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Objective Traditional measures of cognitive abilities most used by neuropsychologists are generally low in ecological validity and only capture a small proportion of the variance of a person's true functional capacity. This study evaluates the association between clinic-based performance and parallel real-world completion of an everyday planning test, the Overnight Trip Task (OTT). Method A cross-sectional cohort of 65 community-dwelling older adults completed a battery of cognitive assessments and two formats of the OTT: the paper-and-pencil clinic OTT, which was completed remotely through video conferencing (Zoom), and the parallel real-world OTT (RW-OTT), which was completed at home between sessions. Both formats required participants to plan for what they would pack and prepare for a hypothetical overnight trip based on a provided story that included rules and embedded contingencies. Results The clinic OTT demonstrated a small-to-moderate relationship with the RW-OTT (r  = 0.35) and no relationship with measures of learning, long delay recall, an executive function composite, and a measure of everyday planning. Hierarchical regressions indicated that the clinic OTT demonstrated incremental validity above an executive function composite measure and global cognition when predicting self-reported everyday functioning and RW-OTT performance. Conclusions The clinic OTT showed only modest association with the RW-OTT and discriminate but not convergent validity was demonstrated. The clinic OTT showed incremental validity when predicting self-reported everyday functioning and RW-OTT performance above more traditional measures. Before the clinic OTT could be considered a reliable and valid clinic-based measure for predicting real-world behavior, additional research would be needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Older adults often spontaneously engage in compensatory strategies (CS) to support everyday task completion, but factors that influence success of chosen CS remain unclear. This study examines whether real-world prospective memory (PM) task completion is better predicted by CS count or a CS quality rating. Method: Seventy mid-life and older adult participants were presented four novel, real-world PM tasks via remote assessment and encouraged to use their typical CS. The examiner captured detailed information about planned CS at task presentation (T1) and utilized CS at follow-up testing (T2). From this information, count (CS Count; quantity of CS) and quality (CS Quality; rating of CS thoroughness and utility) scores were coded separately for the planned and utilized CS. PM task performance accuracy was also coded (PM Accuracy). Results: Hierarchical regressions revealed planned CS Count and Quality did not predict PM Accuracy. In contrast, the utilized CS Quality predicted a significant amount of PM Accuracy variance over and above CS Count, global cognition, and age (R2 =.47, ΔR2 =.24, ΔF = 29.36, p <.001, f2 =.45). Furthermore, utilized CS Quality accounted for a similar amount of variance in PM Accuracy when utilized CS Count was removed from the model. Conclusions: This study's CS coding system can capture and quantify the quality of strategies, which uniquely predicts real-world PM performance. This coding system may provide researchers with a nuanced CS measure and lead to improved CS interventions designed to support everyday PM performance, such as targeted CS trainings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Given the negative health outcomes associated with functional loss, there is need to better understand the trajectory of functional change and compensation use with age. Many older adults successfully age in place, and there is not a one-to-one relationship between cognitive changes and ability to live independently. This study compared healthy age cohorts' performance and approach on a functional measure, particularly examining compensatory strategy use to support task performance. Methods: 57 young adults (YAs; ages 18–39), 42 young–old adults (YOAs; ages 60–69) and 47 old–old (OOAs; ages 70+) completed the Night Out Task (NOT); an open-ended functional assessment in which participants complete eight subtasks in preparation for a night out with a friend (e.g. prepare tea and gather items for a recipe). The NOT measures both primary outcome variables (e.g. time and accuracy), error types and 'compensation variables', which are process-approach variables intended to map on to the types of compensatory strategies individuals use in their everyday lives (e.g. planning and checking). Results: Results revealed that YAs performed better than the oldest group on the NOT in accuracy, execution time and number of both inefficient and inaccurate/incomplete errors. YAs additionally used fewer compensatory strategies than both older groups. Only one compensation variable had a positive relationship to outcome; double-checking was related to improved accuracy and fewer inaccurate/incomplete errors within the oldest cohort. Conclusion: Together these findings support a spectrum of functional change with age. While compensation use increased with age, the relationship between compensation use and outcome was unclear. Future work is needed to understand under what conditions older adults' self-initiate compensation use and to understand the relationship between compensation use and outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Aging older adults and individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) experience changes in ability to self-monitor errors. Difficulties with accurate self-monitoring of errors can negatively impact everyday functioning. Without proper error recognition, individuals will continue to make mistakes and not implement compensatory strategies to prevent future errors. A modified Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART; Robertson