scholarly journals An FMRI-Compatible Symbol Search Task

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spencer W. Liebel ◽  
Uraina S. Clark ◽  
Xiaomeng Xu ◽  
Hannah H. Riskin-Jones ◽  
Brittany E. Hawkshead ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Search Task ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Valid Measure ◽  
Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity

AbstractOur objective was to determine whether a Symbol Search paradigm developed for functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) is a reliable and valid measure of cognitive processing speed (CPS) in healthy older adults. As all older adults are expected to experience cognitive declines due to aging, and CPS is one of the domains most affected by age, establishing a reliable and valid measure of CPS that can be administered inside an MR scanner may prove invaluable in future clinical and research settings. We evaluated the reliability and construct validity of a newly developed FMRI Symbol Search task by comparing participants’ performance in and outside of the scanner and to the widely used and standardized Symbol Search subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). A brief battery of neuropsychological measures was also administered to assess the convergent and discriminant validity of the FMRI Symbol Search task. The FMRI Symbol Search task demonstrated high test–retest reliability when compared to performance on the same task administered out of the scanner (r=.791; p<.001). The criterion validity of the new task was supported, as it exhibited a strong positive correlation with the WAIS Symbol Search (r=.717; p<.001). Predicted convergent and discriminant validity patterns of the FMRI Symbol Search task were also observed. The FMRI Symbol Search task is a reliable and valid measure of CPS in healthy older adults and exhibits expected sensitivity to the effects of age on CPS performance. (JINS, 2015, 22, 1–8)

scholarly journals Age-Related Changes in Cognitive and Sensory Processing: Focus on Middle-Aged Adults

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larry E. Humes
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Cognitive Measures ◽  
Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Wechsler Adult Intelligence ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Purpose The purpose of this article was to examine the effects of age on (a) various psychophysical measures of threshold sensitivity and temporal processing in hearing, vision, and touch and (b) measures of cognitive processing as assessed by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Third Edition (Wechsler, 1997). Method Age group differences and correlations with age were examined, as were associations among age, sensory processing, and cognition. Results The group analyses showed significant differences on most sensory and cognitive measures such that middle-aged adults performed significantly worse than young adults and significantly better than older adults. Correlations of performance with age were also significant when analyses were restricted to just the young and middle-aged adults. Last, sensory processing, but not age, was significantly correlated with cognitive processing when analyses were restricted to just the young and middle-aged adults. Conclusion Middle-aged adults experienced declines in both sensory and cognitive processing. The declines in both the cognitive and sensory domains were such that, for most measures in each domain, the performance of middle-aged adults fell somewhere between that of young and older adults.

scholarly journals Factors Underlying Individual Differences in Speech-Recognition Threshold (SRT) in Noise Among Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larry E. Humes
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Detection Threshold ◽  
Recognition Threshold ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Wechsler Adult Intelligence

Many older adults have difficulty understanding speech in noisy backgrounds. In this study, we examined peripheral auditory, higher-level auditory, and cognitive factors that may contribute to such difficulties. A convenience sample of 137 volunteer older adults, 90 women, and 47 men, ranging in age from 47 to 94 years (M = 69.2 and SD = 10.1 years) completed a large battery of tests. Auditory tests included measures of pure-tone threshold, clinical and psychophysical, as well as two measures of gap-detection threshold and four measures of temporal-order identification. The latter included two monaural and two dichotic listening conditions. In addition, cognition was assessed using the complete Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-3rd Edition (WAIS-III). Two monaural measures of speech-recognition threshold (SRT) in noise, the QuickSIN, and the WIN, were obtained from each ear at relatively high presentation levels of 93 or 103 dB SPL to minimize audibility concerns. Group data, both aggregate and by age decade, were evaluated initially to allow comparison to data in the literature. Next, following the application of principal-components factor analysis for data reduction, individual differences in speech-recognition-in-noise performance were examined using multiple-linear-regression analyses. Excellent fits were obtained, accounting for 60–77% of the total variance, with most accounted for by the audibility of the speech and noise stimuli and the severity of hearing loss with the balance primarily associated with cognitive function.

scholarly journals COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN COUPLES AND COLLABORATIVE INVOLVEMENT IN TYPE 1 DIABETES MANAGEMENT

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S259-S259
Author(s):  
Cynthia Berg ◽  
Yana Suchy ◽  
Nancy Allen ◽  
Rob Kent de Grey ◽  
MaryJane Campbell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Type 1 Diabetes ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Diabetes Management ◽  
Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Medical Regimen ◽  
Wechsler Adult Intelligence ◽  
Lower Intelligence

