scholarly journals Traditional Neuropsychological Testing Does Not Predict Motor-Cognitive Test Performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (20) ◽  
pp. 7393
Author(s):  
Jan Wilke ◽  
Oliver Vogel ◽  
Sandra Ungricht
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Memory Span ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Neuropsychological Testing ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Balance Test ◽  
Span Test ◽  
Counter Movement Jump ◽  
Test Digit

The ecological validity of neuropsychological testing (NT) has been questioned in the sports environment. A frequent criticism is that NT, mostly consisting of pen and paper or digital assessments, lacks relevant bodily movement. This study aimed to identify the determinants of a newly developed testing battery integrating both cognitive and motor demands. Twenty active individuals (25 ± 3 years, 11 males) completed the new motor-cognitive testing battery (MC), traditional NT (Stroop test, Trail Making test, Digit Span test) and isolated assessments of motor function (MF; Y-balance test, 20m-sprint, counter-movement jump). Kendal’s tau and partial Spearman correlations were used to detect associations between MC and NT/MF. Except for two items (Reactive Agility A and counter-movement jump; Run-Decide and sprint time; r = 0.37, p < 0.05), MC was not related to MF. Similarly, MC and NT were mostly unrelated, even when controlling for the two significant motor covariates (p > 0.05). The only MC item with (weak to moderate) associations to NT was the Memory Span test (Digit Span backwards and composite; r = 0.43–0.54, p < 0.05). In sum, motor-cognitive function appears to be largely independent from its two assumed components NT and MF and may represent a new parameter in performance diagnostics.

scholarly journals Saliva RNA biomarkers predict concussion duration and detect symptom recovery: a comparison with balance and cognitive testing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Fedorchak ◽  
Aakanksha Rangnekar ◽  
Cayce Onks ◽  
Andrea C. Loeffert ◽  
Jayson Loeffert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Prediction Rule ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Clinical Tool ◽  
Post Injury ◽  
Symptom Recovery ◽  
Cognitive Test Performance

Abstract Objective The goals of this study were to assess the ability of salivary non-coding RNA (ncRNA) levels to predict post-concussion symptoms lasting ≥ 21 days, and to examine the ability of ncRNAs to identify recovery compared to cognition and balance. Methods RNA sequencing was performed on 505 saliva samples obtained longitudinally from 112 individuals (8–24-years-old) with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Initial samples were obtained ≤ 14 days post-injury, and follow-up samples were obtained ≥ 21 days post-injury. Computerized balance and cognitive test performance were assessed at initial and follow-up time-points. Machine learning was used to define: (1) a model employing initial ncRNA levels to predict persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS) ≥ 21 days post-injury; and (2) a model employing follow-up ncRNA levels to identify symptom recovery. Performance of the models was compared against a validated clinical prediction rule, and balance/cognitive test performance, respectively. Results An algorithm using age and 16 ncRNAs predicted PPCS with greater accuracy than the validated clinical tool and demonstrated additive combined utility (area under the curve (AUC) 0.86; 95% CI 0.84–0.88). Initial balance and cognitive test performance did not differ between PPCS and non-PPCS groups (p > 0.05). Follow-up balance and cognitive test performance identified symptom recovery with similar accuracy to a model using 11 ncRNAs and age. A combined model (ncRNAs, balance, cognition) most accurately identified recovery (AUC 0.86; 95% CI 0.83–0.89). Conclusions ncRNA biomarkers show promise for tracking recovery from mTBI, and for predicting who will have prolonged symptoms. They could provide accurate expectations for recovery, stratify need for intervention, and guide safe return-to-activities.

scholarly journals Effects of masticatory exercise on cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 125-131
Author(s):  
Tae-Hoon Kim
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Rehabilitation ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Stroop Test ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Digit Span Test ◽  
Span Test ◽  
Test Digit

BACKGROUND: Mastication improves cognitive function by activating cerebral cortical activity, and it is important to demonstrate the cognitive effects of masticatory training using a variety of different interventions. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of masticatory exercise on cognitive function in healthy older adults living in the community. METHODS: For six weeks, twelve participants performed a masticatory exercise using a NOSICK exerciser device, and thirteen subjects performed daily life without masticatory exercises. Trail Making Test, Digit Span Test, and Stroop test were used to measure the cognitive function. RESULTS: The participants in the experimental group showed significant improvements in TMT-A/B (p= 0.001 and 0.004), DST-forward (p= 0.001), and ST-word (p= 0.001). The effect sizes after the intervention were calculated as (1.2 and 0.8) for TMT-A/B, (0.8 and 0.2) for Digit Span Test forward/backward, and (0.6 and 0.2) for Stroop test color/word. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the masticatory exercises improve cognitive function in healthy older adults. Therefore, masticatory exercises can be used as a therapeutic exercise during cognitive rehabilitation.

