Network modeling of post-concussion symptoms following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has emerged as a promising tool for understanding how cognitive, emotional, and somatic symptoms co-occur and interact. However, the generalizability of networks developed in individual studies remains unclear. This study aimed to develop the first-ever meta-analytic pooled between-persons network structure of post-concussion symptoms and systematically examine the between-study heterogeneity of these symptom networks.

Using the Meta-Analytic Gaussian Network Aggregation (MAGNA) framework, a single pooled network model was developed by aggregating data from 6 distinct samples, comprising a total of 5,776 participants. Additionally, this study quantitatively assessed the degree of heterogeneity across these studies.

Strong symptom clusters between cognitive, emotional, and somatic symptoms were identified. Concentration difficulty and slowed thinking were the most central symptoms in the pooled MAGNA network. Large between-study heterogeneity was observed.

Findings from this meta-analysis highlight cognitive symptoms as most important for defining the network structure after mTBI at a group level, potentially perpetuating and/or being perpetuated by symptoms in other domains. The large heterogeneity observed between studies underscores the need for an idiographic (person-specific) approach to studying post-concussion symptom networks to inform precision rehabilitation.

This study investigated functional connectivity in the default mode, central executive, dorsal attention, and salience networks (SN) and its relation to executive function in youth with traumatic brain injury.

Twenty-three youth with traumatic brain injury (11 with moderate-to-severe injury (6 male, mage = 11.78 ± 2.68 years, mtimesinceinjury = 3.71 ± 2.43 years) and 12 with complicated-mild injury (9 male, mage = 12.59 ± 1.99 years, mtimesinceinjury = 4.55 ± 1.59 years) and 17 youth with orthopedic injury (11 male, mage = 11.75 ± 2.12 years, mtimesinceinjury = 3.95 ± 1.79 years)) completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and a parent rated their child’s executive function.

We found group differences in the strength of connectivity among four regions in the default mode network (DMN) and two regions of the SN, ps < .05, Eta2 = .151–.229. The orthopedic injury group demonstrated significant negative between-network connectivity, while brain injury groups had negligible negative or, in some cases, positive between-network associations. Groups did not differ on parent ratings of executive function, as all groups fell above the normative mean, reflecting poorer than expected everyday executive behavior. Attenuation of typical negative between-network association between the posterior cingulate in the DMN and two regions of the salience network was associated with worse parent-rated executive behavior (rs = .291–.317, ps < .05).

Findings illustrate the implications of disrupted downregulation of the default mode network by the SN following pediatric brain injury. They also demonstrate how disruption in functional connectivity may underlie poor executive function after childhood traumatic brain injury.

Subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) can precede cognitive decline and are associated with demographic, exposure, lifestyle, and psychological factors. Prevalences of SCC and their correlates in individuals with repetitive head impacts (RHI) are poorly understood. This study characterized SCC in former elite American football players by frequency, mood and behavioral correlates, concordance with informant reports, and associations with neuropsychological test performance, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers of neurodegeneration.

Former American football players (n = 180) completed measures of global and domain-specific SCC, neuropsychiatric symptom questionnaires, neuropsychological testing, lumbar puncture, and MRI. Elastic net regression evaluated the relative importance of potential SCC correlates. Intraclass correlation coefficients measured concordance between self and informant reports. Multiple linear regressions tested associations between SCC and verbal memory and executive functioning scores. CSF Aβ1-42, p-tau181, t-tau, neurofilament light (NfL), hippocampal volume, and regional cortical thickness were examined for their potential associations with SCC.

Rates of SCC ranged from 43 to 77% depending on the domain. Symptoms of depression, impulsivity, and anxiety were strongly associated with SCC. Self- and informant-reported SCC showed moderate inter-rater agreement. Adjusting for age, race, education, APOE ϵ4 carrier status, and depressive symptoms, SCC were associated with lower objective verbal memory and executive functioning performance. SCC were associated with lower parahippocampal cortical thickness but not with hippocampal volume or any of the measured CSF tests.

SCC are strongly associated with neuropsychiatric factors in former American football players. SCC may also be a marker of cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.

Increasing survival probabilities among children and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have led to a growing population at risk for long-term neurocognitive sequelae. This study investigated cognitive functioning among individuals treated for ALL under the Nordic Society of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology ALL2008 protocol in Eastern Denmark, including performance across multiple domains and associations with age at diagnosis, sex, time since end of treatment, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and neurotoxic events during treatment.

