Executive function benefits of Tai Chi training explain improvements in fluid intelligence: Cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence

The development of verbal fluency is associated with the maturation of executive function skills, such as the ability to inhibit irrelevant information, shift between tasks and hold information in working memory. Some evidence suggests that multilinguistic upbringing may underpin disadvantages in verbal fluency and lexical retrieval, but can also afford executive function advantages beyond the language system including possible beneficial effects in older age. This study examined the relationship between verbal fluency and executive function in 324 individuals across the lifespan by assessing the developmental trajectories of English monolingual and multilingual children aged 7 to 15 years (N=154) and adults from 18 to 80 years old (N=170). The childhood data indicated patterns of improvement in verbal fluency and executive function skills as a function of age. Multilingual and monolingual children had comparable developmental trajectories in all linguistic and non-linguistic measures used in the study with the exception of planning, for which monolingual children showed a steeper improvement over the studied age range relative to multilingual children. For adults, monolinguals and multilingual participants had comparable performance on all measures with the exception of non-verbal inhibitory control and response times on the Tower of London task: monolinguals showed a steeper decline associated with age. Exploratory factor analysis indicated that verbal fluency was associated with working memory and fluid intelligence in monolingual participants but not in multilinguals. These findings raise the possibility that early acquisition of an additional language may impact on the development of the functional architecture serving high-level human cognition.

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Tai Chi and meditation-plus-exercise benefit neural substrates of executive function: a cross-sectional, controlled study

Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine ◽

10.1515/jcim-2013-0031 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Teresa D. Hawkes ◽

Wayne Manselle ◽

Marjorie H. Woollacott

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Aerobic Exercise ◽

Tai Chi ◽

Neural Substrates ◽

Event Related Potential ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Neural Function ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

P300 Event Related Potential

Abstract: We report the first controlled study of Tai Chi effects on the P300 event-related potential, a neuroelectric index of human executive function. Tai Chi is a form of exercise and moving meditation. Exercise and meditation have been associated with enhanced executive function. This cross-sectional, controlled study utilized the P300 event-related potential (ERP) to compare executive network neural function between self-selected long-term Tai Chi, meditation, aerobic fitness, and sedentary groups. We hypothesized that because Tai Chi requires moderate aerobic and mental exertion, this group would show similar or better executive neural function compared to meditation and aerobic exercise groups. We predicted all health training groups would outperform sedentary controls.: Fifty-four volunteers (Tai Chi, n=10; meditation, n=16; aerobic exercise, n=16; sedentary, n=12) were tested with the Rockport 1-mile walk (estimated VO: Only Tai Chi and meditation plus exercise groups demonstrated larger P3b ERP switch trial amplitudes compared to sedentary controls.: Our results suggest long-term Tai Chi practice, and meditation plus exercise may benefit the neural substrates of executive function.

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Serum sodium in relation to various domains of cognitive function in the elderly US population

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-021-02260-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sohyae Lee ◽

Jin-young Min ◽

Beom Kim ◽

Sang-Won Ha ◽

Jeohng Ho Han ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Serum Sodium ◽

Verbal Memory ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cognitive Change ◽

Cognitive Test ◽

P Value ◽

Digit Symbol Substitution Test ◽

Cross Sectional

Abstract Background Recent evidence suggests that sodium imbalances may be associated with cognitive impairment; however, the association between specific domains of cognition remains unclear. This study examines the association between serum sodium levels and immediate and delayed verbal memory as measured by the CERAD Word Learning Test (CERAD WLT), executive function as measured by the Animal Fluency test (AFT), and sustained attention, working memory, and processing speed as measured by the Digit Symbol Substitution test (DSST) in the elderly population of the US aged 60 and older who participated in the 2011–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (n = 2,541). Methods Cognitive function tests were performed by trained interviewers and sodium levels were measured using indirect ion selective electrode methodology. Results After adjusting for all covariates, quintiles of CERAD WLT scores showed significant positive associations with log-transformed sodium levels (Immediate recall (IR) β = 4.25 (SE = 1.83, p-value 0.027); Delayed recall (DR) β = 6.54 (SE = 1.82, p-value 0.001)). Compared to normal sodium levels, hyponatremia was significantly associated with lower CERAD WLT-IR (β = -0.34, SE = 0.15, p-value 0.035) and CERAD WLT-DR scores (β -0.48, SE = 0.10, p-value < 0.001) and showed borderline significance with AFT scores (β = = -0.38, SE = 0.19, p-value 0.052). Hypernatremia did not show any significant relationships with cognitive test scores, compared to normal sodium levels. Conclusions Our cross-sectional study showed that lower sodium levels were associated with cognitive change, especially regarding memory and executive function.

