IntroductionThis study examined whether World Trade Center (WTC)-related exposures and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were associated with cognitive function and whether WTC responders' cognition differed from normative data.MethodsA computer-assisted neuropsychological battery was administered to a prospective cohort study of 1193 WTC responders with no history of stroke or WTC-related head injuries. Data were linked to information collected prospectively since 2002. Sample averages were compared to published norms.ResultsApproximately 14.8% of sampled responders had cognitive dysfunction. WTC responders had worse cognitive function compared to normative data. PTSD symptom severity and working >5 weeks on-site was associated with lower cognition.DiscussionResults from this sample highlight the potential for WTC responders to be experiencing an increased burden of cognitive dysfunction and linked lowered cognitive functioning to physical exposures and to PTSD. Future research is warranted to understand the extent to which cognitive dysfunction is evident in neural dysfunction.

Background The objective of this study was to examine the association between education and incidence of accelerated cognitive decline. Methods Secondary analyses of data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative prospective cohort study of U.S. residents were conducted (N = 28,417). Cox proportional hazards survival models were layered on longitudinal mixed-effects modeling to jointly examine healthy cognitive aging and incidence of accelerated cognitive decline consistent with patterns seen in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Replication analyses were completed on a database including 62,485 additional respondents from HRS sister studies. Life expectancy ratios (LER) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported. Results This study replicated research showing that education was positively associated with cognition at baseline. Model fit improved using the survival method compared to random-slopes models alone. Analyses of HRS data revealed that higher education was associated with delayed onset of accelerated cognitive decline (LER = 1.031 95% CI = [1.013–1.015], p < 1E-06). Replication analyses using data from 14 countries identified similar results. Conclusions These results are consistent with cognitive reserve theory, suggesting that education reduces risk of ADRD-pattern cognitive decline. Follow-up work should seek to differentiate specific dementia types involved and consider potential mechanisms.

Objectives More than 10 % of pregnant women in the United States (U.S.) suffer from depression, which has far-reaching consequences on maternal and fetal well-being. There is conflicting evidence regarding the prevalence of antenatal depression among different race and ethnic groups. This systematic review aimed to summarize the existing literature concerning racial/ethnic disparities in the prevalence and correlates of antenatal depression in the U.S. Methods PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO databases were searched online for research studies published in English in peer-reviewed journals until March 2015, using a pre-designed search strategy. Eligibility was determined using pre-specified criteria; and quality was assessed. Results Forty-one (41) articles met the criteria; 13 were cross-sectional, and 21 were longitudinal studies. Overall, the prevalence of antenatal depression was 10-30 %; it was higher among non-Hispanic blacks (NHBs) and Hispanics, compared to non-Hispanic whites (NHWs). Few studies looked at the correlates of depression by race/ethnicity. Among employed women, higher depression scores were observed among NHBs, compared to NHWs; while there was no racial difference among unemployed women. Racial difference and race-employment interaction disappeared once discrimination was accounted for. In another study, higher parity, higher stress, and lower self-esteem were significant correlates of depression among NHBs, while less satisfaction with social support, and higher stress predicted higher depression scores among NHWs and Hispanics respectively. Conclusions The findings of our review suggest that not only is antenatal depression a major public health issue that needs to be addressed, but different racial/ethnic groups seem to differ in their vulnerability and risk factors.

India enforced one of the world's largest lockdowns in the last quarter of March 2020 to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This commentary focuses on the mental health implications of the ongoing pandemic as well as the lockdown that lasted for more than two months and is still in place in certain areas. Whereas loneliness, stress, anxiety, and depression have been widespread, vulnerable sections of the population, including daily wage workers, migrant laborers, religious minorities, women and children, and the elderly, have been facing various forms of economic, sociopolitical, and familial stigma, racism, and violence. By and large, the COVID-19 pandemic has widened all forms of societal disparities in India.