Standardized Assessment Battery Research Articles

Factors underlying the neurofunctional domains of the Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment assessed by a standardized neurocognitive battery

The Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA) is a neurobiologically-informed framework designed to understand the etiology and heterogeneity of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Previous studies validated the three neurofunctional domains of ANA: Incentive Salience (IS), Negative Emotionality (NE) and Executive Function (EF) using secondary data. The present cross-sectional observational study assessed these domains in an independent, prospective clinical sample. Adults across the drinking spectrum (N = 300) completed the ANA battery, a standardized collection of behavioral tasks and self-report assessments. Factor analyses were used to identify latent factors underlying each domain. Associations between identified domain factors were evaluated using structural equation models. Receiver operating characteristics analyses were used to determine factors with the strongest ability to classify individuals with problematic drinking and AUD. We found (1) two factors underlie the IS domain: alcohol motivation and alcohol insensitivity. (2) Three factors were identified for the NE domain: internalizing, externalizing, and psychological strength. (3) Five factors were found for the EF domain: inhibitory control, working memory, rumination, interoception, and impulsivity. (4) These ten factors showed varying degrees of cross-correlations, with alcohol motivation, internalizing, and impulsivity exhibiting the strongest correlations. (5) Alcohol motivation, alcohol insensitivity, and impulsivity showed the greatest ability in classifying individuals with problematic drinking and AUD. Thus, the present study identified unique factors underlying each ANA domain assessed using a standardized assessment battery. These results revealed additional dimensionality to the ANA domains, bringing together different constructs from the field into a single cohesive framework and advancing the field of addiction phenotyping. Future work will focus on identifying neurobiological correlates and identifying AUD subtypes based on these factors.

Assessing informativeness in Spanish-speaking individuals with primary progressive aphasia

ABSTRACT Background Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with atrophy of the frontotemporal region. It is primarily characterized by language impairments that become accentuated over time, often leading to isolation and social exclusion. There are three main subtypes, the semantic (svPPA), non-fluent (nfvPPA), and logopenic (lvPPA) variants, each presenting distinct language deficits, as captured by standard assessment batteries. However, such assessments often fail to adequately identify functional communication (dis)abilities in everyday life, which is crucial for effective diagnosis and treatment. One understudied aspect of communication is informativeness, the conveyance of an appropriate amount of information in an efficient fashion. Aim This study aimed to identify the unique features of each variant of PPA that distinguish it from healthy controls, and the dissimilarity across PPA groups, in terms of the effectiveness and efficiency with which Spanish-speaking individuals with PPA conveyed information. Methods and procedures Thirty-two Spanish-speaking patients with one of the three variants of PPA and 11 healthy individuals were audio-recorded performing a picture description task. The resulting recordings were transcribed, and the contents labelled according to whether they constituted relevant or off-topic content, each type of content being further divided into subcategories. In total, 51 parameters related to the (1) overall amount of speech and number of correct information units, (2) amount of relevant content, (3) completeness of the content, and (4) off-topic information were considered. Nonparametric analyses were conducted to assess the divergence from heathy controls of each PPA group, and the dissimilarity across PPA groups. Outcomes and results Results revealed disruptions in informativeness in all PPA variants compared to controls, with lvPPA characterized by inadequate content and a high concentration of off-topic elements, nfvPPA by inadequate content but efficient delivery, and svPPA by inadequate content delivered inefficiently. Conclusions This study revealed that all three variants of PPA are characterized by reduced informativeness, although each exhibits unique patterns in communicative efficiency and the presence of off-topic information. By assessing the total amount of relevant speech, efficiency in conveying content, and the presence of off-topic elements, this research enhances our understanding of the distinct communication impairments characterizing lvPPA, nfvPPA, and svPPA, and provides valuable insights that can be applied to developing tailored remedial strategies.

When multidisciplinary clinical practice and research meet: Quality development in the Danish Children Centers.

