A-80 Global Neuropsychological Assessment (GNA): Preliminary Evidence of Clinical Utility

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 940-940
Author(s):  
J Raines ◽  
A Carroll ◽  
L Morra ◽  
D Schretlen
Keyword(s):  
Neuropsychological Assessment ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Disorders ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Medical Psychology ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Significant Group

Abstract Objective The Global Neuropsychological Assessment (GNA) is an 18-minute cognitive test battery with seven subtests that is being translated into multiple languages and standardized worldwide. This study seeks to evaluate the GNA’s ability to discriminate patients from healthy controls. Data Selection We are recruiting adults who are referred to the Johns Hopkins Medical Psychology Clinic for neuropsychological assessment, along with caregivers or family members who accompany them for this ongoing study. We have administered the GNA to 10 patients with mild cognitive impairment or another disorder and 22 healthy controls to date. Data Synthesis Patients and healthy controls did not differ on age, sex, or years of education.Independent samples t-tests showed that patients performed worse than healthy controls (p < 0.05) on 14 measures derived from five of seven GNA subtests. These included measures of episodic memory, processing speed, semantic verbal fluency, set-switching, and spatial working memory. Cohen’s d effect sizes of 1.0 to 2.2 were observed. The groups did not differ on tests of digit repetition or an anxiety/depression screener (Patient Health Questionnaire-4) although these revealed small to medium group differences (Cohen’s ds = 0.27 to 0.71) as well. Conclusions Five of seven GNA subtests effectively discriminated controls from patients with mixed cognitive disorders. If effect sizes found for the other two GNA subtests persist, they also will show significant group differences as the sample sizes increase. In related studies, we are examining inter-form equivalence and other psychometric properties of the GNA.

scholarly journals Impairment in Theory of Mind in Parkinson’s Disease Is Explained by Deficits in Inhibition

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Foley ◽  
Claire Lancaster ◽  
Elena Poznyak ◽  
Olga Borejko ◽  
Elaine Niven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Convincing Evidence ◽  
Social Reasoning ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Significant Group

Objective. Several studies have reported that people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) perform poorly on tests of ‘Theory of Mind’ (ToM), suggesting impairment in the ability to understand and infer other people’s thoughts and feelings. However, few studies have sought to separate the processes involved in social reasoning from those involved in managing the inhibitory demands on these tests. In this study, we investigated the contribution of inhibition to ToM performance in PD. Methods. 18 PD patients and 22 age-matched healthy controls performed a ToM test that separates the ability to infer someone else’s perspective from the ability to inhibit one’s own. Participants also completed a battery of standard measures of social and executive functioning, including measures of inhibition. Results. The PD patients performed worse on the ToM test only when the inhibitory demands were high. When the level of inhibition required was reduced, there were no significant group differences. Furthermore, executive impairments in PD patients were limited to measures of inhibition, with disadvantages associated with poorer ToM performance in this group. Conclusions. This study provides convincing evidence that the apparent impairment observed on ToM tests in PD is explained by deficits in inhibition.

Attenuated Readiness Potential in the Absence of Executive Dysfunction in Adults With ADHD

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo-Kyung Seo ◽  
Gudrun Sartory ◽  
Bernhard Kis ◽  
Norbert Scherbaum ◽  
Bernhard W. Müller
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Adult Adhd ◽  
Motor Planning ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Readiness Potential ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Verbal Iq

Objective: Patients with ADHD display a decreased contingent negative variation in Go/NoGo tasks. It is unclear whether the attenuation is due to deficits of executive function or to disorder of motor planning. The readiness potential (RP) recorded during self-initiated movements could cast light on this question. Method: RP was recorded in 25 stably medicated adult ADHD patients and 21 healthy controls matched for age, education, and verbal IQ. Participants also completed neuropsychological tests of executive function. Results: Compared with healthy controls, ADHD patients showed significantly diminished RP peaks and also decreased negativity in preparation of the movement at frontal locations. There were no significant group differences with regard to tests of executive function. Conclusion: In adults with ADHD, deficits of motor organization are also manifest in situations not involving external stimulus processing. The attenuated RP occurred in the absence of executive dysfunction. Results are consistent with partial independence between motor and executive dysfunction in ADHD.

scholarly journals Preliminary evidence of motor impairment among polysubstance 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine users with intact neuropsychological functioning

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1047-1055 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHAD A. BOUSMAN ◽  
MARIANA CHERNER ◽  
KRISTEN T. EMORY ◽  
DANIEL BARRON ◽  
PATRICIA GREBENSTEIN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuropsychological Functioning ◽  
Neuropsychological Testing ◽  
Motor Impairment ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Motor Speed ◽  
Motor Impairments ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Lifetime Number ◽  
Other Substances

