Validation of the Short Form of Korean-Everyday Cognition (K-ECog).

BACKGROUND: Evaluating the activities of daily living (ADL) is an important factor for diagnosing dementia. The Everyday Cognition (ECog) scale was developed to measure ADL changes that were correlated with specific neuropsychological impairments. A short form of the ECog (ECog-12) was also developed, consisting of 12 items, two from each of the six cognitive domains of the ECog. The Korean full version of ECog (K-ECog) has recently been standardized, but the need for a shortened version has been raised in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to develop a Korean version of ECog-12 (K-ECog-12) and to verify its reliability and validity by comparing those to the full version of K-ECog. METHODS: The participants were 267 cognitively normal older adults (CN), 183 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 89 patients with dementia. The Korean-Mini Mental State Examination (K-MMSE), Korean-Montreal Cognitive Assessment (K-MoCA), and Short form of Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS) were administered to all participants. The K-ECog and Korean-Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (K-IADL) were rated by the informants of patients. RESULTS: K-ECog-12 was newly constructed by replacing one item for the visuospatial function in the original ECog-12 with another one through an item response theory analysis on Korean data. The internal consistencies (Cronbach's α) of K-ECog-12 and K-ECog were 0.95 and 0.99, respectively. The test-retest reliabilities (Pearson's r) were 0.67 for K-ECog-12 and 0.73 for K-ECog. The K-ECog-12 was significantly correlated with K-ECog as well as K-IADL, K-MMSE, and K-MoCA. The K-ECog-12 scores differed significantly between the CN, MCI, and dementia groups, as did the K-ECog scores. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses showed that K-ECog-12, like K-ECog, could differentiate MCI and dementia patients from CN as well. CONCLUSION: The K-ECog-12 is as reliable and valid as the K-ECog in assessing ADL. Therefore, K-ECog-12 can be used as an alternative to the K-ECog in clinical and community settings in Korea.

Effect of Education on Discriminability of Montreal Cognitive Assessment Compared to Mini-Mental State Examination.

Background and Purpose: The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) has been known as a screening test for detecting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) better than Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). However, in previous domestic studies, no significant difference was found in the discriminability between MoCA and MMSE. Researchers have suggested that this might be because older Koreans are less educated than older Westerners. This study was conducted to examine the effect of education on the discriminability of MoCA compared to the MMSE. Methods: Participants were 123 cognitively normal elderly, 118 with vascular MCI, 108 with amnestic MCI, 121 with vascular dementia, and 113 with dementia of the Alzheimer's type. The Korean-MoCA (K-MoCA) and Korean-MMSE (K-MMSE) were administered. Multiple regression analyses and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed. Results: In all participants, education significantly affected both K-MoCA and K-MMSE scores along with age. The effect of education was re-examined by subgroup analysis after dividing subjects according to the level of education. Effect of education on K-MoCA and K-MMSE was only shown in the group with <9 years of education. ROC curve analyses revealed that the discriminability of K-MoCA to differentiate between vascular MCI and normal elderly was significantly higher than that of K-MMSE. When re-examining subgroups divided by education level, however, this higher discriminability of K-MoCA disappeared in the group with <9 years of education. Conclusions: These results indicate no difference in discriminating cognitive deficits between K-MoCA and K-MMSE in Korean elderly with <9 years of education.

