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Results for “Cognitive functioning”

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At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

PubMed2004

Cognitive functioning in late-life bipolar disorder.

OBJECTIVE: This study characterized cognitive functioning in elderly patients with bipolar disorder. METHOD: The cognitive functioning of 18 euthymic patients with a history of bipolar disorder I or II, ages 60 years and older, was tested with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale, and the Executive Interview. Cognitive functioning in these subjects was compared with that of an age- and education-matched group of 45 comparison subjects without mood disorders. RESULTS: Approximately half of the bipolar subjects scored one or more standard deviations below the mean of the comparison subjects on the MMSE (N=8, 44%) and the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale total (N=10, 56%). On the Executive Interview, three subjects (17%) scored between one and two standard deviations below the mean of the comparison subjects. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of older bipolar subjects exhibited neuropsychological deficits when they were clinically euthymic.

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PubMed2002

Educational attainment, continued learning experience, and cognitive function among older men.

OBJECTIVES: This article assesses the effects of educational attainment, posteducational training experience, and occupational status on cognitive function among older men, controlling for demographic and health factors. Conditional relationships between educational attainment and factors that importantly influence cognitive function are also investigated. METHODS: Data from a nationally representative sample of 1,839 older men are used to explore life-course effects of occupational and training experiences during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. RESULTS: A positive relationship is found between formal educational attainment and cognitive function, but this association is conditional on subsequent training experience, ethnicity, and symptoms of depression. Training experiences are also positively associated with cognitive function. DISCUSSION: Continued pursuit of education and training may offer opportunities to promote cognitive function throughout the life course, especially among those with low educational attainment early in life.

Cognition↗

PubMed1999

Perception of cognitive function in older adults following coronary artery bypass surgery.

This study examined the effects of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on objective and subjective measures of neurocognitive functioning. Participants were 170 older patients (127 men and 43 women; mean age = 61 years) undergoing CABG. Measures of neurocognitive function, depression, anxiety, and perceived cognitive abilities were administered immediately prior to and 6 weeks following surgery. Although objective measures of impaired cognitive performance following CABG were not related to perceived cognitive difficulties, the presence of anxiety and depression was related to the perception of cognitive functioning. Patients who reported high levels of anxiety and depression 6 weeks after surgery perceived themselves as having poorer cognitive function. Interventions designed to reduce emotional distress could improve patient's perceived cognitive abilities following CABG.

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PubMedDate not supplied

Cerebral infarctions and the relationship of depression symptoms to level of cognitive functioning in older persons.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies report an association between depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment in old age. The neurobiologic basis of this association is unknown. The authors examined whether cerebral infarcts (present in 55 persons) accounted for the association of depressive symptoms with cognitive impairment in a group of 153 older Catholic nuns, priests, and brothers (67 with dementia and 86 without dementia). METHODS: Subjects underwent detailed clinical evaluations and brain autopsy at death. RESULTS: Mean values for depressive symptoms during the time of participation were associated with level of cognitive functioning proximate to death in analyses that controlled for age, sex, education, and Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology. The association of depressive symptoms with cognitive functioning was essentially unchanged after controlling for cerebral infarctions, which suggests that depressive symptoms, cerebral infarctions, and AD pathology were independently related to cognitive function. Similar results were found in analyses with episodic memory, semantic memory, working memory, perceptual speed, and visual-spatial ability. The results did not change in analyses examining the volume or location of cerebral infarctions. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that cerebral infarctions do not account for the association of depressive symptoms with level of cognitive functioning. The neurobiologic basis for this association remains to be elucidated.

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PubMed1998

Cognitive function in an elderly population with persistent impaired glucose tolerance.

