Theory of Mind and Executive Functioning in Alcohol Dependence Syndrome

Title: Theory of mind and executive functioning in alcohol dependence syndrome. Objectives: The objective of study to examine the relationship of the Theory of Mind (TOM) deficit and Executive Functioning difficulties of the Alcohol Dependence Syndrome (ADS). Methods: Forty-five patients of ADS age range between 18 to 35 years participated in the study. All patients selected for study were inpatients of de-addiction ward of the Ranchi Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Allied Sciences (RINPAS), Ranchi. All participants were tested on measures of TOM tasks and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Results: The result findings suggest that the First Order Deception Tasks (FODT) of TOM was significantly correlated with the WCST’s no. of error, percentage of error, non-perseverative error and First Order Deception Tasks (FODT) of Memory with all variables of WCST. Second Order Deception Tasks (FODT) of TOM was significantly correlated with the WCST’s percentage of error, non-perseverative error and conceptual level responses. Attribution of Intention Tasks (AIT) of TOM was significantly correlated with the all variables of the WCST. Conclusions: The ADS patients having difficulty in TOM tasks and this difficulty may be related to underlying deficit in executive functioning.

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Differential executive functioning in the topology of Spirit possession or dissociative disorders: an explorative cultural study

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-019-2358-2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Samir Al-Adawi ◽

Yahya Al-Kalbani ◽

Sathiya Murthi Panchatcharam ◽

Matlooba Ayoub Al-Zadjali ◽

Sara S. Al-Adawi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Executive Functioning ◽

Spirit Possession ◽

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽

Trail Making Test ◽

Card Sorting ◽

Perseverative Error ◽

History Of ◽

Trail Making ◽

Wisconsin Card Sorting ◽

Sorting Test

Abstract Background In Oman, anecdotal and impressionistic observation have helped parse and categorize various manifestations of spirit possession into two broad and distinct categories: intermittent dissociative phenomenon and transitory dissociative phenomenon. The primary aim of the present study was to compare the performance of participants on neuropsychological tests among different grades of possession. Other correlates were also sought. Methods Assessment criteria for the two groups included measures examining executive functioning: controlled oral word association test Verbal Fluency, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (Perseverative error and the number of categories achieved), Trail Making Test and the Tower of London Test (number of correctly solved problems). Sociodemographic variables and the history of trauma were also sought. Result Among 84 participants, one third of them presented the intermittent possession type and two thirds, the transitory possession type. Their mean age was 34.17 ± 11.82 and 56% of them were female. Nearly 35% of them endorsed a history of a traumatic experience. Both the multivariate models showed statistical significance (F (5, 78) = 5.57, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.22), F (5, 78) = 11.38, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.39) with an independent predictor of intermittent dissociative phenomenon (β = − 3.408, p < 0.001), (β = 63.88, p < 0.001) for Verbal Fluency and Trail Making Test, respectively. The history of the traumatic event was also statistically significant with the results of the Trail Making Test (β = − 26.01, p < 0.041. Furthermore, the subtype of Pathogenic Possession turned out to be an independent predictor across all models: Wisconsin Card Sorting Test perseverative error, Wisconsin card sorting test categories achieved and the number of problems solved in the Tower of London Test (OR = 3.70, 95% C.I. 2.97–4.61; p < 0.001), (OR = 0.57, 95% C.I.0.39–0.84; p = 0.004) and (OR = 0.80, 95% C.I. 0.65–0.99; p < 0.037) respectively. Conclusions This study suggests that typology of spirit possession found in Oman tends to differ on indices of executive function. Those with ‘diagnosis’ of intermittent possession showed impairment in many indices of executive functioning. Despite its wide prevalence, spirit possession has not been examined in terms of its neuropsychological functioning. We believe that this study will be instrumental in laying the groundwork for a more robust methodology.

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The relationship between executive functions and fluid intelligence in Parkinson's disease

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291712000451 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 42 (11) ◽

pp. 2445-2452 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

M. Roca ◽

F. Manes ◽

A. Chade ◽

E. Gleichgerrcht ◽

O. Gershanik ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Theory Of Mind ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Fluid Intelligence ◽

Group Performance ◽

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽

Card Sorting ◽

Sorting Test ◽

And Control

BackgroundWe recently demonstrated that decline in fluid intelligence is a substantial contributor to frontal deficits. For some classical ‘executive’ tasks, such as the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and Verbal Fluency, frontal deficits were entirely explained by fluid intelligence. However, on a second set of frontal tasks, deficits remained even after statistically controlling for this factor. These tasks included tests of theory of mind and multitasking. As frontal dysfunction is the most frequent cognitive deficit observed in early Parkinson's disease (PD), the present study aimed to determine the role of fluid intelligence in such deficits.MethodWe assessed patients with PD (n=32) and control subjects (n=22) with the aforementioned frontal tests and with a test of fluid intelligence. Group performance was compared and fluid intelligence was introduced as a covariate to determine its role in frontal deficits shown by PD patients.ResultsIn line with our previous results, scores on the WCST and Verbal Fluency were closely linked to fluid intelligence. Significant patient–control differences were eliminated or at least substantially reduced once fluid intelligence was introduced as a covariate. However, for tasks of theory of mind and multitasking, deficits remained even after fluid intelligence was statistically controlled.ConclusionsThe present results suggest that clinical assessment of neuropsychological deficits in PD should include tests of fluid intelligence, together with one or more specific tasks that allow for the assessment of residual frontal deficits associated with theory of mind and multitasking.

