Cognitive ageing: 20 years process

Background: People with normal functionality have normal cognitive changes associated with the ageing process while many people age without cognitive decline. The most exact effects of age are cognitive impairments in learning, memory, and problem solving. These age-related effects slightly increase or do not change for many years, and do not affect the daily life activities of the person. Methods: To investigate age-related cognitive effects, detailed cognitive evaluations were compared with 20 years intervals in 7 (seven) elderly individuals at Haydarpaşa Numune Training and Research Hospital in 2019. These individuals are continuing daily life activities and sociocultural relations independently. Mini-mental state examination, verbal memory processes test and visual memory test-Wechsler memory scale for memory processes, digit span test for attention function, verbal fluency, similarities, stroop, and trail-making test for the evaluation of frontal lobe functions, Benton’s line direction determination test for the visuospatial organization have been applied to individuals. Results: In comparison with the cognitive test results applied twenty years ago; immediate memory impairment is evident, abstraction and attention function are relatively less affected. The tests showing the frontal lobe function, the verbal fluency which also reflects the vocabulary information is less affected, while the cognitive impairment is more in consecutive-complex processes. Conclusion: Cognitive functions based on attention, vocabulary and knowledge are substantially preserved with mild improvement in normal ageing. The most important improvement is on executive functions due to the decrease in motor and cognitive processing speed in cases where complex information needs to be processed.

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Recreational use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or ‘ecstasy’: evidence for cognitive impairment

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291701003828 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 647-658 ◽

Cited By ~ 96

Author(s):

SARAJANE BHATTACHARY ◽

JANE H. POWELL

Keyword(s):

Verbal Fluency ◽

Visual Memory ◽

Digit Span ◽

Cognitive Test ◽

Delayed Recall ◽

Verbal Iq ◽

Brain Structure And Function ◽

Novice Users ◽

And Function ◽

Prose Recall

Background. It has recently been shown that 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or ‘ecstasy’ causes long-lasting alterations to brain structure and function in animals, and there is mounting evidence that recreational users of the drug show impairments in some aspects of cognitive functioning including memory for verbal information. The present study investigates possible effects on other cognitive functions and explores the temporal course of development and resolution of these impairments by comparing novice, regular and abstaining users with a matched group of non-users.Methods. Eighty participants categorized as non-users, novice users, regular users or currently abstinent users of MDMA were assessed on tests of verbal IQ, reversed digit span, immediate and delayed recall of a prose passage and of a complex geometric figure and verbal fluency.Results. The four groups were well-matched for verbal IQ and on demographic variables. They differed in frequency of cannabis use over the last month, but this did not correlate with any cognitive test scores. All three groups of MDMA users showed significantly poorer verbal fluency and immediate and delayed prose recall than non-users. Days since last use and total lifetime consumption of MDMA made separate contributions to the variance in recall scores, accounting jointly for almost half of the variance in delayed recall. By contrast, the groups did not differ on either visual recall or reversed digit span.Conclusions. The observed deficits provide further evidence of impairments of verbal but not visual memory in MDMA users, and indicate that the deficits are not attributable either to differences in general reasoning ability or to impairment of working memory. The data further suggest that the observed impairments may be attributable to a combination of reversible acute effects of MDMA resolving over a period of 2–3 weeks and more long-term changes associated with extent of lifetime consumption.

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Performance of Chronotypes on Memory Tests during the Morning and the Evening Shifts

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.95.1.75-85 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 95 (1) ◽

pp. 75-85 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Maria Paz Loayza Hidalgo ◽

Camila Bressan Zanette ◽

Michell Pedrotti ◽

Camila Morelatto Souza ◽

Paula Vianna Nunes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Verbal Fluency ◽

Visual Memory ◽

Human Performance ◽

Digit Span ◽

Word List ◽

Time Of Day ◽

Emotional Content ◽

Memory Tests ◽

Verbal Fluency Test ◽

Fluency Test

Memory consists of several phases or processes that can be influenced by many factors, including the individual's circadian rhythm and the time of day at which tests are performed. The present objective was to evaluate the performance on memory tests of different chronotypes during the morning and the evening shifts. Subjects (21 men and 26 women, between the ages of 20 and 35 yr.) were evaluated for memory and metamemory differences in the morning and in the afternoon, using a battery of neuropsychological tests composed of the Word List with Emotional Content, Visual Memory, Scale–Semantic Memory, Digit Span, Word-Pairs Associated, Verbal Fluency Test, and Metamemory questionnaire. In the evening shift, there was a statistical difference among chronotypes on the Word List with Neutral Content and on the Verbal Fluency Test. In the morning, there were no statistically significant differences; however, the morning-type subjects had higher scores on the metamemory tests ( p < .01), while the evening-type subjects had higher scores in the afternoon ( p < .01). In spite of their perception, on Word-Pairs Associated and Word List with Emotional Content, the subjects, independently of their chronotype, showed better performance by the evening than by the morning shift. These results highlight the importance of controlling the shift of day and chronotype in studies with the objective of exploration of human performance.