Eighty-three survivors of ALL diagnosed before age 25 underwent neurocognitive testing at a median of 7.24 years post-treatment (interquartile range: 4.20–8.78). Performance was measured as age-standardized Z scores derived from normative data. Impairment was defined as Z ≤ −1.3 and severe impairment as Z ≤ −2.0. Multiple linear regression was used to investigate associations between cognitive outcomes and clinical risk factors.

Average performance was generally comparable to norms, but at least 38.6% of participants showed severe impairment in one or more domains, and at least 12% in two or more. Younger age at diagnosis was associated with poorer processing speed, executive functions, and non-verbal reasoning, while HSCT was associated with poorer processing speed and non-verbal reasoning.

Although average performance of the participants was generally comparable to norms, a notable proportion exhibited multi-domain, severe cognitive impairment. Associations with age at diagnosis and HSCT indicate potential for risk-stratified cognitive monitoring and targeted interventions.

Switching is one of three primary executive functions alongside inhibitory control and updating but remains relatively understudied in childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared to investigations into working memory and inhibitory control deficits. Where extant literature in adults suggests that switch costs are due to a combination of task set inertia and task set reconfiguration costs, it is not clear which of these is most relevant to explaining ADHD-related atypicalities in performance.

Children with (N = 34) and without ADHD (N = 28) aged 8–12 (average age = 9.45) completed a 192-trial computerized cued switching paradigm. Diffusion model decomposition of the data was performed to identify cognitive subprocesses responsible for the switch.

Consistent with the switching literature in adults, switch costs for children were due to a combination of both task set inertia (reduced drift rate) as well as slower task set reconfiguration (Ter) on switch versus repeat trials. Children with ADHD were less accurate than non-ADHD controls, but the ADHD × Switch interactions were not significant for any variable, indicating that the deficit was general and not switch-specific. Lower accuracy was in turn attributed to slower general drift rate among children with ADHD.

This study contributes to a growing literature finding that the performance deficits in children with ADHD across executive and non-executive function tasks are related to lower-level perceptual decision-making weaknesses that have downstream effects on higher-order processing.

The Rey–Osterrieth complex figure (ROCF) test is widely used to assess constructional praxis. Qualitative scoring methods, such as the Boston Qualitative Scoring System (BQSS), enable the detection of alterations in spatial organization, planning, and executive control during copying performance. While alterations in constructional abilities have been previously reported in Parkinson’s disease (PD), the possible presence of subtle qualitative modifications in PD patients without cognitive impairment (PD-CU) and their relationship with the cognitive functioning is still to be elucidated. This study evaluates differences in copying strategies and error patterns in PD patients with (PD-MCI) or without (PD-CU) mild cognitive impairment, assessing the link with the cognitive profile.

Seventy PD patients and 56 healthy controls (HC) were recruited. All participants underwent a neuropsychological assessment, including the ROCF. Their performance was assessed by standard quantitative scoring and qualitative rating scales (BQSS). Statistical analyses compared BQSS performance between groups and examined associations between qualitative visuo-constructional features and other cognitive domains.

Both PD-MCI and PD-CU groups showed qualitative alterations compared to HC, associated with executive dysfunctions. Qualitatively, PD-CU patients showed lower scores in neatness and planning measures compared to HC, the latter particularly associated with executive alterations. Notably, patients reporting a left or right asymmetric copy were characterized by different cognitive profiles.

The here-presented results support the importance of qualitative assessment in identifying early cognitive impairments in PD patients and suggest that BQSS parameters (i.e., planning) may offer complementary insights to standard quantitative assessments in detecting subthreshold executive impairments not yet captured by conventional tests.

The clock drawing test is widely used in clinical neurological and neuropsychological assessment. We hypothesized that younger adults would have greater problems with clock drawing than older adults, perhaps due to decreasing analog clock use.

Cross-sectional study analyzing clock drawing performance and cognitive function across four generations (Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers). Participants included 92 adults divided into two generations (63 younger [18–42 years old] and 29 older [43–77 years old]) assessed between October 2022 and December 2024. Participants were screened to exclude conditions affecting cognition. The primary outcome was performance errors in clock drawing (e.g., writing “11:10” instead of drawing an analog clock, or placing hands incorrectly), assessed using standardized criteria. Cognitive function was assessed using eight computerized tests (CogState) measuring processing speed, attention, executive function, visuospatial memory, and verbal memory. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) validated three cognitive domain composites: Speed/Attention, Executive/Spatial, and Verbal Memory.

Performance errors were significantly more prevalent among younger participants compared with older participants (p = .016; risk ratio, 4.45). The effect size was large (Cohen’s h = .63). The generation effect was stronger (OR = 28.66, p = .003) after controlling for CFA-validated cognitive domain composites. This provides strong evidence that generational differences are independent of cognitive abilities.