Collaboration between clinical practice and research is often warranted. Extended periods of collaboration integrating research and practice is however rare. This article is about a series of joint research projects through the course of 8years involving the Danish Center of Psychotraumatology and five regional centres dedicated to combating the sequelae of child abuse across Denmark. We describe the development of a standardized assessment battery and how this work evolves, analyses of administrative data, what happens after the assessment, the impact of working with child abuse on employees, profiles of abuse that vary by gender, national conferences and training programs, and international collaboration. The collaboration between research and practice against child abuse has been seminal and is still ongoing. We have learnt about new problem areas and have produced information that can be used to serve children, employees, and civil society in better ways. This work is inspired by and aligns with initiatives abroad pertaining the construction of Children Centers, of assessments tools and child abuse trauma research. Mutual respect, dedication, and patient persistence pave the way for significant results in a committed relationship.

Investigating how prior knowledge influences perception and action in developmental coordination disorder.

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is characterised by a broad spectrum of difficulties in performing motor tasks. It has recently been proposed that a specific deficit in sensorimotor prediction and feedforward planning might underpin these motoric impairments. The purpose of this study was to use a naturalistic object lifting paradigm to examine whether deficits in sensorimotor prediction might underpin the broad spectrum of difficulties individuals with DCD face when interacting with objects in their environment. We recruited 60 children with probable DCD and 61 children without DCD and measured perceptions of heaviness and fingertip force rate application when interacting with objects which varied in their apparent weight. If deficits in sensorimotor prediction do underpin the broad-ranging motor difficulties seen in DCD, we would expect to see a reduced effect of visual size cues on fingertip force rates and illusory misperceptions of object heaviness. We found no evidence of differences in any metrics of sensorimotor prediction between children with (n = 46) and without DCD (n = 61). Furthermore, there was no correlation between any metrics of sensorimotor prediction and motor performance (as assessed by the standard diagnostic movement assessment battery). Illusory misperceptions of object weight also did not appear to differ between groups. These findings suggest that issues with sensorimotor prediction are unlikely to affect the performance of simple real-world movements in those with DCD.

91 Remote Smartphone-Based Assessment Predicts Standard Neuropsychological Test Performance and Cerebral Amyloid Status in Cognitively Normal Older Adults

Objective:Routine cognitive screening in the elderly may facilitate earlier diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases and access to care and resources for patients and families. However, despite growing rates of Alzheimer's and related disorders (ADRD), the availability and implementation of cognitive screening for older adults in the US remains quite limited. Remote cognitive assessment via smartphone app may reduce several barriers to more widespread screening. We examined the validity of a remote app-based cognitive screening protocol in healthy older adults by examining remote task convergence with standard-person assessments and cerebral amyloid (Aß) status as an AD biomarker.Participants and Methods:Participants (N =117) were cognitively unimpaired adults aged 60-80 years (67.5% female, 88% White, 75% education > 16 years). A portion had Aß PET imaging results available from prior research participation [(Aß positive (Aß+) n =26, and Aß negative (Aß-) n = 44]. A modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICSm) cutoff score of >34 was used to establish unimpaired cognition. Participants completed 8 consecutive assessment days using Mobile Monitoring of Cognitive Change (M2C2), a smartphone app-based testing platform developed as part of the National Institute of Aging's Mobile Toolbox initiative. Brief (i.e., 3-4 minute) M2C2 sessions were assigned daily within morning, afternoon, and evening time windows. Tasks included measures of visual working memory (WM), processing speed (PS), and episodic memory (EM) (see Thompson et al., 2022). Participants then completed a battery of standard neuropsychological assessments in-person at a follow-up visit.Results:Participants completed 22.6 (SD = 2.6) out of 24 assigned sessions (3 sessions x 8 days) on average. Performance on all M2C2 tasks decreased significantly with age. Women performed significantly better on WM and EM tasks relative to men. There were no detectable significant differences in performance by race or education. Shorter mean reaction time on M2C2 PS trials predicted faster Trails A and B completion (ß = .26, p < .01, 95% CI [3.8, 23.3] and ß = .20, p < .05, 95% CI [.23, 6.8], respectively). Greater mean M2C2 WM accuracy predicted longer maximum backward digital span (ß = .24, p = .01, 95% CI [.02, .16]). Greater mean M2C2 EM accuracy predicted stronger Logical Memory delayed recall (ß = .33, p < .001, 95% CI [.004, .012]) and total immediate recall on the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (ß = .19, p < .05, 95% CI [.000, .006]). Moreover, EM significantly distinguished Aß- and Aß+ individuals (t (68) = 3.0, p < .01) with fair accuracy (AUC = .72).Conclusions:Mean performance across 8-days on each M2C2 task predicted same-domain cognitive task performance on a standard assessment battery, with medium effect sizes. Performance on the EM task was also sensitive to cerebral Aß status, consistent with subtle memory changes implicated in the preclinical stage of AD. These findings support the validity of this remote testing protocol in healthy older adults, with implications for future efforts to facilitate accessible and sensitive cognitive screening for early detection of ADRD. Limitations include the restricted generalizability of this primarily white and college educated sample.

