Story Memory Research Articles

Response to A Story During Cognitive Screening – Expression of the Inherent Awareness of Survival of Fellow Human Beings

Abstract Background The comprehensive assessment of cognition should include the immediate recall of information as well as that provided after delay. The phenomenon of patients providing intrusions is well recognised in the realm of cognitive assessment. Certain intrusions have been found to recur across patient performances. Methods Retrospective analysis was undertaken of patients (n=9) screened for dementia using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (Pearson) between 2022 and 2024. Data was sourced from MDT notes cataloguing the results of memory tests undertaken whereby the patient had added information regarding loss of life for persons involved in a fire. Data were elicited regarding List Learning (LL) and Recall; Story Memory and Recall, Figure Copy and Recall. The final sheet was used to elicit scores for each category. Results Median age was 76 (range 61-84 years). Male to female was 4:5. Patients were found to make a comment regarding loss of life e.g. ‘nobody was hurt’ where the information did not exist in the original story script. This occurred equally at Story Memory Stage and Story Recall Stage (77.7%). When compared with list and figure copy elements- only one patient also had errors in both LL and memory figure. Six patients had intrusion errors across other elements. Where the story was accentuated in both immediate and delayed recall stages- pts had intrusions in list learning (n=2, 22%) list recall (n=3, 33.3%) but no intrusions on Figure Copy- immediate or delayed. Conclusion Although this cohort of patients was small- each one of them included the status of life lost when given a short story to recite and then recall. These comments occurred both on immediate episodic recall and after delay and were not always associated with a replicated intrusion phenomena across other elements. This inherent interest in the survival of other humans is worth highlighting.

A role for event centrality in prolonged grief disorder.

Having a traumatic or negative event at the centre of one's identity is associated with adverse psychological outcomes including post-traumatic stress, depression, and prolonged grief disorder (PGD). However, direct investigation of the role of centrality of a bereavement-event in the maintenance of PGD symptoms is scarce and has not compared immediate and long-term changes in event centrality nor examined the nature of the loss. Data from bereaved partners and adult children in The Aarhus Bereavement Study at four time points over 26months post-loss were included in this study. Participants completed a PGD symptom measure and the Centrality of Events Scale (CES) on each occasion. Results suggest that bereaved partners had higher PGD and CES scores than bereaved adult children at all four post-bereavement time points. Regardless of relationship type, maintaining higher CES scores over time predicted PGD symptoms, over and above initial symptoms. Our findings suggest a risk factor for maintaining PGD symptoms is the continued centrality of the bereavement to ones' life story and autobiographical memory. This finding links the mechanisms for maintaining PGD symptoms to those involved in other disorders such as post-traumatic stress, with implications for theoretical models of prolonged grief as well as treatment.

An Examination of the Impact of Single Errors on Performance Validity Testing on Neuropsychological Performance: a Youth Athlete Cohort Study

Abstract Performance validity tests (PVT) measure optimal cognitive effort (Sherman et al., 2023). As PVT scores decrease in adults, neuropsychological performance decreases systematically (Green, 2007). Similarly, evidence suggests that even a single error in PVTs influences overall cognitive performance (Erdodi et al., 2017). No studies have investigated this relationship between cognitive performance and PVT performance on multiple PVTs within a large pediatric sample. Youth athletes (n = 174; ages 8–16, M = 12.07) completed the Rey 15-Item test (RFIT), TOMM Trial 1, Reliable Digit Span (RDS), and a thorough neuropsychological battery. T-tests compared neuropsychological performance in youth who scored perfectly on the TOMM (n = 36) and RFIT (n = 90) to youth with single errors (TOMM, n = 28; RFIT, n = 26). A planned contrast analysis of neuropsychological performance was performed for RDS within score levels 6–11. On processing speed, delayed verbal memory, and working memory, the TOMM perfect score group performed better than the single error group (p’s < 0.05). On RFIT, the same relationship was seen on story memory, working memory and simple attention (p’s < 0.05). Perfect score groups scored higher on nearly all subtests (Hedge’s G’s = 0.20–0.60). Scores in perceptual reasoning, cognitive flexibility, processing speed, and visual memory increased as RDS scores increased by one point (p’s < 0.05). This study shows the impact of even subtle differences in effort on cognitive performance in youth. Measuring effort is critical in pediatric neuropsychology, and these results illustrate how important it may be to measure effort on a continuum in pediatrics, as opposed to using pass/fail cutoffs.