Efficacy and safety of oxiracetam in patients with vascular cognitive impairment: A multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, phase IV clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Oxiracetam may have a modest effect on preventing cognitive decline. Exercise can also enhance cognitive function. This trial aims to investigate the effect of oxiracetam on post-stroke cognitive impairment and explore whether this effect is modified by exercise. Furthermore, the mechanisms that mediate this effect will be investigated through a neural network analysis. METHODS: This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase IV trial. Patients who complained of cognitive decline 3 months after stroke and had a high risk of cognitive decline were eligible. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 800 mg of oxiracetam or placebo twice daily for 36 weeks. After randomization, a predetermined exercise protocol was provided to each participant, and the degree of physical activity was assessed using wrist actigraphy at 4, 12, 24, and 36 weeks. Resting-state functional MRI was obtained in baseline and 36-week follow-up. Co-primary endpoints are changes in the Mini-Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes. Secondary endpoints include changes in the NINDS-CSN VCIHS-Neuropsychology Protocol, Euro QoL, patient's global assessment, and functional network connectivity. If there is a significant difference in physical activity between the two groups, the interaction effect between physical activity and the treatment group will be examined. A total of 500 patients were enrolled from February 2018, and the last patient's final follow-up was completed in September 2022. CONCLUSION: This trial is meaningful not only to prove the efficacy of oxiracetam, but also evaluate whether exercise can modify the effects of medication and how cognitive function can be restored. Trial registrationhttp://cris.nih.go.kr (KCT0005137).

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.

Strategic Infarct Locations for Poststroke Depressive Symptoms: A Lesion- and Disconnection-Symptom Mapping Study.

BACKGROUND: Depression is the most common neuropsychiatric complication after stroke. Infarct location is associated with poststroke depressive symptoms (PSDS), but it remains debated which brain structures are critically involved. We performed a large-scale lesion-symptom mapping study to identify infarct locations and white matter disconnections associated with PSDS. METHODS: We included 553 patients (mean [SD] age = 69 [11] years, 42% female) with acute ischemic stroke. PSDS were measured using the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale. Multivariable support vector regression (SVR)-based analyses were performed both at the level of individual voxels (voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping) and at predefined regions of interest to relate infarct location to PSDS. We externally validated our findings in an independent stroke cohort (N = 459). Finally, disconnectome-based analyses were performed using SVR voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping, in which white matter fibers disconnected by the infarct were analyzed instead of the infarct itself. RESULTS: Infarcts in the right amygdala, right hippocampus, and right pallidum were consistently associated with PSDS (permutation-based p < .05) in SVR voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping and SVR region-of-interest analyses. External validation confirmed the association between infarcts in the right amygdala and pallidum, but not the right hippocampus, and PSDS. Disconnectome-based analyses revealed that disconnections in the right parahippocampal white matter, right thalamus and pallidum, and right anterior thalamic radiation were significantly associated (permutation-based p < .05) with PSDS. CONCLUSIONS: Infarcts in the right amygdala and pallidum and disconnections of right limbic and frontal cortico-basal ganglia-thalamic circuits are associated with PSDS. Our findings provide a comprehensive and integrative picture of strategic infarct locations for PSDS and shed new light on pathophysiological mechanisms of depression after stroke.

Network impact score is an independent predictor of post-stroke cognitive impairment: A multicenter cohort study in 2341 patients with acute ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) is a common consequence of stroke. Accurate prediction of PSCI risk is challenging. The recently developed network impact score, which integrates information on infarct location and size with brain network topology, may improve PSCI risk prediction. AIMS: To determine if the network impact score is an independent predictor of PSCI, and of cognitive recovery or decline. METHODS: We pooled data from patients with acute ischemic stroke from 12 cohorts through the Meta VCI Map consortium. PSCI was defined as impairment in ≥ 1 cognitive domain on neuropsychological examination, or abnormal Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Cognitive recovery was defined as conversion from PSCI < 3 months post-stroke to no PSCI at follow-up, and cognitive decline as conversion from no PSCI to PSCI. The network impact score was related to serial measures of PSCI using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) models, and to PSCI stratified according to post-stroke interval (<3, 3-12, 12-24, >24 months) and cognitive recovery or decline using logistic regression. Models were adjusted for age, sex, education, prior stroke, infarct volume, and study site. RESULTS: We included 2341 patients with 4657 cognitive assessments. PSCI was present in 398/844 patients (47%) <3 months, 709/1640 (43%) at 3-12 months, 243/853 (28%) at 12-24 months, and 208/522 (40%) >24 months. Cognitive recovery occurred in 64/181 (35%) patients and cognitive decline in 26/287 (9%). The network impact score predicted PSCI in the univariable (OR 1.50, 95%CI 1.34-1.68) and multivariable (OR 1.27, 95%CI 1.10-1.46) GEE model, with similar ORs in the logistic regression models for specified post-stroke intervals. The network impact score was not associated with cognitive recovery or decline. CONCLUSIONS: The network impact score is an independent predictor of PSCI. As such, the network impact score may contribute to a more precise and individualized cognitive prognostication in patients with ischemic stroke. Future studies should address if multimodal prediction models, combining the network impact score with demographics, clinical characteristics and other advanced brain imaging biomarkers, will provide accurate individualized prediction of PSCI. A tool for calculating the network impact score is freely available at https://metavcimap.org/features/software-tools/lsm-viewer/.

