Neuropsychology Review最新文献

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a form of noninvasive brain stimulation that has experienced rapid growth within the aging population over the past decade due to its potential for modulating cognitive functioning across the "intact" to dementia spectrum. For this reason, we performed a systematic review of the literature to evaluate the efficacy of tACS on cognitive functioning in older adults, including those with cognitive impairment. Our review was completed in June 2023 using Psych INFO, Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane databases. Out of 479 screened articles, 21 met inclusion criteria and were organized according to clinical diagnoses. Seven out of nine studies targeted cognitively intact older adults and showed some type of cognitive improvement after stimulation, whereas nine out of twelve studies targeted clinical diagnoses and showed improved cognitive performance to varying degrees. Studies showed considerable heterogeneity in methodology, stimulation parameters, participant characteristics, choice of cognitive task, and analytic strategy, all of which reinforce the need for standardized reporting of tACS methods. Through this heterogeneity, multiple patterns are described, such as disease progression influencing tACS effects and the need for individualized tailoring. For clinical translation, it is imperative that the field (a) better understand the physiological effects of tACS in these populations, especially in respect to biomarkers, (b) document a causal relationship between tACS delivery and neurophysiological/cognitive effects, and (c) systematically establish dosing parameters (e.g., amplitude, stimulation frequency, number and duration of sessions, need for booster/maintenance sessions).

Within-individual blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal variability, intrinsic moment-to-moment signal fluctuations within a single individual in specific voxels across a given time course, is a relatively new metric recognized in the neuroimaging literature. Within-individual BOLD signal variability has been postulated to provide information beyond that provided by mean-based analysis. Synthesis of the literature using within-individual BOLD signal variability methodology to examine various cognitive domains is needed to understand how intrinsic signal fluctuations contribute to optimal performance. This systematic review summarizes and integrates this literature to assess task-based cognitive performance in healthy groups and few clinical groups. Included papers were published through October 17, 2022. Searches were conducted on PubMed and APA PsycInfo. Studies eligible for inclusion used within-individual BOLD signal variability methodology to examine BOLD signal fluctuations during task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and/or examined relationships between task-based BOLD signal variability and out-of-scanner behavioral measure performance, were in English, and were empirical research studies. Data from each of the included 19 studies were extracted and study quality was systematically assessed. Results suggest that variability patterns for different cognitive domains across the lifespan (ages 7-85) may depend on task demands, measures, variability quantification method used, and age. As neuroimaging methods explore individual-level contributions to cognition, within-individual BOLD signal variability may be a meaningful metric that can inform understanding of neurocognitive performance. Further research in understudied domains/populations, and with consistent quantification methods/cognitive measures, will help conceptualize how intrinsic BOLD variability impacts cognitive abilities in healthy and clinical groups.

Social cognition remains one of the most difficult cognitive domains to assess in diverse populations due to a lack of culturally appropriate tools. This study systematically reviewed literature on neuropsychological tests for social cognition that have been translated, adapted, are cross-cultural, or are assembled for diverse, specifically "Global South," populations. The aim was to identify assessments appropriate for diverse populations, outline and evaluate their methodological approaches, and provide procedural recommendations for future research. The PRISMA systematic review search strategy produced 10,957 articles, of which 287 were selected for full-text screening. The study had to include a neuropsychological assessment of social cognition. The full text of the resulting 287 articles was then screened; the study had to include a translated, adapted, cross-cultural test, or an assembled test for Global South populations. Eighty-four articles were included in this study: 24 for emotion recognition, 45 for theory of mind, 9 for moral reasoning, and six for social cognition in general. Overall, there were 31 translations, 27 adaptations, 14 cross-cultural tests, and 12 assembled tests for Global South populations. Regarding quality, 35 were of low quality, 27 were of moderate quality, and 22 were high quality. This study provides an overview of social cognition tests modified or assembled for diverse populations and gives examples of methodological procedures. It highlights the variability in procedure quality and provides possible reasons for this variability. Finally, it suggests a need to report rigorous modification and assembly procedure in order to have modified and assembled social cognition tests appropriate for diverse populations.

