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      Research Highlights One glowing light bulb that stands out from unlit or dim lamps on a blue background

      Research Highlights of the Month – December 2023

      December 1, 2023

      Brain Health

      Swiss Brain Health Plan launches in Zurich

      November 24, 2023

      EAN News

      EAN 2024 – Abstract submission and registration OPEN!

      November 22, 2023

      eLearning

      Call for Applications: e-Learning Platform Associate Editors

      November 7, 2023

      Executive Page

      Executive Page: Join or renew your membership now and celebrate 10 years of the EAN

      November 6, 2023

      Executive Page

      Executive Page: Advocacy for brain health gaining momentum across the neurological landscape

      October 1, 2023

      Executive Page Dear EAN members, dear friends, It is my pleasure to give you an update on behalf of the EAN Scientific Committee following a busy year since my appointment as chair. It has been a privilege to be so deeply involved in the scientific activities of the EAN and to work closely with an amazing community of people who are so dedicated to the advancement of neurology. One of the strongest threads within that community is the EAN’s group of Scientific Panels, which are often referred to as the organisation’s ‘scientific backbone’. The panels have a hand in everything the EAN does from a scientific point of view, including coordinating clinical research, disseminating good practice, assisting in planning the EAN annual congress, supporting the EAN’s educational efforts, and producing guidelines that assist neurologists in daily practice. All of this work requires a considerable amount of oversight, and this is why each panel is run by its own Management Group, elected by the panel members. Being a part of one of these Management Groups (PDF) is an opportunity to play a direct part in determining the direction of scientific progress within Europe, and I am excited to say that the call for applications to stand for election will be announced in September. All panel members and EAN individual members are eligible to apply to be candidates, with the vote being held among the existing panel members in autumn. I would like to urge every neurologist with a passion for the scientific future of their special area of interest to consider standing for election to the relevant Management Group and to look out for the call for applications later this month. I can tell you from personal experience that fulfilling a role such as this within the structure of the EAN is a fascinating and extremely rewarding experience. The chance to take on such a unique leadership position should not be missed! The most satisfying aspect of being involved in the EAN’s organisational structure is surely seeing all the hard work and planning come to fruition when a small idea evolves into a newly launched project. One such example is the 1st EAN Science School, taking place in Salzburg next March. The idea of the Science School is to offer early career neurologists with an interest in translational research a new avenue for learning about basic pathomechanisms of neurological disorders. Application for this very first edition, on ‘Pathophysiology of disorders of the nervous system’, closed last week and we have been delighted with the level of interest. It was a pleasure to be part of the task force in charge of planning this new project and I look forward to seeing it officially transferred to the hands of the Scientific Committee after a successful event and evaluation in spring. Of our ongoing activities, one of the most significant is the EAN Neuro-covid Registry, which aims to collate epidemiological data on neurological manifestations in patients with COVID-19 infection reported by neurologists in outpatient services, emergency rooms, and hospital departments. We currently have 1,542 patients entered in the database, from 35 centres across 23 countries. So far, 29 patients have been followed for 12 months and 387 have completed the 6-months follow up. This is a decent start, but I would like to strongly encourage EAN members and their institutions to get involved and contribute cases to what will become an invaluable resource for neurologists and clinicians to improve care for Covid-19 patients. Finally, I would like share a word on a forthcoming collaboration between EAN and the Human Brain Project in December, that I think will interest a lot of EAN members. The EAN-EBRAINS joint workshop on ‘The future of medical data sharing in clinical neurosciences’ will be a three-day virtual event that aims to discuss issues and challenges associated with data sharing in Europe, from ethics to data safety and privacy, including those specific to data federation, such as the development and validation of federated algorithms. The whole workshop is completely free of charge and registration is open until 25 November, so please check out the details and sign up! I wish you all a healthy and pleasant autumn and I look forward to updating you again. Best wishes Thomas Berger Chair of the EAN Scientific Committee

      Executive Page: Management Group elections are coming – run for office and help shape our future!