Younger adults demonstrate significantly higher rates of clock drawing errors compared with older adults, independent of cognitive performance. These findings suggest a need for generation-specific or age adjusted norms in clock drawing test interpretation.

The International Neuropsychological Society (INS) Justice and Equity Subcommittee initiated a survey of neuropsychological academic training programs, clinical practices, and research across Africa, examining respondents’ interest in collaboration and their views on resources needed to advance the field.

This quantitative, cross-sectional study employed chain-referral sampling at higher education institutions identified via uniRank. Of the 1,244 institutions screened, 241 offered psychology or psychiatry coursework. A multilingual cover letter and survey link (English, Swahili, Arabic, French, Portuguese, Spanish) were distributed, yielding 42 respondents from 17 of 54 countries (≈31.5% country response rate).

Most respondents were clinical psychologists or neuropsychologists and reported 1–5 neuropsychologists per country. Neuropsychologists’ roles included cognitive assessment, research, teaching, and assisting in neurological diagnoses, primarily using tests developed outside Africa. Current research centered on the neuropsychological effects of psychiatric disorders, infectious diseases (e.g., HIV, cerebral malaria), and neurodevelopmental disorders, with future focus areas identified as traumatic brain injury and epilepsy. Educational and training opportunities remain limited. Key barriers to program development included insufficient numbers of trained neuropsychologists, clinical training sites, and employment prospects. Despite this, there is strong interest in collaboration to accelerate the development of neuropsychology and neurosciences, given the heavy burden of neurological disease.

To foster growth, efforts must target the creation of academic and clinical training pathways and the adaptation, standardization, and norming of assessment tools tailored to African populations. There exist ample impactful avenues for individual and organizational collaboration or support to further the global development of neuropsychology.

Within resource-limited health care, it is important to demonstrate the value and impact of neuropsychological assessment (NPA) services. However, the most suitable methods for capturing these outcomes are yet to be established. We aimed to identify key potential outcomes of NPA, existing measures of these outcomes, and issues and challenges associated with outcome measurement.

Focus groups of experienced Australian neuropsychologists discussed possible NPA outcomes, existing measures, and challenges of outcome measurement, analyzed using thematic analysis. The Delphi method of expert consensus was then used to identify the most important set of NPA outcomes, using iterative survey rounds with expert panelists. Panelists also rated the top three outcomes most likely to demonstrate the impact of NPA in trials.

There were 50 potential NPA outcomes generated by the focus groups, spanning proximal and distal patient, caregiver, health service, and societal domains. Numerous issues and challenges were identified associated with meaningfully measuring NPA outcomes. After three Delphi survey rounds (n = 46), a total of 16 outcomes achieved consensus agreement. Few existing validated measures were identified. The top three rated outcomes were 1) better patient and/or caregiver understanding of presenting problems, 2) better patient and/or caregiver understanding of how to manage and cope with cognitive symptoms, and 3) diagnostic clarification.

Psychoeducational benefits of NPA were considered by Australian experts as key outcomes relevant across contexts; however, there are no existing measures of these outcomes. Future research should develop valid outcome measures to be used in clinical trials evaluating NPA impacts.

To review the historical, conceptual, and ethical foundations of intelligence testing in neuropsychology and to consider whether alternative cognitive performance labels offer greater conceptual precision while reducing stigma.

We conducted a narrative review of early twentieth century cognitive assessments, tracing the evolution of intelligence testing and its intersections with eugenic ideology. Key examples include the Army Alpha and Beta tests administered during World War I and Ellis Island immigration assessments, which were frequently interpreted without consideration of cultural or educational influences. We examine how these practices informed early interpretations of neuropsychological performance, particularly in individuals with epilepsy, and shaped initial characterizations of neurologically based cognitive abilities.

Early intelligence testing was grounded in the belief that intelligence was a fixed and directly genetically determined trait. Test performance was interpreted as an index of biological superiority, lending scientific legitimacy to eugenic ideologies and reinforcing stigma toward individuals with epilepsy. Although modern frameworks emphasize multidimensional cognitive abilities, intelligence-based characterization persists and continues to be frequently reported as a primary outcome of neuropsychological testing.

In contexts that require a single summary indicator of cognitive performance, labels such as Total Cognitive Composite are recommended since they avoid implying a fixed or unitary capacity. Continued reliance on the construct of “intelligence” is inconsistent with contemporary models of cognition, reflects outdated theoretical assumptions, and carries enduring psychosocial stigma. Moreover, its circular and internally inconsistent definitions substantially limit its validity and appropriateness within contemporary adult clinical neuropsychological practice.