Significant Main Effect Of Group Research Articles

Effects of 16weeks of plyometric training on knee biomechanics during the landing phase in athletes.

This study investigated the effects of plyometric training on lower-limb muscle strength and knee biomechanical characteristics during the landing phase. Twenty-four male subjects were recruited for this study with a randomised controlled design. They were randomly divided into a plyometric training group and a traditional training group and underwent training for 16weeks. Each subject was evaluated every 8weeks for knee and hip isokinetic muscle strength as well as knee kinematics and kinetics during landing. The results indicated significant group and time interaction effects for knee extension strength (F=74.942 and p=0.001), hip extension strength (F=99.763 and p=0.000) and hip flexion strength (F=182.922 and p=0.000). For landing kinematics, there were significant group main effects for knee flexion angle range (F=4.429 and p=0.047), significant time main effects for valgus angle (F=6.502 and p=0.011) and significant group and time interaction effects for internal rotation angle range (F=5.475 and p=0.008). The group main effect for maximum knee flexion angle was significant (F=7.534 and p=0.012), and the group and time interaction effect for maximum internal rotation angle was significant (F=15.737 and p=0.001). For landing kinetics, the group main effect of the loading rate was significant (F=4.576 and p=0.044). Significant group and time interaction effects were observed for knee extension moment at the moment of maximum vertical ground reaction force (F=5.095 and p=0.010) and for abduction moment (F=8.250 and p=0.001). These findings suggest that plyometric training leads to greater improvements in hip and knee muscle strength and beneficial changes in knee biomechanics during landing compared to traditional training.

Hemodynamic responses to the cold pressor test in individuals with metabolic syndrome: a case-control study in a multiracial sample of adults.

Previous research shows that exercise pressor and metaboreflex responses are significantly exaggerated in individuals with metabolic syndrome, but it is unclear if these exaggerated responses extend to the cold pressor test (CPT). This study tested the hypothesis that, contrary to previously reported exaggerated responses during exercise, CPT responses would not be significantly exaggerated in individuals with MetS compared to matched controls. Eleven individuals with MetS and eleven control participants matched by age, race, sex, and ethnicity completed a cardiometabolic prescreening and a CPT. Each CPT required participants to immerse their hand in ice water for two minutes while beat-by-beat blood pressure, heart rate (HR), and leg blood flow (LBF) were continuously measured. Leg vascular conductance (LVC) was calculated as LBF divided by mean arterial pressure (MAP). The precent changes in MAP, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), HR, LBF, and LVC were compared across time (BL vs. Minutes 1 and 2 of CPT) and between groups (MetS vs. Control) using repeated measures analyses of variance. As expected, MAP (f = 32.11, p < 0.001), SBP (f = 23.18, p < 0.001), DBP (f = 40.39, p < 0.001), and HR (f = 31.81, p < 0.001) increased during the CPT, and LBF (f = 4.75, p = 0.014) and LVC (f = 13.88, p < 0.001) decreased. However, no significant main effects of group or group by time interactions were observed (f ≤ 0.391, p ≥ 0.539). These findings indicate that the hemodynamic responses to the CPT are not significantly exaggerated in MetS, and therefore, previous reports of exaggerated exercise pressor and metaboreflex responses in MetS cannot be attributed to generalized sympathetic overexcitability.

The effects of life review-based collage book making on psychosocial functioning and discrepancy between patients' and hospital staff's perception of daily functioning in long-term hospitalized patients with schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial

The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychosocial effects of life review-based collage book making on long-term inpatients with schizophrenia, and to verify the effectiveness of this program in reducing the discrepancy between self-perception and others' evaluation of patients' day-to-day functioning. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention or control group. The intervention group participated in an individual program of life review-based collage book making. At three evaluation points (pre-and post-intervention and at 3-month follow-up) the patients rated their subjective difficulties, and the staff rated the objective severity of the patient's day-to-day functioning, using the Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale Japanese version (SCoRS-J). The Profile of Mood Status-Brief Form (POMS), Recovery Assessment Scale, and Life Skills Profile were used to assess psychosocial functioning, and the changes in scores on the scales were compared between the two groups. In addition, for those with large discrepancy between patient and staff rating scores on the SCoRS-J at baseline, the change in the discrepancy scores were compared between the two groups. As a result, there was a significant group main effect and interaction between the two groups in the changes in the Confusion subscale scores of the POMS, indicating an alleviation of confusion in this program. In addition, for those with large discrepancy scores on the SCoRS-J, there was a significant group main effect and interaction between the two groups in discrepancy scores, indicating that this program can contribute to the reduction of discrepancies in the perceptions, and to the collaborative approach to treatment.

