Showing papers on "Verbal learning published in 2010"

Neuropsychology of the Prodrome to Psychosis in the NAPLS Consortium: Relationship to Family History and Conversion to Psychosis

Abstract: Context Early detection and prospective evaluation of clinical high-risk (CHR) individuals who may develop schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders is critical for predicting psychosis onset and for testing preventive interventions. Objectives To elucidate the neuropsychology of the CHR syndrome, to determine the association of neuropsychological function with conversion to psychosis and family history of psychosis, and to examine whether baseline neuropsychological functioning predicts subsequent psychosis. Design Longitudinal study with 2½ years of follow-up. Setting Eight centers participating in the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study. Participants Three hundred four prospectively identified CHR individuals meeting Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes criteria, 52 non-CHR persons with a family history of psychosis in first- or second-degree relatives (family high-risk group), and 193 normal controls with neither a family history of psychosis nor a CHR syndrome, all of whom underwent baseline neuropsychological evaluations. Main Outcome Measures A neurocognitive composite score, 8 individual neuropsychological measures, an IQ estimate, and high-risk status. Results Global (“composite”) neuropsychological functioning was comparably impaired in the CHR and family high-risk groups compared with controls, but profiles differed significantly between groups. Neuropsychological functioning in the CHR group was significantly lower in persons who progressed to psychosis than in those who did not and was worst in the subgroup with a family history of psychosis. Tests of processing speed and verbal learning and memory were most sensitive in discriminating CHR individuals from controls, although reductions were less severe than in established schizophrenia. Neuropsychological functioning did not contribute uniquely to the prediction of psychosis beyond clinical criteria, but worse verbal memory predicted more rapid conversion. Conclusions These findings document that CHR individuals have significant neuropsychological difficulties, particularly those who later develop psychosis. This dysfunction is generally of moderate severity but less than in first-episode schizophrenia, suggesting that further decline may occur after baseline CHR assessment.

Concord grape juice supplementation improves memory function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment

Abstract: Concord grape juice contains polyphenol compounds, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and influence neuronal signalling Concord grape juice supplementation has been shown to reduce inflammation, blood pressure and vascular pathology in individuals with CVD, and consumption of such flavonoid-containing foods is associated with a reduced risk for dementia In addition, preliminary animal data have indicated improvement in memory and motor function with grape juice supplementation, suggesting potential for cognitive benefit in ageing humans In this initial investigation of neurocognitive effects, we enrolled twelve older adults with memory decline but not dementia in a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial with Concord grape juice supplementation for 12 weeks We observed significant improvement in a measure of verbal learning and non-significant enhancement of verbal and spatial recall There was no appreciable effect of the intervention on depressive symptoms and no effect on weight or waist circumference A small increase in fasting insulin was observed for those consuming grape juice These preliminary findings suggest that supplementation with Concord grape juice may enhance cognitive function for older adults with early memory decline and establish a basis for more comprehensive investigations to evaluate potential benefit and assess mechanisms of action

A meta-analysis of morphological interventions: effects on literacy achievement of children with literacy difficulties

Abstract: This study synthesizes 79 standardized mean-change differences between control and treatment groups from 17 independent studies, investigating the effect of morphological interventions on literacy outcomes for students with literacy difficulties. Average total sample size ranged from 15 to 261 from a wide range of grade levels. Overall, morphological instruction showed a significant improvement on literacy achievement (\( \overline d \) = 0.33). Specifically, its effect was significant on several literacy outcomes such as phonological awareness (\( \overline d \) = 0.49), morphological awareness (\( \overline d \) = 0.40), vocabulary (\( \overline d \) = 0.40), reading comprehension (\( \overline d \) = 0.24), and spelling (\( \overline d \) = 0.20). Morphological instruction was particularly effective for children with reading, learning, or speech and language disabilities, English language learners, and struggling readers, suggesting the possibility that morphological instruction can remediate phonological processing challenges. Other moderators were also explored to explain differences in morphological intervention effects. These findings suggest students with literacy difficulties would benefit from morphological instruction.

