Word Association Test Research Articles

Preoperative neurocognitive function as an independent survival prognostic marker in primary glioblastoma.

Aim of the present study is to investigate whether preoperative neurocognitive status is prognostically associated with overall survival (OS) in newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) patients. Ninety patients with dominant-hemisphere IDH-wild-type GBM were assessed by Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE), Trail Making Test (TMT) A and B parts, and Control Word Association Test (COWAT) phonemic and semantic subtests. Demographics, Karnofsky Performance Scale, tumor parameters, type of surgery, and adjuvant therapy data were available for patients. According to Cox proportional hazards model the neurocognitive variables of TMT B (P < .01), COWAT semantic subset (P < .05), and the MMSE (P < .01) were found significantly associated with survival prediction. From all other factors, only tumor volume and operation type (debulking vs biopsy) showed a statistical association (P < .05) with survival prediction. Kaplan Meier Long rank test showed statistical significance (P < .01) between unimpaired and impaired groups for TMT B, with median survival for the unimpaired group 26 months and 10 months for the impaired group, for COWAT semantic (P < .01) with median survival 23 months and 12 months, respectively and for MMSE (P < .01) with medial survival 19 and 12 months respectively. Our study demonstrates that neurocognitive status at baseline-prior to treatment-is an independent prognostic factor for OS in wild-type GBM patients, adding another prognostic tool to assist physicians in selecting the best treatment plan.

Effects of brand and brand trust on initial trust in fully automated driving system.

Before Automated Driving Systems (ADS) with full driving automation (SAE Level 5) are placed into practical use, the issue of calibrating drivers' initial trust in Level 5 ADS to an appropriate degree to avoid inappropriate disuse or improper use should be resolved. This study aimed to identify the factors that affected drivers' initial trust in Level 5 ADS. We conducted two online surveys. Of these, one explored the effects of automobile brands and drivers' trust in automobile brands on drivers' initial trust in Level 5 ADS using a Structural Equation Model (SEM). The other identified drivers' cognitive structures regarding automobile brands using the Free Word Association Test (FWAT) and summarized the characteristics that resulted in higher initial trust among drivers in Level 5 ADS. The results showed that drivers' trust in automobile brands positively impacted their initial trust in Level 5 ADS, which showed invariance across gender and age. In addition, the degree of drivers' initial trust in Level 5 ADS was significantly different across different automobile brands. Furthermore, for automobile brands with higher trust in automobile brands and Level 5 ADS, drivers' cognitive structures were richer and varied, which included particular characteristics. These findings suggest the necessity of considering the influence of automobile brands on calibrating drivers' initial trust in driving automation.

Longitudinal assessment of neurocognitive function in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis initiating alemtuzumab in routine clinical practice: LEM-COG study results.

Alemtuzumab is effective in reducing relapse rate and disability, but limited data exist on its effect on cognitive function in relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS). The present study assessed neurocognitive function and safety associated with alemtuzumab treatment in RMS. This longitudinal, single-arm, prospective study included people with RMS (aged 25-55 years) who were treated with alemtuzumab in clinical practice in the United States of America and Canada. The first participant was enrolled in December 2016. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline to post-baseline (month [M] 12/24) in MS-COGnitive (MS-COG) composite score. Secondary endpoints included Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R), Selective Reminding Test (SRT), Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT), and Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM) scores. Depression and fatigue were assessed using Hamilton Rating Scale-Depression (HAM-D) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS)/Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), respectively. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters were assessed when available. Safety was assessed throughout the study. Descriptive statistics were used for the pre-specified statistical analyses. Since the study was terminated early (November 2019) because of operational and resource difficulties, post hoc analyses for statistical inference were performed among participants who had a baseline value and at least one complete post-baseline assessment for cognitive parameters, fatigue, or depression. Of the 112 participants enrolled, 39 were considered as the primary analysis population at M12. At M12, a mean change of 0.25 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.04, 0.45; p=0.0049; effect size [ES]: 0.39) was observed in the MS-COG composite score. Improvements were observed in processing speed (based on PASAT and SDMT; p < 0.0001; ES: 0.62), as well as in individual PASAT, SDMT and COWAT scores. An improvement was also noted in HAM-D (p=0.0054; ES: -0.44), but not in fatigue scores. Among MRI parameters, decreases in burden of disease volume (BDV; ES: -0.12), new gadolinium-enhancing lesions (ES: -0.41) and newly active lesions (ES: -0.07) were observed at M12. About 92% of participants showed stable or improved cognitive status at M12. There were no new safety signals reported in the study. The most common adverse events (≥10% of participants) were headache, fatigue, nausea, insomnia, urinary tract infection, pain in extremity, chest discomfort, anxiety, dizziness, arthralgia, flushing, and rash. Hypothyroidism (3.7%) was the most frequent adverse event of special interest. The findings from this study suggest that alemtuzumab has a positive impact on cognitive function with significant improvements in processing speed and depression in people with RMS over a period of 12 months. The safety profile of alemtuzumab was consistent with previous studies.

