Elevated Anxiety Relates to Future Executive Dysfunction: A Cross-Lagged Panel Network Analysis of Psychopathology and Cognitive Functioning Components

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Hani Zainal ◽  
Michelle G. Newman
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Causal Inferences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Motor Behaviors ◽  
Global Cognition

Background: Vulnerability models posit that reduced cognitive functioning abilities (e.g., verbal fluency, working memory (WM)) precede and relate to future heightened psychopathology. Conversely, scar theory postulates that elevated psychopathology coincides with subsequent reduced cognitive functioning. However, most studies so far have been cross-sectional and tested global cognitive functioning-psychopathology relations. Objective: Thus, we used cross-lagged panel network analysis (CLPN) to facilitate causal inferences and differentiation of components on this topic. Method: Community adults (n = 856) participated in this eight-year study across four waves of assessment, each spaced about two years apart. Nine psychopathology components (aberrant motor behaviors (AMB), agitation, apathy, anxiety, delusions, depression, disinhibition, hallucinations, irritability) and seven cognitive functioning (attention, episodic memory, global cognition, language, processing speed, verbal fluency, WM) multi-item nodes were assessed with various performance-based cognitive functioning tests and the caregiver-rated Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Results: Contemporaneous networks consistently showed negative associations among global cognition/verbal fluency and agitation, AMB, or hallucinations, during all waves of assessment. Nodes that were most influential across communities in contemporaneous networks were delusions, depression, WM, and verbal fluency. For temporal networks, heightened anxiety (versus other neuropsychiatric nodes), had the largest negative relations with future decreased executive and related cognitive functioning nodes. Further, executive function nodes (e.g., verbal fluency) tended to be impacted by, rather than influential on, other nodes, across all time-points. Discussion: Findings supported scar (vs. vulnerability) model. The efficacy of evidence-based cognitive-behavioral and related psychopharmacological treatments may be enhanced by adding executive function training. Other theoretical and clinical implications were discussed.

scholarly journals EXPRESS: Trajectories of verbal fluency and executive functions in multilingual and monolingual children and adults: A cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
pp. 174702182110267
Author(s):  
Roberto Filippi ◽  
Andrea Ceccolini ◽  
Peter Bright
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Fluid Intelligence ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Lexical Retrieval ◽  
Cross Sectional

The development of verbal fluency is associated with the maturation of executive function skills, such as the ability to inhibit irrelevant information, shift between tasks and hold information in working memory. Some evidence suggests that multilinguistic upbringing may underpin disadvantages in verbal fluency and lexical retrieval, but can also afford executive function advantages beyond the language system including possible beneficial effects in older age. This study examined the relationship between verbal fluency and executive function in 324 individuals across the lifespan by assessing the developmental trajectories of English monolingual and multilingual children aged 7 to 15 years (N=154) and adults from 18 to 80 years old (N=170). The childhood data indicated patterns of improvement in verbal fluency and executive function skills as a function of age. Multilingual and monolingual children had comparable developmental trajectories in all linguistic and non-linguistic measures used in the study with the exception of planning, for which monolingual children showed a steeper improvement over the studied age range relative to multilingual children. For adults, monolinguals and multilingual participants had comparable performance on all measures with the exception of non-verbal inhibitory control and response times on the Tower of London task: monolinguals showed a steeper decline associated with age. Exploratory factor analysis indicated that verbal fluency was associated with working memory and fluid intelligence in monolingual participants but not in multilinguals. These findings raise the possibility that early acquisition of an additional language may impact on the development of the functional architecture serving high-level human cognition.

Cognitive functioning in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a meta-analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 1121-1130 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Y. Shin ◽  
T. Y. Lee ◽  
E. Kim ◽  
J. S. Kwon
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Confounding Factors ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Pubmed Database

BackgroundSubstantial empirical evidence has indicated impairment in the cognitive functioning of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) despite inconsistencies. Although several confounding factors have been investigated to explain the conflicting results, the findings remain mixed. This study aimed to investigate cognitive dysfunction in patients with OCD using a meta-analytic approach.MethodThe PubMed database was searched between 1980 and October 2012, and reference lists of review papers were examined. A total of 221 studies were identified, of which 88 studies met inclusion criteria. Neuropsychological performance and demographic and clinical variables were extracted from each study.ResultsPatients with OCD were significantly impaired in tasks that measured visuospatial memory, executive function, verbal memory and verbal fluency, whereas auditory attention was preserved in these individuals. The largest effect size was found in the ability to recall complex visual stimuli. Overall effect estimates were in the small to medium ranges for executive function, verbal memory and verbal fluency. The effects of potentially confounding factors including educational level, symptom severity, medication status and co-morbid disorders were not significant.ConclusionsPatients with OCD appear to have wide-ranging cognitive deficits, although their impairment is not so large in general. The different test forms and methods of testing may have influenced the performance of patients with OCD, indicating the need to select carefully the test forms and methods of testing used in future research. The effects of various confounding variables on cognitive functioning need to be investigated further and to be controlled before a definite conclusion can be made.

