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Deficits in memory performance have been linked to a wide range of neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions. While many studies have assessed the memory impacts of individual conditions, this study considers a broader perspective by evaluating how memory recall is differentially associated with nine common neuropsychiatric conditions using data drawn from 55 international studies, aggregating 15,883 unique participants aged 15-90. The effects of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, Parkinsons disease, traumatic brain injury, stroke, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder on immediate, short-, and long-delay verbal learning and memory (VLM) scores were estimated relative to matched healthy individuals. Random forest models identified age, years of education, and site as important VLM covariates. A Bayesian harmonization approach was used to isolate and remove site effects. Regression estimated the adjusted association of each clinical group with VLM scores. Memory deficits were strongly associated with dementia and schizophrenia (p < 0.001), while neither depression nor ADHD showed consistent associations with VLM scores (p > 0.05). Differences associated with clinical conditions were larger for longer delayed recall duration items. By comparing VLM across clinical conditions, this study provides a foundation for enhanced diagnostic precision and offers new insights into disease management of comorbid disorders.

Impairments in cognitive processing related to social understanding and communication (i.e., "social cognition") are well documented after moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and can contribute to negative functional outcome. Depression is also a common feature of TBI with detrimental functional consequences. We evaluated relationships between social cognition, depression symptom severity, and functional status in individuals with chronic TBI (>1 year post injury; n = 25) and healthy controls (n = 30) using objective tests of social cognition as well as self-reported depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II) and functional status (Functional Behavior Profile). Results revealed significant relationships between depression and functional status across the sample, and relationships between social cognition and functional status specific to TBI. In the TBI group only, social cognition significantly predicted both overall and social functional status above and beyond depression. Group differences in functional status were independently mediated by social cognition and, especially, depression. Our findings suggest that social cognitive impairments and depression are distinct, functionally relevant TBI sequelae. Interventions to improve social functioning in this population may be most effective when contextualized within treatments for emotional disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging research indicates that in addition to physical and cognitive deficits, individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) may also have impairments in social cognition, such as facial affect recognition and Theory of Mind (ToM). However, there is little research into how social cognition impairments relate to other domains in MS, such as mood and fatigue levels. The current study investigated whether social cognitive ability is associated with fatigue, depressive symptoms and anxiety in MS. Twenty‐eight individuals with MS completed questionnaires assessing fatigue (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale), depression (Beck Depression Inventory) and anxiety (State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory), as well as tasks of facial affect recognition and ToM (Reading the Mind in the Eyes; Strange Stories). Bivariate correlations were run to examine relationships between variables; partial correlations were subsequently used to ascertain whether these relationships persisted after controlling for cognitive ability (measured with the Symbol Digit Modalities Test). The results indicated that worse performance in both facial affect recognition and ToM were associated with higher rates of psychosocial fatigue, depressive symptoms, and anxiety levels; furthermore, these relationships were not explained by participants' cognitive ability. These preliminary results help us better understand the association between social cognitive abilities and other symptoms in MS, including depressive symptomatology, anxiety and fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-traumatic brain injury fatigue (PTBIF) is a major problem in the years after traumatic brain injury (TBI), yet little is known about its persistence and resolution. The objective of the study was to identify factors related to PTBIF remission and resolution. TBI Model System registrants at five centres participated in interviews at either one and two years post-injury (Y1-2 Cohort), or two and five years post-injury (Y2-5 Cohort). Characteristics of participants with PTBIF remission were compared to those with PTBIF persistence. Variables studied included the presence of and changes in disability, sleep dysfunction, mood, and community participation. The Functional Independence Measure did not differ significantly between groups or over time. In the Y1-2 Cohort the Fatigue Resolved group scored significantly better on the Disability Rating Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. In the Y2-5 Cohort the Fatigue Resolved group scored significantly higher on a measure of community participation. It was concluded that fewer than half of the sample in each cohort experienced a remission of PTBIF between time points. Persistence of PTBIF 1–2 years post-injury is associated with disability, sleep disturbance, and depression while persistence of fatigue beyond 2 years post-injury appears to be related to participation level, underscoring the potential impact of effective surveillance, assessment, and treatment of this condition in optimising life after TBI. Differences in fatigue progression may point to the presence of different types of PTBIF. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It has recently been reported that individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) are impaired on tasks requiring emotional processing and social cognition, including tasks of Theory of Mind (ToM) and facial affect recognition. The current pilot study examined the ability of individuals with MS to understand and interpret lies and sarcasm using a dynamic task: The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT). Fifteen individuals with MS and 15 healthy controls (HCs) performed the Social Inference-Enriched subtest of the TASIT, in which they viewed video-taped social interactions in which lies and sarcasm are presented. Additionally, tests of cognition were also administered to better understand the relationship between specific cognitive abilities and the ability to understand lies and sarcasm. The MS group showed impairments in the ability to interpret and understand lies and sarcasm relative to HCs. These impairments were correlated with several cognitive abilities including processing speed, working memory, learning and memory, and premorbid IQ. The results indicate that the TASIT is a sensitive measure of social cognition in individuals with MS. Furthermore, performance on the TASIT was related to cognitive abilities. Results are discussed in terms of social cognition deficits in MS and how they relate to cognitive abilities. (JINS, 2016, 22, 83–88) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]