Does an acute transition to different footwear conditions affect walking patterns in people with different experiences of minimalist footwear?

BackgroundMinimalistic footwear provides adequate toe space, tripod function, improving foot function, muscle activation and stability during walking similarly to barefoot walking. Due to the increasing popularity of this specific footwear, there is a lack of research focusing on general users of minimalistic footwear. Research questionDoes annual walking in minimalistic footwear affect gait biomechanics? MethodsCross-sectional study involving twenty participants in a minimalistic footwear group with both experience (MFE) and no experience (NMFE). Participants walked in three different conditions (barefoot, minimalistic, and neutral footwear) in the laboratory at normal human walking speed. ResultsA significant main effect of groups regardless of footwear conditions show significantly greater values during walking in minimalistic footwear and barefoot in the stride length (p=0.035, p=0.003, respectively), and stride width (p=0.047, p=0.028, respectively) in the NMFE group compared to MFE group. The significant differences in the main effects of footwear regardless of experience were found in stance time (p<0.001), steps per minute (p<0.001), stride length (<0.001), foot adduction in TO (p<0.001), foot eversion angle in IC and TO (p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively), foot progression angle (p<0.001), ankle dorsiflexion angle in IC and TO (p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively), in ankle eversion angle in IC and TO (p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively), knee flexion angle in IC and TO (p<0.001; p<0.001, respectively), and in knee flexion range of motion (p<0.001). SignificanceBased on our findings, barefoot walking should be used primarily during daily activities if the environment is conducive. Only one year of experience with minimalistic footwear seems insufficient and an intervention should be incorporated to change the gait pattern when transitioning to full minimalistic footwear walking.

Vulnerability to semantic and phonological interference in normal aging and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).

To determine whether the increased vulnerability to semantic interference previously observed in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) is specifically associated with semantic material or if it also affects other types of material, suggesting generalized executive and inhibitory impairment. Seventy-two participants divided into two groups (33 aMCI, 39 normal control [NC]) matched for age and education were included. They completed a comprehensive neuropsychological examination, the French version of the Loewenstein Acevedo Scale for Semantic Interference and Learning (LASSI-L; semantic interference test), and a homologous experimental phonological test, the phonological interference and learning test. Independent sample t tests, mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA), and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) on memory and interference scores were conducted to compare memory and interference in both conditions for both groups. For memory scores, results revealed significant main effects of group (NC > aMCI) and condition (semantic > phonological) and significant interactions (poorer performance in the semantic condition for aMCI). aMCI committed more phonological false recognition errors, were disproportionately more vulnerable to retroactive semantic interference, and showed a higher percentage of intrusion errors associated with proactive semantic interference than NC. To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare vulnerability to interference in aMCI and normal aging with two similarly designed semantic and phonological word list learning tasks. Taken together, our results suggest that aMCI present with broad difficulties in source memory and inhibition, but that impaired deep semantic processing results in additional semantic intrusion errors during proactive interference and impacts their ability to show good recall after an interference list (greater semantic retroactive interference). Results are discussed according to the level-of-processing and activation/monitoring theories. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The impact of uninterrupted sitting on central and peripheral cardiovascular function in pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women.

