Fluency Performance Research Articles

Cognition in Schizophrenia: Exploring the Dynamics of Improvement and the Influencing Determinants

Background: Cognitive impairments are fundamental characteristics of schizophrenia, significantly impacting the overall functioning of individuals with the disorder. However, the trajectory of cognitive deficits and the factors influencing their changes over the course of treatment remain poorly understood. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the changes in cognitive status of patients with schizophrenia and the factors that influence these changes following hospitalization and treatment. Methods: The study utilized a longitudinal design, enrolling thirty hospitalized patients (15 males and 15 females) from the psychiatric inpatient unit of a general educational hospital. Cognitive assessments were conducted upon admission and discharge. A Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) model was used to analyze the data, accounting for demographic and clinical variables such as age, gender, Body Mass Index (BMI), family history, and smoking status. Results: The findings revealed a reduction in cognitive deficits following hospitalization and treatment. Significant improvements were observed in verbal memory, working memory, and executive function. However, older patients showed poorer performance in motor speed, verbal fluency, and symbol coding compared to younger patients. Male patients and smokers demonstrated lower cognitive functioning, particularly in verbal fluency, symbol coding, and executive function. Conclusions: This study highlighted the positive effect of comprehensive inpatient treatment on reducing cognitive impairments in individuals with schizophrenia. While improvements were noted in several cognitive domains, the persistence of certain deficits, particularly in relation to demographic factors (age, gender, and smoking status), underscores the need for further research and tailored cognitive rehabilitation interventions. A personalized, multidimensional approach to managing cognitive deficits in schizophrenia could lead to better functional outcomes and enhance the quality of life for affected individuals.

Effectiveness of the multi-component reading intervention program in supporting fluency and motivation of Turkish primary school students with learning difficulties

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Multi-Component Reading Intervention Program (MRIP) developed to support reading fluency skills and reading motivation of third and fourth grade Turkish students with learning difficulties (LD). The changing criterion design, a single-subject research method, was used in determining the effectiveness of the MRIP. Five students aged 9–10 with LD participated in the study. For all participants, reading fluency is improved through MRIP. The results of this study manifested that the MRIP was effective in improving the reading fluency performance of students with LD and the participating students could maintain their skills 1 week, 2 weeks, and 1 month after the implementation of the MRIP. Findings suggest that experts should benefit from the MRIP to improve the reading fluency skills of Turkish students with LD.

Bridging the Connection between Fluency in Reading and Arithmetic.

This study examines the contribution of early executive functions (EFs) in the association between fluency in reading and arithmetic. Kindergarten children (N = 1185) were assessed on executive functions skills and on reading and arithmetic fluency in Grade 1 and Grade 3. The analysis revealed that beyond the connection within each domain there is a unidirectional effect between fluency measures, with Grade 1 reading fluency significantly influencing the development of arithmetic fluency in Grade 3. Furthermore, the findings indicate that kindergarten EFs significantly contribute to arithmetic fluency at both time points and to reading fluency in the first grade. Early EF skills also emerged as significant contributors to the associations between fluency performance in reading and arithmetic, suggesting that the influence of EFs extends beyond individual academic domains. These findings have implications for understanding the cognitive mechanisms that underlie the relations between these academic skills.

Coping patterns associations with cognitive function in older adults.

Cognitive function may contribute to variability in older adults' ability to cope with chronic stress; however, limited research has evaluated this relationship. This study investigated the relationship between theoretically derived coping domains and cognitive function in 165 middle-to-older adults during the Omicron stage of COVID-19. Participants completed a clinical interview and self-report measures of health. The National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set neuropsychological battery was used to evaluate memory, language, executive function/speed, and working memory. Structural equation modeling evaluated the underlying factor structure of the Brief COPE adapted for COVID-19. The data supported the proposed second-order Approach factor comprised of Problem-Solving and Emotion Regulation (ER) strategies and a first-order Avoidance factor. Higher Avoidance was associated with greater depression symptoms, lower income and worse memory, executive function, working memory, and verbal fluency performance. Higher Problem-Solving was associated with better verbal fluency performance. ER strategies were not significantly associated with cognitive function. The use of Problem-Solving was not associated with less Avoidance. Greater use of Problem-Solving, ER, and Avoidance were all associated with higher levels of stress. Post-hoc analyses found that higher Acceptance was the only coping strategy associated with less stress. These findings demonstrate that older adults with worse cognitive function were more likely to use Avoidance during the pandemic, which could result in prolonged stress and adverse health consequences. Future research is warranted to investigate whether acceptance-based interventions reduce the avoidance and impact of stress on health in vulnerable older adults.

