Neural correlates of planning ability: Frontal lobe activation during the tower of London test

AbstractPrevious studies show that MS patients take longer than healthy controls to plan their solutions to Tower of London (TOL) problems but yield conflicting results regarding the quality of their solutions. The present study evaluated performance under untimed or timed conditions to assess the possibility that differences in planning ability only occur when restrictions in solution times are imposed. MS patients (n = 39) and healthy controls (n = 43) completed a computerized version of the TOL under one of two conditions. In the untimed condition, participants were allowed as much time as needed on each problem. In the timed condition, limits were imposed on solution times and time remaining was displayed with each problem. Patients exhibited longer planning times than controls, and the disparity between groups increased with problem difficulty. Planning performance depended upon condition. In the untimed condition, patients and controls performed equally well. When solution times were restricted, however, patients solved fewer problems than controls. MS patients’ planning ability is intact when permitted sufficient time to formulate the required plan. Deficiencies in planning are only evident when time is restricted, and, therefore, are more accurately considered a relative consequence of disease-related problems in information processing speed. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–8)

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Planning ability impairments in probable Alzheimer's disease patients: Evidence from the Tower of London test

Dementia & Neuropsychologia ◽

10.1590/1980-57642016dn11-020006 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 137-144 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Corina Satler ◽

Luiza Guimarães ◽

Carlos Tomaz

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Poor Performance ◽

Test Results ◽

Tower Of London ◽

Inappropriate Behaviors ◽

Inhibitory Deficits ◽

Planning Ability ◽

Wide Range

ABSTRACT Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with progressive impairment of higher-level cognitive abilities. Previous research suggests that early impairment of executive functions occurs during the course of the disease, but few studies have specifically investigated planning ability in an AD population. Objective: The purpose of the current study was to examine whether AD patients retain the ability to plan ahead, by analyzing specificities of their behavior in successfully achieving a pre-established goal. Methods: Twenty-one AD patients and thirty-three elderly controls underwent a problem-solving assessment using the Tower of London (TOL) test. Results: AD patients were less accurate and less efficient than controls. AD patients also committed more mistakes. This indicates a decline in working memory and inhibitory deficits, resulting in impulsive and inappropriate behaviors. Conclusion: These results are in agreement with previous studies, showing executive function problems in patients with AD. Specifically, this study demonstrates the presence of planning ability deficits in AD, considering both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The wide range of analysis presented in this study can aid clinicians in identifying the nature of the poor performance of AD patients during a planning task.

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The Effects of Adult Ageing and Culture on the Tower of London Task

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.631458 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Louise H. Phillips ◽

Louisa Lawrie ◽

Alexandre Schaefer ◽

Cher Yi Tan ◽

Min Hooi Yong

Keyword(s):

Cultural Differences ◽

Everyday Functioning ◽

Tower Of London ◽

Two Cultures ◽

Age Related ◽

Planning Ability ◽

Medium Education ◽

Education Levels ◽

The Two Cultures ◽

Potential Interactions

Planning ability is important in everyday functioning, and a key measure to assess the preparation and execution of plans is the Tower of London (ToL) task. Previous studies indicate that older adults are often less accurate than the young on the ToL and that there may be cultural differences in performance on the task. However, potential interactions between age and culture have not previously been explored. In the current study we examined the effects of age on ToL performance in an Asian culture (Malaysia) and a Western culture (British) (n = 191). We also explored whether working memory, age, education, and socioeconomic status explained variance in ToL performance across these two cultures. Results indicated that age effects on ToL performance were greater in the Malaysian sample. Subsequent moderated mediation analysis revealed differences between the two cultures (British vs Malaysians), in that the age-related variance in ToL accuracy was accounted for by WM capacity at low and medium education levels only in the Malaysian sample. Demographic variables could not explain additional variance in ToL speed or accuracy. These results may reflect cultural differences in the familiarity and cognitive load of carrying out complex planning tasks.

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Parkinson disease-related cortical and striatal cognitive patterns in dual time F-18 FP CIT: evidence for neural correlates between the caudate and the frontal lobe

The Quarterly Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging ◽

10.23736/s1824-4785.17.02976-4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 63 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hye J. Son ◽

Young J. Jeong ◽

Hyun J. Yoon ◽

Jae W. Kim ◽

Go-E Choi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson Disease ◽

Frontal Lobe ◽

Neural Correlates ◽

Cognitive Patterns

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Assessing planning ability with the Tower of London task: Psychometric properties of a structurally balanced problem set.

Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1037/a0025174 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 46-53 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Christoph P. Kaller ◽

Josef M. Unterrainer ◽

Christoph Stahl

Keyword(s):

Psychometric Properties ◽

Tower Of London ◽

Planning Ability

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Performance on the Tower of London test after severe head injury

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617700000667 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 1 (6) ◽

pp. 537-544 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Janet Cockburn

Keyword(s):

Head Injury ◽

Frontal Lobe ◽

Test Performance ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽

Large Individual ◽

Card Sorting ◽

Traumatic Head Injury ◽

Tower Of London ◽

Control Subjects

AbstractEfficient solution of the Tower of London (T of L) test (Shallice, 1982) has been hypothesized to depend on frontal lobe mediation. Performance on the test by 20 patients with severe, diffuse, traumatic head injury was compared with that of control subjects, matched on age and years of education, and, within the patient group, according to broad location of damage (frontal or nonfrontal). Scores were also compared with those obtained on two commonly used tests of frontal lobe function, Verbal Fluency, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting test (WCST). Results indicated that whereas the Verbal Fluency test and WCST discriminated well between patients and control subjects, the T of L test did not, nor did it discriminate well between patients with and without documented frontal lobe damage. However, there were large individual differences in planning and solution times across all subjects. Interpretation of results was complicated by interaction of other variables such as premorbid IQ and duration of posttraumatic amnesia. It is suggested that closer attention to the relation between planning and total times separately for correct and incorrect solutions might be informative. A need for systematic study of the relationship between test performance and everyday behavior is also identified. (JINS, 1995, 7, 537–544.)

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