scholarly journals Transfer of Learning in People who Are Blind: Enhancement of Spatial-Cognitive Abilities through Drawing

2018 ◽  
Vol 112 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lora T. Likova ◽  
Laura Cacciamani
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Transfer Of Learning ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Training Method ◽  
Drawing Task ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Blind Individuals

Introduction This study assessed whether basic spatial-cognitive abilities can be enhanced in people who are blind through transfer of learning from drawing training. Methods Near-body spatial-cognitive performance was assessed through the Cognitive Test for the Blind (CTB), which assesses a wide range of basic spatial-cognitive skills. The CTB was administered to 21 participants who are blind in two behavioral testing sessions separated by five days. For participants in the “trained” group, these intervening days were occupied by the Cognitive-Kinesthetic Drawing Training method, during which participants learned how to draw freehand from memory. The “control” participants were not trained. Results The results showed significantly increased overall CTB performance in the trained but not in the control group, indicating that the drawing training effectively enhanced spatial-cognitive abilities. A three- to six-month follow-up session with a subset of trained participants suggested that these training-induced spatial-cognitive improvements might persist over time, at least for some tasks. Discussion These findings demonstrate that learning to draw from memory without vision over just five sessions can lead to enhancement of basic spatial-cognitive abilities beyond the drawing task. This study is the first to examine the transfer of learning of cognitive ability in blind individuals. Implications for practitioners This study sheds light on the Cognitive-Kinesthetic Drawing Training as an effective wide-range rehabilitation technique that could be used to enhance basic spatial-cognitive abilities in those who are blind.

scholarly journals Meta-analysis of epigenome-wide associations between DNA methylation at birth and childhood cognitive skills

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doretta Caramaschi ◽  
Alexander Neumann ◽  
Andres Cardenas ◽  
Gwen Tindula ◽  
Silvia Alemany ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Cord Blood ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Life Outcomes ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Wide Range

ABSTRACTCognitive skills are a strong predictor of a wide range of later life outcomes. Genetic and epigenetic associations across the genome explain some of the variation in general cognitive abilities in the general population and it is plausible that epigenetic associations might arise from prenatal environmental exposures and/or genetic variation early in life. We investigated the association between cord blood DNA methylation at birth and cognitive skills assessed in children from eight pregnancy cohorts (N=2196-3798) within the Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetics (PACE) Consortium across overall, verbal and non-verbal cognitive scores. The associations at single CpG sites were weak for all of the cognitive domains investigated. One region near DUSP22 on chromosome 6 was associated with non-verbal cognition in a model adjusted for maternal IQ. We conclude that there is little evidence to support the idea that cord blood DNA methylation at single CpGs can predict cognitive skills and further studies are needed to confirm regional differences.

Visual Literacy

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Serafini
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Visual Literacy ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Visual Images ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
The Social ◽  
Wide Range

Visual literacy was originally defined as a set of visual competencies or cognitive skills and strategies one needs to make sense of visual images. These visual competencies were seen as universal cognitive abilities that were used for understanding visual images regardless of the contexts of production, reception, and dissemination. More contemporary definitions suggest visual literacy is a contextualized, social practice as much as an individualized, cognitively based set of competencies. Visual literacy is more aptly defined as a process of generating meanings in transaction with multimodal ensembles that include written text, visual images, and design elements from a variety of perspectives to meet the requirements of particular social contexts. Theories of visual literacy and associated research and pedagogy draw from a wide range of disciplines including art history, semiotics, media and cultural studies, communication studies, visual ethnography and anthropology, social semiotics, new literacies studies, cognitive psychology, and critical theory. Understanding the various theories, research methodologies, and pedagogical approaches to visual literacy requires an investigation into how the various paradigm shifts that have occurred in the social sciences have affected this field of study. Cognitive, linguistic, sociocultural, multimodal, and postmodern “turns” in the social sciences each bring different theories, perspectives, and approaches to the field of visual literacy. Visual literacy now incorporates sociocultural, semiotic, critical, and multimodal perspectives to understand the meaning potential of the visual and verbal ensembles encountered in social environments.

scholarly journals Associations between Trace Elements and Cognitive Decline: An Exploratory 5-Year Follow-Up Study of an Elderly Cohort