A - 127 Semantic Fluency Performance as a Function of Race and Clinical Status

Abstract Objective Determine whether performance on animal naming (AN) differs between African American (AA) and Caucasian patients with no cognitive disorder (NCD) and suspected Alzheimer’s Disease (ad). Method AN raw scores were obtained from Caucasian (N = 409) and AA (N = 83) patients evaluated at a large Southern medical center. Two-way factorial analysis of covariance was conducted focusing on the interaction among and differences between racial (AA, Caucasian) and clinical (ad, NCD) groups on AN. Covariates included age, education, and premorbid reading level (PRL) measured via Test of Premorbid Functioning (TOPF) raw score. Results Winsorization was used for outliers. The ad group (9.97[5.53]) produced significantly fewer words on average than the NCD group (18.99[5.15]), F(1, 485) = 46.01, p < 0.001. There was no significant main effect of race after controlling for age, education, and PRL, F(1, 485) = 0.42, p = 0.517. However, there was a significant interaction between race and clinical group, with the difference between clinical groups greater among Caucasian patients, F(1, 485) = 13.89, p < 0.001. Specifically, among NCD patients, Caucasians averaged higher scores (19.41[5.15]) than AAs (16.61[4.5]), despite controlling for age, education, and PRL, T(1,353) = 3.72, p < 0.001. Among patients with ad, AAs (10.9[7.01]) and Caucasians (9.72[5.06]) scored similarly (p > 0.05). Conclusions Results suggest differences in AN between ad and NCD are less pronounced for AA patients due to lower NCD AN scores among AAs. Evaluation of socioeconomic conditions (e.g., Area Deprivation Index), geographic linguistic patterns, and item-level error analysis could provide insight into differential AN performance.

The association of sociodemographic factors with total and item-level semantic fluency metrics.

We aimed to estimate the association of age, education, and sex/gender with semantic fluency performance as measured by the standard total number of words as well as novel item-level metrics and to descriptively compare associations across cohorts with different recruitment strategies and sample compositions. Cross-sectional data from 2,391 individuals from three cohorts were used: Washington Heights/Inwood Columbia Aging Project, a community-based cohort; Second Manifestations of ARTerial disease-Magnetic Resonance, a clinic-based cohort; and African American Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Study, a volunteer-based cohort. Total number of correct words and six item-level semantic fluency metrics were included as main outcomes: average cluster size, number of cluster switches, lexical/Zipf frequency, age of acquisition, and lexical decision response time. General linear models were run separately in each cohort to model the association between sociodemographic variables and semantic fluency metrics. Across cohorts, older age was associated with a lower total score and fewer cluster switches. Higher level of education was associated with naming more words, performing more cluster switches, and naming words with a longer lexical decision response time, lower frequency of occurrence, or later age of acquisition. Being female compared to male was associated with naming fewer words, smaller cluster sizes, naming words with a longer lexical decision response time, and lower age of acquisition. The effects varied in strength but were in a similar direction across cohorts. Item-level semantic fluency metrics-similar to the standard total score-are sensitive to the effects of age, education, and sex/gender. The results suggest geographical, cultural, and cross-linguistic generalizability of these sociodemographic effects on semantic fluency performance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The moderating effects of brain network connectivity on the relationship between individual and interactive creativity

The correlation between individuals’ creativity performances in a one-to-one interactive situation was preliminarily explored. Neuroimaging has provided many insights into the neural connectome that underlies creativity; however, the role of brain structure in individuals’ creativity performance when collaborating with others remains largely unexplored. Therefore, this study collected data from 74 single- and paired-player participants using an interactive creativity task platform, including the alternative use task (AUT) and the Chinese Radical Remote Associates Test (CRRAT). Participants’ AUT and CRRAT scores in the above two modes were collected to analyze the moderating effects of connective efficiency (CE). The results showed that the relationship between originality performance in the single- and paired-player modes was moderated by four theoretical graph measures. Specifically, in the case of a high clustering coefficient, local efficiency, global efficiency, or low characteristic path length, individual originality performance was more predictive of interactive originality. Additionally, the relationship between fluency performance in the above two modes was not moderated by CE, flexibility, or CRRAT performance. This study identified the effects of neural transmission efficiency on the relationship between creativity in the two modes. This study investigated neurocognitive factors influencing creativity performance in interactive situations.

Impact of Stimulation Frequency on Verbal Fluency Following Bilateral Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease.

