Applied Neuropsychology-Adult最新文献

Introduction: the work aims to observe the associations between psychoactive substance use and gambling and executive functioning as well as to validate the Italian version of the "Adult Executive Functioning Inventory" (ADEXI) scale.

Methods: data were collected through a representative cross-sectional study among 5,160 people (18-84 years old) called IPSAD^® (Italian Population Survey on Alcohol and Other Drugs). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was performed to explore the associations between ADEXI and other behaviors measured with standardized questionnaires. Cronbach α has been performed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the ADEXI scale.

Results: SEM showed that both WM and INH were correlated with problematic cannabis use (WM r = 0.112; INH r = 0.251) and gambling (WM r = 0.101; INH r = 0.168), while problematic alcohol use was correlated only with INH (r = 0.233). Cronbach α for the WM subscale was 0.833 (CI 0.826-0.840), while for INH was 0.694 (CI 0.680-0.708).

Conclusion: results pointed out a strong correlation between addictions (substance-related and non-substance-related) and WM and INH impairments among the adult general population. Moreover, the ADEXI scale could be considered a valuable tool for general population surveys to detect working memory and inhibition characteristics.

Multitasking assessments based on everyday scenarios are useful assessment tools that can reveal the consequences of language and cognitive impairments on functioning. Unfortunately, many existing multitasking assessments require a high degree of linguistic processing that may preclude their use with adults with aphasia. The purposes of this paper are to (1) describe the development of a multitasking assessment relevant to everyday activities, the Catalog Ordering Task (COT), specifically designed for aphasia, (2) investigate differences between the performances of adults without aphasia and adults with aphasia on the COT, and (3) explore the relationships between language and cognitive performances and the COT to facilitate clinical utility. Seventy-four participants, 40 adults with aphasia and 34 people without aphasia, completed the multitasking assessment in single and dual task conditions. The secondary task in the dual task condition was a tone detection task requiring a foot-pedal press. Participants with aphasia also completed additional language and cognitive assessments. We systematically developed the Catalog Ordering Test (COT) with considerations for semantics, syntax, and ecological validity. Criterion validity with acceptable levels of inter-rater and test-retest reliability were observed. Adults with aphasia performed with about half the accuracy and twice as slowly as people without aphasia. Adults with all severity levels of aphasia were able to complete the COT. Multitasking performance on the COT was related to impairment-level measures of language and cognition. The COT is a potentially clinically useful assessment of multitasking, specially designed for aphasia.

Introduction: Memory deficits are the primary symptom in amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI); however, executive function (EF) deficits are common. The current study examined EF in aMCI based upon amyloid status (A+/A-) and regional atrophy in signature areas of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Method: Participants included 110 individuals with aMCI (A+ = 66; A- = 44) and 33 cognitively healthy participants (HP). EF was assessed using four neuropsychological assessment measures. The cortical thickness of the AD signature areas was calculated using structural MRI data.

Results: A + had greater EF deficits and cortical atrophy relative to A - in the supramarginal gyrus and superior parietal lobule. A - had greater EF deficits relative to HP, but no difference in signature area cortical thickness.

Discussion: The current study found that the degree of EF deficits in aMCI are a function of amyloid status and cortical thinning in the parietal cortex.

Objective: To reveal the discriminative value of gait parameters between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) subjects.

Methods: We included all consecutive patients with newly diagnosed AD and those with a diagnosis of PD who applied to our polyclinic between March 2022 and June 2022. The demographic and clinical features were evaluated during interviews. The gait analyses were performed using a quantitative, smartphone-based gait analyses program. Using this program, the step time (ST), step length (SL), step number (SN), gait velocity (GV), and cadence were measured in all individuals.

Results: Overall, 31 patients with AD and 45 with PD were enrolled in the analyses. The mean age of the AD group was higher according to those with PD. As expected, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) values were lower in the AD group. The comparative analyses of the gait parameters between groups did not reveal differences in any of the measures. The correlation analyses to investigate the possible association between the disease severity and gait parameters revealed that the MDS-UPDRS showed low negative correlations with SL and GV.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the evaluation of gait using the gait analyses program does not contribute to the discrimination between AD and PD in clinical practice.

Introduction: Disturbance in naming accuracy and reaction time (RT) is one of the early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Naming performance can be considered a diagnostic key in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which has remained diagnostically challenging. Although most of the studies in this field have been conducted on the naming accuracy of common nouns, others have shown that proper nouns are more sensitive for detecting the onset of AD. This study aims to compare the naming of common and proper nouns.

Method: Eighty pictures of common and proper nouns (40 items each) were presented to 18 healthy older adults and 18 people with mild Alzheimer's disease using DMDX software on a laptop computer. The patients' responses were transcribed into a pre-designed form, and their reaction times were captured by DMDX.

Results: Study results indicated a significant difference in the number of errors and RTs between proper and common nouns in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (p-value=), implying that proper nouns may be more sensitive to mild AD. Moreover, patients with mild Alzheimer's had more problems in common and proper nouns than healthy older adults.

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that individuals with mild AD experienced greater difficulty recalling proper nouns, which were found to be more susceptible to the effects of AD.

