Cognitive Functions across the GNB3C825TPolymorphism in an Elderly Italian Population

To verify whether theC825Tpolymorphism of the GNB3 influences the response to neuropsychological tests, mini-mental state examination, digit span (DS), immediate and delayed prose memory, memory with interference at 10 and 30 seconds (MI 10 and 30), trail making tests (TMTs) A and B, abstraction task, verbal fluency (VF) test, figure drawing and copying, overlapping figures test and clock test were performed in 220 elderly men and women free from clinical dementia and from neurological and psychiatric diseases randomly taken from the Italian general population and analysed across theC825Tpolymorphism. The performance of DS, immediate and delayed prose memory, VF, and TMTs was worse in subjects who were TT for the polymorphism in comparison to the C-carriers. The performance of all tests declined with age. In the case of DS, immediate and delayed prose memory, MI 10 and VF, this trend was maintained in the C-carriers but not in TT. In the case of prose memory, of memory with interference, and of VF, schooling reduced the detrimental interaction between age and genotype. TheC825Tpolymorphism of GNB3 gene therefore influences memory and verbal fluency, being additive to the effects of age and partially mitigated by schooling.

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Regression Based Prediction of Minimental State Examination Score Using the Tablet Based Trail Making Test

10.21203/rs.3.rs-110893/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kouki Kubo ◽

Seiji Hama ◽

Akira Furui ◽

Tomohiko Mizuguchi ◽

Akiko Yanagawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Function ◽

Neuropsychological Tests ◽

Mini Mental State Examination ◽

Stepwise Multiple Regression ◽

Trail Making Test ◽

Prediction Ability ◽

Paper Version ◽

Trail Making ◽

State Examination ◽

Completion Times

Abstract Trail making test (TMT) is one of the most extensively used neuropsychological tests. In this study, we examined the equivalence between the iPad version of TMT part A (iTMT-A) and the paper version of TMT part A (pTMT-A), and predicted the cognitive function with various data extracted from repeated TMT-A. Forty-two patients who performed five repeated TMT-A (1st–3rd: iTMT-A, 4th: pTMT-A, 5th: inverse version of iTMT-A) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were included. The Kruskal–Wallis one-way analysis of variance revealed no statistical differences between the completion times of iTMT-A and pTMT-A. Factors contributing to the MMSE prediction were selected by stepwise multiple regression analysis and Bland–Altman plots. Then, the prediction abilities of the three models—multiple linear, partial least squares (PLS), and neural network regression—were compared. When using the completion time, the linear regression model with the 1st–5th results exhibited the highest prediction ability. However, when the move time and dwell time were used, the multiple linear and PLS regression models using the 1st and 2nd iTMT-A data exhibited the highest prediction ability. Compared with pTMT-A, iTMT-A extracted a large amount of data with fewer repetitions, and the prediction accuracy of cognitive function was improved.

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Latent Structure of a Brief Clinical Battery of Neuropsychological Tests Administered In-Home Via Telephone

Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology ◽

10.1093/arclin/acaa111 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Anastasia Matchanova ◽

Michelle A Babicz ◽

Luis D Medina ◽

Samina Rahman ◽

Briana Johnson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Executive Functions ◽

Factor Structure ◽

Neuropsychological Tests ◽

Factor Model ◽

Digit Span ◽

Neuropsychological Battery ◽

Memory And Attention ◽

Sociodemographic Correlates ◽

List Learning ◽

Trail Making

Abstract Objective To examine the factor structure and sociodemographic correlates of a battery of clinical neuropsychological tests administered in-home and via telephone. Method Participants included 280 healthy adults who completed a 35–40 min battery consisting of seven auditory-verbal neuropsychological tests (i.e., 10 variables) that included digit span, list learning and memory, prospective memory, verbal fluency, and oral trail making. Results After removing oral trail making part A, a three-factor model comprised of executive functions, memory and attention demonstrated the best fit to the data. Nevertheless, the shared variance between the nine remaining neuropsychological variables was also adequately explained by a single-factor model and a two-factor model comprised of executive functions and memory. Factor scores were variably associated with education, race/ethnicity, and IQ, but not with sex or age. Conclusions Findings provide preliminary support for the feasibility and factor structure and sociodemographic correlates of a brief telephone-based screening neuropsychological battery comprised mostly of commonly administered clinical measures. Future studies are needed to determine the test–retest reliability, sensitivity, and ecological relevance of this battery, as well as equivalency to in-person assessment.

