Preterm birth and early life environmental factors: neuropsychological profiles at adolescence and young adulthood.

OBJECTIVES: To establish neuropsychological profiles after high- and low-risk preterm birth (i.e., with and without neonatal brain injury) during adolescence and young adulthood and to assess the potential role of early life environmental factors in cognition. STUDY DESIGN: Participants (N = 177; Mage = 20.11 years) of both sexes were evaluated when adolescent or in young adulthood. They were grouped according to their birth status: 30 high-risk preterm, 83 low-risk preterm and 64 born at full term. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in several cognitive domains between groups. Furthermore, familial socioeconomic status (SES) moderated the relation between the degree of maturity/immaturity at birth and cognition (F(5,171) = 11.94, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.26). DISCUSSION: The findings showed different neuropsychological profiles during adolescence and young adulthood, with the high-risk preterm sample evidencing lower cognitive values. In addition, higher scores in the familial SES score in this study seem to have a protective effect on cognition.

Spanish Validation of the Music in Dementia Assessment Scales.

Music therapy has been described as a beneficial intervention for people with dementia. To provide a music therapy outcome measure, McDermott et al. (2015) developed the Music in Dementia Assessment Scales (MiDAS). The preliminary original validation indicated that MiDAS had acceptable to good psychometric properties. This study aimed to present the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the MIDAS to the Spanish language and to show some validity sources using the Spanish version of the scale. MiDAS was adapted following the guidelines of Beaton et al. (2000), Muñiz et al. (2013) and Ridder et al. (2015), A psychometric validation study was conducted with a sample of 80 care home residents with moderate-severe dementia. Acceptable reliability values according to Cronbach's alpha were obtained, as was good interobserver reliability at one rating time point, based on Kendall's W test. The concurrent criterion validity values were positive, particularly in terms of the correlation coefficients of the criterion measure (specifically, the QoL-AD measures) and the item analysis, as shown by the correlation matrices. A one-factor confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) did not indicate a good fit for the obtained models, but acceptable and optimal values were observed for various parameters. The results indicate the usefulness of this tool, with sources of evidence of validity and reliability, although it is necessary to note the limitations of some of the results, as in the construct validity analysis. The MiDAS-ESP is a useful tool in clinical practice that can be used for measuring the effect of music therapy.

Comparative Cognitive Effects of Choreographed Exercise and Multimodal Physical Therapy in Older Adults with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Recent research on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has primarily focused on searching for measures to prevent or delay the progression of MCI to dementia. Physical exercise has shown to be effective in the prevention of age-related cognitive decline in elderly adults with MCI. However, the most effective type and dose of exercise for the improvement of cognition are yet to be determined. OBJECTIVE: To compare the cognitive effects of choreographed exercise (Choreography group) with a multimodal physical therapy program (Physical Therapy group) in elderly adults with amnestic MCI, a population with an increased risk of developing dementia. METHODS: We conducted a randomized clinical trial with two parallel groups under allocation concealment and assessor blinding. Participants were allocated into Choreography or Physical Therapy group and performed exercises twice per week in 60-minute sessions during 12 weeks. RESULTS: Thirty-six participants with amnestic MCI, ages 65 to 85, were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks of intervention, by comprehensive validated neuropsychological and physical assessments. A Repeated measures General Lineal Model showed statistically significant differences in cognitive and physical outcomes. Both groups significantly improved in visual delayed recall. The Choreography group exhibited significantly more benefits on verbal recognition memory than the Physical Therapy group. CONCLUSION: Greater cognitive benefits were achieved in the choreographic intervention than in the multimodal physical therapy, mainly in those functions more related to the risk of conversion to dementia. Additional studies are needed to confirm whether the observed effects are related to delayed onset of Alzheimer's disease in elderly adults with amnestic MCI.