Independently, both prolonged uninterrupted sitting and the onset of menopause negatively impact markers of cardiovascular risk. Whether their combination augment these responses additively remains unknown. This study assessed whether prolonged uninterrupted sitting causes greater central and peripheral cardiovascular dysfunction in post-menopausal women compared to pre-menopausal women. To address this, 23 healthy women (13 pre-menopausal [43.77 ± 4.30years] and 10 post-menopausal [57.20 ± 8.55years]) sat uninterrupted for 2-h. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV), pulse wave analysis (PWA), lower limb venous pooling (HHb), and calf circumference were assessed pre-and post-sitting using general linear mixed models, with age as a covariate. Changes in MAP over time (both between and within groups) was assessed using a two-way repeated-measures-ANOVA. There were no significant interactions for any outcome measures. However, for cf-PWV, there was a significant main effect of group (Δ = 0.854 ± 0.354m s-1; p = 0.026, ηp2 = 0.707). For PWA, only heart rate (HR) and pressure forwards (Pf) showed significant main effects 13 of time [Δ = 6 ± 1 bts-min-1, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.861] and group [Δ = 3.893 ± 1.450mmHg, p = 0.016, ηp2 = 0.271], respectively. Both HHb (Δ = 2.737 ± 0.952, p = 0.009, ηp2 = 0.742) and calf circumference (Δ = 0.812 ± 0.128cm, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.863) significantly increased over time. Whilst post-menopausal women demonstrated greater overall arterial stiffness (increased cf-PWV at baseline), there was no difference in cardiovascular response (central or peripheral) to 2-h of prolonged sitting between the pre- and post-menopausal women.

Unlocking Team Dynamics: Exploring the Influence of Group Regulation on Technical Development in Small-Sided Soccer Games

Abstract Purpose Discussions held by players during the halftime of a soccer match are widely recognized as influential factors in boosting their involvement and physical activity of soccer players. This study aimed to investigate the impact of learning small-sided games (SSG) through player discussions on decision-making, as well as the technical and tactical skills of young soccer players. Methods Forty-two U-15 male amateur soccer players were randomly assigned to 6 groups and participated in a study comprising 4 sessions of small-sided games (SSG). Each session consisted of two sets of 15 min each. The SSG sessions were conducted with and without the inclusion of self-regulation of learning. Technical actions (i.e., balls won, balls received, balls lost, shots, and goals) were measured during each set of sessions using a digital camera recorder. Results The results showed no significant differences in the main effects of the time, group, session, and group × session × time interactions for most technical actions. However, there was a significant main effect of group observed for shoot action (P = 0.021; ηp2 = 0.102), with a higher number of shoot actions in the co-regulation of learning group than in the self-regulation of learning group. Conclusion The self-regulation approach employed by players alone did not lead to significant improvements in technical performance during SSG. Further research is needed to explore additional factors and/or interventions that could potentially enhance the effectiveness of learning through discussions in SSG.

Prefrontal cortical activity during uneven terrain walking in younger and older adults.

Walking in complex environments increases the cognitive demand of locomotor control; however, our understanding of the neural mechanisms contributing to walking on uneven terrain is limited. We used a novel method for altering terrain unevenness on a treadmill to investigate the association between terrain unevenness and cortical activity in the prefrontal cortex, a region known to be involved in various cognitive functions. Prefrontal cortical activity was measured with functional near infrared spectroscopy while participants walked on a novel custom-made terrain treadmill surface across four different terrains: flat, low, medium, and high levels of unevenness. The assessments were conducted in younger adults, older adults with better mobility function and older adults with worse mobility function. Mobility function was assessed using the Short Physical Performance Battery. The primary hypothesis was that increasing the unevenness of the terrain would result in greater prefrontal cortical activation in all groups. Secondary hypotheses were that heightened prefrontal cortical activation would be observed in the older groups relative to the younger group, and that prefrontal cortical activation would plateau at higher levels of terrain unevenness for the older adults with worse mobility function, as predicted by the Compensation Related Utilization of Neural Circuits Hypothesis. The results revealed a significant main effect of terrain, indicating a significant increase in prefrontal cortical activation with increasing terrain unevenness during walking in all groups. A significant main effect of group revealed that prefrontal cortical activation was higher in older adults with better mobility function compared to younger adults and older adults with worse mobility function in all pooled terrains, but there was no significant difference in prefrontal cortical activation between older adults with worse mobility function and younger adults. Contrary to our hypothesis, the older group with better mobility function displayed a sustained increase in activation but the other groups did not, suggestive of neural compensation. Additional findings were that task-related increases in prefrontal cortical activation during walking were lateralized to the right hemisphere in older adults with better mobility function but were bilateral in older adults with worse mobility function and younger adults. These findings support that compared to walking on a flat surface, walking on uneven terrain surfaces increases demand on cognitive control resources as measured by prefrontal cortical activation.

