Biomedical subjects

Judith M Ford

Publications and source records attributed to Judith M Ford.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

The long and the short of it: influence of interstimulus interval on auditory P300 abnormalities in schizophrenia.

Event-related brain potentials were recorded from 10 patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia (9 men) and 10 healthy control subjects (9 men) during the performance of two auditory oddball tasks, one using a 1.5 second interstimulus interval (ISI), the other using an 8 second ISI. P300 amplitude to target tones (.20 probability) and standard tones (.80 probability) were measured from midline electrodes Fz, Cz, and Pz. Results showed different effects of ISI in the two groups. Controls showed a slight decrease in P300 amplitude to targets but a marked increase in P300 to standards with the increase in ISI. In contrast, schizophrenic patients showed no change in the P300 to targets and a relatively small increase in P300 to standards with the ISI increase. Moreover, relative to the controls, P300 amplitude to targets was reduced in the schizophrenic patients at the short but not the long ISI. Implications for the cognitive significance of the P300 and its reduction in schizophrenia are discussed.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed2002

Response-monitoring dysfunction in schizophrenia: an event-related brain potential study.

Error-monitoring abnormalities may underlie positive symptoms of schizophrenia. Response-synchronized event-related potentials during picture-word matching yielded error- and correct-response-related negativity (ERN, CRN) and positivity (Pe, Pc) and preresponse lateralized readiness potentials (LRP) from 18 schizophrenic patients and 18 controls. Both groups responded faster to matches than nonmatches, although patients were generally slower and made more errors to nonmatches. Compared with controls, patients, particularly with paranoid subtype, had smaller ERNs and larger CRNs, which were indistinguishable. LRPs showed evidence of more response conflict before errors than before correct responses in controls but not patients. Despite ERN/CRN abnormalities, post-error slowing and Pe were normal in patients, suggesting a dissociation of ERN and error awareness. Anterior cingulate and dorsolateral prefrontal cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia are implicated.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prediction of neurocognitive outcome in adult brain tumor patients.

PURPOSE: To determine the relative contributions of patient, disease and therapy specific factors on neurocognitive outcome of brain tumor patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy-nine patients (mean age = 41.1 years; range: 17-75 years; 54% male, 46% female) with glioblastoma multiforme (37%), anaplastic astrocytoma (17%), low grade astrocytoma (13%), and oligodendroglioma (10%) predominantly in the frontal regions (45%) were evaluated in an outpatient neuro-oncology clinic. A neuropsychological test battery emphasized elements of attention/concentration. Multiple regression analyses determined relationships between functional outcomes and demographic and clinical predictors. RESULTS: Key predictors of neurocognitive functioning included age of the patient (36-59 years, p < 0.01; >/= 60 years, p < 0.05) and frontal region tumor location (p < 0.01). As expected, older patients did not perform as well as younger patients in absolute terms on neuropsychological tests; decrements persisted when comparisons were based on age-standardized versions of neurocognitive outcomes. Major depressive disorder was marginally associated with outcomes, while surgical interventions and radiotherapy did not show strong associations with test performances. CONCLUSIONS: Primary malignant brain disease was found to be less negative on neurocognitive outcomes for younger than for either middle-aged or older patients. Treatments were not as predictive of neurocognitive outcomes as age. No single test outcome measure was as sensitive to neurocognitive status as the empirically derived index of attention and concentration.

Adolescent↗