Benton Visual Retention Research Articles

Analysis of Telomere Length and Its Implication in Neurocognitive Functions in Elderly Women.

During the normal aging process, a series of events occur, such as a decrease in telomere length and a decrease in various cognitive functions, such as attention, memory, or perceptual-motor speed. Several studies have attempted to establish a correlation between both variables; however, there is considerable controversy in the scientific literature. The aim of our study was to establish a correlation between the scores obtained in the following different cognitive tests: the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Benton Visual Retention Test, the Trail Making Test, the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, the Stroop Test, and the measurement of telomere length. The sample consisted of a total of 41 physically active, healthy women, with a mean age of 71.21 (±4.32) and of 33 physically inactive, healthy women, with a mean age of 72.70 (±4.13). Our results indicate that there is no correlation between the scores obtained by the women in either group and their telomere length. Therefore, it is not possible to conclude that telomere length can be correlated with cognitive performance.

APOE gene region methylation is associated with cognitive performance in middle-aged urban adults

Apolipoprotein (APOE) ε4 allele is a strong risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cognitive decline. Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation (DNAm) play a central role in cognition. This study sought to identify DNAm sites in the APOE genomic region associated with cognitive performance in a racially diverse middle-aged cohort (n = 411). Cognitive performance was measured by 11 standard neuropsychological tests. Two CpG sites were associated with the Card Rotation and Benton Visual Retention cognitive tests. The methylation level of the CpG site cg00397545 was associated with Card Rotation Test score (p = 0.000177) and a novel CpG site cg10178308 was associated with Benton Visual Retention Test score (p = 0.000084). Significant associations were observed among the dietary inflammatory index, which reflects the inflammatory potential of the diet, cognitive performance and the methylation level of several CpG sites. Our results indicate that DNAm in the APOE genomic area is correlated with cognitive performance and may presage cognitive decline.

Exposure to ambient air pollution and cognitive decline: Results of the prospective Three-City cohort study.

Growing epidemiological evidence suggests an adverse relationship between exposure to air pollutants and cognitive decline. However, there is still some heterogeneity in the findings, with inconsistent results depending on the pollutant and the cognitive domain considered. We wanted to determine whether air pollution was associated with global and domain-specific cognitive decline. This analysis used data from the French Three-City prospective cohort (participants aged 65 and older at recruitment and followed for up to 12years). A battery of cognitive tests was administered at baseline and every 2years, to assess global cognition (Mini Mental State Examination, MMSE), visual memory (Benton Visual Retention Test), semantic fluency (Isaacs Set Test) and executive functions (Trail Making Tests A and B). Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and black carbon (BC) at the participants' residential address during the 5years before the baseline visit was estimated with land use regression models. Linear mixed models and latent process mixed models were used to assess the association of each pollutant with global and domain-specific cognitive decline. The participants' (n=6380) median age was 73.4years (IQR: 8.0), and 61.5% were women. At baseline, the median MMSE score was 28 (IQR: 3). Global cognition decline, assessed with the MMSE, was slightly accelerated among participants with higher PM2.5 exposure: one IQR increment in PM2.5 (1.5µg/m3) was associated with accelerated decline (β: -0.0060 [-0.0112; -0.0007] standard unit per year). Other associations were inconsistent in direction, and of small magnitude. In this large population-based cohort, higher PM2.5 exposure was associated with accelerated global cognition decline. We did not detect any significant association for the specific cognitive domains or the other pollutants. Evidence concerning PM2.5 effects on cognition is growing, but more research is needed on other ambient air pollutants.

The Effect of Piano Education on Visual Memory

In this research, the aim is to determine the effect of piano education on visual memory. One of the quantitative research methods, experimental research design, was used in the study, and the study group was determined with the purposive sampling method. The short-term visual memory of the students aged from 8 to 12 (experimental n=36, control n=42) in the study group was measured with the Benton Visual Retention Test F Form. To determine the effect of the practice for the experimental and control groups, t-tests and two-way analysis of variance (mixed-design ANOVA) were performed for the pretest and posttest. The short-term visual retention test pre-test and post-test results of the experimental group students who took private piano lessons and the control group students who did not take piano lessons were analyzed regarding their age, and it was determined that the short-term visual memory of the experimental group students was better than the control group. The research is considered significant, as it will contribute to the disciplines dealing with child development, piano teachers and other researchers working on this subject.

