22 results
93 Digitized Trail Making Test in the NKI-Rockland Sample Normative Lifespan Neuroimaging Study
- Anna MacKay-Brandt, Nadine Schwab, Irene Piryatinksy, Maxine Krengel, Malvina Pietrzykowski, Dave Gansler, Andrea Suazo Rivas, Alyssa DiFalco, Stan Colcombe
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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. 768-769
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Objective:
Digitized cognitive assessment captures rich behavioral information that remains unmeasured using conventional methods. Data capture tools recently accessible only in specialized laboratories are now feasible at scale using off-the-shelf tablet devices. This study aims to share data from a digitized cognitive assessment embedded in an open-science research program collecting extensive neuroimaging, health, behavioral, neuropsychological, and psychiatric characterizations to advance translational cognitive neuroscience. In this research we present normative performance metrics from a digital version of the Trail Making Test.
Participants and Methods:The NKI-Rockland Sample (NKI-RS) has provided a model for openly-shared lifespan normative neuroimaging resources contributed by a community-ascertained sample (n=1,500, aged 6-85) and generating over 400 publications across diverse research areas. The next generation NKI-RS study (recruitment target= 600, aged 9-75) aims to enrich these resources for brain-behavioral research, normative reference, and biomarker discovery. One focus of innovation is the inclusion of digitized cognitive assessments (DCAs) utilizing an open-resource task development and data collection platform (Mindlogger, Child Mind Institute). We present preliminary data from a digitized version of the Trail Making Tests and report early descriptive metrics. The TMTs was administered via an iPad Pro using an Apple pen as part of a laboratory-based EEG procedure. The TMTs follows standard administration instructions, including a practice sample before each test condition. Error feedback is included in the task implementation such that an incorrect connection is marked with an “x” and the participant is directed to the last correct circle to continue. Feedback is automated within the task. Pixel-level spatial resolution and millisecond timing is captured across all drawing tasks. Task design, implementation, and preliminary performance metrics including speed, accuracy, and variability are reported.
Results:Preliminary data include 12 participants from the NKI-RS2 study ranging in age from 11-75 years (M= 52.83, SD= 19.97); 67% female. Overall participants took longer to complete condition B (Mb = 51.71 secs) compared to condition A (Ma = 23.07 secs), p= 0.0005. Connections were made more slowly (Ma = 37.47 secs vs. Mb = 24.50 secs, p< 0.001) and connection speed was more variable (CVa = 0.90 vs. CVb = 1.22, p< 0.01) on condition B versus A. Connection speed decreased and speed variability increased with age (t[11 ]= -3.25, p= 0.05, t[11]= -3.63, p< 0.01, respectively). Time spent within circles (dwell time) was significantly greater in B versus A (t[11]= 6.81, p< 0.001). Number of errors were limited (MA = .89 and MB = 1.0, range 0-2 in both tests) with no difference between tests or effects of age (both ps >0.05).
Conclusions:These preliminary data from the NKI-RS2 normative neuroimaging study demonstrate that a digitized version of a classic neuropsychological test is feasible across a diverse range of community participants, and replicates known age effects. The advantages of growing access to these DCA tools and the shared data resources they will produce has the potential to revolutionize neuropsychological research and clinical practice.
96 Proof of Principle: Can Paragraph Recall Pauses and Speech Frequencies Correctly Classify Cognitively Compromised Older Adults?
- Leeor Hershkovich, Sabyasachi Bandyopadhyay, Jack Wittmayer, Patrick Tighe, David J Libon, Catherine C Price, Parisa Rashidi
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- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 767-768
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Recent research has found that machine learning based analysis of patient speech can be used to classify Alzheimer’s Disease. We know of no studies, however, which systematically explore the value of pausing events in speech for detecting cognitive limitations. Using retrospectively acquired voice data from paragraph memory tests, we created two types of pause features: a) the number and duration of pauses, and b) frequency components in speech immediately following pausing. Multiple machine learning models were used to assess how these features could effectively discriminate individuals classified into two groups: Cognitively Compromised versus Cognitively Well.
Participants and Methods:Participants (age> 65 years, n= 67) completed the Newcomer paragraph memory test and a neuropsychological protocol as part of a federally funded prospective IRB approved investigation at the University of Florida. Participant vocal recordings were acquired for the immediate and delay conditions of the test. Speaker diarization was performed on the immediate free recall test condition to separate voices of patients from examiners. Features extracted from both test conditions included a) 3 pause characteristics (total number of pauses, total pause duration, and length of the longest pause), and b) 20 Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) pertaining to speech immediately (2.7 seconds) following pauses. These were combined with demographics (age, sex, race, education, and handedness) to create a total of 105 features that were used as inputs for multiple machine learning analytic models (random forest, logistic regression, naive Bayes, AdaBoost, Gradient Boost, and multi-layered perceptron). External neuropsychological metrics were used to initially classify Cognitively Compromised (i.e., < -1.0 standard deviation on > two of five test metrics: total immediate, delay, discrimination Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R),
Controlled Oral Word Association (COWA) test, category fluency ('animals')). Pearson Product Moment Correlations were used to assess the linear relationships between pauses and speech frequency categories and neuropsychological metrics.
