Abstract NS10: Patients with Mild and Moderate Stroke Have Frequent, Severe, and Persistent Impairment in Information Processing Speed

Background: One year after stroke 50-70% of survivors have information processing speed (IPS) impairment. IPS is a complex, elemental cognitive function with close but separate relationships with memory, attention, executive function, reading, and writing. IPS impairment can be devastating, even without physical deficits. Hypothesis: The frequency and severity of IPS impairment in patients with acute stroke is unrelated to stroke severity. Methods: In a longitudinal study, 30 adults with acute mild (NIHSS <5) versus moderate stroke (NIHSS 5-12) were assessed for IPS and memory impairments at three time points (< 72 hours, Week 3, and Week 12). The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) was the primary IPS instrument, scores below the norm (51-62 points) indicate impairment. Results: Using linear mixed model regression, no significant difference was noted between patients with mild and moderate stroke in frequency and severity of IPS impairment (p=0.2). All patients had baseline abnormal SDMT scores, improving 21% by Week 12 (p=.005) with one patient scoring as unimpaired (51 points). Patients with mild stroke (n=18) had baseline scores on average 53% lower than SDMT norm (mean score 24 (12), [95% CI] 6 [18, 30], Standard Error (SEM) 3) and 32% lower at Week 12 (mean 34 (11), [95% CI] 5 [29, 40], SEM 3). Patients with moderate stroke (n=12) had baseline SDMT scores 60% lower than norm (mean 21 (11), [95% CI] 6 [15, 27], SEM 3) and 39% lower by Week 12 (mean 31 (12), [95% CI] 7 [25, 38], SEM 3). Memory impairment at enrollment (<72 hours post stroke) was noted in 100% of patients with moderate stroke and 78% of patients with mild stroke; at Week 12 the frequency of memory impairment was equal in both groups (67%). Conclusion: IPS were critically impaired, in both mild and moderate stroke, with minimal spontaneous recovery at Week 12. IPS impairment is clinically significant during stroke recovery. IPS impairment should be considered in the planning of healthcare of stroke victims even with mild stroke.

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Effect of dalfampridine on information processing speed impairment in multiple sclerosis

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000007970 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 93 (8) ◽

pp. e733-e746 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Laura De Giglio ◽

Francesca De Luca ◽

Flavia Gurreri ◽

Ilaria Ferrante ◽

Luca Prosperini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Information Processing ◽

Processing Speed ◽

Mixed Model ◽

Linear Mixed Model ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Information Processing Speed ◽

Effective Treatment Option ◽

Double Blind ◽

To Receive

ObjectiveTo test a possible benefit of dalfampridine on information processing speed (IPS), a key function for cognitive impairment (CogIm) in multiple sclerosis (MS).MethodsIn this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we included patients with a score on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) under the 10th percentile of the reference value. Patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive dalfampridine 10 mg or placebo twice daily for 12 weeks. They underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation at screening (T0), at the end of treatment (T1), and after a 4-week follow-up (T2). The primary endpoint was improvement in SDMT.ResultsOut of 208 patients screened, 120 were randomized to receive either dalfampridine (n = 80) or placebo (n = 40). At T1, the dalfampridine group presented an increase of SDMT scores vs placebo group (mean change 9.9 [95% confidence interval (CI) 8.5–11.4] vs 5.2 [95% CI 2.8–7.6], p = 0.0018; d = 0.60 for raw score; and 0.8 [95% CI 0.6–1] vs 0.3 [95% CI 0.0–0.5], p = 0.0013; d = 0.61 for z scores; by linear mixed model with robust standard error). The improvement was not sustained at T2. A beneficial effect of dalfampridine was observed in the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test and in cognitive fatigue.ConclusionDalfampridine could be considered as an effective treatment option for IPS impairment in MS.Trial registration2013-002558-64 EU Clinical Trials Register.Classification of evidenceThis study provides Class I evidence that for patients with MS with low scores on the SDMT, dalfampridine improves IPS.

