Cortical thickness reveals sex differences in verbal and visuospatial memory.

Although previous studies have reported the sex differences in behavior/cognition and the brain, the sex difference in the relationship between memory abilities and the underlying neural basis in the aging process remains unclear. In this study, we used a machine learning model to estimate the association between cortical thickness and verbal/visuospatial memory in females and males and then explored the sex difference of these associations based on a community-elderly cohort (n = 1153, age ranged from 50.42 to 86.67 years). We validated that females outperformed males in verbal memory, while males outperformed females in visuospatial memory. The key regions related to verbal memory in females include the medial temporal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and some regions around the insula. Further, those regions are more located in limbic, dorsal attention, and default-model networks, and are associated with face recognition and perception. The key regions related to visuospatial memory include the lateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, and some occipital regions. They overlapped more with dorsal attention, frontoparietal and visual networks, and were associated with object recognition. These findings imply the memory performance advantage of females and males might be related to the different memory processing tendencies and their associated network.

Effects of healthy aging and mnemonic strategies on verbal memory performance across the adult lifespan: Mediating role of posterior hippocampus.

In this study, we aimed to understand the contributions of hippocampal anteroposterior subregions (head, body, tail) and subfields (cornu ammonis 1-3 [CA1-3], dentate gyrus [DG], and subiculum [Sub]) and encoding strategies to the age-related verbal memory decline. Healthy participants were administered the California Verbal Learning Test-II to evaluate verbal memory performance and encoding strategies and underwent 4.7 T magnetic resonance imaging brain scan with subsequent hippocampal subregions and subfields manual segmentation. While total hippocampal volume was not associated with verbal memory performance, we found the volumes of the posterior hippocampus (body) and Sub showed significant effects on verbal memory performance. Additionally, the age-related volume decline in hippocampal body volume contributed to lower use of semantic clustering, resulting in lower verbal memory performance. The effect of Sub on verbal memory was statistically independent of encoding strategies. While total CA1-3 and DG volumes did not show direct or indirect effects on verbal memory, exploratory analyses with DG and CA1-3 volumes within the hippocampal body subregion suggested an indirect effect of age-related volumetric reduction on verbal memory performance through semantic clustering. As semantic clustering is sensitive to age-related hippocampal volumetric decline but not to the direct effect of age, further investigation of mechanisms supporting semantic clustering can have implications for early detection of cognitive impairments and decline.

Verbal memory network mapping in individual patients predicts postoperative functional impairments.

Verbal memory decline is a significant concern following temporal lobe surgeries in patients with epilepsy, emphasizing the need for precision presurgical verbal memory mapping to optimize functional outcomes. However, the inter-individual variability in functional networks and brain function-structural dissociations pose challenges when relying solely on group-level atlases or anatomical landmarks for surgical guidance. Here, we aimed to develop and validate a personalized functional mapping technique for verbal memory using precision resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and neurosurgery. A total of 38 patients with refractory epilepsy scheduled for surgical interventions were enrolled and 28 patients were analyzed in the study. Baseline 30-min rs-fMRI scanning, verbal memory and language assessments were collected for each patient before surgery. Personalized verbal memory networks (PVMN) were delineated based on preoperative rs-fMRI data for each patient. The accuracy of PVMN was assessed by comparing post-operative functional impairments and the overlapping extent between PVMN and surgical lesions. A total of 14 out of 28 patients experienced clinically meaningful declines in verbal memory after surgery. The personalized network and the group-level atlas exhibited 100% and 75.0% accuracy in predicting postoperative verbal memory declines, respectively. Moreover, six patients with extra-temporal lesions that overlapped with PVMN showed selective impairments in verbal memory. Furthermore, the lesioned ratio of the personalized network rather than the group-level atlas was significantly correlated with postoperative declines in verbal memory (personalized networks: r = -0.39, p = .038; group-level atlas: r = -0.19, p = .332). In conclusion, our personalized functional mapping technique, using precision rs-fMRI, offers valuable insights into individual variability in the verbal memory network and holds promise in precision verbal memory network mapping in individuals.

