The clinical symptoms and neurocognitive impairment of first-episode deficit and nondeficit subtype of schizophrenia / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To ulteriorly explore the differences of psychotic symptoms and neurocognitive between patients with first-episode deficit subtype of schizophrenia (FDS) and patients with first-episode nondeficit subtype of schizophrenia (FNDS).Methods:From January 2021 to September 2021, a total of 88 first-episode treatment-naive schizophrenia were recruited from the Mental Health Center of West China Hospital and divided into FDS group( n=44) and FNDS group( n=44) according to the schedule for the deficit syndrome (SDS), and 44 healthy subjects were included as healthy control group (HC group, n=44). Positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) was used to assess psychotic symptoms of patients and Wechsler adult intelligence scale, trail making test and logic memory test were used to evaluate intelligence quotient and neurocognitive function of all subjects.SPSS 22.0 was used for statistical analysis, and independent samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to compare variables that met normal distribution, while the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to compare variables that did not meet normal distribution. Results:(1) There were significant differences in psychotic symptoms between the FDS group and the FNDS group.Compared with the FNDS group, the FDS group had higher total score of PANSS ((95.95±16.82) vs (88.39±16.29)), negative symptoms ((27.57±7.52) vs (16.57±5.76)) and anergastic reaction ((13.43±3.82) vs (7.00(5.00, 9.00)), and lower positive symptoms scores ((21.95±6.88) vs (25.41±6.07)), activation ((8.00(5.00, 9.00) vs (9.27±3.47)), depression ((5.50(4.00, 9.00) vs (8.00(6.00, 12.00)) and supplementary item ((13.60±4.17) vs (17.30±5.39))(all P<0.05). (2) There were differences in neurocognitive functions between FDS group and FNDS group, and which in FDS and FNDS group were worse than that in HC group.Spatial memory (block design test: (23.70±11.05) vs (31.72±11.49)) and information processing speed (digit symbol test: (38.38±15.85) vs (47.97±14.99)) of FDS group were significantly lower than those of FNDS group(both P<0.05). Intelligence quotient, information processing speed and spatial memory of FDS group and FNDS group were lower than those of HC group(all P<0.05). Conclusion:FDS patients has more severe negative symptoms and anergastic reaction, and exit worse information processing speed and spatial memory dysfunction than FNDS patients.This unique pattern of impairment suggests that information processing speed and spatial memory may be important classification indicators for differentiating the deficit subtype of schizophrenia in the early stage.

The mediating effect of intelligence between the information processing speed and numerical magnitude in hearing-impaired children / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective@#To explore the mediating role of intelligence in the relationship between information processing speed and numerical magnitude processing of hearing-impaired children.@*Methods@#A survey was conducted among 249 hearing-impaired children by using tests of Choice Reaction Time, Numerosity Comparison, and Raven's Progressive Matrices(simplified version).@*Results@#(1)The accurate rate of information processing speed(0.89±0.18)of hearing-impaired children was positively correlated with that of numerical magnitude processing(0.65±0.15)and intelligence(11.83±10.34)(r=0.165, 0.263, both P<0.01). The reaction time of information processing speed was negatively correlated with those of numerical magnitude processing and intelligence(r=-0.164, -0.197, both P<0.05). And there was significant positive correlation between intelligence and numerical magnitude processing (accurate rate and reaction time ) (r=0.269, 0.140, both P<0.05). (2)The accurate rate of information processing speed significantly predicted that of numerical magnitude processing in hearing-impaired children(β=0.17, t=2.64, both P<0.01). The reaction time of information processing speed significantly predicted that of numerical magnitude processing in hearing-impaired children(β=-0.16, t=-2.61, both P<0.05). And intelligence played a complete mediating role in this relationship and the moderating effect were 36.71% and 31.25%.@*Conclusion@#Information processing speed has indirect effects on numerical magnitude processing through intelligence in hearing-impaired children.