Executive Dysfunction Among Children With Reading Comprehension Deficits

Abstract: Emerging research supports the contribution of executive function (EF) to reading comprehension; however, a unique pattern has not been established for children who demonstrate comprehension difficulties despite average word recognition ability (specific reading comprehension deficit; S-RCD). To identify particular EF components on which children with S-RCD struggle, a range of EF skills was compared among 86 children, ages 10 to 14, grouped by word reading and comprehension abilities: 24 average readers, 44 with word recognition deficits (WRD), and 18 S-RCD. An exploratory principal components analysis of EF tests identified three latent factors, used in subsequent group comparisons: Planning/ Spatial Working Memory, Verbal Working Memory, and Response Inhibition. The WRD group exhibited deficits (relative to controls) on Verbal Working Memory and Inhibition factors; S-RCD children performed more poorly than controls on the Planning factor. Further analyses suggested the WRD group's poor performance on EF factors was a by-product of core deficits linked to WRD (after controlling for phonological processing, this group no longer showed EF deficits). In contrast, the S-RCD group's poor performance on the planning component remained significant after controlling for phonological processing. Findings suggest reading comprehension difficulties are linked to executive dysfunction; in particular, poor strategic planning/organizing may lead to reading comprehension problems.

Olfactory dysfunction, central cholinergic integrity and cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease.

Abstract: Olfactory dysfunction is common in subjects with Parkinson’s disease. The pathophysiology of such dysfunction, however, remains poorly understood. Neurodegeneration within central regions involved in odour perception may contribute to olfactory dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease. Central cholinergic deficits occur in Parkinson’s disease and cholinergic neurons innervate regions, such as the limbic archicortex, involved in odour perception. We investigated the relationship between performance on an odour identification task and forebrain cholinergic denervation in Parkinson’s disease subjects without dementia. Fifty-eight patients with Parkinson’s disease (mean Hoehn and Yahr stage 2.5 ± 0.5) without dementia (mean Mini-Mental State Examination, 29.0 ± 1.4) underwent a clinical assessment, [11C]methyl-4-piperidinyl propionate acetylcholinesterase brain positron emission tomography and olfactory testing with the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test. The diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease was confirmed by [11C]dihydrotetrabenazine vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 positron emission tomography. We found that odour identification test scores correlated positively with acetylcholinesterase activity in the hippocampal formation (r = 0.56, P < 0.0001), amygdala (r = 0.50, P < 0.0001) and neocortex (r = 0.46, P = 0.0003). Striatal monoaminergic activity correlated positively with odour identification scores (r = 0.30, P < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis including limbic (hippocampal and amygdala) and neocortical acetylcholinesterase activity as well as striatal monoaminergic activity, using odour identification scores as the dependent variable, demonstrated a significant regressor effect for limbic acetylcholinesterase activity (F = 10.1, P < 0.0001), borderline for striatal monoaminergic activity (F = 1.6, P = 0.13), but not significant for cortical acetylcholinesterase activity (F = 0.3, P = 0.75). Odour identification scores correlated positively with scores on cognitive measures of episodic verbal learning (r = 0.30, P < 0.05). These findings indicate that cholinergic denervation of the limbic archicortex is a more robust determinant of hyposmia than nigrostriatal dopaminergic denervation in subjects with moderately severe Parkinson's disease. Greater deficits in odour identification may identify patients with Parkinson's disease at risk for clinically significant cognitive impairment.