Abstract Managing type 1 diabetes involves coordinating complex daily behaviors that benefit from higher cognitive function. One’s spouse’s cognitive function may also be beneficial as spouses may collaborate in daily adherence behaviors and may be especially beneficial for older adults who may be experiencing poorer cognitive function. We examined: 1) whether one’s own and one’s spouse’s cognitive function predicted lower (better) HbA1c, 2) whether collaborating with a more cognitively capable spouse was especially beneficial, and 3) whether the benefit of partners’ cognitive ability occurred through better adherence. 199 couples were recruited where one member was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for at least one year (52% females, average age 46.8 years, range 25.9-74.9, average duration of diabetes 27 years). Both patients and spouses completed the information subtest from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Addition as a measure of general intelligence. Patients rated the collaborative involvement of their spouse in their diabetes and their adherence to their medical regimen. Multiple regressions revealed that spouse’ higher intelligence uniquely and solely predicted better HbA1c over patient’s intelligence. Collaborating with a spouse of lower intelligence was associated with higher HbA1c for older adults; collaborating with a spouse of higher intelligence was associated with somewhat lower HbA1c. Mediational analyses indicated that spouse’s intelligence was associated with higher HbA1c through better adherence behaviors. The results suggest that individuals with type 1 diabetes who have a spouse of lower cognitive function may benefit from support from others in their network to manage their diabetes.

Neuropsychological Practice Effects in the Context of Cognitive Decline: Contributions from Learning and Task Novelty

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sommer R. Thorgusen ◽  
Yana Suchy ◽  
Gordon J. Chelune ◽  
Brian R. Baucom
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Practice Effects ◽  
Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Novelty Effect ◽  
Neuropsychological Measures ◽  
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Component Processes ◽  
Wechsler Adult Intelligence ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractAlthough cognitive decline is typically associated with decreasing practice effects (PEs) (presumably due to declining memory), some studies show increased PEs with declines in cognition. One explanation for these inconsistencies is that PEs reflect not only memory, but also rebounds from adapting to task novelty (i.e., novelty effect), leading to increased PEs. We examined a theoretical model of relationships among novelty effects, memory, cognitive decline, and within-session PEs. Sixty-six older adults ranging from normal to severely impaired completed measures of memory, novelty effects, and two trials each of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, 4thEdition Symbol Search and Coding. Interrelationships among variables were examined using regression analyses. PEs for Symbol Search and Coding (a) were related to different proposed PE components (i.e., memory and novelty effects), such that novelty effect predicted Symbol Search PE (R2=.239, p<.001) and memory predicted Coding PE (R2=.089, p=.015), and (b) showed different patterns across stages of cognitive decline, such that the greatest cognitive decline was associated with smallest Coding PE (R2=.125, p=.004), whereas intermediate cognitive decline was associated with the greatest Symbol Search PE (R2=.097, p=.040). The relationship between cognitive decline and PE for Symbol Search was partially mediated by novelty effect among older adults with abnormal cognitive decline (model R2=.286, p<.001). These findings (a) suggest that PE is not a unitary construct, (b) offer an explanation for contradictory findings in the literature, and (c) highlight the need for a better understanding of component processes of PE across different neuropsychological measures. (JINS, 2016, 22, 453–466)

scholarly journals Psychometric Properties of the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery in Healthy Older Adults: Reliability, Validity, and Agreement with Standard Neuropsychological Tests

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (08) ◽  
pp. 857-867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmi P. Scott ◽  
Anne Sorrell ◽  
Andreana Benitez
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Brain Mri ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

AbstractObjective:Few independent studies have examined the psychometric properties of the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) in older adults, despite growing interest in its use for clinical purposes. In this paper we report the test–retest reliability and construct validity of the NIHTB-CB, as well as its agreement or concordance with traditional neuropsychological tests of the same construct to determine whether tests could be used interchangeably.Methods:Sixty-one cognitively healthy adults ages 60–80 completed “gold standard” (GS) neuropsychological tests, NIHTB-CB, and brain MRI. Test–retest reliability, convergent/discriminant validity, and agreement statistics were calculated using Pearson’s correlations, concordance correlation coefficients (CCC), and root mean square deviations.Results:Test–retest reliability was acceptable (CCC = .73 Fluid; CCC = .85 Crystallized). The NIHTB-CB Fluid Composite correlated significantly with cerebral volumes (r’s = |.35−.41|), and both composites correlated highly with their respective GS composites (r’s = .58−.84), although this was more variable for individual tests. Absolute agreement was generally lower (CCC = .55 Fluid; CCC = .70 Crystallized) due to lower precision in fluid scores and systematic overestimation of crystallized composite scores on the NIHTB-CB.Conclusions:These results support the reliability and validity of the NIHTB-CB in healthy older adults and suggest that the fluid composite tests are at least as sensitive as standard neuropsychological tests to medial temporal atrophy and ventricular expansion. However, the NIHTB-CB may generate different estimates of performance and should not be treated as interchangeable with established neuropsychological tests.

