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PubMed2026

Effectiveness of Caregiver-Mediated Spoken Language Interventions for Children Under Five at Risk of Developmental Language Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Caregiver-mediated interventions are commonly used by Speech and Language Therapists to support early language development. Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is associated with reduced quality of life throughout the lifespan. Understanding factors that predict intervention success is essential for developing appropriate, cost-effective therapy provision for the approximately 12% of preschool children who present with early markers for Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effectiveness of caregiver-mediated spoken language interventions for under-fives at risk of DLD, and factors influencing intervention effectiveness. METHODS: A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted. Five electronic databases were searched to identify experimental studies comparing caregiver-mediated spoken language interventions to control conditions in under-fives presenting with risk factors for DLD. Risk factors included prematurity, socioeconomic factors, caregiver language development concerns, and formal or informal language screening or assessment scores. Twenty-six experimental studies with 1407 child participants were included in qualitative synthesis. Meta-analysis was performed on nine Randomised Controlled Trials involving 947 children. RESULTS: Effectiveness was examined for outcomes including child language gains, child wellbeing, inclusion and attainment. Meta-analysis indicated a significant effect of caregiver-mediated spoken language interventions on language outcomes compared to treatment-as-usual, non-language intervention or waitlist control conditions. Non-language outcomes were evaluated via qualitative synthesis. Interventions significantly improved language development trajectories for under-fives presenting with risk factors or early markers for DLD. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: This review contributes to the growing evidence base demonstrating that caregiver-mediated interventions can positively impact language development and wellbeing outcomes for children under five at risk of DLD. These findings support the implementation of caregiver-mediated environmental language interventions in clinical practice to maximise accessibility and cost-effectiveness while delivering optimal outcomes for vulnerable populations. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject Previous research on caregiver-mediated spoken language interventions has highlighted gaps in the evidence regarding the impact of risk factors, demographic characteristics, dosage and intervention components on child language outcomes. Developmental Language Disorder has relatively high population prevalence, estimated at 7%. Prevalence is associated with risk factors including low household socioeconomic status (SES), prematurity and late language emergence. In contrast to its prevalence, there is low public and professional awareness of DLD and a low diagnostic rate. Therefore, a strengthened evidence base and additional insights into the factors affecting success of family-based interventions is important in order to increase the effectiveness of service provision and care planning for this underserved population. Timely and effective intervention with young children presenting with early markers for DLD has the potential to offer lifelong improvement to their wellbeing, inclusion and attainment outcomes. Recent systematic reviews of the effectiveness of caregiver-mediated language interventions had differences in population age range and diagnostic inclusion criteria. What this paper adds to existing knowledge Our review examines the effectiveness of caregiver-mediated early spoken language interventions on child language, attainment and wellbeing, and on caregiver self-efficacy and adherence to language support strategies. Our population was children under five presenting with risk factors for Developmental Language Disorder, in the absence of other neurodevelopmental or genetic conditions such as intellectual disability or autism. This review adds depth and detail to the evidence base supporting the effectiveness of caregiver-mediated spoken language interventions in improving outcomes for this population of young children, and factors that influence their success. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The high prevalence of Developmental Language Disorder, estimated at around 7% of the population, and the strong association with risk factors including low SES, prematurity and late language emergence, coupled with the low awareness of DLD and low diagnostic rate, mean that a strengthened evidence base and additional insights into the factors affecting success of family-based interventions can increase the effectiveness of service provision and care planning for this population. Timely and effective intervention in this group of young children has the potential to improve wellbeing and attainment outcomes across the lifespan. This review contributes to our understanding of how to implement cost-effective, socially valid and maximally engaging partnership working with families of young children at risk for DLD.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Novel Proactive Speech-Language Intervention Is More Effective Than Usual Care: Randomized Controlled Trial of Babble Boot Camp for Infants With Classic Galactosemia.

