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The objective of pilot training is to equip trainees with the knowledge, judgment, and skills to maintain control of an aircraft and respond to critical flight tasks. The present research aims to investigate changes in trainees' cognitive control levels during a pilot training process while they underwent basic flight maneuvers. EEG microstate analysis was applied together with spectral power features to quantitatively monitor trainees' cognitive control under varied flight tasks during different training sessions on a flight simulator. Not only could EEG data provide an objective measure of cognitive control to complement the current subjective assessments, but the application of EEG microstate analysis is particularly well-suited for capturing rapid dynamic changes in cognitive states that may happen under complex human activities in conducting flight maneuvers. Comparisons were conducted between two types of tasks and across different training stages to monitor how pilot trainees' cognitive control responds to varied flight task types and training stages. The present research provides insights into the changes in trainees' cognitive control during a pilot training process and highlights the potential of EEG microstate analysis for monitoring cognitive control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In a secondary analysis of data taken from a publicly available database, we examined cognitive performance, postural sway, and relations between them for 4 groups: younger and older individuals with versus without a recent history of falls. Our objective was to compare linear versus nonlinear measures of postural activity as post hoc predictors of cognitive performance and falling. Methods We evaluated standing body sway in 147 participants (18–85-years old) over 60 seconds, separately with eyes-open and with eyes-closed. We evaluated cognitive performance using portions of the Trail Making Test. We evaluated postural activity in terms of standard deviation, velocity, and amplitude of the Center of Pressure (CoP). Separately, we used detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) to examine the complexity of CoP displacements. Using analysis of variance, we conducted separate analyses of cognitive performance and postural activity comparing Younger and Older Adults and Non-fallers and Fallers, taking into account Vision (eyes-closed vs open) and the direction of postural movements (Anteroposterior vs Mediolateral) while also controlling for participants' characteristics. We used moderation analyses to evaluate whether relationships between Trail Making Test scores and the linear and nonlinear outcomes were moderated by Age group or Fall status. Results For postural activity, only DFA differed between Non-fallers and Fallers. Older adults exhibited increased complexity associated with better processing speed function, while fallers show an opposite association, relying on processing speed to increase postural rigidity instead of facilitating adaptive control of balance. Conclusions We conclude that DFA can provide information regarding postural activity and cognitive performance that cannot be obtained from more traditional, linear measures of postural activity and that DFA may be a valuable tool for assessing fall risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Methods Results Conclusions This study aims to explore the association between declining lung function and depression in middle‐aged and older adults, with a special focus on the mediating role of cognitive function.This study utilizes self‐reported and physical examination data from 5345 individuals participating in the 2015 cycle of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) to explore the role of cognitive function changes in mediating the effects of diminished lung function on depression among middle‐aged and older adults.Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed a positive correlation between pulmonary and cognitive functions (β = 0.003, 95% CI: 0.002∼0.003, P < 0.01) and a negative correlation between cognitive function and depression (β = −0.279, 95% CI: −0.330–0.228, P < 0.01). Cognitive function plays a mediating role in linking pulmonary function with depression, exhibiting a mediation effect of −0.0007 and a total effect of −0.0046, wherein the mediation effect contributes to 15.22% of the total effect. For females, the mediating effect of cognitive function was stronger (β = −0.0013, 95% CI: −0.0018∼–0.0008, P < 0.01) than it was for males (β = −0.0006, 95% CI: −0.0009∼–0.0003, P < 0.01).The study underscores the importance of monitoring lung and cognitive functions as interconnected factors contributing to the mental health of middle‐aged and older adults. It suggests that interventions aimed at improving pulmonary health and cognitive function may help mitigate depressive symptoms among middle‐aged and older adults. Further research is warranted to validate these findings across diverse cultural and demographic settings. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; ••: ••–••. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Previous research has investigated the relationship between cognitive impairment, optical coherence tomography (OCT), visual fields (VF), and VF reliability in smaller patient samples using various cognitive assessment tools. This study analyzed the relationship between cognitive function scores using the Mini-Cog test and inner macular thickness (IMT) and VF sensitivity in glaucoma patients. (2) Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 984 patients with 1897 eyes. Assessments included age, sex, intraocular pressure (IOP), and Mini-Cog test scores. Abnormal Mini-Cog scores were observed in 89 patients (9%). Using a mixed-effects model adjusted for background factors, the association between Mini-Cog scores and IMT, parafoveal (PF)-IMT, mean deviation (MD), pattern standard deviation, fixation losses (FL), false negatives (FN), and false positives (FP) was analyzed. (3) Results: Abnormal Mini-Cog scores (≤2) were associated with thinning of the IMT and PF-IMT, worse MDs, and higher FN and FP rates but not with PSD or FL. (4) Conclusions: Glaucoma patients with low cognitive function scores exhibited more advanced glaucoma-related changes in VF testing and morphological tests. Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore the relationship between glaucoma and cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive difficulties are reported as lasting sequelae within post COVID-19 condition. However, the chronicity of these difficulties and related factors of fatigue, mood, and perceived health have yet to be fully determined. To address this, the current longitudinal study aimed to clarify the trends of cognitive test performance and cognitive domain impairment following COVID-19 onset, and whether hospitalization influences outcomes. 57 participants who reported subjective cognitive difficulties after confirmed COVID-19 infection were assessed at baseline (~6 months post COVID-19) and follow-up (~15 months later) visits. Assessments included measures across multiple cognitive domains and self-report questionnaires of fatigue, mood, and overall health. Analyses were conducted in three stages: at the test score level (raw and adjusted scores), at the cognitive domain level, and stratified by hospitalization status during infection. Results at the test-score level indicate that cognitive performance remains relatively stable across assessments at the group level, with no significant improvements in any adjusted test scores at follow-up. Cognitive domain analyses indicate significant reductions in attention and executive functioning impairment, while memory impairment is slower to resolve. On self-report measures, there was a significant improvement in overall health ratings at follow-up. Finally, those hospitalized during infection performed worse on timed cognitive measures across visits and accounted for a larger proportion of cases with short-term and working memory impairment at follow-up. Overall, our findings indicate that cognitive difficulties persist both at test score and cognitive domain levels in many cases of post COVID-19 condition, but evidence suggests some improvement in global measures of attention, executive functioning and overall self-rated health. Furthermore, an effect of hospitalization on cognitive symptoms post COVID-19 may be more discernible over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examining the relationship between the responses of a number of different cognitive trainings on cognitive functioning in middle-aged and elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment. Randomized controlled experimental studies published publicly from the time of inception to October 30, 2023 were searched through Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library databases. Traditional and network meta-analyses were performed using Stata 17.0 software. Fifty papers on 4 types of cognitive training were included. Traditional meta-analysis showed that virtual reality training (SMD = 0.53, 95% CI : [0.36,0.70], P = 0.00), neuropsychological training (SMD = 0.44, 95% CI : [0.18,0.70], P = 0.00), cognitive strategy training (SMD = 0.26, 95% CI : [0.16,0.36], P = 0.00), and cognitive behavioral therapy (SMD = 0.25, 95% CI : [0.08,0.41], P = 0.00) all had significant improvement effects on the cognitive function of middle-aged and elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment. Network meta-analysis revealed neuropsychological training as the best cognitive training, and subgroup analysis of cognitive function subdimensions showed that neuropsychological training had the best effects on working memory, lobal cognitive function, memory, and cognitive flexibility improvement. Meanwhile, virtual reality training had the best effects on processing speed, verbal ability, overall executive function, spatial cognitive ability, and attention improvement. Cognitive