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Neuropsychological Functioning (neuropsychological + functioning)
Selected AbstractsNeuropsychological functioning in older people with Type 2 diabetes: the effect of controlling for confounding factorsDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 4 2002K. G. Asimakopoulou Abstract Aims and methods Neuropsychological functioning was examined in a group of 33 older (mean age 62.40 ± 9.62 years) people with Type 2 diabetes (Group 1) and 33 non-diabetic participants matched with Group 1 on age, sex, premorbid intelligence and presence of hypertension and cardio/cerebrovascular conditions (Group 2). Results Data statistically corrected for confounding factors obtained from the diabetic group were compared with the matched control group. The results suggested small cognitive deficits in diabetic people's verbal memory and mental flexibility (Logical Memory A and SS7). No differences were seen between the two samples in simple and complex visuomotor attention, sustained complex visual attention, attention efficiency, mental double tracking, implicit memory, and self-reported memory problems. Conclusions These findings indicate minimal cognitive impairment in relatively uncomplicated Type 2 diabetes and demonstrate the importance of control and matching for confounding factors. [source] Neuropsychological functioning in buprenorphine maintained patients versus abstinent heroin abusers on naltrexone hydrochloride therapyHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 7 2009Lambros Messinis Abstract Rationale Methadone and buprenorphine are among the most widely employed pharmacological treatments currently available for opioid addiction. Cognitive effects of buprenorphine in abstinent heroin abusers are nevertheless far from being understood. Methods Neuropsychological performance of 18 buprenorphine-maintained patients (BMP) was evaluated relative to that of 32 currently abstinent heroin abusers on naltrexone hydrochloride therapy (FHAN), and 34 non-drug dependent controls. The three groups were demographically balanced. Clinical groups reported histories of similar patterns of drug use and had increased periods of abstinence from any illicit substance use including heroin. Results The BMP group performed poorer than controls on the RAVLT (encoding and delayed recall of verbal information), CTT (conceptual flexibility, executive functions) and the RBANS figure copy (visual perception) and delayed recall of visual information. There were no significant differences in any of the cognitive measures between the BMP and FHAN groups or between the FHAN group and controls. Furthermore, the non-differing percentage of abnormal cases between the two patient groups led us to infer that treatment with either BPM or FHAN is not accompanied by qualitative differences in the cognitive profiles of these patients. Conclusion Overall, results suggest that treatment with naltrexone in abstinent heroin abusers may result in less impairment of cognitive functions compared to treatment with buprenorphine. These findings are relevant for improved prognosis and treatment strategies in opioid dependence. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Executive functioning in offspring at risk for depression and anxietyDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 9 2009Jamie A. Micco Ph.D. Abstract Background: Executive functioning deficits (EFDs) have been found in adults with major depression and some anxiety disorders, yet it is unknown whether these deficits predate onset of disorder, or whether they reflect acute symptoms. Studies of at-risk offspring can shed light on this question by examining whether EFDs characterize children at high risk for depression and anxiety who are not yet symptomatic. Methods: This study examined neuropsychological functioning in a sample of 147 children, ages 6,17 years (M age=9.16, SD=1.82), of parents with major depression (MDD) and/or panic disorder (PD) and of controls with neither disorder. Children were assessed via structured diagnostic interviews and neuropsychological measures. Results: Although parental MDD and PD were not associated with neuropsychological impairments, presence of current offspring MDD was associated with poorer performance on several executive functioning and processing speed measures. Children with current generalized anxiety showed poorer verbal memory, whereas children with social phobia had more omissions on a continuous performance task. Conclusions: Findings suggest that EFDs do not serve as trait markers for developing anxiety or depression but appear to be symptomatic of current disorder. Depression and Anxiety, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Pathological dissociation and neuropsychological functioning in borderline personality disorderACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 5 2009V. Ø. Haaland Objective:, Transient, stress-related severe dissociative symptoms or paranoid ideation is one of the criteria defining the borderline personality disorder (BPD). Examinations of the neuropsychological correlates of BPD reveal various findings. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between dissociation and neuropsychological functioning in patients with BPD. Method:, The performance on an extensive neuropsychological battery of patients with BPD with (n = 10) and without (n = 20) pathological dissociation was compared with that of healthy controls (n = 30). Results:, Patients with pathological dissociation were found to have reduced functioning on every neuropsychological domain when compared with healthy controls. Patients without pathological dissociation were found to have reduced executive functioning, but no other differences were found. Conclusion:, Pathological dissociation is a clinical variable that differentiates patients with BPD with regard to cognitive functioning. [source] Neuropsychological profile of children with subcortical band heterotopiaDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 11 2009MEGAN SPENCER-SMITH BPSYCSC PHD Aim, Subcortical band heterotopia (SBH) or ,double cortex' is a malformation of cortical development resulting from impaired neuronal migration. So far, research has focused on the neurological, neuroimaging, and genetic correlates of SBH. More recently, clinical reports and small sample studies have documented neuropsychological dysfunction in patients with this malformation. This study aimed to characterize further the phenotype of patients with SBH by describing the neuropsychological profiles of children. Method, Seven children (six females) aged 4 to 15 years were assessed for cognitive functioning (intellectual ability, processing speed, attention, working memory) and academic achievement (reading, spelling, arithmetic). Parents completed questionnaires examining their child's social skills and problem behaviours. Magnetic resonance images (MRI) conducted for routine clinical follow-up were coded by a paediatric neurologist. Genetic and seizure history were obtained from medical records. Results, There was variation in the neurological, neuroimaging, and genetic presentation of children in the sample. Impairments were observed in all areas of neuropsychological functioning examined. Intellectual ability was generally within the ,extremely low' range (full-scale IQ 44,74; performance IQ 45,72; verbal IQ 57,80). Generalized impairments in cognitive skills were typical, with severe impairments (scores greater than 2SD below the test mean) reported in processing speed, working memory, and arithmetic. Impairments in academic, social, and behavioural functioning were less generalized. No clear relationship between neuroimaging and neuropsychological impairments was found. Interpretation, Children with SBH demonstrate cognitive, academic, social, and behavioural problems, with the greatest difficulties in processing speed and complex cognitive skills. [source] The moderating role of personality factors in the relationship between depression and neuropsychological functioning among older adultsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 9 2009Brian J. Ayotte Abstract Objective Depression is often associated with decreased cognitive performance among older adults. The current study focused on the association of neuropsychological functioning and personality traits in depressed and non-depressed older adults. Methods Data from 75 depressed and 103 non-depressed adults over the age of 60 were analyzed. All participants underwent standardized clinical assessment for depression prior to participation and completed the NEO-PI-R and a series of neuropsychological assessments. Results A series of multiple linear regressions were conducted to examine the relationships between personality and neuropsychological performance among depressed and non-depressed older adults. Results indicated that higher Openness to Experience was related to better performance on Parts A and B of the Trail Making Test among depressed older adults, and to better Digit Span Backward performance among all participants. Higher levels of neuroticism were related to poorer performance on Digit Span Backward, but only among depressed older adults. Depressed participants performed more poorly on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test. Conclusions Personality characteristics, particularly Openness to Experience, modified the relationship between depression and neuropsychological functioning among older adults. Results indicate that interventions aimed at increasing one's Openness to Experience could potentially attenuate some of the neuropsychological impairments that are associated with depression. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Patients with problematic opioid use can be weaned from codeine without pain escalationACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 5 2010H. K. NILSEN Background: Brief treatments for chronic non-malignant pain patients with problematic opioid use are warranted. The aims of the present study were to investigate (1) whether it is possible to withdraw codeine use in such patients with a brief cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), (2) whether this could be done without pain escalation and reduction in quality of life and (3) to explore the effects of codeine reduction on neurocognitive functioning. Methods: Eleven patients using codeine daily corresponding to 40,100 mg morphine were included. Two specifically trained physicians treated the patients with six CBT sessions, tapering codeine gradually within 8 weeks. Codeine use, pain intensity, quality of life and neuropsychological functioning were assessed at pre-treatment to the 3-month follow-up. Results: Codeine use was significantly reduced from mean 237 mg [standard deviation (SD) 65] pre-treatment to 45 mg (SD 66) post-treatment and to 48 mg (SD 65) at follow-up without significant pain escalation or reductions in quality of life. Moreover, neuropsychological functioning improved significantly on some tests, while others remained unchanged. Conclusion: The promising findings of codeine reduction in this weaning therapy programme for pain patients with problematic opioid use should be further evaluated in a larger randomized control trial comparing this brief CBT with both another brief treatment and attention placebo condition. [source] Acute neuropsychological