Cerebral Microbleeds are Associated with Impairments in Executive Function and Processing Speed

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Xuanting Li ◽  
Junliang Yuan ◽  
Wei Qin ◽  
Lei Yang ◽  
Shuna Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Global Cognitive Function

Background: Cerebral microbleed (CMB) is an increasingly important risk factor for cognitive impairment due to population aging. Controversies, however, remain regarding the exact association between CMB and cognitive dysfunction. Objective: We aimed to determine the relationship between CMB burden and cognitive impairment, and also explore the characteristics of cognitive decline in CMB patients for middle-aged and elderly people. Methods: The present cross-sectional study included 174 participants (87 CMB patients and 87 controls) who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging and a battery of neuropsychological test. Global cognitive function was measured using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Compound z-scores were calculated for three cognitive subdomains: memory, executive function and processing speed. Results: CMB patients had lower scores of MMSE (p <  0.001) and MoCA (p <  0.001). Patients at each category of CMB count had worse performance in global cognitive function and all three cognitive subdomains (p <  0.001). In multiple linear regression models, CMB patients had significantly greater declines in executive function (p <  0.001), processing speed (p <  0.001), and MoCA (p = 0.003) with increasing number of CMB. We found no relationship between CMB location and cognition (p <  0.05). Conclusion: CMB is associated with impairment in global cognition as well as for all tested subdomains. Strongest effect sizes were seen for tests which rely on executive functioning, where performance deficits increased in proportion to degree of CMB burden. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate whether the association between CMB and executive dysfunction is causal.

Cardiometabolic risk, biological sex, and age do not share an interactive relationship with cognitive function: A cross-sectional analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Stanley Falck ◽  
John R. Best ◽  
Jennifer C. Davis ◽  
Cindy K. Barha ◽  
Karim M Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Cardiometabolic Risk ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Interactive Relationship

It is unclear whether cardiometabolic risk shares an interactive relationship with age-associated differences in cognition, and whether this relationship varies by biological sex. We conducted a cross-sectional analyses using baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (2010-2015) to examine whether: 1) cardiometabolic risk has an interactive relationship with age-associated cognition; and 2) interactive effects are sex-dependent. We measured memory, executive function, and verbal fluency in the Comprehensive cohort (n=25,830; 45-86 years). Each cognitive domain was modeled using restricted cubic splines for age and each cardiometabolic risk factor (HbA1c, HSCRP, TG, and LDL and HDL cholesterol). Sex was included as a predictor in all models. Wald chi-square statistics were used to determine the relative importance of age, cardiometabolic risk, sex, and their interactive effects on cognition. Age was the most important variable in each model (proportion χ2=34-48%). Biological sex was the second most important variable for memory (proportion χ2=26%), but was unimportant for executive function and verbal fluency (proportion χ2=3-5%). Cardiometabolic risk factors were unimportant predictors in each model (proportion χ2=1-3%). Two and three-way interactions between cardiometabolic risk, age, and sex were also unimportant (proportion χ2=0-2%). Thus, cardiometabolic risk factors did not meaningfully account for age-associated differences in cognition, and these associations (or lack thereof) did not vary by sex. Novelty: Males have poorer age-associated cognitive performance than females Females and males differ in cardiometabolic risk across middle and older adulthood Cardiometabolic risk has a small association with age-associated cognition, and there are no sex differences in this relationship

scholarly journals Neurocognitive Function in Persons with HIV and Healthy Controls from Tijuana, a Border Region in Mexico

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 1253-1253
Author(s):  
M L Garcia Gomar ◽  
A J Negrete Cortes ◽  
R Chavez Mendez ◽  
N Castillo Martinez ◽  
A Morlett Paredes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Neurocognitive Function ◽  
Mexican Population ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Cohen’S D ◽  
Global Cognition ◽  
Cohen's D