AbstractNeuropsychological disturbances have been reported in association with use of the recreational drug “ecstasy,” or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), but findings have been inconsistent. We performed comprehensive neuropsychological testing examining seven ability domains in 21 MDMA users (MDMA+) and 21 matched control participants (MDMA−). Among MDMA+ participants, median [interquartile range] lifetime MDMA use was 186 [111, 516] doses, with 120 [35–365] days of abstinence. There were no significant group differences in neuropsychological performance, with the exception of the motor speed/dexterity domain in which 43% of MDMA+ were impaired compared with 5% of MDMA− participants (p= .004). Motor impairment differences were not explained by use of other substances and were unrelated to length of abstinence or lifetime number of MDMA doses. Findings provide limited evidence for neuropsychological differences between MDMA+ and MDMA− participants with the exception of motor impairments observed in the MDMA+ group. However, replication of this finding in a larger sample is warranted. (JINS, 2010,16, 1047–1055.)

scholarly journals A-081 Cognitive Reserve Factors Influence Neuropsychological Performance in Alcohol Use Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 873-873
Author(s):  
Mcnally S ◽  
Syan S ◽  
Hargreaves T ◽  
Sarles Whittlesley H ◽  
McIntyre-Wood C ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Psychosocial Functioning ◽  
Alcohol Use Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Neuropsychological Performance ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Card Sort

Abstract Objective Cognitive reserve (CR) refers to the brain’s capacity to cope with pathology and preserve functioning. We investigated cognitive performance between individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and healthy controls to examine whether CR, operationalized as education and psychosocial functioning, influences neuropsychological functioning. Method We recruited 45 AUD (DSM-V criteria) who reported drinking levels exceeding NIAAA guidelines (&gt;14/7 drinks/week for men/women) and 30 healthy controls who did not. MANCOVAs controlling for CR were used to investigate between-group differences in neuropsychological performance, as measured by the NIH Toolbox. A series of linear regression analyses were also performed to evaluate effects of AUD and CR on neuropsychological performance. Psychosocial functioning, education, and AUD status were simultaneously entered as predictors of Flanker, Dimensional Change Card Sort, Picture Sequence, List Sort, and Processing Speed scores. Results MANCOVAs revealed a significantly slower processing speed in the AUD group compared to controls when controlling for CR (F = 4.30, p = .042). There were no significant group differences on other tests. Linear regressions showed only processing speed to be predicted by AUD (β = −.255, p = .042), while CR measures were not. Education predicted Picture Sequence (β = .245, p = .041) and Card Sort (β = .291, p = .009) performance, and psychosocial functioning predicted Flanker (β = .296, p = .021) and Card Sort (β = .316, p = .010) performance. Conclusions CR appears to contribute to higher-order cognitive functions, regardless of AUD status. Only processing speed, a domain typically susceptible to brain pathology, was significantly related to AUD. Thus, factors linked to CR may serve as important targets for future research and intervention in AUD to promote favorable cognitive outcomes.

scholarly journals Neuropsychological function after endovascular and neurosurgical treatment of subarachnoid hemorrhage: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 768-776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Egeto ◽  
R. Loch Macdonald ◽  
Tisha J. Ornstein ◽  
Tom A. Schweizer
Keyword(s):  
Older Patients ◽  
Neuropsychological Functioning ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Posterior Circulation ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Endovascular Coiling ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Surgical Clipping ◽  
Influence Effect

OBJECTIVESubarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is treated with either surgical clipping or endovascular coiling, though the latter is the preferred treatment method given its more favorable functional outcomes. However, neuropsychological functioning after treatment is rarely taken into account. In this meta-analysis, the authors synthesized relevant data from the literature and compared neuropsychological functioning in patients after coiling and clipping of SAH. They hypothesized that the coiled patients would outperform the clipped patients; that group differences would be greater with higher posterior circulation rupture rates, in older patients, and in more recent publications; that group differences would be smaller with greater rates of middle cerebral artery (MCA) rupture; and that anterior communicating artery (ACoA) rupture rates would not influence effect sizes.METHODSThe MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO databases were searched for clinical studies that compared neuropsychological functioning after either endovascular coiling or surgical clipping for SAH. Hedge's g and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using random effects models. Patients who had undergone coiling or clipping were compared on test performance in 8 neuropsychological domains: executive functions, language, attention/processing speed, verbal memory, visual memory, spatial memory, visuospatial functions, and intelligence. Patients were also compared with healthy controls, and meta-regressions were used to explore the relation between effect sizes and publication year, delay between treatment and neuropsychological testing, mean patient age, and rates of posterior circulation, ACoA, and MCA ruptures.RESULTSThirteen studies with 396 clipped cases, 314 coiled cases, and 169 healthy controls were included in the study. The coil-treated patients outperformed the clip-treated patients on executive function (g = 0.17, 95% CI 0.08–0.25) and language tests (g = 0.23, 95% CI 0.07–0.39), and all patients were impaired relative to healthy controls (g ranged from −0.93 to −0.29). Coiled patients outperformed clipped patients to a greater degree in more recent publications, over longer posttreatment testing delays, and among older patients. Higher rates of posterior circulation and MCA aneurysms were associated with smaller group differences, while ACoA rupture rates did not influence effect sizes.CONCLUSIONSCoiling of SAH may promote superior neuropsychological functioning under certain circumstances and could have applications for the specialized care of SAH patients.

