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37 - Education and the Technological Horizon
- from Part III - Emerging Ethical Pathways and Frameworks
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- By Paul Farber
- Edited by Sheron Fraser-Burgess, Ball State University, Indiana, Jessica Heybach, Florida International University, Dini Metro-Roland, Western Michigan University
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- The Cambridge Handbook of Ethics and Education
- Published online:
- 07 March 2024
- Print publication:
- 14 March 2024, pp 777-796
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Summary
This chapter focuses on the accelerating pace and unprecedented reach of technological innovation. Ethical issues, evident, for example, in the impacts of social media and the burgeoning applications of artificial intelligence, raise questions as to how technological advances align with and alter human values and ways of life. Education is pivotal where such questions are concerned, but its role may be constrained by technologically amplified forms of cultural and temporal parochialism, and technologically enhanced efforts optimize education in terms of narrowly configured outcomes aligned with prevailing forms of meritocratic order. Alternatively, evolving forms of educational practice may provide, in the form of ethically responsive, intergenerational practical deliberation, a counterweight to the cascading social and cultural influence of emerging technology.
Neurocognitive correlates of metabolic dysregulation in individuals with mood disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Kateryna Maksyutynska, Nicolette Stogios, Femin Prasad, Jashan Gill, Zaineb Hamza, Riddhita De, Emily Smith, Angelina Horta, Benjamin I. Goldstein, Daphne Korczak, Ariel Graff-Guerrero, Margaret K. Hahn, Sri Mahavir Agarwal
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- Journal:
- Psychological Medicine , First View
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 07 March 2024, pp. 1-27
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Individuals with mood disorders are predisposed to metabolic dysfunction, while those with metabolic dysregulation such as diabetes and obesity experience more severe depressive symptoms. Both metabolic dysfunction and mood disorders are independently associated with cognitive deficits. Therefore, given their close association, this study aimed to explore the association between metabolic dysfunction in individuals with mood disorders in relation to cognitive outcomes. A comprehensive search comprised of these three domains was carried out; a random-effects meta-analysis pooling mean cognitive outcomes was conducted (PROSPERO ID: CRD42022295765). Sixty-three studies were included in this review; 26 were synthesized in a quantitative meta-analysis. Comorbid metabolic dysregulation was associated with significantly lower global cognition among individuals with mood disorders. These trends were significant within each mood disorder subgroup, including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and self-report depression/depressive symptoms. Type 2 diabetes was associated with the lowest cognitive performance in individuals with mood disorders, followed by peripheral insulin resistance, body mass index ⩾25 kg/m2, and metabolic syndrome. Significant reduction in scores was also observed among individual cognitive domains (in descending order) of working memory, attention, executive function, processing speed, verbal memory, and visual memory. These findings demonstrate the detrimental effects of comorbid metabolic dysfunction in individuals with mood disorders. Further research is required to understand the underlying mechanisms connecting mood disorders, metabolism, and cognition.
External cues improve visual working memory encoding in the presence of salient distractors in schizophrenia
- Catherine V. Barnes-Scheufler, Lara Rösler, Michael Schaum, Carmen Schiweck, Benjamin Peters, Jutta S. Mayer, Andreas Reif, Michael Wibral, Robert A. Bittner
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- Psychological Medicine , First View
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 04 March 2024, pp. 1-10
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Background
People with schizophrenia (PSZ) are impaired in attentional prioritization of non-salient but relevant stimuli over salient distractors during visual working memory (VWM) encoding. Conversely, guidance of top–down attention by external predictive cues is intact. Yet, it is unknown whether this preserved ability can help PSZ encode more information in the presence of salient distractors.
MethodsWe employed a visuospatial change-detection task using four Gabor patches with differing orientations in 66 PSZ and 74 healthy controls (HCS). Two Gabor patches flickered which were designated either as targets or distractors and either a predictive or a non-predictive cue was displayed to manipulate top–down attention, resulting in four conditions.
ResultsWe observed significant effects of group, salience and cue as well as significant interactions of salience by cue, group by salience and group by cue. Across all conditions, PSZ stored significantly less information in VWM than HCS. PSZ stored significantly less non-flickering than flickering information with a non-predictive cue. However, PSZ stored significantly more flickering and non-flickering information with a predictive cue.
ConclusionsOur findings indicate that control of attentional selection is impaired in schizophrenia. We demonstrate that additional top–down information significantly improves performance in PSZ. The observed deficit in attentional control suggests a disturbance of GABAergic inhibition in early visual areas. Moreover, our findings are indicative of a mechanism for enhancing attentional control in PSZ, which could be utilized by pro-cognitive interventions. Thus, the current paradigm is suitable to reveal both preserved and compromised cognitive component processes in schizophrenia.
14 - Encoder-Decoder Methods
- Mihai Surdeanu, University of Arizona, Marco Antonio Valenzuela-Escárcega, University of Arizona
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- Deep Learning for Natural Language Processing
- Published online:
- 01 February 2024
- Print publication:
- 08 February 2024, pp 216-228
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Summary
In Chapters 10 and 12, we focused on two common usages of recurrent neural networks and transformer networks: acceptors and transducers. In this chapter, we discuss a third architecture for both recurrent neural networks and transformer networks: encoder-decoder methods. We introduce three encoder-decoder architectures, which enable important NLP applications such as machine translation. In particular, we discuss the sequence-to-sequence method of Sutskever et al. (2014), which couples an encoder long short-term memory with a decoder long short-term memory. We follow this method with the approach of Bahdanau et al. (2015), which extends the previous decoder with an attention component, which produces a different encoding of the source text for each decoded word. Last, we introduce the complete encoder-decoder transformer network, which relies on three attention mechanisms: one within the encoder (which we discussed in Chapter 12), a similar one that operates over decoded words, and, importantly, an attention component that connects the input words with the decoded ones.