The assessment of performance validity is an important consideration to the interpretation of neuropsychological data. However, commonly used performance validity tests such as the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) and Word Memory Test (WMT) have lengthy administration times (20-30 minutes). Alternatively, utilizing a screener of performance validity (e.g., the TOMM T1 or TOMMe10) has proven to be an effective method of assessing performance validity while conserving time. The present study investigates the use of the WMT Immediate Recognition (IR) Trial scores as a screening measure for performance validity using an archival mTBI polytrauma sample (n = 48). Results show that the WMT IR demonstrates a high degree of accuracy in predicting WMT Delayed Recognition (DR) Trial performance across a range of base rates suggesting that the WMT IR is a useful screening measure for noncredible performance. Clinical implications and selection of optimal cutoff are discussed.

The aim of this study is to provide a test that allows for evaluation of both semantic memory (SM) and episodic memory (EM). The study sought to examine psychometric characteristics of the Modified Dead-Alive Test (M-DAT) in patients with neurocognitive disorders and the healthy elderly (HE). The M-DAT consists of 45 names of celebrities who have died in the remote past (15), died in the last five years (15), and are still alive (15), and participants are asked whether they are alive or dead. The M-DAT performances of patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) major neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's Disease (MND-AD) (n = 69) and patients with minor neurocognitive disorder (MiND) (n = 27) who were admitted to a geriatric psychiatry clinic and healthy controls (HC) (n = 29) were compared. Age and level of education were taken as covariates, and an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed since the MND-AD group was older and less educated. The MND-AD group had lower performance in EM and SM scores of the M-DAT. M-DAT failed to differentiate between MiND and HE. Both subscale scores of the M-DAT were associated with other neuropsychological test performances as well as the level of education. The results suggest that M-DAT is a valid and reliable tool that examines both EM and SM performances. M-DAT is an alternative for the assessment of SM evaluated by verbal fluency or naming tests. Evaluating EM and SM together is an important advantage; however, M-DAT is influenced by education, and the items require updating.

Cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS) and ADHD are considered distinct but interrelated constructs. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of elevated CDS symptoms and increased ADHD risk in the general population, and their relationships with emotion regulation difficulty (ERD) and alexithymia. Out of 1166 participants, 142 with known psychiatric conditions were excluded, resulting in 1024 participants. Participants completed various scales including Adult ADHD Self-Report Screening Scale for DSM-5 (ASRS-5), Barkley Adult Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) Scale, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form (DERS-16), and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Four groups were formed based on Barkley and ASRS-5 scores: Group 1) No elevated CDS symptoms and Low risk of ADHD, Group 2) No elevated CDS symptoms and Increased risk of ADHD, Group 3) Elevated CDS symptoms and Low risk of ADHD, Group 4) Elevated CDS symptoms and Increased risk of ADHD. Elevated CDS symptoms was found in 10% of participants, and increased ADHD risk in 9.2%. Among probable ADHD cases, 40% had elevated CDS symptoms, while 60% of elevated CDS symptoms cases had increased ADHD risk. Group 4 (elevated CDS symptoms and increased risk of ADHD) had the highest ERD and alexithymia scores, while Group 1(no elevated CDS symptoms and low risk of ADHD) had the lowest. Regression analyses showed that CDS scores predicted ERD (47%) and alexithymia (32%) better than ADHD scores (ERD: 36%, alexithymia: 23%). CDS and ADHD appear as significant concepts that could be involved in the etiology of ERD and alexithymia.

The cognitive impairment known as dementia affects millions of individuals throughout the globe. The use of machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) algorithms has shown great promise as a means of early identification and treatment of dementia. Dementias such as Alzheimer's Dementia, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia, and vascular dementia are all discussed in this article, along with a literature review on using ML algorithms in their diagnosis. Different ML algorithms, such as support vector machines, artificial neural networks, decision trees, and random forests, are compared and contrasted, along with their benefits and drawbacks. As discussed in this article, accurate ML models may be achieved by carefully considering feature selection and data preparation. We also discuss how ML algorithms can predict disease progression and patient responses to therapy. However, overreliance on ML and DL technologies should be avoided without further proof. It's important to note that these technologies are meant to assist in diagnosis but should not be used as the sole criteria for a final diagnosis. The research implies that ML algorithms may help increase the precision with which dementia is diagnosed, especially in its early stages. The efficacy of ML and DL algorithms in clinical contexts must be verified, and ethical issues around the use of personal data must be addressed, but this requires more study.

Recent reports indicate that the Memory Integrated Language Test (MIL) and Making Change Test Abbreviated Index (MCT-AI), two web-based performance validity tests (PVTs), have good sensitivity and specificity when used independently. This study investigated whether using these PVTs together could improve the detection of invalid performance in a mixed neuropsychiatric sample. Participants were 129 adult outpatients who underwent a neuropsychological evaluation and were classified into valid (n = 104) or invalid (n = 25) performance groups based on several commonly used PVTs. Using cut scores of ≤41 on the MIL and ≥1.05 on the MCT-AI together enhanced classification accuracy, yielding an area under the curve of .84 (95% CI: .75, .93). As compared to using the MIL and MCT-AI independently, the combined use increased the sensitivity from .10-.31 to.70 while maintaining ≥.90 specificity. Findings also indicated that failing either the MIL or MCT-AI was associated with somewhat lower cognitive test scores, but failing both was associated with markedly lower scores. Overall, using the MIL and MCT-AI together may be an effective way to identify invalid test performance during a neuropsychological evaluation. Furthermore, pairing these tests is consistent with current practice guidelines to include multiple PVTs in a neuropsychological test battery.