| 1. |
- Olesen, Pernille J, et al.
(författare)
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Reducing Global Warming and Adapting to Climate Change: The Potential of Organic Agriculture
- 2012
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Climate change mitigation is urgent, and adaptation to climate change is crucial, particularly in agriculture, where food security is at stake. Agriculture, currently responsible for 20-30% of global greenhouse gas emissions (counting direct and indirect agricultural emissions), can however contribute to both climate change mitigation and adaptation. The main mitigation po-tential lies in the capacity of agricultural soils to sequester CO2 through building organic matter. This potential can be realized by employing sustainable agricultural practices, such as those com-monly found within organic farming systems. Examples of these practices are the use of organic fertilizers and crop rotations including legume leys and cover crops. Mitigation is also achieved in organic agriculture through the avoidance of open biomass burning, and the avoidance of synthetic fertilizers, the production of which causes emissions from fossil fuel use. Common organic practices also contribute to adaptation. Building soil organic matter increases water retention capacity, and creates more stabile, fertile soils, thus reducing vulnerability to drought, extreme precipitation events, floods and water logging. Adaptation is further supported by increased agro-ecosystem diversity of organic farms, based on management decisions, reduced ni-trogen inputs and the absence of chemical pesticides. The high diversity together with the lower input costs of organic agriculture is key to reducing production risks associated with extreme weather events. All these advantageous practices are not exclusive to organic agriculture. However, they are core parts of the organic production system, in contrast to most non-organic agriculture, where they play a minor role only. Mitigation in agriculture is however not restricted to the agricultural sector alone. Consumer pref-erences for products from conventional or organic farms, seasonal and local production, pest and disease resistant varieties, etc. strongly influence agricultural production systems, and thus the overall mitigation potential of agriculture. Even more influential are meat consumption and food wastage. Any discussion on mitigation of climate change in agriculture thus needs to address the entire food chain, and to be linked to general sustainable development strategies. The main challenges to dealing appropriately with the climate change mitigation and adaptation potential of organic agriculture, and agriculture in general, stem from a) insufficient understanding of some of the basic processes, such as the interaction of N2O emissions and soil carbon sequestra-tion, contributions of roots to soil carbon sequestration, and the life-cycle emissions of organic fer-tilizers, such as compost; b) lack of procedures for emissions accounting which adequately repre-sent agricultural production systems with multiple and diverse outputs, which also encompass eco-system services; c) the problem to identify and design adequate policy frameworks for supporting mitigation and adaptation in agriculture, i.e. such that do not put systemic approaches at a disad-vantage due to difficulties in the quantification of emissions, and in their allocation to single prod-ucts; d) the necessity to assure that the current focus on mitigation does not lead to neglect of other factors influencing the sustainability of agriculture, such as pesticide loads, eutrophication, acidifi-cation or soil erosion; and e) the open questions, how to address consumer behaviour and how to further changes in consumption patterns, in order to utilize their mitigation potential.
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| 2. |
- Gudmundsson, Pia, 1978, et al.
(författare)
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White Matter Lesions and Temporal Lobe Atrophy Related to incidence of both Dementia and Major Depression in 70-year-olds followed over 10 years
- 2015
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Ingår i: European Journal of Neurology. - : Wiley. - 1351-5101 .- 1468-1331. ; 22:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abstract Background: A number of studies have suggested associations between dementia and depression in older adults. One reason could be that these disorders share structural correlates, such as white matter lesions (WMLs) and cortical atrophy. No study has examined whether these lesions precede both dementia and depression independently of each other in the general population. Methods: We investigated whether WMLs and cortical atrophy on computed tomography (CT) predict dementia and depression in a population-based sample of 70-year-olds (n=380) followed over 10 years. Exclusion criteria were dementia, major depression, history of stroke and a Mini-Mental State Examination score below 26 at baseline in 2000-01. Dementia was diagnosed according to DSM-III-R and depression according to DSM-5. Primary outcomes included dementia and major depression at 10-year follow-up. Results: Adjusted logistic regression models, including both WMLs and temporal lobe atrophy, showed that moderate-to-severe WMLs (OR 3.96, 95% CI 1.23-12.76) and temporal lobe atrophy (OR 2.93, 95% CI 1.13-7.60) predicted dementia during 10-year follow-up independently of major depression. Similarly, both moderate-to-severe WMLs (OR 3.84, 95% CI 1.25-11.76) and temporal lobe atrophy (OR 2.52, 95% CI 1.06-5.96) predicted depression even after controlling for incident dementia. Conclusion: WMLs and temporal lobe atrophy preceded 10-year incidence of both dementia and depression in 70-year-olds. Shared structural correlates could explain the reported associations between dementia and depression. These brain changes may represent independent and complementary pathways to dementia and depression. Strategies to slow progression of vascular pathology and neurodegeneration could indirectly prevent both dementia and depression in older adults.