      September 1, 2023

      Executive Page

      Executive Page: Thank you for making the EAN Congress 2023 a great success!

      July 24, 2023

      EAN News One glowing light bulb that stands out from unlit or dim lamps on a blue background

      Research Highlights of the Month – December 2023

      December 1, 2023

      EAN News

      Swiss Brain Health Plan launches in Zurich

      November 24, 2023

      EAN News

      EAN 2024 – Abstract submission and registration OPEN!

      November 22, 2023

      EAN News

      Call for Applications: e-Learning Platform Associate Editors

      November 7, 2023

      EAN Congress news

      EAN 2024 – Abstract submission and registration OPEN!

      November 22, 2023

      EAN Congress news

      Burden of Sleep/Wake Disorders Project at EAN Congress 2023

      October 19, 2023

      EAN Congress news

      African Academy of Neurology features in Special Studio Session at EAN 2023

      July 25, 2023

      EAN Congress news

      Find photos, facts, figures and reports in our EAN Congress Review

      July 24, 2023

      Interviews

      Video Interview: Prof. Mary Reilly, Moritz Romberg lecturer at EAN 2023

      July 4, 2023

      Interviews

      Video Interview: Mark Hallett, C. Brown-Séquard lecturer at EAN 2023

      July 3, 2023

      Interviews

      Video Interview: Josep Dalmau, Camillo Golgi Lecturer at EAN 2023

      July 2, 2023

      Interviews

      Video Interview: Dementia & Cognitive Disorders Panel Co-Chairs

      September 8, 2022

  • Research
    • All Paper of the Month Research Highlights
      Research Highlights One glowing light bulb that stands out from unlit or dim lamps on a blue background

      Research Highlights of the Month – December 2023

      December 1, 2023

      Paper of the Month

      Research Paper of the Month: Effects of oral anticoagulation in people with atrial fibrillation after spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage (COCROACH)

      November 6, 2023

      Research Highlights One glowing light bulb that stands out from unlit or dim lamps on a blue background

      Research Highlights of the Month – November 2023

      November 6, 2023

      Research

      EAN Guideline Production Group at the Guidelines International Network Conference 2023

      October 31, 2023

      Paper of the Month

      Research Paper of the Month: Effects of oral anticoagulation in people with atrial fibrillation after spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage (COCROACH)

      November 6, 2023

      Paper of the Month

      Research Paper of the Month: Transdermal Nicotine Treatment and Progression of Early Parkinson’s Disease

      October 1, 2023

      Paper of the Month

      Research Paper of the Month: Soluble Nogo-Receptor-Fc decoy (AXER-204) in patients with chronic cervical spinal cord injury in the USA

      September 1, 2023

      Paper of the Month

      Research Paper of the Month: Vorasidenib in IDH1- or IDH2-Mutant Low-Grade Glioma

      July 24, 2023

      Research Highlights One glowing light bulb that stands out from unlit or dim lamps on a blue background

      Research Highlights of the Month – December 2023

      December 1, 2023

      Research Highlights One glowing light bulb that stands out from unlit or dim lamps on a blue background

      Research Highlights of the Month – November 2023

      November 6, 2023

      Research Highlights One glowing light bulb that stands out from unlit or dim lamps on a blue background

      Research Highlights of the Month – October 2023

      October 1, 2023

      Research Highlights One glowing light bulb that stands out from unlit or dim lamps on a blue background

      Research Highlights of the Month – September 2023

      September 1, 2023

  • Education
    • All eLearning Student Corner Resident and Research Fellows Fellowship reports
      eLearning

      End 2023 with highlighted content on the eanCampus!

      December 2, 2023

      Resident and Research Fellows

      EAN Spring School 2024 – Apply NOW until 31 January 2024

      December 1, 2023

      Resident and Research Fellows

      EAN Autumn School 2023: Report

      November 30, 2023

      eLearning

      Call for Applications: e-Learning Platform Associate Editors

      November 7, 2023

      eLearning

      End 2023 with highlighted content on the eanCampus!