B - 118 Exploration of Supplemental Recognition Measures for the RBANS

Abstract Objective RBANS is a widely used cognitive screener that lacks memory recognition measures for 2 recall tasks. Performance on verbal and visual recognition measures, relative to recall, may help inform clinical decision-making and treatment planning. Our pilot project aims to understand how individuals with valid cognitive data and normal memory functioning perform on newly developed RBANS story and figure memory recognition tests. Method Of those referred for outpatient neuropsychological assessment at a veterans hospital between 2017–2024, 89 received the newly established recognition measures as part of their clinical evaluation. Our analysis included veterans that displayed valid profiles (TOMM trial 1 ≥ 45, n = 53). Assessment occurred 30% face-to-face and 70% telehealth. In addition to key demographic factors listed in table 1, race/ethnicity breakdown included: 92% White, 4% Black, 2% Asian, 2% Hispanic. These veterans were subdivided into 3 intact memory groups: list recall (≥ 25%ile, n = 31), story recall (≥ 25%ile, n = 37), figure recall (≥ 25%ile, n = 42) to determine average recognition performances across domains. Results The individuals with valid cognitive data and normal memory recall performed as listed in table 1. Although our novel story and figure recognition measures differ from those published in Duff et al. (2021), our pilot project data largely overlapped with their reported findings despite demographic differences. Conclusion(s) These novel recognition scores can help establish normal story and figure recognition performance to assist with clinical diagnosis and treatment planning. With greater and more diverse samples, we may be able to establish relative cut points for expected recognition memory performances across intact, amnestic/cortical, and vascular/subcortical.

High-gamma modulation language mapping and cognitive outcomes after epilepsy surgery.

We evaluated changes in cognitive domains after neurosurgical lesioning of cortical sites with significant high-gamma power modulations (HGM) during a visual naming task, although these sites were found language-negative on standard-of-care electrical stimulation mapping (ESM). In drug-resistant epilepsy patients who underwent resection/ablation after stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG), we computed reliable change indices (RCIs) from a battery of presurgical and 1-year postsurgical neuropsychological assessments. We modeled RCIs as a function of lesioning even one HGM language site, number of HGM language sites lesioned, and the magnitude of naming-related HGM. The analyses were adjusted for 1-year seizure freedom, operated hemispheres, and the volumes of surgical lesions. In 37 patients with 4455 SEEG electrode contacts (1839 and 2616 contacts in right and left hemispheres, respectively), no ESM language sites were lesioned. Patients with lesioning of even one HGM language site showed significantly lower RCIs for Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), working memory, and verbal learning immediate (VLI) scores. RCI declines with higher number of HGM language sites lesioned were seen in PPVT (slope [β] = -.10), working memory (β = -.10), VLI (β = -.14), and letter-word identification (LWI; β = -.14). No neuropsychological domains improved after lesioning of HGM language sites. Significant effects of the HGM magnitude at lesioned sites were seen on working memory (β = -.31), story memory immediate (β = -.27), verbal learning recognition (β = -.18), LWI (β = -.16), spelling (β = -.49), and passage comprehension (β = -.33). Because working memory was significantly affected in all three analyses, patients with maximal working memory decline were examined post hoc, revealing that all such patients had HGM naming sites lesioned in the posterior quadrants of either hemisphere. HGM language mapping should be used as an adjunct to ESM in clinical practice and may help counsel patients/families about postsurgical cognitive deficits.

