Cognition In Men Research Articles

Relationships Among Moral Reasoning, Empathy, and Distorted Cognitions in Men With Intellectual Disabilities and a History of Criminal Offending

Eighty men, spread equally across 4 groups, were recruited, including men with and without intellectual disabilities. The men were either criminal offenders or nonoffenders. Participants completed measures of moral reasoning, empathy, and distorted cognitions. The results indicated that the moral reasoning abilities of offenders with intellectual disabilities were developmentally delayed but were still more mature than those of nonoffenders with intellectual disabilities. Offenders without intellectual disabilities had less mature moral reasoning abilities than nonoffenders without intellectual disabilities. The differences may be partially accounted for by intellectual ability. The results also indicated that the relationship between empathy and distorted cognitions was mediated by moral reasoning. The findings have implications for the use of psychological interventions with offenders with intellectual disabilities.

Sustaining visual attention in the face of distraction: A novel gradual onset continuous performance task

Sustained attention is a fundamental aspect of hu- man cognition and has been widely studied in applied and clinical contexts. Despite a growing understanding of how attention varies throughout task performance, moment-to- moment fluctuations are often difficult to assess. In order to better characterize fluctuations in sustained visual attention, in the present study we employed a novel continuous perfor- mance task (CPT), the gradual-onset CPT (gradCPT). In the gradCPT, a central face stimulus gradually transitions between individuals at a constant rate (1,200 ms), and participants are instructed to respond to each male face but not to a rare target female face. In the distractor-present version, the background distractors consist of scene images, and in the distractor-absent condition, of phase-scrambled scene images. The results con- firmed that the gradCPT taxes sustained attention, as vigilance decrements were observed over the task's 12-min duration: Participants made more commission errors and showed in- creasingly variable response latencies (RTs) over time. Participants' attentional states also fluctuated from moment to moment, with periods of higher RT variability being asso- ciated with increased likelihood of errors and greater speed- accuracy trade-offs. In addition, task performance was related to self-reported mindfulness and the propensity for attention lapses in everyday life. The gradCPT is a useful tool for studying both low- and high-frequency fluctuations in sustained visual attention and is sensitive to individual differ- ences in attentional ability.

패션컬렉션에 나타난 네크리스의 조형적 특성

Jewelry has recognized as a part of independent formative arts of fashion with the change modern man's cognition for the fashion. It is a great important section to express fashion image. So, many corporations design and develop the jewelry by themselves to maxmize their fashion image. Among the so many kinds of jewelry, especially the necklace is located beneath the face and linked as a part of fashion, so it frequently has showed in Fashion Collection. Like this Fashion and jewelry enact each other and share their esthetic features but, it is insufficient the study of fashion linked with the jewelry. In this study, we defined the words which is using confusedly according to jewelry forms what researched by others. In addition, we tend to study the effect of that the form, hue and character of materials of necklace that is expressed in fashion collection influence fashion image. The method of this study is comprised with precedent studies and analysis of necklace photos in fashion collection. For the analysis of data, we implement content analysis and statistical analysis using SPAW Statistics 18(frequency analysis, percentage, cross-tabulations, <TEX>$X^2$</TEX>-test). Because the hue and the form of necklace take a great role to make fashion image with the sense of its eyesight, its effective coordination go up the delicate feelings with the form, hue and quality of the fashion. Especially, the hue is the essential element of formative characteristics to express visual image. The necklace had coordinated more frequently in S/S than F/W, it means that more light and simple fashion let ornamental beauty could express by the necklace. So, it is very effective things that we predict the trend of fashion, then, coordinate with well-matched necklace.

What Were They Thinking? Men Who Murder an Intimate Partner

The focus is on cognitions of men who murder an intimate partner and includes thinking prior to and after the murder. Based on the Murder in Britain Study, the qualitative accounts of various professionals included in the case-files of 104 men convicted of murdering a woman partner are used to examine beliefs about intimate relationships, orientations toward violence and previous violence to the victim, as well as subsequent denials, rationalizations, and justifications. We conclude that these and other cognitions are important elements of intimate partner murder and must be challenged and changed in efforts to eliminate nonlethal abuse and murder.

