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Balboa-Bandeira Y, Zubiaurre-Elorza L, García-Guerrero MA, Ibarretxe-Bilbao N, Ojeda N, Peña J. Enhancement of phonemic verbal fluency in multilingual young adults by transcranial random noise stimulation. Neuropsychologia 2024; 198:108882. [PMID: 38599569 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Several studies have analyzed the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on verbal fluency tasks in non-clinical populations. Nevertheless, the reported effects on verbal fluency are inconsistent. In addition, the effect of other techniques such as transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) on verbal fluency enhancement has yet to be studied in healthy multilingual populations. This study aims to explore the effects of tRNS on verbal fluency in healthy multilingual individuals. Fifty healthy multilingual (Spanish, English and Basque) adults were randomly assigned to a tRNS or sham group. Electrodes were placed on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and left inferior frontal gyrus. All participants performed phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tasks before, during (online assessment) and immediately after (offline assessment) stimulation in three different languages. The results showed significantly better performance by participants who received tRNS in the phonemic verbal fluency tasks in Spanish (in the online and offline assessment) and English (in the offline assessment). No differences between conditions were found in Basque nor semantic verbal fluency. These findings suggests that tRNS on the left prefrontal cortex could help improve phonemic, yet not semantic, fluency in healthy multilingual adults.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leire Zubiaurre-Elorza
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain
| | | | - Naroa Ibarretxe-Bilbao
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Natalia Ojeda
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Javier Peña
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain.
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2
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Ghosh A, S M, Sunny AS, Diwakar L, Issac TG. Prevalence and patterns of vitamin D deficiency and its role in cognitive functioning in a cohort from South India. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11215. [PMID: 38755311 PMCID: PMC11099011 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62010-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Vitamin D (VitD) is a naturally occurring, fat-soluble vitamin which regulates calcium and phosphate homeostasis in the human body and is also known to have a neuroprotective role. VitD deficiency has often been associated with impaired cognition and a higher risk of dementia. In this study, we aimed to explore the relationship between levels of VitD and cognitive functioning in adult individuals. 982 cognitively healthy adults (≥ 45 years) were recruited as part of the CBR-Tata Longitudinal Study for Aging (TLSA). Addenbrooke's cognitive examination-III (ACE-III) and Hindi mental status examination (HMSE) were used to measure cognitive functioning. 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were measured from the collected serum sample and classified into three groups- deficient (< 20 ng/ml), insufficient (20-29 ng/ml) and normal (≥ 30 ng/ml). Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS software, version 28.0.1.1(15). The mean age of the participants was 61.24 ± 9 years. Among 982 participants, 572 (58%) were deficient, 224 (23%) insufficient and only 186 (19%) had normal levels of VitD. Kruskal-Wallis H test revealed a significant difference in age (p = 0.015) and education (p = 0.021) across VitD levels and the Chi-square test revealed a significant association between gender (p = 0.001) and dyslipidemia status (p = 0.045) with VitD levels. After adjusting for age, education, gender and dyslipidemia status, GLM revealed that individuals with deficient (p = 0.038) levels of VitD had lower scores in ACE-III verbal fluency as compared to normal. Additionally, we also found that 91.2% individuals who had VitD deficiency were also having dyslipidemia. It is concerning that VitD deficiency impacts lipid metabolism. Lower levels of VitD also negatively impacts verbal fluency in adult individuals. Verbal fluency involves higher order cognitive functions and this result provides us with a scope to further investigate the different domains of cognition in relation to VitD deficiency and other associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aishwarya Ghosh
- Centre for Brain Research, Indian Institute of Science Campus, CV Raman Avenue, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Monisha S
- Centre for Brain Research, Indian Institute of Science Campus, CV Raman Avenue, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Albert Stezin Sunny
- Centre for Brain Research, Indian Institute of Science Campus, CV Raman Avenue, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Latha Diwakar
- Centre for Brain Research, Indian Institute of Science Campus, CV Raman Avenue, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Thomas Gregor Issac
- Centre for Brain Research, Indian Institute of Science Campus, CV Raman Avenue, Bangalore, 560012, India.
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Martinec Nováková L, Georgi H, Vlčková K, Kopeček M, Babuská A, Havlíček J. Small effects of olfactory identification and discrimination on global cognitive and executive performance over 1 year in aging people without a history of age-related cognitive impairment. Physiol Behav 2024; 282:114579. [PMID: 38710351 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Olfactory and cognitive performance share neural correlates profoundly affected by physiological aging. However, whether odor identification and discrimination scores predict global cognitive status and executive function in healthy older people with intact cognition is unclear. Therefore, in the present study, we set out to elucidate these links in a convenience sample of 204 independently living, cognitively intact healthy Czech adults aged 77.4 ± 8.7 (61-97 years) over two waves of data collection (one-year interval). We used the Czech versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to evaluate global cognition, and the Prague Stroop Test (PST), Trail Making Test (TMT), and several verbal fluency (VF) tests to assess executive function. As a subsidiary aim, we aimed to examine the contribution of olfactory performance towards achieving a MoCA score above vs. below the published cut-off value. We found that the MoCA scores exhibited moderate associations with both odor identification and discrimination. Furthermore, odor identification significantly predicted PST C and C/D scores. Odor discrimination significantly predicted PST C/D, TMT B/A, and standardized composite VF scores. Our findings demonstrate that olfaction, on the one hand, and global cognition and executive function, on the other, are related even in healthy older people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Martinec Nováková
- Department of Psychology and Life Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Pátkova 2137/5, 182 00 Prague 8 - Libeň, Czech Republic; Department of Chemical Education and Humanities, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6 - Dejvice, Czech Republic.
| | - Hana Georgi
- Prague College of Psychosocial Studies, Hekrova 805, 149 00 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Karolína Vlčková
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 100 00 Prague 10 - Vršovice, Czech Republic; Thomayer Teaching Hospital, Vídeňská 800, 140 59 Prague 4 - Krč, Czech Republic
| | - Miloslav Kopeček
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 100 00 Prague 10 - Vršovice, Czech Republic; National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Babuská
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Havlíček
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic
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Chien YL, Tseng YL, Tsai WC, Chiu YN. Assessing Frontal Lobe Function on Verbal Fluency and Emotion Recall in Autism Spectrum Disorder by fNIRS. J Autism Dev Disord 2024:10.1007/s10803-024-06306-5. [PMID: 38635133 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06306-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
This study applied the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate frontal activity in autism when performing verbal fluency test and emotion recall task. We recruited 32 autistic adults without intellectual disability and 30 typically-developing controls (TDC). Prefrontal hemodynamic changes were evaluated by fNIRS when the participants performed the verbal fluency test and emotion recall task. fNIRS signals in the prefrontal cortex were compared between autism and TDC. Compared to TDC, autistic adults showed comparable performance on the verbal fluency test but exhibited lower frontal activity on the vegetable category. In the verbal fluency test, left frontal activity in TDC significantly increased in the vegetable category (vs. fruit category). In the emotion recall task, left frontal activity increased significantly in TDC when recalling emotional (vs. neutral) events. This increase of left frontal activity on the more difficult works was not found in autism. Similarly, brain activities were related to test performance only in TDC but not in autism. In addition, more severe social deficits were associated with lower frontal activity when recalling emotional events, independent of autism diagnosis. Findings suggested reduced frontal activity in autism, as compared to TDC, when performing verbal fluency tests. The reduction of left frontal activation in verbal fluency test and emotion recall tasks might reflect on the social deficits of the individual. The fNIRS may potentially be applied in assessing frontal lobe function in autism and social deficits in general population. Trial registration number: NCT04010409.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ling Chien
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital & College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, No.7. Chung Shan South Road, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Yi-Li Tseng
- Department of Electrical Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Che Tsai
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital & College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Nan Chiu
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, No.7. Chung Shan South Road, Taipei, Taiwan
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Aiello EN, Mameli F, Ruggiero F, Zirone E, Zago S, Piacentini S, Poletti B, Reitano MR, Santangelo G, Ticozzi N, Silani V, Priori A, Ferrucci R. Psychometrics and diagnostics of the Italian version of the Alternate Verbal Fluency Battery (AVFB) in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients. Neurol Sci 2024:10.1007/s10072-024-07436-5. [PMID: 38467953 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-024-07436-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Verbal fluency (VF) tasks are known as suitable for detecting cognitive impairment (CI) in Parkinson's disease (PD). This study thus aimed to evaluate the psychometrics and diagnostics of the Alternate Verbal Fluency Battery (AVFB) by Costa et al. (2014) in an Italian cohort of non-demented PD patients, as well as to derive disease-specific cut-offs for it. METHODS N = 192 non-demented PD patients were screened with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and underwent the AVFB-which includes phonemic, semantic and alternate VF tests (PVF; SVF; AVF), as well as a Composite Shifting Index (CSI) reflecting the "cost" of shifting from a single- to a double-cued VF task. Construct validity and diagnostics were assessed for each AVFB measure against the MoCA. Internal reliability and factorial validity were also tested. RESULTS The MoCA proved to be strongly associated with PVF, SVF and AVF scores, whilst moderately with the CSI. The AVFB was internally consistent and underpinned by a single component; however, an improvement in both internal reliability and fit to its factorial structure was observed when dropping the CSI. Demographically adjusted scores on PVF, SVF and AVF tests were diagnostically sound in detecting MoCA-defined cognitive impairment, whilst this was not true for the CSI. Disease-specific cut-offs for PVF, SVF and AVF tests were derived. DISCUSSION In conclusion, PVF, SVF and AVF tests are reliable, valid and diagnostically sound instruments to detect cognitive impairment in non-demented PD patients and are therefore recommended for use in clinical practice and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Mameli
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabiana Ruggiero
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora Zirone
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Barbara Poletti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università Degli Studi Di Milano, Via Santa Sofia 9, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Gabriella Santangelo
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Priori
- ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, San Paolo University Hospital, Milan, Italy
- "Aldo Ravelli" Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Ferrucci
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università Degli Studi Di Milano, Via Santa Sofia 9, 20122, Milan, Italy.