Story recall performance and AT classification via positron emission tomography: A comparison of logical memory and Craft Story 21

BackgroundEarly detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the critical components of the global response to the growing dementia crisis. Analysis of serial position performance in story recall tests has yielded sensitive metrics for the prediction of AD at low cost. In this study, we examined whether serial position markers in two story recall tests (the logical memory test, LMT, and the Craft Story 21 test, CST) were sensitive to cross-sectional biomarker-based assessment of in vivo neuropathology. MethodsParticipants were selected from the Wisconsin Registry of Alzheimer's Prevention (n = 288; WRAP) and the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (n = 156; ADRC), both from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Average age at PET was 68.9 (6.7) and 67.0 (8.0), respectively. Data included tau and PiB PET, and LMT for WRAP participants and CST for ADRC participants. Two sets of Bayesian analyses (logistic regressions and ANCOVAs) were conducted within each cohort, separately. ResultsResults indicated that the A+T+ classification was best predicted, cross-sectionally, by the recency ratio (Rr), indexing how much of the end of the story was forgotten between initial learning and delayed assessment. Rr outperformed traditional scores and discriminated between A+T+ and A+T−/A-T-, in both cohorts. ConclusionsOverall, this study confirms that serial position analysis of LMT and CST data, and particularly Rr as an index of recency loss, is a valuable tool for the identification of in vivo tau pathology in individuals free of dementia. Diagnostic considerations are discussed.

Rationale and methodology for examining the combination of aerobic exercise and cognitive rehabilitation on new learning and memory in persons with multiple sclerosis and mobility disability: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThis paper describes the protocol for a Phase I/II, parallel-group, single-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT). The RCT investigates the combined effects of 12-weeks of aerobic exercise training (AET) integrated with virtual reality (VR) and cognitive rehabilitation (CR) on new learning and memory in 78 persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have mobility disability and objective impairments in learning and memory. MethodsParticipants will undergo baseline assessments consisting of neuropsychological testing, neuroimaging, self-report questionnaires, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Participants will then be randomized into one of two conditions using concealed allocation: aerobic cycling exercise that incorporates VR combined with CR or stretching and toning (i.e., active control; S/T) combined with CR. Participants will be masked regarding the intent of the conditions. After 7-weeks of exercise alone, the 5-week Kessler Foundation modified Story Memory Technique (KF-mSMT®) will be integrated into the training. After the 12-week training period, participants will complete the same measures as at baseline administered by treatment-blinded assessors. Primary study outcomes include new learning and memory (NLM) measured by a small battery of neuropsychological assessments that assess list learning (California Verbal Learning Test-II), prose memory (Memory Assessment Scale), visuospatial memory (Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised), and everyday memory (Ecological Memory Simulations). Secondary study outcomes include neuroimaging outcomes of hippocampal structure, function, and connectivity. ConclusionIf successful, this trial will provide the first Class I evidence supporting the unique combination of aerobic cycling exercise with VR and CR for treating MS-related learning and memory impairments in persons with mobility disability.

Memory function in autoimmune encephalitis: a cross-sectional prospective study utilising multiple memory paradigms

Background and objectiveAutoimmune encephalitis (AE) is often associated with clinically significant memory impairment. This study aimed to evaluate memory in a cross-sectional prospective AE cohort using multiple memory paradigms.Methods52 patients (50% seropositive) meeting Graus criteria for possible AE were prospectively recruited between October 2019 and August 202. A comprehensive examination of memory was performed, including tests of supraspan verbal memory (list learning), logicosemantic memory (story learning), figural memory (learning of geometric designs), and verbal associative learning (verbal paired associates). Memory scores were compared to demographically adjusted normative data. Pattern analysis was conducted to assist in the identification of patterns in memory performances.ResultsMean memory scores were not significantly below the normative mean. At an individual patient level, over 20% of the cohort exhibited impaired delayed figural memory, supraspan verbal memory learning and recall. Observed performances were significantly below expected performance for story learning (p = 0.017) and recall (p = 0.003), figural recall (p < 0.0001), initial acquisition (p < 0.001) and final acquisition of a list (p < 0.001) and all delayed recall measures of the list (p < 0.00001). 54.76% of patients exhibited intact psychometrics, and 16 distinct patterns of impairment emerged, indicating variability in memory outcomes.DiscussionWhile statistical evidence for memory impairment did not emerge at an aggregate level, a proportion of patients present with evidence of abnormal memory performance on psychometrics. Variability in impaired memory measures argues for an individualised patient-focused approach to clinical assessment in AE. Future research should validate these findings with a larger sample size and explore the relationships between memory profiles and other cognitive functions.