Results:Neuropsychology metric classification using -1SD cut-off identified 27% (18/67 participants) as Cognitively Compromised. The Cognitively Compromised group and the Cognitively Well group did not show any difference in distributions of individual pause/frequency features (Mann Whitney U-test, p> 0.11). A negative correlation was found between total duration of short pauses and HVLT total immediate free recall, while a positive correlation was found between MFCC-10 and HVLT total immediate free recall. The best classification model was AdaBoost Classifier which predicted the Cognitively Compromised label with 0.91 area under receiver operating curve, 0.81 accuracy, 0.43 sensitivity, 1.0 specificity, 1.0 precision, 0.6 f1 score.
Conclusions:Pause characteristics and frequency profiles of speech immediately following pauses from a paragraph memory test accurately identified older adults with compromised cognition, as measured by verbal learning and verbal fluency metrics. Furthermore, individuals with reduced HVLT immediate free recall generated more pauses, while individuals who recalled more words had higher power in mid-frequency bands (10th MFCC). Future research needs to replicate how paragraph recall pause characteristics and frequency the profile of speech immediately following pauses potentially provides a low resource alternative to automatic speech recognition models for detecting cognitive impairments.
30 Changing the Meaning of Emotional Encounters: Cognitive Reappraisal Success is Unrelated to Cognitive Reappraisal Tactic
- Hannes Heppner, Olivia Manko, Lillian King, Stuart Hall
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- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 819-820
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Cognitive reappraisal is a frequently researched emotion regulation strategy. It broadly describes one's ability to alter or reinterpret the meaning of personally relevant events. Cognitive reappraisal is robustly associated with lower self-reported negative affect, lower physiological arousal, and higher positive affect, which is the reason why it is a key component of many psychotherapeutic interventions. However, little research to date has investigated different types of cognitive reappraisal tactics and their association with cognitive reappraisal success. Given that there are an arguably indefinite number of ways to reappraise personally relevant events, it would be clinically informative to identify those tactics that are associated with the greatest decline in negative emotionality. The current study investigated whether one's predominant use of a specific reappraisal strategy is associated with divergent cognitive reappraisal success.
Participants and Methods:A total of 42 participants (67% women; M = 23.33 years, SD = 6.05 years) took part in this cross-sectional study. Cognitive reappraisal was administered via a computerized task modeled after McRae et al. (2012). A total of 45 previously normed pictures were shown in the cognitive reappraisal task (Lang et al., 2001). Participants were asked to either decrease how they felt or look at negatively evocative images. The dependent measure was success of downregulating negative emotion after the “decrease” versus “look” instruction (i.e., cognitive reappraisal success). A mood manipulation check, a questionnaire asking about participants' reappraisal strategies, and frequency of each reappraisal tactic was conducted after the task was completed to ensure that participants implemented the task as intended. Reappraisal tactics were rated by 3 independent raters individually according to a previously established rating tactic coding system (McRae et al., 2012). An analysis of variance was conducted comparing reappraisal success across groups of the reappraisal tactic most frequently used for each participant. Additionally, total number of reappraisal strategies used was included as a covariate.
Results:Participants endorsed significantly higher negative mood after looking at negative versus neutral pictures, t(41) = 22.70, p < .05). Ratings further indicated that participants were able to significantly decrease how negative they felt when reappraising versus looking at negative pictures, t(41) = 11.95, p < .05. On average, participants' most frequently used reappraisal tactic was used 50.54% (SD = 16.32) of the time. Descriptive statistics on frequency of reappraisal tactics across participants is shown. Regarding the analysis of variance of divergent reappraisal success based on tactic, no significant relationship was found (p > .05). The inclusion of number of reappraisal strategies per participant did not impact the results (p > .05).
Conclusions:The present study did not show a significant difference between reappraisal tactics regarding their cognitive reappraisal success. This replicates past findings and indicates that type of reappraisal tactic used may be not as impactful as using cognitive reappraisal in some fashion. However, reappraisal tactics were not distributed equally across participants. Future studies should include larger samples to attain adequate sample sizes for each reappraisal tactic. Furthermore, participants should be instructed to use a specific reappraisal tactic alongside their self-selected reappraisal preferences to gain insight into the relative success of different reappraisal tactics. Clinical relevance of present findings is discussed.
38 Vulnerability to Semantic and Phonemic Interference in Normal Aging and Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI)
- Marie-Joelle Chasles, Sven Joubert, Jessica Cole, Emilie Delage, Isabelle Rouleau
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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. 246-247
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Objective:
Studies on vulnerability to interference have shown promise in distinguishing between normal and pathological aging, such as the early stage of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI). However, these studies did not include a non-semantic condition essential in distinguishing between what is attributable specifically to semantic memory impairments and more generalized vulnerability to interference. The present study aimed to determine whether the increased vulnerability to semantic interference previously observed in individuals at increased risk of AD (aMCI) is specifically associated with the semantic nature of the material, or if it also affects other types of material, suggesting more generalized executive and inhibitory impairment.
Participants and Methods:Seventy-two participants (N = 72) divided into two groups (33 aMCI and 39 NC) matched for age and education were included in the study. They underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological examination, and took the adapted French version of the LASSI-L (semantic interference test), as well as a homologous experimental phonemic test, the TIP-A. Independent sample t-tests, mixed ANOVA and ANCOVA on memory and vulnerability to interference scores with the Group (NC, aMCI) as between-group factor and the Type of material (semantic, phonemic) as within-subject factor were conducted to compare memory and interference in both contexts for both groups.
