General Neuropsychological Tests Research Articles

Characteristics of brain connectivity during verbal fluency test: Convolutional neural network for functional near-infrared spectroscopy analysis.

Human connectome describes the complicated connection matrix of nervous system among human brain. It also possesses high potential of assisting doctors to monitor the brain injuries and recoveries in patients. In order to unravel the enigma of neuron connections and functions, previous research has strived to dig out the relations between neurons and brain regions. Verbal fluency test (VFT) is a general neuropsychological test, which has been used in functional connectivity investigations. In this study, we employed convolutional neural network (CNN) on a brain hemoglobin concentration changes (ΔHB) map obtained during VFT to investigate the connections of activated brain areas and different mental status. Our results show that feature of functional connectivity can be identified accurately with the employment of CNN on ΔHB mapping, which is beneficial to improve the understanding of brain functional connections.

The tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon in older adults with subjective memory complaints.

In older adults with subjective memory complaints (SMCs), featuring a decline in memory but not exhibiting problems during medical examinations and objective memory tests, the weak links between nodes evident in the word retrieval process can be a primary factor for predicting mild cognitive impairment and dementia. This study examined the frequency of the “Tip-of-the-Tongue” (ToT) phenomenon according to age and subjective memory complaints of older adults, and identified differences in the resolution method using sequential cues. A celebrity naming task was performed on older adults (aged 50 to 79) with SMCs (n = 30) and without SMCs (n = 30), comparing the frequency of the ToT phenomenon and in resolution methods. We found that, even if our subjects with SMCs obtained normal results in the objective neuropsychology test, they experienced a significantly higher frequency of the ToT phenomenon than those without SMCs. In addition, subjects with SMCs showed a significantly lower rate of resolution, both spontaneous and following a syllabic cue, compared to those without SMCs. SMCs can be a very early marker of degenerative diseases causing cognitive dysfunction, and thus the selection of appropriate tools for early detection of SMCs is important. The proper naming task may sensitively detect subclinical symptoms of SMCs in subjects who are not classified as patients with cognitive impairments on general neuropsychological test. In addition, this task can identify weak connections between semantic and phonological nodes due to changes in the neural region of older adults with SMCs.

Brain structural correlates of depressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients at different disease stage

Parkinson's disease (PD) pathology may damage emotion circuit and cause depression. We investigated whether the neural basis of depressive symptoms varies at different PD stages. Seventy-six healthy controls (HC) and 98 PD patients (divided into early and middle stage groups) underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and general neuropsychological tests. Voxel-based morphometry and tract-based analysis were used to study the association between brain structural alterations and the Hamilton Depression Scale 17 Item (HAMD-17) scores in different groups. Comparing with HC group, PD patients showed widespread brain alterations in both gray and white matter. The HAMD-17 scores were positively correlated with GM volume in the right pre-central gyrus of early PD patients. In the middle stage group, HAMD-17 scores were positively correlated with GM volume in midbrain and right superior temporal gyrus, and negatively associated with GM volume in left anterior cingulate and superior frontal gyrus. In white matter analysis, The HAMD-17 scores were positively correlated with fractional anisotropy value of the bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus in the early stage group, but not the middle stage group. We concluded that the neural basis of depressive symptoms might be distinct in different stages of PD, implying the need for differential treatments.

Parkinson's disease might increase the risk of cerebral ischemic lesions.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the elderly. Cerebrovascular diseases such as cerebral ischemic lesion (CIL) also commonly occur in elderly adults. However, previous studies on the relationship between PD and cerebrovascular disease have not found consistent results. Therefore, we conducted this study to evaluate whether or not PD is related to an increased prevalence of ischemic cerebrovascular lesions.Methods: This study recruited 241 patients with PD and 112 healthy controls (HCs). All subjects underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging and general neuropsychological tests. The motor severity of PD was evaluated according to the Hoehn and Yahr stage (HY stage), and the severity of CIL in all subjects was classified according to Fazekas grade. The PD patients were classified into two subgroups according to HY stage (Group 1 - HY 1, 2; Group 2 - HY 3 to 5).Results: Among all PD patients, 76% had small vessel disease, while 44% of all HCs had small vessel disease (p<0.001). Regarding the difference between the two subgroups according to motor severity, group 2 showed significantly higher Fazekas scale score and more severe CIL, indicating a higher prevalence of small vessel disease compared to group 1.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that PD patients have a significantly higher prevalence of CIL compared to HCs. Therefore, although the present study is not a large-scale study, we cautiously suggest that PD can play an important role as a risk factor in the occurrence of ischemic cerebrovascular disease.

