1
|
Heikkinen AL, Tikkanen V, Hänninen T, Hublin C, Koivisto AM, Saari TT, Remes AM, Paajanen TI, Krüger J. Utility of the INECO Frontal Screening and the Frontal Assessment Battery in detecting executive dysfunction in early-onset cognitive impairment and dementia. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2024; 30:339-349. [PMID: 37800312 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617723000619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The INECO Frontal Screening (IFS) and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) are executive dysfunction (ED) screening tools that can distinguish patients with neurodegenerative disorders from healthy controls and, to some extent, between dementia subtypes. This paper aims to examine the suitability of these tests in assessing early-onset cognitive impairment and dementia patients. METHOD In a memory clinic patient cohort (age mean = 57.4 years) with symptom onset at ≤65 years, we analyzed the IFS and the FAB results of four groups: early-onset dementia (EOD, n = 49), mild cognitive impairment due to neurological causes (MCI-n, n = 34), MCI due to other causes such as depression (MCI-o, n = 99) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD, n = 14). Data were gathered at baseline and at 6 and 12 months. We also studied the tests' accuracy in distinguishing EOD from SCD patients and ED patients from those with intact executive functioning. Correlations with neuropsychological measures were also studied. RESULTS The EOD group had significantly (p < .05) lower IFS and FAB total scores than the MCI-o and SCD groups. Compared with the FAB, the IFS showed more statistically significant (p < .05) differences between diagnostic groups, greater accuracy (IFS AUC = .80, FAB AUC = .75, p = .036) in detecting ED and marginally stronger correlations with neuropsychological measures. We found no statistically significant differences in the EOD group scores from baseline up to 6- or 12-months follow-up. CONCLUSIONS While both tests can detect EOD among memory clinic patients, the IFS may be more reliable in detecting ED than the FAB.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Leena Heikkinen
- Research Unit of Clinical Medicine, Neurology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- MRC, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
- Neurocenter, Neurology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
- Work Ability and Working Careers, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Veera Tikkanen
- Research Unit of Clinical Medicine, Neurology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- MRC, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
- Neurocenter, Neurology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
| | - Tuomo Hänninen
- Neurocenter, Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Christer Hublin
- Work Ability and Working Careers, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anne M Koivisto
- Neurocenter, Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
- Unit of Neurology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Geriatrics, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Clinical Neurosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Toni T Saari
- Neurocenter, Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
- Unit of Neurology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Anne M Remes
- Research Unit of Clinical Medicine, Neurology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- MRC, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
- Neurocenter, Neurology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
- Clinical Neurosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Teemu I Paajanen
- Work Ability and Working Careers, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Johanna Krüger
- Research Unit of Clinical Medicine, Neurology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- MRC, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
- Neurocenter, Neurology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Romano A, Liparoti M, Minino R, Polverino A, Cipriano L, Carotenuto A, Tafuri D, Sorrentino G, Sorrentino P, Troisi Lopez E. The effect of dopaminergic treatment on whole body kinematics explored through network theory. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1913. [PMID: 38253728 PMCID: PMC10803322 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50546-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Three-dimensional motion analysis represents a quantitative approach to assess spatio-temporal and kinematic changes in health and disease. However, these parameters provide only segmental information, discarding minor changes of complex whole body kinematics characterizing physiological and/or pathological conditions. We aimed to assess how levodopa intake affects the whole body, analyzing the kinematic interactions during gait in Parkinson's disease (PD) through network theory which assess the relationships between elements of a system. To this end, we analysed gait data of 23 people with PD applying network theory to the acceleration kinematic data of 21 markers placed on participants' body landmarks. We obtained a matrix of kinematic interactions (i.e., the kinectome) for each participant, before and after the levodopa intake, we performed a topological analysis to evaluate the large-scale interactions among body elements, and a multilinear regression analysis to verify whether the kinectome's topology could predict the clinical variations induced by levodopa. We found that, following levodopa intake, patients with PD showed less trunk and head synchronization (p-head = 0.048; p-7th cervical vertebrae = 0.032; p-10th thoracic vertebrae = 0.006) and an improved upper-lower limbs synchronization (elbows right, p = 0.002; left, p = 0.005), (wrists right, p = 0.003; left, p = 0.002; knees right, p = 0.003; left, p = 0.039) proportional to the UPDRS-III scores. These results may be attributable to the reduction of rigidity, following pharmacological treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Romano
- Department of Medical, Motor and Wellness Sciences, University of Naples "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - Marianna Liparoti
- Department of Philosophical, Pedagogical and Economic-Quantitative Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy
| | - Roberta Minino
- Department of Medical, Motor and Wellness Sciences, University of Naples "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - Arianna Polverino
- Institute of Diagnosis and Treatment Hermitage Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Cipriano
- Department of Medical, Motor and Wellness Sciences, University of Naples "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | | | - Domenico Tafuri