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Early intervention and the growth of children's fluid intelligence: A cognitive developmental perspective

Behavioral and Brain Sciences ◽

10.1017/s0140525x06299035 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 133-134 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ruth M. Ford

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Individual Differences ◽

Early Intervention ◽

Fluid Intelligence ◽

Developmental Perspective ◽

Effective Intervention ◽

General Development ◽

Developmental Theories ◽

The Mind

From the stance of cognitive developmental theories, claims that general g is an entity of the mind are compatible with notions about domain-general development and age-invariant individual differences. Whether executive function is equated with general g or fluid g, research into the mechanisms by which development occurs is essential to elucidate the kinds of environmental inputs that engender effective intervention.

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Wisdom and fluid intelligence are dissociable in healthy older adults

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610221000521 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Cutter A. Lindbergh ◽

Heather Romero-Kornblum ◽

Sophia Weiner-Light ◽

J. Clayton Young ◽

Corrina Fonseca ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Episodic Memory ◽

San Francisco ◽

Fluid Intelligence ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Positive Association ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Self Report ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Healthy Older Adults

ABSTRACT Objectives: The relationship between wisdom and fluid intelligence (Gf) is poorly understood, particularly in older adults. We empirically tested the magnitude of the correlation between wisdom and Gf to help determine the extent of overlap between these two constructs. Design: Cross-sectional study with preregistered hypotheses and well-powered analytic plan (https://osf.io/h3pjx). Setting: Memory and Aging Center at the University of California San Francisco, located in the USA. Participants: 141 healthy older adults (mean age = 76 years; 56% female). Measurements: Wisdom was quantified using a well-validated self-report-based scale (San Diego Wisdom Scale or SD-WISE). Gf was assessed via composite measures of processing speed (Gf-PS) and executive functioning (Gf-EF). The relationships of SD-WISE scores to Gf-PS and Gf-EF were tested in bivariate correlational analyses and multiple regression models adjusted for demographics (age, sex, and education). Exploratory analyses evaluated the relationships between SD-WISE and age, episodic memory performance, and dorsolateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortical volumes on magnetic resonance imaging. Results: Wisdom showed a small, positive association with Gf-EF (r = 0.181 [95% CI 0.016, 0.336], p = .031), which was reduced to nonsignificance upon controlling for demographics, and no association with Gf-PS (r = 0.019 [95% CI −0.179, 0.216], p = .854). Wisdom demonstrated a small, negative correlation with age (r = −0.197 [95% CI −0.351, −0.033], p = .019), but was not significantly related to episodic memory or prefrontal volumes. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that most of the variance in wisdom (>95%) is unaccounted for by Gf. The independence of wisdom from cognitive functions that reliably show age-associated declines suggests that it may hold unique potential to bolster decision-making, interpersonal functioning, and other everyday activities in older adults.

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Abstract P340: Prevalence of Cognitive Dysfunction Among Older Adults With Diabetes

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.131.suppl_1.p340 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 131 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Andreea Rawlings ◽

A. Richey Sharrett ◽

David Knopman ◽

Christina Parrinello ◽

Priya Palta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Executive Function ◽

Cognitive Dysfunction ◽

Management Practices ◽

Self Management ◽

Healthy Population ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Adjusted Scores ◽

