cognitive domains (i.e., language, executive function) when APOE ε4 carrier status is considered. However, future research (particularly in more representative samples) is needed given prior research demonstrating increased sensitivity of CSF relative to plasma.

منهج أبي داود في تخريج مرويات "التراجم المعلة" في كتابه "السنن" سماك بن حرب عن عكرمة نموذجا

One of the significant criteria of an authentic ḥadīth is, it is free from any syudzūdz and ‘illah in its sanad or matn, and this criterion is related to one important criterion, which is ḍabṭ al-rāwi. A ḥadīth narrator is categorized into different levels and groups based on his ‘adālah and ḍabṭ, and hence his narrations will be labeled as Ṣaḥīḥ, Ḥasan, or Ḍa‘īf. There is a group of generally trustworthy ḥadīth narrators, but their narrations in certain circumstances are considered inadequate due to poor memory. Simāk Ibn Ḥarb falls under this category. According to most ḥadīth scholars, he is a trustworthy narrator, and his narrations are in significant ḥadīth encyclopedias. Unfortunately, his narrations from his teacher, ‘Ikrimah mawla Ibn ‘Abbās, are inconsistent; therefore, some of the ḥadīth experts like al-Bukhāri and Muslim, the authors of the two most authentic ḥadīth books, did not record any narration from this chain in their books, and they classified this chain as a defected one. At the same time, other ḥadīth scholars like the authors of al-Sunan al-Arba’ah, Ibn Khuzaymah, and Ibn Ḥibbān, the authors of two ṣaḥīḥ books, recorded a considerable number of his narrations from this chain. This scenario raises an inevitable question regarding the reason and methodology of these scholars in doing so despite their knowledge of the problematic chain. In this study, I will examine thirteen narrations of this chain in the book of al-Sunan by Abū Dāwūd, which is one of the essential ḥadīth books in Islamic tradition. After thoroughly studying the narrations, I conclude that Abū Dāwūd had recorded those narrations where he was confident that Simāk Ibn Ḥarb had memorized them properly from his teacher, Ikrimah, based on the syawāhid and mutāba’ah. As for the sole narrations from this chain, Abū Dāwūd recorded them because the practices of some fuqahā’ support them or because the ḥadīth is under the mursal category, which is considered sufficient as fiqh evidence. This methodology is known as al-intiqā’, where a ḥadīth scholar will choose some narrations from a narrator or a chain, after being confident that the content of the narrations is accurate. Thus, it is unmethodological to impose a general ruling on each narration from this chain as weak without thoroughly examining them case by case, especially if the narration is in a ṣaḥīḥ book or al-sunan al-arba’ah.

Difficulties with mathematics experienced by adults with epilepsy in daily life: An online study

ObjectiveMathematics encompass a variety of skills, broadly grouped into basic numeracy to complex secondary mathematical skills. In children with epilepsy difficulties with mathematics are common and related to a multicomponent working memory capacity. Little is known about mathematical skills of adults with epilepsy in daily life. Hence, we aimed to compare basic and secondary mathematical skills of adults with epilepsy to controls, examine relations between mathematical skills and working memory, and explored relationships between mathematical skills and epilepsy variables (age of onset, seizure frequency, and anti-seizure medication). MethodsEighty four people with epilepsy and 86 healthy controls completed questionnaires on their subjective experience of using mathematics and working memory skills in daily life: The Dyscalculia Checklist (DC) and Working Memory Questionnaire (WMQ; including attention, storage, and executive scales), respectively. Questionnaires also collected demographic and epilepsy variables. ResultsAdults with epilepsy reported greater difficulties in basic and secondary mathematical skills on the DC compared with controls. Only one epilepsy variable, a younger age of epilepsy onset, related to higher DC scores (greater mathematical difficulties), but was not significantly related in regression analyses. Instead, the WMQ explained 33% of the variance on the DC; the poorer storage and attention (but not executive) on the WMQ were associated with the higher DC score, when demographic and epilepsy variables were accounted for. SignificanceAdults with epilepsy reported significant difficulties with mathematics in daily life, which were not explained by epilepsy variables but by poor working memory. While our findings suggest that daily difficulties with mathematics may be comorbid with epilepsy rather than epilepsy related, it is important to be cognizant of mathematical difficulties experienced by patients with epilepsy as they have potential to impact understanding of numerical information provided in patient care, such as risks associated with different epilepsy treatments.