The Impact of Spectral and Temporal Degradation on Vocoded Speech Recognition in Early-Blind Individuals.

This study compared the impact of spectral and temporal degradation on vocoded speech recognition between early-blind and sighted subjects. The participants included 25 early-blind subjects (30.32 ± 4.88 years; male:female, 14:11) and 25 age- and sex-matched sighted subjects. Tests included monosyllable recognition in noise at various signal-to-noise ratios (-18 to -4 dB), matrix sentence-in-noise recognition, and vocoded speech recognition with different numbers of channels (4, 8, 16, and 32) and temporal envelope cutoff frequencies (50 vs 500 Hz). Cortical-evoked potentials (N2 and P3b) were measured in response to spectrally and temporally degraded stimuli. The early-blind subjects displayed superior monosyllable and sentence recognition than sighted subjects (all p < 0.01). In the vocoded speech recognition test, a three-way repeated-measure analysis of variance (two groups × four channels × two cutoff frequencies) revealed significant main effects of group, channel, and cutoff frequency (all p < 0.001). Early-blind subjects showed increased sensitivity to spectral degradation for speech recognition, evident in the significant interaction between group and channel (p = 0.007). N2 responses in early-blind subjects exhibited shorter latency and greater amplitude in the 8-channel (p = 0.022 and 0.034, respectively) and shorter latency in the 16-channel (p = 0.049) compared with sighted subjects. In conclusion, early-blind subjects demonstrated speech recognition advantages over sighted subjects, even in the presence of spectral and temporal degradation. Spectral degradation had a greater impact on speech recognition in early-blind subjects, while the effect of temporal degradation was similar in both groups.

440 Muscle Protein Synthesis and Whole-Body Protein Balance Following Ingestion of Beef or a Soy Protein Based Meat Alternative

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: We endeavor to investigated the hypothesis that muscle protein synthesis (MPS) is stimulated more after consumption of a 4-ounce beef patty as compared to 4- and 8-ounces of a soy protein based meat alternative (SPBMA) and if a greater stimulation is related to differences in the responses of plasma essential amino acid (EAA) concentrations. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Participants were aged 18 to 40 years of age with a BMI between 20 and 32 kg/m2. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants, and approved by UAMS IRB. Participants were assigned to one of three intervention groups via a single-blinded permuted block randomization, stratified for sex: 4 oz beef patty; 4 oz SPBMA; 2 x 4 oz (8oz) SPBMA. The impossible burgerTM was selected as it is primarily soy protein, a high-quality plant protein, and specifically designed to mimic a beef burger. Stable isotope were infused to assess protein metabolism. Appropriate muscle and blood samples were obtained. Enrichment and plasma EAA concentrations were measured with mass spectrometry. ANOVA’s on the change from basal to postprandial were used to identify group difference, significance was accepted at p &lt; 0.05. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The MPS increase from basal to postprandial indicated a significant main effect of group (p = 0.026), with the beef group (0.020 ± 0.016%/hour) being significantly greater than the 4oz SPBMA (0.003 ± 0.010%/hour; p = 0.021) but not the 8oz PBMA group (0.013 ± 0.016%/hour; p = 0.454). Similar results were observed for whole-body protein synthesis, where the beef group (p = 0.042) and 8oz SPBMA (p = 0.033) were significantly greater than the 4oz SPBMA (p = 0.021). Whole-body protein balance was significantly greater in the 8oz SPBMA as compared to 4oz of beef and SPBMA. Lastly, we observed a significantly relationship (p = 0.046; r = 0.411) between the maximal plasma EAA concentration and change in MPS, indicating the greater rate of MPS following 4oz of beef is mediated by an higher increase in plasma EAA concentrations. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: In conclusion, 4oz of beef stimulates muscle protein FSR more than 4oz of a SPBMA. A common SPBMA can stimulate increase in protein metabolism, however, greater amounts are required as compared to beef protein. Further, the change in the muscle protein FSR response was significantly correlated with the maximal EAA concentration.