Object Recognition Memory Deficits in ADHD: A Meta-analysis.

Object recognition memory allows us to identify previously seen objects. This type of declarative memory is a primary process for learning. Despite its crucial role in everyday life, object recognition has received far less attention in ADHD research compared to verbal recognition memory. In addition to the existence of a small number of published studies, the results have been inconsistent, possibly due to the diversity of tasks used to assess recognition memory. In the present meta-analysis, we have collected studies from Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases up to May 2023. We have compiled studies that assessed visual object recognition memory with specific visual recognition tests (sample-match delayed tasks) in children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD. A total of 28 studies with 1619 participants diagnosed with ADHD were included. The studies were assessed for risk of bias using the Quadas-2 tool and for each study, Cohen's d was calculated to estimate the magnitude of the difference in performance between groups. As a main result, we have found a worse recognition memory performance in ADHD participants when compared to their matched controls (overall Cohen's d ~ 0.492). We also observed greater heterogeneity in the magnitude of this deficit among medicated participants compared to non-medicated individuals, as well as a smaller deficit in studies with a higher proportion of female participants. The magnitude of the object recognition memory impairment in ADHD also seems to depend on the assessment method used.

Difficulties during delivery, brain ventricle enlargement and cognitive impairment in first episode psychosis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with a first episode of psychosis (FEP) display clinical, cognitive, and structural brain abnormalities at illness onset. Ventricular enlargement has been identified in schizophrenia since the initial development of neuroimaging techniques. Obstetric abnormalities have been associated with an increased risk of developing psychosis but also with cognitive impairment and brain structure abnormalities. Difficulties during delivery are associated with a higher risk of birth asphyxia leading to brain structural abnormalities, such as ventriculomegaly, which has been related to cognitive disturbances. METHODS: We examined differences in ventricular size between 142 FEP patients and 123 healthy control participants using magnetic resonance imaging. Obstetric complications were evaluated using the Lewis-Murray scale. We examined the impact of obstetric difficulties during delivery on ventricle size as well as the possible relationship between ventricle size and cognitive impairment in both groups. RESULTS: FEP patients displayed significantly larger third ventricle size compared with healthy controls. Third ventricle enlargement was associated with diagnosis (higher volume in patients), with difficulties during delivery (higher volume in subjects with difficulties), and was highest in patients with difficulties during delivery. Verbal memory was significantly associated with third ventricle to brain ratio. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that difficulties during delivery might be significant contributors to the ventricular enlargement historically described in schizophrenia. Thus, obstetric complications may contribute to the development of psychosis through changes in brain architecture.

Temporal gamma tACS and auditory stimulation affect verbal memory in healthy adults.

Research suggests a potential of gamma oscillation entrainment for enhancing memory in Alzheimer's disease and healthy subjects. Gamma entrainment can be accomplished with oscillatory electrical, but also sensory stimulation. However, comparative studies between sensory stimulation and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) effects on memory processes are lacking. This study examined the effects of rhythmic gamma auditory stimulation (rAS) and temporal gamma-tACS on verbal long-term memory (LTM) and working memory (WM) in 74 healthy individuals. Participants were assigned to two groups according to the stimulation techniques (rAS or tACS). Memory was assessed in three experimental blocks, in which each participant was administered with control, 40, and 60 Hz stimulation in counterbalanced order. All interventions were well-tolerated, and participants reported mostly comparable side effects between real stimulation (40 and 60 Hz) and the control condition. LTM immediate and delayed recall remained unaffected by stimulations, while immediate recall intrusions decreased during 60 Hz stimulation. Notably, 40 Hz interventions improved WM compared to control stimulations. These results highlight the potential of 60 and 40 Hz temporal cortex stimulation for reducing immediate LTM recall intrusions and improving WM performance, respectively, probably due to the entrainment of specific gamma oscillations in the auditory cortex. The results also shed light on the comparative effects of these neuromodulation tools on memory functions, and their potential applications for cognitive enhancement and in clinical trials.

