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Learning Test (learning + test)
Kinds of Learning Test Selected AbstractsFunctional MRI Predicts Memory Performance after Right Mesiotemporal Epilepsy SurgeryEPILEPSIA, Issue 2 2005Jozsef Janszky Summary:,Purpose: Anterior temporal lobe resection (ATR) is a treatment option in drug-resistant epilepsy. An important risk of ATR is loss of memory because mesiotemporal structures contribute substantially to memory function. We investigated whether memory-activated functional MRI (fMRI) can predict postoperative memory loss after anterior temporal lobectomy in right-sided medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). Methods: We included 16 patients (10 women) aged 16,54 years. The mean age at epilepsy onset was 12.5 years (range, 1,26 years). The patients' mean Wechsler IQ score was 95.2 (range, 62,125). The activation condition of fMRI consisted of retrieval from long-term memory induced by self-paced performance of an imaginative walk. All but one patient had left-sided speech dominance according to speech-activated fMRI. Outside the scanner, we evaluated the pre- and postoperative visual memory retention by using Rey Visual Design Learning Test. Results: We found a correlation between the preoperative asymmetry index of memory- fMRI and the change between pre- and postsurgical measures of memory retention. Reduced activation of the mesiotemporal region ipsilateral to the epileptogenic region correlated with a favorable memory outcome after right-sided ATR. Conclusions: In light of the postoperative results, the theoretical implication of our study is that fMRI based on a simple introspective retrieval task measures memory functions. The main clinical implication of our study is that memory- fMRI might replace the invasive Wada test in MTLE by using a simple fMRI paradigm. Predictive power, however, will be studied in larger patient samples. Other studies are required for left-sided MTLE and neocortical epilepsies to assess the clinical usefulness of memory- fMRI. [source] A Multicenter, Randomized Clinical Study to Evaluate the Effect on Cognitive Function of Topiramate Compared with Valproate as Add-On Therapy to Carbamazepine in Patients with Partial-Onset SeizuresEPILEPSIA, Issue 9 2000A. P. Aldenkamp Summary: Purpose: This study compares the cognitive effects of topiramate (TPM) with those of valproate (VPA) using efficacious doses of each drug when used as adjunctive therapy to carbamazepine (CBZ). A key question of the study is to what extent a more gradual introduction of TPM improves tolerabil-ity and prevents cognitive impairment. Methods: The study is a multicenter, randomized, observer-blinded, parallel-group clinical trial with VPA or TPM given as first-line add-on therapy to steady-state treatment with CBZ. TPM is introduced at 25 mg and increased with weekly 25-mg/d increments to a minimum dosage of 200 mg/d. The target dosage ranges from 200 to 400 mg/d for TPM and is 1800 mg/d for VPA. The study evaluates cognitive function changes from baseline to end point (after 20 weeks of treatment) and during titration (after 8 weeks of treatment). The primary outcome measure is the difference between the treatments (TPM versus VPA) in change from baseline to end point and change from baseline to titration, using a 95% confidence interval approach. Results: For the 10 baseline-to-end point comparisons, one test measuring short-term verbal memory (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test) yields a statistically significant difference between the treatments (p = 0.02), showing worsening for TPM and improvement of scores for VPA. The 10 baseline-to-titration comparisons also show one statistically significant difference, again for a test measuring short-term memory (Recognition of Words; p = 0.04), showing a larger change in the negative direction for TPM. None of the mood tests or the test for subjective complaints shows statistically significant differences between the treatments, although more scores are in the negative direction for TPM during titration. Conclusion: Although the pattern of changes in the negative direction seems consistent with clinical information, the differences found between the treatments are small. An important finding of our study is that, when the results are compared with those of other studies, it is clear that gradual introduction of TPM can reduce the extent of cognitive impairment (with a maximum of about 0.6 SD). [source] The effect of chronic benzodiazepine use on cognitive functioning in older persons: good, bad or indifferent?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 12 2007E. J. M. Bierman Abstract Objective This study investigates the effects of benzodiazepine (BZ) use on cognitive performance in elderly persons in a longitudinal design. Study design and setting Data were obtained from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA), in the Netherlands. 