Visual Memory Abilities Research Articles

Cognitive and Mood Functioning in Borderline and Schizotypal Personality Disorders

Research suggests many shared clinical features across individuals with Schizotypal Personality Disorder (SPD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), including problems with attention/ executive functioning and mood. Therefore, aspects of these areas of functioning were compared in SPD and BPD to better characterize their respective difficulties. BPD, SPD, and healthy control (HC) participants were administered measures of cognitive and mood functioning. Compared with healthy controls, SPD patients performed significantly worse on aspects of the Delayed-Matching- to-Sample task, a measure of short-term visual memory abilities; however, the individuals with BPD did not differ from healthy controls. Neither of the patient groups differed from HC’s on measures of processing speed or planning. With regard to mood functioning, the BPD group exhibited significantly higher levels of affective disturbance (e.g., sadness, fear, anger) compared with the SPD patients and HCs. Overall, findings suggest different patterns of fronto-subcortical weakness in each patient group. While SPD patients exhibited relative weakness with short-term memory, BPD patient performance on such measures did not reveal relative weakness compared with HCs but did implicate problems with mood.

Cognitive impairments are different in single-incidence and multi-incidence ADHD families.

We may improve our understanding of the role of common versus unique risk factors in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by examining ADHD-related cognitive deficits in single- (SPX), and multi-incidence (MPX) families. Given that individuals from multiplex (MPX) families are likely to share genetic vulnerability for the disorder, whereas simplex (SPX) ADHD may be the result of sporadic (non-)genetic causes unique to the patient, we hypothesized that cognitive impairments may be different in SPX and MPX ADHD as indicated by (a) the presence of cognitive deficits in MPX, but not SPX unaffected siblings and (b) dissimilar cognitive profiles in SPX and MPX ADHD patients. Tasks measuring total IQ, verbal attention, executive functioning, motor functioning, and time estimation were administered to 31 SPX/264 MPX ADHD probands, 47 SPX/123 MPX unaffected siblings, and 263 controls, aged 6-19 years. SPX unaffected siblings were unimpaired compared to controls, except for verbal working memory, whereas MPX unaffected siblings showed impairments on most cognitive domains. The cognitive profiles of SPX and MPX probands were highly similar, except that verbal attention, response inhibition and motor control deficits were more pronounced in MPX probands, and -compared to their unaffected siblings- impairments in IQ, visual working memory and timing abilities were more pronounced in SPX cases. Our results support the hypothesis that a partly different cognitive architecture may underlie SPX and MPX forms of ADHD, which becomes evident when contrasting cognitive performances within families. Cognitive factors underlying MPX forms of ADHD are familial, whereas nonfamilial in SPX ADHD. SPX-MPX stratification may be a step forward in unraveling diverse causal pathways.

Visual memory in musicians and non-musicians.

Many investigations have reported structural, functional, and cognitive changes in the brains of musicians, which occur as a result of many years of musical practice. We aimed to investigate if intensive, long-term musical practice is associated with improved visual memory ability. Musicians and non-musicians, who were comparable in age, gender, and education, were submitted to a visual memory test. The test consisted of the presentation of four sets of stimuli, each one containing eight figures to be memorized. Each set was followed by individual figures and the subject was required to indicate if each figure was or was not present in the memorized set, by pressing the corresponding keys. We divided the test in two parts, in which the stimuli had greater or reduced semantic coding. Overall, musicians showed better performance on reaction times, but not on accuracy. An additional analysis revealed no significant interaction between group and any part of the test in the prediction of the outcomes. When simple reaction time was included as covariate, no significant difference between groups was found on reaction times. In the group of musicians, we found some significant correlations between variables related to musical practice and performance in the visual memory test. In summary, our data provide no evidence of enhanced visual memory ability in musicians, since there was no difference in accuracy between groups. Our results suggest that performance of musicians in the visual memory test may be associated with better sensorimotor integration, since although they have presented shorter reaction times, such effect disappeared when taken in consideration the simple reaction time test. However, given existing evidence of associations between simple reaction time and cognitive function, their performance in the visual memory test could also be related to enhanced visual attention ability, as has been suggested by previous studies, but this hypothesis deserves more investigation.

How reliable is the classification of cognitive impairment across different criteria in early and late stages of multiple sclerosis?

