Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and Brain Perfusion Imaging in Early Dementia

ABSTRACTBackground: The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) has long been used to investigate deficits in executive function in humans. The majority of studies investigating deficient WCST performance focused on the number of categories achieved (CA) and the number of perseverative errors of the Nelson type (PEN). However, there is insufficient evidence that these two measures reflect the same neural deficits.Methods: Twenty AD patients with high PEN scores, and 20 age- and sex-matched AD patients with low PEN scores were selected. All 40 subjects underwent brain SPECT, and the SPECT images were analyzed by Statistical Parametric Mapping.Results: No significant differences were found between high and low PEN score groups with respect to years of education, Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination scores, and Mini-Mental State Examination scores. However, higher z scores for hypoperfusion in the bilateral rectal and orbital gyri were observed in the high PEN score group compared with the low PEN score group.Conclusions: Our results suggest that functional activity of the bilateral rectal and orbital gyri is closely related to PEN scores on a modified WCST (mWCST). The PEN score on a mWCST might be a promising index of dysfunction of the orbitofrontal area among patients with mild AD.

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The Role of Shifting, Inhibition and Working Memory in Older Adults' Performance in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e512682013-588 ◽

2007 ◽

Author(s):

Nadia Gamboz ◽

Erika Borella ◽

Maria Antonella Brandimonte

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Working Memory ◽

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽

Card Sorting ◽

Wisconsin Card Sorting ◽

Sorting Test

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Dopaminergic Genes Polymorphisms and Prefrontal Cortex Efficiency Among Obese People - Whether Gender is a Differentiating Factor?

Current Molecular Medicine ◽

10.2174/1566524019666190424143653 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (6) ◽

pp. 405-418

Author(s):

Maciej Bieliński ◽

Natalia Lesiewska ◽

Roman Junik ◽

Anna Kamińska ◽

Andrzej Tretyn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Tandem Repeats ◽

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽

Variable Number ◽

Card Sorting ◽

Obese People ◽

Perseverative Errors ◽

Wisconsin Card Sorting ◽

Sorting Test

Background:Obesity is a chronic condition associated with poorer cognitive functioning. Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) is a useful tool for evaluating executive functions. In this study, we assessed the association between dopaminergic gene polymorphisms: DAT1 (SLC6A3), COMTVal158Met, DRD4 (48-bp variable number of tandem repeats - VNTR) and WCST parameters to investigate the functions of the frontal lobes in obese individuals.Objective:To find the significant correlations between polymorphisms of DAT1, COMTVal158Met, DRD4 and executive functions in obese subjects.Methods:The analysis of the frequency of individual alleles was performed in 248 obese patients (179 women, 69 men). Evaluation of the prefrontal cortex function (operating memory and executive functions) was measured with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Separate analyzes were performed in age subgroups to determine different activities and regulation of genes in younger and older participants.Results:Scores of WCST parameters were different in the subgroups of women and men and in the age subgroups. Regarding the COMT gene, patients with A/A and G/A polymorphisms showed significantly better WCST results in WCST_P, WCST_CC and WCST_1st. Regarding DAT1 men with L/L and L/S made less non-perseverative errors, which was statistically significant. In DRD4, significantly better WCST_1st results were found only in older women with S allele.Conclusion:Obtained results indicate the involvement of dopaminergic transmission in the regulation of prefrontal cortex function. Data analysis indicates that prefrontal cortex function may ensue, from different elements such as genetic factors, metabolic aspects of obesity, and hormonal activity (estrogen).

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