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Neuropsychological correlates of schizophrenic syndromes in patients treated with atypical neuroleptics

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(01)00591-0 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 16 (6) ◽

pp. 354-361 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

S. Moritz ◽

B. Andresen ◽

D. Jacobsen ◽

K. Mersmann ◽

U. Wilke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Verbal Fluency ◽

Negative Symptoms ◽

Digit Span ◽

Atypical Neuroleptics ◽

Schizophrenic Patients ◽

Trail Making ◽

Neurocognitive Dysfunctions ◽

Neurocognitive Tasks ◽

Negative Syndrome ◽

Typical Neuroleptics

SummaryThere is widespread evidence that schizophrenic symptomatology is best represented by three syndromes (positive, negative, disorganized). Both the disorganized and negative syndrome have been found to correlate with several neurocognitive dysfunctions. However, previous studies investigated samples predominantly treated with typical neuroleptics, which frequently induce parkinsonian symptoms that are hard to disentangle from primary negative symptoms and may have inflated correlations with neurocognition. A newly developed psychopathological instrument called the Positive and Negative and Disorganized Symptoms Scale (PANADSS) was evaluated in 60 schizophrenic patients. Forty-seven participants treated with atypical neuroleptics performed several neurocognitive tasks.A three-factor solution of schizophrenic symptomatology emerged. Negative symptomatology was associated with diminished creative verbal fluency and digit span backward, whereas disorganization was significantly correlated with impaired Stroop, WCST and Trail-Making Test B performance.Data suggest that disorganization is associated with tasks that demand executive functioning. Previous findings reporting correlations between negative symptomatology and neurocognition may have been confounded by the adverse consequences of typical neuroleptics.

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COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS CONDITION OF POST-STROKE PATIENTS

PRECARPATHIAN BULLETIN OF THE SHEVCHENKO SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY Pulse ◽

10.21802/2304-7437-2019-5(57)-16-21 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 16-21

Author(s):

V. R. Gerasymchuk ◽

I. F. Uwa-Agbonikhena ◽

L. T. Maksymchuk ◽

M. Yu. Kupnovytska-Sabadosh ◽

T. I. Nehrych ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Executive Functions ◽

Mini Mental State Examination ◽

Cognitive Status ◽

Control Group ◽

Clock Drawing Test ◽

Drawing Test ◽

Status Assessment ◽

Trail Making ◽

State Examination ◽

Moca Score

60 patients after a hemispheric ischemic stroke (IS) were examined. Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), Trail Making Test A and B (TMT), and the Clock Drawing Test (CDT) were used for the cognitive status assessment. A decrease in the MMSE, FAB and MoCA score compared to the control group (CG) (p<0.05) was observed, with probable differences mainly in the domains of attention (p<0.05) and executive functions (p<0.05). An increase in the time of task execution by 45.5% was detected for TMT A (p <0.05) and 61.9% for TMT B (p <0.01), and violation of CDT performance compared to the CG (p<0.05). Thus, the study of cognitive status using TMT and CDT may be recommended for timely detection of the initial executive functions impairment.

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Applicability of the Test of Variables of Attention – T.O.V.A in Brazilian adults

Dementia & Neuropsychologia ◽

10.1590/1980-57642018dn12-040009 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 394-401 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Cláudia M. Memória ◽

Henrique C.S. Muela ◽

Natália C. Moraes ◽

Valéria A. Costa-Hong ◽

Michel F. Machado ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Performance Test ◽

Digit Span ◽

Screening Tests ◽

Trail Making Test ◽

Digit Symbol ◽

Cognitive Screening ◽

Or Education ◽

Attentional Processes ◽

Trail Making ◽

State Examination

ABSTRACT The functioning of attention is complex, a primordial function in several cognitive processes and of great interest to neuropsychology. The Test of Variables of Attention (T.O.V.A) is a continuous computerized performance test that evaluates some attention components such as response time to a stimulus and errors due to inattention and impulsivity. Objective: 1) To evaluate the applicability of T.O.V.A in Brazilian adults; 2) To analyze the differences in performance between genders, age ranges, and levels of education; 3) To examine the association between T.O.V.A variables and other attention and cognitive screening tests. Methods: The T.O.V.A was applied to 63 healthy adults (24 to 78 years of age) who also underwent the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Digit Span and Digit Symbol (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Adults – WAIS-III) and the Trail Making Test. Results: the T.O.V.A was little influenced by age or education, but was influenced by gender. The correlations between some T.O.V.A variables and the Digit Symbol and Trail Making test were weak (r-values between 0.2 and 0.4), but significant (p<0.05). There was no correlation with the Digit Span test. Conclusion: The T.O.V.A showed good applicability and proved adequate for evaluating attentional processes in adults.