Long-Term Cognitive Decline After Stroke: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Poststroke cognitive impairment is common, but the trajectory and magnitude of cognitive decline after stroke is unclear. We examined the course and determinants of cognitive change after stroke using individual participant data from the Stroke and Cognition Consortium. METHODS: Nine longitudinal hospital-based cohorts from 7 countries were included. Neuropsychological test scores and normative data were used to calculate standardized scores for global cognition and 5 cognitive domains. One-step individual participant data meta-analysis was used to examine the rate of change in cognitive function and risk factors for cognitive decline after stroke. Stroke-free controls were included to examine rate differences. Based on the literature and our own data that showed short-term improvement in cognitive function after stroke, key analyses were restricted to the period beginning 1-year poststroke to focus on its long-term effects. RESULTS: A total of 1488 patients (mean age, 66.3 years; SD, 11.1; 98% ischemic stroke) were followed for a median of 2.68 years (25th-75th percentile: 1.21-4.14 years). After an initial period of improvement through up to 1-year poststroke, decline was seen in global cognition and all domains except executive function after adjusting for age, sex, education, vascular risk factors, and stroke characteristics (-0.053 SD/year [95% CI, -0.073 to -0.033]; P<0.001 for global cognition). Recurrent stroke and older age were associated with faster decline. Decline was significantly faster in patients with stroke compared with controls (difference=-0.078 SD/year [95% CI, -0.11 to -0.045]; P<0.001 for global cognition in a subgroup analysis). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with stroke experience cognitive decline that is faster than that of stroke-free controls from 1 to 3 years after onset. An increased rate of decline is associated with older age and recurrent stroke.

A Comparison of the Performance between the 60- and 120-Second Conditions of the Korean-Color Word Stroop Test: Color Reading (K-CWST: CR).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Korean-Color Word Stroop Test: Color Reading (K-CWST: CR) included in the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery, 2nd Edition (SNSB-II) examines inhibitory control deficit. It provides normative data for both 60- and 120-second conditions, but the validity of the 60-second condition has not yet been proven. This study examined the validity of the 60-second condition by observing concordance between the performances in cognitively normal, MCI, and mild dementia groups. METHODS: There were 1,336 patients performed the SNSB-II, including the K-CWST: CR. Based on the cognitive test results, activities of daily living, and clinical interview, the patients were assigned to normal cognition (n=104), MCI (n=884), or mild dementia (n=348) groups. Abnormal performance on the K-CWST: CR was operationally defined as 1SD below the normative mean. The receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were conducted to compare the discriminability between the 60- and 120-second conditions. RESULTS: The percentages of abnormal performance in the MCI group were 41.5% and 42.3%, and those in the mild dementia group were 82.7% and 82.4% for the 60- and 120-second conditions, respectively. The areas under the curve for the 60- and 120-seconds were as follows; 0.80 and 0.81 in differentiating normal from MCI; 0.95 and 0.96 in normal from mild dementia; and 0.77 and 0.77 in MCI from mild dementia. CONCLUSIONS: The 60-second condition of the K-CWST showed very similar results, not statistically different from the 120-second condition. Therefore, the 60-second condition could be used interchangeably with the 120-second condition in a clinical setting.