- Department of Medical, Motor and Wellness Sciences, University of Naples "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sorrentino
- Department of Medical, Motor and Wellness Sciences, University of Naples "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
- Institute of Diagnosis and Treatment Hermitage Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems of National Research Council, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Pierpaolo Sorrentino
- Institut de Neurosciences Des Systèmes, Inserm, INS, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
| | - Emahnuel Troisi Lopez
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems of National Research Council, Pozzuoli, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ilardi CR, Menichelli A, Michelutti M, Cattaruzza T, Federico G, Salvatore M, Iavarone A, Manganotti P. On the Clinimetrics of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment: Cutoff Analysis in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 101:293-308. [PMID: 39150828 DOI: 10.3233/jad-240339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2024]
Abstract
Background In the era of disease-modifying therapies, empowering the clinical neuropsychologist's toolkit for timely identification of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is crucial. Objective Here we examine the clinimetric properties of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for the early diagnosis of MCI due to Alzheimer's disease (MCI-AD). Methods Data from 48 patients with MCI-AD and 47 healthy controls were retrospectively analyzed. Raw MoCA scores were corrected according to the conventional Nasreddine's 1-point correction and demographic adjustments derived from three normative studies. Optimal cutoffs were determined while previously established cutoffs were diagnostically reevaluated. Results The original Nasreddine's cutoff of 26 and normative cutoffs (non-parametric outer tolerance limit on the 5th percentile of demographically-adjusted score distributions) were overly imbalanced in terms of Sensitivity (Se) and Specificity (Sp). The optimal cutoff for Nasreddine's adjustment showed adequate clinimetric properties (≤23.50, Se = 0.75, Sp = 0.70). However, the optimal cutoff for Santangelo's adjustment (≤22.85, Se = 0.65, Sp = 0.87) proved to be the most effective for both screening and diagnostic purposes according to Larner's metrics. The results of post-probability analyses revealed that an individual testing positive using Santangelo's adjustment combined with a cutoff of 22.85 would have 84% post-test probability of receiving a diagnosis of MCI-AD (LR+ = 5.06). Conclusions We found a common (mal)practice of bypassing the applicability of normative cutoffs in diagnosis-oriented clinical practice. In this study, we identified optimal cutoffs for MoCA to be allocated in secondary care settings for supporting MCI-AD diagnosis. Methodological and psychometric issues are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Alina Menichelli
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, Rehabilitation Unit, Trieste University Hospital-ASUGI, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Marco Michelutti
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, Clinical Unit of Neurology, Trieste University Hospital-ASUGI, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Tatiana Cattaruzza
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, Clinical Unit of Neurology, Trieste University Hospital-ASUGI, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Paolo Manganotti
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, Clinical Unit of Neurology, Trieste University Hospital-ASUGI, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Romano A, Troisi Lopez E, Cipriano L, Liparoti M, Minino R, Polverino A, Cavaliere C, Aiello M, Granata C, Sorrentino G, Sorrentino P. Topological changes of fast large-scale brain dynamics in mild cognitive impairment predict early memory impairment: a resting-state, source reconstructed, magnetoencephalography study. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 132:36-46. [PMID: 37717553 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Functional connectivity has been used as a framework to investigate widespread brain interactions underlying cognitive deficits in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, many functional connectivity metrics focus on the average of the periodic activities, disregarding the aperiodic bursts of activity (i.e., the neuronal avalanches) characterizing the large-scale dynamic activities of the brain. Here, we apply the recently described avalanche transition matrix framework to source-reconstructed magnetoencephalography signals in a cohort of 32 MCI patients and 32 healthy controls to describe the spatio-temporal features of neuronal avalanches and explore their topological properties. Our results showed that MCI patients showed a more centralized network (as assessed by higher values of the degree divergence and leaf fraction) as compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, we found that the degree divergence (in the theta band) was predictive of hippocampal memory impairment. These findings highlight the role of the changes of aperiodic bursts in clinical conditions and may contribute to a more thorough phenotypical assessment of patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Romano
- Department of Motor and Wellness Sciences, University of Naples "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - Emahnuel Troisi Lopez
- Department of Motor and Wellness Sciences, University of Naples "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Cipriano
- Department of Motor and Wellness Sciences, University of Naples "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - Marianna Liparoti
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Minino
- Department of Motor and Wellness Sciences, University of Naples "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - Arianna Polverino
- Institute of Diagnosis and Treatment, Hermitage Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
| | - Carlo Cavaliere
- IRCCS SYNLAB-SDN, Naples Via Emanuele Gianturco, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Aiello
- IRCCS SYNLAB-SDN, Naples Via Emanuele Gianturco, Naples, Italy
| | - Carmine Granata
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, National Research Council, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sorrentino
- Department of Motor and Wellness Sciences, University of Naples "Parthenope", Naples, Italy; Institute of Diagnosis and Treatment, Hermitage Capodimonte, Naples, Italy; Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, National Research Council, Pozzuoli, Italy.
