Category: Nevin Manimala

Psychol Methods. 2025 Sep 15. doi: 10.1037/met0000796. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

When comparing relationships between latent variables across groups, measurement invariance (MI) needs to be established to ensure that the test results are valid and meaningful conclusions can be drawn. Common tests of MI are not ideal for investigating many groups and are of limited value during the development of measurement models. In addition, popular network-based alternatives to latent variable modeling lack established methods for MI testing. Therefore, we propose exploratory graph analysis trees (EGA trees) that apply the idea of model-based recursive partitioning to correlation matrices and combine it with EGA-which can be used instead of exploratory factor analysis. In a simulation study, we test the approach regarding its ability to detect configural or metric noninvariance in common factor models given numerous covariates and illustrate its usefulness in conditions with severe violations of configural invaraince based on the diverging number of factors. The results demonstrate that EGA trees can be a valuable tool for the exploration of MI when constructing scales and working on measurement models. We provide R functions within the R package EFAtree to easily implement EGA trees. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

PMID:40952703 | DOI:10.1037/met0000796

Neuropsychology. 2025 Sep 15. doi: 10.1037/neu0001029. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (DRS), a widely used cognitive assessment tool, has been revised to align with contemporary diagnostic criteria and cognitive domain classifications such as those outlined in Diagnostic Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, fifth edition-text revision (DSM-5-TR) and eleventh version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). This study proposed a reorganization of DRS items into five new subscales based on cognitive domains of those classificatory manuals, aiming to enhance its construct validity and clinical utility.

METHOD: The DRS and other neuropsychological tests were used for the assessment of 407 older adults with low formal education and heterogeneous cognitive backgrounds. We used confirmatory factor analysis to test different arrangements of DRS items and correlated the final model with other neuropsychological tests.

RESULTS: Our final model (following the DSM-5-TR/ICD-11 cognitive domains) showed better model fit in multiple indexes when compared with the original DRS subscales. They showed significant correlation with specific neuropsychological tests corresponding to their respective cognitive domains, supporting its validity. Group comparisons across cognitive impairment levels (cognitively unimpaired, mild neurocognitive disorder, major neurocognitive disorder) revealed progressive cognitive decline patterns consistent with clinical expectations.

CONCLUSIONS: The proposed DRS item division based in DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 cognitive domains showed more consistent evidences of validity than the original. The proposed revision can use the original DRS subtests and scoring system, just reorganizing the subscales to better fit the DSM-5-TR/ICD-11 model and can in any translation/local version of the test. Further research is needed to replicate this findings and establish normative values and cutoff scores for clinical application. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

PMID:40952694 | DOI:10.1037/neu0001029

Personal Disord. 2025 Sep 15. doi: 10.1037/per0000745. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study explores the structural properties of the Personality Inventory for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, Brief Form (PID-5-BF) by applying network analysis and community detection as a data-driven alternative to traditional factor models. Traditionally, the PID-5-BF assesses personality traits across five domains-Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Antagonism, Disinhibition, and Psychoticism-but has shown notable inconsistencies in item alignment and factorial coherence. To examine these issues, data were collected from 2,766 Italian participants (71.7% female, 28.3% male, M_age = 32.94 years, SD = 13.2). The estimated network revealed a stable structure, supported by robust centrality measures (closeness = 0.59, expected influence = 0.75, strength = 0.75). Community detection identified five empirically coherent clusters-Disinhibition, Demoralization, Detachment and Irritability, Psychosocial Alienation, and Pathological Egocentrism-suggesting an alternative organization of maladaptive traits in this population. To assess generalizability, a second analysis was conducted on a Hungarian sample (N = 355), yielding a five-structure solution with different item compositions. While the network approach emphasizes item-level associations, the specific configurations varied across samples in ways that reflect contextual influences. Nonetheless, this method offers complementary insights to traditional factorial models, highlighting how personality traits may organize differently across populations and supporting the use of network-based approaches in refining dimensional models of personality pathology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

PMID:40952676 | DOI:10.1037/per0000745

Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch. 2025 Sep 15:1-8. doi: 10.1044/2025_LSHSS-25-00053. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Understanding children’s speech perception strategies in noise is very important for improving their living environment. Previous studies with adults reported that closing the eyes improves speech understanding in noise by increasing the activation of cortical systems involved in listening and attention, while increased cognitive load makes speech understanding in noise more difficult. This study aimed to investigate the effects of listening conditions on speech perception in noise in children.

