1
|
Schäfer S, Tröger J, Kray J. Modern scores for traditional tests - Review of the diagnostic potential of scores derived from word list learning tests in mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer's Disease. Neuropsychologia 2024; 201:108908. [PMID: 38744410 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108908] [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: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Episodic memory impairment is one of the early hallmarks in Alzheimer's Disease. In the clinical diagnosis and research, episodic memory impairment is typically assessed using word lists that are repeatedly presented to and recalled by the participant across several trials. Until recently, total learning scores, which consist of the total number of words that are recalled by participants, were almost exclusively used for diagnostic purposes. The present review aims at summarizing evidence on additional scores derived from the learning trials which have recently been investigated more frequently regarding their diagnostic potential. These scores reflect item acquisition, error frequencies, strategy use, intertrial fluctuations, and recall consistency. Evidence was summarized regarding the effects of clinical status on these scores. Preclinical, mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's Disease stages were associated with a pattern of reduced item acquisition, more errors, less strategy use, and reduced access of items, indicating slowed and erroneous encoding. Practical implications and limitations of the present research will be discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jutta Kray
- Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
López-Pérez J, García-Herranz S, Díaz-Mardomingo MDC. Acquisition and consolidation of verbal learning and episodic memory as predictors of the conversion from mild cognitive impairment to probable Alzheimer's disease. NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION. SECTION B, AGING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2023; 30:638-653. [PMID: 35475773 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2022.2069670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Verbal episodic memory tests assess memory performance using total learning scores. The analysis of inter-trial indices such as gained (GA) and lost (LA) access can provide additional information on the acquisition and consolidation processes. The main objetive was to determine whether the GA and LA indices, derived from a word-list verbal episodic memory test are useful for predicting cognitive impairment in aging. 60 older people aged was divided into 3 groups: cognitively healthy, stable Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and MCI converting to probable Alzheimer's disease (MCI-conv). The results showed that GA and LA measures are independent from the traditional measures -total score of correct answers-. Logistic regression showed that these values are predictive of the conversion over time and could be a cognitive marker of conversion from MCI to AD. This suggests that the GA index, which shows acquisition processes in word-list tests, may be a marker of cognitive impairment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge López-Pérez
- Department of Basic Psychology I, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara García-Herranz
- Department of Basic Psychology II, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Mixto de Investigación-Escuela Nacional de Sanidad (IMIENS), Madrid, Spain
| | - María Del Carmen Díaz-Mardomingo
- Department of Basic Psychology I, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Mixto de Investigación-Escuela Nacional de Sanidad (IMIENS), Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Richards E, Bayer A, Tree JJ, Hanley C, Norris JE, Tales A. Subcortical Ischemic Vascular Cognitive Impairment: Insights from Reaction Time Measures. J Alzheimers Dis 2020; 72:845-857. [PMID: 31594238 PMCID: PMC6918912 DOI: 10.3233/jad-190889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this study, reaction time (RT), intraindividual variability (IIV), and errors, and the effects of practice and processing load upon such function, were compared in patients with subcortical ischemic vascular cognitive impairment (SIVCI) [n = 27] and cognitively healthy older adults (CH) [n = 26]. Compared to CH aging, SIVCI was characterized by a profile of significantly slowed RT, raised IIV, and higher error levels, particularly in the presence of distracting stimuli, indicating that the integrity and/or accessibility of the additional functions required to support high processing load, serial search strategies, are reduced in SIVCI. Furthermore, although practice speeded RT in SIVCI, unlike CH, practice did not lead to an improvement in IIV. This indicates that improvement in RT in SIVCI can in fact mask an abnormally high degree of IIV. Because IIV appears more related to disease, function, and health than RT, its status and potential for change may represent a particularly meaningful, and relevant, disease characteristic of SIVCI. Finally, a high level of within-group variation in the above measures was another characteristic of SIVCI, with such processing heterogeneity in patients with ostensibly the same diagnosis, possibly related to individual variation in pathological load. Detailed measurement of RT, IIV, errors, and practice effects therefore reveal a degree of functional impairment in brain processing not apparent by measuring RT in isolation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma Richards
