Tag: statistics

Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Dec;21(12):e71034. doi: 10.1002/alz.71034.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Research on dementia in centenarians is scarce. This study assesses the 2024 Lancet Commission risk factors for dementia in Colombian centenarians.

METHODS: The Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB), Mini-Mental State Examination, and Barthel Index were evaluated in Colombian centenarians. A preserved cognitive-functional phenotype (PCFP), defined by a CDR-SB <2 and a Barthel index ≥60, was utilized to signify the absence of dementia based on cognitive screening instruments. Associations with age-related clinical variables were assessed through multivariate analyses.

RESULTS: Among 160 centenarians, 63.7% did not meet the PCFP criteria and were classified as having dementia. Frailty, alcohol intake, and depression were linked to dementia, while physical performance, nutritional status, and quality of life were associated with PCFP. Physical activity, education, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and smoking showed no significant associations.

DISCUSSION: Traditional dementia risk factors were not universally confirmed in centenarians, underscoring the need for prevention strategies tailored to specific settings.

HIGHLIGHTS: Dementia risk factors act differently in Colombian centenarians. Frailty and malnutrition strongly linked to dementia in centenarians. Preserved cognitive-functional phenotype identified in 36% of centenarians. Quality of life and physical performance protect against cognitive decline. Classical risk factors (education, hypertension, diabetes) showed no effect.

PMID:41400045 | DOI:10.1002/alz.71034

Clin Nurs Res. 2025 Dec 16:10547738251398357. doi: 10.1177/10547738251398357. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to explore the effects of the incomplete prone position in non-mechanically ventilated adults with a tracheostomy, providing evidence for its clinical management. Non-mechanically ventilated adults (n = 64) with a tracheostomy who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in this randomized controlled trial. They were randomly assigned to either a control group (n = 32) and or an experimental group (n = 32). Both groups received standard tracheostomy care. The experimental group was positioned in the incomplete prone position, while the control group was maintained in the lateral position. Continuous intervention lasted for 7 days. We compared the differences in respiratory oxygenation indicators, pulmonary infection rates, sputum volume, hemodynamics, and the complications between the two groups. After 7 days of intervention, the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher arterial partial pressure of oxygen and oxygenation index than the control group (p < .05). From day 2 onward, pulse oxygen saturation was consistently higher in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < .001). Furthermore, a significantly lower respiratory rate was observed in the experimental group from day 4 onward (p < .001). No statistically significant difference was found in the incidence of pulmonary infection between the two groups (p > .05). However, a significant intergroup difference was observed in the Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (p < .05). From day 1 to 7, the experimental group exhibited significantly higher daily sputum volume than the control group (p < .001). The analysis of sputum volume revealed significant effects for both time and group (p < .001), but the group-by-time interaction effect was not statistically significant (p = .064). No significant effects for time or group were found on hemodynamic parameters, including heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure (p > .05). Additionally, the group-by-time interaction effect was not statistically significant (p > .05). Importantly, no severe complications occurred in either group. The incomplete prone position significantly improved oxygenation, promoted airway secretion clearance, and reduced pulmonary infection severity in non-mechanically ventilated adults with a tracheostomy.

