Neuropsychological Correlates Research Articles

Sensory Thresholds and Peripheral Nerve Responses in Chronic Tension-Type Headache and Neuropsychological Correlation.

Chronic tension-type headache (CTTH) is a common disease with no fully defined pathophysiological processes. We designed a study to value electrophysiological responses in these patients and their correlation with possible psychopathological manifestations in order to deepen understanding of central and peripheral mechanisms of CTTH. In 40 patients with CTTH and 40 healthy controls, we used electrical stimulation to determine sensory threshold (SPT) and pain perception threshold (PPT) and the characteristics of the electrophysiological sensory nerve action potential (SNAP): initial sensory response (ISR) and supramaximal response (SMR). We then calculated the intensity differences between thresholds (IDT), namely SPT-PPT, ISR-SMR and SMR-PPT, and correlated these IDTs with psychological characteristics: trait and state anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation. The SPT, together with the ISR and SMR thresholds, were higher (p < 0.01) in CTTH patients. The SMR-PPT IDT was smaller and correlated with significantly higher indicators of depression, state and trait anxiety, and poorer cognitive reappraisal. CTTH patients have less capacity to recognize non-nociceptive sensory stimuli, greater tendency toward pain facilitation, and a poor central pain control requiring higher stimulation intensity thresholds to reach the start and the peak amplitude of the SNAP. This is consistent with relative hypoexcitability of the Aβ nerve fibers in distant regions from the site of pain, and therefore, it could be considered a generalized dysfunction with a focal expression. Pain facilitation is directly associated with psychological comorbidity.

Anosognosia and Memory Encoding in Huntington Disease.

Anosognosia can manifest as an unawareness of neurobehavioral symptoms in individuals with Huntington disease (HD). Measurement of anosognosia is challenging, but the Anosognosia Scale (AS) represents a brief option with promising findings in small samples. To replicate application of the AS in a larger HD sample than previous studies in order to assess psychometrics and demographic correlates and to investigate the genetic, motor, and neuropsychological correlates of the AS in individuals with HD. We retrospectively reviewed the AS ratings of 74 genetically confirmed Huntington gene carriers, nearly all early motor manifest, who had been referred for clinical neuropsychological assessment. Concurrent clinical neurologic examination and neuropsychometric assessment data were compiled, where available (ns = 35-74). The severity of the anosognosia per AS ratings was characterized for the HD sample. The AS ratings did not correlate with demographic variables, genetic markers, or motor dysfunction severity. Correlation analyses revealed that higher AS ratings correlated with worse recognition-discrimination memory performance (r = 0.38, P < 0.05) but not cognitive control on executive functioning performance or on collateral-reported frontal-behavioral symptoms. Higher AS ratings also correlated with fewer patient-reported depressive symptoms (r = -0.38, P < 0.01) and diurnal hypersomnia symptoms (r = -0.44, P < 0.01). Anosognosia (per AS) is associated with recognition-discrimination deficits and fewer self-reported neuropsychiatric symptoms in individuals with pre-to-early manifest HD, though not with HD severity per genetic or motor markers, nor to executive dysfunction or collateral-reported frontal-behavioral symptoms.

Neuropsychological, Medical, and Psychiatric Findings After Recovery From Acute COVID-19: A Cross-sectional Study.

