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Aim: To explore cognitions in nurses' professional value and career development amid the COVID‐19 pandemic and to analyse influencing factors. Design: A qualitative descriptive study design was employed. Methods: Thirty practising nurses from three general hospitals in Chengdu, China, were purposively recruited. Face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews were conducted. The content analysis was used for data analysis. Results: After the outbreak of the COVID‐19 pandemic, there were obvious cognitive changes in nurses' professional value, including improvement in the cognition of professional value, awareness of the broadening of the field of acting professional value, and realization of increasingly high requirements in careers. Approval and gratitude of patients, social recognition and attention, self‐awareness of nurses were main influencing factors. For cognitive changes in career development, nurses became more motivated to develop their careers, had a clearer understanding of career development environment, and acquired a clearer understanding of what was needed to advance careers. Hospital support, social respect, family support, and team atmosphere were key influencing factors. Conclusions: The contributions made by nurses in the prevention and control of the COVID‐19 pandemic have prompted positive changes in their cognition of professional value and career development. To promote nurses' positive understanding and approach to career development, measures should be taken by hospitals. Further, social respect, family support and team cooperation can enhance nurses' enthusiasm for career development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive changes in Huntington's disease (HD) precede motor manifestations. ENROLL‐HD platform includes four cognitive measures of information processing speed (IPS). Our group is eager to seek clinical markers in the life stage that is as close as possible to the age of onset (ie, the so called prodromal HD phase) because this is the best time for therapeutic interventions. Objectives: Our study aimed to test whether cognitive scores in prodromal ENROLL‐HD mutation carriers show the potential to predict the severity of motor and behavioral changes once HD became fully manifested. Methods: From the global ENROLL‐HD cohort of 21,343 participants, we first selected a premanifest Cohort#1 (ie, subjects with Total Motor Score (TMS) <10 and Diagnostic Confidence Level (DCL) <4, N = 1.222). From this cohort, we then focused on a prodromal Cohort#2 of subjects who were ascertained to phenoconvert into manifest HD at follow‐up visits (ie, subjects from 6 ≤ TMS≤9 and DCL <4 to TMS≥10 and DCL = 4, n = 206). Results: The main results of our study showed that low IPS before phenoconversion in Cohort#2 predicted the severity of motor and behavioral manifestations. By combining the four IPS cognitive measures (eg, the Categorical Verbal Fluency Test; Stroop Color Naming Test; Stroop Word Reading; Symbol Digit Modalities Test), we generated a Composite Cognition Score (CCS). The lower the CCS score the higher the TMS and the apathy scores in the same longitudinally followed‐up patients after phenoconversion. Conclusions: CCS might represent a clinical instrument to predict the prognosis of mutation carriers who are close to manifesting HD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complaints about subjective cognitive changes are common in clinical consultations with individuals over 50 years old and are considered a predictive criterion for the onset of cognitive decline. The assessment of these complaints through questionnaires is infrequent due to the limited number available in the literature. Furthermore, most of them focus exclusively on the evaluation of amnestic changes and not on overall cognition. It is an instrumental study that allowed estimating the evidence of validity and reliability of the CCC questionnaire designed by Salazar and Maldonado (2020). The sample consisted of 258 individuals aged between 50 and 80 years without a diagnosis of cognitive impairment and mild cognitive impairment. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted, revealing correlations of 0.881 and 0.901 with criterion questionnaires and an internal consistency of the instrument with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient (a) of .973. The CCC questionnaire is useful for exploring subjective cognitive changes in adults. It is considered that it can be used in clinical consultations for a more comprehensive evaluation and as a predictor in detecting mild cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aim To explore cognitions in nurses' professional value and career development amid the COVID‐19 pandemic and to analyse influencing factors. Design A qualitative descriptive study design was employed. Methods Thirty practising nurses from three general hospitals in Chengdu, China, were purposively recruited. Face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews were conducted. The content analysis was used for data analysis. Results After the outbreak of the COVID‐19 pandemic, there were obvious cognitive changes in nurses' professional value, including improvement in the cognition of professional value, awareness of the broadening of the field of acting professional value, and realization of increasingly high requirements in careers. Approval and gratitude of patients, social recognition and attention, self‐awareness of nurses were main influencing factors. For cognitive changes in career development, nurses became more motivated to develop their careers, had a clearer understanding of career development environment, and acquired a clearer understanding of what was needed to advance careers. Hospital support, social respect, family support, and team atmosphere were key influencing factors. Conclusions The contributions made by nurses in the prevention and control of the COVID‐19 pandemic have prompted positive changes in their cognition of professional value and career development. To promote nurses' positive understanding and approach to career development, measures should be taken by hospitals. Further, social respect, family support and team cooperation can enhance nurses' enthusiasm for career development.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate factors infl uencing the frequency and type of microembolic signals (MES) detected using transcranial Doppler (TCD) in patients undergoing elective coronary intervention, and to correlate MES with silent stroke detected using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive dysfunction. METHODS: The subset study of a randomized clinical trial was conducted on 70 patients (58 males; mean age 59.9 ± 8.4 years) who underwent bilateral TCD monitoring of middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) during elective coronary interventions. Neurologic examination and brain MRI were performed prior to, and 24 h post-intervention. Cognitive function tests were performed prior to, and on day 30 post-intervention. RESULTS: The incidence of detected MES was 94.3 %. Eighteen (25.7 %) patients had new clinically asymptomatic ischemic lesions on MRI. The number of solid MES negatively correlated with changes in revised Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination test (ACE-R) and, the number of solid MES and combinations of solid and gaseous MES negatively correlated with changes in Mini Mental-State Examination (MMSE) conducted on day 30 after the intervention (p < 0.05 in all cases). CONCLUSION: Cardiac catheterization was associated with a high risk of cerebral embolism in our patients. A higher number of solid MES and combinations of solid and gaseous MES was associated with the deterioration in cognitive tests (Tab. 5, Fig. 3, Ref. 30). T ext in PDF www.elis.sk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mount