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Neuropsychological Alterations in Narcolepsy with Cataplexy and the Expression of Cognitive Deficits

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617719001334 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (6) ◽

pp. 587-595

Author(s):

Pablo Medrano-Martinez ◽

Rosa Peraita-Adrados

Keyword(s):

Information Processing ◽

Executive Function ◽

Negative Correlation ◽

Cognitive Deficits ◽

Processing Speed ◽

Disease Duration ◽

Control Group ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Information Processing Speed ◽

Significant Difference

AbstractObjectives:The objective of our study was to assess attention processes and executive function in patients with narcolepsy with cataplexy (NT1). To do so, we compared the results with those of a control group from the general population using an extensive neuropsychological test battery.Methods:We studied 28 patients with NT1 and 28 healthy control participants matched for age, gender, and educational level. They all completed questionnaires on sleepiness, anxiety, and depression symptoms. In addition, they underwent neuropsychological tests. The ability to maintain attention was assessed using three computer tasks with different levels of complexity.Results:Patients had significantly more daytime sleepiness than controls. A significant negative correlation between depression and disease duration was found in NT1 patients. The results of the anxiety questionnaire correlated with the presence of sleep paralysis. There were significant differences in information processing speed subtasks. Patients made significantly more omissions and generally reacted slower and more variably than controls in computerized tasks. As for executive function, patients performed worse in phonologic fluency tasks than controls. However, when the influence of processing speed on fluency tasks was statistically controlled, part of this significant difference disappeared.Conclusions:Our results indicate that the negative correlation between depression and disease duration probably reflects progressive adaptation to the functional burden of the disease. Information processing speed plays a fundamental role in the expression of cognitive deficits. We emphasized the need to control the influence of processing speed and sustained attention in the neuropsychological assessment of NT1 patients.

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The adapted symbol digit modalities test: Examining the impact of response modality

Neurorehabilitation ◽

10.3233/nre-218021 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Silvana L. Costa ◽

Simone Schwizer Ashkenazi ◽

Lauren B. Strober ◽

Nancy D. Chiaravalloti ◽

Eli Vakil

Keyword(s):

Information Processing ◽

Response Time ◽

Processing Speed ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Substantial Improvement ◽

Background Information ◽

Information Processing Speed ◽

Response Modality ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND: Information processing speed is often impaired in neurological disorders, as well as with healthy aging. Thus, being able to accurately assess information processing speed is of high importance. One of the most commonly used tests to examine information processing speed is the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), which has been shown to have good psychometric properties. OBJECTIVES: The current study aims to examine differences between two response modalities, written and oral, on the performance of an adapted version of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test. METHODS: Ninety-nine individuals completed two alternate forms of the adapted version of the SDMT (aSDMT). Participants were instructed to complete the five lines of the task as quickly and accurately as possible. On one form participants were instructed to provide their response in writing and on the other one, orally. Form and response modality (oral vs. written) were counterbalanced to control for practice effects. RESULTS: On average, there was a significant difference between response modalities, such that participants needed more time to respond when the response modality was written. For both response modalities, time to complete each line of stimuli decreased as the task progressed. While changes in response time on the first four lines of stimuli on the oral version were not found, there was a substantial improvement in response time on the fifth line. In contrast, on the written version a gradual learning effect was observed, in which response time was the slowest on the first two lines, an intermediate response time was noted on line 3, and the fastest response time was achieved on lines four and five. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrates that response modality, oral versus written, can significantly impact performance efficiency (the length of time it takes to complete a task), but not accuracy (total correct responses), on a new adaptation of the SDMT, the aSDMT.

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Cognitive Impairment in Opium Use Disorder

Behavioural Neurology ◽

10.1155/2021/5548623 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Hossein Sanjari Moghaddam ◽

Behrang Shadloo ◽

Helen Shahkhah ◽

Abbas Tafakhori ◽

Maryam Haghshomar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Information Processing ◽

Processing Speed ◽

Verbal Learning ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Digit Symbol Substitution Test ◽

Information Processing Speed ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Opium Use

This cross-sectional study is aimed at assessing the effects of opium use disorder (OUD) on attention, working memory, and information-processing speed. Thirty outpatients with OUD and 20 healthy controls (HCs) were assessed using a neuropsychological battery consisted of Auditory Verbal Learning Test-Revised (AVLT-R), Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R), Digit Forward and Backward Tests (DFT and DBT), and WAIS-R Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). The most affected cognitive functions in patients with OUD were detected by DBT and DSST. However, we found no significant difference between patients according to the route of administration. Within patients with OUD, DBT score was associated with opium use quantity (OUQ) ( r = − 0.385 ), and DBT ( r = 0.483 ) and DSST ( r = 0.542 ) scores were correlated with duration of use. Our findings indicated that working memory and information-processing speed are the most affected domains of cognitive functioning. DBT and DSST could be used as brief assessments in clinical settings to screen for cognitive deficits in patients with OUD.