training can significantly improve the cognitive function of middle-aged and elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment, and neuropsychological training is the best intervention, most effective in interventions lasting more than 8 weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to compare the sensory and cognitive performance of generations of consumers using artisanal tortillas. Four groups of generational consumers were evaluated (baby boomers, generation X, Y, and Z; n = 100 consumers per generational group). Three experiments were conducted: (1) use of the intensity scale, (2) determination of dominant attributes via TDS and (3) elicited emotions and memories. The results of the first experiment showed that baby boomers, generation X and Y had the best performance in terms of discrimination and consensus. The second experiment demonstrated that generation Z consumers identified dominant attributes of texture in mouth and the other generations identified corn flavor, nixtamal flavor, and sour taste attributes as dominant. Regarding the evaluation of emotions and memories, it was observed that as generations progress, more emotions, and memories were used. In this sense, generation Z was the one that used the most negative emotions and memories. Practical Applications: Analyzing the generational effect can help researchers and tortilla manufacturers to the selection of generational consumer for the evaluation of artisanal, cross‐cultural, or industrialized foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The heterogeneous nature of cognitive impairment in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) hampers understanding of the underlying mechanisms and developing patient-tailored interventions. We aim to identify and classify cognitive profiles in PwMS, comparing these to cognitive status (preserved versus impaired). Methods: We included 1213 PwMS (72% female, age 45.4 ± 10.7 years, 83% relapsing–remitting MS). Cognitive test scores were converted to Z-scores compared to healthy controls for the functions: attention, inhibition, information processing speed (IPS), verbal fluency and verbal/visuospatial memory. Concerning cognitive status, impaired cognition (CI) was defined as performing at Z ≤ − 1.5 SD on ≥ 2 functions. Cognitive profiles were constructed using latent profile analysis on all cognitive functions. Cognitive profiles or status was classified using gradient boosting decision trees, providing the importance of each feature (demographics, clinical, cognitive and psychological functioning) for the overall classification. Results: Six profiles were identified, showing variations in overall performance and specific deficits (attention, inhibition, IPS, verbal fluency, verbal memory and visuospatial memory). Across the profiles, IPS was the most impaired function (%CI most preserved profile, Profile 1 = 22.4%; %CI most impaired profile, Profile 6 = 76.6%). Cognitive impairment varied from 11.8% in Profile 1 to 95.3% in Profile 6. Of all cognitive functions, visuospatial memory was most important in classifying profiles and IPS the least (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.910). For cognitive status, IPS was the most important classifier (AUC = 0.997). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that cognitive heterogeneity in MS reflects a continuum of cognitive severity, distinguishable by distinct cognitive profiles, primarily explained by variations in visuospatial memory functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An increasing number of studies suggest adverse effects of exposure to ambient air pollution on cognitive function, but the evidence is still limited. We investigated the associations between long-term exposure to air pollutants and cognitive function in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) cohort of older adults. Methods: Our sample included 8,883 individuals from ELSA, based on a nationally representative study of people aged ≥ 50 years, followed-up from 2002 until 2017. Exposure to air pollutants was modelled by the CMAQ-urban dispersion model and assigned to the participants' residential postcodes. Cognitive test scores of memory and executive function were collected biennially. The associations between these cognitive measures and exposure to ambient concentrations of NO2, PM10, PM2.5 and ozone were investigated using mixed-effects models adjusted for time-varying age, physical activity and smoking status, as well as baseline gender and level of education. Results: Increasing long-term exposure per interquartile range (IQR) of NO2 (IQR: 13.05 μg/m3), PM10 (IQR: 3.35 μg/m3) and PM2.5 (IQR: 2.7 μg/m3) were associated with decreases in test scores of composite memory by -0.10 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.14, -0.07), -0.02 [-0.04, -0.01] and -0.08 [-0.11, -0.05], respectively. The same increases in NO2, PM10 and PM2.5 were associated with decreases in executive function score of -0.31 [-0.38, -0.23], -0.05 [-0.08, -0.02] and -0.16 [-0.22, -0.10], respectively. The association with ozone was inverse across both tests. Similar results were reported for the London-dwelling sub-sample of participants. Conclusions: The present study was based on a long follow-up with several repeated measurements per cohort participant and long-term air pollution exposure assessment at a fine spatial scale. Increasing long-term exposure to NO2, PM10 and PM2.5 was associated with a decrease in cognitive function in older adults in England. This evidence can inform policies related to modifiable environmental exposures linked to cognitive decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Despite evidence from preclinical studies suggesting estrogen’s neuroprotective effects, the use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) to support cognitive function remains controversial. Methods: We used random-effect meta-analysis and multi-level metaregression to derive pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (C.I.) from 34 randomized controlled trials, including 14,914 treated and 12,679 placebo participants. Results: Associations between MHT and cognitive function in some domains and tests of interest varied by formulation and treatment timing. While MHT had no overall effects on cognitive domain scores, treatment for surgical menopause, mostly estrogen-only therapy, improved global cognition (SMD=1.575, 95% CI 0.228, 2.921; P=0.043) compared to placebo. When initiated specifically in midlife or close to menopause onset, estrogen therapy was associated with improved verbal memory (SMD=0.394, 95% CI 0.014, 0.774; P=0.046), while late-life initiation had no effects. Overall, estrogen-progestogen therapy for spontaneous menopause was associated with a decline in Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) scores as compared to placebo, with most studies administering treatment in a late-life population (SMD=-1.853, 95% CI -2.974, -0.733; P = 0.030). In analysis of timing of initiation, estrogen-progestogen therapy had no significant effects in midlife but was associated with improved verbal memory in late-life (P = 0.049). Duration of treatment >1 year was associated with worsening in visual memory as compared to shorter duration. Analysis of individual cognitive tests yielded more variable results of positive and negative effects associated with MHT. Discussion: These findings suggest time-dependent effects of MHT on certain aspects of cognition, with variations based on formulation and timing of initiation, underscoring the need for further research with larger samples and more homogeneous study designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the cognitive function of myths about partner violence against women in the social perception of a case that caused a media frenzy in Spain: the documentary story 'Rocío Carrasco. Contar la verdad para seguir viva' ('Rocío Carrasco: Telling the Truth to Stay Alive'). We studied the relationship between these myths and the credibility and blame attributed to Rocío Carrasco. We also tested different explanatory mechanisms of these associations: the warmth/competence qualities of the victim and the different motivations attributed to her in the documentary (monetary, the quest for justice, revenge and emotional recovery). The results showed that the participants (N = 295) who adhered more to the myths attributed less credibility and more blame to Rocío Carrasco. Moreover, we found that her perceived warmth (but not her competence) and the attribution of different motivations mediated these relationships. Using a current media case, these findings enable us to learn more about both the cognitive function of myths about the perception of gender violence and possible explanatory mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An increasing number of adults are over the age of 65, and there is concern about the increasing prevalence of age-associated cognitive decline and poor mental health status in older adults in the United States. Several nutrients are known to have important biological roles in brain health and neurological function, but many individuals fall short of recommended intake levels. The objective of this study was to examine the association between nutrient intake and cognitive function. We also explored whether nutrient intake was associated with depression. Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2014 and included participants ≥ 60 years of age who had reliable day 1 dietary recall data and either valid cognitive function data (n = 2713) or valid depression score data (n = 2943). The sample was stratified by gender, and cognitive functioning test (CFT) composite z-scores were analyzed by quartiles. Depression status was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Results: Higher intake and adequacy of a number of different nutrients from food were associated with higher cognitive function in both males and females. Nutrients that showed the most consistent associations with cognitive function across intake and adequacy analyses for food in both males and females were vitamin A, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, potassium, zinc, vitamin K, and lutein and zeaxanthin (p < 0.05 for all). These associations were positive with increasing intake and adequacy being associated with higher CFT composite z-scores. Analysis of nutrient intake and depression yielded results that differed by gender. In females, the nutrients that showed consistent inverse associations with depression scores across both intake and adequacy analyses for food were vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, vitamin K, potassium, and dietary fiber (p < 0.05 for all). In males, no significant associations between nutrient intake from food and depression scores were observed. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that older adults with sufficient intakes of certain essential nutrients have higher cognitive function. Future studies are needed to confirm whether a well-balanced diet and/or dietary supplements which emphasize these nutrients are effective for prevention of age-related declines in cognitive function and mood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moving from a behavioral definition of intelligence, which describes it as the ability to adapt to the surrounding environment and deal effectively with new situations (Anastasi, 1986), this paper explains to what extent the performance obtained by ChatGPT in the linguistic domain can be considered as intelligent behavior and to what extent they cannot. It also explains in what sense the hypothesis of decoupling between cognitive and problem-solving abilities, proposed by Floridi (2017) and Floridi and Chiriatti (2020) should be interpreted. The problem of symbolic grounding (Harnad, 1990) is then addressed to show the problematic relationship between ChatGPT and the natural environment, and thus the impossibility for it to understand the symbols it manipulates. To explain the reasons why ChatGPT does not succeed in this task, an investigation is carried out and a possible solution to the problem in the artificial domain is proposed by making a comparison with the natural ability of living beings to ground their own meanings from some basic cognitive-sensory aspects, which, it is explained, are directly related to the emergence of self-awareness in humans. Thus, the question is raised whether a possible and concrete solution to the Symbol Grounding Problem would involve in the artificial domain the development of cognitive abilities fully comparable to those of humans. Finally, I explain the difficulties that would have to be overcome before such a level could be reached, since human cognitive capacities are intimately linked to intersubjectivity and intercorporeality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One's working memory process is a fundamental cognitive activity which often serves as an indicator of brain disease and cognitive impairment. In this research, the approach to evaluate working memory ability by means of electroencephalography (EEG) analysis was proposed. The result shows that the EEG signals of subjects share some characteristics when performing working memory tasks. Through correlation analysis, a working memory model describes the changes in EEG signals within alpha, beta and gamma waves, which shows an inverse tendency compared to Zen meditation. The working memory ability of subjects can be predicted using multi-linear support vector regression (SVR) with fuzzy C-mean (FCM) clustering and knowledge-based fuzzy support vector regression (FSVR), which reaches the mean square error of 0.6 in our collected data. The latter, designed based on the working memory model, achieves the best performance. The research provides the insight of the working memory process from the EEG aspect to become an example of cognitive function analysis and prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In compliance with the priorities determined by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the present article attempts to address selected aspects that pertain to the role of young learners' cognitive abilities, which are brain-work related skills that individuals develop. This study is interdisciplinary in nature and is backed up by selected theoretical contributions that pertain to meaning construction in language use in intersection with the analysis of slight cognitive level impairment instances, which might result in learners' language perception and production difficulties, where slight cognitive impairment is understood not as illness but as a signal of speaking or comprehension problems, behavioural and mood changes, or memory and concentration fade. Several factors can cause manifestation of slight cognitive impairment in the processes of language perception and production. To investigate why several traits of this impairment type might develop in learners, the authors of this article have studied selected instances that refer to spoken language disorders in a sample group of young learners who were brought up in Latvian repatriate families and who repatriated to Latvia from western countries in the period between 2021 and 2022. As a result, the study has drawn its conclusion: within the framework of the tasks set by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, young learners' cognitive ability manifestation enhances their role in society and depends on: a) objective factors, for example, background knowledge of spoken language production principles, b) subjective factors, for example, language procession adequacy, which in certain groups of learners might be lowered due to some factors deriving from slight cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To analyze the cognitive profile of a clinical sample using the Mex-Cog cognitive battery and establish which cognitive measures and domains contribute most to group separation. Materials and methods. A group of 145 older adults previously diagnosed with dementia (n= 47), mild cognitive impairment MCI (n= 47), or as cognitively normal (n= 51) were assessed with the Mex-Cog cognitive battery. Six linear discriminant analyses (LDA) were estimated to compare dementia vs. cognitively normal, MCI vs. cognitively normal, and MCI vs. dementia, using ten individual measures and six cognitive domains. We used a leave-one-out cross-validation procedure to evaluate the predictive capacity of LDA models. Results. Discriminant functions using individual measures and domains distinguished correctly 100% of dementia and cognitively normal groups showing a memory and executive function profile. The predictive group membership for MCI versus cognitively normal varied between 82 and 85%, with a cognitive profile associated with attention-executive function followed by memory. Group separation between MCI and dementia was between 80 and 87%, characterized by orientation, memory, and visuospatial abilities. Conclusions. The Mex-Cog cognitive battery is useful for identifying cognitive impairment in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper designs and analyzes a novel single-channel cognitive radio retrial queueing network wherein a waiting line buffer is deployed for secondary users (SUs). A finite source system generates the primary users (PUs). Apart from these, PUs having preemptive priority over SUs, the effect of retrial/repeated attempts of PUs is taken into consideration. In such a system, the stability condition and the joint steady-state probability distribution of PUs and SUs are studied by using the matrix-analytic method. Several performance metrics of interest, such as blocking probability, throughput, mean waiting time, etc., have been determined. The first-passage time to reach a congestion level in the SUs waiting line buffer and its related characteristics are investigated by employing the first-step principle. In addition, correlation coefficients for various events of SUs and PUs during this period have been assessed. Finally, extensive numerical results are presented graphically for the system insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with stress-related mental disorders often report cognitive impairment, but studies investigating objective cognitive impairment in patients with stress-related disorders have produced inconsistent findings. Aim: The primary aim of this study was to investigate objective cognitive functioning in patients diagnosed with the stress-related disorders adjustment disorder or exhaustion disorder, compared to a healthy normative group. Secondary aims were to conduct subgroup analyses of cognitive functioning between the diagnostic groups and explore associations between self-reported symptoms and cognitive functioning. Methods: Cognitive test results on a digitally self-administered cognitive test battery from 266 patients (adjustment disorder, n = 131; exhaustion disorder, n = 135) were cross-sectionally compared with results from a healthy normative group (N = 184 to 692) using one-tailed t-tests. ANOVAs were conducted for subgroup analyses, and regression analyses for associations between self-reported symptoms and cognitive functioning. Effect sizes were calculated. Results: Patients performed significantly worse than the normative group on all measures with small to moderate effect sizes ranging from d = -.13 to -.57. Those diagnosed with exhaustion disorder performed worse than norms on more measures than did patients with adjustment disorder, but no significant differences between diagnostic groups were found on any measure. Self-reported memory impairment was weakly associated with one of two memory measures. No clear associations between self-reported burnout symptoms and objective cognitive functioning were found. Conclusions: This study adds to the literature indicative of small to moderate objective cognitive impairments in patients diagnosed with stress-related mental disorders. Further exploration into mechanisms of cognitive functioning in different populations