Cognitive impairment in recipients of liver transplantation and relation to hepatic encephalopathy

BackgroundLiver transplantation (LT) helped to save the life of end stage liver disease (ESLD) patients; however, there is a debate on the persistence of cognitive impairment. The study aimed to evaluate cognitive functions in patients with ESLD before and after liver transplantation and to assess its relation to hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Thirty recipients 47.6 ± 11 years undergone living donor liver transplantation at the transplantation center of both Ain Shams Center for Organ Transplant and Egypt air organ transplant unit were prospectively assessed by Trail Making Test, Wechsler Memory Scale–Revised, Benton Visual Retention—for the evaluation of cognitive functions before and 3 months after transplantation.ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 47.6 ± 11 years, 17 males and 13 females. Eight out of 30 (26.7%) had past history of hepatic encephalopathy. The study reported significant improvement in the post-operative 3 months scores of Trail Making Test part (A), the digit span forward test, digit span backward test and the correct score difference of the Benton Visual Retention, as p value was (0.02), (0.01) (0.02), and (0.01) respectively, compared to the pre-operative scores. However, there was no difference in the scores of part (B), verbal association I, II, information subtest of WMS. Cognitive performance showed no significant difference between patients with or without history of HE.ConclusionsPatients with ESLD have significant cognitive impairment that showed improvement after LT; HE did not correlate with cognitive function. Hence, transplantation has a favorable outcome on the cognitive impairment.

Exposure to ambient air pollution and cognitive decline: Results of the prospective Three‐City study

AbstractBackgroundGrowing epidemiological evidence suggests an adverse relationship between exposure to air pollutants and cognitive decline. However, there is still some heterogeneity in the findings, with inconsistent results depending on the pollutant and cognitive domain considered. We aimed to evaluate if air pollution was associated with global and domain‐specific cognitive decline.MethodsWe used data from the French Three‐City prospective cohort on 6380 participants aged 65 and older at recruitment and followed up for 12 years. Participants did cognitive tests at baseline and every 2 years, to assess global cognition (Mini Mental State Examination, MMSE), visual memory (Benton Visual Retention Test, BVRT), semantic fluency (Isaacs Set Test, IST) and executive functions (Trail Making Tests A and B, TMTA/B). Land‐use regression models were used to estimate fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and black carbon (BC) exposure at participants’ residential address over the 5‐year preceding the baseline visit. Linear mixed models were performed for each pollutant to evaluate their association with cognitive decline.ResultsParticipants median age was 73.4 (IQR 8.0), and 61.5% were women. Baseline median scores were 28 (3) for MMSE, 12 (3) for BVRT, 48.0 (14.0) for IST, 0.5 (0.2) for TMTA, and 0.2 (0.2) for TMTB. We found a significantly worse decline in global cognition among participants with higher PM2.5 exposure: for PM2.5 levels ranging from 19.6 to 30.4 µg/m3, an IQR increment in PM2.5 (1.5) was associated with greater MMSE decline (β: 0.003 [0.0006;0.006] per year). Other associations were inconsistent in direction and of small magnitude. For instance, an IQR increment in PM2.5 was associated with a 0.03 (‐0.002;0.060) change in IST decline and a ‐0.0003 (‐0.0009;0.0003) change in TMTA decline.ConclusionWe found an adverse association between PM2.5 exposure and decline in global cognition. No significant associations were observed for the other pollutants and cognitive domains.