BackgroundPersistent cognitive, medical and psychiatric complaints have been extensively described after recovery from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.ObjectiveTo describe neuropsychological, medical, psychiatric, and functional correlates of cognitive complaints experienced after recovery from acute COVID-19 infection.MethodsSixty participants underwent neuropsychological, psychiatric, medical, functional, and quality-of-life assessments 6–8 months after acute COVID-19. Those seeking care for cognitive complaints in a post-COVID-19 clinical program for post-acute symptoms of COVID-19 (clinical group, N = 32) were compared with those recruited from the community who were not seeking care (nonclinical, N = 28). A subset of participants underwent serological testing for proinflammatory cytokines C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α to explore correlations with neuropsychological, psychiatric, and medical variables.ResultsFor the entire sample, 16 (27%) had extremely low test scores (less than second percentile on at least 1 neuropsychological test). The clinical group with cognitive complaints scored lower than age-adjusted population norms in tests of attention, processing speed, memory, and executive function and scored significantly more in the extremely low range than the nonclinical group (38% vs. 14%, P < 0.04). The clinical group also reported higher levels of depression, anxiety, fatigue, posttraumatic stress disorder, and functional difficulties and lower quality of life. In logistic regression analysis, scoring in the extremely low range was predicted by acute COVID-19 symptoms, current depression score, number of medical comorbidities, and subjective cognitive complaints in the areas of memory, language, and executive functions. Interleukin-6 correlated with acute COVID symptoms, number of medical comorbidities, fatigue, and inversely with measures of executive function. C-reactive protein correlated with current COVID symptoms and depression score but inversely with quality of life.ConclusionResults suggest the existence of extremely low neuropsychological test performance experienced by some individuals months after acute COVID-19 infection, affecting multiple neurocognitive domains. This extremely low neuropsychological test performance is associated with worse acute COVID-19 symptoms, depression, medical comorbidities, functional complaints, and subjective cognitive complaints. Exploratory correlations with proinflammatory cytokines support further research into inflammatory mechanisms and viable treatments.

Intolerance of uncertainty in pediatric patients: A transdiagnostic pathway to multiple disorders

The search for transdiagnostic pathways and processes to emotional disorders in youth is an emerging and compelling field. In this mini-review, intolerance of uncertainty is posed as a transdiagnostic pathway. The theoretical foundation of intolerance of uncertainty is discussed. Subtypes of intolerance of uncertainty are explained, a behavioral typology is reviewed, neuropsychological correlates are briefly discussed, and age differences are addressed. The role of the Coronavirus-19 pandemic as a critical incident is examined. Subsequently, the research supporting the association between intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety, obsessive-compulsive,, depression, autism, as well as eating disorders is reviewed. The findings are then integrated into a parsimonious theoretical synthesis. Limitations of the research are delineated and clinical implications are presented Key Words: Intolerance of uncertainty, transdiagnostic, anxiety, depression, autism, eating disorders

Neuropsychological correlates of plasma NfL in adults with Down syndrome

AbstractBackgroundThe diagnosis of symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in Down syndrome (DS) is challenging, mainly because the variability in cognitive performance associated with the different levels of intellectual disability. Plasma NfL levels are a promising biomarker of axonal damage with good diagnostic and prognostic performance, but its impact on cognitive performance has not been assessed. We aimed to explore this association between NfL levels and both baseline cognitive performance and the longitudinal cognitive decline.MethodProspective longitudinal cohort study. We included adults with DS from the Down Alzheimer Barcelona Neuroimaging Initiative cohort with mild and moderate levels of intellectual disability (ID) who had available plasma and a neuropsychological evaluation (Cambridge Cognitive Examination for Older Adults with Down's syndrome [CAMCOG‐DS] and/or modified Cued Recall Test [mCRT]). Plasma NfL levels were determined by Simoa SR‐XTM. We performed correlation analysis between baseline NfL levels and cognitive scores and linear mixed models to account for longitudinal cognitive measures. Age, sex and cognitive status (asymptomatic, prodromal AD, AD dementia) were considered as co‐variables in the analysis. The analyses were stratified in mild and moderate ID separately.ResultWe selected 378 individuals (mean age: 43.1 [sd 10.9], 46.6% female): 287 had CAMCOG‐DS scores and 224 had mCRT scores. We observed a significant correlation between baseline NfL levels and both CAMCOG‐DS and mCRT (R2=0.18 and R2=0.30, respectively, both p&lt;0.001) (Figure). This correlation remained significant after stratification by ID (R2=0.17 and R2=0.19 for mild ID, R2=0.19 and R2=0.32 for moderate ID, all p&lt;0.001). There was a significant association between longitudinal cognitive scores and baseline NfL levels (β=‐0.0035, p=0.011 for CAMCOG‐DS; β=‐0.015, p&lt;0.001 for mCRT).ConclusionCognitive performance is inversely correlated to plasma NfL levels in adults with DS. This study supports the potential role of plasma NfL levels to identify and track AD‐related cognitive decline in DS.

