Adolescent Heavy Episodic Drinking: Neurocognitive Functioning during Early Abstinence

AbstractThe present study investigated the rate and pattern of neuropsychological recovery in heavy episodic drinking teens during the initial days to weeks of abstinence from alcohol. Adolescents (ages, 16–18 years) with histories of heavy episodic drinking (HED; N = 39) and socio-demographically similar control teens (CON; N = 26) were recruited from San Diego area schools. HED and CON were comparable on 5th grade standardized math and language arts test performance to ensure similar functioning before onset of substance use. Participants were administered three neuropsychological test batteries with 2-week intervals during a 4-week monitored abstinence period. HED teens performed worse overall than CON on tests of prospective memory (p = .005), cognitive switching (p = .039), inhibition task accuracy (p = .001), verbal memory (p's < .045), visuospatial construction (p's < .043), and language and achievement (p's < .008). The statistically significant group × time interaction for block design demonstrated normalization within the 4 weeks of abstinence for the HED (p = .009). This study identified cognitive performance deficits associated with heavy episodic drinking in adolescence during early abstinence and with sustained 4-week abstention. These findings suggest alcohol-related influences on several underlying brain systems that may predate the onset of alcohol abuse or dependence or take longer than 4 weeks to recover. (JINS, 2014, 20, 218–229)

Download Full-text

The Relation between Inflammation and Neuropsychological Test Performance

International Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.1155/2012/703871 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Valerie H. Balldin ◽

James R. Hall ◽

Robert C. Barber ◽

Linda Hynan ◽

Ramon Diaz-Arrastia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Verbal Memory ◽

Test Performance ◽

Inflammatory Markers ◽

Visual Memory ◽

Longitudinal Research ◽

Neuropsychological Functioning ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Differential Relation ◽

Markers Of Inflammation ◽

Anti Inflammatory

Background. Considerable research documents an association between pro- and anti-inflammatory markers and Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet the differential relation between these markers and neuropsychological functioning in AD and nondemented controls has received less attention. The current study sought to evaluate the relationship between peripheral markers of inflammation (both pro- and anti-inflammatory) and neuropsychological functioning through the Texas Alzheimer's Research and Care Consortium (TARCC) cohort.Methods. There were 320 participants (Probable ADn=124, Controlsn=196) in the TARCC Longitudinal Research Cohort available for analysis. Regression analyses were utilized to examine the relation between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers and neuropsychological functioning. Follow-up analyses were conducted separately by case versus control status.Results. Proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers were found to be associated with neuropsychological testing. Third tertile proinflammatory markers were negatively associated with measures of attention and language, and anti-inflammatory markers were positively associated with measures of immediate verbal memory and delayed verbal and visual memory.Conclusions. These findings support the link between peripheral inflammatory markers and neuropsychological functioning and suggest the utility of examining profiles of inflammatory markers in the future.

Download Full-text

Effects of Illiteracy on the European Cross-Cultural Neuropsychological Test Battery (CNTB)

Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology ◽

10.1093/arclin/acy076 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 34 (5) ◽

pp. 713-720 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

T Rune Nielsen

Keyword(s):

Test Performance ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Cross Cultural ◽

Test Battery ◽

Group Differences ◽

Significant Group ◽

Neuropsychological Test Battery ◽

Turkish Immigrants ◽

Participant Characteristics ◽

And Gender

Abstract Objectives Test performances of illiterate and literate immigrants were compared to investigate the effects of illiteracy on the European Cross-cultural Neuropsychological Test Battery (CNTB), and associations between test performance and participant characteristics were examined. Method Participants were 20 illiterate and 21 literate middle-aged and older Turkish immigrants (50–85 years) matched by age and gender that completed the CNTB as well as a number of demographic and medical questionnaires. Results No significant group differences or correlations between education, acculturation or health characteristics and test performances were found on 10 of 16 measures. Illiteracy status and participant characteristics affected measures of mental processing speed, executive function, and visuoconstruction. Conclusions The preliminary findings suggest that several of the measures in the CNTB may be valid for assessment of cognitive functioning in people who are illiterate when applied using available normative data. However, these findings need to be replicated in larger samples.

Download Full-text

The effect of African-American acculturation on neuropsychological test performance in normal and HIV-positive individuals

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617798002914 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 291-302 ◽

Cited By ~ 111

Author(s):

JENNIFER J. MANLY ◽

S. WALDEN MILLER ◽

ROBERT K. HEATON ◽

DESIREE BYRD ◽

JUDY REILLY ◽

...