Abstract Objective To examine neurocognitive impairment (NCI) in vulnerable HIV infected (HIV+) adults in Mexico. Participants and Method Twenty-eight adults (15 HIV+ and 13 HIV-) living in Tijuana (Mexico) participated in the study (Age: M = 40.5, SD = 11.1; 54% female; Education: M = 8.6, SD = 4.7). Participants with HIV were recruited from the board-and-care home “Las Memorias” (100% AIDS; 93% on ART; Years since HIV diagnosis: Median = 11, IQR = 5,16). Healthy controls, matched in age and education to HIV+ participants, were recruited from the same city. Participants completed a neuropsychological test battery which was comprised of the Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, letter and animal fluency, Trail Making Test Parts A and B, Stroop Color-Word Test, and Symbol-Digit Test. Raw scores garnered from these tests were transformed to percentiles using norms for a Mexican population, and averaged to calculate scores on global cognition and on three cognitive domains (verbal fluency, processing speed and executive function). Wilcoxon rank sum tests were conducted to investigate group differences. NCI was defined as global percentile scores &lt; 16. Results HIV+ participants showed significantly lower scores in global cognition (p = .04, Cohen’s d = 0.86), as well as the domains of processing speed (p = .03, Cohen’s d = 0.87) and executive function (p = .04, Cohen’s d = 0.84), with no significant differences (but medium effect sizes) on verbal fluency (p = .10, Cohen’s d = 0.60). NCI was evident in 53% of HIV+ persons and 15% of healthy controls. Conclusions Approximately half of the persons living with HIV showed notable NCI, which is consistent with findings of prior studies of Latinos in the US with HIV. This pattern of neurocognitive function was also similar to those of prior studies in HIV. Future studies might examine key predictors of HIV-associated NCI in this vulnerable Mexican population, including biological and culturally relevant factors: such as deportation, and discrimination for sexual preference or HIV status.

Front Desk Duty Multitasking Test After Mild Stroke: Preliminary Reliability and Validity

2020 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 372-381
Author(s):  
Ginger L. Carroll ◽  
Mary Radomski ◽  
Jerry Halsten ◽  
Amy Meyers ◽  
Stacey Rabusch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Rater Reliability ◽  
Community Controls ◽  
Front Desk ◽  
Mild Stroke

Background. Performance-based multitasking assessments may be more sensitive than cognitive screens to detect executive dysfunction after a mild stroke. Purpose. This cross-sectional study examined inter-rater reliability and preliminary convergent and discriminant validity of the Front Desk Duty Test (FDDT). Method. Adults with mild stroke ( n = 35) and community controls ( n = 33) were administered the FDDT and other measures of executive functions. Findings. Inter-rater reliability of the FDDT subscores were high (ICC 0.971–0.999). There were weak but statistically significant correlations between participants’ scores on some of the executive function tests and some FDDT subscores. Participants with mild stroke and community controls had statistically significant different FDDT scores (performance accuracy p = .006; performance time, p = .033), with rank order FDDT score patterns across community controls, participants with mild stroke who passed the executive function screen, and participants with mild stroke who failed the executive function screen. Implications. Preliminary validation results suggest that the FDDT warrants further study.

Milk, yogurt and cheese intake is positively associated with cognitive executive functions in older adults of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Julie Tessier ◽  
Nancy Presse ◽  
Elham Rahme ◽  
Guylaine Ferland ◽  
Louis Bherer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Dairy Product ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Psychomotor Speed ◽  
Low Fat ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract Background Dairy products provide essential nutrients such as calcium, vitamins B12 and D, and include bioactive peptides and fermented products, which may be beneficial for cognition, especially in older adults. Yet, few studies of large contemporary cohorts have investigated this relationship using sensitive domain-specific cognitive tests. Methods In community-dwelling older adults of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (2011-2015), we examined cross-sectional associations between total and specific dairy product intake and performance in three cognitive domains (executive functions, memory, psychomotor speed). Cheese, milk, yogurt, regular-fat, low-fat and fermented dairy product intake frequencies were estimated using a food frequency questionnaire; participants were classified into quartiles. MANCOVA models were applied to estimate differences. Results In 7,945 participants (65-86 y, 49% women, 97% Caucasian), the mean dairy product intake was 1.9 (1.1) times/d. Total dairy product, cheese and low-fat dairy product intake were positively associated with the executive function domain and yogurt intake with the memory domain (all p&lt;0.05), independently of important covariates including age, gender, education and diet quality. Intakes of total dairy product, cheese and low-fat dairy were associated with verbal fluency specifically (all p&lt;0.05). Participants with a dairy product intake &gt; 2.5 times/d had a higher score compared to those consuming less. No associations were found with psychomotor speed. Conclusions This large cohort study suggests a specific role for dairy components in executive function phonemic verbal fluency and memory. Dairy product intake, a modifiable factor, may be targeted in cognitive health-promoting interventions.

scholarly journals A Cross-Lagged Prospective Network Analysis of Common Mental Health and Cognitive Functioning Components in Midlife Community Adult Women

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Hani Zainal ◽  
Michelle G. Newman
Keyword(s):  
Network Analysis ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Depressed Mood ◽  
Somatic Symptoms ◽  
Interpersonal Problems ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Adult Women ◽  
Causal Inferences ◽  
Vulnerability Theory