Therapeutic efficacy of probiotics for symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: meta-analysis
- Shun-Chin Liang, Cheuk-Kwan Sun, Chih-Hua Chang, Yu-Shian Cheng, Ruu-Fen Tzang, Hsien-Jane Chiu, Ming Yu Wang, Ying-Chih Cheng, Kuo-Chuan Hung
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- Journal:
- BJPsych Open / Volume 10 / Issue 1 / January 2024
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 25 January 2024, e36
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Background
The efficacy of probiotics as a therapeutic alternative for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remain unclear.
AimsTo investigate the effectiveness of probiotics for symptoms of ADHD and identify possible factors affecting their efficacy.
MethodRandomised placebo-controlled trials were identified through searching major databases from inception to April 2023, using the main keywords ‘probiotics’ and ‘ADHD’ without limitation on languages or geographic locations. The outcome of interest included improvement in total symptoms of ADHD, symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, and drop-out rate. Continuous and categorical data were expressed as effect sizes based on standardised mean differences (SMDs) and odds ratios, respectively, with 95% confidence intervals.
ResultsMeta-analysis of seven trials involving 379 participants (mean age 10.37 years, range 4–18 years) showed no significant improvement in total symptoms of ADHD (SMD = 0.25; P = 0.12), symptoms of inattention (SMD = 0.14; P = 0.3) or hyperactivity/impulsivity (SMD = 0.08; P = 0.54) between the probiotic and placebo groups. Despite non-significance on subgroup analyses, there was a large difference in effect size between studies using probiotics as an adjunct to methylphenidate and those using probiotics as supplementation (SMD = 0.84 v. 0.07; P = 0.16), and a moderate difference in effect size between studies using multiple strains of probiotics and those using single-strain regimens (SMD = 0.45 v. 0.03; P = 0.19).
ConclusionsCurrent evidence shows no significant difference in therapeutic efficacy between probiotics and placebos for treatment of ADHD symptoms. However, albeit statistically non-significant, higher therapeutic efficacies associated with multiple-strain probiotics or combining probiotics with methylphenidate may provide direction for further research.
The effect of age on executive functions in adults is not sex specific
- Marilou Lemire, Isabelle Soulières, Dave Saint-Amour
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , First View
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 15 January 2024, pp. 1-10
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Objective:
Numerous studies have shown a decrease in executive functions (EF) associated with aging. However, few investigations examined whether this decrease is similar between sexes throughout adulthood. The present study investigated if age-related decline in EF differs between men and women from early to late adulthood.
Methods:A total of 302 participants (181 women) aged between 18 and 78 years old completed four computer-based cognitive tasks at home: an arrow-based Flanker task, a letter-based Visual search task, the Trail Making Test, and the Corsi task. These tasks measured inhibition, attention, cognitive flexibility, and working memory, respectively. To investigate the potential effects of age, sex, and their interaction on specific EF and a global EF score, we divided the sample population into five age groups (i.e., 18–30, 31–44, 45–54, 55–64, 65–78) and conducted analyses of covariance (MANCOVA and ANCOVA) with education and pointing device as control variables.
Results:Sex did not significantly affect EF performance across age groups. However, in every task, participants from the three youngest groups (< 55 y/o) outperformed the ones from the two oldest. Results from the global score also suggest that an EF decrease is distinctly noticeable from 55 years old onward.
Conclusion:Our results suggest that age-related decline in EF, including inhibition, attention, cognitive flexibility, and working memory, becomes apparent around the age of 55 and does not differ between sexes at any age. This study provides additional data regarding the effects of age and sex on EF across adulthood, filling a significant gap in the existing literature.
1 Neurocognitive Correlates of Oculomotor Performance among U.S. Military Personnel with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
- Mark L Ettenhofer, Sarah I. Gimbel, Jenna K. Trotta, Stephanie Agtarap, Lars D Hungerford
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 666-667
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Objective:
To examine neurocognitive correlates of oculomotor performance among U.S. military personnel with history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).
Participants and Methods:A series of studies (total n=356) were conducted to examine saccadic eye movements and manual button presses collected in response to attention stimuli, and to compare these findings to the results of standardized neuropsychological tests. Study 1 included n=27 with remote mTBI and n=54 controls who completed the Bethesda Eye and Attention Measure (BEAM), an eye tracking task that was designed to measure visual attention and executive function. In Study 2, n=51 with chronic mTBI and n=33 controls completed the Fusion n-Back task, an eye tracking task that was designed to assess the impact of working memory load on visual attention performance. Study 3 examined psychometric characteristics of BEAM among n=191 military personnel with remote mTBI. In all studies, participants completed eye tracking tasks, a structured TBI diagnostic interview, and a brief battery of standardized neuropsychological tests.
Results:In Study 1, BEAM saccadic and manual metrics demonstrated strong reliability and high sensitivity to multiple cognitive cues designed to elicit spatial orienting, temporal alerting, executive interference, perceptual release (gap) and inhibition (n2p=.76, p<.001). However, corresponding saccadic and manual measurements were weakly related to each other, and only manual (not saccadic) measurements were related to estimated verbal intelligence or years of education. Standardized neuropsychological measures did not differ between groups, but mTBI participants were more likely to be impaired on saccadic metrics than controls.
In Study 2, Standardized cognitive measures and estimated premorbid intelligence were positively associated with all manual metrics from the Fusion n-Back test, but were not associated with mTBI history or with saccadic metrics. Fusion n-Back saccadic and manual metrics had strong reliability and complementary sensitivity to chronic mTBI, with combined predictive power of PPV=.78, NPV=.72, r2=.44 for classification of remote mild TBI vs. controls on the more cognitively-challenging 1-back task condition.
In Study 3, BEAM metrics including manual RT latency and consistency, saccadic RT consistency, and saccadic inhibition errors showed consistent correlations with standardized measures of visual attention, processing speed, task switching, working memory, and executive functions. Hierarchical regressions showed that BEAM saccadic and manual metrics were independently predictive of cognitive test performance, above and beyond effects of demographic factors and clinical characteristics.