Keyword(s):

African Americans ◽

Test Performance ◽

Block Design ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Poor Performance ◽

Black English ◽

Self Report ◽

Disease Stage ◽

Hiv Positive ◽

Linguistic Behavior

Two studies were conducted to examine the relationship of acculturation to neuropsychological test performance among (1) medically healthy, neurologically normal African Americans (N = 170); and (2) HIV positive (HIV+) subgroups of African Americans and Whites (Ns = 20) matched on age, education, sex, and HIV disease stage. Acculturation was measured through self report for all participants, and linguistic behavior (Black English use) was assessed in a subset of medically healthy individuals (N = 25). After controlling for the effects of age, education, and sex, medically healthy African Americans who reported less acculturation obtained lower scores on the WAIS–R Information subtest and the Boston Naming Test than did more acculturated individuals. Black English use was associated with poor performance on Trails B and the WAIS–R Information subtest. HIV+ African Americans scored significantly lower than their HIV+ White counterparts on the Category Test, Trails B, WAIS–R Block Design and Vocabulary subtests, and the learning components of the Story and Figure Memory Tests. However, after accounting for acculturation, ethnic group differences on all measures but Story Learning became nonsignificant. These results suggest that there are cultural differences within ethnic groups that relate to neuropsychological test performance, and that accounting for acculturation may improve the diagnostic accuracy of certain neuropsychological tests. (JINS, 1998, 4, 291–302.)

Download Full-text

Cognitive functioning and predictors thereof in patients with 1–10 brain metastases selected for stereotactic radiosurgery

Journal of Neuro-Oncology ◽

10.1007/s11060-019-03292-y ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 145 (2) ◽

pp. 265-276 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Wietske C. M. Schimmel ◽

Karin Gehring ◽

Patrick E. J. Hanssens ◽

Margriet M. Sitskoorn

Keyword(s):

Information Processing ◽

Brain Metastases ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Cognitive Flexibility ◽

Verbal Memory ◽

Test Performance ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Cognitive Outcome ◽

Individual Level

Abstract Purpose Information on predictive factors of cognitive functioning in patients with (multiple) brain metastases (BM) selected for radiosurgery may allow for more individual care and may play a role in predicting cognitive outcome after radiosurgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate cognitive performance, and predictors thereof, in patients with 1–10 BM before radiosurgery. Methods Cognition was measured before radiosurgery using a standardized neuropsychological test battery in patients with 1–10 BM (expected survival > 3 months; KPS ≥ 70; no prior BM treatment). Regression formulae were constructed to calculate sociodemographically corrected z scores. Group and individual cognitive functioning was analyzed. Multivariable regression was used to explore potential predictors. Results Patients (N = 92) performed significantly worse than controls (N = 104) on all 11 test variables (medium-large effect sizes for 8 variables). Percentages of impairment were highest for information processing (55.3%), dexterity (43.2%) and cognitive flexibility (28.7%). 62% and 46% of patients had impairments in at least two, or three test variables, respectively. Models including combinations of clinical and psychological variables were predictive of verbal memory, psychomotor speed, information processing and dexterity. Neither number nor volume of metastases predicted patients’ test performance. Conclusions Already before radiosurgery, almost half of the patients suffered from severe cognitive deficits in at least three test variables. At group and individual level, information processing, cognitive flexibility, and dexterity were most affected. These cognitive impairments may impair daily functioning and patients’ ability to make (shared) treatment decisions. Both clinical (symptomatic BM; timing of BM diagnosis) and psychological (mental fatigue) characteristics influenced cognitive performance. Clinical trial information Cognition and Radiation Study A (CAR-Study A; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02953756; Medical Ethics Committee file number: NL53472.028.15/P1515).

