scholarly journals Posttraumatic Psychological Symptoms are Associated with Reduced Inhibitory Control, not General Executive Dysfunction

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 342-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph DeGutis ◽  
Michael Esterman ◽  
Bay McCulloch ◽  
Andrew Rosenblatt ◽  
William Milberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
General Decline ◽  
Iraqi Freedom

AbstractAlthough there is mounting evidence that greater PTSD symptoms are associated with reduced executive functioning, it is not fully understood whether this association is more global or specific to certain executive function subdomains, such as inhibitory control. We investigated the generality of the association between PTSD symptoms and executive function by administering a broad battery of sensitive executive functioning tasks to a cohort of returning Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans with varying PTSD symptoms. Only tasks related to inhibitory control explained significant variance in PTSD symptoms as well as symptoms of depression, while measures of working memory, measures of switching, and measures simultaneously assessing multiple executive function subdomains did not. Notably, the two inhibitory control measures that showed the highest correlation with PTSD and depressive symptoms, measures of response inhibition and distractor suppression, explained independent variance. These findings suggest that greater posttraumatic psychological symptoms are not associated with a general decline in executive functioning but rather are more specifically related to stopping automatic responses and resisting internal and external distractions. (JINS, 2015, 21, 342–352)

scholarly journals Comparing the Neuropsychological Test Performance of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) Veterans with and without Blast Exposure, Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 353-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Storzbach ◽  
Maya Elin O’Neil ◽  
Saw-Myo Roost ◽  
Halina Kowalski ◽  
Grant L. Iverson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Operation Iraqi Freedom ◽  
Spatial Abilities ◽  
Operation Enduring Freedom ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Blast Exposure ◽  
Iraqi Freedom

AbstractTo compare neuropsychological test performance of Veterans with and without mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), blast exposure, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. We compared the neuropsychological test performance of 49 Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) Veterans diagnosed with MTBI resulting from combat blast-exposure to that of 20 blast-exposed OEF/OIF Veterans without history of MTBI, 23 OEF/OIF Veterans with no blast exposure or MTBI history, and 40 matched civilian controls. Comparison of neuropsychological test performance across all four participant groups showed a complex pattern of mixed significant and mostly nonsignificant results, with omnibus tests significant for measures of attention, spatial abilities, and executive function. The most consistent pattern was the absence of significant differences between blast-exposed Veterans with MTBI history and blast-exposed Veterans without MTBI history. When blast-exposed Veteran groups with and without MTBI history were aggregated and compared to non–blast-exposed Veterans, there were significant differences for some measures of learning and memory, spatial abilities, and executive function. However, covariation for severity of PTSD symptoms eliminated all significant omnibus neuropsychological differences between Veteran groups. Our results suggest that, although some mild neurocognitive effects were associated with blast exposure, these neurocognitive effects might be better explained by PTSD symptom severity rather than blast exposure or MTBI history alone. (JINS, 2015, 21, 353–363)

Effect of symptoms on executive function in bipolar illness

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 811-821 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. DIXON ◽  
E. KRAVARITI ◽  
C. FRITH ◽  
R. M. MURRAY ◽  
P. K. McGUIRE
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Strategic Thinking ◽  
Thought Disorder ◽  
Sentence Completion ◽  
Bipolar I Disorder ◽  
Response Initiation ◽  
Symptom Profile ◽  
Executive Function Deficits

Background. The relationship between cognitive function and symptomatology in bipolar disorder is unclear. This study assessed executive function during the manic, depressed and remitted stages of bipolar I disorder.Method. Tasks assessing phonological and semantic verbal fluency, the Hayling Sentence Completion Test, the Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test and the Cognitive Estimates Test were administered to manic (n=15), depressed (n=15), and remitted (n=15) bipolar I patients, and to healthy controls (n=30). Multiple regression analyses and analyses of covariance were used to identify potential determinants of executive dysfunction in the three bipolar groups.Results. Executive function deficits were particularly associated with the manic state. In general, manic patients performed less accurately than the remitted and depressed groups, and their performance deficit was related to the severity of positive thought disorder. The depressed and remitted bipolar groups showed a less widespread pattern of impairment. Deficits in response initiation, strategic thinking and inhibitory control were evident in all the bipolar groups.Conclusions. Executive function deficits in bipolar I disorder are most evident during mania, and are particularly associated with formal thought disorder. However, deficits in response initiation, strategic thinking and inhibitory control may be more related to the underlying disorder than a particular symptom profile.