METHOD: The study recruited 102 typically developing children, 51 girls and 51 boys, aged between 7 and 12 years with typical hearing. Speech intelligibility tests were performed in noise under three different conditions: eyes open (EO), eyes closed (EC), and watching cartoon (WC), which is assumed to increase cognitive load. All conditions were applied randomly (without any order in the conditions) to each participant.

RESULTS: In the speech intelligibility test in noise, the lowest signal-to-noise ratio (the best performance) was obtained in the EO, EC, and WC conditions, respectively. When EO-EC, EO-WC, and EC-WC were compared by the post hoc analysis, the largest effect size was obtained in EO-WC, EO-EC, and EC-WC, respectively. When evaluated in terms of genders, no statistically significant difference was found for the three listening conditions.

CONCLUSIONS: It has been shown that children’s speech perception abilities in noise are affected at different levels by various factors such as open-closed eyes, auditory attention, and cognitive load. The best speech perception performance in noise was obtained in the EO condition, which is the natural situation.

PMID:40952674 | DOI:10.1044/2025_LSHSS-25-00053

Psychol Trauma. 2025 Sep 15. doi: 10.1037/tra0002041. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Extant literature has highlighted the links between experiences of racial discrimination and numerous symptoms of psychopathology, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and racial trauma. This study aimed to further probe the relationship between racial discrimination, PTSD, and racial trauma through observing how the frequency of, and distress from experiences of racial discrimination relate to symptom clusters of racial trauma and PTSD, while controlling for nondiscrimination-based trauma history.

METHOD: Participants were 303 racial minority undergraduate students who completed an online battery of questionnaires including the General Ethnic Discrimination Scale, Trauma Symptoms of Discrimination Scale, and PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition.

RESULTS: Path analysis revealed a significant relationship between the frequency and distress caused by experiences of racial discrimination and each symptom dimension of racial trauma (as captured by the Trauma Symptoms of Discrimination Scale). However, a path analysis demonstrated that only the frequency of experiences of discrimination was related to symptom clusters of PTSD.

CONCLUSIONS: Findings from the present study suggest that the frequency of experiences of discrimination is related to symptoms of racial trauma and PTSD, but that discrimination-related distress may be more closely tied to symptoms of racial trauma than PTSD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

PMID:40952670 | DOI:10.1037/tra0002041

Psychol Trauma. 2025 Sep 15. doi: 10.1037/tra0002007. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Sources and symptoms of traumatic stress may vary in autistic versus nonautistic youth and be challenging to assess given phenotypic overlap; nonetheless, there is a dearth of autism-tailored measures.

METHOD: The Childhood Adversity and Social Stress Questionnaire-Parent Report (CASSQ-PR) was developed to assess stressful experiences (SE) and subsequent traumatic stress symptom (TSS) within the context of autism and tested in an online community sample of parents of autistic youth (N = 729; 8-17 years; 80% male; recruited February-December 2018) with communicative speech.

RESULTS: Per parent report, autistic youth experienced ≥ 2 SE in traditionally assessed (52.7%) and autism-nominated categories (i.e., derived from mixed method research with autistic individuals and caregivers; 58.3%); 39.5% (n = 288) of parents completed the CASSQ-TSS subscale. Bullying, stigma, sensory, change, and interaction-related stress were the most commonly endorsed SE. The CASSQ-SE subscale correlated positively with Child Behavior Checklist Total Problems, with both traditional and autism-nominated SE contributing to variance explained (supporting concurrent and incremental validity). Bivariate correlations demonstrated stronger convergence between the CASSQ-PR-TSS and parent-report Child Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale, than the Child Behavior Checklist externalizing subscale, supporting convergent and discriminant validity. Factor structure supported a second-order, four-factor, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition posttraumatic stress disorder model per confirmatory factor analysis; however, exploratory structural equation modeling suggested some adaptations to remove low-loading items, reduce item cross-loading, and enhance model fit.

CONCLUSIONS: The CASSQ-PR offers a valid estimate of SE and TSS as observed by parents in verbally communicative, school-age autistic youth; however, further research with more sociodemographically diverse and clinical samples is warranted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

PMID:40952668 | DOI:10.1037/tra0002007

Diabetes Ther. 2025 Sep 15. doi: 10.1007/s13300-025-01789-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized primarily by insulin resistance and hyperglycemia, often leading to multiple complications. Sleep disturbances, including insomnia and sleep apnea, are prevalent in patients with T2DM and are associated with poorer glucose metabolism. Despite research examining the relationship between glucose metabolism, body composition, and sleep quality, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, particularly within patients with T2DM.