worldwide, attention is needed on potential long-term neurologic impacts for the majority of patients who experience mild to moderate illness managed as outpatients. To date, there has not been discussion of persistent neurocognitive deficits in patients with milder COVID-19. We present two cases of non-hospitalized patients recovering from COVID-19 with persistent neurocognitive symptoms. Commonly used cognitive screens were normal, while more detailed testing revealed working memory and executive functioning deficits. An observational cohort study of individuals recovering from COVID-19 (14 or more days following symptom onset) identified that among the first 100 individuals enrolled, 14 were non-hospitalized patients reporting persistent cognitive issues. These 14 participants had a median age of 39 years (interquartile range: 35-56), and cognitive symptoms were present for at least a median of 98 days (interquartile range: 71-120 following acute COVID-19 symptoms); no participants with follow-up evaluation reported symptom resolution. We discuss potential mechanisms to be explored in future studies, including direct viral effects, indirect consequences of immune activation, and immune dysregulation causing auto-antibody production.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has been found to be an efficacious treatment for disorders characterized by high levels of emotional instability. In view of the multifaceted applications of DBT and the extent to which mental disorders can incapacitate cognitive functions, the current systematic review aimed to investigate the effect of DBT in strengthening cognitive functions across various mental health conditions. Original research studies employing both experimental and quasi-experimental designs were included in the review. The literature search was done using different electronic databases, from the first available literature until June 2022, that covered an approximate period of ten years. Joanna Briggs Institute checklist was used to assess the methodological rigor of the studies. Twelve studies conducted on adolescents with emotional dysregulation, and adults with borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and multiple sclerosis were selected. Results indicate that DBT has the potential to improve key cognitive functions such as attention, memory, fluency, response inhibition, planning, set shifting, tolerance for delayed rewards and time perception, as assessed by neuropsychological tests, self-report of cognitive functions, and neuroimaging techniques. Considering the review’s findings that showcase the effectiveness of DBT in fostering improvements in cognitive functions, DBT may possibly be chosen as a preferred treatment to ensure that patients reach optimal levels of cognitive functioning. Limitations include lack of sufficient studies encompassing all the common mental health conditions, usage of neuroimaging techniques as only an indirect measure of cognitive functioning and nuances related to the quality of individual studies.

Background: The 16‐item Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE‐16) is a well‐validated and widely‐used measure of cognitive changes (CCs) among older adults. This study aimed to use Rasch methodology to establish psychometric properties of the IQCODE‐16 and validate the existing ordinal‐to‐interval transformation algorithms across multiple large samples. Methods: A Partial Credit Rasch model was employed to examine psychometric properties of the IQCODE‐16 using data (n = 918) from two longitudinal studies of participants aged 57–99 years: the Older Australian Twins Study (n = 450) and the Canberra Longitudinal Study (n = 468), and reusing the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study (MAS) sample (n = 400). Results: Initial analyses indicated good reliability for the IQCODE‐16 (Person Separation Index range: 0.82–0.90). However, local dependency was identified between items, with several items showing misfit to the model. Replicating the existing Rasch solution could not reproduce the best Rasch model fit for all samples. Combining locally dependent items into three testlets resolved all misfit and local dependency issues and resulted in the best Rasch model fit for all samples with evidence of unidimensionality, strong reliability, and invariance across person factors. Accordingly, new ordinal‐to‐interval transformation algorithms were produced to convert the IQCODE‐16 ordinal scores into interval data to improve the accuracy of its scores. Conclusions: The findings of this study support the reliability and validity of the IQCODE‐16 in measuring CCs among older adults. New ordinal‐to‐interval conversion tables generated using samples from multiple independent datasets are more generalizable and can be used to enhance the precision of the IQCODE‐16 without changing its original format. An easy‐to‐use converter has been made available for clinical and research use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has been found to be an efficacious treatment for disorders characterized by high levels of emotional instability. In view of the multifaceted applications of DBT and the extent to which mental disorders can incapacitate cognitive functions, the current systematic review aimed to investigate the effect of DBT in strengthening cognitive functions across various mental health conditions. Original research studies employing both experimental and quasi-experimental designs were included in the review. The literature search was done using different electronic databases, from the first available literature until June 2022, that covered an approximate period of ten years. Joanna Briggs Institute checklist was used to assess the methodological rigor of the studies. Twelve studies conducted on adolescents with emotional dysregulation, and adults with borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and multiple sclerosis were selected. Results indicate that DBT has the potential to improve key cognitive functions such as attention, memory, fluency, response inhibition, planning, set shifting, tolerance for delayed rewards and time perception, as assessed by neuropsychological tests, self-report of cognitive functions, and neuroimaging techniques. Considering the review’s findings that showcase the effectiveness of DBT in fostering improvements in cognitive functions, DBT may possibly be chosen as a preferred treatment to ensure that patients reach optimal levels of cognitive functioning. Limitations include lack of sufficient studies encompassing all the common mental health conditions, usage of neuroimaging techniques as only an indirect measure of cognitive functioning and nuances related to the quality of individual studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developmental changes are a successive series of changes that aim to complete the maturity of the human beings from the physical, mental, psychological and emotional aspects. These changes occur in a specific order and in a predictable way as a result of maturity and experience. To achieve the aim of the research, a main question was created: what is the level of the developmental changes among adolescents? Is there a relationship between the psychological and cognitive developments? Is the degree of changes differ according to sex and age? Accordingly, the current research aimed to identify the level of developmental changes among adolescents and the differences between developmental changes according to some demographic variables (sex - age). To achieve the aims of the research, (264) secondary school students were chosen from four schools. The age of the participants was between (14-17) years. To measure the developmental changes, the Rehacom system was adopted. After the analysis, the results of the current research showed that the level of developmental changes was high and statistically significant.