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Reproducibility of the correlative triad among aging, dopamine receptor availability, and cognition

10.1101/494765 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Eric J. Juarez ◽

Jaime J. Castrellon ◽

Mikella A. Green ◽

Jennifer L. Crawford ◽

Kendra L. Seaman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Short Term Memory ◽

Digit Span ◽

Age Effect ◽

Cognitive Test ◽

Cognitive Measures ◽

Healthy Human ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Adult Age ◽

Age Related ◽

Human Adults

AbstractThe evidence that dopamine function mediates the association between aging and cognition is one of the most cited findings in the cognitive neuroscience of aging. However, few and relatively small studies have directly examined these associations. Here we examined correlations among adult age, dopamine D2-like receptor (D2R) availability, and cognition in two cross-sectional studies of healthy human adults. Participants completed a short cognitive test battery and, on a separate day, a PET scan with either the high-affinity D2R tracer [18F]Fallypride (Study 1) or [11C]FLB457 (Study 2). Digit span, a measure of short-term memory maintenance and working memory, was the only cognitive test for which dopamine D2R availability partially mediated the age effect on cognition. In Study 1, age was negatively correlated with digit span. Striatal D2R availability was positively correlated with digit span controlling for age. The age effect on digit span was smaller when controlling for striatal D2R availability. Although other cognitive measures used here have individually been associated with age and D2R availability in prior studies, we found no consistent evidence for significant associations between low D2R availability and low cognitive performance on these measures. These results at best only partially supported the correlative triad of age, dopamine D2R availability, and cognition. While a wealth of other research in human and non-human animals demonstrates that dopamine makes critical contributions to cognition, the present studies suggest caution in interpreting PET findings as evidence that dopamine D2R loss is a primary cause of broad age-related declines in fluid cognition.

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Demographic and neuro-cognitive characteristics of patients with schizophrenia in Bahrain

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(11)73101-7 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (S2) ◽

pp. 1396-1396

Author(s):

C. Kamel ◽

I. Grey

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Frontal Lobe ◽

Visual Memory ◽

Age Of Onset ◽

Diagnostic Category ◽

Cognitive Test ◽

Psychiatric Clinic ◽

Paired Associates ◽

Rule Acquisition ◽

Frontal Lobe Functioning

Previous research has indicated differential patterns of neuro-cognitive functioning in patients with schizophrenia. In this study, we explored the relationship between neuro-cognitive functioning with both socio-demographic and symptom characteristics of 35 Arab patients attending an out-patient psychiatric clinic in the kingdom of Bahrain.All patients participated in an OPCRIT diagnostic assessment, assisted in the completion of a socio-demographic questionnaire (CSSRI) and completed a minimum of four computerized neuro-cognitive tests from the CANTAB. These were Motor Screening (MOT), Paired Associates Learning (PAL: Visual Leaning and New Memory), Stockings of Cambridge (SOC: Spatial Planning and Frontal Lobe functioning) and Intra-Extra Dimensional Set Shift (IED: Testing rule acquisition and reversal)). The average age of onset of symptoms was at age 28 (age range 19–47) and symptom onset in the majority of cases was within between 1 and 6 months. Results indicated using standard score measures on tests of cognitive function that the majority of patients experienced significant deficits in the areas of frontal lobe functioning, working memory and visual memory. Neuro-cognitive test results were not related to(1) presence/absence of insight,(b) diagnostic category, and(c) duration of illness.However, results did appear to predict employment status.Results are discussed in the context of service provision and development of psychiatric services for patients with schizophrenia in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

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Letter Verbal Fluency in Spanish-, Basque-, and Catalan-Speaking Individuals: Does the Selection of the Letters Influence the Outcome?