Study protocol: evaluation of the addictive potential of e-cigarettes (EVAPE): neurobiological, sociological, and epidemiological perspectives

BackgroundTobacco use is the largest preventable cause of diseases and deaths; reducing tobacco intake is, therefore, an urgent public health goal. In recent years, e-cigarettes have been marketed as a 'healthier' alternative to tobacco smoking, whilst product features have evolved tremendously in the meantime. A lively scientific debate has developed regarding the potential benefits and risks of e-cigarettes although, surprisingly, there are few studies investigating the addictive potential of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes. The present work comprises three work packages investigating the addictive potential of e-cigarettes from different perspectives: (1) the neurobiological addictive potential of e-cigarettes; (2) the experience and perception of dependence symptoms among users of e-cigarettes in a social context; and (3) the epidemiological perspective regarding factors influencing the potential for dependence.MethodsWork package I: the neurobiological study will investigate the key elements of addiction in e-cigarettes compared to tobacco cigarettes using neurobiological and neuropsychological correlates associated with craving, incentive motivation, cue reactivity and attentional bias. Work package II: the sociological study part examines self-reports on the experience and perception of dependence symptoms in a social context, using focus group interviews and the analysis of posts in online discussion forums on e-cigarettes. Work package III: the epidemiological study part focuses on tolerance development and the role of psychosocial and product factors by analyzing longitudinal data from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (ITC).DiscussionThe present study offers a chosen mix of three methodological approaches, thereby comprehensively examining core symptoms of positive and negative reinforcement in addiction. Whether e-cigarettes are as reinforcing and addictive as combustible tobacco cigarettes is an important public health issue with implications for prevention and treatment programs.Trial registration: Work package I: Registered at clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04772014. Work package II: Registered at OSF Registries: https://osf.io/dxgya (2021, January 14).

Quality of life impairment in adult Moyamoya patients\u2014preoperative neuropsychological assessment and correlation to MRI and H215O PET findings

Moyamoya angiopathy (MMA) related cerebral perfusion deficits or infarctions might influence quality of life (QoL). This study examines preoperative QoL in adult patients with MMA and correlates these with findings obtained via diagnostic imaging. Sixty-seven adult Moyamoya patients underwent preoperative neuropsychological testing including questionnaires to determine QoL, as well as psychiatric and depressive symptoms. The results were checked for correlation with territorial hypoperfusions seen in H215O PET with acetazolamide (ACZ) challenge (cerebrovascular reserve) and infarction patterns observed in MRI. Each vascular territory was analyzed separately and correlated with QoL. Physical role function was restricted in 41.0% of cases and emotional role function in 34.4% of cases (SF-36). Obsessive–compulsive disorder (39.3%) (SCL-90-R), psychoticism (34.4%) (SCL-90-R), and depression (32.7%) (BDI-II) were also very common. Psychoticism was significantly more frequent in cases where perfusion deficits in PET CT were observed in both MCA territories (left p = 0.0124, right p = 0.0145) and infarctions in MRI were present in the right MCA territory (p = 0.0232). Depression was significantly associated with infarctions in the right MCA territory (SCL-90-R p = 0.0174, BDI-II p = 0.0246). Women were affected more frequently by depression (BDI-II, p = 0.0234). Physical role function impairment was significantly associated with perfusion deficits in the left MCA territory (p = 0.0178) and infarctions in the right MCA territory (p = 0.0428). MMA leads to impairments in different areas of QoL. Approximately one-third of all adult MMA patients suffered from depression, with women being most affected. In addition to depression, presence of executive dysfunctions and mental disorders such as psychoticism, obsessive–compulsive disorder, and impaired physical and emotional role function affected QoL. These patients showed significantly more often infarctions and perfusion deficits in the right MCA territory. Long-term studies with follow-up results are necessary to clarify a possible beneficial impact of early surgical revascularization on QoL and depression in adult MMA patients.

Brain metabolism, amyloid load and neuropsychological correlates in preclinical dementia stages

This multicenter study aimed to investigate the presence of early cognitive, behavioural and brain changes in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and pre-Mild Cognitive Impairment (pre-MCI).

