Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Aging Ment Health 2019 Apr 16:1-9. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

f Occupational Therapy Department , TWGHs Jockey Club Rehabilitation Complex , Aberdeen , Hong Kong.

Objective: Performance-based evaluation of executive function by using real-world daily living activities is an important area of study. This approach has been used extensively in evaluating patients after stroke or traumatic brain injury and patients with schizophrenia. Most important is the fact that until now, there has been no validated performance-based evaluation of executive function in people with dementia. Read More

Appl Neuropsychol Adult 2019 Apr 15:1-7. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

a Department of Psychiatry , University of Illinois College of Medicine , Chicago , Illinois , USA.

The neurobehavioral syndrome of hemispatial neglect, which can result from insults such as stroke, brain tumor, or head injury, has most frequently been described as occurring for the left-side of hemispace following lesions to the right hemisphere. While right hemispatial neglect/inattention may occur following left hemisphere lesions as well, it has received limited attention in the scientific literature. The present case describes an inpatient neuropsychological evaluation with a 67-year-old, African American man presenting with right hemispatial neglect following resection of a large glioblastoma in the left occipitotemporoparietal region. Read More

Neuropsychol Rehabil 2019 Apr 15:1-19. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

a Neuroscience and Aphasia Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre , University of Manchester , Manchester , UK.

Besides language deficits, persons with aphasia can present with impairments in executive functions such as cognitive flexibility. Since these impairments can restrict communicative abilities, diagnostics for aphasia should include their assessment. However, tests of executive functions, including symptoms expressed in everyday communication, are lacking for aphasia. Read More

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2019 Apr 13. Epub 2019 Apr 13.

Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.

Beside the well-known complications of poorly controlled, long-standing hypertension, milder abnormalities induced by early-stage hypertension have also been described. In our study, the authors examined the reversibility of changes induced by early-stage hypertension. The authors performed laboratory testing, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) measurement, evaluation of stiffness parameters, assessment of various cardiac and cerebral hemodynamic parameters during head-up tilt table (HUTT) testing, and neuropsychological examinations in 49 recently diagnosed hypertensive patients. Read More

Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health 2019 28;15:44-48. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

Gnosis Center for Neuropsychological and Emotional Evaluation, Cagliari, Italy.

Front Psychol 2019 22;10:631. Epub 2019 Mar 22.

Faculty of Communication Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland.

Patients with lesions of the corpus callosum are rare and may present different symptoms of the disconnection syndrome. However, to-date studies on callosotomized patients have not been conclusive, likely because of the non-uniform nature of clinical features, the extent of resection, and methods used to investigate specific and related deficits. Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) may be asymptomatic and discovered incidentally or associated with very slight deficits diagnosed during neurological examinations. Read More

Neurol Sci 2019 Apr 8. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Institut du cerveau et de la moelle épinière (ICM), Sorbonne Université, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.

We used an ad hoc created neuropsychological battery to evaluate in details both verbal and visuospatial working memory (WM) in patients with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA, n = 5). PCA is a rare, early-onset neurodegenerative dementia, often due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Clinically, PCA patients present with visual, visuospatial, and visuomotor deficits, and no memory complaints. Read More

Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2019 Apr 4. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

Division of Neurology, Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Center and the Edmond J Safra Program in Parkinson's disease, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto.

Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to investigate 4 methods of eliciting subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients without dementia and determine the relationship between their SCC and cognitive performance.

Design: This study was a retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort study.

Setting: Six North American movement disorder clinics. Read More

Congenit Heart Dis 2019 Apr 8. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

Heart Institute, Section of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO.

Background: Children with single ventricle (SV) heart disease who undergo Fontan operation are at risk for developing multiorgan dysfunction. Although survival has improved, significant comorbidities involving multiple organ systems may develop, requiring evaluation and management by many subspecialists. Using data from an internal survey, we documented high care variability for our Fontan population. Read More

Clin Neuropsychol 2019 Apr 7:1-17. Epub 2019 Apr 7.

a Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, NorthShore University HealthSystem , Evanston , IL , USA.

