Slower Processing Speed Research Articles

Fatigue and neuropsychiatric manifestations of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC): examining the relationship with clinical and inflammatory markers

ABSTRACT Background and aims Fatigue and neuropsychiatric (NP) symptoms are frequently observed in patients with Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC). This study aims to explore the relationship between clinical characteristics, inflammatory markers, and severity of fatigue and NP manifestations in COVID-19 survivors following the acute phase. Methods This cross-sectional study included adult participants who experienced any post-COVID NP symptoms. Questionnaires for fatigue (CFQ-11), anxiety-depression (DASS-21), insomnia (PSQI), cognitive impairment (ACE-III), and delayed processing speed (TMT-B) were administered. Demographic data, clinical characteristics of COVID-19 infection, and laboratory tests for inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6, albumin, hemoglobin, and NL-ratio) were collected. Results The most common symptoms reported by 82 participants were fatigue (85.4%), insomnia (84.2%), anxiety (62.2%), subjective brain fog (61%), and depression (50%). There was no observed association between the severity of any target symptoms and the inflammatory markers. In multivariable analysis, a strong positive correlation was found between the number of PASC symptoms and the severity of fatigue, depression, anxiety, and sleep problems (p < 0.01). Those who had been infected more than once experienced more fatigue (p = 0.03). Patients with respiratory tract diseases were more likely to experience depression (p = 0.01), and smoking was associated with more sleep disturbances (p = 0.02). Lack of exercise was associated with slower processing speed (p = 0.02). Conclusion The severity of fatigue and NP symptoms of PASC is not correlated with changes in the inflammatory markers. However, certain clinical factors can predict the severity, including the number of PASC symptoms, frequency of COVID-19 infections, respiratory tract diseases, smoking, and exercise.

A study on table tennis landing point detection algorithm based on spatial domain information

To address the limitations of computer vision-assisted table tennis ball detection, which heavily relies on vision acquisition equipment and exhibits slow processing speed, we propose a real-time calculation method for determining the landing point of table tennis balls. This novel approach is based on spatial domain information and reduces the dependency on vision acquisition equipment. This method incorporates several steps: employing dynamic color thresholding to determine the centroid coordinates of all objects in the video frames, utilizing target area thresholding and spatial Euclidean distance to eliminate interference balls and noise, optimizing the total number of video frames through keyframe extraction to reduce the number of operations for object recognition and landing point detection, and employing the four-frame difference slope method and polygonal area determination to detect the landing point and area of the target object, thereby obtaining precise coordinates and their corresponding areas. Experimental results on the above method on the Jetson Nano development board show that the dynamic color thresholding method achieves a detection speed of 45.3 fps. The keyframe extraction method correctly identifies the landing point frames with an accuracy rate exceeding 93.3%. In terms of drop point detection, the proposed method achieves 78.5% overall accuracy in detecting table tennis ball drop points while ensuring real-time detection. These experiments validate that the proposed method has the ability to detect table tennis ball drop points in real time and accurately in low frame rate vision acquisition devices and real environments.

Real-Time Lightweight Detection of Lychee Diseases with Enhanced YOLOv7 and Edge Computing

Lychee is an economically important crop with widespread popularity. However, lychee diseases significantly impact both the yield and fruit quality of lychee. Existing lychee disease detection models face challenges such as large parameter sizes, slow processing speeds, and deployment complexities. To address these challenges, this paper proposes an improved lightweight network, named YOLOv7-MGPC (YOLOv7-Mosaic-GhostNet-Pruning-CBAM), that enables real-time lychee disease detection. In this study, we collected datasets of lychee diseases, covering four types of leaf diseases, and employed Mosaic data augmentation for data preprocessing. Building upon the YOLOv7 framework, we replaced the original backbone network with the lightweight GhostNetV1 and applied channel pruning to effectively reduce the parameter overhead. Subsequently, an attention mechanism called CBAM was incorporated to enhance the detection accuracy. The resultant model was then deployed to edge devices (Nvidia Jetson Nano) for real-world applications. Our experiments showed that our enhanced YOLOv7 variant outperforms the original model by a large margin, achieving a speed increase from 120 frames/s to 217 frames/s while maintaining an accuracy of 88.6%. Furthermore, the parameter size was substantially reduced from 36.5 M to 7.8 M, which firmly demonstrates the effectiveness of our methods in enabling model deployment on edge devices for lychee disease detection.