Objectives: We describe brain structural damage and cognitive profile evolution of an adult patient with 17q21.31 microduplication, a rare condition associated with psychomotor delay, behavioural disturbances and poor social interaction. Methods: A.B., 57 years old, male, displayed obsessive and repetitive behaviours, irritability, scarce hygiene and memory loss at disease onset. He had strong familiarity for adult-onset behavioural alterations (his father and sister) and neuropsychiatric conditions (his son). Blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples revealed 17q21.31 microduplication, shared also by his son and sister, and raised CSF tau, respectively. He was hospitalized 1 year after disease onset and underwent an MRI scan and a neuropsychological assessment, the latter being repeated 7 months later. To quantitatively investigate patient's grey matter (GM) volume, 16 age- and education-matched male controls were selected and voxel-based morphometry analysis was performed. Results: During hospitalization, his behavioural profile was characterized by anosognosia, impulsivity, apathy and aggressiveness. Cognitive testing revealed main attentive-executive disturbances and difficulties in understanding non-literal language. Compared to controls, A.B. had greater GM atrophy mainly in the right hemisphere, involving amygdala, hippocampus, inferior/superior temporal gyri and temporal pole. He received a diagnosis of early onset dementia. After 7 months, he developed empathy loss, perseverative behaviour, changes in eating habits and worsening in executive-attentive abilities. Conclusions: In A.B., 17q21.31 microduplication caused a neurodegenerative condition with prevalent right temporal damage, raised CSF tau level, behavioural disturbances, memory impairment, attentive-executive and abstract language dysfunctions and fast disease progression, thus reflecting the complex interaction between such genetic substrate and clinical phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains one of the most effective approaches for treatment-resistant depressive episodes, despite the potential cognitive impairment associated with this treatment. As a potent stimulator of neuroplasticity, ECT might normalize aberrant depression-related brain function via the brain's reconstruction by forming new neural connections. Multiple lines of evidence have demonstrated that functional connectivity (FC) changes are reliable indicators of antidepressant efficacy and cognitive changes from static and dynamic perspectives. However, no previous studies have directly ascertained whether and how different aspects of FC provide complementary information in terms of neuroimaging-based prediction of clinical outcomes. Methods: In this study, we implemented a fully automated independent component analysis framework to an ECT dataset with subjects (n = 50, age = 65.54 ± 8.92) randomized to three treatment amplitudes (600, 700, or 800 milliamperes [mA]). We extracted the static functional network connectivity (sFNC) and dynamic FNC (dFNC) features and employed a partial least square regression to build predictive models for antidepressant outcomes and cognitive changes. Results: We found that both antidepressant outcomes and memory changes can be robustly predicted by the changes in sFNC (permutation test p < 5.0 × 10-3). More interestingly, by adding dFNC information, the model achieved higher accuracy for predicting changes in the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 24-item (HDRS24, t = 9.6434, p = 1.5 × 10-21). The predictive maps of clinical outcomes show a weakly negative correlation, indicating that the ECT-induced antidepressant outcomes and cognitive changes might be associated with different functional brain neuroplasticity. Discussion: The overall results reveal that dynamic FC is not redundant but reflects mechanisms of ECT that cannot be captured by its static counterpart, especially for the prediction of antidepressant efficacy. Tracking the predictive signatures of static and dynamic FC will help maximize antidepressant outcomes and cognitive safety with individualized ECT dosing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction With rising age, the incidence of physical and mental problems increases. Physiological and social changes occur across the lifespan that can affect an individual’s health and ability. The present study was aimed to determine older adult’s ability to recognize cognitive changes and its relation with mental health status. Materials and Methods A descriptive correlational design was used to recruit 423 older adults who were referred to health centers in Tabriz, Iran in 2019 to receive primary health care. A systematic random sampling method was used for selecting participants. Data collection tools included a demographic-social questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire for assessing mental health (with 4 subscales) and a questionnaire of ability to recognize cognitive changes (with 8 sub-scales). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Results The mean score of mental health of the older adults was 56.35 (8.40) which shows moderately impaired mental health. The most impaired aspect of mental health detected was the social function dimension 13.20 (2.67). The average of the total ability score was 41.19 (4.78) and the physical strength dimension had the highest average of 9.08 (1.80) and the empowerment obligation dimension had the lowest average of 3.06 (1.08). There was significant relationship between dimensions of depression (r = 0.21, p

Background: Age-associated cognitive decline has become a major threat to both personal welfare and public health and can further develop into Dementia/Alzheimer's disease. Sleep is significantly correlated with cognitive function, but both cognitive impairment and sleep problems increase with normal aging. This study explored how sleep duration affects cognitive performance among older adults in China. Methods: Using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) in 2014 and 2018, cognitive function was assessed via the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), which included five domains: orientation, registration, attention or calculation, recall, and language. Logistic regression was used to examine whether the change in sleep duration was a risk factor for cognitive impairment. We also used multinomial logistic regression to study the impact of sleep duration and the changes in sleep duration on cognitive changes during the follow-up period. Results: The empirical study showed a U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and increased risk of cognitive impairment. Short (< 6 hours) and long (> 8 hours) sleep durations were positively associated with cognitive impairment. Tests of interactions between sleep duration and sleep quality showed that short sleep durations with fair sleep quality had an increased risk of cognitive impairment. Further, the participants were divided into three groups: normal cognition (MMSE > 24), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, 18 ≤ MMSE score ≤ 24), and severe cognitive impairment (MMSE < 18). First, of the participants with normal cognition at baseline, those who sleeping > 7 h at follow-up and > 7 h at both baseline and 4-year follow-up assessments could increase the risk of cognitive impairment. Second, for individuals with MCI at baseline, those who transitioned to sleeping > 7 h at follow-up period and > 7 h at both baseline and 4-year follow-up assessments had a lower chance of reverting to normal cognition. Conclusion: Excessive sleep may be a major risk for cognitive impairment among older adults. Furthermore, a moderate amount of sleep could be a possible strategy to prevent cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive dysfunction after anesthesia and surgery has long been recognized. Recently, researchers provided empirical evidence for social cognition dysfunction (SCD) after anesthesia and surgery. In the present study, we concentrated on the deficits in emotion recognition, one of the most important clinical perspectives in SCD, in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. Biological motion (BM) was considered as the stimulus of interest, and patients' abilities of BM emotion perception and action perception before and after anesthesia and surgery were examined. In total, 60 adult patients (40-72 years old) completed the BM recognition task, which required them to label the types of actions and emotions of perceived BM. The results showed that while action perception remained intact after cardiac surgery, 18.3% of patients exhibited deficits in emotion perception, further confirming the existence of SCD after anesthesia and surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To gather preliminary data on correlations among psycholinguistic measures, self-report of cognitive function, and performance on neurocognitive tests in breast cancer survivors. SAMPLE & SETTING: Participants were breast cancer survivors who reported issues with cognitive function after completion of chemotherapy. This secondary analysis used data from participants in parent studies at two National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers. METHODS & VARIABLES: Qualitative interview transcripts (N = 52) underwent psycholinguistic analyses for grammatical and semantic complexity. Relationships among six psycholinguistic variables, self-report of cognitive function, and performance on neurocognitive tests were examined. RESULTS: Three grammatical complexity variables had a significant positive correlation to self-report of cognitive function. One semantic complexity variable had a significant positive correlation to delayed recall neurocognitive tests. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Results suggest that psycholinguistic analysis may be used to assess cognitive function among breast cancer survivors. Confirmatory studies are needed to establish the correlation between psycholinguistic measures, self-report of cognitive function, and domain-specific tests of neurocognitive performance, as well as to evaluate longitudinal sensitivity to change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study aims to assess cognitive function in women newly diagnosed with non-metastatic thyroid cancer before any treatment and to identify factors associated with cognitive problems. Methods: Korean women newly diagnosed with thyroid cancer awaiting initial surgical treatment (n = 130) completed neuropsychological tests and self-report questionnaires on symptom distress and psychological distress. Additionally, information on thyroid function was obtained through a medical chart audit. Descriptive statistics and multivariable regression analyses were performed to describe the incidence of cognitive problems and to identify possible predictors of neuropsychological performance. Results: Approximately 95% of women newly diagnosed with thyroid cancer had impaired neuropsychological test scores on one or more tests of attention and cognitive control. Further analyses found that 78% of women met both the Global Deficit Score and the International Cancer and Cognition Task Force criteria for impairment. Finally, regression analyses found that older age, fewer years of education, greater depressed mood, and having a hypothyroid state but not having a comorbid condition, fatigue, sleep problems, symptom burden, or symptom interference were associated with worse neuropsychological test performance in this sample. Additional explorative regression analysis using mean T-scores corrected for age, education, and gender continued to find that hypothyroid state was associated with worse neuropsychological test performance. Conclusions: Findings suggest that individuals newly diagnosed with non-metastatic thyroid cancer are vulnerable to cognitive deficits at diagnosis before any treatment. As such, healthcare workers should assess individuals newly diagnosed with thyroid cancer diagnosis awaiting treatment for the disease for cognitive deficits and intervene to reduce symptom distress and optimize function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The factors affecting cognitive function after treatment of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) can be categorised into aneurysmal factors, procedural factors, and complications. The aim of this study was to investigate which of these factors has greater influence on the cognitive function. Methods: We retrospectively identified 14 patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) and 34 patients with SAH with mild symptoms at disease onset (Hunt and Hess grade: >3). All patients underwent neuropsychological tests within 35 days of discharge from hospitalisation for treatment. The relationship between the clinical factors and each neuropsychological test score was evaluated using multiple linear regression analysis after controlling for age and years of education. Results: Patients with UIA showed greater cognitive impairment in visual memory and the frontal/executive domains. Hypertension was associated with cognitive impairment. Patients with SAH showed greater cognitive impairment in the visuospatial, verbal memory, and frontal/executive domains. The dome-to-neck ratio, aneurysms located in the posterior circulation, microsurgical clipping, procedure time, anaesthesia duration, and complications were associated with cognitive impairment. Conclusions: Underlying diseases, procedural factors, and complications contributed to cognitive impairment after treatment of intracranial aneurysms. Since the effect of each factor on each cognitive domain was slightly different, a more in-depth study of these effects is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This piece introduces a lifespan perspective on cognitive changes associated with sustained practice of simultaneous interpreting. First, I briefly describe the elevated demands posed by this activity in training and work settings. Second, I argue that a broad lifespan perspective on it requires tracking psychobiological reconfigurations in the preparation for, course of, and withdrawal from sustained professional practice. Third, I summarize the core foci and findings of three articles addressing each of those stages. To conclude, I propose that the field's ongoing agenda should gravitate towards more age- and experience-sensitive models and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: With rising age, the incidence of physical and mental problems increases. Physiological and social changes occur across the lifespan that can affect an individual's health and ability. The present study was aimed to determine older adult's ability to recognize cognitive changes and its relation with mental health status.Materials and Methods: A descriptive correlational design was used to recruit 423 older adults who were referred to health centers in Tabriz, Iran in 2019 to receive primary health care. A systematic random sampling method was used for selecting participants. Data collection tools included a demographic-social questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire for assessing mental health (with 4 subscales) and a questionnaire of ability to recognize cognitive changes (with 8 sub-scales). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics.Results: The mean score of mental health of the older adults was 56.35 (8.40) which shows moderately impaired mental health. The most impaired aspect of mental health detected was the social function dimension 13.20 (2.67). The average of the total ability score was 41.19 (4.78) and the physical strength dimension had the highest average of 9.08 (1.80) and the empowerment obligation dimension had the lowest average of 3.06 (1.08). There was significant relationship between dimensions of depression (r = 0.21, p < 0.001), anxiety (r = 0.1, p = 0.04) and social functioning (r = 0.17), p < 0.001) with the ability to recognize cognitive changes of the older adults.Conclusion: Negative mood states and social functioning were associated with the ability to recognize cognitive changes in this population of older adults. This sample exhibited moderately impaired mental health status and relatively large burdens of untreated affective symptoms. Although causality cannot be determined with this cross-sectional design, use of social programs to keep older adults mentally active, as well as cognitive rehabilitation programs could be tested with longitudinal designs for their impact on cognitive change recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The constant use of mobile devices changed our lives dramatically during the past years and its usage increased over the years. Smartphone use is associated with isolation and interpersonal problems; its overuse can cause cognitive problems too (Matar Boumosleh & Jaalouk, 2017). Cognitive problems associated with smartphones in young people are reduction of sustained attention and working memory. Findings have been reported in which younger populations show deterioration in different components of care, highlighting the difficulty of walking and using the smartphone at the same time (Prupetkaew et al., 2019). It has been reported that the impulsivity associated with use of smartphone in silent mode interferes in memory tests unlike when it is in off mode in young populations (Canale et al., 2019). It is necessary to evaluate the effects of using a smartphone on young people because it is a population that uses it constantly to develop in work, academic, sports, and even socializing activities. The aim of this paper was to find out the differences in sustained attention in young university students with different levels of smartphone use. A sample of 94 adults, 34 men and 60 women between the ages of 18 and 23 (M = 19.34, SD = 1.09), who were students of the higher school of Actopan, Hidalgo-Mexico. The EDAS -Smartphone Dependency and Addiction Scale-was applied (Aranda-López et al., 2017). For the evaluation of attention, a Computerized Continuous Running Test (CPT), Test of Attentional Vigilance (TOAV) was applied using the Psychology Experimental Building Language PEBL-2 platform (Mueller & Pipper, 2014). The inclusion criteria were that the participants were between 18-23 years old, right-handed, with normal and/or corrected vision. They were excluded from the investigation if they had a history of psychiatric and/or neurological diseases, learning difficulties, chronic alcohol and/or drug use. A one-way ANOVA was performed, where the independent variable was the level of smartphone use (no dependence, dependence and addiction) and the dependent variable was the scores obtained in the TOAV. It was observed that there are statistically significant differences in the errors of omission of the second half of the test (p = .05), the differences were found between the groups of no dependence-dependence (p =.10) and without dependence-addiction (p = .24). The results showed that there are differences in the execution of a neuropsychological task, regarding the omission errors of the second part of the test. These differences could suggest that the level of sustained attention is diminished in the participants of the dependency and addiction group at the end of the task. On the other hand, it is also concluded that students with levels of dependence and smartphone addiction face attention difficulties when the task is longer and cognitive demand increases. This type of data must be analyzed taking into consideration variables such as sex, socioeconomic level, age, profile of use, quality of sleep, level of physical activity, among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of reports on cognitive changes related to deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in Parkinson's disease (PD) is growing. The aim of the review was to assess whether high-density electroencephalography (HD EEG) in patients with DBS treatment for PD is used and mentioned as a research method for the assessment of cognitive function changes after DBS of the subthalamic nucleus. The HD EEG examination method demonstrates the effects of DBS on changes of connectivity among various areas of the brain using changes in bioelectric potentials recorded on the scalp during examination. The search results yielded seven studies on the possibility of using HD EEG to investigate changes in bioelectric potentials with various protocols (motor tasks, auditory stimuli). Based on the results, HD EEG appears to be a feasible research method in patients with PD and established DBS therapy. Therefore, we plan to use HD EEG to demonstrate the effects of DBS on changes of connectivity among various areas of the brain utilizing changes in bioelectric potentials recorded on the scalp during HD EEG examination.

Background: Prolonged working hours in operation theater may impair cognitive and psychomotor function. Aims: This study was done to evaluate the changes in cognitive and psychomotor changes in the anesthesia residents after 6 and 12 h of continuous work in operation theater. Settings and Design: Sixty anesthesia residents whose working hours were expected to be longer than 12 h were recruited for this prospective, observational study. Methods: The study consisted of a set of five tests used for assessing the cognitive and psychomotor functions. The tests were conducted for the participants at 0, 6, and 12 h of work and the total scores at the respective time period were noted. The tests were manual dexterity test using purdue peg board, finger tapping test, visual spatial capacity memory test, digit symbol substitution test (DSST), and frontal assessment battery. Statistical Analysis: The observations of the purdue peg board test, finger tapping test, and digit symbol substitution test at 0, 6, and 12 h were tested using the repeated measures analysis of variance and paired t-test. The observations of visual spatial capacity memory test and frontal assessment battery were tested using the Chi-square test. Results: In the purdue peg board test, there was significant reduction in the mean number of pins assembled by the participants over 12 h of work. There was a significant difference in the number of finger taps by the dominant hand between 0 and 12 h and also between 6 and 12 h. In the visual spatial memory test, there was no significant difference in the performance of the participants with incorrect response at 0 and 12 h of duration. There was a significant decrease in the number of correct response among the participants in the digit symbol substitution test at 0 and 12 h of work. There was no significant difference in the scores obtained in frontal assessment battery test which was used to assess the cognitive function. Conclusion: There was a significant reduction in the psychomotor functions of the anesthesiology residents after 12 continuous hours of work in the operation theater and there was no significant reduction in cognitive function observed during that period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The factors affecting cognitive function after treatment of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) can be categorised into aneurysmal factors, procedural factors, and complications. The aim of this study was to investigate which of these factors has greater influence on the cognitive function. Methods: We retrospectively identified 14 patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) and 34 patients with SAH with mild symptoms at disease onset (Hunt and Hess grade: >3). All patients underwent neuropsychological tests within 35 days of discharge from hospitalisation for treatment. The relationship between the clinical factors and each neuropsychological test score was evaluated using multiple linear regression analysis after controlling for age and years of education. Results: Patients with UIA showed greater cognitive impairment in visual memory and the frontal/executive domains. Hypertension was associated with cognitive impairment. Patients with SAH showed greater cognitive impairment in the visuospatial, verbal memory, and frontal/executive domains. The dome-to-neck ratio, aneurysms located in the posterior circulation, microsurgical clipping, procedure time, anaesthesia duration, and complications were associated with cognitive impairment. Conclusions: Underlying diseases, procedural factors, and complications contributed to cognitive impairment after treatment of intracranial aneurysms. Since the effect of each factor on each cognitive domain was slightly different, a more in-depth study of these effects is needed.