BackgroundPrevalence rates of cognitive impairment (CI) in multiple sclerosis (MS) vary between 40% and 80%. Differences in classification criteria for CI may explain this variance. ObjectiveThis study reviewed and compared classification criteria for CI in patients with early and late MS. MethodsThe paper consists of two parts: a systematic review of published classification criteria and the presentation of new data. Criteria were reviewed in respect to percentage of abnormal parameters and cut-offs concerning standard deviations. Thereafter, criteria were applied to cognitive data of 25 patients with early MS (duration≤2y), 52 matched patients with late MS (≥12y), and 75 matched controls. The test battery assessed alertness, divided attention, mental flexibility, verbal and visual learning, memory, and visuospatial abilities. ResultsSeventy classification criteria were revealed and grouped into 20 distinct approaches that can be subdivided into three basic classification strategies. Most commonly, CI was defined as performing 1.5 SD or 2 SD below the normative mean in 18–30% of test parameters (n=42). Other criteria utilized cognitive domains (n=6), composite indices (n=8), or combinations of cut-offs and strategies. The stringency of the criteria was correlated with the prevalence rate of CI (r=−.43) and disease duration (r=.48). In the new data, a substantial effect of classification criteria was found with a prevalence rate ranging from 0 to 68% in early and 4 to 81% in late MS. Increased rates of CI in patients vs. controls were found following 18 out of 20 criteria in the sample of late MS. In early MS, an increased rate of CI was only found following a liberal 1.5 SD cut-off criterion. Inter-rater reliability between all criteria was moderate. However, between criteria of comparable stringency the inter-rater reliability was found to be strong. ConclusionClassification based on different published criteria is not fully comparable and criteria need to be better homogenized.

Differential learning and memory performance in OEF/OIF veterans for verbal and visual material.

Memory complaints are particularly salient among veterans who experience combat-related mild traumatic brain injuries and/or trauma exposure, and represent a primary barrier to successful societal reintegration and everyday functioning. Anecdotally within clinical practice, verbal learning and memory performance frequently appears differentially reduced versus visual learning and memory scores. We sought to empirically investigate the robustness of a verbal versus visual learning and memory discrepancy and to explore potential mechanisms for a verbal/visual performance split. Participants consisted of 103 veterans with reported history of mild traumatic brain injuries returning home from U.S. military Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom referred for outpatient neuropsychological evaluation. Findings indicate that visual learning and memory abilities were largely intact while verbal learning and memory performance was significantly reduced in comparison, residing at approximately 1.1 SD below the mean for verbal learning and approximately 1.4 SD below the mean for verbal memory. This difference was not observed in verbal versus visual fluency performance, nor was it associated with estimated premorbid verbal abilities or traumatic brain injury history. In our sample, symptoms of depression, but not posttraumatic stress disorder, were significantly associated with reduced composite verbal learning and memory performance. Verbal learning and memory performance may benefit from targeted treatment of depressive symptomatology. Also, because visual learning and memory functions may remain intact, these might be emphasized when applying neurocognitive rehabilitation interventions to compensate for observed verbal learning and memory difficulties.

The strengths and weaknesses in verbal short-term memory and visual working memory in children with hearing impairment and additional language learning difficulties

ObjectivesTo compare verbal short-term memory and visual working memory abilities of six children with congenital hearing-impairment identified as having significant language learning difficulties with normative data from typically hearing children using standardized memory assessments. MethodsSix children with hearing loss aged 8–15 years were assessed on measures of verbal short-term memory (Non-word and word recall) and visual working memory annually over a two year period. All children had cognitive abilities within normal limits and used spoken language as the primary mode of communication. The language assessment scores at the beginning of the study revealed that all six participants exhibited delays of two years or more on standardized assessments of receptive and expressive vocabulary and spoken language. ResultsThe children with hearing-impairment scores were significantly higher on the non-word recall task than the “real” word recall task. They also exhibited significantly higher scores on visual working memory than those of the age-matched sample from the standardized memory assessment. ConclusionsEach of the six participants in this study displayed the same pattern of strengths and weaknesses in verbal short-term memory and visual working memory despite their very different chronological ages. The children’s poor ability to recall single syllable words in relation to non-words is a clinical indicator of their difficulties in verbal short-term memory. However, the children with hearing-impairment do not display generalized processing difficulties and indeed demonstrate strengths in visual working memory. The poor ability to recall words, in combination with difficulties with early word learning may be indicators of children with hearing-impairment who will struggle to develop spoken language equal to that of their normally hearing peers. This early identification has the potential to allow for target specific intervention that may remediate their difficulties.

