Association Between Food Patterns and Gray Matter Volume

Smartphone app for lifestyle improvement improves brain health and boosts the vitality and cognitive function of healthy middle-aged adults

INTRODUCTION

The number of smartphone apps for brain training is increasing, and the number of people who are working on brain training is also increasing. However, researchers disagree about the effectiveness of brain training.

METHODS

Therefore, in this study, we conducted an intervention test with the participation of 70 healthy middle-aged men and women and measured the effect of smartphone apps on lifestyle improvement using brain healthcare quotient calculated from brain imaging data.

RESULTS

As a result, in the intervention group, significant improvements were seen in fractional anisotropy (FA) of the whole brain, corpus callosum, internal capsule, corona radiata, posterior thalamic radiation, external capsule, and superior longitudinal fasciculus. Additionally, in the intervention group, these FA increments correlated with improvements in cognitive function as measured by the trail-making test and vigor as measured by the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that improving lifestyle habits through smartphone apps can improve brain health and cognitive and emotional performance of healthy middle-aged adults. This is consistent with previous research that suggests that FA integrity in the limbic-thalamo-cortical pathway influences cognitive function and emotion regulation.

Associations of dietary patterns and longitudinal brain-volume change in Japanese community-dwelling adults: results from the national institute for longevity sciences-longitudinal study of aging

BACKGROUND

The association of dietary patterns and longitudinal changes in brain volume has rarely been investigated in Japanese individuals. We prospectively investigated this association in middle-aged and older Japanese community-dwelling adults.

METHODS

Data with a 2-year follow-up from the sixth wave (July 2008 to July 2010; baseline) to the seventh (July 2010 to July 2012; follow-up) of the National Institute for Longevity Sciences-Longitudinal Study of Aging project were analyzed. Dietary intake was assessed using a 3-day dietary record, and longitudinal volume changes (%) in the total gray matter (TGM), total white matter, and frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal, and insular lobes were assessed using 3-dimensional T1 magnetic resonance imaging scans. Multiple factor analysis and hierarchical clustering revealed sex-specific dietary patterns. Associations between dietary patterns and annual brain-volume changes (%) were evaluated using general linear models adjusted for age, apoprotein E genotype, body mass index, medical history, lifestyle behaviors, socioeconomic factors, and energy intake.

RESULTS

Among the 1636 participants (age: 40.3-89.2 years), three dietary patterns were determined for men (n = 815; Western; Vegetable-Fruit-Dairy; and Traditional Japanese diets) and women (n = 821; Western; Grain-Vegetable-Fruit; and Traditional Japanese diets). Compared to women following the Western diet, those on the Traditional Japanese diet had less TGM atrophy. Multivariable-adjusted β (95% confidence interval) of the annual change (%) of TGM was - 0.145 (-0.287 to -0.002; P = 0.047), which correlated with reduced parietal lobe atrophy. No association between dietary pattern and brain atrophy was observed in men.

CONCLUSIONS

Adherence to healthy dietary patterns, with higher consumption of whole grains, seafood, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, soybean products, and green tea, potentially confers a protective effect against brain atrophy in middle-aged and older Japanese women but not in men. Further research to confirm these results and ascertain the underlying mechanisms is required. This study highlights the importance of sex-specific effects on the relationship between dietary patterns and brain health in diverse populations.

The Association between Lifestyles (Walking/Diet) and Cultural Intelligence: A New Attempt to Apply Health Science to Cross-Cultural Research