Sex steroid hormones and cognitive functioning in healthy, older men

The precise impact of age-related changes in hormone levels on cognition in men is still unclear due to differing study designs and contradictory findings. This study was undertaken to examine the relationship between endogenous sex hormone levels and cognitive functioning in healthy older men using a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests and measurement of serum sex hormone levels. Verbal learning and memory, visual-motor processing, spatial abilities, working memory and attention, and levels of testosterone and estradiol were evaluated in 54 healthy older men. Regression analyses revealed significant curvilinear associations between working memory function and both free and bioavailable testosterone levels, suggesting that an optimal hormone level may exist for maximal performance on tasks of executive/frontal lobe functioning. However, no other relationships were evident between either estradiol or testosterone levels and any of the other cognitive functions evaluated. Hormone assays performed at the end of the study revealed that a considerable portion of the healthy elderly men in our sample met criteria for hypogonadism and suggests that their low hormone levels may have mitigated against discovering other significant hormone–cognition relationships.

Cognition Is Not Modified by Large but Temporary Changes in Sex Hormones in Men

Little is known about the role of testosterone and estradiol on cognition in healthy older men. The cognitive effects of increasing or lowering testosterone or estradiol were examined. Cognition was assessed before and after 6 wk of double-blind placebo-controlled hormone modification. The study was conducted at an academic medical center. Healthy older (ages 60-80 yr) and younger men (ages 25-35 yr) were recruited from the community. Men were randomized to one of four treatments: 1) maintain testosterone and estradiol at eugonadal levels for young men (GnRH agonist + testosterone gel); 2) block testosterone's conversion to estradiol (GnRH agonist + testosterone gel + aromatase inhibitor); 3) induce hypogonadism (GnRH agonist alone); and 4) all placebo. Measures of executive function, memory, and spatial cognition were obtained before and after treatment. Hormone levels were obtained 10 times over the course of the study. Counter to expectations, hormone treatment did not affect cognition (P > 0.10). Free testosterone was positively related to spatial cognition in older men after treatment and controlling for age and estradiol level or exclusion of the hypogonadal men (P = 0.02). Estradiol was negatively associated with working memory controlling for the same variables (P = 0.01). Blinding to treatment assignment was maintained, with the exception of the hypogonadal group. A significant change in sex hormone status, including complete hypogonadism, does not modify cognition in men. These findings, along with studies that show a risk for neurodegenerative disease in those with low testosterone, suggest that sex hormone status may be important for neuroprotection in aging but not modulation of normal day-to-day cognitive function.

Activational effects of sex hormones on cognition in men

Changing world demographic patterns, such as the increasing number of older people and the growing prevalence of cognitive impairment, present serious obstacles to preserving the quality of life and productivity of individuals. The severity of dementia varies from subclinical, mild cognitive impairment to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. In normally ageing men, these age-related cognitive declines are accompanied by gradual but marked decreases in androgen levels and changes in other hormone profiles. While developmental effects of sex hormones on cognition in the pre- and early postnatal period have been demonstrated, their activational effects in later life are still a focus of contemporary research. Although there is a plethora of published research on the topic, results have been inconsistent with different studies reporting positive, negative or no effects of sex hormones on various aspects of mental agility. This review summarizes the evidence supporting the biological plausibility of the activational effects of sex hormones upon cognition and describes the mechanisms of their actions. It offers a comprehensive summary of the studies of the effects of sex hormones on fluid intelligence in men utilizing elements from the Cochrane Collaboration Guidelines for Reviews. The results of both observational (cross-sectional and longitudinal) and interventional studies published to date are collated in table form and further discussed in the text. Factors contributing to the difficulties in understanding the effects of sex hormones on cognition are also examined. Although there is convincing evidence that steroid sex hormones play an organizational role in brain development in men, the evidence for activational effects of sex hormones affecting cognition in healthy men throughout adult life remains inconsistent. To address this issue, a new multifactorial approach is proposed which takes into account the status of other elements of the sex hormones axis including receptors, enzymes and other hormones.

A randomized controlled trial of add-back estrogen or placebo on cognition in men with prostate cancer receiving an antiandrogen and a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog

The effects of testosterone (T) and estradiol (E(2)) on cognition in men are confounded in extant studies. This randomized, placebo-controlled trial was undertaken to investigate the possible effects of E(2) on cognition in older men. Twenty-five men with prostate cancer (mean age: 71.0+/-8.8 years) who required combined androgen blockade treatment were enrolled. Performance on cognitive tests was evaluated at pre-treatment baseline and following 12 weeks of treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog and the nonsteroidal antiandrogen bicalutamide to determine whether specific cognitive functions would decline when the production of both T and E(2) were suppressed. In the second phase of the study, either micronized E(2) 1mg/day or an oral daily placebo was randomly added to the combined androgen blockade for an additional 12 weeks to determine whether E(2) would enhance performance in specific cognitive domains (verbal memory, spatial ability, visuomotor abilities and working memory). Compared to pretreatment, no differences in scores occurred on any cognitive test following 12 weeks of combined androgen blockade. In the add-back phase of the study (Visit 3), the placebo-treated men, but not the E(2)-treated men, exhibited a trend towards improvement in their scores on both the immediate (p=.075) and delayed recall (p=.095) portions of a verbal memory task compared to baseline. Moreover, at Visit 3, placebo-treated men performed significantly better than the E(2)-treated men on both the immediate (p=.020) and delayed recall (p=.016) portions of the verbal memory task. Thus, combined androgen blockade plus add-back E(2) failed to improve short- or long-term verbal memory performance in this sample of older men being treated for prostate cancer.

BDNF is a novel marker of cognitive function in ageing women: The DR’s EXTRA Study

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is one of the key molecules modulating brain plasticity. While low circulating levels of BDNF have been suggested to predispose to Alzheimer’s disease, very little data are available on its association with cognitive function in general population. We evaluated the association between plasma BDNF levels and cognition in a representative population sample of ageing men and women. The subjects ( n = 1389) were participants of the Dose-Responses to Exercise Training (DR’s EXTRA) Study and represent a random sample of Eastern Finnish people (684 men and 705 women), 57–79 years of age at baseline of the study. Plasma BDNF levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cognitive function was evaluated using the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD) neuropsychological test battery. Women had a higher mean (±SEM) plasma BDNF level than men (1721 ± 55 vs. 1495 ± 54 pg/ml, P < 0.001). In women, 1 SD decrease in BDNF increased the risk for a low score in Naming Test by 53% (95% CI 1.21–1.92, P < 0.001), in Mini-Mental State Examination by 63% (95% CI 1.21–2.20, P = 0.001), in Word List Memory by 56% (95% CI 1.08–2.26, P = 0.019), in Word List Recall by 50% (95% CI 1.10–2.05, P = 0.010), in Word List Saving by 49% (95% CI 1.12–1.99, P = 0.007), and in Word List Recognition by 64% (95% CI 1.19–2.25, P = 0.002). Data were adjusted for age, education, depression, impaired glucose metabolism, cardiovascular disease, antihypertensive medication, lipid lowering medication, use of sex hormones, smoking, alcohol consumption, storing time of plasma in the freezer and platelet count. BDNF was not associated with cognition in men. Present data suggest that plasma BDNF is a biomarker of impaired memory and general cognitive function in ageing women.

The effect of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) on cognition in men with prostate cancer

14626 Background: ADT plays a central role in the management of prostate cancer. However, there is emerging evidence that ADT use may adversely affect cognition. Given the long natural history of prostate cancer and the elderly population it predominantly affects, this may be an important survivorship issue in this population. Methods: We performed a MEDLINE search of English-language literature from 1966 to December 2005 and identified eight prospective studies that evaluated the effect of ADT on cognition and one study that investigated the effect of therapy on the cognition of patients receiving ADT. Due to differences in study design and outcomes, studies could not be combined meta-analytically. Results: Studies were small, ranging from 19–82 patients. ADT was used in the neoadjuvant setting in 2 studies, a neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting in 1 study, and in a palliative setting for high-risk disease in 5 studies. Controls were featured in 4 studies. Follow-up ranged from 6 to 13 months. A variety of cognitive domains were assessed (using traditional and computer-based neuropsychological tasks). Whereas 4 studies found worsening in one or more domains in patients over time, 4 studies showed either no worsening or improvement in one or more cognitive domains after ADT was instituted. No cognitive domain was consistently affected by ADT. Three of the studies included follow-up 3 months after ADT was stopped and all 3 showed at least some improvement in cognitive function. Short-term supplementation with estradiol did not improve cognitive function in 1 study. There were fundamental differences across studies in terms of patient populations, cognitive domains tested and specific tests used, and type of ADT. Other important limitations included small sample sizes, limited follow-up, and practice effects. Conclusions: The impact of ADT on cognitive function and its potential reversibility are unclear, and further studies are needed. In the meantime, clinicians and patients should continue to carefully weigh the potential benefits and risks of ADT when making treatment decisions. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Negative Association of Testosterone on Spatial Visualization in 35 to 80 Year Old Men

Androgens have been linked to visuospatial ability. We examined the relationship between serum free testosterone (T) levels and spatial visualization ability in a population-based sample of 450 healthy men between the ages of 35 and 80 years. They were tested on block design and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) draw-a-figure, as well as tasks assessing episodic memory, semantic memory, procedural memory, and verbal fluency. Blood was analyzed for free T and estradiol. Participants were grouped into high or low free T based on age-specific median values. Participants with low free T performed at a superior level on both the block design task and draw-a-figure task as compared to participants with high free T. The results are discussed within the scant body of research on androgens and cognition in men.

