scholarly journals B-15 Engagement in Cognitively-Demanding Activities in Daily Life is Associated with Neurocognitive Test Performance and Perceived Cognitive Difficulties Among Adults With and Without HIV

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 959-960
Author(s):  
E Paolillo ◽  
M Hussain ◽  
R Moore ◽  
D Moore ◽  
R Heaton
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Neurocognitive Impairment ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Everyday Functioning ◽  
Total Frequency ◽  
Cognitive Difficulties ◽  
Neurocognitive Test

Abstract Objective Assessing daily activities is important for understanding how cognitive abilities affect everyday functioning. We evaluated a new measure capturing engagement in cognitively-demanding activities among people with and without HIV, and examined associations with neurocognitive test performance and perceived cognitive difficulties. Method Participants included 79 adults (59 HIV+, 20 HIV-) enrolled in studies at UCSD (mean age = 55.1; SD = 13.1). Domain-specific composite scaled scores measured neurocognitive functioning as continuous variables. Demographically-corrected global deficit scores determined neurocognitive impairment. Perceived cognitive difficulties were self-reported via the Everyday Cognition scale (ECog). The newly created, self-report Frequency and Difficulty of Activities Scale (FDAS) measured frequency of engagement in 27 cognitively-demanding activities [0 = Never to 10 = Once a day or more] in the last month. FDAS “total frequency score” sums all frequency ratings. Participants also rated difficulty performing each FDAS activity [0 = Not at all to 10 = Extremely]. FDAS “difficult-activity score” sums frequency ratings only for activities that participants identified as difficult for them (i.e., difficulty rating >75th percentile of sample). Results Higher FDAS total frequency scores correlated with better verbal fluency (r = 0.26, p = 0.019) and processing speed (r = 0.24, p = 0.030). Multiple regression revealed a significant interaction between cognitive impairment and frequency of engagement in difficult activities (b = 0.34, 95%CI = 0.18-0.50, p < 0.001), such that higher FDAS difficult-activity scores related to more perceived cognitive difficulties only among cognitively impaired participants. Conclusion This study explored use of a new measure of complex daily activities to aid neuropsychological interpretation. Results suggest that effects of neurocognitive impairment on perceived cognitive difficulties may only be apparent if individuals are attempting to perform challenging everyday tasks.

Performance-based everyday functional competence measures across the adult lifespan: the role of cognitive abilities

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (12) ◽  
pp. 2059-2069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Borella ◽  
Alessandra Cantarella ◽  
Emilie Joly ◽  
Paolo Ghisletta ◽  
Elena Carbone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Processing Speed ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Text Comprehension ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Everyday Functioning ◽  
Adult Lifespan ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Effect Of Age

ABSTRACTBackground:The effects of age on the ability to manage everyday functioning, crucial to ensure a healthy aging process, have been rarely examined and when, self-report measures have been used. The aim of the present study was to examine age effects across the adult lifespan in everyday functioning with two performance-based measures: the Everyday Problems Test (EPT), and the Timed Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (TIADL) tasks. The role of some crucial cognitive abilities, i.e. working memory (WM), processing speed, reasoning, vocabulary, and text comprehension in the EPT and the TIADL were also assessed to see whether or not they have a similar influence (and to what extent) in accounting for age-related effects in these two performance-based measures.Method:Two hundred and seventy-six healthy participants, from 40 to 89 years of age were presented with the EPT, the TIADL, as well as WM, processing speed, reasoning, text comprehension, and vocabulary tasks.Results:Path models indicated an indirect effect of age and education on the EPT, which was mediated by all the cognitive variables considered, with WM and reasoning being the strongest predictors of performance. An indirect quadratic effect of age, but not of education, was found on the TIADL score, and an accelerated decline in processing speed mediated the relationship between age and the TIADL score.ConclusionThis study revealed age-related effects in performance-based measures, which are mediated by different cognitive abilities depending on the measure considered. The findings highlight the importance of assessing everyday functioning even in healthy older adults.

scholarly journals Much of the Neurocognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia is Due to Factors Other Than Schizophrenia Itself: Implications for Research and Treatment