2,105 respondents (,62 years of age) were included and had repeated measurements over a period of 9 years. For all BZs the type, dosage, frequency and duration of use was measured. The equivalent of a dose of diazepam was determined with regard to type and dosage and a cumulative dosage was calculated. General cognitive functioning was measured with the Mini-Mental State Examination, information processing speed was measured with the coding task, fluid intelligence with Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices and episodic memory with the Auditory Verbal Learning Test. Multilevel analyses were used to investigate the relationship between BZ use and cognitive decline. Results A negative effect of BZ use on cognitive performance was found. However, the effect sizes were very small. Conclusion This study suggests that both duration and cumulative exposure to BZ has a small negative effect on the long-term cognitive functioning of elderly people in the community. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Depressive Symptoms and Cognitive Decline in Community-Dwelling Older AdultsJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 5 2010Sebastian Köhler PhD OBJECTIVES: To examine the temporal association between depressive symptoms and cognitive functioning and estimate the effect measure modification of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ,4 allele on this relationship. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: General community. PARTICIPANTS: Population-based sample of 598 cognitively intact older adults aged 60 and older, with re-assessments after 3 (N=479) and 6 years (N=412). MEASUREMENTS: Depressive symptoms (Symptom Checklist) and neurocognitive functioning (memory, Visual Verbal Learning Test; attention, Stroop Color,Word Test; processing speed, Letter Digit Substitution Test; general cognition, Mini-Mental State Examination). Longitudinal associations were assessed using linear mixed models. The risk for cognitive impairment, no dementia (CIND) was examined using logistic regression. RESULTS: Adjusting for age, sex, education, and baseline cognition, the rate of change in memory z -scores was 0.00, ,0.11, ,0.20, and ,0.37 for those in the lowest (reference group), second, third, and highest depressive symptom quartiles at baseline, respectively (P<.001 for highest vs lowest quartile). The odds ratios for developing CIND with amnestic features were 1.00, 0.87, 0.69, and 2.98 for the four severity groups (P=.05 for highest vs lowest quartile). Associations were strongest for those with persistent depressive symptoms, defined as high depressive symptoms at baseline and at least one follow-up visit. Results were similar for processing speed and global cognitive function but were not as strong for attention. No APOE interaction was observed. CONCLUSION: Depression and APOE act independently to increase the risk for cognitive decline and may provide targets for prevention and early treatment. [source] Anemia and 9-Year Domain-Specific Cognitive Decline in Community-Dwelling Older Women: The Women's Health and Aging Study IIJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 9 2009Jennifer A. Deal MHS OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that anemia (hemoglobin <12 g/dL) is associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline over 9 years in a community-dwelling sample of women aged 70 to 80 at baseline. DESIGN: A population-based, prospective cohort study. SETTING: East Baltimore, Maryland. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred thirty-six women sampled to be representative of the two-thirds least-disabled women aged 70 to 80 at baseline (1994,1996). MEASUREMENTS: Nine-year trajectories of cognitive decline, analyzed using linear random effects models, in the domains of immediate verbal recall, delayed verbal recall, psychomotor speed, and executive function. RESULTS: At baseline and after adjustment for demographic and disease covariates, women with anemia were slower to complete a test of executive function; the difference in baseline function between women with anemia and those without was ,0.43 standard deviations (SDs) (95% confidence interval (CI)=,0.74 to ,0.13) on the Trail Making Test Part B. During follow-up, anemia was associated with a faster rate of decline in memory. Between baseline and Year 3, the difference in the rates of decline between women with anemia and those without was ,0.18 SDs per year (95% CI=,0.29 to ,0.06) on the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) and ,0.15 SDs per year (95% CI=,0.26 to ,0.04) on the HVLT-Delayed. CONCLUSION: Anemia was associated with poorer baseline performance on a test of executive function and with faster rates of decline on tests of immediate and delayed verbal recall. If this relationship is causal, it is possible that treatment of anemia could prevent or postpone cognitive decline. [source] Hormone Use and Cognitive Performance in Women of Advanced AgeJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 2 2004J. Galen buckwalter PhD Objectives: To explore the association between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and cognitive performance in a