Conclusions:Results demonstrated some surprising findings related to neurocognitive influences on oculomotor performance. While both saccadic and manual performance were strongly and similarly influenced by attention cues, these two modalities were only weakly correlated to one another. Additionally, manual metrics were more strongly and consistently related to standardized cognitive test performance and premorbid intelligence than saccadic metrics. However, saccadic metrics demonstrated superior sensitivity to remote/chronic mTBI relative to manual metrics and standardized neuropsychological measures. Overall, these results suggest that saccadic eye tracking measures may provide unique value in assessment of mTBI and neurocognitive functions that is complementary with more common forms of assessment relying upon somatomotor response modalities.
47 Attention and Working Memory (WM) in Pediatric Patients Prior to Hemopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) for Hematologic Malignancies
- Hannah-Lise T. Schofield, Alannah R. Srsich, Nancy J. Bunin
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 653-654
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Objective:
HSCT is increasingly used for curative therapy for patients with high risk hematologic diseases. Existing research regarding the neurocognitive impact of HSCT on pediatric patients is notably variable. One area of identified risk is attention/working memory (WM) [Perkins et al., 2007]. The current study examines the degree to which difficulties in attention/WM are present prior to HSCT, as assessed using parent-report of working memory and cognitive tests of attention span and working memory.
Participants and Methods:Participants were 19 children and adolescents ages 6-17 years (M= 9.63, SD= 3.22) who were enrolled in a prospective longitudinal study monitoring neurocognitive outcomes in children undergoing HSCT. Participants were eligible for this study if they were 2-18 years old at the time of transplant and had a diagnosis that qualified for an allogenic HSCT. Participants were ineligible if they had a pre-HSCT developmental delay, were non-English speaking, and had a prior HSCT or prior CAR T-cell therapy. Participants were 53% female and 95% Caucasian. Diagnoses in the current study sample included acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n=10), acute myeloid leukemia (n=8), and myelodysplastic syndrome (n=1).
Measures included were the Working Memory Index score from the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF; Gioia et al., 2000) and the Digit Span subtest from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition (WISC-IV; Wechsler, 2003) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV; Wechsler, 2008).
Results:Mean scores on parent-reported WM scores and cognitive measures of attention/WM fell within normal limits, including the Digit Span Total score (M = 48.42, SD= 6.33), Digit Span Forward score (M = 47.28, SD = 9.9.83), and Digit Span Backward score (M = 48.94, SD = 6.31). However, further analyses suggested that between 11-32% of patients had scores falling at least one standard deviation below the mean on these measures, with more than half of the sample (52.6%) identified with at least one measured weakness in attention and WM. The most commonly identified weakness (33.3% of patients) was Digit Span Forward. Correlations between parent-reported WM issues and cognitive measures of attention and WM were generally strong, with parent report of WM significantly correlated with the Digit Span Total score (r(18)= -0.52, p=.02) and the Digit Span Forward score (r(18) = -0.51, p=.03). No correlations were found between Digit Span Backward and other measures of attention and WM.
There were no significant differences in WM scores between patients with ALL and AML. Additional analyses will examine potential contribution of medical factors (e.g., pre-HSCT treatment) to pre-HSCT performance on measures of attention and WM.
Conclusions:These results suggest that, prior to undergoing HSCT, pediatric patients present with attention and WM issues. This finding has implications for research related to neurocognitive outcomes in HSCT, indicating the need to obtain pre-HSCT cognitive data in this area in order to fully understand potential change after HSCT. In addition, providers may need to consider adapting communication methods with patients during their transplant stay, given potential attention and WM issues within this population.
35 Bilingualism and Time Perspective in Hispanic-Americans Speed Attention
- Daniel W. Lopez-Hernandez, Krissy E. Smith, Isabel D. C. Munoz, Tara L. Victor
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 447-448
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Objective:
Differences between monolinguals and bilinguals have been documented in neuropsychological test performance. Various explanations have been provided to explain why differences exist among these language groups. Hispanic-Americans are individuals born and reside in the United States and have a family background extending to one of the Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America or Spain. Furthermore, Hispanic-American children from Hispanic homes where Spanish is their first language find themselves academically at a disadvantage because their English vocabulary may be lower than English monolinguals. Time perspective (TP) refers to an individual’s orientation towards the past, present, or future. One’s ability to change their TP in order to adapt to changes in cultural context can result in optimal psychological well-being. In one study, researchers reported no relationship existed between ethnicity and TP on cognition. To our knowledge, no study has examined the relationship between language and TP in Hispanic-Americans’ speed attention performance. Therefore, it was predicted that monolinguals would outperform bilinguals on speed attention tasks. Next, it was predicted that monolinguals would report higher scores on future time orientation compared to bilinguals, and bilinguals would report higher scores on past and present time orientation compared to monolinguals. Finally, differences in TP would correlate with speed attention tasks between language groups.
Participants and Methods:The sample consisted of 119 Hispanic-Americans with a mean age of 19.45 (SD = 1.43). Participants were broken into three groups: English first language monolingual (EFLM), English first language bilingual (EFLB), and English second language bilingual (ESLB). The Comalli Stroop part A and B, Trail Making Test part A, and Symbol Digit Modalities Test written and oral parts were used to evaluate speed attention and the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory was used to evaluate time orientation in our sample.
Results:ANOVAs revealed the EFLM group outperformed the ESLB group on the Comalli Stroop part B, p = .020, np2 = .07. Next, we also found on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test written part the EFLB group outperformed both bilingual groups, p = .025, np2 = .06. Regarding TP, the EFLB group reported higher past negative orientation compared to the EFLM group, p = .033, np2 = .06. Additionally, we found the bilingual groups reported higher present-fatalistic compared to the EFLM group, p = .023, np2 = .06. Pearson’s correlation revealed no significant correlations between TP and speed attention tasks on any of our language groups.
