Journals
2026 EN
Haertel Andrew J. · Berns Kathryn E. · Falkenstein Kathrine (Shelley) P.
+31 more
ABSTRACT A multicenter study was undertaken to generate new weight‐for‐age growth standards to monitor the growth of infant rhesus and pigtail macaques in research breeding colonies. Previously, single institutions have developed reference growth curves, under the assumption of linear growth, for infants raised in certain settings with a limited scope of benefit to outside institutions. Weight and health records from seven research institutions across the USA were used to build models of body weight by age. Linear and Box‐Cox Power Exponential (BCPE) distribution models, which have been adopted from the World Health Organization's methods, were compared to find the best fit of the models. Resultant weight percentiles and growth velocity charts were provided from the best‐fit model ranked by generalized Akaike's information criterion. Multiparameter models with the BCPE distribution fit the data better than linear models with normal distributions. The assumption that infant macaque growth is linear was challenged by our findings; growth rates appear to change over the first year of life for infant macaques. Growth standards were integrated into centile charts and a computer application in MS Excel to provide user‐friendly weight‐for‐age percentile charts to access and analyze macaque growth data. The new growth standards provide a unified reference that best represents normal physiological growth for all infant rhesus and pigtail macaques from birth through the first year of life. These standards offer guidance on expected growth trajectories and serve as a benchmark for assessing the healthy development of macaque infants across research breeding colonies.
Journals
2026 EN
Vinciguerra Alessandro · Caspani Francesca · Valentini Marco
+49 more
ABSTRACT Introduction Sinonasal sarcomas are exceedingly rare entities, constituting less than 7% of head and neck sarcomas. Their complex histology needs specialized treatment, which is often based on multimodal approaches including surgery, radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy. This manuscript aims to gather expert opinions to establish common management principles for sinonasal sarcomas. Methods This international consensus followed a modified Delphi method in seven steps, including statements definition by the core group, expert panel recruitment, and a two‐round survey. Sixty‐two statements on sinonasal sarcoma management were developed. Experts from multiple continents participated, and results were anonymized and analyzed between March and May 2025. Results A total of 44 invited experts were recruited, 43.2% otorhinolaryngologists/head and neck surgeons, 31.8% medical oncologists, and 25% radiation oncologists. Participants varied in age and experience, representing Europe (70.5%), North America (18.2%), South America (6.8%), and Asia (4.5%). Among all histologies, biphenotypic sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, and myofibrosarcoma are principally treated with an upfront surgical management, differently from Ewing sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma in which chemotherapy, eventually associated with radiotherapy, is often chosen. In the remaining histologies (angiosarcoma, liposarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor [MPNST], osteosarcoma, and synovial sarcoma), a precise multimodal treatment is less standardized and needs to be discussed on a case‐by‐case basis. Conclusion Sinonasal sarcomas require a histology‐driven approach to determine upfront treatment, whether surgical, medical, or multimodal. Despite this structured strategy, prognosis remains highly variable across subtypes. Multidisciplinary evaluation and individualized management in referral centers are crucial to address the biological diversity and anatomical complexity of these rare malignancies.
Journals
2026 EN
Yu Alison J. · Phung Chau · Kuppusamy Krithika
+9 more
ABSTRACT Background More extensive endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) has been shown to correlate with better disease control for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). The Completion of Surgery Index (CoSI) is a recently developed radiologic scoring system that assesses the extent of surgery, where CoSI <70 (previous incomplete surgery) correlated with greater sino‐nasal outcome test (SNOT‐22) improvement after revision surgery. However, the benefit of complete surgery on asthma outcomes has not been defined. Here, we evaluated the impact of CoSI on SNOT‐22 and Asthma Control Test (ACT) improvements after surgery in CRSwNP with asthma. Methods CRSwNP patients with asthma who underwent ESS between January 2018 and December 2023 were identified. Subjects were placed into two groups based on the preoperative CT scans: CoSI <70 (previous incomplete surgery) and CoSI 70 or greater (previous complete surgery). SNOT‐22 and ACT data were collected at baseline and over 2 years postoperatively. Results Seventy CRSwNP patients with comorbid asthma underwent revision surgery, of which 49 (70.0%) patients had a preoperative CoSI <70. The CoSI <70 group had a greater average SNOT‐22 improvement than the CoSI 70 or greater group from baseline to 2 years postoperatively (30.8 ± 20.5 vs. 20.4 ± 14.9, p = 0.042). In uncontrolled asthma, the average ACT improvement was significantly greater for the CoSI <70 group than the CoSI 70 or greater group (3.9 ± 2.2 vs. 0.88 ± 1.4, p = 0.029). Conclusion Preoperative CoSI <70 was associated with significantly greater long‐term improvements in SNOT‐22 and ACT after revision surgery than CoSI 70 or greater group, supporting the need for complete surgery in CRSwNP with asthma.