Measurement of Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) Using Korean-Everyday Cognition (K-ECog) as a Screening Tool: a Feasibility Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Everyday Cognition (ECog) has been widely used to differentiate individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia from normal elderly individuals. It has also been used to assess subjective cognitive decline (SCD). This study investigated the feasibility of using ECog as a screening measure for SCD in community-dwelling elderly individuals. METHODS: The participants included 84 older adults with and 93 without SCD living in the community. These 2 groups were classified based on their response ("yes" or "no") to the question "Do you perceive memory or cognitive difficulties?" All participants were evaluated using the Korean-Mini Mental State Examination (K-MMSE), Short form of the Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS), and the Korean version of Everyday Cognition (K-ECog). RESULTS: The scores of all participants were within the normal range on the K-MMSE and SGDS. The total K-MMSE score did not differ significantly between the 2 groups after controlling for age, education, and depression. The scores of SCD group were significantly higher than those of the non-SCD group for memory, language, and executive function: planning domains, as well as K-ECog total score. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the K-ECog total score was effective in moderately differentiating between subjects with and without SCD (area under the curve: 0.73). CONCLUSIONS: ECog is a feasible and useful screening measure for SCD in older adults living in the community, and can be used to assess the full spectrum of cognitive and functional deficits, ranging from SCD to MCI and dementia.

Anatomy of phonemic and semantic fluency: A lesion and disconnectome study in 1231 stroke patients.

Disturbances of semantic and phonemic fluency are common after brain damage, as a manifestation of language, executive, or memory dysfunction. Lesion-symptom mapping (LSM) studies can provide fundamental insights in shared and distinct anatomical correlates of these cognitive functions and help to understand which patients suffer from these deficits. We performed a multivariate support vector regression-based lesion-symptom mapping and structural disconnection study on semantic and phonemic fluency in 1231 patients with acute ischemic stroke. With the largest-ever LSM study on verbal fluency we achieved almost complete brain lesion coverage. Lower performance on both fluency types was related to left hemispheric frontotemporal and parietal cortical regions, and subcortical regions centering on the left thalamus. Distinct correlates for phonemic fluency were the anterior divisions of middle and inferior frontal gyri. Distinct correlates for semantic fluency were the posterior regions of the middle and inferior temporal gyri, parahippocampal and fusiform gyri and triangular part of the inferior frontal gyrus. The disconnectome-based analyses additionally revealed phonemic fluency was associated with a more extensive frontoparietal white matter network, whereas semantic fluency was associated with disconnection of the fornix, mesiotemporal white matter, splenium of the corpus callosum. These results provide the most detailed outline of the anatomical correlates of phonemic and semantic fluency to date, stress the crucial role of subcortical regions and reveal a novel dissociation in the left temporal lobe.

Validity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Index Scores: a Comparison with the Cognitive Domain Scores of the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery (SNSB).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A new approach was proposed to score the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) index scores for 6 cognitive domains: orientation (OIS), attention (AIS), language (LIS), visuospatial function (VIS), memory (MIS), and executive function (EIS). This study investigated whether the MoCA index scores represent the functions of each cognitive domain by examining the correlations with the corresponding cognitive domain scores derived from conventional neuropsychological tests included in the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery, 2nd Edition (SNSB-II). METHODS: The participants were 104 amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), 74 vascular mild cognitive impairment (VaMCI), 73 dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT), and 41 vascular dementia (VaD) patients. All participants were administered the Korean-MoCA and SNSB-II. RESULTS: Like the MoCA total score, the MoCA-OIS, MoCA-VIS, and MoCA-MIS showed differences between aMCI and AD groups and between VaMCI and VaD groups. The MoCA-AIS, MoCA-LIS, and MoCA-EIS showed significant differences between VaMCI and VaD groups, but no difference between aMCI and DAT groups. In the aMCI and VaMCI groups, all index scores of the MoCA showed significant correlations with the corresponding cognitive domain scores of the SNSB-II. Except for MoCA-MIS, the MoCA-AIS, MoCA-LIS, MoCA-VIS, and MoCA-EIS also showed significant correlations with the corresponding domain scores of the SNSB-II in the DAT and VaD groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that all MoCA index scores, except for MoCA-MIS, which does not reflect the severity of memory impairment in dementia patients, provide highly valid information on the function of each cognitive domain in patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Differential effects of body mass index on domain-specific cognitive outcomes after stroke.