Objective: Assessment of performance validity is an essential component of neuropsychological evaluation. Performance validity indicators contained within cognitive ability measures are particularly advantageous, as they do not require additional test administration time or material, and allow for assessment of validity across multiple cognitive domains over the course of an evaluation. The present study examined the classification accuracy of the Stroop Color and Word Test (Stroop) Word, Color, and Color-Word trials in detecting invalid performance in a mixed forensic and patient sample. Read More

Trials 2019 Apr 5;20(1):199. Epub 2019 Apr 5.

LiNC - Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Neurociências Clínicas, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Background: Cognitive deficits are core symptoms of schizophrenia that occur from the early stages of the disorder. There is reliable evidence that cognitive deficits are associated with outcomes in schizophrenia; thus, early treatment could be particularly important. Studies with different neuromodulation techniques involving subjects with schizophrenia suggest that application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with inhibitory stimulation over the left temporo-parietal cortex and excitatory stimulation over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex could ameliorate positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. Read More

Brain Behav 2019 Apr 5:e01241. Epub 2019 Apr 5.

Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", Messina, Italy.

Introduction: Moyamoya disease (MMD) meaning "hazy puff of smoke" in Japanese is a rare chronic cerebrovascular syndrome characterized by progressive stenosis and occlusion of the internal carotid arteries (ICAs) anterior cerebral arteries (ACAs), and middle cerebral arteries (MCAs).

Methods: Our moyamoya patient with severely impaired cognitive and motor functions underwent a specific motor and neuropsychological rehabilitative treatments to assess the recovery of consciousness.

Results: Results obtained showed an improvement of clinical and neuropsychological examination. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Apr 5;9(1):5690. Epub 2019 Apr 5.

IRCCS, Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Neurorehabilitation Unit and Imaging in Rehabilitation LAB, Via Capecelatro, 66, 20148, Milan, Italy.

Executive functions are crucial for performance of everyday activities. In Multiple Sclerosis (MS), executive dysfunctions can be apparent from the early onset of the disease. Technology-based time-efficient and resource-saving tools for early evaluation of executive functions using an ecological approach are needed to assess functional performance in real-life. Read More

No Shinkei Geka 2019 Mar;47(3):357-365

Graduate School of Education, Tohoku University.

Language tasks must be based on perioperative neuropsychological evaluation during intraoperative language area mapping for the resection of brain tumor near the language cortex under awake craniotomy. However, flexibility is needed during surgery, because actions during surgery must change based on neurological symptoms and the presence or absence of aphasia. Here, we developed software to assess patients' ability to complete language tasks during surgery by using a tablet device; these language tasks serve as indicators of changes in patient status. Read More

Neurosurgery 2019 Apr 2. Epub 2019 Apr 2.

Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.

Background: Though it is well known that normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) patients can cognitively improve after ventriculoperitoneal shunting (VPS), one of the major dilemmas in NPH is the ability to prospectively predict which patients will improve.

Objective: To prospectively assess preoperative predictors of postshunt cognitive improvement.

Methods: This was a prospective observational cohort including 52 consecutive patients with approximately 1-yr follow-up. Read More

Neuropsychol Rehabil 2019 Apr 2:1-26. Epub 2019 Apr 2.

a Department of Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience , Maastricht University , Maastricht , Netherlands.

Outcome measurement is the cornerstone of evidence-based health care including neuropsychological rehabilitation. A complicating factor for outcome measurement in neuropsychological rehabilitation is the enormous number of measures available and the lack of a standard set of outcome measures. As a first step towards such a set, we reviewed intervention evaluation studies of the last 20 years to get an overview of instruments used for measuring outcome. Read More

Am Fam Physician 2019 Apr;99(7):426-434

Womack Army Medical Center, Ft. Bragg, NC, USA.

Mild traumatic brain injury, also known as concussion, is common in adults and youth and is a major health concern. Concussion is caused by direct or indirect external trauma to the head resulting in shear stress to brain tissue from rotational or angular forces. Concussion can affect a variety of clinical domains: physical, cognitive, and emotional or behavioral. Read More

Clin Neuropsychol 2019 Mar 31:1-9. Epub 2019 Mar 31.

a Department of Psychiatry , UT Southwestern Medical Center , Dallas , TX , USA.

Objective: The Digit Span (DS) subtest from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-4 Edition (WAIS-IV) was updated to better measure working memory which is potentially clinically relevant as prior unreplicated studies showed that sequencing tasks differentiated normal from neurologic groups. This study examines performance on DS for individuals from a memory disorder clinic diagnosed with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), probable dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT), or those with subjective cognitive complaints (SCC).