Results:For all memory scores, results revealed a significant main effect of group (NC > aMCI), a significant main effect of the type of material (semantic > phonemic) and a significant Group x Type interaction (disproportionately poorer performance in a semantic context for aMCI compared to NC). Word recognition was equivalent in both contexts for aMCI, whereas NC were better in a semantic context. aMCI also committed more phonemic false recognition errors, were disproportionately more vulnerable to retroactive semantic interference and showed a disproportionately higher percentage of intrusion errors associated with proactive semantic interference than NC.
Conclusions:To our knowledge, this is the first study to meticulously compare aMCI and elderly control vulnerability to inter-list interference and its impact on memory processes in two very similarly designed conditions using different types of material (semantic vs. phonemic). Indeed, many studies on interference focused solely on intra-list buildup of interference or on semantic material. Taken together, our results suggest that aMCI patients present generalized difficulties in source memory and inhibition, but that their inability to benefit normally from the depth of processing of semantic material results in even more semantic intrusion errors during proactive interference. This superficial semantic processing also significantly impacts the ability of aMCI to show good recall after being exposed to an interference list and the passage of time, resulting in a greater vulnerability to semantic retroactive interference than controls. In summary, our results suggest that impairment of semantic memory, and, more precisely, the loss of benefit from the depth of semantic processing, represents the cornerstone of their memory and vulnerability to interference patterns. The classical level of processing theory therefore constitutes an ideal, simple framework to predict aMCI patients’ performance when facing interference, a parallel too rarely addressed in the literature.
66 Neuropsychological Profile of ROHHAD Syndrome: A Case Study
- Ivana Cernokova, Ronnise D Owens, Eva del Valle Martinez, Nicole Semaan, Coralie Bergeron, Donald J Bearden, Kim E Ono
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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. 742
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Rapid Onset Obesity with Hypoventilation, Hypothalamic Dysfunction, Autonomic Dysregulation (ROHHAD) is a rare and often progressive syndrome with unknown etiology and only 100 cases reported to date. The syndrome is characterized by generally normal development followed by rapid onset of pain, muscle weakness, personality changes, and developmental regression. Associated chronic pain and fatigue result in difficulty concentrating, slow information processing, and executive function challenges. Only one study has examined the neuropsychological profile of pediatric patients with this syndrome.
Participants and Methods:Our patient was a 10-year-old, right-handed male with a history of ROHHAD syndrome, focal epilepsy, mild neurocognitive disorder, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who underwent two comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations at our medical center.
Results:Findings across multiple evaluations showed solid verbal skills and difficulty processing visual-spatial and nonverbal information, as well as problems with attention, executive functioning, and adaptive skills, and psychosocial functioning consistent with his diagnoses of ADHD and ASD. He exhibited fine-and gross-motor challenges associated with hypotonia. Chronic fatigue contributed to his challenges with attention and information processing. These findings are generally consistent with previous research examining the neuropsychological profile associated with ROHHAD syndrome.
Conclusions:Results from our case study highlight the complexity and challenges associated with ROHHAD syndrome. Consistent with available information, etiology of our patients’ neuropsychological weakness and functional decline is unclear. Yearly neuropsychological evaluations are recommended for these patients to update interventions based on their variable abilities. More research is needed to firmly establish the neuropsychological profile in youth of varying ages afflicted with this syndrome.
19 Auditory and Cognitive Function in Adults Living With and Without HIV
- Peter Torre III, Julia Devore, Amanda Brandino, Anne Heaton, Erin Sundermann, Raeanne Moore, Albert Anderson
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- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 810-811
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Hearing consists of peripheral components (outer and middle ear, cochlea) and the central auditory system (cochlear nuclei to the auditory cortex). Speech perception relies on peripheral hearing abilities (i.e., pure-tone thresholds) and central auditory processing (CAP) and cognitive functioning. Specifically, working memory, executive function, attention, and verbal functioning allow for speech understanding. As a result, CAP deficits are also influenced by peripheral hearing sensitivity and cognitive functioning. Assessing CAP deficits can be difficult because of these complex interactions. Prior work has shown persons living with HIV (PWH) are at higher risk for sensorineural hearing loss compared to persons living without HIV (PWOH) after adjusting for age, sex, and noise exposure. Further, HIV is a risk factor for cognitive impairment, one example being Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its precursor, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), with auditory dysfunction occurring in earlier stages of AD. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate: 1) the peripheral hearing sensitivity and CAP in PWH and PWOH; and 2) the association between cognitive function measures and CAP in PWH and PWOH.
Participants and Methods:Participants included 59 PWH (39 men and 20 women, mean age=66.7 years [SD=4.4 years]) and 27 PWOH (13 men and 14 women, mean age=71.9 years [SD=7.1 years]). Participants completed a standard neuropsychological battery assessing the domains of learning, recall, executive function, working memory, verbal fluency, processing speed and motor. Raw scores were transformed to demographically corrected, domain T-scores. Cognitive function was normal for 39 (66.1%) PWH and 16 (59.3%) PWOH while 43 (72.9%) PWH and 17 (63.0%) PWOH were determined to have MCI. Participants with dementia were excluded. Participants also completed a hearing assessment, a portion of which consisted of pure-tone thresholds, peripheral hearing measure, and dichotic digits testing (DDT), a CAP measure. Pure-tone air-conduction thresholds were obtained at octave frequencies from 0.25 through 8 kHz, including 3 and 6 kHz. A pure-tone average (PTA) was calculated from 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz thresholds for each ear. The DDT involves the presentation of numbers from 1 to 10, excluding 7, in which two different digits are presented to one ear while two other digits are simultaneously presented to the opposite ear. The outcome of DDT is percent correct.