Macular Pigment, Cognition, and Visual Function in Younger Healthy Adults in Ghana.

Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) remains an indispensable biomarker to measure fruit and vegetable intake, with a biologically plausible correlation to vision and cognition. However, evidence in the sub-Saharan regions, including Ghana, is lacking. This study explored dietary carotenoid intake on MPOD and its influence on cognitive and visual function in a healthy Ghanaian sample. The MPOD of 301 healthy subjects (aged 21.1±1.9 years) was evaluated using the customized Macular DensitometerTM. A battery of cognitive tests and standard vision assessments were employed to assess cognition and visual function, respectively. Dietary lutein and zeaxanthin (L and Z) were estimated based on a twenty-four-hour repeated dietary recall. The mean MPOD at 0.5° and 1.0° eccentricities were 0.37±0.16 and 0.34±0.15 optical density units, respectively. Dietary intake of L (4.06±10.54 mg/day) was considerably higher than Z (0.33±2.25 mg/day), with cumulative L+Z estimated at 4.39±11.58 mg/day. MPOD was not significantly influenced by demographic, dietary, and visual measures (p≥0.05). However, after statistical adjustment, we found a small but statistically significant positive relationship between F-A-S phonemic verbal fluency (Unstandardized co-efficient (β) = 0.002, p = 0.016) and the never consumed alcohol category (β= 0.062, p = 0.02) with MPOD. The findings in this population showed significant positive relationships between measures of cognition and no alcohol intake, with MPOD. These findings necessitate dietary education to augment carotenoid intake and limit alcohol intake for better cognitive functioning.

Motor deficits in autism differ from that of developmental coordination disorder.

A vast majority of individuals with autism spectrum disorder experience impairments in motor skills. Those are often labelled as additional developmental coordination disorder despite the lack of studies comparing both disorders. Consequently, motor skills rehabilitation programmes in autism are often not specific but rather consist in standard programmes for developmental coordination disorder. Here, we compared motor performance in three groups of children: a control group, an autism spectrum disorder group and a developmental coordination disorder group. Despite similar level of motor skills evaluated by the standard movement assessment battery for children, in a Reach-to-Displace Task, children with autism spectrum disorder and developmental coordination disorder showed specific motor control deficits. Children with autism spectrum disorder failed to anticipate the object properties, but could correct their movement as well as typically developing children. In contrast, children with developmental coordination disorder were atypically slow, but showed a spared anticipation. Our study has important clinical implications as motor skills rehabilitations are crucial to both populations. Specifically, our findings suggest that individuals with autism spectrum disorder would benefit from therapies aiming at improving their anticipation, maybe through the support of their preserved representations and use of sensory information. Conversely, individuals with developmental coordination disorder would benefit from a focus on the use of sensory information in a timely fashion.

Replicable Patterns of Memory Impairments in Children With Autism and Their Links to Hyperconnected Brain Circuits

BackgroundMemory impairments have profound implications for social communication and educational outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the precise nature of memory dysfunction in children with ASD and the underlying neural circuit mechanisms remain poorly understood. The default mode network (DMN) is a brain network that is associated with memory and cognitive function, and DMN dysfunction is among the most replicable and robust brain signatures of ASD. MethodsWe used a comprehensive battery of standardized episodic memory assessments and functional circuit analyses in 25 8- to 12-year-old children with ASD and 29 matched typically developing control children. ResultsMemory performance was reduced in children with ASD compared with control children. General and face memory emerged as distinct dimensions of memory difficulties in ASD. Importantly, findings of diminished episodic memory in children with ASD were replicated in 2 independent data sets. Analysis of intrinsic functional circuits associated with the DMN revealed that general and face memory deficits were associated with distinct, hyperconnected circuits: Aberrant hippocampal connectivity predicted diminished general memory while aberrant posterior cingulate cortex connectivity predicted diminished face memory. Notably, aberrant hippocampal-posterior cingulate cortex circuitry was a common feature of diminished general and face memory in ASD. ConclusionsOur results represent a comprehensive appraisal of episodic memory function in children with ASD and identify extensive and replicable patterns of memory reductions in children with ASD that are linked to dysfunction of distinct DMN-related circuits. These findings highlight a role for DMN dysfunction in ASD that extends beyond face memory to general memory function.

