The Relationship between Cognitive Functioning and Adjudicative Competence

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth Caillouet ◽  
Jesse Brand ◽  
Bernice Marcopulos ◽  
Julie-Ann Kent
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Van Benthem ◽  
Chris M. Herdman

Abstract. Identifying pilot attributes associated with risk is important, especially in general aviation where pilot error is implicated in most accidents. This research examined the relationship of pilot age, expertise, and cognitive functioning to deviations from an ideal circuit trajectory. In all, 54 pilots, of varying age, flew a Cessna 172 simulator. Cognitive measures were obtained using the CogScreen-AE ( Kay, 1995 ). Older age and lower levels of expertise and cognitive functioning were associated with significantly greater flight path deviations. The relationship between age and performance was fully mediated by a cluster of cognitive factors: speed and working memory, visual attention, and cognitive flexibility. These findings add to the literature showing that age-related changes in cognition may impact pilot performance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 255-255
Author(s):  
Jo-Ana Chase ◽  
Lizyeka Jordan ◽  
Christina Whitehouse ◽  
Kathryn Bowles

Abstract Sepsis survivorship is associated with cognitive decline and complex post-acute care needs. Family caregivers may be unprepared to manage these needs, resulting in decline or no improvement in patient outcomes. Using a national dataset of Medicare beneficiaries who were discharged from the hospital for sepsis and received post-acute HHC between 2013 and 2014 (n=165,228), we examined the relationship between unmet caregiving needs and improvement or decline in cognitive functioning. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine associations between unmet caregiving needs at the start of HHC and changes in cognitive functioning. Unmet caregiving needs included seven items from the start of care Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS). Changes in cognitive functioning were measured using the start of care and discharge OASIS assessments. Twenty-four percent of patients either declined or did not improve in cognitive functioning from HHC admission to discharge, with variation seen by unmet need type. Sepsis survivors with unmet caregiving needs for activities of daily living assistance (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01, 1.09), medication assistance (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02,1.10), and supervision and safety assistance (OR 1.110, 95% CI 1.06,1.16) were more likely to decline or not improve in cognitive functioning, even after accounting for clinical and demographic characteristics. Older sepsis survivors with both cognitive impairment and unmet caregiving needs in the post-acute HHC setting are at high-risk for worsening cognition. Alerting the care team of cognitively impaired sepsis survivors with unmet caregiving needs may trigger evidence-based strategies to enhance caregiver training and reduce unmet caregiving needs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 159-159
Author(s):  
Tiana Broen ◽  
Tomiko Yoneda ◽  
Jonathan Rush ◽  
Jamie Knight ◽  
Nathan Lewis ◽  
...  

Abstract Previous cross-sectional research suggests that age-related decreases in Rapid-Eye Movement (REM) sleep may contribute to poorer cognitive functioning (CF); however, few studies have examined the relationship at the intraindividual level by measuring habitual sleep over multiple days. Applying a 14-day daily diary design, the current study examines the dynamic relationship between REM sleep and CF in 69 healthy older adults (M age=70.8 years, SD=3.37; 73.9% female; 66.6% completed at least an undergraduate degree). A Fitbit device provided actigraphy indices of REM sleep (minutes and percentage of total sleep time), while CF was measured four times daily on a smartphone via ambulatory cognitive tests that captured processing speed and working memory. This research addressed the following questions: At the within-person level, are fluctuations in quantity of REM sleep associated with fluctuations in next day cognitive measures across days? Do individuals who spend more time in REM sleep on average, perform better on cognitive tests than adults who spend less time in REM sleep? A series of multilevel models were fit to examine the extent to which each index of sleep accounted for daily fluctuations in performance on next day cognitive tests. Results indicated that during nights when individuals had more REM sleep minutes than was typical, they performed better on the working memory task the next morning (estimate = -.003, SE = .002, p = .02). These results highlight the impact of REM sleep on CF, and further research may allow for targeted interventions for earlier treatment of sleep-related cognitive impairment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 413
Author(s):  
Andree Hartanto ◽  
Nadia C. H. Ong ◽  
Wee Qin Ng ◽  
Nadyanna M. Majeed

Considerable research has examined the relationship between positive emotion and cognitive flexibility. Less is known, however, about the causal relationship between discrete positive emotions, specifically gratitude, and cognitive flexibility. Given that different positive emotions may dissimilarly affect cognitive functioning, we sought to examine the effect of state gratitude on cognitive flexibility. A pilot study with ninety-five participants was employed to ensure the effectiveness of our gratitude manipulation. One hundred and thirteen participants were recruited for the main study, which utilized a within-subject experimental approach. After the manipulation, participants completed a well-established task-switching paradigm, which was used to measure cognitive flexibility. Contrary to our hypotheses, we did not find any evidence that state gratitude may enhance cognitive flexibility. The current study identified some boundary conditions around the potential benefits of the experience of gratitude.


