General Cognitive Ability Scores Research Articles

General ability and specific cognitive functions are lower in children with epilepsy after perinatal ischemic stroke

IntroductionEpilepsy develops in one third of children after perinatal stroke. Both epilepsy and stroke may be risk factors for impaired cognitive abilities. How the development of epilepsy is related to the cognitive profile of children with perinatal stroke is still unclear. The aim of the study was to evaluate general and specific cognitive functions in children with epilepsy and children without epilepsy after perinatal ischemic stroke.MethodsThe study group consisted of 51 children with perinatal ischemic stroke confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging: 27 (53%) children with arterial ischemic stroke and 24 (47%) with periventricular venous infarction. Magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography were performed in all patients after the neonatal period. Epilepsy was diagnosed if the child had at least two unprovoked seizures occurring >24 h apart or one unprovoked seizure with a high recurrence risk. Cognitive assessments were performed using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition, at the age of ≥7 years. General ability (Fluid Crystallized Index, Mental Processing Index, Non-verbal Index) and specific cognitive functions (sequential processing, simultaneous processing, learning, planning, knowledge) were evaluated.ResultsAt the median age of 19.3 years (interquartile range 14.0–22) at the time of follow-up for epilepsy, 14 (27.5%) patients had developed epilepsy, and 37 (72.5%) patients were without epilepsy. All general cognitive ability scores were lower in children with epilepsy compared to children without epilepsy. Among specific cognitive functions, simultaneous processing, planning, and knowledge were lower in children with epilepsy compared to children without epilepsy: simultaneous processing mean [78.5, 95% CI: [69.8, 87.2], vs. 96.9, 95% CI [90, 103.9], p = 0.0018]; planning mean [82.5, 95% CI: [73, 92], vs. 96.2, 95% CI: [88.7, 103.6], p = 0.026]; knowledge median (25th, 75th percentile): 80.5 (75, 87) vs. 92 (84, 108), p = 0.023.ConclusionChildren with epilepsy after perinatal ischemic stroke have lower general cognitive abilities compared to children without epilepsy. The profile of the subscales indicates lower verbal abilities and executive functions in children with epilepsy. Children with post-stroke epilepsy need targeted cognitive monitoring for early aimed rehabilitation and for establishing an adapted learning environment.

Structural-functional brain network coupling predicts human cognitive ability

Individual differences in general cognitive ability (GCA) have a biological basis within the structure and function of the human brain. Network neuroscience investigations revealed neural correlates of GCA in structural as well as in functional brain networks. However, whether the relationship between structural and functional networks, the structural-functional brain network coupling (SC-FC coupling), is related to individual differences in GCA remains an open question. We used data from 1030 adults of the Human Connectome Project, derived structural connectivity from diffusion weighted imaging, functional connectivity from resting-state fMRI, and assessed GCA as a latent g-factor from 12 cognitive tasks. Two similarity measures and six communication measures were used to model possible functional interactions arising from structural brain networks. SC-FC coupling was estimated as the degree to which these measures align with the actual functional connectivity, providing insights into different neural communication strategies. At the whole-brain level, higher GCA was associated with higher SC-FC coupling, but only when considering path transitivity as neural communication strategy. Taking region-specific variations in the SC-FC coupling strategy into account and differentiating between positive and negative associations with GCA, allows for prediction of individual cognitive ability scores in a cross-validated prediction framework (correlation between predicted and observed scores: r = 0.25, p < .001). The same model also predicts GCA scores in a completely independent sample (N = 567, r = 0.19, p < .001). Our results propose structural-functional brain network coupling as a neurobiological correlate of GCA and suggest brain region-specific coupling strategies as neural basis of efficient information processing predictive of cognitive ability.

Association of Multi-Domain Factors with Cognition in the UK Biobank Study.