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Apiquian R, Díaz R, Victoria G, Ulloa RE. The Category Fluency Test components and their association with cognition and symptoms in adolescents with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res Cogn 2024; 35:100296. [PMID: 38025823 PMCID: PMC10679940 DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2023.100296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Background The category Fluency Test (CFT) is included in the MATRICS consensus cognitive battery for schizophrenia (MCCB). This test has several components that allow the exploration of other cognitive functions and could be related to different symptom profiles. Methods a sample of 98 Mexican adolescents was evaluated with the CFT and the following components were analyzed: total words, errors, clusters, switching, related words, and categories. Demographic and clinical differences among them and correlations with other MCCB tests and with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) factors were explored. Results The CFT components showed significant correlations with each other and with other MCCB tests, particularly with those related to verbal learning, working memory, and speed of processing. In addition, they showed moderate correlations with the total PANSS score and with the negative, positive, and cognitive PANSS factors. Conclusions The analysis of CFT components allows clinicians and investigators to obtain information regarding other cognitive functions and symptom profiles in adolescents with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rogelio Apiquian
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Anahuac, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ricardo Díaz
- Arete Proyectos y Administración, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gamaliel Victoria
- Sistema para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia de la Ciudad de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rosa-Elena Ulloa
- Hospital Psiquiátrico Infantil Juan N. Navarro, Servicios de Atención Psiquiátrica, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City, Mexico
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Jebahi F, Nickels KV, Kielar A. Patterns of performance on the animal fluency task in logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia: A reflection of phonological and semantic skills. J Commun Disord 2024; 108:106405. [PMID: 38324949 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2024.106405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to characterize the quantitative (total number of correct words generated) and qualitative (psycholinguistic properties of correct words generated) performance patterns on the animal fluency task in individuals with the logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia and to investigate the influence of phonological and semantic abilities to these patterns. METHODS Fifteen participants with lvPPA and twenty neurotypical adults completed the animal fluency task and an assessment battery to characterize their phonological and semantic abilities. We recorded the total number of correct words produced and their psycholinguistic properties. Group differences were analyzed using independent samples t-tests and analysis of covariance. Stepwise and multiple linear regression analyses were implemented to investigate the contribution of psycholinguistic properties on word generation as well as the role of phonological and semantic abilities on performance. We also investigated the mediating role of phonological and semantic abilities on the relationship between relevant psycholinguistic properties and word generation output. RESULTS Compared to neurotypical controls, participants with lvPPA produced fewer correct responses and more words with lower age of acquisition. The total number of correct words generated was predicted by the age of word acquisition, such that individuals who generated more responses, produced words acquired later in life. Phonology and semantics influenced the number of correct words generated and their frequency, age of acquisition, and semantic neighborhood density. Familiarity and arousal were driven by semantic abilities. Phonological abilities partially mediated the relationship between age of acquisition and word generation output. CONCLUSIONS This study provides valuable insights into the performance patterns of the animal fluency task in lvPPA. Individuals with lvPPA with more intact phonological and semantic abilities generated greater number of words with more complex psycholinguistic properties. Our findings contribute to the understanding of language processes underlying word retrieval in lvPPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Jebahi
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Cognitive Science Graduate Interdisciplinary Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
| | - Katlyn V Nickels
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Cognitive Science Graduate Interdisciplinary Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Aneta Kielar
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Cognitive Science Graduate Interdisciplinary Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Cromberg JL, Schettgen T, Willmes K, Lang J, Kraus T, Fimm B. Occupational exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls: Development of neuropsychological functions over time. Neurotoxicology 2024; 101:6-15. [PMID: 38215798 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Occupational exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) continues to affect the health of exposed individuals until today. This study aims to expand previous findings by examining the development of neuropsychological functions of occupationally exposed participants over time. Especially verbal fluency and sensorimotor processing, found to be impaired in a previous study, were thus of particular interest. A total of 116 participants, who were part of the HELPcB cohort, underwent a neuropsychological test battery covering a multitude of cognitive functions. Plasma PCB levels were determined for each participant and classified as elevated or normal based on comparative values drawn from the German general population. Two structural equation models were then used to examine the effects of elevated PCB levels on neuropsychological functions. Results suggest that participants who displayed increased PCB plasma levels continued to show impairments in verbal fluency but not in sensorimotor processing after a second examination one year after the first measurement. Specifically, low chlorinated PCBs are associated with impaired verbal fluency, as compared to high-chlorinated and dioxin-like congeners. Alteration of dopamine concentration in response to PCB exposure might be a potential explanation of this result.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia L Cromberg
- RWTH Aachen University, Department of Neurology, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
| | - Thomas Schettgen
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Klaus Willmes
- RWTH Aachen University, Department of Neurology, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Jessica Lang
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Thomas Kraus
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Bruno Fimm
- RWTH Aachen University, Department of Neurology, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
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Villalobos D, Torres-Simón L, Pacios J, Paúl N, Del Río D. A Systematic Review of Normative Data for Verbal Fluency Test in Different Languages. Neuropsychol Rev 2023; 33:733-764. [PMID: 36098929 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-022-09549-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Verbal fluency tests are easy and quick to use in neuropsychological assessments, so they have been counted among the most classical tools in this context. To date, several normative data for verbal fluency tests have been provided in different languages and countries. A systematic review was carried out with studies that provide normative data for verbal fluency tests. Studies were collected from Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science. 183 studies were retrieved from the database search, of which 73 finally met the inclusion criteria. An analysis of the risk of bias regarding samples selection/characterization and procedure/results reports is conducted for each article. Finally, a full description of the normative data characteristics, considering country and language, verbal fluency task characteristics (type of task) and sample characteristics (number of subjects, gender, age, education) is included. The current systematic review provides an overview and analysis of internationally published normative data that might help clinicians in their search for valid and useful norms on verbal fluency tasks, as well as updated information about qualitative aspects of the different options currently available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dolores Villalobos
- Department of Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychology, Cardenal Cisneros University Center, Alcalá de Henares University. Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- European Neuroscience Center, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucia Torres-Simón
- Department of Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Pacios
- Department of Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuria Paúl
- Department of Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Del Río
- Department of Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
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Petríková D, Marko M, Rovný R, Riečanský I. Electrical stimulation of the cerebellum facilitates automatic but not controlled word retrieval. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:2137-2146. [PMID: 37783862 PMCID: PMC10587269 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02712-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Recent research has indicated that the cerebellum is engaged in language functions, yet the role of the cerebellum in lexical-semantic memory is poorly understood. In a double-blind randomized controlled experiment, we therefore targeted the cerebellum by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to assess and compare the contribution of the cerebellar processing to automatic and controlled retrieval of words in healthy adults (n = 136). Anodal cerebellar tDCS facilitated retrieval of semantically related words in free-associative chains, which was not due to a non-specific acceleration of processing speed. The stimulation had no influence on controlled word retrieval that employed inhibition or switching. The effect of cathodal tDCS was opposite to the anodal stimulation, but statistically non-significant. Our data show that the cerebellum is engaged extracting associative information from the system of semantic representations, established and strengthened/automated by learning, and indicates a domain-general role of this structure in automation of behavior, cognition and language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominika Petríková
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewiczova 1, 81371, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Martin Marko
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewiczova 1, 81371, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Applied Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Rastislav Rovný
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewiczova 1, 81371, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Igor Riečanský
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewiczova 1, 81371, Bratislava, Slovakia.
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Foldager M, Vestergaard M, Lassen J, Petersen LS, Oranje B, Aggernaes B, Simonsen E. Atypical Semantic Fluency and Recall in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders Associated with Autism Symptoms and Adaptive Functioning. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:4280-4292. [PMID: 36001194 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05677-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
It is unclear whether children with autism spectrum disorders have atypical semantic fluency and lower memory for the semantics of words. Therefore, we examined semantic typicality, fluency and recall for the categories of fruits and animals in 60 children with autism aged 7-15 years (boys: 48/girls: 12) compared to 60 typically developing controls. Relative to controls, the autism group had reduced animal fluency, fruit typicality and recall for fruits. Notably, these measures were associated with more autistic-like symptoms and/or lower adaptive functioning across the autism and control groups. In conclusion, atypical semantics of fruits in the autism group may reflect development of idiosyncratic semantic networks while their lower semantic fluency and recall suggest impaired executive language functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malene Foldager
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Smedegade 16, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, København, Denmark
| | - Martin Vestergaard
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Smedegade 16, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Jonathan Lassen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Smedegade 16, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, København, Denmark
| | - Lea S Petersen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, København, Denmark
- Psychiatric Research Unit, Region Zealand, Denmark
| | - Bob Oranje
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) & Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Psychiatric Center Glostrup, Copenhagen University Hospital, København, Denmark
| | - Bodil Aggernaes
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Smedegade 16, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
- PP Clinic Copenhagen, Gentofte, Denmark
| | - Erik Simonsen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, København, Denmark
- Mental Health Services East, Copenhagen University Hospital, Psychiatry Region Zealand, Region Zealand, Denmark
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12
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Pacifico D, Sabatini S, Fiordelli M, Annoni AM, Frei A, Puhan M, Graf G, Albanese E. Associations of multilingualism and language proficiency with cognitive functioning: epidemiological evidence from the SwissDEM study in community dwelling older adults and long-term care residents. BMC Geriatr 2023; 23:629. [PMID: 37803260 PMCID: PMC10559505 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-04311-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We explored whether number of languages spoken and language proficiency are associated with cognitive performance among older adults living in the community and in long-term care (LTC) in Switzerland. METHODS Among study participants, 664 lived in the community in the Canton of Zurich (Mean age = 72.97 years; SD = 6.08), 386 lived in the community in Ticino (Mean age = 76.24 years; SD = 6.66), and 176 resided in LTC in Ticino (Mean age = 87.61 years; SD = 6.45). We recorded sociodemographic variables, number of languages spoken, language proficiency, and assessed overall cognitive performance, immediate and delayed memory, and verbal fluency with standardized tests. We used adjusted regression models. RESULTS A higher number of spoken languages was positively associated with overall cognitive performance, verbal fluency and immediate and delayed memory performance in community-dwelling older adults in the Cantons of Ticino and Zurich, (all p values ≤ 0.012;), but not in in older adults living in LTC homes (all p values ≥ 0.35). Higher language proficiency was associated with better memory performance among individuals living in the community in Ticino (p value = 0.003), and to better performance in verbal fluency and memory tasks in Zurich (p values ≤ 0.002). Among LTC residents, proficiency levels were not associated with cognitive performance. CONCLUSIONS Multilingualism and greater language proficiency were associated with better cognitive functioning in community-dwelling but not in institutionalized older adults. Multilingualism may contribute to cognitive reserve, as well as protect and delay cognitive decline in late life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Pacifico
- Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Serena Sabatini
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Maddalena Fiordelli
- Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland
| | - Anna Maria Annoni
- Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Anja Frei
- Epidemiology Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Milo Puhan
- Epidemiology Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gwendolyn Graf
- Epidemiology Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Emiliano Albanese
- Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
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13
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Ridout N, Dritschel B, Morjaria M, Yankey C. The influence of induced dysphoria on autobiographical memory specificity and social problem solving: Examining the role of executive function. Behav Res Ther 2023; 169:104404. [PMID: 37742525 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2023.104404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Negative mood induction leads to reductions in autobiographical memory specificity (AMS) and social problem-solving (SPS). The aim was to establish if executive function contributes to changes in AMS and SPS following negative mood induction. Forty-four participants (study 1) completed the autobiographical memory test and measures of executive function (letter & category fluency) before and after a positive or negative mood induction (MI). Forty participants (study 2) completed the means-end problem solving task (MEPS) and (letter & category) fluency tasks before and after a positive or negative MI. In study 1, participants exhibited impaired AMS and fluency performance following a sad MI. Decrease in memory specificity pre-to post-MI was related to reductions in happy mood and letter fluency. In study 2, participants exhibited poorer performance on the MEPS and fluency tasks following a sad MI. Decreases in the number of relevant solutions generated on the MEPS pre-to post-MI was linked to increases in sad mood and decreases in letter fluency. In both studies, the influence of mood became non-significant once the effect of executive function was accounted for, which suggests that changes in AMS and SPS in response to induced mood were related to concomitant changes in executive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Ridout
- School of Psychology, College of Health & Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK.
