scholarly journals A-70 Beyond Validity: The Utility of the Test of Memory Malingering in Assessing Cognitive Functioning in Veterans

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 930-930
Author(s):  
J Clark ◽  
B Zaccari ◽  
S Tadrous-Furnanz ◽  
D Storzbach
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Cognitive Outcomes ◽  
Test Of Memory Malingering ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
Substance Dependent ◽  
Neuropsychological Assessment Battery ◽  
Iraqi Freedom

Abstract Objective The objective of the present analyses was to replicate analyses from an interim sample which found that scores on the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) predicted objective cognitive outcomes in the domains of attention and verbal learning even when invalid TOMM scores were excluded. Methods Participants consisted of 92 United States Veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) enrolled at the VA Portland Health Care System and recruited for a larger study on the role of blast exposure. Veterans were included if they had a valid performance on the TOMM (Trial 2 score > 47) were not currently substance dependent. Data was analyzed through linear regressions examining raw TOMM Trial 1 scores to predict objective cognitive performance on measures of memory and attention from the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB). Results In performance on the tasks of Driving Scenes (Beta = .328, p < .01), Initial Story Learning (Beta = .209, p < .05), and Attention Index Percentile (Beta = .208, p < .05) of the NAB, TOMM Trial 1 was a significant predictor. TOMM scores were also predictive of years of education (Beta = .303, p < .01). Conclusion These findings replicate results derived from interim data. TOMM Trial 1 significantly predicted objective cognitive performance in OEF/OIF Veterans even when invalid performance was excluded. This suggests that TOMM has a utility in assessing cognitive functioning and not just valid performance. Similarly, results also suggest that the TOMM may be sensitive to education as well.

Research … How Fun Is That? Interesting Questions Relative to the Effects of Exercise on Cognitive Performance

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 151-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Etnier
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cognitive Outcomes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
North American Society ◽  
National Meeting ◽  
The North ◽  
American Society

In developing a senior lecture for the 2014 national meeting of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, I had the opportunity to reflect upon a career of research and to focus on three interesting questions that my colleagues and I have attempted to address. These questions have led to several studies that all revolve around identifying ways to increase the effects of exercise on cognitive performance. In particular, the questions examine the possibility of increasing effects by focusing on particular populations (e.g., older adults, children) and by increasing our understanding of dose-response relationships between exercise parameters (e.g., intensity, duration) and cognitive outcomes. I present empirical evidence relative to each of these questions and provide directions for future research on physical activity and cognitive functioning.

scholarly journals A-166 The Role of Apathy on Executive Functioning After Stroke

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 960-960
Author(s):  
Lopez A ◽  
Lopez Palacios D ◽  
Quintana A ◽  
Gibson D ◽  
Arguelles-Borge S
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Trail Making Test ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Test Part ◽  
Trail Making

Abstract Objective This study examined the role of apathy on performance of an executive functioning task. Method The data for this study was derived from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center’s Uniform Data Set containing neuropsychological information for stroke patients (n = 317) who completed the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q) and the Trail Making Test (Part B). The sample was divided into two groups. One which endorsed feelings of apathy in the last month (n = 102; mean age = 84,SD = 8.33) and a second group which denied feelings of apathy within the last month (n = 215; mean age = 86, SD = 8.02). Results After controlling for depression [as measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)], age, gender, and motor impairment, the results of an ANCOVA showed that those who reported apathy performed significantly slower on the Trail Making Test—Part B than those who did not report it [F(1,312 = 6.01, p = .02]. Conclusions It has previously been found that cognitive performance can be impacted by depression on stroke patients. However, recently, it has been identified that apathy specifically, can have an effect on cognitive domains such as verbal learning, short-term, and long-term memory. The present study further supports that apathy may play a role in overall cognitive performance. Therefore, even if patients do not meet criteria for depression, the presence of apathy should still be taken into account. Future research should examine other possible contributing factors such as processing speed should be taken into account as they could be affecting the scores. Finally, researchers should utilize additional measures of executive functioning as only one was available for this study.

scholarly journals The Effects of Maximal Intensity Exercise on Cognitive Performance in Children

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy David Samuel ◽  
Ofir Zavdy ◽  
Miriam Levav ◽  
Ronen Reuveny ◽  
Uriel Katz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Digit Symbol Substitution Test ◽  
Post Exercise ◽  
Maximal Intensity ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
Repeated Measures Design

AbstractHigh intensity physical exercise has previously been found to lead to a decline in cognitive performance of adults. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of maximal intensity exercise on cognitive performance of children. Using a repeated-measures design, 20 children and adolescents aged 8-17 years completed a battery of tests measuring memory and attention. Forward and Backward Digit Span tests, the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) were performed at baseline, immediately after, and one hour after a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test. Forward and Backward Digit Span scores significantly improved post-recovery compared with baseline measurements. There was a significant decrease in RAVLT scores post-exercise, which returned to baseline values after recovery. The DSST test scores were mildly elevated from post-exercise to after recovery. Maximal intensity exercise in children and adolescents may result in both beneficial and detrimental cognitive effects, including transient impairment in verbal learning. Cognitive functions applying short term memory improve following a recovery period. Parents, educators and coaches should consider these changes in memory and attention following high-intensity exercise activities in children.