3 Latent Wechsler Profiles in Presurgical Pediatric Epilepsy

Objective:The Pediatric Epilepsy Research Consortium (PERC) Epilepsy Surgery Database Project is a multisite collaborative that includes neuropsychological evaluations of children presenting for epilepsy surgery. There is some evidence for specific neuropsychological phenotypes within epilepsy (Hermann et al, 2016); however, this is less clear in pediatric patients. As a first step, we applied an empirically-based subtyping approach to determine if there were specific profiles using indices from the Wechsler scales [Verbal IQ (VIQ), Nonverbal IQ (NVIQ), Processing Speed Index (PSI), Working Memory Index (WMI)]. We hypothesized that there would be at least four profiles that are distinguished by slow processing speed and poor working memory as well as profiles with significant differences between verbal and nonverbal reasoning abilities.Participants and Methods:Our study included 372 children (M=12.1 years SD=4.1; 77.4% White; 48% male) who completed an age-appropriate Wechsler measure, enough to render at least two index scores. Epilepsy characteristics included 84.4% with focal epilepsy (evenly distributed between left and right focus) and 13.5% with generalized or mixed seizure types; mean age of onset = 6.7 years, SD = 4.5; seizure frequency ranged from daily to less than monthly; 53% had structural etiology; 71% had an abnormal MRI; and mean number of antiseizure medications was two. Latent profile analysis was used to identify discrete underlying cognitive profiles based on intellectual functioning. Demographic and epilepsy characteristics were compared among profiles.Results:Based on class enumeration procedures, a 3-cluster solution provided the best fit for the data, with profiles characterized by generally Average, Low Average, or Below Average functioning. 32.8% were in the Average profile with mean index scores ranging from 91.7-103.2; 47.6% were in the Low Average profile with mean index ranging from 80.7 to 84.5; and 19.6% were in the Below Average profile with mean index scores ranging from 55.0-63.1. Across all profiles, the lowest mean score was the PSI, followed by WMI. VIQ and NVIQ represented relatively higher scores for all three profiles. Mean discrepancy between indices within a profile was as large as 11.5 IQ points. No demographics or epilepsy characteristics were significantly different across cognitive phenotypes.Conclusions:Latent cognitive phenotypes in a pediatric presurgical cohort were differentiated by general level of functioning; however, across profiles, processing speed was consistently the lowest index followed by working memory. These findings across phenotypes suggest a common relative weakness which may result from a global effect of antiseizure medications and/or the widespread impact of seizures on neural networks even in a largely focal epilepsy cohort; similar to adult studies with temporal lobe epilepsy (Hermann et al, 2007). Future work will use latent profile analysis to examine phenotypes across other domains relevant to pediatric epilepsy including attention, naming, motor, and memory functioning. These findings are in line with collaborative efforts towards cognitive phenotyping which is the aim of our PERC Epilepsy Surgery Database Project that has already established one of the largest pediatric epilepsy surgery cohorts.

85 Evaluating the Improvement on the Naturalistic Action Task After the Virtual Kitchen Intervention: A Case Study

Objective:The goal-control model of the functional impairment in dementia posits two different underlying mechanisms: decay of task goals (reduced task accomplishment) and poor control over goal execution (high error rates). Here we present a case series in which we explore the effects of a performance-based, functional intervention on two participants. Outcomes were evaluated using the goal-control framework.Participants and Methods:Two participants with dementia (CS: age 70, 14 years of education; EM: age 93, 18 years of education) completed neuropsychological tests (scored using age, education, and IQ-adjusted norms) and baseline testing with the Naturalistic Action Task (NAT; a validated performance-based task of everyday function including a Breakfast and Lunch task). The Virtual Kitchen (VK) was used to train, through repeated performance, either the Breakfast (CS) or Lunch (EM) tasks for 30 minutes (or 10 total repetitions) per day over 5 days. After VK training, participants performed the NAT Breakfast and Lunch tasks again to evaluate improvement on the trained and untrained tasks. Baseline and post-training NATs were scored for task accomplishment and errors by two coders observing video recordings. Z scores were derived by calculating accomplishment and error change scores for each participant relative to the mean and standard deviations of change scores from a cohort of 36 healthy controls (mean age: 73.3, SD: 6.44; mean education: 17.42, SD: 2.17).Results:Both participants exhibited similar cognitive profiles: high estimated IQ; low MMSE (total = 19 for both CS and EM; 1st percentile); anterograde amnesia, slowed processing speed and impaired executive function; average scores on tests of attention, language, and self-reported depression. Informant report of daily functioning (FAQ) suggested that EM (FAQ=28) exhibited greater functional impairment than CS (FAQ=9). Both participants completed all VK training sessions. Z scores of the change from pre- to post-training showed significant increases in task accomplishment on the trained task (trained condition change z scores: EM = +27.69; CS =+ 6.06), but significantly less improvement or worse task accomplishment on the untrained task (untrained condition change z scores: EM = +4.06; CS = -13.69). The training did not reduce errors, as error rates increased for both participants on the trained task.Conclusions:The participants presented in this case study exhibited comparable cognitive profiles, including marked anterograde amnesia. Our results suggest that repeated training in a virtual context can improve specific aspects of functioning on real, life everyday tasks. Further, according to the goal-control framework, repeated practice reduces the decay of the task goal, as represented by greater task accomplishment, but does not improve executive control over the task execution. Important future directions are to determine if people with different cognitive profiles will demonstrate different benefits from VK training and to examine if virtual training of personally relevant, everyday tasks can promote independent living and improve quality of life.