effects of methylphenidate in stimulant drug-naïve boys with ADHD II , broader executive and non-executive domainsTHE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 11 2006Sinéad M. Rhodes Background:, Accumulating evidence supports methylphenidate-induced enhancement of neuropsychological functioning in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The present study was designed to investigate the acute effects of the psychostimulant drug, methylphenidate (MPH), on neuropsychological performance in stimulant naïve boys with ADHD. Methods:, Seventy-three drug-naïve boys (age 7,15) with ADHD (combined type) completed neuropsychological tasks from the CANTAB battery under randomised, placebo controlled, double-blind conditions following an acute challenge with either placebo (n = 24), .3 (n = 25) or .6 (n = 24) mg/kg oral MPH. Results:, MPH did not impair performance on any task. MPH (.6 mg/kg) lengthened response latencies on a task of Spatial Recognition, shortened response times on a Reaction Time task and restored performance on a Delayed Matching to Sample visual, non-working memory task. Contrary to predictions, MPH did not enhance performance on tasks with a prominent executive component, including Go/NoGo, Spatial Working Memory, Stockings of Cambridge and Attentional Set shifting tasks. Conclusions:, Acute administration of MPH to drug-naïve boys with ADHD did not impair neuropsychological performance. Acute MPH enhanced performance on some aspects of non-executive functioning. MPH-induced slowing of responding on a relatively complex Spatial Recognition memory task and quickened responding on a reaction time task requiring less cognitive resources suggests that MPH may act by improving self-regulatory ability. MPH may not exert its effects on neuropsychological functioning by enhancing executive processes. [source] Relations between fatigue, neuropsychological functioning, and physical activity after treatment for breast carcinomaCANCER, Issue 9 2002Daily self-report, objective behavior Abstract BACKGROUND Previous research indicates that disease free breast carcinoma survivors who experienced severe fatigue also had many problems with regard to neuropsychological functioning and physical activity, measured with general self-report questionnaires. Both neuropsychological functioning and physical activity can be measured with daily self-report measures in addition to measures of objective behavior. The main objective of this study was to examine the relations between 1) fatigue and 2) daily self-reported and objective measures of neuropsychological functioning and physical activity. METHODS Disease free breast carcinoma survivors and age-matched women with no history of breast carcinoma filled out a daily self-observation list and wore an actometer during a period of 12 days. Furthermore, they performed two standardized tests to assess neuropsychological functioning. RESULTS No differences were found between severely fatigued disease free breast carcinoma survivors, nonseverely fatigued disease free breast carcinoma survivors, and women in a control group with regard to daily self-reported and objective physical activity. The severely fatigued disease free patients reported more impairment in neuropsychological functioning on daily questionnaires compared with nonseverely fatigued disease free patients and women in the control group. However, no differences were found between these three groups on a standardized concentration task. On a standardized reaction time task, no significant differences were found between the two groups of disease free breast carcinoma survivors: However, women in the severely fatigued group had a significantly longer reaction time compared with women in the control group. CONCLUSIONS Fatigue is correlated strongly with daily self-reported neuropsychological functioning, but not with objective neuropsychological functioning, in a laboratory setting. In the current study, fatigue was not correlated with daily self-reported and objective physical activity. Cancer 2002;95:2017,26. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10891 [source] Neurocognitive Functioning in Bipolar DisorderCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY: SCIENCE AND PRACTICE, Issue 2 2009Aude Henin Neuropsychological processes may have direct bearing on the emotional dysregulation and functional impairments characteristic of bipolar disorder. Neuropsychological deficits that have been identified in adults and children with bipolar disorder include impairments in executive functions, declarative memory, attentional processes, and possibly working memory. Structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies of adults and children with bipolar disorder also indicate abnormalities in regions thought to underlie these neuropsychological deficits, including the basal ganglia, amygdala, and dorsolateral, orbitofrontal, and anterior cingulate cortices. Study of this area is made challenging by the heterogeneity of bipolar disorder, the heterogeneity of neuropsychological deficits among groups of patients with different clinical characteristics, the lack of specificity of neurocognitive deficits for bipolar disorder, and difficulty ascertaining whether deficits are inherent in the disorder, predate the disorder, or are influenced by mood state, course, treatment, and comorbidity with other disorders. In this review, we integrate the literature on neuropsychological functioning and neuroimaging in both children and adults with bipolar disorder, propose a nascent integrative model of cognitive function in bipolar disorder, and make suggestions for future studies and model development. [source] | |||||||||||||