Effects of Audio-visual and Contextual Conditions on Auditory Word Recognition in Patients with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

Objectives: In this study, we compared performance on the auditory word recognition tasks between patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) and healthy elderly adults (HE) under different visual, auditory, and contextual conditions to determine how these variables affect auditory comprehension with cognitive decline.Methods: We conducted a standardized comprehension assessment, Paradise Korean Western Aphasia Battery Revised (PK-WAB-R) and the auditory word recognition tasks on 30 patients with NPH and 30 HE. The auditory word recognition task was divided into noisy and quiet conditions (auditory variable), blurry and clean conditions (visual variable), and low- and high-context conditions (contextual variable).Results: Patients with NPH showed relatively good comprehension on the standardized comprehension test of PK-WAB-R. For the auditory word recognition tasks, there was a significant main effect of group, a significant within-group effect of auditory and contextual conditions, and significant interaction effects between auditory condition and group, auditory condition and contextual information, and auditory condition, contextual information, and group.Conclusion: This study confirmed that patients with NPH have difficulty processing auditory comprehension at the sentence level. In addition, the auditory word recognition performance in patients with NPH was significantly lower than HE, and that their difficulties may be more pronounced under certain conditions, such as noisy conditions and low contextual information.

Paraspinal Muscle Changes in Individuals with and without Chronic Low Back Pain over a 4-Month Period: A Longitudinal MRI Study.

Background and Objectives: Previous research has shown associations between atrophy and fatty infiltration of the lumbar paraspinal musculature and low back pain (LBP). However, few studies have examined longitudinal changes in healthy controls and individuals with LBP without intervention. We aimed to investigate the natural variations in lumbar paraspinal musculature morphology and composition in this population over a 4-month period. Materials and Methods: Healthy controls and individuals with LBP were age- and sex-matched and completed several self-administered questionnaires. MRIs of L1-L5 were taken at baseline, 2 months, and 4 months to investigate cross-sectional area (CSA), along with DIXON fat and water images. A total of 29 participants had clear images for at least one level for all three time points. Means and standard deviations were calculated for the participant demographics. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was performed to investigate CSA, fat signal fraction, and CSA asymmetry. Results: A total of 27 images at L3/L4, 28 images at L4/L5, and 15 images at L5/S1 were included in the final analysis. There were significant main effects of group for psoas CSA at the L3/L4 level (p = 0.02) and erector spinae (ES) CSA % asymmetry at the L3/L4 level (p < 0.001). There was a significant main effect of time for lumbar multifidus (LM) CSA % asymmetry at L4/L5 level (p = 0.03). Conclusions: This study provides insights into LM, ES, and psoas morphology in both healthy controls and affected individuals over a 4-month period without any intervention. Our findings suggest that psoas CSA at higher lumbar levels and CSA % asymmetry in general may be a better indicator of pathology and the development of pathology over time. Evaluating natural variations in paraspinal musculature over longer time frames may provide information on subtle changes in healthy controls and affected individuals and their potential role in chronic LBP.