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Study investigating executive function in schizophrenia patients and their unaffected siblings

10.21203/rs.2.17698/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Feifei Xu ◽

Kongliang He ◽

Xiaomeng Bai ◽

Lu Wang ◽

Guixian Xiao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Total Error ◽

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Card Sorting ◽

Perseverative Error ◽

Intermediate Phenotypes ◽

Perseverative Response ◽

Executive Impairment ◽

Sorting Test

Abstract Background: Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a serious genetic mental illness. Most research indicates that executive impairment has a certain genetic predisposition. The shared neuropathological characteristics of patients with schizophrenia and their siblings might reveal intermediate phenotypes in behavior that could be used to further characterize the illness. Methods: Our study involved 32 schizophrenia patients, 32 unaffected siblings,and 33 healthy controls. The three groups underwent a computerized version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and a battery of cognitive neuropsychological assessments. These tests evaluated executive function and several cognitive domains. Results: In this study, the WCST results demonstrate that the total correct (TC), total error (TE), perseverative response (PR) and perseverative error (PE) scores in the SZ group were significantly lower than those in the HC group (TC (p=0.011), TE (p<0.001), PR (p=0.007) and PE (p=0.002)), and compared to the unaffected siblings, we found significant differences in TE (p=0.003). Moreover, significant differences were observed between the unaffected siblings and healthy controls as follows: TC (p=0.034), TE (p=0.008), PR (p=0.016) and PE (p=0.013). Conclusion: The schizophrenia patients and their siblings performed worse in the WCST test than the healthy controls. This result supports the claim that the development of functional impairment is not unique to schizophrenia patients and that unaffected siblings may have a certain level of abnormal brain function.Neurological abnormalities lead to abnormal functioning in siblings and patients,suggesting that genetics plays a considerable role in such results.

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SA29. Executive Functioning Success: Exploring the Factor Structure of Successful Completion of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia Bulletin ◽

10.1093/schbul/sbx023.028 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 43 (suppl_1) ◽

pp. S123-S124

Author(s):

Sean Carruthers ◽

Caroline Gurvich ◽

Chad Bousman ◽

Ian Everall ◽

Christos Pantelis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Executive Functioning ◽

Factor Structure ◽

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽

Card Sorting ◽

Successful Completion ◽

Wisconsin Card Sorting ◽

Sorting Test

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Updating Information in Verbal Working Memory and Executive Functioning

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.96.1.67-76 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 96 (1) ◽

pp. 67-76 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Frédéric Doiseau ◽

Michel Isingrini

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Executive Functioning ◽

Memory Task ◽

Verbal Ability ◽

Verbal Working Memory ◽

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽

Phonological Loop ◽

Card Sorting ◽

Wisconsin Card Sorting ◽

Sorting Test

50 older adults ( M age = 77.9 yr., SD = 7.3; 35 women and 15 men) were tested using the updating working-memory task. They were also given the neuropsychological Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, assumed to evaluate executive functioning and the frontal cortex. A factor analysis with age, education, and verbal ability partialled out was computed on the updating task outcomes and resulted in a two-factor solution, indicating that this task requires two independent processes, interpreted as reflecting a storage component and an updating component. Partial correlations with age, education, and verbal ability partialled out indicated that Wisconsin Card Sorting Test measures were significantly associated with the factor supposed to reflect the updating process. Such results appeared consistent with the model of working memory with a central executive system involved in the updating process and related to the executive-frontal functioning, and a phonological loop system involved in the storage of verbal information and not linked to executive-frontal functions.

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Comparison of Executive Functions and Difficulties in Emotional Regulation in Addicts with High and Low Borderline Personality Traits

International Journal of Indian Psychology ◽

10.25215/0303.014 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Reza Mohammadzadeghan

Keyword(s):

Executive Functioning ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Emotional Regulation ◽

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Emotional Difficulties ◽

Card Sorting ◽

Borderline Personality Traits ◽

Wisconsin Card Sorting ◽

Sorting Test

This study was performed aimed to compare the executive functioning and difficulties with emotional regulation in addicts with high and low borderline personality traits. The plan of the study was causal- comparative. The research sample population consisted of all men who had drug abuse in 2013 who referred to addiction centers. 80 addicted persons were selected by available sampling and by using questionnaire of borderline personality traits (STB) in two groups of 40 as abusers with high and low borderline traits. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the scale of difficulty in emotional regulation of the two groups were performed. Then data were analyzed in SPSS Version 20 using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and test LSD. The results showed that addicts with a high proportion of borderline traits, have a poorer performance than addicts with low borderlines attributes in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the number of retained in perseveration (P =0/010) and total error (P=0/002) is higher. Also abusers with higher borderline traits, have higher scores in the emotional difficulties regulation (P = 0/002) than addicts with low borderline of traits. The results showed that the addicts with a high boundary characteristic have poorer performance in executive functioning and higher levels of emotional difficulties in emotional regulation that this may be the result of the impact of drug dependency on their neurological function that may lead to weaker performance of these people compared to low borderline traits addicts.

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

Journal of Defense Analytics and Logistics ◽

10.1108/jdal-05-2017-0007 ◽

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.

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