Conclusions:As expected, the EFLM group outperformed the ESLB group on several speed attention tasks, but the EFLM group only outperformed the EFLB group on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test written part. Additionally, we found that our EFLB sample reported higher orientation of the past and present compared to monolinguals. Our sample level of acculturation could have been a factor influencing the relationship between TP and speed attention. Future studies using larger representative samples should include measures of acculturation and examine if TP influences other cognitive domains (e.g., executive function) in Hispanic-American monolingual and bilingual speakers.
47 Mind-Wandering in Older Adults: Implications for Fluid Cognition and Perceived Psychological Quality of Life
- Michael R. McKenna, Madhura Phansikar, James Teng, Megan Fisher, Ruchika Shaurya Prakash
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 355-356
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Objective:
Mind-wandering is defined as a spontaneous shift of attention away from the external environment to inner thoughts. With mind-wandering being a ubiquitous phenomenon, there has been increasing interest in examining the role these spontaneous, and often unintentional, thought processes may have for metrics of cognitive and psychological health. However, much of this literature is mired with inconsistencies, potentially stemming from the use of variegated experimental methods and quantification of mind-wandering through different metrics. For example, mind-wandering has been investigated through endorsement of self-report probes embedded in tasks of sustained attention, with participants asking to endorse whether they were engaging in task-unrelated thoughts or task-related, but evaluative thoughts about the task (task-related interference). Other studies have instead focused on behavioral metrics of task performance, like omission and commission errors, the variability in response time (RTCV), and speeding or slowing prior to errors to quantify mind-wandering. In this study, employing a large sample of older adults, and implementing the novel technique of partial least squares regression, we examined the combined and simultaneous effect of different mind-wandering metrics in explaining variance in fluid cognition and psychological health in older adults.
Participants and Methods:One hundred and fifty older adults with normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment were administered a Go/No-Go Task (GNG) with embedded mind-wandering probes, the Conners CPT-3, the NIH Toolbox-Cognition Battery, and the WHO Quality of Life Assessment Brief Version at baseline in a clinical trial examining the impact of two mind-body interventions on aging. Based on previous research, the following variables were considered behavioral measures of mind-wandering: quantity of omission and commission errors, RTCV, pre-error speeding, and post-error slowing. Percentage of self-reported task-related interference (i.e. evaluating current performance) and task-unrelated thoughts were included as self-report measures of mind-wandering. These mind-wandering measures, along with demographic variables (age, sex, and education), were regressed using Partial Least Squares Regression to determine the impact of mind-wandering measures on fluid cognition (NIHT-CB) and perceived psychological well-being (WHOQOL-BBREF). Validation tests were completed to assess model fit.
Results:A single latent factor explained 26% of the variance in fluid cognition (p=0.0001). Higher levels of age, errors of omission on both tasks, and task-related interference were all associated with worse fluid cognition, whereas task-unrelated thoughts were associated with better fluid cognition.
A two-factor latent model explained 12% of the variance in perceived psychological well-being (p=0.0004). Age and task-unrelated thoughts were positively associated with psychological well-being. In contrast, errors of omission on both tasks, response time variability on the CPT, and task-related interference were negatively associated with perceived psychological well-being.
Conclusions:Mind-wandering is associated with fluid cognition and perceived psychological well-being in older adults. Select behavioral measures were better than self-report measures at linking mind-wandering to fluid cognition and perceived psychological well-being. Interestingly task-unrelated thoughts, but not task-related interference, was positively associated with fluid cognition, supporting the cognitive resource-based account of mind-wandering. The result of our study provides novel insights into differential relationships between various metrics of mind-wandering and cognitive and psychological health.
17 Norming for the reverse-translated 5-choice continuous performance test (5C-CPT) of attention and cognitive control
- Michael Noback, Donald R Franklin, Anya Umlauf, Arpi Minassian, Robert Heaton, Jared W Young
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 808-809
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Objective:
Translatability of preclinical results remains a major obstacle in neuropsychiatric research. Even when cognitive tests in preclinical models show translational validity for human testing, with sensitivity to clinical deficits, there remains the issue of heterogeneity among human participants. Norming of performance on cognitive tasks enable corrections for any differences in performance that may arise from the influence of socioeconomic factors, and thus a more direct comparison with preclinical testing results. The 5-choice continuous performance task (5C-CPT) is a test sensitive to changes in sustained attention and cognitive control in rodent manipulations and clinical populations, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Herein, we present normed results of 5C-CPT data from a cohort of human participants, enabling greater comparison to future clinical and rodent testing.
Participants and Methods:5C-CPT data were generated from a range of participants from the Translational Methamphetamine AIDS Research Center (n=82) and a study of bipolar disorder (n=45). Participant demographics were as follows: Age M=38.5, SD=16.7, Education: M=14.5, SD=1.9, 45% female, 10% Asian, 17% African American, 27% Hispanic, and 46% non-Hispanic White. We used the test2norm R-package to create norms for each of the major outcomes from the 5C-CPT. Non-normally distributed raw scores were transformed to generate more normally distributed data needed for the norming process. Raw scores were first converted into uniform scaled scores that range from 0-20 where a higher score indicated better performance. We then generated T-score formulas, which are standardized residuals and scaled to have a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 10. The residuals are obtained from regressions, modeled using multiple fractional polynomial method (MFP), which regresses scaled scores on demographic variables, which a user wishes to control for (gender, age, education, ethnicity, etc.). MFP models allow to fit non-linear effects for numeric demographic factors (e.g., age), if such effects exist.