| | - Barbara Dritschel
- School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Meera Morjaria
- School of Psychology, College of Health & Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK
| | - Chanelle Yankey
- School of Psychology, College of Health & Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK
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14
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Yeung MK. Effects of age, gender, and education on task performance and prefrontal cortex processing during emotional and non-emotional verbal fluency tests. Brain Lang 2023; 245:105325. [PMID: 37748413 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2023.105325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
The emotional semantic fluency test (SFT) is an emerging verbal fluency test that requires controlled access to emotional lexical information. Currently, how demographic variables influence neurocognitive processing during this test remains elusive. The present study compared the effects of age, gender, and education on task performance and prefrontal cortex (PFC) processing during the non-emotional and emotional SFTs. One-hundred and thirty-three Cantonese-speaking adults aged 18-79 performed the non-emotional and emotional SFTs while their PFC activation was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Results showed that more education predicted better non-emotional SFT performance, whereas younger age, being female, and more education predicted better emotional SFT performance. Only age significantly affected PFC activation during the SFTs, and the effect was comparable between the two SFTs. Thus, compared with its non-emotional analog, the emotional SFT is influenced by overlapping yet distinct demographic variables. There is a similar age-related reorganization of PFC function across SFT performances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael K Yeung
- Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; University Research Facility in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
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15
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Macoir J, Hudon C. Normative Data for the Alternating and Orthographic Constraint Semantic Fluency Tests in the Adult French-Quebec Population and Validation Study in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2023:acad065. [PMID: 37707497 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acad065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Verbal fluency tests, known to elicit executive functions (EFs), have proven useful in distinguishing healthy individuals from those with cognitive impairment. The present study addresses two new tests of verbal fluency that elicit EFs, namely, extradimensional alternating fluency (EAF) and extradimensional orthographic constraint semantic fluency (EOCSF). The aim of Study 1 was to provide normative data in the adult and elderly population of French Québec for the two fluency tests. The aim of Study 2 was to determine their psychometric value. The normative sample consisted of 338 healthy controls (HCs) aged 50-89 years. Multiple linear regressions were used to generate equations for calculating Z-scores. Convergent validity was established by administering the two verbal fluency tests and the Letter-Number Sequence (LNS) subtest of the WAIS-III. To assess predictive validity, the performance of 19 HCs was compared with that of 19 participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 19 participants with Alzheimer's disease (AD). To determine test-retest reliability, the test was administered twice, 3 months apart, to a subsample of 20 HCs. Age and educational level were significantly related to performance in the EAF and the EOCSF. The two tests correlated significantly and positively with the LNS. The EAF and the EOCSF distinguished the performance of HCs from that of participants with MCI or AD. A test-retest analysis showed that scores on the two tests were stable over time. The norms and psychometric data for the EAF and the EOCSF will help clinicians and researchers better identify executive impairments associated with pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joël Macoir
- Faculté de médecine, Département de réadaptation, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche CERVO-Brain Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Carol Hudon
- Centre de recherche CERVO-Brain Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche VITAM, Québec, QC, Canada
- Faculté des sciences sociales, École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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16
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Li Y, Yang J, Evans K, Wong JBW, Dissanayaka NN, Vogel AP. Optimising verbal fluency analysis in neurological patients with dysarthria: examples from Parkinson's disease and hereditary ataxia. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2023; 45:452-463. [PMID: 37656122 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2023.2249172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Verbal fluency tests (VFTs) are widely used to assess cognitive-linguistic performance in neurological diseases. However, the influence of dysarthria on performance in tests requiring oral responses is unclear in ataxia and Parkinson's disease. OBJECTIVES To determine the impact of dysarthria on VFT performance and evaluate the validity and reliability of alternative methods for analyzing VFT data. METHOD Trained raters evaluated dysarthria using VFT recordings in people with ataxia (N = 61) or Parkinson's disease (PD; N = 69). Total Correct Items scores and qualitative parameters (intrusions, ambiguous verbalizations, perseverations, and interjections) were compared across semantic, phonemic, and alternating fluency tasks. Disease severity was considered as a covariate in the regression model. RESULTS VFT dysarthria ratings correlated with the benchmark (ground truth) dysarthria scores derived from a monologue. Ambiguous responses resulting from unclear speech impeded the rater's ability to determine if a response was correct. Regression analysis indicated that more severe dysarthria ratings predicted diminished scores in all three tasks (semantic fluency, phonemic fluency and alternating fluency) in the ataxia group. The contribution of disease severity to semantic, phonemic and alternating fluency was reduced substantially in the ataxia group after accounting for dysarthria severity in the model in both groups. CONCLUSIONS Dysarthria severity can be estimated based on speech samples derived from VFT. Dysarthria can lead to lower total correct items and is associated with more ambiguous verbalizations in VFT. Dysarthria severity should be considered when interpreting VFT performance in common movement disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Li
- Centre for Neuroscience of Speech, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Redenlab, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jihyun Yang
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Queensland, Herston QLD, Australia
| | - Kristine Evans
- Centre for Neuroscience of Speech, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Nadeeka N Dissanayaka
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Queensland, Herston QLD, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Herston QLD, Australia
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Adam P Vogel
- Centre for Neuroscience of Speech, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Redenlab, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Germany & Center for Neurology, University Hospital Tübingen, Germany
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Alexopoulos P, Skondra M, Charalampopoulou M, Georgiou EEZ, Demertzis AA, Aligianni SΙ, Gourzis P, Politis A, Εconomou P, Daoussis D. Low cognitive functioning and depressive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis: a clinical study. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:513. [PMID: 37464342 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-04995-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recently, cognitive deficits occurring in rheumatic diseases have attracted scientific attention. Cognitive symptoms in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) have not been thoroughly studied. This study aimed to assess cognitive function and its relationship with depressive symptoms in RA and SSc and compare it to mild neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease (MiND) and to individuals without cognitive impairment. METHODS Cognitive function and depressive symptoms were tapped with the Cognitive Telephone Screening Instrument plus (COGTEL+), the Serial Seven Test (SST), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Geriatric Depression scale-15 (GDS), respectively. Statistical analyses included between groups-, correlation- and regression analyses. Demographic characteristics were considered in the regression models. RESULTS The study included 30 individuals with RA, 24 with SSc, 26 adults without cognitive impairment and 33 individuals with MiND. Lower performance in verbal short-term memory, concentration/attention, verbal fluency and MMSE in patients with RA compared to individuals without cognitive impairment was detected. Of note, performance on verbal fluency, concentration/attention, inductive reasoning and MMSE was lower in RA compared to MiND. Individuals with SSc performed worse in verbal fluency and in MMSE in comparison to adults without cognitive deficits. Verbal fluency deficits in SSc exceeded that in MiND. Performance on MMSE, COGTEL+, prospective memory, working memory, verbal fluency and concentration/attention was related to GDS scores, which did not vary across the groups. CONCLUSIONS Patients with RA and SSc encountered cognitive dysfunction, which partially pertains to depressive symptoms. Of note, the severity of cognitive dysfunction in many cases exceeded that of MiND.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Alexopoulos
- Mental Health Services, Department of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Patras University Hospital, University of Patras, Rion 26504, Patras, Greece.
- Global Brain Health Institute, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Faculty of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
| | - Maria Skondra
- Mental Health Services, Department of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Patras University Hospital, University of Patras, Rion 26504, Patras, Greece
| | - Marina Charalampopoulou
- Mental Health Services, Department of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Patras University Hospital, University of Patras, Rion 26504, Patras, Greece
| | - Eliza Eleni-Zacharoula Georgiou
- Mental Health Services, Department of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Patras University Hospital, University of Patras, Rion 26504, Patras, Greece
| | - Antonios Alexandros Demertzis
- Mental Health Services, Department of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Patras University Hospital, University of Patras, Rion 26504, Patras, Greece
| | - Suzana Ιoanna Aligianni
- Mental Health Services, Department of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Patras University Hospital, University of Patras, Rion 26504, Patras, Greece
| | - Philippos Gourzis
- Mental Health Services, Department of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Patras University Hospital, University of Patras, Rion 26504, Patras, Greece
| | - Antonios Politis
- First Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, USA
| | - Polychronis Εconomou
- Department of Civil Engineering (Statistics), School of Engineering, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Daoussis
- Department of Rheumatology, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece
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Seixas BV, Macinko J. Distinct domains of childhood disadvantage and cognitive performance among older Brazilians: Evidence from ELSI-Brazil. SSM Popul Health 2023; 22:101416. [PMID: 37215155 PMCID: PMC10193012 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To investigate the relationship between of distinct domains of childhood disadvantage and cognitive performance among older adults within the context of a middle-income country. Methods This study used baseline data (2015/2016) from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI), a nationally representative cohort of 9412 adults aged 50 and over. Nine childhood exposure variables were grouped into three domains (family SES, childhood health, and cultural capital), for which scores were created. Survey-weighted Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions estimated the association childhood disadvantage with cognitive performance as measured by immediate memory, late memory and semantic verbal fluency. Mediation analysis assessed whether adulthood socioeconomic status (SES) mediated this relationship of interest. Results Important disparities in cognitive performance were observed, particularly in terms of age, education, income, occupational status. Before controlling for adulthood SES in the multivariable analysis, all domains of childhood disadvantage were found to be associated with lower cognitive performance across all three measures. After inclusion of adulthood SES variables, the observed associations only remained for semantic verbal fluency. Formal mediation analysis indicated that adulthood SES mediates 47.9% (95% CI: 34.3%-78.6%) of the association between later-life verbal fluency and poor childhood health, and 49.9% (95% CI: 43.6%-57.8%) of the association between later-life verbal fluency and low childhood cultural capital. Conclusions We found that childhood disadvantage is associated with low performance in memory tests and semantic verbal fluency tests among older Brazilians. Adulthood SES fully mediated the association between all domains of childhood disadvantage and memory performance and only partially mediated its association with verbal fluency. Our findings support policy efforts to enhance early childhood development and improve adulthood SES, and guide additional research to better the mechanisms driving these relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brayan V. Seixas
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 650 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - James Macinko
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 650 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 650 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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Hrivikova K, Marko M, Karailievova L, Romanova Z, Oravcova H, Riecansky I, Jezova D. Neuroendocrine response to a psychosocial stress test is not related to schizotypy but cortisol elevation predicts inflexibility of semantic memory retrieval. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 154:106287. [PMID: 37182519 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
An altered stress response can contribute to the transition from preclinical psychotic symptoms to the clinical manifestation of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. The present study was aimed at testing the hypotheses that (i) the autonomic and neuroendocrine responses under psychosocial stress are dysregulated in individuals with high psychosis proneness (schizotypy); (ii) the magnitude of post-stress autonomic activation and cortisol release predicts alterations in semantic memory retrieval. The study was performed in 73 healthy individuals of both sexes with either high or low schizotypal traits preselected out of 609 individuals using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. A psychosocial stress procedure based on public speech was used as a stress model. We found that individuals with high schizotypy engaged in less adaptive emotional stress-coping strategies than low schizotypy individuals. Yet, the neuroendocrine, immune, and sympathetic activation in response to the stress test was not different between the groups. Irrespective of the exposure to the stressor, individuals with high schizotypy were less fluent when retrieving associations from semantic memory. In addition, we demonstrated that acute psychosocial stress reduced the flexibility of semantic memory retrieval. The post-stress mental inflexibility was reliably predicted by the concomitant elevation of cortisol concentrations in saliva. The present study thus brings novel evidence indicating that the acute psychosocial challenge impairs retrieval flexibility in the semantic domain, which may be due to neuroendocrine activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Hrivikova
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - M Marko
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Applied Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - L Karailievova
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Z Romanova
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - H Oravcova
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Pharmacology and toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - I Riecansky
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - D Jezova
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Sperber C, Gallucci L, Smaczny S, Umarova R. Bayesian lesion-deficit inference with Bayes factor mapping: Key advantages, limitations, and a toolbox. Neuroimage 2023; 271:120008. [PMID: 36914109 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Statistical lesion-symptom mapping is largely dominated by frequentist approaches with null hypothesis significance testing. They are popular for mapping functional brain anatomy but are accompanied by some challenges and limitations. The typical analysis design and the structure of clinical lesion data are linked to the multiple comparison problem, an association problem, limitations to statistical power, and a lack of insights into evidence for the null hypothesis. Bayesian lesion deficit inference (BLDI) could be an improvement as it collects evidence for the null hypothesis, i.e. the absence of effects, and does not accumulate α-errors with repeated testing. We implemented BLDI by Bayes factor mapping with Bayesian t-tests and general linear models and evaluated its performance in comparison to frequentist lesion-symptom mapping with a permutation-based family-wise error correction. We mapped the voxel-wise neural correlates of simulated deficits in an in-silico-study with 300 stroke patients, and the voxel-wise and disconnection-wise neural correlates of phonemic verbal fluency and constructive ability in 137 stroke patients. Both the performance of frequentist and Bayesian lesion-deficit inference varied largely across analyses. In general, BLDI could find areas with evidence for the null hypothesis and was statistically more liberal in providing evidence for the alternative hypothesis, i.e. the identification of lesion-deficit associations. BLDI performed better in situations in which the frequentist method is typically strongly limited, for example with on average small lesions and in situations with low power, where BLDI also provided unprecedented transparency in terms of the informative value of the data. On the other hand, BLDI suffered more from the association problem, which led to a pronounced overshoot of lesion-deficit associations in analyses with high statistical power. We further implemented a new approach to lesion size control, adaptive lesion size control, that, in many situations, was able to counter the limitations imposed by the association problem, and increased true evidence both for the null and the alternative hypothesis. In summary, our results suggest that BLDI is a valuable addition to the method portfolio of lesion-deficit inference with some specific and exclusive advantages: it deals better with smaller lesions and low statistical power (i.e. small samples and effect sizes) and identifies regions with absent lesion-deficit associations. However, it is not superior to established frequentist approaches in all respects and therefore not to be seen as a general replacement. To make Bayesian lesion-deficit inference widely accessible, we published an R toolkit for the analysis of voxel-wise and disconnection-wise data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Sperber
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Laura Gallucci
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Smaczny
- Centre of Neurology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Roza Umarova
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Perepezko KM, Gallo JJ, Pontone GM, Hinkle JT, Mills KA. Association of caregiver strain with the trajectory of quality of life in Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2023; 108:105292. [PMID: 36702071 PMCID: PMC9992162 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2023.105292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
We aimed to identify caregiver characteristics associated with the trajectory of quality of life (QoL) in Parkinson's disease (PD). We fit a growth mixture model to longitudinal data from the Parkinson Foundation Parkinson's Outcomes Project (POP) to identify the heterogeneity of QOL trajectories in PD. We then used multinomial logistic regression to model baseline factors that predicted class membership. Baseline growth models were fit to QOL scores measured over 4 disease duration time points. A random intercept and slope model was determined to best fit the data. Next, growth mixture models (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5-class) were fit with covariates (Hoehn & Yahr, sex, and depression) and a three-class model was found to provide the best fit. Class 1 (problematic class (10.0%)) represented individuals with poor QOL at baseline and minor improvement over time. Class 2 (moderate class (32.6%)) represented individuals with moderate QOL at baseline with slight worsening over time. Class 3 (favorable class (56.9%)) represented individuals with good QOL at baseline and slight worsening over time. Multinomial regression revealed that lower caregiver strain, better mobility, and better verbal fluency at baseline predicted membership in the favorable compared to the moderate class. Worse mobility and younger age predicted membership in the problematic compared to the moderate class. While previous studies have reported on the association between mobility and cognition, the novel finding of an association between caregiver strain and PD QOL trajectory suggests caregiver strain is important to measure and address in future research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M Perepezko
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.