Prospective eeg cortical sources and connectivity evaluation in patients with recent COVID-19 and cognitive disturbances: An eLORETA study

Given the evidence of long-term neurological complications following COVID-19, including cognitive impairment1, we aimed at assessing EEG cortical source densities (CSD) and linear lagged connectivity (LLC) values and their clinical, structural brain MRI and neuropsychological correlates in patients with recent COVID-19.

NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE NEUROTICISM NATURE: EVIDENCE FOR A HETEROGENEITY OF CONSTRUCT

This work is devoted to the neuropsychological study of personality traits from the point of view of "Big Five" model of personality. The focus is on neuroticism and its neuropsychological correlates in the broader context of the neuroscience. The data on the genetics of neuroticism, the results of neuroimaging studies, and the neurochemical mechanisms of this trait are analyzed. It has been shown that neuroticism as a neuropsychological construct has a heterogeneous structure: an analysis of numerous studies makes it possible to distinguish two relatively independent types of neuroticism, which are associated with specific types of adaptation and different "modus vivendi". Two aspects of neuroticism (according to C.G. DeYoung), such as "volatility" and "withdrawal", from the point of view of genetics, correspond to two endophenotypes: "depressed affect" and "worry". So the processing of aversive stimuli in people with a "volatile" type of neuroticism is mainly manifested in the form of active avoidance of the source of danger, which takes the form of irritability and moodiness. The leading emotional problematic for such people concerns loneliness. The neural circuits that are overactive in this type of neuroticism affect the limbic system, in particular the amygdala. In EEG studies, the role of the left hemisphere, mainly of its frontal regions, has also been established. There is a connection between this aspect and impulsivity, which manifests itself in bad habits, patterns of reproductive and eating behavior. In turn, the "withdrawn" type demonstrates a tendency towards passive avoidance of the source of unpleasant experiences, poverty of expression, and perfectionism. Mental maladjustment takes the form of detachment, "freezing", practices that indicate emotional decompensation are concerns about the correctness of their decisions and actions. The neural circuits that mediate these behavioral patterns bypass the amygdala and engage the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical loop. EEG studies also revealed the right hemispheric accent of this type of neuroticism. A connection is traced between the psychogenetics of neuroticism, neuropsychological models of the personality trait of neuroticism (as well as its aspects: lability and alienation), as well as the types of defenses against the fear of death, which are offered in the existential approach (by Irwin Yalom). Thus, it seems reasonable to distinguishing two different types of neuroticism, which have an independent genetic origin and a different psychological nature.

Neuropsychological correlates of evocative multimodal speech: The combined roles of fearful prosody, visuospatial attention, cortisol response, and anxiety

Past research reveals left-hemisphere dominance for linguistic processing and right-hemisphere dominance for emotional prosody processing during auditory language comprehension, a pattern also found in visuospatial attention studies where listeners are presented with a view of the talker’s face. Is this lateralization pattern for visuospatial attention and language processing upheld when listeners are experiencing a stress response? To investigate this question, participants completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) between administrations of a visuospatial attention and language comprehension dual-task paradigm. Subjective anxiety, cardiovascular, and saliva cortisol measures were taken before and after the TSST. Higher language comprehension scores in the post-TSST neutral prosody condition were associated with lower cortisol responses, differences in blood pressure, and less subjective anxiety. In this challenging task, visuospatial attention was most focused at the mouth region, both prior to and after stress induction. Greater visuospatial attention on the left side of the face image, compared to the right side, indicated greater right hemisphere activation. In the Fear, but not the Neutral, prosody condition, greater cortisol response was associated with greater visuospatial attention to the left side of the face image. Results are placed into theoretical context, and can be applied to situations where stressed listeners must interpret emotionally evocative language.

Comparison of functional dorsal attention network alterations in breast cancer survivors before and after chemotherapy.