Cognition and Ventral Attention Network Connectivity: Associations With Treatment Response in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly heterogeneous disorder, which makes it difficult to link clinical phenotypes with biomarkers to improve treatment outcomes. Findings from previous studies suggest that cognitive measures such as verbal memory or attention paired with within-ventral attention network (VAN) or salience network resting-state functional connectivity may predict treatment response among individuals with PTSD. METHODS: In a sample comprising 20 individuals with PTSD and 10 healthy control group individuals, the investigators subtyped individuals by using both discriminant function analysis and standardized norms for a single measure of memory and neuropsychological batteries of memory, attention, and executive functioning; attempted to replicate previous findings of lower within-VAN connectivity among individuals with cognitive impairment; and explored whether within-VAN connectivity paired with cognitive impairment predicted treatment outcomes. RESULTS: PTSD patients with cognitive impairment (defined by using a discriminant function analysis with verbal memory performance) had greater within-VAN resting-state functional connectivity compared with control group individuals and cognitively intact PTSD patients at a level that fell short of statistical significance (F=3.41; df=2, 21; ηp2=0.237). The interaction between verbal memory performance and within-VAN connectivity also predicted treatment-related change in PTSD symptoms at a level that also fell short of statistical significance (ß=-0.442). CONCLUSIONS: These findings somewhat support the clinical utility of identifying cognitive phenotypes within PTSD (by using discriminant function analysis and verbal memory performance) to predict treatment outcomes.

Normative data beyond the total scores: a process score analysis of the Rey's 15 word test in healthy aging and Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: The Rey's 15 words test is currently the most frequently used task in Italy to detect memory deficits in AD. The current standardised version is however quite outdated and lacks some cognitive indexes which may highlight problems in recall or encoding processes. The aim of the study was to update the normative data of the test and to consider some variables which were not accounted for in the original study, that is, recognition, learning rate and forgetfulness. We also adopted the process scores approach to ascertain the effects of serial position (primacy and recency). METHODS: Three hundred ninety-six healthy participants were recruited. To detect any variables useful for intercepting the early stages of dementia, a group of 208 patients in the very early stage of AD was also recruited. Linear models were used to calculate the corrections scores for age, education, and gender, and ROCs were used to calculate cut-offs based on the maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity and the positive and negative predictive values. RESULTS: All main indexes showed excellent Area Under the Curve (0.90-1), strong sensitivity and PPVs for distinguishing between the HCs and AD participants. However, the Intrusions index performed poorly in all parameters. CONCLUSION: The study provides updated, normative data which may be reliably used as a cognitive marker to detect early AD. The strength of the study is the large sample size and the number of indexes which make it possible to explore the utility of memory test process scores.

The Influence of Sports-Related Concussion on Cognition and Landing Biomechanics in Collegiate Athletes.

Injury surveillance data indicate that collegiate athletes are at greater risk for lower extremity (LE) injuries following sports-related concussion (SRC). While the association between SRC and LE injury appears to be clinically relevant up to 1-year post-SRC, little evidence has been provided to determine possible mechanistic rationales. Thus, we aimed to compare collegiate athletes with a history of SRC to matched controls on biomechanical and cognitive performance measures associated with LE injury risk. Athletes with a history of SRC (n = 20) and matched controls (n = 20) performed unanticipated bilateral land-and-cut tasks and cognitive assessments. Group-based analyses (ANOVA) and predictive modeling (C5.0 decision tree algorithm) were used to compare group differences on biomechanical and cognitive measures. Collegiate athletes with a history of SRC demonstrated approximately six degrees less peak knee flexion on both dominant (p = 0.03, d = 0.71) and nondominant (p = 0.02, d = 0.78) limbs during the land-and-cut tasks compared to controls. Verbal Memory, knee flexion, and Go/No Go total score (C5.0 decision tree algorithm) were identified as the strongest indicators of previous SRC injury history. Reduced knee flexion during sport-specific land-and-cut tasks may be a mechanism for increased LE injury risk in athletes with a history of SRC. There appears to be multiple biomechanical and cognitive predictors for identifying previous SRC in collegiate athletes, providing evidence to support a multifactorial SRC management strategy to reduce future injury risk.

