Development of an Effector-Specific Stop Signal Task with Higher Complexity: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

The present study aims to develop and present a proof-of-concept for a stop signal task with effector-specificity and higher complexity. Sixteen participants performed a stop signal task developed for lower extremities using Fitlight System™. The effect of four different delays and two sessions on response time, stop signal reaction time and accuracy was assessed using two-way repeated-measures ANOVA. The reliability of outcomes was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients. There was a significant main effect of delay on all outcomes and an interaction of delay and session on accuracy. The reliability of outcomes was substantial with dependency on delays. Our preliminary findings suggest the feasibility of stop signal principles within more complex movements and provide an example for the development of further tests in sports context.

Predictors of functioning in treatment-resistant schizophrenia: the role of negative symptoms and neurocognition.

Introduction: Predictors of functioning are well-studied in schizophrenia, but much less so in treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). In this study, we aim to investigate contributions of schizophrenia symptom domains and neurocognition to predict functioning in a TRS population (n = 146). Methods: Participants were assessed on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), to calculate scores for five symptom factors (Positive, Negative, Cognitive, Depressive and Hostility) and two negative symptom constructs (Diminished Expressivity (DE), and Social Anhedonia (SA) as part of the Motivation and Pleasure-related dimension), based on a previously validated model, modified in accordance with EPA guidelines on negative symptoms assessment. Neurocognition was assessed with symbol coding and digit sequencing tasks from the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS). Functioning was assessed with the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS), employment status and World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0). Multiple regression analyses were performed on psychopathology scores and BACS scores against all three measures of functioning, controlling for age and sex. For WHODAS, regression with PANSS scores of significant symptom factors were also performed. Results: A lower severity of negative symptoms in the SA dimension was the strongest predictor of higher functioning across all three functioning measures. Neurocognition, in particular processing speed and attention assessed on the symbol coding task, predicted employment. A lower severity of somatic concerns and depressive symptoms was associated with lesser self-reported disability on WHODAS. Discussion: This study represents a first attempt at elucidating significant predictors of functioning in TRS. We highlight negative symptoms and neurocognition as important treatment targets to improve functioning in TRS, consistent with previous studies in general schizophrenia.

Systolic Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Health, and Neurocognitive in Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: We studied whether increased systolic blood pressure (SBP), as determined by auscultatory SBP, ambulatory SBP, and the number of cardiovascular health risk indicators, are associated with neurocognition in adolescents. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 365 adolescents (mean age, 15.5 years) from 6 academic medical centers in the United States. The sample was 59.5% male, 52.6% White, with 23.9% of the caregivers having less than or equal to a high school degree. Primary exposures included the following: auscultatory SBP, ambulatory SBP, and the number of cardiovascular risk factors. Neurocognitive outcomes comprised nonverbal IQ, attention, and parent ratings of executive functions. RESULTS: After examining the models for the effects of targeted covariates (eg, maternal education), higher auscultatory SBP was associated with lower nonverbal IQ (ß=-1.39; P<0.001) and verbal attention (ß=-2.39; P<0.05); higher ambulatory 24 hours. SBP (ß=-21.39; P<0.05) and wake SBP (ß=-21.62; P<0.05) were related to verbal attention; and all 3 ambulatory blood pressure measures were related to sustained attention accounting for small to medium amounts of variance (adjusted R2=0.08-0.09). Higher ambulatory blood pressure sleep SBP also was significantly associated with parent ratings of behavior regulation (ß=12.61; P<0.05). These associations remained stable after a sensitivity analysis removed cases with hypertension. Number of cardiovascular risk factors performed similarly, with more risk factors being associated with lower nonverbal IQ (ß=-1.35; P<0.01), verbal attention (ß=-1.23; P<0.01), and all parent ratings of executive functions. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated SBP, even below the hypertension range, and general cardiovascular health are associated with neurocognitive outcomes in adolescents. How these findings might guide clinical care is worthy of additional study.

Integrative Neuro-social cognitive Strategy Programme for Instilling REcovery (INSPIRE): a community-based cognitive remediation trial-study procotol.