Communication Activities of Daily Living (CADL-3) versión española. Adaptación al contexto español y análisis de fiabilidad / Communication Activities of Daily Living (CADL-3) Spanish version. Adaptation to the Spanish context and reliability analysis

Introducción. Actualmente no se usa ninguna prueba estandarizada que proporcione la cuantificación de la comunicación funcional del paciente con afasia castellanohablante. El estudio tiene como principales objetivos la traducción y adaptación al contexto español y el análisis de fiabilidad del instrumento de evaluación llamado Communication Activities of Daily Living (CADL-3). Métodos. Se llevó a cabo con una muestra de 107 pacientes con afasia. La media de edad fue 60.68 (DE=15.104). A todos ellos se les administró individualmente la prueba CADL-3 versión española. Este incluyó fases de traducción, adaptación y fiabilidad. Resultados. La versión final de la prueba CADL-3 versión española incluye 50 ítems con calificaciones positivas en la revisión de expertos. Se obtuvo una alta fiabilidad con una alfa de Cronbach de .949 y un coeficiente de fiabilidad test-retest .903 (p<.001). Conclusión. La prueba CADL-3 versión española facilita la evaluación de la capacidad del paciente para comunicarse funcionalmente, con la finalidad de desarrollar programas de rehabilitación que respondan de forma más específica a las necesidades del paciente (AU)

Introduction. At present, no standardized test is used to provide quantification of functional communication of Spanish-speaking patients with aphasia. The aim of the study is to translate and adapt the assessment instrument called Communication Activities of Daily Living (CADL-3) for use in the Spanish context and to conduct reliability analysis of the instrument. Methods. The study was conducted with 107 patients with aphasia. The mean age was 60.68 (SD=15.104). The CADL-3 test Spanish version was individually administered. The study included stages of translation, adaptation and reliability. Results. The final version of the CADL-3 test Spanish version included 50 ítems with positive ratings in the expert review. The CADL-3 coefficient alpha was .949 and test-retest reliability was .903 (p<.001). Conclusion. The CADL-3 test Spanish version could provide the evaluation of patients’ ability to communicate functionally and help in the development of rehabilitation programs that respond more specifically to patient needs (AU)

El proceso de envejecimiento de las personas con síndrome de Down: estudio multicéntrico para la detección de los cambios neuropsicológicos / No disponible

La mejora en la calidad de vida ha favorecido considerablemente el aumento de la esperanza de vida de las personas con síndrome de Down (SD), motivo por el cual es preciso describir las características neuropsicológicas que presenta su proceso de envejecimiento, con la finalidad de realizar una adecuada prevención y una intervención ajustada a las necesidades de cada persona. En esta investigación se ha realizado un estudio multicéntrico en el que han participado un total de 217 personas adultas con SD, administrando un screening cognitivo que permite obtener una valoración general y básica del estado cognitivo de los participantes. Los resultados nos indican que las personas adultas con SD de edades comprendidas entre los 38 y los 62 años presentan cambios neuropsicológicos significativos en las áreas de lenguaje, memoria y estado cognitivo general, en relación a las personas adultas con SD más jóvenes. En conclusión, el seguimiento en el proceso de envejecimiento favorece la detección temprana y la prevención del deterioro cognitivo, promoviendo así un envejecimiento activo y saludable

The improvement in the quality of life has significantly contributed to increase the life expectancy of people with Down syndrome (DS). It is necessary, then, to describe the neuropsychological characteristics during their aging process, in order to make a proper prevention and intervention adjusted to the needs of each person. This research has conducted a multicenter study with a total of 217 adults with DS participants. It was applied a cognitive screening which allows a general and basic assessment of cognitive status of participants. The results indicate that adults with DS between 38 and 62 years have significant neuropsychological changes in the areas of language, memory and general cognitive status compared to younger adults with DS. In conclusion, monitoring the aging process facilitates an early detection and prevention of cognitive decline, thus promoting active and healthy aging

Processing speed in the aging process: screening criteria for the Spanish Quick Test of Cognitive Speed.

A Quick Test of Cognitive Speed was administered to 357 participants without cognitive impairment, aged 18 to 85 years, to explore the effects of age on processing speed variables in Spanish speakers and to provide normative data for the test adapted to this population. Results were consistent with previous findings: correlations between age and naming times were high and statistically significant. Linear regression indicated that cognitive processing speed on this test slows 2 to 4 sec. per decade, depending on the task. Normalized data were provided. The findings concur with several studies that have linked age-cognitive impairment with slowing processing speed. This study attempted to assess the importance of this relation, as information processing speed could be considered a measure of cognitive impairment in everyday clinical screening evaluations.

