Brain network coupling associated with cognitive performance varies as a function of a child’s environment in the ABCD study

AbstractPrior research indicates that lower resting-state functional coupling between two brain networks, lateral frontoparietal network (LFPN) and default mode network (DMN), relates to cognitive test performance, for children and adults. However, most of the research that led to this conclusion has been conducted with non-representative samples of individuals from higher-income backgrounds, and so further studies including participants from a broader range of socioeconomic backgrounds are required. Here, in a pre-registered study, we analyzed resting-state fMRI from 6839 children ages 9–10 years from the ABCD dataset. For children from households defined as being above poverty (family of 4 with income > $25,000, or family of 5+ with income > $35,000), we replicated prior findings; that is, we found that better performance on cognitive tests correlated with weaker LFPN-DMN coupling. For children from households defined as being in poverty, the direction of association was reversed, on average: better performance was instead directionally related to stronger LFPN-DMN connectivity, though there was considerable variability. Among children in households below poverty, the direction of this association was predicted in part by features of their environments, such as school type and parent-reported neighborhood safety. These results highlight the importance of including representative samples in studies of child cognitive development.

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What is an adaptive pattern of brain network coupling for a child? It depends on their environment

10.1101/2020.05.29.124297 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Monica E Ellwood-Lowe ◽

Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli ◽

Silvia A Bunge

Keyword(s):

Resting State ◽

Test Performance ◽

Resting State Fmri ◽

Brain Network ◽

Cognitive Test ◽

Future Research ◽

Functional Coupling ◽

Children In Poverty ◽

Frontoparietal Network ◽

Cognitive Test Performance

Prior research indicates that lower resting-state functional coupling between two brain networks, lateral frontoparietal network (LFPN) and default mode network (DMN), relates to better cognitive test performance. However, most study samples skew towards wealthier individuals---and what is adaptive for one population may not be for another. In a pre-registered study, we analyzed resting-state fMRI from 6839 children ages 9-10 years. For children above poverty, we replicated the prior finding: better cognitive performance correlated with weaker LFPN-DMN coupling. For children in poverty, the slope of the relation was instead positive. This significant interaction related to several features of a child's environment. Future research should investigate the possibility that leveraging internally guided cognition is a mechanism of resilience for children in poverty. In sum, "optimal" brain function depends in part on the external pressures children face, highlighting the need for more diverse samples in research on the human brain and behavior.

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Saliva RNA biomarkers predict concussion duration and detect symptom recovery: a comparison with balance and cognitive testing

Journal of Neurology ◽

10.1007/s00415-021-10566-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gregory Fedorchak ◽

Aakanksha Rangnekar ◽

Cayce Onks ◽

Andrea C. Loeffert ◽

Jayson Loeffert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Test Performance ◽

Area Under The Curve ◽

Prediction Rule ◽

Cognitive Testing ◽

Cognitive Test ◽

Clinical Tool ◽

Post Injury ◽

Symptom Recovery ◽

Cognitive Test Performance

Abstract Objective The goals of this study were to assess the ability of salivary non-coding RNA (ncRNA) levels to predict post-concussion symptoms lasting ≥ 21 days, and to examine the ability of ncRNAs to identify recovery compared to cognition and balance. Methods RNA sequencing was performed on 505 saliva samples obtained longitudinally from 112 individuals (8–24-years-old) with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Initial samples were obtained ≤ 14 days post-injury, and follow-up samples were obtained ≥ 21 days post-injury. Computerized balance and cognitive test performance were assessed at initial and follow-up time-points. Machine learning was used to define: (1) a model employing initial ncRNA levels to predict persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS) ≥ 21 days post-injury; and (2) a model employing follow-up ncRNA levels to identify symptom recovery. Performance of the models was compared against a validated clinical prediction rule, and balance/cognitive test performance, respectively. Results An algorithm using age and 16 ncRNAs predicted PPCS with greater accuracy than the validated clinical tool and demonstrated additive combined utility (area under the curve (AUC) 0.86; 95% CI 0.84–0.88). Initial balance and cognitive test performance did not differ between PPCS and non-PPCS groups (p > 0.05). Follow-up balance and cognitive test performance identified symptom recovery with similar accuracy to a model using 11 ncRNAs and age. A combined model (ncRNAs, balance, cognition) most accurately identified recovery (AUC 0.86; 95% CI 0.83–0.89). Conclusions ncRNA biomarkers show promise for tracking recovery from mTBI, and for predicting who will have prolonged symptoms. They could provide accurate expectations for recovery, stratify need for intervention, and guide safe return-to-activities.