Plasma phosphorylated tau-217 exhibits sex-specific prognostication of cognitive decline and brain atrophy in cognitively unimpaired adults.

INTRODUCTION: Accumulating evidence indicates disproportionate tau burden and tau-related clinical progression in females. However, sex differences in plasma phosphorylated tau (p-tau)217 prediction of subclinical cognitive and brain changes are unknown. METHODS: We measured baseline plasma p-tau217, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and neurofilament light (NfL) in 163 participants (85 cognitively unimpaired [CU], 78 mild cognitive impairment [MCI]). In CU, linear mixed effects models examined sex differences in plasma biomarker prediction of longitudinal domain-specific cognitive decline and brain atrophy. Cognitive models were repeated in MCI. RESULTS: In CU females, baseline plasma p-tau217 predicted verbal memory and medial temporal lobe trajectories such that trajectories significantly declined once p-tau217 concentrations surpassed 0.053 pg/ml, a threshold that corresponded to early levels of cortical amyloid aggregation in secondary amyloid positron emission tomography analyses. CU males exhibited similar rates of cognitive decline and brain atrophy, but these trajectories were not dependent on plasma p-tau217. Plasma GFAP and NfL exhibited similar female-specific prediction of medial temporal lobe atrophy in CU. Plasma p-tau217 exhibited comparable prediction of cognitive decline across sex in MCI. DISCUSSION: Plasma p-tau217 may capture earlier Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related cognitive and brain atrophy hallmarks in females compared to males, possibly reflective of increased susceptibility to AD pathophysiology.

Associations of baseline and longitudinal change in cerebellum volume with age-related changes in verbal learning and memory.

The cerebellum is involved in higher-order cognitive functions, e.g., learning and memory, and is susceptible to age-related atrophy. Yet, the cerebellum's role in age-related cognitive decline remains largely unknown. We investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between cerebellar volume and verbal learning and memory. Linear mixed effects models and partial correlations were used to examine the relationship between changes in cerebellum volumes (total cerebellum, cerebellum white matter [WM], cerebellum hemisphere gray matter [GM], and cerebellum vermis subregions) and changes in verbal learning and memory performance among 549 Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging participants (2,292 visits). All models were adjusted by baseline demographic characteristics (age, sex, race, education), and APOE e4 carrier status. In examining associations between change with change, we tested an additional model that included either hippocampal (HC), cuneus, or postcentral gyrus (PoCG) volumes to assess whether cerebellar volumes were uniquely associated with verbal learning and memory. Cross-sectionally, the association of baseline cerebellum GM and WM with baseline verbal learning and memory was age-dependent, with the oldest individuals showing the strongest association between volume and performance. Baseline volume was not significantly associated with change in learning and memory. However, analysis of associations between change in volumes and changes in verbal learning and memory showed that greater declines in verbal memory were associated with greater volume loss in cerebellum white matter, and preserved GM volume in cerebellum vermis lobules VI-VII. The association between decline in verbal memory and decline in cerebellar WM volume remained after adjustment for HC, cuneus, and PoCG volume. Our findings highlight that associations between cerebellum volume and verbal learning and memory are age-dependent and regionally specific.

Hormonal contraceptive influences on cognition and psychopathology: Past methods, present inferences, and future directions.

In the last decade, there has been a remarkable surge in research on the neural and behavioral correlates of hormonal contraceptive use, particularly oral contraceptive use. Questions have evolved swiftly and notably, with studies no longer revealing if hormonal contraceptives matter for the brain and behavior, but rather how, when, and for whom they matter most. Paralleling this shift, the goal of this review is to move beyond an average synthesis of hormonal contraceptive influences on human cognition and psychopathology (and their neural substrates) in order to consider the nature and specificity of effects. Accompanied by an evaluation of study methods and informed by findings from animal models, this consideration uncovers promising areas of research in the next ten years, including potential activational and organizational effects of hormonal contraceptive use, individual differences in effects that matter for the wellbeing of unique individuals, and correlates of intrauterine device use.