Method: Seven hundred and six individuals were drawn from 1256 consecutive referrals who underwent a standard neuropsychological evaluation and obtained a consensus diagnosis from a neuropsychologist and a neurologist of DAT, aMCI, or having SCC. Read More

Cereb Cortex 2019 Mar 30. Epub 2019 Mar 30.

Department of Radiology, MGH/MIT/HMS A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown MA 02129, USA.

Developmental neuroimaging studies report the emergence of increasingly diverse cognitive functions as closely entangled with a rise-fall modulation of cortical thickness (CTh), structural cortical and white-matter connectivity, and a time-course for the experience-dependent selective elimination of the overproduced synapses. We examine which of two visual processing networks, the dorsal (DVN; prefrontal, parietal nodes) or ventral (VVN; frontal-temporal, fusiform nodes) matures first, thus leading the neuro-cognitive developmental trajectory. Three age-dependent measures are reported: (i) the CTh at network nodes; (ii) the matrix of intra-network structural connectivity (edges); and (iii) the proficiency in network-related neuropsychological tests. Read More

J Autism Dev Disord 2019 Mar 29. Epub 2019 Mar 29.

Neuropsychology Section, Department of Psychiatry, Michigan Medicine, 2101 Commonwealth Blvd. Suite C, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA.

This study aimed to examine the neuropsychological correlates of child patients diagnosed with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or comorbid ASD + ADHD through a multidisciplinary ASD evaluation clinic. Patients completed standardized tests of intellectual, attention, social-affective/cognitive, and executive functioning; and a semi-structured assessment commonly used for autism diagnosis. The majority of patients were medicated for ADHD concerns during testing. Read More

Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs 2019 Mar 28:1474515119840877. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

5 Stroke Unit, Hanyang University Medical Center, South Korea.

Background:: Cognitive decline, which often occurs in heart failure, is likely to decrease health-related quality of life and increase morbidity and mortality (major events), but it has been scantly addressed.

Aims:: To examine whether baseline cognitive domains of global cognition, memory and executive function predict baseline health-related quality of life and 15-month major events among patients with heart failure.

Methods:: This prospective study included 117 patients (mean age 65. Read More

Am J Occup Ther 2019 Mar/Apr;73(2):7302205050p1-7302205050p10

Gordon Muir Giles, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is Professor, Samuel Merritt University, Oakland, CA, and Director of Neurobehavioral Services, Crestwood Behavioral Health, Inc., Sacramento, CA.

Importance: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has identified the need to assess functional cognition as part of the postacute care planning process.

Objective: We examined the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of the Menu Task (MT) as a screening measure of functional cognition to assess the need for occupational therapy services.

Design: Cross-sectional study testing a convenience sample of community-dwelling older adults (n = 130) and adults hospitalized for elective orthopedic surgery (n = 60). Read More

J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2019 Mar 25. Epub 2019 Mar 25.

Section of Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Piazzale Scuro 10, 37134, Verona, Italy.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and chemosensory dysfunction are non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), but their association is unclear. We explored if MCI and the involvement of single cognitive domains influence olfaction and taste in PD. The role of demographic, clinical and neuropsychiatric variables was tested. Read More

J Alzheimers Dis 2019 ;68(3):1273-1286

Background: Memory clinic patients frequently present with different forms of vascular brain injury due to different etiologies, often co-occurring with Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology.

Objective: We studied how cognition was affected by different forms of vascular brain injury, possibly in interplay with AD pathology.

Methods: We included 860 memory clinic patients with vascular brain injury on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), receiving a standardized evaluation including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker analyses (n = 541). Read More

J Alzheimers Dis 2019 Mar 18. Epub 2019 Mar 18.

Université Côte d'Azur, CoBTeK lab IA, France.

Background: Neuropsychological tests are particularly important for the clinical evaluation and Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis. However, the tests currently employed for neuropsychological assessment have been developed several decades ago, and thus they do not fully exploit the potential provided by modern digital tools. One of the tests most commonly employed to assess attention and executive functions is the Trail Making Test (TMT). Read More

Epilepsy Behav 2019 Mar 20. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

Department of Psychology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada. Electronic address:

Objective: In adults with left-sided epilepsy, reorganized language may "crowd out" right-hemisphere visual-spatial skills, with relative sparing of language (i.e., the crowding hypothesis). Read More

Brain Topogr 2019 Mar 20. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

Aston Brain Centre, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.