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (17) ◽  
pp. 6051
Author(s):  
Bianca Gerardo ◽  
Marina Cabral Pinto ◽  
Joana Nogueira ◽  
Paula Pinto ◽  
Agostinho Almeida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trace Elements ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Normal Brain ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Average Decrease ◽  
Elderly Cohort

Trace elements (TE) homeostasis is crucial in normal brain functioning. Although imbalances have the potential to exacerbate events leading neurodegenerative diseases, few studies have directly addressed the eventual relationships between TE levels in the human body and future cognitive status. The present study aimed to assess how different TE body-levels relate to cognitive decline. This exploratory research included a study-group (RES) of 20 elderly individuals living in two Portuguese geographical areas of interest (Estarreja; Mértola), as well as a 20 subjects neuropsychological control-group (CTR). Participants were neuropsychologically assessed through the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the RES group was biomonitored for TE through fingernail analysis. After 5 years, the cognitive assessments were repeated. Analyses of the RES neuropsychological data showed an average decrease of 6.5 and 5.27 points in MMSE and MoCA, respectively, but TE contents in fingernails were generally within the referenced values for non-exposed individuals. Higher levels of Nickel and Selenium significantly predicted lesser cognitive decline within 5 years. Such preliminary results evidence an association between higher contents of these TE and higher cognitive scores at follow-up, suggesting their contribution to the maintenance of cognitive abilities. Future expansion of the present study is needed in order to comprehensively assess the potential benefits of these TE.

A Computer Method for Solving Dilemmas

1982 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 291-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morton Wagman
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Choice ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Untreated Control Group ◽  
Modern Computer ◽  
Individual Interaction ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Generic Problem ◽  
Problems And Solutions ◽  
Measurement Design

The results of two studies which have assessed the effectiveness of Dilemma Counseling on plato and the reaction of students to computerized counseling are reported. Dilemma Counseling is a generic problem-solving method for psychological dilemmas. The method was taught to college students through individual interaction with the plato computer. In addition to the method itself, over 400 sample solutions to more than 70 problems were available on plato. The problems and solutions cover a wide range of topics such as dating, study habits, and occupational choice. In two experiments evaluating plato Dilemma Counseling, a randomized pre-, post-, follow-up measurement design was used. In one experiment, plato Dilemma Counseling ( N = 41) was as effective as standard eclectic counseling ( N = 31) in solving student problems. In a second experiment, students exposed to plato Dilemma Counseling ( n = 48) showed significantly ( p < .01) greater improvement than an untreated control group ( n = 62). These findings and favorable subjective reactions to the teaching and counseling functions of PLATO suggested that a modern computer system can be helpful in solving psychological dilemmas.

scholarly journals Cognitive Functioning and Schizotypy: A Four-Years Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Penny Karamaouna ◽  
Chrysoula Zouraraki ◽  
Stella G. Giakoumaki
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Set Shifting ◽  
Ample Evidence ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Over Time

Although there is ample evidence from cross-sectional studies indicating cognitive deficits in high schizotypal individuals that resemble the cognitive profile of schizophrenia-spectrum patients, there is still lack of evidence by longitudinal/follow-up studies. The present study included assessments of schizotypal traits and a wide range of cognitive functions at two time points (baseline and 4-years assessments) in order to examine (a) their stability over time, (b) the predictive value of baseline schizotypy on cognition at follow-up and (c) differences in cognition between the two time points in high negative schizotypal and control individuals. Only high negative schizotypal individuals were compared with controls due to the limited number of participants falling in the other schizotypal groups at follow-up. Seventy participants (mean age: 36.17; 70% females) were assessed at baseline and follow-up. Schizotypal traits were evaluated with the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. We found that schizotypal traits decreased over time, except in a sub-group of participants (“schizotypy congruent”) that includes individuals who consistently meet normative criteria of inclusion in either a schizotypal or control group. In these individuals, negative schizotypy and aspects of cognitive-perceptual and disorganized schizotypy remained stable. The stability of cognitive functioning also varied over time: response inhibition, aspects of cued attention switching, set-shifting and phonemic/semantic verbal fluency improved at follow-up. High negative schizotypy at baseline predicted poorer response inhibition and semantic switching at follow-up while high disorganized schizotypy predicted poorer semantic processing and complex processing speed/set-shifting. The between-group analyses revealed that response inhibition, set-shifting and complex processing speed/set-shifting were poorer in negative schizotypals compared with controls at both time points, while maintaining set and semantic switching were poorer only at follow-up. Taken together, the findings show differential stability of the schizotypal traits over time and indicate that different aspects of schizotypy predict a different pattern of neuropsychological task performance during a 4-years time window. These results are of significant use in the formulation of targeted early-intervention strategies for high-risk populations.