group of elderly women (,75) using a battery of well-standardized neuropsychological instruments. Design: Equivalent samples from existing cohort. Setting: Healthcare provider organization. Participants: All women enrolled were participants in an ongoing study of the association between HRT and the prevalence and incidence of dementia. Prescription records were used to establish HRT status. Fifty-eight users and 47 nonusers of HRT participated in this substudy. Measurements: Given previous reports that HRT has a positive effect on verbal memory, the California Verbal Learning Test and the Logical Memory Test were used as primary outcomes. A range of validated tests that assess other cognitive domains was also included. Results: There were no significant differences between users and nonusers of HRT on any cognitive measures. Conclusion: Given equivalent groups of users and nonusers of HRT no support was found for the hypothesis that use of HRT improves cognitive performance in older women. [source] Metabolic Markers of Cobalamin Deficiency and Cognitive Function in Normal Older AdultsJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 1 2004Angeles A. Garcia MD, FRCPC Objectives: To investigate the relationship between metabolic markers of cobalamin deficiency and cognitive function in normal older adults. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Queen's University and St. Mary's of the Lake Hospital, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Participants: Two hundred eighty-one cognitively normal, community-dwelling participants aged 65 and older. Measurements: Serum cobalamin, red blood cell folate, methylcitric acid, homocysteine, and methylmalonic acid were determined. Cognitive instruments included the California Verbal Learning Test, Mattis Dementia Rating Scale, and the Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Inventory (Stroop). Results: Serum levels of methylcitric acid had a significant negative correlation with recall, learning, and discriminability (factor 1) of the California Verbal Learning Test after adjusting for age and sex (,=,0.138, P=.019). Subjects with elevated methylcitric acid had significantly lower scores (factor 1) than subjects with normal methylcitric acid (P<.01). Bivariate analysis showed significant correlations between levels of homocysteine and the Stroop score and between cobalamin, methylmalonic acid, and homocysteine and some scores of the California Verbal Learning Test, but these relationships did not remain significant after multivariate analysis. Subjects with high homocysteine (tHcy) had lower Stroop scores than subjects with normal tHcy (P<.05). No biochemical parameters were associated with the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale scores. Conclusion: This study indicates that, in normal elderly subjects, some cognitive scores are related to serum methylcitric acid and possibly homocysteine. [source] Cognitive Screening Using a Tape Recorder: A Pilot StudyJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 3 2003Peter W. Schofield MD OBJECTIVES: To determine whether a tape recorder can be used to administer cognitive tests efficiently and yield valid results. DESIGN: Convenience sample. Administration of cognitive test materials by tape recorder and conventional technique. SETTING: Outpatient clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects from memory disorder clinic, hostel accommodation, and community. MEASUREMENTS: Responses to Hopkins Verbal Learning Test,revised, verbal fluency items from the controlled oral word association test, 10-item naming task, a construction task, and speed writing task. RESULTS: Performances on the tape- and clinician-administered battery of tests were highly correlated. Memory impairment was accurately detected using the tape battery. Data from 30 minutes of testing via tape were obtained at the cost to the clinician of 2 to 3 minutes of scoring time. CONCLUSION: Tape-administration of cognitive test material warrants further study as an efficient means of cognitive screening. [source] Effect of cognitive training focusing on organizational strategies in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorderPSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 6 2006HEE SOO PARK ma Abstract, The purpose of the present paper was to develop a cognitive training program for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and evaluate its effectiveness. Nine 60-min sessions focusing on the improvement of organizational strategies were given to 15 patients with OCD over a period of 5 weeks. The control group consisted of 15 age- and sex-matched patients also with OCD. The Rey,Osterrieth Complex Figure Test and Korean,California Verbal Learning Test were administered before and after cognitive training. Clinical symptoms were assessed with the Yale,Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. The memory function in the treatment group improved and their clinical symptoms were alleviated after training, compared to those of the control group. Cognitive training of