Establishing language dominance is an important step in the presurgical evaluation of patients with refractory epilepsy. In the absence of a universally accepted gold-standard non-invasive method to determine language dominance in the preoperative assessment, a range of tools and methodologies have recently received attention. When applied to pediatric age, many of the proposed methods, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), may present some challenges due to the time-varying effects of epileptogenic lesions and of on-going seizures on maturational phenomena. Read More

Pediatr Nephrol 2019 Mar 20. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

Department of Pediatrics, Psychology Section, Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital, 1102 Bates Ave., Ste. 245, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.

Dialysis treatment has evolved to enable children to live longer and transition to adulthood. Thus, the focus of care shifts to a consideration of pediatric patients' quality of life and psychosocial functioning across childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Despite well-documented concerns in various domains (including depression/anxiety, self-esteem and social functioning, behavior problems, and academic and cognitive functioning), limited literature exists regarding psychosocial guidelines for children and adolescents undergoing dialysis. Read More

Biomed Res Int 2019 14;2019:1427294. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.

Aim: Different neuropsychological dysfunctions have been described in children with primary Stereotypic Movement Disorder (SMD), mainly attention or motor coordination problems. Up to now with no study has evaluated psychomotor functions in preschoolers primary SMD. The aim of this observational study was to gather information on the motor profiles of SMD patients in this age range in comparison with typically developing children. Read More

Iran J Neurol 2018 Jul;17(3):117-122

Department of Psychiatry, Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

Neuropsychiatric dysfunction is one of the most common complications after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). The aim of this study was to evaluate cognitive function, depression, and quality of life (QOL) in patients with aSAH. In this study, we prospectively enrolled patients with SAH due to rupture of anterior circulation aneurysms who referred to Ghaem hospital, Mashhad, Iran, and who had good function outcome [modified Rankin scale (mRS) > 2]. Read More

J Alzheimers Dis 2019 ;68(2):679-693

Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.

Spatial navigation tasks reveal small differences between normal and pathological aging and may thus disclose potential neuropsychological predictors of neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of our study was to investigate which navigational skills are compromised in the early phase of pathological aging as well as the extent to which they are compromised. We performed an extensive neuropsychological evaluation based on working memory and learning tasks (i. Read More

Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2019 26;15:611-626. Epub 2019 Feb 26.

Centre of Excellence for Neuropsychiatry, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands,

Purpose: Noonan syndrome (NS) is a genetic disorder that is associated with social cognitive problems. While treatment aimed at the improvement of social cognition is available for other neuropsychiatric disorders, no such interventions yet exist for NS patients. In this study, the development of the first social cognitive training for NS patients is described and its applicability and feasibility evaluated. Read More

Hell J Nucl Med 2019 Jan-Apr;22 Suppl:75-81

Multiple Sclerosis clinic, A' Neurologic clinic, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Cognitive impairment is a common phenomenon in multiple sclerosis (MS), occurring at all stages of the disease, even at the earliest, and can be a major source of disability, social impairment, and impoverished quality of life. Cognitive dysfunction is mainly focused on working memory, conceptual reasoning, verbal fluency, speed of information processing, attention and executive function. Additional clinical factors, including disease course, fatigue and affective disturbance, can impact the degree of MS-related cognitive impairment. Read More

J Korean Med Sci 2019 Mar 27;34(9):e67. Epub 2019 Feb 27.

Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea.

Background: In the early diagnosis of dementia, an important factor is the evaluation of activities of daily living. The Everyday Cognition (ECog) scale was developed to measure functional changes that are the everyday correlates of specific neuropsychological impairments. This study aimed to examine the validity of the Korean version of Everyday Cognition (K-ECog). Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Mar 12;9(1):4277. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Autonomic Nervous System Center (CESNA), Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Therapy, UNESP, Marilia, Brazil.

Cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEP) throughout a language task is beneficial during psychophysiological evaluation to advance identification of language disorders. So as to better comprehend human communication and to provide additional elements for neuropsychological examinations we aimed to (1) examine the influence of language tasks on cortical auditory processing and vagal control of heart rate and (2) to verify a possible association between the parasympathetic cardiac regulation and cortical auditory processing in language tasks. This study was completed with 49 women. Read More

J Adolesc 2019 Apr 7;72:64-69. Epub 2019 Mar 7.

