EXPRESS: Trajectories of verbal fluency and executive functions in multilingual and monolingual children and adults: A cross-sectional study

The development of verbal fluency is associated with the maturation of executive function skills, such as the ability to inhibit irrelevant information, shift between tasks and hold information in working memory. Some evidence suggests that multilinguistic upbringing may underpin disadvantages in verbal fluency and lexical retrieval, but can also afford executive function advantages beyond the language system including possible beneficial effects in older age. This study examined the relationship between verbal fluency and executive function in 324 individuals across the lifespan by assessing the developmental trajectories of English monolingual and multilingual children aged 7 to 15 years (N=154) and adults from 18 to 80 years old (N=170). The childhood data indicated patterns of improvement in verbal fluency and executive function skills as a function of age. Multilingual and monolingual children had comparable developmental trajectories in all linguistic and non-linguistic measures used in the study with the exception of planning, for which monolingual children showed a steeper improvement over the studied age range relative to multilingual children. For adults, monolinguals and multilingual participants had comparable performance on all measures with the exception of non-verbal inhibitory control and response times on the Tower of London task: monolinguals showed a steeper decline associated with age. Exploratory factor analysis indicated that verbal fluency was associated with working memory and fluid intelligence in monolingual participants but not in multilinguals. These findings raise the possibility that early acquisition of an additional language may impact on the development of the functional architecture serving high-level human cognition.

Download Full-text

Cognitive dysfunction in adolescents with chronic fatigue: a cross-sectional study

Archives of Disease in Childhood ◽

10.1136/archdischild-2014-306764 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 100 (9) ◽

pp. 838-844 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Dag Sulheim ◽

Even Fagermoen ◽

Øyvind Stople Sivertsen ◽

Anette Winger ◽

Vegard Bruun Wyller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Processing Speed ◽

Sleep Problems ◽

Verbal Learning ◽

Chronic Fatigue ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cognitive Inhibition ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional

ObjectiveTo compare cognitive function in adolescents with chronic fatigue with cognitive function in healthy controls (HC).Study designCross-sectional study.SettingPaediatric department at Oslo University Hospital, Norway.Participants120 adolescents with chronic fatigue (average age 15.4 years; range 12–18) and 39 HC (average age 15.2 years; range 12–18).MethodsThe adolescents completed a neurocognitive test battery measuring processing speed, working memory, cognitive inhibition, cognitive flexibility, verbal learning and verbal memory, and questionnaires addressing demographic data, depression symptoms, anxiety traits, fatigue and sleep problems. Parents completed the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), which measures the everyday executive functions of children.ResultsAdolescents with chronic fatigue had impaired cognitive function compared to HC regarding processing speed (mean difference 3.3, 95% CI 1.1 to 5.5, p=0.003), working memory (−2.4, −3.7 to −1.1, p<0.001), cognitive inhibition response time (6.2, 0.8 to 11.7, p=0.025) and verbal learning (−1.7, −3.2 to −0.3, p=0.022). The BRIEF results indicated that everyday executive functions were significantly worse in the chronic fatigue group compared to the HC (11.2, 8.2 to 14.3, p<0.001). Group differences remained largely unaffected when adjusted for symptoms of depression, anxiety traits and sleep problems.ConclusionsAdolescents with chronic fatigue had impaired cognitive function of clinical relevance, measured by objective cognitive tests, in comparison to HC. Working memory and processing speed may represent core difficulties.

Download Full-text

Wisdom and fluid intelligence are dissociable in healthy older adults

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610221000521 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Cutter A. Lindbergh ◽

Heather Romero-Kornblum ◽

Sophia Weiner-Light ◽

J. Clayton Young ◽

Corrina Fonseca ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Episodic Memory ◽

San Francisco ◽

Fluid Intelligence ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Positive Association ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Self Report ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Healthy Older Adults