PURPOSE: Speech and language disorders cannot be diagnosed and treated until children are approximately 2-4 years old. To investigate whether these disorders can be prevented, we developed and trialed Babble Boot Camp (BBC), the first proactive sustained intervention starting with precursor skills including cooing and babbling. METHOD: Participants were two randomly assigned groups of 22 infants with classic galactosemia, a metabolic disease with known risks for severe speech and language disorders. One group started BBC at under 6 months of age, and the other started at 15 months of age, both completing BBC at 24 months of age. Coached by a speech-language pathologist in weekly telehealth sessions, caregivers implemented BBC activities and routines daily at home. A typical control group and a group of children with classic galactosemia who received usual care participated as well. All children completed standardized assessments of speech and language at postintervention. RESULTS: Assessment scores showed that BBC was more effective than usual care for both intervention groups. Greatest benefits were seen in the group that started at or before 6 months of age, with a proportion of clinically concerning scores equal to that in the typically developing peers. No effects of sex, genotype, or milk consumption were evident in the outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Findings motivate a paradigm shift from deficit-based to proactive approaches for infants with classic galactosemia. BBC is extensible to many other disorders, with trials currently underway for infants with Down syndrome and infants born preterm.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Characterizing Caregiver-Child Interactions Through a Transactional Lens: A Baseline Analysis of a Caregiver-Implemented Intervention.

PURPOSE: This study was motivated by the transactional model of development and examined the reciprocal influences that children and caregivers have on caregiver-child interactions (CCXs) prior to a caregiver-implemented intervention. We tested whether child communication characteristics were associated with caregiver strategy use and whether these strategies, in turn, influenced children's communication to understand how caregivers and children mutually shaped the language learning environment. METHOD: Caregiver-child dyads (N = 105) were participants in a randomized controlled trial. CCXs were collected when children were approximately 30 months of age, transcribed, and coded for four caregiver language facilitation strategies and child communication variables. RESULTS: Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator regression and postselection inference indicated that child communication characteristics in CCXs were associated with both the frequency and type of strategies caregivers used. Children's overall communication acts were significantly associated with caregiver use of vocabulary strategies, whereas children's vocabulary diversity was significantly associated with caregiver use of sentence strategies. Mixed-effects logistic regression demonstrated that all four caregiver strategies significantly increased the likelihood of spontaneous lexical overlap in subsequent child turns. CONCLUSIONS: Prior to the intervention, caregivers and children reciprocally shaped the language environment. This supports a transactional perspective and warrants further consideration of reciprocal influences when assessing the impact of caregiver-implemented interventions. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.32995796.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Modulating sentence comprehension in people with aphasia through anodal tDCS: A double-blind randomized cross-over study.

This double-blind randomized cross-over study investigated the effects of perilesional anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (AtDCS) combined with speech-language therapy on sentence comprehension in eight individuals with chronic nonfluent agrammatic aphasia. The behavioral therapy consisted of an intensive comprehension treatment including drilling in sentence-to-picture matching and Mapping Therapy. Each participant underwent both the anodal tDCS and sham stimulation conditions (five received sham first followed by real stimulation, and the remaining three the reverse sequence), with each condition paired with the same behavioral treatment and separated by a four-month washout period. Stimulation was applied over the perilesional area (left BA6) for 20 min during daily 40-min therapy sessions over four consecutive weeks. Sentence comprehension was assessed with the RiComprendo battery and functional communication with the Communicative Effectiveness Index (CETI). Data were analyzed using paired t-tests, Bayesian analyses, and linear mixed-effects models to control for baseline performance and individual variability. Both stimulation conditions produced significant pre-to-post improvements in sentence comprehension, particularly for syntactically complex structures such as passives and center-embedded object relatives. However, gains were overall greater following AtDCS, as reflected in larger effect sizes, stronger Bayes factors, and a significant treatment effect in the mixed-effects models. Only the AtDCS condition yielded significant improvements in self-perceived comprehension abilities on the CETI. These findings suggest that AtDCS over perilesional cortical areas may boost the effects of traditional language therapy on sentence comprehension, supporting its feasibility and potential as an adjuvant intervention in post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Functional Reading Activities to Motivate and Empower: Maintenance of Reading Outcomes for Young Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Following a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: This study examined whether the effects of Functional Reading Activities to Motivate and Empower (FRAME), a functional, strategy-based reading comprehension intervention for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), were maintained 6 months following the completion of the intervention and explored participants' perceptions of the intervention's feasibility, relevance, and perceived impact. METHOD: Participants were 44 young adults with IDDs (ages 18-26 years) who participated in a previously reported randomized controlled trial (FRAME participants: n = 23; controls: n = 21). Trial outcomes were assessed via telepractice at pretest, posttest, and 6-month follow-up. Six-month maintenance analyses focused on outcomes that demonstrated significant posttest group differences: use of (a) reading comprehension strategies (proximal) and (b) reading comprehension questions (distal). Participant perceptions (social validity) were collected post-intervention from FRAME participants using a structured interview protocol with closed- and open-ended items. RESULTS: At the 6-month follow-up, FRAME participants demonstrated sustained but reduced improvements in strategy use relative to controls (p = .040). Between-groups differences were not maintained for reading comprehension questions (p = .091). Participants reported high acceptability and perceived relevance of FRAME, with qualitative themes reflecting perceived improvements in comprehension, self-improvement, and increased independence. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that FRAME supports sustainable gains in reading comprehension strategy use and is perceived as meaningful and feasible for young adults with IDDs, although additional supports may be needed to promote sustained improvements in distal comprehension outcomes. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.33307218.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