      December 2, 2023

      eLearning

      Call for Applications: e-Learning Platform Associate Editors

      November 7, 2023

      eLearning

      Kick off the new season with highlights on the eanCampus

      October 13, 2023

      eLearning

      World Brain Day with the European Academy of Neurology

      July 21, 2023

      Student Corner

      Student Teaser Fellowship reports 2022 – Pisa, London, & Lausanne

      September 13, 2023

      Student Corner Illustration of a vertical pencil point on a blue background, with a yellow light bulb above it

      Student Corner: My EAN Congress experience

      September 5, 2023

      Student Corner

      Student Teaser Fellowship reports 2022 – Rotterdam, London, & Paris

      August 22, 2023

      Student Corner

      Student Teaser Fellowship winners 2023

      June 28, 2023

      Resident and Research Fellows

      EAN Spring School 2024 – Apply NOW until 31 January 2024

      December 1, 2023

      Resident and Research Fellows

      EAN Autumn School 2023: Report

      November 30, 2023

      Resident and Research Fellows

      Research Fellowship Report 2022 – Oxford Autoimmune Neurology Group

      September 16, 2023

      Resident and Research Fellows

      Research Fellowship Report 2022 – Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne

      September 15, 2023

      Fellowship reports

      Research Fellowship Report 2022 – Oxford Autoimmune Neurology Group

      September 16, 2023

      Fellowship reports

      Research Fellowship Report 2022 – Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne

      September 15, 2023

      Fellowship reports

      Research Fellowship Report 2022 – Department of Neuromuscular Diseases Institute, University College London

      September 14, 2023

      Fellowship reports

      Student Teaser Fellowship reports 2022 – Pisa, London, & Lausanne

      September 13, 2023

  • Other News
    • All EAN Staff EBC News in general Surveys
      EAN Staff

      EAN Head Office Profiles: Ulla & Piyapat

      December 1, 2023

      EAN Staff

      EAN Head Office Profiles: Maria & Immanuel

      November 7, 2023

      Advocacy

      Brain community launches Call to Action during Brain Health & Research Day at UNGA78

      October 19, 2023

      EAN News

      Brain Innovation Days 2023: Meet the speakers!

      October 2, 2023

      EAN Staff

      EAN Head Office Profiles: Ulla & Piyapat

      December 1, 2023

      EAN Staff

      EAN Head Office Profiles: Maria & Immanuel

      November 7, 2023

      EAN Staff

      EAN Head Office Profiles: Kathrin & Sasha

      August 28, 2023

      EAN Staff Anja Sander receiving flowers at the end of EAN Congress 2023

      Celebrating 20 Years of Excellence: Anja Sander, EAN’s Executive Director!

      August 3, 2023

      EBC

      Brain community launches Call to Action during Brain Health & Research Day at UNGA78

      October 19, 2023

      EBC

      Brain Innovation Days 2023: Meet the speakers!

      October 2, 2023

      EBC

      Brain Innovation Days: Discover the early programme and register today!

      July 21, 2023

      EBC

      Join the community’s calls for a European Brain Research and Innovation Plan

      July 21, 2023

      News in general

      WHO’s Intersectoral Global Action Plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders (IGAP) published in all six UN languages

      August 3, 2023

      News in general

      WHO recognises the public health need for effective and affordable treatments for multiple sclerosis

      August 3, 2023

      News in general

      Brain Innovation Days: Discover the early programme and register today!