Is computer-assisted training effective in improving rehabilitative outcomes after brain injury? A case-control hospital-based study

BackgroundRehabilitation of impaired cognitive functions begins to be considered a standard component of medical care after acquired brain injury. Indeed, many evidences support the effectiveness of the two major categories of techniques, i.e. the traditional and computer-assisted ones, which are widely used in cognitive rehabilitative treatment. ObjectiveAim of this study is to evaluate the effects of pc – cognitive training in brain injury patients. MethodsWe studied 35 subjects (randomly divided into two groups), affected by traumatic or vascular brain injury, having attended from January 2010 to December 2012 the Laboratory of Robotic and Cognitive Rehabilitation of IRCCS Neurolesi of Messina. Cognitive impairment was investigated through psychometric battery, administered before (T0) and two months (T1) after the cognitive pc-training, which was performed only by the experimental group, in addition to conventional treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using Wilcoxon test with a p < 0.01. ResultsAt time T0, all patients showed language deficits and cognitive alterations in visual attention and memory abilities. After the rehabilitation program we noted a global improvement in both the groups. However, at T1, the experimental group showed a greater cognitive improvement than the control group, with significant differences in nearly all the neuropsychological tests performed. ConclusionsOur data suggest that cognitive pc-training may be a promising methodology to optimize the rehabilitation outcomes following brain injury.

Comparing memory and meta-memory abilities between children with acquired brain injury and healthy peers.

This study compared visual memory and meta-memory abilities of children with ABI to that of healthy peers. Participants included 16 children (aged 13.55 ± 3.29 years) with moderate or severe ABI and 16 healthy children (aged 12.44 ± 3.24 years) with typical development. Children completed the Contextual Memory Test for Children (CMT-CH). The study group showed significantly lower immediate and delayed recall abilities. While the controls used the context for better memorizing, most of the children with ABI used rehearsals. In both groups better delayed recall correlated with the use of a more efficient strategy. Meta-memory should be an integral part of the assessment for children with ABI. Therapists should enhance child's self-awareness to his/her abilities and encourage the use of strategies (e.g. context) for memorizing in daily life.

Variability in visual working memory ability limits the efficiency of perceptual decision making.

The ability to make rapid and accurate decisions based on limited sensory information is a critical component of visual cognition. Available evidence suggests that simple perceptual discriminations are based on the accumulation and integration of sensory evidence over time. However, the memory system(s) mediating this accumulation are unclear. One candidate system is working memory (WM), which enables the temporary maintenance of information in a readily accessible state. Here, we show that individual variability in WM capacity is strongly correlated with the speed of evidence accumulation in speeded two-alternative forced choice tasks. This relationship generalized across different decision-making tasks, and could not be easily explained by variability in general arousal or vigilance. Moreover, we show that performing a difficult discrimination task while maintaining a concurrent memory load has a deleterious effect on the latter, suggesting that WM storage and decision making are directly linked.

Gender-specific associations between lipids and cognitive decline in the elderly

The aim of this study was to examine the associations between serum lipid levels and cognitive function in a community-based sample of non-demented subjects aged 65 years and over. Participants were 2737 men and 4118 women from a population-based cohort recruited from three French cities. Visual memory, verbal fluency, psychomotor speed, and executive abilities were evaluated at baseline, and after 2, 4, and 7 years of follow-up. Lipid levels were evaluated at baseline. Multiadjusted Cox models stratified by gender were adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, mental and physical health, and genetic vulnerability to dyslipidemia (apolipoprotein E and A, and cholesteryl ester transfer protein) and taking into account baseline vascular pathologies. In men, a hypercholesterolemic pattern in late-life (high total cholesterol (T-C), low HDL-C, high LDL-C levels) was associated with a 25 to 50% increased risk of decline over 7 years in psychomotor speed, executive abilities, and verbal fluency. Specific associations with low T-C and low LDL-C levels were also observed which may depend on genetic vulnerability to dyslipidemia (related to apolipoprotein A5 and cholesteryl exchange transfer protein). In contrast, in women, a 30% higher rate of decline was found in psychomotor speed with high HDL-C levels and in executive abilities with low levels of LDL-C and triglycerides, in interaction with hormonal treatment. For men and women, vascular pathologies only slightly outweighed the risk related to lipids. This suggests a complex gender-specific pattern of cognitive decline involving genetic vulnerability in men and hormonal status in women.