Systemic inflammation in relation to exceptional memory in the Long Life Family Study (LLFS)

Background and objectivesWe previously found a substantial familial aggregation of healthy aging phenotypes, including exceptional memory (EM) in long-lived persons. In the current study, we aim to assess whether long-lived families with EM and without EM (non-EM) differ in systemic inflammation status and trajectory. MethodsThe current study included 4333 participants of the multi-center Long Life Family Study (LLFS). LLFS families were classified as EM (556 individuals from 28 families) or non-EM (3777 individuals from 416 families), with 2 or more offspring exhibiting exceptional memory performance (i.e. having baseline composite z-score representing immediate and delayed story memory being 1.5 SD above the mean in the nondemented offspring sample) considered as EM. Blood samples from baseline were used to measure inflammatory biomarkers including total white blood cell (WBC) and its subtypes (neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes) count, platelet count, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6. Generalized linear models were used to examine cross-sectional differences in inflammatory biomarkers at baseline. In a sub-sample of 2227 participants (338 subjects from 24 EM families and 1889 from 328 non-EM families) with repeated measures of immune cell counts, we examined whether the rate of biomarker change differed between EM and non-EM families. All models were adjusted for family size, relatedness, age, sex, education, field center, APOE genotype, and body mass index. ResultsLLFS participants from EM families had a marginally higher monocyte count at baseline (b = 0.028, SE = 0.0110, p = 0.010) after adjusting for age, sex, education, and field site, particularly in men (p < 0.0001) but not in women (p = 0.493) (p-interaction = 0.003). Over time, monocyte counts increased (p < 0.0001) in both EM and non-EM families, while lymphocytes and platelet counts decreased over time in the non-EM families (p < 0.0001) but not in the EM families. After adjusting for multiple variables, there was no significant difference in biomarker change over time between the EM and non-EM families. DiscussionCompared with non-EM families, EM families had significantly higher monocyte count at baseline but had similar change over time. Our study suggests that differences in monocyte counts may be a pathway through which EM emerges in some long-lived families, especially among men.

Speech patterns during memory recall relates to early tau burden across adulthood.

Early cognitive decline may manifest in subtle differences in speech. We examined 238 cognitively unimpaired adults from the Framingham Heart Study (32-75 years) who completed amyloid and tau PET imaging. Speech patterns during delayed recall of a story memory task were quantified via five speech markers, and their associations with global amyloid status and regional tau signal were examined. Total utterance time, number of between-utterance pauses, speech rate, and percentage of unique words significantly correlated with delayed recall score although the shared variance was low (2%-15%). Delayed recall score was not significantly different between β-amyoid-positive (Aβ+) and -negative (Aβ-) groups and was not associated with regional tau signal. However, longer and more between-utterance pauses, and slower speech rate were associated with increased tau signal across medial temporal and early neocortical regions. Subtle speech changes during memory recall may reflect cognitive impairment associated with early Alzheimer's disease pathology. Speech during delayed memory recall relates to tau PET signal across adulthood. Delayed memory recall score was not associated with tau PET signal. Speech shows greater sensitivity to detecting subtle cognitive changes associated with early tau accumulation. Our cohort spans adulthood, while most PET imaging studies focus on older adults.

THE NET ON THE RIVER WHERE VERY LITTLE HAS BEEN CAUGHT: DIFFERENCES IN MEMORY FOR DISCOURSE IN YOUNGER AND OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Experiential learning is key for courses in a gerontology certificate program at a midwestern nursing and health science college. One curricular emphasis is the uniqueness of every older adult that the student will encounter as they move from a novice student role to professional role mastery several years into their careers. To assist in this transition, one course has a unit on memory for discourse, especially memory for printed materials—essential in support of understanding medical conditions and treatment follow-through. Our project had college students compare their memory for short stories with memories of “students” from an OLLI Program who attended this class. The project, in an adult development course, provides students with community service, direct contact with older adults and reflective practices to integrate course content with this activity. Qualitative analyses were used. Content analyses of reflective essays identified four themes (a) older adult focus on key story propositions as well as incidental propositions with tie-in to acquired knowledge on attention/memory from course work (b) frequent use of situational schema based on greater world knowledge held by older adults and implications of this type of discourse in clinical settings (c) differences, that favored older adults, between groups in memory for details in structured versus unstructured stories, and (d) differences in style of recall for stories between age groups. Reflections were encouraged to tie new age-related knowledge about memory processes into better client follow through. Students also reflected on ways to make memory more optimal in clinical settings.