The Role of Artificial Intelligence for Intimate Partner Violence Prevention: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Intimate partner violence (IPV), encompassing physical, sexual, emotional and economic abuse, remains a pervasive global health concern. Traditional prevention efforts face obstacles such as underreporting, delayed detection and limited personalised support. Emerging artificial intelligence (AI) approaches offer new opportunities to enhance IPV prevention. AIM: This systematic review maps and synthesises evidence on AI-driven tools in IPV prevention based on studies published between 2004 and 2024. METHODS: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines and PROSPERO registration, we searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, IEEE Xplore and Web of Science. Eligible studies explicitly evaluated AI technologies targeting IPV prediction, screening, intervention or support delivery. Study quality was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). RESULTS: Of 1304 records initially identified, 41 studies met eligibility criteria. AI applications ranged from machine learning (ML) for risk prediction and natural language processing (NLP) for IPV detection in clinical and social media data, to image analysis for forensic evaluation and chatbot-based support. Predictive modelling demonstrated strong discriminative performance, while NLP-based screening detected IPV with notable sensitivity. Chatbots showed feasibility and user acceptability, but evidence of their direct impact on reducing IPV incidence was limited, with one randomised controlled trial showing a modest reduction. Key challenges identified included algorithmic bias, data privacy risks and barriers to integration across health and social care systems. DISCUSSION: AI-informed interventions show promise for improving IPV detection, risk assessment, and scalable support, but questions remain about long-term effectiveness, ethical fairness, transparency and equitable implementation. Future interdisciplinary research should address these concerns to responsibly deploy AI in IPV prevention. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The findings highlight the importance of trauma-informed, culturally responsive care and provider training in AI applications. Nurse-led innovation and policy advocacy will be crucial for safe, equitable integration of AI in IPV prevention.

Artificial Intelligence↗
PubMed2026

Awake Craniotomy for Eloquent Region Glioblastoma Classified by Tumor Location-A Retrospective and Prospective Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: The efficacy of awake craniotomy (AC) with intraoperative mapping for glioblastoma (GBM) in eloquent regions remains debated. This study aims to evaluate functional and survival outcomes of GBM patients undergoing AC stratified by tumor locations. METHODS: A combined retrospective (2015-2023, n = 114: 43 AC vs. 71 standard craniotomy) and prospective cohort (2023-2025, n = 28: 13 AC vs. 15 standard craniotomy) of GBM patients with motor/language-eloquent tumors was analyzed. Tumors were classified into motor subtypes (I: precentral gyrus; II: premotor/supplementary motor; III: internal capsule posterior limb; IV: other) and language subtypes (I: Broca's/precentral; II: postcentral/supramarginal gyrus; III: Wernicke's; IV: insular; V: other). Outcomes included extent of resection (EOR), postoperative motor/language recovery, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: The retrospective cohort demonstrated that AC has advantages in functional preservation across various motor/language subtypes. However, AC was associated with significantly deteriorated survival outcomes specifically in precentral gyrus GBMs. A prospective cohort study, enrolling only precentral gyrus GBMs for validation, yielded results consistent with the retrospective findings: worsened OS and PFS (OS: HR = 3.223, p = 0.0450; PFS: HR = 2.374, p = 0.0476); reduced EOR (AC: 74.3% ± 5.3%; standard craniotomy: 86.9% ± 12.3%, p = 0.0470); and better motor recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Functional preservation and survival outcomes of AC in GBM exhibited subtype-specific correlations with tumor locations. AC with intraoperative mapping effectively preserves neurological function in GBM patients. However, for tumors involving the precentral gyrus, the AC approach carries greater risks than benefits and should be considered with caution. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Strategic Intervention on Preserving Motor Function During Awake Craniotomy: NCT05143788. Strategic Intervention on Preserving Language Function During Awake Craniotomy: NCT05143775.