Association between bilateral oophorectomy and cognitive decline in older women from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging

AbstractBackgroundNearly two‐thirds of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are women, and the lifetime risk for AD is twice as high in women compared to men at age 45 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2019). Despite this increased prevalence, little is known about why more women develop AD. Early life events affecting 17β‐estradiol (E2) may be a potential mechanism behind this sex difference. E2 and/or ovarian loss leads to cognitive decline and neurodegeneration, which is mitigated with E2 (Gervais et al., 2020; Kantarci et al., 2018; Zeydan et al., 2019). Further, women with bilateral oophorectomy have an increased risk of AD in later life (Rocca et al., 2007). However, little is known about the long‐term trajectories of cognitive change post‐oophorectomy.MethodThe current study investigated cognitive decline over time in older women with bilateral oophorectomy (BO; n = 30; total visits = 131) prior to age 45 compared to spontaneously menopausal (SM; n = 61; total visits = 277) women from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA; Shock et al., 1984). All participants were free of any dementia and completed a variety of demographic and cognitive assessments. Each eligible BO participant was age‐matched at a 1:2 ratio with a SM participant. Data were analyzed using linear mixed‐effects models in R 3.6.1 (R Core Team, 2019).ResultParticipants completed an average of four visits over 11‐years, and ranged in age from 52‐91 years. Our analyses revealed the BO group recalled significantly less words on the California Verbal Learning Test and made significantly more errors on the Benton Visual Retention Test over time than the SM group. Additionally, the BO group had poorer Digits Backward and Letter Fluency performance over time compared to the SM group.ConclusionResults demonstrate an association between BO prior to age 45 and greater longitudinal decline in executive function, verbal memory, visual memory, and working memory performance compared to age‐matched, spontaneously menopausal women. This is the first study to evaluate continuous cognitive decline post‐oophorectomy from midlife to older age, and suggests that even in normal aging, the early loss of E2 via BO may confer long‐lasting effects on cognition spanning decades of life.

Food and Microbiota Metabolites Associate with Cognitive Decline in Older Subjects: A 12-Year Prospective Study.

Diet is considered an important modulator of cognitive decline and dementia, but the available evidence is, however, still fragmented and often inconsistent. The article studies the long-term prospective Three-City Cohort, which consists of two separate nested case-control sample sets from different geographic regions (Bordeaux, n = 418; Dijon, n = 424). Cognitive decline is evaluated through five neuropsychological tests (Mini-Mental State Examination, Benton Visual Retention Test, Isaac's Set Test, Trail-Making Test part A, and Trail-Making Test part B). The food-related and microbiota-derived circulating metabolome is studied in participants free of dementia at baseline, by subjecting serum samples to large-scale quantitative metabolomics analysis. A protective association is found between metabolites derived from cocoa, coffee, mushrooms, red wine, the microbial metabolism of polyphenol-rich foods, and cognitive decline, as well as a negative association with metabolites related to unhealthy dietary components, such as artificial sweeteners and alcohol. These results provide insight into the early metabolic events that are associated with the later risk to develop cognitive decline within the crosstalk between diet, gut microbiota and the endogenous metabolism, which can help identify potential targets for preventive and therapeutic strategies to preserve cognitive health.

Does the combination of physical activity and attention training affect the motor skills and cognitive activities of individuals with mild intellectual disability?

Individuals with mild intellectual disability (MID) were worse than their peers who typically develop in motor skills and attention-demanding assignments. In this study, effect of a 14-week physical activity and attention training practise on the motor skills, visual retention, perception and attention levels of students with MID were analysed. Twenty-two individuals between 7 and 14 ages participated voluntarily. Activities based on developing attention skills and physical activities enhancing fine-gross motor skills (40 + 60 min./2 days/14 weeks) were given to the experimental group. d2 Test of Attention, Benton Visual Retention and Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2nd version tests were used as data collection tools. There was significant difference in terms of total number of items processed, commissions, raw score of errors, total number of items minus error scores, concentration performance, Benton visual retention test and perception, fine motor skill precision, fine motor skill integration, manual dexterity and upper-limb coordination values regarding group and time dependant (p< .05). However, there was no significant difference in omissions and fluctuation rate values (p> .05). As a result; it is determined that the combination of physical activity and attention training practises features a positive effect on visual retention, perception, attention and motor skill levels of students with MID.