is needed for development of theoretical models that may explain the weak correlation between self-reported symptoms and objective measures. Trial registration: ClinicalTrial.gov: NCT04797273. Trial registration date 15 March 2021. This study was also pre-registered on Open Science Framework (osf.io) with https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/TQXZV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognition is the practice of processing knowledge through mental processes. Understanding cognitive functions of the brain in young children helps in identifying neurodevelopmental disorders at early stages. Most studies used to diagnose neurodevelopmental disorders are based on behavioral scales. But most children with neurodevelopmental disorders are non-verbal. Thus, the goal of this research is to perform a task-based analysis of cognitive skills in children using electroencephalographic (EEG) signals. Spectral and fractal features of the EEG signals were acquired from pre-primary school children (N = 1 5) during arithmetic and path-finding cognitive tasks. The acquired signals were decomposed into various sub-bands. Investigations on the time-domain Higuchi Fractal Dimension (HFD) analysis and frequency domain Power Spectrum Analysis features demonstrated the dominance of the Theta band over the other subbands. The frontal electrode exhibited more workload in the arithmetic task, indicating the involvement of frontal regions and the temporal areas (T8) which were actively involved throughout the path-finding task, showing the activity related to spatial perception and navigation. Thus, the statistical information obtained from the spectral and fractal analyses seems to provide quantitative evidence of the variations in cognitive skills of young children thereby enhancing inferences about neurodevelopmental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive impairment is the main factor in the poor prognosis of schizophrenia, but its mechanism remains unclear. The inferior parietal lobule (IPL) is related to various clinical symptoms and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. We aimed to explore the relationship between IPL-related functions and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. Methods: 136 schizophrenia patients and 146 demographically matched healthy controls were enrolled for a cross-sectional study. High-spatial-resolution structural and resting-state functional images were acquired to demonstrate the alternations of brain structure and function. At the same time, the digit span and digit symbol coding tasks of the Chinese Wechsler Adult Intelligence Test Revised (WAIS-RC) were utilized in assessing the subjects' cognitive function. Patients were divided into cognitive impairment and normal cognitive groups according to their cognitive score and then compared whether there were differences between the three groups in fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF). In addition, we did a correlation analysis between cognitive function and the fALFF for the left IPL of patients and healthy controls. Based on the Allen Human Brain Atlas, we obtained genes expressed in the left IPL, which were then intersected with the transcriptome-wide association study results and differentially expressed genes in schizophrenia. Results: Grouping of patients by the backward digit span task and the digit symbol coding task showed differences in fALFF values between healthy controls and cognitive impairment patients (P < 0.05). We found a negative correlation between the backward digit span task score and fALFF of the left IPL in healthy controls (r = − 0.388, P = 0.003), which was not seen in patients (r = 0.203, P = 0.020). In addition, none of the other analyses were statistically significant (P > 0.017). In addition, we found that diacylglycerol kinase ζ (DGKζ) is differentially expressed in the left IPL and associated with schizophrenia. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that the left IPL plays a vital role in cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. DGKζ may act as an essential regulator in the left IPL of schizophrenia patients with cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An adequate diagnosis starting the industrial sales process can take the commercial performance of the sellers and the results of the companies to a higher level, since, by clarifying the repertoire of possibilities available with the appropriate tools, decision-making is favored by reducing the dependence on chance. They are set as objectives: to differentiate the environment analysis as a cognitive competence for the construction of possibilities; secondly, to propose the different techniques and methodological tools that allow to know the behavior of the actors, the dynamics and the reality that configure a certain high-risk industrial context and high complexity (B2B). Additionally, an exercise is shown for quality control in economic decision-making, and various tools adapted to sales. A mixed epistemological approach (qualitative and quantitative) was considered according to the type of methods and tools described for the analyzes produced, with depth in the documentary review. The results express that a successful commercial management is not only based on intuition and experience, but these approximations to reality can also be biased or lead to errors. Finally, the analysis of the environment is outlined according to its level, supported by organizational technologies and the respective conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a cognitive view on sentence stress patterns to discuss focus elements in both broad and narrow focus contexts. The cognitive perspective is based on the hypothesis that prosodic phrases correspond at the cortical level to cognitive binary relations between speech objects of utterances. On this view, cognitive relations are produced by a generic information packaging (IPk) mechanism that pairs constituents with different cognitive functions. At the utterance level, cognitive relations are implemented by prosodic phrases (relations) where different pitch features mark their two functional constituents. Our proposal is to assign sentence stress patterns with corresponding cognitive structural patterns of utterances. One of the two constituents of cognitive and prosodic relations is nuclear and projects its cognitive function to the whole cognitive unit which it belongs to. The paper proposes a nuclear accent analysis by connecting the cognitive functions of constituents with their phonetic/phonological features. The contours analyzed in the paper as hierarchies of cognitive/prosodic relations are selected from those used by Ladd (2008) to exemplify sentence stress patterns in broad focus statements with ascending and descending contours, and in contrastive focus statements. We conclude that, in the new perspective, different cognitive structural patterns can be assigned to contrastive/broad focus statements in different semantic contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term persistent symptoms of COVID-19 affect 30–80% of patients who have recovered from the disease and may continue for a long time after the disease has been overcome. The duration of these symptoms over time might have consequences that affect different aspects of health, such as cognitive abilities. The main objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to objectify the persistent COVID-19 cognitive deficits after acute phase of infection and to summarize the existing evidence. Additionally, we aimed to provide a comprehensive overview to further understand and address the consequences of this disease. Our protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021260286). Systematic research was conducted in the Web of Science, MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases from January 2020 to September 2021. Twenty-five studies were included, six of which were analyzed for the meta-analysis, and consisted of 175 patients who had recovered from COVID-19 and 275 healthy individuals. Analyses of cognitive performance of post-COVID-19 patients and healthy volunteers were compared using a random-effects model. The results showed an overall medium–high effect size (g = −.68, p =.02) with a 95% CI (−1.05 to −.31), with a significantly moderate level of heterogeneity among studies (Z = 3.58, p <.001; I2 = 63%). The results showed that individuals who had recovered from COVID-19 showed significant cognitive deficits compared to controls. Future studies should carefully assess the long-term progression of cognitive impairments in patients with persistent COVID-19 symptoms, as well as the effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions. Nevertheless, there is an urgent need to know the profile to speed up development of prevention plans as well as specific interventions. Since more information is being obtained and more studies are being conducted on the subject, the need to examine this symptomatology multidisciplinary to achieve greater scientific evidence of its incidence and prevalence has become increasingly clear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite evidence that it exists, short-term within-individual variability in cognitive performance has largely been ignored as a meaningful component of human cognitive ability. In this article, we build a case for why this within-individual variability should not be viewed as mere measurement error and why it should be construed as a meaningful component of an individual's cognitive abilities. We argue that in a demanding and rapidly changing modern world, between-individual analysis of single-occasion cognitive test scores does not account for the full range of within-individual cognitive performance variation that is implicated in successful typical cognitive performance. We propose that short-term repeated-measures paradigms (e.g., the experience sampling method (ESM)) be used to develop a process account of why individuals with