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Interview and questionnaire assessment of cognitive impairment in subjects at ultra-high risk for psychosis: Associations with cognitive test performance, psychosocial functioning, and positive symptoms

Psychiatry Research ◽

10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113498 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 294 ◽

pp. 113498

Author(s):

Lasse Randers ◽

Birgitte Fagerlund ◽

Jens Richardt M Jepsen ◽

Dorte Nordholm ◽

Kristine Krakauer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

High Risk ◽

Test Performance ◽

Psychosocial Functioning ◽

Cognitive Test ◽

Positive Symptoms ◽

Questionnaire Assessment ◽

Ultra High Risk ◽

Cognitive Test Performance

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Patterns of Cognitive Test Performance As Functions of the Lateral Localization of Cerebral Abnormalities in the Temporal Lobe

Journal of Mental Science ◽

10.1192/bjp.103.433.758 ◽

1957 ◽

Vol 103 (433) ◽

pp. 758-772 ◽

Cited By ~ 80

Author(s):

Victor Meyer ◽

H. Gwynne Jones

Keyword(s):

Test Performance ◽

Right Hemisphere ◽

Cognitive Test ◽

Temporal Relationships ◽

Verbal Tasks ◽

Specific Locus ◽

Left And Right ◽

Spatio Temporal ◽

Cognitive Test Performance ◽

Lateral Localization

Various investigations into the effects of brain injury on psychological test performance (Weisenburg and McBride, 1935; Patterson and Zangwill, 1944; Anderson, 1951; McFie and Piercy, 1952; Bauer and Becka, 1954; Milner, 1954) suggest the overall conclusion that patients with left hemisphere lesions are relatively poor at verbal tasks, while those with right-sided lesions do worst at practical tasks, particularly the manipulation of spatial or spatio-temporal relationships. Heilbfun's (1956) study confirmed that verbal deficits result from left-sided lesions but his left and right hemisphere groups produced almost identical scores on spatial tests. In so far as these workers paid attention to the specific sites of the lesions, their findings indicate that the pattern of test performance is a function of the hemisphere in which the lesion occurs rather than of its specific locus.

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Poor Performance Validity Predicts Clinical Characteristics and Cognitive Test Performance of OEF/OIF/OND Veterans in a Research Setting

The Clinical Neuropsychologist ◽

10.1080/13854046.2014.904928 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 28 (5) ◽

pp. 802-825 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Alexandra L. Clark ◽

Melissa M. Amick ◽

Catherine Fortier ◽

William P. Milberg ◽

Regina E. McGlinchey

Keyword(s):

Test Performance ◽

Clinical Characteristics ◽

Poor Performance ◽

Cognitive Test ◽

Performance Validity ◽

Research Setting ◽

Cognitive Test Performance

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Improvement of cognitive test performance in patients undergoing primary CABG and other CPB-assisted cardiac procedures

Perfusion ◽

10.1177/0267659109104561 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 23 (5) ◽

pp. 267-273 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

JM van den Goor ◽

BK Saxby ◽

JG Tijssen ◽

KA Wesnes ◽

BA de Mol ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Functions ◽

Test Performance ◽

Artery Bypass ◽

Cardiac Surgical Procedures ◽

Cognitive Test ◽

Cardiac Procedures ◽

Patient Groups ◽

Cognitive Test Performance ◽

Composite Scores ◽

Cabg Patients

Cardiac surgical procedures assisted by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) impair cognitive functions. Several studies, however, showed that cognitive functions were unaffected in patients undergoing either primary coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or more complex surgery assisted by CPB. Therefore, we conducted a straightforward study to compare patient groups who differed significantly in terms of risk factors such as prolonged CPB times. Consecutive patients (n = 54) were included, undergoing either non-primary CABG, e.g. valve and/or CABG, (n = 30) or primary CABG (n = 24), assisted by CPB. Cognitive function was determined pre-operatively on the day of hospital admission, and post-operatively after one and six months using the Cognitive Drug Research computerized assessment battery. Data from the fourteen individual task variables were summarized in four composite scores: Power of Attention (PoA), Continuity of Attention (CoA), Quality of Episodic Memory (QoEM), and Speed of Memory (SoM). In the non-primary CABG patients, both CoA and QoEM improved after 1 month (p = 0.001 and p = 0.016, respectively), whereas, after 6 months, CoA (p = 0.002), QoEM (p = 0.002) and SoM (p < 0.001) were improved. In primary CABG patients, CoA improved at one month after surgery (p = 0.002) and, after six months, not only CoA (p = 0.003), but also QoEM and SoM were improved (p = 0.001 and p = 0.030, respectively). The test performance was similar in non-primary and primary CABG patients after surgery. Our present study shows a post-operative improvement of cognitive composite scores after cardiac surgery assisted by CPB in both non-primary CABG and in primary CABG patients.