Dementia is a multifactorial syndrome attributable to a combination of vascular risk factors, lifestyle factors and neurodegeneration. However, little is known about the relative contribution of all these factors and their combined effects on cognition among the older population. To examine the association of four domains of risk factors (sociodemographic, vascular risk factors, neuroimaging markers, lifestyle and psychosocial factors) with cognition in older adults. A cross-sectional study. Data was obtained from a large-scale population-based study, UK Biobank study, at the first imaging visit assessment. Participants are citizen or permanent residents of UK, aged 60 years old and above. Cognitive function was assessed using the general cognitive ability score (g-factor score) derived from principal components analysis estimates of six cognitive tests. Associations with cognition were examined using multivariable linear regression for each domain and in combination. The study included 19,773 participants (mean age 68.5 ± 5.3 years SD, 9,726 (49%) male). Participants with lower cognitive scores (poorer cognition) were older, female, non-whites individuals, less educated and more socially deprived than participants with better cognitive scores. Participants with lower cognitive scores also tended to have higher vascular risk factors, lower brain volumes and more adverse lifestyle behaviours. The multivariable analysis found associations between adverse lifestyle and psychosocial factors with poorer cognition, i.e., being obese by measure of body fat percentage, having diabetes, higher white matter hyperintensity volume, increased sedentary screen time watching TV, being socially isolated and having depression were independently associated with poorer cognition. While larger hippocampal volume, having optimal sleep duration, adherence to a heathy diet, current and former alcohol drinking, increased wine consumption and sedentary screen time using a computer were associated with better cognition. A combination of adverse lifestyle and psychosocial factors were independently associated with poorer cognition in older adults. Findings in this study can potentially support public health communications to promote cognitive function and independence among older adults. This research has been conducted using the UK Biobank Resource under Application Number 71022.

50 The Neuropsychological Profile of S/A/3A-Related Disorder/Witteveen-Kolk Syndrome: A Case Study

Objective:The SIN3A gene mutation is a rare genetic mutation with few reported cases (&lt; 1 in 1,000,000) associated with autosomal dominant Witteveen-Kolk Syndrome, a rare neurodevelopmental syndrome only discussed in the past decade (Witteveen et al., 2016). This syndrome can be characterized by short stature, distinctive facial features, developmental delay, mild intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, hypotonia, and seizures (Balasubramanian et al., 2021), however a paucity of information regarding comprehensive neuropsychological functioning in these individuals is present in the literature, and even this recent review study noted that intellectual ability was rarely assessed through formal testing (6 of 28 cases). We present a case, “M”, to help describe a potential pattern of neurocognitive strengths and weaknesses in this population.Participants and Methods:The participant, “M”, was diagnosed with a de novo mutation in the SIN3A gene at the age of 11 years with previous diagnoses of global developmental delay, hypotonia, autism spectrum disorder, specific learning disability in mathematics, developmental coordination disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. M was seen for a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation at 11 years of age at an academic medical center, which consisted of comprehensive review of medical and school records, parent and child interview, questionnaires, and performance-based testing.Results:M’s verbal and language skills emerged as a particular strength. Her verbal memory, verbal fluency, and verbal comprehension skills were all in the average range or above, as were reading, reading comprehension, and spelling skills. M demonstrated a pattern of notable weaknesses in visuospatial skills, including impaired visuospatial reasoning, visuomotor integration, visual scanning, visual perception, and visual memory. Additionally, M demonstrated a slight weakness in Low Average mathematics skills. M also demonstrated fine motor impairment with impaired speed, coordination, and accuracy. Although immediate auditory attention was noted to be average, performance on a test of sustained attention indicated a moderate persistence of attention concerns. Likewise, M’s mother reported her to be very elevated on symptoms of both attention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Finally, M’s mother reported elevated concerns related to M’s peer relations and atypical behaviors and below average adaptive skills.Conclusions:Due to the rarity of M’s de novo mutation in the SIN3A gene, M’s pattern of weaknesses in visuospatial skills, fine motor skills, attention/executive functioning, and social skills, as well as her strengths in verbal skills can aid in further understanding the pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses in children with a mutation in the SIN3A gene. Additionally, given her mild weaknesses in math skills, it is possible that M’s performance on mathematics assessments may be impacted by her visuospatial weakness and thus better conceptualized as a visuospatial issue rather than a learning disability. Overall, this case can aid in identifying specific cognitive risk factors, such as visuospatial skills, in this population and lead to more targeted assessment and intervention, and highlights the importance of more nuanced cognitive evaluation as reporting of a general cognitive ability score alone may obscure underlying patterns of cognitive strength and weakness.

