Doubt as a mechanism of the change of epistemic states (on the materials of the philosophy of pragmatism and neuropsychology)

Science has not yet found a solution to the question of how cognitive mechanisms, which are crucial for the subjective processes of evaluating the reliability of information and doubt, are arranged. This ability is usually associated with both the pragmatic consequences of accepting a belief and the material substance of consciousness. In this article, the author proposes to compare one of the largest conceptions of doubt in philosophy, the pragmatic conception, with the theory of false tags, which was presented in the last decade by the neuropsychologist E. Asp in order to explain the phenomena of doubt. The article presents the theoretical aspects of both conceptions, which allows to derive the properties of doubt as an epistemic state, that is, the state of the subject’s cognitive reality, formed under the influence of external (situational, pragmatic) and internal (neuropsychological) factors. The results of the study presented in the article allow us to conclude the possibility of an interdisciplinary approach in further studies of human cognitive activity as a mechanism of various epistemic states. It is concluded that doubt itself is not one of these states, but is a secondary psychological act that ensures the transition from one epistemic state to another. This offers an alternative view to the approach established in philosophy, in which doubt precedes the fact of accepting knowledge and is an essential stage of the cognitive process.

The Role of Neuropsychological Factors in Perceived Threat of SARS-CoV-2 in Healthy Ageing

The COVID-19 pandemic is known to increase older adults’ vulnerability to adverse outcomes. Alongside increased physical frailty, anxiety symptoms associated with the risk of SARS-CoV-2 contagion appear to represent its most prominent ‘sequelae’. The attentional and linguistic resources required for decoding virus-related information may also influence the perceived threat of contagion. However, the possible role of neuropsychogeriatric factors on the latter dimension has never been assessed in a longitudinal study on the older population. To fill this gap, 50 healthy cognitively preserved older adults underwent a neuropsychological and physical frailty assessment before the pandemic (T0). Subsequently, they agreed to be interviewed and re-assessed during the lockdown (T1) and immediately after it (T2) through a longitudinal one-year study. Perceived threat of SARS-CoV-2 at T2 was predicted both by baseline anxiety and frailty scores, and by decreased performance in information processing speed and language comprehension tests. While confirming the joint role of frailty and anxiety, a moderation/interaction model showed that each of them was sufficient, at its highest level, to support the maximum degree of perceived threat of contagion. The contribution of neuropsychological factors to perceived threat of SARS-CoV-2 highlights their importance of tailoring information campaigns addressed to older people.

Employment status in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis from Argentina: Impact of disability and neuropsychological factors

BACKGROUND: Unemployment is common in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) and might be prevented if factors associated with work loss are identified. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the impact of multiple sclerosis (MS) on employment status in a cohort of PwMS from Argentina and to evaluate their association with anxiety, depression, fatigue and disability. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess employment in PwMS using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire, which also included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Fatigue Severity Scale and Expanded Disability Status Scale. The data was compared between employed (full-time vs. part-time) vs. unemployed (looking for vs. not looking for work) PwMS. Univariate and multivariate models were designed to identify factors independently associated with unemployment. RESULTS: Among the 167 PwMS, 120 (71.6%, full-time = 65%) were employed, and 47 (28.4%, looking for work = 27.6%) were currently unemployed. Age, gender, and duration of disease were similar in both groups. Univariate analysis showed that anxiety, depression, fatigue and disability were significantly associated with unemployed PwMS. However, only disability (OR = 1.36 (1.08–1.70), p = 0.007) was independently associated with unemployment after applying multivariate analysis (logistic regression). CONCLUSION: Nearly one-third of PwMS from this sample in Argentina were unemployed. Neuropsychological factors and disability were associated with unemployment status.

NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF SUBJECTIVE COGNITIVE COMPLAINTS OF THE OLDER ADULTS

Subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) are defined as belief of the decline of a cognitive condition compared with an earlier period of functioning. Many studies have shown the relationship between SCCs with objective neuropsychological results as well its dependency on psychological characteristics. Considering the complex nature of SCCs, this study tested the relationship between SCCs reported in the attention domain with the results obtained in neuropsychological attention tasks, as well as with psychological cha racteristics and among complaints reported in various domains of functioning. Sixty participants over 60 years of age took part in the study. Subjects were tested for the intensity of SCCs in everyday func tioning, psychological characteristics (mood; anxiety, state and trait; and personality traits) and various aspects of attention domain (switching, divided, and focus). The SCC intensity reported in various areas of functioning was associated with each other as well as with psychological characteristics (personality traits, anxiety, and mood/depression). There were no significant relations between the SCC intensity reported in the attention domain and the outcomes obtained in neuropsychological attention tasks. Our results showed that the intensity of SCCs may be a result of subjects’ psychological characteristics and that the tendency to report complaints in various spheres of functioning simultaneously may be observed. It seems to be important to consider that SCCs are related to several psychological factors when it is included in a cognitive diagnosis and treated as a direct indicator of a cognitive condition.