et al., 1997) has previously been used to assess self-monitoring by the number of errors individuals were able to recognize. The current study sought to examine the relationship of this laboratory-based error-awareness task with everyday functional abilities as assessed by informants and with real-world error-monitoring. We hypothesized that self-monitoring would be significantly related to real-world error-monitoring and everyday functional abilities. Participants and Methods: 135 community-dwelling participants (110 healthy older adults (HOA) and 25 individuals with MCI) were included from a larger parent study (mean age = 67.73, SD = 8.89). A modified SART was used to measure error-monitoring and create a self-monitoring variable by dividing accurately recognized errors by the total number of errors. Participants also completed simple and complex everyday tasks of daily living (e.g., making lemonade, cooking oatmeal, cleaning, filling medication pillbox) in a university campus apartment. Examiners coded both number of errors committed and self-corrections that were made during task completion. To examine real world error awareness, total self-correct errors were divided by the total number of errors. Knowledgeable informants (KI) completed the Everyday Cognition (ECog) scale, where they rated the participant on domains of memory, language, spatial abilities, planning, organization, and divided attention, to capture changes in everyday function. Pearson correlations were used to examine the relationship between SART self-monitoring and real-world error-monitoring, and changes in everyday functions as rated by their informants. Results: As self-monitoring scores on the SART increased, so too did real-world error awareness scores, r(133) =.18, p =.04. Higher self-monitoring scores on the SART were also significantly positively associated with functional performance abilities on the Ecog total (r(96) = -.24, p =.02). Further, higher self-monitoring on the SART was related to better functional performance within the Ecog domains of everyday memory (r(96) = -.23, p =.02), everyday language (r(96) = -.24, p =.02), everyday spatial abilities (r(96) = -.23, p =.02), and everyday planning (r(96) = -.21, p =.04). SART self-monitoring was not significantly related to everyday organization or divided attention domains. Conclusions: The findings revealed that better error-monitoring performance on a laboratory-based task was related to better error-monitoring when completing real-world activities, and less overall impairment in everyday function as reported by informants. Results support the ecological validity of the SART error-monitoring score and suggest that error-monitoring performance on the modified SART may have important clinical implications in predicting real-world error-monitoring and everyday function. Future research should consider how SART error-monitoring may predict everyday functioning, over and above other clinical measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Older adults often spontaneously use compensatory strategies (CS) to support everyday memory and daily task completion. Recent work suggests that evaluating the quality of CS provides utility in predicting real-world prospective memory (PM) task completion. However, there has been little exploration of how CS quality may vary based on PM demands. This study examined differences in CS use and task completion accuracy across time-based (TB) and event-based (EB) PM tasks. Based on differences in self-monitoring demands and ability to engage in cognitive offloading, it was hypothesized that participants would utilize better quality strategies for TB tasks than EB tasks, which would lead to superior accuracy in completing TB tasks. Participants and Methods: Seventy community-dwelling older adults (Mage = 70.80, SD = 7.87) completed two testing sessions remotely from home via Zoom. Participants were presented two TB PM tasks (paying bill by due date, calling lab at specified time) and two EB PM tasks (presenting a packed bag to examiner upon a cue, initiating discussion about physical activity log upon cue). Participants were encouraged to use their typical CS to support task completion. Quality of CS (0-3 points per task step) and accuracy of task completion (0-4 points per task) were evaluated through lab-developed coding schemas. For each task, CS Quality scores were assigned based on how well strategies supported retrospective memory (RM) and PM task elements, and RM and PM Quality scores were summed to yield a Total Quality score. Because each task consisted of a different number of steps, CS Quality scores for each task were divided by their respective number of steps to yield measures of average quality. Paired-samples t-tests examined differences in average CS quality (Total, RM, and PM) and PM accuracy across TB and EB tasks. Results: Participants' Total CS Quality was equivalent for TB tasks (M = 1.92, SD = 0.64) and EB tasks (M = 1.87, SD = 0.68), t(69) = 0.60, p =.55. Comparisons of subscores revealed that while participants used similar quality RM supports for TB tasks (M = 1.67, SD = 0.66) and EB tasks (M = 1.78, SD = 0.68), t(69) = 1.39, p =.17, participants utilized superior quality PM supports for TB tasks (M = 2.16, SD = 0.70) compared to EB tasks (M = 1.97, SD = 0.73), t(69) = 2.46, p =.02. Additionally, participants completed TB tasks with greater accuracy (M = 3.21, SD = 0.74) than EB tasks (M = 2.84, SD = 0.89), t(69) = 3.62, p <.001. Conclusions: While participants exhibited similar quality CS for RM components across TB and EB tasks, they displayed superior quality CS for PM components of TB tasks. This difference in quality may have contributed to participants completing real-world TB PM tasks with greater accuracy than EB tasks. Results contrast with trends in lab-based PM tasks, in which participants