4 Associations Between Education, Emotional and Instrumental Support, and Cognitive Function in Black, White, and Latinx Older Adults

Objective:Higher education is strongly associated with better cognitive function in older adults. Previous research has also showed that positive psychosocial factors, such as selfefficacy and emotional and instrumental support, are beneficial for late-life cognition. There is prior evidence of a buffering effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between educational disadvantage and poor cognition in older adults, however it is not known if other psychosocial factors modify the schooling-cognition relationship. We hypothesized that higher levels of emotional and instrumental support will diminish the association between lower education and lower cognitive test scores among older adults.Participants and Methods:553 older adults without dementia (42.1% non-Latinx Black, 32.2% non-Latinx White, 25.7% Latinx; 63.2% women; average age 74.4 (SD 4.3)) from the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project. Neuropsychological tests assessed four cognitive domains (language, memory, psychomotor processing speed, and visuospatial function). Self-reported emotional and instrumental support were assessed with measures from NIH Toolbox. Linear regression estimated interactions between education and the two support measures on cognition in models stratified by cognitive domain and racial and ethnic group. Covariates included age, sex/gender, and chronic health conditions (e.g. heart disease, stroke, cancer, etc.).Results:Education was associated with cognition across racial and ethnic groups. For every one year of schooling, the processing speed z-score composite was 0.33 higher among Latinx participants, 0.10 among non-Latinx Black participants, and 0.03 higher among non-Latinx White participants. The education-cognition relationship was generally similar across cognitive domains with larger effects in non-Latinx Black and Latinx participants than in White participants. Low education was associated with slower processing speed among Black participants with low emotional support (B = 0.224, 95% CI [0.014, 0.096]), but there was no association between low education and processing speed among Black older adults with high levels of emotional support (beta for interaction = -.142, 95% CI [-0.061, -0.001]). A similar pattern of results was observed for instrumental support (beta for interaction = -.207, 95% CI [-0.064, 0.010]). There were no interactions between support and education on other cognitive domains or among Latinx and White participants.Conclusions:We found that higher levels of emotional and instrumental support attenuate the detrimental effect of educational disadvantages on processing speed in older Black adults. This may occur via benefits of social capital, which provides access to health resources and knowledge, increased social interaction, an emotional outlet allowing the ability to better cope with stress. Longitudinal analyses are needed to examine temporal patterns of associations. In addition, improving equitable access to high quality schools will improve later-life cognitive outcomes for future generations of older adults. However, for the growing number of Black older adults who will not experience the benefits of structural improvements in the education system, emotional and instrumental support may represent a modifiable psychosocial factor to reduce their disproportionate burden of cognitive morbidity.

91 Intraindividual Variability and Executive Functioning Differences in Pedophilic and Non-Pedophilic Child Molesters and Non-Sexual Offenders