Background: The scar theory proposes that heightened depression and anxiety precede and predict worse cognitive functioning outcomes, whereas the vulnerability model posits the opposite pathway. However, most investigations on this topic have been cross-sectional, which precludes causal inferences. Thus, our study used both contemporaneous and temporal cross-lagged panel network analysis to facilitate causal inferences in understanding the relations between psychopathology components and cognitive functioning. Methods: Racially-diverse midlife women (n = 3,302) participated in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation across two time-points, spanning one year apart. Five psychopathology (anxiety symptoms, depressed mood, somatic symptoms, positive affect, interpersonal problems) and cognitive functioning nodes (working memory (WM), processing speed (PS), visual memory (VSM), auditory memory (ARM)) were assessed. Results: Contemporaneous networks yielded notable inverse between-node relations (edges) for interpersonal problems and reduced VSM and PS, and between depressed mood or anxiety symptoms and VSM, ARM, or PS. Moreover, nodes that had the highest likelihood to bridge psychopathology and cognitive functioning constructs were positive affect, anxiety symptoms, WM, and ARM. Temporal networks produced edges inconsistent with the vulnerability theory. Higher depressed mood and somatic symptoms and lower positive affect were related to reduced future PS, WM, and/or VSM. Likewise, greater interpersonal issues and anxiety symptoms were linked to poorer future ARM and WM. Also, positive affect had the strongest effect on future nodes. Conclusions: These results provide stronger support for the scar theory than the vulnerability theory.

scholarly journals Is There a Relation Between Caregiver Burden and Cognitive Dysfunction in Huntington’s Disease?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. Schumacher-Kuiper ◽  
A. M. van Loon ◽  
C. F. W. Peeters ◽  
M. R. Ekkel ◽  
C. M. P. M. Hertogh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Network Analysis ◽  
Huntington's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Huntington’S Disease ◽  
Caregiver Burden ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Repeat Length ◽  
Cag Repeat ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Indirect Relationship

Abstract Caring for a family member with Huntington’s disease (HD) can be seriously burdensome. Cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms that are part of HD can impact the quality of life of caregivers. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between caregiver burden, cognitive impairment and patient characteristics. A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed on 33 adult HD-outpatient-caregiver dyads. We assessed caregiver burden and cognitive functioning of the included patient on the same day with the MCSI and MoCA respectively. For statistical analysis, we performed a network analysis and used descriptive statistics to describe our study sample. Caregivers scored on average 13.5 out of 26 points on the MCSI. The scores on the MoCA of the HD patients varied from 9 to 30 and was on average 22. Our network analysis demonstrated an indirect relationship between cognitive functioning and caregiver burden, in which CAG repeat length and the time since HD has been diagnosed are the primary mediators. We found a negative association between CAG repeat length and cognitive functioning. Furthermore, a relationship was found between higher caregiver burden and psychotropic drug use. We observed an indirect relationship between cognitive functioning and caregiver burden using network analysis. This analysis produces comprehensible results with the variables of interest. This study sheds new light on the components that make up caregiver burden in HD.

scholarly journals Age and educational level effects on the performance of normal elderly on category verbal fluency tasks

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helenice Charchat Fichman ◽  
Conceição Santos Fernandes ◽  
Ricardo Nitrini ◽  
Roberto Alves Lourenço ◽  
Emylucy Martins de Paiva Paradela ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Semantic Memory ◽  
Educational Level ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Literacy Learning ◽  
Healthy Elderly ◽  
Neuropsychological Evaluations ◽  
Function Language

Abstract Cognitive decline, particularly executive dysfunction, is observed in normal aging. In Brazil, the elderly population presents broad educational diversity. Category verbal fluency tests are frequently used to detect cognitive impairment, assessing executive function, language and semantic memory. Objective: To investigate the effects of age and education on category animal fluency task (CAF) in healthy elderly. Methods: We evaluated 319 healthy elderly from outpatient care units of two university reference centers of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The sample was divided into two age, and five schooling subgroups. To be included participants had to demonstrate preservation of global cognitive functioning, independence for activities of daily living and not fulfill diagnostic criteria for dementia. All participants were submitted to neurological and neuropsychological evaluations. Results: There was a correlation between age and CAF performance (r= -0.26, p<0.01), which was not confirmed when years of education were included as a covariant in univariate ANCOVA. Significant differences were found in CAF performance among the different educational level groups on correlation analysis (r=0.42, p<0.01) and ANCOVA analysis (F=18.8, p<0.05). Illiteracy was associated with worst CAF performance, while university level was associated with best performance. Conclusion: The best CAF performance was found in the first years of schooling (literacy learning process) compared to illiteracy, and when finishing high school and starting university courses compared to all other educational levels. These stages are associated with significant gains in semantic memory and executive function which are critical for verbal fluency performance.

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