Impairment of visual working memory as endo-phenotypic marker for paranoid schizophrenia

Abstract Background Examination of cognitive endo-phenotypes is a modern approach for establishing genetic risk for schizophrenia. Visual working memory (VWM) is significantly impaired in cases with paranoid schizophrenia (PSch). Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT) is a standardized neurocognitive instrument for accessing VWM. The aim of the study was to access VWM in patients with PSch and their first-grade relatives (FGR) and to compare the results with healthy controls. Methods We examined VWM in 108 patients with PSch - 66 males and 42 females; their mean age was 38.86±10.02 years and average disease severity 71,8±5,1 points measured on Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. The FGR group included 30 males and 28 females with a mean age 36.71±11.74 years. The control group consisted of 37 males and 23 females aged 35.68±11.36 years. The VWM in all cases was measured by BVRT. The study was approved by the University of Pleven Ethical Committee. Mann-Whitney U and z-tests were used for between-group comparisons. All correlations were interpreted as significant at 95% confidence level. Data processing was performed by IBM SPSS Statistics v.24. Results Patients with PSch showed lower correct answers and more total errors on BVRT as compared to their first-grade relatives (z= -6.482; p = 0.0001). They also made more omissions, distortions, perseverations, misplacement errors and had specific tendencies for changing angular figures with circles. First-grade relatives had greater total number of errors and more distortions, perseverations, misplacement errors and horizontal shifts compared to healthy controls. All differences were significant at p = 0.01 or even p = 0.001. Conclusions Both PSch and FGR show difficulties in space organization and/or have restricted analysis of perception and poor scheme of getting information. This illustrates a deficit in the hierarchical organization, planning and strategy development for visual perception resulted from the frontal disfunction. Key messages First-grade relatives of patients with paranoid schizophrenia show specific impairments of visual working memory which makes it suitable endo-phenotypic marker for paranoid schizophrenia. Visual working memory could be used in clinical scientific research for the purpose of differentiation of high-risk groups for schizophrenia.

Evaluation of brain iron content in Egyptian Patients with Sickle cell disease and its impact on Neurocognitive functions

Abstract Background Sickle cell disease (SCD) is considered the most prevalent monogenic diseases worldwide. Iron overload is one of the major complications in those patients, especially who in need for frequent transfusion, affecting many organs including the brain. MRI is a valuable, reliable and non-invasive method for quantifying iron concentration in many organs as the liver and heart and it is now used for monitoring of the chelation therapy in SCD patients. Several studies began reporting differences in global cognitive function, particularly for children with SCD, they are at a high risk for neurocognitive impairment they often scored lower on general IQ measures than healthy children which is due to iron overload in brain tissue from the chronic transfusions which can lead to strokes and may be a silent stroke. Objective The current study assessed brain iron content (using R2* values) in the caudate and thalamic regions through quantitative brain MRI study in SCD patients in comparison to age and sex-matched healthy controls. Methods A case-control study recruited 32 patients with SCD and 11 healthy controls. Brain MRI study using multi-echo fast gradient echo sequence was done for all the patients and controls. Brain R2* values of both caudate and thalamic regions (right and left sides) were calculated for only 15 SCD patients and the 11 controls. All recruited SCD patients and controls were examined for the neurocognitive functions by these tests: Wechsler IV Intelligence Scale for Adult shows (Verbal, Perceptual, Memory, Processing and Total IQ), their all normal values between 90 – 110. Benton Visual Retention Test have cut of point at (&amp;gt; 4 or = 4). Those values are the same for the difference between the obtained correct and the expected correct, and the difference between the obtained error and expected error. Results The fifteen patient with SCD who underwent brain MRI were age and sex matched with the eleven healthy control (15 SCD patients: mean-age: 16.93 ± 3.41 years, 40.6% females and 11healthy controls: mean age: 18.73 ± 4.84 years, 54.5% females) were enrolled in the study. As regards the brain MRI, there was no statistically significant differences between SCD and control group in all regions of interests (p &amp;gt; 0.05). Our study showed that 72.7% of our SCD patients had under threshold TIQ scores. Also18% of the patients showed moderate anxiety, 9% mild anxiety and 9% showed severe anxiety. Conclusion The results of our study showed that even in cases of iron overload which affects vital organs as the liver, cardiac and brain iron overload don't occur.