      July 21, 2023

      News in general

      Join the community’s calls for a European Brain Research and Innovation Plan

      July 21, 2023

      Surveys

      Neurorehabilitation Across Europe after Ischemic and Traumatic Brain Injuries: a survey to increase knowledge on brain-injury-specific neurorehabilitation

      July 14, 2023

      Surveys

      ILAE survey on genetic testing in the epilepsies

      July 14, 2023

      Surveys

      COVID-19 and neurology: a survey of previous and continued restrictions on clinical practice, professional education and neuroeconomics

      March 3, 2023

      Surveys

      Help EAN contribute towards the development of a European Pain Research strategy

      December 5, 2022

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  • EAN News
    • All Executive Page EAN News EAN Congress news Interviews
      Research Highlights One glowing light bulb that stands out from unlit or dim lamps on a blue background

      Research Highlights of the Month – December 2023

      December 1, 2023

      Brain Health

      Swiss Brain Health Plan launches in Zurich

      November 24, 2023

      EAN News

      EAN 2024 – Abstract submission and registration OPEN!

      November 22, 2023

      eLearning

      Call for Applications: e-Learning Platform Associate Editors

      November 7, 2023

      Executive Page

      Executive Page: Join or renew your membership now and celebrate 10 years of the EAN

      November 6, 2023

      Executive Page

      Executive Page: Advocacy for brain health gaining momentum across the neurological landscape

      October 1, 2023

      Executive Page Dear EAN members, dear friends, It is my pleasure to give you an update on behalf of the EAN Scientific Committee following a busy year since my appointment as chair. It has been a privilege to be so deeply involved in the scientific activities of the EAN and to work closely with an amazing community of people who are so dedicated to the advancement of neurology. One of the strongest threads within that community is the EAN’s group of Scientific Panels, which are often referred to as the organisation’s ‘scientific backbone’. The panels have a hand in everything the EAN does from a scientific point of view, including coordinating clinical research, disseminating good practice, assisting in planning the EAN annual congress, supporting the EAN’s educational efforts, and producing guidelines that assist neurologists in daily practice. All of this work requires a considerable amount of oversight, and this is why each panel is run by its own Management Group, elected by the panel members. Being a part of one of these Management Groups (PDF) is an opportunity to play a direct part in determining the direction of scientific progress within Europe, and I am excited to say that the call for applications to stand for election will be announced in September. All panel members and EAN individual members are eligible to apply to be candidates, with the vote being held among the existing panel members in autumn. I would like to urge every neurologist with a passion for the scientific future of their special area of interest to consider standing for election to the relevant Management Group and to look out for the call for applications later this month. I can tell you from personal experience that fulfilling a role such as this within the structure of the EAN is a fascinating and extremely rewarding experience. The chance to take on such a unique leadership position should not be missed! The most satisfying aspect of being involved in the EAN’s organisational structure is surely seeing all the hard work and planning come to fruition when a small idea evolves into a newly launched project. One such example is the 1st EAN Science School, taking place in Salzburg next March. The idea of the Science School is to offer early career neurologists with an interest in translational research a new avenue for learning about basic pathomechanisms of neurological disorders. Application for this very first edition, on ‘Pathophysiology of disorders of the nervous system’, closed last week and we have been delighted with the level of interest. It was a pleasure to be part of the task force in charge of planning this new project and I look forward to seeing it officially transferred to the hands of the Scientific Committee after a successful event and evaluation in spring. Of our ongoing activities, one of the most significant is the EAN Neuro-covid Registry, which aims to collate epidemiological data on neurological manifestations in patients with COVID-19 infection reported by neurologists in outpatient services, emergency rooms, and hospital departments. We currently have 1,542 patients entered in the database, from 35 centres across 23 countries. So far, 29 patients have been followed for 12 months and 387 have completed the 6-months follow up. This is a decent start, but I would like to strongly encourage EAN members and their institutions to get involved and contribute cases to what will become an invaluable resource for neurologists and clinicians to improve care for Covid-19 patients. Finally, I would like share a word on a forthcoming collaboration between EAN and the Human Brain Project in December, that I think will interest a lot of EAN members. The EAN-EBRAINS joint workshop on ‘The future of medical data sharing in clinical neurosciences’ will be a three-day virtual event that aims to discuss issues and challenges associated with data sharing in Europe, from ethics to data safety and privacy, including those specific to data federation, such as the development and validation of federated algorithms. The whole workshop is completely free of charge and registration is open until 25 November, so please check out the details and sign up! I wish you all a healthy and pleasant autumn and I look forward to updating you again. Best wishes Thomas Berger Chair of the EAN Scientific Committee

      Executive Page: Management Group elections are coming – run for office and help shape our future!