Psychological distress among individuals with a suicide attempt or suicidal ideation and suicide attempts patterns: first two years of the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions may have led to increased stress, particularly in people with mental health problems. Since stress factors play important role in the emergence of suicide attempts (SA) and suicidal ideation (SI), they may have been exacerbated by the pandemic, which could have led to an increased number of suicide attempts. Thus, we first investigated whether the pandemic affected personal stress experiences and appraisal of coping potential in individuals with and without SA and SI. In a second step, we analyzed the frequency and dynamics of SAs by patients admitted to a psychiatric university clinic over a period of four years. We examined stress experiences and appraisal of coping resources of inpatients recruited between March 2021 and February 2022 with SA (n=38), SI (n=27), and with mood disorder without SA or SI (n=45). In the second study, we investigated the time course of prospectively recorded patients with a suicide attempt (n=399) between January 1st 2018 and December 31st 2021 using interrupted time-series Poisson regression models. There was a significant main effect of group (F[2,107]=6.58, p=0.002) regarding psychological stress levels, which was significantly higher in the SA and SI groups than in the psychiatric control group. No significant differences were found in the appraisal of coping resources or in the frequency of SAs before and during pandemic. However, the pandemic had a significant impact on the seasonal pattern of SAs. The pandemic increased psychological stress levels in individuals with SA and SI, which may be related to SI and do not necessarily result in SA. The pandemic did not affect the overall frequency of SA between March 2020 and December 2021, but interfered with the seasonal pattern of SA occurrence. Effective intervention strategies during a pandemic should include programs to strengthen the psychological resilience of people who are susceptible to mental health problems.

Collegiate student-athletes concussion knowledge and attitudes: what a difference a decade Makes.

The purpose of this study was to assess changes in concussion knowledge and attitudes amongst incoming intercollegiate student-athletes over the course of a decade (2010-2012 vs 2021-2023). There were 592 student-athletes from 2 cohorts (2010-2012, 2021-2023) who completed the Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey (ROCKaS) questionnaire which is comprised of a concussion knowledge index (CKI, 0-24) and attitude index (CAI, 15-75) with higher scores reflecting better performance. A three factor ANOVA (Group, Sex, Concussion History) compared performance on the CKI and CAI. Individual questions were compared between groups with a Chi-Square analysis. For the CKI, there was a significant main effect for Group (2010-2012: 18.5 ± 2.6, 2021-2023: 19.4 ± 2.5, p < 0.001, . For the CAI, there was also a significant main effect for group (2010-2012: 52.9 ± 6.0, 2021-2023: 62.2 ± 6.5, p < 0.001, . The results of this study show a modest increase in concussion knowledge; however, large improvements in concussion attitudes were observed between groups. These results suggest a continued improvement in student-athlete concussion awareness and provide specific areas to continue addressing persistent misconceptions.

Effects of Aerobic Exercise Therapy through Nordic Walking Program in Lactate Concentrations, Fatigue and Quality-of-Life in Patients with Long-COVID Syndrome: A Non-Randomized Parallel Controlled Trial.

Long-COVID syndrome comprises a variety of signs and symptoms that develop during or after infection with COVID-19 which may affect the physical capabilities. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the effects of Long-COVID syndrome in sport capabilities after suffering from COVID-19 infection. The purpose of the study was to evaluate and compare lactate concentration and quality of life (QoL) in patients with Long-COVID with those who have not developed non-Long-COVID during Nordic walking exercise therapy. Twenty-nine patients (25.5 ± 7.1 years) took part in a non-randomized controlled trial, divided into two groups: a Long-COVID group (n = 16) and a non-Long-COVID control (n = 13). Patients were confirmed as having Long-COVID syndrome if they experienced fatigue or tiredness when performing daily activities and worsening of symptoms after vigorous physical or mental activity. All participants underwent a 12-week Nordic Walking program. Lactate concentration after exercise and distance covered during all sessions were measured. Pre- and Long-Nordic Walking program, the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36), and EURO QoL-5D (EQ-ED) were administered to assess fatigue and quality of life, respectively. There was a lactate concentration effect between groups (F = 5.604; p = 0.024). However, there was no significant effect as a result of the session (F = 3.521; p = 0.121) with no interaction of group × session (F = 1.345; p = 0.414). The group main effect (F = 23.088; p < 0.001), time effect (F = 6.625; p = 0.026), and group × time (F = 4.632; p = 0.002) interaction on the SF-36 scale were noted. Also, there were a significant group main effect (F = 38.372; p < 0.001), time effect (F = 12.424; p = 0.005), and group × time interaction (F = 4.340; p = 0.014) on EQ-5D. However, there was only a significant group main effect (F = 26.235; p < 0.001) with no effect on time (F = 2.265; p = 0.160) and group × time (F = 1.584; p = 0.234) interaction on the MFIS scale. The Long-COVID group showed higher lactate concentration compared with the control group during the 12 weeks of the Nordic Walking program. The Long-COVID group presented a decrease in fatigue with respect to the control group according to the MFIS scale, as well as improvement in quality of life after aerobic exercise therapy.