Multiple Domains ◽

Sectional Analysis

Introduction: Among older adults with diabetes, cognitive dysfunction is of particular concern as it has implications for treatment adherence and diabetes self-management. The prevalence of cognitive dysfunction has not been well characterized in this population. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 5509 participants (1815 with diabetes) from visit 5 (2011-2013) of the ARIC Study. Diabetes was defined based on self-reported physician diagnosis, diabetes medication use, or HbA1c ≥ 6.5%. Cognitive function was measured using 8 neuropsychological tests, which were grouped into three cognitive domains representing memory, executive function, and language. Participants were categorized as having cognitive dysfunction if test scores were more than 1.5 standard deviations below age-, race-, and education-adjusted scores derived from a cognitively healthy population. We calculated crude prevalence estimates and used Poisson regression to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs), comparing cognitive dysfunction in persons with and without diabetes. We adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics. Results: The mean age of participants was 75 years, 59% were female, 79% were white, and 33% had diabetes. In each domain, the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction among persons with diabetes ranged from 14% to 27%. Persons with diabetes were more likely than persons without diabetes to have dysfunction in multiple domains (PR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.49). Prevalence of cognitive dysfunction was significantly higher in persons with versus without diabetes for memory (PR=1.13, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.25), language (PR=1.24, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.45), and executive function (PR=1.10, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.22)(Figure). PRs were similar in crude models. Conclusions: The prevalence of cognitive dysfunction among older adults with diabetes is high. These results have implications for how physicians educate patients in appropriate self-management practices and for the prevention of diabetes-related complications.

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Robot-based assessment of HIV-related motor and cognitive impairment for neurorehabilitation

10.1101/2020.10.30.20223172 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kevin D. Bui ◽

Carol A. Wamsley ◽

Frances S. Shofer ◽

Dennis L. Kolson ◽

Michelle J. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Functional Decline ◽

Motor Impairment ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Rehabilitation Robotics ◽

Sequence Length ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Spatial Span ◽

Living With Hiv

AbstractThere is a pressing need for strategies to slow or treat the progression of functional decline in people living with HIV. This paper explores a novel rehabilitation robotics approach to measuring cognitive and motor impairment in adults living with HIV, including a subset with stroke. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 21 subjects exhibiting varying levels of cognitive and motor impairment. We developed three robot-based tasks trajectory tracking, N-back, and spatial span – to assess if metrics derived from these tasks were sensitive to differences in subjects with varying levels of executive function and upper limb motor impairments. We also examined if these metrics could estimate clinical cognitive and motor scores. The results showed that the average sequence length on the robot-based spatial span task was the most sensitive to differences between subjects’ cognitive and motor impairment levels. We observed strong correlations between robot-based measures and clinical cognitive and motor assessments relevant to the HIV population, such as the Color Trails 1 (rho = 0.83), Color Trails 2 (rho = 0.71), Digit Symbol – Coding (rho = 0.81), Montreal Cognitive Assessment – Executive Function subscore (rho = 0.70), and Box and Block Test (rho = 0.74). Importantly, our results highlight that gross motor impairment may be overlooked in the assessment of HIV-related disability. This study shows that rehabilitation robotics can be expanded to new populations beyond stroke, namely to people living with HIV and those with cognitive impairments.

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Tai Chi training’s effect on lower extremity muscle co-contraction during single- and dual-task gait: Cross-sectional and randomized trial studies

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0242963 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. e0242963

Author(s):

Peter M. Wayne ◽

Brian J. Gow ◽

Fengzhen Hou ◽

Yan Ma ◽

Jeffrey M. Hausdorff ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lower Extremity ◽

Postural Control ◽

Usual Care ◽

Randomized Trial ◽

Dual Task ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Tai Chi ◽

Mean Difference ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Lower Extremity Muscle