similar cognitive ability scores differ in their actual performance in typical environments. Finally, we outline considerations for researchers when adapting this paradigm for cognitive assessment and present some initial findings from two studies in our lab that piloted the use of ESM to assess within-individual cognitive performance variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to perform a comparative analysis of the cognitive functioning of a group of cannabis users and healthy controls, by applying neuropsychological tests and potential events related to mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3a in a 32-channel EEG, and evaluate its association with consumption characteristics. The sample consisted of 21 cannabis users (CN) and 22 healthy controls (SN) between 18 and 35 years old. The CN group scored higher on the WMS-III IA word list and Stroop time part A, while the SN group had reduced P3a amplitude in F3, C3, and FCZ and higher latency in F4. In relation to the characteristics of consumption, abstinence from cannabis presented a strong correlation with the percentage of retention in verbal memory, the latency of MMNd/P3a in C4 and the amplitude of P3a in F3, while the number of cannabis cigarettes presented a strong correlation with the latency of P3a in FCZ. In conclusion, our findings corroborate the presence of specific alterations. P3a stands out as a possible neurophysiological marker in clinical and translational research in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of research recently suggested the association between vestibular dysfunction and cognitive impairment. Meniere's disease (MD), a common clinical vestibular disorder, is usually accompanied by hearing loss and emotional stress, both of which may mediate the relationship between vestibule dysfunction and cognition. It is currently unknown whether the cognitive decline in MD patients could improve through treatment and how it relates to multiple clinical characteristics, particularly the severity of vertigo. Therefore, in the present study, the MD patients were followed up for 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment, and the cognitive functions, vertigo symptoms, and related physical, functional, and emotional effects of the patients were assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), aiming to explore the change in cognition before and after therapy and the correlation with various clinical features. It was found that cognitive decline in MD patients compared to healthy controls before therapy. Importantly, this cognitive impairment could improve after effective therapy, which was related to the severity of vertigo, especially in functional and physical impacts. Our results support the view that vestibular dysfunction is a potentially modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research and innovations in the field of wearable auxiliary devices for visually impaired and blind people are playing a vital role towards improving their quality of life. However, in spite of the promising research outcomes, the existing wearable aids has several weaknesses such as more weight, limitations in the number of features and cost. The main objective of this manuscript is to provide the detailed design of a novel lightweight wearable aid with higher number of features for visually impaired and blind people. The proposed research aims to design a cognitive assistant that will guide the blind people for walking by detecting the environment around them. The framework include a Multi-Sensor Fused Navigation system comprises of a sensor-based, vision-based, and cognitive (intelligent/smart) application. The visual features for the design include obstacle detection, uneven surface detection, slope and downward steps detection, pothole detection and hallow object detection; location tracking, walking guide, image capturing and video recording. This prototype is named as Blind's Apron based on its appearance. The invention focusses on parameters like reduction on size (quite handy) and light weight (comfortable to wear), higher number of detection features, and minimum user intervention (high end operations like switching on and off). All user interactions are friendly and affordable to everyone. The results obtained in this research lead to a high end technical intervention with ease of use. Finally, the performance of the proposed cognitive assistant is tested with a user study in real-time. The feedback and corresponding results establish the effective outcome of the proposed invention which is a light weight and feature enhanced device with easily understandable instructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outage performance of the cognitive relay networks is analyzed based on simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) and non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA). The analytical expressions of overall outage probability and asymptotic expressions on high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are derived for the direct link transmission mode and the two-stage communication transmission mode. The analytical expressions are validated by Monte-Carlo simulations. The simulation results demonstrate that the outage performance is improved by through the direct link transmission. Furthermore, compared with the conventional cognitive relay networks with orthogonal multiple access (OMA), superior outage performance and high energy efficiency are achieved for the cognitive relay networks based on SWIPT-NOMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cognitive dysfunction related to opioid use disorder (OUD) requires investigation of the interconnected network of cognitive domains through behavioral experiments and graph data modeling. Methods: We conducted n-back, selective and divided attention, and Wisconsin card sorting tests and reconstructed the interactive cognitive network of subscales or domains for individuals who use opioids and controls to identify the most central cognitive functions and their connections using graph model analysis. Each two subscales with significant correlations were connected by an edge that incorporated in formation of interactive networks. Each network was analyzed topologically based on the betweenness and closeness centrality measures. Results: Results from the network reconstructed for individuals who use opioids show that in the divided attention module, reaction time and number of commission errors were the most central subscales of cognitive function. Whereas in controls, the number of correct responses and commission errors were the most central cognitive measure. We found that the subscale measures of divided attention module are significantly correlated with those of other tests. These findings corroborate that persons who use opioids show impaired divided attention as higher reaction time and errors in performing tasks. Divided attention is the most central cognitive function in both OUD subjects and controls, although differences were observed between the two groups in various subscales. Discussion: Although equal proportions of males and females may be used in future studies, divided attention and its subscales may be the most promising target for cognitive therapies, treatments and rehabilitation as their improvement can enhance overall cognitive domain performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligence scales are widely used for cognitive profile analyses in the diagnosis of learning disabilities. The purpose of this study was to explore the cognitive profiles of children with learning disabilities on a new test of intelligence, the Anadolu-Sak Intelligence Scale. The intelligence test was administered to 89 children diagnosed with general learning disabilities. A matched control group (N = 92) was randomly selected from the norm sample. Data analyses included latent profile analyses and comparisons of scores across groups and within-group comparisons. The findings showed that the mean general intelligence and means of the verbal and visual ability of children with learning disabilities were in the average range but closer to the lower boundary. The mean of working memory was slighdy below the average range and significantly lower than the mean of the matched control group, latent profile analyses showed three distinct profiles: the zigzag profile, the wavy profile, the and waterfall profile. The only weakness shared by the three profiles is visual sequential processing memory. The results imply that weak sequential processing memory may contribute to learning disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain-Computer Interaction (BCI) has become a popular field of research interest. It has some applications such as medical diagnosis, emotion recognition, performance assessment and education are one of them. When used consistently with various learning methodologies for higher academic accomplishment in terms of cognitive attention, BCI-based Neurosky mind wave wireless technology may enhance students' learning and cognitive abilities. It can provide a thorough grasp of how the brain functions, which could enhance learning techniques and boost brain-based talents. This paper shows the analysis of attention of students with respect to various learning activities such as Gaming and Math solving using Neurosky mind wave device. So, according to our result analysis, were showed that girls are more attentive in math solving whereas boys are more attentive in Gaming, and also Final statistics of attention such as mean, max and min values of attention is more in Gaming as compare to math problem solving. This study will help students to analyze the cognitive state of attention during learning activities and also to boost the student's mental reasoning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the pitfalls of performance analysis in investigating cognitive processing during second language (L2) learning. The problems that we discuss in this paper are twofold: (1) Assuming psychological variables to be ontological entities without meeting the criteria for ontological reality and (2) Inappropriateness of assessing abilities based on learner's speaking or writing performance to investigate cognitive processes. By addressing these problems, we argue that some latent variables postulated by observing L2 performance do not exist in reality and emphasize the difficulty of interpreting cognitive mechanisms through performance analysis. We also enumerate some problems that arise from the epistemological perspectives of previous research practice (e.g., the bifurcation of contradictory hypotheses and their indeterminacy). Finally, two alternative approaches treating L2 performance are proposed. The implications of this line of discussion for future research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cooperative group activity (CGA) and shared intentionality are two phenomena whereby two or more individuals engage in an activity with the intention that the group will succeed, that is, to act as a "we. " This ability to act together as a "we" is an important human psychological feature and has been argued to demarcate an important developmental step. Many CGA and shared intentionality theories have centered around philosophical problems of what counts as a "we" and how to give a cognitively plausible account of children's engagement in such activities, e.g., pretend play by toddlers. The aims of this paper are (i) to highlight the importance of distinguishing between creating and sustaining a CGA, since they require different cognitive abilities, (ii) to give a cognitively plausible account of the creation of a CGA, and iii) to present a formal framework of the sustainability of a CGA that can illuminate how engagement in a CGA stimulates cognitive change in its members. In the first part (section Creating cooperative group activity) of the paper, several theoretical problems are discussed, including the common knowledge problem, the jointness problem, the central problem, and the cognitively plausible explanation problem. The section ends with a cognitively plausible account of the creation of a CGA. The second part (section Sustainability of cooperative group activity) of the paper presents a formal framework of belief compatibility and trust relations. It explores how engagement in a CGA places certain cognitive constraints on its members while stimulating cognitive change and development. The paper ends with a discussion of empirical postulations derived from this account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive performance changes during the lifespan, but the information is gathered from studies on separate age cohorts. Computerized neurocognitive testing enables efficient and similar assessments for all ages. We investigated (i) the effect of age at different stages of life and (ii) intergenerational correlations across cognitive domains in the multigenerational Young Finns Study.Participants in three familiarly related generations (n = 6486, aged 7–92 years) performed the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Overall cognitive performance and domains representing learning and memory, working memory, information processing, and reaction time were extracted by common principal component analysis from the cognitive data with several age groups. Linear models were used to study the association of age, sex, and education with overall cognitive performance and in the cognitive domains. Age-adjusted intergenerational correlations were calculated.Learning and memory peaked earlier during the lifespan compared to working memory and information processing, and the rate of decline toward old age differed by domain. Weak intergenerational correlations existed between two consecutive generations but were nonsignificant between grandparents and grandchildren. There was no systematic sex-specific transmission in any cognitive domain.This study describes the natural course of cognitive performance across the lifespan and proves that cognitive performance changes differently across cognitive domains with weak intergenerational transmission.Methods: Cognitive performance changes during the lifespan, but the information is gathered from studies on separate age cohorts. Computerized neurocognitive testing enables efficient and similar assessments for all ages. We investigated (i) the effect of age at different stages of life and (ii) intergenerational correlations across cognitive domains in the multigenerational Young Finns Study.Participants in three familiarly related generations (n = 6486, aged 7–92 years) performed the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Overall cognitive performance and domains representing learning and memory, working memory, information processing, and reaction time were extracted by common principal component analysis from the cognitive data with several age groups. Linear models were used to study the association of age, sex, and education with overall cognitive performance and in the cognitive domains. Age-adjusted intergenerational correlations were calculated.Learning and memory peaked earlier during the lifespan compared to working memory and information processing, and the rate of decline toward old age differed by domain. Weak intergenerational correlations existed between two consecutive generations but were nonsignificant between grandparents and grandchildren. There was no systematic sex-specific transmission in any cognitive domain.This study describes the natural course of cognitive performance across the lifespan and proves that cognitive performance changes differently across cognitive domains with weak intergenerational transmission.Results: Cognitive performance changes during the lifespan, but the information is gathered from studies on separate age cohorts. Computerized neurocognitive testing enables efficient and similar assessments for all ages. We investigated (i) the effect of age at different stages of life and (ii) intergenerational correlations across cognitive domains in the multigenerational Young Finns Study.Participants in three familiarly related generations (n = 6486, aged 7–92 years) performed the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Overall cognitive performance and domains representing learning and memory, working memory, information processing, and reaction time were extracted by common principal component analysis from the cognitive data with several age groups. Linear models were used to study the association of age, sex, and education with overall cognitive performance and in the cognitive domains. Age-adjusted intergenerational correlations were calculated.Learning and memory peaked earlier during the lifespan compared to working memory and information processing, and the rate of decline toward old age differed by domain. Weak intergenerational correlations existed between two consecutive generations but were nonsignificant between grandparents and grandchildren. There was no systematic sex-specific transmission in any cognitive domain.This study describes the natural course of cognitive performance across the lifespan and proves that cognitive performance changes differently across cognitive domains with weak intergenerational transmission.Conclusion: Cognitive performance changes during the lifespan, but the information is gathered from studies on separate age cohorts. Computerized neurocognitive testing enables efficient and similar assessments for all ages. We investigated (i) the effect of age at different stages of life and (ii) intergenerational correlations across cognitive domains in the multigenerational Young Finns Study.Participants in three familiarly related generations (n = 6486, aged 7–92 years) performed the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Overall cognitive performance and domains representing learning and memory, working memory, information processing, and reaction time were extracted by common principal component analysis from the cognitive data with several age groups. Linear models were used to study the association of age, sex, and education with overall cognitive performance and in the cognitive domains. Age-adjusted intergenerational correlations were calculated.Learning and memory peaked earlier during the lifespan compared to working memory and information processing, and the rate of decline toward old age differed by domain. Weak intergenerational correlations existed between two consecutive generations but were nonsignificant between grandparents and grandchildren. There was no systematic sex-specific transmission in any cognitive domain.This study describes the natural course of cognitive performance across the lifespan and proves that cognitive performance changes differently across cognitive domains with weak intergenerational transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satisfying the quality of service (QoS) requirements of users in the form of channel availability and service retainability within the resource limited environment has been a major problem in cognitive radio networks. In this connection, several research studies have been carried out in the literature to improve the QoS of users by proposing dynamic channel reservation algorithms. However, the studies have a number of limitations in their conceptual and mathematical modeling of channel availability and service retainability, which render their performance evaluation unreliable. In this paper, we address these limitations for leading to more realistic, reliable, and practically valid modeling. For conceptual modeling, we use connection availability in place of channel availability, motivated by the fact that the latter does not necessarily lead to a successful establishment of connection and, thus, is not a suitable performance indicator. For instance, obtaining a channel for transmission is of no avail if the intended receiver is inaccessible. Similarly, we consider service retainability with accessibility/inaccessibility of the intended