Sleep and neighborhood socioeconomic status: a micro longitudinal study of chronic low-back pain and pain-free individuals

Journal of Behavioral Medicine - Individuals with chronic low back pain (cLBP) frequently report sleep disturbances. Living in a neighborhood characterized by low-socioeconomic status (SES) is...     

Alterations in cerebral oxygen metabolism after traumatic brain injury in children

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the most common cause of acquired disability in children. Metabolic defects, and in particular mitochondrial dysfunction, are important contributors to brain injury after TBI. Studies of metabolic dysfunction are limited, but magnetic resonance methods suitable for use in children are overcoming this limitation. We performed noninvasive measurements of cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolic index (OMI) to assess metabolic dysfunction in children with severe TBI. Cerebral blood flow is variable after TBI but hypoperfusion and low OMI are predominant, supporting metabolic dysfunction. This finding is consistent with preclinical and adult clinical studies of brain metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction after TBI.     

Role of magnetic resonance imaging, cerebrospinal fluid, and electroencephalogram in diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) is a rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) that can be difficult to identify antemortem, with definitive diagnosis requiring tissue confirmation. We describe the clinical, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and electroencephalogram (EEG) measures of a small cohort of 30 patients evaluated for RPD. Clinical and diagnostic measures were cross-sectionally obtained from 17 sCJD patients (15 definite, two probable), 13 non-prion rapidly progressive dementia patients (npRPD), and 18 unimpaired controls. In a subset of patients (nine sCJD and nine npRPD) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures [fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD)] were also obtained for the caudate, corpus callosum, posterior limb of the internal capsule, pulvinar, precuneus, and frontal lobe. Differences among groups were assessed by an analysis of variance. Compared to npRPD individuals, sCJD patients had cerebellar dysfunction, significantly higher CSF tau, “positive” CSF 14-3-3, and hyperintensities on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) that met previously established imaging criteria for sCJD. EEG changes were similar for the two groups. In addition, sCJD patients had significant decreases in DTI measures (MD, AD, RD but not FA) within the caudate and pulvinar compared to either npRPD patients or unimpaired controls. Our results confirm that CSF abnormalities and MRI (especially DWI) can assist in distinguishing sCJD patients from npRPD patients. Future longitudinal studies using multiple measures (including CSF and MRI) are needed for evaluating pathological changes seen in sCJD patients.     

Multiple Mediators for Peer-Directed Aggression and Happiness in Arab Adolescents Exposed to Parent–child Aggression

This study aimed to examine a multi-mediator model explaining how exposure to parent-child physical aggression may link with adolescents’ peer-directed physical aggression and their own subjective happiness, in an understudied Israeli Arab population. Mediators included hostility, anger, need to belong, and self-control. Arab adolescents from northern Israel (N?=?155; 62 % girls, aged 16-17) completed questionnaires regarding parents’ physical violence toward them, their own aggression toward peers, need to belong, happiness, positive emotions, and selfcontrol skills. (a) Parent-child physical aggression linked positively with peerdirected aggression through the mediating associations of hostility with anger; (b) parent-child physical aggression linked negatively with peer-directed aggression and happiness through the mediation of adolescents’ increased need to belong; and (c) parent-child physical aggression was not directly linked with self-control, but selfcontrol directly linked negatively with peer-directed aggression and positively with happiness. Findings highlight pathways through which parent-child physical aggression may simultaneously influence adolescents’ aggressive behavior and happiness. The mediation detected possible process variables (e.g., yearning for belonging, self-control skills, hostile thoughts, and angry feelings) that researchers and clinicians can consider in designing prevention and treatment interventions to break the inter-generational cycle of violence.     