A growing amount of research is being conducted on cultural intelligence (CQ), which is the ability to adjust and adapt successfully to a variety of surroundings. CQ is a vital quality for people in diversified societies, as are seen today. However, it is still unclear how an individual can develop or strengthen CQ because previous studies have shown that variables such as foreign experience and personality are not exclusively sufficient as CQ antecedents. If CQ can be treated health-scientifically, as the CQ developers argue, diet and exercise that are effective in keeping the body and brain healthy may also correlate with CQ. It is of great significance to clarify the relationship between lifestyle and CQ by applying recent previous research showing the relationship between CQ and both the brain and intelligence, as well as between lifestyle and both the brain and intelligence. Using data derived from 142 Japanese businesspersons, the results of structural equation modeling indicate that lifestyles (dietary balance and walking frequency) are significantly associated with CQ after controlling for personalities (curiosity and grit) and international experiences (length of studying and working abroad), which have been used as predictors of CQ in previous studies. Furthermore, the moderation test showed that the effect of dietary balance on increasing CQ is greater for people with less overseas experience, indicating that dietary balance compensates for lack of overseas experience in the effect of maintaining the level of CQ. These suggest the effectiveness of a health-scientific approach to the influencing factors of CQ. This study is the first to show that CQ is influenced by lifestyle such as walking and dieting, in addition to personality and overseas experience, and will contribute to the future development of health science and cross-cultural research.

Tooth loss and regional grey matter volume

OBJECTIVES

To investigate whether tooth loss was associated with regional grey matter volume (GMV) in a group of community dwelling older men and women from Ireland.

METHODS

A group of 380 dementia-free men and women underwent a dental examination and had a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan as part of The Irish Longitudinal Study of Aging (TILDA). Cortical parcellation was conducted using Freesurfer utilities to produce volumetric measures of gyral based regions of interest. Analysis included multiple linear regression to investigate the association between tooth loss and regional GMVs with adjustment for various confounders.

RESULTS

The mean age of participants was 68.1 years (SD 7.3) and 51.6% of the group were female. 50 (13.2%) of the participants were edentulous, 148 (38.9%) had 1-19 teeth, and 182 (47.9%) had ≥20 teeth. Multiple liner regression analysis with adjustment for a range of potential confounders showed associations between the number of teeth and GMVs in the paracentral lobule and the cuneus cortex. In the paracentral lobule, comparing participants with 1-19 teeth versus edentates there was an increase in GMV of β=323.0mm³ (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 84.5, 561.6) and when comparing participants with ≥20 teeth to edentates there was an increase of β=382.3mm³ (95% CI 126.9, 637.7). In the cuneus cortex, comparing participants with ≥20 teeth to edentates there was an increase in GMV of β=380.5mm³ (95% CI 69.4, 691.5).

CONCLUSIONS

In this group of older men and women from Ireland, the number of teeth was associated with GMVs in the paracentral lobule and the cuneus cortex independent of various known confounders.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Although not proof of causation, the finding that tooth loss was associated with regional reduced GMV in the brain may represent a potential explanatory link to the observed association between tooth loss and cognitive decline.

The impact of breast milk feeding on early brain development in preterm infants in China: An observational study

BACKGROUND

The prevailing consensus from large epidemiological studies is that breastfeeding is associated with improved IQ and cognitive functioning in later childhood and adolescence. Current research is exploring the association between breastfeeding and early brain development in preterm infants.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the differences in brain gray matter between breastmilk-fed and formula-fed preterm infants using structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging.

METHODS

A convenience sample of breastmilk-fed preterm infants(n = 34) and formula-fed infants (n = 22) aged approximately 32 weeks. At near term-equivalent age, MR scanning was performed. Gray matter structural and functional differences between the two groups were assessed using MATLAB software for voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) analysis.

RESULTS

Maternal and neonatal demographic characteristics showed no significant difference between the two groups. Breastmilk-fed infants had greater regional gray matter volume on MRI than formula-fed infants in multiple brain regions, including the bilateral frontal lobe (BA11, BA46), right temporal lobe (BA37), and left caudate nucleus, at a statistical threshold of p<0.01 (AlphaSim corrected) with a cluster size of >40 voxels. Compared with formula-fed infants, breastmilk-fed infants showed increased brain activation on fMRI in the right superior temporal gyrus (BA41).

CONCLUSION

Breastmilk-fed infants had greater regional gray matter development and increased regional gray matter function compared with formula-fed infants at near term-equivalent age, suggesting breastmilk feeding in the early period after birth may have some degree of influence on early brain development in preterm infants.