| | - Joseph J Gallo
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Gregory M Pontone
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jared T Hinkle
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kelly A Mills
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Parkinson's and Movement Disorder Center of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
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22
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Hell F, Eißner A, Mehrkens JH, Bötzel K. Subthalamic oscillatory activity during normal and impaired speech. Clin Neurophysiol 2023; 149:42-50. [PMID: 36893498 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2023.02.166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We studied the relationship between oscillatory activity in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and speech production in order to better understand the functional role of the STN. METHODS We simultaneously recorded subthalamic local field potentials and audio recordings from 5 patients with Parkinson's disease while they performed verbal fluency tasks. We then analyzed the oscillatory signals present in the subthalamic nucleus during these tasks. RESULTS We report that normal speech leads to a suppression of subthalamic alpha and beta power. Contrarily, a patient with motor blocks during speech initiation showed a low beta power increase. We also report an increase in error rates in the phonemic non-alternating verbal fluency task during deep brain stimulation (DBS). CONCLUSIONS We confirm previous findings that intact speech leads to desynchronization in the beta range in the STN. The speech related narrowband beta power increase in a patient with speech problems suggests that exaggerated synchronization in this frequency band is associated with motor blocks during speech initiation. The increased number of errors in verbal fluency tasks during DBS might be caused by an impairment of the response inhibition network caused by stimulation of the STN. SIGNIFICANCE We suggest that the inability to attenuate beta activity during motor processes is associated with motor freezing across motor behaviours such as speech and gait, as previously shown for freezing of gait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franz Hell
- Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany; Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Grosshadernerstr. 2, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Annika Eißner
- Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Jan H Mehrkens
- Department of Neurosurgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Kai Bötzel
- Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany; Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Grosshadernerstr. 2, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
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23
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Aiello EN, Verde F, Solca F, Milone I, Giacopuzzi Grigoli E, Dubini A, Ratti A, Ferrucci R, Torresani E, Priori A, Ticozzi N, Silani V, Poletti B. Lower semantic fluency scores and a phonemic-over-semantic advantage predict abnormal CSF P-tau 181 levels in Aβ + patients within the Alzheimer's disease clinical spectrum. Neurol Sci 2023; 44:1979-1985. [PMID: 36705785 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-023-06643-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study aimed to determine whether patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD), semantic verbal fluency (SVF), and the semantic-phonemic discrepancy (SPD) could predict abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) phosphorylated tau (P-tau181) and total tau (T-tau) levels. METHODS Phonemic verbal fluency (PVF) and SVF scores of N = 116 Aβ-positive patients with either MCI due to AD (N = 39) or probable AD dementia (ADD; N = 77) were retrospectively collected. The SPD was computed by subtracting PVF scores from SVF ones (positive and negative values corresponding to a semantic and phonemic advantage, respectively). Patients were cognitively phenotyped via a thorough test battery and profiled according to the amyloidosis/tauopathy/neurodegeneration (ATN) framework via CSF analyses. Two separate sets of logistic regressions were run to predict normal vs. abnormal P-tau181 and T-tau levels by encompassing as predictors SVF + PVF and SPD and covarying for demographic, disease-related features, and cognitive profile. RESULTS Lower SVF, but not PVF, scores, as well as a greater phonemic advantage (i.e., negative SPD values), predicted abnormal CSF P-tau181 levels (p ≤ .01). Moreover, lower SVF scores were selectively predictive of abnormal CSF T-tau levels too (p = .016), while the SPD was not. DISCUSSION SVF and the SPD are able to predict tauopathy across the AD spectrum, thus supporting their status of valid, and sufficiently specific, cognitive markers of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piazzale Brescia 20, 20149, Milan, Italy.,PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Federico Verde
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piazzale Brescia 20, 20149, Milan, Italy.,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Solca
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piazzale Brescia 20, 20149, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Milone
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piazzale Brescia 20, 20149, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Antonella Dubini
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonia Ratti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piazzale Brescia 20, 20149, Milan, Italy.,Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Ferrucci
- Aldo Ravelli Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Department of Health Sciences, International Medical School, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,ASST Santi Paolo E Carlo, San Paolo University Hospital, Milan, Italy.,IRCCS Ca' Granda Foundation Maggiore Policlinico Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Erminio Torresani
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Priori
- Aldo Ravelli Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Department of Health Sciences, International Medical School, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,ASST Santi Paolo E Carlo, San Paolo University Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piazzale Brescia 20, 20149, Milan, Italy.,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piazzale Brescia 20, 20149, Milan, Italy.,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Poletti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piazzale Brescia 20, 20149, Milan, Italy.
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24
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Lam BPW, Yoon J. Dual-Language Testing of Emotional Verbal Fluency: A Closer Look at "Joy," "Sadness," "Fear," "Anger," and "Disgust". Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2023; 38:91-105. [PMID: 35909221 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acac054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Assessing neuropsychological functions of dual-language speakers with semantic verbal fluency should consider the impact of language proficiency. Much evidence for the proficiency effect is found in tasks targeting neutral words. The proficiency effect on emotional verbal fluency (Emo-VF) that targets emotional word retrieval, however, is far from conclusive. This study aimed to clarify the proficiency effect on Emo-VF, specifically the extent to which language proficiency impacted positive and negative word retrieval comparably. In addition, the study examined the extent to which dual-languages speakers produced duplicated items and unique, non-duplicated items in each of two languages tested. METHOD Thirty-two adult participants completed Emo-VF tasks that targeted a comprehensive set of basic emotions ("joy," "sadness," "fear," "anger," "disgust") in English and Spanish in two sessions separated by at least 72 h. All participants exhibited greater proficiency in English than in Spanish according to subjective and objective measures of language proficiency. RESULTS Verbal productivity was comparably lowered for all emotions in the less proficient language. Differences among categories were consistent between languages, with "joy" eliciting more words than other emotions, and "fear" yielding the highest productivity among negative emotions. Finally, dual-language speakers produced a significant number of unique items in different languages, especially for "fear." CONCLUSION Language proficiency exerts a general effect on positive and negative word retrieval. The study extends previous work by revealing differences between "fear" and other negative categories in addition to replicating positivity biases in unbalanced dual-language speakers. Dual-language testing is valuable in capturing the richness of emotional word repertoire associated with different languages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boji P W Lam
- Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX USA
| | - Jiyoung Yoon
- Department of Spanish, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
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25
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Balogh R, Imre N, Gosztolya G, Hoffmann L, Pákáski M, Kálmán J. The Role of Silence in Verbal Fluency Tasks - A New Approach for the Detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2023; 29:46-58. [PMID: 35067261 DOI: 10.1017/S1355617721001454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Most recordings of verbal fluency tasks include substantial amounts of task-irrelevant content that could provide clinically valuable information for the detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We developed a method for the analysis of verbal fluency, focusing not on the task-relevant words but on the silent segments, the hesitations, and the irrelevant utterances found in the voice recordings. METHODS Phonemic ('k', 't', 'a') and semantic (animals, food items, actions) verbal fluency data were collected from healthy control (HC; n = 25; Mage = 67.32) and MCI (n = 25; Mage = 71.72) participants. After manual annotation of the voice samples, 10 temporal parameters were computed based on the silent and the task-irrelevant segments. Traditional fluency measures, based on word count (correct words, errors, repetitions) were also employed in order to compare the outcome of the two methods. RESULTS Two silence-based parameters (the number of silent pauses and the average length of silent pauses) and the average word transition time differed significantly between the two groups in the case of all three semantic fluency tasks. Subsequent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that these three temporal parameters had classification abilities similar to the traditional measure of counting correct words. CONCLUSION In our approach for verbal fluency analysis, silence-related parameters displayed classification ability similar to the most widely used traditional fluency measure. Based on these results, an automated tool using voiced-unvoiced segmentation may be developed enabling swift and cost-effective verbal fluency-based MCI screening.
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26
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Quartarone C, Navarrete E, Budisavljević S, Peressotti F. Exploring the ventral white matter language network in bimodal and unimodal bilinguals. Brain Lang 2022; 235:105187. [PMID: 36244164 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2022.105187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We used diffusion magnetic resonance imaging tractography to investigate the effect of language modality on the anatomy of the ventral white matter language network by comparing unimodal (Italian/English) and bimodal bilinguals (Italian/Italian Sign Language). We extracted the diffusion tractography measures of the Inferior Longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), Uncinate fasciculus (UF) and Inferior Fronto-Occipital fasciculus (IFOF) and we correlated them with the degree of bilingualism and the individual performance in fluency tasks. For both groups of bilinguals, the microstructural properties of the right ILF were correlated with individual level of proficiency in L2, confirming the involvement of this tract in bilingualism. In addition, we found that the degree of left lateralization of the ILF predicted the performance in semantic fluency in L1. The microstructural properties of the right UF correlated with performance in phonological fluency in L1, only for bimodal bilinguals. Overall, the pattern shows both similarities and differences between the two groups of bilinguals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Quartarone
- Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione - University of Padua, Via Venezia, 8, 35137 Padova, Italy
| | - Eduardo Navarrete
- Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione - University of Padua, Via Venezia, 8, 35137 Padova, Italy
| | - Sanja Budisavljević
- School of Medicine, St. Andrews University, College Gate, St Andrews KY16, 9AJ, UK
| | - Francesca Peressotti
- Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione - University of Padua, Via Venezia, 8, 35137 Padova, Italy.