Results:New, demographically corrected T-score formulas were calculated for each major outcome of the 5C-CPT: reaction time (MCL), reaction time variability (VarRT), dprime, hit rate (HR) and false-alarm rate (FAR). MFP models showed that age had a significant effect on MCL, VarRT, dprime, and HR (all p<0.01), while gender only showed a significant effect for MCL and VarRT (all p<0.05). Interestingly, education and ethnicity did not show a significant effect for any MFP model and none of the demographic factors (age, education, gender, ethnicity) were significant in the model for FAR. As defined in the test2norm package, all scaled scores had a mean of 10 and SD of 3 and all T-scores had a mean of 50 and SD of 10.
Conclusions:The 5C-CPT is a test of attention and cognitive control available for human testing, reverse-translated from rodent studies. The normative data generated here will enable future comparisons of data without the need for additional control studies. Furthermore, comparing these normative data to manipulations will enable further comparisons to rodent testing, with manipulations relative to baseline becoming more meaningful. Thus, the 5C-CPT is a viable tool for conducting cross-species translational research toward developing novel therapeutics that treat dysfunctional attentional and cognitive control.
63 A Multimodal Investigation of Attention in Pediatric Concussion
- Anne E Mozel, Meltem Izzetoglu, Christina L Master, Andrew B Leber, Matthew Grady, Brian T Vernau, Charles L Folk
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 168-169
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Objective:
Concussion patients frequently report increased distractibility, with more than half endorsing “concentration difficulty”. Previous studies have demonstrated impairments in maintaining attention and voluntary attentional allocation in concussion patients. However, involuntary attentional allocation (distraction) is not well understood in the context of concussion. The goal of this study was to examine distraction in acute pediatric concussion patients, monitoring frontal lobe activity using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) - a noninvasive measure of local hemodynamic activity - to elucidate whether post-concussion distractibility is associated with the availability of attentional control resources.
Participants and Methods:Participants included concussion patients (cases; n=19) presenting to specialty care within 28 days of injury (M=8.05, SD=5.55) and controls (n=16) presenting for reasons other than concussion. Participants were 13-17 years old (M=14.83, SD=1.10) and 57.1% female. Participants completed a computerized measure of behavioral distraction (the additional singleton paradigm) while frontal lobe activity was recorded using fNIRS 4-channel split sensor. On each trial, an array of shapes (five squares and one circle) was presented, and participants reported the orientation of a line segment inside a target shape (circle). The search array included a distractor (a square that differed in color) on 50% of trials. For each participant, the fNIR signal for epochs of each trial type (distractor present/absent) were averaged and subjected to a linear regression in which the data were fitted to a hemodynamic response function (HRF).
Results:34 participants (19 cases, 15 controls) were included in our behavioral analysis. Reaction time (RT) was significantly slower on distractor present compared to distractor absent trials; F(1,32)=17.151, p<.001. There was no significant effect of group (case/control) on RT (F(1,32)=1.24, p=.273) or interaction between group and trial type (F(1,32)=1.05, p=.313). 29 participants (15 cases, 14 controls) were included in fNIRS analyses. The effect of group and distractor presence/absence on oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) was examined for each channel. A significant effect of distractor presence/absence was observed in channel 3; F(1,27)=8.510, p=.007. There were no significant effects of group or interactions between group and distractor presence/absence.
Lastly, a capture index was calculated for each participant by subtracting average RT on distractor absent trials from distractor present trials and correlated with HbO2 (beta weights averaged across trial type) for each group at each channel. No significant correlations were observed. There was a trend towards a negative correlation for case participants, particularly in channel 1, which strengthened when an outlier was removed (r=-.407, p=.149).
Conclusions:Reaction time and frontal lobe activity - which serves as a proxy for attentional control resources - were significantly higher when a distractor was present. Although there were no significant differences in behavioral distraction between groups, concussion patients trended towards higher levels of frontal lobe activity. Likewise, although not statistically significant, there was a trend towards a negative correlation for cases such that more attentional control resources (i.e., higher frontal lobe activity) was associated with less behavioral distraction (i.e., smaller capture index). This suggests that concussion patients may recruit more neural resources to produce comparable behavioral responses to healthy controls.
85 Performance Consistency on a Measure of Sustained and Selective Attention
- Lauren M. Baumann, Keith P. Johnson, Lee Ashendorf
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, p. 286
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Objective:
Attention concerns, particularly difficulties with focusing and regulating attention, are reported in diverse clinical contexts. The Ruff 2&7 Selective Attention Test (Ruff 2&7; Ruff & Allen, 1996) is a measure of sustained and selective attention that assesses automatic detection and effortful processing. The goal of this study was to create an internal consistency metric within this test and to determine cognitive predictors by evaluating associations with executive control of attention and other cognitive skills. It was hypothesized that those who are more consistent across Ruff 2&7 performance would have more robust executive functioning skills, particularly those related to regulating and directing attention and the planning and utilization of cognitive resources.
Participants and Methods:The current study examined a clinical sample of 98 United States veterans with a history of mild traumatic brain injury. After excluding invalid cases (n=24), the final sample consisted of 74 veterans (Age=38.5 (8.9) years old; 13.9 (2.2) years of education; 78% male; 82% white, 7% Black, 8% Hispanic, 2% Asian). A consistency score was defined as the absolute value of the intertrial change in target hits plus errors across each pair of trials of the same stimulus type (Automatic Detection, AD, and Controlled Search, CS). Hierarchical linear regression modeling was used to evaluate the relative contributions of memory and executive functions (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Tower Test, phonemic fluency, Trail Making Test B) and subjective symptom report (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale for DSM-IV).
Results:The mean deviation scores for the two trial types were similar (AD mean=13.6, SD=5.9; CS mean=13.6, SD=5.3). In predicting consistency across AD trials, delayed recall contributed 11% unique variance (p=.013), while no other block was statistically significant. For CS trials, self-reported PTSD and inattention symptoms contributed a combined 20% of unique variance to the model (p=.007), while there were no statistically significant cognitive predictors in this model.