| | - Pierpaolo Sorrentino
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, National Research Council, Pozzuoli, Italy; Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Inserm, INS, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ilardi CR, La Marra M, Amato R, Di Cecca A, Di Maio G, Ciccarelli G, Migliaccio M, Cavaliere C, Federico G. The "Little Circles Test" (LCT): a dusted-off tool for assessing fine visuomotor function. Aging Clin Exp Res 2023; 35:2807-2820. [PMID: 37910290 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-023-02571-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The fine visuomotor function is commonly impaired in several neurological conditions. However, there is a scarcity of reliable neuropsychological tools to assess such a critical domain. AIMS The aim of this study is to explore the psychometric properties and provide normative data for the Visual-Motor Speed and Precision Test (VMSPT). RESULTS Our normative sample included 220 participants (130 females) aged 18-86 years (mean education = 15.24 years, SD = 3.98). Results showed that raw VMSPT scores were affected by higher age and lower education. No effect of sex or handedness was shown. Age- and education-based norms were provided. VMSPT exhibited weak-to-strong correlations with well-known neuropsychological tests, encompassing a wide range of cognitive domains of clinical relevance. By gradually intensifying the cognitive demands, the test becomes an indirect, performance-oriented measure of executive functioning. Finally, VMSPT seems proficient in capturing the speed-accuracy trade-off typically observed in the aging population. CONCLUSIONS This study proposes the initial standardization of a versatile, time-efficient, and cost-effective neuropsychological tool for assessing fine visuomotor coordination. We propose renaming the VMSPT as the more approachable "Little Circles Test" (LCT).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marco La Marra
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Raffaella Amato
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Angelica Di Cecca
- IRCCS SYNLAB SDN S.P.A., Via Emanuele Gianturco 113, 80143, Naples, Italy
| | - Girolamo Di Maio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | | | - Miriana Migliaccio
- IRCCS SYNLAB SDN S.P.A., Via Emanuele Gianturco 113, 80143, Naples, Italy
| | - Carlo Cavaliere
- IRCCS SYNLAB SDN S.P.A., Via Emanuele Gianturco 113, 80143, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Federico
- IRCCS SYNLAB SDN S.P.A., Via Emanuele Gianturco 113, 80143, Naples, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Gold D, Wisialowski C, Piryatinsky I, Malloy P, Correia S, Salloway S, Klinge P, Gaudet CE, Niermeyer M, Lee A. Longitudinal post-shunt outcomes in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus with and without comorbid Alzheimer's disease. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2023; 29:751-762. [PMID: 36515069 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617722000868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Alzheimer's disease (AD) is highly comorbid with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) and may diminish the benefits of shunting; however, findings in this area are mixed. We examined postoperative outcomes, with emphases on cognition and utilization of novel scoring procedures to enhance sensitivity. METHODS Using participant data from an iNPH outcome study at Butler Hospital, a mixed effect model examined main and interaction effects of time since surgery (baseline, 3 months, 12 months, and 24-60 months) and AD comorbidity (20 iNPH and 11 iNPH+AD) on activities of daily living (ADLs) and iNPH symptoms. Regression modeling explored whether baseline variables predicted improvements 3 months postoperatively. RESULTS There were no group differences in gait, incontinence, and global cognition over time, and neither group showed changes in ADLs. Cognitive differences were observed postoperatively; iNPH patients showed stable improvements in working memory (p = 0.012) and response inhibition (p = 0.010), while iNPH + AD patients failed to maintain initial gains. Regarding predicting postoperative outcomes, baseline AD biomarkers did not predict shunt response at 3 months; however, older age at surgery predicted poorer cognitive outcomes (p = 0.04), and presurgical Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) (p = 0.035) and Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) scores (p = 0.009) predicted improvements incontinence. CONCLUSION iNPH + AD may be linked with greater declines in aspects of executive functioning postoperatively relative to iNPH alone. While baseline AD pathology may not prognosticate shunt response, younger age appears linked with postsurgical cognitive improvement, and utilizing both brief and comprehensive cognitive measures may help predict improved incontinence. These results illustrate the potential benefits of surgery and inform postoperative expectations for those with iNPH + AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dov Gold
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Memory and Aging Program, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Clinical Psychology, William James College, Newton, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Paul Malloy
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Memory and Aging Program, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Stephen Correia
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Memory and Aging Program, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Stephen Salloway
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Memory and Aging Program, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Neurology, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Petra Klinge
- Department of Neurosurgery, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Lifespan Physician Group, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Charles E Gaudet
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Memory and Aging Program, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Madison Niermeyer