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27
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Soltani A, Schworer EK, Esbensen AJ. Executive functioning and verbal fluency performance in youth with Down syndrome. Res Dev Disabil 2022; 131:104358. [PMID: 36209524 PMCID: PMC9701181 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Executive functioning (EF) is an area of challenge for individuals with Down syndrome (DS) associated with a variety of downstream difficulties. Verbal fluency performance is one potential downstream effect that is commonly assessed in individuals with DS due to the measure's utility as a predictor of dementia. Verbal fluency requires individuals to inhibit irrelevant responses, shift between groupings of related words, and monitor to prevent repetition, all skills related to EF. AIMS This study aimed to determine the association between semantic verbal fluency performance and three EF subdomains (inhibition, shifting, and working memory) in youth with DS after taking into account vocabulary and cognitive ability. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Neuropsychological assessments (verbal and visuospatial), and parent reports of EF, were completed at one time point by 69 youth with DS 6-17 years old and their caregivers. Expressive and receptive vocabulary skills and cognitive ability were also assessed. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS The results revealed that verbal fluency performance was significantly associated with neuropsychological assessments of EF and parent report of inhibition even after controlling for the effects of vocabulary and cognitive ability. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The findings highlight the underlying importance of EF in verbal fluency tasks in youth with DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanallah Soltani
- Department of Educational Psychology, Kerman Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran
| | - Emily K Schworer
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Anna J Esbensen
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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28
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Wu H, Li T, Peng C, Yang C, Bian Y, Li X, Xiao Q, Wang P, Zhang Z, Zhang Y. The right prefrontal cortex (PFC) can distinguish anxious depression from non-anxious depression: A promising functional near infrared spectroscopy study (fNIRS). J Affect Disord 2022; 317:319-328. [PMID: 36007594 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anxious depression is a serious mental disorder characterized by comorbidity of anxiety and depression, and its symptoms are similar to those of non-anxious depression. This study aimed to use functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) as a tool to distinguish between patients with anxious and non-anxious depression based on differences in hemodynamic changes in the right prefrontal cortex during the verbal fluency task. It is helpful to improve the diagnostic accuracy of the two disorders to further promote their therapeutic effect and prognosis. METHODS A total of 105 subjects, comprising 39 patients with anxious depression, 32 patients with non-anxious depression, and 32 healthy controls, were evaluated using 53-channel fNIRS and the Depression and Anxiety Clinical Scale. RESULTS Hemodynamic activation was significantly enhanced in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and right frontopole cortex (FPC) in the anxious depressed group compared with the non-anxious depressed and healthy groups. LIMITATIONS First, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to evaluate the scores of anxiety and depression among the three groups in our study. Different scales may result in different research results. Therefore, other scales (HAM, the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale, or the Beck Depression Inventory) should be used for further verification. Second, although all the samples we have chosen were patients with the diagnosis of anxious depression or no-anxious depression, we did not distinguish between different severity of anxious depression or no-anxious depression. Third, pure anxiety was not included as the control condition in our study. CONCLUSIONS There are significant differences in activation patterns of the right DLPFC and right FPC areas between patients with and without anxious depression. Moreover, the right FPC area is promising as a brain region to assess the severity of anxious depression. fNIRS may be a potential tool to improve diagnostic accuracy for both disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huifen Wu
- School of Education, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; School of Education, Hubei Engineering University, Xiaogan, China
| | - Taiping Li
- School of Education, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Cong Peng
- School of Education, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Caihong Yang
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yueran Bian
- School of Education, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoqin Li
- School of Education, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiang Xiao
- Department of Psychiatry, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Hospital, Wuhan, China
| | - Pu Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine in The Seventh Affiliated Hospital (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Yan Zhang
- School of Education, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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Abstract
Poor performance on verbal fluency tasks is associated with an increased risk of post-stroke cognitive impairment. Grey matter regions supporting verbal fluency have been identified via lesion–symptom mapping, but the links between verbal fluency and white matter structure remain less well described. We examined white matter correlates of semantic (Category Fluency Animals) and phonemic or lexical fluency (COWAT FAS) after stroke, accounting for stroke severity measured with the National Institutes of health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), age, sex, and level of education. White matter fibre density and cross-section measures were automatically extracted from 72 tracts, using MRtrix and TractSeg software in 72 ischaemic stroke survivors assessed 3 months after their event. We conducted regression analyses separately for phonemic and semantic fluency for each tract. Worse semantic fluency was associated with lower fibre density in several tracts, including the arcuate fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior occipito-frontal fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, optic radiation, striato-occipital, thalamo-occipital tracts, and inferior cerebellar peduncle. Our stroke sample was heterogenous with largely non-overlapping and predominantly right-lateralised lesions (lesion distribution: left N = 27, right N = 43, bilateral N = 2), dissimilar to previous studies of verbal fluency. Yet, the tracts we identified as correlates of semantic fluency were all left-lateralised. No associations between phonemic fluency performance and fibre density metrics in any of the white matter tracts we extracted survived correction for multiple comparisons, possibly due to the limitations in the selection of tracts and sample characteristics. We conclude that when accounting for the effects of stroke severity, sex, age, and education, semantic fluency is associated with white matter microstructure in the left arcuate fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and several occipital tracts, possibly reflecting the disconnection in the sagittal stratum. Our results obtained with fixel-based analysis, complement previous findings obtained with lesions–symptom mapping and neurodegenerative approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Egorova-Brumley
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. .,The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Chen Liang
- Department of Speech Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Mohamed Salah Khlif
- Cognitive Health Initiative, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Amy Brodtmann
- Cognitive Health Initiative, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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Alıcı YH, Öztoprak H, Rızaner N, Baskak B, Devrimci Özgüven H. Deep neural network to differentiate brain activity between patients with euthymic bipolar disorders and healthy controls during verbal fluency performance: A multichannel near-infrared spectroscopy study. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2022; 326:111537. [PMID: 36088826 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2022.111537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to differentiate between euthymic bipolar disorder (BD) patients and healthy controls (HC) based on frontal activity measured by fNIRS that were converted to spectrograms with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). And also, we investigated brain regions that cause this distinction. In total, 29 BD patients and 28 HCs were recruited. Their brain cortical activities were measured using fNIRS while performing letter versions of VFT. Each one of the 24 fNIRS channels was converted to a 2D spectrogram on which a CNN architecture was designed and utilized for classification. We found that our CNN algorithm using fNIRS activity during a VFT is able to differentiate subjects with BD from healthy controls with 90% accuracy, 80% sensitivity, and 100% specificity. Moreover, validation performance reached an AUC of 94%. From our individual channel analyses, we observed channels corresponding to the left inferior frontal gyrus (left-IFC), medial frontal cortex (MFC), right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), Broca area, and right premotor have considerable activity variation to distinguish patients from HC. fNIRS activity during VFT can be used as a potential marker to classify euthymic BD patients from HCs. Activity particularly in the MFC, left-IFC, Broca's area, and DLPFC have a considerable variation to distinguish patients from healthy controls.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hüseyin Öztoprak
- Cyprus InternationalUniversity, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Haspolat, Mersin 10, North Cyprus, Turkey
| | - Nahit Rızaner
- Cyprus International University, Biotechnology Research Centre, Haspolat, Mersin 10, North Cyprus, Turkey
| | - Bora Baskak
- Ankara University, Department of Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, Health Science Institute, Ankara, Turkey; Ankara University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Ankara, Turkey
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31
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Socher M, Löfkvist U, Wass M. Comparing the semantic networks of children with cochlear implants and children with typical hearing: Effects of length of language access. J Commun Disord 2022; 99:106247. [PMID: 35843069 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2022.106247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Kenett et al. (2013) report that the sematic networks, measured by using an oral semantic fluency task, of children with cochlear implants (CI) are less structured compared to the sematic networks of children with typical hearing (TH). This study aims to evaluate if such differences are only evident if children with CI are compared to children with TH matched on chronological age, or also if they are compared to children with TH matched on hearing age. METHOD The performance of a group of children with CI on a verbal fluency task was compared to the performance of a group of chronological-age matched children with TH. Subsequently, computational network analysis was used to compare the semantic network structure of the groups. The same procedure was applied to compare a group of children with CI to a group of hearing-age matched children with TH. RESULTS The children with CI perform on the same level on an oral semantic verbal fluency task as the children with TH matched on hearing age. There are significant differences in terms of the structure of the semantic network between the groups. The magnitude of these differences is very small and they are non-significant for a proportion of nodes included in the bootstrap analysis. This indicates that there is no true difference between the networks. Hearing age, but not age at implantation was found to be significantly positively correlated with semantic verbal fluency performance for the children with CI. CONCLUSIONS The results from the current study indicate that length of exposure to the tested language is an important factor for the structure of the semantic network and the performance on a semantic verbal fluency task for children with CI. Further studies are needed to explore the role of the accessibility of the language input for the development of semantic networks of children with CI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Socher
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Linnaeus Centre HEAD, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP, Institute Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Ulrika Löfkvist
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Malin Wass
- Department of Health, Learning and Technology, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
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Honjo Y, Ide K, Takechi H. Day service use and improved Serial 7 and Verbal fluency scores in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Psychogeriatrics 2022; 22:659-665. [PMID: 35712884 DOI: 10.1111/psyg.12868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Day services (DS) are provided as part of the Japanese public nursing care system. Recent studies have suggested a possible relationship between DS use and limited progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study examined in detail the relationship between improvements in cognitive function and DS use in people with AD. METHODS We retrospectively analysed Revised Hasegawa Dementia Scale (HDS-R) scores of 208 patients with AD at five memory clinics over a 6-month period. The patients were divided into a group that started using DS (n = 132) and a group that did not (n = 76) during the study period. We then compared each participant's total and item scores on the HDS-R between the first clinic visit and 6 months later also compared scores between DS users and non-users. RESULTS DS non-users were younger, predominantly male, had longer school education, and better total HDS-R score at the first visit. After 6 months, DS users showed significantly improved total HDS-R score and individual Serial 7 and Verbal fluency scores. Immediate memory scores were comparable between the first visit and after 6 months. Among the DS users, more frequent participation in DS was significantly associated with improved total HDS-R score. CONCLUSIONS DS use was significantly associated with improved HDS-R scores, especially for the Serial 7 and Verbal fluency tasks, and there was no deterioration in Immediate memory score. These results suggest the usefulness of DS participation as a non-pharmacological therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuyuki Honjo
- Memory Clinic, Kyoto Miniren Asukai Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.,Memory Clinic, Kyoto-Kaisei Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.,Memory Clinic, Seika-Town National Health Insurance Hospital, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kazuki Ide
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hajime Takechi
- Department of Geriatrics and Cognitive Disorders, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan
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Fernandes AC, Viegas ÂA, Lacerda ACR, Nobre JNP, Morais RLDS, Figueiredo PHS, Costa HS, Camargos ACR, Ferreira FDO, de Freitas PM, Santos T, da Silva Júnior FA, Bernardo-Filho M, Taiar R, Sartorio A, Mendonça VA. Association between executive functions and gross motor skills in overweight/obese and eutrophic preschoolers: cross-sectional study. BMC Pediatr 2022; 22:498. [PMID: 35999515 PMCID: PMC9400322 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-022-03553-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Preschool age (3–5 years old) is a crucial period for children to acquire gross motor skills and develop executive functions (EFs). However, the association between the qualitative gross motor skills and EFs remains unknown in preschoolers, especially among overweight and obese children. Methods This was a cross-sectional, exploratory, and quantitative study carried out on 49 preschool children, divided into two subgroups according to their body mass index (overweight/obese: 24; eutrophic [normal weight]: 25). The mean age was 4.59 years. More than half of the sample were boys (55%) and most of the mothers had completed high school (67%) and were class C socioeconomic level (63%). Gross motor skills were assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2, while EFs were evaluated using Semantic verbal fluency (SVF), Tower of Hanoi (TH), Day/Night Stroop, and Delayed Gratification tests. Multiple linear regression models adjusted for sex, age, maternal education, socioeconomic status, quality of the home environment, and quality of the school environment using the stepwise method were executed, considering the cognitive tasks as independent variables and gross motor skills as dependent variable. Results The overweight/obese preschoolers showed worse locomotor skills than their eutrophic peers and below average gross motor quotient (GMQ). Overweight/obese girls performed worse in OC skills than boys with excess weight. SVF (number of errors) and TH (rule breaks) explained 57.8% of the variance in object control (OC) skills and 40.5% of the variance in GMQ (p < .05) in the overweight/obese children. Surprisingly, there was no significant association between any of the EF tasks and gross motor skills in the eutrophic children. Conclusion A relationship between EF tasks (number of errors in SVF and rule breaks in TH) and gross motor skills (OC and GMQ) was demonstrated in the overweight/obese preschoolers, indicating that worse cognitive flexibility, working memory, planning, and problem solving are associated with worse gross motor skills in this population when compared to eutrophic children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Cristina Fernandes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional (PPGReab), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Campus JK - Rodovia MGT - 367 - Km 583, N°. 5000 - Alto da Jacuba / ZIP, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100-000, Brazil