Conclusions:Contrary to expectation, executive function measures did not explain statistically significant variance in performance across either trial type. Less consistent performance on AD trials was associated with weaker verbal memory. Less consistent performance on CS trials, which theoretically require greater executive control, was not associated with any cognitive scores, but was associated with more severe self-reported psychological and inattention symptoms. These findings buttress the conceptual distinction between AD and CS trial types, and they point to both cognitive and non-cognitive underpinnings of performance consistency.
55 Psychometric Properties of the Verbal Series Attention Test: Preliminary Findings
- Stephen R McCauley, Michele K York, Adriana M Strutt, Jennifer M Stinson, Samantha K Henry, Victoria A Windham, Victoria Armendariz, Melany Land, Kevin D Nguyen
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 733-734
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Objective:
To investigate the latent factor structure and construct validity of the Verbal Series Attention Test (VSAT) across clinical patient populations.
Participants and Methods:Participants included a consecutive series of clinical patients presenting with a primary memory complaint. Each patient underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment and provided informed consent to allow their clinical data to be used for research. Groups formed included 1) No Neurocognitive Disorder [NoND, N=262, mean age=68.8, mean education=16.2, mean MMSE=28.3], 2) Mild Neurocognitive Disorder [MildND, N=337, mean age=72.3, mean education=15.4, mean MMSE=28.7], and 3)
Major Neurocognitive Disorder [MajorND, N=524, mean age=76.5, mean education=14.5, mean MMSE=19.0] with etiologies including suspected Alzheimer’s disease and/or vascular pathology. Latent factors were investigated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA).
Results:EFA was conducted using SAS 9.4 software and the promax (oblique) rotation to reveal the latent factors of the eight timed items of the VSAT in each of the three clinical groups. The structure was essentially identical in all three groups with two primary factors consistently emerging identified as 1-Complex Attention and 2-Simple Attention. Each factor had four items loading with a correlation range of > 0.37 x < 0.92. The internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) for the VSAT total score in each group was excellent (NoND a=0.83, MildND a=0.81, and MajorND a=0.84). To investigate construct validity, the VSAT items were entered into factor analysis with measures of attention and executive function (i.e., Digit Span [forward, backward, sequence], Trail Making Test A & B, semantic fluency (animals), Controlled Oral Word Association Test [COWAT, FAS]). All three patient groups were combined (N=950) given the VSAT’s consistent factor structure. Using the same EFA procedure as before, two main factors emerged with the VSAT Complex Attention variables loading on a general complex attention/working memory factor including Trails B, semantic fluency, and Digit Span subtests. The VSAT Simple Attention items loaded on a general attention factor with the VSAT Simple Attention variables and Trails A. COWAT did not load significantly on either factor.
Conclusions:The latent factor structure of the VSAT was consistent across patient populations with excellent internal consistency in each clinical group. The Complex and Simple Attention factors of the VSAT loaded on factors with similar variables identifying the anticipated latent factor structure demonstrating the construct validity of the VSAT across a wide spectrum of cognitive impairment in patients with primary memory complaints ranging from NoND to MajorND. This supports the use of the VSAT in patients across neurocognitive severity. Future studies will further explore additional psychometric properties of this instrument.
3 Type 2 Diabetes Moderates the Association between Amyloid PET and Attention/Executive Functioning in Older Veterans
- Rachel Membreno Almendares, Katherine J Bangen, Monica T Ly, Kayla S Walker, Sunder Mudaliar, Kelsey R Thomas
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 104-105
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Objective:
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a risk factor for cognitive impairment/dementia and has been shown to modify the impact of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers on cognition and everyday functioning. Studies examining amyloid-ß (Aß), one of the hallmark AD pathologies, have shown mixed results regarding associations of Aß biomarkers with cross-sectional cognition as well as T2D, though Aß is generally associated with future cognitive declines. The purpose of the present study is to examine whether T2D impacts the associations between amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) and cognition in older Veterans.
Participants and Methods:The current study included 202 mostly male Vietnam-Era Veterans from the Department of Defense-Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (DOD ADNI) study (age M=69.38 years, SD=4.37; 40% with self-reported T2D) who completed neuropsychological testing and florbetapir PET imaging. The Aß PET standardized uptake variable ratio (SUVR) was measured using a previously-validated summary SUVR calculated by dividing the mean uptake across 4 AD-vulnerable cortical regions by whole cerebellar uptake. General linear models examined whether T2D moderated the relationship of Aß PET with memory, attention/executive functioning, and language composite scores. Models adjusted for age, education, apolipoprotein E e4 carrier status, vascular risk burden, depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, and history of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Results:There was no main effect of diabetes on memory, attention/executive functioning, or language performance, and higher Aß PET SUVR was only associated with worse attention/executive functioning performance (ß=-.146, 95% CI [-.261, -.031], p=.013). The Aß PET x T2D interaction was significant for attention/executive functioning such that higher Aß PET SUVR was associated with lower attention/executive functioning scores, but only in those with T2D (ß=-.116, [-.225, -.006], p=.038). This interaction was not significant for language or memory.
Conclusions:The results show that Aß may negatively impact attention/executive functioning, but this effect was only found in Veterans with T2D. Prior work has suggested that T2D may be more associated with tau biomarkers than markers of Aß, so it is possible that the current results are due to a compounding effect of Aß pathology plus microvascular and/or tau pathology. Notably, the sample was relatively young, a relatively large proportion had elevated PTSD symptoms and/or a TBI history (which have both been shown to relate to attention/executive function), and the measures that made up the attention/executive composite (Trail Making Test A and B) have been shown to be particularly sensitive - all of which may have contributed to the domain-specific effects. Future research is needed to investigate the role that tau and vascular pathology may play in cognition among individuals with T2D. Longitudinal studies are also needed to better understand the timing and progression of these relationships.