Development and Implementation of a Standard Assessment Battery Across the Continuum of Care for Patients After Stroke

Stroke rehabilitation occurs across the continuum of care starting in the acute hospital and through the inpatient and outpatient settings. Rehabilitation aims to minimize impairments and maximize function in individuals after stroke. Because patients often undergo rehabilitation for extended periods, longitudinal assessment of impairment, activity, and participation can facilitate the evaluation of patients' progress toward recovery, as well as communication and decision making to guide clinical practice regarding the intervention(s) to be used and may also be leveraged for clinical research. However, the clinical implementation of a standard assessment battery that spans the continuum of care for patients after stroke is challenging because of operational and time constraints. Here, we describe the development and implementation of a standard assessment battery across the continuum of care by physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists at the Sheikh Khalifa Stroke Institute. We specifically describe our experience in (1) identifying the core team to lead the process, (2) selecting the measures for the standard assessment battery, and the timeframe for administration, and (3) implementing the standard assessment battery in routine clinical practice.

Aerobic fitness and fine motor skills are related to switching and updating in typically developing children

Movement is essential for everyday life and closely related to cognitive skills. The aim of the current research was to investigate whether different aspects of physical activity, i.e., aerobic fitness and motor skills, contribute above and beyond each other to the variance in children’s executive functioning. Children aged 8–13 years (N = 129, 58 females, Mage = 10.7 years, SDage = 1.6 years) participated in the current cross-sectional study. Aerobic fitness was assessed by the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER). Motor skills were assessed using the standardized Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2nd edition (M-ABC-2), including fine motor skills, balance skills, and object control. Components of executive functions (inhibition, switching, updating) were assessed using the following tasks: an animal Stroop task, a local–global task, and a 2n-back task. Hierarchical regressions were conducted to analyze the relative importance of aerobic fitness and motor skills for children’s executive functions. Results indicated that aerobic fitness and fine motor skills were significantly related to switching and updating, whereas relations to inhibition were non-significant. Furthermore, it was found that fine motor skills explained additional variance above aerobic fitness in switching and updating whereas aerobic fitness did not add additional variance above fine motor skills in switching and updating. Balance and object control skills were not related to the three core executive functions. Results support the notion that aerobic fitness and fine motor skills are differently related to executive functions and highlight the importance of considering multiple components of constructs in future research.

Optimizing Concussion Care Seeking: The Influence of Previous Concussion Diagnosis Status on Baseline Assessment Outcomes

Background: The prevalence of unreported concussions is high, and undiagnosed concussions can lead to worse postconcussion outcomes. It is not clear how those with a history of undiagnosed concussion perform on subsequent standard concussion baseline assessments. Purpose: To determine if previous concussion diagnosis status was associated with outcomes on the standard baseline concussion assessment battery. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Concussion Assessment, Research, and Education (CARE) Consortium participants (N = 29,934) self-reported concussion history with diagnosis status and completed standard baseline concussion assessments, including assessments for symptoms, mental status, balance, and neurocognition. Multiple linear regression models were used to estimate mean differences and 95% CIs among concussion history groups (no concussion history [n = 23,037; 77.0%], all previous concussions diagnosed [n = 5315; 17.8%], ≥1 previous concussions undiagnosed [n = 1582; 5.3%]) at baseline for all outcomes except symptom severity and Brief Symptom Inventory–18 (BSI-18) score, in which negative binomial models were used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRRs). All models were adjusted for sex, race, ethnicity, sport contact level, and concussion count. Mean differences with 95% CIs excluding 0.00 and at least a small effect size (≥0.20), and those IRRs with 95% CIs excluding 1.00 and at least a small association (IRR, ≥1.10) were considered significant. Results: The ≥1 previous concussions undiagnosed group reported significantly greater symptom severity scores (IRR, ≥1.38) and BSI-18 (IRR, ≥1.31) scores relative to the no concussion history and all previous concussions diagnosed groups. The ≥1 previous concussions undiagnosed group performed significantly worse on 6 neurocognitive assessments while performing better on only 2 compared with the no concussion history and all previous concussions diagnosed groups. There were no between-group differences on mental status or balance assessments. Conclusion: An undiagnosed concussion history was associated with worse clinical indicators at future baseline assessments. Individuals reporting ≥1 previous undiagnosed concussions exhibited worse baseline clinical indicators. This may suggest that concussion-related harm may be exacerbated when injuries are not diagnosed.