      September 1, 2023

      Executive Page

      Executive Page: Thank you for making the EAN Congress 2023 a great success!

      July 24, 2023

      EAN News One glowing light bulb that stands out from unlit or dim lamps on a blue background

      Research Highlights of the Month – December 2023

      December 1, 2023

      EAN News

      Swiss Brain Health Plan launches in Zurich

      November 24, 2023

      EAN News

      EAN 2024 – Abstract submission and registration OPEN!

      November 22, 2023

      EAN News

      Call for Applications: e-Learning Platform Associate Editors

      November 7, 2023

      EAN Congress news

      EAN 2024 – Abstract submission and registration OPEN!

      November 22, 2023

      EAN Congress news

      Burden of Sleep/Wake Disorders Project at EAN Congress 2023

      October 19, 2023

      EAN Congress news

      African Academy of Neurology features in Special Studio Session at EAN 2023

      July 25, 2023

      EAN Congress news

      Find photos, facts, figures and reports in our EAN Congress Review

      July 24, 2023

      Interviews

      Video Interview: Prof. Mary Reilly, Moritz Romberg lecturer at EAN 2023

      July 4, 2023

      Interviews

      Video Interview: Mark Hallett, C. Brown-Séquard lecturer at EAN 2023

      July 3, 2023

      Interviews

      Video Interview: Josep Dalmau, Camillo Golgi Lecturer at EAN 2023

      July 2, 2023

      Interviews

      Video Interview: Dementia & Cognitive Disorders Panel Co-Chairs

      September 8, 2022

  • Research
    • All Paper of the Month Research Highlights
      Research Highlights One glowing light bulb that stands out from unlit or dim lamps on a blue background

      Research Highlights of the Month – December 2023

      December 1, 2023

      Paper of the Month

      Research Paper of the Month: Effects of oral anticoagulation in people with atrial fibrillation after spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage (COCROACH)

      November 6, 2023

      Research Highlights One glowing light bulb that stands out from unlit or dim lamps on a blue background

      Research Highlights of the Month – November 2023

      November 6, 2023

      Research

      EAN Guideline Production Group at the Guidelines International Network Conference 2023

      October 31, 2023

      Paper of the Month

      Research Paper of the Month: Effects of oral anticoagulation in people with atrial fibrillation after spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage (COCROACH)

      November 6, 2023

      Paper of the Month

      Research Paper of the Month: Transdermal Nicotine Treatment and Progression of Early Parkinson’s Disease

      October 1, 2023

      Paper of the Month

      Research Paper of the Month: Soluble Nogo-Receptor-Fc decoy (AXER-204) in patients with chronic cervical spinal cord injury in the USA

      September 1, 2023

      Paper of the Month

      Research Paper of the Month: Vorasidenib in IDH1- or IDH2-Mutant Low-Grade Glioma

      July 24, 2023

      Research Highlights One glowing light bulb that stands out from unlit or dim lamps on a blue background

      Research Highlights of the Month – December 2023

      December 1, 2023

      Research Highlights One glowing light bulb that stands out from unlit or dim lamps on a blue background

      Research Highlights of the Month – November 2023

      November 6, 2023

      Research Highlights One glowing light bulb that stands out from unlit or dim lamps on a blue background

      Research Highlights of the Month – October 2023

      October 1, 2023

      Research Highlights One glowing light bulb that stands out from unlit or dim lamps on a blue background

      Research Highlights of the Month – September 2023

      September 1, 2023

  • Education
    • All eLearning Student Corner Resident and Research Fellows Fellowship reports
      eLearning

      End 2023 with highlighted content on the eanCampus!