The effects of stimulation frequency on verbal fluency (VF) following subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) are not well understood. The present study examines the impact stimulation frequency has on VF following bilateral STN-DBS in PD. Prospective study of 38 consecutive patients with PD with low frequency STN-DBS (LFS) (n= 10) and high frequency STN-DBS (HFS) (n= 14), and a non-operated PD control group consisting of patients with fluctuating response to dopaminergic medication (n= 14) homogeneous in age, education, disease duration, and global cognitive function. Patients were evaluated on VF tasks (letter, semantic, action verbs, alternating). A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to assess distinctions between groups. Pre- and post-surgical comparisons of fluencies were performed for operated groups. A mixed ANOVA was applied to the data to evaluate the interaction between treatment (HFS vs. LFS) and time (pre- vs. post-surgery). Strategy use (clustering and switching) was evaluated. Semantic and letter fluency performance revealed significant differences between HFS and LFS groups. Pre- and post-surgical comparisons revealed HFS negatively affected letter, semantic, and action fluencies, but LFS had no effect on VF. No interaction effect or main effect of treatment was found. Main effect of time was significant for semantic and action fluencies indicating a decrease in postoperative fluency performance. Patients with LFS produced larger average cluster sizes than patients with HFS. LFS may be less detrimental to VF, but these findings suggest that VF decline following STN-DBS is not caused by stimulation frequency alone.

A mediation approach in resting-state connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate in mild cognitive impairment

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is recognized as the prodromal phase of dementia, a condition that can be either maintained or reversed through timely medical interventions to prevent cognitive decline. Considerable studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have indicated that altered activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) serves as an indicator of various cognitive stages of aging. However, the impacts of intrinsic functional connectivity in the mPFC as a mediator on cognitive performance in individuals with and without MCI have not been fully understood. In this study, we recruited 42 MCI patients and 57 healthy controls, assessing their cognitive abilities and functional brain connectivity patterns through neuropsychological evaluations and resting-state fMRI, respectively. The MCI patients exhibited poorer performance on multiple neuropsychological tests compared to the healthy controls. At the neural level, functional connectivity between the mPFC and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was significantly weaker in the MCI group and correlated with multiple neuropsychological test scores. The result of the mediation analysis further demonstrated that functional connectivity between the mPFC and ACC notably mediated the relationship between the MCI and semantic fluency performance. These findings suggest that altered mPFC-ACC connectivity may have a plausible causal influence on cognitive decline and provide implications for early identifications of neurodegenerative diseases and precise monitoring of disease progression.

The Role of Phonological Decoding on the Reading Skills of Beginning Readers With Reading Disabilities in a Highly Transparent Orthography

This study aimed to examine the role of phonological decoding on the reading skills of Turkish beginning readers with reading disabilities. Participants were 80 second graders with and without reading disabilities educated in general education classes at public elementary schools in Ankara, Turkey. In the assessment process, to test the participants’ phonological decoding skills, we used a pseudoword decoding paradigm, and to determine reading fluency and comprehension skills reading texts were used. Data were collected in individual sessions and analyzed by running a series of GLM analyses of variance and Pearson correlation analyses. Findings showed the reading fluency and comprehension performances of participants varied depending on their phonological decoding processing level and thus suggested phonological decoding is one of the most important indicators of reading fluency and comprehension in a highly transparent language, Turkish. The acquisition of adequate reading comprehension seems to be modified by particularities of phonological decoding.

Acute aerobic exercise and creative thinking: comparison of transient hypofrontality state and strength model of self-controls’ theoretical predictions

Creativity is a high-level cognitive activity that can" be affected by acute aerobic exercise. This paper aims to determine how acute aerobic exercise intensities may influence aspects of divergent and convergent creative thinking. In this regard, to give an insight into the results, the predictions of the transient hypofrontality thesis and the strength model of self-control have been taken into consideration. Ninety-three healthy male college students (age = 21.18 ±1.73 years) were randomly assigned to anaerobic threshold intensity (%85 HRmax, n = 31), low intensity (%60 HRmax, n = 31), and control (n = 31) groups Participants performed divergent (Alternate Uses Task) and convergent (Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices Test) creative thinking tasks before, during, and after cessation of two anaerobic thresholds and low intensities and control conditions. For the divergent creative thinking, flexibility and fluency performances during and after cessation of exercise in anaerobic threshold and low-intensity groups were improved in comparison to the control group.These results were consistent with the transient hypofrontality thesis and inconsistent with the strength model of self-control pre-dictions. In contrast, the performance of convergent creative thinking was relatively stable during and after cessation of exercise in anaerobic threshold and low-intensity groups which was inconsistent with both the transient hypofrontality thesis and the strength model of self-control predictions. The findings suggest that theoretical predictions of transient hypofrontality thesis are more adaptable with literature than the strength model of self-control to consider the exercise-creative processes relationship and further study of the issue would be of interest. Key words: Cognition, Convergent, Creativity, Divergent, Self-depletion, Physical Activity