Results:PWH had slightly lower (i.e., better) mean PTAs in both ears compared to PWOH, but this was not statistically significant. Conversely, PWH had lower percent correct DDT results compared to PWOH, but this difference was also not statistically significant. Participants with impairment in verbal fluency, executive functioning, and working memory had significantly worse DDT results by approximately 10%, but only for right ear data.
Conclusions:PWH in our sample had better hearing than PWOH, which can be explained by PWH having a lower mean age. PWH had poorer DDT results, however, indicative of CAP deficits rather than peripheral hearing problems. Poor right ear DDT was associated with impairments specifically in frontal-based cognitive processes with an executive component.
77 Performance on Tests of Attention and Mental Flexibility Predicts Metacognitive Accuracy
- Christopher S. Waller, Michael J. Walsh, Trevor Scarlett, Kathy S. Chiou
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- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 279-280
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The process of metacognitive monitoring refers to one’s ability to incorporate rapid in-the-moment self-assessments of their cognitive performance. An area of interest within this literature concerns metacognitive accuracy (MA), or the extent to which an individual can discern when their own judgments are incorrect/correct. Much of the work in this area has either focused on school-aged samples or clinical samples, with findings of impairment in metacognitive processes associated with traumatic brain injury, Schizophrenia, cerebrovascular accidents, and Alzheimer’s disease. Notably, decreased working memory and executive functioning are frequently reported in samples with low MA, suggesting a possible reliance on basic cognitive resources in the facilitation of metacognitive processes. Thus, the goal of this investigation was to elucidate potential relationships between individual domains of cognition and higher-order MA. We hypothesized that performance on measures of working memory and executive function would be positively associated with measures of MA.
Participants and Methods:Data from 87 undergraduate students who volunteered in research for class credit were used. All participants completed a computerized metamemory task where six lists of 12 words each paired with varying point values were first presented to the participants. After each list, participants were instructed to score as many points as possible by recalling words they could remember. After a brief delay, participants completed a recognition task using the words presented earlier and provided a retrospective confidence judgement (RCJ) following each item. A metric for MA, meta d', was calculated using signal-detection theory analysis from the reported RCJs and recognition task performance. Participants also completed neuropsychological tests of attention (Trails A), working memory (WM; Backward Digits), executive function (EF; Trails B), mental flexibility (MF; Trails B/A Ratio), and processing speed (Symbol Digit Modalities). A sequential multiple regression was performed with meta d’ serving as the criterion, with education, age, and performance on neuropsychological measures entered as predictors.
Results:The model indicated that a moderate percentage of the variability (R2 = .201) in metacognitive accuracy could be attributed to the combination of predictors in the model (F (7,79) = 2.843, p = .011). Examination of the regression coefficients indicated that only measures of attention (ß = .638, p = .01), MF (ß = .473, p = .041), and WM ß = .244, p = .024) were significantly related to MA after controlling for all other variables in the model.
Conclusions:The model suggests that working memory, attention, and mental flexibility increased in a linear fashion as MA increased. Our hypotheses were partially supported, while working memory predicted MA, its contribution to the overall model was the smallest among the significant predictors. While executive function was not a significant contributor to the model, MF (a component of EF) was. The largest contributor to the model was attention, which supports prior findings in the literature. This outcome would suggest that while separate from EF, metacognitive processes in neurotypical students may rely on other, more basic cognitive processes. These results may prove beneficial in guiding the development of rehabilitative interventions for MA in clinical samples.
Poster Symposium: Leveraging Digital Technology to Capture Highly Nuanced Neuropsychological Behavior: Realizing the Vision of the Boston Process Approach to Neuropsychological Assessment
- Anna MacKay, Rhoda Au
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- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 765-766
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Neuropsychological test scores tap a number of underlying cognitive abilities. Examining the means by which omnibus scores are achieved provides considerable information regarding brain - behavior relationships and a richer context for clinical interpretation. This examination is the core tenant of the Boston Process Approach. Nonetheless, quantification of errors and process can be time consuming. However, the development of digital assessment technology is able to meet this challenge. For example, using a digital clock drawing test, previously unappreciated behaviors are now easily quantified and can dissociate between dementia and MCI subtypes. Research presented in this paper session provides additional insight into how digital technology can be leveraged as a powerful tool to capture behavior that, until recently, was either impractical or impossible to measure.
The assessment of graphomotor behavior can be challenging. In the context of a large-scale normative neuroimaging study, Colcombe and colleagues have engineered a digital Archimedes Spiral Test that includes measures of speed variability, rotational smoothness, and goodness of fit to the model. The temporal and spatial precision of these metrics is impressive. This research shows that, age predicted greater variable drawing speed, greater tracing errors, reduced rotational smoothness, and increasing drawing speed variability.
MacKay-Brandt and colleagues present data using a digital version of the Trail Making Tests (TMT), one of the most commonly administered neuropsychological tests. This research provides a panel of new parameters to evaluate TMT performance, including detailed speed metrics with spatial segregation to parse circle connection time from dwell time within a circle. Interestingly, dwell time, rather than traditional total time to completion, was the strongest predictor of differences between conditions and across age. Baliga and colleagues present data on a protocol of novel cancellation tests. Memory clinic patients were classified into groups presenting with mild dementia, mild cognitive impairment, and those who were cognitively normal. Digital parameters of interest included correct responses, commissions, mean intra-response latency, and mean apple pencil touch. Using these parameters, significant between group differences were obtained. Moreover, logistic regression analyses were able to classify patients into their respective groups.