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The relationship between olfaction and cognitive function in the elderly

The Journal of Physiological Sciences ◽

10.1186/s12576-020-00777-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 70 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sae Uchida ◽

Chiho Shimada ◽

Naoko Sakuma ◽

Fusako Kagitani ◽

Akiko Kan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Function ◽

Mini Mental State Examination ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cognitive Measures ◽

Attentional Function ◽

Trail Making ◽

Identification Threshold ◽

Olfactory Impairment ◽

The Relationship ◽

State Examination

Abstract This study investigated the relationship between olfaction and cognitive function in 12 elderly people (age: 80.9 ± 1.6) living in the community. Olfactory function was assessed by the identification threshold for rose odor. Four cognitive measures consisting general cognitive ability assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), its sub-domains, and attentional ability assessed by drawing a line to connect the numbers consecutively (trail-making test part A; TMT-A), were assessed. Subjects with a higher olfactory threshold (≥ 5) declined more in the performance speed of TMT-A (73% ± 7%, p = 0.05) compared with those subjects with a lower threshold (≤ 4) (averaged value was set at 100%). Other cognitive statuses assessed by MMSE tended to decline in subjects with higher thresholds. Because attentional function relates to the basal forebrain cholinergic system, our results suggest that olfactory impairment links to the decline in cognitive function, particularly of attention-relating cholinergic function.

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Is the Mini-Mental State Examination the best cognitive screening test for less educated people?

Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria ◽

10.1590/0004-282x20190043 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 77 (5) ◽

pp. 330-334 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Luis Felipe Scarabelot ◽

Mariane de Moraes Monteiro ◽

Mauren Carneiro da Silva Rubert ◽

Viviane de Hiroki Flumignan Zetola

Keyword(s):

Verbal Fluency ◽

Mini Mental State Examination ◽

Recall Test ◽

Cognitive Screening ◽

Delayed Recall ◽

Clock Drawing Test ◽

Clock Drawing ◽

Drawing Test ◽

State Examination ◽

Fluency Test

ABSTRACT Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) results are strongly influenced by educational level. The Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB) is an alternative assessment tool that provides more accurate results in individuals with less education. Objective: Our aim was to compare the MMSE and BCSB as screening tests. Methods: The MMSE and BCSB were assessed in 112 participants by two evaluators blind to the other test's result. Participants were classified according to their level of education. The influence of education level was analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis and multiple comparison tests. Results: Scores of the MMSE (p < 0.0001) and the clock-drawing test (p < 0.0001) were influenced by education level but the delayed recall test score was not (p = 0.0804). The verbal fluency test (p = 0.00035) was influenced only by higher educational levels. It took three minutes less to apply the MMSE than to apply the BCSB (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: These findings suggest that the delayed recall test and the verbal fluency test of the BCSB are better than the MMSE and clock-drawing test as tools for evaluating cognition in people with limited education.

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Cognitive Functions and Cognitive Reserve in Relation to Blood Pressure Components in a Population-Based Cohort Aged 53 to 94 Years

International Journal of Hypertension ◽

10.1155/2012/274851 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Nunzia Giordano ◽

Valérie Tikhonoff ◽

Paolo Palatini ◽

Anna Bascelli ◽

Giovanni Boschetti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Neuropsychological Tests ◽

Cognitive Reserve ◽

Mini Mental State Examination ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Clock Drawing Test ◽

Drawing Test ◽

State Examination

In 288 men and women from general population in a cross-sectional survey, all neuropsychological tests were negatively associated with age; memory and executive function were also positively related with education. The hypertensives (HT) were less efficient than the normotensives (NT) in the test of memory with interference at 10 sec (MI-10) (−33%,P=0.03), clock drawing test (CLOX) (−28%,P<0.01), and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) (−6%,P=0.02). Lower MMSE, MI-10, and CLOX were predicted by higher systolic (odds ratio, OR, 0.97,P=0.02; OR 0.98,P<0.005; OR 0.95,P<0.001) and higher pulse blood pressure (BP) (OR 0.97,P=0.02; OR 0.97,P<0.01; and 0.95,P<0.0001). The cognitive reserve index (CRI) was 6% lower in the HT (P=0.03) and was predicted by higher pulse BP (OR 0.82,P<0.001). The BP vectors of lower MMSE, MI-10, and CLOX were directed towards higher values of systolic and diastolic BP, that of low CRI towards higher systolic and lower diastolic. The label of hypertension and higher values of systolic or pulse BP are associated to worse memory and executive functions. Higher diastolic BP, although insufficient to impair cognition, strengthens this association. CRI is predicted by higher systolic BP associated to lower diastolic BP.