Metacognitive Instruction for Improving the Effectiveness of Collaborative Writing for EFL Learners’ Writing Development

AbstractThere has been substantial research on the effects of metacognitive instruction on improving L2 learners’ language skills. However, little is known about the impact of such instruction on improving the effectiveness of L2 students’ collaborative writing. To fill this research gap, we conducted a quasi-experimental study to investigate how such an instructional programme would help Chinese EFL learners’ writing development through collaborative writing. A total of 62 post-graduate students from a university in central China were randomly allocated to either an experimental group receiving three weeks of collaborative writing interventions with metacognitive instruction for writing collaboratively, or a control group that was taught via a genre-based approach. Pre-test, immediate post-test, and delayed post-tests were administered with both groups at the onset, immediately after, and six weeks after the interventions to compare their change in writing production, specifically in lexical complexity, accuracy, and fluency. Results revealed that the metacognitive instruction and collaborative writing interventions helped improve participants’ writing performance in lexical variation, accuracy, and fluency. However, no significant effects were observed in lexical density and lexical sophistication. We discuss the results for their pedagogical and theoretical implications.

Do pregnancy and motherhood have an impact on cognitive functions in women

ABSTRACT Pregnancy and motherhood are some of the most physically and mentally challenging periods in a woman’s life. The aim of current study was to examine aspects of cognitive functions in pregnancy and motherhood that are controversial in the literature. The study included 30 healthy pregnant women aged between 18–40 years in their second and third trimesters, 30 healthy controls (nulliparous and non-pregnant women) and 30 healthy mothers matched with the pregnant women for age, handedness and education level. Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Trail Making, Stroop, Digit Span, Verbal Fluency and Rey Auditory and Verbal Learning Tests (RAVLT) were applied to all participants. The pregnant group showed significantly lower performance in trail making, digit span, verbal fluency as well as RAVLT compared to other two groups suggesting deficiencies in cognitive areas such as attention, set-shifting, planning, learning, language functions, semantic memory, working memory, encoding memory and retrieval. A trend toward increased function in response inhibition was observed in the mothers. Regression analyses revealed that pregnancy significantly decreased performance in verbal fluency, trail making, and RAVLT. Our findings from rigorously selected participants may help comprehend alterations in cognitive functioning during pregnancy and motherhood, as well as shed light on the contradictory literature.

The Effects of Task Timing and Complexity on Students’ Perceived Task Difficulty and Reported Math Strategy Use

Despite the robust correlation between math anxiety and math performance, little is known about how students’ perceptions of math task difficulty or employment of math strategies may relate to math task types. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in students’ task difficulty perceptions and math strategy use across types of math tasks (i.e., overtly or covertly timed, simple or complex problems). Participants included 113 fourth- and fifth-grade students who completed four study conditions in a randomized, counterbalanced order in which tasks varied in terms of timing (i.e., covert or overt) and task difficulty (simple or complex computation). Students demonstrated small to medium differences in task difficulty perceptions and strategy use across their baseline trait math anxiety and math performance such that students with higher trait math anxiety reported using more strategies and tasks being more difficult. Generally, math task timing did not affect perceived difficulty or strategy use. Implications for research and practice are discussed. Impact Statement Student perceptions of math tasks and the strategies they employ can affect their math performance and engagement with math, which in turn can impact future math performance. Of note in this study, fourth- and fifth-grade students with math difficulties and high initial math anxiety demonstrated better math performance and lower perceived task difficulty under overtly timed conditions, underscoring the utility of timing for math fluency performance, particularly for students with math difficulties.

