Assessing Cognitive Function in Multiple Sclerosis With Digital Tools: Observational Study

Background Cognitive impairment (CI) is one of the most prevalent symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, it is difficult to include cognitive assessment as part of MS standard care since the comprehensive neuropsychological examinations are usually time-consuming and extensive. Objective To improve access to CI assessment, we evaluated the feasibility and potential assessment sensitivity of a tablet-based cognitive battery in patients with MS. Methods In total, 53 participants with MS (24 [45%] with CI and 29 [55%] without CI) and 24 non-MS participants were assessed with a tablet-based cognitive battery (Adaptive Cognitive Evaluation [ACE]) and standard cognitive measures, including the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT). Associations between performance in ACE and the SDMT/PASAT were explored, with group comparisons to evaluate whether ACE modules can capture group-level differences. Results Correlations between performance in ACE and the SDMT (R=–0.57, P<.001), as well as PASAT (R=–0.39, P=.01), were observed. Compared to non-MS and non-CI MS groups, the CI MS group showed a slower reaction time (CI MS vs non-MS: P<.001; CI MS vs non-CI MS: P=.004) and a higher attention cost (CI MS vs non-MS: P=.02; CI MS vs non-CI MS: P<.001). Conclusions These results provide preliminary evidence that ACE, a tablet-based cognitive assessment battery, provides modules that could potentially serve as a digital cognitive assessment for people with MS. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03569618; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03569618

Analisis Kelayakan Pengembangan Alat Evaluasi Kognitif Berbasis Android pada Program Studi Pendidikan TIK

The evaluation stage is the final stage in the learning process. Currently, the evaluation process is still using the manual method. Based on this, an application was developed as an android-based cognitive evaluation tool at the Information and Computer Technology Education Study Program (PTIK) IKIP PGRI Pontianak. The purpose of this study was to analyze the feasibility of developing an android-based cognitive evaluation tool and also student responses after using an android-based cognitive evaluation tool in the ICT Education Study Program of IKIP PGRI Pontianak. The development method used is Research and Development (R&D) research with the ADDIE model. The research subjects in the study consisted of development subjects involving three media experts and product trial subjects involving 10 students as small-scale test subjects and 42 students as large-scale trial subjects. Data collection using closed questionnaires, and Data analysis apply descriptive quantitative analysis. The results of the media expert test obtained a score of 90.3%, including the Very Eligible category. Small-scale trials obtained a score of 76% in the Eligible category. Large-scale trials obtained a score of 81% in the Very Eligible category. The response results obtained are very good, because they have fulfilled the aspects needed in making the application.

Evaluasi Kognitif Santri Tentang Gizi Seimbang Di Masa Pandemi Covid-19 Melalui Edukasi

Balanced nutrition during the Covid-19 pandemic is very important for the lifestyle of students because by consuming balanced nutrition, students can maintain health so that the virus does not easily enter the body and thus can break the chain of spreading the corona virus. Education on nutrition issues during the COVID-19 pandemic aims to provide knowledge and vigilance to students so that they pay more attention to their health, especially endurance. This community service activity was held at the Zayyinul Huda Islamic Boarding School, Kalierang Village with a total of 75 students. The activity was in the form of educational presentation of material related to balanced nutrition during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as providing a Guidebook for Balanced Nutrition for Santri during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The material presented explained the importance of implementing balanced nutrition and a healthy lifestyle to maintain body resistance during the pandemic. The results of the cognitive evaluation showed that there was an increase in students' knowledge of the understanding of balanced nutrition during the Covid-19 pandemic after education was carried out, namely an increase in the average score of 18.2 from an average pre-test score of 57.5 to a post-test of 75.7.Keywords: Covid-19; cognitive evaluation; balanced nutrition; education AbstrakGizi seimbang pada masa pandemi Covid-19 sangat penting bagi pola hidup santri karena dengan mengkonsumsi gizi seimbang maka santri dapat menjaga kesehatan sehingga virus tidak mudah masuk kedalam tubuh dan dengan itu dapat memutuskan rantai penyebaran virus corona. Edukasi masalah nutrisi selama pandemi COVID-19 ini bertujuan untuk memberikan pengetahuan dan kewaspadaan terhadap santri sehingga lebih memperhatikan kesehatannya terutama daya tahan tubuh. Kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat ini diadakan di Pondok Pesantren Zayyinul Huda Desa Kalierang dengan jumlah peserta sebanyak 75 santri. Kegiatan berupa edukasi pemaparan materi terkait Gizi seimbang di masa pandemi Covid-19 sekaligus memberikan Buku Panduan Gizi Seimbang Pada Santri di Masa Pandemi Covid-19. Materi yang disampaikan menjelaskan pentingnya menerapkan gizi seimbang dan gaya hidup sehat untuk menjaga daya tahan tubuh selama pandemi. Hasil evaluasi kognitif didapatkan ada peningkatan pengetahuan santri terhadap pemahaman gizi seimbang di masa pandemik Covid-19 setelah dilakukan edukasi yaitu peningkatan skor rata-rata 18,2 dari skor rata-rata pre test 57,5 menjadi post test sebesar 75,7.