PMID:41400043 | DOI:10.1177/10547738251398357

Clin Nurs Res. 2025 Dec 16:10547738251403958. doi: 10.1177/10547738251403958. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Identifying the symptoms that most significantly deteriorate patient outcomes (i.e., quality of life [QoL] and daily activities) at specific treatment stages is important in caring for patients with hematologic cancer. Yet, few studies have examined symptom experiences and patient outcomes during the early phases of chemotherapy immediately after diagnosis. Hence, this study aimed to (a) evaluate symptom experience (prevalence, severity), QoL, and interference with daily activities before and 1 week after completing induction chemotherapy and (b) identify key symptoms affecting QoL and daily activities at each time point. The sample included 124 patients undergoing their first chemotherapy for hematologic cancer. We administered the Memorial Symptoms Assessment Scale, a single-item QoL scale, and the symptom-interference subscale of the Brief Pain Inventory. Statistical analyses included Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, Spearman’s rho, and multiple-regression analysis. No significant changes emerged in QoL or interference with daily activity scores from pre- to postchemotherapy, suggesting that the impact of chemotherapy on patient outcomes was not instant. However, two items in interference with daily activities worsened following treatment, possibly due to hospitalization: “relationships with others” (p = .03), and “sleep” (p = .001). At both time points, interference with daily activities was highest for “enjoyment of life.” Across time points, “lack of energy” most frequently and severely occurred. Symptom experience was strongly associated with interference in daily activities but not with QoL. Significant independent predictors of interference with daily activities were “being irritable” (β = .31, p < .001), “insomnia” (β = .18, p = .04), and “difficulty in concenting” (β = .18, p = .02) before chemotherapy; “difficulty in concentrating” (β = .30, p < .001), “worrying” (β = .30, p = .003), and “lack of energy” (β = .20, p = .02) 1 week after induction chemotherapy. In conclusion, psychological symptoms (e.g., lack of energy, difficulty in concentrating, being irritable, and worrying) were not only prevalent but also greatly influenced daily activities before and after treatment. Nurses should assess and manage these symptoms and be aware of pharmacological/nonpharmacological interventions to alleviate them. Interference in “enjoyment of life” is a notable patient outcome throughout treatment.

PMID:41400009 | DOI:10.1177/10547738251403958

Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Dec;21(12):e70979. doi: 10.1002/alz.70979.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Functional impairment across degenerative dementias remains understudied in Latin American contexts. We aimed to assess total and item-level functional performance, determine specific instrumental activities, and identify differences in functional profiles between groups.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 1445 participants were classified according to the Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire (PFAQ). Statistical comparisons were adjusted for age, sex, and education using linear regression residuals and corrected for multiple comparisons.

RESULTS: Functional impairment increased progressively from normal cognition to dementia. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) groups showed significantly greater total PFAQ scores compared to controls and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Distinct profiles of impairment emerged: AD was more associated with memory-dependent tasks, while FTD showed disproportionate deficits in executive and social activities.

DISCUSSION: Functional abilities are differentially impacted in AD and FTD within the Peruvian population. Our findings highlight the importance of item-level functional evaluation to support early detection and subtype differentiation of dementia in underserved regions.

HIGHLIGHTS: We characterized and compared functional abilities among Peruvian older adults with normal cognition and neurodegenerative disease in different stages. PFAQ scores were analyzed across dementia stages in a Peruvian population. Functional abilities were differentially impacted in Peruvian participants with AD compared to FTD. AD was more associated with memory-dependent tasks, while FTD showed disproportional deficits in executive and social activities.

PMID:41400005 | DOI:10.1002/alz.70979

Med Lav. 2025 Dec 16;116(6):16988. doi: 10.23749/mdl.v116i6.16988.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This cross-sectional study aims to assess cumulative loads affecting the lower back, shoulders, and distal upper extremities among automotive mechanics.

METHODS: The survey was conducted in automotive repair workshops in Shiraz, involving 157 independent mechanics selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a multiple-questionnaire including the Persian Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (P-CMDQ), the Lifting Fatigue Failure Tool (LiFFT), the Shoulder Work Assessment Tool (SWAT), and the Distal Upper Extremity Tool (DUET). Descriptive statistics were used to assess musculoskeletal discomfort, and Partial correlation analyses, adjusted for age and Body Mass Index (BMI), examined the relationships between risk levels from LiFFT, SWAT, and DUET and discomfort reported in the P-CMDQ.

RESULTS: The results showed a high level of musculoskeletal discomfort, especially in the lower back, shoulders, and hands. Risk assessments indicated that the cumulative loads are in the high range for the lower back in 42.7% of cases, the shoulders in 40.8%, and the distal upper extremities in 36.3%. A strong correlation was observed between cumulative load on the lower back and perceived discomfort in this region (r = 0.730), whereas the correlations for the shoulders (r = 0.611) and distal upper extremities (r = 0.537) were moderate.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the significant influence of workplace factors on the musculoskeletal health of automotive mechanics, emphasizing the importance of preventive measures and ergonomic solutions to enhance their health and productivity.