| | - Ângela Alves Viegas
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas (PPGMCF), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Rodrigues Lacerda
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional (PPGReab), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Campus JK - Rodovia MGT - 367 - Km 583, N°. 5000 - Alto da Jacuba / ZIP, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100-000, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas (PPGMCF), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Juliana Nogueira Pontes Nobre
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas (PPGMCF), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rosane Luzia De Souza Morais
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Saúde, Sociedade e Ambiente (PPGSaSA), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Pedro Henrique Scheidt Figueiredo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional (PPGReab), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Campus JK - Rodovia MGT - 367 - Km 583, N°. 5000 - Alto da Jacuba / ZIP, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100-000, Brazil.,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Henrique Silveira Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional (PPGReab), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Campus JK - Rodovia MGT - 367 - Km 583, N°. 5000 - Alto da Jacuba / ZIP, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100-000, Brazil.,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Resende Camargos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Reabilitação, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Patrícia Martins de Freitas
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia da Saúde (PPGPSI), Instituto Multidisciplinar em Saúde da Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Thiago Santos
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fidelis Antônio da Silva Júnior
- Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mário Bernardo-Filho
- Laboratório de Vibrações Mecânicas e Práticas Integrativas - LAVIMPI, Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes and Policlínica Piquet Carneiro, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Redha Taiar
- Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, MATIM, 51100, Reims, France
| | - Alessandro Sartorio
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Division of Auxology and Metabolic Diseases & Experimental Laboratory for Auxo-endocrinological Research, Piancavallo-Verbania, Italy
| | - Vanessa Amaral Mendonça
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional (PPGReab), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Campus JK - Rodovia MGT - 367 - Km 583, N°. 5000 - Alto da Jacuba / ZIP, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100-000, Brazil. .,Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas (PPGMCF), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil. .,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Zhu X, Wei Y, He Y, He R, Li J. Urine D-ribose levels correlate with cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults. BMC Geriatr 2022; 22:693. [PMID: 35996093 PMCID: PMC9396817 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-022-03288-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background D-ribose is involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease. The study aimed to determine the association between D-ribose and cognitive function in a sample of community-dwelling older adults. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Chaoyang District, Beijing in 2019–2020. Eligible participants were community-based older adults aged 60 years and above. D-ribose was analyzed from the morning urine. Cognitive function, subjective cognitive decline, and depressive symptoms were measured by a battery of neuropsychological tests. Linear regressions were performed to determine the relationship between the urine D-ribose levels and cognitive performance. Results A sample of 1725 participants (67.1% female) aged 60 to 85 years (69.40 ± 5.87 years, mean ± SD) was enrolled in the analysis. The urine D-ribose concentrations ranged from 1.53 to 208.89 μmol/L (median 38.10 μmol/L; interquartile range 22.52—64.96 μmol/L). Higher levels of D-ribose were associated with worse performance on Mini-Mental State Examination and verbal fluency when age, gender, education, depressive symptoms, and cardiovascular risk factors were included as covariates. Conclusions The urine D-ribose was negatively correlated with cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults. The findings suggest that the dysmetabolism of D-ribose may play a role at the early stage of cognitive impairment. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-022-03288-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Zhu
- Center On Aging Psychology, Institute of Psychology, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, 100101, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Yingge He
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Rongqiao He
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, 100101, Beijing, China.
| | - Juan Li
- Center On Aging Psychology, Institute of Psychology, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, 100101, Beijing, China. .,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Utz KS, Kohl Z, Marterstock DC, Doerfler A, Winkler J, Schmidt M, Regensburger M. Neuropsychology and MRI correlates of neurodegeneration in SPG11 hereditary spastic paraplegia. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2022; 17:301. [PMID: 35906604 PMCID: PMC9336101 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-022-02451-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background SPG11-linked hereditary spastic paraplegia is characterized by multisystem neurodegeneration leading to a complex clinical and yet incurable phenotype of progressive spasticity and weakness. Severe cognitive symptoms are present in the majority of SPG11 patients, but a systematic and multidimensional analysis of the neuropsychological phenotype in a larger cohort is lacking. While thinning of the corpus callosum is a well-known structural hallmark observed in SPG11 patients, the neuroanatomical pattern of cortical degeneration is less understood. We here aimed to integrate neuropsychological and brain morphometric measures in SPG11. Methods We examined the neuropsychological profile in 16 SPG11 patients using a defined neuropsychological testing battery. Long-term follow up testing was performed in 7 patients. Cortical and subcortical degeneration was analyzed using an approved, artificial intelligence based magnetic resonance imaging brain morphometry, comparing patients to established reference values and to matched controls. Results In SPG11 patients, verbal fluency and memory as well as frontal-executive functions were severely impaired. Later disease stages were associated with a global pattern of impairments. Interestingly, reaction times correlated significantly with disease progression. Brain morphometry showed a significant reduction of cortical and subcortical parenchymal volume following a rostro-caudal gradient in SPG11. Whereas performance in memory tasks correlated with white matter damage, verbal fluency measures showed strong associations with frontal and parietal cortical volumes.
Conclusions The present data will help define neuropsychological and imaging read out parameters in early as well as in advanced clinical stages for future interventional trials in SPG11. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13023-022-02451-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin S Utz
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Zacharias Kohl
- Department of Molecular Neurology, FAU, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.,Center for Rare Diseases (ZSEER), University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Arnd Doerfler
- Department of Neuroradiology, FAU, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Winkler
- Department of Molecular Neurology, FAU, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.,Center for Rare Diseases (ZSEER), University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Martin Regensburger
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany. .,Department of Molecular Neurology, FAU, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany. .,Center for Rare Diseases (ZSEER), University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
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Hedges EP, Dickson H, Tognin S, Modinos G, Antoniades M, van der Gaag M, de Haan L, McGorry P, Pantelis C, Riecher-Rössler A, Bressan R, Barrantes-Vidal N, Krebs MO, Nordentoft M, Ruhrmann S, Sachs G, Rutten BP, van Os J, Valmaggia LR, McGuire P, Kempton MJ. Verbal memory performance predicts remission and functional outcome in people at clinical high-risk for psychosis. Schizophr Res Cogn 2022; 28:100222. [PMID: 35242602 PMCID: PMC8861401 DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2021.100222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Robust deficits in cognitive functioning are present in people with psychosis and are evident in the early stages of the disorder. Impairments in verbal memory and verbal fluency are reliably seen in individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR) compared to healthy populations. As previous studies have shown a relationship between cognition and longer-term outcomes in schizophrenia, the aim of this paper was to explore whether verbal memory and verbal fluency performance predicted outcomes in a large CHR sample recruited as part of the EU-GEI High Risk Study. Participants included 316 CHR individuals, 90.8% of whom were not currently on antipsychotic medication, and 60 healthy controls. Verbal memory and verbal fluency performance were measured at baseline. At two-year follow-up, CHR individuals were assessed by three different outcome measures, those who did and did not (1) transition to psychosis, (2) experience burdening impairment or disabilities, or (3) remit clinically from CHR status. Individuals with CHR displayed significant verbal memory and verbal fluency deficits at baseline compared to healthy controls (Hedges' g effect size = 0.24 to 0.66). There were no significant differences in cognitive performance of those who did and did not transition to psychosis. However, impaired immediate verbal recall predicted both functional disability and non-remission from the CHR state. Results remained significant when analyses were restricted to only include antipsychotic-free CHR participants. These findings may inform the development of early interventions designed to improve cognitive deficits in the early stages of psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily P. Hedges
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
- Corresponding author at: Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom.
| | - Hannah Dickson
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Stefania Tognin
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Gemma Modinos
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Mathilde Antoniades
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Mark van der Gaag
- VU University, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Department of Clinical Psychology and EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081, BT, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychosis Research, Zoutkeetsingel 40, 2512, HN, The Hague, the Netherlands
| | - Lieuwe de Haan
- Amsterdam UMC, Department Early Psychosis, Meibergdreef 5, 1105, AZ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Arkin Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Patrick McGorry
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, 35 Poplar Road (Locked Bag 10), Parkville, Victoria 485 3052, Australia
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Carlton South, Vic, Australia
| | | | - Rodrigo Bressan
- LiNC - Lab Interdisciplinar Neurociências Clínicas, Depto Psiquiatria, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo – UNIFESP, Brazil
| | - Neus Barrantes-Vidal
- Departament de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona), Fundació Sanitària Sant Pere Claver (Spain), Spanish Mental Health Research Network (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - Marie-Odile Krebs
- University of Paris, GHU Psychiatrie et Neurosciences of Paris, Sainte-Anne, C’JAAD, pôle PEPIT, Inserm 1266, Institut de Psychiatrie (CNRS 3557), Paris, France
| | - Merete Nordentoft
- Mental Health Center Copenhagen and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, CINS, Mental Health Center Glostrup, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stephan Ruhrmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gabriele Sachs
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Austria
| | - Bart P. Rutten
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD 464 Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Jim van Os
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD 464 Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Lucia R. Valmaggia
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Philip McGuire
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J. Kempton
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
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Zienius K, Ozawa M, Hamilton W, Hollingworth W, Weller D, Porteous L, Ben-Shlomo Y, Grant R, Brennan PM. Verbal fluency as a quick and simple tool to help in deciding when to refer patients with a possible brain tumour. BMC Neurol 2022; 22:127. [PMID: 35379182 PMCID: PMC8978365 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-022-02655-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Patients with brain tumours often present with non-specific symptoms. Correctly identifying who to prioritise for urgent brain imaging is challenging. Brain tumours are amongst the commonest cancers diagnosed as an emergency presentation. A verbal fluency task (VFT) is a rapid triage test affected by disorders of executive function, language and processing speed. We tested whether a VFT could support identification of patients with a brain tumour. Methods This proof-of-concept study examined whether a VFT can help differentiate patients with a brain tumour from those with similar symptoms (i.e. headache) without a brain tumour. Two patient populations were recruited, (a) patients with known brain tumour, and (b) patients with headache referred for Direct-Access Computed-Tomography (DACT) from primary care with a suspicion of a brain tumour. Semantic and phonemic verbal fluency data were collected prospectively. Results 180 brain tumour patients and 90 DACT patients were recruited. Semantic verbal fluency score was significantly worse for patients with a brain tumour than those without (P < 0.001), whether comparing patients with headache, or patients without headache. Phonemic fluency showed a similar but weaker difference. Raw and incidence-weighted positive and negative predictive values were calculated. Conclusion We have demonstrated the potential role of adding semantic VFT score performance into clinical decision making to support triage of patients for urgent brain imaging. A relatively small improvement in the true positive rate in patients referred for DACT has the potential to increase the timeliness and efficiency of diagnosis and improve patient outcomes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12883-022-02655-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolis Zienius
- Translational Neurosurgery, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mio Ozawa
- Medical School, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Willie Hamilton
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Will Hollingworth
- Medical School, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - David Weller
- Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lorna Porteous
- GP Lead for Cancer and Palliative Care, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Yoav Ben-Shlomo
- Medical School, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Robin Grant
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, NHS Lothian, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul M Brennan
- Translational Neurosurgery, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. .,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, NHS Lothian, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK. .,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16, UK.