Cognitive Impairment in Tramadol &amp; Synthetic Cannabinoids Use Disorder Patients

Abstract Background Studies have suggested that Patients with polysubstance abuse (n = 76) and tramadol alone abuse (n = 24) were more likely to have cognitive impairment (CI) (81% and 66.7%, respectively) than the control subjects (28%) as reflected by the total Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scores. All cognitive domains were significantly impaired among tramadol-abuse patients, whereas tramadol-alone patients had significant impairment in all cognitive domains except attention, visuoconstructional (cube), and trail-making test. The most affected cognitive domains were memory, visuospatial skills, and verbal fluency. Reliable estimates of tramadol and synthetic cannabinoids addiction prevalence are important to prevent, treat, and identify causes of addiction, especially in light of recent work revealing a high prevalence of cognitive impairment among drug abusers. Aim of the Work to assess the cognitive function among tramadol &amp; synthetic cannabinoid use disorder patients in addiction clinic of Ain shams university hospitals, as well as comparing the cognitive function between them and healthy adults. Patients and Methods This is a Cross sectional case-control observational study conducted in Ain Shams University hospitals. This present study aimed at analyzing the data of 30 tramadol dependent, 30 synthetic cannabinoid dependent patients &amp; 30 healthy controls, diagnosed by DSM-4 and then they will undergo SCIDI (to exclude any psychiatric comorbidity), SCIDII (for personality disorders), addiction severity index, Wechsler memory scale (for different memory functions), trail making test (for visual attention and task switching) and Benton visual retention test (for visual perception and visual memory), over a period from October 2018 to August 2019. Results A total of 30 tramadol dependent patients, 14 (46.67) were diagnosed as major depressive disorder, 14 (46.67%) as antisocial personality disorder, 23 (76.67) as borderline personality disorder. 26 (86.67 %) patients showed impairment in Benton visual test, 10 (33.33%) patients showed impairment in trail making test. 29 (96.69%) out of 30 patients showed impairment in verbal paired association I &amp; II and visual memory span scales, 30 (100%) out of 30 patients showed impairment in visual paired association I&amp;II and digit span scales. A total 30 synthetic cannabinoid patients, 9 (30%) were diagnosed as psychotic disorder, 7 (23.33%) as bipolar disorder, 1 (3.33%) as major depressive disorder, 19 (63.33%) as antisocial personality disorder, 27 (90%) as borderline personality disorder. 29 (96.67%) patients showed impairment in Benton visual test, 22 (73.33%) patients showed impairment in trail making test. 30 (100%) out of 30 patients showed impairment in visual paired association I&amp;II, verbal paired association I&amp;II, visual memory span and digit span. Conclusion This study provides observation of impaired cognitive function in chronic tramadol and SC users. Tramadol and SC users have shown impairments in visual, auditory, working, immediate, delayed memory and task shifting, as well as an elevation of comorbid psychiatric and personality disorders as psychotic, bipolar and depressive disorders. Also, there was comorbid antisocial and borderline personality disorders. Further research is required to examine the effects of acute and chronic SC consumption on cognitive function with comprehensive explorations of demographic background and objective measurements of substance use.

Dynamic reciprocal relationships between cognitive and functional declines along the Alzheimer\u2019s disease continuum in the prospective COGICARE study

BackgroundThoroughly understanding the temporal associations between cognitive and functional dimensions along the dementia process is fundamental to define preventive measures likely to delay the disease’s onset. This work aimed to finely describe the trajectories of cognitive and functional declines, and assess their dynamic bidirectional relationships among subjects at different stages of the dementia process.MethodsWe leveraged extensive repeated data of cognition and functional dependency from the French prospective COGICARE study, designed to better characterize the natural history of cognitive and functional declines around dementia diagnosis. Cognition was measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Isaacs Set Test for verbal fluency, the Benton Visual Retention Test for visuo-spatial memory, and Trail Making Test Part B for executive functioning. Functional dependency was measured by basic and instrumental activities of daily living. The study included 102 cognitively normal, 123 mildly cognitively impaired, and 72 dementia cases with a median of 5 repeated visits over up to 57 months. We used a dynamic causal model which addresses the two essential issues in temporal associations assessment: focusing on intra-individual change and accounting for time.ResultsBetter cognitive abilities were associated with lower subsequent decline of the functional level among the three clinical stages with an intensification over time but no reciprocity of the association whatever the clinical status.ConclusionThis work confirms that the progressive functional dependency could be induced by cognitive impairment. Subjects identified as early as possible with clinically significant cognitive impairments could benefit from preventive measures before the deterioration of activities of daily living and the appearance of dementia clinical signs.