The UCLA study of Predictors of Cognitive Functioning Following Moderate/Severe Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 512-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Moran ◽  
Talin Babikian ◽  
Larissa Del Piero ◽  
Monica U. Ellis ◽  
Claudia L. Kernan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Cognitive Outcomes ◽  
Acute Injury

AbstractObjectives:Following pediatric moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI), few predictors have been identified that can reliably identify which individuals are at risk for long-term cognitive difficulties. This study sought to determine the relative contribution of detailed descriptors of injury severity as well as demographic and psychosocial factors to long-term cognitive outcomes after pediatric msTBI.Methods:Participants included 8- to 19-year-olds, 46 with msTBI and 53 uninjured healthy controls (HC). Assessments were conducted in the post-acute and chronic stages of recovery. Medical record review provided details regarding acute injury severity. Parents also completed a measure of premorbid functioning and behavioral problems. The outcome of interest was four neurocognitive measures sensitive to msTBI combined to create an index of cognitive performance.Results:Results indicated that none of the detailed descriptors of acute injury severity predicted cognitive performance. Only the occurrence of injury, parental education, and premorbid academic competence predicted post-acute cognitive functioning. Long-term cognitive outcomes were best predicted by post-acute cognitive functioning.Discussion:The findings suggest that premorbid factors influence cognitive outcomes nearly as much as the occurrence of a msTBI. Furthermore, of youth with msTBI who initially recover to a level of moderate disability or better, a brief cognitive battery administered within several months after injury can best predict which individuals will experience poor long-term cognitive outcomes and require additional services. (JINS, 2016,22, 1–8)

Influence of Experience on Age Differences in Cognitive Functioning

1990 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 551-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy A. Salthouse
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Additional Research ◽  
Cognitive Differences ◽  
Adult Age ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Adult Age Differences ◽  
Potential Moderator

To the extent that adult age differences in measures of cognitive performance have implications for functioning outside the psychological laboratory, the question of the role of experience as a potential moderator of these differences becomes extremely important. Three categories of research relevant to this issue are reviewed, and methodological limitations of each type of research are discussed. Although it is frequently asserted that experience minimizes cognitive differences associated with aging, the evidence currently available does not appear consistent with a strong experiential moderation of age-related effects in cognitive performance. However, the paucity of relevant studies and the methodological weaknesses of those that do exist preclude a definitive conclusion at the present time. Additional research with improved methodology is necessary before strong conclusions can be reached concerning effects of experience on age differences in cognition.

scholarly journals Cognitive outcomes in meningioma patients undergoing surgery: individual changes over time and predictors of late cognitive functioning

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 911-922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie J M Rijnen ◽  
Ikram Meskal ◽  
Marjan Bakker ◽  
Wouter De Baene ◽  
Geert-Jan M Rutten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Cognitive Rehabilitation ◽  
Cognitive Outcomes ◽  
Cognitive Outcome ◽  
Normative Sample ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Preoperative Predictors ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background Meningioma patients are known to face cognitive deficits before and after surgery. We examined individual changes in cognitive performance over time and identified preoperative predictors of cognitive functioning 12 months after surgery in a large sample of meningioma patients. Methods Patients underwent neuropsychological assessment (NPA) using CNS Vital Signs 1 day before (T0) and 3 (T3) and 12 (T12) months after surgery. Patients’ sociodemographically corrected scores on 7 cognitive domains were compared with performance of a normative sample using one-sample z tests and chi-square tests of independence. Reliable change indices with correction for practice effects were calculated for individual patients. Linear mixed effects models were used to identify preoperative predictors of performance at T12. Results At T0, 261 patients were assessed, and 229 and 82 patients were retested at T3 and T12, respectively. Patients showed impaired cognitive performance before and after surgery, and although performance improved on the group level, cognitive scores remained significantly lower than in the normative sample up to T12. On the individual level, performance remained stable in the majority of patients. Better preoperative performance, younger age, male sex, and higher educational level predicted better late cognitive performance. Conclusions Meningioma patients face serious and persistent pre- and postsurgical cognitive deficits. A preoperative NPA together with sociodemographic characteristics may provide valuable information on the late cognitive outcome of individual meningioma patients. These results can help to inform patients and clinicians on late cognitive outcomes at an early stage, and emphasizes the importance of presurgical NPA and timely cognitive rehabilitation.