- Centre for Innovative Ageing, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.,Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Antony Bayer
- Department of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jeremy J Tree
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Claire Hanley
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | | | - Andrea Tales
- Centre for Innovative Ageing, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bilder RM, Reise SP. Neuropsychological tests of the future: How do we get there from here? Clin Neuropsychol 2019; 33:220-245. [PMID: 30422045 PMCID: PMC6422683 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2018.1521993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Revised: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This article reviews current approaches to neuropsychological assessment, identifies opportunities for development of new methods using modern psychometric theory and advances in technology, and suggests a transition path that promotes application of novel methods without sacrificing validity. METHODS Theoretical/state-of-the-art review. CONCLUSIONS Clinical neuropsychological assessment today does not reflect advances in neuroscience, modern psychometrics, or technology. Major opportunities for improving practice include both psychometric and technological strategies. Modern psychometric approaches including item response theory (IRT) enable linking procedures that can place different measures on common scales; adaptive testing algorithms that can dramatically increase efficiency of assessment; examination of differential item functioning (DIF) to detect measures that behave differently in different groups; and person fit statistics to detect aberrant patterns of responding of high value for performance validity testing. Opportunities to introduce novel technologies include computerized adaptive testing, Web-based assessment, healthcare- and bio-informatics strategies, mobile platforms, wearables, and the 'internet-of-things'. To overcome inertia in current practices, new methods must satisfy requirements for back-compatibility with legacy instrumentation, enabling us to leverage the wealth of validity data already accrued for classic procedures. A path to achieve these goals involves creation of a global network to aggregate item-level data into a shared repository that will enable modern psychometric analyses to refine existing methods, and serve as a platform to evolve novel assessment strategies, which over time can revolutionize neuropsychological assessment practices world-wide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Bilder
- a Departments of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Science, Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , California , USA
- b Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Science , Los Angeles , California , USA
| | - Steven P Reise
- b Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Science , Los Angeles , California , USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Emotional and social characteristics of stroke patients with low verbal memory. Aging Clin Exp Res 2018; 30:1203-1210. [PMID: 29340965 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-018-0894-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive deficits, especially problems with memory observed after stroke often coexist with patients' experience of difficulties in everyday life situations. AIMS The purposes of the study were to explore the relationships between verbal memory, emotional functioning and social competence in stroke patients, and to examine the emotional and social condition of stroke patients with low verbal memory. METHODS Ninety-five participants were assessed with the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, the Neuropsychology Behavior and Affect Profile, and the Social Competency Questionnaire. The participants' relatives (N = 95) also took part in the study evaluating patients' emotional and social functioning. RESULTS Stroke patients with low verbal memory had higher scores in depression, indifference, and inappropriateness than the patients with normal memory. They also obtained higher scores in the self-reported intimacy and lower scores in objectively assessed social exposition than controls. DISCUSSION It is worth considering patients' relationships with relatives that evolve after stroke, especially when the patients experience cognitive difficulties in gaining new information. Collecting verbal information seems to be important for the feeling of effectiveness in some dimensions of elders' social functioning. CONCLUSIONS Because the social engagement may be treated as protective factor in the course of recovery we would recommend that during rehabilitation more attention should be paid to emotional and social functioning of stroke patients with low verbal memory.