Correlation between cognitive status of patients and score of Story Memory test

AbstractBackgroundDementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are referred to a continuum of cognitive impairment. But it is difficult to distinguished in clinical practice. Recently, the Korean version of Story Memory (SM) in the Korean‐Mini Mental State Examination, 2nd Edition: Expanded Version (K‐MMSE‐2: EV) was released to use. Thus, we aimed to find the correlation between cognitive status and score of SM test.MethodTwenty‐three patients with SCD, MCI, or mild dementia between ages of 60 and 80 were participated. They underwent K‐MMSE‐2, and Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery‐Second Edition (SNSB‐II). The correlation between score of standard version K‐MMSE‐2(T‐score) and SM score were analyzed. To identify the related functional brain area, analysis was performed with each domain in SNSB‐2 and SM scores.ResultSM score was associated with scores of standard version of K‐MMSE‐2(p = 0.013, Pearson correlation = 0.511). Also, the SM score have significant correlation with memory domain score of SNSB‐2(p = 0.048, Pearson correlation = 0.447).ConclusionWe found that patients' cognitive function and SM score have a positive relationship. It might be used to identify patients who might have progressed to Dementia or are about to progress. Also, MCI patients can be identified in early.

The influence of Area Deprivation Index on cognition in cognitively‐normal adults as measured by Principal Component Analysis of Neuropsychological Data

AbstractBackgroundPrevious research has demonstrated that neighborhood disadvantage is associated with worse health outcomes including increased risk for dementia. The Area Deprivation Index (ADI) measure represents the theoretical domains of income, education, employment, and housing quality, which allows for the ranking of neighborhoods based on socioeconomic disadvantage. In the present study, we hypothesized that greater neighborhood disadvantage (i.e., higher ADI scores) would be associated with lower cognitive function after controlling for age, education, and sex.MethodPrincipal component analysis (PCA) was used to examine the component structure of a neuropsychological test battery administered to 852 adult participants enrolled in the Southern Illinois University Longitudinal Cognitive Aging Study (SIU LCAS). The vast majority of the cohort was White/Not Hispanic (&gt;98.0%) and female (72.4%). Mean age and education were 67.5 years and 14.8 years, respectively. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between ADI and PCA cognitive component scores after controlling for age, education, and sex.ResultPCA identified four cognitive components, which were labeled speed/flexibility, visuospatial skills, word list learning/memory, and story memory (immediate and delayed recall). Regression analysis revealed that all three demographic variables were significantly associated with each cognitive component score (p&lt;0.001). After controlling for age, gender, and education, higher ADI scores were associated with lower cognitive component scores for only the speed/flexibility component (p = 0.03). Age, education, and sex accounted for 23% of the variance in the speed/flexibility component. ADI accounted for only an additional 0.4% of the variance in the speed/flexibility component. There was no significant relationship between ADI scores and the visuospatial skills, word list learning/memory, and story memory components.ConclusionOur results suggest that the relationship between greater neighborhood disadvantage and poorer cognitive function are very subtle and may only be present for some, but not all, cognitive domains. One major limitation in the present study was that collection of cognitive data and ADI calculations were not synchronous. More studies are needed to better understand the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and cognitive functioning.

