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Science knowledge refers to the depth and breadth of facts acquired within the life, social, and earth sciences, and it has implications for both public and personal health. Drawing from cognitive aging theory, we examine whether levels of science knowledge are associated with age, neuropsychological functioning, and personal health literacy. Fifty-two younger and fifty older healthy adults completed our telephone-based study that included a commonly used test of science knowledge, as well as measures of neuropsychological functioning, health literacy, and relevant descriptives (e.g., mood). Adjusting for other demographics and neuropsychological functioning, older adults had significantly lower science knowledge test scores than younger adults. In the full sample, lower science knowledge showed medium-to-large associations with episodic memory, executive functions, and health literacy, independent of years of education. These results suggest that older adults' science knowledge falls slightly below that of their younger counterparts and is independently associated with higher order neuropsychological functions and aspects of personal health, which may have implications for accessing, understanding, and using relevant public health information across the lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many obstacles to screening for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), including the influence of various sociodemographic effects on screening measures. This study examined possible racial bias on the HIV Dementia Scale (HDS) in screening for HAND among 39 Black and 84 White persons living with HIV (PLWH). Black PLWH had significantly lower raw HDS scores than White PLWH, which was mediated by lower oral word reading scores. Nevertheless, HDS scores were comparably predictive of clinical HAND diagnoses for Black and White PLWH as determined by a comprehensive battery; overall, individuals who failed the HDS were three times as likely to have HAND as compared to those who performed within normal limits (sensitivity =.26, specificity =.94). Consistent with prior literature exploring race-group differences, findings suggest that lower scores among Black PLWH compared to White PLWH on a commonly-used screening measure for HAND are partly explained by reading scores, perhaps reflecting differences in educational quality and opportunities. However, race-group differences did not affect the classification accuracy of the HDS in detecting HAND, although overall diagnostic accuracy was modest in both groups. Future work should determine the optimal neurocognitive screening methods for Black PLWH and other under-represented ethnoracial groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: For decades, quantitative psychologists have recommended that authors report effect sizes to convey the magnitude and potential clinical relevance of statistical associations. However, fewer than one-third of neuropsychology articles published in the early 2000s reported effect sizes. This study re-examines the frequency and extent of effect size reporting in neuropsychology journal articles by manuscript section and over time. Methods: A sample of 326 empirical articles were drawn from 36 randomly selected issues of six neuropsychology journals at 5-year intervals between 1995 and 2020. Four raters used a novel, reliable coding system to quantify the extent to which effect sizes were included in the major sections of all 326 articles. Results: Findings showed medium-to-large increases in effect size reporting in the Methods and Results sections of neuropsychology journal articles that plateaued in recent years; however, there were only very small and nonsignificant changes in effect size reporting in the Abstract, Introduction, and Discussion sections. Conclusions: Authors in neuropsychology journals have markedly improved their effect size reporting in the core Methods and Results sections, but are still unlikely to consider these valuable metrics when motivating their study hypotheses and interpreting the conceptual and clinical implications of their findings. Recommendations are provided to encourage more widespread integration of effect sizes in neuropsychological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated use of remote assessments by clinical neuropsychologists. Telehealth was particularly important for vulnerable groups, including persons living with HIV (PLWH); however, limited internet access can be a serious barrier to care. This study examined the preliminary validity of a telephone-based neuropsychological assessment in a clinical sample of PLWH. Method A consecutive series of 59 PLWH were assessed via telephone at an HIV clinic in the southern U.S. between April 2020 and July 2022. The battery included auditory-verbal neuropsychological tests of memory, attention, and executive functions, and questionnaires assessing self-reported mood and activities of daily living (ADL). Results Study measures demonstrated acceptable internal consistency. PLWH demonstrated worse neuropsychological performance compared with expectations derived from the normal curve and an HIV-seronegative adult sample (N  = 44). PLWH assessed via telephone demonstrated similar impairment rates to that of a consecutive series of PLWH (N  = 41) assessed in-person immediately prior to the pandemic. Higher telephone-based global neuropsychological scores were related to younger age, more education, better fund of knowledge, White race/ethnicity, fewer medical conditions, and fewer depression symptoms. Global neuropsychological impairment was strongly and independently associated with greater dependence in ADL domains, particularly for instrumental activities. Conclusions Although telephone-based approaches to neuropsychological assessment are not ideal, these data provide support for the