Collapse
|
6
|
Huebner DM, McGarrity LA, Smith TW, Perry NS, Suchy Y. Changes in Executive Function Following a Stressful Interpersonal Task Are Associated With Condomless Anal Intercourse Among Men Who Have Sex With Men. Ann Behav Med 2018; 52:406-411. [PMID: 29684134 DOI: 10.1093/abm/kax020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Executive functioning (EF) describes a set of neurocognitive processes critical to enacting complex health behaviors. However, theoretical frameworks for understanding sexual risk behavior have generally neglected neurocognitive constructs, and beyond a few studies of individuals selected for high substance use, the literature contains virtually no research on this topic with other adults at risk for HIV infection, such as men who have sex with men (MSM). Purpose This study tested whether EF was associated with condomless anal intercourse (CAI) among MSM. Methods Seventy MSM completed cognitive tests assessing EF at two time points-baseline, and approximately 30 min later after engaging in a stressful interpersonal task. Men also reported their sexual behaviors over the past 3 months, including the frequency of CAI. Results Baseline EF was unrelated to CAI. However, CAI was associated with the degree to which performance improved from baseline to post-stressor administration. Compared with norms for practice effects, men who reported CAI improved less than expected from baseline to post-stressor EF performance, whereas men who reported no CAI exhibited a more normative practice effect. Conclusions MSM with histories of greater sexual risk improved less than anticipated from baseline to post-stressor on tests of EF, suggesting that they might be more cognitively depleted by the stressful interpersonal task they engaged in between administrations. It is possible that certain individuals struggle to maintain executive control in stressful interpersonal situations, a finding that could contribute to the difficulty some individuals face executing precautionary behaviors during a sexual encounter.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David M Huebner
- Department of Prevention and Community Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | | | - Timothy W Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Nicholas S Perry
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Yana Suchy
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kay CD, Seidenberg M, Durgerian S, Nielson KA, Smith JC, Woodard JL, Rao SM. Motor timing intraindividual variability in amnestic mild cognitive impairment and cognitively intact elders at genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2017; 39:866-875. [PMID: 28052734 PMCID: PMC5916765 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2016.1273321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Intraindividual variability (IIV) in motor performance has been shown to predict future cognitive decline. The apolipoprotein E-epsilon 4 (APOE-ε4) allele is also a well-established risk factor for memory decline. Here, we present novel findings examining the influence of the APOE-ε4 allele on the performance of asymptomatic healthy elders in comparison to individuals with amnestic MCI (aMCI) on a fine motor synchronization, paced finger-tapping task (PFTT). METHOD Two Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk groups, individuals with aMCI (n = 24) and cognitively intact APOE-ε4 carriers (n = 41), and a control group consisting of cognitively intact APOE-ε4 noncarriers (n = 65) completed the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and the PFTT, which requires index finger tapping in synchrony with a visual stimulus (interstimulus interval = 333 ms). RESULTS Motor timing IIV, as reflected by the standard deviation of the intertap interval (ITI), was greater in the aMCI group than in the two groups of cognitively intact elders; in contrast, all three groups had statistically equivalent mean ITI. No significant IIV differences were observed between the asymptomatic APOE-ε4 carriers and noncarriers. Poorer episodic memory performance was associated with greater IIV, particularly in the aMCI group. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that increased IIV on a fine motor synchronization task is apparent in aMCI. This IIV measure was not sensitive in discriminating older asymptomatic individuals at genetic risk for AD from those without such a genetic risk. In contrast, episodic memory performance, a well-established predictor of cognitive decline in preclinical AD, was able to distinguish between the two cognitively intact groups based on genetic risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina D Kay
- a Department of Psychology , Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science , North Chicago , IL , USA
| | - Michael Seidenberg
- a Department of Psychology , Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science , North Chicago , IL , USA
| | - Sally Durgerian
- b Department of Neurology and the Center for Imaging Research , Medical College of Wisconsin , Milwaukee , WI , USA
| | - Kristy A Nielson
- b Department of Neurology and the Center for Imaging Research , Medical College of Wisconsin , Milwaukee , WI , USA
- c Department of Psychology , Marquette University , Milwaukee , WI , USA
| | - J Carson Smith
- d Department of Kinesiology , University of Maryland , College Park , MD , USA
| | - John L Woodard