Anhedonia in epilepsy

BackgroundAnhedonia, the impaired ability to experience pleasure, is a core feature of major depressive disorder, one of the most common comorbidities in epilepsy. It is also reported as a clinical feature independent of depression in a number of other neurological conditions. This study aimed to establish the prevalence of anhedonia in a sample of people with epilepsy, with and without a diagnosis of depression, and to examine the clinical and demographic characteristics of those who present with this symptom. MethodsA consecutive sample of 211 people (118 female, 93 male, mean age 38.09 years) completed the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) to determine the presence of anhedonia and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to determine levels of anxiety and depression. The majority of patients had focal epilepsy (n = 165), and the remaining patients had generalized epilepsy (n = 22), or unclassified epilepsy (n = 24). Sixteen percent of the sample had a clinical diagnosis of depression at the time of the study. ResultsOver one in three of the sample (35%) reported significant anhedonia on the SHAPS. While these patients were more likely to have a diagnosis of depression (p < 0.01), 30% of people without a diagnosis of depression also reported significant anhedonia. Difficulties gaining pleasure on 12 of the 14 items on the SHAPS were associated with cognitive difficulties, with those reporting an inability to feel pleasure on the item scoring significantly lower on tests of cognitive function than those who were able to gain pleasure. Of the three cognitive domains examined (overall intellectual ability, verbal memory, and processing speed), a poor memory had the strongest relationship; with lower memory function associated with an impaired ability to experience pleasure on 9 of the 14 items. ConclusionWhile anhedonia is well recognized as a feature of depression, our data suggests that it can be present in up to a third of people with epilepsy who do not have a diagnosis of depression. Cognitive difficulties, particularly impaired memory function may mediate some features of anhedonia. The implications of these findings for the clinical management of anhedonia in people with epilepsy are discussed.

Spelling problems after early oral language difficulties.

Recent research has stated that early oral language acquisition difficulties are related to reading and writing difficulties. Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) experience difficulties with several dimensions of language. In this study we focus on the specific difficulties of children with DLD in spelling. We examine the impact of lexicality and length in written production of Spanish-speaking children with DLD. A total of 18 children with language difficulties (Mage = 8;4) were compared with age-matched children (Mage = 8;2). Participants completed a spelling-to-dictation task of words and pseudo-words, where length was manipulated. A digital tablet was used to collect data and obtain measures of accuracy, latencies and total writing durations. Results showed that children with DLD produced more errors, longer latencies and longer writing durations than age-matched children. Regarding accuracy, analysis of the errors shows that children in the control group produce few errors, most being substitutions, while children with DLD made more errors and of more varied categories. Moreover, they were more affected by length on writing accuracy than the control group. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject Children with language difficulties are more likely to present reading difficulties. There are fewer studies analysing the impact of oral language difficulties in writing skills. What this paper adds to existing knowledge The study suggests that children with oral language difficulties also have impairments in spelling, impacting on accuracy, duration and reaction time, possibly related to poor phonological working memory. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? This study highlights the need to emphasize early oral intervention and language-related processing skills to help prevent written language difficulties.

Environmental enrichment improves declined cognition induced by prenatal inflammatory exposure in aged CD-1 mice: Role of NGPF2 and PSD-95.

Research suggests that prenatal inflammatory exposure could accelerate age-related cognitive decline that may be resulted from neuroinflammation and synaptic dysfunction during aging. Environmental enrichment (EE) may mitigate the cognitive and synaptic deficits. Neurite growth-promoting factor 2 (NGPF2) and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) play critical roles in neuroinflammation and synaptic function, respectively. We examined whether this adversity and EE exposure can cause alterations in Ngpf2 and Psd-95 expression. In this study, CD-1 mice received intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (50 μg/kg) or normal saline from gestational days 15-17. After weaning, half of the male offspring under each treatment were exposed to EE. The Morris water maze was used to assess spatial learning and memory at 3 and 15 months of age, whereas quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used to measure hippocampal mRNA and protein levels of NGPF2 and PSD-95, respectively. Meanwhile, serum levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that aged mice exhibited poor spatial learning and memory ability, elevated NGPF2 mRNA and protein levels, and decreased PSD-95 mRNA and protein levels relative to their young counterparts during natural aging. Embryonic inflammatory exposure accelerated age-related changes in spatial cognition, and in Ngpf2 and Psd-95 expression. Additionally, the levels of Ngpf2 and Psd-95 products were significantly positively and negatively correlated with cognitive dysfunction, respectively, particularly in prenatal inflammation-exposed aged mice. Changes in serum levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α reflective of systemic inflammation and their correlation with cognitive decline during accelerated aging were similar to those of hippocampal NGPF2. EE exposure could partially restore the accelerated decline in age-related cognitive function and in Psd-95 expression, especially in aged mice. Overall, the aggravated cognitive disabilities in aged mice may be related to the alterations in Ngpf2 and Psd-95 expression and in systemic state of inflammation due to prenatal inflammatory exposure, and long-term EE exposure may ameliorate this cognitive impairment by upregulating Psd-95 expression.