ABSTRACT Objectives: The relationship between wisdom and fluid intelligence (Gf) is poorly understood, particularly in older adults. We empirically tested the magnitude of the correlation between wisdom and Gf to help determine the extent of overlap between these two constructs. Design: Cross-sectional study with preregistered hypotheses and well-powered analytic plan (https://osf.io/h3pjx). Setting: Memory and Aging Center at the University of California San Francisco, located in the USA. Participants: 141 healthy older adults (mean age = 76 years; 56% female). Measurements: Wisdom was quantified using a well-validated self-report-based scale (San Diego Wisdom Scale or SD-WISE). Gf was assessed via composite measures of processing speed (Gf-PS) and executive functioning (Gf-EF). The relationships of SD-WISE scores to Gf-PS and Gf-EF were tested in bivariate correlational analyses and multiple regression models adjusted for demographics (age, sex, and education). Exploratory analyses evaluated the relationships between SD-WISE and age, episodic memory performance, and dorsolateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortical volumes on magnetic resonance imaging. Results: Wisdom showed a small, positive association with Gf-EF (r = 0.181 [95% CI 0.016, 0.336], p = .031), which was reduced to nonsignificance upon controlling for demographics, and no association with Gf-PS (r = 0.019 [95% CI −0.179, 0.216], p = .854). Wisdom demonstrated a small, negative correlation with age (r = −0.197 [95% CI −0.351, −0.033], p = .019), but was not significantly related to episodic memory or prefrontal volumes. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that most of the variance in wisdom (>95%) is unaccounted for by Gf. The independence of wisdom from cognitive functions that reliably show age-associated declines suggests that it may hold unique potential to bolster decision-making, interpersonal functioning, and other everyday activities in older adults.

Download Full-text

Robot-based assessment of HIV-related motor and cognitive impairment for neurorehabilitation

10.1101/2020.10.30.20223172 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kevin D. Bui ◽

Carol A. Wamsley ◽

Frances S. Shofer ◽

Dennis L. Kolson ◽

Michelle J. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Functional Decline ◽

Motor Impairment ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Rehabilitation Robotics ◽

Sequence Length ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Spatial Span ◽

Living With Hiv

AbstractThere is a pressing need for strategies to slow or treat the progression of functional decline in people living with HIV. This paper explores a novel rehabilitation robotics approach to measuring cognitive and motor impairment in adults living with HIV, including a subset with stroke. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 21 subjects exhibiting varying levels of cognitive and motor impairment. We developed three robot-based tasks trajectory tracking, N-back, and spatial span – to assess if metrics derived from these tasks were sensitive to differences in subjects with varying levels of executive function and upper limb motor impairments. We also examined if these metrics could estimate clinical cognitive and motor scores. The results showed that the average sequence length on the robot-based spatial span task was the most sensitive to differences between subjects’ cognitive and motor impairment levels. We observed strong correlations between robot-based measures and clinical cognitive and motor assessments relevant to the HIV population, such as the Color Trails 1 (rho = 0.83), Color Trails 2 (rho = 0.71), Digit Symbol – Coding (rho = 0.81), Montreal Cognitive Assessment – Executive Function subscore (rho = 0.70), and Box and Block Test (rho = 0.74). Importantly, our results highlight that gross motor impairment may be overlooked in the assessment of HIV-related disability. This study shows that rehabilitation robotics can be expanded to new populations beyond stroke, namely to people living with HIV and those with cognitive impairments.

Download Full-text

PENGARUH PENYAKIT KRONIS DAN GAYA HIDUP TERHADAP KINERJA VERBAL FLUENCY KATEGORIK PADA LANSIA

Majalah Kedokteran Neurosains Perhimpunan Dokter Spesialis Saraf Indonesia ◽

10.52386/neurona.v37i1.97 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jessica Alysia ◽

Yvonne Suzy Handajani ◽

Nelly Tina Widjaja ◽

Yuda Turana

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Chronic Illness ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Education Level ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

