scholarly journals Dance Experience and Associations with Cortical Gray Matter Thickness in the Aging Population

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 508-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shai Porat ◽  
Naira Goukasian ◽  
Kristy S. Hwang ◽  
Theodore Zanto ◽  
Triet Do ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Free Recall ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Cortical Mapping ◽  
California Verbal Learning Test ◽  
Mapping Technique ◽  
Short Delay ◽  
Mri Scans ◽  
Cortical Gray Matter ◽  
Neuropsychological Evaluations

Introduction: We investigated the effect dance experience may have on cortical gray matter thickness and cognitive performance in elderly participants with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: 39 cognitively normal and 48 MCI elderly participants completed a questionnaire regarding their lifetime experience with music, dance, and song. Participants identified themselves as either dancers or nondancers. All participants received structural 1.5-tesla MRI scans and detailed clinical and neuropsychological evaluations. An advanced 3D cortical mapping technique was then applied to calculate cortical thickness. Results: Despite having a trend-level significantly thinner cortex, dancers performed better in cognitive tasks involving learning and memory, such as the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II) short delay free recall (p = 0.004), the CVLT-II long delay free recall (p = 0.003), and the CVLT-II learning over trials 1-5 (p = 0.001). Discussion: Together, these results suggest that dance may result in an enhancement of cognitive reserve in aging, which may help avert or delay MCI.

Memantine for cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis: a randomized placebo-controlled trial

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 715-723 ◽  
Author(s):  
JF Lovera ◽  
E. Frohman ◽  
TR Brown ◽  
D. Bandari ◽  
L. Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Free Recall ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Self Report ◽  
California Verbal Learning Test ◽  
Cognitive Improvement ◽  
Learning Test

Background: Memantine, an NMDA antagonist, is effective for moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease. Objective: Determine whether memantine improves cognitive performance (CP) among subjects with multiple sclerosis (MS) and cognitive impairment (CI). Methods: This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00300716) compared memantine 10 mg twice a day (4 week titration followed by 12 weeks on the highest tolerated dose) with placebo. The primary outcome was the change from baseline to exit on the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) and the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II) Long Delay Free Recall (LDFR). Secondary outcomes included additional neuropsychological tests; self-report measures of quality of life, fatigue, and depression; and family/caregiver reports of subjects’ CI and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Results: The differences between the groups on the change on the PASAT (placebo—memantine = 0.0 correct responses, 95% CI 3.4, 3.4; p = 0.9) and on CVLT-II LDFR (placebo—memantine =—0.6 words, 95% CI —2.1, 0.8; p = 0.4) as well as on the other cognitive tests were not significant. Subjects on memantine had no serious adverse events (AEs) but had more fatigue and neurological AEs as well as, per family members’ reports, less cognitive improvement and greater neuropsychiatric symptoms than subjects on placebo. Conclusion: Memantine 10 mg twice a day does not improve CP in subjects with MS, ages 18—65, without major depression, who have subjective cognitive complaints and perform worse than one SD below the mean on the PASAT or on the California Verbal Learning Test-II (total recall or delayed free recall).

scholarly journals A-202 A Normative Study of Neuropsychological Functioning in a Clinical Sample of Aviation Pilots

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 997-997
Author(s):  
Crane A ◽  
Dacosta A ◽  
Roccaforte A ◽  
Davies M ◽  
Prewett D ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Sample ◽  
Neuropsychological Functioning ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Federal Aviation Administration ◽  
Normative Study ◽  
Short Delay ◽  
Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Neuropsychological Evaluations ◽  
Aviation Pilots