Correspondence of Maximum and Typical Performance Measures of Cognitive Processing

Assessment ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 803-809
Author(s):  
Daniel B. Charek ◽  
Gregory J. Meyer ◽  
Joni L. Mihura ◽  
Emily T. O’Gorman
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Ego Depletion ◽  
Performance Tasks ◽  
Neuropsychological Measures ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity ◽  
Typical Performance ◽  
Methodological Considerations ◽  
Rorschach Variables ◽  
Cognitive Sophistication

We examined associations among cognitive processing measures that varied on a continuum from maximum to typical performance tasks in the context of an ego depletion study. Our intent was to replicate and extend the findings of Charek, Meyer, and Mihura, which showed that ego depletion had an expected effect on selected scores from the Rorschach inkblot task. We hypothesized that Rorschach variables indicative of cognitive sophistication would correlate with neuropsychological measures of cognitive ability and that Rorschach variables theoretically unassociated with cognitive processing would not correlate with those criterion measures. These hypotheses were supported, providing evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. We also hypothesized ego depletion effects on all measures; however, none were evident. Methodological considerations and implications of the findings are discussed.

Prorating IQ Scores for Older Adults: Validation of a Seven-Subtest WAIS-R with the Mayo Older Americans Normative Sample

Assessment ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 411-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Schretlen ◽  
Robert J. Ivnik
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Intelligence Scale ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Iq Scores ◽  
Wechsler Adult Intelligence

Concurrent validity of a seven-subtest short form (7SF) of the revised edition of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-R) was examined in 733 cognitively normal adults between 56 and 99 years of age who participated in Mayo's Older Americans Normative Studies (MOANS). Pearson correlation coefficients between actual and prorated MAYO Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQ scores ranged from r =. 93 to r =. 97. Actual and prorated FSIQ scores differed by 6 points or less for 98% of participants, and the observed deviations did not vary as a function of age. These results support the use of this WAIS-R short form to prorate MAYO IQ scores for older adults.

The Quick Test Compared with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale as Measures of Intellectual Functioning in a Prison Clinical Setting

1982 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen D. Husband ◽  
Clifford M. De Cato
Keyword(s):  
Prison Population ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Intelligence Scale ◽  
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Quick Test ◽  
Verbal Scale ◽  
Urban Minority ◽  
Wechsler Adult Intelligence ◽  
Performance Scale

The Quick Test and the WAIS were administered to 40 patients (39 males, one female) in an urban prison hospital. 34 patients were black. Chronological ages of the sample ranged from 16 to 39 yr., with a mean age of 27 yr. Analysis showed a strong positive correlation between the Quick Test IQs and the WAIS Verbal Scale IQs, Performance Scale IQs, and Full Scale IQs. These findings suggest that the Quick Test provides a reasonable estimate of conventional verbal intelligence in an urban minority prison population.

Cognitive Reserve Capacity: Exploring and Validating a Theoretical Model in Healthy Ageing

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 603-617
Author(s):  
Lisa McGarrigle ◽  
Kate Irving ◽  
Martin P.J. van Boxtel ◽  
Lorraine Boran
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Dual Model ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Using Data

AbstractObjective:Cognitive reserve (CR) capacity can be viewed as the maximum processing potential of neural systems that support adaptive cognitive performance in age-related cognitive decline. CR is a complex construct that can only be measured indirectly. Proxy measures (e.g., psychosocial/lifestyle variables) are traditionally used to reflect CR. However, strong relationships have been observed between these measures and cognitive functions (e.g., executive function [EF], processing resources [PR], fluid/crystallized abilities); therefore, the organizational structure of indicators implicated in CR remains unclear. The objective of this study was to test a hypothetical, theoretical model of CR capacity that includes both traditional CR proxy indicators and measures of cognitive function [Satz et al. (2011).Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology,33(1), 121–130], which remain, as yet, untested.Method:Construct validity of the model was investigated in healthy older adults through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA) using data from the Maastricht Ageing Study (MAAS). A secondary CFA was conducted to validate the model using data from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).Results:EFA and CFA in MAAS established a two-factor model comprising EF/PR and cumulative cognitive enrichment (CCE), which was further validated in a secondary analysis in TILDA. Convergent and discriminant validity was supported in MAAS (range ofR2= .228–.635; factor correlation confidence interval (CI) = .622, .740) and TILDA (range ofR2= .172–.899; factor correlation CI = .559, .624).Conclusions:A dual model of CR elucidated the relationships between hypothesized indicators of CR capacity and revealed a two-factor structure suggesting that both control (EF/PR) and representational processes (CCE) are involved in CR capacity.

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