Neural substrates of verbal memory impairment in schizophrenia: A multimodal connectomics study.

While verbal memory is among the most compromised cognitive domains in schizophrenia (SZ), its neural substrates remain elusive. Here, we explored the structural and functional brain network correlates of verbal memory impairment in SZ. We acquired diffusion and resting-state functional MRI data of 49 SZ patients, classified as having preserved (VMP, n = 22) or impaired (VMI, n = 26) verbal memory based on the List Learning task, and 55 healthy controls (HC). Structural and functional connectivity matrices were obtained and analyzed to assess associations with disease status (SZ vs. HC) and verbal memory impairment (VMI vs. VMP) using two complementary data-driven approaches: threshold-free network-based statistics (TFNBS) and hybrid connectivity independent component analysis (connICA). TFNBS showed altered connectivity in SZ patients compared with HC (p < .05, FWER-corrected), with distributed structural changes and functional reorganization centered around sensorimotor areas. Specifically, functional connectivity was reduced within the visual and somatomotor networks and increased between visual areas and associative and subcortical regions. Only a tiny cluster of increased functional connectivity between visual and bilateral parietal attention-related areas correlated with verbal memory dysfunction. Hybrid connICA identified four robust traits, representing fundamental patterns of joint structural-functional connectivity. One of these, mainly capturing the functional connectivity profile of the visual network, was significantly associated with SZ (HC vs. SZ: Cohen's d = .828, p < .0001) and verbal memory impairment (VMP vs. VMI: Cohen's d = -.805, p = .01). We suggest that aberrant connectivity of sensorimotor networks may be a key connectomic signature of SZ and a putative biomarker of SZ-related verbal memory impairment, in consistency with bottom-up models of cognitive disruption.

The functional connectome of 3,4-methyldioxymethamphetamine-related declarative memory impairments.

The chronic intake of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") bears a strong risk for sustained declarative memory impairments. Although such memory deficits have been repeatedly reported, their neurofunctional origin remains elusive. Therefore, we here investigate the neuronal basis of altered declarative memory in recurrent MDMA users at the level of brain connectivity. We examined a group of 44 chronic MDMA users and 41 demographically matched controls. Declarative memory performance was assessed by the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and a visual associative learning test. To uncover alterations in the whole brain connectome between groups, we employed a data-driven multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) approach on participants' resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Recent MDMA use was confirmed by hair analyses. MDMA users showed lower performance in delayed recall across tasks compared to well-matched controls with moderate-to-strong effect sizes. MVPA revealed a large cluster located in the left postcentral gyrus of global connectivity differences between groups. Post hoc seed-based connectivity analyses with this cluster unraveled hypoconnectivity to temporal areas belonging to the auditory network and hyperconnectivity to dorsal parietal regions belonging to the dorsal attention network in MDMA users. Seed-based connectivity strength was associated with verbal memory performance in the whole sample as well as with MDMA intake patterns in the user group. Our findings suggest that functional underpinnings of MDMA-related memory impairments encompass altered patterns of multimodal sensory integration within auditory processing regions to a functional heteromodal connector hub, the left postcentral gyrus. In addition, hyperconnectivity in regions of a cognitive control network might indicate compensation for degraded sensory processing.

Disentangling poststroke cognitive deficits and their neuroanatomical correlates through combined multivariable and multioutcome lesion-symptom mapping.