OBJECTIVE: To study cognitive function in an elderly population with persistent impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Fasting and postload 2-h plasma glucose and insulin levels were determined at baseline in a population-based sample of 1,300 people and repeated an average of 3.5 years later in 980 subjects. At follow-up, cognitive function was evaluated in subjects with persistent normal glucose tolerance (NGT; n = 506) and IGT (n = 80) with a brief neuropsychological test battery. RESULTS: Subjects with persistent IGT scored lower in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and in the Buschke Selective Reminding Test long-term memory scores. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age, education, and insulin levels (either fasting or 2-h value) were associated with the MMSE score in subjects with persistent IGT. Other potential risk factors for impaired cognitive function were not significantly associated with the MMSE score. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that persistent IGT in the elderly is associated with mildly impaired cognitive function, and hyperinsulinemia may account for this association.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2003

Influence of social support on cognitive function in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: Social support is important in daily activities of the elderly. This study tests the hypothesis that there is an association between social support and cognitive function among the elderly in a community setting. METHODS: Face-to-face interviews were conducted in a cross-sectional stratified random sample of 4,993 elderly (> or =65 years) city residents. Using multiple regression analysis, we investigated the influence of social support on cognitive function. RESULTS: 12% were over 80 years old. 53.28% were men. 67.14% were married. Higher Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) scores (higher score means better cognitive function) were associated with strong social support, as measured by marital status and perceived positive support from friends. Lower cognitive function was associated with older and with female respondents. Only instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) were statistically and negatively related to SPMSQ. Lower functional status was associated with lower cognitive function. Elders with grade school educations had lower SPMSQ scores than did elders with high school educations. CONCLUSIONS: In Taiwan, higher cognitive function in community-living elderly was associated with increased social support. Life-style management should provide social activities for the elderly to promote a better quality of life.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2002

Socioeconomic position across the lifecourse and cognitive function in late middle age.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the influence of childhood and adult socioeconomic position, socioeconomic mobility, and cumulative disadvantage across the lifecourse on cognitive function in late middle age. METHODS: Cross-sectional population-based study of 486 men age 58 and 64 from eastern Finland. Respondent's socioeconomic position in childhood was measured using parent's education and occupation, and respondent's position in adulthood was indicated by attained education and personal income. Cognitive function was assessed using five neuropsychological tests: Trail Making, Selective Reminding, Verbal Fluency, Visual Reproduction, and the Mini-Mental State Exam. RESULTS: Each indicator of socioeconomic position made statistically independent contributions to levels of cognitive function: Respondents from poor childhood backgrounds, and those who attained a limited education and earned a low income, performed worst on each test. Men who occupied a disadvantaged socioeconomic position in childhood and then experienced upward mobility over the lifecourse exhibited better cognitive performance than those with similar socioeconomic origins but limited or no upward mobility. Conversely, men from advantaged childhood backgrounds who later in life experienced downward mobility scored poorer on each cognitive test than their counterparts who remained in the most advantaged groups throughout the lifecourse. There was a strong, graded association between cumulative socioeconomic disadvantage and cognitive function: Men who occupied a low socioeconomic position during both childhood and adulthood scored worse on every test than those who occupied a high position at all points in their lives. DISCUSSION: Socioeconomic conditions across all stages of the lifecourse appear to make unique contributions to cognitive function in late middle age. These results also suggest that in terms of cognitive function, origin is not necessarily destiny, as disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances in childhood may be overcome to some extent by upward mobility later in life.

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PubMed2000

Localized brain activation by selective tasks improves specific cognitive functions in humans.

Neuroimaging studies have identified cognitive tasks that can selectively activate specific parts of the brains. However, the subsequent effect of localized brain activation on the cognitive functioning remains unclear. We discovered that after being engaged in the novel picture encoding task to activate hippocampus for 2 min, individuals demonstrated better memory, but not motor function. Similarly, after performing the finger sequencing task to activate the primary motor cortex, individuals showed improvement in motor function, but not in memory. These double dissociation results suggest that when we selectively activate specific part of the brain, the cognitive function mediated by that particular region but not the others can consequently be improved.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Transfer of a speed of processing intervention to near and far cognitive functions.