Breast cancer is the leading type of cancer among women worldwide, and a high number of breast cancer patients are suffering from psychological and cognitive disorders. This cross-sectional study used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and clinical neuropsychological tests to evaluate the possible underlying mechanisms.We enrolled 32 breast cancer patients without chemotherapy (BC), 32 breast cancer patients within 6 to 12 months after the completion of chemotherapy (BC_CTx) and 46 healthy controls. Participants underwent neuropsychological tests and rs-fMRI with mean fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and mean regional homogeneity analyses. Between groups whole-brain voxel-wise rs-fMRI comparisons were calculated using two-sample t test. rs-fMRI and neuropsychological tests correlation analyses were calculated using multiple regression. Age and years of education were used as covariates. A false discovery rate-corrected P-value of less than .05 was considered statistically significant.We found significantly alteration of mean fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and mean regional homogeneity in the frontoparietal lobe and occipital lobe in the BC group compared with the other 2 groups, indicating alteration of functional dorsal attention network (DAN). Furthermore, we found the DAN alteration was correlated with neuropsychological impairment.The majority of potential underlying mechanisms of DAN alteration in BC patients may due to insufficient frontoparietal lobe neural activity to drive DAN and may be related to the effects of neuropsychological distress. Further longitudinal studies with comprehensive images and neuropsychological tests correlations are recommended.

Binding objects to their spatiotemporal context: Age gradient and neuropsychological correlates of What-Where-When task performance

A number of recent studies have shown that the ability to accurately recall bound object and spatiotemporal aspects of an experienced event develops gradually in children and is greatly impaired in the elderly, reflecting developmental discontinuities in the integrity of the underlying medial temporal lobe network. Using a novel What-Where-When (WWW) visuospatial reconstruction task, the experiential memory performance of a group of healthy older adults (aged 60–80) was compared to that of a group of younger adults (aged 20–40). Both groups were equated on their general cognitive ability, their executive functioning, and on the presence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptomatology. As hypothesized, the performance of the older adults in the binding task was significantly lower, with younger participants recalling three times the amount of bound object and spatiotemporal triads than their older counterparts. Psychomotor speed was found to be lower in older adults and was the only neuropsychological index to significantly affect success on the WWW binding task. Based on this and other relevant studies, the selective associative memory impairment obtained using a non-verbal What-Where-When paradigm emerges as a marker for the detection of early pre-clinical signs of experiential memory pathology.

Examining the Role of Attention Deficits in the Social Problems and Withdrawn Behavior of Children With Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Symptoms.

Previous studies have found that sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms are often associated with social problems and withdrawn behavior. However, the possible neuropsychological mechanism underlying this relationship remains unclear. Some studies have also found that SCT symptoms are related to deficits in sustained attention and selective attention. However, no study has examined whether attention deficits are related to social problems and withdrawn behavior in children with SCT. This study was the first to examine the neuropsychological correlates of social problems and withdrawn behavior among children with SCT symptoms. The results showed that sustained attention measure (omission) predicted the severity of social problems and withdrawn behavior in children with SCT even after controlling for symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Selective attention measure (response latency mean) was also found to predict the severity of social problems. These results suggest that the social problems commonly exhibited by children with SCT are related to deficits in sustained attention and attentional control. Thus, our results provide an initial support to the link between attention deficits and social problems among children with SCT.

Neuropsychological Correlates and Frequency of Tinnitus in Patients Injured in Motor Vehicle Accidents