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Athene Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Memory and Aging Program, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ilardi CR, di Maio G, Villano I, Messina G, Monda V, Messina A, Porro C, Panaro MA, Gamboz N, Iavarone A, La Marra M. The assessment of executive functions to test the integrity of the nigrostriatal network: A pilot study. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1121251. [PMID: 37063521 PMCID: PMC10090354 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1121251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundParkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms. The latter mainly include affective, sleep, and cognitive deficits. Non-demented PD patients often demonstrate impairments in several executive domains following neuropsychological evaluation. The current pilot study aims at assessing the discriminatory power of the Frontal Assessment Battery-15 (FAB15) in differentiating (i) non-demented PD patients and healthy controls and (ii) PD patients with more and less pronounced motor symptoms.MethodsThirty-nine non-demented early-stage PD patients in the “on” dopamine state (26 females, mean age = 64.51 years, SD = 6.47, mean disease duration = 5.49 years, SD = 2.28) and 39 healthy participants (24 females, mean age = 62.60 years, SD = 5.51) were included in the study. All participants completed the FAB15. Motor symptoms of PD patients were quantified via the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale-Part III (UPDRS-Part III) and Hoehn and Yahr staging scale (H&Y).ResultsThe FAB15 score, adjusted according to normative data for sex, age, and education, proved to be sufficiently able to discriminate PD patients from healthy controls (AUC = 0.69 [95% CI 0.60–0.75], SE = 0.06, p = 0.04, optimal cutoff = 11.29). Conversely, the battery lacked sufficient discriminative capability to differentiate PD patients based on the severity of motor symptoms.ConclusionThe FAB15 may be a valid tool for distinguishing PD patients from healthy controls. However, it might be less sensitive in identifying clinical phenotypes characterized by visuospatial impairments resulting from posteroparietal and/or temporal dysfunctions. In line with previous evidence, the battery demonstrated to be not expendable in the clinical practice for monitoring the severity of PD-related motor symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Girolamo di Maio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Ines Villano
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
- *Correspondence: Ines Villano,
| | - Giovanni Messina
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Monda
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Naples “Parthenope”, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonietta Messina
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Chiara Porro
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta Panaro
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Nadia Gamboz
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Suor Orsola Benincasa University, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Marco La Marra
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Scuotto C, Ilardi CR, Maggi G, Ilardi A, Gamboz N, Staiano M, Borrelli G, La Marra M, Perrella R. What makes us more susceptible to false memories in the era of COVID-19? A focus on vaccines and Green Pass. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e2815. [PMID: 36448933 PMCID: PMC9847604 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was accompanied by an overabundance of fake news increasing the risk of developing false memories (FMs). Previous studies have shown that the relationship between fake news and FMs could be mediated by some individual variables, including attitudinal biases. We explored the role of these variables in true memories (TMs) and FMs formation, with special emphasis on vaccine- and Green Pass (GP)-related topics. METHOD We set up a large online survey exploring several constructs including media usage, attitude toward vaccines and GP, perceived (PK) and objective knowledge (OK) about COVID-19-related information, fear of the disease, depression and anxiety symptoms, coping mechanisms, and reasoning skills. Then, we asked participants whether they remembered certain news (true or fake), providing confidence ratings. RESULTS Data from 289 respondents (198 females) from the general population were analyzed. Participants with positive attitude reported a greater fear that their loved ones contracted the COVID-19, a more frequent use of traditional media, and a higher PK when compared with respondents with negative attitude. On the whole sample, participants reported higher confidence levels when required to judge their memory of true than fake news; however, participants with positive attitude reported a higher confidence for both true and fake news. The relationship between attitude and TM confidence was mediated by the PK, whereas the relationship between attitude and FM confidence was probably affected by OK. CONCLUSION Attitude can modulate individual behaviors in the context of health issues. The PK and OK may interact with attitude in the memory formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Scuotto
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| | - Ciro Rosario Ilardi
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| | - Gianpaolo Maggi
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| | - Alfonso Ilardi
- Inmates Ward, Department of Internal Medicine, Antonio Cardarelli Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - Nadia Gamboz
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Suor Orsola Benincasa University, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Staiano
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Borrelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| | - Marco La Marra
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Raffaella Perrella
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hurtado-Pomares M, Juárez-Leal I, Company-Devesa V, Sánchez-Pérez A, Peral-Gómez P, Espinosa-Sempere C, Valera-Gran D, Navarrete-Muñoz EM. Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB-E) and normative values in a representative adult population sample. Neurologia 2022:S2173-5808(22)00113-4. [PMID: 36216225 DOI: 10.1016/j.nrleng.2022.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Frontal Assessment Battery is a short bedside test used to assess executive functions (EF). The aims of the present study were, first, to evaluate the psychometric proprieties of the Spanish version of the FAB (FAB-E) in a representative sample, and second, to establish cut-off points for impairment in executive function according to age and education level. METHODS A sample of 798 healthy Spanish adult subjects aged 19 to 91 participated in this study. Neuropsychological assessment of participants was conducted using the FAB-E, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Trail Making Test (TMT). We examined internal consistency, intraclass correlation, test-retest reliability, and concurrent and divergent validity. In addition, we established a cut-off point for detecting executive function impairment based on the 5th percentile by age group and education level. RESULTS The analysis of the psychometric properties of the FAB-E showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.60), intraclass correlation (0.72), test-retest reliability (0.70) and concurrent and divergent validity between the TMT (r = -0.523), MMSE (r = 0.426) and the FAB-E. The cut-off points for each age group were 16 points for the ≤ 29 group, 15 points for the 30-39 group, 14 points for the 40-49 and 50-59 groups, 12 points for the 60-69 group, and 10 points for the ≥ 70 age group. CONCLUSIONS The psychometric analysis showed that the FAB-E has good validity and reliability. Thus, FAB-E may be a helpful tool to evaluate EF in a healthy Spanish population. In addition, this study provides information on reference data that will be very valuable for clinicians and researchers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Hurtado-Pomares