Longitudinal cognitive decline is associated with fibrillar amyloid-beta measured by [11C]PiB

Abstract: Objective: To investigate whether longitudinal declines in cognition are associated with higher fibrillar amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition in vivo in individuals without dementia. Method: [ 11 C]PiB images were obtained to measure fibrillar Aβ burden in 57 participants without dementia from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Participants (33 men, 24 women) had a mean (SD) age of 78.7 (6.2) years. Six participants (4 men, 2 women) had mild cognitive impairment defined as Clinical Dementia Rating = 0.5. To measure [ 11 C]PiB retention, distribution volume ratios (DVR) for 15 regions of interest were estimated by fitting a simplified reference tissue model to the measured time activity curves. Mixed effects regression was used to predict cognitive trajectories over time using data before and including time of PiB (mean follow-up 10.8 years), with mean cortical DVR, age at baseline, sex, and education as independent predictors. Voxel-based analysis identified local associations. Results: [ 11 C]PiB retention was higher in older individuals. Greater declines over time in mental status and verbal learning and memory, but not visual memory, were associated significantly with higher PiB retention. Voxel-based analysis showed significant associations in frontal and lateral temporal regions. Conclusions: Higher Aβ deposition is associated with greater longitudinal decline in mental status and verbal memory in the preceding years. The differential association for verbal but not visual memory may reflect the greater reliance of verbal word list learning on prefrontal regions, which show early Aβ deposition. Prospective imaging may help distinguish between individuals with evolving neuropathology who develop accelerated cognitive decline vs those with normal aging.

A double-blind, sham-controlled trial of transcranial direct current stimulation for the treatment of depression.

Abstract: Two recent sham-controlled studies found that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was an effective treatment for depression. As tDCS is painless, relatively safe and inexpensive, its efficacy in treating depression warrants further investigation. This double-blind, randomized study tested tDCS at the same stimulation parameters as a previous positive study (1 mA current strength, five treatment sessions, active or sham, given on alternate days) in 40 depressed participants. Anodal stimulation was centred over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, with the cathode placed on the lateral aspect of the contralateral orbit. tDCS was continued up to a total of ten active sessions per participant. Mood outcomes were measured by psychiatrist raters blind to treatment condition using the Montgomery-Asberg and other depression rating scales. Psychomotor speed was assessed immediately before and after a single tDCS session and attention, frontal executive function, working memory and verbal learning were assessed after each group of five sessions. Overall depression scores improved significantly over ten tDCS treatments, but there was no between-group difference in the five-session, sham-controlled phase. tDCS was found to be safe, with no adverse effects on neuropsychological function, and only minor side-effects. It is recommended that the efficacy of tDCS in depression be further evaluated over a longer treatment period, using enhanced stimulation parameters.

The International Society for Bipolar Disorders-Battery for Assessment of Neurocognition (ISBD-BANC).

Abstract: Yatham LN, Torres IJ, Malhi GS, Frangou S, Glahn DC, Bearden CE, Burdick KE, Martinez-Aran A, Dittmann S, Goldberg JF, Ozerdem A, Aydemir O, Chengappa KNR. The International Society for Bipolar Disorders–Battery for Assessment of Neurocognition (ISBD-BANC). Bipolar Disord 2010: 12: 351–363. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Objectives: Although cognitive impairment is recognized as an important clinical feature of bipolar disorder, there is no standard cognitive battery that has been developed for use in bipolar disorder research. The aims of this paper were to identify the cognitive measures from the literature that show the greatest magnitude of impairment in bipolar disorder, to use this information to determine whether the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), developed for use in schizophrenia, might be suitable for bipolar disorder research, and to propose a preliminary battery of cognitive tests for use in bipolar disorder research. Methods: The project was conducted under the auspices of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders and involved a committee that comprised researchers with international expertise in the cognitive aspects of bipolar disorder. In order to identify cognitive tasks that show the largest magnitude of impairment in bipolar disorder, we reviewed the literature on studies assessing cognitive functioning (including social cognition) in bipolar disorder. We further provided a brief review of the cognitive overlap between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and evaluated the degree to which tasks included in the MCCB (or other identified tasks) might be suitable for use in bipolar disorder. Results: Based on evidence that cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder are similar in pattern but less severe than in schizophrenia, it was judged that most subtests comprising the MCCB appear appropriate for use in bipolar disorder. In addition to MCCB tests, other specific measures of more complex verbal learning (e.g., the California Verbal Learning Test) or executive function (Stroop Test, Trail Making Test–part B, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test) also show substantial impairment in bipolar disorder. Conclusions: Our analysis reveals that the MCCB represents a good starting point for assessing cognitive deficits in research studies of bipolar disorder, but that other tasks including more complex verbal learning measures and tests of executive function should also be considered in assessing cognitive compromise in bipolar disorder. Several promising cognitive tasks that require further study in bipolar disorder are also presented.