BACKGROUND: Adults with schizophrenia experience a range of neurocognitive problems that affect their daily functioning. Evidence for the efficacy of cognitive remediation in schizophrenia has been established, but its implementation in under-resourced community-based settings is less well-studied. In recent years, interventions have also focused on the strategy-learning approach in favor of drill-and-practice. Moreover, there is an increasing recognition to address social cognition and negative symptoms alongside neurocognition. This study attempts to carry out cognitive remediation in a community mental health setting. The Neuropsychological and Educational Approach to Remediation (NEAR) is used as the cognitive remediation intervention. Neurocognitive and social cognitive games will be introduced during the computer-assisted cognitive exercises sessions. In addition, the instructional technique will foster the use of metacognition and cognitive strategies. Moreover, metamotivation training will be the focus of some bridging sessions to enhance motivation to engage in goal-directed learning behaviors. The aims of the study are to 1) investigate the effects of cognitive remediation on neurocognition, social cognition and functional outcomes of participants with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorders in community mental health settings; and 2) explore the mediators for change (eg: metamotivation, metacognition and negative symptoms) in cognitive performance and functional outcomes. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial will be conducted in three Singapore Anglican Community Services (SACS) centers, where standard psychiatric rehabilitation is delivered. Participants who are randomized to the experimental arm will receive cognitive remediation and psychiatric rehabilitation, while those randomized to the control arm will receive standard psychiatric rehabilitation only. Cognitive remediation is carried out three times a week for 12 weeks. It consists of computer-assisted cognitive exercises, as well as bridging groups to aid transfer of learning to daily living. Baseline, post-intervention and eight-week follow-up measurements will be collected. Group by time differences in cognitive performance, negative symptoms, metamotivation, metacognition, functioning and recovery will be analyzed across the three time points. Mediators for improvement in cognitive performance and functioning will also be explored. DISCUSSION: Findings of this research will add to the body of knowledge about the key therapeutic ingredients within a strategy-based cognitive remediation program and improve its implementation within under-resourced community settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT06286202). Date of registration: 29 February 2024. Date of last update: 21 May 2024.

Association between subcortical nuclei volume changes and cognition in preschool-aged children with tetralogy of Fallot after corrective surgery: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Neurocognitive disorders frequently occur in patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) because of the hemodynamic abnormalities induced by preoperative cardiac structural changes. We aimed to evaluate subcortical nuclei volume changes and cognition in postoperative tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) children, and analyze their relationship with preoperative cardiac structural changes. METHODS: This case-control study involved thirty-six children with repaired TOF and twenty-nine healthy controls (HCs). We utilized three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted high-resolution structural images alongside the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV) to evaluate the cognitive differences between the TOF and HC group. RESULTS: We observed notable differences in subcortical nuclei volume between the TOF and HC group, specifically in the left amygdala nucleus (LAM, TOF: 1292.60 ± 155.57; HC: 1436.27 ± 140.62, p < 0.001), left thalamus proper nucleus (LTHA, TOF: 6771.54 ± 666.03; HC: 7435.36 ± 532.84, p < 0.001), and right thalamus proper nucleus (RTHA, TOF: 6514.61 ± 715.23; HC: 7162.94 ± 554.60, p < 0.001). Furthermore, a diminished integrity of LAM ( ß:-19.828, 95% CI: -36.462, -3.193), which showed an inverse relationship with the size of the preoperative ventricular septal defect (VSD), correlated with lower working memory indices in children with TOF. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that subcortical nuclei structural injuries possibly potentially stemming from cardiac anatomical abnormalities, are associated with impaired working memory in preschool-aged children with TOF. The LAM in particular may serve as a potential biomarker for neurocognitive deficits in TOF, offering predictive value for future neurodevelopmental outcomes, and shedding light on the neurophysiological mechanisms of these cognitive impairments.

Investigating Acoustic and Psycholinguistic Predictors of Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults: Modeling Study.