scholarly journals M165. CEREBELLAR VOLUMES REDUCED IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA BASED ON ANATOMICAL, TASK-FREE AND TASK-BASED FUNCTIONAL PARCELLATIONS

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S199-S199
Author(s):  
Yi Wang ◽  
Cheng-cheng Pu ◽  
Yi-jing Zhang ◽  
Xin-lu Cai ◽  
Yun-si Liang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Motor Functions ◽  
Frontoparietal Network ◽  
Age Related ◽  
And Task

Abstract Background Cerebellum is not only responsible for motor functions but is also involving in cognitive and emotional processes (Strick et al. 2009). Recent advances in imaging technologies allow us to examine the cerebellum in a much more systematic way including functional parcellations of cerebellum (e.g. 7-Network parcellation based on the resting state functional connectivity, Buckner et al., 2011; and task-based functional parcellation, King et al., 2019). These functional parcellations further uncover the important roles of cerebellum in non-motor functions. In the past two decades, altered cerebellar structure and function have been observed in schizophrenia patients, with the anterior (lobules III-V) and the posterior cerebellum (lobules VI, VIIa, Crus I, and Crus II, VIII) as regions commonly reported (Bernard & Mittal 2015). Using the 7-Network task-free parcellation, a recent multisite mega-analysis reported that patients with schizophrenia exhibited robust grey matter reduction in cerebellum (Moberget et al., 2018). The present study aimed to examine the cerebellar grey matter volumes in schizophrenia patients using anatomical, task-free connectivity-based and task-based functional parcellations. We also explored how the cerebellar volumes changes along with age in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. Methods Twenty-nine patients with schizophrenia (SCZ, mean age = 22.0±2.5 years) and 55 healthy controls (HC, mean age = 23.5±3.6 years) were recruited to undertake structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan on a GE 750 scanner. Cerebellar volumes were measured by a high-resolution Spatially Unbiased Infratentorial (SUIT) toolbox (Diedrichsen, 2006). Regional cerebellar grey matter volumes were calculated for each participant based on anatomical (SUIT atlas) and functional atlases (7 regions of task-free parcellation; 10 regions of task-based parcellation) of the cerebellum. The group comparisons on regional cerebellar volumes were conducted in SPSS v19.0, taking total ICV as a covariate. The correlations between age and cerebellar volumes of those regions showing significant group differences were conducted. The significance threshold was set at p &lt; 0.05. Results Regarding the anatomical atlas, SCZ patients exhibited reduced grey matter volumes of the superior posterior cerebellum, mainly in lobules Crus II, VIIb and VIIIa. Regarding the task-free parcellation, SCZ patients exhibited smaller volumes in cerebellar regions showing functional connectivity with frontoparietal network and default mode network. Regarding the task-based parcellation, smaller volumes of cerebellar regions that activated during verbal fluency task (ROI9) was observed in SCZ patients. Correlation analyses between age and cerebellar volumes of those regions with significant group differences further reported negative correlations between age and lobule Crus II in both SCZ patients and HC (SCZ: r = -0.44, p &lt; 0.05; HC: r = -0.43, p = 0.001). Moreover, negative correlations between age and cerebellar regions showing functional connectivity with frontoparietal network was observed in HC only (r = -0.30, p &lt; 0.05), whereas negative correlations between age and lobules VIIb (r = -0.48, p &lt; 0.01), VIIIa (r = -0.39, p &lt; 0.05) and ROI9 of task-based atlas (r = -0.43, p &lt; 0.05) were observed in SCZ patients. Discussion Our findings showed reduced cerebellar grey matter volumes and the abnormal age-related changes of cerebellum in SCZ patients, especially in the regions related to frontoparietal network and cognitive function. These findings may highlight an important role of cerebellum underlying the mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction in mental disorders.

