Browsing by Author "Villringer A"

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    A Metabolic Obesity Profile Is Associated With Decreased Gray Matter Volume in Cognitively Healthy Older Adults
    (Frontiers Media S.A, 2019) Beyer F; Kharabian Masouleh S; Kratzsch J; Schroeter ML; Röhr S; Riedel-Heller SG; Villringer A; Witte AV
    Obesity is a risk factor for cognitive decline and gray matter volume loss in aging. Studies have shown that different metabolic factors, e.g., dysregulated glucose metabolism and systemic inflammation, might mediate this association. Yet, even though these risk factors tend to co-occur, they have mostly been investigated separately, making it difficult to establish their joint contribution to gray matter volume structure in aging. Here, we therefore aimed to determine a metabolic profile of obesity that takes into account different anthropometric and metabolic measures to explain differences in gray matter volume in aging. We included 748 elderly, cognitively healthy participants (age range: 60 – 79 years, BMI range: 17 – 42 kg/m2) of the LIFE-Adult Study. All participants had complete information on body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, glycated hemoglobin, total blood cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, adiponectin and leptin. Voxelwise gray matter volume was extracted from T1-weighted images acquired on a 3T Siemens MRI scanner. We used partial least squares correlation to extract latent variables with maximal covariance between anthropometric, metabolic and gray matter volume and applied permutation/bootstrapping and cross-validation to test significance and reliability of the result. We further explored the association of the latent variables with cognitive performance. Permutation tests and cross-validation indicated that the first pair of latent variables was significant and reliable. The metabolic profile was driven by negative contributions from body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, glycated hemoglobin, C-reactive protein and leptin and a positive contribution from adiponectin. It positively covaried with gray matter volume in temporal, frontal and occipital lobe as well as subcortical regions and cerebellum. This result shows that a metabolic profile characterized by high body fat, visceral adiposity and systemic inflammation is associated with reduced gray matter volume and potentially reduced executive function in older adults. We observed the highest contributions for body weight and fat mass, which indicates that factors underlying sustained energy imbalance, like sedentary lifestyle or intake of energy-dense food, might be important determinants of gray matter structure in aging.
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    Alterations in rhythmic and non‐rhythmic resting‐state EEG activity and their link to cognition in older age
    (Elsevier Inc, 2023-03) Cesnaite E; Steinfath P; Jamshidi Idaji M; Stephani T; Kumral D; Haufe S; Sander C; Hensch T; Hegerl U; Riedel-Heller S; Röhr S; Schroeter ML; Witte AV; Villringer A; Nikulin VV
    While many structural and biochemical changes in the brain have previously been associated with older age, findings concerning functional properties of neuronal networks, as reflected in their electrophysiological signatures, remain rather controversial. These discrepancies might arise due to several reasons, including diverse factors determining general spectral slowing in the alpha frequency range as well as amplitude mixing between the rhythmic and non-rhythmic parameters. We used a large dataset (N = 1703, mean age 70) to comprehensively investigate age-related alterations in multiple EEG biomarkers taking into account rhythmic and non-rhythmic activity and their individual contributions to cognitive performance. While we found strong evidence for an individual alpha peak frequency (IAF) decline in older age, we did not observe a significant relationship between theta power and age while controlling for IAF. Not only did IAF decline with age, but it was also positively associated with interference resolution in a working memory task primarily in the right and left temporal lobes suggesting its functional role in information sampling. Critically, we did not detect a significant relationship between alpha power and age when controlling for the 1/f spectral slope, while the latter one showed age-related alterations. These findings thus suggest that the entanglement of IAF slowing and power in the theta frequency range, as well as 1/f slope and alpha power measures, might explain inconsistencies reported previously in the literature. Finally, despite the absence of age-related alterations, alpha power was negatively associated with the speed of processing in the right frontal lobe while 1/f slope showed no consistent relationship to cognitive performance. Our results thus demonstrate that multiple electrophysiological features, as well as their interplay, should be considered for the comprehensive assessment of association between age, neuronal activity, and cognitive performance.