scholarly journals Study on Contribution of Genetic and Environment to Perceptual Cognitive Skills of Twins

2020 ◽  
pp. 70-76
Author(s):  
Annu . ◽  
Bimla Dhanda
Keyword(s):  
Study Design ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Twin Study ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Monozygotic Twins ◽  
Heritability Estimate ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Picture Completion ◽  
Heritability Estimates

The contribution of genetic was ranging from 50-65% in the variations of perceptual cognitive skills of twins. The current twin study design elucidated the contribution of genetic and environment to a wide range of perceptual cognitive skills. To conduct twin study, 100 pairs of twins from two districts namely; Bhiwani (N = 90) and Hisar (N = 110) of Haryana State were taken. Genetic and environmental influences were assessed in twin study design. The perceptual cognitive skills of twins were measured using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children- Revised (WISC-R). Heritability estimate was used to examine the genes contributed to shape the cognitive skills of twins. The result of heritability estimates revealed that the heritability estimates of perceptual cognitive skills namely picture completion, picture arrangement, block design and object assembly in Bhiwani district were 63%, 57%, 61% and 60% and in Hisar district were 54%, 52%, 58% and 56% respectively. The findings clearly elucidated that the perceptual cognitive skills were more influenced by genetic background than the environmental factors. The monozygotic twins were more correlated in their general cognitive abilities than the dizygotic twins.

A Longitudinal, Prospective Study to Evaluate the Effects of Treatment on the Inhibitory Control Function After Transsphenoidal Surgery for Pituitary Adenomas

2020 ◽  
pp. 155005942092274
Author(s):  
Chenglong Cao ◽  
Jian Song ◽  
Pan Lin ◽  
Deqi Yan ◽  
Shun Yao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Control Function ◽  
Electrophysiological Study ◽  
Nerve Tissue ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Healthy Group ◽  
P3 Amplitude

Objectives: Injured cognitive abilities have been reported in patients with pituitary adenoma. However, to date, few researchers have directly investigated the electrophysiological study of inhibitory control function of pituitary patients both pre- and postsurgery. Thus, this study aimed to identify the factors affecting the inhibitory control function of pituitary patients. Methods: Thirty presurgery pituitary patients were recruited and 26 patients of them completed the postsurgery follow-up. Thirty healthy people were recruited for control group. Visual Go/Nogo tasks were carried out by the patients and controls to assess the inhibitory control function before surgery and 6 months after the surgery, respectively. The function of inhibitory control was analyzed with the components of N2 and P3. Results: Across 3 groups, Nogo stimuli evoked larger frontal-central N2nogo and P3nogo than Go stimuli did. Furthermore, N2d of presurgery patients (−1.14 μV) and postsurgery patients(−0.61 μV) were significantly decreased compared with that of control group (−3.09 μV), F(2, 83) = 13.92, P < .01, whereas no difference was detected between pre- and postsurgery groups. There was no remarkable difference in the amplitude of P3d among the 3 groups, F(2, 83) = 0.19, P > .05. With regard to the amplitude of P3 for Go condition, The P3 amplitude of healthy group (4.38 μV) was larger than both pre- and postsurgery (1.00 μV and 3.01 μV). With regard to the amplitude of P3 for Nogo condition, The P3 amplitude of healthy group (5.25 μV) was larger than both pre- and postsurgery groups (2.35 μV and 4.18 μV). Conclusions: These results indicated that presurgery patients showed the dysfunction of inhibition, due to the nerve tissue damage or brain structure alteration caused by the presurgery physical pressure from tumor and abnormal hormone levels. Postsurgery patients showed a tendency toward recovery, but there was no obvious improvement in the inhibitory control function after successful treatments.

scholarly journals Training with audio and video games improves audiospatial performance in a “cocktail-party” task: A controlled intervention study in young adults