- Grupo de Investigación en Terapia Ocupacional (InTeO), Department of Pathology and Surgery, Miguel Hernandez University, Ctra. Alicante-Valencia, Km. 8,7, 03550 San Juan de Alicante (Alicante), Spain
| | - I Juárez-Leal
- Grupo de Investigación en Terapia Ocupacional (InTeO), Department of Pathology and Surgery, Miguel Hernandez University, Ctra. Alicante-Valencia, Km. 8,7, 03550 San Juan de Alicante (Alicante), Spain
| | - V Company-Devesa
- Department of Pathology and Surgery, Miguel Hernandez University, Ctra. Alicante-Valencia, Km. 8,7, 03550 San Juan de Alicante (Alicante), Spain
| | - A Sánchez-Pérez
- Grupo de Investigación en Terapia Ocupacional (InTeO), Department of Pathology and Surgery, Miguel Hernandez University, Ctra. Alicante-Valencia, Km. 8,7, 03550 San Juan de Alicante (Alicante), Spain; Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL-FISABIO Foundation), Hospital General Universitario de Alicante Doctor Balmis, Avda Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - P Peral-Gómez
- Grupo de Investigación en Terapia Ocupacional (InTeO), Department of Pathology and Surgery, Miguel Hernandez University, Ctra. Alicante-Valencia, Km. 8,7, 03550 San Juan de Alicante (Alicante), Spain
| | - C Espinosa-Sempere
- Grupo de Investigación en Terapia Ocupacional (InTeO), Department of Pathology and Surgery, Miguel Hernandez University, Ctra. Alicante-Valencia, Km. 8,7, 03550 San Juan de Alicante (Alicante), Spain
| | - D Valera-Gran
- Grupo de Investigación en Terapia Ocupacional (InTeO), Department of Pathology and Surgery, Miguel Hernandez University, Ctra. Alicante-Valencia, Km. 8,7, 03550 San Juan de Alicante (Alicante), Spain.
| | - E-M Navarrete-Muñoz
- Grupo de Investigación en Terapia Ocupacional (InTeO), Department of Pathology and Surgery, Miguel Hernandez University, Ctra. Alicante-Valencia, Km. 8,7, 03550 San Juan de Alicante (Alicante), Spain; Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL-FISABIO Foundation), Hospital General Universitario de Alicante Doctor Balmis, Avda Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
La Marra M, Messina A, Ilardi CR, Verde G, Amato R, Esposito N, Troise S, Orlando A, Messina G, Monda V, Di Maio G, Villano I. The Neglected Factor in the Relationship between Executive Functioning and Obesity: The Role of Motor Control. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:1775. [PMID: 36141387 PMCID: PMC9498752 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10091775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The association between obesity and executive functions (EFs) is highly controversial. It has been suggested that waist circumference (WC), compared to body mass index (BMI), is a better indicator of fat mass and EFs in obesity. Moreover, according to the viewpoint that the brain's functional architecture meets the need for interactive behavior, we hypothesize that the relationship between EFs and body weight might be mediated by the motor performance. METHODS General executive functioning (frontal assessment battery-15), additional cognitive subdomains (trail making test and digit span backward), and motor performance (finger tapping task) were assessed in a sample that included 330 volunteers (192 females, M age = 45.98 years, SD = 17.70, range = 18-86 years). RESULTS Hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that the FAB15 score and FTT negatively predicted WC but not BMI. A subsequent mediation analysis highlighted that the indirect effect of FAB15 on WC through finger tapping was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that WC, as compared to BMI, is a more effective measure for studying the association between EFs and body weight. Still, we found that the motor domain partially mediates the dynamics of such a relationship.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco La Marra
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Antonietta Messina
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Ciro Rosario Ilardi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Verde
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Raffaella Amato
- Neurological Unit, CTO Hospital, AORN “Ospedali dei Colli”, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Nadia Esposito
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Troise
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Antonella Orlando
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Messina
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Monda
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Naples “Parthenope”, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Girolamo Di Maio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Ines Villano
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
La Marra M, Messina A, Ilardi CR, Staiano M, Di Maio G, Messina G, Polito R, Valenzano A, Cibelli G, Monda V, Chieffi S, Iavarone A, Villano I. Factorial Model of Obese Adolescents: The Role of Body Image Concerns and Selective Depersonalization-A Pilot Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11501. [PMID: 36141782 PMCID: PMC9517425 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relationship binding body weight to psychological well-being is unclear. The present study aims at identifying the contribution, and specificity, of some dimensions (i.e., eating-related symptoms, body image disorders, eating habits, personality traits, and emotional difficulties) characterizing the psychological profile of obese adolescents (749 participants, 325 females; 58.3% normal-weight, 29.9% overweight, and 11.7% obese; mean age = 16.05, SD = 0.82). METHODS By introducing the scores obtained by standardized self-report tools into a generalized linear model, a factorial reduction design was used to detect the best fitting discriminant functions and the principal components explaining the higher proportion of the variance. RESULTS We found two discriminant functions correctly classifying 87.1% of normal-weight, 57.2% of overweight, and 68.2% of obese adolescents. Furthermore, two independent factors, explaining 69.68% of the total variance, emerged. CONCLUSIONS The first factor, "Body Image Concerns", included the drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and interpersonal distrust. The second factor, "Selective Depersonalization", included a trend toward depersonalization and dissatisfaction with the torso. The neurophysiological implications of our findings will be discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco La Marra