feasibility, internal consistency, and preliminary validity of this method in a consecutive clinical series of PLWH. The direct comparability of telephone-based and in-person neuropsychological assessments remains to be determined by prospective, counterbalanced study designs examining both PLWH and seronegative individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Women are becoming more prevalent in clinical neuropsychology, but gender bias and disparities persist across multiple professional domains. This study examined potential gender disparities in historical authorship trends across commonly read journals in clinical neuropsychology. Method: Analyses were conducted on 10,531 articles published in six clinical neuropsychology journals from 1985 to 2019. Each author was coded as either a man or a woman using the OpenGenderTracking Project database. Results: On average, women comprised 43.3% (±30.6) of the authors listed in clinical neuropsychology article bylines and were lead and/or corresponding author on 50.3% of these papers. Findings varied by journal, with Child Neuropsychology having the best representation of women across several study metrics. Women comprised an increasing proportion of authors over time and the gender gap in clinical neuropsychology is smaller than was recently reported for the broader field of psychology; nevertheless, the recent rates of women as authors lag behind the prevalence of women in clinical neuropsychology. Encouragingly, gender was not associated with the number of times an article was cited. Articles that included women in leadership roles had significantly more authors overall and specifically more women authors. Conclusions: Women are under-represented as authors in clinical neuropsychology journals, but they are becoming more common and their papers are cited just as frequently as men. Efforts to increase women as research mentors and sponsors may help to further close the publishing gender gap in clinical neuropsychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Health disparities are evident for Black Americans with HIV disease, who are disproportionally affected by the epidemic in the United States. The current study investigated whether the higher rates of neurocognitive impairment in Black Americans with HIV disease may be at least partly attributable to health literacy, which is a potentially modifiable factor. Method: Participants were 61 White and 25 Black participants (ages 27-70) with HIV disease who were enrolled in studies at an urban academic center in Southern California. Neurocognitive function was assessed by an age-adjusted global score from the Cogstate battery. Health literacy was measured by a composite score derived from the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, Newest Vital Sign, and 3-Brief. Results: Bootstrap confidence interval mediation analyses showed that health literacy was a significant mediator of the relationship between race and neurocognition; that is, there were no direct ethnoracial differences in neurocognition after accounting for health literacy. A follow-up model to confirm the directionality of this association demonstrated that neurocognition was not a significant mediator of the relationship between race and health literacy. Conclusions: Low health literacy may contribute to the higher rates of neurocognitive impairment for Black Americans with HIV disease. Future studies might examine the possible mechanism of this mediating relationship (e.g., access to health information, health behaviors, socioeconomics) and determine whether culturally tailored interventions that improve health literacy also confer broader brain health benefits for Black Americans with HIV disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black Americans are at high risk for HIV disease and associated morbidity. The impact and clinical correlates of HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment among Black Americans is not fully understood. The current study uses a full factorial design to examine the independent and combined effects of race and HIV disease on neurocognitive functioning, including its associations with everyday functioning and clinical disease markers in Black and White persons with HIV (PWH). Participants included 40 Black PWH, 83 White PWH, 28 Black HIV- and 64 White HIV- individuals. Neurocognition was measured by raw sample-based z-scores from a clinical battery. Everyday functioning was assessed using self- and clinician-rated measures of cognitive symptoms and activities of daily living. HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders were also classified using demographically adjusted normative standards and the Frascati criteria. We observed a significant three-way interaction between HIV, race, and domain on raw neurocognitive z-scores. This omnibus effect was driven by medium and large effect size decrements in processing speed and semantic memory, respectively, in Black PWH compared to other study groups. Black PWH also demonstrated higher frequencies of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders as compared to White PWH. Unexpectedly, global neurocognitive performance was negatively related to everyday functioning impairments for White PWH, but not for Black PWH. Systemic disadvantages for Black Americans may combine with HIV disease to compound some neurocognitive impairments in this under-served population. Prospective studies are needed to identify better ways to prevent, measure, diagnose, and manage HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders among Black Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To examine the factor structure and sociodemographic correlates of a battery of clinical neuropsychological tests administered in-home and via telephone. Method Participants included 280 healthy adults who completed a 35–40 min battery consisting of