usually complete EB tasks more accurately. Findings may have implications for interventions, such as an enhanced focus on teaching high-quality CS to support real-world EB tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) allows for tracking participant responses across multiple timepoints within the context of typical daily experiences. This study used EMA delivered via smartwatches to investigate dynamic associations between older adults' fluctuations in cognitive performance as measured by an n-back test and self-reports of current internal (i.e., mental sharpness, fatigue, stress) and external (i.e., environmental distractions, time of day) contextual states over seven days. We hypothesized that 1) cognitive test fluctuations throughout the week would be meaningful beyond average cognitive test scores and 2) cognitive test scores would fluctuate in response to internal and external contexts. Participants and Methods: Participants were 28 community-dwelling older adults recruited for a larger clinical trial assessing the influence of lifestyle factors and compensatory strategy use on cognitive health. During week one of the trial, participants received a smartwatch which sent prompts four times a day for seven consecutive days. The prompts included a 45-second one-back shape test, along with Likert-style questions about their current experience. Questions assessing participants' internal contexts asked about participants' experience "right now" of mental sharpness, physical fatigue, and stress. External context was assessed via the EMA prompt, "Right now my environment is distracting," and time of day of the response. Results: Data was screened such that all data points outside the 7-day prompt window were removed, one participant who did not respond to any prompts was removed, and participants who responded to less than 60% of the shape test prompts were removed (n = 10). The sample used for this preliminary analysis included 17 participants (Age, M = 71.94 years; Education, M = 14 years; 88% Female; 88% White) with an average compliance of 75% (Range = 17 - 26 shape test responses) and an average shape test accuracy of > 92%. Hypothesis 1 was supported by the large fluctuations of the average cognitive test scores across timepoints (M = 24.35, Min = 16, Max = 27, SD = 2.54) and by repeated-measures ANOVA of average cognitive test scores by day (F(1,7) = 5.24, p < 0.01). Hypothesis 2: Cross-correlation lags 0 to 4 were assessed. For internal contexts, cross-correlation showed a medium correlation between mental sharpness and cognition for lags 0 (r = 0.46) and 1 (r = 0.4); a small to medium correlation between physical fatigue and cognition for lags 0 (r = -0.51) and 1 (r = -0.31); and no correlation between stress and cognition (r < 0.2). For external contexts, cross-correlation revealed no correlation between environmental distraction and cognition (r < 0.3), and repeated measures ANOVA revealed no effect of time of day on cognition scores (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Older adults' cognitive performance on an n-back shape test varied over time with internal contextual states. Cognitive performance was positively associated with feelings of mental sharpness and negatively associated with physical fatigue. Current external environmental distractions and time of day were less influential on cognitive performance. As more data is collected, influences of individual fluctuations in cognitive performance will be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Cognitive impairment can affect an individual's ability to perform routine tasks. In this study, we investigate how cognitive abilities relate to the accuracy and efficiency of performance on a naturalistic cooking task completed in older adults' home environments. We hypothesized a positive association between task accuracy and global cognitive status, and task efficiency and executive functioning. We further hypothesized a negative association between omission errors and immediate and delayed memory recall. Participants and Methods: Fourteen community-dwelling older adults (Age, M = 73.92 years; Female = 9; Education, M = 16.38 years) along the continuum from normal aging to mild dementia completed a "Cooking Task" in their home environment. Specifically, participants were instructed to fry or scramble an egg, prepare slice of toast with jelly, serve side of sliced apple, pour glass of water, bring prepared items to table, and clean dishes used. Participants received ingredients necessary for task completion and a task list to reference. The task efficiency score (range 0-6) was based on multi-tasking and organizational skills (e.g., beginning the egg task early in session, plating items as prepared). Overall accuracy was computed by identifying error types (e.g., inefficiencies, substitutions, omissions, and subtasks attempted) and scaling accuracy (range 1-5) for each subtask, then summing all six subtask accuracy scores to get overall accuracy (range 6-30). Participants also completed a range of neuropsychological assessments, which included the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status, Letter and Category Fluency from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System, and immediate and delayed recall measures from the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. Due to the small sample size, findings are preliminary, and scatterplots were evaluated for outliers that might influence findings. Results: Consistent with hypotheses, as overall accuracy on the Cooking Task increased so did performance on the global cognitive measure (TICS: r = 0.61, p = 0.02). Lower rates of omission errors were also associated with better performance on both immediate (r = -0.75, p < 0.01) and delayed (r = -0.55, p = 0.04) recall indices. However, these findings were not specific, as overall accuracy also significantly correlated