It is well understood that paragraph recall tests assess a variety of underlying cognitive abilities. Andersen and colleagues studied Logical Memory recall in the Long-Life Family Study and extracted linguistic parameters that included word count, grammatical features (e.g., prepositions), and content words related to specific categories (e.g., work). Participants were classified as cognitively normal or impaired. Analyses identified distinct linguistic features of free recall that predicted cognitive status.
Hershkovich and colleagues extract measured pauses and speech frequency behavior also from a paragraph recall test. A combination of paragraph recall pause duration, speech frequency parameters, and demographic variables were able to classify older adults with and without cognitive compromise. Collectively, the evidence provided in this series of papers demonstrates that digital platforms can capture and quantify highly nuanced neurocognitive behavior to enrich information available to researchers and clinicians for analysis and clinical formulations. Digital assessment technology holds promise to realize the vision of the Boston Process Approach and revolutionize neuropsychological assessment.
95 Delving Beyond the Test Score: Linguistic Markers of Cognitive Impairment on Paragraph Recall
- Stacy L Andersen, Seho Park, Nicole Roth, Paola Sebastiani, Megan Barker, Zhiwei Zheng, Sanford Auerbach Auerbach, Stephanie Cosentino, Rhoda Au, David J Libon
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- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 766-767
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Cognitive tests requiring spoken responses, such as paragraph recall, are rich in cognitive-related information that is not captured using traditional scoring methods. This study aimed to determine if linguistic features embedded in spoken responses may differentiate between individuals who are and are not cognitively impaired.
Participants and Methods:Participants in the Long Life Family Study completed a neuropsychological assessment which included the WMS-R Logical Memory I paragraph recall. For a subset of participants (N=709), test responses were digitally recorded and manually transcribed. We used Linguistic Inquiry Word Count, a text analysis program, to quantify word counts, grammatical features (e.g, prepositions, verb tenses), and the use of content words related to specific semantic categories (e.g., work-related, numbers) for immediate (IR) and delayed recall (DR). We used regression models with Generalized Estimating Equations adjusted by age, sex, education, and within-family correlation to select features associated with cognitive status (normal cognition [NC] versus cognitive impairment [CI]; Bonferroni-corrected threshold p<0.001). Next, we developed a “polyfeature score” (PFS) for both immediate and delayed recall, each calculated as a weighted sum of the selected linguistic features. We then built a logistic regression model to evaluate the predictive value of each PFS for identifying cognitively impaired individuals. In secondary analyses, we used regression models as above to identify features associated with mild cognitive impairment subtype (amnestic [aMCI] versus nonamnestic [naMCI]; threshold p< .05).
Results:The sample included 599 participants with NC and 110 with CI (mean age = 72.3 ± 11.0 years, 54% female). The regression identified 8 linguistic features for IR and 7 for DR that significantly predicted cognitive status. Decreased use of content words related to work (e.g., employed, school, police) and biological processes (e.g., cook, cafeteria, eat) and the use of negations (e.g., no, not, can’t) were predictive of cognitive impairment in both recall conditions. In contrast, the use of other content word categories were predictive of cognitive status in only one recall condition (IR: leisure, cognitive processes, space; DR: drives, number). The use of fewer prepositions in IR, more first-person pronouns in DR, and fewer words in the past tense in DR were each associated with cognitive impairment. Word count was not predictive of cognitive status. Both PFSs were highly associated with cognitive status (PFS_IR ß= 0.74, p< 0.001; PFS_DR ß= 0.86, p= 0.001) with high discriminative value (PFS_IR AUC= 0.93, sensitivity = 0.81, specificity= 0.91; PFS_DR AUC= 0.95, sensitivity= 0.77, specificity= 0.88). In the CI subset, linguistic features differed between those classified as aMCI (n= 24) and naMCI (n= 40). Two function word categories predicted aMCI in IR whereas decreased word count, two function word categories, and two content word categories predicted aMCI in DR (all p< .05)
Conclusions:Linguistic features from paragraph recall provide high predictive value for classifying cognitive status increasing its potential as a cognitive screener in clinical settings. Additionally, each recall condition identified unique linguistic features associated with cognitive impairment which may aid differentiation of cognitive impairment subtypes and elucidate processes underlying deficits in learning and recall.
8 Computational Modeling of Memory Processes in non-CNS Cancer Survivors
- Ruben D Potthoff, Sanne B Schagen, Joost A Agelink van Rentergem
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- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 526-527
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Cognitive impairment is an often-overlooked issue that non-CNS cancer survivors face. Our current understanding of their issues is lacking, as traditional memory sum scores grant us little insight into the underlying cognitive processes of memory and its impairment. We can improve the informativity of memory impairment studies by isolating which cognitive processes are impaired.
Participants and Methods:Participants were breast cancer survivors who received chemotherapy (n=68), and women controls (n=157). The participants completed the Amsterdam Cognition Scan (ACS), in which classical neuropsychological tests are digitally recreated for online at-home administration. Online administration reduces the burden on patients and allows for recording measurements with greater precision. The specific test used to illustrate the effectiveness of our computational modeling approach was the ACS equivalent of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, in which participants are tasked with recalling a list of 15 words five times. We formulated a Hierarchical Bayesian Cognitive Model to replace traditional sum scores and disentangle performance into the more theoretically meaningful concepts of 'memory storage’ and 'memory retrieval'.