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Antonietta Messina
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Ciro Rosario Ilardi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Maria Staiano
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Girolamo Di Maio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Messina
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy
| | - Rita Polito
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy
| | - Anna Valenzano
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cibelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Monda
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Naples “Parthenope”, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Sergio Chieffi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandro Iavarone
- Neurological Unit, CTO Hospital, AORN “Ospedali dei Colli”, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Ines Villano
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Functional Relationship between Inhibitory Control, Cognitive Flexibility, Psychomotor Speed and Obesity. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12081080. [PMID: 36009143 PMCID: PMC9405914 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12081080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decades, it has been proposed that executive functions may be particularly vulnerable to weight-related issues. However, evidence on the matter is mixed, especially when the effects of sociodemographic variables are weighted. Thus, the current study aimed at further examining the relationship between executive functions and obesity. To this aim, we compared treatment-seeking overweight, obese, and morbidly obese patients with normal-weight control participants. We examined general executive functioning (Frontal Assessment Battery−15) and different executive subdomains (e.g., inhibitory control, verbal fluency, and psychomotor speed) in a clinical sample including 208 outpatients with different degrees of BMI (52 overweight, BMI 25−30, M age = 34.38; 76 obese, BMI 30−40, M age = 38.00; 80 morbidly obese, BMI > 40, M age = 36.20). Ninety-six normal-weight subjects served as controls. No difference on executive scores was detected when obese patients were compared with over- or normal-weight subjects. Morbidly obese patients reported lower performance on executive scores than obese, overweight, and normal-weight subjects. Between-group difference emerged also when relevant covariates were taken into account. Our results support the view that morbid obesity is associated with lower executive performance, also considering the critical role exerted by sociodemographic (i.e., sex, age, and education) variables. Our results support the view that executive functioning should be accounted into the management of the obese patient because of non-negligible clinical relevance in diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic terms.
Collapse
|
13
|
Executive Functions in Overweight and Obese Treatment-Seeking Patients: Cross-Sectional Data and Longitudinal Perspectives. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12060777. [PMID: 35741662 PMCID: PMC9220982 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12060777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent evidence suggests that a higher body weight may be linked to cognitive impairment in different domains involving executive/frontal functioning. However, challenging results are also available. Accordingly, our study was designed to verify whether (i) poor executive functions are related to a higher body weight and (ii) executive functioning could contribute to weight loss in treatment-seeking overweight and obese patients. METHODS We examined general executive functioning, inhibitory control, verbal fluency, and psychomotor speed in a sample including 104 overweight and obese patients. Forty-eight normal-weight subjects participated in the study as controls. RESULTS Univariate Analysis of Variance showed that obese patients obtained lower scores than overweight and normal-weight subjects in all executive measures, except for errors in the Stroop test. However, when sociodemographic variables entered the model as covariates, no between-group difference was detected. Furthermore, an adjusted multiple linear regression model highlighted no relationship between weight loss and executive scores at baseline. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide further evidence for the lack of association between obesity and the executive domains investigated. Conflicting findings from previous literature may likely be due to the unchecked confounding effects exerted by sociodemographic variables and inclusion/exclusion criteria.
Collapse
|
14
|
Aiello EN, Esposito A, Pucci V, Mondini S, Bolognini N, Appollonio I. Italian telephone-based Mini-Mental State Examination (Itel-MMSE): item-level psychometric properties. Aging Clin Exp Res 2022; 34:1259-1265. [PMID: 34997544 PMCID: PMC8741569 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-021-02041-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Background The Italian telephone-based Mini-Mental State Examination (Itel-MMSE), despite being psychometrically sound, has shown relevant ceiling effects, which may negatively impact the interpretation of its scores. In address to overcome such an issue, this study aimed at providing item-level insights on the Itel-MMSE through Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses. Methods Five-hundred and sixty-seven healthy Italian adults (227 males, 340 females; mean age: 51 ± 17 years, range 18–96; mean education: 13.31 ± 4.3 years). A two-parameter logistic IRT model was implemented to assess item discrimination and difficulty of the Itel-MMSE. Construct unidimensionality, statistical independence of items, and model and item fit were tested. Informativity levels were also assessed graphically. Results With respect to the Itel-MMSE total score, ceiling effects were found in 92.7% of participants. Unidimensionality was violated; both model and item fit were poor; a few items showed statistical dependence. Both the whole test and its items proved to be scarcely informative, especially for medium-to-high levels of ability, except for attention and spatial orientation subtests, which consistently yielded the highest discriminative capability. Discussion The Itel-MMSE appears to be most informative in low-performing healthy individuals. However, the present findings should not lead practitioners to aprioristically equate ceiling effects/low informativity to clinical uselessness. Items assessing attention and, to a lesser extent, spatial orientation appear to be the most informative. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40520-021-02041-4.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, 20900, Monza, Italy.