A 4 year follow-up study of cognitive functioning in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract: Aims/hypothesis Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with moderate decrements in cognitive functioning, mainly in verbal memory, information-processing speed and executive functions. How this cognitive profile evolves over time is uncertain. The present study aims to provide detailed information on the evolution of cognitive decrements in type 2 diabetes over time.

Neuroplasticity-Based Cognitive Training in Schizophrenia: An Interim Report on the Effects 6 Months Later

Abstract: Background: New cognitive treatments for schizophrenia are needed that drive persistent gains in cognition and functioning. Using an innovative neuroplasticity-based cognitive training approach, we report our interim findings on the effects on cognition and functional outcome at 6 months after treatment. Methods: Thirty-two clinically stable schizophrenia subjects were randomly assigned to either targeted cognitive training (TCT, N 5 22) or a computer games (CGs) control condition (N 5 10). Twelve TCT subjects completed 50 hours of auditory based training; 10 TCT subjects completed an additional 50 hours of training targeting visual and cognitive control processes. Subjects were assessed on neurocognition and functional outcome after training and at 6-month follow-up. Results: Both TCT subject groups showed significant durable gains at 6 months on measures of verbal learning/memory and cognitive control. Only TCT subjects who completed 100 hours of training showed durable gains on processing speed and global cognition, with nonsignificant improvement in functional outcome. Improved cognition was significantly associated with improved functional outcome at 6 months for TCT subjects. Conclusions: A total of 50 hours of neuroplasticity-based computerized cognitive training appears sufficient to drive improvements in verbal learning/memory and cognitive control that endure 6 months beyond the intervention, but a higher ‘‘dose’’ and more ‘‘broadspectrum’’ training may be necessary to drive enduring gains in processing speed and global cognition. Traininginduced cognitive improvement is related to enhanced functioning at 6 months. These data suggest that (1) higher and ‘‘broader’’ doses of cognitive training may confer the most benefits for schizophrenia patients; (2) the posttraining

Speech perception and language acquisition in the first year of life.

Abstract: During the first year of life, infants pass important milestones in language development. We review some of the experimental evidence concerning these milestones in the domains of speech perception, phonological development, word learning, morphosyntactic acquisition, and bilingualism, emphasizing their interactions. We discuss them in the context of their biological underpinnings, introducing the most recent advances not only in language development, but also in neighboring areas such as genetics and the comparative research on animal communication systems. We argue for a theory of language acquisition that integrates behavioral, cognitive, neural, and evolutionary considerations and proposes to unify previously opposing theoretical stances, such as statistical learning, rule-based nativist accounts, and perceptual learning theories.

Do Babies Learn From Baby Media

Abstract: In recent years, parents in the United States and worldwide have purchased enormous numbers of videos and DVDs designed and marketed for infants, many assuming that their children would benefit from watching them. We examined how many new words 12- to 18-month-old children learned from viewing a popular DVD several times a week for 4 weeks at home. The most important result was that children who viewed the DVD did not learn any more words from their monthlong exposure to it than did a control group. The highest level of learning occurred in a no-video condition in which parents tried to teach their children the same target words during everyday activities. Another important result was that parents who liked the DVD tended to overestimate how much their children had learned from it. We conclude that infants learn relatively little from infant media and that their parents sometimes overestimate what they do learn.

Neurocognitive dysfunction and psychosocial outcome in patients with bipolar I disorder at 15-year follow-up.