Results:A traditional analysis of the sum of trials 1-5 indicated no significant difference between patients and controls (t(223)=-0.99, p = 0.323), with a small effect size (Cohen’s d = -0.14).
For the newly isolated cognitive process “memory storage”, a non-significant difference was found between patients and controls (d=0.10, 95% credible interval on Cohen’s d: [0.25, 0.43]). On the “memory retrieval” process, a medium significant difference was found between patients and controls (d = -0.57, 95% credible interval on Cohen’s d: [-1.00, -0.19]).
Conclusions:The results indicate that the impaired memory processes in cancer patients are not a general impairment across all memory functions, but rather a selective impairment of memory retrieval. Our method of analysis revealed information that would have been left unnoticed had we relied on traditional sum over trials 1-5.
94 Digitized Archimedes Spiral Drawing in the NKI-Rockland Sample
- Stan Colcombe, Anna MacKay-Brandt, Ava Waters, Sarah Abdelaziz, Nora Liu
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- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 769-770
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Objective:
Digital cognitive assessments (DCAs) provide insight into cognition and behavior that remains inaccessible through standard assessment approaches. However, the availability of DCAs and the requisite toolkits to extract and analyze meaningful features from these datasets are largely constrained to technical specialists or through fee-for-service commercial entities. The NKI- Rockland Sample provides a large- scale lifespan data sample featuring DCAs, and also openly shares its DCA tasks through the open-source MindLogger platform along with pipelines for feature extraction and analyses. Here we present normative performance from a digital version of Archimedes Spiral Drawing.
Participants and Methods:NKI-RS2 participants were largely drawn from the existing NKI-RS participant pool (n= 1,500), aged 885. The NKI-RS2 is in year 1 of data collection; here, we report on a subset of participants (n= 9) who performed a digitized version of the Archimedes Spiral Drawing task. This graphomotor task with well-established research and clinical utility in movement disordered populations was adapted for use for off-the-shelf tablet devices. The NKI-RS2 implements these tasks on an Apple iPad Pro2, sampling participant drawing at 120Hz, and featuring pixel- and millisecond- level resolution for all tasks. On the Spiral Drawing and Recall Tests participants traced five Archimedes spirals from the center outward through four windings presented on the iPad. They were then asked to replicate the spiral freehand three times. From these spiral drawings, we extracted time to completion, distance covered, speed/ speed variability, rotational smoothness, number of crossings, mean absolute error, bias, and goodness of fit to the ideal Archimedes spiral.
Results:Comparing the tracing and recall conditions, participants showed significantly faster drawing speed (t[8]=5.32, p< .001), more variable drawing speed (t[8]=5.93, p< .001), reduced goodness of fit to the template t[8]=4.99, p< .002, and reduced rotational smoothness (t[8]=7.43, p< .0003) in the recall conditions. Collapsing across conditions, age predicted more variable drawing speed: t[8]= 2.77 p< .019, greater tracing error (t[8] = 2.69, p< .0227), and reduced rotational smoothness (t[8] = 2.67, p< .024). Between conditions, age predicts a greater increase in drawing speed variability (t[8] = 9.76, p< .0006).
Conclusions:Using the open source MindLogger platform and off-the-shelf digital tablets, we were able to replicate classic paper and pen neuropsychological tests. By adapting these tasks to DCA, we were able to extract meaningful features that are not otherwise accessible (drawing speed, variability, etc.), or that would require additional hardware solutions (e.g., dwell time). By making these tasks and their processing pipelines available, the NKI-RS2 can facilitate the democratization of DCA and DCA analysis to a broader range of researchers and clinicians.
Pause for Thought: Designing Video Content that Doesn't Overwhelm Learners
- Charlie Brampton
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- Journal:
- Legal Information Management / Volume 22 / Issue 4 / December 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 09 February 2023, pp. 196-200
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- December 2022
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Easy-to-use software and apps have made video creation achievable and affordable for many library and information professionals. While there are parallels between delivering library training in-person and via a pre-recorded video, video creation does present additional challenges as well as exciting opportunities. This paper, by Charlie Brampton, uses Clark and Mayer's model of cognitive processing as a framework, and explores how video watching can lead to extraneous, essential and generative processing. These three concepts are explored individually, and practical advice is given about controlling each type of processing. The related topic of video accessibility is discussed, from both a legal and a practical perspective.
A comparative study of animation versus static effects in the spatial concept-based metaphor awareness-raising approach on EFL learners’ cognitive processing of request strategies
- MASAHIRO TAKIMOTO
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- Journal:
- Language and Cognition / Volume 13 / Issue 2 / June 2021
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 12 January 2021, pp. 191-226
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This study evaluates the relative effects of two cognitive linguistic approaches – using animated versus static scenes in an illustration based on the spatial concept-oriented metaphor – and a non-cognitive linguistic approach on the Japanese EFL learners’ processing of request strategies with degrees of politeness. The cognitive linguistic approach consisted of applying the metaphor politeness is distance in the teaching of different degrees of politeness. It involved a spatial concept projection through which participants could understand degrees of politeness in terms of the spatially visualized concepts of near–far and high–low relationships associated with three social variables – closeness, power, and speaker difficulty – in either animated or static illustration. In contrast, the non-cognitive linguistic approach involved rote learning of target English polite requests in a list. The results demonstrated that the static version of the cognitive linguistic approach enabled participants to process degrees of politeness and perform as well as those who underwent the animated version. Moreover, the animation effects did not appear to have had a major impact on the overall performance of groups subjected to both cognitive language approaches. The results also showed that the cognitive linguistic approach groups outperformed the non-cognitive linguistic approach and control groups.