Adaptive Functioning Among Older Adults: The Essence of Information Processing Speed in Executive Functioning.

The current study investigated the degree to which information processing speed mediates the association between executive functioning and adaptive functioning among older adults. Cases (N = 239) were selected from a clinical database of neuropsychological evaluations. Inclusion criteria were age 60+ (M = 74.0, standard deviation = 6.9) and completion of relevant study measures. Participants were majority White (93%) women (53.1%). The Texas Functional Living Scale was used as a performance-based measure of adaptive functioning. Information processing speed was measured using the Coding subtest from the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. Executive functioning performance was quantified using part B of the Trail Making Test, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, and Similarities and Matrix Reasoning subtests from the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, second edition. Mediation models were assessed with bootstrapped confidence intervals. Information processing speed mediated all measures of executive functioning. Direct effects were significant for all models (ps < 0.03), suggesting that executive functioning maintained unique associations with adaptive functioning. Follow-up analyses indicated no evidence for moderation of the mediation models based on diagnostic group. Additional models with executive functioning mediating information processing speed and adaptive functioning revealed inconsistent mediation, with smaller effects. Results highlight the importance of information processing speed in understanding real-world implications of pathological and non-pathological cognitive aging. Information processing speed mediated all relationships between executive functioning and adaptive functioning. Further investigation is warranted into the importance of processing speed in explaining associations of other cognitive domains with adaptive functioning.

Investigating the Relationship Between Verbal Fluency and Some Clinical Characteristics in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

Background and Objective One of the types of cognitive impairments in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is verbal fluency. Clinical characteristics affect verbal fluency. This study investigates the relationship between verbal fluency and some clinical characteristics in patients with MS. Materials &amp; Methods This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 71 patients with MS in Rofideh Rehabilitation Hospital. Patients were selected by convenience non-probability sampling method. The study tool included the Pittsburgh sleep quality questionnaire, fatigue severity scale, depression inventory-fast screen, and controlled oral word association test. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 18. The linear regression model was fitted to evaluate the effect of independent variables on verbal fluency. Results The study included 67.6% of female and 32.4% of male patients. The average age of the patients was 43.9±35.54 years and the average duration of the disease was 13.83±5.62 years. The results showed that some clinical characteristics including fatigue, disease type, first symptom, and sleep status have a significant relationship with the verbal fluency score of patients with MS (P&lt;0.05). No significant relationship was observed between expanded disability status score, depression, and duration of disease with verbal fluency in patients with MS. Conclusion The results showed that patients with the progressive type of the disease and patients whose onset of the disease was reported with visual symptoms had a weaker performance in verbal fluency than other participants. This issue can be considered in the early stages of disease diagnosis.

An examination of the clinical utility of phonemic fluency in healthy adults and adults with mild cognitive impairment

The Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT) is a widely utilized measure of phonemic fluency. However, two issues remain: (1) whether demographic, cognitive variables, or version of test administered predict performance; (2) if the test is predictive of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Recent studies report that item-level analyses such as lexical frequency may be more sensitive to early cognitive change. The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical utility of the COWAT, considering both total correct words and the lexical frequency. Sixty-seven healthy adults and thirty-seven adults with MCI completed neuropsychological testing. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to determine if there was a difference in COWAT performance between groups. Elastic net regression models were used to assess whether variance in total scores/lexical frequencies can be predicted by demographics, test version, or diagnosis; which cognitive tests explained the variance in performance; and how total scores and lexical frequencies compared with other cognitive tests in predicting diagnosis. Overall, individuals with MCI produced fewer and higher frequency words. The variance in total correct words or lexical frequency was not explained by demographics, test version, or diagnosis. Total correct words was a more important predictor of diagnosis than lexical frequency.