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| 3. |
- Johansson, Lena, 1972, et al.
(författare)
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Midlife Psychological Distress Associated With Late-Life Brain Atrophy and White Matter Lesions: A 32-Year Population Study of Women.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Psychosomatic medicine. - 0033-3174. ; 74:2, s. 120-125
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Long-standing psychological distress increases the risk of dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease. The present study examines the relationship between midlife psychological distress and late-life brain atrophy and white matter lesions (WMLs), which are common findings on neuroimaging in elderly subjects. A population-based sample of 1462 women, aged 38 to 60 years, was examined in 1968, with subsequent examinations in 1974, 1980, 1992, and 2000. Computed tomography (CT) of the brain was done in 379 survivors in 2000, and of those, 344 had responded to a standardized question about psychological distress in 1968, 1974, and 1980. WMLs, cortical atrophy, and central atrophy (ventricular sizes) were measured at CT scans. Compared with women reporting no distress, those reporting frequent or constant distress at one examination or more (in 1968, 1974, and 1980) more often had moderate-to-severe WMLs (multiadjusted odds ratio = 2.39, 95% confidence interval = 1.16-4.92) and moderate-to-severe temporal lobe atrophy (multiadjusted odds ratio = 2.51, 95% confidence interval = 1.04-6.05) on brain CT in 2000. Frequent/constant distress was also associated with central brain atrophy, that is, higher bicaudate ratio, higher cella media ratio, and larger third-ventricle width. Long-standing psychological distress in midlife increases risks of cerebral atrophy and WMLs on CT in late life. More studies are needed to confirm these findings and to determine potential neurobiological mechanisms of these associations.
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| 4. |
- Klingberg, Torkel, et al.
(författare)
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Computerized training of working memory in children with ADHD--a randomized, controlled trial.
- 2005
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0890-8567 .- 1527-5418. ; 44:2, s. 177-186
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Deficits in executive functioning, including working memory (WM) deficits, have been suggested to be important in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). During 2002 to 2003, the authors conducted a multicenter, randomized, controlled, double-blind trial to investigate the effect of improving WM by computerized, systematic practice of WM tasks. METHOD: Included in the trial were 53 children with ADHD (9 girls; 15 of 53 inattentive subtype), aged 7 to 12 years, without stimulant medication. The compliance criterion (>20 days of training) was met by 44 subjects, 42 of whom were also evaluated at follow-up 3 months later. Participants were randomly assigned to use either the treatment computer program for training WM or a comparison program. The main outcome measure was the span-board task, a visuospatial WM task that was not part of the training program. RESULTS: For the span-board task, there was a significant treatment effect both post-intervention and at follow-up. In addition, there were significant effects for secondary outcome tasks measuring verbal WM, response inhibition, and complex reasoning. Parent ratings showed significant reduction in symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, both post-intervention and at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that WM can be improved by training in children with ADHD. This training also improved response inhibition and reasoning and resulted in a reduction of the parent-rated inattentive symptoms of ADHD.