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Barend Schuchert ◽  
Jörg Lewald
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cocktail Party ◽  
Computer Gaming ◽  
Training Time

AbstractComputer game playing has been suggested to be an effective training to enhance perceptual and cognitive abilities. Focusing on potential improvements in auditory selective spatial attention induced by computer gaming, we compared a passive waiting-control group with two gaming groups, playing either a first-person audio-only action game requiring spatial attention and sound localization or a platform side-scroller video game without audiospatial components, which has been shown to improve cognitive performance in previous studies. Prior to and immediately after game training for 1 month for at least 30 min per day (total training time ≥15 h), healthy young adults were tested in an audiospatial task simulating a “cocktail-party” situation with multiple speakers at different positions. The proportion of correct target localizations was significantly increased after audio and video gaming compared with the control group. However, there were no significant differences between gaming groups, with similarly strong effects of action audio game and non-action video game trainings on auditory selective spatial attention. Thus, it seems as if successful training of “cocktail-party” listening can be induced not only by modality-specific near-transfer learning within the audiospatial domain, but also by far transfer of trained cognitive skills across sensory modalities, which may enhance domain-general processes supporting selective attention.

scholarly journals Lack of correlation between number of neurons and behavioral performance in Swiss mice

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neves Kleber ◽  
Gerson Duarte Guercio ◽  
Anjos-Travassos Yuri ◽  
Costa Stella ◽  
Perozzo Ananda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Swiss Mice ◽  
Behavioral Tasks ◽  
Neuronal Number

AbstractNeuronal number varies by several orders of magnitude across species, and has been proposed to predict cognitive capability across species. Remarkably, numbers of neurons vary across individual mice by a factor of 2 or more. We directly addressed the question of whether there is a relationship between performance in behavioral tests and the number of neurons in functionally relevant structures in the mouse brain. Naïve Swiss mice went through a battery of behavioral tasks designed to measure cognitive, motor and olfactory skills. We estimated the number of neurons in different brain regions (cerebral cortex, hippocampus, olfactory bulb, cerebellum and remaining areas) and crossed the two datasets to test the a priori hypothesis of correlation between cognitive abilities and numbers of neurons. As previous evidence indicates that environmental enrichment may increase neurogenesis and improve neuronal survival, we added a control group that did not undergo cognitive testing to rule out the possibility that our test battery could alter the neuronal number. We found that behavioral testing did not change numbers of neurons in the cerebral cortex and in the hippocampus. Surprisingly, performance in the behavioral tasks did not correlate strongly with number of neurons in any of the brain regions studied. Our results show that whereas neuronal number is a good predictor of cognitive skills across species, it is not a predictor of cognitive, sensory or motor ability across individuals within a species, which suggests that other factors are more relevant for explaining cognitive differences between individuals of the same species.

scholarly journals Different Cognitive Profiles of Patients with Severe Aphasia

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Valeria Marinelli ◽  
Simona Spaccavento ◽  
Angela Craca ◽  
Paola Marangolo ◽  
Paola Angelelli
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Speech Therapy ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Cognitive Profiles ◽  
Visual Spatial ◽  
Auditory Recognition ◽  
Extensive Evaluation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Linguistic Skills

Cognitive dysfunction frequently occurs in aphasic patients and primarily compromises linguistic skills. However, patients suffering from severe aphasia show heterogeneous performance in basic cognition. Our aim was to characterize the cognitive profiles of patients with severe aphasia and to determine whether they also differ as to residual linguistic abilities. We examined 189 patients with severe aphasia with standard language tests and with the CoBaGA (Cognitive Test Battery for Global Aphasia), a battery of nonverbal tests that assesses a wide range of cognitive domains such as attention, executive functions, intelligence, memory, visual-auditory recognition, and visual-spatial abilities. Twenty patients were also followed longitudinally in order to assess their improvement in cognitive skills after speech therapy. Three different subgroups of patients with different types and severity of cognitive impairment were evidenced. Subgroups differed as to residual linguistic skills, in particular comprehension and reading-writing abilities. Attention, reasoning, and executive functions improved after language rehabilitation. This study highlights the importance of an extensive evaluation of cognitive functions in patients with severe aphasia.

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