Jacqueline B Vo,1 Silvia Gisiger-Camata,1 Kayla A Lewis,1 Timiya S Nolan,2 Jennifer R Bail,3 Bailey A Hendricks,1 David E Vance,1 Karen Meneses†,11School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; 2College of Nursing, The Ohio State Univeristy, Columbus, OH, USA; 3Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA†Karen Meneses passed away on August 01, 2018Purpose: Cognitive changes affect up to 75% of breast cancer survivors during treatment and 35% after treatment. There remains a paucity of cognitive change-focused education programs for breast cancer survivors. The Think Well: Healthy Living to Improve Cognitive Function program was developed to address cognitive changes in Alabama breast cancer survivors. The purpose of this article is to report program development and expansion over four years and attendees’ program satisfaction.Methods: A seven-step framework (identify, connect, assess, tailor, plan, deliver, and evaluate) was used to develop and implement the Think Well program. The 2-h seminars, tailored to each respective community, consisted of face-to-face lecture-style education grounded on an evidence-based curriculum. Seminars were assessed using surveys that focused on attendees’ satisfaction and were delivered at the end of each Think Well seminar. The surveys were summarized using descriptive statistics.Results: Over four years, 17 Think Well seminars were delivered to a total of 666 attendees, and 515 (77% response rate) completed a survey. Of which, 151 reported to be breast cancer survivors, 209 family and friends, and 155 others. Think Well received mostly “good” or “excellent” ratings on all educational program components in the evaluation. After receiving feedback from attendees, the Think Well program was also adapted to create an interactive website.Conclusion: Think Well seminars were well-received and provided cognitive change-focused cancer education for an underserved and diverse population. Implications include disseminating Think Well to a multi-state or national platform, implementing Think Well education using social media engagement, and collaborating with health-care professionals to provide cognitive change information.Keywords: survivorship, community-based program, breast cancer, cognitive changes, chemo-brain, cancer education

Introduction and hypothesis: To assess cognitive changes in women 12 months after starting anticholinergic medications for overactive bladder syndrome (OAB). Methods: We present a prospective cohort study assessing changes in cognition in women seen in a referral urogynecology practice. We compared women who started anticholinergic OAB medications with women not on anticholinergic OAB medications. The primary outcome was change over time on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) screening score. At enrollment, women completed a baseline MOCA screening, a Geriatric Depression Screen (GDS), and an assessment of medications to create an anticholinergic burden score (ACB). At 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after enrollment women were administered the MOCA, GDS, and a review of their medications and medical problems. Statistical analysis was performed using a linear mixed effects model taking into account correlated error terms given multiple MOCA assessments at various time points per patient. Results: A total of 106 women were enrolled, 60 in the OAB medication group and 46 in the control (non-OAB medication) group. The mean age was 77 years, 93% of women were Caucasian, and 98% completed high school, with no difference between groups. Over time there was no difference in change of MOCA score between the OAB and control groups when controlling for age, GDS score, and ACB score (p = 0.78). This association did not change when women with a neurological diagnosis were excluded (n = 6). On average MOCA scores for the OAB group increased by 0.76 over 12 months and the control group increased 0.39, with no difference between the groups (p = 0.53). Conclusions: We found no changes in MOCA scores between OAB medication and control groups after controlling for age, depression, and polypharmacy after 12 months of follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of reports on cognitive changes related to deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in Parkinson's disease (PD) is growing. The aim of the review was to assess whether high-density electroencephalography (HD EEG) in patients with DBS treatment for PD is used and mentioned as a research method for the assessment of cognitive function changes after DBS of the subthalamic nucleus. The HD EEG examination method demonstrates the effects of DBS on changes of connectivity among various areas of the brain using changes in bioelectric potentials recorded on the scalp during examination. The search results yielded seven studies on the possibility of using HD EEG to investigate changes in bioelectric potentials with various protocols (motor tasks, auditory stimuli). Based on the results, HD EEG appears to be a feasible research method in patients with PD and established DBS therapy. Therefore, we plan to use HD EEG to demonstrate the effects of DBS on changes of connectivity among various areas of the brain utilizing changes in bioelectric potentials recorded on the scalp during HD EEG examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background  Stroke is one of the most debilitating conditions contributing to significant disability and death globally. Identifying risk factors for quality of life (QoL) will enable to improve home-based rehabilitation in post-stroke phase. Objective  This study was aimed to identify the risk factors of QoL in stroke patients in the sub-Himalayan region. Materials and Methods  A cross-sectional hospital-based study assessed the QoL among stroke patients within a week after the onset of acute stroke and then re-evaluated at 3 months. World Health Organization QoL-BREF, Beck Depression Inventory, the Barthel Index, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) were used to seek data on QoL, depression, cognitive, and functional dependence status, respectively. Appropriate statistics were used to compute the results. Results  In total, 129 stroke patients recruited, out of which 102 returned to a 3-month follow-up. QoL, MOCA, disability index, and depression score were compared using Wilcoxon Singed-rank test. In multivariate analysis, depression and disability together predicted 60% of the variance for physical QoL (p < 0.0001). Similarly, poststroke depression and disability together predicted 61% of the variance for psychological QoL (p < 0.0001) in stroke patients. Conclusion  Findings indicated that depression and disability are leading risk factors of QoL in stroke patients. Early identification of poststroke depression and functional dependence status is, therefore, essential to devise screening procedure and to develop targeted intervention to improve rehabilitation outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-related changes in neural circuits, neural networks, and their plasticity are central to our understanding of age changes in cognition and brain structure and function. This paper summarizes selected findings on these topics presented at the Cognitive Aging Summit II. Specific areas discussed were synaptic vulnerability and plasticity, including the role of different types of synaptic spines, and hormonal effects in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of nonhuman primates, the impact of both compensatory processes and dedifferentiation on demand-dependent differences in prefrontal activation in relation to age and performance, the role of vascular disease, indexed by white matter signal abnormalities, on prefrontal activation during a functional magnetic resonance imaging-based cognitive control paradigm, and the influence of amyloid-β neuropathology on memory performance in older adults and the networks of brain activity underlying variability in performance. A greater understanding of age-related changes in brain plasticity and neural networks in healthy aging and in the presence of underlying vascular disease or amyloid pathology will be essential to identify new targets for intervention. Moreover, this understanding will assist in promoting the utilization of existing interventions, such as lifestyle and therapeutic modifiers of vascular disease.