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MindStreams Staged Information Processing Speed (mild)

PsycTESTS Dataset ◽

10.1037/t03242-000 ◽

2001 ◽

Author(s):

Ely Simon ◽

Avraham Schweiger

Keyword(s):

Information Processing ◽

Processing Speed ◽

Information Processing Speed

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INFORMATION-PROCESSING SPEED AND ASSESSMENT OF EARLY RESPONSE LATENCY AMONG STROKE PATIENTS

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.87.7.893-900 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 87 (7) ◽

pp. 893 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

MICHEL LORANGER

Keyword(s):

Information Processing ◽

Response Latency ◽

Processing Speed ◽

Early Response ◽

Information Processing Speed ◽

Stroke Patients

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Do Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Cardiovascular Disease Explain Sex Differences in Cognitive Functioning in Old Age?

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-201173 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Elisabeth Maria van Zutphen ◽

Judith Johanna Maria Rijnhart ◽

Didericke Rhebergen ◽

Majon Muller ◽

Martijn Huisman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Sex Differences ◽

Information Processing ◽

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Episodic Memory ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽

Processing Speed ◽

Information Processing Speed

Background: Sex differences in cognitive functioning in old age are known to exist yet are still poorly understood. Objective: This study examines to what extent differences in cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease between men and women explain sex differences in cognitive functioning. Methods: Data from 2,724 older adults from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam were used. Information processing speed and episodic memory, measured three times during six years of follow-up, served as outcomes. The mediating role of cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease was examined in single and multiple mediator models. Determinant-mediator effects were estimated using linear or logistic regression, and determinant-outcome and mediator-outcome effects were estimated using linear mixed models. Indirect effects were estimated using the product-of-coefficients estimator. Results: Women scored 1.58 points higher on information processing speed and 1.53 points higher on episodic memory. Several cardiovascular risk factors had small mediating effects. The sex difference in information processing speed was mediated by smoking, depressive symptoms, obesity, and systolic blood pressure. The sex difference in episodic memory was mediated by smoking, physical activity, and depressive symptoms. Effects of smoking, LDL cholesterol, and diabetes mellitus on information processing speed differed between men and women. Conclusion: Differences in cardiovascular risk factors between women and men partially explained why women had better cognitive functioning. A healthy cardiovascular lifestyle seems beneficial for cognition and sex-specific strategies may be important to preserve cognitive functioning at older age.

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Habituation Rate and Free Exploration Tempo in 4-Month-Old Infants

International Journal of Behavioral Development ◽

10.1177/016502548300600103 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 37-50 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Marie-Germaine Pecheux ◽

Roger Lécuyer

Keyword(s):

Information Processing ◽

Cognitive Style ◽

Processing Speed ◽

Individual Characteristic ◽

Information Processing Speed ◽

Habituation Rate ◽

Geometric Patterns ◽

Free Exploration ◽

Methodological Aspects ◽

Common Situation

If rate of habituation reflects information processing speed and is a stable individual characteristic, fast habituators should habituate relatively quickly to any stimulus, and slow habituators relatively slowly. Moreover, rate of habituation should be related to the baby's tendency to explore in any common situation. To examine these inferences, 24 four-month-old infants were habituated to four stimuli (two geometric patterns and two faces) successively, in two sessions, and observed in a free-exploration situation. The number of trials required to reach criterion in the habituation situations were not correlated, but total looking times to criterion were. Also, slow habituators stayed in the exploration situation for a relatively longer time and also explored a new toy for a longer time. Methodological aspects of habituation are discussed, and an interpretation of habituation sequences in terms of cognitive style is suggested.

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