scholarly journals Cognitive flexibility and problem-solving in patients with bipolar disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
Maria Yosepha Safira Nugroho ◽  
B. Handoko Daeng ◽  
Gladdy L. Waworuntu
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Manic Episode ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mixed Episode ◽  
Sorting Test

Introduction: This study focuses on the cognitive impairment in patients with bipolar disorder and also the distribution of cognitive flexibility and problem-solving by degree of education, chronicity, and episode of patient is in at the time of evaluation.Methods: This was a cross sectional descriptive study with purposive sampling method. The population was the Harmony in Diversity Group in Surabaya, Indonesia. Twenty-two patients agreed to be subjects and each of them finished the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) to measure cognitive flexibility and the Tower of London (TOL) to measure problem-solving. Results: The WCST score are below normal for 90.9% of the patients. Higher cognitive flexibility is found in patients with bachelor’s degree and euthymic patients, while lower cognitive flexibility is found in patients in depression episode, manic episode, and mixed episode. No patients could finish the TOL within the minimum required steps. Better problem-solving is found in patients in manic episode and euthymic patients while lower problem-solving is found in mixed episode and depressive episode.Conclusion: The cognitive flexibility and problem-solving in patients with bipolar disorder are lower than the normal cut off. The type of episode and chronicity are contributing factors. Euthymic patients tend to have better cognitive flexibility and manic patients tend to have better problem-solving ability.

Executive functions disorders in high functioning autism and rehabilitation implications

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S435-S435
Author(s):  
A. Di Santantonio ◽  
M. Manfredini ◽  
N. Varucciu ◽  
M. Fabbri ◽  
M.C. Cutrone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
High Functioning Autism ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Cognitive Screening ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
High Functioning

IntroductionThe term executive functions (EFs) includes a set of cognitive processes such as planning, working memory, attention, problem solving, inhibition, mental flexibility, multi-tasking, and initiation and monitoring of actions. EFs are the higher order control processes to guide behaviour.Some studies on the relationship between EFs and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) showed deficit in the cognitive flexibility and speed processing, particularly with Asperger syndrome. Recently, Merchán-Naranjo et al. [1] supported that children's and adolescents with autism without intellectual disability are insufficient in at least 5 domains: attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control and problem-solving.AimsOur work is aimed at verifying if the presence of a dysexecutive syndrome significantly impacts on the adaptive functioning of people with high functioning autism.MethodsA group of young adults with ASD were administered traditional neuropsychological assessment, specific assessment, focusing on the planning strategies for solving problems (Test Tower of London), abstraction and categorization (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test), and the Dysexecutive Questionnaires.ResultsThe results showed the presence of a specific deficit in the executive functioning in an average cognitive functioning.ConclusionsIntegrate the standard cognitive screening with a specific EFs assessment resulted to be very useful for the clinician to realize neuropsychological and psychotherapeutic individualized treatment.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Internal Manipulation of Perceptual Representations in Human Flexible Cognition: A Computational Model

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Granato ◽  
Gianluca Baldassarre
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Computational Model ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Perceptual Representations ◽  
Dependent Learning ◽  
Sorting Test

Executive functions represent a wide set of goal-directed cognitive processes that rely on integrated cortical-basal ganglia brain systems and are at the basis of human flexible behaviour. Several computational models have been proposed to study cognitive flexibility and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), an important neuropsychological test used for measuring such function. These models clarify important aspects of cognitive flexibility, in particular the processes concerning decision making, motor response, and feedback-dependent learning. However, several studies suggest that categorisation processes, as those involved in the solution of the WCST, also involve a fundamental category representation stage supporting the other processes. Surprisingly, all models of the WCST ignore such fundamental stage and propose that decision making directly triggers actions. Here we propose a novel hypothesis for which the key element of cognitive flexibility resides on the acquisition of suitable representations of percepts, and their top-down internal manipulation, to prepare effective actions. We also propose a neuro-inspired computational model to operationalise the hypothesis. The model is validated by systematically reproducing and interpreting the behaviour of healthy young and old adults, and of frontal and Parkinson pathological patients. The hypothesis and model also allow the proposal of a new version of the WCST that might be used to further investigate the important role of the internal manipulation of representations here proposed to be at the core of flexible goal-directed behaviour.