with the memory indices and verbal fluency measures (ps < 0.05). Additionally, lower rates of omission errors significantly correlated with performance on the TICS and the D-KEFS Letter Fluency (ps < 0.05). Contrary to our hypothesis, no significant associations were found between cooking task efficiency and executive functioning (D-KEFS subtests). There were also no significant correlations between cooking task efficiency and global cognitive status or memory. Conclusions: The present study supported our hypotheses that better overall task accuracy is associated with higher cognitive status and lower rates of omission errors correlate with better immediate and delayed recall abilities. However, the findings were not specific to these domains of functioning but rather suggest that clinical assessments measuring a range of cognitive abilities are related to the accuracy of daily task performance and omission errors on routine daily tasks. Future research will explore the validity of the efficiency measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Compensatory strategies (CS) can assist in supporting everyday memory and functional independence. Digital compensatory strategies (e.g., calendar and notes apps) are being used more by older adults, but their effectiveness compared to paper-based strategies has been questioned due to their novelty and potential suitability. This study examined whether digital and non-digital strategies vary in quality and lead to accuracy differences in carrying out a set of real-world prospective memory (PM) tasks. Participants and Methods: Seventy community-dwelling older adults (Mage= 70.80, SD = 7.87) completed two testing sessions remotely from home via Zoom. Participants were presented four real-world PM tasks (packing for overnight trip, creating physical activity summary, paying bill by due date, and calling lab to leave message) and were encouraged to use their typical CS to support task completion. The type and quality of CS, as well as accuracy of PM task completion, were assessed using lab-developed coding schemas. Quality scores were on a 0-3 point scale per task step (maximum total score = 63), and accuracy scores were on a 0-4 point scale (maximum score = 16). Participants were differentiated into two groups: those who used at least one digital CS (40 participants) and those who did not use digital CS (30 participants). T-tests were examined for group differences in number of CS utilized, CS quality, and PM accuracy. Within each group, correlations between CS quality and PM accuracy were conducted. Group comparisons were also conducted for demographics, cognitive test performances, and questionnaires. Results: The technology group (M = 13.90, SD = 5.43) utilized significantly more strategies than the non-technology group (M = 9.50, SD = 4.12), t(68) = -3.71, p <.05, d = 0.91, and the technology group's strategies (M = 42.48, SD = 10.47) were significantly higher quality than the non-technology groups (M = 33.80, SD = 13.02), t(68) = -3.09, p <.05, d = 0.73. However, the technology (M = 12.30, SD = 2.48) and non-technology (m = 11.87, SD = 3.16) groups completed the four PM tasks with equivalent accuracy, p >.05. Correlational analyses revealed that higher quality strategies were associated with better PM performance for both the technology (r =.67, p <.001) and the non-technology group (r =.71, p <.001). Although the technology group reported higher comfort with technology, both groups reported comparable levels of quality of life and functional independence and performed similarly on cognitive tests. The technology group trended towards being younger and having a higher level of global cognitive status (p =.07), but there were no group differences in education level or premorbid verbal ability. Conclusions: Digital compensatory strategies resulted in higher CS quality scores and more strategies used, but there was no significant difference in PM accuracy scores between digital and non-digital CS. Regardless of technology use, using high quality CS supported real-world PM performance. Interventions that focus on improving the quality of compensatory strategies being utilized by older adults may enhance everyday functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The night out task (NOT) was developed as a naturalistic, open-ended, multitasking measure that requires individuals to complete eight subtasks comparable to those encountered during real-world functioning (e.g. pack travel bag, prepare tea). We examined psychometric properties and administration feasibility of this direct observation measure within a clinic-like setting using a tablet-based coding application. Method A sample of 148 community-dwelling older adults (82% cognitively healthy; 18% mild cognitive impairment) and 57 younger adults completed the NOT along with other neurocognitive tests and questionnaires. Results Inter-rater reliability across NOT primary (i.e. time, accuracy, efficiency) and process-related (e.g. error-types, self-corrections) variables was mostly excellent. NOT primary measures showed expected patterns of convergent and discriminant validity with measures of cognition, demographics, and well-being. External validity was established by the NOT ability to distinguish between age and diagnostic (cognitively healthy vs. mild cognitive impairment) groups. Demonstrating incremental validity, the NOT primary variables (execution time in particular) were predictive of self-reported functional abilities and completion quality of in-home everyday tasks over and earlier variables such as demographics, cognition, and mobility. Conclusions These findings suggest that the NOT and its app interface, which allows for continuous logging of observations, are a feasible in-clinic measure to assess cognitive capacities important for real-world functioning. With further validation, the NOT may allow for earlier