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Marier A, Dadar M, Bouhali F, Montembeault M. Irregular word reading as a marker of semantic decline in Alzheimer's disease: implications for premorbid intellectual ability measurement. Alzheimers Res Ther 2024; 16:96. [PMID: 38698406 PMCID: PMC11064305 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01438-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Irregular word reading has been used to estimate premorbid intelligence in Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia. However, reading models highlight the core influence of semantic abilities on irregular word reading, which shows early decline in AD. The primary objective of this study is to ascertain whether irregular word reading serves as an indicator of cognitive and semantic decline in AD, potentially discouraging its use as a marker for premorbid intellectual abilities. METHOD Six hundred eighty-one healthy controls (HC), 104 subjective cognitive decline, 290 early and 589 late mild cognitive impairment (EMCI, LMCI) and 348 AD participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative were included. Irregular word reading was assessed with the American National Adult Reading Test (AmNART). Multiple linear regressions were conducted predicting AmNART score using diagnostic category, general cognitive impairment and semantic tests. A generalized logistic mixed-effects model predicted correct reading using extracted psycholinguistic characteristics of each AmNART words. Deformation-based morphometry was used to assess the relationship between AmNART scores and voxel-wise brain volumes, as well as with the volume of a region of interest placed in the left anterior temporal lobe (ATL), a region implicated in semantic memory. RESULTS EMCI, LMCI and AD patients made significantly more errors in reading irregular words compared to HC, and AD patients made more errors than all other groups. Across the AD continuum, as well as within each diagnostic group, irregular word reading was significantly correlated to measures of general cognitive impairment / dementia severity. Neuropsychological tests of lexicosemantics were moderately correlated to irregular word reading whilst executive functioning and episodic memory were respectively weakly and not correlated. Age of acquisition, a primarily semantic variable, had a strong effect on irregular word reading accuracy whilst none of the phonological variables significantly contributed. Neuroimaging analyses pointed to bilateral hippocampal and left ATL volume loss as the main contributors to decreased irregular word reading performances. CONCLUSIONS While the AmNART may be appropriate to measure premorbid intellectual abilities in cognitively unimpaired individuals, our results suggest that it captures current semantic decline in MCI and AD patients and may therefore underestimate premorbid intelligence. On the other hand, irregular word reading tests might be clinically useful to detect semantic impairments in individuals on the AD continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Marier
- Douglas Research Centre & Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 6875 Boulevard LaSalle, Montréal, QC, H4H 1R3, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, C.P. 6128, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Mahsa Dadar
- Douglas Research Centre & Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 6875 Boulevard LaSalle, Montréal, QC, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | | | - Maxime Montembeault
- Douglas Research Centre & Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 6875 Boulevard LaSalle, Montréal, QC, H4H 1R3, Canada.
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Luotonen I, Karrasch M, Korpilahti P, Renvall K. Factor structure and clinical applicability of new semantic tasks in Alzheimer's disease and aphasia. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2024; 31:27-38. [PMID: 34658274 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2021.1986511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Semantic tasks are frequently used when examining language functions in patients with acquired disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and aphasia. Little is known about the possible covariation between different types of tasks or their factor structure in healthy adults. Additionally, few studies have examined semantic task performances in different patient groups. The aims of this data-driven study were to examine the factor structure in a wide range of semantic tasks in healthy older adults, the possible differences in factor variables between healthy controls, patients with AD and patients with stroke aphasia, as well as the clinical applicability of tasks in differentiating the two patient groups from controls. Participants included 59 healthy older adults, 13 patients with AD and 14 patients with aphasia. The results indicated a four-factor solution for the semantic task variables: (1) the Semantic association factor, (2) the Time factor, (3) the Verbal factor and (4) the Synonym factor. The Verbal factor was the only distinguishing factor between the two patient groups. Three factors reliably discriminated between the controls and the AD patients, and the Verbal factor reliably discriminated between the controls and the aphasia patients. In addition, a few single task variables showed outstanding discrimination for both patient groups. This study supports the notions of semantic tasks tapping into more than one cognitive subcomponent and a more general semantic impairment in AD than in aphasia. In clinical assessment, choosing appropriate semantic tasks is crucial in order to reliably detect the characteristics of the impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Luotonen
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Mira Karrasch
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Pirjo Korpilahti
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Kati Renvall
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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El Haj M, Robin F. The fabricated past: intentionally fabricated autobiographical memories in Alzheimer's disease. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2022; 27:273-288. [PMID: 35125060 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2022.2036114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We investigated intentionally fabricated autobiographical memories in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). METHOD We invited AD patients and control participants to construct real events as well as fabricated events describing fictitious personal events that occurred in the past. RESULTS Results demonstrated slower retrieval time for intentionally fabricated memories than for real ones in both AD patients and control participants. The analysis also showed similar vividness for intentionally fabricated memories and real ones in AD patients but lower vividness for intentionally fabricated memories than for real ones in control participants. CONCLUSIONS The slow retrieval time of intentionally fabricated memories may be attributed to the cognitive effort required to retrieve elements from autobiographical memory and edit them to construct a new memory. We suggest that the vividness of intentionally fabricated memories observed in AD may induce confusion with real memories. In addition to the experimental approach of our study, we offer a theoretical rationale for intentionally fabricated autobiographical memories by situating them in the wider context of different facets of false memories in AD (e.g. confabulations, source monitoring errors).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad El Haj
- Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire (LPPL - EA 4638), Nantes Université, Univ Angers, Nantes, France.,Unité de Gériatrie, Centre Hospitalier de Tourcoing, Tourcoing, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Frédérique Robin
- Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire (LPPL - EA 4638), Nantes Université, Univ Angers, Nantes, France
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Pelgrim TA, Beran M, Twait EL, Geerlings MI, Vonk JM. Cross-sectional associations of tau protein biomarkers with semantic and episodic memory in older adults without dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ageing Res Rev 2021; 71:101449. [PMID: 34400308 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Pathological tau is suggested to play a role in cognitive deterioration in the preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease. We investigated cross-sectional associations of tau burden with episodic and semantic memory performance in older adults without dementia. A systematic search in MEDLINE (via PubMed), PsychINFO, and Embase resulted in 24 eligible studies for meta-analysis. Tau burden was assessed using CSF, PET, or histopathological measures. All studies evaluated associations of tau with episodic memory: weighted effect sizes were -0.46 (95 % CI [-0.73; -0.20], p < .001) for episodic composite scores, -0.19 ([-0.36; -0.03], p = .024) for delayed word list recall, and -0.05 ([-0.14; 0.04], p = .257) for logical memory. Fourteen studies evaluated associations of tau with semantic memory: weighted effect sizes were -0.28 ([-0.52; -0.04], p = .023) for semantic composite scores, -0.06 ([-0.16; 0.03], p = .194) for semantic fluency, and 0.06 ([-0.06; 0.18], p = .319) for picture naming. Our findings indicate that tau burden related to both episodic and semantic memory impairment in older individuals without a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or manifest dementia, with episodic composite scores showing the strongest association with tau burden. Future potential lies in developing more sensitive scores to detect this subtle cognitive impairment, which could contribute to early identification of individuals in the preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease, thereby improving early diagnosis and timely intervention.
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Ross SD, Rodriguez FS. Mental representations of daily activities throughout the course of dementia. Psychogeriatrics 2021; 21:3-13. [PMID: 33263217 DOI: 10.1111/psyg.12641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since dementia is a result of cognitive rather than physical impairment, cognitive aspects are important for care planning. This mixed-model study aims to understand how the loss of cognitive functioning affects mental representations of daily activities. METHODS Mental representations were assessed via the script generation task of daily activities (grocery shopping, dentist appointment, doing laundry, leaving the house, car accident) and a qualitative semi-structured interview from 25 people (age (mean: 67.64; SD: 23.625), gender (f: 14 (56%); m: 17 (68%)). Cognitive status was assessed via the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. RESULTS Mental representations of daily activities loose content and get inaccurate throughout the disease (i.e. number of actions, abstractions, unemotional content) with poorer cognitive status. People with mild dementia report the most strategies and extend their mental representation by including strategies to circumvent experienced problems. Overall, mental representations of daily activities seem to be largely intact throughout the course of dementia (i.e. sequencing, personalisations, intrusions, examples, emotional content). CONCLUSION This study outlines that even though the content of mental representations decreases with dementia, the mental representations themselves remain in good order. Performance of daily activities throughout dementia may be hampered by the loss of content of the generated actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina D Ross
- German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Research Group Psychosocial Epidemiology and Public Health, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Francisca S Rodriguez
- German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Research Group Psychosocial Epidemiology and Public Health, Greifswald, Germany.,Centre for Cognitive Science, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany.,Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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Cárcamo J, Kociolek AJ, Fernández KK, Gu Y, Zhu CW, Stern Y, Cosentino S. Neuropsychological Predictors of Severe Functional Dependency in a Multiethnic Community Cohort of Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 83:539-544. [PMID: 34366333 PMCID: PMC10131178 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
To assess the predictive value of neuropsychological tests for severe dependency in Alzheimer's disease as defined by the Equivalent Institutional Care Rating Scale, in a multiethnic, community cohort. The sample included 146 elders from the Predictors 3 cohort. Cox proportional hazard models tested the predictive value of each neuropsychological test at baseline on relative risk of meeting severe dependency. Higher semantic processing and memory test scores at baseline were associated with lower risk of meeting severe dependency in the adjusted Cox models. The integrity of semantic processing and memory abilities in dementia appears to predict time to severe functional dependency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine Cárcamo
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anton J. Kociolek
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kayri K. Fernández
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yian Gu
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carolyn W. Zhu
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine a Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephanie Cosentino
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Kim SM, Kim HR, Min HJ, Kim KS, Ga H, Lee SH, Han DH. Impaired Odor Identification of Culturally Familiar Odorants Associated with Dementia in South Korean Older Adults. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17228441. [PMID: 33202663 PMCID: PMC7696462 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17228441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Among olfactory functions, odor identification is the most studied predictor of dementia. We aimed to verify whether patients with dementia are less aware of specific odors than cognitively normal individuals using an odor identification test, which includes odorants that are culturally familiar to South Koreans. We divided 139 older adults aged 57–79 years into the dementia and normal cognition groups. Odor identification function was assessed in all participants. We conducted hierarchical logistic regression analyses with the diagnosis of dementia as a dependent variable and three demographic characteristics, as well as 12 odor identification items, as independent variables. Impaired odor identification for herbal medicine (odds ratio (OR) = 9.420; p = 0.012) and Korean grilled meat (OR = 5.361; p = 0.019) and older age (OR = 1.176; p = 0.005) were significant predictors of dementia. Impaired odor identification of culturally familiar odorants was associated with dementia risk. This may be explained by the fact that compared with culturally non-specific universal odorants, familiar odorants are more related to episodic memory, which is impaired in the early stages of dementia. Thus, an optimal combination of odor identification items should be used for screening individuals with cognitive decline requiring further neurocognitive function tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Mi Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul 06974, Korea; (S.M.K.); (H.R.K.)