Structural indices of brain aging in methamphetamine use disorder

BackgroundMethamphetamine use is surging globally. It has been linked to premature stroke, Parkinsonism, and dementia, suggesting that it may accelerate brain aging. MethodsWe performed a retrospective study to determine if structural indices of brain aging were more prevalent prior to old age (26 – 54 years) in individuals with Methamphetamine Use Disorder (MUD), who were in early abstinence (M ± SD = 22.1 ± 25.6 days) than in healthy control (HC) participants. We compared T1-weighted MRI brain scans in age- and sex-matched groups (n = 89/group) on three structural features of brain aging: the brain volume/cerebrospinal fluid (BV/CSF) index, volume of white matter hypointensities/lesions, and choroid plexus volume. ResultsThe MUD group had a lower mean BV/CSF index and larger volumes of white matter hypointensities and choroid plexus (p-values < 0.01). Regression analyses showed significant age-by-group effects, indicating different age trajectories of the BV/CSF index and choroid plexus volume, consistent with abnormal global brain atrophy and choroid plexus pathology in the MUD group. Significant age and group main effects reflected a larger volume of white matter hypointensities for older participants across groups and for the MUD group irrespective of age. None of the three measures of brain aging correlated significantly with recent use or duration of recent abstinence from methamphetamine. ConclusionsPremature brain pathology, which may reflect cerebrovascular damage and dysfunction of the choroid plexus, occurs in people with MUD. Such pathology may affect cognition and thereby efficacy of behavioral treatments for MUD.

The effect of attending rehabilitation after traumatic knee joint injury on femoral articular cartilage morphology in collegiate rugby players with a history of intracapsular knee joint injury during two-year consecutive rugby seasons.

This present study aimed to compare ultrasonographic measures of femoral articular cartilage during two-year seasons between collegiate rugby players who have attended supervised rehabilitation following intracapsular knee joint injury and those without a history of knee injury. Using a prospective observational study design, 12 male collegiate rugby players with a previous history of intracapsular knee joint injury who have received and completed supervised rehabilitation following their injury and 44 players without knee joint injury participated in this study. Ultrasonographic images were used to verify changes in femoral articular cartilage thickness and cross-sectional area (CSA) with or without a previous history of knee joint injury over two consecutive rugby seasons. Significant time main effects were observed for the lateral condylar thickness (p < 0.001), the intercondylar thickness (p = 0.001), the medial condylar thickness (p < 0.001), and CSA (p < 0.001). No significant interactions nor group main effects were identified for all femoral articular cartilage (p < 0.05). Collegiate rugby players demonstrated a decrease in femoral articular cartilage thickness and CSA over two-year consecutive rugby seasons. These findings indicate that engaging in collegiate rugby induces alterations in femoral articular cartilage structure. Furthermore, there were no differences in all femoral cartilage outcome measures between rugby players with and without a previous history of traumatic knee joint injury. Therefore, attending supervised rehabilitation at the time of their knee joint injury appeared to reduce the impact of a previous history of intracapsular knee joint injury on the change in femoral articular cartilage thickness and CSA among active rugby players.

Salivary interleukin-17A and interferon-γ levels are elevated in children with food allergies in China.