Polygenic Susceptibility to Hypertension and Cognitive Performance in Middle-aged Persons Without Stroke or Dementia.

Mounting evidence indicates that hypertension leads to a higher risk of dementia. Hypertension is a highly heritable trait, and a higher polygenic susceptibility to hypertension (PSH) is known to associate with a higher risk of dementia. We tested the hypothesis that a higher PSH leads to worse cognitive performance in middle-aged persons without dementia. Confirming this hypothesis would support follow-up research focused on using hypertension-related genomic information to risk-stratify middle-aged adults before hypertension develops. We conducted a nested cross-sectional genetic study within the UK Biobank (UKB). Study participants with a history of dementia or stroke were excluded. We categorized participants as having low (≤20th percentile), intermediate, or high (≥80th percentile) PSH according to results of 2 polygenic risk scores for systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) generated with data on 732 genetic risk variants. A general cognitive ability score was calculated as the first component of an analysis that included the results of 5 cognitive tests. Primary analyses focused on Europeans, and secondary analyses included all race/ethnic groups. Of the 502,422 participants enrolled in the UKB, 48,118 (9.6%) completed the cognitive evaluation, including 42,011 (8.4%) of European ancestry. Multivariable regression models using systolic BP-related genetic variants indicated that compared with study participants with a low PSH, those with intermediate and high PSH had reductions of 3.9% (β -0.039, SE 0.012) and 6.6% (β -0.066, SE 0.014), respectively, in their general cognitive ability score (p < 0.001). Secondary analyses including all race/ethnic groups and using diastolic BP-related genetic variants yielded similar results (p < 0.05 for all tests). Analyses evaluating each cognitive test separately indicated that reaction time, numeric memory, and fluid intelligence drove the association between PSH and general cognitive ability score (all individual tests, p < 0.05). Among nondemented, community-dwelling, middle-aged Britons, a higher PSH is associated with worse cognitive performance. These findings suggest that genetic predisposition to hypertension influences brain health in persons who have not yet developed dementia. Because information on genetic risk variants for elevated BP is available long before the development of hypertension, these results lay the foundation for further research focused on using genomic data for the early identification of high-risk middle-aged adults.

NEUROFILAMENT LIGHT CHAIN (NFL) AND GENERAL COGNITIVE ABILITY IN ADULTS APPROACHING MIDLIFE

Abstract Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a biomarker indexing axonal integrity where small NfL variations may be associated with cognitive performance in early adulthood and high values associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. In the Colorado Adoption/Twin Study of Lifespan behavioral development and cognitive aging (CATSLife1) individuals were tested at 28–49 years (M=33.1, SD=4.9). Quanterix Simoa assays of plasma NfL (pNfL) were measured in duplicate, and we included values for 1159 individuals where 1098 had available general cognitive ability scores and sociodemographic covariates. Unadjusted NfL values were consistent with other studies of early-mid adulthood (M = 5.9, SD = 3.1, range = 1.14 – 40.1 pg/mL) and 6% showed values outside expected normal reference limits (&amp;gt;10 pg/mL). After adjusting for technical covariates and skew, higher natural log-transformed pNfL was associated with age (r = 0.27) and female sex (r = 0.07). Moreover, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates, higher pNfL was associated with lower general cognitive ability (GCA) (r = -.06), where associations were more pronounced above the mean pNfL value (r = -.08). Multi-level regression analyses suggested that GCA-NfL associations were modified by age, whereby the worse performance was observed at higher ages and pNfL values (p &amp;lt;= 0.03), accounting for sibling relatedness and sociodemographic covariates. We observed small negative associations of higher plasma NfL and lower cognitive performance, where associations may become magnified with increasing age in early- to mid-adulthood.