Determining Preservice Science Teachers' Cognitive Structures Related to the Environment by Using Word Association Test

The aim of this study is to reveal preservice science teachers’ cognitive structures related to environment by using word association test. With this aim, some concepts related to environment were selected purposively. In this descriptive case study, the data was collected from 2022-2023 educational term 3rd (N=58) and 4th (N=46) grade preservice science teachers. Five selected words which were “global warming”, “climate change”, “sustainability”, “environmental problems”, and “environmental awareness” were given to preservice science teachers, and they wrote related words in five minutes. For data analysis, frequency table was prepared by analyzing the words of the preservice science teachers for each concept. Then, breakpoint technique was used to develop concept network. According to the preliminary findings of this study, 4th grade preservice science teachers have more conceptions related to the environment compared to 3rd grade preservice science teachers. In addition to that, preservice science teachers’ cognitive structures of global warming and climate change is higher compared to other concepts. Lastly, most of the students’ cognitive structures of “environmental problems”, environmental awareness” and “sustainability” is low.

Could thalamic biochemical changes correlate to cognitive impairment in idiopathic generalized epilepsy?

BackgroundThe thalamus is crucial in the development of idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE), which could lead to cognitive dysfunctions, according to data from neuropsychology and advanced neuroimaging investigations. This research aimed to measure the metabolic changes in the thalamus and to assess if could be contributed to cognitive impairment in IGE patients. Thirty IGE patients and thirty healthy volunteers with matched ages, genders, and educational levels participated in this cross-sectional case–control research. The IGE patients and controls were evaluated neuropsychologically using Intelligence Quotient (IQ) to assess general cognitive ability, Digit span for attention, Wechsler memory scale (WMS) for verbal memory, cube drawing test for visuospatial memory, Trail making test for executive functions, and Controlled Oral Word Association test (COWAT) for verbal fluency and quantitative multi-voxel MR spectroscopy (MRS) measurements of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), creatine (Cr), NAA/Cr, NAA/Cho and Cho/Cr ratios at 1.5 T scanner. The voxels were located over the right and left thalamus.ResultsThe IGE patients showed worse cognitive performance in IQ, attention, executive function, and verbal and visuospatial memory domains compared to the controls. The IGE patients exhibited a significantly decrease NAA in the right thalamus (p = 0.004) and a lower NAA/Cr ratio in the left thalamus (p = 0.01). the mean thalamus NAA level exhibited a positive correlation with CDT (r = 0.45, p = P = 0.01), and WMS-R (r = 0.39, p = 0.03) and a negative correlation with trail-making A test (r = 0.42, P = 0.01).Conclusionsit was concluded that IGE patients exhibited poor cognition which could be attributed to thalamic neurometabolic changes due to impaired thalamic cortical circuits.

Examination of pre-service teachers' perceptions of the concept of fraction using the word association test

In this study, it is aimed to examine the perceptions of the mathematics teacher candidates regarding the concept of fraction. 32 teacher candidates participated in the research carried out in the screening model. The word association test was used as a data collection tool and the obtained data were analyzed by content analysis method. According to the results of the analysis, it is seen that the perceptions of teacher candidates regarding the concept of fraction are mostly concentrated in the themes of meanings of fractions, operations in fractions, and representation of fractions. In addition, the themes of numbers, notation, and other mathematical topics in which it is used are other themes that emerged. It was seen that the teacher candidates expressed the quotient meaning at most, they did not mention the percent meaning. It was seen that they mostly expressed the addition operation in fractions and the type of compound fraction. As a result, it is seen that pre-service teachers' perceptions about the concept of fraction are limited. Pre-service teachers can be given a more comprehensive and relational education on the concept of fraction.

