scholarly journals Perseverative responding in Nigerian chronic alcohol and marijuana users

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tochukwu Nweze ◽  
Cyprian C. Eze ◽  
Florian Lange
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Marijuana Use ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Chronic Alcohol ◽  
Set Shifting ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Rule Inference

Chronic consumption of alcohol and marijuana, especially when initiated at an early age, has been implicated in cognitive alterations in the domain of executive functioning. Despite the robustness of this finding in Western populations, its generalizability to other cultural contexts is largely unknown. In this study, we examined whether the regular use of alcohol or marijuana use relates to impaired executive functioning in male students of a Nigerian university. Chronic alcohol users (n = 39), chronic marijuana users (n = 35) and drug-abstinent control participants (n = 40) recruited through snow-ball sampling technique completed a computerized version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (cWCST). As an established measure of executive functioning, the cWCST allows for the simultaneous assessment of three distinct executive processes: set shifting, rule inference, and set maintenance. Results revealed a selective set-shifting deficit in both alcohol and marijuana users. Both groups committed significantly more perseverative errors than the control group, and group differences were significantly stronger on this indicator of set shifting than on indicators of rule inference or set maintenance. Our findings support the generalizability of drug-related deficits in executive functioning and contribute to the characterization of executive dysfunction in non-Western populations. Future longitudinal studies are required to clarify whether executive dysfunction is an antecedent or consequence of alcohol and marijuana use in young Nigerians

INECO Frontal Screening: an Instrument to assess Executive Dysfunction in Schizophrenia

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tânia Silva ◽  
Luís Monteiro ◽  
Emanuela Lopes
Keyword(s):  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Schizophrenic Patients ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting ◽  
Sorting Test ◽  
Experimental Group

AbstractAlthough several brief sensitive screening tools are available to detect executive dysfunction, few have been developed to quickly assess executive functioning. The INECO Frontal Screening (IFS) is a brief tool which has proved be useful for the assessment of the executive functions in patients with dementia. The aim of this study was to explore whether the IFS is as sensitive and specific as the BADS, a battery designed to assess the dysexecutive syndrome, in schizophrenia. Our sample comprised a group of 34 schizophrenic patients (Mean age = 39.59, DP = 10.697) and 31 healthy controls (Mean age = 35.52, DP = 10.211). To all groups were administered the BADS, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and IFS. The results suggest that schizophrenic patients performed significantly worse than the control group in all tests (p < .05). The IFS total score was 13.29 for the experimental group and 26.21 for the control group (p < .001). Considering a cut-off of 14 points, the IFS sensitivity was 100% and specificity 56% in detection of executive dysfunction in schizophrenia, compared with the BADS, that if we consider a cut-off of 11 points, was a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 50%. Thus, IFS is a brief, sensitive and specific tool for the detection of executive dysfunction in schizophrenia.

scholarly journals Executive functioning and psychopathological profile in relatives of individuals with deficitv.non-deficit schizophrenia: a pilot study

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Scala ◽  
A. Lasalvia ◽  
L. J. Seidman ◽  
D. Cristofalo ◽  
C. Bonetto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Neuropsychological Functioning ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Neurocognitive Deficits ◽  
Paranoid Ideation ◽  
Deficit Syndrome ◽  
First Degree Relatives

Aims.Heterogeneity of schizophrenia is known to be reflected in neuropsychological functioning of patients, but its expression in relatives is understudied. This study aims at exploring relationship between executive functioning and clinical profiles of first-degree relatives of patients who are classified as having or not having the deficit subtype of schizophrenia (DSRELsv.non-DSRELs), with the prediction of greater executive impairment in DSRELs.Methods.DSRELs (n = 15) and non-DSRELs (n = 40) were compared with community controls (CCs,n = 55) on executive functioning measured by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the phonemic verbal fluency (PVF), and clinical measures. Effects of psychopathology and intelligence quotient (IQ) measures were investigated to determine their association with executive performance.Results.DSRELs showed more executive dysfunction on WCST and poorer social functioning than CCs and more severe negative symptoms than non-DSRELs. Differences on WCST-categories achieved (WCST-CA) remained significant after adjustment for clinical confounders and IQ. WCST-CA was associated with apathy and paranoid ideation only within the DSREL subgroup.Conclusions.Executive functioning and negative symptoms are severely impaired in first-degree relatives of deficit syndrome patients, thus suggesting that some neurocognitive deficits in patients may be transmitted within families according to the pathophysiology of the probands.

scholarly journals Executive functioning among female pathological gambling and bulimia nervosa patients: Preliminary findings

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 302-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.M. ÁLVAREZ-MOYA ◽  
S. JIMÉNEZ-MURCIA ◽  
L. MORAGAS ◽  
M. GÓMEZ-PEÑA ◽  
M.N. AYMAMÍ ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Bulimia Nervosa ◽  
Pathological Gambling ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Test Analysis ◽  
Perseverative Errors ◽  
Healthy Control