History Of

CHRONIC DISEASES AND LIFESTYLE IMPACT TO CATEGORY VERBAL FLUENCY PERFORMANCE IN ELDERLYABSTRACTIntroduction: In recent studies, chronic illness and sedentary lifestyle were found to bea risk factors for cognitive impairment. Verbal fluency (VF) is one of the most used instruments.Aim: To determine cognitive impairment using VF and its correlation with risk factors (chronic illness and lifestyle) in elderly.Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted toward 121 elderly respondents in August–September 2017 at Pusaka, West Jakarta. Cognitive impariment was assessesed using VF. VF otherwise disturbed if the value <16.03. Heart disease and stroke were determined by anamnesis. Blood pressure was determined using Riester tensimeter. that has been calibrated. Cholesterol and blood sugar were determined using laboratory result by CHOD-PAP method. Smoking was determined by asking the history of smoking. Physical activity was determined by 24-hour activity recall. Nutrition Intake was determined by food record.Results: There were 63.6% subjects wno had VF impairment. Most respondent were over 65 years old (71.9%), female (66.1%) and education level more than 6 years (72.7%). VF had a significant assosiation with education level (p=0.020; OR=3.792), and without cardiovascular disease (p=0.023; OR=0.111).Discussion: The mayority of respondents had VF impairment, lower education was consistenly as a risk factors while no history of cardiovascular disease as a protective factors of language impairment.Keywords: Chronic diseases, cognitive impairment, lifestyle, verbal fluencyABSTRAKPendahuluan: Pada beberapa penelitian terbaru ditemukan bahwa faktor risiko seperti penyakit kronis dan gaya hidup buruk meningkatkan risiko terkena gangguan fungsi kognitif. Salah satu instrumen yang sering digunakan adalah verbal fluency (VF).Tujuan: Mengetahui gambaran fungsi kognitif dengan instrumen VF dan hubungannya dengan faktor risiko (penyakit kronis dan gaya hidup) pada lansia.Metode: Penelitian potong lintang ini dilaksanakan pada 121 responden lansia pada bulan Agustus-September 2017 di Pusaka Jakarta Barat. Gangguan fungsi kognitif dinilai menggunakan instrumen VF. Verbal fluency dikatakan terganggu dengan nilai <16,03. Penyakit jantung dan stroke didapatkan dari anamnesis. Tekanan darah dari hasil pengukuran menggunakan tensimeter yang telah dikalibrasi sebelumnya. Pengukuran kolesterol dan gula darah didapatkan dari hasil laboratorium dengan metode CHOD-PAP. Merokok didapat dari anamnesis. Aktivitas fisik dinilai dari 24-hour activity recall. Asupan nutrisi dinilai dari kuisioner food record.Hasil: Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan subjek dengan gangguan VF sebanyak 63,6%. Mayoritas responden berusia diatas 65 tahun (71,9%), dengan jenis kelamin wanita (66,1%) dan tingkat pendidikan diatas 6 tahun (72,7%). Hasil analisis menunjukan bahwa instrumen VF memiliki hubungan bermakna dengan tingkat pendidikan rendah (p=0,020; RO=3,792), dan tidak berpenyakit jantung (p=0,023; RO=0,111).Diskusi: Mayoritas responden memiliki gangguan bahasa, pendidikan rendah diketahui secara konsisten sebagai faktor risiko sementara tidak ada riwayat penyakit jantung sebagai faktor protektif untuk gangguan fungsi bahasa.Kata kunci: Gangguan fungsi kognitif, gaya hidup, penyakit kronis, verbal fluency

Download Full-text

Elevated Anxiety Relates to Future Executive Dysfunction: A Cross-Lagged Panel Network Analysis of Psychopathology and Cognitive Functioning Components

10.31234/osf.io/hrfqa ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nur Hani Zainal ◽

Michelle G. Newman

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Network Analysis ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Language Processing ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Executive Dysfunction ◽

Causal Inferences ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Motor Behaviors ◽

Global Cognition

Background: Vulnerability models posit that reduced cognitive functioning abilities (e.g., verbal fluency, working memory (WM)) precede and relate to future heightened psychopathology. Conversely, scar theory postulates that elevated psychopathology coincides with subsequent reduced cognitive functioning. However, most studies so far have been cross-sectional and tested global cognitive functioning-psychopathology relations. Objective: Thus, we used cross-lagged panel network analysis (CLPN) to facilitate causal inferences and differentiation of components on this topic. Method: Community adults (n = 856) participated in this eight-year study across four waves of assessment, each spaced about two years apart. Nine psychopathology components (aberrant motor behaviors (AMB), agitation, apathy, anxiety, delusions, depression, disinhibition, hallucinations, irritability) and seven cognitive functioning (attention, episodic memory, global cognition, language, processing speed, verbal fluency, WM) multi-item nodes were assessed with various performance-based cognitive functioning tests and the caregiver-rated Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Results: Contemporaneous networks consistently showed negative associations among global cognition/verbal fluency and agitation, AMB, or hallucinations, during all waves of assessment. Nodes that were most influential across communities in contemporaneous networks were delusions, depression, WM, and verbal fluency. For temporal networks, heightened anxiety (versus other neuropsychiatric nodes), had the largest negative relations with future decreased executive and related cognitive functioning nodes. Further, executive function nodes (e.g., verbal fluency) tended to be impacted by, rather than influential on, other nodes, across all time-points. Discussion: Findings supported scar (vs. vulnerability) model. The efficacy of evidence-based cognitive-behavioral and related psychopharmacological treatments may be enhanced by adding executive function training. Other theoretical and clinical implications were discussed.