Background and purpose: Cognitive impairment is one of the biggest challenges for cerebral palsy (CP) survivors. Cognition is a mental process, of acquiring knowledge and understanding the thoughts, experiences, and senses. It encompasses processes such as attention, knowledge, working memory, judgment and logical reasoning. The purpose of this study was to determine the most effective therapy for understanding the cognitive changes in children with CP from different available rehabilitation therapies being employed. Materials and methods: A total of sixty participants divided into the four groups namely A, B, C and D (n = 15) were recruited for the study. Groups A, B, C, and D received usual standard therapy (ST), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (r-TMS), neurofeedback (NFB) and cognitive brain training exercises respectively for 20 days. Outcome measures such as Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VSMS) and raw EEG data were recorded before and after the completion of 20 days (5 days a week for 4 weeks) therapy as pre and post assessment data of these different groups, for statistical data analysis. Results: The results suggested that r-TMS largely resulted in oriented therapy for cognitive enhancement in all selected therapy groups. Cognitive brain training exercises were found to be the second most effective as well as cost-effective therapy for cognitive enhancement in brain-damaged children. It showed 1.17% improvement in cognitive abilities as compared with r-TMS (1.28%) therapy. Conclusion: All therapies showed some degree of significant improvement in cognitive enhancement, however, r-TMS and cognitive exercises were found to be the best among the studied rehabilitation therapies in different groups for cognitive enhancement in CP children. This one of the first study to the best of our knowledge using different intervention techniques such as rTMS, NFB and CE for understanding the changes in the cognitive development in the CP children.

Background: Cognitive impairment is not only a core aspect of schizophrenia but also commonly observed in help-seeking youth at ultra high risk for psychosis (UHR), with potential implications for prognosis and individualized treatment. However, there is no consensus on the cognitive profile in the UHR state, partly due to lack of valid comparisons of performance in established schizophrenia and UHR.Objectives: To compare the cognitive functioning and profile of UHR subjects to a sample with schizophrenia, they were split into two groups based on duration of illness. Comparisons were made using coordinated norms based on healthy controls reflecting the younger UHR age spectrum.Methods: Participants for UHR (n = 51) and schizophrenia groups (n = 19 and n = 22) were included from the Prevention of Psychosis and Bergen Psychosis 2 projects. All subjects completed a comprehensive neurocognitive test battery aiming to measure speed of processing, working memory, verbal learning, reasoning, and problem solving, as well as visual problem solving. Cognitive functioning was compared between groups based on coordinated norms using z-scores derived by regression modeling from an age-matched healthy control group (n = 61).Results: UHR subjects showed significantly impaired speed of processing (p < 0.001) working memory (p = 0.042) and verbal learning, reasoning, and problem solving (p = 0.007) as compared to the control group. Visual problem-solving skills appeared unimpaired. UHR subjects significantly outperformed the schizophrenia group with duration of illness >3 years for speed of processing and working memory (both p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in performance between the UHR group and the group with duration of schizophrenia

Nowadays, a lot of people have the oral health problems due to continuous changes in the lifestyle such as the person's speech which can be affected by the malocclusion in teeth and the crooked teeth. The dental problems can cause cavity and bacterial infection. The dental and speech problems mostly can be related to the Alzheimer disease, and cognitive changes. Therefore, the dental information is collected from patients and analyzed by applying intelligent machine learning techniques. The gathered dental information is normalized by standardized min max approach. Further, different statistical parameters are derived which are huge in dimension. The optimal features are selected using grey wolf optimized approach. The method effectively selects the optimum dental features and the selected features are processed using bacterial optimized associative deep neural network. The network collects the Alzheimer disease features and compare them with the collected dental features to establish the brain related issues with dental features. The efficiency of the system is evaluated using experimental results and discussion. Thus, the introduced intelligent bacterial optimized associative deep neural network recognizes the relationship up to 98.98% of accuracy which is the maximum accuracy compared to other methods. Further, IBADNN-based Alzheimer detection system approach attains maximum predicting and selecting disease features (precision 98.65% and recall 99.03%) whereas other approaches such as OLVQ (precision 95.03% and recall 96.23%), HACANN (precision 96.36% and recall 96.91%) and GCNN (precision 97.47% and recall 97.512%) and attains low predicting and selecting accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive functions and activities of daily living (ADL) become increasingly impaired with progressing Alzheimer's disease. However, the temporal dynamics of this decline are inconsistent.Objective: To gain insight into the classical temporal cascade of specific cognitive and ADL changes, which may aid in improving detection of an impending clinical deterioration in patients, and to select ADL items and tests most sensitive to change in a specific disease stage.Methods: Patients with mild Alzheimer's dementia (AD; MMSE = 23.9±2.88) were followed at 12 and 24 months. Lead-lag analysis of changes in cognitive and functional outcome measures (CDR-SOB, 12 neuropsychological subtest scores from the CERAD + test battery, 25 Bayer-ADL items) was applied to rank the temporal sequence of changes on an ordinal scale.Results: Of 164 patients with mild AD, moderate disease progression was identified in 84 patients over 24 months (ΔMMSE 5.8±8.64; ΔCDR-SOB 4.32±4.03). Ten Bayer-ADL item measures were altered early in moderate progressors and included in a new ADL composite score. Accordingly, the new ADL score surpassed all neuropsychological measures in repeated lead-lag analysis. The Bayer-ADL total score, TMT-A, and MMSE were lagging variables in all lead-lag analyses.Conclusion: Short-term clinical deterioration in mild AD is initially preceded by changes (i.e., decline) in a well-defined set of ADL and not in classical cognitive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of study is to examine the relationships between health status and changes in cognition over time among middle to older aged Blacks. Method: Data come from the Baltimore Study of Black Aging—Patterns of Cognitive Aging. At baseline, 602 Black participants, ranging from ages 48 to 95 years, were enrolled. At follow-up, approximately 3 years later, 450 participants were re-interviewed. Results: After accounting for baseline cognition, age, sex, and education, a greater number of health conditions was associated with slower perceptual speed (b = −5.099, p =.022). Average peak expiratory flow was also associated with improvements in working memory (b = 0.029, p =.019) and perceptual speed (b = 0.026, p =.026), controlling for model covariates. Discussion: Study findings demonstrate that greater disease burden is associated with declines in specific fluid cognitive abilities in middle to later life among Blacks. This finding highlights the importance of reducing health disparities that disproportionately affect Blacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This piece introduces a lifespan perspective on cognitive changes associated with sustained practice of simultaneous interpreting. First, I briefly describe the elevated demands posed by this activity in training and work settings. Second, I argue that a broad lifespan perspective on it requires tracking psychobiological reconfigurations in the preparation for, course of, and withdrawal from sustained professional practice. Third, I summarize the core foci and findings of three articles