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Simple Summary: This study addresses the ongoing scientific debate regarding the existence, causes, characteristics and reversibility of cognitive sequelae associated with COVID-19 infection. The aim of the study is to describe the neuropsychological profile of individuals diagnosed with COVID-19, distinguishing between younger (<65 years) and older (≥65 years) adults and evaluating them at baseline and at 3 and 6 months after infection. Significant differences in cognitive performance between younger and older adults are observed, consistent with their different physiological conditions. However, distinct memory recall patterns not attributable to physiological differences are also observed. The results contribute to the understanding of COVID-19 cognitive sequelae, suggesting that cognitive deficits in COVID-19 survivors may primarily reflect difficulties in attention and concentration impacting retrieval processes, aligning with the concept of "brain fog" associated with post-COVID-19 syndrome. The literature on COVID-19 continues to increase daily. Cognitive sequelae associated with COVID-19 infection still draw the attention of the scientific community given the lack of consensus about their existence, etiology, characterization and reversibility. The aim of this study is to provide a neuropsychological identikit for younger (<65 years) and older (≥65 years) individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 infection, at baseline and after 3 and 6 months. In total, 226 individuals took part in a retrospective observational study and their cognitive performance was compared across groups (younger adults vs. older adults) and time (T0, T1, T2). The results highlighted differences between younger and older adults in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) global score, as expected in consideration of the different physiological conditions of the two populations. However, memory performance highlighted the two groups as characterized by a difference in patterns of recall that may move beyond a physiological explanation and provide information about COVID-19 cognitive sequelae. This study suggests that cognitive deficits observed in COVID-19 survivors may reflect a difficulty in attention and concentration that interferes mainly with retrieval processes. This result fits well with the concept of "brain fog" typical of post-COVID-19 syndrome and may also reflect the stress experienced while facing the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and persistence of laterality is a key feature of human motor behavior, with the asymmetry of hand use being the most prominent. The idea that asymmetrical functions of the hands reflect asymmetries in terms of structural and functional brain organization has been tested many times. However, despite advances in laterality research and increased understanding of this population-level bias, the neural basis of handedness remains elusive. Recent developments in diffusion magnetic resonance imaging enabled the exploration of lateralized motor behavior also in terms of white matter and connectional neuroanatomy. Despite incomplete and partly inconsistent evidence, structural connectivity of both intrahemispheric and interhemispheric white matter seems to differ between left and right-handers. Handedness was related to asymmetry of intrahemispheric pathways important for visuomotor and visuospatial processing (superior longitudinal fasciculus), but not to projection tracts supporting motor execution (corticospinal tract). Moreover, the interindividual variability of the main commissural pathway corpus callosum seems to be associated with handedness. The review highlights the importance of exploring new avenues for the study of handedness and presents the latest state of knowledge that can be used to guide future neuroscientific and genetic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Binge eating is characterized by episodes of uncontrolled eating, within discrete periods of time. Although it is usually described in obese individuals or as a symptom of Binge Eating Disorder (BED), this behavior can also occur in the normal‐weight (NW) population. An interesting premise suggests that impulsivity might contribute to the onset of binge eating and the progression toward weight gain. Drawing upon this evidence, here we explored impulsivity in NW individuals reporting binge‐eating episodes through a functional connectivity approach. We hypothesized that, even in the absence of an eating disorder, NW binge eaters would be characterized by connectivity pattern changes in corticostriatal regions implicated in impulsivity, similarly to the results described in BED individuals. Methods: A resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging study tested 39 NW men and women, with and without binge eating (binge eaters, BE and non‐BE). Brain functional connectivity was explored by means of graph theoretic centrality measures and traditional seed‐based analysis; trait impulsivity was assessed with self‐report questionnaires. Results: The BE group was characterized by a higher degree of trait impulsivity. Brain functional connectivity measures revealed lower degree centrality within the right middle frontal gyrus, left insula/putamen and left temporoparietal regions and a lower functional connectivity between the right middle frontal gyrus and right insula in the BE group. Discussion The results support previous evidence on BED of altered functional connectivity and higher impulsivity at the roots of overeating behavior, but further extend this concept excluding any potential confounding effect exerted by the weight status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]