      December 2, 2023

      Resident and Research Fellows

      EAN Spring School 2024 – Apply NOW until 31 January 2024

      December 1, 2023

      Resident and Research Fellows

      EAN Autumn School 2023: Report

      November 30, 2023

      eLearning

      Call for Applications: e-Learning Platform Associate Editors

      November 7, 2023

      eLearning

      End 2023 with highlighted content on the eanCampus!

      December 2, 2023

      eLearning

      Call for Applications: e-Learning Platform Associate Editors

      November 7, 2023

      eLearning

      Kick off the new season with highlights on the eanCampus

      October 13, 2023

      eLearning

      World Brain Day with the European Academy of Neurology

      July 21, 2023

      Student Corner

      Student Teaser Fellowship reports 2022 – Pisa, London, & Lausanne

      September 13, 2023

      Student Corner Illustration of a vertical pencil point on a blue background, with a yellow light bulb above it

      Student Corner: My EAN Congress experience

      September 5, 2023

      Student Corner

      Student Teaser Fellowship reports 2022 – Rotterdam, London, & Paris

      August 22, 2023

      Student Corner

      Student Teaser Fellowship winners 2023

      June 28, 2023

      Resident and Research Fellows

      EAN Spring School 2024 – Apply NOW until 31 January 2024

      December 1, 2023

      Resident and Research Fellows

      EAN Autumn School 2023: Report

      November 30, 2023

      Resident and Research Fellows

      Research Fellowship Report 2022 – Oxford Autoimmune Neurology Group

      September 16, 2023

      Resident and Research Fellows

      Research Fellowship Report 2022 – Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne

      September 15, 2023

      Fellowship reports

      Research Fellowship Report 2022 – Oxford Autoimmune Neurology Group

      September 16, 2023

      Fellowship reports

      Research Fellowship Report 2022 – Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne

      September 15, 2023

      Fellowship reports

      Research Fellowship Report 2022 – Department of Neuromuscular Diseases Institute, University College London

      September 14, 2023

      Fellowship reports

      Student Teaser Fellowship reports 2022 – Pisa, London, & Lausanne

      September 13, 2023

  • Other News
    • All EAN Staff EBC News in general Surveys
      EAN Staff

      EAN Head Office Profiles: Ulla & Piyapat

      December 1, 2023

      EAN Staff

      EAN Head Office Profiles: Maria & Immanuel

      November 7, 2023

      Advocacy

      Brain community launches Call to Action during Brain Health & Research Day at UNGA78

      October 19, 2023

      EAN News

      Brain Innovation Days 2023: Meet the speakers!

      October 2, 2023

      EAN Staff

      EAN Head Office Profiles: Ulla & Piyapat

      December 1, 2023

      EAN Staff

      EAN Head Office Profiles: Maria & Immanuel

      November 7, 2023

      EAN Staff

      EAN Head Office Profiles: Kathrin & Sasha

      August 28, 2023

      EAN Staff Anja Sander receiving flowers at the end of EAN Congress 2023

      Celebrating 20 Years of Excellence: Anja Sander, EAN’s Executive Director!

      August 3, 2023

      EBC

      Brain community launches Call to Action during Brain Health & Research Day at UNGA78

      October 19, 2023

      EBC

      Brain Innovation Days 2023: Meet the speakers!

      October 2, 2023

      EBC

      Brain Innovation Days: Discover the early programme and register today!

      July 21, 2023

      EBC

      Join the community’s calls for a European Brain Research and Innovation Plan

      July 21, 2023

      News in general

      WHO’s Intersectoral Global Action Plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders (IGAP) published in all six UN languages

      August 3, 2023

      News in general

      WHO recognises the public health need for effective and affordable treatments for multiple sclerosis

      August 3, 2023

      News in general

      Brain Innovation Days: Discover the early programme and register today!