Adult↗
PubMed2026

The landscape of pruning for large language models: A systematic review and unified taxonomy.

Confronting the inherent tension between the exceptional capabilities and the immense computational costs of Large Language Models (LLMs), pruning has become a crucial technique for achieving efficient deployment. However, a systematic analytical framework dedicated specifically to LLM pruning remains absent. In this paper, we aim to bridge this gap. We first elucidate the theoretical foundations that underpin the effectiveness of pruning, namely overparameterization and redundancy, and then propose a multidimensional taxonomy that organizes existing approaches along the axes of granularity, timing, and criteria. Building upon this unified perspective, we further analyze performance recovery mechanisms and the broader evaluation ecosystem, while also exploring forward-looking challenges such as interpretability, automation, and hardware-algorithm co-design. Through this comprehensive synthesis, we seek to provide an integrated and coherent analytical lens for advancing both research and practice in LLM pruning.

Large Language Models↗
PubMed2026

Evaluation of a cornea-specialized large language model for diagnostic and management accuracy in complex corneal cases.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether a cornea-specialized large language model (LLM) enhanced with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) improves clinicians' diagnostic and management accuracy in complex corneal cases compared to a general-purpose GPT-4o model and unaided clinician performance. METHODS: This prospective, randomized, masked evaluation study involved three cornea trainees who each independently reviewed 39 real-world corneal cases under three experimental conditions: unaided, GPT-4o-assisted, and assisted by a cornea-specialized GPT-4o model. The cornea-specialized model was constructed by embedding over 200 publicly available Wikipedia articles into GPT-4o's RAG framework. Participants provided open-ended diagnoses and selected the next-step management options (multiple choice). They were allowed up to three GPT-4o queries per case, and the AI-assisted arms were randomized to minimize bias. Accuracy for both tasks was compared against expert reference standards using McNemar's test. RESULTS: Diagnostic accuracy was 48.7%, 20.5%, and 38.5% unaided, improving to 69.2%, 46.2%, and 59.0% with general GPT-4o (p<0.04). The cornea-specialized GPT-4o further improved accuracy to 71.8%, 48.7%, and 74.4%, with improvements over unaided performance for all clinicians (p<0.01). For next-step decisions, unaided accuracy was 76.9%, 87.2%, and 59.0%. With the specialized model, Ophthalmologist 3 improved to 71.8% (p<0.05), Ophthalmologist 1 remained high at 82.1%, and Ophthalmologist 2 declined to 64.1% (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A cornea-specialized LLM enhanced with RAG improved diagnostic accuracy in complex corneal cases, particularly among clinicians with lower baseline performance. Effects on management accuracy were inconsistent. Future studies should explore the use of open-ended management tasks and examine whether smaller, curated retrieval corpora yield better model performance.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

A bimodal large language model reduces misalignment in patient education: A double-blinded randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Effective patient education requires accurate communication aligned with patients' emotional and semantical needs. Text-based large language models (LLMs) lack access to non-verbal cues, which may contribute to misaligned responses. METHODS: We evaluated emotional and semantic misalignment in a text-based LLM using 64,200 utterances from 16,583 patient education cases across six departments and three centers. Dolphin was developed integrating text and audio cues and evaluated through emotion recognition, semantic consistency assessment, branch-level ablations, and a double-blinded randomized trial against a matched text-based LLM comparator (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: (ChiCTR2500095933). FINDINGS: The text-based LLM showed emotional misalignment in 36.7% of responses and semantic misalignment in 28.3% of cases, with higher misalignment under greater burden. Dolphin outperformed the text-based LLM in emotion recognition accuracy (0.886 vs. 0.713) and semantic consistency (84.9% vs. 82.1%; both adjusted p < 0.001). Ablations supported contribution of audio branches. Dolphin received higher expert ratings than the text-based LLM and human educators (all p < 0.001). In 555 patients, Dolphin was associated with greater patient satisfaction (98.6% vs. 93.8%), suggestion acceptance (76.1% vs. 58.9%; p < 0.001), proactive disclosure (44.6% vs. 26.5%; p < 0.001), and fewer 7-day unplanned recontact (12.9% vs. 22.9%; p = 0.002). No unsafe recommendations or safety events were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with text-based LLM, Dolphin improved emotional-semantic alignment and patient-education outcomes, supporting bimodal alignment as a strategy for reducing misalignment-driven communication failures. FUNDING: National Natural Science Foundation of China, State Key Laboratory Special Fund, and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Robotic assistance in total hip arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis of leg length, cup orientation, and early outcomes.