Hemoglobin A1c and 10-year information processing speed in Japanese community dwellers

BACKGROUND@#Hyperglycemia is believed to be a risk factor for cognitive decline, but the longitudinal relationship between hyperglycemia and cognitive decline in the Japanese population is unclear. The present study aimed to clarify the association between blood glucose levels and information processing ability in middle-aged and older adults.@*METHODS@#The subjects were 866 men and 815 women aged 40-79 years not taking medication for diabetes who participated in the first study wave (1997-2000) and then participated at least once in the subsequent six study waves (2000-2012) of the National Institute for Longevity Sciences-Longitudinal Study of Aging, Japan. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were categorized into four groups (< 5.6, 5.6 to < 6.0, 6.0 to < 6.5, ≥ 6.5%), and a mixed-effects model was used to evaluate the effects of the HbA1c level (four groups) on repeated measures of information processing speed. The models also included baseline age, body mass index, ethanol intake, smoking status, educational level, family income, and history of stroke, hypertension, heart disease, and dyslipidemia as covariates.@*RESULTS@#Mean (standard deviation) HbA1c and follow-up time in participants were 5.2 (0.5) % and 10.0 (3.6) years, respectively. A linear mixed model showed that the main effect of the four HbA1c groups on information processing ability was not significant in either men or women, but the interaction of HbA1c and time with information processing speed in the higher HbA1c level groups (≥ 6.5% group in men, 6.0 to < 6.5% and ≥ 6.5% groups in women) was significant compared to the lower HbA1c level (< 5.6%) group (P < 0.05). When the slope of information processing speed by HbA1c level at baseline was examined, the slope of information processing speed in the higher HbA1c level (≥ 6.5%) group was higher than in the lower HbA1c level (< 5.6%) group, both in men (- 0.31/year) and in women (- 0.30/year), as well as in women with an HbA1c level of 6.0 to < 6.5% (- 0.40/year).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Higher baseline HbA1c was associated with greater subsequent decline in information processing ability in Japanese community dwellers, even with the pre-clinical HbA1c level (6.0 to < 6.5%) in women. The results suggest that good glycemic control or prevention of hyperglycemia may contribute to maintaining information processing ability.

The mediating effect of intelligence between the information processing speed and numerical magni-tude in hearing-impaired children / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore the mediating role of intelligence in the relationship between in-formation processing speed and numerical magnitude processing of hearing-impaired children. Methods A survey was conducted among 249 hearing-impaired children by using tests of Choice Reaction Time,Numero-sity Comparison,and Raven's Progressive Matrices( simplified version). Results (1) The accurate rate of information processing speed(0. 89±0. 18)of hearing-impaired children was positively correlated with that of numerical magnitude processing(0. 65±0. 15)and intelligence(11. 83±10. 34)(r=0. 165,0. 263,both P<0. 01). The reaction time of information processing speed was negatively correlated with those of numerical mag-nitude processing and intelligence(r=-0. 164,-0. 197,both P<0. 05). And there was significant positive correlation between intelligence and numerical magnitude processing (accurate rate and reaction time ) (r=0. 269,0. 140,both P<0. 05). ( 2) The accurate rate of information processing speed significantly predicted that of numerical magnitude processing in hearing-impaired children( β=0. 17,t=2. 64,both P<0. 01). The reaction time of information processing speed significantly predicted that of numerical magnitude processing in hearing-impaired children(β=-0. 16,t=-2. 61,both P<0. 05). And intelligence played a complete medi-ating role in this relationship and the moderating effect were 36. 71% and 31. 25%. Conclusion Information processing speed has indirect effects on numerical magnitude processing through intelligence in hearing-im-paired children.

A "Conceptual Nervous System" for multiple sclerosis

Neuropsychological diagnosis requires a structure-function correlation model or a "Conceptual Nervous System." The unpredictably variable, widespread, and multifocal nature of pathological changes in multiple sclerosis (MS) challenges the neuropsychological localizationist assumption. To be adapted to MS pathological and clinical heterogeneity, a Conceptual Nervous System should explain impairments associated with multifocal, subcortical, and white matter lesions that cause information processing slowing and working memory/executive function impairment. Our main goal in this theoretical study was to develop a Conceptual Nervous System for MS by integrating current neuropsychological conceptions of structural-functional correlations in MS with a model of conscious mental activity developed by Ernst Pöppel , based on periodic reentrant activity between cortical and subcortical structures. Neuropsychological profiles in MS can be explained by both threshold and multiple disconnection mechanisms. The Conceptual Nervous System encompasses a functional and structural model of the human brain-mind. The functional model classifies mental function into material and formal. Material/semantic functions are modularly organized, and their impairment causes classical focal neuropsychological symptoms. Multiple sclerosis preferentially impairs formal/syntactic function related to widespread patterns of activation and temporal organization. The structural model specifies the system anatomically functions. The neuropsychological adequacy of the proposed Conceptual Nervous System to MS is analyzed by comparing its predictions to results of extant meta-analytic studies