| | | | - Veronica Pucci
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Sociologia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
- Human Inspired Technology Research Centre (HIT), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Sara Mondini
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Sociologia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
- Human Inspired Technology Research Centre (HIT), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Neuropsychological Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Ildebrando Appollonio
- Neurology Section, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Diagnostic properties of the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) in Italian healthy adults. Aging Clin Exp Res 2022; 34:1021-1026. [PMID: 34981429 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-021-02035-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sub-clinical cognitive efficiency deficits of a dysexecutive nature are moderately prevalent in healthy older adults and negatively affect their functional outcomes. To screen for such dysfunctions, the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) provided promising evidence, although its diagnostic properties have not been tested to date. This study thus aimed at exploring the performance on the FAB of a large sample of Italian healthy adults and comparing it in individuals aged < 75 years vs. ≥ 75 years. METHODS Four hundred and seventy-five healthy adults (169 males, 306 females, age: 61.1 ± 15.1; education 11.7 ± 4.6) were administered the FAB and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and likelihood ratios were computed through receiver-operating characteristics analyses by addressing an above- vs. below-cutoff performance on the MoCA as the state variable (as including measures of executive functioning). RESULTS The FAB overall showed good accuracy (AUC = 0.71-0.76), although higher for healthy older adults. A trend towards higher specificity (64.4-80.3%) than sensitivity (61.1-77.8%) was found, despite these metrics being comparable in healthy older adults. Negative predictive values (0.98-0.99) were systematically higher than positive predictive values (0.05-0.24), whereas consistent post-test probabilities were detected (positive likelihood ratios: 2.19-3.35; negative likelihood ratios: 0.28-0.48). DISCUSSION The FAB is an accurate test for the first-level assessment of dysexecutive-related global cognitive inefficiency in the general population, despite being moderately conservative as far as both its pre- and post-test features are concerned. Its diagnostic value is more informative for individuals aged ≥ 75 years.
Collapse
|
16
|
Ilardi CR. Reply to Damberg and Pellas (2022) on the FAB-Swe. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2022:1. [PMID: 35294296 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2022.2051173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ciro Rosario Ilardi
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Damberg M, Pellas J. Response to comment on "Assessment of executive functions in older adults: Translation and initial validation of the Swedish version of the frontal assessment battery, FAB-Swe". APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2022:1-2. [PMID: 35108147 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2022.2032710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mattias Damberg
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Clinical Research, Uppsala University, Västmanland County Hospital, Västerås, Sweden
| | - Johnny Pellas
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Clinical Research, Uppsala University, Västmanland County Hospital, Västerås, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Ilardi CR. Commentary on the pilot validation of the Swedish version of the Frontal Assessment Battery. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2022; 30:634-635. [PMID: 35099337 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2022.2032709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ciro Rosario Ilardi
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
La Marra M, Ilardi CR, Villano I, Polito R, Sibillo MR, Franchetti M, Caggiano A, Strangio F, Messina G, Monda V, Di Maio G, Messina A. Higher general executive functions predicts lower body mass index by mitigating avoidance behaviors. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1048363. [PMID: 36440204 PMCID: PMC9681800 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1048363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study examines the relationship between obesity, executive functions, and body image in a nonclinical population from southern Italy. METHODS General executive functioning (Frontal Assessment Battery-15), and body image disturbances (Body Uneasiness Test) were assessed in a sample including 255 participants (138 females, M age = 43.51 years, SD = 17.94, range = 18-86 years; M body mass index (BMI) = 26.21, SD = 4.32, range = 18.03-38.79). FINDINGS Multiple Linear Regression Analysis indicated that age, years of education, FAB15 score, body image concerns, and avoidance predicted the variance of BMI. A subsequent mediation analysis highlighted that the indirect effect of FAB15 on BMI through avoidance was statistically significant. INTERPRETATION Our results suggest that more performing executive functioning predicts a decrease in BMI that is partially due to the mitigation of avoidance behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco La Marra
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Ciro Rosario Ilardi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
| | - Ines Villano
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
- *Correspondence: Ines Villano,
| | - Rita Polito
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Maria Raffella Sibillo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Marina Franchetti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Caggiano
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Strangio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Messina
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Monda
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Naples “Parthenope”, Naples, Italy
| | - Girolamo Di Maio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonietta Messina