St. Paul's Hospital, 1081 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; University of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine, 317, 2194 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Providence Health Care Inner City Youth Program, 1260 Granville St., Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1M4, Canada; Foundry, 201 - 1190 Hornby St., Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2K5, Canada. Electronic address:

Introduction: Homeless and precariously housed young people are a complex, vulnerable population frequently perceived as being difficult to engage in health and social services. Although unrecognized deficits in cognitive functioning may adversely affect their ability to access assistance and meaningfully participate in programming, few researchers have examined these deficits. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent of global and domain-specific cognitive impairment of street involved young people. Read More

Brain 2019 Apr;142(4):1134-1147

Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.

Research into cognitive resilience imaging markers may help determine the clinical significance of Alzheimer's disease pathology among older adults over 80 years (80+). In this study, we aimed to identify a fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET based imaging marker of cognitive resilience. We identified 457 participants ≥ 80 years old (357 cognitively unimpaired, 118 cognitively impaired at baseline, mean age of 83. Read More

Nervenarzt 2019 Apr;90(4):388-398

Neurowissenschaftliche Gutachtenstelle, Bezirkskrankenhaus Günzburg, Günzburg, Deutschland.

The regulations for ability to drive with cerebrovascular diseases in the German Driving License Regulations (Fahrerlaubnisverordnung, FeV) and German Guidelines for the Evaluation of Driving Ability of the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) are not up to date with the current medical knowledge and are not consistent with comparable regulations regarding cardiovascular diseases. This is particularly true for the assessment of future risks for a sudden loss of control during driving. The present position paper of six medical and neuropsychological societies in Germany presents the current conditions for the assessment of driving ability of patients a cerebrovascular diesease and recommends an estimation of the ability to drive founded on the current state of scientific knowledge. Read More

Codas 2019 Mar 7;31(1):e20180048. Epub 2019 Mar 7.

Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de la Argentina - CONICET, Instituto de Humanidades - IDH, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba - UNC, Córdoba, Argentina.

Purpose: To explore the relationship between the two components of spontaneous speech in the Brief Aphasia Evaluation (BAE) and the rest of the scale represented by its three main factors: The Expression, Comprehension, and Complementary factors.

Methods: BAE has proven validity and reliability. The evaluation of spontaneous speech in this scale comprises two components: Performance Rank (score: 0-3) and Type of Disorder (Fluency [F], Content [C], or Mixed [FC]) when rank < 3. Read More

Front Neurosci 2019 20;13:133. Epub 2019 Feb 20.

Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, China.

The insular cortex plays an important role in multimodal sensory processing, audio-visual integration and emotion; however, little is known about how the insula is affected by auditory deprivation due to sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). To address this issue, we used structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging to determine if the neural activity within the insula and its interregional functional connectivity (FC) was disrupted by SNHL and if these alterations were correlated clinical measures of emotion and cognition. Thirty-five SNHL subjects and 54 Controls enrolled in our study underwent auditory evaluation, neuropsychological assessments, functional and structure MRI, respectively. Read More

Neurology 2019 Apr 6;92(14):e1547-e1557. Epub 2019 Mar 6.

From the Departments of Clinical Neurosciences (C.J.L., I.T.S.C.-G., P.V.R., A.W., E.W., J.B.R.) and Psychology (T.W.R.), and Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute (T.W.R., J.B.R.), University of Cambridge, UK; University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (E.W.), University of Hamburg, Germany; and MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (J.B.R.), Cambridge, UK.

Objective: To determine the influence of apathy, impulsivity, and behavioral change on survival in patients with frontotemporal dementia, progressive supranuclear palsy, and corticobasal syndrome.

Methods: We assessed 124 patients from the epidemiologic PiPPIN (Pick's Disease and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Prevalence and Incidence) study. Patients underwent detailed baseline cognitive and behavioral assessment focusing on apathy, impulsivity, and behavioral change. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Mar 1. Epub 2019 Mar 1.