receiver incorporated. For mathematical modeling, we use CTMC and the resultant closed from expressions to include all the required states of channel availability yet unsuccessful connection establishment. Additionally, we derive closed form equations for channel availability and service retainability that are in exact conformance with the CTMC model. Results confirm that considering the impact of receiver's accessibility leads to performance difference for the channel availability and service retainability presented in the sate-of-the-art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The difference of cognitive function between home-based elderly care and non-home-based elderly care is analyzed based on propensity score matching (PSM) method in this paper. Logistic regression is used to screen out the matching variables, and PSM is used to match the data. The balance test is also carried out. And independent t-test analysis is carried out on the data after matching processing to analyze the difference of cognitive function of the elderly under different elderly care models. The study result shows that there are significant differences in the cognitive function of the elderly residents under different elderly care models. The elderly residents who are in home-based elderly care have better cognitive function than those who are in other elderly care models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multitasking is a critical feature of our daily lives. Using a dual-task paradigm, this experiment explored adults’ abilities to simultaneously engage in everyday motor and cognitive activities, counting while walking, under conditions varying the difficulty of each of these tasks. Motor difficulty was manipulated by having participants walk forward versus backward, and cognitive difficulty was manipulated by having participants count forward versus backward, employing either a serial 2s or serial 3s task. All of these manipulations were performed in single-task conditions (walk only, count only) and dual-task conditions (walk and count simultaneously). Both motor performance variables (cycle time, stride length, walking velocity) and cognitive variables (counting fluency, counting accuracy) were assessed in these conditions. Analyses of single-task conditions revealed that both motor and cognitive manipulations predictably influenced performance. Analyses of dual-task performance revealed influences of motor and cognitive factors on both motor and cognitive performance. Most centrally, dual-task costs (normalized difference between single- and dual-task conditions) for motor variables revealed that such costs occurred primarily for temporal or spatiotemporal gait parameters (cycle time, walking velocity) and were driven by cognitive manipulations. Dual-task cost analyses for cognitive measures revealed negative dual-task costs, or dual-task benefits, for cognitive performance. Finally, the effects of dual-task manipulations were correlated for motor and cognitive measures, indicating dual-task performance as a significant individual difference variable. These findings are discussed with reference to theories of attentional allocation, as well as the possible role of auditory–motor entrainment in dual-task conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, cognitive ability was classified into memory ability, representational ability, information processing ability, logical reasoning ability, and thinking conversion ability, and analyzed the effects of these five ability values on academic achievement. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the moderating effect of Self-monitoring between cognitive ability and Academic Achievement, using students’ Self-monitoring as moderating variables. The results of the study showed that cognitive ability can significantly and positively affect academic achievement, while Self-monitoring can significantly moderate the effect of cognitive ability on academic performance, with a significant moderating effect on math subjects and English subjects among achievement subjects, and the higher the value of cognitive ability, the stronger the moderating effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this paper, we study high spectrum efficiency transmission in vehicle to everything (V2X) system to allow the roadside unit (RSU) broadcasts its safety information to vehicles which belong to a dedicated group. However, low latency and high reliability are tightly required in related applications of V2X; we explore advantages of cognitive radio (CR) and non‐orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) to form system, namely, CR NOMA‐V2X. Such considered system provides transmissions from the RSU to vehicles with respect to lower access latency and to enhance the packet reception probability. In the proposed scheme, the vehicles need channel state information (CSI) for signal decoding order, but we face with imperfect CSI occurs in practical scenarios. To evaluate such degraded system performance of the involved CR NOMA‐V2X, we introduce the approximate closed‐form expressions of outage probability. Numerical results indicate the validness of our derivations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using real-world register data for identifying persons with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to describe their cognitive performance at the time of diagnosis. Patients diagnosed with AD during 2010-2013 (aged 60-81 years) were identified from the Finnish national health registers and enlarged with a smaller private sector sample (total n = 1,268). Patients with other disorders impacting cognition were excluded. Detailed clinical and cognitive screening data (the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease neuropsychological battery [CERAD-nb]) were obtained from local health records. Adequate cognitive data were available for 389 patients with mild AD (31%) of the entire AD group. The main reasons for not including patients in analyses of cognitive performance were AD diagnosis at a moderate/severe stage (n = 266, 21%), AD diagnosis given before full register coverage (n = 152, 12%), and missing CERAD-nb data (n = 139, 11%). The cognitive performance of persons with late-onset AD (n = 284), mixed cerebrovascular disease and AD (n = 51), and other AD subtypes (n = 54) was compared with that of a non-demented sample (n = 1980) from the general population. Compared with the other AD groups, patients with late-onset AD performed the worst in word list recognition, while patients with mixed cerebrovascular disease and AD performed the worst in constructional praxis and clock drawing tests. A combination of national registers and local health records can be used to collect data relevant for cognitive screening; today, the process is laborious, but it could be improved in the future with refined search algorithms and electronic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The advent of 5G era and the increase of terminal's numbers have led to increasing demand for spectrum resources and energy simultaneously. Therefore, this paper studies how to combine the cognitive radio (CR) and the Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer (SWIPT) technology effectively in a multiuser scenario, in which the spectrum utilization and energy efficiency are both improved. Firstly, the system model is designed of above cognitive SWIPT system, in which the cognitive users (CU) can choose spectrum access policy based on the amount of data transmission of licensed user. And then, according to cognitive users' channel conditions and forwarding power, a concept of trust value and different relay selection policies is proposed. Subsequently, the according system ergodic capacity is analyzed. Finally, simulation results of system performance are provided to validate the analytical results. It shows that cognitive SWIPT technology can improve the system ergodic capacity and the spectrum access opportunities of cognitive users effectively, thereby improving the efficiency of energy and spectrum utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical and biochemical diversity of Parkinson's disease (PD) and numerous demographic, clinical, and pathological measures influencing cognitive function and its decline in PD create problems with the determination of effects of individual measures on cognition in PD. This is particularly the case where these measures significantly interrelate with each other producing intricate networks of direct and indirect effects on cognition. Here, we use generalized structural equation modelling (GSEM) to identify and characterize significant paths for direct and indirect effects of 14 baseline measures on global cognition in PD at baseline and at 4 years later. We consider 269 drug-naïve participants from the Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative database, diagnosed with idiopathic PD and observed for at least 4 years after baseline. Two GSEM networks are derived, highlighting the possibility of at least two different molecular pathways or two different PD sub-types, with either CSF p-tau181 or amyloid beta (1–42) being the primary protein variables potentially driving progression of cognitive decline. The models provide insights into the interrelations between the 14 baseline variables, and determined their total effects on cognition in early PD. High CSF amyloid concentrations (> 500 pg/ml) are associated with nearly full protection against cognitive decline in early PD in the whole range of baseline age between 40 and 80 years, and irrespectively of whether p-tau181 or amyloid beta (1–42) are considered as the primary protein variables. The total effect of depression on cognition is shown to be strongly amplified by PD, but not at the time of diagnosis or at prodromal stages. CSF p-tau181 protein could not be a reliable indicator of cognitive decline because of its significantly heterogeneous effects on cognition. The outcomes will enable better understanding of the roles of the