Estrogen receptor β as a therapeutic target for promoting neurogenesis and preventing neurodegeneration

AbstractBoth estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes, ERα and ERβ, are expressed throughout the brain of both rodents and humans. Analyses from our laboratory and others reveal that both ERα and ERβ can contribute to estrogen‐induced protection against neurodegenerative insults. ERβ plays a key role in regulating brain development and estrogen‐induced promotion of neurogenesis and memory. These findings suggest that targeting ERβ could generate safe and effective therapeutics to promote neuronal defense mechanisms and to maintain cognitive function, while simultaneously reducing adverse effects in reproductive organs such as breast and uterus. A number of naturally occurring ERβ selective phytoestrogens have been identified and multiple structurally diverse ERβ selective ligands have been synthesized. A comparison of the models of complexes between selective agonists and either ERα or ERβ reveals that two variant amino acid residues in the ligand binding site, Leu384 and Met421 in ERα, which are replaced with Met336 and Ile373, respectively, in ERβ, are the key molecular constituents underlying the binding of selective ligands to either ER subtype. Development of an ERβ brain‐selective estrogen receptor modulator, in particular a natural source formulation, has great potential benefit for peri‐ and post‐menopausal women who face age‐associated cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. In addition, an ERβ selective formulation might promote neuronal defense mechanisms and cognition in men, while reducing the risk of prostate cancer. Drug Dev. Res. 66:103–117, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Relationship between sex hormones and cognition in men with and without prostate cancer

4619 Background: Several small reports have suggested that androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)-induced hypogonadism may be associated with neuropsychological side effects in men with prostate cancer, although results are inconsistent. Studies in other settings have identified several cognitive domains that may be affected by circulating sex hormone levels. Methods: Men age 50 or older with non-metastatic prostate cancer who were fluent in English were enrolled and matched on age and education to controls without prostate cancer. No man had started ADT at the time of testing. Five cognitive domains were examined using a comprehensive neuropsychological battery - attention; language; visuo-spatial function (2 tests); memory (2 tests); executive function (2 tests). Sex hormones included total and bioavailable testosterone, and estradiol. Relationships between sex hormones and each cognitive test were examined using Pearson’s correlation. Multivariable linear regression was used to control for age and education. Results: 52 patients (30 with prostate cancer, 22 controls) have been enrolled to date (mean age 69, range 57–87; mean education 16 years). 50% had biochemical evidence of hypogonadism. Age was negatively correlated with performance on both memory tests (r=0.48–0.50, p<0.001) and one of two executive function tasks (r=0.44, p<0.005) Education was positive correlated with performance on one of two visuo-spatial tasks (r=0.52, p<0.001). Bioavailable testosterone was positively correlated with one of two memory tasks (r=0.38, p=0.01) and weakly with language (r=0.28, p=0.07). Correlations between other sex hormones and cognitive tasks were not statistically significant (p>0.05). After adjusting for age and educational level, relationships between sex hormones and cognitive tasks were no longer statistically significant but confidence limits were relatively wide. Conclusions: Preliminary data suggest testosterone may have some influence on memory but does not affect four of five other cognitive domains. A larger sample and longitudinal data on patients initiating ADT will be important to determine if cognitive function declines with ADT use. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

A study of the medical record interface to natural language processing.

The information about a patient tends to be handled more on a computer system. However, it is not sufficiently rational enough because of the fundamental difference between man and a computer. Up to now, man has treated information using a natural language. Therefore, if it can be applied to handle medical information electrically, that will become more rational. For this reason, we developed a new classification method that interfaces a computer with the human being, using a natural language. This method was named as a situation-oriented medical record, and this depicts changes in a situation by the case frame from a viewpoint of man's cognition. Moreover, the medical communication by a natural language, which is currently used when a patient changes a hospital, was analyzed in order to confirm the validity of this method. In addition, we developed a prototype system that allows computers to implement this kind of communication.