Objective:Research has found that child molesters (both pedophilic and non-pedophilic) tend to have poorer executive functioning (EF), particularly inhibition, as compared to other types of criminal offenders (Eastvold, Suchy, Strassberg, &amp; 2011; Suchy, Whittaker, Strassberg, &amp; Eastvold, 2009). Poorer performance on measures of inhibition may have different mechanisms for pedophilic child molesters (PCM; i.e., those offenders who are sexually attracted only to children) than non-pedophilic child molesters (N-PCM; i.e., those offenders whose sexual attraction is not limited to children). Specifically, poor inhibition in PCM may be explained by slower processing speed (Suchy, et al., 2009; Suchy, Eastvold, Strassberg, &amp; Franchow, 2014), whereas it may be explained by impulsive errors in N-PCM (Eastvold, Suchy, &amp; Strassberg, 2011). Intraindividual variability (IIV) refers to transient, short-term fluctuations in performance (Nesselroade, 1991). IIV is sometimes interpreted as a measure of cognitive control, an aspect of EF that could impact performance speed and accuracy due to poorer focus.Greater IIV also appreas to be associated with greater vulnerability to EF depletion after behavioral inhibition (DesRuisseaux, Suchy, &amp; Franchow, 2021), which could represent a mechanism whereby vulnerability to EF depletion could be a precursor of offense. However, given that poor performance on measures of inhibition seem to have different underlying mechanisms for PCM and N-PCM, it is unclear whether both groups would exhibit greater IIV compared to non-sexual offenders.Participants and Methods:Participants were PCM (n = 76, M age = 33.61(7.74), Range = 1947; 92.1% White, 2.6% Hispanic/Latino, 2.6% Native American, 1.3% Black, 1.3% Other), N-PCM (n = 52, M age = 30-88(6.37), Range = 2045; 73.1% White, 13.5% Hispanic/Latino, 7.7% Other, 3.8% Native American, 1.9% Black), and non-sexual offenders (n = 25, M age = 29.96(8.16), Range = 22-45; 80% White, 8% Hispanic/Latino, 8% Other, 8% Asian) recruited as part of two larger studies examining cognition in sex offenders. IIV was assessed using the Push-Turn-Tap-Tap (PTT) task, an experimental computerized measure of EF from which IIV can be calculated (DesRuisseaux et al., 2021).Results:Independent samples t-tests found that both PCM and N-PCM had greater IIV than nonsexual offenders (t(99) = 2.13, p = .04; t(75) = 2.23, p = .03, respectively). Even on their fastest responses, PCM had greater time elapsed between correct sequences (i.e., slower response style; t(126) = 2.23, p = .03) than N-PCM. There were no significant differences in error rates between any groups (p &gt; .05).Conclusions:These results suggest that IIV varies between sexual and non-sexual offenders but does not vary between PCM and N-PCM. This is consistent with prior research suggesting that both PCM and N-PCM have poorer EF than non-sexual offenders. Additionally, consistent with prior research, PCM had a slower response style than N-PCM and non-sexual offenders. Unlike prior research that has found significant differences in accuracy rates between PCM and N-PCM, the present results did not find a significant difference. Since IIV has been associated with increased likelihood of EF depletion (likely increasing risk of lapses), future research could examine whether CM with greater IIV have an increased likelihood of reoffending.

4 Associations Between Glycemia and Cognitive Performance in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) using Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) and Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA)

Objective:Despite associations between hypoglycemia and cognitive performance using cross-sectional and experimental methods (e.g., Insulin clamp studies), few studies have evaluated this relationship in a naturalistic setting. This pilot study utilizes an EMA study design in adults with T1D to examine the impact of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, measured using CGM, on cognitive performance, measured via ambulatory assessment.Participants and Methods:Twenty adults with T1D (mean age 38.9 years, range 26-67; 55% female; 55% bachelor’s degree or higher; mean HbA1c = 8.3%, range 5.4% - 12.5%), were recruited from the Joslin Diabetes Center at SUNY Upstate Medical University. A blinded Dexcom G6 CGM was worn during everyday activities while completing 3-6 daily EMAs using personal smartphones. EMAs were delivered between 9 am and 9 pm, for 15 days. EMAs included 3 brief cognitive tests developed by testmybrain.org and validated for brief mobile administration (Gradual Onset CPT d-prime, Digit Symbol Matching median reaction time, Multiple Object Tracking percent accuracy) and self-reported momentary negative affect. Day-level average scores were calculated for the cognitive and negative affect measures. Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia were defined as the percentage of time spent with a sensor glucose value &lt;70 mg/dL or &gt; 180 mg/dL, respectively. Daytime (8 am to 9 pm) and nighttime (9 pm to 8 am) glycemic excursions were calculated separately. Multilevel models estimated the between- and within-person association between the night prior to, or the same day, time spent in hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia and cognitive performance (each cognitive test was modeled separately). To evaluate the effect of between-person differences, person-level variables were calculated as the mean across the study and grand-mean centered. To evaluate the effect of within-person fluctuations, day-level variables were calculated as deviations from these person-level means.Results:Within-person fluctuations in nighttime hypoglycemia were associated with daytime processing speed. Specifically, participants who spent a higher percentage of time in hypoglycemia than their average percentage the night prior to assessment performed slower than their average performance on the processing speed test (Digit Symbol Matching median reaction time, b = 94.16, p = 0.042), while same day variation in hypoglycemia was not associated with variation in Digit Symbol Matching performance. This association remained significant (b = 97.46, p = 0.037) after controlling for within-person and between-person effects of negative affect. There were no significant within-person associations between time spent in hyperglycemia and Digit Symbol Matching, nor day/night hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia and Gradual Onset CPT or Multiple Object Tracking.Conclusions:Our findings from this EMA study suggest that when individuals with T1D experience more time in hypoglycemia at night (compared to their average), they have slower processing speed the following day, while same day hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia does not similarly impact processing speed performance. These results showcase the power of intensive longitudinal designs using ambulatory cognitive assessment to uncover novel determinants of cognitive variation in real world settings that have direct clinical applications for optimizing cognitive performance. Future research with larger samples is needed to replicate these findings.