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Moritz ◽  
Steven M Silverstein ◽  
Thomas Beblo ◽  
Zeynep Özaslan ◽  
Mathias Zink ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Cognitive Remediation ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Neurocognitive Impairment ◽  
Neurocognitive Performance ◽  
Medication Effects ◽  
Neurocognitive Test ◽  
Neuropsychological Tasks ◽  
Defeatist Performance Beliefs ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract Patients with schizophrenia perform worse on neuropsychological tasks than controls. While most experts ascribe poor performance to neurocognitive impairment, an emerging literature is identifying important nonspecific mediators of neurocognitive test performance, some of which can be accounted for in trials (eg, motivation, effort, defeatist performance beliefs, stress, anxiety, physical inactivity). Other factors are harder, if not impossible, to control when patients are compared to non-clinical participants (eg, hospitalization, medication effects, distraction due to positive symptoms). Effect sizes of neurocognitive performance differences are usually not adjusted for these confounders, and the level of neurocognitive impairment due to schizophrenia is thus likely exaggerated. We suggest some ways for researchers to account for the effects of these mediators. Secondary influences that negatively affect neurocognitive performance should not be treated as mere noise. They give important insight into causal mechanisms and may inform more effective treatments that go beyond cognitive remediation.

Associations between private speech, behavioral self-regulation, and cognitive abilities

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 508-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuija Aro ◽  
Anna-Maija Poikkeus ◽  
Marja-Leena Laakso ◽  
Asko Tolvanen ◽  
Timo Ahonen
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Private Speech ◽  
Preschool Teacher ◽  
Neurocognitive Tests ◽  
Neurocognitive Test

We examined the associations between 5-year-old children’s private speech, behavioural self-regulation, and cognitive abilities. Behavioural self-regulation was assessed using parental and preschool teacher questionnaires. Cognitive abilities (i.e., language, inhibition, planning and fluency, and memory) were assessed with neurocognitive tests, and the effectiveness of private speech (i.e., whether the child performs better when using speech than when not using speech) with the Hammer Task. About 43% of the children used private speech spontaneously, and about 76% performed better on the Hammer Task when they used speech. Associations between behavioural self-regulation and speech effectiveness were few, but all cognitive scores were significantly associated with the speech effectiveness score, i.e., the poorer the child’s neurocognitive test performance was, the more he/she benefited from using speech. The findings lend support to the relevance of children’s cognitive abilities when seeking understanding on the development, use, and effectiveness of private speech.

HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders

2019 ◽  
pp. 27-60
Author(s):  
Jennifer E.  Iudicello ◽  
Erin E. Morgan ◽  
Mariam A. Hussain ◽  
Caitlin Wei-Ming Watson ◽  
Robert K. Heaton
Keyword(s):  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Neurocognitive Impairment ◽  
Hiv Treatment ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Neurocognitive Disorder ◽  
Diagnostic Systems ◽  
Neurocognitive Performance ◽  
Everyday Functioning ◽  
Asymptomatic Neurocognitive Impairment ◽  
Age Related

Human immunodeficiency virus enters the central nervous system (CNS) early after systemic infection, and may cause neural injury and associated neurocognitive impairment through multiple direct and indirect mechanisms. An international conference of multidisciplinary neuroAIDS experts convened in 2005 to propose operationalized research criteria for HIV-related cognitive and everyday functioning impairments. The resulting classification system, known as the Frascati criteria, defined three types of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND): asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment, mild neurocognitive disorder, and HIV-associated dementia (HAD). Consideration of comorbid conditions that can influence neurocognitive performance, such as developmental disabilities, non-HIV forms of CNS compromise (neurological and systemic), severe psychiatric conditions, and substance use disorders, is essential to differential diagnosis. Since the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), rates of severe HAND (i.e., HAD) have greatly declined, although the milder forms of HAND remain quite prevalent, even in virally suppressed people living with HIV (PLWH). Beyond ART, clinical management of HAND includes behavioral interventions focused on neurocognitive and functional improvements. This chapter covers a range of HAND-related topics, such as the neuropathological mechanisms of HIV-related CNS injury, assessment and diagnostic systems for neurocognitive and everyday functioning impairment in HIV, treatment and protective factors, aging with HIV, HAND in international settings, and ongoing challenges and controversies in the field. Future needs for progress with HAND include advances in early detection of mild cognitive deficits and associated functional impairment in PLWH; biomarkers that may be sensitive to its underlying pathogenesis; and differential diagnosis of HAND versus age-related, non-HIV-associated disorders.

scholarly journals Clinical Profiles and Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Adults with Specific Learning Disorder in Northern Greece

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 602
Author(s):  
Eleni Bonti ◽  
Sofia Giannoglou ◽  
Marianthi Georgitsi ◽  
Maria Sofologi ◽  
Georgia-Nektaria Porfyri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adult Population ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Learning Disorder ◽  
Northern Greece ◽  
Everyday Functioning ◽  
Specific Learning Disorder ◽  
Specific Learning