Muistijälkien kirjoittaminen aivojen kovalevylle unen aikana takkuilee Alzheimerin taudissa

”Why do we need to sleep?” is still a question with no unambiguous answer. New findings from brain research suggest that one important function of sleep is to enable the transfer of temporary memories from deep brain structures to long-term storage in the cerebral cortex. This article describes from step to step how this process is thought to occur at the level of a single neuron and neural networks. The transfer of episodic memories from the hippocampus in the medial temporal lobe to the cerebral cortex explains a well-known paradox: an elderly person with Alzheimer’s disease can remember even small details of decade-old events but fails to remember what happened only a few hours ago. Transfer of the memory engram particularly during sleep and typical sleep fragmentation at early stages of Alzheimer’s disease can at least partly account for the poor memory of recent events. A better understanding of the underlying factors and mechanisms can help us develop new treatments to strengthen the weak parts in this chain of events and thereby enhance remembering of new events.

Effects of changes in short-term human cognition on reported healthcare utilisation.

Growing empirical evidence indicates that financial anxiety causes reductions in short-term cognitive capacity. Results from urban communities in Delhi, India show sizable differences in the number of health events recalled between the poor and non-poor respondents over experimentally controlled recall periods. One explanation for this recall difference is 'poor memory'. Such results provide additional reasons for healthy skepticism of the accuracy of self-reported health survey data. The present research identifies which forms of cognitive capacity are related to health event recall and assesses the roles of poverty and illiteracy as mediating variables. Results indicate that underreporting of health events among the poor in rural Kenya is not solely due to 'poor memory'. Data used comes from a repeated cross-sectional study conducted in Samburu county, Kenya over 10-months between 2017-2018. This period coincided with the ending of a protracted and severe drought in East Africa. The results presented in the current study confirm the poor and non-poor distinction, but provide a more detailed cognitive explanation for such results. Reflective throught, as measured by fluid intelligence and heuristic use, is shown to be good predictors of fever recall among relatively poor rura communities in central Kenya.

Altered brain spontaneous and synchronization activity in latent autoimmune diabetes in adults: A resting-state functional MRI study.

This study aimed to explore the clinical features and spontaneous brain activity among patients with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) and to investigate the relationship among these characteristics. We conducted a cross-sectional study using cognitive assessments and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to evaluate the cognitive function and brain activities of healthy controls (HCs) and patients with LADA. Functional connectivity (FC) analysis was performed on the brain regions that showed significantly different activation in regional homogeneity (ReHo) analysis between the two groups. Furthermore, a linear regression model was conducted for the association between metabolism and cognition. This study enrolled patients with LADA (and age-, sex-, and education-matched HCs). Patients with LADA had worse cognitive status at the general level and poorer memory than controls. Rs-fMRI analysis among patients with LADA showed decreased ReHo values in the right occipital lobe and temporal lobe and decreased seed-based FC in the right parietal lobe compared to those of controls. The seed-based FC values in the right parietal lobe were positively associated with word fluency and processing speed in patients with LADA. Furthermore, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was negatively correlated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores in patients with LADA. Patients with LADA had worse cognitive function and decreased spontaneous brain activity in the temporal lobe and occipital lobe compared to controls. Moreover, glycolipid metabolism was closely related to brain structure and function in patients with LADA.

Both Short and Long Sleep Durations Are Associated with Poor Cognition and Memory in Chinese Adults Aged 55+ Years-Results from China Health and Nutrition Survey.