- e Department of Psychology , Wayne State University , Detroit , MI , USA
| | - Stephen M Rao
- f Neurological Institute , Cleveland Clinic , Cleveland , OH , USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Abstract
Purpose of Review The integration of information across sensory modalities into unified percepts is a fundamental sensory process upon which a multitude of cognitive processes are based. We review the body of literature exploring aging-related changes in audiovisual integration published over the last five years. Specifically, we review the impact of changes in temporal processing, the influence of the effectiveness of sensory inputs, the role of working memory, and the newer studies of intra-individual variability during these processes. Recent Findings Work in the last five years on bottom-up influences of sensory perception has garnered significant attention. Temporal processing, a driving factors of multisensory integration, has now been shown to decouple with multisensory integration in aging, despite their co-decline with aging. The impact of stimulus effectiveness also changes with age, where older adults show maximal benefit from multisensory gain at high signal-to-noise ratios. Following sensory decline, high working memory capacities have now been shown to be somewhat of a protective factor against age-related declines in audiovisual speech perception, particularly in noise. Finally, newer research is emerging focusing on the general intra-individual variability observed with aging. Summary Overall, the studies of the past five years have replicated and expanded on previous work that highlights the role of bottom-up sensory changes with aging and their influence on audiovisual integration, as well as the top-down influence of working memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Baum
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington
| | - Ryan Stevenson
- Department of Psychology, Western University.,Brain and Mind Institute, Western University.,Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University.,Program in Neuroscience, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University.,Centre for Vision Research, York University
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Griffin JW, John SE, Adams JW, Bussell CA, Saurman JL, Gavett BE. The effects of age on the learning and forgetting of primacy, middle, and recency components of a multi-trial word list. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2017; 39:900-912. [PMID: 28095744 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2017.1278746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The serial position effect reveals that recall of a supraspan list of words follows a predictable pattern, whereby words at the beginning (primacy) and end (recency) of a list are recalled more easily than words in the middle. This effect has typically been studied using single list-learning trials, but in neuropsychology, multi-trial list-learning tests are more commonly used. The current study examined trends in learning for primacy, middle, and recency effects across multiple trials in younger and older age cohorts. Participants were 158 volunteers, including 79 adults aged 17-36 ("younger" group) and 79 adults aged 54-89 years ("older" group). Each participant completed four learning trials and one delayed (5-10 min) recall trial from the Memory Assessment Scales. Scores were divided into primacy (first four words), middle (middle four words), and recency (final four words) scores for all trials. For list acquisition, mixed effects modeling examined the main effects of and interactions between learning slope (logarithmic), age group, and serial position. Rate of learning increased logarithmically over four trials and varied by serial position, with growth of middle and recency word acquisition increasing more rapidly than recall of primacy words; this interaction did not differ by age group. Delayed retention differed according to age group and serial position; both older and younger adults demonstrated similar retention for primacy words, but older adults showed reduced retention for middle and recency words. Although older adults acquired less information across learning trials, the reason for this reduced acquisition was related to initial learning, not to rate of learning over time. Older compared to younger adults were less efficient at transferring middle and recency words from short-term to long-term memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Griffin
- a Department of Psychology , University of Colorado , Colorado Springs , CO , USA
| | - Samantha E John
- a Department of Psychology , University of Colorado , Colorado Springs , CO , USA
| | - Jason W Adams
- a Department of Psychology , University of Colorado , Colorado Springs , CO , USA
| | - Cara A Bussell
- a Department of Psychology , University of Colorado , Colorado Springs , CO , USA
| | - Jessica L Saurman
- a Department of Psychology , University of Colorado , Colorado Springs , CO , USA
| | - Brandon E Gavett
- a Department of Psychology , University of Colorado , Colorado Springs , CO , USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Intraindividual variability in performance on associative memory tasks is elevated in amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Neuropsychologia 2016; 90:110-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Revised: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|