addressing each of those stages. To conclude, I propose that the field's ongoing agenda should gravitate towards more age- and experience-sensitive models and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typical neuropsychological test has not enough sensibility to show cognitive changes in people with normal ageing. Therefore, like a complementary measure, is used the personal evaluation of cognitive state. The aim was develop an assessment for self perception of cognitive changes in cognitive training. Group 1: normal subjects, brief cognitive stimulation. Group 2: normal subjects, annual cognitive stimulation. Group 3: normal subjects, no stimulation. The assessment was Cognitive Changes Questionnaire. The data was analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis; a Spearman correlation and an alpha Cronbach analysis. The statistical analysis showed a high statistical significance in each analysis. We can conclude that "Cognitive Changes Questionnaire" is a confiable tool, and it measure self perception of cognitive changes. This questionnaire provides additional information to neuropsychological tests. Also it shows if there is generalization of cognitive changes to daily life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To find the effectiveness of cognitive therapy in post-menopausal women. Method: The study group consisted of 50 post-menopausal women, aged between 45-65 years, screening of 100 women was done and 50 women having cognitive changes and fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected. They were given exercises for 4 weeks,4 times per week and pre-post result were calculated on the basis of attention, memory, anxiety and depression. The scores were measured by using mini mental scale, mood scale and Hamilton depression rating scale. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that there is statistically extremely significant difference in cognitive changes in post menopausal women. (p >0.0001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesial temporal lobe (MTL) is prominently affected in normal aging and associated with neurodegeneration in AD. Whether or not MTL atrophy is dependent on increasing amyloid load before the emergence of cognitive deficits is still disputed. We performed a 4.5-year longitudinal study in 75 older community dwellers (48 women, mean age: 79.3 years) including magnetic resonance imaging at baseline and follow-up, positron emission tomography amyloid during follow-up, neuropsychological assessment at 18 and 55 months, and APOE genotyping. Linear regression models were used to identify predictors of the MTL volume loss. Amyloid load was negatively associated with bilateral MTL volume at baseline explaining almost 10.5% of its variability. In multivariate models including time of follow-up and demographic variables (older age, male gender), this percentage exceeded 35%. The APOE4 allele independently contributed another 6%. Cognitive changes had a modest but still significant negative association with MTL volume loss. Our data support a multifactorial model including amyloid deposition, older age, male gender, APOE4 allele, and slight decline of cognitive abilities as independent predictors of MTL volume loss in brain aging. • Amyloid load has a low-magnitude deleterious effect on MTL volume loss in brain aging. • Older age, male gender, and APOE status are independent predictors of MTL volume loss. • Slight but continuous decrement of cognition before MCI reflects worst MTL integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive impairment is not only a core aspect of schizophrenia but also commonly observed in help-seeking youth at ultra high risk for psychosis (UHR), with potential implications for prognosis and individualized treatment. However, there is no consensus on the cognitive profile in the UHR state, partly due to lack of valid comparisons of performance in established schizophrenia and UHR. Objectives: To compare the cognitive functioning and profile of UHR subjects to a sample with schizophrenia, they were split into two groups based on duration of illness. Comparisons were made using coordinated norms based on healthy controls reflecting the younger UHR age spectrum. Methods: Participants for UHR (n = 51) and schizophrenia groups (n = 19 and n = 22) were included from the Prevention of Psychosis and Bergen Psychosis 2 projects. All subjects completed a comprehensive neurocognitive test battery aiming to measure speed of processing, working memory, verbal learning, reasoning, and problem solving, as well as visual problem solving. Cognitive functioning was compared between groups based on coordinated norms using z -scores derived by regression modeling from an age-matched healthy control group (n = 61). Results: UHR subjects showed significantly impaired speed of processing (p < 0.001) working memory (p = 0.042) and verbal learning, reasoning, and problem solving (p = 0.007) as compared to the control group. Visual problem-solving skills appeared unimpaired. UHR subjects significantly outperformed the schizophrenia group with duration of illness >3 years for speed of processing and working memory (both p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in performance between the UHR group and the group with duration of schizophrenia <3 years. Conclusion: Cognitive performance is impaired in UHR subjects as compared to healthy controls and should thus be monitored when a person is deemed at high risk of psychotic illness. Spatial skills, as measured by tests using physical objects, appear less affected than other domains. The pattern of impairment is similar to that of a group with recent onset schizophrenia but is less severe than in a group with duration of illness <3 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary progressive aphasias (PPAs) are a group of neurodegenerative diseases presenting with insidious and relentless language impairment. Three main PPA variants have been described: the non-fluent/agrammatic variant (nfvPPA), the semantic variant (svPPA), and the logopenic variant (lvPPA). At the time of diagnosis, patients and their families’ main question pertains to prognosis and evolution, but very few data exist to support clinicians’ claims. The objective of this study was to review the current literature on the longitudinal changes in cognition, behaviours, and functional abilities in the three main PPA variants. A comprehensive review was undertaken via a search on PUBMED and EMBASE. Two authors independently reviewed a total of 65 full-text records for eligibility. A total of 14 group studies and one meta-analysis were included. Among these, eight studies included all three PPA variants. Eight studies were prospective, and the follow-up duration was between one and five years. Overall, svPPA patients showed more behavioural disturbances both at baseline and over the course of the disease. Patients with lvPPA showed a worse cognitive decline, especially in episodic memory, and faster progression to dementia. Finally, patients with nfvPPA showed the most significant losses in language production and functional abilities. Data regarding the prodromal and last stages of PPA are still missing and studies with a longer follow-up observation period are needed.

In the United States, aging in place is a common concept that refers to older adults’ desire to remain in their homes as they age. However, this ability to age in place is a complex process that is not only impacted by the home’s accessibility or individual functional abilities. This paper aims to examine different factors, such as home environment and home modification, caregivers, finances, and other supports present in the participants’ lives, that impact older adults with age-related cognitive changes (ARCC) (in)ability to age in place. Qualitative interviews with older adults with ARCC (n = 5) and their caregivers (n = 5) were conducted. The participants’ experiences while aging in place indicate that finances and caregiving support greatly impacted their lives at home and ability to age in place. Personal finances dictated where some of the participants could age and the support, they could afford from home health aides. Additionally, informal and formal caregivers were an important source of support that aided in the older adults’ ability to remain home. As researchers, we need to continue to address personal finances and the support that the individual has in their lives to most effectively promote aging in place and their life at home.