Startle Reactivity and Peritraumatic Dissociations in Acute Stress Disorder

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 185-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Elsesser ◽  
Claudia Freyth ◽  
Thomas Lohrmann ◽  
Gudrun Sartory
Keyword(s):  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Acute Stress Disorder ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Protective Mechanism ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Startle Magnitude ◽  
Dissociative Symptoms ◽  
Skin Conductance Responses

Startle reactions and their relationship to dissociative symptoms were assessed in acute stress disorder (ASD) patients. Electromyographic (EMG) responses, heart-rate reactions (HRR), and skin conductance responses (SCR) to startle stimuli were compared between victims of mixed traumatic events (n = 31) and healthy controls without trauma exposure (n = 20). All ASD patients met criteria for acute stress disorder (although 12 of them did not demonstrate the required number of dissociative symptoms). Compared to controls, ASD patients showed increased HRR and slower habituation, as well as increased SCRs to the startle stimuli. There were no significant group differences in relation to EMG responses. In ASD patients, reported intensity of peritraumatic dissociations was related to lower EMG startle magnitude and more rapid EMG habituation, suggesting a protective mechanism of dissociative symptoms that may come into effect in response to arousing situations and stimuli.

Spatial and Nonspatial Working Memory and Visual Search

2011 ◽  
Vol 108 (3) ◽  
pp. 893-907
Author(s):  
Junichi Takahashi ◽  
Takao Hatakeyama
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Visual Search ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Conjunction Search ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Search Rate ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
The Individual

It has been indicated that visual search is interfered with in spatial working memory (WM), although not in nonspatial WM. In this study, the effects on visual search of individual differences in spatial and nonspatial WM were examined. Two visual search conditions were used: a conjunction search condition comprising two features (color and shape) and a disjunction condition comprising only one feature (color or shape). 96 participants (42 men, 54 women, M age = 20.9 yr., SD = 3.5) participated in this study. The participants were divided into high and low WM groups based on their spatial and nonspatial WM test scores. As a result, statistically significant group differences in the conjunction search rate were observed in spatial WM but not in nonspatial WM. These results suggest there is a relationship between visual search and the individual spatial WM ability, but this does not hold for nonspatial WM.

Comparison of Auditory, Language, Memory, and Attention Abilities in Children With and Without Listening Difficulties

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 710-727
Author(s):  
Beula M. Magimairaj ◽  
Naveen K. Nagaraj ◽  
Alexander V. Sergeev ◽  
Natalie J. Benafield
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
Speed And Accuracy

Objectives School-age children with and without parent-reported listening difficulties (LiD) were compared on auditory processing, language, memory, and attention abilities. The objective was to extend what is known so far in the literature about children with LiD by using multiple measures and selective novel measures across the above areas. Design Twenty-six children who were reported by their parents as having LiD and 26 age-matched typically developing children completed clinical tests of auditory processing and multiple measures of language, attention, and memory. All children had normal-range pure-tone hearing thresholds bilaterally. Group differences were examined. Results In addition to significantly poorer speech-perception-in-noise scores, children with LiD had reduced speed and accuracy of word retrieval from long-term memory, poorer short-term memory, sentence recall, and inferencing ability. Statistically significant group differences were of moderate effect size; however, standard test scores of children with LiD were not clinically poor. No statistically significant group differences were observed in attention, working memory capacity, vocabulary, and nonverbal IQ. Conclusions Mild signal-to-noise ratio loss, as reflected by the group mean of children with LiD, supported the children's functional listening problems. In addition, children's relative weakness in select areas of language performance, short-term memory, and long-term memory lexical retrieval speed and accuracy added to previous research on evidence-based areas that need to be evaluated in children with LiD who almost always have heterogenous profiles. Importantly, the functional difficulties faced by children with LiD in relation to their test results indicated, to some extent, that commonly used assessments may not be adequately capturing the children's listening challenges. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12808607

Behavioral and emotional differences between children of divorce and children from intact families: Clinical significance and mediating processes *This study is part of a dissertation () supported from the German research community.

2002 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Schick
Keyword(s):  
Self Esteem ◽  
Research Community ◽  
Children Of Divorce ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Intact Families ◽  
Divorce Adjustment ◽  
Theoretical Assumptions ◽  
German Research ◽  
Clinically Significant

The following study is based on a sample of 241 9-13-year-old children (66 children from divorced parents, 175 children from non divorced parents). They were examined for differences regarding anxiety, self-esteem, different areas of competence, and degree of behavior problems. With a focus on the children’s experiences, the clinically significant differences were examined. Clinically significant differences, revealing more negative outcomes for the children of divorce, were only found for social anxiety and unstable performance. The frequency of clinical significant differences was independent of the length of time the parents had been separated. The perceived destructiveness of conflict between the parents one of four facets of interparental conflict in this study functioned as a central mediator of the statistically significant group differences. The children’s perception of the father’s social support was a less reliable indicator of variance. Further studies should try to make underlying theoretical assumptions about the effects of divorce more explicit, to distinguish clearly between mediating variables, and to investigate them with respect to specific divorce adjustment indicators.

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