Decline in proper name retrieval during story recall is associated with Alzheimer’s disease CSF biomarkers in cognitively unimpaired individuals

AbstractBackgroundRemembering names of people and places is a common problem in aging that is exacerbated in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Because retrieval of proper names (PNs) has been associated with brain regions affected by AD (anterior and medial temporal lobe), PN retrieval may be an especially sensitive measure of early AD pathology. Extending results of a previous study from WRAP (Mueller et al., 2020), this study examined associations between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD biomarkers and longitudinal delayed story recall PN retrieval.MethodParticipants were from the BIOCARD study, a cohort of late‐middle aged adults enriched for parental history of AD. Participants were cognitively unimpaired at baseline with longitudinal item‐level data from the Logical Memory (LM; WMS‐R) Story A recall (N = 218; M(SD) baseline age = 58(9); M(SD) follow‐up = 4.1(2.9) years). CSF amyloid beta (Ab42/40) and phosphorylated tau181 (p‐tau181) were measured using automated electrochemiluminescence assays; AD biomarker abnormality (+) was determined using the bottom quartile for Ab42/40 and the top quartile for p‐tau181. We calculated total Story A PNs (range 0‐4) and total score (0‐25). We performed longitudinal linear mixed effects (LME) models examining the interaction between time (LM age, centered) and last available Ab42/40 and/or p‐tau181 status as predictors of PNs and total recall (subject‐specific random intercepts).ResultOf the 218 participants included, forty‐nine (22.4%) were Ab42/40+, 60 (27.5%) were p‐tau181+, and the remainder were A‐/T‐ (Table 1). In LME models, CSF‐Ab42/40+*age was not a significant predictor of either outcome. The p‐tau181+*age interaction showed significantly greater annual decline in PNs in the p‐tau181+ group than the p‐tau181‐ group (interaction beta = ‐.01, p = .02; simple slope estimate p‐tau181‐ = .002, p‐tau181+ = ‐.01) (Table 2, Fig.1). Interaction patterns were weaker yet similar for total recall. In follow‐up analyses, 15 participants who converted to MCI or dementia were removed and results remained unchanged. In an exploratory model combining biomarker statuses, the Ab42/40+/p‐tau181+*age interaction was non‐significant.ConclusionAs in the WRAP study, these results from BIOCARD indicate that PN recall is more sensitive to preclinical change than the traditional story recall total score metric; results also indicate that decline is greatest in those with elevated CSF p‐tau. Future directions should include replication in other longitudinal cohorts.

Self- and other-focused autobiographical memories of life story events across cultures

ABSTRACT Autobiographical memory and personal life stories are typically conceived as memories about the self. However, personal life stories often contain information about important events from other people’s lives. Sometimes those memories become an important part of our own life stories, illuminating the role that other people play in remembering our personal past. In this study, we examined the extent to which memories of important life story events are self-focused (e.g., I moved to Japan) or other-focused (e.g., My child graduated from college). Participants from Mexico, Greenland, China, Denmark and the United States recalled and dated seven autobiographical memories of important personal life story events. Participants also rated the memories for importance and emotional valence. The memories were coded as self- or other-focused. Participants recalled mainly self-focused memories. However, Danish and Chinese participants recalled about 20% other-focused memories. Danish participants recalled negative events about their parents, whereas Chinese participants recalled positive events about their children. Self-focused and other-focused memories differed in their emotional valence and lifespan distribution, but not in importance. The findings show that individuals remember other-focused memories and also incorporate them into their own personal life stories. Conceptual implications for autobiographical memory are discussed.

The relationship between cognitive reserve focused on leisure experiences and cognitive functions in bipolar patients

Bipolar disorder (BP) is characterized by cognitive decline. Individual differences exist in maintaining cognitive function due to daily physical activity and sleep. We examined the relationship between leisure experiences as proxies for cognitive reserve (CR) and cognitive function in patients with bipolar disorder after adjusting for daily physical activity and sleep.The CR of patients with BP (n = 24) and healthy study controls (HC) (n = 24) was assessed using premorbid IQ, years of education, and leisure activity history. Performance-based neuropsychological tests were performed to evaluate cognitive function. A self-reported scale was used to assess resilience. Physical activity and sleep were measured using an activity meter.Verbal fluency, story memory, and verbal memory were significantly positively correlated with the kinds of leisure experiences in patients with BP. A hierarchical regression analysis accounting for confounding factors showed that verbal fluency and memory were associated with the kinds of leisure experiences. Neither years of education nor resilience were significantly associated with neuropsychological scores.Various leisure experiences in patients with BP are associated with higher language-related cognitive functioning. Engaging in various leisure experiences may affect higher cognitive functions related to language.