AbstractShared vulnerabilities have been described across disorders of impulse control, including pathological gambling (PG) and bulimia nervosa (BN). Our aim was to compare the executive functioning of PG and BN females in order to confirm their similarity at a neurocognitive level. A total of 15 BN females, 15 PG females, and 15 healthy control (HC) females were administered the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Stroop Color and Word Test. Analysis of covariance adjusted for age and education was conducted to compare groups. PG showed the greatest impairment, that is, the highest percentage of WCST perseverative errors (p = .023), the lowest percentage of conceptual-level responses (p = .034), and the highest number of total trials administered (p = .021), while BN showed the highest percentage of WCST nonperseverative errors (p = .003). Both BN and PG females demonstrated executive dysfunction relative to HCs but different specific correlates (i.e., greater vulnerability to distraction in BN, but more cognitive inflexibility in PG). (JINS, 2009, 15, 302–306.)

The neuropsychological profile of a subclinical obsessive-compulsive sample

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 286-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
MYUNG-SUN KIM ◽  
KYOUNG-MI JANG ◽  
BIT-NA KIM
Keyword(s):  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Pathophysiological Mechanism ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Neuropsychological Profile ◽  
Perseverative Errors

AbstractWe investigated the neuropsychological profile of subjects in a subclinical obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) sample. Psychometrically defined subclinical obsessive-compulsive (n = 21) and control (n = 22) subjects were examined. Comprehensive neuropsychological tests evaluating verbal/nonverbal memory, attention, and executive function were administered. The subclinical obsessive-compulsive group showed poorer performances on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), F(1, 41) = 13.80, p < .001, and Trail-Making Test (TMT), F(1, 41) = 5.48, p < .05, compared with the control group. The subclinical obsessive-compulsive group showed higher rates of total errors, perseverative errors, and perseverative responses. In addition, the subclinical obsessive-compulsive group committed a greater number of errors in the TMT. However, the groups showed no performance differences in the TMT after controlling for the effects of depression and anxiety, F(1, 39) = 0.11, p = .739. These results suggest that subclinical obsessive-compulsives seemed to display deficits in executive functioning. This neuropsychological profile is consistent with current theories proposing that executive dysfunction may serve as the pathophysiological mechanism underlying the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder. (JINS, 2009, 15, 286–290.)

High IQ May “Mask” the Diagnosis of ADHD by Compensating for Deficits in Executive Functions in Treatment-Naïve Adults With ADHD

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 455-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Luiza Vidal Milioni ◽  
Tiffany Moukbel Chaim ◽  
Mikael Cavallet ◽  
Nathalya Moleda de Oliveira ◽  
Marco Annes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Clinical Diagnosis ◽  
Performance Test ◽  
Continuous Performance Test ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Adhd Group ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Commission Errors

Objective: To evaluate and compare the performance of adults with ADHD with high and standard IQ in executive functions (EF) tasks. Method: We investigated the neuropsychological performance of 51 adults with ADHD, compared with 33 healthy controls (HC) while performing a wide battery of neuropsychological tests that measure executive functioning. Adults with clinical diagnosis of ADHD were divided into two groups according to their IQ level (IQ ≥ 110—ADHD group with more elevated IQ, and IQ < 110—ADHD group with standard IQ). Results: The ADHD group with standard IQ presented a worse executive functioning compared with the HC group in the following measures: Stroop 2 ( p = .000) and 3 ( p = .000), Trail Making Test (TMT) B ( p = .005), Wisconsin Card-Sorting Test (WCST)—perseverative errors ( p = .022) and failures to maintain set ( p = .020), Continuous Performance Test (CPT)—omission errors ( p = .005) and commission errors ( p = .000), and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB)—conceptualization ( p = .016). The ADHD group with more elevated IQ presented only impairments in the CPT—commission errors ( p = .019) when compared with the control group. Conclusion: Adults with ADHD and more elevated IQ show less evidence of executive functioning deficits compared with those with ADHD and standard IQ, suggesting that a higher degree of intellectual efficiency may compensate deficits in executive functions, leading to problems in establishing a precise clinical diagnosis.

Associations of Regular Marijuana Use by Adolescent Boys With Verbal Memory and Perseveration

2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412198899
Author(s):  
Robert I. Block ◽  
Gerry Jager ◽  
Maartje Luijten ◽  
Nick F. Ramsey
Keyword(s):  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Marijuana Use ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Perseverative Errors ◽  
Selective Reminding Test

Many American and Dutch adolescents use marijuana regularly. There is concern that such use may impair cognitive function more in adolescents than adults. We examined effects of regular marijuana use on long-term memory and perseveration among American and Dutch adolescents. We administered Buschke's Selective Reminding Test (BSRT) to assess long-term memory and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) to assess perseveration in male teenagers. Usable test data were obtained for 12 American marijuana users, 13 American controls, 9 Dutch marijuana users, and 12 Dutch controls. In BSRT, users showed lower overall long-term storage than controls (adjusted means ± SE's for numbers of words per trial of 9.4 ± 0.2, 13.4 ± 0.3, 11.7 ± 0.2, and 12.4 ± 0.2 for American users, Dutch users, American controls, and Dutch controls, respectively). Marijuana was associated with memory effects only in American, not Dutch, users. Bivariate Pearson correlations for American and Dutch users combined showed associations of lower total recall with more uses in the previous year and lifetime (r = –0.61 and r = –0.53, respectively); and more perseverative errors with more uses in the previous year (r = 0.55). Some findings were consistent with the possibility that regular adolescent marijuana use causes deficits in cognition, especially memory. However, a causal interpretation cannot be inferred from our findings and is challenging to reconcile with the observation of memory deficits only in American users. Our study was novel in examining the influence of nationality on marijuana's cognitive effects. More studies of this topic should compare effects across nationalities or cultures.