Alteraciones neuropsicológicas y de la fluencia verbal en la Enfermedad de Parkinson / Neuropsychological impairment and verbal fluency deficits in Parkinson’s Disease

Se han estudiado las funciones neuropsicológicas enuna muestra de 96 pacientes con Enfermedad de Parkinsony 42 controles apareados por género, edad,escolaridad e inteligencia verbal. Los resultados indicanque los pacientes afectados por Enfermedad deParkinson, como grupo, presentan alteraciones en lasfunciones visuoespaciales, en la memoria y en lasfunciones frontales, pero que estos déficit no estánsiempre presentes en todos los pacientes. El análisisde clusters realizado, nos muestra que las alteracionesneuropsicológicas presentes en la Enfermedad deParkinson están distribuidas en subgrupos. En un primergrupo, se observó la presencia de afectación cognitivageneralizada, en un segundo subgrupo unaausencia de déficit cognitivos y, finalmente, el últimosubgrupo presentaba alteraciones específicas en lasfunciones visuoespaciales y frontales. La fluencia verbalmostraba el mismo patrón de deterioro que lasfunciones frontales y se encontró una diferencia significativa entre los pacientes y el grupo control endicha función. La depresión estaba presente en un50% de los pacientes y estaba fuertemente relacionadacon los déficit frontales. Las conclusiones deeste estudio revelan la importancia de evaluar lasfunciones neuropsicológicas y el lenguaje en lospacientes afectados por Enfermedad de Parkinsoncon la finalidad de conocer el patrón de deterioro,para favorecer su funcionamiento y calidad de vida

Neuropsychological functions have been studied in agroup of 96 patients with Parkinson’s disease and42 controls matched by gender, age, educationallevel and verbal intelligence. The results show thatpatients with Parkinson’s disease, as a whole, showdeficits in visuospatial functioning as well as inmemory and frontal performance. However, thesesorts of deficits are not presented in all the patients at a time. The cluster’s analysis indicates that the neuropsychological alterations in the Parkinson’s groupcan be distributed in three subgroups. On a firstgroup we could see a generalized cognitive declinepattern; in a second group we could not find anydeficit at all; and finally, in a third group we couldobserve specific deficits on visuospatial and frontalfunctions. Verbal fluency showed the same pattern asfrontal impairment and we could find significant differences related to this variable between the patientswith Parkinson’s disease and the controls. Depressionsymptoms were found on a 50% of the patients. Wecan conclude, therefore, that the neuropsychologicaland language assessment in patients with Parkinson’sdisease is an important issue to take into considerationas it may help in knowing the impairmentpattern and also in improving the patients day to dayfunctioning as well as it’s quality of life

Relación entre las alteraciones visoespaciales y los parámetros oculomotores en la enfermedad de Parkinson / Relationship between visuospatial impairment and oculomotor parameters in Parkinson's disease

Se han estudiado las funciones visoespaciales y los parámetros oculomotores en una muestra de 96 pacientes afectados por Enfermedad de Parkinson 8EP). Los déficit visoespaciales han correlacionado con el deterioro a nivel motor y la gravedad de la enfermedad, así como con las anormalidades oculomotoras. Se realizaron correlaciones parciales con la finalidad de determinar si las alteraciones visoespaciales podían considerarse secundarias a los trastornos oculomotores. Las pruebas de Cubos de las Escala WAIS y el Test de Orientación de Líneas mantenían su correlación con la alteración motora y la gravedad de la enfermedad, tras haber controlado las variables de persecución y los movimientos sacádicos. En síntesis, los resultados del presente estudio muestran que los déficits visoespaciales no pueden ser explicados por anormalidades oculomotoras en los pacientes con EP, pudiendo considerarse ambos expresión del defecto estriatal (AU)

Visuospatial functions and oculomotor parameters were studied in a sample of 96 patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Visuospatial deficits correlated with both motor impairment and severity of illness, as well as with oculomotor abnormalities. Partial correlations were performed to determine whether visuospatial impairment was secondary to oculomotor disorders. After controlling for gaze pursuit variables and saccades, Block Design (WAIS) and Line Orientation Test maintained their correlations with motor impairment and severity of illness. In conclusion, the results of the present study show that visuospatial deficits cannot be explained through oculomotor abnormalities in PD patients, pointing to a simultaneous expression of striatum dysfunction (AU)