46 Exploring Social Cognition Deficits Characterised by Impulsive Responding in Children
- Ben Collins, Vicki A. Anderson
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 833-834
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Objective:
Theory suggests that symptoms of Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD; e.g., hyperactivity and impulsivity) may be associated with social cognition deficits characterised by fast but erroneous processing of social cues. Despite this, prior research has provided mixed evidence for (a) deficits in social cognition skills and (b) a link between such deficits and poor social outcomes among children with ADHD. We sought to clarify this ambiguity by (a) exploring variation in social cognition skills across a mixed clinical and normative population and (b) examining the demographic, clinical, and dimensional symptom profiles of children presenting with reduced social cognition skills characterised by fast but erroneous processing.
Participants and Methods:Participants were children and adolescents (N = 1,097) aged 4–18 years (M = 9.02, SD = 2.72) assessed using the Paediatric Evaluation of Emotions Relationships and Socialisation (PEERS), a child-direct, ecologically sensitive measure of social cognition. Latent profile analysis of standardised social cognition scores and response times for incorrect encoding of social cues (error-response times) was used to identify social cognition profiles. Differences between each profile in terms of demographics, clinical profiles, symptom dimensions, and social outcomes were explored.
Results:Four social cognition profiles were identified. Two profiles were identified as being of particular interest: one which captured typically developing children (TDC; n = 727), and another which was characterised by lower social cognition scores and faster error-response times (impulsive responding; n = 201). The remaining profiles captured the response styles of younger participants (n = 152) and children with more pervasive social cognition deficits (n = 17). Comparison of the two profiles of interest revealed a number of statistically significant differences (p < .05). Compared to the TDC group, the impulsive responding group had: higher SDQ scores for hyperactivity, conduct, emotional, and peer problems; lower IQ and prosocial scores, and; greater parent-perceived social function deficits. Children in this group were also more likely to be male and from a lower SES background. Clinically, 18% of children in the impulsive responding group had an ADHD diagnosis, and 14% had at lease one mental health diagnosis other than ADHD.
Conclusions:A large minority of children (~18%) demonstrate social cognition deficits characterised by fast but erroneous processing of social cues. Although the explorative nature of this study does not allow conclusions to be made about the causes of such deficits, it is reasonable to conclude that they are not reducible to clinically significant symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity — less than 1/5 of the children in this group had an ADHD diagnosis, and 2/3 of children in this group had no mental health diagnosis at all. Child-direct tools designed to detect individual differences in social cognition skills may be beneficial in identifying individuals who will benefit from social support or interventions aimed at reducing social cognition deficits despite being missed by more traditional screening measures (e.g., clinical diagnoses). Future work should focus on understanding the causal relationships between symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity, fast but erroneous processing of social cues, social cognition skills, and social outcomes for this group of children.
16 The Multicultural Neuropsychological Scale (MUNS): The New Attention Subtest, Preliminary Cross-Cultural Data
- Gabriel Jäuregui, Saleena Wilson, Autumn Wild, Kara Eversole, Bernice Marcopulos, Alberto Fernändez
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, p. 431
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Objective:
The MUNS is a screening scale developed in Cordoba, Argentina (2018). It is devised with multicultural stimuli that are easily translated into different languages. The scale consists of seven subtests evaluating five cognitive domains: attention, memory, executive functioning, constructional praxis, and language. Previous cross-cultural studies with this scale found significant differences in performance on the attention subtest. The authors have developed a new attention subtest called “Arrows Cancellation”, a short cancellation test designed to overcome its predecessor’s shortcomings. The minimum score of this subtest is 0, and the maximum score is 160. It takes between 3 to 5 minutes to administer. A pilot study of this subtest was performed in Argentina in 2021 (n=62, M=105.61 ± 15.06). The aim of this study is to present the first cross-cultural comparison for the Arrows Cancellation subtest of the MUNS.
Participants and Methods:Argentinian (n=25, 84% female) and U.S.A. (n=39, 87% female) samples were administered the Arrows Cancellation subtest. In both cases, individuals gave their consent to participate voluntarily in this study. Participants’ health backgrounds, explored through a set of questions, determined their inclusion in the study. Participants with any of the following diagnoses were excluded from this sample: stroke, loss of consciousness (at least 20 minutes), traumatic head injury, central nervous system disease, chronic renal insufficiency, hepatic encephalopathy, non-treated thyroid disease, epilepsy, non-treated high blood pressure, severe cardiac failure, severe sleep disorders, coma, diagnosed psychiatric disease, or illegal drug consumption. Argentinians were given the instructions in Spanish whilst Americans were instructed in English. The mean age for the Argentinian sample was 21.24 ± 2.44, and for the American sample it was 20.18 ± 1.89. The mean years of education was 13.44 ± 0.96 for the Argentinian group and 13.6 ± 1.55 for the American group. A t-test showed that there were no significant differences in age (p=.06), years of schooling (p=.67) between both samples.
Results:The mean score of the Arrows Cancellation subtest for the Argentinian sample was 107.30 ± 14.51 and 108.95 ± 14.12 for the American sample. A t-test did not show significant differences in the Arrows Cancellation subtest score between samples (p=.65). In addition, there were no significant differences between males and females (p=.43).
Conclusions:The results of this study show that the new attention subtest of the MUNS did not show significant differences between two different cultural samples. Further studies are needed to confirm its utility in other cultural settings. Among the limitations of this study are the sample sizes and the restricted ranges of age and years of schooling.
56 TBI Severity Moderates the Association between Subjective and Objective Attention in Older Veterans
- Peter P Rantins, Monica Ly, Alexandra L Clark, Alexandra J Weigand, Kayla S Walker, Victoria C Merritt, Katherine J Bangen, Kelsey R Thomas
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 363-364
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Objective:
Prior work on associations between self-reported cognition and objective cognitive performance in Veterans has yielded mixed findings, with some evidence indicating that mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) may not impact the associations between subjective and objective cognition. However, few studies have examined these relationships in both mild and moderate-to-severe TBI, in older Veterans, and within specific cognitive domains. Therefore, we assessed the moderating effect of TBI severity on subjective and objective cognition across multiple cognitive domains.