This review examined whether robotic assistance alters postoperative leg-length discrepancy (LLD), acetabular cup orientation, or early hip-specific outcomes relative to conventional total hip arthroplasty (THA). We searched PubMed and Web of Science through May 2026 for comparative English-language reports. Study eligibility, data extraction, and methodological appraisal were undertaken independently by two reviewers. Mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated in Review Manager 5.4. Model selection was based on the target estimand and anticipated clinical and methodological diversity; leave-one-out and alternative-model sensitivity analyses were undertaken for heterogeneous outcomes. The protocol is registered with PROSPERO (CRD420261454043). The review included seven studies and 968 participants. Compared with conventional THA, robot-assisted THA yielded a smaller postoperative LLD (MD = -2.02, 95% CI -3.46 to -0.58; P = 0.006) and a higher Harris Hip Score (MD = 2.96, 95% CI 1.12 to 4.80; P = 0.002). Mean cup anteversion was lower in the robotic group (MD = -1.52, 95% CI -2.29 to -0.76; P < 0.0001), whereas cup inclination did not differ (MD = -0.71, 95% CI -3.26 to 1.83; P = 0.58). The robotic group also had higher Forgotten Joint Score (MD = 14.68, 95% CI 5.02 to 24.33; P = 0.003) and Oxford Hip Score values (MD = 2.61, 95% CI 0.71 to 4.51; P = 0.007). Robotic assistance was linked to a modest improvement in leg-length restoration and to higher scores on several early functional measures. The limited number of studies, predominance of nonrandomized designs, and marked heterogeneity in some analyses temper the certainty of these findings.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Anti-inflammatory agents after hip and shoulder arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative inflammation after arthroplasty contributes to pain, delayed mobilization and prolonged hospitalization. Recent randomized trials have evaluated pharmacological anti-inflammatory strategies within contemporary enhanced recovery pathways, but evidence after hip and shoulder arthroplasty remains scattered across different drug classes and perioperative regimens. OBJECTIVES: To synthesize recent randomized controlled trial (RCT) evidence on perioperative anti-inflammatory agents after hip and shoulder arthroplasty. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched for English-language RCTs published from January 2020 to March 2026. The 2020-2026 window was selected to update evidence generated under modern arthroplasty, anesthesia, multimodal analgesia and enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathways. Eligible trials included adults undergoing hip or shoulder arthroplasty and compared corticosteroids, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-based/local anti-inflammatory regimens, or related anti-inflammatory interventions with placebo, saline, no treatment, or the same regimen without the target component. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) were pooled using random-effects models. RESULTS: Nine RCTs involving 800 patients were included. Anti-inflammatory interventions significantly reduced postoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) [WMD=-32.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) (-41.16, -23.21), P<0.001], interleukin-6 (IL-6) [WMD=-31.25, 95% CI (-41.79, -20.77), P<0.001], rest pain [WMD=-0.41, 95% CI (-0.58, -0.23), P<0.001], activity pain [WMD=-0.56, 95% CI (-0.83, -0.29), P<0.001] and hospital stay [WMD=-0.54, 95% CI (-0.92, -0.15), P=0.006]. CONCLUSION: Recent RCT evidence suggests that perioperative anti-inflammatory interventions can attenuate early inflammatory responses and improve short-term pain and recovery after hip and shoulder arthroplasty. Because data were limited and clinically heterogeneous, the findings should not be interpreted as evidence favoring a specific drug class, dose, route, or timing.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Neighborhood Deprivation and Screening Mammography Utilization: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Access to screening mammography reduces breast cancer mortality disparities. The Area Deprivation Index (ADI) is a validated measure of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage linked to adverse health outcomes. There is limited data evaluating mammography utilization among patients residing in areas of higher deprivation. This study evaluated the association between ADI and screening mammography utilization within an accountable care organization (ACO) affiliated with a multicenter academic medical center in the Upper Midwest. METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study included women aged 40-85 years attributed to the ACO in 2022, based on Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality criteria. The primary outcome was receipt of screening mammography within two years. The primary exposure was ADI, analyzed by decile (ordinal) and as low (deciles 1-5) versus high (deciles 6-10) deprivation. The logistic regression models evaluated associations between ADI and screening, unadjusted and adjusted for age, race, ethnicity, and preferred language. RESULTS: Among 7463 participants with geographic data, 74.4% completed screening. Screening rates were 75.7% in low-deprivation areas versus 66.2% in high-deprivation areas. Increasing ADI decile was associated with reduced screening in unadjusted (OR 0.891, 95% CI 0.87-0.91, p<0.001) and adjusted analyses (OR 0.897, 95% CI 0.88-0.92, p<0.001). Black participants (OR 0.444, p<0.001) and individuals preferring non-English languages (OR 0.333, p<0.001) had lower screening odds after adjustment. CONCLUSION: Higher neighborhood deprivation is independently associated with lower screening mammography utilization. Targeted, equity-focused interventions addressing neighborhood, racial, and language-related barriers are needed to reduce screening disparities.