Download Full-text

Examining core self-management skills among adolescents with celiac disease

Journal of Health Psychology ◽

10.1177/1359105320922304 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 135910532092230

Author(s):

Sonya Meyer ◽

Sara Rosenblum

Keyword(s):

Celiac Disease ◽

Executive Function ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Chronic Health Condition ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Health Condition ◽

Management Skills ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Daily Food ◽

Core Self

A strict gluten-free diet is the only treatment for celiac disease, and it is especially challenging among adolescents. Participation in food-related activities and self-managing the chronic health condition involve use of cognitive skills. This cross-sectional study examined how executive functions might be associated with participation in food-related activities. Adolescents aged 12–18 years ( N = 65; Mage = 14.67) with celiac were interviewed about participation, and their parents completed an executive function questionnaire. Poorer participation significantly correlated with poorer executive abilities. Identifying executive function profiles may contribute to understanding and advancing resourceful daily functioning and participation in daily food-related activities.

Download Full-text

Relationship between Executive Function and Dual Task Physical Performance among Older Adults-A Cross Sectional Study

International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation ◽

10.4172/2329-9096.1000421 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 05 (04) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hardik Sunil kumar Parikh ◽

Chaitali Shah

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Executive Function ◽

Physical Performance ◽

Dual Task ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional

Download Full-text

Correlations of apathy with clinical symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and olfactory dysfunctions: a cross-sectional study

BMC Neurology ◽

10.1186/s12883-020-01978-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Shu-yang Yu ◽

Teng-hong Lian ◽

Peng Guo ◽

Li-xia Li ◽

Du-yu Ding ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Regression Analysis ◽

Verbal Memory ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Daily Living ◽

Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Activity Of Daily Living ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional

Abstract Background Apathy is one of the most common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), however, correlations of apathy with demographic variables, cognitive functions, neuropsychiatric symptoms, activity of daily living and olfactory functions in AD patients are still lacking comprehensive investigations. Methods This is a cross-sectional study. Total 124 typical AD patients were consecutively recruited from April 2014 to April 2017. In 124 AD patients, 47 cases (37.9%) were male and 77 cases were female; patients’ age were 43–93 years with an average of 68 years. Patients were divided into AD with apathy (AD-A) and AD with no apathy (AD-NA) groups according to the score of Modified Apathy Evaluation Scale, then were evaluated cognitive functions, neuropsychiatric symptoms and activity of daily living, and tested olfactory functions. Above variables were compared between AD-A and AD-NA groups. Further correlation analyses and linear regression analysis were performed between apathy and above variables. Results Compared with AD-NA group, global cognitive level, verbal memory, verbal fluency and activity of daily living were significantly compromised in AD-A group (P < 0.002); depression and agitation were severely displayed in AD-A group (P < 0.002). Apathy was negatively correlated with global cognitive function, verbal memory, verbal fluency and activity of daily living (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference of olfactory functions between the two groups (P > 0.002), and correlations between apathy and olfactory threshold, olfactory identification and global olfactory function were significant (P < 0.05) but quite weak (|r| < 0.3). Further linear regression analysis showed that only verbal fluency and instrumental activities of daily living were independently associated with apathy. Conclusions Independent correlations among apathy, verbal fluency and instrumental activities of daily living in AD patients might be related to the common brain area involved in their pathogeneses.

Download Full-text

Differential associations between depression and cognitive function in MCI and AD: a cross-sectional study

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610218001527 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 31 (08) ◽

pp. 1151-1158 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Chang Hyun Lee ◽

Do Hoon Kim ◽

Yoo Sun Moon

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Geriatric Depression Scale ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Neuropsychological Screening ◽

Screening Battery ◽

Clinical Research Center ◽

Sectional Analysis

ABSTRACTObjective:Despite the possibility that cognitive deficits associated with depression may have different patterns depending on the level of neurocognitive impairment, there remains no clear evidence of this. This study aimed to investigate the differential association between depression and cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).Methods:A cross-sectional analysis was performed of data from 1,724 patients with MCI and 1,247 patients with AD from the Clinical Research Center for Dementia in Korea. Depression was assessed using the Korean form of the Geriatric Depression Scale, and cognition was measured using the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery, which includes five domains (attention, language and related function, visuospatial function, memory, and frontal/executive function).Results:Significant differences were found between the two groups (non-depressed vs. depressed) in visuospatial, memory, and executive function domains in the MCI group, as well as in the attention domain in the AD group. The association between depressive symptoms and cognitive function was significantly greater in patients with MCI than in those with AD. These associations were more pronounced in memory and executive function.Conclusion:Our findings suggest that the association between depression and decreased cognitive function is more pronounced in MCI than AD.

Download Full-text