seven auditory-verbal neuropsychological tests (i.e. 10 variables) that included digit span, list learning and memory, prospective memory, verbal fluency, and oral trail making. Results After removing oral trail making part A, a three-factor model comprised of executive functions, memory and attention demonstrated the best fit to the data. Nevertheless, the shared variance between the nine remaining neuropsychological variables was also adequately explained by a single-factor model and a two-factor model comprised of executive functions and memory. Factor scores were variably associated with education, race/ethnicity, and IQ, but not with sex or age. Conclusions Findings provide preliminary support for the feasibility and factor structure and sociodemographic correlates of a brief telephone-based screening neuropsychological battery comprised mostly of commonly administered clinical measures. Future studies are needed to determine the test–retest reliability, sensitivity, and ecological relevance of this battery, as well as equivalency to in-person assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The rapid development of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) into a pandemic required people to quickly acquire, evaluate, and apply novel complex health-related information about the virus and transmission risks. This study examined the potentially unique and synergistic roles of individual differences in neurocognition and health literacy in the early uptake and use of COVID-19 public health information. Method: Data were collected between April 23 and 21 May 2020, a period during which 42 out of 50 states were under a stay-at-home order. Participants were 217 healthy adults who completed a telephone-based battery that included standard tests of neurocognition, health literacy, verbal IQ, personality, and anxiety. Participants also completed measures of COVID-19 information-seeking skills, knowledge, prevention intentions, and prevention behaviors. Results: A series of hierarchical multiple regressions with data-driven covariates showed that neurocognition (viz, episodic verbal memory and executive functions) was independently related to COVID-19 knowledge (e.g. symptoms, risks) at a medium effect size, but not to information-seeking skills, prevention intentions, or prevention behaviors. Health literacy was independently related to all measured aspects of COVID-19 health information and did not interact with neurocognition in any COVID-19 health domain. Conclusions: Individual differences in neurocognition and health literacy played independent and meaningful roles in the initial acquisition of knowledge related to COVID-19, which is a novel human health condition. Future studies might examine whether neurocognitive supports (e.g. spaced retrieval practice, elaboration) can improve COVID-19-related knowledge and health behaviors in vulnerable populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Health disparities among African Americans (AAs) in the United States are evident, especially among older adults and people living with HIV (PLWH). These health disparities include worse cognitive functioning among AAs than White counterparts. Though disparities in health literacy among AAs impact health outcomes across clinical populations, less is known on the mechanistic role health literacy may play in explaining racial differences in cognitive functioning among older PLWH. The current study investigated the association between health literacy and global cognitive functioning among middle-aged and older AA and White adults with and without HIV in the Deep South. Participants and Methods: Two hundred and seventy-three people (170 PLWH: 146 AA, 24 White; 103 HIV-negative: 67 AA, 36 White) were enrolled in an observational study and completed measures of sociodemographic characteristics, as well as the reading subtest of the Wide Range Achievement Test-3rd Edition to assess verbal IQ. A composite score of socioeconomic status (SES) was created using total years of education and annual household income. Neurocognitive functioning was assessed using a comprehensive cognitive battery (i.e., verbal, attention/working memory, executive function, learning, recall, speed of processing, and motor), from which a sample-based global Z-score composite was created. Health literacy was measured using a sample-based composite Z-score derived from the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults Reading Comprehension, Newest Vital Sign, and Expanded Numeracy Scale. First, multivariable linear regression analyses were performed within both PLWH and HIV-negative samples examining the association between race, SES, verbal IQ, and health literacy with cognitive functioning. These results informed two bootstrap confidence interval mediation analyses to determine whether health literacy mediated the association between race and global cognitive functioning. Results: In both PLWH and HIV-negative individuals, linear regressions showed that Whites had better global cognitive functioning, health literacy, and verbal IQ than AAs. Linear regressions showed that health literacy had an independent association with cognitive function when accounting for verbal IQ and SES. Mediations showed that health literacy significantly mediated the association between race and global cognitive functioning in both samples, independent of verbal IQ (PLWH: b =.07, 95% CI [0.0096, 0.2149]; HIV-negative: b =.15, 95% CI [0.0518, 0.2877]), indicating that Whites were expected to obtain higher global cognitive Z-scores than AAs in both PLWH and HIV-negative samples, through the mediating effect of better health literacy. Conclusions: Health literacy significantly mediated the association between race and global cognitive functioning among middle-aged and older adults with and without HIV, underscoring the importance of health literacy in explaining