363 School-age Morphological And Neurodevelopmental Outcomes In Patients With Sagittal Craniosynos

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Several studies compare perioperative parameters and postoperative morphology of open cranial vault remodeling (CVR) and endoscopic-assisted craniectomy (EAC) in the treatment of sagittal craniosynostosis. However, data on neurodevelopmental outcomes comparing these techniques is lacking. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Patients with repaired sagittal synostosis were enrolled from a single tertiary care center between five and fifteen years of age. Patients with any craniofacial syndrome (e.g., 22q11.2 deletion) or other medical conditions that could affect neurodevelopment were excluded. Neurodevelopment was measured using the Differential Ability Scale-II (DAS-II). The General Cognitive Ability (GCA) score was the primary outcome measure, describing overall intellectual ability. Secondary outcome measures were measurements of cephalic index (CI) from pre- and postoperative imaging studies. Family socioeconomic status (SES) was estimated using the Hollingshead index (total score, continuous). RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: 26 patients [10 CVR (2 Female:8 Male), 16 EAC (6 F:10 M)] were studied. Mean age at repair was greater with CVR than EAC (15.5 ± 8.5 months vs 3.5 ± 1.3 months, respectively, p &lt; 0.001). Mean age at DAS-II testing was 9.0 ± 2.2 years. Patients GCA scores were within the average range relative to test norms (CVR 95.7 ± 15.4 vs EAC 102.6 ± 17.4). After adjusting for SES and preoperative CI, group differences in GCA were modest and statistically nonsignificant (p = 0.646). GCA scores were associated with SES (p = 0.054) but not preop CI (p = 0.479). Differences between CVR and EAC were not statistically significant for any of the imaging parameters (pre and postop CI, pre to postop change in CI, or age at postop imaging; 0.131 &lt;= p &lt;= 0.867). None of the independent variables were significantly associated with postop CI (0.140 &lt;= p &lt;= 0.689). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Interim analysis of the preliminary data suggests no association between surgical procedure and cognitive and morphological outcomes at school-age in patients with sagittal craniosynostosis who underwent CVR versus EAC. Collection of data continues, with the goal to enroll 50 participants in each group by 2022.

Higher baseline inflammatory marker levels predict greater cognitive decline in older people with type 2 diabetes: year 10 follow-up of the Edinburgh Type 2 Diabetes Study

Aims/hypothesisWe aimed to determine the longitudinal association of circulating markers of systemic inflammation with subsequent long-term cognitive change in older people with type 2 diabetes.MethodsThe Edinburgh Type 2 Diabetes Study is a prospective cohort study of 1066 adults aged 60 to 75 years with type 2 diabetes. Baseline data included C-reactive protein, IL-6, TNF-α fibrinogen and neuropsychological testing on major cognitive domains. Cognitive testing was repeated after 10 years in 581 participants. A general cognitive ability score was derived from the battery of seven individual cognitive tests using principal component analysis. Linear regression was used to determine longitudinal associations between baseline inflammatory markers and cognitive outcomes at follow-up, with baseline cognitive test results included as covariables to model cognitive change over time.ResultsFollowing adjustment for age, sex and baseline general cognitive ability, higher baseline fibrinogen and IL-6 were associated with greater decline in general cognitive ability (standardised βs = −0.059, p=0.032 and −0.064, p=0.018, respectively). These associations lost statistical significance after adjustment for baseline vascular and diabetes-related covariables. When assessing associations with individual cognitive tests, higher IL-6 was associated with greater decline in tests of executive function and abstract reasoning (standardised βs = 0.095, p=0.006 and −0.127, p=0.001, respectively). Similarly, raised fibrinogen and C-reactive protein levels were associated with greater decline in processing speed (standardised βs = −0.115, p=0.001 and −0.111, p=0.001, respectively). These associations remained statistically significant after adjustment for the diabetes- and vascular-related risk factors.Conclusions/interpretationHigher baseline levels of inflammatory markers, including plasma IL-6, fibrinogen and C-reactive protein, were associated with subsequent cognitive decline in older people with type 2 diabetes. At least some of this association appeared to be specific to certain cognitive domains and to be independent of vascular and diabetes-related risk factors.Graphical abstract