Download Full-text

Neuropsychological test performance in Aruaco Indians: An exploratory study

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617701004076 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 510-515 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

ALFREDO ARDILA ◽

SONIA MORENO

Keyword(s):

Sierra Nevada ◽

Test Performance ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Neuropsychological Tests ◽

Concept Formation ◽

Block Design ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Ability Test ◽

Female Age ◽

Cultural Assessment

A sample of 20 right-handed Aruaco Indians (12 male, 8 female; age 8–30 years) from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Colombia) participated in this study. A brief neuropsychological test battery (visuoconstructive and visuoperceptual abilities, memory, ideomotor praxis, verbal fluency, spatial abilities, concept formation) was individually administered. In addition, a handedness questionnaire was included. In some neuropsychological tests performance was virtually perfect (Recognition of Overlapped Figures and Ideomotor Praxis Ability test), whereas performance in other tests was impossible (e.g., Block Design using a time limit). It was proposed that two types of variables were significantly affecting performance: (1) educational level; and (2) cultural relevance. Some tests appeared significant and meaningful whereas others were meaningless and even impossible to understand. The appropriateness of current neuropsychological instruments for cross-cultural assessment is discussed. (JINS, 2001, 7, 510–515.)

Download Full-text

Everyday memory: Self-perception and structural brain correlates in a healthy elderly population

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617710001025 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 16 (6) ◽

pp. 1115-1126 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

ASTRID BJØRNEBEKK ◽

LARS T. WESTLYE ◽

KRISTINE B. WALHOVD ◽

ANDERS M. FJELL

Keyword(s):

Verbal Memory ◽

Test Performance ◽

Medial Temporal Lobe ◽

Standardized Test ◽

Daily Life ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Brain Morphology ◽

Everyday Memory ◽

Healthy Elderly ◽

Age Related

AbstractMapping the cerebral structural correlates of age-related cognitive decline is a growing area of research. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between healthy elderly’s perceived memory functioning in daily life, neuropsychological test performance on a standardized test on verbal memory, and cortical thickness and subcortical volumes in brain regions implicated in memory networks, including the medial temporal lobe (MTL). Eighty-three healthy and cognitively well-functioning volunteers aged 60–85 years underwent MRI scans, Everyday Memory Questionnaire (EMQ), and neuropsychological assessment. Both self-perceived memory in daily life related to attention and executive functions and an objective measure of verbal recall (CVLT) were, independently, associated with thickness of the left MTL. The two cognitive variables were uncorrelated, and including both measures in the model nearly doubled the amount of explained variance on MTL thickness. This suggests that measures of perceived everyday memory might substantially inform and supplement studies investigating the relationships between neuropsychological test performance and brain morphology. The results are consistent with a bigger-is-better relationship in the MTL and suggest that EMQ and neuropsychological test performance have detectable and comparable structural correlates in a region critically involved in memory functions in the well-functioning elderly. (JINS, 2010, 16, 1115–1126.)

Download Full-text

Association Between Leptin, Cognition, and Structural Brain Measures Among “Early” Middle-Aged Adults: Results from the Framingham Heart Study Third Generation Cohort

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-191247 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 77 (3) ◽

pp. 1279-1289 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Victoria Sanborn ◽

Sarah R. Preis ◽

Alvin Ang ◽

Sherral Devine ◽

Jesse Mez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Verbal Memory ◽

Test Performance ◽

Framingham Heart Study ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Third Generation ◽

Effect Modifier ◽

Heart Study ◽

Middle Aged Adults ◽

Plasma Leptin

Background: There is growing interest in the pathophysiological processes of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD), including the potential role of leptin. Human studies have shown that both low and high levels of leptin can be associated with worse neurocognitive outcomes, suggesting this relationship may be moderated by another risk factor. Objective: We examined the association between plasma leptin levels and both neuropsychological test performance and structural neuroimaging and assessed whether body mass index (BMI) is an effect modifier of these associations. Methods: Our study sample consisted of 2,223 adults from the Framingham Heart Study Third Generation Cohort (average age = 40 years, 53% women). Results: Among the entire sample, there was no association between leptin and any of the neuropsychological domain measures or any of the MRI brain volume measures, after adjustment for BMI, APOE4, and other clinical factors. However, we did observe that BMI category was an effect modifier for the association between leptin and verbal memory (p for interaction = 0.03), where higher levels of leptin were associated with better performance among normal weight participants (BMI 18.5–24.9) kg/m2 (beta = 0.12, p = 0.02). No association was observed between leptin level and verbal memory test performance among participants who were overweight or obese. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the association between leptin and cognitive function is moderated by BMI category. Prospective examination of individuals transitioning from middle age to older adulthood will help to clarify the contribution of leptin to AD and other neurodegenerative conditions.