Cognitive paths from trauma to posttraumatic stress disorder: a prospective study of Ehlers and Clark's model in survivors of assaults or road traffic collisions
- Esther T. Beierl, Inga Böllinghaus, David M. Clark, Edward Glucksman, Anke Ehlers
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- Journal:
- Psychological Medicine / Volume 50 / Issue 13 / October 2020
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 11 September 2019, pp. 2172-2181
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Background
Individual differences in cognitive responses to trauma may represent modifiable risk factors that could allow early identification, targeted early treatment and possibly prevention of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ehlers and Clark's cognitive model of PTSD suggests that negative appraisals, disjointed trauma memories, and unhelpful coping strategies maintain PTSD. These are thought to be influenced by cognitive processing during trauma. The aim of this study was to test this model prospectively with path analyses.
MethodsParticipants (N = 828) were recruited from an emergency department following injury in a violent assault or road traffic collision and 700 participated in the 6-month assessments. Cognitive processing was assessed shortly after the event, negative appraisals, disjointed memories, and unhelpful coping strategies at 1 month, persistent PTSD symptom severity at 6 months, and early PTSD symptom severity at 2 weeks.
ResultsCognitive variables, with trauma type and gender, explained 52% of the variance in PTSD symptom severity at 6 months. Including early symptom severity in the model did not explain more variance (53%). Early PTSD symptom severity, with trauma type and gender, only predicted 40%. Negative appraisals and disjointed memories predicted persistent symptom severity both directly and indirectly via unhelpful strategies. Peritraumatic processing predicted persistent symptom severity mainly indirectly. The effects of trauma type and gender were fully mediated by the cognitive factors.
ConclusionsThe results are consistent with theoretically derived predictions and support cognitive factors as indicators of risk for chronic PTSD and as a target for the treatment and prevention of PTSD.
An attention and interpretation bias for illness-specific information in chronic fatigue syndrome
- A. M. Hughes, T. Chalder, C. R. Hirsch, R. Moss-Morris
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- Journal:
- Psychological Medicine / Volume 47 / Issue 5 / April 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 29 November 2016, pp. 853-865
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Background
Studies have shown that specific cognitions and behaviours play a role in maintaining chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). However, little research has investigated illness-specific cognitive processing in CFS. This study investigated whether CFS participants had an attentional bias for CFS-related stimuli and a tendency to interpret ambiguous information in a somatic way. It also determined whether cognitive processing biases were associated with co-morbidity, attentional control or self-reported unhelpful cognitions and behaviours.
MethodA total of 52 CFS and 51 healthy participants completed self-report measures of symptoms, disability, mood, cognitions and behaviours. Participants also completed three experimental tasks, two designed specifically to tap into CFS salient cognitions: (i) visual-probe task measuring attentional bias to illness (somatic symptoms and disability) v. neutral words; (ii) interpretive bias task measuring positive v. somatic interpretations of ambiguous information; and (iii) the Attention Network Test measuring general attentional control.
ResultsCompared with controls, CFS participants showed a significant attentional bias for fatigue-related words and were significantly more likely to interpret ambiguous information in a somatic way, controlling for depression and anxiety. CFS participants had significantly poorer attentional control than healthy individuals. Attention and interpretation biases were associated with fear/avoidance beliefs. Somatic interpretations were also associated with all-or-nothing behaviour and catastrophizing.
ConclusionsPeople with CFS have illness-specific biases which may play a part in maintaining symptoms by reinforcing unhelpful illness beliefs and behaviours. Enhancing adaptive processing, such as positive interpretation biases and more flexible attention allocation, may provide beneficial intervention targets.
How bilinguals listen in noise: linguistic and non-linguistic factors*
- JENNIFER KRIZMAN, ANN R. BRADLOW, SILVIA SIU-YIN LAM, NINA KRAUS
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- Journal:
- Bilingualism: Language and Cognition / Volume 20 / Issue 4 / August 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 18 May 2016, pp. 834-843
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Bilinguals are known to perform worse than monolinguals on speech-in-noise tests. However, the mechanisms underlying this difference are unclear. By varying the amount of linguistic information available in the target stimulus across five auditory-perception-in-noise tasks, we tested if differences in language-independent (sensory/cognitive) or language-dependent (extracting linguistic meaning) processing could account for this disadvantage. We hypothesized that language-dependent processing differences underlie the bilingual disadvantage and predicted that it would manifest on perception-in-noise tasks that use linguistic stimuli. We found that performance differences between bilinguals and monolinguals varied with the linguistic processing demands of each task: early, high-proficiency, Spanish–English bilingual adolescents performed worse than English monolingual adolescents when perceiving sentences, similarly when perceiving words, and better when perceiving tones in noise. This pattern suggests that bottlenecks in language-dependent processing underlie the bilingual disadvantage while language-independent perception-in-noise processes are enhanced.