scholarly journals A Comparative Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Concussion on a Computerized Neurocognitive Test and Self-Reported Symptoms

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (9) ◽  
pp. 834-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bara Alsalaheen ◽  
Kayla Stockdale ◽  
Dana Pechumer ◽  
Steven P. Broglio ◽  
Gregory F. Marchetti
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Fixed Effects Model ◽  
Symptom Scale ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Neurocognitive Test

Context:  Meta-analyses examining construct-specific cognitive impairment concurrently with self-reported symptoms postconcussion are sparse. Objective:  To review the literature on the effects of concussion on construct-specific neurocognitive declines and to compare them with self-reported symptoms before 1 week and between 1 and 3 weeks postconcussion. Data Sources:  Relevant studies in PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO published from January 1, 1999 through November 30, 2015. Study Selection:  Studies were included if participants completed the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) before and after concussion and if test performance and Postconcussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) scores were reported at both times. Data Extraction:  After reviewing the full texts, we extracted data from 17 studies consisting of 29 independent samples; therefore, this meta-analysis consisted of 1777 unique participants. Data Synthesis:  The Hedges g effect size (ES) was estimated. A random-effects or fixed-effects model was used based on heterogeneity findings. When heterogeneity was present, we used meta-regression to assess unexplained between-studies variance. Within the first week of injury, the ESs were small to moderate for cognitive declines, ranging from −0.43 (95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.52, −0.35) to −0.67 (95% CI = −0.77, −0.58), and large for the PCSS score (Hedges g = −0.81; 95% CI = −0.91, −0.71). After 1 week, the ESs for cognitive declines (Hedges g range = −0.25 [95% CI = −0.35, −0.15] to −0.37 [95% CI = −0.55, −0.19]) and PCSS score (Hedges g = −0.38; 95% CI = −0.53, −0.22) were also small. Within 2 weeks of injury, PCSS score and time since injury weakly moderated the cognitive ES. Conclusions:  When a neurocognitive test was administered within 1 week of injury, the ES was larger for self-reported symptoms than for ImPACT scores generated at the same session. After 1 week of injury, the ESs for ImPACT and PCSS scores were comparable. If the athlete reports symptoms within 1 week of injury, administering a cognitive test does not appear to offer additional information to the clinician. However, if the athlete does not report symptoms postconcussion, cognitive testing may inform the clinical management of the injury.

scholarly journals The effects of gamelike features and test location on cognitive test performance and participant enjoyment

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jim Lumsden ◽  
Andy Skinner ◽  
Andy T. Woods ◽  
Natalia S. Lawrence ◽  
Marcus Munafò
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Test Location ◽  
Gamelike Features ◽  
Time Accuracy

Computerised cognitive assessments are a vital tool in the behavioural sciences, but participants often view them as effortful and unengaging. One potential solution is to add gamelike elements to these tasks in order to make them more intrinsically enjoyable, and some researchers have posited that a more engaging task might produce higher quality data. This assumption, however, remains largely untested. We investigated the effects of gamelike features and test location on the data and enjoyment ratings from a simple cognitive task. We tested three gamified variants of the Go-No-Go task, delivered both in the laboratory and online. In the first version of the task participants were rewarded with points for performing optimally. The second version of the task was framed as a cowboy shootout. The third version was a standard Go-No-Go task, used as a control condition. We compared reaction time, accuracy and subjective measures of enjoyment and engagement between task variants and study location. We found points to be a highly suitable game mechanic for gamified cognitive testing because they did not disrupt the validity of the data collected but increased participant enjoyment. However, we found no evidence that gamelike features could increase engagement to the point where participant performance improved. We also found that while participants enjoyed the cowboy themed task, the difficulty of categorising the gamelike stimuli adversely affected participant performance, increasing No-Go error rates by 28% compared to the non-game control. Responses collected online vs. in the laboratory had slightly longer reaction times but were otherwise very similar, supporting other findings that online crowdsourcing is an acceptable method of data collection for this type of research.

scholarly journals Comparison of Neurological and Cognitive Deficits in Children With ADHD and Anxiety Disorders

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 472-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pınar Yurtbaşı ◽  
Seçil Aldemir ◽  
Meryem Gül Teksin Bakır ◽  
Şule Aktaş ◽  
Fatma Betül Ayvaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Evaluation Study ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Adhd Group ◽  
Children With Adhd ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
Cognitive Test Performance ◽  
Sample Method