| | - Hye Ri Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul 06974, Korea; (S.M.K.); (H.R.K.)
| | - Hyun Jin Min
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul 06974, Korea; (H.J.M.); (K.S.K.)
| | - Kyung Soo Kim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul 06974, Korea; (H.J.M.); (K.S.K.)
| | - Hyuk Ga
- Department of Family Medicine, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Incheon Eun-Hye Hospital, Incheon 22711, Korea;
| | - Sang Hoon Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Eun-Hye Hospital, Incheon 22711, Korea;
| | - Doug Hyun Han
- Department of Psychiatry, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul 06974, Korea; (S.M.K.); (H.R.K.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-2-6299-3132
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Quaranta D, Piccininni C, Caprara A, Malandrino A, Gainotti G, Marra C. Semantic Relations in a Categorical Verbal Fluency Test: An Exploratory Investigation in Mild Cognitive Impairment. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2797. [PMID: 31920840 PMCID: PMC6927990 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Categorical verbal fluency tests (CFT) are commonly used to assess the integrity of semantic memory in individuals with brain damage. Persons with Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type display a reduced output on CFT, and a similar pattern has been reported in persons with amnesic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI). The aims of the present study were to assess whether the semantic relations between lexical entries produced on a categorical fluency test were different between healthy persons and those with aMCI, and whether this difference was more pronounced in individuals who converted to dementia during a 3-year follow-up period. Methods We recruited 34 individuals with aMCI and 29 matched healthy persons. During the follow-up period, 10 individuals converted to Dementia (aMCI-conv). Two measures assessing semantic relations between consecutively produced word pairs (Path length and Extended Gloss Overlap) were obtained from the Wordnet database. Results The number of word pairs analyzed among the healthy participants (HP) and persons with aMCI were 498 (birds: 262; pieces of furniture: 236) and 395 (birds: 174; pieces of furniture: 221), respectively. Path length was lower in aMCI-conv than in HP (p = 0.035), but no differences were found between stable aMCI and HP, and between aMCI-stable and aMCI-conv. The ANOVA for lexical entries belonging to the "birds" category showed a significant effect of group (F = 5.630; p = 0.004); the post hoc analysis showed a significant difference between HP and aMCI-conv (p = 0.003). The "pieces of furniture" category was significantly affected by group (F = 4.107; p = 0.017); the post hoc test showed significant differences between aMCI-conv and healthy individuals (p = 0.049), and between aMCI-conv and stable aMCI (p = 0.001). Discussion Individuals with aMCI who convert to dementia show a deterioration in the semantic relations between lexical entries, produced on a CFT. This phenomenon may be interpreted as a marker of a very early disruption of semantic memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Quaranta
- Area of Neuroscience, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Piccininni
- Institute of Neurology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia Caprara
- Area of Neuroscience, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia Malandrino
- Area of Neuroscience, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Guido Gainotti
- Institute of Neurology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Camillo Marra
- Area of Neuroscience, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Institute of Neurology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
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Lee MS, Kim BS. Characteristics of Word Fluency in Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.21848/asr.2019.15.2.135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To date, most research in dementia has focused either on the identification of dementia risk prediction or on understanding changes and predictors experienced by individuals before diagnosis. Despite little is known about how individuals change after dementia diagnosis, there is agreement that changes occur over different time scales and are multidomain. In this study, we present an overview of the literature regarding the longitudinal course of dementia. RECENT FINDINGS Our review suggests the evidence is scarce and findings reported are often inconsistent. We identified large heterogeneity in dementia trajectories, risk factors considered and modelling approaches employed. The heterogeneity of dementia trajectories also varies across outcomes and domains investigated. SUMMARY It became clear that dementia progresses very differently, both between and within individuals. This implies an average trajectory is not informative to individual persons and this needs to be taken into account when communicating prognosis in clinical care. As persons with dementia change in many more ways during their patient journey, heterogeneous disease progressions are the result of disease and patient characteristics. Prognostic models would benefit from including variables across a number of domains. International coordination of replication and standardization of the research approach is recommended.
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