Differences in cognitive and academic performance during the COVID-19 pandemic in child psychiatric outpatients.

This study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cognitive and academic functioning in 574 youth presenting for outpatient clinical neuropsychiatric evaluations. We extended the prior literature by (a) determining the extent to which academic difficulties documented in population and community samples also occurred in child psychiatric outpatients; (b) evaluating the impact of the pandemic on neuropsychological functions relevant to academic performance (overall cognition, executive functions, and graphomotor skill); and (c) investigating the moderating impact of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. We compared cross-sectional scores on standardized measures for groups of youth evaluated at three time periods related to the COVID-19 pandemic: (a) prior to onset (PRIOR; N = 198), (b) during Year 1 (Y1; N = 149), and (c) during Year 2 (Y2; N = 227). Relative to overall cognitive ability, math scores were lower in Y1 and Y2 and reading scores were lower in Y2. Additionally, relative to overall cognitive ability, youth showed lower working memory in Y1 and lower processing speed in Y1 and Y2. Graphomotor skill and parent-rated executive functions (EF) did not vary significantly across the three time periods. ADHD status did not moderate psychometric test scores but did moderate parent-rated EF. These data suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted academic and executive functions in child psychiatry outpatients. More research is needed to understand the long-term implications for development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Brief report of the reliability of a new method for scoring organizational approach on the Mesulam Cancellation Test.

The Mesulam Cancellation Test is a low cost, quick measure used to screen for hemispatial inattention. The task is also useful for observing a patient's organizational approach. We developed a method to quantify the organizational strategy used by patients in completing this visual scanning task. In this study, we evaluated the reliability of the new method. Participants were 40 patients seen in an outpatient neuropsychology clinic. The 34 men, 5 women, and 1 transitioning individual had a mean age of 49 (SD = 13.94), and mean education of 13.59 years (SD = 2.15). Two raters blinded to patient information provided independent ratings of organization using our new scoring method. Scores ranged from 1 to 5 based on increasing organization. Cohen's weighted Kappa and Spearman's rank order correlation indicated good interrater reliability (Κ(weighted) = .84; rs = .89). The average absolute difference between the raters was .25 (SD = .54). We also found preliminary evidence for the validity of the organizational measure. This study supports the reliability of this new embedded measure of organization. A next step will be to gather normative data, to further establish its validity, and to assess the reliability of the scoring system with other cancellation tests.

Nutrient intake and cerebral metabolism in healthy middle-aged adults: Implications for cognitive aging.

OBJECTIVES: Growing evidence suggests dietary factors influence cognition, but the effects of nutrient intake on cerebral metabolism in adults are currently unknown. The present study investigated the relationship between major macronutrient intake (fat, carbohydrate, and protein) and cerebral neurochemical profiles in middle-aged adults. METHODS: Thirty-six adults recorded dietary intake for 3 days prior to completing cognitive testing and a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) scan. 1H-MRS of occipitoparietal gray matter was used to assess glutamate (Glu), N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), and myo-inositol (mI) relative to creatine (Cr) levels. RESULTS: Regression analyses revealed that high intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was associated with lower cerebral Glu/Cr (P = 0.005), and high intake of saturated fat (SFA) was associated with poorer memory function (P = 0.030) independent of age, sex, education, estimated intelligence, total caloric intake, and body mass index. DISCUSSION: In midlife, greater PUFA intake (ω-3 and ω-6) may be associated with lower cerebral glutamate, potentially indicating more efficient cellular reuptake of glutamate. SFA intake, on the other hand, was linked with poorer memory performance. These results suggest that dietary fat intake modification may be an important intervention target for the prevention of cognitive decline.