Lifestyle Factors in Neurological Disorders

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neurodegenerative Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 9510

Special Issue Editors

1. School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA
2. Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Interests: epidemiology; environmental health; lifestyle factors; gene–environment interactions; neurodegenerative disorders; cardiovascular disease; cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
Interests: neuropsychology; cognitive aging; neurodegenerative disorders; dietary and other lifestyle factors
School of Osteopathic Medicine, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX 78235, USA
Interests: nutritional epidemiology; lifestyle; cardiometabolic factors; community health; older adults; social determinants of health; chronic disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The complex interrelationship between the social and physical environment with biological, behavioral, and psychological factors are thought to contribute to health outcomes across the lifespan. Lifestyle factors, such as diet, exercise and social activity, have been examined as potential targets for the prevention of various disorders, including neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and others. These variables may also interact with other risk and protective factors, such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and depression.

This Special Issue focuses on studies examining how lifestyle, metabolic, and social-behavioral factors and experiences may contribute to the development and progression of neurological disorders. Articles that advance our knowledge on topics such as nutrition, physical activity, stressful experiences, health behaviors and other risk and protective factors are of interest. Research in this area could lead to recommendations related to the prevention of disease or disability associated with these diseases. We welcome reports of observational and experimental studies, meta-analyses and review articles.

Dr. Nicole M. Gatto
Dr. Grace J. Lee
Dr. Karen Jaceldo-Siegl
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • nutrition
  • diet
  • physical activity
  • stress
  • neurological disorders
  • neurodegenerative disorders
  • experiences
  • life course
  • lifestyle
  • social determinants

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 310 KiB  
Article
Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Cognition, and Brain Volume in Older Adults
by Spencer Loong, Samuel Barnes, Nicole M. Gatto, Shilpy Chowdhury and Grace J. Lee
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(9), 1278; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13091278 - 02 Sep 2023
Viewed by 4036
Abstract
The elderly population is growing at increased rates and is expected to double in size by 2050 in the United States and worldwide. The consumption of healthy foods and enriched diets have been associated with improved cognition and brain health. The key nutrients [...] Read more.
The elderly population is growing at increased rates and is expected to double in size by 2050 in the United States and worldwide. The consumption of healthy foods and enriched diets have been associated with improved cognition and brain health. The key nutrients common to many healthy foods and diets are the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 FAs), such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). We explored whether omega-3 FA levels are associated with brain volume and cognition. Forty healthy, cognitively normal, Seventh-day Adventist older adults (mean age 76.3 years at MRI scan, 22 females) completed neurocognitive testing, a blood draw, and structural neuroimaging from 2016 to 2018. EPA and an overall omega-3 index were associated with individual measures of delayed recall (RAVLT-DR) and processing speed (Stroop Color) as well as entorhinal cortex thickness. EPA, DHA, and the omega-3 index were significantly correlated with the total white matter volume. The entorhinal cortex, frontal pole, and total white matter were associated with higher scores on delayed memory recall. This exploratory study found that among healthy, cognitively older adults, increased levels of omega-3 FAs are associated with better memory, processing speed, and structural brain measures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lifestyle Factors in Neurological Disorders)
13 pages, 305 KiB  
Article
Association between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Multiple Sclerosis in Icelandic Women—A Population-Based Cohort Study
by Nicole M. Gatto, Edda Bjork Thordardottir, Gunnar Tomasson, Harpa Rúnarsdóttir, Huan Song, Jóhanna Jakobsdóttir, Thor Aspelund, Unnur Anna Valdimarsdóttir and Arna Hauksdóttir
Brain Sci. 2022, 12(11), 1559; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12111559 - 16 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1800
Abstract
Background: A growing literature, mostly based on selected populations, indicates that traumas may be associated with autoimmune diseases, yet few studies exist on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and multiple sclerosis (MS) in the general population. Objective: We assessed cross-sectional associations between self-reported ACEs [...] Read more.
Background: A growing literature, mostly based on selected populations, indicates that traumas may be associated with autoimmune diseases, yet few studies exist on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and multiple sclerosis (MS) in the general population. Objective: We assessed cross-sectional associations between self-reported ACEs and MS among Icelandic women in the population-based Stress-And-Gene-Analysis (SAGA) cohort. Methods: Participants (n = 27,870; mean age 44.9 years) answered a web-based survey that included the ACE-International Questionnaire and a question about MS diagnosis. Log-linear Poisson regression models estimated MS prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals for ACEs adjusted for covariates. Results: 214 women reported having been diagnosed with MS (crude prevalence = 7.7 per 1000). Compared to women without MS, women with MS reported more fatigue, body pain and bladder problems. The average cumulative number of ACEs was 2.1. After adjustment for age, education, childhood deprivation, smoking and depressive symptoms, MS prevalence did not increase with increasing ACEs exposure (PR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.92, 1.09). Thirteen ACE categories, including abuse, neglect, household dysfunction and violence were not individually or independently associated with MS. Conclusion: Limited by self-reported data and cross-sectional design, results do not consistently support associations between ACEs in the development of MS among adult Icelandic women. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lifestyle Factors in Neurological Disorders)

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21 pages, 1054 KiB  
Systematic Review
The Impact of Dance Movement Interventions on Psychological Health in Older Adults without Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Odile Sophie Podolski, Tim Whitfield, Leah Schaaf, Clara Cornaro, Theresa Köbe, Sabine Koch and Miranka Wirth
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(7), 981; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13070981 - 22 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2664
Abstract
Background: Lifestyle-based multimodal interventions that integrate physical, sensory, cognitive and social enrichment are suggested to promote healthy mental aging and resilience against aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Objectives: This meta-analysis examined the efficacy of dance movement interventions (DMI) as an integrated mind–body activity [...] Read more.
Background: Lifestyle-based multimodal interventions that integrate physical, sensory, cognitive and social enrichment are suggested to promote healthy mental aging and resilience against aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Objectives: This meta-analysis examined the efficacy of dance movement interventions (DMI) as an integrated mind–body activity on outcomes of psychological health in older adults. Methods: Pre-registration was carried out with PROSPERO (CRD42021265112). PubMed, Web of Science and PsycINFO were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCT) evaluating the effects of DMI (>4 weeks’ duration) compared to comparators on measures of psychological health (primary outcome) and cognitive function (additional outcome) among older adults without dementia (aged ≥55). Data of 14 primary RCT (n = 983, n-DMI = 494, n-control = 489) were synthesized using a random effects meta-analysis with robust variance estimation. Results: DMI had a small positive effect on overall psychological health (g = 0.30; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.06, 0.53; p = 0.02, I2= 65.04) compared to control conditions. Small effects of DMI on positive and negative psychological domains as well as quality of life were not statistically significant. DMI had a medium positive effect on general cognitive function (g = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.89, p = 0.02, I2= 79.61) over comparators. None of the primary intervention studies evaluated measures of neuroplasticity. Conclusions: We found that DMI was effective in promoting mental health amongst older adults without dementia, suggesting that the multimodal enrichment tool is a potential strategy for health promotion and prevention of AD. High-quality intervention studies are needed to expand evidence on DMI-induced changes in specific psychological domains and identify underlying neurophysiological correlates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lifestyle Factors in Neurological Disorders)
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