BACKGROUND: About one-third of older adults aged 65 years and older often have mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Acoustic and psycho-linguistic features derived from conversation may be of great diagnostic value because speech involves verbal memory and cognitive and neuromuscular processes. The relative decline in these processes, however, may not be linear and remains understudied. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to establish associations between cognitive abilities and various attributes of speech and natural language production. To date, the majority of research has been cross-sectional, relying mostly on data from structured interactions and restricted to textual versus acoustic analyses. METHODS: In a sample of 71 older (mean age 83.3, SD 7.0 years) community-dwelling adults who completed qualitative interviews and cognitive testing, we investigated the performance of both acoustic and psycholinguistic features associated with cognitive deficits contemporaneously and at a 1-2 years follow up (mean follow-up time 512.3, SD 84.5 days). RESULTS: Combined acoustic and psycholinguistic features achieved high performance (F1-scores 0.73-0.86) and sensitivity (up to 0.90) in estimating cognitive deficits across multiple domains. Performance remained high when acoustic and psycholinguistic features were used to predict follow-up cognitive performance. The psycholinguistic features that were most successful at classifying high cognitive impairment reflected vocabulary richness, the quantity of speech produced, and the fragmentation of speech, whereas the analogous top-ranked acoustic features reflected breathing and nonverbal vocalizations such as giggles or laughter. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that both acoustic and psycholinguistic features extracted from qualitative interviews may be reliable markers of cognitive deficits in late life.

Symptom Dimensions and Cognitive Impairments in Individuals at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis.

OBJECTIVE: Understanding the intricate relationship between symptom dimensions, clusters, and cognitive impairments is crucial for early detection and intervention in individuals at clinical high-risk(CHR) for psychosis. This study delves into this complex interplay within a CHR sample and aims to predict the conversion to psychosis. METHODS: A comprehensive cognitive assessment was performed among 744 CHR individuals. The study included a three-year follow-up period to assess conversion to psychosis. Symptom profiles were determined using the Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes. By applying factor analysis, symptom dimensions were categorized as dominant negative symptoms(NS), positive symptoms-stressful(PS-S), and positive symptoms-odd(PS-O). The factor scores were used to define three dominant symptom groups. Latent class analysis(LCA) and factor mixture model(FMM) were employed to identify discrete clusters based on symptom patterns. The three-class solution was chosen for the LCA and FMM analysis. RESULTS: Individuals in the dominant NS group exhibited significantly higher conversion rates to psychosis than those in the other groups. Specific cognitive variables, including performance in the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised(Odd ratio, OR=0.702, p=0.001) and Neuropsychological Assessment Battery mazes(OR=0.776, p=0.024), significantly predicted conversion to psychosis. Notably, cognitive impairments associated with NS and PS-S affected different cognitive domains. LCA- and FMM-Cluster 1, characterized by severe NS and PS-O, exhibited more impairments in cognitive domains than other clusters. No significant difference in the conversion rate was observed among LCA and FMM clusters. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of NS in the development of psychosis and suggest specific cognitive domains that are affected by symptom dimensions.

3T sodium-MRI as predictor of neurocognition in nondemented older adults: a cross sectional study.

Dementia is a burgeoning global problem. Novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) metrics beyond volumetry may bring new insight and aid clinical trial evaluation of interventions early in the Alzheimer's disease course to complement existing imaging and clinical metrics. To determine whether: (i) normalized regional sodium-MRI values (Na-SI) are better predictors of neurocognitive status than volumetry (ii) cerebral amyloid PET status improves modelling. Nondemented older adult (>60 years) volunteers of known Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-Cog11), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) neurocognitive test scores, ApolipoproteinE (APOE) e4 +/- cerebral amyloid PET status were prospectively recruited for 3T sodium-MRI brain scans. Left and right hippocampal, entorhinal and precuneus volumes and Na-SI (using the proportional intensity scaling normalization method with field inhomogeneity and partial volume corrections) were obtained after segmentation and co-registration of 3D-T1-weighted proton images. Descriptive statistics, correlation and best-subset regression analyses were performed. In our 76 nondemented participants (mean(standard deviation) age 75(5) years; woman 47(62%); cognitively unimpaired 54/76(71%), mildly cognitively impaired 22/76(29%)), left hippocampal Na-SI, not volume, was preferentially in the best models for predicting MMSE (Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.19(Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.07,0.53), P-value = 0.001) and ADAS-Cog11 (Beta(B) = 1.2(CI = 0.28,2.1), P-value = 0.01) scores. In the entorhinal analysis, right entorhinal Na-SI, not volume, was preferentially selected in the best model for predicting ADAS-Cog11 (B = 0.94(CI = 0.11,1.8), P-value = 0.03). While right entorhinal Na-SI and volume were both selected for MMSE modelling (Na-SI OR = 0.23(CI = 0.09,0.6), P-value = 0.003; volume OR = 2.6(CI = 1.0,6.6), P-value = 0.04), independently, Na-SI explained more of the variance (Na-SI R 2 = 10.3; volume R 2 = 7.5). No imaging variable was selected in the best CERAD models. Adding cerebral amyloid status improved model fit (Akaike Information Criterion increased 2.0 for all models, P-value < 0.001-0.045). Regional Na-SI were more predictive of MMSE and ADAS-Cog11 scores in our nondemented older adult cohort than volume, hippocampal more robust than entorhinal region of interest. Positive amyloid status slightly further improved model fit.