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Bongaerts FLP, Schutter DJLG, Klaus J. Cerebellar tDCS does not modulate language processing performance in healthy individuals. Neuropsychologia 2022; 169:108206. [PMID: 35278462 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Clinical and neuroscientific studies in healthy volunteers have established that the cerebellum contributes to language comprehension and production. Yet most evidence is correlational and the exact role of the cerebellum remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the right cerebellum in unimpaired language comprehension and production using non-invasive brain stimulation. In this double-blind, sham-controlled experiment, thirty-six healthy participants received anodal or sham transcranial direct current (tDCS) stimulation to the right cerebellum while performing a lexical decision, sentence comprehension, verbal fluency and a non-language control task. Active tDCS did not modulate performance in any of the tasks. Additional exploratory analyses suggest difficulty-specific performance modulation in the sentence comprehension and lexical decision task, with tDCS improving performance in easy trials of the sentence comprehension task and difficult trials in the lexical decision task. Overall, our findings provide no evidence for the involvement of the right posterior cerebellum in language processing. Further research is needed to dissociate the influence of task difficulty of the underlying cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jana Klaus
- Utrecht University, Helmholtz Institute, the Netherlands.
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Domain L, Guillery M, Linz N, König A, Batail JM, David R, Corouge I, Bannier E, Ferré JC, Dondaine T, Drapier D, Robert GH. Multimodal MRI cerebral correlates of verbal fluency switching and its impairment in women with depression. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 33:102910. [PMID: 34942588 PMCID: PMC8713114 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The search of biomarkers in the field of depression requires easy implementable tests that are biologically rooted. Qualitative analysis of verbal fluency tests (VFT) are good candidates, but its cerebral correlates are unknown. METHODS We collected qualitative semantic and phonemic VFT scores along with grey and white matter anatomical MRI of depressed (n = 26) and healthy controls (HC, n = 25) women. Qualitative VFT variables are the "clustering score" (i.e. the ability to produce words within subcategories) and the "switching score" (i.e. the ability to switch between clusters). The clustering and switching scores were automatically calculated using a data-driven approach. Brain measures were cortical thickness (CT) and fractional anisotropy (FA). We tested for associations between CT, FA and qualitative VFT variables within each group. RESULTS Patients had reduced switching VFT scores compared to HC. Thicker cortex was associated with better switching score in semantic VFT bilaterally in the frontal (superior, rostral middle and inferior gyri), parietal (inferior parietal lobule including the supramarginal gyri), temporal (transverse and fusiform gyri) and occipital (lingual gyri) lobes in the depressed group. Positive association between FA and the switching score in semantic VFT was retrieved in depressed patients within the corpus callosum, right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, right superior longitudinal fasciculus extending to the anterior thalamic radiation (all p < 0.05, corrected). CONCLUSION Together, these results suggest that automatic qualitative VFT scores are associated with brain anatomy and reinforce its potential use as a surrogate for depression cerebral bases.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Domain
- Universitary Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Guillaume Régnier, Rennes, France
| | - M Guillery
- Universitary Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Guillaume Régnier, Rennes, France
| | - N Linz
- ki:elements, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - A König
- Stars Team, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA), Sophia Antipolis, France; CoBTeK (Cognition-Behaviour-Technology) Lab, FRIS-University Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - J M Batail
- Universitary Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Guillaume Régnier, Rennes, France
| | - R David
- Old-age Psychiatry DEPARTMENT, Geriatry Division, University of Nice, France
| | - I Corouge
- U1228 Empenn, UMR 6074, IRISA, University of Rennes 1, France
| | - E Bannier
- U1228 Empenn, UMR 6074, IRISA, University of Rennes 1, France
| | - J C Ferré
- U1228 Empenn, UMR 6074, IRISA, University of Rennes 1, France
| | - T Dondaine
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, LilNCog, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - D Drapier
- Universitary Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Guillaume Régnier, Rennes, France
| | - G H Robert
- Universitary Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Guillaume Régnier, Rennes, France; U1228 Empenn, UMR 6074, IRISA, University of Rennes 1, France
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Shirdel S, Esmaeeli S, Alavi K, Ghaemmaghami P, Shariat SV. Verbal Fluency Performance in Normal Adult Population in Iran: Norms and Effects of Age, Education, and Gender. Basic Clin Neurosci 2022; 13:129-138. [PMID: 36589021 PMCID: PMC9790095 DOI: 10.32598/bcn.2021.363.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Verbal fluency is a cognitive function that can be easily assessed at the bedside and provide valuable data for clinical assessment of various cognitive functions. We decided to provide a standardized test to assess verbal fluency in the Persian language, including both phonemic and semantic fluency subtests. Methods First, three phonemes (/p/, /d/, and /ʃ/) and three categories (animals, fruits, and kitchen appliances) were selected based on a pilot study and a panel of specialists. Then, we selected 500 Persian-speaking participants (47.8% male) aged 18 to 65 years via a convenient sampling method from the general population. Participants were grouped according to age, gender, and education. They performed the verbal fluency test. Results The Mean±SD number of generated words in letter fluency and semantic fluency was 8.3±4.1 and 18.0±5.5, respectively. Age, educational level, and mother tongue were associated with letter fluency. Semantic fluency was associated with age, gender, education level, and mother tongue. Conclusion For a more reliable clinical assessment, we suggest using all three letters (phonemes) and three semantic categories for each subject, calculating the mean of the produced words, and comparing them with the suggested cut-off points provided for each subcategory. Age was negatively correlated with the number of generated words in letter fluency (r=-0.33; P<0.001) and semantic fluency tasks (r=-0.26; P<0.001). In the letter fluency task, there was no statistically significant difference between males and females according to the number of generated words (P=0.057). However, in semantic fluency, female participants generated more words (P=0.005). Mother tongue (Farsi) showed a significant effect both on letter fluency (t=5.55, P<0.001) and semantic fluency (t=9.41, P<0.001). Level of education had a significant association with both letter fluency (F=117.23, P<0.001) and semantic fluency (F=64.48, P<0.001). Highlights The study subjects generated 8.3±4.1 words in one minute in the letter fluency test.Letter fluency was associated with educational level and mother tongue.The Mean±SD number of generated words in semantic fluency (18±5.5) was higher than letter fluency.Semantic fluency was associated with age, gender, education level, and mother tongue. Plain Language Summary Practitioners use neuropsychological tests to diagnose mental problems. Verbal fluency is a test in which participants have to generate as many words as possible from a specified category in a given time. This category can be phonemic (letter), which means words beginning with a specified letter or semantic, including objects such as animals or fruits. The number of words produced by participants is essential, and if it is fewer than normal, it shows psychological or neurological conditions such as Alzheimer disease. The norms are variable in different languages, cultures, and educational levels. We found that the Mean±SD numbers of generated words in letter fluency and semantic fluency were 8.3±4.1 and 18.0±5.5, respectively. These values can be used for neuropsychological testing in the Iranian population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeedeh Shirdel
- School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Setareh Esmaeeli
- School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kaveh Alavi
- Mental Health Research Center, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Seyed Vahid Shariat
- Mental Health Research Center, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Kheloui S, Brouillard A, Rossi M, Marin MF, Mendrek A, Paquette D, Juster RP. Exploring the sex and gender correlates of cognitive sex differences. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2021; 221:103452. [PMID: 34801881 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2021.103452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The correlates of cognitive sex differences are yet to be fully understood. Many biological and psychosocial factors modulate these cognitive abilities leading to mixed results in the scientific literature. The current study aims to explore the different parameters potentially influencing cognitive abilities acting in synergy. Sex and gender correlates of cognitive functioning were assessed in a sample of individuals ages 18 to 45 years (N = 87) from diverse sexual orientations. Sex hormones were assessed via saliva samples at four timepoints throughout the testing. Gender roles, sexual orientation and socio-demographics were measured via self-report questionnaires. Participants completed mental rotation and verbal fluency tasks. Men performed better than women at mental rotation, while no significant difference was found for verbal fluency. Significant positive associations were observed between estradiol and word fluency for the naturally cycling women compared to the women using oral contraception. While controlling for sex hormones, a significant interaction effect of sex by gender roles was identified for mental rotation among masculine women. These exploratory results suggest an effect principally driven by sex and sex hormones on cognitive performance that will need to be furthered with larger studies.
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Chiang HS, Motes M, O'Hair R, Vanneste S, Kraut M, Hart J. Baseline delayed verbal recall predicts response to high definition transcranial direct current stimulation targeting the superior medial frontal cortex. Neurosci Lett 2021; 764:136204. [PMID: 34478816 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Anodal high definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) targeting the pre-supplementary motor area/dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (pre-SMA/dACC) has recently been shown to improve verbal retrieval deficits in veterans with chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI) (Motes et al., 2020), but predictors of treatment response are unclear. We hypothesized that baseline delayed verbal recall, a sensitive measure for post-TBI chronic cognitive decline, would predict therapeutic effects of HD-tDCS targeting the pre-SMA/dACC for verbal retrieval deficits. Standardized verbal retrieval measures were administered at baseline, immediately after and 8 weeks after treatment completion. We applied mixed generalized linear modeling as a post-hoc subgroup analysis to the verbal retrieval scores that showed significant improvement in Motes at el. (2020) to examine effects of active stimulation across the groups with baseline-intact delayed recall (N = 10) and baseline-impaired delayed recall (N = 8), compared to sham (N = 7). Individuals with impaired baseline delayed recall showed significant improvement (compared to baseline) in both category fluency and color-word inhibition/switch, while individuals with intact delayed recall showed significant improvement only in color-word inhibition/switch. Baseline delayed verbal recall may therefore be considered as a predictor for future electromodulation studies targeting frontal structures to treat TBI-related verbal deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsueh-Sheng Chiang
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA; School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA.
| | - Michael Motes
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA
| | - Rachel O'Hair
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA
| | - Sven Vanneste
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA; Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Michael Kraut
- Department of Radiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA
| | - John Hart
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA; School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA; Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA
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Stephan Y, Sutin AR, Luchetti M, Aschwanden D, Terracciano A. Subjective age and multiple cognitive domains in two longitudinal samples. J Psychosom Res 2021; 150:110616. [PMID: 34534914 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2021.110616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Subjective age is consistently related to memory performance and global cognitive function among older adults. The present study examines whether subjective age is prospectively related to specific domains of cognitive function. METHOD Participants were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N = 2549, Mean Age = 69.66, SD = 7.36) and the Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS, N = 2499, Mean Age = 46.24, SD = 11.25). In both samples, subjective age, depressive symptoms, chronic conditions, and demographic factors were assessed at baseline. Four domains of cognition were assessed 8 years later in the HRS and almost 20 years later in the MIDUS: episodic memory, speed-attention-executive, verbal fluency, and numeric reasoning. HRS also assessed visuospatial ability. RESULTS Regression analysis revealed that an older subjective age was related to worse performance in the domains of episodic memory and speed-attention-executive in both samples. The effect size for the difference between a younger and an older subjective age was d = 0.14 (MIDUS) and d = 0.24 (HRS) for episodic memory and d = 0.25 (MIDUS) and d = 0.33 (HRS) for speed-attention-executive. Feeling older was related to lower verbal fluency in HRS (d = 0.30) but not in MIDUS, whereas no association was found with numeric reasoning in either sample. An older subjective age was related to lower visuospatial ability in HRS (d = 0.25). CONCLUSION Subjective age is prospectively related to performance in different cognitive domains. The associations between subjective age and both episodic memory and speed-attention-executive functions were replicable and robust over up to 20 years of follow-up.