Apparatus design and behavioural testing protocol for the evaluation of spatial working memory in mice through the spontaneous alternation T-maze

Spatial working memory can be assessed in mice through the spontaneous alternation T-maze test. The T-maze is a T-shaped apparatus featuring a stem (start arm) and two lateral goal arms (left and right arms). The procedure is based on the natural tendency of rodents to prefer exploring a novel arm over a familiar one, which induces them to alternate the choice of the goal arm across repeated trials. During the task, in order to successfully alternate choices across trials, an animal has to remember which arm had been visited in the previous trial, which makes spontaneous alternation T-maze an optimal test for spatial working memory. As this test relies on a spontaneous behaviour and does not require rewards, punishments or pre-training, it represents a particularly useful tool for cognitive evaluation, both time-saving and animal-friendly. We describe here in detail the apparatus and the protocol, providing representative results on wild-type healthy mice.

The Passionate Beliefs. A Defense of the Cognitive-Evaluative Theory of Emotions

The philosophy of emotions has long been dominated by the view called «cognitivism». According to it, emotions are characterized (and definable) not by mere physical impulses but by a cognitive evaluation of their object. However, despite their success, cognitive theories have to deal with various objections and are divided on how to answer to them. In this essay I want to defend the form of cognitivism claimed by Martha Nussbaum from the most common criticisms. After a brief summary of her account, I confront some of the objections that have been raised against it. In Section 2 I deal with the classic problem of emotions in infants and animals, which lack linguistic abilities. Later, I confront the potential problem represented by cases in which one’s emotion and reasoned judgment seem to differ: in paragraph 3 I consider irrational phobias and fears, to show how they can be accounted for in terms of judgments and thoughts, and not only of perceptions; in paragraph 4 I deal with the objection that «judgementalist» theories (that is, those that describe emotions in terms of judgments and beliefs) violate the «principle of charity», for they ascribe an excessive irrationality to people. I argue that experimental evidence suggest that it is not implausible to assume that people have contradictory beliefs under conditions of uncertainty, and that perceptual theories of emotion (which compare emotional conflicts to optical illusions) fail to account for some fundamental aspects of these phenomena. Finally, in paragraph 5, I deal with the objection according to which a cognitive-evaluative theory cannot explain the sense of passivity that we commonly experience in emotions.

The Cognitive Evaluation of Survey Items Related to Vaccine Hesitance and Confidence for Inclusion on a Series of Short Questionnaire Sets

This report presents findings from the evaluation of a set of questions considered for inclusion in a series of short attitudinal questionnaire on hesitance and acceptance of childhood vaccination.

A comprehensive evaluation of knowledge and perceptions regarding geriatric dentistry among Saudi Arabian dental students

Objectives: The purpose of thestudy was to evaluate the knowledge and perceptions of Arabian dental students on geriatric dentistry. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a total of 100 participants were selected [25 from 3rd-and 4th-year students (Group I) and 5th-year students and interns (Group II)]. All participants were completed a three-part [(Part I (knowledge) and II (cognitive evaluation) and III (awareness and attitude of psychosocial and health problems)] questionnaire related to geriatric dentistry. The comparisons were made among the Groups. The data were analyzed using SPSS (Version 21.0.IBM Corp) software. Results: The responses on the knowledge of the geriatric population and their oral health (Part I) questionnaire among groups were not statistically significant (p >0.05). The knowledge mean scores comparison showed a significant relationship evident among the groups (p<0.05). Overall all Group II participants achieved the highest scores for Part I (p>0.05), Part II (p<0.05), and Part III A&B (p>0.05). Conclusions: The students belong to 5th-year, and Interns achieved high scores compared to 3rd- and 4th- years students. Dental students and interns in Saudi Arabia lack positive approaches to providing primary health care to geriatric individuals despite a rapidly growing geriatric population.

A Diary Study on Anticipated Leisure Time, Morning Recovery and Employees’ Work Engagement

Recovery during yesterday’s leisure time is beneficial for morning recovery, and morning recovery fosters employees’ work engagement, a positive, motivational state associated with job performance. We extended existing research by assuming that both, morning recovery (considered a resource) and anticipated leisure time (considered an anticipated resource gain), relate to work engagement. Anticipated leisure time comprises two constructs: general anticipation of leisure time, which refers to employees’ cognitive evaluation of their entire upcoming leisure time, and pleasant anticipation of a planned leisure activity, which describes a positive affective reaction because of one specific, upcoming leisure activity. We suggested that employees with high pleasant anticipation generate more thoughts of a planned leisure activity (ToPLA), which may distract them from their work, reducing their work engagement. A diary study over five days showed that morning recovery and general anticipation of leisure time were positively related to work engagement. Furthermore, employees with higher pleasant anticipation of a planned leisure activity reported more ToPLA. In contrast to our expectations, neither pleasant anticipation nor ToPLA was related to work engagement. In sum, this study introduced anticipated leisure time as a novel antecedent of work engagement and demonstrated that anticipated resource gains are important for high work engagement.