Although the obesity paradox is an important modifiable factor in cardiovascular diseases, little research has been conducted to determine how it affects post-stroke cognitive function. We aimed to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and domain-specific cognitive outcomes, focusing on the subdivision of each frontal domain function in post-ischemic stroke survivors. A total of 335 ischemic stroke patients were included in the study after completion of the Korean-Mini Mental Status Examination (K-MMSE) and the vascular cognitive impairment harmonization standards neuropsychological protocol at 3 months after stroke. Frontal lobe functions were analyzed using semantic/phonemic fluency, processing speed, and mental set shifting. Our study participants were categorized into four groups according to BMI quartiles. The z-scores of K-MMSE at 3 months differed significantly between the groups after adjustment for initial stroke severity (p = 0.014). Global cognitive function in stroke survivors in the Q1 (the lowest quartile) BMI group was significantly lower than those in Q2 and Q4 (the highest quartile) BMI groups (K-MMSE z-scores, Q1: - 2.10 ± 3.40 vs. Q2: 0.71 ± 1.95 and Q4: - 1.21 ± 1.65). Controlled oral word association test findings indicated that phonemic and semantic word fluency was lower in Q4 BMI group participants than in Q2 BMI group participants (p = 0.016 and p = 0.023 respectively). BMI might differentially affect cognitive domains after ischemic stroke. Although being underweight may negatively affect global cognition post-stroke, obesity could induce frontal lobe dysfunctions, specifically phonemic and semantic word fluency.

Strategic infarct locations for post-stroke cognitive impairment: a pooled analysis of individual patient data from 12 acute ischaemic stroke cohorts.