Abstract: Objective—Despite increasing interest in cognitive dysfunction in bipolar disorder, little is known about its impact on functional outcome relative to affective symptoms. Method—A total of 33 bipolar I subjects were evaluated at index hospitalization and prospectively followed up 15 years later. Affective symptoms, cognition, global functioning, work, and social adjustment were assessed at follow-up and analyzed by linear regression. Results—Global functional impairment was significantly associated with poor performance on a cognitive measure of processing speed (WAIS Digit Symbol). Digit symbol performance also was the sole significant predictor of social functioning. Neither symptom severity nor course of illness features significantly contributed to global and social functioning. In contrast, verbal learning deficits, recent depression, and lifetime hospitalizations all were independently associated with work disability. Conclusion—Processing speed is robustly associated with social and global functioning in bipolar disorder. Poor work functioning is significantly related to subsyndromal depression, course of illness, and verbal learning deficits. Cognitive and mood symptoms warrant consideration as independent determinants of functioning in patients with bipolar disorder many years after an index manic episode.

Sensitivity of 24-month-olds to the prior inaccuracy of the source: Possible mechanisms.

Abstract: Three studies examined 24-month-olds' sensitivity to the prior accuracy of the source of information and the way in which young children modify their word learning from inaccurate sources. In Experiments 1A, 2, and 3, toddlers interacted with an accurate or inaccurate speaker who trained and tested children's comprehension of a new word-object link. In Experiment 1, children performed less systematically in response to an inaccurate than to an accurate source. In Experiments 2 and 3, after toddlers' comprehension of the new word-object links was tested by the original source, a second speaker requested the target objects. In Experiment 2, children responded randomly in response to the second speaker's requests when novel words were previously presented by an inaccurate source. In Experiment 3, toddlers responded randomly in response to both speakers in the inaccurate condition when their memory for words was taxed by a brief delay period. Taken together, these findings suggest that toddlers attend to accuracy information, that they treat inaccuracy as a feature of a particular individual, and that the word-object representations formed as a result may be fragile and short lived. Findings are discussed in terms of possible mechanisms by which children adjust their word learning from problematic speakers.

Functional topography of the cerebellum in verbal working memory.

Abstract: Speech—both overt and covert—facilitates working memory by creating and refreshing motor memory traces, allowing new information to be received and processed. Neuroimaging studies suggest a functional topography within the sub-regions of the cerebellum that subserve verbal working memory. Medial regions of the anterior cerebellum support overt speech, consistent with other forms of motor execution such as finger tapping, whereas lateral portions of the superior cerebellum support speech planning and preparation (e.g., covert speech). The inferior cerebellum is active when information is maintained across a delay, but activation appears to be independent of speech, lateralized by modality of stimulus presentation, and possibly related to phonological storage processes. Motor (dorsal) and cognitive (ventral) channels of cerebellar output nuclei can be distinguished in working memory. Clinical investigations suggest that hyper-activity of cerebellum and disrupted control of inner speech may contribute to certain psychiatric symptoms.

Why we respond faster to the self than to others? An implicit positive association theory of self-advantage during implicit face recognition

Abstract: Human adults usually respond faster to their own faces rather than to those of others. We tested the hypothesis that an implicit positive association (IPA) with self mediates self-advantage in face recognition through 4 experiments. Using a self-concept threat (SCT) priming that associated the self with negative personal traits and led to a weakened IPA with self, we found that self-face advantage in an implicit face-recognition task that required identification of face orientation was eliminated by the SCT priming. Moreover, the SCT effect on self-face recognition was evident only with the left-hand responses. Furthermore, the SCT effect on self-face recognition was observed in both Chinese and American participants. Our findings support the IPA hypothesis that defines a social cognitive mechanism of self-advantage in face recognition.

What automated vocal analysis reveals about the vocal production and language learning environment of young children with autism.

Abstract: The study compared the vocal production and language learning environments of 26 young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to 78 typically developing children using measures derived from automated vocal analysis. A digital language processor and audio-processing algorithms measured the amount of adult words to children and the amount of vocalizations they produced during 12-h recording periods in their natural environments. The results indicated significant differences between typically developing children and children with ASD in the characteristics of conversations, the number of conversational turns, and in child vocalizations that correlated with parent measures of various child characteristics. Automated measurement of the language learning environment of young children with ASD reveals important differences from the environments experienced by typically developing children.