The Language Profile of Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia.

BackgroundThe language profile of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) remains to be fully defined.ObjectiveWe aimed to quantify the extent of language deficits in this patient group.MethodsWe assessed a cohort of patients with bvFTD (n=24) in relation to patents with semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA; n=14), nonfluent variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA; n=18) and healthy age-matched individuals (n=24) cross-sectionally and longitudinally using a comprehensive battery of language and general neuropsychological tests. Neuroanatomical associations of language performance were assessed using voxel-based morphometry of patients’ brain magnetic resonance images.ResultsRelative to healthy controls, and after accounting for nonverbal executive performance, patients with bvFTD showed deficits of noun and verb naming and single word comprehension, diminished spontaneous propositional speech and deterioration in naming performance over time. Within the bvFTD group, patients with MAPT mutations had more severe impairments of noun naming and single word comprehension than patients with C9orf72 mutations. Overall the bvFTD group had less severe language deficits than patients with PPA, but showed a language profile that was qualitatively similar to svPPA. Neuroanatomical correlates of naming and word comprehension performance in bvFTD were identified predominantly in inferior frontal and antero-inferior temporal cortices within the dominant hemispheric language network.ConclusionsbvFTD is associated with a language profile including verbal semantic impairment that warrants further evaluation as a novel biomarker.

Analysis of cerebral blood flow in Parkinson's disease with dementia versus subcortical ischemic vascular dementia using single photon emission computed tomography

ABSTRACTSince both Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD) and subcortical ischemic vascular dementia (SIVaD) are subcortical dementia syndromes and have similar patterns of cognitive dysfunction, it is difficult to accurately differentiate between these in their early phases using neuropsychological tests. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in the cerebral perfusion pattern of patients with SIVaD and PDD at the earliest stages using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). We, consecutively, recruited 24 patients with mild PDD, 28 patients with mild probable AD, and 33 age‐matched healthy subjects. All subjects underwent Tc‐99m HMPAO perfusion SPECT and general neuropsychological tests. Brain SPECT images were analyzed using the statistical parametric mapping program. There was more significant hypoperfusion in the right cuneus, fusiform gyrus and lingual gyrus in the occipital lobe, right middle temporal gyrus, right postcentral gyrus, and right cerebellar tonsil in PDD compared with the SIVaD group. Conversely, significant hypoperfusion was observed in the bilateral brain stem, limbic system and posterior cingulate gyrus in SIVaD compared with the PDD group. This study suggests that parieto‐occipital hypoperfusion in PDD and hypoperfusion of the brain stem and limbic system in SIVaD are likely useful to differentiate between mild PDD and SIVaD.

Changing facial affect recognition in schizophrenia: effects of training on brain dynamics.

Deficits in social cognition including facial affect recognition and their detrimental effects on functional outcome are well established in schizophrenia. Structured training can have substantial effects on social cognitive measures including facial affect recognition. Elucidating training effects on cortical mechanisms involved in facial affect recognition may identify causes of dysfunctional facial affect recognition in schizophrenia and foster remediation strategies. In the present study, 57 schizophrenia patients were randomly assigned to (a) computer-based facial affect training that focused on affect discrimination and working memory in 20 daily 1-hour sessions, (b) similarly intense, targeted cognitive training on auditory-verbal discrimination and working memory, or (c) treatment as usual. Neuromagnetic activity was measured before and after training during a dynamic facial affect recognition task (5 s videos showing human faces gradually changing from neutral to fear or to happy expressions). Effects on 10–13 Hz (alpha) power during the transition from neutral to emotional expressions were assessed via MEG based on previous findings that alpha power increase is related to facial affect recognition and is smaller in schizophrenia than in healthy subjects. Targeted affect training improved overt performance on the training tasks. Moreover, alpha power increase during the dynamic facial affect recognition task was larger after affect training than after treatment-as-usual, though similar to that after targeted perceptual–cognitive training, indicating somewhat nonspecific benefits. Alpha power modulation was unrelated to general neuropsychological test performance, which improved in all groups. Results suggest that specific neural processes supporting facial affect recognition, evident in oscillatory phenomena, are modifiable. This should be considered when developing remediation strategies targeting social cognition in schizophrenia.

Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease Associated with Dementia Using Cerebral Perfusion SPECT

Background: Since patterns of cognitive dysfunction in mild Parkinson's disease associated with dementia (PDD) are similar to those in mild Alzheimer's disease (AD), it is difficult to accurately differentiate between these two types of dementia in their early phases using neuropsychological tests. The purpose of the current study was to investigate differences in cerebral perfusion patterns of patients with AD and PDD at the earliest stages using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Methods: We consecutively recruited 31 patients with mild PDD, 32 patients with mild probable AD and 33 age-matched healthy subjects. All subjects underwent ^99mTc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime perfusion SPECT and completed general neuropsychological tests. Results: We found that both mild PDD and AD patients showed distinct hypoperfusion in frontal, parietal and temporal regions, compared with healthy subjects. More importantly, hypoperfusion in occipital and cerebellar regions was observed only in mild PDD. Conclusion: The observation of a significant decrease in cerebral perfusion in occipital and cerebellar regions in patients with mild PDD is likely useful to differentiate between PDD and AD at the earliest stages.

Neuropsychological syndromes in patients with Parkinson’s disease after deep electric stimulation of pallidar complex structures

The paper provides the results of neuropsychological examinations in 10 patients with Parkinson’s disease who underwent deep electrical stimulation of pallidar complex structures. The general neuropsychological test battery that had been developed by A.R. Luria and allowed the qualitative classification of the cognitive impairment symptoms detectable on examination to be made was used to study cognitive functions. The patients were examined before and just after surgery and in the late period (following 1—2 years). The examinations have shown that the syndromes indicative of dysfunctions in the deep, parietal, and occipital and prefrontal regions of the left hemisphere and in the parietooccipital regions of the right hemisphere are stable components that determine the pattern of cognitive disorders and are preserved throughout all examinations.

Differences of Regional Cerebral Blood Flow between Early Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease Associated with Dementia on99mTc-Hexamethyl Propylene Amine Oxime Perfusion Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease associated with dementia (PDD) are considered to be fre- quent types of cortical and subcortical dementia. Definitive diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases is impossible without biopsy. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of the brain has long been used for years with cognitive disorders. Nevertheless, differential brain perfusion of patients with PDD and AD who exhibit mild dementia has not been reported. Therefore, we investigated the differences in the cerebral perfusional pattern using perfusion SPECT between mild AD and mild PDD to help clarify the diagnosis in the early stage of these dementias, since accurate diagnosis is crucial in deci- sion regarding treatment, appropriate advice, management and prognosis. Methods: Thirty-one patients with mild PDD and 32 patients with mild probable AD were enrolled in this study. All subjects underwent 99m Tc-hexamethyl propylene amine oxime perfusion SPECT and general neuropsychological tests, and these da- ta including perfusion images were analyzed. Results: Perfusion SPECT showed hypoperfusion in frontal, parietal and temporal regions in both PDD and AD patients with mild dementia. Hypoperfusion in the occipital and cerebellar regions was significantly apparent in only PDD patients. Conclusion: Comparison of mild PDD with mild AD showed a significantly decreased perfusion in the occipital and cer- ebellar region in patients with mild PDD. Cerebral perfusion in the occipital region and the cerebellum could be a crucial diffe- rential diagnostic method of these diseases in the early phase. Further studies are needed for a definitive conclusion.