Download Full-text

African American acculturation and neuropsychological test performance following traumatic brain injury

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617704104128 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 566-577 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

STEPHAN KENNEPOHL ◽

DOUGLAS SHORE ◽

NINA NABORS ◽

ROBIN HANKS

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

African American ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Test Performance ◽

Neuropsychological Tests ◽

Block Design ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Verbal Learning ◽

Model Systems ◽

The Impact

The present study examined the influence of African American acculturation on the performance of neuropsychological tests following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Seventy one participants already enrolled in a larger-scale study assessing the impact of TBI (i.e., the South Eastern Michigan Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems project) completed a self-report measure of African American acculturation (African American Acculturation Scale–Short Form; Landrine & Klonoff, 1995) in addition to a standardized battery of neuropsychological tests. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship between level of acculturation and test performance after controlling for injury-related (initial Glasgow Coma Scale score, time since injury) and demographic variables (age, sex, years of education, and socioeconomic status). Lower levels of acculturation were associated with significantly poorer performances on the Galveston Orientation & Amnesia Test, MAE Tokens test, WAIS–R Block Design, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, and Symbol Digit Modalities Test. Decreased levels of acculturation were also significantly related to lower scores on a composite indicator of overall neuropsychological test performance. In addition, the examiner's ethnicity (Black or White) was related with scores on a few of the tests (i.e., Block Design, Trail Making Test), but was not significantly associated with the overall neuropsychological test performance. Overall, these findings suggest that differences in cultural experience may be an important factor in the neuropsychological assessment of African Americans following TBI, and provide additional support for the hypothesis that cultural factors may partially account for the differences among ethnic/cultural groups on neuropsychological tests. (JINS, 2004,10, 566–577.)

Download Full-text

Does Antiretroviral Therapy Improve HIV-Associated Cognitive Impairment? A Quantitative Review of the Literature

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617711000968 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 17 (6) ◽

pp. 956-969 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

Timour Al-Khindi ◽

Konstantine K. Zakzanis ◽

Wilfred G. van Gorp

Keyword(s):

Antiretroviral Therapy ◽

Verbal Memory ◽

Test Performance ◽

Visual Memory ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Cognitive Outcome ◽

Quantitative Review ◽

Cd4 Cell Count ◽

System Integrity ◽

Cd4 Cell

AbstractThe development of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has dramatically improved survival for those living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but whether ART improves cognitive functioning remains unclear. The aim of the present review was to examine systematically the extent to which ART improves cognition among individuals with HIV using meta-analytic methods. Twenty-three studies were included in the quantitative review. ART was associated with modest improvements in attention (mean d = .17; p < .001; 95% confidence interval [CI], .09/.25), executive function (mean d = .18; p < .001; 95% CI, .10/.26), and motor function (mean d = .24; p < .001; 95% CI, .16/.32). ART did not improve language, verbal memory, visual memory or visuospatial function. The extent to which cognition improved was correlated with the change in CD4 cell count following ART, suggesting a link between cognitive outcome and immune system integrity. Together, the present findings indicate that the neuropsychological test performance of most HIV patients taking ART is comparable to those not taking ART. Development of pharmaceutical treatments and rehabilitation strategies that target the cognitive effects of HIV infection is needed. (JINS, 2011, 17, 956–969)

Download Full-text

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Exacerbates Emotional Complaints but not Cognitive Impairments in Individuals Suffering from Postconcussional Disorder after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Zeitschrift für Neuropsychologie ◽

10.1024/1016-264x/a000132 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 35-50 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sara C. Schroeder ◽

Ronald M. Ruff ◽

Lutz Jäncke

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Test Performance ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Composite Scale

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on (a) neuropsychological test performance and (b) self-reported emotional complaints within individuals suffering from postconcussional disorder (PCD) after a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). A two-group comparative research design was employed. Two MTBI samples with and without PTSD were assessed with a neuropsychological test battery and the Ruff Neurobehavioral Inventory (RNBI). On the neurocognitive test performances no significant between group differences were found, but the MTBI group with PTSD endorsed a significantly greater number of emotional complaints, especially in the RNBI subscales of anxiety and depression. The patients with PTSD also endorsed a significantly greater number of premorbid sequelae in the RNBI emotional composite scale as well as the RNBI premorbid subscales of pain, anxiety and abuse. In sum, PTSD has a negative impact on emotional but not cognitive functioning within individuals suffering from PCD after a mild TBI.

Download Full-text