Secondary School Students’ Cognitive Structures Regarding Educational Games

To employ educational games in education as intended, it is required to show students’ cognitive structures for this concept. As a result, the purpose of this research was to reveal the cognitive structures of secondary school students regarding educational games. The research was a survey-based descriptive study. A total of 340 secondary school students were included for this research, which included fifth graders (n=80), sixth graders (n=95), seventh graders (n=69), and eighth graders (n=96). Simple random sampling was used to choose the participants. Data were gathered using the Word Association Test (WAT) and a drawing test. Six categories are used to organize the students' responses to the educational game's concept. ‘Individual gains,’ ‘lessons,’ ‘sports,’ ‘lesson tools/applications,’ ‘games,’ and ‘features of games’ were all of these. Four categories were used to categorize the drawings made by the students to represent the concept of educational games: ‘physical ability games,’ ‘intelligent and strategy games,’ ‘puzzle,’ and ‘mixed games.’ As a result of this research, it is possible to conclude that students’ cognitive structures for the concept of educational games include games played in classes, and educational games highlight the game aspect more. Besides that, there was little vocabulary diversity in their cognitive structures for the educational dimension. To enhance students' cognitive structures toward educational games, focus should be given to the instructional feature of educational games in research to be undertaken in the relevant field.

"It's on the tip of my tongue!" exploring confrontation naming difficulties in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Naming difficulty is commonly reported by patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Though many cognitive batteries recommended for pwMS include fluency tasks, they do not include naming tasks. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of naming impairment in pwMS by using a measure of confrontation naming and to identify correlates with neuroimaging. One-hundred-eighty-five pwMS (Mage=48.75±11.23) completed neuropsychological testing and fifty had brain MRI scans within one year of neuropsychological testing. Controlling for demographic variables, partial correlations and hierarchical regressions with language tests as the outcome variables and neuroimaging variables as predictors were performed. Performance on language tasks ranged within low average to average, with impairment most frequently found on a measure of confrontation naming (Boston Naming Test [BNT];27.6%), followed by a measure of phonemic fluency (Controlled Oral Word Association Test [COWAT]; 24.3%) and semantic fluency (animals [AF]; 18.3%). In the subset of patients with neuroimaging, thalamic volume had the strongest relationship with language variables, followed by white matter volume and T2 lesion volume. Language variables had no association with fractional gray matter volume. Of the language measures, BNT demonstrated the strongest relationship with MRI variables, followed by AF. There were no significant associations between neuroimaging variables and COWAT. Regression results revealed that fractional thalamic volume significantly contributed to BNT scores after adjusting for demographics, while T2 lesion volume predicted AF and no neuroimaging variables emerged as predictors for COWAT after controlling for demographics. Objective naming impairment is common in pwMS and are more strongly associated with neuroimaging of MS brain pathology than verbal fluency tasks that are commonly used in cognitive batteries for pwMS. Continued research on language (especially naming) deficits and neuroimaging correlates (particularly thalamic involvement) in pwMS is needed.

The Role of The Predominant Polarity on Neurocognitive and Social Cognitive Dysfunctions in Patients with Bipolar Disorder

