scholarly journals Two Cheers for the Cognitive Irregulars: Intelligence’s Contributions to Ageing Well and Staying Alive

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Ian J. Deary
Keyword(s):  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Applied Research ◽  
Intelligence Tests ◽  
Cognitive Tests ◽  
Psychometric Tests ◽  
Psychometric Test ◽  
Cognitive Ageing ◽  
Brain Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Intelligence

Here, intelligence is taken to mean scores from psychometric tests of cognitive functions. This essay describes how cognitive tests offer assessments of brain functioning—an otherwise difficult-to-assess organ—that have proved enduringly useful in the field of health and medicine. The two “consequential world problems” (the phrase used by the inviters of this essay) addressed in this article are (i) the ageing of modern societies (and the resulting increase in the numbers of people with ageing-related cognitive decrements and dementias) and (ii) health inequalities, including mortality. Cognitive tests have an ubiquitous place in both of these topics, i.e., the important fields of cognitive ageing and cognitive epidemiology, respectively. The cognitive tests that have sprouted in these fields are often brief and not mainstream, large psychometric test batteries; I refer to them as ‘irregulars’. These two problems are not separate, because results found with mental/cognitive/intelligence tests have produced a growing understanding that intelligence and health have a reciprocal, life-long relationship. Intelligence tests contribute to the applied research that is trying to help people to stay sharp, stay healthy, and stay alive.

scholarly journals Repeating the same mistakes: A century of research interested in the effects of bilingualism on non-linguistic cognitive functions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Mattschey
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Development ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Intelligence Tests ◽  
Background Factors ◽  
Matched Samples

At the beginning of the 20th Century, researchers became increasingly interested in the effects of bilingualism on cognitive development. With the emergence of the first standardised intelligence tests, it quickly became clear that bilinguals of all ages performed worse on them than their monolingual peers. Bilingualism was subsequently considered to be detrimental to non-verbal cognitive development. In these early studies, poorly matched samples of bilinguals and monolinguals repeatedly produced results suggesting adverse effects of bilingualism on non-linguistic cognitive functions due to unrelated background factors and/or unsuitable tests. This interest in how bilingualism affects non-linguistic cognitive abilities has continued through time, reflecting trends in psychological research. Researcher addressed its effect on meta-cognition and meta-linguistics in the 1970s and 1980s, before the focus shifted towards executive functioning in the 1990s. However, recent research suggests we may be repeating the same mistakes: poorly matched groups, no accounting for background factors, and inappropriate tasks.

Cognitive Assessment in Education in a Multicultural Society

1995 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 158-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Helms-Lorenz ◽  
Fons J. R. Van de Vijver
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
School Achievement ◽  
Intelligence Tests ◽  
Item Bias ◽  
Cognitive Tests ◽  
Multicultural Society ◽  
Verbal Skills

The question is raised whether instruments used for cognitive assessment in educational settings such as school achievement tests and intelligence tests are adequate for a multicultural society. Empirical studies often show that migrant pupils score consistently lower on these tests than native pupils. Various factors are discussed that can challenge the equivalence (and hence, the comparability) of the test scores obtained in these groups such as intergroup differences in verbal skills, in cultural values and norms, and in test-wiseness. Commonly applied remedies to enhance the suitability of cognitive tests are discussed: adaptation of existing tests, the use of different norms, statistical and linguistic procedures to correct for item bias, and the development of new tests. Conclusions and implications are discussed.

Psychometric Test Scores and School Behavior of Girls Identified as Daydreamers by Their Teachers

1976 ◽  
Vol 42 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1307-1313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Leviton ◽  
Jane Schulman ◽  
Paula Yaney ◽  
Ruth Strassfeld
Keyword(s):  
Peer Relations ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Classroom Teachers ◽  
Psychometric Tests ◽  
School Behavior ◽  
Psychometric Test ◽  
Bender Gestalt Test

14 daydreaming Ss were compared to 14 nondaydreaming Ss according to the results obtained from psychometric tests and school questionnaires. The daydreamers' scores on the Bender-Gestalt test and on the performance section of the WISC were appreciably more variable than those of the nondaydreamers. This implies heterogeneity within the group of daydreamers. According to their classroom teachers, daydreamers were more likely to have problems with flexibility, distraction, ability to persist at a task, peer relations, and arithmetic. These findings suggest that daydreaming does not occur as an isolated entity.

scholarly journals Neuropsychologist

2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen L. Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Employment Status ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Health Care Team ◽  
Cognitive Tests ◽  
Brain Functioning ◽  
Independent Functioning ◽  
And Behavior

It has been estimated that at least half of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience some degree of cognitive dysfunction, which can negatively affect employment status and quality of life. Many MS patients are referred for neuropsychological evaluation to assess their cognitive abilities. This article describes the evaluation process and the role of the neuropsychologist on a multidisciplinary MS health-care team. A neuropsychologist is trained in relationships between brain functioning and behavior and can administer cognitive tests and provide feedback on the individual's cognitive strengths and weaknesses. The findings can be used to recommend specific types of compensation strategies or other interventions that may help the patient maintain employment and independent functioning.

scholarly journals Applicability of Neuropsychological and Psychometric Tests in Autosomal Recessive Spastic Ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS)

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (Fall 2018) ◽  
pp. 53-67
Author(s):  
Kevin Brassard ◽  
Geneviève Forgues ◽  
Allexe Boivin-Mercier ◽  
Cynthia Gagnon
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Autosomal Recessive ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Psychological Tests ◽  
Psychometric Tests ◽  
Upper Limbs ◽  
Spastic Ataxia ◽  
Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices

Autosomal Recessive Spastic Ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) is a degenerative spinocerebellar disease with pyramidal, cerebellar, and neuropathic impairments. Recent studies highlight possible deficits in cognitive functions like language. Psychometric tests selection implies careful consideration due to upper limbs incoordination and dysarthria. The objective of this study is to document the applicability of 37 neuropsychological and 2 psychological tests in 8 individuals with ARSACS aged between 20 and 60 years. All tests were rated on 4 applicability criteria using a 3-level rating scale: A for excellent; B for acceptable; C for reconsider. Most tests posed few or no applicability limits with ARSACS patients. However, certain tests (e.g., Leiter-3 and Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices) are not recommended due to significant issues related to applicability. These results may help clinicians and researchers working with this population to select evaluations and tests applicable in this population.

scholarly journals Clinical factors affecting evoked magnetic fields in patients with Parkinson’s disease

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryoji Naganuma ◽  
Ichiro Yabe ◽  
Megumi Takeuchi ◽  
Kirari Morishita ◽  
Shingo Nakane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Motor Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Tests ◽  
Evoked Responses ◽  
Evoked Fields

AbstractStudies on evoked responses in Parkinson’s disease (PD) may be useful for elucidating the etiology and quantitative evaluation of PD. However, in previous studies, the association between evoked responses and detailed motor symptoms or cognitive functions has not been clear. This study investigated the characteristics of the visual (VEF), auditory (AEF), and somatosensory (SEF) evoked magnetic fields in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), and the correlations between evoked fields and the patient’s clinical characteristics, motor symptoms, and cognitive functions. Twenty patients with PD and 10 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited as participants. We recorded VEF, AEF, and SEF, collected clinical characteristics, performed physical examinations, and administered 10 cognitive tests. We investigated differences in the latencies of the evoked fields between patients with PD and HCs. We also evaluated the correlation of the latencies with motor symptoms and cognitive functioning. There were significant differences between the two groups in 6 of the cognitive tests, all of which suggested mild cognitive impairment in patients with PD. The latencies of the VEF N75m, P100m, N145m, AEF P50m, P100m, and SEF P60m components were greater in the patients with PD than in the HCs. The latencies mainly correlated with medication and motor symptoms, less so with cognitive tests, with some elements of the correlations remaining significant after Bonferroni correction. In conclusion, the latencies of the VEF, AEF, and SEF were greater in PD patients than in HCs and were mainly correlated with medication and motor symptoms rather than cognitive functioning. Findings from this study suggest that evoked fields may reflect basal ganglia functioning and are candidates for assessing motor symptoms or the therapeutic effects of medication in patients with PD.

Comparison of cognitive functions between first-episode schizophrenia patients, their unaffected siblings and individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (11) ◽  
pp. 1929-1936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel On Ki Chu ◽  
Wing Chung Chang ◽  
Sherry Kit Wa Chan ◽  
Edwin Ho Ming Lee ◽  
Christy Lai Ming Hui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Cognitive Tests ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Digit Symbol ◽  
Clinical High Risk ◽  
First Episode Schizophrenia

AbstractBackgroundCognitive impairment is a core feature of schizophrenia and has been observed in both familial (FHR) and clinical high-risk (CHR) samples. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of research directly contrasting cognitive profiles in these two high-risk states and first-episode schizophrenia. This study aimed to compare cognitive functions in patients with first-episode schizophrenia-spectrum disorder (FES), their unaffected siblings (FHR), CHR individuals and healthy controls.MethodA standardized battery of cognitive assessments was administered to 69 FES patients, 71 help-seeking CHR individuals without family history of psychotic disorder, 50 FHR participants and 68 controls. FES and CHR participants were recruited from territory-wide early intervention service for psychosis in Hong Kong. CHR status was ascertained using Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental State.ResultsAmong four groups, FES patients displayed the largest global cognitive impairment and had medium-to-large deficits across all cognitive tests relative to controls. CHR and FHR participants significantly underperformed in most cognitive tests than controls. Among various cognitive tests, digit symbol coding demonstrated the greatest magnitude of impairment in FES and CHR groups compared with controls. No significant difference between two high-risk groups was observed in global cognition and all individual cognitive tests except digit symbol coding which showed greater deficits in CHR than in FHR participants.ConclusionClinical and familial risk groups experienced largely comparable cognitive impairment that was intermediate between FES and controls. Digit symbol coding may have the greatest discriminant capacity in distinguishing FES and CHR from healthy controls, and between two high-risk samples.

TREATMENT EFFECTS OF VORTIOXETINE ON COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS IN MILD ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS: A 12 MONTH, OPEN-LABEL, OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Cumbo ◽  
S. Cumbo ◽  
S. Torregrossa ◽  
D. Migliore
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cognitive Tests ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Parallel Group ◽  
Study Setting

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:depressive symptoms are common in Alzheimer’s disease(AD). Aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy of vortioxetine compared with other conventional antidepressants on cognitive functions in AD patients with depressive symptoms. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, 12 month, parallel-group study. SETTING: All participants were evaluated on-site at Neurodegenerative Disorders Unit, ASP2 Caltanissetta(Italy). PARTICIPANTS: 108(71 female, 37 male) AD patients with depression(mean age 76.7± 4.3). INTERVENTION: Randomized subjects received vortioxetine, 15 mg/day(n=36) or other common antidepressants(n=72). MEASURES:primary outcome was change from baseline in the MMSE; secondary outcomes were change in Attentive Matrices, Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices, Digit Span, HAM-D and Cornell scale. RESULTS: Statistically significant improvement vs. controls was observed for vortioxetine on most of the cognitive tests and showed significantly baseline-to-endpoint reduction in both HAM-D and Cornell total scores.The most commonly reported adverse events were nausea and headache for votioxetine; nausea in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Vortioxetine had a beneficial effect on cognition and mood in elderly AD patients and was safe and well tolerated.

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