Characterization and assessment of executive functions through a virtual cooking task in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder (BD)1 implies impairments in executive functions during euthymia that interfere in psychosocial functioning. Virtual reality assessments may confer advantages respect to traditional assessments in terms of efficiency and ecological validity. The aim of this study was to validate a novel Virtual Cooking Task (VCT) for executive functions assessment in euthymic patients with BD. This is a cross-sectional study in which a group of BD patients (n = 42) and healthy controls (n = 42) were assessed with the VCT and a battery of computerized standard tasks (CST). Additionally, the influence on psychosocial functioning of both forms of assessment, measured with the FAST, was investigated to check ecological validity. In BD group significant impairments in interference, working memory and sustained attention were found in CST and VCT respect to controls. However, deficits in planning and problem-solving were also revealed with the VCT. With respect to psychosocial functioning, only VCT variables were able to predict FAST scores at the assessment time. The VCT showed a greater sensitivity than CST to assess executive functions and real-life functioning in BD. This provides evidence about the opportunity to design novel cognitive assessments for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in BD.

Verbal fluency in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder - A longitudinal, family study.

Verbal fluency (VF) has been proposed as a putative neurocognitive endophenotype in schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD). However, this hypothesis has not been examined using a longitudinal family approach. We conducted a five-group, comparative study. The sample comprised 323 adult participants, including 81 BD patients, 47 unaffected relatives of BD BD-Rel), 76 SZ patients, 40 unaffected relatives of SZ (SZ-Rel), and 79 genetically unrelated healthy controls (HC). All subjects were assessed twice with semantic VF (sem-VF) and phonological VF (ph-VF) tests over a 2-year follow-up period. ANCOVAs controlling for age and years of education were used to compare performance across groups. Patients with SZ and BD and their unaffected relatives showed sem-VF and ph-VF deficits at baseline, which persisted over time (all, p < 0.05). Moreover, BD-Rel showed an intermediate performance between SZ and HC. A repeated-measures ANOVA revealed no significant differences in the between-group trajectories comparison (p > 0.05). Our findings support that VF may represent a neurocognitive endophenotype for SZ and BD. Further longitudinal, family studies are warranted to confirm this preliminary evidence.

Brain Network Localization of Gray Matter Atrophy and Neurocognitive and Social Cognitive Dysfunction in Schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have established the presence of gray matter atrophy and brain activation abnormalities during neurocognitive and social cognitive tasks in schizophrenia. Despite a growing consensus that diseases localize better to distributed brain networks than individual anatomical regions, relatively few studies have examined brain network localization of gray matter atrophy and neurocognitive and social cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. METHODS: To address this gap, we initially identified brain locations of structural and functional abnormalities in schizophrenia from 301 published neuroimaging studies with 8712 individuals with schizophrenia and 9275 healthy control participants. By applying novel functional connectivity network mapping to large-scale resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging datasets, we mapped these affected brain locations to 3 brain abnormality networks of schizophrenia. RESULTS: The gray matter atrophy network of schizophrenia comprised a broadly distributed set of brain areas predominantly implicating the ventral attention, somatomotor, and default networks. The neurocognitive dysfunction network was also composed of widespread brain areas primarily involving the frontoparietal and default networks. By contrast, the social cognitive dysfunction network consisted of circumscribed brain regions mainly implicating the default, subcortical, and visual networks. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest shared and unique brain network substrates of gray matter atrophy and neurocognitive and social cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia, which may not only refine the understanding of disease neuropathology from a network perspective but may also contribute to more targeted and effective treatments for impairments in different cognitive domains in schizophrenia.

Does neuropsychological intraindividual variability index cognitive dysfunction, an invalid presentation, or both? Preliminary findings from a mixed clinical older adult veteran sample.