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| 5. |
- Morin, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
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Alcohol Use Disorder in Elderly Suicide Attempters: A Comparison Study
- 2013
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Ingår i: American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. - : Elsevier BV. - 1064-7481. ; 21:2, s. 196-203
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: To compare lifetime prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in older adults who were hospitalized in connection with a suicide attempt and in a population comparison group, as well as to compare previous suicidal behavior in attempters with and without AUD. Design: Case-comparison. Setting: Five hospitals in Western Sweden. Participants: Persons 70 years or older, who were treated in a hospital because of a suicide attempt during 2003-2006 were recruited. Of 133 eligible participants, 103 participants were enrolled (47 men, 56 women, mean age 80 years, response rate 77%). Four comparison subjects per case were randomly selected among participants in our late-life population studies. Measurements: Lifetime history of AUD in accordance with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, was discerned on the basis of interview data, case record review, and the hospital discharge register. Depression symptoms were rated using the Montgomery-Asberg Rating Scale. Results: AUD was observed in 26% of the cases and in 4% of the comparison group (odds ratio [OR]: 10.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.9-22.5). Associations were noted in men (OR: 9.5; 95% CI: 4.0-22.8) and women (OR: 12.0; 95% CI: 2.4-59.5). More than half of the cases with AUD and a third of those without AUD had made at least one prior suicide attempt. In these, AUD was associated with a longer interval between the first attempt and the index attempt. Conclusions: A strong association between AUD and hospital-treated suicide attempts was noted in both sexes in this northern European setting. Given the high rates of suicide worldwide in this fast-growing and vulnerable group, comparison studies in other settings are needed.
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| 6. |
- Olesen, Pernille J, et al.
(författare)
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A population-based study on the influence of brain atrophy on 20-year survival after age 85.
- 2011
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Ingår i: Neurology. - 0028-3878. ; 76:10, s. 879-86
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Individuals aged 80 years and older is the fastest growing segment of the population worldwide. To understand the biology behind increasing longevity, it is important to examine factors related to survival in this age group. The relationship between brain atrophy and survival after age 85 remains unclear.
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| 7. |
- Olesen, Pernille J
(författare)
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Brain function and behaviour related to development and training of working memory
- 2005
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Training of working memory (WM) is a research field that could result in new therapeutic breakthroughs for people with impaired WM functions. In support of this view, research in our group has previously shown that WM training could increase WM capacity in children with attention deficits and in healthy adults. Apart from that study, there had been no previous literature on WM training presenting clear evidence for a clinically relevant change on WM capacity or brain activity following WM training. Study II and III were designed to investigate these issues. Only a few previous studies have investigated the development of brain activity related to WM. The results from those previous studies indicate that the development of WM is related to changes in activity in the frontal and parietal cortex. The aim of the developmental studies in this thesis (Study I and IV) was to extend those previous findings using two new approaches: 1) integration of data on brain function and brain structure and 2) investigation of a critical WM function i.e. the ability to ignore distraction. Previous research in our group showed that increased brain activity in prefrontal and parietal areas underlie the development of WM. In Study I, we sought to investigate how this development is related to the development of brain connectivity. Our aim was to present a network of brain structure and function underlying development of WM, which has previously never been shown. Consistently, the results from Study I showed that development of WM was related to a frontoparietal network of brain regions where brain activity and connectivity showed a similar developmental trend. The published research on brain activity related to training of WM is very scarce. Therefore, Study II aimed at investigating the long-term effects of WM training on brain activity using a training paradigm that was designed to optimise the training effects for each individual. For the first time we were able to show that training of a cognitive function, WM, could result in changes in brain activity in the adult human brain in task-related areas. In Study III the aim was to establish whether WM training could result in clinically relevant effects on performance and behaviour such that it could be used as a new therapy for groups of people with attention deficits. The resulting analyses included data from 44 children, diagnosed with ADHD, who had participated in a five week WM training program. Performance on executive functions, including WM, and behavioural ratings of ADHD symptoms, improved significantly as an effect of WM training. In Study IV we investigated the development of brain activity related to the ability to ignore distraction. This ability is central to WM since distracting stimuli must be ignored in order to keep information in WM. There is no previous published research on the neural mechanisms underlying the development of this important ability. The unravelling of those mechanisms would add to the understanding of the neurobiology related to disorders affecting attention and impulsivity, in addition to increasing our knowledge about WM functions. Furthermore, Study IV was designed to analyse developmental changes in brain activity related to each phase of a WM task. Importantly, we found that development of WM was related to increased brain activity in frontal and parietal areas during maintenance of information in WM. The ability to ignore distraction was related to brain activity in the prefrontal cortex in adults. In children another part of the prefrontal cortex was related to the presence of distraction and this area corresponded to the area where information was maintained. To conclude, this thesis demonstrates previously unknown data on the capacity of the human brain in relation to the healthy and deficient WM system and identifies brain areas that are crucial for the development of this system.