Course of neurocognitive deficits in the prodrome and first episode of schizophrenia.

Abstract: Understanding the trajectory of cognitive changes in the development of schizophrenia may shed light on the neurodevelopmental processes in the beginning stage of illness. Subjects at risk for psychosis (AR, n = 48), patients in their first episode of schizophrenia (FE, n = 20), and normal comparison subjects (n = 29) were assessed on a neurocognitive battery at baseline and at a 6-month follow-up. There were significant group differences across all cognitive domains as well as a significant group by time interaction in the verbal learning domain. After statistically controlling for practice effects and regression to the mean, a high proportion of FE subjects showed an improvement in verbal learning, and a significant number of AR subjects improved in general intelligence. Moreover, a higher than expected percentage of FE subjects, as well as AR subjects who later converted to psychosis, showed a deterioration in working memory and processing speed. These inconsistent trajectories suggest that some domains may improve with stabilization in the early stages of psychosis, whereas others may decline with progression of the illness, indicating possible targets for cognitive remediation strategies and candidate vulnerability markers for future psychosis.

Neuropsychological profiles of young people with type 1 diabetes 12 yr after disease onset.

Abstract: Lin A, Northam EA, Rankins D, Werther GA, Cameron FJ Neuropsychological profiles of young people with type 1 diabetes 12 yr after disease onset Background: Lowered neuropsychological performance is evident in youth with type 1 diabetes, although evidence for associations with specific illness variables is inconsistent This study examined the neuropsychological profiles of a cohort of youth with type 1 diabetes studied prospectively from diagnosis 12 yr previously Methods: A total of 106 youth with type 1 diabetes and 75 healthy controls participated There were no significant group differences on Full-scale IQ assessed on study entry 12 yr previously, current socioeconomic status, gender distribution, or age Neuropsychological tests assessed eight cognitive domains: verbal abilities, perceptual reasoning, new learning, working memory, non-verbal processing speed, mental efficiency, divided attention, and sustained attention Episodes of serious hypoglycemia and HbA1c levels were recorded from diagnosis Results: Youth with type 1 diabetes performed more poorly than controls on working memory (p < 05) Early onset diabetes was related to poorer sustained (p < 001) and divided attention (p = 001), new learning, and mental efficiency (both p < 05) Hypoglycemia was found to adversely effect verbal abilities, working memory, and non-verbal processing speed (all p < 05) Poorer working memory was associated with hyperglycemia (p < 05) Youth with any combination of two or three illness risk factors (ie, early onset diabetes, hypo-, hyperglycemia), performed more poorly than controls and youth with no or one risk on verbal abilities, working memory, and mental efficiency Conclusions: This study documents poorer neuropsychological performance and its association with illness risk factors in youth with type 1 diabetes Findings suggest that early disease onset and hypoglycemia impact on the developing central nervous system, with hyperglycemia playing a lesser role

Impaired MMN/P3a complex in first-episode psychosis: Cognitive and psychosocial associations

Abstract: Mismatch negativity (MMN) is a neurophysiological indicator of the brain's ability to extract relevant information from an irrelevant background. The P3a orienting response often accompanies MMN in deviance detection paradigms. Both MMN and P3a have been described as reliable biomarkers of schizophrenia. MMN/P3a impairments are associated with deficits in verbal memory and attentional switching, reflecting dysfunctions in the temporal and frontal systems, respectively. It remains unresolved whether MMN/P3a are robust biomarkers of psychosis in first-episode patients. Thirty-four young people (18 to 30years) were assessed in this study; 17 first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients were compared to 17 healthy controls. To elicit MMN/P3a, a two-tone passive auditory oddball paradigm with 8% duration deviants was used; event-related potentials were recorded at frontal, central and temporal (mastoid) sites. Neuropsychological assessments included processing speed, attentional switching, simple attention, and verbal learning and memory. Social functioning and quality of life measures were also obtained. The FEP group showed significantly reduced MMN amplitudes compared to controls. The FEP group also showed significantly reduced P3a amplitudes at frontal and central sites compared with controls. As expected, the FEP group also showed significant deficits in attention and verbal learning/memory. Correlational analyses found strong associations between fronto-central MMN/P3a peak amplitude and cognitive/psychosocial functioning. This study provides evidence of early neurobiological markers in young people with FEP. These findings suggest that MMN/P3a impairments are present at early stages of psychosis and that fundamental pre-attentive/deviance detection deficits may mark the beginning of progressive underlying changes with illness onset. Such deficits in FEP appear to have important links with higher-order cognitive and psychosocial functioning.