Intra-individual variability (IIV) quantifies an individual's scatter in performances across a test battery (dispersion) or across reaction times within a single task (consistency). No studies have meta-analyzed the cross-sectional IIV literature in those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's dementia (AD). An additional aim of this meta-analysis was to examine IIV in APOE ε4 + healthy control (HC) samples. A systematic search strategy was applied to six databases (Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, CINAHL Complete, ERIC, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses) to identify studies comparing the extent of dispersion- and consistency-based cognitive IIV between clinical (MCI, AD) and HC samples. Thirty-five studies met the inclusion criteria for our random-effects cross-sectional meta-analysis. Hedges' g was used to aggregate between-group effect sizes, with higher positive values indicating clinical > HC IIV. Meta-regression and subgroup-analyses were conducted to evaluate continuous and categorical moderator variables, respectively. Omnibus models yielded analogous moderate-strength, albeit heterogeneous, effects for dispersion and consistency (g = 0.65). Clinical severity was a robust moderator of dispersion (MCI = 0.47, AD = 1.16) and consistency (MCI = 0.51, AD = 1.31) effects. Supplemental analysis of APOE ε4 status in HCs revealed a nonsignificant trend of elevated overall (i.e., dispersion + consistency) IIV in APOE ε4 + vs. APOE ε4 - HC samples (g = 0.24). Cognitive IIV is sensitive to the presence of AD-related genetic risk as well as neurocognitive impairment across the neurocognitive disorder severity spectrum, with a graded-pattern of HC < MCI < AD samples.

Existing studies examining the predictive ability of biomarkers for cognitive outcomes do not account for variance due to measurement error, which could lead to under-estimates of the proportion of variance explained. We used data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) (N = 1084) to estimate the proportion of variance explained by Alzheimer's disease (AD) imaging biomarkers in four cognitive outcomes: memory, executive functioning, language, and visuospatial functioning. We compared estimates from standard models that do not account for measurement error, and multilevel models that do account for measurement error. We also examined estimates across diagnostic subgroups (normal, MCI, AD). Estimates of the proportion of variance explained from multilevel models accounting for measurement error were larger (e.g., for language, 9-47% vs. 7-34% under standard modeling), with relatively greater differences between standard and multilevel measurement models for cognitive outcomes that have larger measurement error variance. Heterogeneity across subgroups also emphasized the importance of sample composition. Future studies should evaluate measurement error adjustments when considerable measurement error in cognitive outcomes is suspected.

The Stroop effect is one of the most often studied examples of cognitive conflict processing. Over time, many variants of the classic Stroop task were used, including versions with different stimulus material, control conditions, presentation design, and combinations with additional cognitive demands. The neural and behavioral impact of this experimental variety, however, has never been systematically assessed. We used activation likelihood meta-analysis to summarize neuroimaging findings with Stroop-type tasks and to investigate whether involvement of the multiple-demand network (anterior insula, lateral frontal cortex, intraparietal sulcus, superior/inferior parietal lobules, midcingulate cortex, and pre-supplementary motor area) can be attributed to resolving some higher-order conflict that all of the tasks have in common, or if aspects that vary between task versions lead to specialization within this network. Across 133 neuroimaging experiments, incongruence processing in the color-word Stroop variant consistently recruited regions of the multiple-demand network, with modulation of spatial convergence by task variants. In addition, the neural patterns related to solving Stroop-like interference differed between versions of the task that use different stimulus material, with the only overlap between color-word, emotional picture-word, and other types of stimulus material in the posterior medial frontal cortex and right anterior insula. Follow-up analyses on behavior reported in these studies (in total 164 effect sizes) revealed only little impact of task variations on the mean effect size of reaction time. These results suggest qualitative processing differences among the family of Stroop variants, despite similar task difficulty levels, and should carefully be considered when planning or interpreting Stroop-type neuroimaging experiments.

Thalamus function and structure are known predictors of individual differences in the risk of age-related neurocognitive disorders (NCD), such as dementia. However, to date, little is known about their role in the perioperative setting. Here, we provide a narrative review of brain-imaging studies of preoperative and postoperative thalamus scanning parameters associated with risks of developing perioperative NCD, such as postoperative delirium (POD) and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) during the postoperative phase. These findings are discussed in light of the concept of reserve capacity.