Facial memory deficits in myotonic dystrophy type 1

To evaluate facial memory ability (FMA) in patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). We also explored the relationship between FMA and neuropsychological data, disease-related factors, and CTG repeat expansion size. Patients with DM1 (n=33) and healthy subjects (n=30) were tested with the faces task of the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test - Extended version (RBMT-E) and an additional set of neuropsychological tests. Clinical data were collected, and CTG repeat size was quantified in blood lymphocytes. Low results on the faces task were more common in patients with DM1 compared with healthy subjects (P<0.05), with 36% of the patients showing a poor/impaired performance. DM1 patients with deficits in FMA performed significantly worse on tests measuring visual-construction ability and memory. Furthermore, these patients more often falsely recognised unknown faces as known. Deficits in FMA were not associated with any disease-related factor, including CTG repeat expansion size. These findings revealed deficits in FMA in the DM1 group, which was associated with reduced construction- and visual memory ability.

Leisure time activities and cognitive functioning in middle European population-based study

PurposePhysical, cognitive, and social leisure activities are associated with a lower conversion to dementia. We examined whether single components of thirteen physical, five cognitive, and six social activities, or their combined effect are related to non-conversion or performance in episodic or verbal memory, executive functioning, and language. SubjectsA prospective five-year study in community dwelling cohort of 75-year-old adults (N=399) without dementia at baseline from the Vienna Transdanube Aging Study (VITA). ResultsUsing the self-reported leisure activities during the year prior to the baseline examination, later converters to dementia already had lower composite scores of leisure activities. In the adjusted analysis, hiking and summation of all physical activities predicted a lower conversion to dementia (P=0.019, OR=0.56; 95%CI: 0.34–0.91 and P=0.035, OR=0.88; 95%CI: 0.77–0.99). Cognitive activities such as reading and writing, were associated with a lower rate of conversion to dementia; in contrast, television (TV) viewing showed a trend towards increase in conversion (P=0.053, OR=1.8; 95%CI: 0.9–3.4). In multiple comparisons, physical, cognitive, and social activities lead to improvements in episodic, visual memory, executive function, and naming ability. TV viewing predicted a worse performance in executive function at five-year follow-up. ConclusionsThese results from a middle European population-based study support a protective effect of leisure time activities on lower conversion to dementia and identify an association between the passive activity of TV viewing and low executive functioning.

CHF5074 restores visual memory ability and pre‐synaptic cortical acetylcholine release in pre‐plaque Tg2576 mice

CHF5074, a new microglial modulator, attenuates memory deficit in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice. In this study, the effect of an acute or subacute CHF5074 treatment on in vivo novel object recognition test and on [³H]Acetylcholine (ACh) and GABA release in pre-plaque (7-month-old) Tg2576 mice have been compared with those induced by the γ-secretase inhibitor LY450139 (semagacestat). Vehicle-treated Tg2576 mice displayed an impairment of recognition memory compared with wild-type animals. This impairment was recovered in transgenic animals acutely treated with CHF5074 (30 mg/kg), while LY450139 (1, 3, 10 mg/kg) was ineffective. In frontal cortex synaptosomes from vehicle-treated Tg2576 mice, K⁺-evoked [³H]ACh release was lower than that measured in wild-type mice. This reduction was absent in transgenic animals subacutely treated with CHF5074 (30 mg/kg daily for 8 days), while it was slightly, not significantly, amplified by LY450139 (3 mg/kg daily for 8 days). There were no differences between the groups on spontaneous [³H]ACh release as well as spontaneous and K⁺-evoked GABA release. These results suggest that CHF5074 has beneficial effects on visual memory and cortical cholinergic dysfunctions in pre-plaque Tg2576 mice. Together with previous findings, these data suggest that CHF5074 could be a possible candidate for early Alzheimer's disease therapeutic regimens.

Age-Related Change in Visual Working Memory: A Study of 55,753 Participants Aged 8–75

Visual working memory (VWM) abilities of 55,753 individuals between the ages of 8 and 75 were assessed to provide the most fine-grain analysis of age-related change in VWM to date. Results showed that VWM changes throughout the lifespan, peaking at age 20. A sharp linear decline follows that is so severe that by age 55, adults possess poorer immediate visual memory than 8 and 9 year olds. These developmental changes were largely explained by changing VWM capacity coupled with small short-term visual feature binding difficulties among children and older adults.