Abstract Objective Neuropsychological evaluations are mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure that pilots with certain known or suspected medical/neurological or psychiatric conditions do not have neurocognitive sequelae that would impair their ability to safely carry out their responsibilities (Federal Aviation Administration, 2020). However, intact pilots’ performance on cognitive measures appears unique compared to the general population (Causse, Dehias, Arexis, & Pastor, 2011). In an effort to make appropriate comparisons, the current study thus presents normative data on the FAA core neuropsychological test battery. Method Sixty-three aviation pilots (age 25–62, M = 44.9, SD = 0.235) underwent neuropsychological testing using the FAA core battery following referral for alcohol utilization. All participants were considered to be cognitively intact at the time of their evaluations. Results Participants’ average IQ on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale 4th edition (WAIS-IV) fell in the Superior range using traditional norms (M = 125.29, SD = 10.04). Pilots performed better than “average” across a number of neuropsychological measures. For example, pilots completed Trails-A in 19.38 seconds (SD = 4.10) and Trails-B in 40.73 seconds (SD = 10.56), which is approximately 10 seconds faster than average among individuals aged 35–44 years. Meanwhile, pilots recalled an average of 15.08 out of 16 words on the California Verbal Learning Test Version 2 (CVLT-II) short delay and 15.34 words on the CVLT-II long delay. Conclusion(s) This study provides comparison data for future neuropsychological evaluations of pilots with alcohol concerns. The data suggests that pilots generally outperform the civilian population across neuropsychological tests.

scholarly journals AGE OF MUSIC ACQUISITION IMPACTS MEMORY FUNCTIONING IN OLDER ADULT MUSICIANS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S651-S651
Author(s):  
Jessica V Strong ◽  
William Milberg ◽  
Regina McGlinchey ◽  
Elizabeth Leritz
Keyword(s):  
Free Recall ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Musical Training ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Age Of Acquisition ◽  
Sensitive Period ◽  
Short Delay ◽  
Music Acquisition

Abstract Music playing is an involved activity, activating many areas of the brain and relying on integration of multiple cognitive processes simultaneously. Older adult musicians have been found to experience some cognitive benefits compared to non-musicians, seemingly related to their musical training. However, we still do not understand what factors of musical training may be driving these differences. The current study sought to isolate age of acquisition from “dose” of playing (i.e., amount of time spent playing) to explore music learning as a skill acquired during a sensitive period. Participants (n=48) were middle aged and older adults who self-reported on musical experiences, demographics, and underwent extensive neuropsychological assessment of all major domains. The sample was divided into Early Age of Acquisition (≤9 years old), Late Age of Acquisition (>9), and Non-Musicians. Results showed that musicians who began formal training at the age of 9 or younger, had significantly higher scores on tests of verbal memory (California Verbal Learning Test – II: Immediate Recall – p = 0.04, partial η2 = 0.14, Short-Delay Free Recall - p = 0.03, partial η2 = 0.16, Long-Delay Free Recall - p = 0.03, partial η2 = 0.15). Results are discussed in the context of a sensitive period for acquiring musical education, and implications of these results on cognitive aging.

Parahippocampal and Entorhinal Resection Extent Predicts Verbal Memory Decline in an Epilepsy Surgery Cohort

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 869-880 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anli Liu ◽  
Thomas Thesen ◽  
William Barr ◽  
Chris Morrison ◽  
Patricia Dugan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Free Recall ◽  
Learning And Memory ◽  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Anterior Temporal Lobe ◽  
Short Delay ◽  
Memory Change ◽  
Baseline Performance ◽  
Temporal Lobe Resection

The differential contribution of medial-temporal lobe regions to verbal declarative memory is debated within the neuroscience, neuropsychology, and cognitive psychology communities. We evaluate whether the extent of surgical resection within medial-temporal regions predicts longitudinal verbal learning and memory outcomes. This single-center retrospective observational study involved patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy undergoing unilateral anterior temporal lobe resection from 2007 to 2015. Thirty-two participants with Engel Class 1 and 2 outcomes were included (14 left, 18 right) and followed for a mean of 2.3 years after surgery (±1.5 years). Participants had baseline and postsurgical neuropsychological testing and high-resolution T1-weighted MRI scans. Postsurgical lesions were manually traced and coregistered to presurgical scans to precisely quantify resection extent of medial-temporal regions. Verbal learning and memory change scores were regressed on hippocampal, entorhinal, and parahippocampal resection volume after accounting for baseline performance. Overall, there were no significant differences in learning and memory change between patients who received left and right anterior temporal lobe resection. After controlling for baseline performance, the extent of left parahippocampal resection accounted for 27% (p = .021) of the variance in verbal short delay free recall. The extent of left entorhinal resection accounted for 37% (p = .004) of the variance in verbal short delay free recall. Our findings highlight the critical role that the left parahippocampal and entorhinal regions play in recall for verbal material.

