This study investigated the relationship between education and physical activity and the difference between a physiological prediction of age and chronological age. Cortical and subcortical grey matter regional volumes were calculated from 331 healthy adults (range: 19-79 years). Multivariate analyses identified a covariance pattern of brain volumes best predicting chronological age (CA)(R2 = 47%). Individual expression of this brain pattern served as a physiologic measure of brain age (BA). The difference between CA and BA was predicted by education and self-report measures of physical activity. Education and the daily number of flights of stairs climbed were the only two significant predictors of decreased brain age. Effect sizes demonstrated that brain age decreased by 0.95 years for each year of education and by 0.58 years for one additional daily FOSC. Effects of education and FOSC on regional brain volume were largely driven by temporal and subcortical volumes. These results demonstrate that higher levels of education and daily FOSC are related to larger brain volume than predicted by chronological age which supports the utility of regional grey matter volume as a biomarker of healthy brain aging.

Ca2+ wave activity was monitored in the longitudinal (LM) layer of isolated murine caecum and proximal colon at 35 °C with fluo‐4 AM and an iCCD camera. Both intracellular (within LM cells) and intercellular (also spreading from cell to cell) Ca2+ waves were observed. Intracellular Ca2+ waves were associated with a lack of muscle movement whereas intercellular Ca2+ waves, which were five times more intense than intracellular waves, were often associated with localized contractions. Several intracellular Ca2+ waves were present at the same time in individual LM cells. Waves in adjacent LM cells were not coordinated and were unaffected by TTX (1 μM) but were blocked by IP3 receptor antagonists xestospongin‐C (Xe‐C; 2 μM) or 2‐aminoethyl diphenylborate (2‐APB; 25 μM), and by ryanodine (10 μM). Caffeine (5 mm) restored wave activity following blockade with Xe‐C. NiCl2 (1 mm) blocked intracellular Ca2+ waves, and nicardipine (2 μM) reduced their frequency and intensity, but did not affect their velocity, suggesting the sarcoplasmic reticulum may be fuelled by extracellular Ca2+ entry. Intercellular Ca2+ waves often occurred in bursts and propagated rapidly across sizeable regions of the LM layer and were blocked by heptanol (0.5 mm). Intercellular Ca2+ waves were dependent upon neural activity, external Ca2+ entry through L‐type Ca2+ channels, and amplification via calcium‐induced calcium release (CICR). In conclusion, intracellular Ca2+ waves, which may reduce muscle excitability, are confined to individual LM cells. They depend upon Ca2+ release from internal Ca2+ stores and are likely to be fuelled by extracellular Ca2+ entry. Intercellular Ca2+ waves, which are likely to underlie smooth muscle tone, mixing and propulsion, depend upon neural activity, muscle action potential propagation and amplification by CICR.

This study aimed to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of individual therapy and combined individual and group therapy in the treatment of the psychological sequelae of child sexual abuse. The Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), the Youth Self Report form (YSR), the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) were administered before treatment and 6 months later to a group of 20 young people who participated in individual therapy (IT) programmes and to a group of 18 young people who participated in programmes that involved combined individual and group therapy (IGT). For both types of programmes, statistically significant improvement occurred on the following scales: the total problems, internalizing problems, externalizing problems, withdrawn, somatic complaints, anxious/depressed, social problems, attention problems and aggressive behaviour problems CBCL scales; the total depression, interpersonal problems and anhedonia CDI scales; and the depression and anger TSCC scales. The only scale for which one therapy programme led to greater improvement than another was the CDI ineffectiveness scale. The IGT programme led to a reduction in the mean CDI ineffectiveness score, whereas a slight increase in the mean ineffectiveness score occurred in the IT group. There were no significant differences in the rates of clinically significant improvement associated with the two treatments and no major differences between cases who improved and those that did not improve over the course of therapy. From this study, it may be concluded that after 6 months, individual therapy and combined individual and group therapy were equally effective in the treatment of the psychological sequelae of child sexual abuse. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Our results provide support for interventions aimed at improving self-perceptions related to efficacy and aging in order to reduce depressive symptoms in older adults. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evidence suggests that individual variability in lifetime exposures influences how cognitive performance changes with advancing age. Brain maintenance and cognitive reserve are theories meant to account for preserved performance despite advancing age. These theories differ in their causal mechanisms. Brain maintenance predicts more advantageous lifetime exposures will reduce age-related neural differences. Cognitive reserve predicts that lifetime exposures will not directly reduce these differences but minimize their impact on cognitive performance. The present work used moderated-mediation modeling to investigate the contributions of these mechanisms at explaining variability in cognitive performance among a group of 39 healthy younger (mean age (standard deviation) 25.9 (2.92) and 45 healthy older adults (65.2 (2.79)). Cognitive scores were computed using composite measures from three separate domains (speed of processing, fluid reasoning, and memory), while their lifetime exposures were estimated using education and verbal IQ measures. T1-weighted MR images were used to measure cortical thickness and subcortical volumes. Results suggest a stronger role for cognitive reserve mechanisms in explaining age-related cognitive variability: even with age-related reduced gray matter, individuals with greater lifetime exposures could perform better given their quantity of brain measures.

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Objective This study aimed to examine the association between self-reported sleep problems and cognitive decline in community-dwelling older people. We hypothesized that daytime somnolence predicts subsequent cognitive decline. Methods This is a longitudinal study in a 3.2-year follow-up, with 18-month intervals. The setting is the Washington Heights-Inwood Community Aging Project. There were 1098 participants, who were over 65 years old and recruited from the community. Sleep problems were estimated using five sleep categories derived from the RAND Medical Outcome Study Sleep Scale: sleep disturbance, snoring, awaken short of breath/with a headache, sleep adequacy, and daytime somnolence. Four distinct cognitive composite scores were calculated: memory, language, speed of processing, and executive functioning. We used generalized estimating equations analyses with cognitive scores as the outcome, and time, sleep categories and their interactions as the main predictors. Models were initially unadjusted and then adjusted for age, gender, education, ethnicity, depression, and apolipoprotein E-ε4 genotype. Results Increased daytime somnolence (including feeling drowsy/sleepy, having trouble staying awake, and taking naps during the day) was linked to slower speed of processing both cross-sectionally (B = −0.143, p = 0.047) and longitudinally (B = −0.003, p = 0.027). After excluding the demented participants at baseline, the results remained significant (B = −0.003, p = 0.021). Conclusions Our findings suggest that daytime somnolence may be an early sign of cognitive decline in the older population. Copyright # 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.