BACKGROUND: Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) occurs in approximately half of people in the first year after stroke. Infarct location is a potential determinant of PSCI, but a comprehensive map of strategic infarct locations predictive of PSCI is unavailable. We aimed to identify infarct locations most strongly predictive of PSCI after acute ischaemic stroke and use this information to develop a prediction model. METHODS: In this large-scale multicohort lesion-symptom mapping study, we pooled and harmonised individual patient data from 12 cohorts through the Meta-analyses on Strategic Lesion Locations for Vascular Cognitive Impairment using Lesion-Symptom Mapping (Meta VCI Map) consortium. The identified cohorts (as of Jan 1, 2019) comprised patients with acute symptomatic infarcts on CT or MRI (with available infarct segmentations) and a cognitive assessment up to 15 months after acute ischaemic stroke onset. PSCI was defined as performance lower than the fifth percentile of local normative data, on at least one cognitive domain on a multidomain neuropsychological assessment or on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM) was used to calculate voxel-wise odds ratios (ORs) for PSCI that were mapped onto a three-dimensional brain template to visualise PSCI risk per location. For the prediction model of PSCI risk, a location impact score on a 5-point scale was derived from the VLSM results on the basis of the mean voxel-wise coefficient (ln[OR]) within each patient's infarct. We did combined internal-external validation by leave-one-cohort-out cross-validation for all 12 cohorts using logistic regression. Predictive performance of a univariable model with only the location impact score was compared with a multivariable model with addition of other clinical PSCI predictors (age, sex, education, time interval between stroke onset and cognitive assessment, history of stroke, and total infarct volume). Testing of visual ratings was done by three clinicians, and accuracy, inter-rater reliability, and intra-rater reliability were assessed with Cohen's weighted kappa. FINDINGS: In our sample of 2950 patients (mean age 66·8 years [SD 11·6]; 1157 [39·2%] women), 1286 (43·6%) had PSCI. We achieved high lesion coverage of the brain in our analyses (86·9%). Infarcts in the left frontotemporal lobes, left thalamus, and right parietal lobe were strongly associated with PSCI (after false discovery rate correction, q<0·01; voxel-wise ORs >20). On cross-validation, the location impact score showed good correspondence, based on visual assessment of goodness of fit, between predicted and observed risk of PSCI across cohorts after adjusting for cohort-specific PSCI occurrence. Cross-validations showed that the location impact score by itself had similar performance to the combined model with other PSCI predictors, while allowing for easy visual assessment. Therefore the univariable model with only the location impact score was selected as the final model. Correspondence between visual ratings and actual location impact score (Cohen's weighted kappa: range 0·88-0·92), inter-rater agreement (0·85-0·87), and intra-rater agreement (for a single rater, 0·95) were all high. INTERPRETATION: To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first comprehensive map of strategic infarct locations associated with risk of PSCI. A location impact score was derived from this map that robustly predicted PSCI across cohorts. Furthermore, we developed a quick and reliable visual rating scale that might in the future be applied by clinicians to identify individual patients at risk of PSCI. FUNDING: The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development.

Post-stroke cognitive impairment on the Mini-Mental State Examination primarily relates to left middle cerebral artery infarcts.

BACKGROUND: Post-stroke cognitive impairment can occur after damage to various brain regions, and cognitive deficits depend on infarct location. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is still widely used to assess post-stroke cognition, but it has been criticized for capturing only certain cognitive deficits. Along these lines, it might be hypothesized that cognitive deficits as measured with the MMSE primarily involve certain infarct locations. AIMS: This comprehensive lesion-symptom mapping study aimed to determine which acute infarct locations are associated with post-stroke cognitive impairment on the MMSE. METHODS: We examined associations between impairment on the MMSE (<5th percentile; normative data) and infarct location in 1198 patients (age 67 ± 12 years, 43% female) with acute ischemic stroke using voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping. As a frame of reference, infarct patterns associated with impairments in individual cognitive domains were determined, based on a more detailed neuropsychological assessment. RESULTS: Impairment on the MMSE was present in 420 patients (35%). Large voxel clusters in the left middle cerebral artery territory and thalamus were significantly (p < 0.01) associated with cognitive impairment on the MMSE, with highest odds ratios (>15) in the thalamus and superior temporal gyrus. In comparison, domain-specific impairments were related to various infarct patterns across both hemispheres including the left medial temporal lobe (verbal memory) and right parietal lobe (visuospatial functioning). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that post-stroke cognitive impairment on the MMSE primarily relates to infarct locations in the left middle cerebral artery territory. The MMSE is apparently less sensitive to cognitive deficits that specifically relate to other locations.

A Normative Study of the Full Version of Story Memory in the Korean-Mini Mental State Examination, 2nd Edition: Expanded Version (K-MMSE-2: EV).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Mini Mental State Examination, 2nd edition: Expanded version (MMSE-2: EV) involves an immediate recall (IR) of story memory (SM). A full version of SM has been developed and standardized; it includes delayed recall (DR) and recognition tests in addition to IR to increase its clinical utility as an independent story recall test. This study was conducted to provide norms for the full version of SM in the Korean version of MMSE-2: EV for clinical use. METHODS: A total of 1,168 participants (496 males and 672 females) were included in the study. The ages ranged from 19 to 90 years, and the education level ranged from illiterate to post-graduate. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the relative contributions of demographic variables (age, education, and sex) on the SM measures. RESULTS: We stratified age into 11 groups, and categorized the education level into 6 groups. It was found that the IR, DR, and recognition scores of SM were affected by age, education level, and sex. We provided corrected means and standard deviations of the IR, DR, and recognition scores of the SM for the demographic variables. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the importance of considering demographic variables in interpreting the full version of SM measures. The normative data we have provided in this study should be useful in clinical and research settings for detecting the impairment in verbal memory.