49 Adaptive Functioning in a Mixed Clinical Sample of Older Adults: The Importance of Processing Speed

Objective:The presence of cognitive impairment corresponds with declines in adaptive functioning (Cahn-Weiner, Ready, &amp; Malloy, 2003). Although memory loss is often highlighted as a key deficit in neurodegenerative diseases (Arvanitakis et al., 2018), research indicates that processing speed may be equally important when predicting functional outcomes in atypical cognitive decline (Roye et al., 2022). Additionally, the development of performance-based measures of adaptive functioning offers a quantifiable depiction of functional deficits within a clinical setting. This study investigated the degree to which processing speed explains the relationship between immediate/delayed memory and adaptive functioning in patients diagnosed with mild and major neurocognitive disorders using an objective measure of adaptive functioning.Participants and Methods:Participants (N = 115) were selected from a clinical database of neuropsychological evaluations. Included participants were ages 65+ (M = 74.7, SD = 5.15), completed all relevant study measures, and were diagnosed with Mild Neurocognitive Disorder (NCD; N = 69) or Major NCD (N = 46). They were majority white (87.8%) women (53.0%). The Texas Functional Living Scale was used as a performance-based measure of adaptive functioning. The Coding subtest from the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS-CD) was used to measure information processing speed. Composite memory measures for Immediate Recall and Delayed Recall were created from subtests of the RBANS (List Learning, Story Memory, and Figure Recall) and the Wechsler Memory Scale-IV (Logical Memory and Visual Reproduction). Multiple regressions were conducted to evaluate the importance of memory and information processing speed in understanding adaptive functioning. Age and years of education were added as covariates in regression analyses.Results:Significant correlations (p &lt; .001) were found between adaptive functioning and processing speed (PS; r = .52), immediate memory (IM; r = .43), and delayed memory (DM; r = .32). In a regression model with IM and DM predicting daily functioning, only IM significantly explained daily functioning (rsp = .24, p = .009). A multiple regression revealed daily functioning was significantly and uniquely associated with IM (rsp = .28, p &lt; .001) and PS (rsp = .41, p &lt; .001). This was qualified by a significant interaction effect (rsp = -.29, p = .001), revealing that IM was only associated with adaptive functioning at PS scores lower than the RBANS normative 20th percentile.Conclusions:Results suggest that processing speed may be a more sensitive predictor of functional decline than memory among older adults with cognitive disorders. These findings support further investigation into the clinical utility of processing speed tests for predicting functional decline in older adults.

86 Influence of Psychosocial Coronavirus Pandemic Stressors on Neuropsychological Functioning

Objective:The objective of this study was to examine whether novel pandemic-related stressors have any effect on cognitive functioning. This study aimed to examine whether the overall number of pandemic-related stressors, and whether stressor type, are associated with cognitive problems. The coronavirus pandemic, and societal changes to prevent and respond to it, have created novel stressors, including unemployment, social isolation, and health risks. While prior research has focused on the physical and psychological consequences of these stressors, these stressors may also be associated with cognitive impairments. Individuals who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and individuals who experience chronic stress are at risk for cognitive impairments, however, research has not yet examined whether pandemic-related stressors not specifically related to infection but to the experience of the pandemic overall, are associated with cognitive deficits. This study evaluated whether pandemic-related psychosocial stressors (financial, health, role/responsibility, and social) were related to cognitive functioning. We hypothesized that individuals with a higher number of pandemic-related stressors will perform worse on cognitive domains of attention, memory, and executive functions, than those with fewer stressors.Participants and Methods:An online survey recruited participants (A/=19), of whom 89.5% were female, and the average age was 34 years (SD=15.7), to complete an online neuropsychological battery. Participants first completed questionnaires on the coronavirus pandemic, demographic characteristics, and completed the BDI-II and the BAI. An online neuropsychological battery was administered to participants over Zoom consisting of various neuropsychological tests, including the RAVLT, story memory, digit span, FAS, animal fluency, a go-no/go task, the Stroop, and the NAART-R.Results:A majority of participants (89.5%) experienced one or more coronavirus pandemic stressors, with only two participants reporting no coronavirus stressors. A majority of participants experienced at least one social stressor (57.9%), role/responsibility stressor (63.2%), and health stressor (52.6%), with financial stressors (47.4%) experienced by just fewer than half of participants. Pearson’s correlations showed significant negative correlations between stressors and performance on several neuropsychological tests. Specifically, social, health, and total stressors were associated with significantly poorer performance on digit span backwards and trials of the RAVLT (i.e., Trials 15, delayed recall, recognition) (ps&lt;.05). Social stressors, health stressors, and total pandemic stressors were significantly associated with poorer performance on measures of working memory, processing speed, verbal learning, and verbal memory.Conclusions:While small sample size limits the power and generalizability of these findings, this study highlights the need to investigate the cognitive effects of pandemic-related stressors. An expanded coronavirus questionnaire would be beneficial as the current questionnaire may have not captured all stressors of the pandemic, or level of severity, that could potentially contribute to changes in neuropsychological function. Pandemic-related stressors have spread into many areas of everyday life and the consequences that have stemmed from these stressors seem to play a negative role on the general wellbeing of individuals and also show an effect on psychological and neuropsychological functioning. This study illustrates the need for an expanded response to health crises, as the negative results of this pandemic have not been solely affecting physical health.

