Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS
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J Int Neuropsychol Soc · May 2012
Sleep onset/maintenance difficulties and cognitive function in nondemented older adults: the role of cognitive reserve.
This study examined the relationship between cognitive function and sleep onset/maintenance difficulties (SO/MD) in nondemented older adults. We hypothesized that SO/MD negatively impacts cognition and that older adults with lower education would be especially vulnerable to its effects. The sample comprised 549 older adults from the Einstein Aging Study (EAS), a community-based cohort. ⋯ Fifty-seven percent (n = 314) of the sample met criteria for SO/MD. Among participants with SO/MD, those with lower education performed more poorly on a test of category fluency than participants with higher education (means: 35.2 vs. 41.0; p < .001); among older adults without SO/MD, educational attainment had no measurable effect on cognition (SO/MD × education interaction (F(1,536) = 14.5; p = .00)). Consistent with the cognitive reserve hypothesis, older adults with lower education appear selectively vulnerable to the negative effects of sleep onset/maintenance difficulties on tests of verbal fluency.
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J Int Neuropsychol Soc · May 2012
Verbal fluency in patients receiving bilateral versus left-sided deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus for Parkinson's disease.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative effects of unilateral (left-sided) versus bilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) on verbal fluency. To do this, 10 Parkinson's disease patients with predominantly bilateral motor symptoms who received bilateral STN DBS were compared with 6 patients suffering from predominantly unilateral symptoms who received STN DBS on the left side only. The results suggest that unilateral STN DBS of the speech dominant hemisphere is associated with significantly less declines in measures of verbal fluency as compared to bilateral stimulation.
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J Int Neuropsychol Soc · May 2012
Neuropsychological outcome from blast versus non-blast: mild traumatic brain injury in U.S. military service members.
The purpose of this study was to compare the neuropsychological outcome from blast-related versus non-blast related mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Participants were 56 U. S. military service members who sustained an MTBI, divided into two groups based on mechanism of injury: (a) non-blast related (Non-blast; n = 21), and (b) blast plus secondary blunt trauma (Blast Plus; n = 35). ⋯ However, medium effect sizes were found for the Depression (d = .49) and Stress (d = .47) scales (i.e., Blast Plus > Non-blast). On the neurocognitive measures, after controlling for the influence of psychological distress (i.e., Depression, Stress), there were no differences between the Non-blast and Blast Plus groups on all measures. These findings provide little evidence to suggest that blast exposure plus secondary blunt trauma results in worse cognitive or psychological recovery than blunt trauma alone. (JINS, 2012, 18, 595-605).
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J Int Neuropsychol Soc · May 2012
The contributions of self-reported injury characteristics and psychiatric symptoms to cognitive functioning in OEF/OIF veterans with mild traumatic brain injury.
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) affects a significant number of combat veterans returning from Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). Although resolution of mTBI symptoms is expected over time, some individuals continue to report lingering cognitive difficulties. This study examined the contributions of self-reported mTBI injury characteristics (e.g., loss of consciousness, post-traumatic amnesia) and psychiatric symptoms to both subjective and objective cognitive functioning in a sample of 167 OEF/OIF veterans seen in a TBI clinic. ⋯ This indicates that mTBI characteristics such as longer time since injury and loss of consciousness or post-traumatic amnesia can lead to increased perceived cognitive deficits despite having no objective effects on cognitive performance. Psychiatric symptoms were associated with both cognitive ratings and neuropsychological performance, illustrating the important role that psychiatric treatment can potentially play in optimizing functioning. Finally, subjective cognitive ratings were not predictive of neuropsychological performance once psychiatric functioning was statistically controlled, suggesting that neuropsychological assessment provides valuable information that cannot be gleaned from self-report alone.