Studies in patients with brain lesions play a fundamental role in unraveling the brain's functional anatomy. Lesion-symptom mapping (LSM) techniques can relate lesion location to cognitive performance. However, a limitation of current LSM approaches is that they can only evaluate one cognitive outcome at a time, without considering interdependencies between different cognitive tests. To overcome this challenge, we implemented canonical correlation analysis (CCA) as combined multivariable and multioutcome LSM approach. We performed a proof-of-concept study on 1075 patients with acute ischemic stroke to explore whether addition of CCA to a multivariable single-outcome LSM approach (support vector regression) could identify infarct locations associated with deficits in three well-defined verbal memory functions (encoding, consolidation, retrieval) based on four verbal memory subscores derived from the Seoul Verbal Learning Test (immediate recall, delayed recall, recognition, learning ability). We evaluated whether CCA could extract cognitive score patterns that matched prior knowledge of these verbal memory functions, and if these patterns could be linked to more specific infarct locations than through single-outcome LSM alone. Two of the canonical modes identified with CCA showed distinct cognitive patterns that matched prior knowledge on encoding and consolidation. In addition, CCA revealed that each canonical mode was linked to a distinct infarct pattern, while with multivariable single-outcome LSM individual verbal memory subscores were associated with largely overlapping patterns. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that CCA can complement single-outcome LSM techniques to help disentangle cognitive functions and their neuroanatomical correlates.

Altered developmental trajectories of verbal learning skills in 22q11.2DS: associations with hippocampal development and psychosis.

BACKGROUND: The cognitive profile in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is often characterized by a discrepancy between nonverbal vs. verbal reasoning skills, in favor of the latter skills. This dissociation has also been observed in memory, with verbal learning skills described as a relative strength. Yet the development of these skills is still to be investigated. We thus aimed to explore verbal learning longitudinally. Furthermore, we explored verbal learning and its respective associations with hippocampal alterations and psychosis, which remain largely unknown despite their high prevalence in 22q11.2DS. METHODS: In total, 332 individuals (173 with 22q11.2DS) aged 5-30 years completed a verbal-paired associates task. Mixed-models regression analyses were conducted to explore developmental trajectories with threefold objectives. First, verbal learning and retention trajectories were compared between 22q11.2DS vs. HC. Second, we examined hippocampal volume development in 22q11.2DS participants with lower vs. higher verbal learning performance. Third, we explored verbal learning trajectories in 22q11.2DS participants with vs. without positive psychotic symptoms and with vs. without a psychotic spectrum disorder (PSD). RESULTS: Our findings first reveal lower verbal learning performance in 22q11.2DS, with a developmental plateau emerging from adolescence. Second, participants with lower verbal learning scores displayed a reduced left hippocampal tail volume. Third, participants with PSD showed a deterioration of verbal learning performance, independently of verbal reasoning skills. CONCLUSION: Our study challenges the current view of preserved verbal learning skills in 22q11.2DS and highlights associations with specific hippocampal alterations. We further identify verbal learning as a novel cognitive marker for psychosis in 22q11.2DS.

Emotional intelligence: a comparison between patients after first episode mania and those suffering from chronic bipolar disorder type I.

BACKGROUND: Deficits in emotional intelligence (EI) were detected in patients with bipolar disorder (BD), but little is known about whether these deficits are already present in patients after presenting a first episode mania (FEM). We sought (i) to compare EI in patients after a FEM, chronic BD and healthy controls (HC); (ii) to examine the effect exerted on EI by socio-demographic, clinical and neurocognitive variables in FEM patients. METHODS: The Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EIQ) was calculated with the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). Performance on MSCEIT was compared among the three groups using generalized linear models. In patients after a FEM, the influence of socio-demographic, clinical and neurocognitive variables on the EIQ was examined using a linear regression model. RESULTS: In total, 184 subjects were included (FEM n = 48, euthymic chronic BD type I n = 75, HC n = 61). BD patients performed significantly worse than HC on the EIQ [mean difference (MD) = 10.09, standard error (s.e.) = 3.14, p = 0.004] and on the understanding emotions branch (MD = 7.46, s.e. = 2.53, p = 0.010). FEM patients did not differ from HC and BD on other measures of MSCEIT. In patients after a FEM, EIQ was positively associated with female sex (ß = -0.293, p = 0.034) and verbal memory performance (ß = 0.374, p = 0.008). FEM patients performed worse than HC but better than BD on few neurocognitive domains. CONCLUSIONS: Patients after a FEM showed preserved EI, while patients in later stages of BD presented lower EIQ, suggesting that impairments in EI might result from the burden of disease and neurocognitive decline, associated with the chronicity of the illness.