Brain-wide functional connectivity patterns support general cognitive ability and mediate effects of socioeconomic status in youth

General cognitive ability (GCA) is an individual difference dimension linked to important academic, occupational, and health-related outcomes and its development is strongly linked to differences in socioeconomic status (SES). Complex abilities of the human brain are realized through interconnections among distributed brain regions, but brain-wide connectivity patterns associated with GCA in youth, and the influence of SES on these connectivity patterns, are poorly understood. The present study examined functional connectomes from 5937 9- and 10-year-olds in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) multi-site study. Using multivariate predictive modeling methods, we identified whole-brain functional connectivity patterns linked to GCA. In leave-one-site-out cross-validation, we found these connectivity patterns exhibited strong and statistically reliable generalization at 19 out of 19 held-out sites accounting for 18.0% of the variance in GCA scores (cross-validated partial η2). GCA-related connections were remarkably dispersed across brain networks: across 120 sets of connections linking pairs of large-scale networks, significantly elevated GCA-related connectivity was found in 110 of them, and differences in levels of GCA-related connectivity across brain networks were notably modest. Consistent with prior work, socioeconomic status was a strong predictor of GCA in this sample, and we found that distributed GCA-related brain connectivity patterns significantly statistically mediated this relationship (mean proportion mediated: 15.6%, p < 2 × 10−16). These results demonstrate that socioeconomic status and GCA are related to broad and diffuse differences in functional connectivity architecture during early adolescence, potentially suggesting a mechanism through which socioeconomic status influences cognitive development.

Diabetic Retinopathy and Cognitive Decline in Older People with Type 2 Diabetes

Objective: Cerebral microvascular disease associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) may exacerbate the effects of aging on cognitive function. A considerable homology exists between the retinal and cerebral microcirculations. An hypothesized association between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and cognitive decline was examined in older people with T2D. Research design and methods: In our study 54 men and women aged 60-75 years with T2D underwent standard standard retinal examination and a battery of cognitive function tests. A general cognitive ability score (g) was generated by principal components analysis. The Mill-Hill Vocabulary Scale was used to estimate premorbid cognitive ability. DR was graded using Diabetic Retinopathy Scale. Results: A significant relationship was observed with increasing severity of DR (none, mild, and moderate to severe) for most cognitive measures. Participants with moderate-to-severe retinopathy had the worst g and the worst performances on the individual tests. There was a significant interaction between sex and retinopathy for g. In male subjects, the associations of retinopathy with g (and with tests of verbal fluency and processing speed but not memory and nonverbal reasoning) persisted (P < 0.05) when further adjusted for vocabulary (to estimate lifetime cognitive decline), depression, cardiovascular risk factors, and macrovascular disease. Conclusions: DR was independently associated with estimated lifetime cognitive decline in older men with type 2 diabetes, supporting the hypothesis that cerebral microvascular disease may contribute to their observed accelerated age-related cognitive decline. A sex interaction with stronger findings in men requires further confirmation.

Do Infant Motor Skills Mediate the Association Between Positional Plagiocephaly/Brachycephaly and Cognition in School-Aged Children?