The impact of computer-mediated task complexity on writing fluency: A comparative study of L1 and L2 writers’ fluency performance

Though many studies have been conducted on written language task complexity, much remains to be explored about its relationship with writers’ fluency. In this study, we examined the potential impact of cognitive task complexity on L1 and L2 learners’ writing and spelling fluency, and the writing fluency and spelling differences between two L2 learner groups when performing tasks of varied complexity. Ninety university students– 30 native English speakers, and 30 Hispanic and 30 Chinese English learners–participated in the study. We recorded the process performance of the three learner groups using computer keystroke logging software– Inputlog 7.0– while they completed two argumentative tasks of varied cognitive complexity. The participants’ writing performance was analyzed using multiple fluency measures. The results generally showed that task complexity plays an influential role in differentiating the participants’ writing fluency, and that task complexity interacts with the three learner groups’ writing and spelling fluency performance. This offers invaluable insights that can be harnessed by technology developers to tailor their tools, furnishing learners with the means to adeptly navigate the intricate terrain of task-induced fluency challenges. Such nuanced understanding holds the potential to refine technological solutions, ultimately empowering proficient TBLT-driven L2 writers.

Exploring the utility of process scores in elucidating the role of cognitive and affective factors that influence verbal fluency performance in Parkinson’s disease

Objectives Cognitive and affective factors have been implicated in verbal fluency (VF) performance in Parkinson’s disease (PD). This exploratory study aimed to investigate the relationships between cognitive and affective variables on traditional (“core”) and "process” (error and interval) scores of VF and elucidate unique information these scores may provide regarding mechanisms underlying VF. Methods Sixty-two PD patients without dementia completed clinical neuropsychological examinations consisting of attention, processing speed, language, executive functioning, visuospatial, memory, and mood measures. Hierarchical regression and negative binomial regression analyses were used to evaluate relationships between outcome and predictor variables. Results Generativity results revealed that processing speed and working memory explained up to 34% of the variance of total letter fluency responses (p = <.001) and processing speed explained 24% of the variance for total semantic fluency (p = .003). For category switching generativity, only age predicted 20% of the variance (p = .01). Two executive functioning measures were negatively associated with error production over the duration (b = −.055, p = .028; b = −.062, p = .004) and final 45-second interval (b = −.072, p = .003; b = −.044, p = .033) of the category switching task. In the initial 15-second task interval, a positive predictive relationship between error production and indifference apathy (b = .616, p = .044) was demonstrated. Conclusions Findings demonstrate the potential utility of "process” scores in detecting subtle cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease patients without dementia and tentatively evidence the role of indifference apathy in task initiation.

Effects of Type 2 Diabetes on the Neuropsychological Profile in Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Diabetes is one of the main risk factors for developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease. Most studies have demonstrated a worse performance in executive function, verbal fluency, and information processing speed in patients with diabetes. To assess the cognitive functioning of persons with type 2 diabetes and amnesic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI-T2DM) compared to persons with aMCI without diabetes and persons without diabetes or aMCI as controls, to understand the role of diabetes in the neuropsychological profile. Cross-sectional study involving a sample of 83 patients, ranging in age from 61 to 85 years and divided into three groups: aMCI-T2DM (27 patients), aMCI (29 patients), Controls (27 individuals). All the participants undertook an exhaustive neuropsychological assessment (auditory-verbal and visual memory, attention, information processing speed, language, executive function, and depression). Both groups of aMCI patients performed significantly worse than the controls in all the neuropsychological tests. A significant linear tendency (p trend < 0.05) was found between groups, with the aMCI-T2DM group presenting worse results in global cognition assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment; Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test; Auditory Verbal Learning Test; Trail Making Test A and B, Verbal Fluency Test, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. aMCI patients with or without diabetes showed worse cognitive function compared to persons without diabetes or aMCI. Additionally, aMCI patients without T2DM presented a different cognitive profile than aMCI patients with T2DM, which tended towards presenting worse cognitive functions such as global cognition, memory, attention, executive function, and language.

Association between oral health and cognitive impairment in older adults: Insights from a Six-year prospective cohort study

ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the relationships between four baseline oral conditions (periodontal status, dental caries, tooth wear, and dentition) and repeated global cognition or domain-specific cognition (memory, executive function, attention, and verbal fluency) in non-demented older adults over time. MethodsThis prospective cohort study (2011–2019) enrolled 516 non-demented community-dwelling older adults (age ≥ 65) to explore the association between oral health and cognitive function. Global and domain-specific cognition were assessed biennially (four repeats) using a battery of neuropsychological tests. The baseline oral health conditions were examined, including periodontal status, dental caries, tooth wear, and dentition. The association of these oral conditions with cognition was evaluated by generalized linear mixed models. Stratified analyses were performed by important covariates. ResultsOver time, dental caries was associated with poor memory in two different logical memory tests (β^= -0.06 and β^= -0.04). Incomplete dentition with less than 28 teeth was associated with poor performance in attention (β^= -0.05) and verbal fluency (β^= -0.03). These associations became more evident in those with an elevated inflammatory marker (IL-6, β^= -0.11 to -0.08). In contrast, tooth wear was associated with better memory in two different logical memory tests (β^= 0.33 and β^= 0.36) and better executive function (β^= 0.06) over time, and this association became more evident in those with the lowest inflammatory marker (IL-6, β^= 0.10). ConclusionsDental caries and incomplete dentition were associated with poor memory, attention, and verbal fluency performance. Conversely, tooth wear was associated with better memory performance and executive function. Clinical SignificanceFor early prevention of dementia, an evaluation of multiple dental and periodontal status in older adults helps predict the risk of dementia in the preclinical phase. Maintaining intact tooth structure without caries progression and eventually tooth loss may help prevent the worsening of memory, attention, and verbal fluency over time.