racial disparities in cognitive outcomes among AAs in the Deep South. Findings have implications for guiding clinicians and healthcare providers in developing interventions that promote health literacy in these underserved populations, which may have downstream impacts on cognitive functioning. Future work is needed to examine mechanisms whereby health literacy impacts neurocognition among AA PLWH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: COVID-19 misinformation proliferating online has led to adverse health and societal consequences. Older adults are a particularly vulnerable population due to increased risk for both COVID-19 related complications and susceptibility to, as well as sharing of, misinformation on social networking sites. The present study aimed to: 1) investigate differences in COVID-19 headline accuracy discernment and online sharing of COVID-19 misinformation in older and younger adults; and 2) examine individual differences in global cognition, health literacy and verbal IQ in online sharing of COVID-19 misinformation. Participants and Methods: Fifty-two younger (age 18 to 35 years) and fifty older adults (age 50 and older) completed a telephone neurocognitive battery, health literacy and numeracy measures and self-report questionnaires. Participants also completed a social media headline-sharing experiment (Pennycook et al.,2020) in which they were presented true and false COVID-19 headlines and asked to indicate: 1) the likelihood that they would share the story on social media; and 2) the factual accuracy of the story. Results: A repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance controlling for gender and race/ethnicity showed no effects of age (p=.099), but a significant interaction between actual COVID-19 headline accuracy and likelihood of sharing (p<.001), such that accuracy is more strongly related to sharing false headlines (r=-.64) versus true headlines (r=-.43). Moreover, higher likelihood of sharing false COVID-19 headlines was associated with lower verbal IQ and numeracy skills in older adults (rs=-.51--.40; ps<.01) and with lower verbal IQ, numeracy, and global cognition in younger adults (rs=-.66--.60; ps<.01). Conclusions: Findings indicate that headline accuracy judgements are an important predictor of sharing COVID-19 misinformation in both older and younger adults. Further, individual differences in cognition, IQ, and numeracy may predict the likelihood of misinformation sharing in younger adults, while IQ and numeracy skills may act as important antecedents of misinformation sharing in older adults. Future work might leverage modern, neuropsychologically-based psychoeducation approaches to improving health and science literacy related to COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several studies have suggested that cognitive processing speed may be useful for assessing early cognitive change in premanifest Huntington's disease (HD); however, current measures lack the ability to control for the effects of motor dysfunction commonly found in HD. The Computerized Test of Information Processing (CTiP) is a rapidly administered computerized tool that allows for the examination of central cognitive processing speed by using motor‐corrected scores to account for motor dysfunction. Objective: To examine central cognitive processing speed as an early marker of HD onset using the CTiP. Methods: The CTiP and other measures were administered to 102 HD gene carriers and 55 healthy adults (HA). Gene carriers included presymptomatic HD (pre‐HD; n = 33), prodromal HD (pro‐HD; ie, individuals close to disease onset; n = 23), and mild–moderate HD (HD; n = 46). Results: The HD group performed significantly slower than all other groups (HA, pre‐HD, and pro‐HD) on most subtests (Ps <.05). Moreover, the pro‐HD group performed significantly slower than the HA group on both motor‐corrected subtests (Ps < 0.05). Effect sizes associated with significant group differences between the pro‐HD and HA groups on motor‐corrected CTiP subtests (d = 0.73 and 0.84) were similar to effect sizes associated with group differences on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (d =.82) and other traditional cognitive assessments (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, d =.75; Mini‐Mental State Examination, d =.84). Conclusions: The CTiP may be a useful marker of deficits in central cognitive processing speed in individuals close to manifest onset of HD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjective: Board certification (BC) in clinical neuropsychology via the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN) is a rigorous process demonstrating clinical competence to practice. While myths about BC have been addressed, barriers to BC have yet to be studied. The aim of this study was to identify barriers to BC among neuropsychology trainees and professionals. Method: Data were collected through pre-webinar surveys administered to 1202 participants across four webinars conducted between 2018 and 2021. The surveys, via open-ended questions, captured specific concerns about BC as well as, demographic information including self-identification with racial/ethnic and culturally diverse groups. Qualitative analyses of self-reported barriers were conducted, and themes were identified. Results: The themes identified included Preparedness (11.8%), Lack of Training and Mentoring Opportunities (5.8%), Training Flexibility (11.9%), BC Knowledge (13.4%), Overall Knowledge of neuropsychology (4.4%), Time (24.7%), Money (10.9%), Documentation (3.4%), International Issues (1.5%), and COVID-19 concerns (2.5%). Respondents that identified with a racial/ethnic diverse group were more likely to report Opportunities and International Issues, whereas White respondents more frequently identified Time and Documentation as barriers. Trainees were more likely to report Training