Background Tai Chi (TC) mind-body exercise has been shown to reduce falls and improve balance and gait, however, few studies have evaluated the role of lower extremity muscle activation patterns in the observed benefits of TC on mobility. Purpose To perform an exploratory analysis of the association between TC training and levels of lower extremity muscle co-contraction in healthy adults during walking under single-task (ST) and cognitive dual-task (DT) conditions. Methods Surface electromyography of the anterior tibialis and lateral gastrocnemius muscles was recorded during 90 sec trials of overground ST (walking normally) and DT (walking with verbalized serial subtractions) walking. A mean co-contraction index (CCI), across all strides, was calculated based on the percentage of total muscle activity when antagonist muscles were simultaneously activated. A hybrid study design investigated long-term effects of TC via a cross-sectional comparison of 27 TC experts and 60 age-matched TC-naïve older adults. A longitudinal comparison assessed the shorter-term effects of TC; TC-naïve participants were randomly allocated to either 6 months of TC training or to usual care. Results Across all participants at baseline, greater CCI was correlated with slower gait speed under DT (β(95% CI) = -26.1(-48.6, -3.7)) but not ST (β(95% CI) = -15.4(-38.2, 7.4)) walking. Linear models adjusting for age, gender, BMI and other factors that differed at baseline indicated that TC experts exhibited lower CCI compared to TC naives under DT, but not ST conditions (ST: mean difference (95% CI) = -7.1(-15.2, 0.97); DT: mean difference (95% CI) = -10.1(-18.1, -2.4)). No differences were observed in CCI for TC-naive adults randomly assigned to 6 months of TC vs. usual care. Conclusion Lower extremity muscle co-contraction may play a role in the observed benefit of longer-term TC training on gait and postural control. Longer-duration and adequately powered randomized trials are needed to evaluate the effect of TC on neuromuscular coordination and its impact on postural control. Trial registration The randomized trial component of this study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01340365).

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Elevated Anxiety Relates to Future Executive Dysfunction: A Cross-Lagged Panel Network Analysis of Psychopathology and Cognitive Functioning Components

10.31234/osf.io/hrfqa ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nur Hani Zainal ◽

Michelle G. Newman

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Network Analysis ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Language Processing ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Executive Dysfunction ◽

Causal Inferences ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Motor Behaviors ◽

Global Cognition

Background: Vulnerability models posit that reduced cognitive functioning abilities (e.g., verbal fluency, working memory (WM)) precede and relate to future heightened psychopathology. Conversely, scar theory postulates that elevated psychopathology coincides with subsequent reduced cognitive functioning. However, most studies so far have been cross-sectional and tested global cognitive functioning-psychopathology relations. Objective: Thus, we used cross-lagged panel network analysis (CLPN) to facilitate causal inferences and differentiation of components on this topic. Method: Community adults (n = 856) participated in this eight-year study across four waves of assessment, each spaced about two years apart. Nine psychopathology components (aberrant motor behaviors (AMB), agitation, apathy, anxiety, delusions, depression, disinhibition, hallucinations, irritability) and seven cognitive functioning (attention, episodic memory, global cognition, language, processing speed, verbal fluency, WM) multi-item nodes were assessed with various performance-based cognitive functioning tests and the caregiver-rated Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Results: Contemporaneous networks consistently showed negative associations among global cognition/verbal fluency and agitation, AMB, or hallucinations, during all waves of assessment. Nodes that were most influential across communities in contemporaneous networks were delusions, depression, WM, and verbal fluency. For temporal networks, heightened anxiety (versus other neuropsychiatric nodes), had the largest negative relations with future decreased executive and related cognitive functioning nodes. Further, executive function nodes (e.g., verbal fluency) tended to be impacted by, rather than influential on, other nodes, across all time-points. Discussion: Findings supported scar (vs. vulnerability) model. The efficacy of evidence-based cognitive-behavioral and related psychopharmacological treatments may be enhanced by adding executive function training. Other theoretical and clinical implications were discussed.

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Examining core self-management skills among adolescents with celiac disease

Journal of Health Psychology ◽

10.1177/1359105320922304 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 135910532092230

Author(s):

Sonya Meyer ◽

Sara Rosenblum

Keyword(s):

Celiac Disease ◽

Executive Function ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Chronic Health Condition ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Health Condition ◽

Management Skills ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Daily Food ◽

Core Self

A strict gluten-free diet is the only treatment for celiac disease, and it is especially challenging among adolescents. Participation in food-related activities and self-managing the chronic health condition involve use of cognitive skills. This cross-sectional study examined how executive functions might be associated with participation in food-related activities. Adolescents aged 12–18 years ( N = 65; Mage = 14.67) with celiac were interviewed about participation, and their parents completed an executive function questionnaire. Poorer participation significantly correlated with poorer executive abilities. Identifying executive function profiles may contribute to understanding and advancing resourceful daily functioning and participation in daily food-related activities.

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