While toxic heavy metals have been linked to sleep disorders, the role of less-studied metals remains unclear. We aimed to explore the associations of 8 urinary metals with trouble sleeping and to identify potential gender-specific patterns. This study included 10,012 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2018. Urinary concentrations of tungsten, arsenic, thallium, cesium, antimony, molybdenum, cobalt, and cadmium were measured. Trouble sleeping was self-reported. We employed weighted logistic regression, restricted cubic spline models, and weighted quantile sum regression to evaluate single and mixed-metal effects. Among participants, 50.2% were male and 25.3% reported trouble sleeping. Higher urinary tungsten levels were associated with increased likelihood of trouble sleeping in males (odds ratios: 1.28–1.30). Arsenic, thallium, and cesium showed inverse associations, with notable gender differences. Weighted quantile sum analysis supported the positive association of tungsten and the inverse associations of arsenic and cesium. No significant associations were found for antimony, molybdenum, cobalt, or cadmium. Urinary tungsten is cross-sectionally associated with trouble sleeping in males, while arsenic, thallium, and cesium show inverse associations, with gender-specific patterns. Further research using validated tools is warranted to validate these associations, elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms, and highlight the significance of assessing combined metal exposures in relation to sleep health.
Qiong Ma, Jian-Zheng Liu, Xiu-E Shi et al.· Medicine· 0 citations
Objective The neural mechanisms behind varying cognitive ability in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) remain unclear. This study compared cortical activation and brain connectivity across ASD subgroups stratified by Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ). Methods Sixty-four children with ASD were divided into two groups based on their FSIQ scores: Group 1 (n = 30, FSIQ ≥ 70) and Group 2 (n = 34, FSIQ < 70). Using a 19-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) system, we assessed cortical activation and functional connectivity in both groups during a Verbal Fluency Task (VFT) by monitoring changes in oxyhemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) concentration. Inter-group differences in brain activation and connectivity were compared, and correlations between cortical activation levels and clinical indices (FSIQ, verbal production) were examined. Results Compared to Group 2, Group 1 showed significantly stronger cortical activation in channels 1 and 2 [corresponding to the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG)] (U = 212.000, Z = −4.009, FDR-corrected p < 0.001; U = 160.000, Z = −4.709, FDR-corrected p < 0.001). Global functional connectivity was also greater in Group 1 (mean = 0.586, SD = 0.521) relative to Group 2 (mean = 0.413, SD = 0.521) (permutation statistic = 4.82, FDR-corrected p < 0.001). Moreover, Oxy-Hb changes in channels 1 (rs = 0.304, p < 0.05), 2 (rs = 0.405, p < 0.01), and 10 (rs = 0.253, p < 0.05) were positively correlated with FSIQ scores. Activation in channels 1 (rs = 0.529, p < 0.001), 2 (rs = 0.569, p < 0.001) and 10 (rs = 0.290, p < 0.05) were also significantly correlated with verbal production. Conclusion Our findings provide neurofunctional evidence for the association between cognitive resource capacity and verbal-executive processing in ASD. ASD children with lower FSIQ exhibited lower prefrontal activation and lower functional connectivity during the VFT, particularly within the IFG, frontopolar cortex (FPC), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). These results underscore the utility of fNIRS in delineating distinct neurocognitive profiles within ASD and highlight the IFG as a key region where neural activity correlates with both cognitive ability and language output, offering a potential target for mechanism-based intervention strategies.
Bin Yu, Xi-Ning He, Xiao-Hong Zhang et al.· Frontiers in Human Neuroscie...· 0 citations
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