Participants and Methods:This study included 246 predominately male Vietnam-Era Veterans (age M=69.61, SD=4.18, Range = 60.87 – 85.16) who completed neuropsychological testing and symptom questionnaires as part of the Department of Defense-Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (DoD-ADNI). Participants were classified as having history of no TBI (n=81), mild TBI (n=80), or moderate-tosevere TBI (n=85). Neuropsychological composite scores in the domains of memory, attention/executive functioning, and language were included as the outcome variables. The Everyday Cognition (ECog) measure was used to capture subjective cognition and, specifically, the ECog domain scores of memory, divided attention, and language were chosen as independent variables to mirror the objective cognitive domains. General linear models, adjusting for age, education, apolipoprotein E ε4 carrier status, pulse pressure, depressive symptom severity, and PTSD symptom severity, tested whether TBI severity moderated the associations of domain-specific subjective and objective cognition.
Results:Across the sample, subjective memory was associated with objective memory (β=-.205, 95% CI [-.332, -.078], p=.002) and subjective language was associated with objective language (β=-.267, 95% CI [-.399, -.134], p<.001). However, the main effect of subjective divided attention was not associated with objective attention/executive functioning (p=.124). The main effect of TBI severity was not associated with any of the objective cognitive domain scores after adjusting for the other variables in the model. The TBI severity x subjective cognition interaction was significant for attention/executive functioning [F(2,234)=5.18, p=.006]. Specifically, relative to Veterans without a TBI, participants with mild TBI (β=-.311, 95% CI [-.620, -.002], p=.048) and moderate-to-severe TBI (β=-.499, 95% CI [-.806, -.193], p=.002) showed stronger negative associations between subjective divided attention and objective attention/executive functioning. TBI severity did not moderate the associations between subjective and objective cognition for memory or language domains. The pattern of results did not change when the total number of TBIs was included in the models.
Conclusions:In this DoD-ADNI sample, stronger associations between subjective and objective attention were evident among individuals with mild and moderate-to-severe TBI compared to Veterans without a TBI history. Attention/executive functioning measures (Trails A and B) may be particularly sensitive to detecting subtle cognitive difficulties related to TBI and/or comorbid psychiatric symptoms, which may contribute to these attention-specific findings. The strongest associations were among those with moderate-to-severe TBI, potentially because the extent to which their attention difficulties are affecting their daily lives are more apparent despite no significant differences in objective attention performance by TBI group. This study highlights the importance of assessing both subjective and objective cognition in older Veterans and the particular relevance of the attention domain within the context of TBI.
9 - How can aptitude be leveraged for language learning?
- from Part II - Differentiation
- Lara Bryfonski, Georgetown University, Washington DC, Alison Mackey, Georgetown University, Washington DC
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- The Art and Science of Language Teaching
- Published online:
- 21 December 2023
- Print publication:
- 21 December 2023, pp 123-135
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Summary
Chapter 9 offers insight into how second language acquisition researchers have understood the concept of language aptitude and its impact on language development. Bryfonski and Mackey describe several of the most commonly used sub-components of language aptitude including phonetic, reasoning, and memory abilities. By drawing connections between these sub-components and instructional practices, this chapter offers ways in which teachers can understand how learners may experience language learning.
44 Shared Cognitive Predictors of Achievement
- Paul T Cirino, Cassidy M Salentine, Abigail Farrell, Marcia A Barnes, Greg Roberts
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 650-651
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Objective:
Reading and math are related generally, and comorbidly at the level of disability. Language, working memory (WM), processing speed (PS), and attention are four domain-general processes important for reading and math separately (Floyd et al., 2003; Fuchs et al., 2010; McDougal et al., 2022). Research of shared cognitive predictors is rarer (e.g., Cirino et al. 2018; Peterson et al., 2017). Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate these factors' shared contribution to both reading and math (both timed and untimed) among middle school students. We hypothesized that each of the four cognitive domains would relate significantly to all academic outcomes, and that together, they would account for the relationship between math and reading performance. We also expected that language and attention would be more relevant for reading than for math; that WM would be more relevant for math than for reading, and that PS would be more relevant for timed than for untimed measures.
Participants and Methods:Two-hundred-eighteen Hispanic middle school students completed cognitive assessments on visual attention, visual search, objective attention, behavioral attention, phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, vocabulary, WM, and PS. Timed and untimed reading and math were measured using the KTEA-3 (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2014). Latent variables were formed, and analyses were conducted via path analyses.
Results:A measurement model delineated language, attention, WM, and PS with nine latent variables with 20 indicator variables, with good model fit. Variables from each of the four domains significantly correlated with both reading and math outcomes. However, for untimed (overall R2 = 47.8%) and timed reading (overall R2 = 56.8%), language and behavioral attention were the only unique predictors. For untimed math (overall R2 = 51.8%), WM, PS, and behavioral attention were unique predictors. Finally, for timed math (overall R2 = 26.1%), WM was the only unique predictor. Reading and math were correlated with one another, whether untimed (r = .43) and timed (r = .40). Although the set of predictors reduced these correlations, the residual relation between reading and math remained significant, for both untimed (p = .002) and timed (p = .037) outcomes. When specific paths were constrained, language was found to be more important for untimed reading than untimed math but was similarly important for timed outcomes. WM was more important for math than reading, whether timed or untimed. Attention and PS were similarly important for achievement outcomes.
Conclusions:The present work supported prior work documenting the relation of reading and math, and the relation of language, attention, WM, and PS to both types of achievement. However, unique contributions were much more sporadic, and some, but not all, cognitive domains showed differential prediction. These results highlight the role of shared variance among predictors (Cirino et al., 2018; Cirino et al., 2019), and raise questions as to other sources of the overlap between reading and math, whether timed or untimed. The nature of the sample also raises interesting replicability and generalizability issues but advances our understanding of the relation between cognitive and achievement skills.