Positional plagiocephaly/brachycephaly (PPB) is associated with lower cognitive scores in school-aged children. This study tested the hypothesis that infant motor skills mediate this association. Children with a history of PPB (cases, n=187) and without PPB (controls, n=149) were followed from infancy through approximately 9years of age. Infant motor skills were assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition (Bayley-3), and cognition was assessed using the Differential Ability Scales, 2nd edition (DAS-2). The Bayley-3 motor composite was examined as a mediator of the association between PPB and DAS-2 general cognitive ability (GCA) scores. In secondary analyses, mediation models were examined for the DAS-2 verbal ability, nonverbal ability, and working memory scores; models using the Bayley-3 fine versus gross motor scores also were examined. Cases scored lower than controls on the DAS-GCA (β=-4.6; 95% CI=-7.2 to -2.0), with an indirect (mediated) effect of β=-1.5 (95% CI=-2.6 to -0.4) and direct effect of β=-3.1 (95% CI=-5.7 to -0.5). Infant motor skills accounted for approximately 33% of the case-control difference in DAS-2 GCA scores. Results were similar for other DAS-2 outcomes. Evidence of mediation was greater for Bayley-3 gross motor versus fine motor scores. Infant motor skills partially mediate the association between PPB and cognition in school-aged children. Monitoring motor development and providing intervention as needed may help offset associated developmental concerns for children with PPB. To our knowledge, this study is the first longitudinal investigation of the development of children with and without PPB from infancy through the early school years and the first to examine motor skills as a mediator of cognitive outcomes in this population. The findings highlight the importance of early motor skills for other developmental outcomes. Infants' motor skills are related to the development of PPB and its association with later cognition. If your child has PPB, physical therapists may have an important role in assessing and providing treatment to promote motor development.

Toward a "treadmill test" for cognition: Improved prediction of general cognitive ability from the task activated brain.

General cognitive ability (GCA) refers to a trait‐like ability that contributes to performance across diverse cognitive tasks. Identifying brain‐based markers of GCA has been a longstanding goal of cognitive and clinical neuroscience. Recently, predictive modeling methods have emerged that build whole‐brain, distributed neural signatures for phenotypes of interest. In this study, we employ a predictive modeling approach to predict GCA based on fMRI task activation patterns during the N‐back working memory task as well as six other tasks in the Human Connectome Project dataset (n = 967), encompassing 15 task contrasts in total. We found tasks are a highly effective basis for prediction of GCA: The 2‐back versus 0‐back contrast achieved a 0.50 correlation with GCA scores in 10‐fold cross‐validation, and 13 out of 15 task contrasts afforded statistically significant prediction of GCA. Additionally, we found that task contrasts that produce greater frontoparietal activation and default mode network deactivation—a brain activation pattern associated with executive processing and higher cognitive demand—are more effective in the prediction of GCA. These results suggest a picture analogous to treadmill testing for cardiac function: Placing the brain in a more cognitively demanding task state significantly improves brain‐based prediction of GCA.

Health literacy, cognitive ability and smoking: a cross-sectional analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

ObjectivesWe used logistic regression to investigate whether health literacy and cognitive ability independently predicted whether participants have ever smoked and, in ever smokers, whether participants still smoked nowadays.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingThis study...

Interaction between Parental Education and Twin Correlations for Cognitive Ability in a Norwegian Conscript Sample.

We examine a sample of Norwegian twin conscripts for evidence of an interaction between parental education and the heritability of general cognitive ability (GA). Ability scores were obtained on 1706 pairs of twins who were conscripted into the Norwegian Armed Forces between 1931and 1960. Education scores were available for mothers and fathers; the majority of the parents had less than a high school education. GA scores were heteroscadistic with respect to mid-parent education, with reduced variability at higher levels of education. Both MZ and DZ twin correlations for GA were linearly and negatively related to mid-parent education, DZ twins substantially more so. When the model was extended to an ACE model consisting of standardized positive ACE variance components, the modification appeared to disappear. Further analysis revealed that this occurred because the steep decline of DZ twin correlations with increasing mid-parent education resulted in a violation of the classical twin model for much of the parameter space. Other phenomena that might result in large declines in DZ twin correlations are considered, along with implications for other studies of socioeconomic interactions with the heritability of GA in European samples.