Association between Benton Visual Retention Test Scores and PET Imaging in Elderly Adults.

The Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT) is a well-validated and reliable test for assessing visual memory and visuospatial function. However, the association between the BVRT score and imaging biomarker of Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unclear. This study examined whether the BVRT score is associated with brain amyloid burden and cortical glucose metabolism in elderly adults without dementia. A total of 69 elderly adults without dementia, including 45 subjects with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and 24 cognitively healthy adults, underwent the BVRT and 11C-Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography. The correct scores in the BVRT were used for analyses. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between BVRT scores and PiB or FDG uptake. Moreover, a voxel-wise linear regression analysis of the association between BVRT scores and PiB or FDG uptake was conducted using Statistical Parametric Mapping. After adjusting for age, sex, education, and ApoE4 status, the BVRT scores were inversely correlated with the mean PiB uptake (β = -0.35, P = 0.003), whereas they were positively correlated with FDG uptake (β = 0.266, P = 0.038). Moreover, the BVRT scores were inversely correlated with amyloid burden in the right superior temporal and superior frontal gyri and the left parietal lobe, whereas they were positively correlated with cortical glucose metabolism in the right posterior cingulate and milled temporal gyri, left temporoparietal lobe, and right superior frontal gyrus. BVRT scores are correlated with brain amyloid burden and cortical glucose metabolism, mainly in regions commonly affected in AD.

Neuropsychological outcomes after frontal lobectomy to treat intractable epilepsy

ObjectiveFrontal lobectomy is often used as a surgical treatment for frontal lobe epilepsy, especially when a large epileptogenic zone in the frontal lobe is inferred from preoperative evaluation. The frontal lobe is important for cognitive functions such as executive functions and verbal fluency, but the neuropsychological outcome after a frontal or prefrontal lobectomy that includes both the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and ventral prefrontal cortex has not been studied thoroughly. In the present study, we evaluated neuropsychological outcomes after patients with frontal lobe epilepsy received a frontal or prefrontal lobectomy. MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the data of patients with frontal lobe epilepsy who underwent a frontal or prefrontal lobectomy that includes both the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and ventral prefrontal cortex at 16 years or older from October 2004 to December 2014, with a minimum postoperative follow-up of 24 months. We analyzed and compared neuropsychological outcomes, including executive functions, verbal fluency, intelligence, and memory, before and after the operation. ResultsEighteen patients were 16 years or older and underwent pre- and postoperative (2 years after the operation) neuropsychological evaluations. Patients showed significant deterioration only on the Benton Visual Retention Test. Performance on tests of frontal lobe functions, such as executive function and verbal fluency, showed no significant deterioration. ConclusionsOverall cognitive performance, including functions widely thought to depend on the frontal lobe, is stable after a frontal or prefrontal lobectomy to treat frontal lobe epilepsy.

Exploring the effect of glaucomatous visual field defects of current drivers on a neuropsychological test battery.

This study explores the effect of glaucomatous visual field defects on several neuropsychological tests that are often used in research and in clinical settings. Nineteen glaucoma patients and nineteen healthy participants, which are current drivers and older than 65 years old were included. All participants completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Trail Making Test (TMT), the Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT), the Snellgrove Maze Task (SMT) and the Digit Span Test (DST). All participants were also tested on contrast sensitivity and near and far visual acuity. For the glaucoma patients, visual field tests were downloaded from hospital servers. On the MoCA test, glaucoma patients scored lower than the healthy group, but not significantly. On the MoCA-Blind, the difference was statistically significant. Glaucoma patients also had lower percentile scores on the TMT, with a significant difference in the TMT-A, but this difference largely disappeared in the calculated TMT B-A index, which isolates the cognitive component. The BVRT and SMT showed no significant differences between both groups. In the only non-visual test, the DST, glaucoma patients outperformed the healthy group. Glaucoma severity did not influence results, except for the BVRT on which the moderate/severe group has better scores. Using visual items might lead to conclusions about cognition when it should be one about vision. Therefore, careful selection of tests is needed when examining cognition in glaucoma patients.