OCD patients not only improved their memory function, but also alleviated their clinical symptoms. Therefore, cognitive training, focusing on the improvement of organizational strategies, could be an effective treatment modality for patients with OCD. [source] A multicenter, prospective pilot study of gamma knife radiosurgery for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy: Seizure response, adverse events, and verbal memory,ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 2 2009Nicholas M. Barbaro MD Objective The safety, efficacy, and morbidity of radiosurgery (RS) must be established before it can be offered as an alternative to open surgery for unilateral mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. We report the 3-year outcomes of a multicenter, prospective pilot study of RS. Methods RS was randomized to 20 or 24Gy targeting the amygdala, hippocampus, and parahippocampal gyrus. Seizure diaries evaluated the final seizure remission between months 24 and 36. Verbal memory was evaluated at baseline and 24m with the Wechsler Memory Scale,Revised (WMS-R) and California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT). Patients were classified as having "significant improvement," "no change," and "significant impairment" based on relative change indices. Results Thirteen high-dose and 17 low-dose patients were treated. Both groups showed significant reductions in seizures by 1 year after treatment. At the 36-month follow-up evaluation, 67% of patients were free of seizures for the prior 12 months (high dose: 10/13, 76.9%; low dose: 10/17, 58.8%). Use of steroids, headaches, and visual field defects did not differ by dose or seizure remission. The prevalence of verbal memory impairment was 15% (4/26 patients); none declined on more than one measure. The prevalence of significant verbal memory improvements was 12% (3/26). Interpretation RS for unilateral mesial temporal lobe epilepsy offers seizure remission rates comparable with those reported previously for open surgery. There were no major safety concerns with high-dose RS compared with low-dose RS. Additional research is required to determine whether RS may be a treatment option for some patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Ann Neurol 2009 [source] Verbal memory in mania: effects of clinical state and task requirementsBIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 5 2003David E Fleck Objectives: Manic patients exhibit impaired verbal learning and memory, particularly following longstanding illness. However, it is unclear whether recognition and recall performance are differentially influenced by a manic mood state. Methods: To examine this issue, we administered the California Verbal Learning Test and symptom-rating scales to inpatients with pure or mixed mania, euthymic outpatients, and healthy comparison subjects. Results: An overall performance difference was identified between groups. Manic and euthymic patients performed more poorly than healthy subjects on recall. However, manic patients performed more poorly than euthymic patients and healthy subjects on recognition. Conclusions: These results suggest that verbal retrieval deficits are stable vulnerability indicators in bipolar disorder, whereas verbal encoding deficits are manic episode indicators. The known subcortical dysfunction in this disorder may produce stable retrieval deficits while acute mood symptoms attenuate encoding during affective episodes only. [source] The novel nootropic compound DM232 (UNIFIRAM) ameliorates memory impairment in mice and ratsDRUG DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH, Issue 1 2002Carla Ghelardini Abstract The favorable pharmacological profile exhibited by piracetam stimulated the synthesis of related compounds potentially endowed with a higher nootropic potency. The antiamnesic and procognitive activity of DM232 (unifiram), a new compound structurally related to piracetam, was investigated. Mouse passive avoidance and rat Morris water maze and Social learning tests were employed. DM232 (0.001,1 mg kg,1 i.p. , 0.01,0.1 1 mg kg,1 p.o.) prevented amnesia induced by scopolamine (1.5 mg kg,1 i.p.), mecamylamine (20 mg kg,1 i.p.), baclofen (2 mg kg,1 i.p.), and clonidine (0.125 mg kg,1 i.p.). Furthermore, The antiamnesic effect of the investigated compound was comparable to that exerted by well-known nootropic drugs such as piracetam (30,100 mg kg,1 i.p.), aniracetam (100 mg kg,1 p.o.), rolipram (30 mg kg,1 p.o.), and nicotine (5 mg kg,1 i.p). DM232 (0.1 mg kg,1 i.p.) was also able to prevent amnesia induced by scopolamine (0.8 mg kg,1 i.p.) in the rat Morris watermaze test. In the rat social learning test, DM232 (0.1 mg kg,1 i.p.) injected in adults rats reduced the duration of active exploration of the familiar partner in the second session of the test. DM232, similarly to piracetam, reduced the duration of hypnosis induced by pentobarbital. At the highest effective doses, the investigated compound did not impair motor coordination (rota rod test), nor modified spontaneous (Animex). These results