The manifestation of Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) during adulthood is one of the least examined research areas among the relevant literature. Therefore, the adult population with SLD is considered a “rare” and “unique” population of major scientific interest. The aim of the current study was to investigate, describe, and analyze the clinical, academic, and socio-demographic characteristics, and other everyday functioning life-skills of adults with SLD, in an attempt to shed more light on this limited field of research. The overall sample consisted of 318 adults, who were assessed for possible SLD. The diagnostic procedure included self-report records (clinical interview), psychometric/cognitive, and learning assessments. The main finding of the study was that SLD, even during adulthood, continues to affect the individuals’ well-being and functionality in all of their life domains. There is an ongoing struggle of this population to obtain academic qualifications in order to gain vocational rehabilitation, as well as a difficulty to create a family, possibly resulting from their unstable occupational status, their financial insecurity, and the emotional/self-esteem issues they usually encounter, due to their ongoing learning problems. Moreover, the various interpersonal characteristics, the comorbidity issues, and the different developmental backgrounds observed in the clinical, academic, personal, social, and occupational profiles of the participants, highlight the enormous heterogeneity and the continuum that characterizes SLD during adulthood. We conclude that there is an imperative need for further research and the construction of more sufficient tools for the assessment and diagnosis of SLD during adulthood, which will take into account the developmental challenges and milestones in a series of domains, in order to assist this “vulnerable” population with their life struggles.

scholarly journals NCOG-70. RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF A NEW SELF-REPORT INDEX OF COGNITIVE CONCERNS IN BRAIN TUMOR PATIENTS

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii145-ii145
Author(s):  
Giuliana Zarrella ◽  
Alice Perez ◽  
Jorg Dietrich ◽  
Michael Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Brain Tumor ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Measurement Information ◽  
Patient Reported

Abstract INTRODUCTION Subjective cognitive dysfunction is an important outcome measure in neuro-oncology and may provide additional information beyond performance-based neuropsychological testing. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain (FACT-Br) is a frequently used quality of life (QoL) measure that includes indices of physical, emotional, social, and neurologic aspects of disease, but does not measure cognitive concerns. This study seeks to develop and validate an index of self-reported cognition derived from existing items on the FACT-Br. METHODS 145 patients (Mage=51.08, Medu=15.63) with heterogeneous brain tumor diagnoses completed neuropsychological evaluation including cognitive testing and self-report measures. Nine FACT-Br items regarding cognition were combined to form the Cognitive Index (CI). Reliability of the CI was measured with Cronbach’s alpha. Concurrent validity was assessed by correlating the CI with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Cognitive Abilities-8 or PROMIS Cognitive Concerns-8. Discriminant validity was assessed by correlation of the CI with other FACT-Br indices and the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories (BDI, BAI). RESULTS Internal consistency within the CI was high (Cronbach’s a 0.864). The CI correlated strongly with the PROMIS-Abilities (r =.680; p&lt; 0.001) and PROMIS-Concerns (r=.780; p&lt; 0.001) indicating high convergent validity. Moderate correlations were observed between the CI and the physical and functional subscales of the FACT (r=.453 and .555), whereas correlations with the social and emotional functioning subscales were weaker (r=.381 and .325). The FACT-Br-CI correlated strongly with BDI (r=-.622) and more weakly with the BAI (r=-.344). Consistent with prior literature, the CI showed modest correlations with neuropsychological measures, including verbal memory encoding (r=.300), verbal fluency (r=.252) and a composite measure of cognition (r=.249; all p’s&lt; .01). CONCLUSIONS The FACT-Br-CI is a reliable and valid measure of self-reported cognition. Studies that include the FACT-Br could be retrospectively analyzed to assess self-reported cognitive outcomes, enriching the information gained from prior research.

scholarly journals Detecting the significance of changes in performance on the Stroop Color-Word Test, Rey's Verbal Learning Test, and the Letter Digit Substitution Test: The regression-based change approach

2007 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
WIM VAN DER ELST ◽  
MARTIN P.J. VAN BOXTEL ◽  
GERARD J.P. VAN BREUKELEN ◽  
JELLE JOLLES
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Color Word ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Change Score ◽  
Total Recall ◽  
Word Test ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Stroop Color Word Test ◽  
Learning Test