A Need for Ototoxicity Monitoring in Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Emamifer and Hansen1 offer an update on hearing impairment and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that necessitates investigations into this disease and its primary, secondary, and iatrogenic effects on hearing function.2 RA is known to affect the bones and joints of people diagnosed with this disease.3 It is a progressive, inflammatory, chronic, autoimmune disease that is known to frequently affect the synovial joints with in-the-joint and outside-the-joint damage and pain.3 Because of its nature, RA has been linked to progressive and permanent disability with consequent quality of life impairment, including socioeconomic challenges for the individual and his or her family, as well as premature death.1-3 Guo et al. lists challenges that individuals with RA suffer from, including stiff, tender, and/or swollen joints, loss of appetite, fever, and fatigue, with an array of other potential difficulties or disorders which may be directly due to RA.3www.shutterstock.com. Ototoxicity, health, rheumatoid arthritis.OUR RESEARCH Khoza-Shangase and Riva conducted a scoping review on hearing function in adults with RA, as part of South Africa’s efforts to shift the ear and hearing care paradigm toward preventive care.2 The authors found significant paucity of evidence on the primary effects (from the disease itself) as well as potential tertiary effects (iatrogenic causes from the medications prescribed in this population). The review was conducted for the purposes of scoping available evidence for advocating for preventive audiology programs in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), such as South Africa. The review scoped published evidence on hearing function in adults with RA from January 2010 to August 2020 through Sage, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, Medline, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. Studies published in English that reported on the audiological function in adult individuals with RA were included. From 832 initial title records, 18 articles were included in the final scoping review. The small number of available studies, mostly from high-income countries, highlighted that hearing loss occurs in this population at a prevalence ranging between 21.3%4 and 66.6%5, although the cause remains uncertain. The published high prevalence of hearing loss in this population is higher than that recorded in healthy control groups.8 This hearing loss has no typical nature, degree, or configuration; however, high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss was the most prevalent—making differential diagnosis between the impact of ageing, noise exposure, as well as medications prescribed in this population challenging but required. The studies reviewed also revealed a need for systematic and standardized assessment battery in this population, for accurate diagnosis as well as comparative analysis of findings within and across populations. This assessment battery, to be sensitive and specific, while facilitating early detection, needs to include appropriate measures for this function.2 The above recorded prevalence rates were higher where advanced sensitive measures such as otoacoustic emissions and ultrahigh-frequency tools formed part of the assessment battery. The fact that the majority of the studies reviewed relied only on basic audiometry testing signals a likelihood of underestimation of hearing loss in this population, particularly ototoxic hearing loss, as this loss is insidious, but has potential to be prevented, unlike the primary causes of hearing loss (conductive hearing loss) in this population, which include involvement of the middle ear ossicular joints (the incudo-stapedial joint and the incudo-malleolar joint) in the RA disease process.6,7 There are other potential causes of sensorineural hearing loss in this population, other than ototoxicity, and these include neuritis, vasculitis, or immunological disorders.4,8,9 CLINICAL AND RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS With the focus on preventive audiology initiatives, prevention of potential ototoxicity as a cause of hearing loss in this population becomes priority. This is particularly so where evidence indicates that the most prescribed medications in this population, prescribed to avert additional damage and corrosion of the individual’s joints and not cure RA, are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)3,10 such as sulfasalazine, methotrexate, and hydroxychloroquine, with evidence of ototoxicity linked to some of them.11-14 With this clearly established association between RA and hearing loss, particularly with preventable hearing loss in the form of ototoxicity, a need for further investigations in this population is highlighted, particularly studies into the potential influence of treatments on hearing and balance functions. Well-designed investigations that incorporate sensitive audiologic diagnostic measures in their test protocols and research designs that facilitate clear differential causal diagnosis are needed. Although RA does not form part of conditions/diseases that are normally prioritized in the burden of diseases ranking, it does affect between 0.5% and 1% of the global population15, and Safiri et al.16 argue that as a major global public health challenge, the age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates of RA are rising, particularly in low-and-middle-income countries such as Paraguay and Guatemala—however, high-income countries such as Canada are also not spared. These authors16, supported by Khoza-Shangase and Riva2 advocate for early detection and management of RA to mitigate against the morbidity associated with this condition—including prevention of hearing loss.