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Scuotto C, Ilardi CR, Avallone F, Maggi G, Ilardi A, Borrelli G, Gamboz N, La Marra M, Perrella R. Objective Knowledge Mediates the Relationship between the Use of Social Media and COVID-19-Related False Memories. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1489. [PMID: 34827488 PMCID: PMC8615822 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11111489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The exposure to relevant social and/or historical events can increase the generation of false memories (FMs). The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a calamity challenging health, political, and journalistic bodies, with media generating confusion that has facilitated the spread of fake news. In this respect, our study aims at investigating the relationships between memories (true memories, TMs vs. FMs) for COVID-19-related news and different individual variables (i.e., use of traditional and social media, COVID-19 perceived and objective knowledge, fear of the disease, depression and anxiety symptoms, reasoning skills, and coping mechanisms). One hundred and seventy-one university students (131 females) were surveyed. Overall, our results suggested that depression and anxiety symptoms, reasoning skills, and coping mechanisms did not affect the formation of FMs. Conversely, the fear of loved ones contracting the infection was found to be negatively associated with FMs. This finding might be due to an empathy/prosociality-based positive bias boosting memory abilities, also explained by the young age of participants. Furthermore, objective knowledge (i) predicted an increase in TMs and decrease in FMs and (ii) significantly mediated the relationships between the use of social media and development of both TMs and FMs. In particular, higher levels of objective knowledge strengthened the formation of TMs and decreased the development of FMs following use of social media. These results may lead to reconsidering the idea of social media as the main source of fake news. This claim is further supported by either the lack of substantial differences between the use of traditional and social media among participants reporting FMs or the positive association between use of social media and levels of objective knowledge. The knowledge about the topic rather than the type of source would make a difference in the process of memory formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Scuotto
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (C.S.); (C.R.I.); (G.M.); (G.B.); (R.P.)
| | - Ciro Rosario Ilardi
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (C.S.); (C.R.I.); (G.M.); (G.B.); (R.P.)
| | - Francesco Avallone
- Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3S1Z1, Canada;
| | - Gianpaolo Maggi
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (C.S.); (C.R.I.); (G.M.); (G.B.); (R.P.)
| | - Alfonso Ilardi
- Inmates Ward, Department of Internal Medicine, Antonio Cardarelli Hospital, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Giovanni Borrelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (C.S.); (C.R.I.); (G.M.); (G.B.); (R.P.)
| | - Nadia Gamboz
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Suor Orsola Benincasa University, 80135 Naples, Italy;
| | - Marco La Marra
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Raffaella Perrella
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (C.S.); (C.R.I.); (G.M.); (G.B.); (R.P.)
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Villano I, Ilardi CR, Arena S, Scuotto C, Gleijeses MG, Messina G, Messina A, Monda V, Monda M, Iavarone A, Chieffi S, La Marra M. Obese Subjects without Eating Disorders Experience Binge Episodes Also Independently of Emotional Eating and Personality Traits among University Students of Southern Italy. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11091145. [PMID: 34573166 PMCID: PMC8465169 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11091145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
It is widely acknowledged that obesity is a growing public clinical issue involving both physical and psychological well-being. Nevertheless, the relationship between psychological features and weight gain is still unclear. Although emotional eating (EE) and personality traits are considered significant predictors of eating disorders, their role in obesity without eating disorders (OB-wed) is far from proven. The present study aimed at investigating the cumulative effect of EE and personality traits on overeating behavior in a sample of 266 university students (169 female; mean age = 21.85, SD = 2.39) stratified based on their body mass index (BMI; normal weight, overweight, obese). They were enrolled during free screening days promoted by the Human Dietetic and Sport Service of a Southern Italian university. The results show a psychological pattern of increasing overeating behavior and lower Self-Directedness combined with higher Sadness and Anger. However, OB-wed subjects overate regardless of this emotional/personological configuration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ines Villano
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.G.G.); (A.M.); (V.M.); (M.M.); (S.C.); (M.L.M.)
- Correspondence: (I.V.); (C.R.I.)
| | - Ciro Rosario Ilardi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.G.G.); (A.M.); (V.M.); (M.M.); (S.C.); (M.L.M.)
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy;
- Correspondence: (I.V.); (C.R.I.)
| | - Stefania Arena
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Chiara Scuotto
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy;
| | - Maria Gloria Gleijeses
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.G.G.); (A.M.); (V.M.); (M.M.); (S.C.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Giovanni Messina
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy;
| | - Antonietta Messina
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.G.G.); (A.M.); (V.M.); (M.M.); (S.C.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Vincenzo Monda
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.G.G.); (A.M.); (V.M.); (M.M.); (S.C.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Marcellino Monda
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.G.G.); (A.M.); (V.M.); (M.M.); (S.C.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Alessandro Iavarone
- Neurological Unit, CTO Hospital, AORN “Ospedali dei Colli”, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Sergio Chieffi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.G.G.); (A.M.); (V.M.); (M.M.); (S.C.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Marco La Marra
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.G.G.); (A.M.); (V.M.); (M.M.); (S.C.); (M.L.M.)
| |
Collapse
|