scholarly journals Analysis of performance on a modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test for the military

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-46
Author(s):  
Cardy Moten ◽  
Quinn Kennedy ◽  
Jonathan Alt ◽  
Peter Nesbitt
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Military Officers ◽  
Random Errors ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Perseverative Error ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting ◽  
Sorting Test

Purpose Current Army doctrine stresses a need for military leaders to have the capability to make flexible and adaptive decisions based on a future unknown environment, location and enemy. To assess a military decision maker’s ability in this context, this paper aims to modify the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test which assesses cognitive flexibility, into a military relevant map task. Thirty-four military officers from all service branches completed the map task. Design/methodology/approach The purpose of this study was to modify a current psychological task that measures cognitive flexibility into a military relevant task that includes the challenge of overcoming experiential bias, and understand underlying causes of individual variability in the decision-making and cognitive flexibility behavior of active duty military officers on this task. Findings Results indicated that non-perseverative errors were a strong predictor of cognitive flexibility performance on the map task. Decomposition of non-perseverative error into efficient errors and random errors revealed that participants who did not complete the map task changed their sorting strategy too soon within a series, resulting in a high quantity of random errors. Originality/value This study serves as the first step in customizing cognitive psychological tests for a military purpose and understanding why some military participants show poor cognitive flexibility.

scholarly journals Dopamine, Cognitive Flexibility and IQ: Synergistic COMT:DRD2 Gene-Gene Interactions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leor Zmigrod ◽  
Trevor William Robbins
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Gene Interactions ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
High Intelligence ◽  
Striatal Dopamine Receptor ◽  
Sorting Test

Cognitive flexibility has been hypothesized to be neurochemically rooted in dopamine neurotransmission. Nonetheless, underpowered sample sizes and contradictory meta-analytic findings have obscured the role of dopamine genes in cognitive flexibility and neglected potential gene-gene interactions. In this study, the largest neurocognitive-genetic one to date (N=1400), single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with elevated prefrontal dopamine levels (Catechol-O-methyltransferase, COMT; rs4680) and striatally-concentrated DRD2 receptor availability (C957T; rs6277) were both implicated in Wisconsin Card Sorting Test performance. Crucially, however, these genetic effects were only evident in low-IQ participants, suggesting high intelligence compensates for and eliminates the effect of dispositional dopamine functioning on flexibility. This interaction between cognitive systems may explain and resolve previous empirical inconsistencies in highly educated participant samples. Moreover, compensatory gene-gene interactions were discovered between COMT and DRD2, such that genotypes conferring either elevated prefrontal dopamine or striatal dopamine receptor availability are sufficient for cognitive flexibility, but neither is necessary. The study therefore has revealed a form of redundancy or substitutability amongst dopamine systems in shaping adaptable thought and action, thus defining boundary conditions for dopaminergic effects on flexible behaviour. These results inform theories of clinical disorders and psychopharmacological interventions and uncover complex fronto-striatal synergies in human flexible cognition.

scholarly journals Brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene val66met polymorphism and executive functioning in patients with bipolar disorder

2009 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Fernandes Tramontina ◽  
Denise Yates ◽  
Pedro Vieira da Silva Magalhães ◽  
Clarissa Trentini ◽  
Márcia Kauer Sant'Anna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Val66met Polymorphism ◽  
Factor Gene ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting ◽  
Sorting Test ◽  
The Brain

OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we investigate the association between the val66met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) and the performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in a sample of Caucasian Brazilian patients with bipolar disorder. METHOD: Sixty-four patients with bipolar disorder were assessed and their performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test was compared with the allele frequency and genotype of the val66met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor. RESULTS: The percentage of non-perseverative errors was significantly higher among patients with the val/val genotype. There was no association between (BNDF) genotype frequency and other Wisconsin Card Sorting Test domains. CONCLUSION: Our results did not replicate previous descriptions of an association between a worse cognitive performance and the presence of the met allele of the val66met brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene polymorphism.

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