INTRODUCTION: Intraindividual variability across a battery of neuropsychological tests (IIV-dispersion) can reflect normal variation in scores or arise from cognitive impairment. An alternate interpretation is IIV-dispersion reflects reduced engagement/invalid test data, although extant research addressing this interpretation is significantly limited. METHOD: We used a sample of 97 older adult (mean age: 69.92), predominantly White (57%) or Black/African American (34%), and predominantly cis-gender male (87%) veterans. Examinees completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, including measures of reduced engagement/invalid test data (a symptom validity test [SVT], multiple performance validity tests [PVTs]), as part of a clinical evaluation. IIV-dispersion was indexed using the coefficient of variance (CoV). We tested 1) the relationships of raw scores and "failures" on SVT/PVTs with IIV-dispersion, 2) the relationship between IIV-dispersion and validity/neurocognitive disorder status, and 3) whether IIV-dispersion discriminated the validity/neurocognitive disorder groups using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: IIV-dispersion was significantly and independently associated with a selection of PVTs, with small to very large effect sizes. Participants with invalid profiles and cognitively impaired participants with valid profiles exhibited medium to large (d = .55-1.09) elevations in IIV-dispersion compared to cognitively unimpaired participants with valid profiles. A non-significant but small to medium (d = .35-.60) elevation in IIV-dispersion was observed for participants with invalid profiles compared to those with a neurocognitive disorder. IIV-dispersion was largely accurate at differentiating participants without a neurocognitive disorder from invalid participants and those with a neurocognitive disorder (areas under the Curve [AUCs]=.69-.83), while accuracy was low for differentiating invalid participants from those with a neurocognitive disorder (AUCs=.58-.65). CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary data suggest IIV-dispersion may be sensitive to both neurocognitive disorders and compromised engagement. Clinicians and researchers should exercise due diligence and consider test validity (e.g. PVTs, behavioral signs of engagement) as an alternate explanation prior to interpretation of intraindividual variability as an indicator of cognitive impairment.

Update on the effect of dental general anaesthesia on neurocognition in children.

Dental general anaesthesia provides a comfortable treatment modality for children with early childhood caries and children's dental anxiety, but US Food and Drug Administration safety warnings have raised concerns about the neurotoxicity of general anaesthetic drugs. Currently, anaesthetic drugs have been found to impair neurocognitive function in animals, with possible mechanisms including cell damage, cell loss and impaired neuronal network function. The outcomes of clinical studies on the neurocognitive effects of surgical general anaesthesia in children have been inconsistent. However, studies focusing on dental general anaesthesia in children suggest that it does not affect neurocognitive function. In general, a growing number of studies suggest that dental general anaesthesia does not affect neurocognitive development in children. Moreover, dental general anesthesia should be used as normal when other behavioural management is unavailable.

EEG-based study of design creativity: a review on research design, experiments, and analysis.

Brain dynamics associated with design creativity tasks are largely unexplored. Despite significant strides, there is a limited understanding of the brain-behavior during design creation tasks. The objective of this paper is to review the concepts of creativity and design creativity as well as their differences, and to explore the brain dynamics associated with design creativity tasks using electroencephalography (EEG) as a neuroimaging tool. The paper aims to provide essential insights for future researchers in the field of design creativity neurocognition. It seeks to examine fundamental studies, present key findings, and initiate a discussion on associated brain dynamics. The review employs thematic analysis and a forward and backward snowball search methodology with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria to select relevant studies. This search strategy ensured a comprehensive review focused on EEG-based creativity and design creativity experiments. Different components of those experiments such as participants, psychometrics, experiment design, and creativity tasks, are reviewed and then discussed. The review identifies that while some studies have converged on specific findings regarding EEG alpha band activity in creativity experiments, there remain inconsistencies in the literature. The paper underscores the need for further research to unravel the interplays between these cognitive processes. This comprehensive review serves as a valuable resource for readers seeking an understanding of current literature, principal discoveries, and areas where knowledge remains incomplete. It highlights both positive and foundational aspects, identifies gaps, and poses lingering questions to guide future research endeavors.

Trauma's distinctive and combined effects on subsequent substance use, mental health, and neurocognitive functioning with the NCANDA sample.