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2019_jslhr-l-18-0365 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 62 (7) ◽

pp. 2400-2410

Author(s):

Laiene Olabarrieta-Landa ◽

Itziar Benito-Sánchez ◽

Montserrat Alegret ◽

Anna Gailhajanet ◽

Esther Landa Torre ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Frontal Lobe ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Native Language ◽

Spanish Speakers ◽

Crucial Step ◽

Verbal Fluency Test ◽

Performance Differences ◽

Frontal Lobe Functioning ◽

Selection Of ◽

Fluency Test

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare Basque and Catalan bilinguals' performance on the letter verbal fluency test and determine whether significant differences are present depending on the letters used and the language of administration. Method The sample consisted of 87 Spanish monolinguals, 139 Basque bilinguals, and 130 Catalan bilinguals from Spain. Participants completed the letter verbal fluency test using the letters F, A, S, M, R, P, and E. Results Bilinguals scored higher on the letter verbal fluency test when they were tested in Spanish than in Basque or Catalan. No performance differences were found according to native language or dialects within Basque participants. Catalans with Spanish as their native language scored lower on the letter F compared to those who grew up speaking Catalan and Spanish. The suggested letters to use with Basque speakers are A, E, and B; the suggested letters to use with Catalan speakers are P, F, and M; and the suggested letters to use with Spanish speakers are M, R, and P. Conclusion Selecting appropriate stimuli depending on the language of testing is the first crucial step to assess verbal fluency and thus possible frontal lobe functioning impairment.

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Age development of cortical rhythmics in the EEG depending on the formation of the child’s personal psychical characteristics

Medical alphabet ◽

10.33667/2078-5631-2019-1-8(383)-42-48 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 (8) ◽

pp. 42-50

Author(s):

A. V. Budkevich ◽

L. B. Ivanov ◽

G. R. Novikova ◽

G. M. Dzhanumova

Keyword(s):

Alpha Rhythm ◽

Age Groups ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Brain Organization ◽

Age Related ◽

Mathematical Processing ◽

Functional Brain Organization ◽

Child's Brain ◽

Attention Function ◽

Apparently Healthy

According to the authors, rationing the age-related EEG parameters in children should be based on personal psychical characteristics. A comparative analysis of personal psychical characteristics and electroencephalographic data was carried out in 300 apparently healthy children aged 3-15 years. According to this principle, two subgroups of conditionally healthy children in each age group were singled out: 1) with an immature attention function and 2) with an increased anxious background that do not reach the pathological level. Registration and analysis of EEG was performed by the Neurokariograf computer complex (MBN, Moscow) using mathematical processing methods.The EEG interpretation was based on the principle of assessing the functional state of a child's brain using a three-component model according to: 1) wakefulness level and its dissociation, 2) severity of signs of the EEG neurotic pattern, 3) directionality of formation of traits of the system-functional brain organization (severity of signs functional hypofrontality).lt was found the presence of EEG signs was indicative of a lower level of wakefulness in children with an immature function of attention in all age groups, compared with the indicators of the average population of group and children with an increased background of anxiety. Children with an increased background of anxiety have a tendency to prevalence and excessive spatial synchronization of the alpha rhythm. ln healthy children, the fact of a decrease in wakefulness and the presence of signs of anxiety in the clinic and in EEG patterns indicates individual personalities and should not be considered as pathology.

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Mobile phone apps’ support for people with mild dementia: A systematic review (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.15066 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Leona Cilar ◽

Lucija Gosak ◽

Amanda Briggs ◽

Klavdija Čuček Trifkovič ◽

Tracy McClelland ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mobile Phone ◽

Thematic Analysis ◽

Daily Life ◽

General Term ◽

Cognitive Domain ◽

Mild Dementia ◽

Daily Life Activities ◽

Human Needs ◽

People With Dementia ◽

System Usability Scale

BACKGROUND Dementia is a general term for various disorders characterized by memory impairment and loss of at least one cognitive domain. People with dementia are faced with different difficulties in their daily life activities (DLA). With the use of modern technologies, such as mobile phone apps – often called health apps, their difficulties can be alleviated. OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper was to systematically search, analyze and synthetize mobile phone apps designed to support people with mild dementia in daily life activities in two apps bases: Apple App Store and Google Play Store. METHODS A search was conducted in May 2019 following PRISMA recommendations. Results were analyzed and displayed as tables and graphs. Results were synthetized using thematic analysis which was conducted from 14 components, based on human needs for categorized nursing activities. Mobile phone apps were assessed for quality using the System Usability Scale. RESULTS A total of 15 mobile phone apps were identified applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Five major themes were identified with thematic analysis: multi-component DLA, communication and feelings, recreation, eating and drinking, and movement. Most of the apps (73%) of the apps were not mentioned in scientific literature. CONCLUSIONS There are many mobile phone apps available in mobile phone markets for the support for people with mild dementia; yet only a few of them are focused on challenges in daily life activities. Most of the available apps were not evaluated nor assessed for quality.