indicate DM232 (unifiram) as a novel cognition enhancer, strictly related to piracetam-like compounds, able to ameliorate memory impairment at doses about 1,000 times lower than the most active available nootropic compounds. Drug Dev. Res. 56:23,32, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Effects of dietary restriction on mortality and age-related phenotypes in the short-lived fish Nothobranchius furzeriAGING CELL, Issue 2 2009Eva Terzibasi Summary The short-lived annual fish Nothobranchius furzeri shows extremely short captive life span and accelerated expression of age markers, making it an interesting model system to investigate the effects of experimental manipulations on longevity and age-related pathologies. Here, we tested the effects of dietary restriction (DR) on mortality and age-related markers in N. furzeri. DR was induced by every other day feeding and the treatment was performed both in an inbred laboratory line and a longer-lived wild-derived line. In the inbred laboratory line, DR reduced age-related risk and prolonged maximum life span. In the wild-derived line, DR induced early mortality, did not reduce general age-related risk and caused a small but significant extension of maximum life span. Analysis of age-dependent mortality revealed that DR reduced demographic rate of aging, but increased baseline mortality in the wild-derived strain. In both inbred- and wild-derived lines, DR prevented the expression of the age markers lipofuscin in the liver and Fluoro-Jade B (neurodegeneration) in the brain. DR also improved performance in a learning test based on conditioning (active avoidance in a shuttle box). Finally, DR induced a paradoxical up-regulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein in the brain. [source] The novel nootropic compound DM232 (UNIFIRAM) ameliorates memory impairment in mice and ratsDRUG DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH, Issue 1 2002Carla Ghelardini Abstract The favorable pharmacological profile exhibited by piracetam stimulated the synthesis of related compounds potentially endowed with a higher nootropic potency. The antiamnesic and procognitive activity of DM232 (unifiram), a new compound structurally related to piracetam, was investigated. Mouse passive avoidance and rat Morris water maze and Social learning tests were employed. DM232 (0.001,1 mg kg,1 i.p. , 0.01,0.1 1 mg kg,1 p.o.) prevented amnesia induced by scopolamine (1.5 mg kg,1 i.p.), mecamylamine (20 mg kg,1 i.p.), baclofen (2 mg kg,1 i.p.), and clonidine (0.125 mg kg,1 i.p.). Furthermore, The antiamnesic effect of the investigated compound was comparable to that exerted by well-known nootropic drugs such as piracetam (30,100 mg kg,1 i.p.), aniracetam (100 mg kg,1 p.o.), rolipram (30 mg kg,1 p.o.), and nicotine (5 mg kg,1 i.p). DM232 (0.1 mg kg,1 i.p.) was also able to prevent amnesia induced by scopolamine (0.8 mg kg,1 i.p.) in the rat Morris watermaze test. In the rat social learning test, DM232 (0.1 mg kg,1 i.p.) injected in adults rats reduced the duration of active exploration of the familiar partner in the second session of the test. DM232, similarly to piracetam, reduced the duration of hypnosis induced by pentobarbital. At the highest effective doses, the investigated compound did not impair motor coordination (rota rod test), nor modified spontaneous (Animex). These results indicate DM232 (unifiram) as a novel cognition enhancer, strictly related to piracetam-like compounds, able to ameliorate memory impairment at doses about 1,000 times lower than the most active available nootropic compounds. Drug Dev. Res. 56:23,32, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Overexpression of APP provides neuroprotection in the absence of functional benefit following middle cerebral artery occlusion in ratsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 7 2007Jared Clarke Abstract Cerebral ischaemia leads to a transient accumulation of ,-amyloid precursor protein (APP) and ,-amyloid (A,) peptides adjacent to the ischaemic lesion. There is conflicting evidence that APP/A, fragments may either enhance neuronal plasticity or be neurotoxic. The aim of the current study was to assess the effect of overexpression of human APP in rats on functional recovery following cerebral ischaemia. Adult APP-overexpressing (hAPP695 Tg) rats subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) had significantly smaller infarct volumes than non-transgenic littermates, yet did not perform better on a series of sensorimotor or learning tests during a 6-month follow-up period. In fact, transgenic animals were found to be significantly more impaired in both the beam-walking and Morris water maze tests following MCAO. Immunohistochemistry showed human A,-positive staining in the cortex and hippocampus of APP transgenic rats. The present data suggest that while overexpression of APP in rats may provide some histological neuroprotection in the event of cerebral ischaemia, this does not translate into significant functional recovery. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||