Objective:To compare the neuro-cognitive profiles among initial clinic referred medication naive sample of children with anxiety disorders (ANXs) and ADHD in a youth sample. Method: Three groups of patients, ANX ( n = 40), ADHD ( n = 48), and ANX + ADHD ( n = 33), aged 7 to 12 years, were compared with respect to their Physical and Neurological Examination for Subtle Signs (PANESS) and cognitive measures (digit span, digit symbol, Trail Making Test [TMT]-A and TMT-B, Stroop test). Results: ADHD group performed worse than the other two groups with regard to soft signs and cognitive test performance; ANX + ADHD were impaired relative to ANX but better than ADHD. Significant differences were found for gait and station problems, overflows and timed movements, TMT error points, and Stroop interference scores. ADHD patients had more difficulty in warding off irrelevant responses and lower speed of time-limited movements. Conclusion: This clinical evaluation study suggested that ANX and ADHD seem to have significantly different neuro-cognitive features: Poorest outcomes were observed among children with ADHD; rather than problems of attention, inhibitory control deficits were the most prominent differences between ANX and ADHD; and the presence of ANX appears to have mitigating effect on ADHD-related impairments.

scholarly journals Exercise Test Performance Reveals Evidence of the Cardiorespiratory Fitness Hypothesis

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 240-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra A. Billinger ◽  
Eric D. Vidoni ◽  
Jill K. Morris ◽  
John P. Thyfault ◽  
Jeffrey M. Burns
Keyword(s):  
Aerobic Exercise ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Cognitive Responses ◽  
Cognitive Benefit ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Cognitive Test Performance

Positive physiologic and cognitive responses to aerobic exercise have resulted in a proposed cardiorespiratory (CR) fitness hypothesis in which fitness gains drive changes leading to cognitive benefit. The purpose of this study was to directly assess the CR fitness hypothesis. Using data from an aerobic exercise trial, we examined individuals who completed cardiopulmonary and cognitive testing at baseline and 26 weeks. Change in cognitive test performance was not related to CR fitness change (r2 = .06, p = .06). However, in the subset of individuals who gave excellent effort during exercise testing, change in cognitive test performance was related to CR fitness change (r2 = .33, p < .01). This was largely due to change in the cognitive domain of attention (r2 = .36, p < .01). The magnitude of change was not explained by duration of exercise. Our findings support further investigation of the CR fitness hypothesis and mechanisms by which physiologic adaptation may drive cognitive change.

scholarly journals Predictors and Correlates of Perceived Cognitive Decline in Retired Professional Rugby League Players

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Van Patten ◽  
Grant L. Iverson ◽  
Douglas P. Terry ◽  
Christopher R. Levi ◽  
Andrew J. Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Neuropsychological Testing ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Rugby League ◽  
Self Report ◽  
American Football ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Full Contact

Objective: Rugby league is an international full-contact sport, with frequent concussive injuries. Participation in other full-contact sports such as American football has been considered to be a risk factor for neuropsychiatric sequelae later-in-life, but little research has addressed the mental and cognitive health of retired professional rugby league players. We examined predictors and correlates of perceived (self-reported) cognitive decline in retired National Rugby League (NRL) players.Methods: Participants were 133 retired male elite level rugby league players in Australia. Participants completed clinical interviews, neuropsychological testing, and self-report measures. The Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly, self-report (IQCODE-Self), measured perceived cognitive decline.Results: The median age of the sample was 55.0 (M = 53.1, SD = 13.9, range = 30–89) and the median years of education completed was 12.0 (M = 11.9, SD = 2.6, range = 7–18). The retired players reported a median of 15.0 total lifetime concussions (M = 28.0, SD = 36.6, range = 0–200). The mean IQCODE-Self score was 3.2 (SD = 0.5; Range = 1.3–5.0); 10/133 (7.5%) and 38/133 (28.6%) scored above conservative and liberal cutoffs for cognitive decline on the IQCODE-Self, respectively. Perceived cognitive decline was positively correlated with current depressive symptoms, negatively correlated with years of professional sport exposure and resilience, and unrelated to objective cognition and number of self-reported concussions. A multiple regression model with perceived cognitive decline regressed on age, concussion history, professional rugby league exposure, depression, resilience, objective cognitive functioning, daytime sleepiness, and pain severity showed depression as the only significant predictor.Conclusion: This is the first large study examining subjectively experienced cognitive decline in retired professional rugby league players. Similar to studies from the general population and specialty clinics, no relationship was found between objective cognitive test performance and perceived cognitive decline. Depressive symptoms emerged as the strongest predictor of perceived cognitive decline, suggesting that subjective reports of worsening cognition in retired elite rugby league players might reflect psychological distress rather than current cognitive impairment.