19 Processing Speed and Academic Fluency in Childhood Survivors of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treated with Chemotherapy Only

Objective:The purpose of this study using archival data was to examine processing speed (PS) and its relation with academic fluencies in children who were diagnosed with, and treated with chemotherapy for, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) before vs. after five years of age. Chemotherapy is the first-line treatment for childhood leukemias, and the impact of cancer treatment on academic and global functioning may include a steady decline in functions over time (Baron &amp; Rey-Casserly, 2013). Specifically, this research initiative examined age and gender factors in PS and academic fluencies in this population.Participants and Methods:Sixty-eight participants (39 M, 29 F; mean age 10.6 years) diagnosed with ALL and who were previously treated with chemotherapy were included. Thirty-seven participants (23 M, 14 F) were &lt;5 years of age at the time of diagnosis and onset of chemotherapy, while 31 participants (16M, 15 F) were &gt;5 years of age at diagnosis and treatment. Participants ranged in age from 6 to 17 years at the time of their neuropsychological evaluation. Participants were given the WISC-V (PS subtests) and WJ-IV academic fluencies (math and reading). To evaluate research questions and hypotheses, correlational tests, independent samples t-tests, and analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used. Results at the p&lt; .05 level are reported.Results:There were significant correlations between PS and WJ math fluency (r=.510) and reading fluency (r=.392). Independent samples t-test analyses revealed that children who scored below 85 (standard score) on PS composite score demonstrated poorer performance on WJ math fluency (t(60)=-3.971, p=.000, d=1.065) and reading fluency (t(56)=-3.041, p=.004, d=0.896) compared to children whose PS scores were &gt; 85. For children whose PS scores were &lt;85, mean scores were in the low average range for WJ-IV math fluency (M=81.05) and reading fluency (M=84.50). No significant differences were found for age or gender in relation to PS and academic fluencies.Conclusions:Findings are important in highlighting the need for school accommodations in pediatric survivors of ALL. Processing speed is one of the most vulnerable functions impacted by cancer therapies and was positively correlated with reading and math fluencies in this study. Mean scores for math and reading fluencies were low average for age. In terms of academic accommodations, due to the slow processing speed of these boys and girls, regardless of their age at diagnosis and onset of chemotherapy, the provision for extra time for ALL survivors is recommended to ensure they are given the opportunity to maximize their learning potential and demonstrate their true academic abilities. Parents are encouraged to practice basic fluencies at home as early as possible. Inhospital and home-bound schooling supports are recommended to maintain educational progress. For children at higher risk for late effects and neurocognitive decline, rehabilitation similar to that which TBI survivors receive can be effective, as well. Future prospective research, including longitudinal tracking, with more homogeneous samples of pediatric survivors of ALL is expected to extend and refine findings of the present study.

Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome and Tauopathy in a 19-Year-Old With Child Abuse.

The majority of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) cases have been reported in former contact sport athletes. This is the first case with TES in a 19-year-old male patient with progressive cognitive decline after daily domestic physical violence through repeated hits to the head for 15 years. The patient presented with a moderate depressive episode and progressive cognitive decline. Tau positron emission tomography (PET) with 220 MBq of [18F]PI-2620 revealed increased focal signal at the frontal and parietal white/gray matter border. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a cavum septum pellucidum, reduced left-sided hippocampal volume, and a left midbrain lesion. Cerebrospinal fluid results showed elevated total and p-tau. Neurocognitive testing at admission showed memory deficits clearly below average, and hampered dysfunctions according to the slow processing speed with a low mistake rate, indicating the acquired, thus secondary, attentional deficits. We diagnosed the patient with a TES suggestive of chronic traumatic encephalopathy and classified him as having subtle/mild functional limitation with a most likely transition to mild dementia within the TES criteria. This report underlines child abuse as a relevant criterion in diagnosing TES in cases with repetitive hits to the head. In addition to clinical markers, we show the relevance of fluid tau biomarkers and tau-PET to support the diagnosis of TES according to the recently published diagnosis criteria for TES.