scholarly journals Exercise Training-Related Changes in Cortical Gray Matter Diffusivity and Cognitive Function in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Healthy Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel D. Callow ◽  
Junyeon Won ◽  
Gabriel S. Pena ◽  
Leslie S. Jordan ◽  
Naomi A. Arnold-Nedimala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Exercise Training ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Insular Cortex ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Cortical Gray Matter

Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) are at an elevated risk of dementia and exhibit deficits in cognition and cortical gray matter (GM) volume, thickness, and microstructure. Meanwhile, exercise training appears to preserve brain function and macrostructure may help delay or prevent the onset of dementia in individuals with MCI. Yet, our understanding of the neurophysiological effects of exercise training in individuals with MCI remains limited. Recent work suggests that the measures of gray matter microstructure using diffusion imaging may be sensitive to early cognitive and neurophysiological changes in the aging brain. Therefore, this study is aimed to determine the effects of exercise training in cognition and cortical gray matter microstructure in individuals with MCI vs. cognitively healthy older adults. Fifteen MCI participants and 17 cognitively intact controls (HC) volunteered for a 12-week supervised walking intervention. Following the intervention, MCI and HC saw improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, performance on Trial 1 of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), a measure of verbal memory, and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT), a measure of verbal fluency. After controlling for age, a voxel-wise analysis of cortical gray matter diffusivity showed individuals with MCI exhibited greater increases in mean diffusivity (MD) in the left insular cortex than HC. This increase in MD was positively associated with improvements in COWAT performance. Additionally, after controlling for age, the voxel-wise analysis indicated a main effect of Time with both groups experiencing an increase in left insular and left and right cerebellar MD. Increases in left insular diffusivity were similarly found to be positively associated with improvements in COWAT performance in both groups, while increases in cerebellar MD were related to gains in episodic memory performance. These findings suggest that exercise training may be related to improvements in neural circuits that govern verbal fluency performance in older adults through the microstructural remodeling of cortical gray matter. Furthermore, changes in left insular cortex microstructure may be particularly relevant to improvements in verbal fluency among individuals diagnosed with MCI.

A-163 Utility of the 7/24 Spatial Recall Test in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1218-1218
Author(s):  
Lauren Bolden ◽  
Kim Willment
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Lobe Epilepsy ◽  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Recall Test ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Boston Naming Test ◽  
Short Delay ◽  
Immediate Recall ◽  
Neuropsychological Evaluations ◽  
The Right

Abstract Objective To examine the utility of the 7/24 Spatial Recall Test (7/24) in the assessment of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients who have not undergone surgical resection. We hypothesized that patients with right TLE (RTLE) would perform significantly worse on the 7/24 than patients with left TLE (LTLE), but better on measures of verbal memory and naming. Participants and Methods Twenty-one patients with RTLE and 17 patients with LTLE were identified from a larger dataset of 152 epilepsy patients who underwent comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Exclusion criteria included: 1) Extratemporal, bitemporal, or unclear seizure onset, 2) Post-surgical evaluations, and 3) Co-morbid neurodegenerative or neurological conditions. The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RVLT) and Boston Naming Test (BNT) and were selected as outcome measures of verbal memory and naming, respectively. Results Independent samples t-tests revealed that patients with RTLE performed significantly worse on the 7/24 delayed recall than LTLE patients (p = 0.026), but there were no significant differences between groups in their 7/24 immediate recall across trials (p = 0.118). As predicted, patients with LTLE performed significantly worse than RTLE patients on the BNT (p = 0.005), however no significant differences were found between groups on the RVLT total learning, short delay, or long delay. Conclusions These findings support the use of the 7/24 for assessing nonverbal memory in patients with TLE, and more specifically, suggest that the 7/24 may be a sensitive measure for detecting lateralized dysfunction of the right temporal lobe in TLE patients.

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