Dietary patterns and cognitive ability among 12- to 13 year-old adolescents in Selangor, Malaysia.

The present study aimed to identify dietary patterns and determine the relationship between dietary patterns and cognitive ability among 12- to 13 year-old Malay adolescents in the urban areas of Gombak district in Selangor, Malaysia. Data on sociodemographic background were obtained from parents. Height and weight were measured and BMI-for-age was determined. Adolescents were interviewed on their habitual dietary intakes using a semi-quantitative FFQ. Cognitive ability was assessed using the Wechsler Nonverbal Scale of Ability in a one-to-one manner. Dietary patterns were constructed using principal component analysis based on thirty-eight food groups of the semi-quantitative FFQ. Urban secondary public schools in the district of Gombak in Selangor, Malaysia. Malay adolescents aged 12 to 13 years (n 416). The mean general cognitive ability score was 101·8 (sd 12·4). Four major dietary patterns were identified and labelled as 'refined-grain pattern', 'snack-food pattern', 'plant-based food pattern' and 'high-energy food pattern'. These dietary patterns explained 39·1 % of the variance in the habitual dietary intakes of the adolescents. The refined-grain pattern was negatively associated with processing speed, which is a construct of general cognitive ability. The high-energy food pattern was negatively associated with general cognitive ability, perceptual reasoning and processing speed. Monthly household income and parents' educational attainment were positively associated with all of the cognitive measures. In multivariate analysis, only the high-energy food pattern was found to contribute significantly towards general cognitive ability after controlling for socio-economic status. Consumption of foods in the high-energy food pattern contributed towards general cognitive ability after controlling for socio-economic status. However, the contribution was small.

Adaptive n-back training does not improve fluid intelligence at the construct level: Gains on individual tests suggest that training may enhance visuospatial processing

Short-term adaptive cognitive training based on the n-back task is reported to increase scores on individual ability tests, but the key question of whether such increases generalize to the intelligence construct is not clear. Here we evaluate fluid/abstract intelligence (Gf), crystallized/verbal intelligence (Gc), working memory capacity (WMC), and attention control (ATT) using diverse measures, with equivalent versions, for estimating any changes at the construct level after training. Beginning with a sample of 169 participants, two groups of twenty-eight women each were selected and matched for their general cognitive ability scores and demographic variables. Under strict supervision in the laboratory, the training group completed an intensive adaptive training program based on the n-back task (visual, auditory, and dual versions) across twenty-four sessions distributed over twelve weeks. Results showed that this group had the expected systematic improvements in n-back performance over time; this performance systematically correlated across sessions with Gf, Gc, and WMC, but not with ATT. However, the main finding showed no significant changes in the assessed psychological constructs for the training group as compared with the control group. Nevertheless, post-hoc analyses suggested that specific tests and tasks tapping visuospatial processing might be sensitive to training.

Urinary Neurotransmitters Are Selectively Altered in Children With Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Predict Cognitive Morbidity

BackgroundPediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with cognitive dysfunction, suggesting altered neurotransmitter function. We explored overnight changes in neurotransmitters in the urine of children with and without OSA. MethodsUrine samples were collected from children with OSA and from control subjects before and after sleep studies. A neurocognitive battery assessing general cognitive ability (GCA) was administered to a subset of children with OSA. Samples were subjected to multiple enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for 12 neurotransmitters, and adjusted for creatinine concentrations. ResultsThe study comprised 50 children with OSA and 20 control subjects. Of the children with OSA, 20 had normal GCA score (mean ± SD) (101.2 ± 14.5) and 16 had a reduced GCA score (87.3 ± 13.9; P < .001). Overnight increases in epinephrine, norepinephrine, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels emerged in children with OSA; taurine levels decreased. Using combinatorial approaches and cutoff values for overnight changes of these four neurotransmitters enabled prediction of OSA (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.923; P < .0001). Furthermore, GABA and taurine alterations, as well as overnight reductions in phenylethylamine, were more prominent in children with OSA and low GCA than in children with OSA and normal GCA (P < .001), and they reliably discriminated GCA status (AUC: 0.977; P < .0001). ConclusionsPediatric OSA is associated with overnight increases in urinary concentrations of catecholamines indicative of heightened sympathetic outflow. Increases in GABA levels and decreases in taurine levels could underlie mechanisms of neuronal excitotoxicity and dysfunction. Combinatorial approaches using defined cutoffs in overnight changes in concentrations of selected neurotransmitters in urine may not only predict OSA but also the presence of cognitive deficits. Larger cohort studies appear warranted to confirm these findings.