Investigating Effects of Sex Differences and Prior Concussions on Symptom Reporting and Cognition Among Adolescent Soccer Players

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 961-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian L. Brooks ◽  
Noah Silverberg ◽  
Bruce Maxwell ◽  
Rebekah Mannix ◽  
Ross Zafonte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disability ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Symptom Reporting ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Cognitive Test Performance

Background: There has been increasing concern regarding the possible effect of multiple concussions on the developing brain, especially for adolescent females. Hypothesis/Purpose: The objectives were to determine if there are differences in cognitive functioning, symptom reporting, and/or sex effects from prior concussions. In a very large sample of youth soccer players, it was hypothesized that (1) there would be no differences in cognitive test performance between those with and without prior concussions, (2) baseline preseason symptoms would be better predicted by noninjury factors than concussion history, and (3) males and females with prior concussions would not have differences in cognition or symptoms. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Participants included 9314 youth soccer players (mean = 14.8 years, SD = 1.2) who completed preseason baseline cognitive testing, symptom reporting, and a health/injury history questionnaire from the ImPACT battery (Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing). On the basis of injury history, athletes were grouped by number of prior concussions: 0 (boys, n = 4012; girls, n = 3963), 1 (boys, n = 527; girls, n = 457), 2 (boys, n = 130; girls, n = 97), or ≥3 (boys, n = 73; girls, n = 55). The primary measures were the 4 primary cognitive scores and the total symptom ratings from ImPACT. Primary outcomes were assessed across injury groups, controlling for age, sex, learning disability, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), treatment for headaches/migraines, substance abuse, and mental health problems. Results: Cognitive test performance was not associated with concussion history but was associated with sex, age, learning disability, ADHD, and prior mental health problems. Greater symptom reporting was more strongly associated with psychiatric problems, older age, learning disability, substance abuse, headaches, being female, and ADHD than with a history of multiple concussions. Boys and girls did not differ on cognitive scores or symptom reporting based on a history of concussion. Conclusion: In this very large sample of youth soccer players with prior concussion, there was no evidence of negative effects on cognition, very weak evidence of negative effects on symptom reporting, and no evidence of sex × concussion differences in cognition or symptom reporting.

Gifted Children and Visual Aural Digit Span Test Performance

1986 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 391-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Howard M. Knoff
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Students ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Gifted Children ◽  
Digit Span Test ◽  
Span Test ◽  
Grade 5

The performance of 81 gifted elementary students on the Visual Aural Digit Span test is discussed. The students generally showed advanced performance from Grade 1 through Grade 5 and from age 7–0 yr. through 11–11 yr. Performance at Grade 6 and the 12–0 to 12–11-yr.-old levels were generally at age-expected levels and were probably restricted due to the test's limited ceiling. Tables of means across grade and age and needs for further research are also presented.

scholarly journals Musical Aptitude as a Variable in the Assessment of Working Memory and Selective Attention Tasks

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 178-188
Author(s):  
Kavassery Venkateswaran Nisha ◽  
Devi Neelamegarajan ◽  
Nishant N. Nayagam ◽  
Jim Saroj Winston ◽  
Sam Publius Anil
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Selective Attention ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Musical Training ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Musical Aptitude ◽  
Low Performance ◽  
Cognitive Test Performance

Background and Objectives: The influence of musical aptitude on cognitive test performance in musicians is a long-debated research question. Evidence points to the low performance of nonmusicians in visual and auditory cognitive tasks (working memory and attention) compared with musicians. This cannot be generalized to all nonmusicians, as a sub-group in this population can have innate musical abilities even without any formal musical training. The present study aimed to study the effect of musical aptitude on the working memory and selective attention.Subjects and Methods: Three groups of 20 individuals each (a total of 60 participants), including trained-musicians, nonmusicians with good musical aptitude, and nonmusicians with low musical aptitude, participated in the present study. Cognitive-based visual (Flanker’s selective attention test) and auditory (working memory tests: backward digit span and operation span) tests were administered.Results: MANOVA (followed by ANOVA) revealed a benefit of musicianship and musical aptitude on backward digit span and Flanker’s reaction time (p<0.05). Discriminant function analyses showed that the groups could be effectively (accuracy, 80%) segregated based on the backward digit span and Flanker’s selective attention test. Trained musicians and nonmusicians with good musical aptitude were distinguished as one cluster and nonmusicians with low musical aptitude formed another cluster, hinting the role of musical aptitude in working memory and selective attention.Conclusions: Nonmusicians with good musical aptitude can have enhanced working memory and selective attention skills like musicians. Hence, caution is required when these individuals are included as controls in cognitive-based visual and auditory experiments.

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