P.016 Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are associated with future development of vascular dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: We aimed to evaluate the association between hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) and future risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. Methods: Systematic searches were performed in MEDLINE and EMBASE up to April 27th, 2020. Exposure of interest included the different types of HDP. Outcomes of interest included dementia incidence, dementia subtype, and cognitive testing. Results: On qualitative review, 4/9 studies showed impaired memory, visual motor processing speed, executive function, and verbal testing in previously preeclamptic women. 2/4 studies showed impaired visual motor processing and subjective cognitive complaints in previously eclamptic women. Six cohort studies involving >2.6 million women were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled hazard ratios (aHR) with 95% confidence intervals were generally adjusted for age at delivery ethnicity, and vascular risk factors. Women with a history of gestational hypertension were more likely to develop vascular dementia (aHR 2.02 [1.45-2.83],I2:0%), but not Alzheimer disease (1.24 [0.93-1.66],single-study). Women with a history of preeclampsia were also more likely to develop vascular dementia (2.17 [1.20-3.91],I2:61.1%), but not Alzheimer dementia (1.19 [0.83-1.69],I2:69.9%). Conclusions: Whereas studies of neuropsychological testing in previously preeclamptic and eclamptic women have been heterogeneous, a history of HDP is associated with developing vascular dementia in later life.

Association of visual motor processing and social cognition in schizophrenia

Patients with schizophrenia have difficulties in social cognitive domains including emotion recognition and mentalization, and in sensorimotor processing and learning. The relationship between social cognitive deficits and sensorimotor function in patients with schizophrenia remains largely unexplored. With the hypothesis that impaired visual motor processing may decelerate information processing and subsequently affects various domains of social cognition, we examined the association of nonverbal emotion recognition, mentalization, and visual motor processing in schizophrenia. The study examined mentalization using the verbal subset of the Chinese version of Theory of Mind (CToM) Task, an equivalent task of the Faux Pas Test; emotion recognition using the Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy 2-Taiwan version (DANVA-2-TW), and visual motor processing using a joystick tracking task controlled for basic motor function in 34 individuals with chronic schizophrenia in the community and 42 healthy controls. Patients with schizophrenia had significantly worse performance than healthy controls in social cognition, including facial, prosodic emotion recognition, and mentalization. Visual motor processing was also significantly worse in patients with schizophrenia. Only in patients with schizophrenia, both emotion recognition (mainly in prosodic modality, happy, and sad emotions) and mentalization were positively associated with their learning capacity of visual motor processing. These findings suggest a prospective role of sensorimotor function in their social cognitive deficits. Despite that the underlying neural mechanism needs further research, our findings may provide a new direction for restoration of social cognitive function in schizophrenia by enhancing visual motor processing ability.

Supervision and Computerized Neurocognitive Baseline Test Performance in High School Athletes: An Initial Investigation

Context:Computerized neuropsychological testing batteries have provided a time-efficient and cost-efficient way to assess and manage the neurocognitive aspects of patients with sport-related concussion. These tests are straightforward and mostly self-guided, reducing the degree of clinician involvement required by traditional clinical neuropsychological paper-and-pencil tests.Objective:To determine if self-reported supervision status affected computerized neurocognitive baseline test performance in high school athletes.Design:Retrospective cohort study.Settings:Supervised testing took place in high school computer libraries or sports medicine clinics. Unsupervised testing took place at the participant's home or another location with computer access.Patients or Other Participants:From 2007 to 2012, high school athletes across middle Tennessee (n = 3771) completed computerized neurocognitive baseline testing (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing [ImPACT]). They reported taking the test either supervised by a sports medicine professional or unsupervised. These athletes (n = 2140) were subjected to inclusion and exclusion criteria and then matched based on age, sex, and number of prior concussions.Main Outcome Measure(s):We extracted demographic and performance-based data from each de-identified baseline testing record. Paired t tests were performed between the self-reported supervised and unsupervised groups, comparing the following ImPACT baseline composite scores: verbal memory, visual memory, visual motor (processing) speed, reaction time, impulse control, and total symptom score. For differences that reached P < .05, the Cohen d was calculated to measure the effect size. Lastly, a χ2 analysis was conducted to compare the rate of invalid baseline testing between the groups. All statistical tests were performed at the 95% confidence interval level.Results:Self-reported supervised athletes demonstrated better visual motor (processing) speed (P = .004; 95% confidence interval [0.28, 1.52]; d = 0.12) and faster reaction time (P < .001; 95% confidence interval [−0.026, −0.014]; d = 0.21) composite scores than self-reported unsupervised athletes.Conclusions:Speed-based tasks were most affected by self-reported supervision status, although the effect sizes were relatively small. These data lend credence to the hypothesis that supervision status may be a factor in the evaluation of ImPACT baseline test scores.

Baseline neurocognitive scores in athletes with attention deficit–spectrum disorders and/or learning disability

Object Up to 16% of children in the US between the ages of 3 and 17 years have either attention deficit–spectrum disorder or a learning disability (LD). Sports-related concussions among youth athletes represent a significant public health concern, and neurocognitive testing is a method to evaluate the severity of cognitive impairment and recovery after a sports-related concussion. The goal of this study was to assess baseline neurocognitive differences between athletes with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or LD versus those with neither disorder and to establish normative data for these special populations. Methods Between August 2007 and March 2012, 6636 young athletes underwent baseline neurocognitive testing performed using the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) battery. Of these participants, 90 had self-reported LD only, 262 had self-reported ADHD only, and 55 reported both. Those with ADHD and/or LD were matched with 407 participants with no history of ADHD or LD by age, sex, and number of prior concussions. The mean scores and SDs were calculated for each group to obtain normative values. A pairwise comparison between each diagnostic group was done to assess whether LD and/or ADHD diagnostic status predicted participants' baseline neurocognitive scores. Results Participants with ADHD had significantly lower verbal memory, visual memory, and visual motor processing speed scores, along with significantly higher reaction time, impulse control, and symptom scores compared with those without LD or ADHD. Participants with LD had similar results, with significantly lower verbal memory, visual memory, and visual motor processing speed scores, higher reaction time and symptom score, but did not differ in their impulse control score compared with those without LD or ADHD. Participants with both LD and ADHD had a significantly lower visual motor speed score and a significantly higher reaction time and symptom score than those without LD or ADHD, but did not differ with regard to the other composite scores. Conclusions Athletes with ADHD and/or LD have lower baseline ImPACT neurocognitive scores compared with athletes without ADHD and LD. Preliminary normative neurocognitive data for these special populations are provided.