Diagnosing Gerstmann’s syndrome in a case of hypoxic brain injury

Objectives: Gerstmann’s syndrome (GS) is characterised by the cooccurrence of acalculia, finger agnosia, agraphia and left-right disorientation. Although there is a relatively large literature on the syndrome’s theoretical implications, less consideration has been given to the assessment of the syndrome in practice. We aimed to provide an illustrative case study of the differential diagnosis of GS.Methods: We describe a case of a 46-year-old woman who presented with the four classic symptoms of GS following a cardiac arrest. In addition to a standard neuropsychological assessment battery, an additional dedicated brief assessment was conducted to differentiate between GS and alternative possibilities.Results: The assessment revealed specific impairments in performing calculations, finger agnosia, agraphia and left-right disorientation, which could not be accounted for by alternative explanations, including a general cognitive impairment, dysphasia, apraxia, Balint’s syndrome, unilateral spatial neglect or object agnosia.Conclusions: The present article provides an illustrative case study of the differential diagnosis of Gerstmann’s syndrome, highlighting how the syndrome may be assessed in clinical practice.

Multimodal Neural and Behavioral Data Predict Response to Rehabilitation in Chronic Poststroke Aphasia.

Background:Poststroke recovery depends on multiple factors and varies greatly across individuals. Using machine learning models, this study investigated the independent and complementary prognostic role of different patient-related factors in predicting response to language rehabilitation after a stroke.Methods:Fifty-five individuals with chronic poststroke aphasia underwent a battery of standardized assessments and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging scans, and received 12 weeks of language treatment. Support vector machine and random forest models were constructed to predict responsiveness to treatment using pretreatment behavioral, demographic, and structural and functional neuroimaging data.Results:The best prediction performance was achieved by a support vector machine model trained on aphasia severity, demographics, measures of anatomic integrity and resting-state functional connectivity (F1=0.94). This model resulted in a significantly superior prediction performance compared with support vector machine models trained on all feature sets (F1=0.82, P<0.001) or a single feature set (F1 range=0.68–0.84, P<0.001). Across random forest models, training on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging connectivity data yielded the best F1 score (F1=0.87).Conclusions:While behavioral, multimodal neuroimaging data and demographic information carry complementary information in predicting response to rehabilitation in chronic poststroke aphasia, functional connectivity of the brain at rest after stroke is a particularly important predictor of responsiveness to treatment, both alone and combined with other patient-related factors.

Diagnosis of Post-Stroke Aphasia: A Review of Language Tests in Korea.

Aphasia is one of the most serious cognitive impairments in stroke patients. An accurate diagnosis of aphasia is important for early interventions that optimize patients' functional status. Therefore, we present a review of the aphasia assessment tools currently available in Korea. Aphasia is usually evaluated using a standardized comprehensive assessment battery to establish the diagnosis of aphasia, its severity, and the treatment plan. Before a comprehensive language test, a brief screening test for aphasia can be useful to identify whether any further assessment is necessary. Several standardized evaluation tools are readily available in Korea. The Paradise-Korean version of the Western Aphasia Battery (PK-WAB) is a commonly used comprehensive aphasia test for determining the presence, type, and severity of aphasia. The Korean version of the Boston Naming Test (K-BNT) is an in-depth test to evaluate naming ability. Several screening tests, such as the Korean version of the Frenchay Aphasia Screening Test (K-FAST), the Screening Test for Aphasia and Neurologic Communication Disorders (STAND), and Semantic Verbal Fluency (SVF), can be applied to identify patients at risk in terms of language performance. Depending on the outcome of these tests, patients can be referred for further evaluation.