Activity Participation and Cognitive Aging from Age 50 to 80 in theGlostrup 1914Cohort

To examine the cognitively protective effect of leisure and physical activities while accounting for prior cognitive ability, a rarely considered confounder of the previously reported associations between activity and cognitive aging. Longitudinal cohort study. Glostrup, Denmark. Community-dwelling sample of adults recruited into the Glostrup 1914 Cohort (baseline N=802). All were born in 1914 and were assessed at ages 50, 60, 70, and 80. New participants were recruited during the study to counter attrition. On each occasion, cognitive ability was assessed using four tests, which defined a general cognitive ability score. Self-reported participation in leisure and physical activities was also collected. In general, physical activity was summarized on a 3- or 4-point scale, and leisure activity as none versus some (ages 50 and 60) or according to participation in a list of common activities (age 70). The effect of activity-leisure and physical-on the level of cognitive ability and cognitive change over time from age 60 to 80 was examined in growth curve models. Greater activity (leisure or physical) was consistently associated with a higher level of cognitive ability. Adjusting for baseline cognitive ability (age 50) attenuated these associations, suggesting that associations between activity and cognition reported in old age are largely a consequence of preserved differentiation. A small but significant association remained between greater physical activity at age 60 or 70 and less cognitive decline. The association between more-frequent leisure activity and less cognitive decline mainly reflects the positive cross-sectional association between activity and cognition, although the link that remains between greater physical activity and a more-successful cognitive aging trajectory is of particular relevance to those who are developing interventions.

Structural changes after videogame practice related to a brain network associated with intelligence

Here gray and white matter changes after four weeks of videogame practice were analyzed using optimized voxel-based morphometry (VBM), cortical surface and cortical thickness indices, and white matter integrity computed from several projection, commissural, and association tracts relevant to cognition. Beginning with a sample of one hundred young females, twenty right handed participants were recruited for the study and assigned to a practice or a control group carefully matched by their general cognitive ability scores. After the first scan, the practice group played ‘Professor Layton and The Pandora's Box’ 4h per week during four weeks. A second scan was obtained at the end of practice and intelligence was measured again. Image analyses revealed gray and white matter changes in the practice group. Gray matter changes theoretically relevant for intelligence were observed for the practice group mainly in frontal clusters (Brodmann areas 9 and 10) and also in smaller parietal and temporal regions. White matter findings were focused in the hippocampal cingulum and the inferior longitudinal fasciculus. These gray and white matter changes presumably induced by practice did not interact with intelligence tests' scores.

The Content Validity of Cognitively Oriented Tests: Commentary on Schmidt ()

Schmidt (International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 20, 1–13 (2012)) argues that it is possible for scores based on measures of general cognitive ability (GCA) to have content validity evidence. This commentary examines this argument further. I first decompose the various lines of validity evidence that may exist for GCA scores. Next, I consider whether GCA scores can have content validity evidence and whether they cannot. I conclude with several observations about the meaning of content validity within GCA research and practice. The bottom line is that although I agree with Schmidt that GCA scores can have content validity evidence, I am not sure such evidence tells us much about the overall validity of GCA.