BACKGROUND: Evidence establishing the potential for modification of cognitive functioning in later adulthood has begun to accumulate. OBJECTIVE: The primary goal of the current study was to evaluate, among older adults, the extent to which standardized speed of processing training transfers to similar and dissimilar speeded cognitive measures as well as to other domains of cognitive functioning. METHODS: Ninety-seven older adults (mean age 73.71 years) were administered a battery of cognitive tests assessing intelligence, memory, attention, verbal fluency, visual-perceptual ability, speed of processing, and functional abilities. Forty-four of the participants received ten 1-hour sessions of speed of processing training. The remainder of participants were in a no-contact control group. Approximately 6 weeks after the pretraining assessment, all participants repeated the same battery of tests. RESULTS: The results revealed training effects for some speed of processing measures, including performance of instrumental activities of daily living, but no transfer to other domains of cognitive functioning. CONCLUSION: Speed of processing training may enhance the speed at which older adults can perform instrumental activities of daily living.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2001

Predicting complaints of impaired cognitive functioning in patients with chronic pain.

Patients with chronic pain often complain of difficulties with cognitive functioning. Previous studies suggest that these occur with no history of head trauma or neurological disease. This study examined potential predictors of cognitive complaints in 275 consecutive patients referred to a university pain management center. Patients completed a brief set of self-report measures of problems with cognitive functioning, biographical information, pain severity, pain location, depression, anxiety, sleep quality, medication use, and litigation status during their first visit to the clinic. The most frequently reported cognitive complaints included forgetfulness (23.4%), minor accidents (23.1%), difficulty finishing tasks (20.5%), and difficulty with attention (18.7%). Fifty-four percent of patients reported at least one problem with cognitive functioning. Correlation analyses showed that using antidepressants, pain severity, pain-related anxiety, and depression were moderately associated with total cognitive complaints. Regression analyses showed that depression accounted for the largest unique proportion of variance in cognitive complaints (DeltaR2 = 29%). Given the high frequency of complaints of impaired cognitive functioning, this realm of functioning deserves routine assessment. When these complaints are encountered, a careful evaluation considering a range of neurological, social, and emotional influences is in order.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Effects of risperidone on psychometric and cognitive functions in healthy elderly volunteers.

RATIONALE: Dementia includes not only cognitive deficit but may also include psychiatric and behavioral symptoms. These psychological symptoms of dementia require specific treatment without deleterious effects on cognitive functions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of a single dose of risperidone (0.25 or 0.5 mg) on psychomotor performances and cognitive functions compared to a placebo and to a positive control, lorazepam 1 mg, in 12 healthy elderly subjects. METHODS: This study was a randomized, double-blind, four-way crossover clinical trial involving four 8-h long treatment periods. The pharmacodynamic assessment criteria included a battery of psychomotor tests, a subjective evaluation and an electroencephalogram. Safety was evaluated by clinical laboratory tests, electrocardiogram and recording of adverse events. Concentrations of risperidone, 9-hydroxy-risperidone and lorazepam were determined before and 2 h after dosing. RESULTS. Few significant effects were observed on psychomotor tests with risperidone at all dosages. Risperidone was devoid of any deleterious effects on speed of reaction, vigilance and sustained attention, working and long-term memory and increased cortical arousal. Risperidone demonstrated minor impairment on motor activity (decreased finger taping), postural stability, and information processing (impaired digit symbol substitution). Contentedness subjective evaluation was decreased with risperidone 0.5 mg, 6 h after dosing. No significant difference was observed on EEG frequencies and no sedative activity was detected with risperidone. At 2 h after dosing, risperidone plasma concentrations were 1.54+/-0.99 ng/ml and 2.80+/-1.41 ng/ml; 9-hydroxy-risperidone concentrations were 0.77+/-0.46 ng/ml and 1.54+/-0.85 ng/ml after intake of 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg doses, respectively. Well-known detrimental effects of lorazepam on psychomotor performances were observed and sedative effects were confirmed by the EEG findings. At 2 h following lorazepam 1 mg administration, plasma concentrations were 13.40+/-2.17 ng/ml. None of both compounds induced serious adverse events. CONCLUSION: The results of this clinical trial conducted on healthy subjects demonstrated that low doses of risperidone, but not low doses of lorazepam, did not disturb the cognitive functions in the elderly.