METHODS: This study involved 269 newly diagnosed patients with T2DM from January to June 2024. Data collected included demographic information, clinical variables, glycemic markers, and body composition analyses. Sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), categorizing participants into poor (PSQI-H) and good sleep quality (PSQI-L) groups. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses, along with mediation analysis, were performed using SPSS 26.0 and R software to explore associations between sleep quality, glycemic markers, and body composition.

RESULTS: Significant correlations were found between PSQI scores and glycemic markers such as HbA1c, HOMA-IR, and postprandial blood glucose levels, showing that poorer glucose control was correlated with worse sleep quality. Mediation analysis suggested that body composition, particularly the trunk-to-limb fat mass ratio, may act as a statistical mediator in the relationship between glucose metabolism and sleep quality.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the complex relationship between glucose metabolism, body composition, and sleep quality in patients with T2DM. Targeting glucose regulation and body composition may be explored in future studies as potential approaches to improve sleep quality in individuals with T2DM.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical ChiCTR1900022768.

PMID:40952648 | DOI:10.1007/s13300-025-01789-6

Neth Heart J. 2025 Sep 15. doi: 10.1007/s12471-025-01989-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: There is very limited data available on the impact of cardiovascular disease (CVD) on absenteeism occurrence, absenteeism duration, and the associated rough cost-estimate for employers.

METHODS: We extracted routinely collected absenteeism data for the years 2019-2022 from a database maintained by two large, nationally operating occupational health services (n = 443,740). All diagnoses and included sickness cases were recorded > 6 weeks of absenteeism. Descriptive statistics, including median values (IQR) and percentages, were calculated and compared using the Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson chi-square test. Subgroup comparisons were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. To analyse return-to-work over time, a Kaplan-Meier curve was constructed, and differences in return-to-work were assessed using the Log Rank (Mantel-Cox) test.

RESULTS: CVD is the primary cause of absenteeism in 3.2% of all absenteeism cases. The median duration of absenteeism following CVD was 119 working days (IQR 156; Q1-Q3 62.9-218.6) with a minimum rough cost-estimate to employers of € 37,000 per employee. The most frequently occurring CVD diagnoses were: acute myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, cardiac arrhythmia, unspecified cardiovascular complaints and angina.

CONCLUSIONS: CVD occurs frequently, results in prolonged absenteeism, and incurs high costs for employers. We strongly believe that CVD-related absenteeism should receive greater attention. Specifically, both in-hospital and outpatient treatments should place a stronger emphasis on work-related issues, including strategies for returning to work with or without tailored assignments in the workplace. This focus will help ensure that employees can sustainably return to work and continue to contribute to society.

PMID:40952643 | DOI:10.1007/s12471-025-01989-6

Endocrine. 2025 Sep 15. doi: 10.1007/s12020-025-04416-3. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:40952635 | DOI:10.1007/s12020-025-04416-3

Sports Med. 2025 Sep 11. doi: 10.1007/s40279-025-02307-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Muscle stretching is widely used in clinical, athletic, and otherwise healthy populations, yet a consensual definition of stretch intensity-a key component of stretch load-does not exist. This is important because the effects of stretch intensity on range of motion and strength are controversial but suggested to affect clinical practice and scientific research. Most commonly, stretch intensity is defined in relation to an individual’s perceived level of discomfort or pain; however, these definitions are problematic for several reasons, including that consensual and objective quantifiable definitions of ‘pain’ and ‘discomfort’ do not exist, perceptions vary widely (and may not be sensed in some populations), and their ordinal (interval) nature is problematic from a statistical (research) point of view. The maximal range of motion or stretch distance may instead be useful; however, it can be difficult to define the ‘start of stretch’ and tissue stress varies non-linearly with range of motion or distance, meaning tissue load (stress) varies markedly with small changes in joint angle or distance near the stretch limit but varies less when stretches are performed further from it. Alternatively, setting joint angles or stretch distances as a percentage of the peak passive torque or resistive force can circumvent these issues, removing the need to define the ‘start of stretch’ and ensuring that intensity changes largely reflect changes in tissue load; however, torque/force measurement can sometimes be difficult or impossible to assess. A concerted research effort is thus required to produce an accepted definition of stretch intensity, and then to clarify how this can be quantified in scientific and practical settings.

PMID:40952622 | DOI:10.1007/s40279-025-02307-1