The utility of word list and story recall for identifying older U.S. Chinese immigrants with cognitive impairment.

This study examined the utility of the Chinese-language translations of the word list memory test (Philadelphia Verbal Learning Test) and story memory test (Logical Memory subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale) for differentiating cognitive diagnosis in older U.S. Chinese immigrants. Participants were ≥ 60 years old, with Chinese language proficiency to complete a diagnostic workup at the Mount Sinai's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. The workup included an evaluation by a geriatric psychiatrist and cognitive testing with a psychometrician. Diagnosis of normal, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia was made independent of the cognitive tests at consensus led by a dementia expert physician. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the sensitivity of story and word list memory tests for distinguishing between groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC area/area under the curve [AUC]) was used to compare the predictive accuracy of the two tests. The sample included 71 participants with normal cognition, 42 with MCI, and 24 with dementia. The MCI group was older and less educated than normal controls but younger and more educated than the dementia group. Delayed recall of both memory tests, but not immediate recall of either test, predicted diagnosis. While composite memory score of word list (AUC = 0.90) predicted diagnosis slightly better than that of stories (AUC = 0.85), the difference was not significant in this small sample (p = .14). Chinese-language translations of verbal memory tests, in particular delayed recall scores, were equally sensitive for classifying cognitive diagnosis in older U.S. Chinese immigrants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

16 Increased Financial Altruism is Associated with Alzheimer’s Disease Neurocognitive Profile in Older Adults

Objective:Older age is associated with an increase in altruistic behaviors such as charitable giving. However, few studies have investigated the cognitive correlates of financial altruism in older adults. This study investigated the cognitive correlates of financial altruism measured using an altruistic choice paradigm in a community-based sample of older adults.Participants and Methods:In the present study, a sample of older adults (N = 67; M age = 69.21, SD = 11.23; M education years = 15.97, SD = 2.51; 58.2% female; 71.6% Non-Hispanic White) completed a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment and an altruistic choice paradigm in which they made decisions about allocating money between themselves and an anonymous person.Results:In multiple linear regression analyses that controlled for age, education, and sex, financial altruism was negatively associated with performance on cognitive measures typically sensitive to early Alzheimer’s Disease. These included CVLT-II Short Delay Free Recall (Beta=-0.26, p=0.03); CVLT-II Long Delay Cued Recall (Beta=-0.32, p=0.04), Craft Story 21 Delayed Recall (Beta=-0.32, p=0.01), and Animal Fluency (Beta=-0.27, p=0.02). Findings held when responses were grouped according to how much was given (Gave Equally, Gave More, Gave Less) for word list memory and story memory measures.Conclusions:Findings of this study point to a negative relationship between financial altruism and cognitive functioning in older adults on measures known to be sensitive to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Findings also point to a potential link between financial exploitation risk and AD in older age.