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Impact of Cochlear Implantation on Neurocognitive Subdomains in Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients

Audiology and Neurotology ◽

10.1159/000510855 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Christiane Völter ◽

Lisa Götze ◽

Imme Haubitz ◽

Janine Müther ◽

Stefan Dazert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Cochlear Implant ◽

Cochlear Implantation ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Homogeneous Population ◽

Delayed Recall ◽

Hearing Status ◽

Age Related ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Impact

Introduction: Age-related hearing loss affects about one-third of the population worldwide. Studies suggest that hearing loss may be linked to cognitive decline and auditory rehabilitation may improve cognitive functions. So far, the data are limited, and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The study aimed to analyze the impact of cochlear implantation on cognition in a large homogeneous population of hearing-impaired adults using a comprehensive non-auditory cognitive assessment with regard to normal-hearing (NH) subjects. Material and Methods: Seventy-one cochlear implant (CI) candidates with a postlingual, bilateral severe or profound hearing loss aged 66.3 years (standard deviation [SD] 9.2) and 105 NH subjects aged 65.96 years (SD 9.4) were enrolled. The computer-based neurocognitive tool applied included 11 subtests covering attention (M3), short- and long-term memory (recall and delayed recall), working memory (0- and 2-back, Operation Span [OSPAN] task), processing speed (Trail Making Test [TMT] A), mental flexibility (TMT B), inhibition (cFlanker and iFlanker), and verbal fluency. CI patients underwent a neurocognitive testing preoperatively as well as 12 months postoperatively. Impact of hearing status, age, gender, and education on cognitive subdomains was studied. Additionally, after controlling for education and age, cognitive performance of CI subjects (n = 41) was compared to that of NH (n = 34). Results: CI users achieved significantly better neurocognitive scores 12 months after cochlear implantation than before in most subtests (M3, [delayed] recall, 2-back, OSPAN, iFlanker, and verbal fluency; all p < 0.05) except for the TMT A and B. A significant correlation could be found between the postoperative improvement in speech perception and in the attentional task M3 (p = 0.01). Hearing status (p = 0.0006) had the strongest effect on attention, whereas education had a high impact on recall (p = 0.002), OSPAN (p = 0.0004), and TMT A (p = 0.005) and B (p = 0.003). Inhibition was mainly age-dependent with better results in younger subjects (p = 0.016). Verbal fluency was predicted by gender as females outperformed men (p = 0.009). Even after controlling for age and education NH subjects showed a significantly better performance than CI candidates in the recall (p = 0.03) and delayed recall (p = 0.01) tasks. Postoperatively, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups anymore. Conclusion: Impact of cochlear implantation on neurocognitive functions differs according to the cognitive subdomains. Postoperatively, CI recipients performed as good as age- and education-matched NH subjects.

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Which Neuropsychological Tests? Predicting Cognitive Decline and Dementia in Parkinson’s Disease in the ICICLE-PD Cohort

Journal of Parkinson s Disease ◽

10.3233/jpd-212581 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Rachael A. Lawson ◽

Caroline H. Williams-Gray ◽

Marta Camacho ◽

Gordon W. Duncan ◽

Tien K. Khoo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Neuropsychological Tests ◽

Visual Memory ◽

Attention And Memory ◽

Memory And Attention ◽

Global Cognition

Background: Cognitive impairment is common in Parkinson’s disease (PD), with 80% cumulatively developing dementia (PDD). Objective: We sought to identify tests that are sensitive to change over time above normal ageing so as to refine the neuropsychological tests predictive of PDD. Methods: Participants with newly diagnosed PD (n = 211) and age-matched controls (n = 99) completed a range of clinical and neuropsychological tests as part of the ICICLE-PD study at 18-month intervals over 72 months. Impairments on tests were determined using control means (<1-2SD) and median scores. Mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) was classified using 1-2SD below normative values. Linear mixed effects modelling assessed cognitive decline, while Cox regression identified baseline predictors of PDD. Results: At 72 months, 46 (cumulative probability 33.9%) participants had developed PDD; these participants declined at a faster rate in tests of global cognition, verbal fluency, memory and attention (p < 0.05) compared to those who remained dementia-free. Impaired baseline global cognition, visual memory and attention using median cut-offs were the best predictors of early PDD (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.88, p < 0.001) compared to control-generated cut-offs (AUC = 0.76–0.84, p < 0.001) and PD-MCI (AUC] = 0.64–0.81, p < 0.001). Impaired global cognition and semantic fluency were the most useful brief tests employable in a clinical setting (AUC = 0.79, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Verbal fluency, attention and memory were sensitive to change in early PDD and may be suitable tests to measure therapeutic response in future interventions. Impaired global cognition, attention and visual memory were the most accurate predictors for developing a PDD. Future studies could consider adopting these tests for patient clinical trial stratification.

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