Associations between physical activity types and multi-domain cognitive decline in older adults from the Three-city cohort.

Several studies suggest that physical activity improves cognitive functions and reduces cognitive decline, whereas others did not find any evidence of a neuroprotective effect. Furthermore, few cohort studies have analyzed the different physical activity types and particularly household activities. Our objective was to assess the association of two physical activity types with the decline in different cognitive domains in a large prospective cohort of community-dwelling older adults from the Three-city study. Physical activity (domestic/transportation activities and leisure/sport activities) was assessed with the Voorrips questionnaire, specific for older adults. Baseline sociodemographic and health history variables as well as cognitive performance data at baseline and during the 8-year follow-up (Mini-Mental State Examination, Benton Visual Retention Test, Trail Making Tests A and B, Isaac's Set Test and Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test) were also available. Associations between physical activity scores and cognitive decline in different domains were tested using minimally- and multi-adjusted linear mixed models. The analysis included 1697 participants without dementia at baseline and with at least one follow-up visit. At baseline, participants with higher sub-scores for the two physical activity types had better cognitive performances. Interaction with time showed that decline in some cognitive scores (Trail Making Test B and Isaac's Set Test) was significantly less pronounced in participants with higher household/transportation activity sub-scores. No significant effect over time was found for leisure/sport activities. This study shows that during an 8-year follow-up, executive functions and verbal fluency were better preserved in older adults who performed household/transportation activities at moderate to high level. Participation in domestic activities and using adapted transport means could allow older adults to maintain specific cognitive abilities.

Evaluation of occupational pesticide exposure on Egyptian male adolescent cognitive and motor functioning

BackgroundChronic low-level exposure to organophosphorus pesticides is associated with adverse health effects, including a decline in neurological functioning and long-term impairment. These negative effects may be more detrimental in children and adolescents due to their critical stage in development. Little work has investigated the effects of chronic exposure to pesticides, specifically chlorpyrifos (CPF) during the adolescent period. ObjectivesTo examine effects of CPF exposure over a year-long period within a group of male adolescents in Egypt (N = 242, mean age = 17.36), including both pesticide applicators and non-applicators. MethodsAssociations between average CPF exposure (measured via urinary metabolite levels of 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol [TCPy]) and neurobehavioral functioning were examined in a 1-year longitudinal study. Given previous literature, higher levels of TCPy were expected to be associated with worse neurobehavioral functioning. ResultsUsing mixed effects linear regression, average TCPy exposure predicted deficits in more complex neurobehavioral tasks (Benton visual retention, digit span reverse, match to sample, serial digit learning, and alternating tapping) with estimates of effects ranging from −0.049 to 0.031. Age (effects ranging from 0.033 to 0.090) and field station (effects ranging from −1.266 to −0.278) were significantly predictive of neurobehavioral functioning over time. An interaction effect was found for field station and TCPy across several neurobehavioral domains. DiscussionResults show that occupational exposure to pesticides may have particularly deleterious effects on complex neurobehavioral domains. Additionally, differences across field stations and the age at which individuals are exposed may be important factors to investigate in future research.