PURPOSE: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and potentially traumatic events (PTEs) contribute to increased substance use, mental health issues, and cognitive impairments. However, there's not enough research on how TBI and PTEs combined impact mental heath, substance use, and neurocognition. METHODS: This study leverages a subset of The National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) multi-site dataset with 551 adolescents to assess the combined and distinctive impacts of TBI, PTEs, and TBI+PTEs (prior to age 18) on substance use, mental health, and neurocognitive outcomes at age 18. RESULTS: TBI, PTEs, and TBI+PTEs predicted greater lifetime substance use and past-year alcohol and cannabis use. PTEs predicted greater internalizing symptoms, while TBI+PTEs predicted greater externalizing symptoms. Varying effects on neurocognitive outcomes included PTEs influencing attention accuracy and TBI+PTEs predicting faster speed in emotion tasks. PTEs predicted greater accuracy in abstraction-related tasks. Associations with working memory were not detected. CONCLUSION: This exploratory study contributes to the growing literature on the complex interplay between TBI, PTEs, and adolescent mental health, substance use, and neurocognition. The developmental implications of trauma via TBIs and/or PTEs during adolescence are considerable and worthy of further investigation.

A comprehensive evaluation of the neurocognitive predictors of problematic alcohol use, eating, pornography, and internet use: A 6-month longitudinal study.

Background and aims: Cognitive control and reward-related abnormalities are centrally implicated in addiction. However, findings from longitudinal studies addressing neurocognitive predictors of addictive behaviors are mixed. Further, little work has been conducted predicting non-substance-related addictive behaviors. Our study aimed to assess predictors of substance and non-substance addictive behaviors in a community sample, systematically evaluating each neurocognitive function's independent influence on addictive behavior. Methods: Australians (N = 294; 51.7% female; M[SD] age = 24.8[4.7] years) completed online neurocognitive tasks and surveys at baseline and 3-month follow-up. Self-report scales assessed problematic alcohol use, addictive eating (AE), problematic pornography use (PPU), and problematic internet use (PUI) at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Linear regressions with bootstrapping assessed neurocognitive predictors for each addictive behavior across a 6-month period. Results: Neurocognition at baseline did not predict AE or PUI severity at 6-month follow-up. Less delay discounting at baseline predicted higher PPU at 6-month follow-up (ß = -0.16, p = 0.005). Poorer performance monitoring at baseline predicted higher AE at 3-month follow-up (ß = -0.16, p = 0.004), and more reward-related attentional capture at 3-months predicted higher AE at 6-month follow-up (ß = 0.14, p = 0.033). Less reward-related attentional capture (ß = -0.14, p = 0.003) and less risk-taking under ambiguity (ß = -0.11, p = 0.029) at baseline predicted higher PUI at 3-month follow-up. All findings were of small effect size. None of the neurocognitive variables predicted problematic alcohol use. Discussion and conclusions: We were unable to identify a core set of specific neurocognitive functions that reliably predict multiple addictive behavior types. However, our findings indicate both cognitive control and reward-related functions predict non-substance addictive behaviors in different ways. Findings suggest that there may be partially distinct neurocognitive mechanisms contributing to addiction depending on the specific addictive behavior.

Reexamination of the relationships among neurocognition, self-defeatist beliefs, experiential negative symptoms, and social functioning in a sample of patients diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.

PURPOSE: This study proposed and evaluated a theoretical model for exploring the relationships between neurocognition, self-defeatist beliefs, experiential negative symptoms, and social functioning in individuals with chronic schizophrenia. METHOD: The study recruited 229 individuals given a diagnosis of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders from outpatient clinics and the day ward of a mental health hospital. After informed consent was obtained, the participants underwent assessments using the backward digit span, the digit symbol, and measures of self-defeatist beliefs, experiential negative symptoms, and social functioning. A structural equation model was applied to assess the fitness of the hypothesized model, with indices such as the goodness-of-fit index, comparative fit index, root mean square error of approximation, and standardized root mean square residual being used for model evaluation. RESULTS: The hypothesized model had an adequate fit. The study findings indicated that neurocognition might indirectly influence self-defeatist beliefs through its effect on experiential negative symptoms. Contrary to expectations, the study did not observe a direct influence of neurocognition, self-defeatist beliefs, or negative symptoms on social functioning. The revised model revealed the role of experiential negative symptoms in mediating the association between neurocognition and social functioning. However, self-defeatist beliefs did not significantly affect social functioning. DISCUSSION: Before modifying negative thoughts, enhancement of self-awareness ability can help improve negative symptoms and thereby improve the performance of social functions. Future research should develop a hierarchical program of negative symptoms, from cognition rehabilitation to enhancement of self-awareness, and end with modifying maladaptive beliefs.