Journals
2026 EN
Vorobeva Maria · iAkushev Aleksandr · Chen ChienChang
+12 more
Key pointsStaphylococcus aureus showed a significant increase in relative abundance in CRSwNP patients following endoscopic sinus surgery compared to pre‐surgery samples. Other Staphylococcus species were found to correlate positively with S. aureus in patients with nasal polyps; among those, S. caprae correlated strongly while being the most represented in samples. Patients with recurrent nasal polyp growth exhibited a substantially greater postoperative increase in the relative abundance of S. aureus .
Journals
2026 EN
Gutierrez Sirena · Whitmer Rachel A. · George Kristen M.
+8 more
Abstract INTRODUCTION Birth in the Southern United States is associated with poorer late‐life cognitive health, especially among Black Americans, yet the role of school segregation is unclear. METHODS Utilizing decomposition methods, we estimated the total effect, natural direct effect (NDE), and natural indirect effect (NIE) of Southern birth on domain‐specific cognition among 727 older Black adults, adjusting for early‐life covariates. We also estimated the proportion of the total effect mediated by self‐reported segregated school attendance. RESULTS Southern birth was associated with lower late‐life executive function and semantic memory; estimates were negative but not significant for verbal episodic memory. The direct effect of Southern birth was negative but not significant for all domains. Attending a segregated school mediated 35% and 49% of the total association between Southern birth and executive function (NIE: −0.07, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [−0.18, 0.02]) and semantic memory (NIE:−0.17, 95% CI: [−0.29, −0.06]). DISCUSSION School segregation may partially drive geographic inequities in late‐life cognition in the United States. Highlights Southern birth has been linked to poorer cognitive health in later life. Segregated schooling may partially explain geographic disparities in brain aging. Black adults born in the South had lower cognitive function and were more likely to attend segregated schools. Segregated schooling accounted for 35% to 49% of the association between Southern birth and cognition.
Journals
2026 EN
Pentchev Julian V. · Jackson Trever · Khan Naazneen
+53 more
Abstract INTRODUCTION The genetic basis of sporadic early‐onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) remains largely unknown, prompting evaluation of late‐onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) polygenic risk in EOAD. METHODS A LOAD polygenic score (PGS) was calculated in the Longitudinal Early‐onset Alzheimer's Disease Study (LEADS) and Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) study and tested for associations with AD risk, cognitive performance, and imaging and fluid biomarkers. RESULTS Though PGS was elevated in LOAD and EOAD, it was not a significant predictor of EOAD adjusting for APOE ε4 carrier status and was not associated with age of EOAD onset ( p = 0.106) or with cognitive performance ( p = 0.417). In LEADS, greater LOAD PGS was associated with differences in neuroimaging and fluid biomarkers, including elevated synaptosomal‐associated protein 25 (SNAP‐25) ( p = 2.3 × 10 −5 ). DISCUSSION While LOAD polygenic risk contributed minimally to EOAD onset and cognitive dysfunction, PGS association with fluid biomarkers in LEADS suggests a role for LOAD polygenic risk in EOAD pathophysiology. Highlights LOAD PGSs were elevated in both LOAD and EOAD compared to controls; however, LOAD PGS did not significantly predict EOAD risk, age at onset, or cognitive performance independent of APOE ε4 in the LEADS. Higher LOAD PGS was associated with lower amyloid PET Centiloids (less brain amyloid deposition) as well as lower CSF biomarker Aβ42 in LEADS (proxy marker suggesting higher brain amyloid deposition) in LEADS; these contradictory findings support the need for larger studies to further investigate whether LOAD PGS is associated with increased amyloid deposition in EOAD. Higher LOAD PGS was also associated with higher levels of CSF synaptosomal‐associated protein 25 (SNAP‐25), a key component of the SNARE complex, suggesting that LOAD genetic factors may contribute to dysregulation of synaptic transmission and/or pathological protein aggregation in EOAD.