73 Processing Speed in Migraine With and Without Aura: A Meta-Analysis

Objective:Migraine refers to recurrent, unilateral headache attacks, lasting 4-72 hours, that have a pulsating quality and can occur with or without aura. Aura is a symptom, usually preceding the onset of a migraine, where there is an experience of gradually spreading focal neurological symptoms which typically last less than one hour. A meta-analysis was conducted which quantitatively synthesized literature documenting performance on clinical measures of processing speed (PS) in individuals with migraine with (MwA) and without aura (MwoA).Participants and Methods:Data for this study came from a larger study that compared overall neuropsychological functioning in primary headache disorders (PHD) and healthy controls (HC). We searched OneSearch and PubMed using a uniform search-strategy to locate original research comparing cognition between PHD and HC. Analyses were modeled under random effects. Hedge’s g was used as a bias-corrected estimate of effect size. We assessed between-study heterogeneity using Cochran’s Q and I2. Egger’s regression test was used to assess publication bias (i.e., the association between standard error and effect size). High heterogeneity in effects was analyzed for possible moderating variables using metaregression and sub-group analyses.Results:The initial search interval spanned inception-May 2021 and yielded 6692 results. Twelve studies met inclusion criteria, included clinical measures of PS, and included PHD subgroups with MwA and/or MwoA (MwA n = 279, MwoA n = 655, HC n = 2159). MwA demonstrated moderately worse performance in PS overall when compared to HC (k = 7, g = -0.41, p = 0.028). MwoA also demonstrated worse performance in PS overall when compared to HC but the effect size was small (k = 12, g = -0.21, p = 0.006). Heterogeneity of MwoA studies was low (Q = 15.12, I2 = 21.19) while heterogeneity of MwA studies was high (Q = 21.91, I2 = 72.61). Meta-regressions of MwA studies indicated clinical age and disease duration to be related to effect sizes such that studies with older clinical participants and longer disease durations yielded greater (negative) differences. Egger’s regression intercept noted a possible association effect size and standard error for MwA articles (t = 3.60, p = 0.02) and MwoA articles (t = 5.21, p &lt; 0.005). Trim-and-fill procedure estimated 0 MwA studies to be missing due to publication bias (adjusted g = -0.41, p = 0.028) while 7 MwoA studies were estimated to be missing due to publication bias (adjusted g = -0.03, Q = 34.79).Conclusions:Individuals with migraine demonstrated worse performances on tests of PS compared to controls. Effect sizes were generally moderate in strength for MwA while effect sizes were generally small in strength for MwoA. This quantitative summary confirmed that individuals with migraine experience slowed processing speed in general and this effect is magnified when aura is a presenting symptom.

Hands-Free Proteomic Profiling of Urinary Extracellular Vesicles with a High-Throughput Automated Workflow.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a promising source of disease biomarkers for noninvasive early stage diagnoses, but a bottleneck in EV sample processing restricts their immense potential in clinical applications. Existing methods are limited by a low EV yield and integrity, slow processing speeds, low sample capacity, and poor recovery efficiency. We aimed to address these issues with a high-throughput automated workflow for EV isolation, EV lysis, protein extraction, and protein denaturation. The automation can process clinical urine samples in parallel, resulting in protein-covered beads ready for various analytical methods, including immunoassays, protein quantitation assays, and mass spectrometry. Compared to the standard manual lysis method for contamination levels, efficiency, and consistency of EV isolation, the automated protocol shows reproducible and robust proteomic quantitation with less than a 10% median coefficient of variation. When we applied the method to clinical samples, we identified a total 3,793 unique proteins and 40,380 unique peptides, with 992 significantly upregulated proteins in kidney cancer patients versus healthy controls. These upregulated proteins were found to be involved in several important kidney cancer metabolic pathways also identified with a manual control. This hands-free workflow represents a practical EV extraction and profiling approach that can benefit both clinical and research applications, streamlining biomarker discovery, tumor monitoring, and early cancer diagnoses.

A Fast Adaptive Binarization Method for QR Code Images Based on Dynamic Illumination Equalization

The advancement of Internet of Things (IoT) has enhanced the extensive usage of QR code images in various computer vision applications. Nonetheless, this has also brought forth several technical challenges. In particular, the logistics sorting system often encounters issues such as a low recognition rate and slow processing speed when dealing with QR code images under complex lighting conditions like uneven illumination. To address these difficulties, a method that focuses on achieving a fast adaptive binarization of QR code images through dynamic illumination equalization was proposed. First, an algorithm based on edge enhancement to obtain the position detection patterns within QR code images was applied, which enabled the acquisition of structural features in uneven illumination. Subsequently, QR code images with complex lighting conditions can achieve a fast adaptive binarization through dynamic illumination equalization. As for method validation, the experiments were performed on the two datasets that include QR code images influenced by strong light, weak light, and different shadow degrees. The results disclosed the benefits of the proposed method compared to the previous approaches; it produced superior recognition rates of 78.26–98.75% in various cases through commonly used decoders (Wechat and Zxing), with a faster processing speed of 0.0164 s/image, making it a proper method to satisfy real-time requirements in practical applications, such as a logistics sorting system.