Area deprivation Index↗
PubMed2026

Association between pulse pressure and markers of cognitive function: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Our aim was to systematically review and meta-analyse evidence on the association between pulse pressure (PP) and cognitive function using PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase and Scopus (inception-July 2025) publication databases. Studies were included if they reported an association between PP and cognitive function and summarized narratively and by performing fixed-effects meta-analysis. The search identified 4171 publications with 43 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Domains assessed included global cognition, memory, language, attention, executive function, processing speed and visuospatial ability. Meta-analysis suggests a positive association between PP and global cognition, and a negative association with memory in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies with inconsistent findings from narratively summarized studies. Processing speed, executive function and language negatively associated with PP in cross-sectional studies with limited evidence provided by longitudinal studies or narratively summarized studies. There was limited evidence of an association with attention and visuospatial ability.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Using the OPTIMAL Theory to Optimize Aerodynamics in Respiratory Training for Healthy Adults and Individuals With Parkinson's Disease.

BACKGROUND: The OPTIMAL (Optimizing Performance Through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning) theory is a motor learning framework proposing that optimizing intrinsic motivation enhances motor performance and learning. The theory identifies three key components-Enhanced Expectancies (EE), Autonomy Support (AS) and External Focus of Attention (EF)-which facilitate more efficient, goal-directed movement. These components have been shown to improve motor outcomes in limb-based tasks; however, their application to respiratory training, particularly in clinical contexts such as voice and swallowing therapy in patients with Parkinson's disease (pwPD), has not yet been systematically explored. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate whether implementing OPTIMAL theory strategies during a respiratory muscle strength training (RMST) task improves immediate respiratory motor performance in healthy adults and pwPD. Additionally, we aimed to examine the effects of these strategies on motivation and cognitive engagement. METHODS: This quasi-randomized, single-session trial included 47 participants: Healthy CONTROL (n = 17), Healthy OPTIMAL (n = 16) and PD OPTIMAL (n = 14). Healthy participants were quasi-randomly assigned to either intervention or control conditions, whereas pwPD completed the intervention only. All participants completed a single respiratory session that included baseline, practice and retention phases. Outcome measures included peak expiratory flow, cough peak expiratory flow, cognitive engagement (EEG-based Cognitive Engagement Index) and self-administered motivation questionnaire. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Exhalation force improved from baseline to retention in the Healthy OPTIMAL group (baseline: M = 296 L/min; retention: M = 338 L/min; p < 0.001) and the PD OPTIMAL group (baseline: M = 315 L/min; retention: M = 370 L/min; p < 0.0001), but not in the Healthy CONTROL group (p > 0.05). No significant changes in cough strength were observed in any group. No correlations were found between cognitive engagement and exhalation force or motivation scores. However, motivation increased more in the Healthy OPTIMAL group (Questionnaire 1: M = 57.2; Questionnaire 2: M = 60.7) and the PD OPTIMAL group (Questionnaire 1: M = 60.1; Questionnaire 2: M = 62.8) than in the Healthy CONTROL group (Questionnaire 1: M = 61.1; Questionnaire 2: M = 62.5). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Implementing the OPTIMAL theory enhances immediate respiratory motor performance in both healthy participants and pwPD. OPTIMAL theory has clinical value in voice and swallowing therapy, although further research is needed to establish long-term efficacy and clinical impact. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject Motivation is a critical factor in rehabilitation. The OPTIMAL theory has been shown to improve both motivation and motor performance in limb-based tasks. Its impact on respiratory training, however, has not been previously examined. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge This study shows that applying OPTIMAL strategies during a respiratory muscle strength training task significantly improved peak expiratory flow in both healthy adults and people with Parkinson's disease. What are the potential or clinical implications of this work? Integrating the OPTIMAL theory principles into respiratory therapy may enhance motor outcomes, supporting voice, swallowing and cough rehabilitation.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Genomic history of the Caucasus: A systematic review and meta-analysis of ancient DNA studies.