PMID:41400003 | DOI:10.23749/mdl.v116i6.16988

Med Lav. 2025 Dec 16;116(6):17196. doi: 10.23749/mdl.v116i6.17196.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The present study aims to investigate neural synchrony, as measured by Auditory Steady State Response (ASSR), in individuals with normal hearing who are exposed and not exposed to occupational noise, thereby providing insights into hidden hearing loss within the central auditory nervous system, and justifying the importance of exploring auditory neural function in populations at risk.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study involved 30 noise-exposed individuals in the Study Group and 30 unexposed individuals in the Control Group, all paired by an average age of 35 years. The following procedures were performed on all individuals: clinical and occupational history, meatoscopy, immitanciometry, pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, and ASSR (40Hz). We analyzed the audiometric hearing thresholds at frequencies of 1 kHz and 4 kHz, the electrophysiological thresholds estimated by ASSR, and the comparison of the differences between them: the thresholds estimated by ASSR and the audiometry thresholds. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. P-values ≤ 0.05 were considered significant.

RESULTS: When comparing hearing thresholds at 1 kHz and 4 kHz between groups, we found significant differences, with the SG showing higher hearing thresholds than the CG bilaterally. No significant differences were seen in the electrophysiological thresholds estimated by ASSR, nor in the comparison between the ASSR-estimated threshold and the psychoacoustic hearing threshold groups.

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that workers exposed to occupational noise did not show detectable changes in neural synchrony in the midbrain, thalamus, or primary auditory cortex when compared to individuals without occupational noise exposure.

PMID:41400001 | DOI:10.23749/mdl.v116i6.17196

Med Lav. 2025 Dec 16;116(6):17437. doi: 10.23749/mdl.v116i6.17437.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to determine whether occupational exposure to high sound levels, typical of an opera orchestra, can cause hearing loss.

METHODS: The orchestra professors at Teatro alla Scala in Milan underwent ear examinations, pure-tone audiometry, and other audiological tests. The hearing thresholds of these musicians were compared with those of populations not exposed to occupational noise and with populations exposed to industrial noise. Noise exposure levels were estimated through a phonometric survey conducted at our theater in 2011, which largely confirmed the exposure levels outlined in European guidelines.

RESULTS: The average audiometric thresholds of the orchestra musicians were slightly worse than the median thresholds of a healthy, non-noise-exposed population. In three subjects (2.8%), bilateral hearing impairment (PTA 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 kHz > 25 dB HL) was observed; in four violinists (3.7%) left unilateral hearing impairment was found. This rate is lower than the expected risk from similar industrial noise exposures. Comparing these audiometries with those from about ten years earlier shows that the hearing threshold decline in the study group is comparable to that caused by presbycusis.

CONCLUSIONS: The risk of noise-induced hearing loss among professional orchestra musicians appears lower than predicted by the UNI ISO 1999:2015 standard. A few cases of hearing loss due to chronic acoustic trauma were noted, particularly among violinists who demonstrated a higher incidence of left unilateral hearing loss. The high levels of sound exposure and the presence of some hearing loss cases highlight the need for targeted preventative measures in this work activity.

PMID:41400000 | DOI:10.23749/mdl.v116i6.17437

Food Funct. 2025 Dec 16. doi: 10.1039/d5fo03778f. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Hot beverage consumption has been hypothesized to increase the risk of esophageal cancer; however, its impact on gastric cancer (GC) is still inconclusive. This study aimed to investigate the prospective associations between hot beverage intake and the risk of GC. We examined the association between daily consumption and preferred temperature of hot beverages (tea and coffee) and the incidence of GC in 328 752 UK Biobank participants. The consumption of beverages and preferred temperature were collected using a food frequency questionnaire. We applied Cox proportional hazard regression to estimate the multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for the association of hot beverage intake and GC risk and further stratified the analysis by anatomical subsites. During a follow-up period of 11.6 years, 523 incident GC cases were identified. Compared with non-drinkers and warm temperature drinkers, drinking over 8 cups per day (HR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.08-2.21) of hot beverages was associated with a higher risk of GC. The risk was further elevated among participants who preferred very hot beverages, the HRs (95% CI) comparing reference were 1.69 (1.06-2.68) for 6-8 cups per day and 2.03 (1.26-3.27) for >8 cups per day. These results remained consistent in subgroups and sensitivity analyses. Our findings provide new evidence that drinking hot or very hot beverages is a risk factor for GC in the UK where drinking hot tea and coffee is common.