Changes in cognitive performance over a 1-year period in children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis.

Cognitive impairment is a core symptom of pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (MS), although relatively little is known regarding the rate of cognitive decline. This study examined the extent, pattern, and correlates of change in cognitive functioning in youth with MS. Changes in cognitive performance in 28 patients with pediatric-onset MS and 26 age-matched controls were ascertained through repeat comprehensive neuropsychological assessment conducted over a 1-year period. Change was evaluated by using a mixed factorial design with repeated measures to determine the interaction between group and time and using the Reliable Change Index (RCI) to determine individual differences on test scores over time. Participants were classified as showing "decline" or "improvement" if change scores exceeded the RCI on three or more tests. The pattern of change over time differed by group. At the group level, healthy controls were more likely to show improvement across multiple domains of function relative to the MS group. Using the RCI, 7 of 28 patients (25%) showed cognitive deterioration compared with only 1 of 26 controls (3.8%; p < .05). Performance on measures of attention and processing speed, visuomotor integration, verbal fluency, visual memory, and calculation and spelling ability were most responsive to deterioration in functioning over time. Longer disease duration was associated with greater deterioration in visuomotor integration. Increased lesion volume was associated with slower psychomotor speed over time. Lower rates of improvement in the pediatric MS group may be suggestive of a lack of age-appropriate cognitive development and warrant further evaluation over time.

The characteristics of cognitive impairment in neuromyelitis optica patients

Objective To investigate the characteristics of cognitive impairment in neuromyelitis optica(NMO) patients. Methods 12 NMO patients, 15 multiple sclerosis(MS) patients and 15 healthy people were collected and grouped as NMO group, MS group and normal control group. The five cognitive domains including working memory and information processing speed, verbal memory ability, semantic fluency, visual spatial structure and visuospatial recall ability, and executive function were evaluated respectively by the five tests, which are the 3/2 second edition of Chinese Version Auditory Continuous Addition test (PASAT3/2), the Chinese Rey Auditory Verbal Learning test (CRAVLT), Verbal Fluency test (VFT), the Rey Complex Figure test (RCFT) and the Chinese Version of the Stroop Colour-Word test (Stroop). The severity of somatic dysfunction and disability, depression, anxiety, fatigue and the sleep quality were evaluated both in NMO and MS patients by the Expanded Disability Status Scale Rating Scale (EDSS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis H test were performed to determine significant differences among three groups. Results The PASAT3 accomplishments were (33.3±9.6), (38.9±14.3), (45.5±8.6) respectively, the VFT scores were (24.8±8.7), (26.4±8.4), (31.7±4.7) respectively in NMO group, MS group and control group, and the differences of PASAT3 and VFT among three groups were significant (P 0.05). Conclusion NMO patients exist obstacle in working memory and information processing speed, semantic fluency, but still retain other aspects of the verbal memory capacity, executive function, visual-spatial structures and visual memory ability. The characteristics of cognitive impairment in NMO patients are not exactly the same as in MS patients. Key words: Neuromyelitis optica; Cognitive impairment; Multiple sclerosis

Chemo fog becomes clearer

It has been known for a long time that chemotherapy may have neurotoxic effects on cognitive functioning, an effect commonly known as 'chemo brain' or 'chemo fog'. However, despite the important repercussions of these observations, little research has been carried out about whether—and to what extent—chemotherapy affects long-term cognitive functioning. Several recent large controlled studies have added evidence supporting the association of chemotherapy treatment and cognitive deficits. Heather Jim and colleagues have now scrutinized this information in a meta-analysis of data obtained from 17 studies that included a total of 807 survivors of breast cancer who had been treated with standard-dose chemotherapy at least 6 months earlier, and 291 controls. They assessed the effect of chemotherapy in eight cognitive domains: attention, executive functioning, information processing, motor speed, verbal ability, verbal memory, visual memory, and visuo-spatial ability. The researchers found that patients who had been previously treated with chemotherapy performed significantly worse on tests of domains such as verbal and visuo-spatial ability, than patients who had not been treated with chemotherapy or did not have cancer, respectively. Interestingly, age and education did not seem to have an effect in chemotherapy-induced cognitive deficit. This meta-analysis clears any doubts about the existence of chemo fog, and calls for future studies to address this important issue.