IntroductionBipolar disorder (BD) is characterized by significant inter-individual variation in terms of course and outcome. The most important factors associated with the outcome are subsyndromal depression and cognitive disability. Predominant polarity (PP), which is a proposed course specifier for BD, can be associated with various clinical differences such as psychotic feature, suicidality, hospitalization, while it is thought to be associated with the severity of cognitive impairment.ObjectivesTo elucidate the role of the predominant polarity on cognitive dysfunction in patients with BD.MethodsPatients with BD in remission (n=84) and healthy control volunteers (HC, n=27) participated in the study. Patients were divided into 3 subgroups according to their PP characteristics: manic (MPP, n=31), depressive (DPP, n=25), and undetermined (UPP, n=28). Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders-Clinician Version (SCID-5/CV), WAIS-R-Vocabulary Subtest, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Young Mania Rating Scale, Rey’s Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Trail Making Test (TMT), Stroop Test (ST), WMS-R Visual Reproduction Subtest, Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT), Auditory Consonant Trigrams Test (ACT), Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), Hinting Test (HT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), and Conners Continuous Performance Test (CCPT) were administered. Scores that do not show normal distribution were transformed using the two-step normalization method. Principal component analysis (PCA) with direct oblimin rotation was applied as a dimension reduction technique to identify different neurocognitive domains. Single-factorial PCA was also applied to calculate global cognition scores.ResultsIn MPP group compared to HC, worse performance was observed in ACT (d=1.24), COWAT (d=1.16), RMET (d=1.03), HT (d=1.78), WCST correct answers (d=0.99), CCPT correct target section (d=0.99) and a prolongation in TMT-A (d=1.00). Compared to DPP, MPP had a weak performance in COWAT (d=0.89), RMET (d=0.86) and HT (d=1.00). MPP (d=1.18) and UPP (d=1.03) groups showed deterioration in processing speed compared to HC. MPP group showed impairment in working memory (d=1.17) and attention (d=0.70) compared to HC. In problem-solving and reasoning, deterioration was found in MPP compared to HC (d=1.16) and UPP (d=0.67), also in DPP compared to HC (d=0.74).ConclusionsThe MPP group yielded more severe cognitive impairment in verbal fluency and social cognition tests compared to DPP. Predominant polarity may also be related to cognitive impairment patterns seen in BD.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Evaluation of the executive dysfunction in patients with bipolar disorder

IntroductionBipolar disorders (BD) associate impairments in cognitive functioning not restricted to acute mood episodes. The functional impact of these cognitive dysfunctions is significant in many cases, therefore, an extensive evaluation is granted for BD patients from this perspective. Executive dysfunction in BD has been reported, especially during mania and was associated with formal thought disorder, but multiple cognitive deficits may reflect an underlying pathologic process related to the mood disorder itself.ObjectivesTo assess the level of executive dysfunction in a sample of patients with type I BD (BDI) using structured measurement methods.MethodsFive patients diagnosed with BDI (two patients during manic episodes, one during the euthymic phase, and 2 during depressive episodes) were evaluated for working memory (n-back test), verbal fluency (Controlled Oral Word Association Test, COWAT) and verbal learning (Verbal Learning and Memory test, VLMT). All patients were adults, mean age of 35.5 years, and all were undergoing psychotropic treatment with antipsychotics and/or mood stabilizers. Also, five normal healthy controls, matched for age, were evaluated using the same test battery.ResultsAll five BDI patients presented dysfunctions (three at a trend level, and one at a significant level, p&lt;0. 01) in at least one cognitive domain, with three patients presenting modifications in all three tests that were administered vs. normal controls. The most affected domain was verbal learning, followed by working memory and verbal fluency. No individual in the control group had significant cognitive deterioration, on any outcome assessed.ConclusionsCognitive domains are altered in BDI patients, therefore, a test battery destined to quantify executive dysfunctions, independent of the presence of an acute mood episode or during the euthymic phase, may be useful for case management.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Estimating Potential Benefits to Neurocognition with Proton Therapy in Adults with Brain Tumors.

Photon radiation therapy (RT) is important in the treatment of many brain tumors but can negatively affect neurocognition. Proton therapy (PT) can reduce doses to normal brain structures. We compared photon and proton plans to estimate the potential benefit in cognition if the patient were treated with PT. We analyzed 23 adult patients with proton and photon plans for the treatment of a primary brain tumor. Cognitive outcomes were predicted using converted equivalent dose (EQD2) with an α/β ratio of 3 to left temporal lobe and normal brain tissue. Risks of cognitive decline on 2 specific tests, the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT [letter S], a test of verbal fluency) and the Wechler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV Coding Test, a test of processing speed) were derived from a previously published model. Dose reductions to left temporal lobe and normal brain tissue translated into lower estimated probabilities of impairment in specific neurocognitive test scores after PT. With a mean dose reduction from 1490 to 1092 cGy in EQD2 to the left temporal lobe (P < .001), there was reduction in probability of impairment in the COWAT (Letter S) test from 6.8% to 5.4%. Similar results were seen with the normal brain (750 to 451 cGy in EQD2, P < .001), with reduction in probability of impairment in the WAIS-IV Coding test from 5% to 4.1%. Other structures experiencing dose reduction with PT included each cochlea, posterior fossa, each temporal lobe, and each hippocampus. We confirmed an association between PT and lower doses to brain substructures, which is expected to result in a modest decrease in probability of impairment in neurocognitive test scoring. These findings should be confirmed in prospective cohorts of patients treated with PT.