Effects of Obesity, Blood Pressure, and Blood Metabolic Biomarkers on Grey Matter Brain Healthcare Quotient: A Large Cohort Study of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging Brain Screening System in Japan

This study investigated the relationship between grey matter (GM) volume and blood biomarkers, blood pressure, and obesity. We aimed to elucidate lifestyle factors that promote GM volume loss. A total of 1799 participants underwent the brain dock as a medical checkup. Data regarding blood pressure, obesity measurements, and standard blood biomarkers were obtained. Further, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including high-resolution T1-weighted imaging, was performed. We calculated the grey matter brain healthcare quotient (GM-BHQ), which represents GM volume as a deviation value. After adjusting for confounding variables, multiple regression analysis revealed that body mass index (BMI) (b = −0.28, p < 0.001), gamma-glutamyltransferase (γ-GTP) (b = −0.01, p = 0.16), and fasting blood glucose (b = −0.02, p = 0.049) were significantly correlated with GM-BHQ. Although the current cross-sectional study cannot determine a cause-and-effect relationship, elevated BMI, γ-GTP, and fasting blood glucose could promote GM volume loss.

The Personal Trait of Spiritual Growth Is Correlated With the White Matter Integrity of the Brain

Determining the relationship between the entire brain structure and individual differences is important in extending healthy life expectancy, which can be affected by brain atrophy. The entire brain structure has been gradually known to be correlated not only with age but also with individual differences, such as quality of life, general intelligence, and lifestyle. However, little attention has been paid to the relationship between the entire brain structure and personal traits. We herein focused on one personal trait, namely spiritual growth, and examined its relationship with the entire brain structure using two neuroimaging-derived measures, namely the gray matter Brain Healthcare Quotient (GM-BHQ), a measure of GM volume, and the fractional anisotropy Brain Healthcare Quotient (FA-BHQ), a measure of white matter (WM) integrity, in 229 healthy participants (53 female, 176 male). The results indicated no significant relationship between the GM-BHQ and spiritual growth, but there was a significant positive correlation between the FA-BHQ and spiritual growth after controlling for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) with partial correlation analysis. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between the FA-BHQ and spiritual growth after controlling for physical characteristics, such as age, sex, and BMI, as well as other variables related to lifestyle that were collected using the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile. These results support the idea that there is a relationship between the entire WM brain structure and spiritual growth. Further studies are required to clarify the causal relationship between the entire WM brain structure and spiritual growth with some interventions to improve spiritual growth. Such studies will help extend healthy life expectancy from a new perspective of personal trait.

Brain conditions mediate the association between aging and happiness

As the population ages, the realization of a long and happy life is becoming an increasingly important issue in many societies. Therefore, it is important to clarify how happiness and the brain change with aging. In this study, which was conducted with 417 healthy adults in Japan, the analysis showed that fractional anisotropy (FA) correlated with happiness, especially in the internal capsule, corona radiata, posterior thalamic radiation, cingulum, and superior longitudinal fasciculus. According to previous neuroscience studies, these regions are involved in emotional regulation. In psychological studies, emotional regulation has been associated with improvement in happiness. Therefore, this study is the first to show that FA mediates the relationship between age and subjective happiness in a way that bridges these different fields.

The link between the brain volume derived index and the determinants of social performance

Motivation, defined as the energizing of behavior in pursuit of a goal, is a fundamental element of our interaction with the world and with each other. Furthermore, as it is known that cooperation leads to higher levels of performance than do individual conditions, empathic concern is also crucial to all forms of helping relationships. A growing number of studies indicate that motivation and empathy are associated not only with organizational performance and study achievements, but also with the human brain. However, to date, no definite neuroimaging-derived measures are available to measure motivation and empathy objectively. The current research evaluated the association of motivation and empathy with the whole brain using the gray-matter brain healthcare quotient (GM-BHQ), an MRI-based quotient. Participants were 47 healthy adults. All subjects underwent structural T1-weighted imaging. Motivation levels were evaluated using four motivation scales: Behavioral Activation System (BAS), Self-Monitoring Scale (SMS), Self-Control Scale (SCS), and Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS). Interaction levels, including empathic concern, were evaluated using four subscales of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). It was found that the GM-BHQ was most significantly sensitive to the BAS scale (p = 0.002). Furthermore, the GM-BHQ was moderately sensitive to the SMS (p = 0.028) and subscales of the IRI (p = 0.044 for Fantasy and p = 0.036 for Empathic Concern). However, no significant association was found between the GM-BHQ and other variables (BIS and SCS). These results suggest that the GM-BHQ might reflect motivation and empathic concern.