      July 21, 2023

      News in general

      Join the community’s calls for a European Brain Research and Innovation Plan

      July 21, 2023

      Surveys

      Neurorehabilitation Across Europe after Ischemic and Traumatic Brain Injuries: a survey to increase knowledge on brain-injury-specific neurorehabilitation

      July 14, 2023

      Surveys

      ILAE survey on genetic testing in the epilepsies

      July 14, 2023

      Surveys

      COVID-19 and neurology: a survey of previous and continued restrictions on clinical practice, professional education and neuroeconomics

      March 3, 2023

      Surveys

      Help EAN contribute towards the development of a European Pain Research strategy

      December 5, 2022

Paper of the MonthEAN NewsFeatured Slider

Paper of the month: Is watching TV a cause of dementia in adults?

May 1, 2019

 

 

By Elena Moro

 

 

 

For May 2019, we have selected: Fancourt D & Steptoe A. Television viewing and cognitive decline in older age: findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Scientific Reports 2019;9:2851.

The association between watching TV and development of dementia has been investigated in adults but results remain inconclusive. Some cross-sectional studies have associated TV viewing with worse cognition and increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Longitudinal studies, however, have shown more mixed results with some reporting no association while others reporting an association with poorer short-term memory and cognitive impairment.

This study’s main object was to evaluate the impact of watching TV on cognition six years later in adults ≥50 years old. Confounding factors such as sedentary behaviors, vascular risk factors, education and many others were considered. Moreover, the study aimed at identifying how many hours of TV viewing could be related to cognitive impairment in the long-term.

The authors analyzed data coming from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), a longitudinal study of adults ≥50. Around 3,590 non-demented subjects at baseline were included (at Wave 4, 2008-2009) and followed up to six years (to Wave 7, 2014-2015). At baseline, the average age was 67.1 years (SD, 7.7; range, 52-90+), 56.3% were females, 72.3% were married or cohabiting, 98.5% were white, 14.8% working full time, 15.4% working part time, and the remaining no longer working. Of the total population, 19.6% were watching TV <2.5 hours per day, 19.1% 2.5-3 hours per day, 18.4% 3.5-4.5 hours per day, 23.4% 4.5-7 hours per day, and 19.6% >7 hours per day. Cognition was assessed using frequently used tests for immediate and delayed verbal memory and semantic fluency at baseline and follow-up.

Regression analysis using three statistical models was used to assess the association between watching TV and cognition, adjusting for baseline cognition, several demographic covariates (age, education, sex, ethnicity, employment status, social support), health-related covariates (depression, self-reported physical health, smoking, alcohol consumption and both long-standing and new chronic conditions including cardiovascular conditions) and sedentary behavior.
The authors found that watching TV for >3.5 hours per day was independently associated with worse verbal memory at six years compared to baseline. This association was also dose-dependent, i.e. longer TV watching was related to more affected memory. Worsening of semantic fluency at six years was also found to be related to TV watching for >3.5 hours per day but did not remain significant when adjusting for some of the demographic factors.

“This is an intriguing study”, says Prof. Antonio Daniele, Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy. “Watching TV for more than 3.5 hours per day seems to have detrimental effects on cognitive processes involved in episodic verbal long-term memory, which is frequently affected in neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. Such effects were independent of demographic variables, health-related factors, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors different from TV watching. These detrimental effects of watching TV for more than 3.5 hours on episodic verbal memory might be explained by various mechanisms, namely the passive modality of processing visual and auditory information during TV viewing and, indirectly, by the reduction of time available for activities with beneficial effects on cognition (playing board games, reading, cultural activities). On the contrary, other more active screen-based activities (such as using internet and videogaming) may show beneficial effects on cognition. Moreover, it can be hypothesized that frequent TV viewing of stressful scenes (depicting violent or dramatic situations) might induced chronic stress, which may result over time in hippocampal atrophy and episodic memory impairment. Moreover, cognitive stress related to alert-passive interaction while watching TV, mostly related to violence, suspense or the specific representation of some graphic scenes, can have an indirect impact on cognition.”