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| 8. |
- Olesen, Pernille J, et al.
(författare)
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Temporal lobe atrophy and white matter lesions are related to major depression over 5 years in the elderly.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1740-634X. ; 35:13, s. 2638-45
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The influence of organic brain changes on the development of depression in the elderly is uncertain. Cross-sectional studies, most often from clinical samples, report associations with brain atrophy and cerebrovascular disease, while longitudinal population studies have given mixed results. Our aim was to investigate whether cortical atrophy and white matter lesions (WMLs) on computed tomography (CT) predict occurrence of depression in the elderly. This is a prospective population-based study with 5-year follow-up. The baseline sample included 525 elderly subjects, aged 70-86 years, without dementia or major depression, with a score on the Mini-Mental State Examination above 25, and without dementia at follow-up. Cortical atrophy and WMLs were evaluated at baseline using CT. The main outcome measure was development of major or minor depression at follow-up according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, as evaluated using neuropsychiatric examinations and hospital discharge registers. Logistic regression was used to estimate risk. Over the period of 5 years, 20 individuals developed major and 63 minor depression. Presence of temporal lobe atrophy (odds ratio (OR)=2.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-7.62) and moderate-to-severe WMLs (OR=3.21, 95% CI 1.00-10.26) independently predicted major, but not minor, depression after controlling for various confounders. Other brain changes did not predict occurrence of depression. Our findings suggest that temporal lobe atrophy and WMLs represent relatively independent and complementary pathways to major depression in the elderly. This may have implications for prevention, as both neurodegeneration and cerebrovascular disease have been related to preventable factors.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Olesen, Pernille J, et al.
(författare)
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The predictive value of cerebral ischemic lesions for dementia
- 2008
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Ingår i: Vas-Cog, Singapore 14-16 Jan 2009.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background & Objective Changes in white matter are known to be related to dementia and cognitive decline. We examined whether CT-detected white matter lesions (WMLs) predicted dementia or cognitive decline in a population followed for five years. Methods A representative sample of persons aged 70-82 years were examined with a neuropsychiatric examination and a CT scan in 2000-2001 (N=657). A follow-up examination was performed in 2005 (N=503). People without dementia at the time of CT scanning and who participated in the examinations in 2005 were included (N=497). The Wahlund scale was used to define WMLs using a score from 0 (no lesions) to 3 (severe lesions). Cognitive status was assessed with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). The difference in MMSE score from 2000 to 2005 (∆MMSE) was used as a general measure on cognitive decline. Differences in performance on other neuropsychiatric tests were included to get more sensitive measures of change in cognitive function. Regression analyses were applied to analyze whether WMLs could predict the outcome of dementia or cognitive decline five years later. Results Thirty-seven people were diagnosed with dementia in 2005 (7.4%), of these 12 (32%) had any WML of severity >1 on the CT performed five years earlier. For the non-demented group the comparable number was 77 (17%). Significant cognitive decline according to ∆MMSE was seen in the group who were diagnosed with dementia. Preliminary regression analysis shows that cognitive decline and parieto-occipital WMLs predicted onset of dementia. Conclusion The findings suggest that WMLs are weak predictors of dementia. Only WMLs in parieto-occipital areas were related to dementia five years later. Further analyses will show the relation between WMLs and decline in cognitive symptoms.
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