Biomedical subjects

Hedvig Söderlund

Publications and source records attributed to Hedvig Söderlund.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Cerebral changes on MRI and cognitive function: the CASCADE study.

The aging, non-demented brain undergoes several physiological changes, some of which may affect cognitive function. The goal of the present study was to examine the associations between subcortical and periventricular white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), cortical and subcortical atrophy, and cognitive function (episodic memory, word fluency, attention, and perceptual, cognitive, and motor speed). This was done within a European collaborative study, Cardiovascular Determinants of Dementia (CASCADE), in which magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on community-dwelling individuals. The study includes 1254 persons from eight European study centers, ranging between 64 and 76 years of age (M 69.4+/-3.3; 55% men). When demographics (age, education, and sex), study center, and concurrent brain changes had been adjusted for, periventricular WMHS predicted lower performance in word fluency and the Stroop test (time), and subcortical atrophy predicted lower performance in motor speed and the Stroop test (errors). The findings are consistent with findings from lesion and functional neuroimaging studies.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed2005

Memory encoding and retrieval on the ascending and descending limbs of the blood alcohol concentration curve.

RATIONALE: Little is known about acute effects of alcohol on memory encoding and retrieval on different limbs (ascending and descending) of the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) curve. OBJECTIVES: This extensive experiment was designed to examine alcohol's effects on memory encoding and retrieval throughout a protracted drinking episode. METHODS: In a 9-h session, male participants consumed either alcohol (1 ml/kg) or placebo (n = 32/32) over a period of 90 min and learned various materials in different memory tasks before, during, and after consuming the drinks, while their BAC levels were monitored. A week later, in a similar session, they were tested on learned materials before, during, and after drinking. Mood was assessed throughout both sessions. RESULTS: Alcohol impaired recall of words more than recognition, and cued recall most severely. Perceptual priming and picture recognition were not affected by alcohol. Alcohol impaired encoding in cued recall, recognition of completed word fragments, and free recall regardless of limb, but impaired retrieval in word recognition only during the ascending BAC. Alcohol increased negative mood on the descending limb during the first session, and on the ascending limb during the second session. CONCLUSIONS: Under naturalistic drinking conditions, alcohol's effects on memory depend on task, memory process, and limb of the BAC curve. The differential effects of alcohol on retrieval during the ascending and descending limbs demonstrate the importance of examining the differential effects on the two limbs.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

High prevalence of white matter hyperintensities in normal aging: relation to blood pressure and cognition.

The occurrence of cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), and their associations with blood pressure, episodic memory, and other cognitive tasks, were examined in a population-based sample of 123 individuals between 64 and 74 years old. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) detected subcortical and periventricular hyperintensities in 90% and 67% of the cases, respectively. Subcortical WMHs were related to elevated diastolic blood pressure measured ten years earlier, and periventricular WMHs were related to elevated diastolic blood pressure measured five and ten years earlier. Subcortical hyperintensities were weakly associated with impaired motor speed, but this association was not significant. Periventricular WMHs had a negative effect on episodic memory, although the relation was not linear. Collectively, the notion that white matter hyperintensities impair cognitive function got weak support in this Swedish sample.

Aged↗