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    Are social conflicts at work associated with depressive symptomatology? Results from the population-based LIFE-Adult-Study
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2020-02-12) Zuelke AE; Roehr S; Schroeter ML; Witte AV; Hinz A; Engel C; Enzenbach C; Thiery J; Loeffler M; Villringer A; Riedel-Heller SG
    Background Psychosocial stressors in the workplace can be detrimental to mental health. Conflicts at work, e.g. aggression, hostility or threats from coworkers, supervisors or customers, can be considered a psychosocial stressor, possibly increasing risk for depressive symptoms. Existing studies, however, differ in the assessment of social conflicts, i.e. as individual- or job-level characteristics. Here, we investigated the association between conflicts at work assessed as objective job characteristics, and depressive symptomatology, using data from a large population-based sample. Additionally, we investigated gender differences and the impact of personality traits and social resources. Methods We used data from the population-based LIFE-Adult-Study from Leipzig, Germany. Information on conflicts at work, assessed as job characteristics, were drawn from the Occupational Information Network, depressive symptoms were assessed via the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Multilevel linear regression models with individuals and occupations as levels of analysis were applied to investigate the association between conflicts at work and depressive symptoms. Results Our sample included 2164 employed adults (age: 18–65 years, mean: 49.3, SD: 7.9) in 65 occupations. No association between conflicts s at work and depressive symptomatology was found (men: b = − 0.14; p = 0.74, women: b = 0.17, p = 0.72). Risk for depression was mostly explained by individual-level factors like e.g. neuroticism or level of social resources. The model showed slightly higher explanatory power in the female subsample. Conclusion Conflicts at work, assessed as objective job characteristics, were not associated with depressive symptoms. Possible links between interpersonal conflict and impaired mental health might rather be explained by subjective perceptions of social stressors and individual coping styles.
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    Depressive Symptomatology in Early Retirees Associated With Reason for Retirement—Results From the Population-Based LIFE-Adult-Study
    (Frontiers Media S.A, 2020-09) Zuelke AE; Roehr S; Schroeter ML; Witte AV; Hinz A; Glaesmer H; Engel C; Enzenbach C; Zachariae S; Zeynalova S; Loeffler M; Villringer A; Riedel-Heller SG
    Background: Transition from employment to retirement is regarded a crucial event. However, there is mixed evidence on associations between retirement and mental health, especially regarding early retirement. In Germany, cases of early retirement due to ill health—particularly, mental ill health—are increasing. Therefore, we investigated the association between early retirement and depressive symptoms, including information on different types of early retirement. Methods: We analyzed data from 4,808 participants of the population-based LIFE-Adult-Study (age: 40–65 years, 654 retired, 4,154 employed), controlling for sociodemographic information, social network, pre-existing health conditions, and duration of retirement. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Regression analysis using entropy balancing was applied to achieve covariate balance between retired and employed subjects. Results: We found no overall-differences in depressive symptoms between employed and retired persons (men: b = −.52; p = 0.431; women: b = .05; p = .950). When looking at different types of early retirement, ill-health retirement was linked to increased depressive symptoms in women (b = 4.68, 95% CI = 1.71; 7.65), while voluntary retirement was associated with reduced depressive symptoms in men (b= −1.83, 95% CI = −3.22; −.43) even after controlling for covariates. For women, statutory retirement was linked to lower depressive symptomatology (b = −2.00, 95% CI = −3.99; −.02). Conclusion: Depressive symptomatology among early retirees depends on reason for retirement: For women, ill-health retirement is linked to higher levels of depressive symptoms. Women who retire early due to ill-health constitute a risk group for depressive symptoms that needs specific attention in the health care and social security system.