Association between personality and tau-PET binding in cognitively normal older adults

Personality traits such as Neuroticism and Conscientiousness are associated with Alzheimer disease (AD) pathophysiology in cognitively normal (CN) and impaired individuals, and may represent potential risk or resilience factors, respectively. This study examined the cross-sectional relationship between personality traits and regional tau deposition using positron emission tomography (PET) in cognitively normal older adults. A cohort of CN (Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) 0, n =?128) older adults completed the NEO Five-Factor Inventory to assess traits of Neuroticism, Extroversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness and underwent tau-PET and β-amyloid (Aβ)-PET imaging. We utilized linear regression models, adjusting for age, sex, geriatric depression score, and Aβ to evaluate the association between each of the personality traits and regional tau-PET accumulation. Elevated Neuroticism scores were associated with higher tau-PET accumulation in the amygdala (p =?.002), entorhinal cortex (p =?.012), and inferior temporal cortex (p =?.016), as well as with a composite tau-PET measure (p =?.002). In contrast, Extroversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness were not associated with tau deposition in any of these regions (p’s?>?0.160). Our results indicate that increased Neuroticism is associated with higher tau pathophysiology in regions known to be vulnerable to AD pathophysiology in CN participants. High Neuroticism scores may therefore serve as a potential risk factor for tau accumulation. Alternatively, personality can change with the onset of AD, thus increased tau levels may affect Neuroticism scores. While future longitudinal studies are needed to determine directionality, our findings suggest early associations between Neuroticism and tau accumulation in CN adults.

     

GAIP, GIPC and Galphai3 are concentrated in endocytic compartments of proximal tubule cells: putative role in regulating megalin's function

Megalin is the most abundant endocytic receptor in the proximal tubule epithelium (PTE), where it is concentrated in clathrin-coated pits (CCPs) and vesicles in the brush border region. The heterotrimeric G protein alpha subunit, Galphai3, has also been localized to the brush border region of PTE. By immunofluorescence GIPC and GAIP, components of G protein-mediated signaling pathways, are also concentrated in the brush border region of PTE and are present in megalin-expressing cell lines. By cell fractionation, these signaling molecules cosediment with megalin in brush border and microvillar fractions. GAIP is found by immunoelectron microscopy in CCPs, and GIPC is found in CCPs and apical tubules of endocytic compartments in the renal brush border. In precipitation assays, GST-GIPC specifically binds megalin. The concentration of Galphai3, GIPC, and GAIP with megalin in endocytic compartments of the proximal tubule, where extensive endocytosis occurs, and the interaction between GIPC and the cytoplasmic tail of megalin suggest a model whereby G protein-mediated signaling may regulate megalin's endocytic function and/or trafficking.     

In vivo confocal microscopy: increased conjunctival or episcleral leukocyte adhesion in patients who wear contact lenses with lower oxygen permeability (Dk) values

PURPOSE: Contact lens wear is known to threaten the health of the ocular surface. In vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) to visualize leukocyte rolling and extravasation in inflammation was recently described. We tested the hypothesis that contact lens wear is associated with measurable inflammation in superficial vessels. METHODS: Leukocyte rolling and sticking (hallmarks of the inflammatory process) were recorded by IVCM. IVCM was performed on conjunctival or episcleral blood vessels bilaterally on 55 contact lens wearers (15 male, 40 female) and 22 non-contact lens wearers (8 male, 14 female). Data were analyzed in 2 ways. Considering each vessel as an independent variable resulted in 132 analyzable vessel segments (13 daily disposable contact lenses, 67 traditional contact lenses, 14 rigid gas-permeable lenses, and 38 controls). Considering each subject as an independent variable resulted in analyzable data for 47 subjects (5 daily disposable contact lens wearers, 22 traditional contact lens wearers, 5 rigid contact lens wearers, and 15 control patients). Free-flowing, sticking, and rolling cells were counted in the vessels. Multiple parameters including mean flow velocity, shear rate, rolling cells/mm/min, and sticking cells/mm were calculated. RESULTS: We found no significant difference in leukocyte adhesion between control patients and patients wearing daily disposable, traditional disposable, or rigid gas-permeable lenses in both types of statistical analyses. However, the data regarding vessel segments as an independent variable show that there were more rolling cells in patients who wore contact lenses with oxygen permeability values (Dk) less than 10 as compared to those who wore contact lenses with oxygen permeability values greater than 16 (P < 0.01) or compared to controls (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: IVCM is a novel, powerful technique to recognize a critical but subclinical component of inflammation. Although our data indicate that contact lens wear does not markedly increase rolling and sticking of leukocytes in conjunctival or episcleral vessels, there may be subclinical inflammation in association with lenses with the lowest oxygen permeability.