Research Report: Metacognition and School Mathematics

1987 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 22-23
Author(s):  
Leroy G. Callahan ◽  
Joe Garofalo
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
Mathematical Tasks ◽  
Research Report ◽  
Working Through ◽  
Mathematics Educators ◽  
Cognitive Actions

Metacognition refers to the knowledge and control one has of one's cognitive functioning, that is, what one knows about one's cognitive performance and how one regulates one's cognitive actions during performance. In recent years, a growing number of psychologists and educators have been discussing and investigating the role and significance of metacognition on various aspects of academic performance (Flavell 1979). Most of the theorizing and research concerning metacognition has been in reference to performance on reading and memory tasks (Baker and Brown 1984; Schneider 1985), but lately mathematics educators have begun studying the role of metacognition in the performance of mathematical tasks. These mathematics educators are convinced that what one knows or believes about oneself as a learner and doer of mathematics and how one controls and regulates one's behaviors while working through mathematical tasks can have powerful effects on one's performance (Garofalo and Lester 1985; Kilpatrick 1984; Schoenfeld, in press; Silver 1985).

Difference Between Young and Old Adults’ Performance on the Psychology Experiment Building Language (PEBL) Test Battery: What Is the Role of Familiarity With Technology in Cognitive Performance?

Assessment ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 107319112091801
Author(s):  
Federica Scarpina ◽  
Federico D’Agata ◽  
Lorenzo Priano ◽  
Alessandro Mauro
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Test Battery ◽  
Attitudes Toward Computers ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Old Adults ◽  
The Difference

Objective: The Psychology Experiment Building Language (PEBL) Test Battery is a recent computerized software for the assessment of cognitive functioning in clinical and healthy populations. However, its applicability for the assessment of old adults and the role of level of familiarity with technology on performance have not been tested. Method: To verify if PEBL Test Battery is sensitive to aging cognitive decline, we assessed young and older adults’ performance on the neuropsychological tests relative to the following domains: verbal and visuospatial short-term memory, selective attention, inhibition to interference, planning and problem-solving, set-shifting, and cognitive flexibility. The difference between the two groups was studied taking into account the self-reported level of familiarity with technology, measured through the Attitudes Toward Computers Questionnaire. Results: Old participants showed a lower level of cognitive performance compared with the younger group, in line with the traditional literature about cognitive function decline in aging. However, this difference was not related to the level of familiarity with technology. Conclusion: Our descriptive study seemed to support the applicability of PEBL Test Battery for testing old adults’ cognitive functioning. However, some criticisms and future improvements about this computerized battery were discussed for its applicability in clinical, rehabilitative and research contexts.

scholarly journals Sex Moderates the Relationship that Number of Professional Fights has with Cognition and Brain Volumes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren L. Bennett ◽  
Steve Stephen ◽  
Charles Bernick ◽  
Guogen Shan ◽  
Sarah J. Banks
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Brain Volumes ◽  
Regional Brain ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Structural Brain

ABSTRACTObjectiveIncidence of concussions and report of symptoms are greater amongst women across sports. While structural brain changes and cognitive declines are associated with repetitive head impact (RHI), the role of sex is not well understood. This study aimed to determine if there is a moderating effect of sex on the relationship number of professional fights has with cognitive functioning and regional brain volumes in a cohort of boxers, mixed martial artists, and martial artists.Methods55 women were matched with 55 men based on age, years of education, ethnicity, and fighting style. Cognition was assessed via CNS Vital Signs computerized cognitive battery and supplemental measures. Structural brain scans, demographic data, and number of professional fights (NoPF) were also considered. Matched pairs were compared via analysis of covariance, accounting for total brain volume. Within-subject moderation models were utilized to assess the moderating effect of sex on the relationship between NoPF and brain volumes and cognitive performance.ResultsMen were observed to have poorer performance on measures of psychomotor speed when compared to women. On a series of analyses assessing the role of sex as a moderator of the relationship between NoPF and regional brain volumes/cognitive performance, a significant moderation effect was observed across multiple measures of cognitive functioning, such that men had poorer performance. Differences in numerous regional brain volumes were also observed, such that the relationship between NoPF and brain volumes was steeper amongst men.ConclusionSex was observed to be an important moderator in the relationship between NoPF, aspects of cognitive functioning, and volumes of numerous brain regions, suggesting that sex differences in neuroanatomic and cognitive response to RHI deserve further attention.

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