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PubMed2002

Is early age-related maculopathy related to cognitive function? The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

PURPOSE: Age-related maculopathy (ARM) and cognitive impairment are both neurodegenerative disorders associated with aging and have been hypothesized to share common pathogenic pathways. We describe the association between cognitive function and ARM in middle-aged persons. DESIGN: Population-based, cross-sectional study involving participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, an ongoing cardiovascular investigation of persons 51 to 70 years of age, examined every 3 years between 1987 to 1998. METHODS: At visit three (1993-1995), retinal photographs were obtained and evaluated for ARM using a modification of the Wisconsin ARM Grading System. Cognitive function was assessed using standardized tests (Delayed Word Recall, Digit Symbol, and Word Fluency) at visits two (1990-1992) and four (1996-1998) and averaged for analysis. Severe cognitive impairment was defined as scores falling in the lowest 10th percentile of the population. RESULTS: Data were available in 9286 persons after exclusion of persons with stroke or using antipsychotic medication. After adjusting for age, gender, race, education, diabetes, hypertension, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption, persons with severe cognitive impairment based on Word Fluency Test scores were more likely to have early ARM (odds ratio [OR]: 1.6, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-2.2) and its components, soft drusen (OR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.1-2.3) and pigmentary abnormality (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 0.9-2.5) than those without severe impairment. However, severe cognitive impairment in scores of the other two cognitive function tests was not associated with ARM. CONCLUSION: These population-based data suggest a weak association between cognitive function and early ARM in middle-aged persons.

Arteriosclerosis↗

PubMed2001

Cognitive function and information processing in type 2 diabetes.

AIMS: To determine whether uncomplicated Type 2 diabetes is associated with impairment of cognitive function and information processing ability. METHODS: Thirty-eight participants with uncomplicated Type 2 diabetes and 38 non-diabetic controls were studied. The two groups were comparable for age and premorbid intellectual ability, and did not have other medical disorders likely to affect cognitive function. An extensive battery of tests was administered which assessed different levels and domains of cognitive functions including verbal and visual memory, executive function, general mental ability and efficiency of information processing. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the diabetic and control groups on any measure of cognitive function or information processing. The performance on these tests was not associated with recent glycaemic control (assessed by HbA1c). Duration of diabetes, however, correlated significantly with poorer performance on several measures of verbal memory. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest that some aspect of Type 2 diabetes (as indexed by the estimated duration of the disorder) does relate significantly to cognitive function within the group with diabetes. However, other diabetes-related factors, such as macrovascular disease, hypertension and depression, may contribute more to previously observed cognitive decrements in Type 2 diabetes.

Age of Onset↗

PubMed2004

The effects of moclobemide on autonomic and cognitive functions in healthy volunteers.

BACKGROUND: Moclobemide, a reversible and selective inhibitor of the MAO-A isoenzyme, is marketed as an antidepressant that lacks autonomic and cognitive side effects. However, only few and inconclusive quantitative data on the effects of moclobemide on autonomic and cognitive functions have been reported in the literature. Therefore, a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial was performed. METHODS: Twelve healthy male volunteers (age 22-29 years) received orally 150 mg moclobemide b.i.d. and placebo for 14 days each. Heart rate variability (HRV) and skin conductance response (SCR) following sudden deep breath were employed as parameters for autonomic function. Quantitative EEG (qEEG) and psychometric tests served as parameters for cognitive function. Measurements were performed before the start of drug administration and repeatedly on the last treatment day. RESULTS: Parameters of HRV and SCR were not changed by multiple dosing with moclobemide (P > 0.05). Neither cognitive functions such as flicker fusion frequency, memory, choice reaction time, and psychomotor performance nor qEEG was significantly influenced, but subjective tiredness was decreased at all time points of measurement after multiple dosing with moclobemide (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, moclobemide does not appear to influence autonomic functions or cognitive functions when given subchronically to healthy humans. In contrast, changes in subjective mood hint at a subtle activating effect.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

The assessment of cognitive function in the elderly.