Exposure to multiple pesticides and neurobehavioral outcomes among smallholder farmers in Uganda

BackgroundMultiple epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to single pesticide active ingredients or chemical groups is associated with adverse neurobehavioral outcomes in farmers. In agriculture, exposure to multiple pesticide active ingredients is the rule, rather than exception. Therefore, occupational studies on neurobehavioral effects of pesticides should account for potential co-exposure confounding. MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study of 288 Ugandan smallholder farmers between September and December 2017. We collected data on self-reported use of pesticide products during the 12 months prior to survey and estimated yearly exposure-intensity scores for 14 pesticide active ingredients using a semi-quantitative exposure algorithm. We administered 11 neurobehavioral tests to assess five neurobehavioral domains. We implemented a Bayesian Model-Averaging (BMA) approach to examine the association between exposure to multiple pesticides and neurobehavioral outcomes, while accounting for multiple testing. We applied two levels of inference to determine (1) which neurobehavioral outcomes were associated with overall pesticide exposure (marginal inclusion probability (MIP) for covariate-only models <0.5) and (2) which specific pesticide active ingredients were associated with these outcomes (MIP for models where active ingredient was included >0.5). ResultsSeventy-two percent of farmers reported use of pesticide products that contained at least one of 14 active ingredients, while the applicators used in median three different active ingredients (interquartile range (IQR) 4) in the 12 months prior to the study. The most widely used active ingredients were glyphosate (79%), cypermethrin (60%), and mancozeb (55%). We found that overall pesticide exposure was associated with impaired visual memory (Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT)), language (semantic verbal fluency test), perceptual-motor function (Finger tapping test), and complex attention problems (Trail making A test and digit symbol test). However, when we looked at the associations for individual active ingredients, we only observed a positive association between glyphosate exposure and impaired visual memory (-0.103 [95% Bayesian Credible Interval (BCI)] [-0.24, 0] units in BVRT scores per interquartile range (IQR) increase in annual exposure to glyphosate, relative to a median [IQR] of 6 [3] units in BVRT across the entire study population). ConclusionsWe found that overall pesticide exposure was associated with several neurobehavioral outcome variables. However, when we examined individual pesticide active ingredients, we observed predominantly null associations, except for a positive association between glyphosate exposure and impaired visual memory. Additional epidemiologic studies are needed to evaluate glyphosate’s neurotoxicity, while accounting for co-pollutant confounding.

Effects of Stressful Events and Perceived Stress on Cognitive Change Among Depressed Older Adults

<h3>Introduction</h3> Stress is thought to exacerbate cognitive decline in older adults, especially those with late life depression (LLD); however, the specific aspects of stress that are especially deleterious and the aspects of cognition they affect are not clear. For example, it is not known whether the effects result from the exposure to stressful life events or whether it is the perception of stress that is salient, and whether these relate to the domains of cognition affected. We hypothesized that the number of stressful events and the magnitude of perceived stress in older adults with LLD at baseline would be associated with cognitive decline over 2 years. <h3>Methods</h3> lder adults (ages 60-90 years) with LLD (n=124, mean age 71.5 years) and never-depressed elderly healthy controls (HCs) (n=39, mean age 74.6 years) were assessed at three time points each one year apart for number of stressful life events within the prior year using the Duke Depression Evaluation Scale, and perceived stress within the prior six months, and with five neurocognitive tests that included the Trail Making (Trail Making B – Trail Making A), Benton Visual Retention Test, Symbol Digit Modalities Test (Processing Speed), Logical Memory Delayed Recall II and Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease neuropsychological battery. Associations were examined (Spearman correlations) between baseline measures of the number of stressful life events and the perception of stress with change in cognitive test performance over time from baseline to year 1 and to year 2. Associations between stress measures and changes in the cognitive measures were considered significant at p<0.05. <h3>Results</h3> Only the LLD group showed a significant association between stress and cognitive changes. The level of perceived stress at baseline was associated with a decline on Trail Making from baseline to 1 year (r=0.22, pcorr=0.022); this association was stronger when assessed from baseline to 2 years (r=0.29, p=0.0058). <h3>Conclusions</h3> This study suggests that for older adults with LLD it was the perception of stress at baseline, not the number of stressful life events at baseline, that was associated with decline in executive functioning in the following 2 years. The findings highlight the importance of assessing the perception of stress in LLD, as individuals with LLD and high levels of perceived stress may be at risk for decline in executive functioning. Further study is warranted on adverse effects of perceived stress in LLD and the potential for preventing decline in executive functioning by reducing levels of perceived stress. <h3>Funding</h3> National Institute of Mental Health Grant R01 MH108578; The Leo and Anne Albert Charitable Trust