Investigating the Roles of Anterior Cingulate in Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia: A PET/MRI Study.

Background:The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) seems to play an important role in behavioral deficits and executive dysfunctions in patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), while its specific and independent contribution requires clarification.Objective:To identify whether ACC abnormalities in gray matter (GM) volume and standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) images are associated with disease severity of bvFTD, by analyzing hybrid T1 and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET).Methods:We enrolled 21 bvFTD patients and 21 healthy controls in the study. Each subject underwent a hybrid PET/MRI study and a standardized neuropsychologic assessment battery. GM volume and SUVR are voxel-wise calculated and compared. Then we estimate the mean value inside ACC for further partial Pearson’s correlation to explore the association between GM volume/SUVR of the ACC and severity of behavioral deficit as well as executive dysfunction.Results:ACC was shown to be involved in both atrophy and hypometabolism patterns. The partial Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that the SUVR of the ACC was strongly correlated with frontal behavior inventory total score (left r = –0.85, right r = –0.85, p < 0.0001), disinhibition subscale score (left r = –0.72, p = 0.002; right = –0.75, p < 0.0001), and apathy subscale score (left = –0.87, right = –0.85, p < 0.0001).Conclusion:These findings demonstrated decreased ACC activity contributes to behavioral disturbances of both apathetic and disinhibition syndromes of bvFTD, which can be sensitively detected using 18F-FDG PET.

Comparing Face-to-Face and Online Data Collection Methods in Preterm and Full-Term Children: An Exploratory Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the landscape for children’s daily lives and the landscape for developmental psychology research. Pandemic-related restrictions have also significantly disrupted the traditional face-to-face methods with which developmental scientists produce research. Over the past year, developmental scientists have published on the best practices for online data collection methods; however, existing studies do not provide empirical evidence comparing online methods to face-to-face methods. In this study, we tested feasibility of online methods by examining performance on a battery of standardized and experimental cognitive assessments in a combined sample of 4- to 5-year-old preterm and full-term children, some of whom completed the battery face-to-face, and some of whom completed the battery online. First, we asked how children’s performance differs between face-to-face and online format on tasks related to verbal comprehension, fluid reasoning, visual spatial, working memory, attention and executive functioning, social perception, and numerical skills. Out of eight tasks, we did not find reliable differences on five of them. Second, we explored the role of parent involvement in children’s performance in the online format. We did not find a significant effect of parent involvement on children’s performance. Exploratory analyses showed that the role of format did not vary for children at risk, specifically children born preterm. Our findings contribute to the growing body of literature examining differences and similarities across various data collection methods, as well as literature surrounding online data collection for continuing developmental psychology research.

Hearing Function in Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Scoping Review for Preventive Audiology Planning.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease which affects the joints and bones of individuals diagnosed with this condition. Little remains known about the possible impact of this disease on hearing function, particularly thepossibilities of preventive audiology in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). The study aimed to review published evidence on hearing function in adults with RA. A scoping review of literature from January 2010 to August 2020 was conducted using Sage, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, Medline, ProQuest and Google Scholar. Studies published in English which reported on the audiological function in adult individuals with RA were included in the review. From 832 initial title records, 18 articles were included into the final scoping review. A qualitative analysis of the reviewed evidence revealed four themes: (1) hearing loss occurs-causality still unclear; (2) nature, degree and configuration of the hearing loss varies; (3) systematic and standardized assessment battery required; and (4) sensitive and specific measures for early detection needed. The occurrence of hearing loss in this population ranges between 21.3 and 66.6%, and this increased where advanced sensitive measures such as ultrahigh frequency and otoacoustic emission (OAEs) measures were included in the test battery. Many audiological tests were used in the studies in order to identify the presence and type of hearing loss in these individuals, with basic audiometry testing being the most commonly used. The most prevalent type of hearing loss was found to be a high frequency sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), with mixed (MHL) and conductive hearing losses (CHL) being present in some of the individuals. Causal links between RA and hearing loss remains unclear. Although there are limited studies which have reported on the audiological function in the population with RA, the studies which have been reviewed seem to establish an association between RA and the presence of hearing loss. The published high prevalence of hearing loss in this population, when compared to healthy control groups raises implications for well-designed studies that utilize sensitive audiologicdiagnostic measures, with clear inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure more accurate causal links establishment between RA and hearing loss in this population.