Quantitative Electroencephalography Objectivity and Reliability in the Diagnosis and Management of Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review.

Background. Persons with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) may exhibit short- and long-term cognitive deficits as well as psychiatric symptoms. These symptoms often reflect functional anomalies in the brain that are not detected by standard neuroimaging. In this context, quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) is more suitable to evaluate non-normative activity in a wide range of clinical settings. Method. We searched the literature using the "Medline" and "Web of Science" online databases. The search was concluded on February 23, 2023, and revised on July 12, 2023. It returned 134 results from Medline and 4 from Web of Science. We then applied the PRISMA method, which led to the selection of 31 articles, the most recent one published in March 2023. Results. The qEEG method can detect functional anomalies in the brain occurring immediately after and even years after injury, revealing in most cases abnormal power variability and increases in slow (delta and theta) versus decreases in fast (alpha, beta, and gamma) frequency activity. Moreover, other findings show that reduced beta coherence between frontoparietal regions is associated with slower processing speed in patients with recent mild TBI (mTBI). More recently, machine learning (ML) research has developed highly reliable models and algorithms for the detection of TBI, some of which are already integrated into commercial qEEG equipment. Conclusion. Accumulating evidence indicates that the qEEG method may improve the diagnosis and management of TBI, in many cases revealing long-term functional anomalies in the brain or even neuroanatomical insults that are not revealed by standard neuroimaging. While FDA clearance has been obtained only for some of the commercially available equipment, the qEEG method allows for systematic, cost-effective, non-invasive, and reliable investigations at emergency departments. Importantly, the automated implementation of intelligent algorithms based on multimodally acquired, clinically relevant measures may play a key role in increasing diagnosis reliability.

ColonNet: A novel polyp segmentation framework based on LK-RFB and GPPD

Colorectal cancer (CRC) holds the distinction of being the most prevalent malignant tumor affecting the digestive system. It is a formidable global health challenge, as it ranks as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related fatalities around the world. Despite considerable advancements in comprehending and addressing colorectal cancer (CRC), the likelihood of recurring tumors and metastasis remains a major cause of high morbidity and mortality rates during treatment. Currently, colonoscopy is the predominant method for CRC screening. Artificial intelligence has emerged as a promising tool in aiding the diagnosis of polyps, which have demonstrated significant potential. Unfortunately, most segmentation methods face challenges in terms of limited accuracy and generalization to different datasets, especially the slow processing and analysis speed has become a major obstacle. In this study, we propose a fast and efficient polyp segmentation framework based on the Large-Kernel Receptive Field Block (LK-RFB) and Global Parallel Partial Decoder(GPPD). Our proposed ColonNet has been extensively tested and proven effective, achieving a DICE coefficient of over 0.910 and an FPS of over 102 on the CVC-300 dataset. In comparison to the state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods, ColonNet outperforms or achieves comparable performance on five publicly available datasets, establishing a new SOTA. Compared to state-of-the-art methods, ColonNet achieves the highest FPS (over 102 FPS) while maintaining excellent segmentation results, achieving the best or comparable performance on the five public datasets. The code will be released at: https://github.com/SPECTRELWF/ColonNet.

Subjective cognitive changes following premenopausal risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy

Objective Women at high risk of ovarian cancer are commonly advised to undergo risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) prior to natural menopause. Cognitive symptoms during natural menopause transition are frequently reported; however, very few studies have examined cognitive changes following surgical menopause. To address this gap, we explored the cognitive experiences of women within 24 months post BSO. Methods This observational cross-sectional sub-study is part of a larger project, the Early Menopause and Cognition Study (EM-COG). We investigated perceived cognitive experiences in Australian women (n = 16) who underwent risk-reducing BSO using qualitative interviews. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify key themes. Results Fifteen out of 16 participants (93.75%) reported changes to cognition within 24 months post BSO. The key cognitive symptoms reported were brain fog, memory and retrieval difficulties, slower processing speed as well as attention difficulties. Five participants (31.3%) experienced negative mood symptoms post BSO. Conclusion Findings from this study suggest that women experience subjective cognitive changes within 24 months post BSO. This period could be a vulnerable time for women’s cognitive health. While these findings need to be confirmed by a large prospective study, our research indicates that psychoeducation and awareness will be helpful in managing cognitive symptoms after surgical menopause.