A curvilinear relationship between hair loss and mental rotation and neuroticism: a possible influence of sustained dihydrotestosterone production

Hairline measurements and ratings of father's hair loss were used in a multiple regression to predict hair loss in 181 males. This was hypothesised to measure the effects of cumulative dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on hairline. Participants were also given a test of mental rotation, and rated their own anger and neuroticism. They were then divided into five groups according to level of hair loss. Significant effects were found for mental rotation and neuroticism. Mental rotation was an inverted-U function of the extent of hair loss, indicating a curvilinear relationship between DHT and spatial cognition. Neuroticism also demonstrated an inverted U relationship, but this function was less clear visually and statistically. The self-rated measures of anger were not affected by DHT. One implication of the effect of mental rotation as a function of hair loss is that long-term high or low levels of DHT could impair spatial cognition in men.

Adult sexual contact with children: An examination of cognitive factors

While clinical accounts of child molesters' cognitions about adult sexual contactwith children suggest that these individuals believe in the salutary consequences which sexual contact can have for a child, such notions have yet to undergo empirical scrutiny. The present research explores the hypothesis that the cognitions of men who have had sexual contact with children are more permissive and accepting of this behavior than those of a number of comparison groups. Vignettes describing sexual contact between an adult and a child were abstracted from clinical case descriptions and constructed to vary the degree of sexual contact (touching, fondling, no clothes, ejaculation) and the child's response (smiling, passive, crying). Groups of child molesters, rapists, clinicians, laypersons, lawyers and police officers responded to questions following each vignette which assessed their view of the adult's and the child's behavior. Results indicated that child molesters differed from other respondent groups in perceiving more benefits resulting from sexual contact, greater complicity on the child's part, and less responsibility on the adult's part. Differences of this sort suggest that the cognitions of men who have had sexual contact with children may play a contributory or facilitative role in such behavior.

Delirium and the DST in the aged

Delirium represents a global disorder of cognition in man. Imcomplete clinical pictures of delirium are common, especially in elderly patients, and differentiation of delirium from transient cognitive disorders associated with affective psychosis is important. In this differentiation, the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) may be helpful. Twenty-five consecutive delirious patients admitted to the psychogeriatric ward of Moisio Mental Hospital between May and September 1985 are discussed. The mean age of the group was 75.4 years and all met the DSM-III criteria for delirium. An oral test of 1 mg dexamethasone was carried out in the delirious phase during the first week after admission. Six patients (27%) were non-suppressors. There were no statistically significant differences between the different subgroups of delirium in the DST-suppressor status, age or Mini Mental State score during the DST-sampling. The dexamethasone suppression test is thus not always affected by serious physical illnesses and may ...

A Hermeneutic Process of the Brain

the brain. Concerning a pattern recognition, the difference between the functions of the brain and of the present artificial intelligence is discussed. The concept of metaconscious is introduced to explain the hermeneutic process. In this relation, it is suggested that the existence of a hidden dynamics is of importance for man's cognition.

Some regularities of memory of visual information

The article deals with the regularities of memory and retention of the visual material. The first experiment is devoted to the immediate recall and recognition of 9 line drawings exposed for 5 seconds at 3x3 matrixes. Thus, it has been established that on the average 3.9 pictures are recalled and 5.8 pictures are recognized from one collection. The recall of the objects depends on their position in the matrix. The majority of the pictures are recalled in the left upper corner. Proceeding from the left to the right and descending from the top to the bottom, the recall becomes lesser. In the second experiment under the same conditions, the complex pictures were exposed and their immediate and 24-hour recalls have been studied. It has turned out that the immediate and the delayed recalls are not essentially different and their average quantities are accordingly 6.3 and 5.9 objects. According to the total results of the group under investigation, it has been determined that the frequency of the recall of objects depends not upon their place in the presented space, but upon the hierarchy of their importance while perceiving the picture. Side by side with the adequate recalls, the most characteristic types of reconstruction are analysed and described. The results of the experiments give evidence as for the role of the schemes which are formed in man's cognition.

Production Effectiveness: A Category of Political Economy and a Requirement of Economic Policy

As we know, categories are the most general, fundamental concepts of science that reflect essential properties and phenomena in objective activity. They originate and develop in the process of man's cognition of the patterns of society's development and of the transition from one social and economic formation to another.