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    Heart failure is independently associated with white matter lesions: insights from the population-based LIFE-Adult Study
    (John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Cardiology, 2021-02) Stegmann T; Chu ML; Witte VA; Villringer A; Kumral D; Riedel-Heller SG; Roehr S; Hagendorff A; Laufs U; Loeffler M; Wachter R; Zeynalova S
    Aims White matter lesions (WML) are common structural alterations in the white matter of the brain and their prevalence increases with age. They are associated with cerebral ischaemia and cognitive dysfunction. Patients with heart failure (HF) are at risk for cognitive decline. We hypothesized that the presence and duration of HF are associated with WML. Methods and results The LIFE-Adult Study is a population-based study of 10 000 residents of Leipzig, Germany. WML were quantitated in 2490 participants who additionally underwent cerebral MRI using the Fazekas score. Mean age was 64 years, and 46% were female; 2156 (86.6%) subjects had Fazekas score of 0–1, and 334 (13.4%) had Fazekas score of 2–3. Thirty participants had a medical history of HF, 1019 had hypertension, and 51 had a history of stroke. Median left ventricular ejection fraction of the participants with HF was 57% (interquartile ranges 54–62). Age, troponin T, NT-proBNP, body mass index, history of acute myocardial infarction, stroke, HF, and diabetes were positively associated with WML in univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, age, hypertension, stroke, and HF were independently associated with WML. The odd's ratio for the association of WML (Fazekas 2–3) with HF was 2.8 (95% CI 1.2–6.5; P = 0.019). WML increased with longer duration of HF (P = 0.036 for trend). Conclusions In addition to age, hypertension, and stroke, the prevalence and duration of HF are independently associated with WML. This observation sets the stage to investigate the prognostic value of WML in HF and the impact of HF therapies on WML.
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    Less Animal-Based Food, Better Weight Status: Associations of the Restriction of Animal-Based Product Intake with Body-Mass-Index, Depressive Symptoms and Personality in the General Population
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2020-05) Medawar E; Enzenbach C; Roehr S; Villringer A; Riedel-Heller SG; Witte AV
    Restricting animal-based products from diet may exert beneficial effects on weight status; however, less is known about such a diet and emotional health. Moreover, personality traits, for example high neuroticism, may contribute to restrictive eating habits and potentially confound diet-health associations. We aim to systematically assess if restrictive dietary intake of animal-based products relates to lower weight and higher depressive symptoms, and if differences in personality traits play a significant role. Cross-sectional data from the baseline LIFE-Adult study were collected from 2011–2014 in Leipzig, Germany (n = 8943). Main outcomes of interest were dietary frequency of animal-derived products in the last year measured using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), body-mass-index (BMI) (kg/m2), and the Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Personality traits were assessed in a subsample of n = 7906 using the Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Higher restriction of animal-based product intake was associated with a lower BMI, but not with depression scores. Personality, i.e., lower extraversion, was related to higher frequency of animal product intake. Moreover, personality traits were significantly associated with depressive symptoms, i.e., higher neuroticism, lower extraversion, lower agreeableness, lower conscientiousness, and with higher BMI. These findings encourage future longitudinal studies to test the efficacy of restricting animal-based products as a preventive and therapeutic strategy for overweight and obesity.
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    Memory-related subjective cognitive symptoms in the adult population: prevalence and associated factors – results of the LIFE-Adult-Study
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2018-05-21) Luck T; Roehr S; Rodriguez FS; Schroeter ML; Witte AV; Hinz A; Mehnert A; Engel C; Loeffler M; Thiery J; Villringer A; Riedel-Heller SG
    Background Subjectively perceived memory problems (memory-related Subjective Cognitive Symptoms/SCS) can be an indicator of a pre-prodromal or prodromal stage of a neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s disease. We therefore sought to provide detailed empirical information on memory-related SCS in the dementia-free adult population including information on prevalence rates, associated factors and others. Methods We studied 8834 participants (40–79 years) of the population-based LIFE-Adult-Study. Weighted prevalence rates with confidence intervals (95%-CI) were calculated. Associations of memory-related SCS with participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, physical and mental comorbidity, and cognitive performance (Verbal Fluency Test Animals, Trail-Making-Test, CERAD Wordlist tests) were analyzed. Results Prevalence of total memory-related SCS was 53.0% (95%-CI = 51.9–54.0): 26.0% (95%-CI = 25.1–27.0) of the population had a subtype without related concerns, 23.6% (95%-CI = 22.7–24.5) a subtype with some related concerns, and 3.3% (95%-CI = 2.9–3.7) a subtype with strong related concerns. Report of memory-related SCS was unrelated to participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, physical comorbidity (except history of stroke), depressive symptomatology, and anxiety. Adults with and without memory-related SCS showed no significant difference in cognitive performance. About one fifth (18.1%) of the participants with memory-related SCS stated that they did consult/want to consult a physician because of their experienced memory problems. Conclusions Memory-related SCS are very common and unspecific in the non-demented adult population aged 40–79 years. Nonetheless, a substantial proportion of this population has concerns related to experienced memory problems and/or seeks help. Already available information on additional features associated with a higher likelihood of developing dementia in people with SCS may help clinicians to decide who should be monitored more closely.