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Dynamic Properties of Simulated Brain Network Models and Empirical Resting State Data

10.1101/344473 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Amrit Kashyap ◽

Shella Keilholz

Keyword(s):

Resting State ◽

Dynamic Properties ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Temporal Structure ◽

Structural Connectivity ◽

Network Models ◽

Resting State Fmri ◽

Brain Network ◽

Dynamical Analysis ◽

Whole Brain

AbstractBrain Network Models have become a promising theoretical framework in simulating signals that are representative of whole brain activity such as resting state fMRI. However, it has been difficult to compare the complex brain activity between simulated and empirical data. Previous studies have used simple metrics that surmise coordination between regions such as functional connectivity, and we extend on this by using various different dynamical analysis tools that are currently used to understand resting state fMRI. We show that certain properties correspond to the structural connectivity input that is shared between the models, and certain dynamic properties relate more to the mathematical description of the Brain Network Model. We conclude that the dynamic properties that gauge more temporal structure rather than spatial coordination in the rs-fMRI signal seem to provide the largest contrasts between different BNMs and the unknown empirical dynamical system. Our results will be useful in constraining and developing more realistic simulations of whole brain activity.

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Multimodal multilayer network centrality relates to executive functioning

10.1101/2021.06.28.450180 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lucas C. Breedt ◽

Fernando A.N. Santos ◽

Arjan Hillebrand ◽

Liesbeth Reneman ◽

Anne-Fleur van Rootselaar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Executive Functioning ◽

Positive Association ◽

Resting State Fmri ◽

Brain Network ◽

Network Organization ◽

Eigenvector Centrality ◽

Multilayer Network ◽

Network Analyses ◽

Frontoparietal Network ◽

Structural Networks

Executive functioning is a higher-order cognitive process that is thought to depend on a brain network organization facilitating network integration across specialized subnetworks. The frontoparietal network (FPN), a subnetwork that has diverse connections to other brain modules, seems pivotal to this integration, and a more central role of regions in the FPN has been related to better executive functioning. Brain networks can be constructed using different modalities: diffusion MRI (dMRI) can be used to reconstruct structural networks, while resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) yield functional networks. These networks are often studied in a unimodal way, which cannot capture potential complementary or synergistic modal information. The multilayer framework is a relatively new approach that allows for the integration of different modalities into one 'network of networks'. It has already yielded promising results in the field of neuroscience, having been related to e.g. cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease. Multilayer analyses thus have the potential to help us better understand the relation between brain network organization and executive functioning. Here, we hypothesized a positive association between centrality of the FPN and executive functioning, and we expected that multimodal multilayer centrality would supersede unilayer centrality in explaining executive functioning. We used dMRI, rsfMRI, MEG, and neuropsychological data obtained from 33 healthy adults (age range 22-70 years) to construct eight modality-specific unilayer networks (dMRI, fMRI, and six MEG frequency bands), as well as a multilayer network comprising all unilayer networks. Interlayer links in the multilayer network were present only between a node's counterpart across layers. We then computed and averaged eigenvector centrality of the nodes within the FPN for every uni- and multilayer network and used multiple regression models to examine the relation between uni- or multilayer centrality and executive functioning. We found that higher multilayer FPN centrality, but not unilayer FPN centrality, was related to better executive functioning. To further validate multilayer FPN centrality as a relevant measure, we assessed its relation with age. Network organization has been shown to change across the life span, becoming increasingly efficient up to middle age and regressing to a more segregated topology at higher age. Indeed, the relation between age and multilayer centrality followed an inverted-U shape. These results show the importance of FPN integration for executive functioning as well as the value of a multilayer framework in network analyses of the brain. Multilayer network analysis may particularly advance our understanding of the interplay between different brain network aspects in clinical populations, where network alterations differ across modalities.

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An Evaluation of Visual Perception Visual Memory Cognitive Functions and Emotional Status among Genders in Elderly Subjects

Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International ◽

10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i47b33132 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 330-336

Author(s):

A. Ruhina ◽

G. Sridevi

Keyword(s):

Gender Differences ◽

Visual Perception ◽

Depth Perception ◽

Cognitive Functions ◽

Test Performance ◽

Visual Memory ◽

Cognitive Test ◽

Emotional Status ◽

Cognitive Test Performance ◽

Picture Identification

Background: Gender differences in visual memory and perception and cognitive test performance have been significantly influenced by factors like sex Objective: The current study aimed to evaluate the gender differences in patterns of cognitive test performance and visual perception in healthy elderly individuals. Methods: Cognitive functions and visual perception was analyzed using clock drawing test and picture identification test in 20 elderly men and women (10 each) and their emotional status was assessed using depression scale Results: The results revealed that females had a better visual memory and depth perception compared to men and the value was statistically significant at p<0.05. Females performed better than men on tests of Picture identification and were better in phonemic verbal skills compared to male men and the value was statistically significant at p<0.05 Conclusion: The present study concluded an innovative finding that women were better in their performance related to visual depth perception and cognitive functions.

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