Do classifiers predict differences in cognitive processing? A study of nominal classification in Mandarin Chinese
- Mahesh Srinivasan
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- Journal:
- Language and Cognition / Volume 2 / Issue 2 / June 2010
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 11 March 2014, pp. 177-190
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In English, numerals modify nouns directly (two tables), but in Mandarin Chinese, they modify numeral classifiers that are associated with nouns (two flat-thing table). Classifiers define a system of categories based on dimensions such as animacy, shape, and function (Adams and Conklin 1973; Dixon 1986), but do these categories predict differences in cognitive processing? The present study explored possible effects of classifier categories in a speeded task preventing significant deliberation and strategic responding. Participants counted objects in a visual display that were intermixed with distractor objects that had either the same Mandarin classifier or a different one. Classifier categories predicted Mandarin speakers' search performance, as Mandarin speakers showed greater interference from distractors with the same classifier than did Russian or English speakers. This result suggests that classifier categories may affect cognitive processing, and may have the potential to influence how speakers of classifier languages perform cognitive tasks in everyday situations. Two theoretical accounts of the results are discussed.
Behavioral activation system moderates self-referent processing following recovery from depression
- K. Kircanski, H. Mazur, I. H. Gotlib
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- Journal:
- Psychological Medicine / Volume 43 / Issue 9 / September 2013
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 08 January 2013, pp. 1909-1919
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Background
Previous research has implicated the behavioral activation system (BAS) in depression. The relationship of BAS functioning to aspects of cognitive vulnerability to depression, however, is not known.
MethodThe present study investigated associations among level of BAS functioning and the encoding and recall of positive and negative self-referent information in currently non-depressed participants with a history of recurrent major depression (recovered; RMD) and in never-depressed control participants (CTL). Participants completed self-report measures of levels of BAS and behavioral inhibition system (BIS) functioning. Following a negative mood induction, participants were presented with a series of positive and negative adjectives; they indicated which words described them and later recalled as many of the words as they were able.
ResultsThe relationship of BAS functioning to self-referent processing was dependent on participant group. Although lower BAS reward responsivity was associated with the endorsement and recall of fewer positive words across groups, the magnitude of these associations was stronger, and was only significant, within the RMD group. Furthermore, only for RMD participants was lower BAS reward responsivity associated with the endorsement of more negative words. These effects were not accounted for by depressive or anxiety symptoms, current mood, or level of BIS functioning.
ConclusionsThese results indicate that BAS functioning may be distinctively linked to negatively biased self-referent processing, one facet of cognitive vulnerability to depression, in individuals with a history of major depressive disorder. Enhancing BAS functioning may be important in buffering cognitive vulnerability to depression.
Bayesian Fundamentalism or Enlightenment? On the explanatory status and theoretical contributions of Bayesian models of cognition
- Matt Jones, Bradley C. Love
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- Journal:
- Behavioral and Brain Sciences / Volume 34 / Issue 4 / August 2011
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 25 August 2011, pp. 169-188
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The prominence of Bayesian modeling of cognition has increased recently largely because of mathematical advances in specifying and deriving predictions from complex probabilistic models. Much of this research aims to demonstrate that cognitive behavior can be explained from rational principles alone, without recourse to psychological or neurological processes and representations. We note commonalities between this rational approach and other movements in psychology – namely, Behaviorism and evolutionary psychology – that set aside mechanistic explanations or make use of optimality assumptions. Through these comparisons, we identify a number of challenges that limit the rational program's potential contribution to psychological theory. Specifically, rational Bayesian models are significantly unconstrained, both because they are uninformed by a wide range of process-level data and because their assumptions about the environment are generally not grounded in empirical measurement. The psychological implications of most Bayesian models are also unclear. Bayesian inference itself is conceptually trivial, but strong assumptions are often embedded in the hypothesis sets and the approximation algorithms used to derive model predictions, without a clear delineation between psychological commitments and implementational details. Comparing multiple Bayesian models of the same task is rare, as is the realization that many Bayesian models recapitulate existing (mechanistic level) theories. Despite the expressive power of current Bayesian models, we argue they must be developed in conjunction with mechanistic considerations to offer substantive explanations of cognition. We lay out several means for such an integration, which take into account the representations on which Bayesian inference operates, as well as the algorithms and heuristics that carry it out. We argue this unification will better facilitate lasting contributions to psychological theory, avoiding the pitfalls that have plagued previous theoretical movements.
Are Trauma Memories Disjointed from other Autobiographical Memories in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder? An Experimental Investigation
- Birgit Kleim, Franziska Wallott, Anke Ehlers
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- Journal:
- Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy / Volume 36 / Issue 2 / March 2008
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 08 January 2008, pp. 221-234
- Print publication:
- March 2008
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This study tested the hypothesis that trauma memories are disjointed from other autobiographical material in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Assault survivors with (n = 25) and without PTSD (n = 49) completed an autobiographical memory retrieval task during script-driven imagery of (a) the assault and (b) an unrelated negative event. When listening to a taped imagery script of the worst moment of their assault, survivors with PTSD took longer to retrieve unrelated non-traumatic autobiographical information than those without PTSD, but not when listening to a taped script of the worst moment of another negative life event. The groups also did not differ in general retrieval latencies, neither at baseline nor after the imagery tasks. The findings are in line with suggestions that traumatic memories are less integrated with other autobiographical information in trauma survivors with PTSD than in those without PTSD.