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Greif TR, Askari A, Cook Maher A, Patil PG, Persad C. Anterior lead location predicts verbal fluency decline following STN-DBS in Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2021; 92:36-40. [PMID: 34678718 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2021.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Verbal fluency (VF) decline is a well-documented cognitive effect of Deep Brain Stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). This decline may be associated with disruption to left-sided frontostriatal circuitry involving the anteroventral non-motor area of the STN. While recent studies have examined the impact of lead location in relation to functional STN subdivisions on VF outcomes, results have been mixed and methods have been limited by atlas-based location mapping. METHODS Participants included 59 individuals with PD who underwent bilateral STN-DBS. Each participant's active contact location was determined in an atlas-independent fashion, relative to their individual MR-visualized STN midpoint. Multiple linear regression was used to examine lead location in each direction as a predictor of phonemic and semantic VF decline, controlling for demographic and disease variables. RESULTS More anterior lead locations relative to the STN midpoint in the left hemisphere predicted greater phonemic VF decline (B = -2.34, B SE = 1.08, β = -0.29, sr2 = 0.08). Lead location was not a significant predictor of semantic VF decline. CONCLUSION Using an individualized atlas-independent approach, present findings suggest that more anterior stimulation of the left STN may uniquely contribute to post-DBS VF decline. This is consistent with models in which the anterior STN represents a "non-motor" functional subdivision with connections to frontal regions, e.g., the left dorsal prefrontal cortex. Future studies should investigate the effect of DBS lead trajectory on VF outcomes.
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Stephan Y, Sutin AR, Luchetti M, Aschwanden D, Terracciano A. Subjective age and verbal fluency among middle aged and older adults: A meta-analysis of five cohorts. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2021; 97:104527. [PMID: 34534857 DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2021.104527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aimed to examine the relation between subjective age and verbal fluency in five large samples of older adults to advance knowledge on the role of subjective age in a complex cognitive function that is an intermediate marker of cognitive impairment and dementia risk. METHODS Participants (N > 27,000), aged 32 to 99 years old, predominantly white, were from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduate (WLSG) and Siblings (WLSS) samples, the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS), and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). They provided complete data on subjective age, demographic factors and verbal fluency. Estimates from each sample were combined in a meta-analysis. RESULTS Across each of the five samples and in the meta-analysis, an older subjective age was related to lower performance on the verbal fluency task. This association was independent of chronological age and was not moderated by age, sex, nor education. The difference in fluency between individuals with an older and younger subjective age ranged from d = 0.09 to d = 0.37 across the five samples. CONCLUSIONS This study found replicable evidence for an association between an older subjective age and lower verbal fluency, extending knowledge about an intermediate marker of cognitive function.
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Moorman SM, Greenfield EA, Carr K. Using Mixture Modeling to Construct Subgroups of Cognitive Aging in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021; 76:1512-1522. [PMID: 33152080 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Longitudinal surveys of older adults increasingly incorporate assessments of cognitive performance. However, very few studies have used mixture modeling techniques to describe cognitive aging, identifying subgroups of people who display similar patterns of performance across discrete cognitive functions. We employ this approach to advance empirical evidence concerning interindividual variability and intraindividual change in patterns of cognitive aging. METHOD We drew upon data from 3,713 participants in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS). We used latent class analysis to generate subgroups of cognitive aging based on assessments of verbal fluency and episodic memory at ages 65 and 72. We also employed latent transition analysis to identify how individual participants moved between subgroups over the 7-year period. RESULTS There were 4 subgroups at each point in time. Approximately 3 quarters of the sample demonstrated continuity in the qualitative type of profile between ages 65 and 72, with 17.9% of the sample in a profile with sustained overall low performance at both ages 65 and 72. An additional 18.7% of participants made subgroup transitions indicating marked decline in episodic memory. DISCUSSION Results demonstrate the utility of using mixture modeling to identify qualitatively and quantitatively distinct subgroups of cognitive aging among older adults. We discuss the implications of these results for the continued use of population health data to advance research on cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kyle Carr
- Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
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Abeare CA, An K, Tyson B, Holcomb M, Cutler L, May N, Erdodi LA. The emotion word fluency test as an embedded performance validity indicator - Alone and in a multivariate validity composite. Appl Neuropsychol Child 2021; 11:713-724. [PMID: 34424798 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2021.1939027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This project was designed to cross-validate existing performance validity cutoffs embedded within measures of verbal fluency (FAS and animals) and develop new ones for the Emotion Word Fluency Test (EWFT), a novel measure of category fluency. METHOD The classification accuracy of the verbal fluency tests was examined in two samples (70 cognitively healthy university students and 52 clinical patients) against psychometrically defined criterion measures. RESULTS A demographically adjusted T-score of ≤31 on the FAS was specific (.88-.97) to noncredible responding in both samples. Animals T ≤ 29 achieved high specificity (.90-.93) among students at .27-.38 sensitivity. A more conservative cutoff (T ≤ 27) was needed in the patient sample for a similar combination of sensitivity (.24-.45) and specificity (.87-.93). An EWFT raw score ≤5 was highly specific (.94-.97) but insensitive (.10-.18) to invalid performance. Failing multiple cutoffs improved specificity (.90-1.00) at variable sensitivity (.19-.45). CONCLUSIONS Results help resolve the inconsistency in previous reports, and confirm the overall utility of existing verbal fluency tests as embedded validity indicators. Multivariate models of performance validity assessment are superior to single indicators. The clinical utility and limitations of the EWFT as a novel measure are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Abeare
- Department of Psychology, Neuropsychology Track, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kelly An
- Private Practice, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brad Tyson
- Evergreen Health Medical Center, Kirkland, Washington, USA
| | - Matthew Holcomb
- Jefferson Neurobehavioral Group, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Laura Cutler
- Department of Psychology, Neuropsychology Track, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Natalie May
- Department of Psychology, Neuropsychology Track, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Laszlo A Erdodi
- Department of Psychology, Neuropsychology Track, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
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Klotzbier TJ, Wollesen B, Vogel O, Rudisch J, Cordes T, Jöllenbeck T, Vogt L. An interrater reliability study of gait analysis systems with the dual task paradigm in healthy young and older adults. Eur Rev Aging Phys Act 2021; 18:17. [PMID: 34344302 PMCID: PMC8336354 DOI: 10.1186/s11556-021-00271-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and aims One reason for the controversial discussion of whether the dual task (DT) walking paradigm has an added value for diagnosis in clinical conditions might be the use of different gait measurement systems. Therefore, the purpose was 1) to detect DT effects of central gait parameters obtained from five different gait analysis devices in young and old adults, 2) to assess the consistency of the measurement systems, and 3) to determine if the absolut and proportional DT costs (DTC) are greater than the system-measurement error under ST. Methods Twelve old (72.2 ± 7.9y) and 14 young adults (28.3 ± 6.2y) walked a 14.7-m distance under ST and DT at a self-selected gait velocity. Interrater reliability, precision of the measurement and sensitivity to change were calculated under ST and DT. Results An age effect was observed in almost all gait parameters for the ST condition. For DT only differences for stride length (p < .029, ɳ2p = .239) as well as single and double limb support (p = .036, ɳ2p = .227; p = .034, ɳ2p = .218) remained. The measurement systems showed a lower absolute agreement compared to consistency across all systems. Conclusions When reporting DT effects, the real changes in performance and random measurement errors should always be accounted for. These findings have strong implications for interpreting DT effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Jürgen Klotzbier
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 28, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Bettina Wollesen
- Department of Human Movement Science, University of Hamburg, Mollerstraße 10, 20148, Hamburg, Germany.,Biological Psychology and Neuroergonomics, TU Berlin, Fasanenstr. 1, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Oliver Vogel
- Department of Human Movement Science, University of Hamburg, Mollerstraße 10, 20148, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Julian Rudisch
- Department of Neuromotor Behavior and Exercise, Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Münster, Horstmarer Landweg 62B, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas Cordes
- Department of Human Movement Science, University of Hamburg, Mollerstraße 10, 20148, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Jöllenbeck
- Institute for Biomechanics, Clinic Lindenplatz, Weslarner Str. 29, 59505, Bad Sassendorf, Germany.,Department of Exercise & Health, University of Paderborn, Warburger Straße 100, 33098, Paderborn, Germany
| | - Lutz Vogt
- Department of Sports Medicine, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Ginnheimer Landstr. 39, 60487, Frankfurt, Germany
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Yeung MK, Lin J. Probing depression, schizophrenia, and other psychiatric disorders using fNIRS and the verbal fluency test: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 140:416-35. [PMID: 34146793 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Accessible neuroimaging tools that can identify specific frontal lobe dysfunction associated with psychiatric disorders could be useful for improving disease diagnosis and prognosis and treatment development. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), in conjunction with the verbal fluency test (VFT), has emerged as an inexpensive and convenient method for understanding psychiatric disorders. However, questions remain regarding the specificity and uniqueness of fNIRS measurements for different disorders and the soundness of the methods applied previously. To address these knowledge gaps, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of fNIRS studies using the VFT to probe psychiatric disorders. A literature search was conducted using PubMed and PsycINFO on October 27, 2020. Overall, 82% and 49% of the 121 included studies reported significantly reduced changes in oxyhemoglobin concentrations (HbO) and significantly fewer produced words during the VFT in psychiatric patients compared with healthy controls, respectively. For most psychiatric disorders, changes in HbO are more sensitive than changes in deoxyhemoglobin concentrations and VFT performance to detect psychopathologies. In addition, meta-analyses based on the proportion of channels that exhibited significant differences in HbO changes between patients and controls and on the effect sizes of group differences consistently showed that for major depression and schizophrenia, hypoactivation could be found across the frontotemporal regions, but its topographical distribution is disorder-specific. Thus, the fNIRS-VFT paradigm holds promise for understanding, detecting, and differentiating psychiatric disorders, and has the potential for developing accessible neuroimaging biomarkers for different psychiatric disorders. The findings are discussed with regard to the strengths and weaknesses of the applied methods, following by recommendations.
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Lubrini G, Periáñez JA, Laseca-Zaballa G, Bernabéu-Brotons E, Ríos-Lago M. Verbal Fluency Tasks: Influence of Age, Gender, and Education and Normative Data for the Spanish Native Adult Population. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2021; 37:365-375. [PMID: 34323264 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acab056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Phonological and semantic verbal fluency (VF) tasks are frequently used to assess language and executive functions in both clinical and research settings. F, A, and S are the most commonly used letters in phonological tasks across languages and cultures. Unfortunately, the lack of norms for the native Spanish population for these letters, and for certain semantic categories such as "proper names," may lead to misinterpretation of scores due to demographic differences. The aim of the present study was to provide normative data for F, A, and S and for "proper names," "animals," and "fruits and vegetables" for the native Spanish population. METHOD 257 healthy subjects took part in the study (ages: 17-100 years, 3-20 years of education). Correlation, multiple regression, and t-tests were used to select the most appropriate variables for stratification. RESULTS Education was the best predictor of performance in all tasks, followed by age. Given that t-test results showed no differences related to gender, with the only exception of the semantic category "animals," this variable was not considered for stratification. Consequently, the data were stratified in two education levels (<13, ≥13 years of education) and in two age levels (<60, ≥60) within the low-educational level group. Mean, standard deviation, and percentile scores for each group are provided. CONCLUSIONS The present norms provide a reference for clinicians assessing VF. This data may also facilitate comparisons with other normative studies in cross-cultural and cross-linguistic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genny Lubrini
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - José A Periáñez
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Garazi Laseca-Zaballa
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Marcos Ríos-Lago
- Dept. Basic Psychology II, UNED, Madrid, Spain
- Brain Damage Service, Beata Maria Ana Hospital, Madrid, Spain
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