Characterization of Speech and Language Phenotype in GLUT1DS

Background: To analyze the oral motor, speech and language phenotype in a sample of pediatric patients with GLUT 1 transporter deficiency syndrome (GLUT1DS). Methods: eight Italian-speaking children with GLUT1DS (aged 4.6–15.4 years) in stable treatment with ketogenic diet from a variable time underwent a specific and standardized speech and language assessment battery. Results: All patients showed deficits with different degrees of impairment in multiple speech and language areas. In particular, orofacial praxis, parallel and total movements were the most impaired in the oromotor domain; in the speech domain patients obtained a poor performance in the diadochokinesis rate and in the repetition of words that resulted as severely deficient in seven out of eight patients; in the language domain the most affected abilities were semantic/phonological fluency and receptive grammar. Conclusions: GLUT1DS is associated to different levels of speech and language impairment, which should guide diagnostic and therapeutic intervention. Larger population data are needed to identify more precisely a speech and language profile in GLUT1DS patients.

Audiologic Profiles of Children With Otitis Media With Effusion.

To describe the impact of effusion volume, viscosity, and purulence on the audiologic profiles of children with otitis media with effusion. Fifty-one ears from children between the ages of 8 months and 11 years who had a diagnosis of otitis media with effusion and were scheduled for tympanostomy tube placement were recruited from medical clinics. The control group consisted of 17 ears from children between the ages of 10 months and 11 years without a recent history of otitis media and were recruited from a database of research volunteers. Participants received a comprehensive audiologic testing battery consisting of tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions, behavioral audiometric thresholds, and auditory brainstem response testing. For children with otitis media, this testing battery occurred 1 to 2 days before surgery. Middle ear effusions were characterized and collected on the day of surgery during tympanostomy tube placement from ears with otitis media with effusion. The comprehensive audiologic testing battery was completed postoperatively as well for most participants. Effusion volume, categorized in each ear as clear, partial, or full, effected the audiologic results. Ears with full effusions had moderate hearing losses, few to no measurable otoacoustic emissions, and delayed Wave V latencies. Ears with partial effusions and clear ears both had slight to mild hearing losses and normal Wave V latencies, though ears with partial effusions had fewer measurable otoacoustic emissions than clear ears. Normal-hearing control ears with no recent history of otitis media with effusion demonstrated normal audiometric thresholds, present otoacoustic emissions, and normal Wave V latencies. Repeat postoperative testing demonstrated improvements in audiologic testing results for all of the otitis media with effusion volume groups, with no significant differences remaining between the three otitis media with effusion groups. However, significant differences between otitis media with effusion ears and normal-hearing control ears persisted postoperatively, with otitis media with effusion ears demonstrating significantly poorer audiometric thresholds and reduced otoacoustic emissions as compared to normal control ears. The effect of effusion viscosity and purulence could not be systematically evaluated because minimal variability in effusion viscosity and purulence was observed in our sample, with nearly all effusions being mucoid and nonpurulent. Effusion volume observed at the time of tympanostomy tube surgery was found to play a significant role in outcomes and responses on a range of audiologic tests that compose the standard clinical pediatric audiologic assessment battery. Full middle ear effusions were associated with a moderate hearing loss, and few to no measurable otoacoustic emissions were detected. Ears with a recent diagnosis of otitis media with effusion but clear at the time of tympanostomy tube placement had less hearing loss and a greater number of present otoacoustic emissions than ears with full or partial effusions but were still found to have poorer hearing sensitivity than the healthy control ears. Differences between ears with otitis media with effusion and healthy control ears persisted on postoperative assessments of otoacoustic emissions and audiometric thresholds, though there were no remaining effects of the presurgical effusion volume group.