2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 461-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron M. Koenig ◽  
Rishi K. Bhalla ◽  
Meryl A. Butters

AbstractThis brief report provides an introduction to the topic of cognitive functioning in late-life depression (LLD). In addition to providing a review of the literature, we present a framework for understanding the heterogeneity of cognitive outcomes in this highly prevalent disorder. In addition, we discuss the relationship between LLD and dementia, and highlight the importance of regularly assessing cognitive functioning in older adults who present with depressive symptoms. If cognitive deficits are discovered during a neuropsychological assessment, we recommend referral to a geriatric psychiatrist or cognitive neurologist, for evaluation and treatment of the patient’s symptoms. (JINS, 2014, 20, 1–7)


Brain Injury ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (10) ◽  
pp. 1155-1161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackki Yim ◽  
Duncan R. Babbage ◽  
Barbra Zupan ◽  
Dawn Neumann ◽  
Barry Willer

Author(s):  
Anna J Stevenson ◽  
Danni A Gadd ◽  
Robert F Hillary ◽  
Daniel L McCartney ◽  
Archie Campbell ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Studies evaluating the relationship between chronic inflammation and cognitive functioning have produced heterogeneous results. A potential reason for this is the variability of inflammatory mediators which could lead to misclassifications of individuals’ persisting levels of inflammation. DNA methylation (DNAm) has shown utility in indexing environmental exposures and could be leveraged to provide proxy signatures of chronic inflammation. Method We conducted an elastic net regression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in a cohort of 875 older adults (Lothian Birth Cohort 1936; mean age: 70 years) to develop a DNAm-based predictor. The predictor was tested in an independent cohort (Generation Scotland; N = 7028 [417 with measured IL-6], mean age: 51 years). Results A weighted score from 35 CpG sites optimally predicted IL-6 in the independent test set (Generation Scotland; R2 = 4.4%, p = 2.1 × 10−5). In the independent test cohort, both measured IL-6 and the DNAm proxy increased with age (serum IL-6: n = 417, β = 0.02, SE = 0.004, p = 1.3 × 10−7; DNAm IL-6 score: N = 7028, β = 0.02, SE = 0.0009, p < 2 × 10−16). Serum IL-6 did not associate with cognitive ability (n = 417, β = −0.06, SE = 0.05, p = .19); however, an inverse association was identified between the DNAm score and cognitive functioning (N = 7028, β = −0.16, SE = 0.02, pFDR < 2 × 10−16). Conclusions These results suggest methylation-based predictors can be used as proxies for inflammatory markers, potentially allowing for further insight into the relationship between inflammation and pertinent health outcomes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 1244-1244
Author(s):  
C I Carrión ◽  
F Arias ◽  
M Diaz-Santos ◽  
S-A Levy ◽  
T G Hill-Jarrett ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective The “healthy immigrant effect” pertains to findings that Hispanics/Latinos born outside of the US tend to be physically and emotionally healthier than individuals born in the US. However, immigrant Latino groups residing in the US have higher incidences of dementia (Tang et al., 2001). Sex/gender and years of education have been found to moderate the relationship between age of migration and cognitive functioning among immigrants born in Mexico (Garcia et al., 2017; Hill et al., 2012). While years of education has been the focus of many studies, literacy (ability to read/write) has been less frequently explored as a moderator of age of migration and cognitive change. We investigated the effect of age of migration on cognitive trajectory in a diverse Latino population and explored whether literacy influences the association between age of immigration and cognitive change. We hypothesize that literacy (ability to read/write) will buffer the effects of age of migration on cognitive (memory, language, motor speed, visuospatial) trajectory. Participants and Method Age at baseline, English fluency, country of birth, sex/gender, and years of education were included as time-invariant covariates and literacy was tested as a moderator via multiple group modeling. Results Results show that age of migration is marginally and inversely associated with baseline cognitive performance (p < .01). Thus, individuals who immigrated at an older age had lower baseline cognitive scores than their counterparts. Age of migration was not associated with cognitive change. Independent of covariates, literacy did not buffer the negative effects of later age at migration on cognitive function. Conclusions Results suggest that literacy confers a small advantage in premorbid cognition, but does not protect against cognitive decline over time. These findings also suggest that adults who immigrate at an older age present with lower cognitive scores at baseline, but do not experience faster rates of cognitive change. References Tang, M. X., Cross, P., Andrews, H., Jacobs, D. M., Small, S., Bell, K., ... & Mayeux, R. (2001). Incidence of AD in African-Americans, Caribbean Hispanics, and Caucasians in northern Manhattan. Neurology, 56, 49-56. Garcia, M. A., Reyes, A. M., Downer, B., Saenz, J. L., Samper-Ternent, R. A., & Raji, M. (2018). Age of migration and the incidence of cognitive impairment: A cohort study of elder Mexican-Americans. Innovation in aging, 1, igx037. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igx037. Hill, T. D., Angel, J. L., Balistreri, K. S., & Herrera, A. P. (2012). Immigrant Status and Cognitive Functioning in Late Life: An Examination of Gender Variations in the Healthy Immigrant Effect. Social Science & Medicine (1982), 75, 2076–2084. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.04.005.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document