Serial neuropsychological assessment is often conducted to monitor changes in the cognitive abilities of individuals over time. Because practice effects occur and the reliability of test scores is less than perfect, it is difficult to judge whether varying test results should be attributed to chance trends or to real changes in underlying cognitive abilities. In a large sample of adults (age range, 49–81 years), we evaluated the influence of age, gender, and education on test–retest changes in performance after 3 years on Rey's Verbal Learning Test (VLT), the Stroop Color-Word Test (SCWT), and the Letter Digit Substitution Test (LDST). A new statistical method was applied to assess the significance of changes in test performance (i.e., the regression-based change method). The results showed that test–retest changes differed as a function of age for the VLT Total recall 1–3, VLT Total recall 1–5, VLT Delayed recall, and LDST measures. An age × gender interaction was found for the SCWT Interference change score, suggesting that the age-related decline in executive functioning after 3 years was more pronounced for males than for females. A normative change table with appropriate corrections for the relevant independent variables was established. (JINS, 2008,14, 71–80.)

scholarly journals A Comparative Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Concussion on a Computerized Neurocognitive Test and Self-Reported Symptoms

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (9) ◽  
pp. 834-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bara Alsalaheen ◽  
Kayla Stockdale ◽  
Dana Pechumer ◽  
Steven P. Broglio ◽  
Gregory F. Marchetti
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Fixed Effects Model ◽  
Symptom Scale ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Neurocognitive Test

Context:  Meta-analyses examining construct-specific cognitive impairment concurrently with self-reported symptoms postconcussion are sparse. Objective:  To review the literature on the effects of concussion on construct-specific neurocognitive declines and to compare them with self-reported symptoms before 1 week and between 1 and 3 weeks postconcussion. Data Sources:  Relevant studies in PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO published from January 1, 1999 through November 30, 2015. Study Selection:  Studies were included if participants completed the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) before and after concussion and if test performance and Postconcussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) scores were reported at both times. Data Extraction:  After reviewing the full texts, we extracted data from 17 studies consisting of 29 independent samples; therefore, this meta-analysis consisted of 1777 unique participants. Data Synthesis:  The Hedges g effect size (ES) was estimated. A random-effects or fixed-effects model was used based on heterogeneity findings. When heterogeneity was present, we used meta-regression to assess unexplained between-studies variance. Within the first week of injury, the ESs were small to moderate for cognitive declines, ranging from −0.43 (95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.52, −0.35) to −0.67 (95% CI = −0.77, −0.58), and large for the PCSS score (Hedges g = −0.81; 95% CI = −0.91, −0.71). After 1 week, the ESs for cognitive declines (Hedges g range = −0.25 [95% CI = −0.35, −0.15] to −0.37 [95% CI = −0.55, −0.19]) and PCSS score (Hedges g = −0.38; 95% CI = −0.53, −0.22) were also small. Within 2 weeks of injury, PCSS score and time since injury weakly moderated the cognitive ES. Conclusions:  When a neurocognitive test was administered within 1 week of injury, the ES was larger for self-reported symptoms than for ImPACT scores generated at the same session. After 1 week of injury, the ESs for ImPACT and PCSS scores were comparable. If the athlete reports symptoms within 1 week of injury, administering a cognitive test does not appear to offer additional information to the clinician. However, if the athlete does not report symptoms postconcussion, cognitive testing may inform the clinical management of the injury.

scholarly journals Hand preference and Mathematical Learning Difficulties: New data from Greece, the United Kingdom, and Germany and two meta-analyses of the literature

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marietta Papadatou-Pastou ◽  
Despoina A. Panagiotidou ◽  
Filippo Abbondanza ◽  
Ursula Fischer ◽  
Silvia Paracchini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Learning Difficulties ◽  
Hand Preference ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Special Educational Needs ◽  
Mathematical Learning ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Combining Data ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Mathematical Learning Difficulties

Increased rates of atypical handedness are observed in neurotypical individuals who are low-performing in mathematical tasks as well as in individuals with special educational needs, such as dyslexia. This is the first investigation of handedness in individuals with Mathematical Learning Difficulties (MLD). We report three new studies (N = 134; N = 1,893; N = 153) and two sets of meta-analyses (22 studies; N = 3,667). No difference in atypical hand preference between MLD and Typically Achieving (TA) individuals was found when handedness was assessed with self-report questionnaires, but weak evidence of a difference was found when writing hand was the handedness criterion in Study 1 (p = .049). Similarly, when combining data meta-analytically, no hand preference differences were detected. We suggest that: (i) potential handedness effects require larger samples, (ii) direction of hand preference is not a sensitive enough measure of handedness in this context, or that (iii) increased rates of atypical hand preference are not associated with MLD. The latter scenario would suggest that handedness is specifically linked to language-related conditions rather than conditions related to cognitive abilities at large. Future studies need to consider hand skill and degree of hand preference in MLD.

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