Evaluación de la cognición social y teoría de la mente en pacientes con enfermedad cerebelosa degenerativa aislada no dementes

To investigate whether the cerebellum could participate in social cognition (SC). General neuropsychological tests, executive tests (EF), social cognition tests, which assess the ability to infer other peoples mental states, and the Beck Depression Inventory were given to 10 non-demented patients with isolated cerebellar degenerative disease, and to 10 healthy controls matched for sex, age, and years of education. ANOVA and correlation coefficients were employed for the statistical analysis. Patients within the cerebellar group were significantly impaired (p<or=0.05) in EF test [Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WSCT)] and belief questions (BQ) from Theory of Mind (ToM) tests. Performance in control questions (CQ) from ToM tests was similar for both groups. Lower scores in BQ correlated with a lower conceptual ability, the severity of apathy (NPI) and static ataxia. CQ correlated with measures of attention and free recall. The cerebellum may contribute in the control of social behavior through the processing of multimodal data, motor, cognitive and emotional.

Relationships between specific and general tests of cerebral functioning

Abstract This study compared a group of control subjects with a group of brain-damaged subjects to determine whether “specific” neuropsychological measures were more sensitive to cerebral damage than “general” neuropsychological tests. The historical interest in localization and lateralization of cerebral functions has produced a strong emphasis on specific deficits, while general deficits, characterized by more complex functions, have received less directed attention. The results indicated that the general measures were significantly more sensitive to cerebral damage than were the specific measures. These findings identify the need for further investigation of the relationships between specific and general neuropsychological tests, since both types of tests are of value in comprehensive evaluations of individual subjects.

Factorial structure of cognitive activity using a neuropsychological test battery.

A general neuropsychological test battery was assembled and individually given to a 98-subject sample, aged 11-12 years old. The battery included some basic and common tests routinely used in the evaluation of language, memory, spatial abilities, concept formation, and praxic abilities. Twenty-five different scores were calculated. A factor analysis with varimax rotation disclosed nine different factors, accounting for about 70% of the variance. Factor I was measured by a Sequential Verbal Memory test and Verbal Fluency subtests ("verbal factor"). Factor II was measured by the Wechsler Memory Scale Visual Memory subtests (immediate and delayed reproduction), and the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (copy and immediate reproduction) ("non-verbal memory and constructional factor"). Factor III was measured by the WMS Logical Memory subtests (immediate and delayed; "verbal memory factor"). Factor IV was associated with fine movements (tapping subtests, right and left hand; "fine movements factor"). Factor V was specially measured by the Information subtest of the WMS and the Boston Naming Test ("verbal knowledge"). Factor VI represented a "praxic ability factor" (ideomotor praxis tests). Delayed Associative Learning subtest measured Factor VII; and Digits measured Factor VIII. Factor IX was a "mental control factor" (Mental Control subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale). The implications of these results to theories relating to the structure of cognitive activity are discussed.

Factorial Structure of Cognitive Activity Using a Neuropsychological Test Battery

A general neuropsychological test battery was assembled and individually given to a 98-subject sample, aged 11–12 years old. The battery included some basic and common tests routinely used in the evaluation of language, memory, spatial abilities, concept formation, and praxic abilities. Twenty-five different scores were calculated. A factor analysis with varimax rotation disclosed nine different factors, accounting for about 70% of the variance. Factor I was measured by a Sequential Verbal Memory test and Verbal Fluency subtests (“verbal factor”). Factor II was measured by the Wechsler Memory Scale Visual Memory subtests (immediate and delayed reproduction), and the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (copy and immediate reproduction) (“non-verbal memory and constructional factor”). Factor III was measured by the WMS Logical Memory subtests (immediate and delayed; “verbal memory factor”). Factor IV was associated with fine movements (tapping subtests, right and left hand; “fine movements factor”). Factor V was specially measured by the Information subtest of the WMS and the Boston Naming Test (“verbal knowledge”). Factor VI represented a “praxic ability factor” (ideomotor praxis tests). Delayed Associative Learning subtest measured Factor VII; and Digits measured Factor VIII. Factor IX was a “mental control factor” (Mental Control subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale). The implications of these results to theories relating to the structure of cognitive activity are discussed.