Genetic Variations in EIF2AK3 are Associated with Neurocognitive Impairment in People Living with HIV

Based on emerging evidence on the role for specific single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in EIF2AK3 encoding the integrated stress response kinase PERK, in neurodegeneration, we assessed the association of EIF2AK3 SNVs with neurocognitive performance in people with HIV (PWH) using a candidate gene approach. This retrospective study included the CHARTER cohort participants, excluding those with severe neuropsychiatric comorbidities. Genome-wide data previously obtained for 1047 participants and targeted sequencing of 992 participants with available genomic DNA were utilized to interrogate the association of three noncoding and three coding EIF2AK3 SNVs with the continuous global deficit score (GDS) and global neurocognitive impairment (NCI; GDS ≥ 0.5) using univariable and multivariable methods, with demographic, disease-associated, and treatment characteristics as covariates. The cohort characteristics were as follows: median age, 43.1 years; females, 22.8%; European ancestry, 41%; median CD4 + T cell counts, 175/µL (nadir) and 428/µL (current). At first assessment, 70.5% used ART and 68.3% of these had plasma HIV RNA levels ≤ 200 copies/mL. All three noncoding EIF2AK3 SNVs were associated with GDS and NCI (all p < 0.05). Additionally, 30.9%, 30.9%, and 41.2% of participants had at least one risk allele for the coding SNVs rs1805165 (G), rs867529 (G), and rs13045 (A), respectively. Homozygosity for all three coding SNVs was associated with significantly worse GDS (p < 0.001) and more NCI (p < 0.001). By multivariable analysis, the rs13045 A risk allele, current ART use, and Beck Depression Inventory-II value > 13 were independently associated with GDS and NCI (p < 0.001) whereas the other two coding SNVs did not significantly correlate with GDS or NCI after including rs13045 in the model. The coding EIF2AK3 SNVs were associated with worse performance in executive functioning, motor functioning, learning, and verbal fluency. Coding and non-coding SNVs of EIF2AK3 were associated with global NC and domain-specific performance. The effects were small-to-medium in size but present in multivariable analyses, raising the possibility of specific SNVs in EIF2AK3 as an important component of genetic vulnerability to neurocognitive complications in PWH.Graphical

The Association between Physical Frailty and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults Aged 60 to 96 Years: Data from the "Good Aging in Skåne" (GÅS) Swedish Population Study.

The association between physical frailty and performance in different cognitive domains in the absence of cognitive disorders is poorly understood. Hence, we aimed to explore the associations between frailty levels based on the Fried Physical Frailty Phenotype and performance of different cognitive domains. We also aimed to examine the associations between cognitive function and each criterion in the Fried Frailty Scale using the same cognitive domains in a non-dementia population aged 60-96 years. This cross-sectional study included 4,329 participants aged 60-96 years, drawn from the "Good Aging in Skåne" population study. Frailty indices included handgrip strength, physical endurance, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and walking speed. Cognitive function was assessed across eight domains: episodic memory, processing speed, semantic memory, verbal fluency, working memory, attention, executive function, and visual perception. We constructed adjusted multiple linear regression models for each cognitive domain, with the frailty levels as the independent variable. Likewise, we constructed linear regression models with each cognitive domain as the dependent variable and frailty criteria as independent variables. Physical frailty was associated with poor performance in episodic memory, processing speed, semantic memory, verbal fluency, working memory, attention, and executive functions (p&lt;0.001 for all associations). Weaker hand grip strength was independently associated with poorer performance in all cognitive domains (p &lt; 0.015). Higher levels of frailty were associated with poorer performance in all cognitive domains except visual perception. Describing frailty by considering cognitive functioning may provide a better understanding of frailty.