scholarly journals Clinical and neuropsychological assessment of executive function in a sample of children and adolescents with idiopathic epilepsy

2014 ◽  
Vol 72 (12) ◽  
pp. 954-959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Bandeira de Lima ◽  
Fernanda Moreira ◽  
Marleide da Mota Gomes ◽  
Heber Maia-Filho
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Clinical Data ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Idiopathic Epilepsy ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Seizure Type ◽  
Card Sorting

Objective To compare the executive functions of children and adolescents with idiopathic epilepsy with a control group and to correlate with clinical data, intelligence and academic performance. Method Cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study. Thirty-one cases and thirty-five controls were evaluated by the WCST (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test).The results were compared with clinical data (seizure type and frequency, disease duration and number of antiepileptic drugs used), IQ (WISC-III) and academic performance (APT). Results Patients with epilepsy had poorer executive function scores. There was no positive linear correlation between test scores and epilepsy variables. There was a positive association between academic performance and some executive function results. Conclusion Children with well controlled idiopathic epilepsy may show deficits in executive functions in spite of clinical variables. Those deficits may influence academic performance.

scholarly journals Automatic Intra-/Extra-Dimensional Attentional Set-Shifting Task in Adolescent Mice

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariasole Ciampoli ◽  
Diego Scheggia ◽  
Francesco Papaleo
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functions ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Set Shifting ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Attentional Set ◽  
Attentional Set Shifting ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting ◽  
Sorting Test ◽  
Set Shifting Task

Adolescence is a developmental period crucial for the maturation of higher-order cognitive functions. Indeed, adolescence deficits in executive functions are strong predictors of increased vulnerability to several mental disabilities later in life. Here, we tested adolescent mice in a fully-automated attentional set-shifting task equivalent to the humans’ Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery Intra-/Extra-Dimensional set-shift task (ID/ED). Compared to an adult, adolescent mice required more time to complete the task (≈16 days), and a higher percentage failed to finish the entire task. Nevertheless, adolescent mice completing this demanding task showed an increased effort in solving the extradimensional shift stage (EDS) compared to previous stages. Moreover, we found that this paradigm can be used to detect early cognitive dysfunctions in adolescent genetically modified mice. Thus, this automatic paradigm provides a further tool to assess attentional control in adolescent mice, and the development of dysfunctional executive functions from adolescence to adulthood.

scholarly journals A Dynamic Framework for Modelling Set-Shifting Performances

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco D’Alessandro ◽  
Luigi Lombardi
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Modelling ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Longitudinal Component ◽  
Set Shifting ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Dynamic Framework ◽  
Cognitive States ◽  
Performance Trends ◽  
Substance Dependent ◽  
Set Shifting Task

Higher-order cognitive functions can be seen as a class of cognitive processes which are crucial in situations requiring a flexible adjustment of behaviour in response to changing demands of the environment. The cognitive assessment of these functions often relies on tasks which admit a dynamic, or longitudinal, component requiring participants to flexibly adapt their behaviour during the unfolding of the task. An intriguing feature of such experimental protocols is that they allow the performance of an individual to change as the task unfolds. In this work, we propose a Latent Markov Model approach to capture some dynamic aspects of observed response patterns of both healthy and substance dependent individuals in a set-shifting task. In particular, data from a Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were analysed in order to represent performance trends in terms of latent cognitive states dynamics. The results highlighted how a dynamic modelling approach can considerably improve the amount of information a researcher, or a clinician, can obtain from the analysis of a set-shifting task.

Cognitive Inflexibility and Pre-frontal Dysfunction in Schizophrenia and Mania

1990 ◽  
Vol 157 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodney Morice
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Frontal Dysfunction ◽  
Cognitive Inflexibility ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting ◽  
Sorting Test ◽  
And Control

The ability to shift cognitive set, which is probably subserved, at least in part, by the pre-frontal cortex, was determined for schizophrenic, bipolar (manic) and control subjects, using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). The schizophrenic and manic subjects both demonstrated poor performance on the WCST, suggesting that cognitive inflexibility and/or pre-frontal dysfunction, is not specific to schizophrenia (although laterality differences could exist). Moderate levels of poor performance in the non-psychiatric control group suggest the need for a review of the cut-off figures in the WCST currently used for predicting ‘brain damage’ and ‘focal frontal involvement‘, especially given the trend for the increasing use of cognitive assessment and rehabilitation in the major psychoses.

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