Associations between physical activity levels with nutritional status, physical fitness and biochemical indicators in older adults

BACKGROUND & AIMS

A sedentary lifestyle is one of the major health concerns of all societies that is associated by an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. In this regard, we compared the anthropometric parameters, physical fitness (PF), lipid profile, and nutritional status of older adults with different levels of physical activity (PA).

METHODS

In this cross sectional study, 220 older people (age: 67.39 ± 2.08 yrs) according to their PA levels had been categorized at high (n = 72), moderate (78) and low (n = 70) PA groups. The International Physical Activity Questionnaires and food frequency questionnaire has been used to determine the PA and nutritional status, respectively. Waist and hip circumference, height, weight, and body mass index of subjects were measured and calculated. Both lower and upper body strength, flexibility, static and dynamic balance, and endurance performance factors were used to determine the level of PF. To assess blood biochemical factors, subjects were asked to visit the laboratory after 12 h of fasting.

RESULTS

The results showed waist circumference, hip circumference, and body fat percent were significantly lower in the high PA group compared to the low PA group in both males and females (P ≤ 0.05). Upper body strength, lower body strength, static balance, dynamic balance flexibility and endurance were significantly better in the high PA group compared to the low PA group in both males and females (P ≤ 0.05). Moreover, triglyceride was significantly lower in the high PA group compared to the low PA group in both males and females (P ≤ 0.05). According to the post hoc results, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein and fasting glucose were significantly better in the high PA group compared to the low PA group in both males and females (P ≤ 0.05). All participants regardless PA levels showed insufficient consumption of zinc, calcium, vitamin E, and vitamin D (P ≤ 0.05). On the other hand, carbohydrate, sodium, iron, vitamin C and niacin intake significantly above recommended dietary allowance (P ≤ 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the current work showed that a higher level of PA improved anthropometric indicators, PF, and lipid profile in Iranian older adults. Moreover, older nutrition should be monitor to maintain their physical health and to prevent them from developing chronic diseases and their malnutrition complications.

Unhealthy lifestyles and brain condition: Examining the relations of BMI, living alone, alcohol intake, short sleep, smoking, and lack of exercise with gray matter volume

Unhealthy lifestyles are damaging to the brain. Previous studies have indicated that body mass index (BMI), alcohol intake, short sleep, smoking, and lack of exercise are negatively associated with gray matter volume (GMV). Living alone has also been found to be related to GMV through lowered subjective happiness. However, to our knowledge, no GMV study has dealt with these unhealthy lifestyles simultaneously. By our analyses based on 142 healthy Japanese participants, BMI, alcohol intake, living alone, and short sleep were negatively associated with the gray-matter brain healthcare quotient (GM-BHQ), an MRI-based normalized GMV, after controlling for age, sex, and facility, not only individually but also when they were entered into a single regression model. Moreover, there were small but significant differences in the proportion of the variance for GM-BHQ explained by variables in a regression model (measured by R squared) between when these unhealthy variables were entered in an equation at the same time and when they were entered separately, with the former larger than the latter. However, smoking and lack of exercise were not significantly associated with GM-BHQ. Results indicate that some kinds of unhealthy lifestyles are somewhat harmful on their own, but may become more noxious to brain condition if practiced simultaneously, although its difference may not be large. To our knowledge, this study is the first to show that overlapping unhealthy lifestyles affects the brains of healthy adults.