APPLICATION OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTION TRAINING AND ITS IMPACT ON COGNITIVE INSIGHT IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

2021 ◽  
pp. 32-34
Author(s):  
Avneesh Narain ◽  
Varsha Gupta ◽  
Amool R. Singh
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Composite Index ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Cognitive Insight ◽  
Icd 10 ◽  
Executive Function Training ◽  
Experimental Group

Aim: To assess the effect of executive function re-training on cognitive insight among patients with Schizophrenia. 10 patients with Methodology: schizophrenia (diagnosed as per ICD-10 criteria) having signicant cognitive decits and compliant to intervention were assessed on Executive dysfunctions (Stroop test), and Beck's Cognitive insight Scale (BCIS). These were followed by Executive function training to the participants randomly assigned to the Experimental Group while the remaining 5 formed the control group. Both the groups went through post assessment on the same variables. In the test of executive functioning the experimental group Result: who had received executive function training had performed signicantly better than the control group of patients in the study (p<0.05), and that on BCIS the domains of self-reectiveness, self-certainty and composite index showed signicant improvement post intervention as compared to control group (p<0.01). The present study Conclusions: suggests that in patients with schizophrenia having poor cognitive exibility and executive dysfunction, the executive function retraining improves the executive functioning and signicantly impacts the cognitive insight.

scholarly journals Post-stroke executive function impairments in relation to white matter damage due to stroke lesions versus leukoaraiosis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgina Hobden ◽  
Margaret Jane Moore ◽  
Evangeline Grace Chiu ◽  
Sarah Pendlebury ◽  
Nele Demeyere
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Acute Stage ◽  
Cognitive Screening ◽  
White Matter Damage ◽  
Post Stroke ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Cognitive Screen

BACKGROUND There is a high prevalence of executive function impairments among stroke survivors. However, the underlying aetiology remains unclear. In particular, we address whether focal, stroke-specific white matter damage or diffuse comorbid white matter damage (leukoaraiosis) is more associated with executive function impairments. METHODS This project is a retrospective analysis of data collected within the Oxford Cognitive Screening programme. Patients were recruited in the acute stage of stroke if they had a confirmed diagnosis of stroke, were at least 18 years of age, were able to remain alert for 20 minutes, and were able to provide informed consent. Patients in the present analysis completed follow up neuropsychological assessment at six-months with the Oxford Cognitive Screen-Plus to assess executive function. Stroke lesions were manually delineated on acute clinical brain scans allowing us to quantify focal stroke-specific white matter damage using the HCP-842 tractography atlas. Leukoaraiosis was visually rated on clinical scans using the Age-Related White Matter Changes scale. RESULTS This study included data from 90 stroke patients (mean age = 73.76 years; 47.78% female). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that the presence of leukoaraiosis predicted poorer executive functioning six-months after stroke (B = -0.33, p = .031, 95% CI [-0.64 -0.03]). However, post-stroke executive functioning was not predicted by stroke-specific damage to white matter tracts. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these results provide novel insight into the neural substrates underlying post-stroke executive dysfunction and highlight the prognostic utility of using routine clinical CT scans to assess leukoaraiosis.

scholarly journals Effects of Perinatal Stroke on Executive Functioning and Mathematics Performance in Children

2022 ◽  
pp. 088307382110636
Author(s):  
Eliza Li ◽  
Lisa Smithson ◽  
Muhammad Khan ◽  
Adam Kirton ◽  
Jacqueline Pei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Math Performance ◽  
Perinatal Stroke ◽  
Visuospatial Processing ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Neuropsychological Impairments ◽  
Math Difficulties

The goal of this study was to examine executive functioning, math performance, and visuospatial processing skills of children with perinatal stroke, which have not been well explored in this population. Participants included 18 children with perinatal stroke (aged 6-16 years old) and their primary caregiver. Each child completed standardized tests of executive function and visuospatial processing skills, Intelligence Quotient (IQ), and math achievement. Performance on executive function, IQ, math, and visuospatial processing tests was significantly lower in children with perinatal stroke when compared to normative means. Poorer inhibitory control was associated with worse math performance. Increased age at testing was associated with better performance on visuospatial ability (using standardized scores), and females performed better than males on a test of inhibitory control. Children with perinatal stroke displayed a range of neuropsychological impairments, and difficulties with executive function (inhibition) may contribute to math difficulties in this population.

scholarly journals Studies on the Occurrence of Viruses in Planting Material of Grapevines in Southwestern Germany

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 248
Author(s):  
Noemi Messmer ◽  
Patricia Bohnert ◽  
Stefan Schumacher ◽  
René Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Grapevine Fanleaf Virus ◽  
Arabis Mosaic Virus ◽  
Planting Material ◽  
General Decline ◽  
Grapevine Pinot Gris Virus ◽  
Propagation Material

Viral diseases in viticulture lead to annual losses in the quantity and quality of grape production. Since no direct control measures are available in practice, preventive measures are taken to keep the vines healthy. These include, for example, the testing of propagation material for viruses such as Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV), Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) or Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 1 (GLRaV-1) and 3 (GLRaV-3). As long-term investigations have shown, GLRaV-1 (2.1%) occurs most frequently in southwestern German wine-growing regions, whereas GLRaV-3 (<0.1%) is almost never found. However, tests conducted over 12 years indicate that there is no general decline in virus-infected planting material. Thus, it can be assumed that a spread of the viruses via corresponding vectors still takes place unhindered. Beyond the examinations regulated within the German Wine Growing Ordinance, one-time tests were carried out on Grapevine Pinot gris virus (GPGV). This analysis showed that GPGV was found in 17.2% of the samples.