Flexibility, Opportunities, BC Knowledge, whereas Professionals were more likely to report Preparedness and Time as barriers. Conclusions: Results from this survey demonstrate that Time, BC Knowledge, Training Flexibility, Preparedness, and Money related to the examination were the most frequently reported barriers. However, differences across groups (i.e. career stage, racial/ethnic) emerged, highlighting the need to develop initiatives that address the specific needs of different groups of neuropsychology trainees and professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIntroduction: Gay and bisexual men (GBM) account for the highest rates of incident infection with HIV in the U.S., and experience social, systemic barriers to accessing and engaging in healthcare services. Interacting with healthcare providers can be a complex process for some GBM with HIV disease. The current study examined the contributions of cognition and health literacy to perceived interactions with healthcare providers among GBM with HIV disease. Methods: The sample included 100 adults with HIV disease (ages 24–75) who identified as GBM. All participants completed the Dealing with Health Professionals subscale of the Beliefs Related to Medication Adherence survey, as well as the Cogstate neuropsychological battery, self-report measures of cognitive symptoms, and well-validated measures of health literacy. Results: Worse performance-based cognition and subjective cognitive symptoms were both associated with perceived difficulties dealing with healthcare providers, but these associations were fully mediated by lower health literacy. Conclusion: Health literacy may play a role in the association between poorer cognitive functioning and difficulties navigating healthcare interactions among GBM with HIV disease. Further studies are needed to determine whether cognitive approaches to enhancing the access, understanding, and use of health information in GBM with HIV disease improves healthcare interactions and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The online proliferation of COVID-19 misinformation led to adverse health and societal consequences. This study investigated possible differences in COVID-19 headline accuracy discernment and online sharing of COVID-19 misinformation between older and younger adults, as well as the role of individual differences in global cognition, health literacy and verbal IQ. Fifty-two younger (18-35 years old) and fifty older adults (age 50 and older) completed a neurocognitive battery, health literacy and numeracy measures, and self-report questionnaires via telephone. Participants also completed a social media headline-sharing experiment (Pennycook et al., Psychological science , 31 (7), 770-780, 2020) in which they were presented with true and false COVID-19 headlines about which they indicated: 1) the likelihood that they would share the story on social media; and 2) the factual accuracy of the story. A repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance controlling for gender and race/ethnicity showed no effects of age ( p  = .099) but a significant interaction between actual COVID-19 headline accuracy and the likelihood of sharing ( p  < .001), such that accuracy was more strongly related to sharing false headlines ( r  = -.64) versus true headlines ( r  = -.43). Moreover, a higher likelihood of sharing false COVID-19 headlines was associated with lower verbal IQ and numeracy skills in older adults ( r s = -.51--.40) and with lower verbal IQ, numeracy, and global cognition in younger adults ( r s = -.66--.60). Findings indicate that headline accuracy judgements, numeracy, and verbal IQ are important contributors to sharing COVID-19 misinformation in both older and younger adults. Future work might examine the benefits of psychoeducation for improving health and science literacy for COVID-19., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-023-04464-w., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors report no conflicts of interest., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2023, Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Background: Several studies have suggested that cognitive processing speed may be useful for assessing early cognitive change in premanifest Huntington's disease (HD); however, current measures lack the ability to control for the effects of motor dysfunction commonly found in HD. The Computerized Test of Information Processing (CTiP) is a rapidly administered computerized tool that allows for the examination of central cognitive processing speed by using motor-corrected scores to account for motor dysfunction., Objective: To examine central cognitive processing speed as an early marker of HD onset using the CTiP., Methods: The CTiP and other measures were administered to 102 HD gene carriers and 55 healthy adults (HA). Gene carriers included presymptomatic HD (pre-HD; n = 33), prodromal HD (pro-HD; ie, individuals close to disease onset; n = 23), and mild-moderate HD (HD; n = 46)., Results: The HD group performed significantly slower than all other groups (HA, pre-HD, and pro-HD) on most subtests ( P s < .05). Moreover, the pro-HD group performed significantly slower than the HA group on both motor-corrected subtests ( P s < 0.05). Effect sizes associated with significant group differences between the pro-HD and HA groups on motor-corrected CTiP subtests ( d = 0.73 and 0.84) were similar to effect sizes associated with group differences on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test ( d = .82) and other traditional cognitive assessments (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, d = .75; Mini-Mental State Examination, d = .84)., Conclusions: The CTiP may be a useful marker of deficits in central cognitive processing speed in individuals close to manifest onset of HD., (© 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.)