Section of Neurosurgery, The University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Objective: Adults with Chiari malformation type 1 (CM1) often report cognitive impairment. This cross-sectional study investigates the cognitive and emotional functioning of a sample of adults with CM1 who presented for neurosurgical evaluation prior to intervention.

Methods: A total of 36 participants (18 patients with CM1 and 18 healthy control subjects) completed a comprehensive neurocognitive battery of tests. Read More

Curr Psychiatry Rep 2019 Mar 2;21(3):17. Epub 2019 Mar 2.

Department of Psychology, Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, 35037, Marburg, Germany.

Purpose Of Review: Emotional symptoms are common and persistent in youth and adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and cause clinically significant impairments. We review recent neuropsychological, neurophysiological, and peripheral psychophysiological evidence for emotion and emotion regulation deficits in ADHD across youth and adults.

Recent Findings: Central and autonomous nervous system correlates argue in favor of more general self-regulation deficits and also specific emotional deficits in ADHD. Read More

Clin Neuropsychol 2019 Mar 1:1-17. Epub 2019 Mar 1.

a Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology , Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati , OH , USA.

Objective: The handful of studies examining parent satisfaction after pediatric neuropsychological evaluations have focused on post-evaluation appraisals. By examining parent experiences across the course of their child's evaluation, this study aimed to provide important insights into how and when parents experience changes in knowledge, understanding of care options, and efficacy during evaluation process.

Method: Parents of youth receiving neuropsychological evaluation completed questionnaires at four time points (prior to evaluation [n = 363], day of testing [n = 300], prior to feedback [n = 250], and post-report [n = 99]). Read More

Seizure 2019 Mar 20;66:93-98. Epub 2019 Feb 20.

Department of Neurology, University of Ioannina, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, 45110, Greece. Electronic address:

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to compare depression and QoL between patients with epilepsy and healthy controls, evaluating potentially related factors to depression and QoL in patients with epilepsy in Northwest Greece.

Methods: A case study was conducted in adult patients with epilepsy followed up at the University Hospital of Ioannina and in healthy controls. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression's severity evaluation, the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire for the QoL estimation and the Adverse Event Profile (AEP) questionnaire for the Antiepileptic Drugs (AEDs) adverse effects assessment were used. Read More

Braz J Cardiovasc Surg 2019 Jan-Feb;34(1):76-84

Department of Cardiology, The First Hospital of Putian, Teaching Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Putian, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction is a common complication following cardiac surgery. The incidence of cognitive dysfunction is more pronounced in patients receiving a cardiac operation than in those undergoing a non-cardiac operation. Clinical observations demonstrated that pulsatile flow was superior to nonpulsatile flow, and membrane oxygenator was superior to bubble oxygenator in terms of postoperative cognitive status. Read More

Orphanet J Rare Dis 2019 Feb 26;14(1):56. Epub 2019 Feb 26.

Institute of Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital Bern, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland.

Background: Classical galactosemia (CG) is due to a severe deficiency of the galactose-1-phosphate uridyl-transferase (GALT), the main enzyme of galactose metabolism. Even early introduction of galactose-restricted diet fails to prevent long-term complications, including cognitive impairment, neurological and psychiatric problems, osteoporosis, premature ovarian failure and infertility. Detailed neuropsychological phenotyping is needed in order to better understand the relevant neurodevelopmental deficiencies and to develop effective treatment strategies. Read More

Genes Brain Behav 2019 Feb 25:e12559. Epub 2019 Feb 25.

Science Education Center and Graduate Institute of Science Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Several reports have shown that methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), phospho-cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB) and microRNAs may be important in regulating academic performance because of their roles in neuropsychiatry and cognitive diseases. The first goal of this study was to explore the associations among MeCP2, BDNF, CREB and academic performance. This study also examined the pathway responsible for the effects of MeCP2, BDNF, p-CREB and microRNAs on academic performance. Read More

Biomed Res Int 2019 20;2019:8480468. Epub 2019 Jan 20.

Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil.

Ischemic stroke is a neurovascular disorder caused by reduced or blockage of blood flow to the brain, which may permanently affect motor and cognitive abilities. The diagnostic of stroke is performed using imaging technologies, clinical evaluation, and neuropsychological protocols, but no blood test is available yet. In this work, we analyzed amino acid concentrations in blood plasma from poststroke patients in order to identify differences that could characterize the stroke etiology. Read More