Neuropsychological Functioning in Sexual Offenders With and Without Pedophilic Disorder.

This study sought to examine neuropsychological functioning in men with pedophilic disorder (PD), in order to assess whether findings from prior neuropsychological studies are replicated in a diverse sample including men with non-contact sexual offenses. It was hypothesized that when non-contact offenders are included in the study, a slowed processing speed will emerge as the only finding unique to men with PD. A comprehensive neuropsychological battery was administered to 58 men convicted of a sexual offense, 20 of whom were classified as having PD. The sample included men with contact sexual offenses (n = 33), non-contact sexual offenses (n = 5), and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) offenses (n = 20). Test performance was compared by PD status. Participants with PD performed significantly better on verbal memory and visual discrimination than those without PD. Men with PD made more errors on a set-shifting task but no significant differences were seen in domains of attention, intellectual functioning, visual learning and memory, visuospatial ability, or language ability. Effect sizes were generally small, although some medium effects were seen (visual discrimination and verbal learning and memory). Scores in both groups (with and without PD) were generally in the average range across tasks. Within the subgroup of CSAM offenders, minimal differences emerged between those with and without PD, although those with PD were slower on visuomotor set-shifting but made fewer errors (d = - 0.89). CSAM offenders with PD were in the high average range on many tasks of intellectual functioning; however, a potential trend was identified such that CSAM offenders without PD had lower scores on a task of verbal learning and memory, with medium effect sizes observed. As few differences in neuropsychological functioning emerged when comparing offenders with and without PD, differences demonstrated in prior research may be better attributed to contact offending status rather than sexual interest.

Game-supported cognitive strategy training for slowed information processing speed after acquired brain injury: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

IntroductionMany individuals with acquired brain injury tend to experience problems with slowed information processing speed (IPS). A potentially beneficial and cost-effective supplement for cognitive rehabilitation of impaired IPS may be...

Spectrum-image dual-modality fusion empowered accurate and efficient classification system for traditional Chinese medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) influences the Chinese and global medical systems, with its quality essential to its effectiveness. The origin of TCM material impacts the quality of the same TCM materials. However, the existing origin classification methods of the same TCM materials from different places mainly have two disadvantages: slow processing speed and extensive experience. To address these issues, a fast and real-time technology, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), is introduced into our solution. We propose a TCM classification system that combines one-dimensional LIBS spectra with two-dimensional images. This dual-modality fusion approach represents a significant advancement in multi-view data analysis for TCM classification. As a case study, we focus on wolfberry and construct a new dataset comprising 10,800 pairs of LIBS spectrum and image data to fill the gap. To achieve superior multiple feature fusion, a two-stage fusion network (TFNet) in a coarse-to-fine way is proposed. In the first coarse fusion, the Depth Attention Fusion (DAF) module is applied to extract the key features of stacked spectrum and image. In the second fine fusion, the Line to Area (LTA) module entirely focuses on and highlights the critical spectral line features. Experimental accuracy is over 0.99 with less computation and parameters, indicating the high efficiency and accuracy of the proposed TFNet. Therefore, the classification system achieves exceptional accuracy and efficiency due to its simple sample preparation, real-time data collection and the high-accuracy lightweight network.

Effects of white matter hyperintensities on isolated executive function assessed by the Trail Making Test.

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) on MRI are associated with cognitive dysfunction, particularly slow processing speed and executive dysfunction. However, it is not clear whether WMHs burden affects isolated executive function independent of aging when WMHs are assessed separately in periventricular hyperintensity (PVH) and deep and subcortical white matter hyperintensity (DSWMH). To assess the relationship between the degree of WMHs and the performance on the Trail Making Test (TMT), which can evaluate isolated ability of set-shifting and working memory. 74 participants who visited our memory clinic and underwent the TMT subtests (TMT-A and TMT-B) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). All subjects performed the TMT within the time limits and their MMSE scores were 24 or higher, and they were diagnosed as having normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment. The extent of PVH and DSWMH was graded from 0 to 3 using the Fazekas scale. We obtained testing time to complete the TMT-A and TMT-B, and calculated TMT-B minus TMT-A. We performed correlation analyses between the degree of WMHs and the time measures of the TMT subtests with adjustment of age. Average scores of the MMSE were not different among the groups either by PVH grade or by DSWMH grade. In contrast, average time required for the TMT-A, TMT-B, and TMT-B minus TMT-A increased along with exacerbation of PVH and DSWMH grade. After the adjustment of age we found significant association between only DSWMH grade and the time difference of TMT-B minus TMT-A. Exacerbation of PVH and DSWMH differentially affected isolated executive functions assessed by the TMT subtests independent of age and general cognitive function.