We aimed to examine the associations between sleep duration and cognitive functions and memory in older Chinese adults attending the China Health and Nutrition Survey. A total of 7924 participants 55 years and older who reported their sleep duration and had a cognitive screen test in 2004, 2006, and 2015 were included in the analysis. Mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to assess the associations. A short sleep duration (≤6 h/day) and long sleep duration (≥10 h/day) were positively associated with a low global cognitive score (odds ratio-OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.01-1.50; OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.17-1.79, respectively). Both short sleepers and long sleepers had an increased risk of self-reported poor memory (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.39-1.91; OR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.25-1.74, respectively). No differences in the above associations were found for income, education, and urbanity. In conclusion, both the short and long sleep duration were associated with declined cognition and memory. Maintaining a normal sleep duration may aid in the prevention of cognitive function decline in older adults.

Changes in loneliness prevalence and its associated factors among Bangladeshi older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Worldwide, loneliness is one of the most common psychological phenomena among older adults, adversely affecting their physical and mental health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to assess changes in the prevalence of loneliness in the two timeframes (first and second waves of COVID-19 in Bangladesh) and identify its correlates in pooled data. This repeated cross-sectional study was conducted on two successive occasions (October 2020 and September 2021), overlapping with the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. The survey was conducted remotely through telephone interviews among 2077 (1032 in the 2020-survey and 1045 in the 2021-survey) older Bangladeshi adults aged 60 years and above. Loneliness was measured using the 3-item UCLA Loneliness scale. The binary logistic regression model was used to identify the factors associated with loneliness in pooled data. We found a decline in the loneliness prevalence among the participants in two survey rounds (51.5% in 2021 versus 45.7% in 2020; P = 0.008), corresponding to 33% lower odds in the 2021-survey (AOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.54-0.84). Still, nearly half of the participants were found to be lonely in the latest survey. We also found that, compared to their respective counterparts, the odds of loneliness were significantly higher among the participants without a partner (AOR 1.58, 95% CI 1.20-2.08), with a monthly family income less than 5000 BDT (AOR 2.34, 95% CI 1.58-3.47), who lived alone (AOR 2.17, 95% CI 1.34-3.51), with poor memory or concentration (AOR 1.58, 95% CI 1.23-2.03), and suffering from non-communicable chronic conditions (AOR 1.55, 95% CI 1.23-1.95). Various COVID-19-related characteristics, such as concern about COVID-19 (AOR 1.28, 95% CI 0.94-1.73), overwhelm by COVID-19 (AOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.14-2.06), difficulty earning (AOR 2.00, 95% CI 1.54-2.59), and receiving routine medical care during COVID-19 (AOR 2.08, 95% CI 1.61-2.68), and perception that the participants required additional care during the pandemic (AOR 2.93, 95% CI 2.27-3.79) were also associated with significantly higher odds of loneliness. However, the odds of loneliness were significantly lower among the participants with formal schooling (AOR 0.71, 95% CI 0.57-0.89) and with a family of more than four members (AOR 0.76, 95% CI 0.60-0.96). The current study found a decreased prevalence of loneliness among Bangladeshi older adults during the ongoing pandemic. However, the prevalence is still very high. The findings suggest the need for mental health interventions that may include improving social interactions increasing opportunities for meaningful social connections with family and community members and providing psychosocial support to the vulnerable population including older adults during the pandemic. It also suggests that policymakers and public health practitioners should emphasise providing mental health services at the peripheral level where the majority of older adults reside.

ODP128 Unusually High Serum Calcium in a Patient with Familial Hypocalciuric Hypercalcemia