detection of functional difficulties. Understanding errors and strategies used during NOT performance could also have implications for individualized interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In the real-world environment, multiple and interacting state-dependent factors (e.g., fatigue, distractions) can cause cognitive failures and negatively impact everyday activities. This study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and a n-back task to examine the relationship between fluctuating levels of cognition measured in the real-world environment and self-report and performance-based measures of functional status. Method: Thirty-five community-dwelling older adults (M age = 71.80) completed a brief battery of objective and self-report measures of cognitive and functional status. After completing 100, 45-second trials to reach stable performance on a n-back task, EMA data collection began. Four times daily for one week, participants received prompts on a tablet to complete a n-back task and a brief survey. From the EMA n-back trials, measures of EMA average performance and intra-individual variability (IIV) across performances were created. Results: For the EMA n-back, the correlation between IIV and EMA average was weak and non-significant. IIV associated with self-report measures, and EMA average with the objective, performance-based functional status composite. Hierarchical regressions further revealed that IIV was a significant predictor of self-reported functional status and cognitive failures over and above EMA average performance and global cognitive status. In contrast, for the objective, functional status composite, IIV did not explain additional variance. Conclusions: The findings suggest that IIV and self-report measures of functional status and cognitive failures may capture a real-world cognitive capacity that fluctuates over time and with context; one that may not easily be captured by objective, performance-based measures designed to assess optimal function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Everyday Compensation scale (EComp) is an informant-rated questionnaire designed to measure cognitively based compensatory strategies that support both everyday memory and executive function in the context of completing instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). Although previous findings provided early support for the usefulness of the initial version of EComp, the current paper further describes the development, refinement, and validation of EComp as a new assessment tool of compensation for IADLs. Method: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine its factor structure. Convergent and predictive validity was evaluated by examining the relationship between EComp and markers of disease, including diagnosis, cognitive change, and trajectories of functional abilities. Results: CFA supported a general compensation factor after accounting for variance attributable to IADL domain-specific engagement. The clinical groups differed in compensatory strategy use, with those with dementia using significantly fewer compensatory strategies as compared to individuals with normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment. Greater levels of compensation were related to better cognitive functions (memory and executive function) and functional abilities, as well as slower rates of cognitive and functional decline over time. Importantly, higher levels of compensation were associated with less functional difficulties and subsequently slower rate of functional decline independent of the level of cognitive impairment. Conclusions: Engagement in compensatory strategies among older adults has important implications for prolonging functional independence, even in those with declining cognitive functioning. Results suggest that the revised EComp is likely to be useful in measuring cognitively based compensation in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Planning, a higher order executive functioning ability important for accomplishing complex everyday tasks, can be differentiated into initial and concurrent (online) planning. In this study, initial plans were codified to assess their impact on task execution. Cognitive correlates of initial planning and task execution were also examined. Method: One-hundred fifty-four community dwelling older adults completed a naturalistic task, called the Day Out Task (DOT), in either a planning or no planning condition. The DOT required participants to multitask and efficiently complete a series of eight subtasks, preparing for a hypothetical day out. Participants also completed a neuropsychological battery with the following cognitive constructs assessed: processing speed, cognitive flexibility, episodic memory, visuoconstructional abilities, and working memory and sequencing. Results: There were no significant differences between the planning and no planning conditions in DOT execution accuracy, efficiency or duration. However, efficiency of the initial plan was a significant predictor of task execution efficiency and initial plans that contained a higher amount of Task Relevant Associations predicted a shorter duration of task execution after controlling for age, processing speed and episodic memory. Furthermore, initial plans that had more Task Relevant Associations and task executions that took less time were associated with better working memory and sequencing ability. Discussion: Quality of the initial plan is important. Initial plans that organize task objectives in an efficient manner may lead to better task execution efficiency, while initial plans that demonstrate a detailed understanding of individual relational aspects of the tasks (i.e., higher rate of Task Relevant Associations) may result in faster task execution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Difficulties managing medications, particularly