Performance Differences Between Native and Non-Native Speakers on a New Happy–Sad Executive Function Measure

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boji P W Lam ◽  
Zenzi M Griffin ◽  
Thomas P Marquardt
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Lexical Decision ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Incongruent Condition ◽  
Test Administration ◽  
Happy Face ◽  
Decision Performance ◽  
Performance Differences ◽  
Function Measure

Abstract Objective The happy–sad task adapts the classic day–night task by incorporating two early acquired emotional concepts (“happy” and “sad”) and demonstrates elevated inhibitory demands for native speakers. The task holds promise as a new executive function measure for assessing inhibitory control across the lifespan, but no studies have examined the influence of language of test administration on performance. Method Seventy adult native English speakers and 50 non-native speakers completed the computerized day–night and the new happy–sad tasks administered in English. In two conditions, participants were categorized pictorial stimuli either in a congruent manner (“happy” for a happy face) or in a more challenging, incongruent manner (“sad” for a happy face). Lexical decision performance was obtained to estimate levels of English language proficiency. Results Native speakers and non-native speakers performed comparably except for the critical incongruent condition of the happy–sad task, where native speakers responded more slowly. A greater congruency effect for the happy–sad task was found for native than for non-native speakers. Lexical decision performance was associated with performance on the challenging incongruent conditions. Conclusion This study reinforced the usefulness of the happy–sad task as a new measure in evaluating inhibitory control in adult native-speakers. However, the language of test administration needs to be considered in assessment because it may lead to performance differences between native and non-native speakers.

scholarly journals Moderating Roles of Resilience and Social Support on Psychiatric and Practice Outcomes in Nurses Working During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 237796082110242
Author(s):  
Anna E. Schierberl Scherr ◽  
Brian J. Ayotte ◽  
Marni B. Kellogg
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
The United States ◽  
Direct Care ◽  
Behavioral Measure ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Research Reporting ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression

Introduction Staff and equipment shortages and an easily transmissible virus make working in the COVID-19 pandemic demanding physically and psychologically. Nurses on the frontlines are particularly vulnerable to the adversity of working under these conditions, particularly with regard to mental health. Thus, understanding risk and protective factors for this vulnerable and essential group is critical for identifying potential targets of interventions. We had two aims for the current study: (a) to examine work functioning and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress (PTSD) among nurses who did and did not care for patients with COVID-19; and (b) to determine if resilience and social support moderate these relationships. Methods For three weeks in July 2020, nurses across the United States were invited to participate in an online survey collecting data on demographics, resilience, social support, and screening measures of depression, PTSD, anxiety, and distracted practice. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression for each outcome measure. Conclusions Our findings support a growing body of research reporting that nurses are experiencing mental health sequelae during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those providing direct care to patients with the virus. We found that compared to nurses who did not care for patients with COVID-19, those who did reported increased symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. A novel contribution is our finding that nurses providing direct COVID-19 care also experienced increased levels of distracted practice, a behavioral measure of distraction linking to a potential impact on patient care. We also found that resilience and social support acted as moderators of some of these relationships. Fostering resilience and social support may help buffer the effects of providing care to patients with COVID-19 and could potentially decrease nurse vulnerability to developing psychological symptoms and impairment on the job.

scholarly journals Effects of Sport-Based Interventions on Children’s Executive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 755
Author(s):  
Falonn Contreras-Osorio ◽  
Christian Campos-Jara ◽  
Cristian Martínez-Salazar ◽  
Luis Chirosa-Ríos ◽  
Darío Martínez-García
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Impact

One of the most studied aspects of children’s cognitive development is that of the development of the executive function, and research has shown that physical activity has been demonstrated as a key factor in its enhancement. This meta-analysis aims to assess the impact of specific sports interventions on the executive function of children and teenagers. A systematic review was carried out on 1 November 2020 to search for published scientific evidence that analysed different sports programs that possibly affected executive function in students. Longitudinal studies, which assessed the effects of sports interventions on subjects between 6 and 18 years old, were identified through a systematic search of the four principal electronic databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO. A total of eight studies, with 424 subjects overall, met the inclusion criteria and were classified based on one or more of the following categories: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. The random-effects model for meta-analyses was performed with RevMan version 5.3 to facilitate the analysis of the studies. Large effect sizes were found in all categories: working memory (ES −1.25; 95% CI −1.70; −0.79; p < 0.0001); inhibitory control (ES −1.30; 95% CI −1.98; −0.63; p < 0.00001); and cognitive flexibility (ES −1.52; 95% CI −2.20; −0.83; p < 0.00001). Our analysis concluded that healthy children and teenagers should be encouraged to practice sports in order to improve their executive function at every stage of their development.

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