Driving Performance and Its Correlation with Neuropsychological Tests in Senior Drivers with Cognitive Impairment in Japan

Background: With the rapid aging of the population, the issue of driving by dementia patients has been causing increasing concern worldwide. Objective: To investigate the driving difficulties faced by senior drivers with cognitive impairment and identify the specific neuropsychological tests that can reflect specific domains of driving maneuvers. Methods: Senior drivers with cognitive impairment were investigated. Neuropsychological tests and a questionnaire on demographic and driving characteristics were administered. Driving simulator tests were used to quantify participants’ driving errors in various domains of driving. Results: Of the 47 participants, 23 current drivers, though they had better cognitive functions than 24 retired drivers, were found to have impaired driving performance in the domains of Reaction, Starting and stopping, Signaling, and Overall (wayfinding and accidents). The parameters of Reaction were significantly related to the diagnosis, and the scores of MMSE, TMT-A, and TMT-B. As regards details of the driving errors, “Sudden braking” was associated with the scores of MMSE (ρ= –0.707, p < 0.01), BDT (ρ= –0.560, p < 0.05), and ADAS (ρ= 0.758, p < 0.01), “Forgetting to use turn signals” with the TMT-B score (ρ= 0.608, p < 0.05), “Centerline crossings” with the scores of MMSE (ρ= –0.582, p < 0.05) and ADAS (ρ= 0.538, p < 0.05), and “Going the wrong way” was correlated with the score of CDT (ρ= –0.624, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Different neuropsychological factors serve as predictors of different specific driving maneuvers segmented from driving performance.

Contribution of Family, Behavioral, and Neuropsychological Factors to Long-Term Functional Outcomes in Young Adults with ADHD: A 12-Year Follow-Up Study

The persistent nature of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the role of behavioral factors in its continuity have been widely documented in the literature. However, less is known about the role of early family and neuropsychological factors in predicting later adaptive functioning and quality of life in individuals with ADHD. This study aimed to analyze the contribution of early family, behavioral, and neuropsychological factors to long-term functional outcomes in young adults with ADHD. Family (parental mood disorders, family risk index, parenting stress, coherence), behavioral (oppositionism, inattention, emotional lability, hyperactivity), and cognitive factors were examined at baseline. Twelve years later, daily life functioning, quality of life, and executive and behavioral functioning were also evaluated in 61 young adults with a childhood diagnosis of ADHD. Results revealed significant correlations between most of the family and behavioral factors at baseline and the long-term functional outcomes. Specifically, multiple regressions showed that mothers’ depression and laxness predicted later quality of life, executive functioning, and the hyperactivity index, and mothers’ depression and parenting stress at baseline also significantly predicted the hyperactivity index. Oppositionism behavior and inhibition were also significant predictors of the hyperactivity index. Therefore, understanding the family, behavioral, and neuropsychological factors that can contribute to later quality of life, daily functioning, and behavioral and executive functions is a particularly critical issue in detecting and planning efficacious ADHD interventions.

Exploring the sociodemographic, clinical and neuropsychological factors associated with relational memory in schizophrenia

Episodic memory impairments in schizophrenia, including its relational memory component, are associated with significant clinical and functional variables, such as employment status, social and occupational functioning, and early and long-term remission. The Transverse Patterning (TP) task, a computer task designed to detect impairment in relational memory performance, has been used as a measure of relational binding deficit in this population. Individuals with schizophrenia often fail to learn TP with standard training and more than a quarter of patients fail the task even when extensive training is provided. TP failure may reflect multiple cognitive deficits (i.e. executive functions, working memory and visual memory). Identifying the neuropsychological factors, awareness distinctions, and strategy use differences between TP learners and non-learners can improve our understanding of underlying mechanisms required for successful performance in TP and, consequently, improve cognitive interventions that are targeted to ameliorate relational memory performance. The present study investigated the sociodemographic, clinical, neuropsychological and task-specific (i.e. task awareness and strategy use) factors associated with TP learning and impairment in schizophrenia. Sixty-nine participants with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or related psychosis were recruited for this study (66 completers). They completed two versions of the TP task (one semantically-rich and one relational-binding dependent) and answered a questionnaire to evaluate task awareness and strategy use in each condition and had sociodemographic and clinical data collected at screening. Twenty-six participants (38.8%) were unable to learn all the task rules after extensive training. In a subset of participants who underwent neurocognitive assessment (N = 29), learners had significantly superior verbal, visual and working memory, executive functions and overall cognitive functioning compared to non-learners. Group comparisons also suggested superior awareness of task rules and pairs relationships for learners compared to non-learners. Learners used cognitive strategies (such as memorizing how the objects interacted, naming the objects and qualifying their interactions with action verbs) more often than non-learners, and strategies seemed to be more elaborated for learners than for non-learners. This study confirmed previous findings that a subset of individuals with schizophrenia shows significant relational memory impairment assessed by the transverse-patterning paradigm which is not improved by stepwise TP training. It also brings new insight into factors associated with TP task performance, including neurocognitive markers that seem to contribute to TP learning. Finally, this study points to task awareness and strategy use components underlying successful TP learning. This knowledge could be useful for future interventions that are targeted to improve relational memory performance in schizophrenia when stepwise training is not sufficient.