among older adults experiencing cognitive deficits, is an important contributing factor to medication nonadherence that may have significant negative financial and health outcomes. The current study examined the performance of healthy older adults' (HOA) and individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) on the medication management abilities assessment's (MMAA, a performance-based measure of medication management) original scoring criteria and derived error process measures, assessing medication overtaking and undertaking magnitude. Exploratory correlations between performances on the MMAA and self-reported confidence in medication management skills and cognitive abilities were also examined. Method A sample of 25 HOAs with aMCI and 25 age- and education-matched HOAs completed the MMAA, a self-reported medication management confidence rating and a battery of neuropsychological tests. Results HOAs performed significantly better on the MMAA score and committed significantly less process errors than individuals with aMCI. Despite these differences in MMAA performance, the HOA and aMCI groups rated similar high levels of confidence in their ability to manage a new medication routine. Notably, while the HOA group's performance on all of the MMAA measures did not relate to cognitive measures, the aMCI group's performance on the MMAA score was significantly related to memory and executive functioning and a new process error score for overtaking was related to processing speed. Conclusions Although these results present promising potential for the MMAA as a measure of medication management in a clinical setting, further studies need to examine the validity of the MMAA against real-world adherence measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Older adults often spontaneously engage in compensatory strategies (CS) to support completion of everyday tasks. However, factors that influence the success of chosen strategies remain unclear. The present study aimed to examine if evaluation of the overall quality of compensatory strategies, as compared to a count of strategies, better predicts completion of real-world prospective memory (PM) tasks. Method: Seventy community-dwelling older adults (M = 70.80, SD = 7.87) completed two testing sessions remotely from their own homes through video conferencing. Participants were presented four novel real-world PM tasks designed to be carried out independently in the future. Upon task presentation, participants were given time to plan and encouraged to use their typical CS. The examiner captured detailed information about CS planned at task presentation and strategies utilized at follow-up testing, as well as PM task accuracy. In addition to a count of CS, participants' CS were assigned a quality score upon video review. Results: Hierarchical regression revealed that Compensatory Strategy Quality (CSQ) score provides incremental validity in predicting PM task accuracy over and above CS count, global cognition, and age (ΔR2 = 0.24, ΔF = 29.36, p < 0.001). CSQ uniquely accounted for 24.01% of the variance in PM task accuracy (sr = 0.49, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Evaluating quality of cognitive CS provides enhanced precision in predicting PM. Findings of this study may provide researchers with tools to study compensation in a more nuanced manner. Furthermore, findings have the potential to be translated into clinical interventions, such as targeted compensatory strategy trainings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction:There is currently limited research evaluating planning abilities, a core subcomponent of executive functioning, in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In the present study, we utilized the “Amap Task,” an open-ended problem-solving task, to separately evaluate the formulation and execution components of planning ability in individuals with MCI.Method:Thirty-seven cognitively healthy older adults and 37 individuals with MCI used a map layout of a university apartment to develop and write out a strategy (formulation stage) to successfully complete a list of tasks (e.g., retrieve and fill a water pitcher before placing it in the refrigerator). Subsequently, participants carried out the tasks in the apartment with the aid of their formulated plan (execution stage).Results:MCI participants performed more poorly than older adult (OA) controls during both the formulation and execution stages on measures of task accuracy and task efficiency. However, both groups were able to adjust and improve task accuracy and efficiency from formulation to task execution. Finally, MCI participants took significantly longer to complete the task and adhered less to their formulated plans during task completion.Conclusions:Using an open-ended problem-solving task, the findings revealed that individuals with MCI experienced difficulties with both the formulation and execution components of planning. Like controls, participants with MCI were able to successfully modify their plan online, improving their performance from task formulation to task execution. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the pattern of performance on letter and category fluency tests of individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Previous research has suggested that organization strategies, including “clustering” (i.e., groups of related words) and “switching” (i.e., shift from one cluster to another), are important for efficient verbal fluency performance. Participants were 25 individuals with single-domain amnestic MCI (aMCI), 49 with multidomain aMCI, 16 with non-amnestic MCI (naMCI), and 90 cognitively healthy older adults. Fluency performances were analyzed across two 30-s intervals for total words produced, cluster size, and switching. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) with follow-up tests revealed that the single-domain aMCI group performed comparably with healthy controls on each dependent measure across both fluency tasks. In contrast, the multidomain aMCI group showed performance decrements in total words and switching production compared with healthy controls on both fluency tasks, whereas the naMCI group produced fewer words and switches on letter fluency. Each group generated more words and switches during the first 30-s on both fluency tasks, with the exception of the naMCI group, whose switching on letter fluency did not decrease as the task progressed. As indicated by the single-domain aMCI group's unimpaired performance, our findings demonstrate that verbal fluency performance decreases as domains beyond memory become impaired in MCI. Reduced switching ability, which has been linked to prefrontal executive functioning, contributed the most to the poorer performance of individuals with multidomain MCI and naMCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brief Visuospatial Memory Test - Revised (BVMT-R) is a commonly used, commercialized, assessment tool to measure visuospatial learning and memory abilities across research and clinical settings. In this study we evaluated the influence of processing speed and executive functioning on BVMT-R learning, memory, and percent retention scores. A total of 141 cognitively healthy older adults completed the BVMT-R along with measures of visuoconstructional abilities (BVMT-R copy), speeded processing (Symbol Digit Modalities Test-oral), and executive function (FAS). After controlling for age and visuoconstructional abilities, hierarchical regression models showed that the processing speed measure was a unique predictor of both BVMT-R learning and memory performances, while the executive function measure was not. The visuoconstructional measure was the only unique predictor of BVMT-R percent retention. The findings suggest that, when interpreting the BVMT-R learning and memory scores of patients who exhibit speeded processing deficits, the impact of slowed processing speed on performance should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planning ability, a subset of executive functioning, has been shown to decline with normal aging. However, the exact nature of this decline has yet to be adequately examined. In this study, 50 younger adults and 50 older adults completed a map task designed to tease apart the formulation and execution stages of planning. Participants were tasked with reading a map layout of a university apartment and planning an efficient route to complete several tasks. There were two conditions, aid and no-aid. During the formulation stage, participants wrote out their plan for later task completion. In the execution stage, half of the participants were instructed to utilize their written aid during task completion while the other half completed tasks without the use of their aid. Older adults performed more poorly than younger adults during both the formulation and execution stages on measures of accuracy and efficiency. There was no effect of using the aid during execution. Thus, using an open-ended planning task involving real-world stimuli, we found age-related deficits in planning ability associated with both the formulation and execution components, and not exclusively with formulation. We also found that both groups successfully updated and adjusted their formulated plans during execution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuropsychologists are often asked to answer questions about the effects of cognitive deficits on everyday functioning. This study examined the relationship between and the cognitive correlates of self-report, performance-based, and direct observation measures commonly used as proxy measures for everyday functioning. Participants were 88 community-dwelling, cognitively healthy older adults (age 50–86 years). Participants completed standardized neuropsychological tests and questionnaires, and performed eight activities of daily living (e.g., water plants, fill a medication dispenser) while under direct observation in a campus apartment. All proxy measures of everyday function were sensitive to the effects of healthy cognitive aging. After controlling for age, cognitive predictors explained a unique amount of the variance for only the performance-based behavioral simulation measure (i.e., Revised Observed Tasks of Daily Living). The self-report instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and the performance-based everyday problem-solving test (i.e., EPT) did not correlate with each other; however, both were unique predictors of the direct observation measure. These findings suggest that neuropsychologists must be cautious in making predictions about the quality of everyday activity completion in cognitively healthy older adults from specific cognitive functions. The findings further suggest that a self-report of IADLs and the performance-based EPT may be useful measures for assessing everyday functional status in cognitively healthy older adults. (JINS, 2011, 17, 853–864) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of semantic cues provided at encoding and during retention for older adults' memory. For the California Verbal Learning Test-II, participants received semantic or nonsemantic cues that were varied across groups at encoding and during the retention interval. Provision of a semantic cue at encoding led to greater semantic clustering at learning, but not increased recall performance. Providing a semantic cue during the retention interval led to better delayed free recall and greater semantic clustering. No group differences in recall or semantic clustering were found at delayed cued recall. The current findings suggest that semantic cues can be beneficial for recalling unstructured information when administered during the retention interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]