Erratum to: A Multicenter, Randomized Clinical Trial to Assess the Efficacy of a Therapeutic Intervention Program for Caregivers of People with Dementia.

This corrects the article on p. 235 in vol. 15, PMID: 30938110.

Development and Validation of the Full Version of Story Memory in the Korean-Mini Mental State Examination, 2nd Edition: Expanded Version (K-MMSE-2: EV).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Korean version of Story Memory (SM) in the Korean-Mini Mental State Examination, 2nd Edition: Expanded Version (K-MMSE-2: EV) was developed. Based on the SM, we additionally developed a full version of SM including delayed recall (DR) and recognition adding to immediate recall (IR). This study aimed to examine the reliabilities and validities of the newly developed SM in the K-MMSE-2: EV and its full version. METHODS: Ninety-five healthy elderly individuals (HE), 90 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and 53 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT) participated in the study. They were administered the full version of SM with the Seoul Verbal Learning Test-Elderly's version (SVLT-E) and Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT). In addition, the SM was re-administered to 51 participants after a 5-week interval. Two clinical neuropsychologists independently rated the performance of 50 participants. RESULTS: The test-retest reliabilities of the IR, DR, and recognition of the SM were statistically significant. The inter-rater reliabilities (Cohen's kappa) were high (0.87-1.00) for all the measures. The IR, DR, and recognition of SM had significant positive correlations with those of the SVLT-E and RCFT. Significant group differences in IR and DR of SM were found among the HE, aMCI, and DAT groups. The recognition scores were significantly different between the aMCI and DAT groups, but not between the HE and aMCI groups. CONCLUSIONS: The newly developed full version of SM in the K-MMSE-2: EV was proven to be a reliable and valid memory measure for clinical use.

Erratum to: A Multicenter, Randomized Clinical Trial to Assess the Efficacy of a Therapeutic Intervention Program for Caregivers of People with Dementia.

This corrects the article on p. 235 in vol. 15, PMID: 30938110.

A Multicenter, Randomized Clinical Trial to Assess the Efficacy of a Therapeutic Intervention Program for Caregivers of People with Dementia.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Caregivers experience tremendous social, financial, physical, and psychological burdens in caring for people with dementia. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of a multicomponent therapeutic intervention program for the caregivers of people with dementia (CGPWD) through a multicenter clinical trial: the intervention program-caregivers of people with dementia study. METHODS: The 38 caregivers of dementia patients at 8 sites were randomized into 2 groups: treatment (n=19) and control (n=19). The treatment group received the intervention program for 8-10 weeks, including one group session for dementia education and three individual sessions (on cognitive behavioral therapy, coping with stress, and stress management) and single targeted training for daily activities. The Korean version of the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-K) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were evaluated at pre- and postintervention as primary efficacy measures. RESULTS: The treatment group displayed significant improvements in scores on the ZBI-K and GDS. The ZBI-K score at postintervention was significantly reduced in the treatment group compared to that in the control group [6.2-point decrease vs. 3.7-point increase, t(37)=-2.9, p<0.01]. There was a significant difference in the GDS score between the treatment and control groups [2.2-point decrease vs. 1.3-point increase, t(18)=2.5, p<0.05]. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study imply that a multicomponent therapeutic intervention program is effective in reducing the burden experienced by and depression among CGPWD. Further research is warranted to investigate the long-term effects of the intervention program for CGPWD.