Brain condition may mediate the association between training and work engagement

Over the past two decades, the number of studies on work engagement has increased rapidly. Work engagement refers to a positive, affective-motivational state of high energy combined with high levels of dedication and a strong focus on work, leading to various work-related outcomes, including higher work performance. Several studies have indicated that training or coaching may increase work engagement, but other studies have shown contradicting results. These inconsistencies may be due to the indirectness between training/coaching and work engagement. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between training and brain structure as well as between brain structure and work engagement in cognitively normal participants. Brain structure was assessed using neuroimaging-derived measures, including the gray-matter brain healthcare quotient (GM-BHQ) and the fractional-anisotropy brain healthcare quotient (FA-BHQ), which are approved as the international standard (H.861.1) by ITU-T. Work engagement was assessed using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. To validate and enrich the analysis, we employed another two representative questionnaires, which are known to be close to but different from work engagement: The Social interaction Anxiety Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey to gauge the levels of human relation ineffectiveness and burnout. The latter scale is subdivided into three variables including "Exhaustion," "Cynicism," and "Professional Efficacy." The results of the present study indicate that training is associated with an increase of FA-BHQ scores, and that an increase of the FA-BHQ scores is associated with an increase in Work Engagement and a decrease in Cynicism. On the other hand, the training with coaching was associated with a decrease in Interaction Anxiety. However, no correlation was observed for training with Work Engagement or the subscales of Burnout. Likewise, no correlation was observed for FA-BHQ with Exhaustion, Professional Efficacy, and Interaction Anxiety. The results of the current research provide the possibility to use brain information to evaluate training effectiveness from the viewpoint of neuroscience.

Fish Intake May Affect Brain Structure and Improve Cognitive Ability in Healthy People

As the population ages worldwide, the prevalence of cognitive disorders including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is increasing. MCI appears in 10–20% of adults aged 65 years and older and is generally referred to as an intermediate stage between normal cognitive aging and dementia. To develop timely prevention and early treatment strategies by identifying biological factors, we investigated the relationship between dietary consumption of fish, brain structure, and MCI in cognitively normal subjects. The brain structure was assessed using neuroimaging-derived measures including the “gray-matter brain healthcare quotient (GM-BHQ)” and “fractional-anisotropy brain healthcare quotient (FA-BHQ),” which are approved as the international standard (H.861.1) by the International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector. Dietary consumption of fish was calculated using the brief self-administered diet history questionnaire (BDHQ), and MCI was assessed using the Memory Performance Index (MPI) of MCI screening method (MCI Screen). This study showed that fish intake was positively associated with both FA-BHQ and MPI, and FA-BHQ was more strongly associated with MPI than fish intake. Our findings are in line with those in previous studies, but our study further indicates that the condition of the whole brain integrity measured by the FA-BHQ may mediate the relationship between fish intake and MCI prevention in healthy people. In other words, FA-BHQ may be used to identify people at high risk of MCI to provide the appropriate intervention.

Association between Behavioral Ambidexterity and Brain Health

Appropriately handling and switching exploration of novel knowledge and exploitation of existing knowledge is a fundamental element of genuine innovation in society. Moreover, a mounting number of studies have suggested that such “ambidexterity” is associated not only with organizational performance but also with the human brain. Among these reports, however, there have not been any definitive MRI-based parameters that objectively and easily evaluate such ambidexterity. Therefore, an MRI-based index derived from gray matter volume, called the gray-matter brain healthcare quotient (GM-BHQ), was used to measure the association between ambidexterity and the entire human brain. For this purpose, 200 healthy adults were recruited as subjects to undergo structural T1-weighted imaging and to answer multiple psychological questionnaires. Ambidexterity was evaluated using two scales: the Curiosity and Exploration Inventory II and the Short Grit Scale, as exploration–exploitation indicators of curiosity and grit, respectively. Additionally, to enrich the understanding of these associations, three additional positive thinking scales were used—the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Life Orientation Test—to evaluate self-efficacy, self-esteem, and optimism, respectively. The authors discovered the GM-BHQ was weakly associated with curiosity, grit, and self-efficacy individually after controlling for age and sex. Furthermore, the GM-BHQ was directly associated with curiosity but indirectly associated with grit in the path model. However, no significant association was found between the GM-BHQ and the other outcome indicators (i.e., self-esteem and optimism). These results suggest that brain health is weakly associated with ambidexterity evaluated using psychological tests.