Effect of a STEM approach on students’ cognitive structures about electrical circuits

BackgroundElectricity is a central concept in science curricula at all levels of education. Nevertheless, its invisible nature makes the concepts associated with it very difficult for students. Moreover, students have many alternative conceptions about concepts related to electrical circuits. This study aims to know the effect of a STEM (Science–Technology–Engineering–Mathematics) approach on students' cognitive structures about the topic of electrical circuits, as revealed through a Word Association Test (WAT). A study following a time series quasi-experimental research design was made to collect information about changes in students’ cognitive structures before and after a learning sequence about electrical circuits. A nonequivalent control group approach was used, and two matching groups of students were used: a control group (N = 317) and an experimental group (N = 321). Students were attending the 9th grade (14–15 years old). Data analysis was made by construction of frequency tables, maps of the cognitive structures, and examination of the sentences written by students.ResultsThe results are indicative that, before the STEM approach, students’ conceptions regarding electrical circuits are mainly related to students’ daily experiences. However, after a STEM approach, the map of students’ cognitive structures from the experimental group is more complex. Furthermore, the quality of the response words is different for each group. In the control group, most of the associations that students made were situated at a phenomenological level. However, in the experimental group, students made many associations related to the curricular contents.ConclusionsThe STEM approach had a more noticeable effect on the development of students’ cognitive structures on the topic of electrical circuits: based on the results, it can be concluded that this approach allowed students from the experimental group to achieve the learning goals, while students from the control group still retained many ideas that do not meet learning goals. Additionally, WAT has proven to be a suitable diagnostic method, as well as an instrument that can be used to evaluate the accomplishment of students’ learning objectives.

초등 과학 영재학생들의 확산에 대한 개념 구조와 이해도 분석

This study aimed to comprehend the conceptual structure and understanding of diffusion in science-gifted elementary school students. Thus, word association test, drawing test and conceptual understanding test were conducted on 80 gifted elementary school students in the six grade, who belonged to a gifted education center of university of education. When extracting key words from sentences they wrote on diffusion, this study confirmed 99 words, out of which, ‘Spread’, ‘Substance’ and ‘Movement’ appeared high in frequency. When visualized through semantic network, ‘Spread’ was positioned in the center, connecting with ‘Substance’ most. When analyzing their drawings of diffusion, this study found Level 3 most in frequency, which indicates an incomplete drawing with misconception included. Especially, in the drawings with misconception included, some often expressed that molecules partially moved in a state of balance not being sustained, or diffusion took place only in living organism, and others even understood diffusion as dispersion of light or visual field. When analyzing their conceptual structure of diffusion, this study discovered many of them had incomplete concepts including various misconceptions. The concept of diffusion is one of the main concepts that help students understand biological phenomena, and to have the exact concept of diffusion, students should understand other science concepts, such as dissolution, solubility and molecular motion. Therefore, it is necessary to develop additional programs and help them learn more effectively in classes for the gifted.

Altered functional connectivity of the default mode and dorsal attention network in subjective cognitive decline

Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is a clinical condition in which performance on standardized cognitive tests does not indicate impairment like mild cognitive impairment (MCI), but self-experienced cognitive capacity persistently declines. We aimed to explore the functional connectivity (FC) characteristics of SCD subjects compared to healthy controls and MCI patients. Resting-state functional MRI was performed on 152 elderly subjects: 65 normal controls, 62 SCD subjects, and 25 MCI patients. A seed-based FC analysis was performed to compare groups. The major brain regions of the default mode network (DMN) and dorsal attention network (DAN), large-scale brain networks disrupted in patients with dementia, were selected as seed regions. As a result, the SCD group showed stronger FC than the MCI group between DMN seeds and the supramarginal gyrus. Both the SCD and MCI groups showed stronger FC between the left lateral parietal cortex and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In the FC analysis centred on DAN seeds, both the SCD and MCI groups showed weaker FC of the right posterior intraparietal sulcus in the left anterior cingulate cortex and the left insula, compared to those in the control group. Within the SCD group, hyperconnectivity between the right lateral parietal cortex and left supramarginal gyrus was significantly correlated with better performance on the Controlled Oral Word Association Test. In conclusion, the SCD group showed several DMN- and DAN-related FC alterations, similar to the MCI group, but with distinct hyperconnectivity between DMN seeds and the supramarginal gyrus. In particular, SCD has DMN-related FC patterns distinct from those of MCI that are associated with verbal fluency retention.