Abstract Background Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH) causes hypercalcemia via inactivating genetic mutations in the calcium-sensing receptors of parathyroid cells. FHH generally presents as a chronic, mild, asymptomatic hypercalcemia (&amp;lt;12mg/dL) with normal to moderately-elevated serum PTH levels. Low renal calcium/creatinine clearance ratio (CCCR) is the primary biochemical method of distinguishing FHH from primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Most patients do not require treatment. Surgery is generally inappropriate as hypercalcemia persists after subtotal parathyroidectomy. Clinical Cases A 19-year-old male was admitted to the psychiatry service due to suicidal ideation. He denied taking any medications or supplements. Initial labs noted a corrected calcium of 11.6 mg/dL (ref. 8.6-10.2 mg/dL) and repeat labs verified hypercalcemia. Intact PTH level was 118.8 pg/mL (ref. 15-65 pg/mL). He denied muscle weakness, fatigue, joint pain, constipation, kidney stones, or increased thirst. After IV-fluid repletion, his calcium remained elevated. Serum calcium was measured as high as 13.1mg/dL, corrected calcium was as high as 12.5 mg/dL, and ionized calcium was 6.9 mg/dL (ref. 4.5-5.6 mg/dL). 24-hour urine calcium was 93.6 mg/24-hr and CCCR was 0.29%. A presumptive diagnosis of FHH was made, based on the elevated calcium and PTH, with CCCR &amp;lt; 1%. His mood improved and he was discharged by psychiatry without starting any medications. Initiation of cinacalcet was discussed, but the patient preferred not to start medication. During outpatient follow-up, he did not endorse depression or suicidal ideation. He was referred for genetic analysis to confirm FHH. Due to his significant hypercalcemia, PHPT remained in consideration. Evaluation for MEN syndromes was also performed, since these are associated with early onset PHPT. He knew limited family history. His mother had hypercalcemia and hyperparathyroidism, requiring surgery. He was uncertain of her age at diagnosis or whether she had genetic testing. He also reported a maternal half-brother with hypercalcemia and renal disease, requiring dialysis in his 30s. Repeat labs a few months after his admission showed corrected calcium of 12. 0 mg/dL, ionized calcium of 6.8 mg/dL, and CCCR of 0.30%. Thyroid ultrasound and Tc-99m Sestamibi scan did not show evidence of parathyroid adenoma(s). Genetic analysis showed a known heterozygous pathogenic variant in the CASR gene, consistent with FHH, type 1. The patient continued to deny any symptoms, including psychiatric, and did not start cinacalcet. Conclusion FHH can occasionally present with corrected calcium &amp;gt; 12 mg/dL and PTH &amp;gt;100. CCCR is essential to distinguish FHH from PHPT. Genetic analysis should be pursued in patients with a questionable diagnosis. PHPT is primarily managed with surgery, while FHH is generally not managed with surgery, so correct diagnosis is essential. Rarely, FHH patients may present with pancreatitis, chondrocalcinosis, muscle cramps, poor memory and psychosis. Calcimimetic therapy may be considered in select, symptomatic patients. Presentation: No date and time listed

Tea Consumption Is Associated with Reduced Cognitive Decline and Interacts with Iron Intake: A Population-Based Longitudinal Study on 4,820 Old Adults.

Previous studies suggest a positive effect of tea intake on cognition. Additional micronutrients that may moderate this association was not previously examined. To examine the association between tea consumption and cognition and explore the interaction between tea consumption and iron intake. Data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey between 1997 and 2011 was used. 4,820 individuals (≥55 years) were included in the analyses. Measurement of cognitive function was conducted in 1997, 2000, 2004, and 2006. Tea consumption was self-reported. Food intake was assessed by 24-hour dietary recalls of three consecutive days during home visits between 1997 and 2011. Multivariable mixed linear regression and logistic regression was used to assess the association. Tea consumption was associated with reduced global cognitive function decline. In fully adjusted models, regression coefficients (95% CIs) for those who consumed 0 cups/day,<2 cups/day, 2-3.9 cups/day, and≥4 cups/day of tea were 0, -0.09 (-0.55-0.37), 0.05 (-0.34-0.45), and 0.87 (0.46-1.29), respectively. This effect was stronger in adults > 60 years. Tea consumption of≥4 cups/day was inversely associated with self-reported poor memory (OR 0.70 (95% CI 0.56-0.86)) and memory decline (OR, 0.73 (95% CI 0.62-0.87)). There was a significant interaction between tea consumption and iron intake in relation to cognition. High iron intake was inversely associated with cognition in non-consumers of tea but not in tea consumers. Higher tea intake is associated with reduced cognitive decline in adults and inhibits the adverse effect of high iron intake.

Genetic polymorphism in BIN1 rather than APOE is associated with poor recognition memory among men without dementia

Although several genetic polymorphisms have been linked with the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, less is known about their impact on cognitive performance among cognitively healthy individuals. Our aim was to investigate the association of the genetic variant, rs744373 in the bridging integrator 1 gene (BIN1), the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease after the APOE ε4 allele, with different cognitive domains among non-demented older men. Cognitive function was measured using the CogState Brief Battery, which assessed cognitive performance across four domains: psychomotor function, visual attention, recognition memory and working memory. Linear regression analysis revealed that individuals with the BIN1 risk allele performed poorly on the recognition memory task as compared to those without the risk allele. However, this was in contrast with the individuals who harboured the APOE ε4 risk allele as they displayed better performance on the recognition task in comparison to those without the ε4 risk allele. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrates genetic variation in BIN1 to be a better predictor of recognition memory than APOE, which remains the biggest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.