“It is important to note that these findings support what has been known for a long time, that cognitive reserve, which seems to be protective to the brain comes from active learning. Watching TV is too passive to be considered learning.”, says Prof. Carmela Tartaglia, Division of Neurology, TWH, University of Toronto, Canada. “Spending time learning something new is time better spent than watching TV. The authors did not find that watching less than 3.5 hours of TV was associated with future risk of cognitive impairment, but it may still not be beneficial as it remains largely a passive activity. The study did not compare the effects of watching 3 hours of TV versus active learning. It remains to be seen whether TV viewing that consists of active learning is also associated with delayed cognitive impairment or if TV viewing in a more active manner i.e. in a group setting with active discussion can substitute for a learning activity. This study highlights that people need to be engaged and use their brains actively to ward off neurodegeneration.”

The other nominees for the May 2019 Paper of the month are:

  • Zuluaga MI, Otero-Romero S, Rovira A, et al. Menarche, pregnancies, and breastfeeding do not modify long-term prognosis in multiple sclerosis. Neurology 2019;92:e1507-e1516. The authors assessed the relationship of age at menarche, the effects of pregnancy and breastfeeding with the risk of clinically defined MS and the Expanded Disability Status Scale. The analysis of data coming from a prospective cohort of 501 women with clinically isolated syndrome did not support any relationship of the variables with modifying the risk of clinically defined MS or disability.
  • Onderwater GLJ, van Oosterhout WPJ, Schoonman GG, Ferrari MD, Terwindt GM. Alcoholic beverages as trigger factor and the effect of alcohol consumption behavior in patients with migraine. Eur J Neurol 2019;26:588-595. Data from a questionnaire administered to 2,197 patients with migraine in the Netherlands (LUMINA) found that alcohol could trigger migraine in around 35.6% of participants. In 77.8% of those subjects, red wine was the most common trigger with a rapid onset (<3 h) of migraine in 1/3 of patients. About 25% of patient with migraine had stopped consuming alcohol because of presumed trigger effect.
  • Brott TG, Calvet D, Howard G, et al, on behalf of the Carotid Stenosis Trialists Collaboration. Long-term outcomes of stenting and endarterectomy for symptomatic carotid stenosis: a preplanned pooled analysis of individual patient data. Lancet Neurol 2019;18:348-356. Data from the four largest available randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of carotid artery stenting (CAS) and carotid endoarterectomy (CEA) in a total of 4,775 patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis were analyzed to assess differences in the long-term outcome. No significant differences were found between the two procedures concerning the annual rates of ipsilateral stroke per person-year (median follow-up: 2-6.9 years)
  • Alexandrov AV, Kohrman M, Soinne L, et al., for the CLOTBUST-ER Trial Investigators. Safety and efficacy of sonothrombolysis for acute ischaemic stroke: a multicenter, double-blind, phase 3, randomized controlled trial. Lancet Neurol 2019;18:338-347. The efficacy of a novel operator-independent transcranial ultrasound device delivering low-power high-frequency ultrasound in improving functional outcome was tested in patients with alteplase after acute ischemic stroke. Results coming from 355 patients who were randomized to have or not the ultrasound treatment did not show any impact on functional outcome at 3-month follow-up.

Prof. Elena Moro is Editor in Chief of EAN Pages and treasurer of EAN as well as Director of the Movement Disorders Center at the Centre Hospital Universitaire (CHU) of Grenoble, France and the Associate Director of the CHU Department of Psychiatry, Neurology and Rehabilitation.

 

Paper of the month: Is watching TV a cause of dementia in adults? was last modified: April 30th, 2019 by Michael
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