Intraindividual Change in Cognitive Function Among Adults With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Markov Analysis Over 7 Years.

Cognitive impairment is prevalent in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). There remain gaps in understanding cognition and SLE longitudinally. We studied intraindividual change in cognition in SLE over time. Data were from the University of California, San Francisco Lupus Outcome Study, which included 1281 adults with SLE. The Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R) and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT) were administered annually over 7 years. A two-state Markov analysis was used to model transition intensities for probabilities of change in cognition. Logistic regression examined the association between clinical variables and cognitive change. Minimal transition between cognitive states was observed in the Markov analysis. Using the COWAT, higher levels of self-reported depression were associated with decreased likelihood of cognitive improvement (Relative Risk [RR]: 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.96-0.99), and higher self-reported disease severity was associated with cognitive decline (RR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.02-1.09). Using the HVLT-R, increasing age (RR: 1.02; 95% CI: 1.01-1.03) and higher education level (RR: 1.82; 95% CI: 1.28-2.58) were associated with cognitive improvement, and higher self-reported disease severity (RR: 1.02; 95% CI: 1.01-1.03) and depression (RR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.03-1.07) were associated with cognitive decline. Most individuals with SLE did not transition between states of high (Z score ≥ -1.5) or low (Z score < -1.5) cognition in a Markov analysis over a 7-year assessment period, highlighting a degree of relative stability in cognition over time. Increasing age and higher education levels were associated with greater likelihood of cognitive improvement. Greater self-reported SLE disease severity and depression were associated with cognitive decline.

DETERMINING THE PERCEPTION OF ACCOUNTING WITH THE “WORD ASSOCIATION TEST”: A RESEARCH ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Kelime İlişkilendirme Testi (KİT) tekniği ile lisans seviyesinde ilk kez“muhasebe” dersi alacak öğrencilerin bu dersle ilgili olarak bilişsel yapılarının belirlenmesidir.Araştırma İskenderun Teknik Üniversitesinde 2021-2022 Güz Dönemi’nde Havacılık Yönetimi veUluslararası İşletmecilik ve Ticaret bölümlerinde daha önce “Muhasebe” dersi almamış öğrencilerleyapılmıştır. Araştırmaya katılan öğrencilere “muhasebe” anahtar kavramı verilmiş ve akıllarına ilkgelen 10 kelime ve ilgili bir cümle yazmaları istenmiştir. Çalışmada KİT sonucu 187 kelime 993kez tekrar edilmiş ve toplam 93 cümleye ulaşılmıştır. Katılımcıların anahtar kavrama verdiklericevaplar incelendiğinde en fazla “para, hesap, gelir-gider, matematik, vergi, hesaplama” kelimelerinintekrar edildiği tespit edilmiştir. Çalışma sonucunda öğrencilerin dersle ilgili olumlu- olumsuz önöğrenmelerinin tespiti için KİT kullanılabileceği ve bu sayede öğrencilerin derse ilgilerini artıracaköğrenme ortamlarının hazırlanmasına katkı sağlayacağı yorumu yapılmıştır.

A Review on the Organization Model of Second Language Mental Lexicon Based on Word Association Test

In the past two decades, the study of second language mental lexicon organization has become a research direction that has attracted much attention from scholars. The research on second language mental lexicon organization has achieved fruitful outcomes in both basic theoretical research and empirical research. The basic theoretical research mainly focuses on the lexical knowledge framework theory and the exploration of second language mental lexicon organization, while the empirical research explored the characteristics of second language learner’s mental lexicon organization based on the word association test as the main research method. In addition, future study needs to pay attention to the optimization of word association test, the use of multiple testing methods, the learners at the basic education level, and the attempt to integrate the findings with pedagogical practice research.