The Caucasus region represents a unique natural laboratory for paleogenetic research due to its complex topography, long-standing role as a migratory corridor and glacial refugium, and exceptional preservation conditions for ancient DNA. This review synthesizes recent genome-wide studies to reconstruct the demographic history shaping the distinctive genetic landscape of modern Caucasus populations. The analysis reveals a deep pattern of continuity, isolation, and periodic admixture. Early genetic differentiation emerged in the Neolithic and Chalcolithic, forming distinct steppe and mountain population clusters. The Bronze Age was a pivotal period marked by large-scale gene flow from the Eurasian Steppe, particularly linked to the Yamnaya expansion, and interactions with Iranian and Anatolian-related groups. Despite these influences, many populations demonstrate remarkable genetic continuity from the Bronze Age to the present day. Significant knowledge gaps persist, particularly for the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic of the North Caucasus, as well as for the Late Medieval and Early Modern periods across the entire region. Addressing these gaps through targeted archaeogenomic studies is crucial for understanding the fine-scale processes that formed the hierarchical structure and high linguistic diversity of Caucasus populations, offering a powerful model for studying human adaptation, interaction, and language-genetics dynamics in a mountainous environment.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Automated CEAP Classification of Venous Duplex Reports Using Multimodal Artificial Intelligence.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and internally validate a prototype multimodal artificial intelligence system for automated CEAP (Clinical, Etiological, Anatomical and Pathophysiological) classification of venous duplex ultrasound (VDUS) reports, integrating natural language processing of free-text components with computer vision analysis of hand-drawn anatomical diagrams. METHODS: Single centre retrospective observational study using routinely collected clinical data. One thousand consecutive venous duplex ultrasound reports from Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK (July 2024 - May 2025) were labelled according to the CEAP classification, excluding the Etiological component, which could not be reliably determined from duplex reports alone. Transfer learning was applied using ClinicalBERT for text and MobileNetV3 for diagrammatic data. Clinical classes were predicted from request line text. Text- and image-based pathophysiological models were developed for four anatomical territories (Great Saphenous Vein, Small Saphenous Vein, Deep system, Perforators), combined using late fusion with probability averaging. RESULTS: The clinical CEAP model achieved accuracy of 0.91, macro-F1 of 0.82, and macro-AUC of 0.98. Pathophysiological prediction varied, with text models broadly outperforming image models. Fusion yielded heterogeneous benefits, improving SSV performance but reducing Deep system accuracy. The performance of the final pathophysiological CEAP fusion models varied across anatomical territories: accuracy ranged from 0.70-0.92 and macro-AUC from 0.80-0.92. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the feasibility of automated CEAP classification from VDUS reports. Despite class imbalance affecting minority class predictions, the strong discriminatory performance validates this multimodal ML model for extracting clinically meaningful information from real-world data. This approach offers potential, pending external validation, to streamline vascular services through automated triage and guideline-compliant decision making.

Artificial intelligence↗
PubMed2025

Examining Behavioral Interventions for Infancy and Early Toddlerhood: A Systematic Review of Intervention Effects, Parameters, and Participants.

Rapid advancement is paving the way to identify children who would likely benefit from early intervention during the first years of life, prior to the onset of significant delays in development. With the widely acknowledged benefits of early intervention, key questions arise: Does behavioral intervention targeted to infancy and early toddlerhood improve developmental outcomes? What procedures might be used, and under what circumstances? Who do these interventions work for? The current review comprehensively examined the literature on behavioral interventions based in operant learning, focused on key developmental areas with children in the first two years of life. We located and synthesized 69 studies with unique participant cohorts that included 1735 children. The search revealed many studies focused on the first year of life, of which a large proportion investigated approaches to increase communication. We provide implications, limitations, and future directions on how behavioral interventions for infants and young toddlers can inform current practice and future intervention research this population.

Humans↗