Evidence of impaired cognitive function requires careful evaluation to arrive at correct diagnosis and, possibly, treatment. Steps in this evaluation that might be undertaken in primary care are enumerated and discussed. The role of brief formal tests of cognitive functions in such an evaluation is emphasized.

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PubMed1997

Relation of prescription nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug use to cognitive function among community-dwelling elderly.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) use to level of cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly persons. METHODS: The prospective cohort study included 2765 nonproxy subjects from the Duke University Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly who were cognitively intact at baseline (1986-1987) and alive at follow-up three year later. Cognitive function was assessed by the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (i.e., intact vs. impaired and change in score) and by the individual domains of the Orientation-Memory-Concentration Test (i.e., number of errors). NSAID use, determined from in-home interviews, was coded for chronicity, dose, frequency of use, and prescription status. RESULTS: After controlling for demographic factors as well as health status and behavior, continuous, regularly-scheduled, prescription use of NSAID was associated with preservation of one aspect of cognitive functioning: concentration (beta coefficient, 0.29; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.54 to -0.04, indicating fewer errors). However, no consistent dose-response relationship was found. Current and prior NSAID use was unrelated to level of cognitive functioning across all five measures; among current users, those taking moderate or high doses (beta coefficient, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.74) made more errors on the memory test compared with those taking low doses (beta coefficient 0.03; 95% CI, -.85 to 0.91). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest no substantial or consistent protective effect of prescription NSAID use on cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly. However, recent use at higher doses may be associated with memory deterioration in this population.

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PubMed2003

Test reliability and stability of children's cognitive functioning.

This study addresses the test reliability of a screening test and stability of children's cognitive functioning. Children aged 5 to 8 years in western Sydney were assessed on three occasions. The first assessment provided a baseline, with the second assessment at 2-, 4-, or 12-week intervals. The final assessment was 4 weeks later. Indicators of reliability and stability suggested that a distinction can be made between test reliability and the phenomenon (cognitive functioning) stability Cognitive functioning was assessed using the School-Years Screening Test for the Evaluation of Mental Status (SYSTEMS). The findings have implications for indicators of reliability and stability of cognitive assessments in developmental research and clinical practice.

Child↗

PubMed1997

Anti-retroviral therapy and cognitive function.

BACKGROUND: The effect of anti-retroviral medications on the cognitive functions important in flying has not been determined. HYPOTHESIS: Anti-retroviral medications have no effect on the cognitive performance of individuals at the CDC 4C2 (symptomatic HIV disease with no illness indicative of full-blown AIDS) stage of infection. METHODS: A two-group study using a cross-sectional design was used. The participants in each group represented a sample of convenience obtained from a larger, naturalistic study. Each group consisted of 10 HIV+ males at the CDC 4C2 stage of infection. The two groups were found to be comparable on age, education, pre-morbid intelligence, and ethnicity. All members of the anti-retroviral medication group had been receiving medications for at least 3 mo. Those in the control group (no anti-retroviral medication) had received no anti-retroviral medications for at least 6 mo. Cognitive functioning was assessed using a computerized information processing battery that included test similar to those under consideration for inclusion in military pilot selection batteries and a neuropsychological battery. As part of the larger study, the participants were carefully and repetitively screened on factors known to affect performance on neuropsychological instruments. RESULTS: The groups showed little difference in cognitive functioning. CONCLUSION: Although more research is needed, anti-retroviral medication does not impair, and may improve, the cognitive processes of individuals with symptomatic HIV infection who do not have AIDS.

Adult↗