Neurocognitive Latent Factors Associate With Early Tobacco and Alcohol Use Among Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study Youth.

PURPOSE: Prospective associations between preadolescent neurocognitive structure and onset of substance use in adolescence have not been examined. This study investigated associations between cognitive structure among youth aged 9 - 10 years and the likelihood of experimentation with tobacco and alcohol by ages 13-14 years. METHODS: A principal component (PC) analysis of nine neurocognitive assessments was used to identify the cognitive structure of unrelated adolescent brain cognitive development study participants (n = 9,655). We modeled associations between neurocognitive PCs and odds of tobacco or alcohol use by ages 13-14 years using generalized linear mixed models with a logit link and random intercept for recruitment sites. Demographics, family conflict, neighborhood safety, and externalizing and internalizing behavior were considered covariates. RESULTS: Four neurocognitive PCs were identified and labeled general ability, executive function, learning and memory, and mental rotation. Mental rotation [odds ratio [OR] = 0.88, p-value = .013] was associated with lower odds of youth tobacco use; the association was stronger among female youth. General ability [OR = 1.20, p-value < .0001] among both males and females, and learning and memory [OR = 1.11, p-value = .024] among females, were associated with increased odds of youth alcohol use. DISCUSSION: Among youth, higher neurocognitive performance was protective for tobacco use but increased the likelihood of alcohol use. Potential sex differences were identified. The role of cognition in processing the social contexts surrounding tobacco and alcohol use in the United States may contribute to the formation of disparate youth expectancies for tobacco and alcohol use.

Neurocognitive and social cognitive correlates of social exclusion in psychotic disorders: a 20-year follow-up cohort study.

PURPOSE: Little is known about the relationship between social exclusion and cognitive impairment in psychosis. We conducted a long-term cohort study of first-episode psychosis to examine the association between comprehensive measures of cognitive impairment and social exclusion assessed at follow-up. METHODS: A total of 173 subjects with first-episode psychosis were assessed after a 20-year follow-up for 7 cognitive domains and 12 social exclusion indicators. Associations between sets of variables were modeled using multivariate regression, where social exclusion indicators were the dependent variables, cognitive domains were the independent variables, and age, gender, and duration of follow-up were covariates. RESULTS: The total scores on the measures of cognition and social exclusion were strongly associated (ß = - .469, ∆R2 = 0.215). Participants with high social exclusion were 4.24 times more likely to have cognitive impairment than those with low social exclusion. Verbal learning was the cognitive function most related to social exclusion domains, and legal capacity was the exclusion domain that showed the strongest relationships with individual cognitive tests. Neurocognition uniquely contributed to housing, work activity, income, and educational attainment, whereas social cognition uniquely contributed to neighborhood deprivation, family and social contacts, and discrimination/stigma. Neurocognition explained more unique variance (11.5%) in social exclusion than social cognition (5.5%). CONCLUSION: The domains of cognitive impairment were strongly and differentially related to those of social exclusion. Given that such an association pattern is likely bidirectional, a combined approach, both social and cognitive, is of paramount relevance in addressing the social exclusion experienced by individuals with psychotic disorders.

Exploring the hidden mental health consequences of malaria beyond the fever.

Malaria morbidity has various presentations and the focus now shifts to uncommon signs and symptoms of malaria infection such as cognitive impairment to address the morbidity when the mortality declines. About 50% of children admitted to hospitals due to malaria experience neurological complications due to factors like low blood sugar, inflammation, elevated pressure, decreased oxygen levels, and excitotoxicity. Malaria during pregnancy negatively also impacts children's cognitive, behavioral, and executive function leading to neurodevelopmental delay due to increased susceptibility which can significantly affect maternal and child health, leading to higher rates of underestimated factors like anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Despite having the world's second-largest tribal population, India's indigenous and tribal communities and their mental health are less explored and less understood. Western psychological tools and neurocognitive assessment tools are not universally applicable, thus necessitating the development of tailored tools to investigate psychological or neurocognitive impairment. This paper has illuminated the hidden mental health consequences of malaria infection, emphasizing the prevalence, nature, and implications of psychological distress among affected individuals. The findings underscore the importance of recognizing and addressing these psychological consequences in the holistic management and prevention of malaria and its mental health consequences.