Background: There is a lack of data on the frequency and neuropsychological correlates of tinnitus in distinct clinical populations such as persons injured in high impact motor vehicle accidents (MVAs).&#x0D; Method: Tinnitus severity and frequency were analyzed statistically in de-identified data of 106 post-MVA patients (mean age=39.5, SD=13.1; 31 males and 75 females). Correlations of tinnitus to the patients’ scores on the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire, Subjective Neuropsychological Symptoms Scale (SNPSS), Brief Pain Inventory, Insomnia Severity Index, PTSD measure (PCL-5), and to ratings of depression, anger, and anxiety on the Whiplash Disability Questionnaire were evaluated. The patients were interviewed an average of 53.6weeks (SD=39.9) after their MVA; all continued to suffer from post-MVA symptoms requiring therapy.&#x0D; Results: Tinnitus was reported by 70 of the 106 post-MVA patients (66%). Slightly less than a half of the 70 rated their tinnitus as “frequent” or “persistent” and slightly more than a half as “occasional.”&#x0D; With respect to Rivermead and SNPSS items, the severity and frequency of tinnitus correlated significantly (at p&lt;.01, 2-tailed) with oversensitivity to light, restlessness, word finding difficulty, hand tremor, stutter, and instances of reduced muscular control over hand or arm (rs ranging from .28 to .37). Tinnitus severity correlated also with tingling in the limbs (r=.31), and with impaired balance (r=.28). Tinnitus frequency correlated also with difficulty articulating words (r=.28). Tinnitus also significantly correlated with ratings of pain and of insomnia (rs ranging from .26 to .32), but not with variables such as PTSD, depression, or anxiety.&#x0D; Discussion and Conclusions: Tinnitus is correlated with some aspects of whiplash trauma and the post-concussion syndrome. However, the size of these relationships is rather weak.

Neuropsychological profile and correlation with outcomes in patients admitted to spdc

IntroductionLiterature showed that patients suffering from disorders belonging to the schizophrenic (SZ) and bipolar (DB) spectrum have a qualitatively similar but quantitatively different neurocognitive impairment that correlates with the outcomes. However, the majority of former studies are conducted on patients in remission phase.ObjectivesThis study aims to compare cognitive functions between SZ and DB in the acute phase and their possible correlations with treatment outcomes.MethodsIn a prospective longitudinal study conducted at the SPDC Ausl unit of Romagna - Cesena, 57 SZ and 82 DB took part in the study. The diagnosis was based on the SCID5 CV and SCID5 DP. Symptom severity was assessed with BPRS and HONOS both at the beginning and at the end of hospitalization. Executive functions were measured with Tower of London (ToL) and Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (MCST), attention with Attentive Matrices (MA) and Stroop Test (ST), non-verbal logic skills with Colored Matrices by Raven (PM47). The statistical analyzes applied are ANOVA and logistic regression.ResultsThe cognitive tests did not reveal significant differences between SZ and DB. The logistic regression analysis showed that the scores obtained at the MCST and MA positively correlate with the efficacy of the treatment for both groups.ConclusionsCognition in DB and SZ patients was similarly impaired, supporting recent theories that placed diagnoses on a continuum of severity. Moreover, the results indicated that also in the acute phase the best predictors of the outcome were flexibility in problem solving strategies and visuospatial attention.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Storytelling in schizophrenia: Neuropsychological basis of pragmatic language dysfunction (preliminary study)

IntroductionStorytelling could be considered as one of the ecological way to study the pragmatic function of speech in schizophrenia. It demands the ability to create narrative (text) that would be appropriate to particular context. Neuropsychological basis of text-context relation impairment in schizophrenia needs clarification.ObjectivesTo study neuropsychological correlates of pragmatic text-context impairment revealed during storytelling in patients with schizophrenia.MethodsParticipants were 14 inpatients with schizophrenia and 18 students without mental disorders. Neuropsychological functioning was measured in both groups according to Luria’s method. Pragmatics assessed by storytelling on images which simultaneously depicts some narrative that should be correctly decoded and after expressed to investigator. The images were taken from Luria’s neuropsychological album and Bidstrup’s drawings.ResultsStories of patients with schizophrenia were different from control stories in two ways. Some patients produced stories which predominantly characterized by incompleteness that don’t give an opportunity to understand their narratives as connected whole because of its lacunarity. In other cases, stories predominantly characterized by distortion of the storyline which became not realistic and don’t match with the original picture. Incompleteness errors primarily correlates with neuropsychological dysfunction of left frontal lobe (p&lt;0,001). Distortion errors also mainly correlates with dysfunction of frontal lobes (p&lt;0,01), but qualitative analysis reveals right hemisphere involvement.ConclusionsImpairment of the pragmatic function of speech during storytelling in schizophrenia could manifest itself in at least two different ways. Preliminary results show that it could be connected with different neuropsychological mechanisms and worth considered with left-right frontal lobes opposition.Conflict of interestThe reported study was funded by RFBR, project number 20-013-00772