Hemispheric asymmetry is a fundamental principle in the functional architecture of the brain. It plays an important role in attention research where right hemisphere dominance is core to many attention theories. Lesion studies seem to confirm such hemispheric dominance with patients being more likely to develop left hemineglect after right hemispheric stroke than vice versa. However, the underlying concept of hemispheric dominance is still not entirely clear. Brain stimulation studies using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) might be able to illuminate this concept. To examine the putative hemispheric asymmetry in spatial attention, we conducted a meta-analysis of studies applying inhibitory TMS protocols to the left or right posterior parietal cortices (PPC), assessing effects on attention biases with the landmark and line bisection task. A total of 18 studies including 222 participants from 1994 to February 2022 were identified. The analysis revealed a significant shift of the perceived midpoint towards the ipsilateral hemifield after right PPC suppression (Cohen's d = 0.52), but no significant effect after left PPC suppression (Cohen's d = 0.26), suggesting a hemispheric asymmetry even though the subgroup difference does not reach significance (p = .06). A complementary Bayesian meta-analysis revealed a high probability of at least a medium effect size after right PPC disruption versus a low probability after left PPC disruption. This is the first quantitative meta-analysis supporting right hemisphere-specific TMS-induced spatial attention deficits, mimicking hemineglect in healthy participants. We discuss the result in the light of prominent attention theories, ultimately concluding how difficult it remains to differentiate between these theories based on attentional bias scores alone.

Playing video games is associated with cognitive changes and possibly psychosocial difficulties. Problematic gaming occurs upon the loss of control over videogame playing; gaming disorder is considered a behavioral addiction in the 11th version of the International Classification of Diseases. Models used to understand behavioral addictions include cognition as an essential factor in the development, maintenance, and relapse of addiction. Nevertheless, some aspects of cognition, such as social cognition, remain underexplored, despite evidence of alterations in cognitive and social function among patients with problematic gaming. This review aimed to describe the current understanding of social cognition in individuals exposed to videogames. We included all studies assessing social cognition in participants of any age with a wide range of exposure to video games (from simple use of video games (such as at least two exposures) to problematic gaming, defined according to the included study). This wide range of exposure allowed us to explore the whole process from repeated exposure to addiction. We included only studies that used neuropsychological tasks to assess social cognition. Patient-reported outcomes that could be biased by subjective self-report data were not included. The search was conducted from inception to January 2022 in three databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science). The systematic search identified 39 studies that assessed facial emotion processing, empathy, theory of mind, social decision-making, aggressive behavior, and moral competence. In general, results have been mixed, and a number of questions remain unanswered. Nevertheless, several studies showed cerebral changes when processing facial emotion that were linked with problematic gaming, while no link was obtained between nonproblematic gaming and empathy alterations. The influences of cooperation patterns, theory of mind, moral competence, and gaming frequency were highlighted. Finally, there was substantial heterogeneity in the population assessed and the methods used.

Over the last few decades, excessive and disordered screen use has become more prevalent, prompting investigations into its associated consequences. The extent to which disordered screen use behaviours impact neuropsychological functioning has been reportedly mixed and at times inconsistent. This review sought to synthesise the literature and estimate the magnitude of overall cognitive impairment across a wide range of disordered screen use behaviours. We also sought to determine the cognitive domains most impacted, and whether the observed impairments were moderated by the classification of screen-related behaviours (i.e., Internet or gaming) or the format of cognitive test administration (i.e., paper-and-pencil or computerised). A systematic search of databases (Embase, PsycINFO, MEDLINE) identified 43 cross-sectional articles that assessed neuropsychological performance in disordered screen use populations, 34 of which were included in the meta-analysis. A random-effects meta-analysis revealed significant small/medium (g = .38) cognitive deficits for individuals with disordered screen use behaviours relative to controls. The most affected cognitive domain with a significant medium effect size (g = .50) was attention and focus followed by a significant reduction in executive functioning (g = .31). The classification of disordered screen use behaviours into Internet or gaming categories or the format of cognitive testing did not moderate these deficits. Additionally, excluding disordered social media use in an exploratory analysis had little effect on the observed outcomes. This study highlights a number of methodological considerations that may have contributed to disparate findings and shows that disordered screen use can significantly impact cognitive performance. Recommendations for future research are also discussed. Data for this study can be found at https://osf.io/upeha/ .