Multiple system atrophy with early cognitive deficits: A case report

We present the case of a patient with multiple system atrophy with predominant cerebellar ataxia (MSA-C) in the early stage of the disease, who was assessed using a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. Many studies have found cognitive deficits in MSA patients assessed after 2–3 years, but not in the first stages of the disease. The aim of this paper is to stress the importance of a complete neuropsychological assessment, even at the initial stage of the disease, when instrumental examinations are not able to show cortical involvement and daily life activities have not been affected. The neuropsychological tests examined general cognition, verbal and visual memory, visuospatial and constructional ability, language, executive function, depression and functional autonomy. Results showed cognitive deficits in executive functions, above all in the control and inhibition of automatic response, planning and reasoning abilities, memory and visuoconstructional functions. However, these problems did not affect the patient’s autonomy in everyday life. MRI scan showed the involvement of the cerebellum and the fibers of the pons and raphe, with normal cerebral ventricles and sulci. The cognitive deficits in our patient could be explained by a disruption in cerebrocerebellum connections between the frontal areas and the cerebellar structures. These results show that a more comprehensive cognitive evaluation is necessary to detect early the onset of neuropsychological deficits, also in order to begin in time adequate rehabilitation programs.

Meta-Analysis of Cognitive Functioning in Breast Cancer Survivors Previously Treated With Standard-Dose Chemotherapy

Evidence is mixed regarding long-term cognitive deficits in patients treated with chemotherapy. Previous meta-analyses have not focused specifically on the postchemotherapy period and have not incorporated several recent studies. The goal of the current study was to conduct a meta-analysis of cognitive functioning in breast cancer survivors who were treated with chemotherapy ≥ 6 months previously. A search of PubMed, PsycInfo, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Cochrane Library yielded 2,751 abstracts, which were independently evaluated by pairs of raters. Meta-analysis was conducted on 17 studies of 807 patients previously treated with standard-dose chemotherapy for breast cancer. Neuropsychological tests were categorized according to eight cognitive domains: attention, executive functioning, information processing, motor speed, verbal ability, verbal memory, visual memory, and visuospatial ability. Deficits in cognitive functioning were observed in patients treated with chemotherapy relative to controls or prechemotherapy baseline in the domains of verbal ability (g = -0.19; P < .01) and visuospatial ability (g = -0.27; P < .01). Patients treated with chemotherapy performed worse than noncancer controls in verbal ability and worse than patients treated without chemotherapy in visuospatial ability (both P < .01). Age, education, time since treatment, and endocrine therapy did not moderate observed cognitive deficits in verbal ability or visuospatial ability (all P ≥ .51). Results indicate that, on average, observed cognitive deficits in patients with breast cancer previously treated with chemotherapy are small in magnitude and limited to the domains of verbal ability and visuospatial ability. This information can be used to inform interventions to educate patients with breast cancer regarding the long-term impact of chemotherapy on cognitive functioning.

Neuropsychological functioning and social anhedonia: Three-year follow-up data from a longitudinal community high risk study

Social anhedonia is a promising vulnerability marker for schizophrenia-spectrum pathology. Prior research has demonstrated that individuals with psychometrically-defined social anhedonia show a range of “schizophrenia-like” neurocognitive abnormalities. However, this research is limited in that it is based largely on the study of college students. The present article reports findings from a longitudinal study of social anhedonia recruited from a community sample. As part of this study, a neurocognitive battery was administered at baseline and at three-year follow-up sessions to participants with (n = 78) versus without (n = 77) social anhedonia. Additional measures of global functioning and schizotypal, schizoid and paranoid schizophrenia-spectrum symptoms were also administered. Across groups, subjects showed significant improvement in neurocognitive functioning over time. Compared to controls, at follow-up, individuals with social anhedonia showed significantly poorer attentional vigilance and simple processing speed, but failed to evidence impairments in immediate or delayed verbal memory, immediate or delayed visual memory, visual or verbal working memory, olfaction or executive abilities. At follow-up, within the social anhedonia group, schizoid (and to a lesser extent, schizotypal) symptom severity was associated with a range of neurocognitive impairments. Neurocognitive impairments were generally not associated with paranoid symptoms or global functioning. Baseline neurocognitive performance was not significantly predictive of follow-up symptom severity or functioning. Collectively, these findings suggest that neurocognitive dysfunctions only characterize a subset of individuals with social anhedonia.