Neuropsychological correlates of prospective memory: A comparison between tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease and cervical dystonia

Cervical Dystonia (CD) and Parkinson’s disease, particularly tremor-dominant motor phenotype (TD-PD), showed a selective deficit of time-based prospective memory (TBPM). The two movement disorders are mainly characterized by dysfunctions of basal-ganglia and prefrontal cortex but it is reported that cerebellum also plays a key role in their pathogenesis. These cerebral structures are specifically involved in TBPM rather than in event-based PM (EBPM), but until now no study directly compared these two components of PM between CD and TD-PD patients. Therefore, the present study aimed at investigating if differences in PM functioning between CD and TD-PD patients might exist and if the type of movement disorder moderated the relationship between deficit of PM and deficit of executive functions and retrospective memory.Thirty TD-PD, 27CD patients and 29 healthy subjects (HCs), matched for demographic features, underwent neuropsychological tests for PM, executive functions, retrospective memory and self-rated questionnaires.The three groups did not differ on neuropsychological variables except for TBPM where TD-PD and CD patients performed worse than HCs; moreover, TD-PD performed worse than CD patients. Moderation analysis indicated that the type of movement disorder moderated the relationship between executive dysfunction and TBPM, but not EBPM.In conclusion, selective deficit of TBPM characterizes both CD and TD-PD but it is associated with executive dysfunction only in TD-PD. It might be possible to speculate that the involvement of the cerebellum, responsible for internal timing processes, could explain the impairment of TBPM in both movement disorders. This issue deserves to be explored in future neuroimaging studies.

Review of Neuropsychological and Electrophysiological Correlates of Callous-unemotional Traits in Children: Implications for EEG Neurofeedback Intervention.

Conduct disorder is a significant psychiatric disorder of childhood and adolescence. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth version (DSM-5), added the limited prosocial specifier to identify those individuals who exhibit a more severe pattern of behavior characterized by a callous and unemotional (CU) interpersonal style across multiple settings and relationships. This review has attempted to summarize the relevant research focusing on the significance of CU interpersonal style in the development of psychopathy. The primary focus was on the electrophysiological and neuropsychological correlates of CU traits and their implication on the treatment protocol using neurofeedback training for children with such traits. The source of the literature search was PubMed, which majorly uses the MEDLINE database. The keywords used included CU traits, conduct disorder, child psychopathy, empathy, electrophysiology, criminal behavior, neuropsychology, neurofeedback training, and so on. Studies from the last 15 years were considered for the review. This review revealed that children with conduct disorder and high-CU traits with a combination of reactive and proactive aggression are more likely to develop psychopathy. Evidence suggests that these children have distinct forms of electrophysiological and neuropsychological correlates. However, research in this area is still not conclusive as they yield variation in findings. Studies on the efficacy of neurofeedback training on reducing symptoms such as impulsivity, hostility, and psychopathy indicate that neurofeedback training can be a promising treatment alternative for children with severe conduct disorder.

Amygdala Activation and Its Neuropsychological Correlations

Early research on primates gave clarifications with respect to the elements of the amygdala, just as a reason for additional exploration. As ahead of schedule as 1888, rhesus monkeys with a lesioned worldly cortex (counting the amygdala) were seen to have critical social and enthusiastic shortfalls. Heinrich Kluver and Paul Bucy later developed this equivalent perception by showing that huge injuries to the front transient projection delivered recognizable changes, including eruption to all items, hypoemotionality, loss of dread, hypersexuality, and hyperorality, a condition wherein unseemly articles are set in the mouth. Some monkeys likewise showed a failure to perceive natural items and would move toward vivify and lifeless things aimlessly, displaying a deficiency of dread towards the experimenters [1]. This conduct issue was subsequently named Kluver-Bucy disorder in like manner, and later examination demonstrated it was explicitly because of amygdala sores. Monkey moms who had amygdala harm showed a decrease in maternal practices towards their newborn children, frequently truly mishandling or dismissing them. In 1981, specialists tracked down that particular radio recurrence injuries of the entire amygdala caused Kluver-Bucy condition.