Sex-specific differences in neuropsychological profiles of mild cognitive impairment in a hospital-based clinical sample.

OBJECTIVE: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an etiologically nonspecific diagnosis including a broad spectrum of cognitive decline between normal aging and dementia. Several large-scale cohort studies have found sex effects on neuropsychological test performance in MCI. The primary aim of the current project was to examine sex differences in neuropsychological profiles in a clinically diagnosed MCI sample using clinical and research diagnostic criteria. METHOD: The current study includes archival data from 349 patients (age M = 74.7; SD = 7.7) who underwent an outpatient neuropsychological evaluation and were diagnosed with MCI. Raw scores were converted to z-scores using normative datasets. Sex differences in neurocognitive profiles including severity, domain-specific composites (memory, executive functioning/information processing speed, and language), and modality-specific learning curves (verbal, visual) were examined using Analysis of Variance, Chi-square analyses, and linear mixed models. Post hoc analyses examined whether sex effects were uniform across age and education brackets. RESULTS: Females exhibit worse non-memory domain and test-specific cognitive performances compared to males with otherwise comparable categorical MCI criteria and global cognition measured via screening and composite scores. Analysis of learning curves showed additional sex-specific advantages (visual Males>Females; verbal Females >Males) not captured by MCI subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight sex differences in a clinical sample with MCI. The emphasis of verbal memory in the diagnosis of MCI may result in diagnosis at more advanced stages for females. Additional investigation is needed to determine whether these profiles confer greater risk for progressing to dementia or are confounded by other factors (e.g., delayed referral, medical comorbidities).

Reliable change on the selective reminding test in a series of left-hemisphere language dominant patients with right temporal lobe epilepsy.

The Selective Reminding Test (SRT) is widely used in pre-surgical evaluations for people with epilepsy; however, important characteristics such as reliability and stability over time within an epilepsy-specific control cohort are unclear. In this study, we document test-retest reliabilities, practice effects, and Reliable Change Indices (RCI) for this test in a sample of right temporal lobe epilepsy patients who are left hemisphere dominant for language and underwent surgical resection on the right temporal lobe. A sample of 101 adults with a right temporal lobe seizure focus (mean age = 38.5) was administered the SRT pre- and post-right temporal lobe surgery. Test-retest reliabilities were modest (r = 0.44-0.59). Practice effects were minimal (0.25-2.04). Reliable Change Indices were calculated and ranged from 4 to 26 depending on the SRT index. The RCI's indicate that relatively moderate to large changes on the SRT are needed for a change score to be considered a significant change in an individual's performance. The RCIs can be used to detect a reliable change in patients undergoing left temporal lobe epilepsy surgery who are at significant risk for verbal memory decline.

Exploring the relationship between amygdala subnuclei volumes and cognitive performance in left-lateralized temporal lobe epilepsy with and without hippocampal sclerosis.

Cognitive disruption is a debilitating comorbidity in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE). Despite recent advances, the amygdala is often neglected in studies that explore cognition in TLE. Amygdala subnuclei are differently engaged in TLE with hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-HS) compared to non-lesional TLE (TLE-MRIneg), with predominant atrophy in the first and increased volume in the latter. Herein, we aim to explore the relationship between the volumes of the amygdala and its substructures with respect to cognitive performances in a population of left-lateralized TLE with and without HS. Twenty-nine TLEs were recruited (14 TLE-HS; 15 TLE-MRIneg). After investigating the differences in the subcortical amygdalae and hippocampal volumes compared to a matched healthy control population, we explored the associations between the subnuclei of the amygdala and the hippocampal subfields with the cognitive scores in TLE patients, according to their etiology. In TLE-HS, a reduced volume of the basolateral and cortical amygdala complexes joined with whole hippocampal atrophy, was related to poorer scores in verbal memory tasks, while in TLE-MRIneg, poorer performances in attention and processing speed tasks were associated with a generalized amygdala enlargement, particularly of the basolateral and central complexes. The present findings extend our knowledge of amygdala involvement in cognition and suggest structural amygdala abnormalities as useful disease biomarkers in TLE.