Journals
2026 EN
Castilhos Raphael Machado · Sampaio Luís Gustavo · Feter Natan
+2 more
Abstract INTRODUCTION Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has been linked to adverse brain outcomes. We aim to evaluate whether MASLD is associated with cognitive impairment/decline. METHODS We analyzed data from the Estudo Longitudinal da Saúde do Adulto (ELSA‐Brasil study). Global cognitive performance was assessed at baseline and follow‐up. Associations between MASLD and cognition were tested using Poisson regression and linear mixed‐effects models (LMMs). RESULTS MASLD was present in 13.6% ( n = 918/6754) of participants at baseline. MASLD was not associated with incident cognitive impairment (Relative Risk: 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.83–1.23; p = 0.91). In LMMs, in a fully adjusted model, MASLD was not associated with cognitive decline (estimate: 0.039; 95% CI: –0.109 to 0.031; p = 0.2721) but was associated with the memory domain at the baseline. DISCUSSION MASLD is not independently associated with cognitive impairment or cognitive decline in middle‐aged adults. Highlights Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is not independently associated with cognition in the longitudinal analysis. Hepatic steatosis is not independently associated with cognition. The effect on cognition is dependent on vascular and metabolic risk factors.
Journals
2026 EN
Vonk Jet M. J. · Ferrante Franco J. · Morin Brittany T.
+10 more
Abstract INTRODUCTION Verbal fluency tasks are widely used in primary progressive aphasia (PPA), but most studies rely only on total correct responses, overlooking qualitative features of the words produced. We applied a scalable computational framework to extract item‐level features from fluency responses in semantic variant (svPPA) and logopenic variant PPA (lvPPA) to test their value for differential diagnosis. METHODS We analyzed animal fluency responses from 113 participants (40 svPPA, 40 lvPPA, 33 controls) using an automated pipeline extracting nine psycholinguistic features. Group differences were examined with (co)variance models, classification with logistic regression, and brain–behavior associations via structural magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS All features except semantic variability distinguished svPPA from lvPPA. Models including features outperformed (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.86) those using only total correct or clinical variables (AUC = 0.60–0.68). Features related mainly to temporal lobe atrophy, whereas total correct also related to the angular gyrus. DISCUSSION Automated item‐level analysis offers a sensitive, scalable method for supporting PPA diagnosis and monitoring. Highlights Automated item‐level features from verbal fluency aid semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (PPA) versus logopenic variant PPA diagnosis. Item‐level fluency features outperform total correct responses for classification. Item‐level fluency features map onto syndrome‐relevant temporal lobe atrophy. A scalable, fully automated pipeline enables integration into clinical practice. There is potential to support low‐burden, objective monitoring of disease progression in PPA.
Journals
2026 EN
MorcilloNieto Alejandra O. · RozalemAranha Mateus · MaureBlesa Lucia
+22 more
Abstract INTRODUCTION White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are common in Down syndrome (DS), yet their longitudinal evolution and associations with Alzheimer's disease (AD) remain unclear. METHODS Longitudinal MRI study, including 80 DS adults and 53 euploid controls. WMH were segmented on serial FLAIR using a longitudinal pipeline. We assessed the effects of demographic, genetic factors, AD clinical stage, AD‐related fluid, and cerebrovascular biomarkers on annual WMH volume changes. RESULTS In DS, annual WMH changes were relatively stable until age 40, and then exhibited fluctuations, with a significant decrease at the group level. Declines were larger in symptomatic cases, particularly in periventricular and fronto‐parieto‐occipital regions. Higher baseline WMH and microbleeds presence related to greater WMH reduction. Visual ratings and adjustment for white matter volume supported the robustness of the results. DISCUSSION WMH trajectories were heterogeneous in DS and declined over time with AD symptoms. This unexpected reduction may reflect different underlying pathological processes, including neurodegeneration or neuroinflammation.
Journals
2026 EN
Hammers Dustin B. · Eloyan Ani · Thangarajah Maryanne
+36 more
INTRODUCTION Recent work has identified unique cognitive profiles for early‐onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) relative to late‐onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), however, examination has been limited in determining whether the association between age and cognitive severity at presentation also differs across conditions. METHODS A series of linear spline regression models was conducted across baseline cognitive data from 325 EOAD and 314 LOAD participants, after accounting for education, sex, and apolipoprotein ε4 status. RESULTS Significant differences existed in the relationship between baseline age and cognitive performance between EOAD and LOAD samples for Processing Speed/Attention, Executive Functioning, and Episodic Immediate Memory. Younger participants from both EOAD and LOAD groups performed disproportionately worse on non‐amnestic cognitive domains, with this occurring to a greater extent in EOAD than LOAD. DISCUSSION In the age of disease‐modifying treatments, results highlight the importance of assessing for cognitive declines in individuals starting much earlier than age 65. Highlights Early‐onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) and late‐onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) participants each displayed cognitive impairments relative to same‐aged peers across most domains. Both groups displayed positive relationships between impairment among non‐amnestic cognitive domains and baseline age. This relationship displayed a significantly greater effect in EOAD than LOAD, with domains of Processing Speed/Attention and Executive Functioning skills being the most pronounced. Of those participants developing AD, age displayed a disproportionate impact on their symptom onset.