Effectiveness of a computerised working memory training in adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities

Abstract: Background: The goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a computerised working memory (WM) training on memory, response inhibition, fluid intelligence, scholastic abilities and the recall of stories in adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities attending special education. Method: A total of 95 adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities were randomly assigned to either a training adaptive to each child's progress in WM, a non-adaptive WM training, or to a control group. Results: Verbal short-term memory (STM) improved significantly from pre- to post-testing in the group who received the adaptive training compared with the control group. The beneficial effect on verbal STM was maintained at follow-up and other effects became clear at that time as well. Both the adaptive and non-adaptive WM training led to higher scores at follow-up than at post-intervention on visual STM, arithmetic and story recall compared with the control condition. In addition, the non-adaptive training group showed a significant increase in visuo-spatial WM capacity. Conclusion: The current study provides the first demonstration that WM can be effectively trained in adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities.

Reduced Hippocampal Activity in Youth with Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms: An fMRI Study

Abstract: Objective Youth who experience interpersonal trauma and have posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) develop cognitive deficits that impact their development. Our goal is to investigate the function of the hippocampus in adolescents with PTSS during a memory processing task. Methods Twenty-seven adolescents between the ages of 10–17 years (16 with PTSS and 11 healthy controls) encoded and retrieved visually presented nouns (Verbal Declarative Memory Task) while undergoing fMRI scanning. Results The PTSS group demonstrated reduced activation of the right hippocampus during the retrieval component of the task. Further, severity of symptoms of avoidance and numbing correlated with reduced left hippocampal activation during retrieval. Conclusions Decreased activity of the hippocampus during a verbal memory task may be a neurofunctional marker of PTSS in youth with history of interpersonal trauma. The results of this study may facilitate the development of focused treatments and may be of utility when assessing treatment outcome for PTSS.

Neurocognitive functioning in patients with bipolar I disorder recently recovered from a first manic episode

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Although cognitive impairment is an important clinical feature of bipolar disorder, it is unknown whether deficits are present at illness onset The purpose of this study was to determine whether neuropsychological impairments are present in clinically stable patients with bipolar disorder shortly after resolution of their first manic episode METHOD: Within a large university medical center, 45 recently diagnosed (DSM-IV-TR) patients with bipolar disorder type I were evaluated after resolution of their first manic episode, along with 25 matched healthy comparison subjects Participants were administered a neuropsychological battery evaluating 5 broad cognitive domains, including verbal/premorbid intellectual functioning, learning/memory, spatial/nonverbal reasoning, attention/processing speed, and executive function Data were collected from July 2004 to August 2007 RESULTS: Relative to controls, patients showed broad impairments in learning/memory, spatial/nonverbal reasoning, executive function, and some aspects of attention (all P < 01) Specifically, deficits were evident on tests assessing sustained attention, attentional and mental set shifting, spatial working memory, nonverbal reasoning, and verbal learning and recall (all P < 01) Cognitive impairments in patients could not be fully attributed to substance abuse, medication status, or residual mood symptoms CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that core neuropsychological deficits in sustained attention, learning and recall, spatial/nonverbal reasoning, and several aspects of executive function are present at illness onset Cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder are, thus, most likely not exclusively attributable to progressive decline associated with increased illness burden, cumulative treatment effects, or chronicity of illness These findings may provide etiologic clues into the illness and identify clinical targets for early treatment