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- Beck, Dani, et al.
(författare)
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Adipose tissue distribution from body MRI is associated with cross-sectional and longitudinal brain age in adults
- 2022
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Ingår i: NeuroImage. - : Elsevier Science Ltd. - 2213-1582. ; 33
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is an intimate body-brain connection in ageing, and obesity is a key risk factor for poor cardiometabolic health and neurodegenerative conditions. Although research has demonstrated deleterious effects of obesity on brain structure and function, the majority of studies have used conventional measures such as waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference, and body mass index. While sensitive to gross features of body composition, such global anthropometric features fail to describe regional differences in body fat distribution and composition. The sample consisted of baseline brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquired from 790 healthy participants aged 18-94 years (mean +/- standard deviation (SD) at baseline: 46.8 +/- 16.3), and follow-up brain MRI collected from 272 of those individuals (two time-points with 19.7 months interval, on average (min = 9.8, max = 35.6). Of the 790 included participants, cross-sectional body MRI data was available from a subgroup of 286 participants, with age range 19-86 (mean = 57.6, SD = 15.6). Adopting a mixed cross-sectional and longitudinal design, we investigated cross-sectional body magnetic resonance imaging measures of adipose tissue distribution in relation to longitudinal brain structure using MRI-based morphometry (T1) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). We estimated tissue-specific brain age at two time points and performed Bayesian multilevel modelling to investigate the associations between adipose measures at follow-up and brain age gap (BAG) - the difference between actual age and the prediction of the brains biological age - at baseline and follow-up. We also tested for interactions between BAG and both time and age on each adipose measure. The results showed credible associations between T1-based BAG and liver fat, muscle fat infiltration (MFI), and weight-to-muscle ratio (WMR), indicating older-appearing brains in people with higher measures of adipose tissue. Longitudinal evidence supported interaction effects between time and MFI and WMR on T1-based BAG, indicating accelerated ageing over the course of the study period in people with higher measures of adipose tissue. The results show that specific measures of fat distribution are associated with brain ageing and that different compartments of adipose tissue may be differentially linked with increased brain ageing, with potential to identify key processes involved in age-related transdiagnostic disease processes.
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- Gurholt, Tiril P., et al.
(författare)
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Population-based body-brain mapping links brain morphology with anthropometrics and body composition
- 2021
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Ingår i: Translational Psychiatry. - : Springer Nature. - 2158-3188. ; 11:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Understanding complex body-brain processes and the interplay between adipose tissue and brain health is important for understanding comorbidity between psychiatric and cardiometabolic disorders. We investigated associations between brain structure and anthropometric and body composition measures using brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; n=24,728) and body MRI (n=4973) of generally healthy participants in the UK Biobank. We derived regional and global measures of brain morphometry using FreeSurfer and tested their association with (i) anthropometric measures, and (ii) adipose and muscle tissue measured from body MRI. We identified several significant associations with small effect sizes. Anthropometric measures showed negative, nonlinear, associations with cerebellar/cortical gray matter, and brain stem structures, and positive associations with ventricular volumes. Subcortical structures exhibited mixed effect directionality, with strongest positive association for accumbens. Adipose tissue measures, including liver fat and muscle fat infiltration, were negatively associated with cortical/cerebellum structures, while total thigh muscle volume was positively associated with brain stem and accumbens. Regional investigations of cortical area, thickness, and volume indicated widespread and largely negative associations with anthropometric and adipose tissue measures, with an opposite pattern for thigh muscle volume. Self-reported diabetes, hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia were associated with brain structure. The findings provide new insight into physiological body-brain associations suggestive of shared mechanisms between cardiometabolic risk factors and brain health. Whereas the causality needs to be determined, the observed patterns of body-brain relationships provide a foundation for understanding the underlying mechanisms linking psychiatric disorders with obesity and cardiovascular disease, with potential for the development of new prevention strategies.
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- Williams, C., et al.
(författare)
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Conservation Policy: Helping or hindering science to unlock properties of plants and fungi
- 2020
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Ingår i: Plants People Planet. - : Wiley. - 2572-2611. ; 2:5, s. 535-545
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biodiversity loss is happening at an unprecedented rate. Understanding and protecting biodiversity has never been more urgent, and scientific research is key to this. Fair and transparent access and benefit sharing policies enable research to take place, whilst supporting sustainable livelihoods of communities and ensuring benefits are shared. Current national legislation has been unevenly implemented and, in this article, we recommend frameworks be developed to standardize the provision and use of genetic resources for non-commercial research. Summary: Access to genetic resources for scientific research is vital to support and promote the conservation and sustainable use of the world's biodiversity. The regulatory framework for research is stipulated by Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) legislation at a national level, but other elements –legal transparency, respect, cooperation, and trust –are essential for its effective and sustainable implementation. Despite the intention of this “ABS regime” to protect natural resources and associated knowledge from misappropriation, several studies have questioned whether national regulatory approaches have led to constraints on research and conservation. We analyse evidence and provide case studies on how these regulations are affecting research. We find that the number of Internationally Recognized Certificates of Compliance (IRCC) of the Nagoya Protocol (NP), the key compliance mechanism of the ABS system, doubled in the six months prior to February 2020 and analyse why this may be the case. Additionally, a survey of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Authorities in 28 countries, found differences in the way the Registered Scientific Institute scheme is interpreted and used to facilitate scientific research. Our results suggest while the regulatory systems are perceived as hindering research and conservation, regulatory mechanisms enabling responsible research are becoming increasingly functional. We argue that functional and transparent systems are needed for both regulators and researchers, to ensure that non-commercial research can continue smoothly, and present conclusions to support research for the benefit of all countries and partners involved, through appropriate frameworks for implementation and reporting. © 2020 The Authors, Plants, People, Planet © New Phytologist Foundation
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