Food allergies have a substantial impact on patient health, but their mechanisms are poorly understood, and strategies for diagnosing, preventing, and treating food allergies are not optimal. This study explored the levels of and relationship between IL-17A and IFN-γ in the saliva of children with food allergies, which will form the basis for further mechanistic discoveries as well as prevention and treatment measures for food allergies. A case-control study with 1:1 matching was designed. Based on the inclusion criteria, 20 case-control pairs were selected from patients at the Skin and Allergy Clinic and children of employees. IL-17A and IFN-γ levels in saliva were measured with a Luminex 200 instrument. A general linear model was used to analyze whether the salivary IL-17A and IFN-γ levels in the food allergy group differed from those in the control group. The general linear model showed a significant main effect of group (allergy vs. healthy) on the levels of IL-17A and IFN-γ. The mean IL-17A level (0.97 ± 0.09 pg/ml) in the food allergy group was higher than that in the healthy group (0.69 ± 0.09 pg/ml). The mean IFN-γ level (3.0 ± 0.43 pg/ml) in the food allergy group was significantly higher than that in the healthy group (1.38 ± 0.43 pg/ml). IL-17A levels were significantly positively related to IFN-γ levels in children with food allergies (r=0.79) and in healthy children (r=0.98). The salivary IL-17A and IFN-γ levels in children with food allergies were higher than those in healthy children. This finding provides a basis for research on new methods of diagnosing food allergies and measuring the effectiveness of treatment.

Hippocampal subfield volumes predict treatment response to oral ketamine in people with suicidality

Ongoing stress results in hippocampal neuro-structural alterations which produce pathological consequences, including depression and suicidality. Ketamine may ameliorate stress related illnesses including suicidality via neuroplasticity processes. This novel study sought to determine whether oral ketamine treatment specifically effects hippocampal (whole and subfield) volumes in patients with chronic suicidality and MDD. It was hypothesised that oral ketamine treatment would differentially alter hippocampal volumes in trial participants categorised as ketamine responders versus those who were non-responders. Twenty-eight participants received 6 single, weekly doses of oral ketamine (0.5–3 mg/kg) and underwent MRI scans at pre-treatment (week 0), post-treatment (week 6), and follow up (week 10). Hippocampal subfield volumes were extracted using the longitudinal pipeline in FreeSurfer. Participants were grouped according to ketamine response status and then compared in terms of grey matter volume (GMV) changes, among 10 hippocampal regions, over 6 and 10 weeks. Mixed ANOVAs were used to analyse interactions between time and group. Post treatment analysis revealed a significant main effect of group for three left hippocampal GMVs as well in the left and right whole hippocampus. Ketamine acute responders (Week 6) showed increased GMVs in both left and right whole hippocampus and in three subfields compared to acute non-responders, across all three timepoints, suggesting that pre-treatment increased hippocampal GMVs (particularly left hemisphere) may be predictive biomarkers of acute treatment response. Future studies should further investigate the potential of hippocampal volumes as a biomarker of ketamine treatment response.

Influence of cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition on resting and post-exercise indices of vascular health in young adults

Poor cardiorespiratory fitness may mediate vascular impairments at rest and following an acute bout of exercise in young healthy individuals. This study aimed to compare flow mediated dilation (FMD) and vascular augmentation index (AIx75) between young adults with low, moderate, and high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness before and after an acute bout of aerobic exercise. Forty-three participants (22 men; 21 women) between 18 and 29 years of age completed the study. Participants were classified into low, moderate, and high health-related cardiorespiratory fitness groups according to age- and sex-based relative maximal oxygen consumption (V˙O2 max) percentile rankings. FMD was performed using Doppler ultrasound and AIx75 was performed using pulse wave analysis at baseline and 60-min after a 30-min bout of treadmill running at 70% V˙O2 max. A significant interaction (p ​= ​0.047; ηp2 ​= ​0.142) was observed, with the moderate fitness group exhibiting a higher FMD post-exercise compared with baseline ([6.7% ​± ​3.1%] vs. [8.5% ​± ​2.8%], p ​= ​0.028; d ​= ​0.598). We found a significant main effect of group for AIx75 (p ​= ​0.023; ηp2 ​= ​0.168), with the high fitness group exhibiting lower AIx75 compared to low fitness group ([−10% ​± ​10%] vs. [2% ​± ​10%], respectively, p ​= ​0.019; g ​= ​1.07). This was eliminated after covarying for body fat percentage (p ​= ​0.489). Our findings suggest that resting FMD and AIx75 responses are not significantly influenced by cardiorespiratory fitness, but FMD recovery responses to exercise may be enhanced in individuals with moderate cardiorespiratory fitness levels.