PMID:41399987 | DOI:10.1039/d5fo03778f

J Invest Surg. 2026 Dec;39(1):2594559. doi: 10.1080/08941939.2025.2594559. Epub 2025 Dec 16.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The advantages of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) for gastric cancer patients with pT1N + M0 staging have been a subject of debate. This study aims to assess whether ACT can enhance the overall survival (OS) of postoperative pT1N + M0 gastric cancer patients when compared to surgery alone.

METHODS: A total of 329 postoperative patients with pT1N + M0 gastric cancer were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2004-2015). Patients were stratified into surgery-alone and surgery-plus-chemotherapy groups. Multivariate Cox regression identified prognostic factors, followed by subgroup analyses stratified by clinical characteristics.

RESULTS: This study included 329 patients, of whom 80 received postoperative ACT and 249 underwent surgery alone. Multivariate analysis revealed that race, tumor primary site, differentiation grade, clinical stage, N stage, and ACT were independent prognostic factors for OS. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the survival benefit of ACT was more pronounced in Asian/Pacific Islander (API) patients (hazard ratio [HR], 0.320; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.140-0.732; P for interaction = 0.028) and in those with N1 stage (HR, 0.447; 95% CI, 0.272-0.737; P for interaction = 0.022).

CONCLUSION: ACT was associated with a survival benefit versus surgery-alone in pT1N + M0 gastric cancer, especially among API patients or those with N1 stage.

PMID:41399955 | DOI:10.1080/08941939.2025.2594559

J Anim Breed Genet. 2025 Dec 16. doi: 10.1111/jbg.70034. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In autochthonous livestock breeds with small populations, such as the Rubia Galega from Galicia (Spain), mating between relatives is common and can lead to inbreeding depression. Genomic inbreeding coefficients were estimated for 4984 animals using ~63,000 SNPs to assess inbreeding depression in four key traits: age at first calving (AFC) with 3503 records, calving interval (CI) with 3315 records, birth weight (BW) with 4878 records and weight at 210 days (W210) with 3285 records. Runs of homozygosity were sorted by length ([1,2], (2,4], (4,8], (8,16], > 16 Mb), and the corresponding inbreeding coefficients (F_ROH>1, F_ROH>2, F_ROH>4, F_ROH>8, F_ROH>16) were calculated using the consecutiveRUNs R package. A Genomic BLUP (GBLUP) was conducted for each F_ROH estimate using the BLUPF90+ programs. The results revealed significant inbreeding depression for AFC and CI, whereas W210 and BW exhibited similar inbreeding trends, but the effects of inbreeding on these traits were not statistically significant. To further explore the genetic basis of inbreeding depression, SNPs located within ROHs were tested, though a t-test, for their association with phenotypic traits. Genes located in significant regions (-log(p-value) > 3 from t-test) were annotated using Ensembl BioMart within a ± 0.5 Mb window. Recent inbreeding (ROH > 8 Mb) showed significant negative effects on reproductive traits, and key genomic regions-particularly on chromosome 2 involving MSTN, NAB1, and COL5A2-were linked to increased AFC and reduced BW and W210; ROH-based inbreeding estimates proved effective in detecting inbreeding depression in this native breed. Overall, ROH-based analyses revealed genomic regions and candidate genes, notably MSTN, contributing to inbreeding depression and key production traits in Rubia Galega cattle.

PMID:41399947 | DOI:10.1111/jbg.70034