clinical and pathological measures and their mutual effects on cognition in early PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family cognition is a representation of the quality of family harmony, so family cognition score is an important exercise at the family level. The research based on the hybrid Rasch model is an important reference point. This study is based on the mixed Rasch model in item response theory. Firstly, descriptive statistical analysis is carried out on the family level, which is sorted according to the total score and specific proportion, and the difficulties and differences of family members in multiple choice questions at different levels are compared. Then, the number of potential categories estimated using the hybrid rush model is discussed in two cases. In one case, the number of categories is known and the categories are more detailed, so as to facilitate comparison and promote the harmony of family members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vessel traffic service (VTS) is important to protect the safety of maritime traffic. Along with the expansion of monitoring area per VTS operator in Tokyo Bay, Japan, inexperienced operators must acquire the ability to quickly and accurately detect conditions that requires attention (CRAs) from a monitoring screen. In our previous study (Song B, Itoh H, Kawamura Y, Fukuto J (2018) Analysis of Cognitive Processes of Operators of Vessel Traffic Service. In: Proceedings of the 2018 International Association of Institutes of Navigation. IAIN 2018, pp 529–534, Song et al., J Jpn Inst Navig 140:48–54, 2019), we established a task analysis method based on the assumption that the cognitive process model consists of three stages: "situational awareness", "situation judgment", and "decision making". A simulation experiment was conducted for VTS operators with different levels of ability and their cognitive processes were compared based on the observation of eye movements. The results showed that the inexperienced operators' abilities to predict situation changes were lower. And it was considered that oral transmission of the knowledge is difficult, thus new training methods are needed to help the inexperienced operators to understand the prediction methods of experienced operators. In this study, based on the cognitive process of an experienced operator, we analyzed the prediction procedures of situation changes and developed an educational tool called vessel traffic routine (VTR). The training method learning VTR aims to quickly improve inexperienced VTS operators' abilities to predict situation changes. A simulation verification experiment of the VTR effect was conducted for four inexperienced operators, who were divided into two groups with and without prior explanation of VTR. By evaluating the cognitive processes of inexperienced operators, it was confirmed that those given prior explanations of VTR were better at detecting CRAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore an effective method to evaluate spatial cognitive ability, which can effectively extract and classify the feature of EEG signals collected from subjects participating in the virtual reality (VR) environment; and evaluate the training effect objectively and quantitatively to ensure the objectivity and accuracy of spatial cognition evaluation, according to the classification results. Therefore, a multi-dimensional conditional mutual information (MCMI) method is proposed, which could calculate the coupling strength of two channels considering the influence of other channels. The coupled characteristics of the multi-frequency combination were transformed into multi-spectral images, and the image data were classified employing the convolutional neural networks (CNN) model. The experimental results showed that the multi-spectral image transform features based on MCMI are better in classification than other methods, and among the classification results of six band combinations, the best classification accuracy of Beta1–Beta2–Gamma combination is 98.3%. The MCMI characteristics on the Beta1–Beta2–Gamma band combination can be a biological marker for the evaluation of spatial cognition. The proposed feature extraction method based on MCMI provides a new perspective for spatial cognitive ability assessment and analysis. • MCMI describes coupling feature of EEG signals for spatial cognitive evaluation well. • The classification performance is best under multiple combination frequency bands. • MCMI is a valid valuable biomarker for spatial cognitive ability evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Severe internal carotid stenosis, if left untreated, can pose serious risks for ischemic stroke and cognitive impairments. The effects of revascularization on any aspects of cognition, however, are not well understood, as conflicting results are reported, which have mainly been centered on paper‐based cognitive analyses. Here, we summarized and evaluated the publications to date of functional MRI (fMRI) studies that examined the mechanisms of functional brain activation and connectivity as a way to reflect cognitive effects of revascularization on patients with carotid stenosis. Methods: A PubMed and Google Scholar (covering the relevant literature until November 1, 2021) search yielded eight original studies of the research line, including seven resting‐state and one task‐based fMRI reports. Results: Findings demonstrated treatment‐related alterations in fMRI signal intensity and symmetry level, regional fMRI activation pattern, and functional brain network connectivity. The functional brain changes were associated largely with improvement in cognitive function assessed using standard cognitive test scores. Conclusions: These findings support the contribution of fMRI to the understanding of brain functional activation and connectivity changes revealing cognitive effects of revascularization in the management of severe carotid stenosis. The review also highlighted the importance of reproducibility through enhancing experimental designs and cognitive task applications with future research for potential clinical translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuropsychological factors underlying the impairment of the systemic activity of the brain and the formation of hearing-cognitive deficit in patients with schizophrenia were investigated. A comparative analysis of the results of a comparative comprehensive psychophysiological study of hearing-cognitive functions in persons suffering from schizophrenia and healthy persons has been carried out. The original method of presenting clear and noisy auditory images as a cognitive load was used. The quantitative (speed) and qualitative (semantic) parameters of auditory non-verbal perception, as well as indicators of the state of auditory-speech memory, are determined. The theoretical neuropsychological factor analysis of neurocognitive deficit was the concept of Luria on the three functional blocks of the brain (FBB) and factor analysis as systemic principles of the organization of the cognitive activity of the brain. Systemic disorders of cognitive functioning, affecting all three FBB, were determined. For the first time, significant quantitative and qualitative components of the auditory–cognitive deficit were revealed in the form of a 2.6- to 2.9-fold decrease in the rate of perception of auditory non-verbal information, a 2.5-times decrease in the substantive efficiency of auditory perceptual activity, and a variable deterioration of auditory–speech memory. From the standpoint of factor analysis these data are discussed as a set of neuropsychological factors underlying the "negative" symptomatology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mucopolysaccharidosis II (MPS II) is a rare lysosomal storage disease characterized by cognitive impairment in most patients. This post hoc analysis evaluated changes in cognitive function, adaptive behavior and functional outcomes in patients with neuronopathic MPS II over time. Fifty-five children with MPS II were enrolled in a 24-month observational study (NCT01822184). The Differential Ability Scales, second edition (DAS-II; early years battery for ages 2 years 6 months to 6 years 11 months, school age battery for ages 7 years to 17 years 11 months), Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, second edition (VABS-II) and the Hunter Syndrome-Functional Outcomes for Clinical Understanding Scale (HS-FOCUS) were performed at baseline and 3-month intervals over 2 years. A subgroup of 38 children with a DAS-II General Conceptual Ability (GCA) score of 55-85 (below average-very low abilities) at any time during the study were included in this analysis.Results: Mean (standard deviation [SD]) early years DAS-II GCA score decreased from 73.4 (15.7, n = 22) at baseline to 62.7 (34.9, n = 6) at month 24. For the six patients with early years GCA assessments at baseline and month 24, mean (SD) GCA scores decreased from 72.3 (21.3) at baseline to 62.7 (34.9) at month 24. School age GCA scores were stable over 2 years: mean (SD) 72.4 (11.8, n = 10) at baseline; 74.3 (12.3, n = 8) at month 24. Mean (SD) VABS-II Adaptive Behavior Composite (ABC) scores were stable throughout the study (baseline, 81.8 [11.8, n = 36]; month 24, 81.0 [10.2, n = 13]). Some associations between items and domains of HS-FOCUS (p < 0.05) and DAS-II GCA and VABS-II ABC scores were shown, but there was no clear pattern of changes in HS-FOCUS over 2 years.Conclusions: The DAS-II measured changes in cognitive function over 2 years in younger patients with MPS II, whereas cognitive function in older patients remained stable. Further research is required to confirm the content validity of the DAS-II in different patient populations with MPS II. The VABS-II and HS-FOCUS were not sensitive tools for measuring behavioral and functional changes over 2 years. These findings may inform selection of appropriate cognitive and behavioral assessment tools for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]