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Endogenous Sex Hormones and Cognitive Function in Older Men*

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism ◽

10.1210/jcem.84.10.6086 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 84 (10) ◽

pp. 3681-3685 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Elizabeth Barrett-Connor ◽

Deborah Goodman-Gruen ◽

Brad Patay

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Function ◽

Mini Mental State Examination ◽

Older Men ◽

Trail Making Test ◽

Bioavailable Testosterone ◽

Selective Reminding ◽

The World ◽

Trail Making ◽

Selective Reminding Test ◽

State Examination

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine whether endogenous sex hormone levels predict cognitive function in older men. Our study design was an exploratory analysis in a population-based cohort in Rancho Bernardo, California. The study participants were 547 community-dwelling men 59–89 yr of age at baseline who were not using testosterone or estrogen therapy. Between 1984 and 1987, sera were collected for measurement of endogenous total and bioavailable testosterone and estradiol levels. Between 1988 and 1991, 12 standard neuropsychological instruments were administered, including two items from the Blessed Information-Memory-Concentration (BIMC) Test, three measures of retrieval from the Buschke-Fuld Selective Reminding Test, a category fluency test, immediate and delayed recall from the Visual Reproduction Test, the Mini-Mental State Examination with individual analysis of the Serial Sevens and the “World” Backwards components, and the Trail-Making Test Part B. In age- and education-adjusted analyses, men with higher levels of total and bioavailable estradiol had poorer scores on the BIMC Test and Mini-Mental State Examination. Men with higher levels of bioavailable testosterone had better scores on the BIMC Test and the Selective Reminding Test (long-term storage). Five associations were U-shaped: total testosterone and total and bioavailable estradiol with the BIMC Test; bioavailable testosterone with the “World” test; and total estradiol with the Trail-Making Test. All associations were relatively weak but independent of age, education, body mass index, alcohol use, cigarette smoking and depression. In these older men, low estradiol and high testosterone levels predicted better performance on several tests of cognitive function. Linear and nonlinear associations were also found, suggesting that an optimal level of sex hormones may exist for some cognitive functions.

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Motor neurological soft signs are strongly correlated with verbal fluency among patients with schizophrenia attending UKMMC psychiatric clinic

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(11)73237-0 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (S2) ◽

pp. 1533-1533

Author(s):

H. Zakaria ◽

A.H. Abdul Rahman

Keyword(s):

Verbal Fluency ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Involuntary Movement ◽

Digit Span ◽

Brain Dysfunction ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Psychiatric Clinic ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Neurological Soft Signs ◽

Trail Making

IntroductionNeurological soft signs (NSS) are subtle indicator of brain dysfunction, which are present in excess among patients with schizophrenia. Its clinical significance remains unclear despite extensive researches.ObjectiveTo determine the proportion of schizophrenia patients who have motor NSS and then to compare the performance in verbal fluency between these two groups; with and without motor NSS.MethodThis cross-sectional study utilized the Brief Motor Scale (BMS) to investigate the presence of motor NSS in 80 schizophrenia patients attended Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC) psychiatric clinic. The diagnosis was confirmed by Mini International Neuropsychiatic Interview (MINI). Symptomatology and abnormal motor movement were assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) respectively. A brief battery of cognitive tests covering aspects of attention, working memory and executive function was administered. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were applied to look for any relationship between study factors.ResultsMajority of schizophrenia patients (68.8%) in this study have motor NSS. The motor NSS were correlated with verbal fluency, digit span forward, digit span backward, and trail making B but not with trail making A (p < 0.05). However, verbal fluency was the only factor that remained significantly correlated with motor NSS after multivariate analysis.ConclusionsThe assessment of motor NSS represents a brief, inexpensive and meaningful tool in psychiatry. Together with verbal fluency, it has the potential as an illness marker and a link between neurobiological research and clinical practice.

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