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    Social determinants and lifestyle factors for brain health: implications for risk reduction of cognitive decline and dementia
    (Springer Nature Limited, 2022-07-28) Röhr S; Pabst A; Baber R; Engel C; Glaesmer H; Hinz A; Schroeter ML; Witte AV; Zeynalova S; Villringer A; Löffler M; Riedel-Heller SG
    Substantial evidence indicates a huge potential for risk reduction of cognitive decline and dementia based on modifiable health and lifestyle factors. To maximize the chances for risk reduction, it is useful to investigate associations of social determinants and lifestyle for brain health. We computed the “LIfestyle for BRAin health” (LIBRA) score for baseline participants of the Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases (LIFE) Adult Study, a population-based urban cohort in Germany. LIBRA predicts dementia in midlife and early late life populations, comprising 12 modifiable risk factors (heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical inactivity, diet, depression, cognitive inactivity). Associations of social determinants (living situation, marital status, social isolation, education, net equivalence income, occupational status, socioeconomic status/SES, employment) with LIBRA were inspected using age- and sex-adjusted multivariable linear regression analysis. Z-standardization and sampling weights were applied. Participants (n = 6203) were M = 57.4 (SD = 10.6, range 40–79) years old and without dementia, 53.0% were women. Except for marital status, all considered social determinants were significantly associated with LIBRA. Beta coefficients for the association with higher LIBRA scores were most pronounced for low SES (β = 0.80, 95% CI [0.72–0.88]; p < 0.001) and middle SES (β = 0.55, 95% CI [0.47–0.62]; p < 0.001). Social determinants, particularly socioeconomic factors, are associated with lifestyle for brain health, and should thus be addressed in risk reduction strategies for cognitive decline and dementia. A social-ecological public health perspective on risk reduction might be more effective and equitable than focusing on individual lifestyle behaviors alone.
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    Social factors and the prevalence of social isolation in a population-based adult cohort
    (Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, 2022-10) Röhr S; Wittmann F; Engel C; Enzenbach C; Witte AV; Villringer A; Löffler M; Riedel-Heller SG
    Purpose Social isolation has negative effects on physical and brain health across the lifespan. However, the prevalence of social isolation, specifically with regard to sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors, is not well known. Methods Database was the Leipzig population-based study of adults (LIFE-Adult Study, n = 10,000). The short form of the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6) was used to assess social isolation (cutoff < 12 points). Sampling weights were applied to account for differences in sampling fractions. Results Data were available for 9392 study participants; 51.6% were women, the mean age was 45.2 years (SD = 17.3). The prevalence of social isolation was 12.3% (95% CI 11.6–13.0) across ages 18–79 years. Social isolation was more prevalent in men (13.8%, 95% CI 12.8–14.8) compared to women (10.9%, 95% CI 10.0–11.8; (1) = 18.83, p < .001), and it showed an increase with increasing age from 5.4% (95% CI 4.7–6.0) in the youngest age group (18–39 years) to 21.7% (95% CI 19.5–24.0) in the oldest age group (70–79 years; (4) = 389.51, p < .001). Prevalence differed largely with regard to socioeconomic status (SES); showing lower prevalence in high SES (7.2%, 95% CI 6.0–8.4) and higher prevalence in low SES (18.6%, 95% CI 16.9–20.3; (2) = 115.78; p < .001). Conclusion More than one in ten individuals in the adult population reported social isolation, and prevalence varied strongly with regard to sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors. Social isolation was particularly frequent in disadvantaged socioeconomic groups. From a public health perspective, effective prevention of and intervention against social isolation should be a desired target as social isolation leads to poor health. Countermeasures should especially take into account the socioeconomic determinants of social isolation, applying a life-course perspective.