ABSTRACT
External support may improve task performance regardless of an individual's ability to compensate for cognitive deficits through internally generated mechanisms. We investigated if performance of a complex, familiar visual search task (the game of bingo) could be enhanced in groups with suboptimal vision by providing external support through manipulation of task stimuli. Participants were 19 younger adults, 14 individuals with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD), 13 AD-matched healthy adults, 17 non-demented individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD), and 20 PD-matched healthy adults. We varied stimulus contrast, size, and visual complexity during game play. The externally supported performance interventions of increased stimulus size and decreased complexity resulted in improvements in performance by all groups. AD also obtained benefit from increasing contrast, presumably by compensating for their contrast sensitivity deficit. The general finding of improved performance across healthy and afflicted groups suggests the value of visual support as an easy-to-apply intervention to enhance cognitive performance.
Subject(s)
Aging/psychology , Alzheimer Disease/psychology , Contrast Sensitivity/physiology , Parkinson Disease/psychology , Visual Perception/physiology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neuropsychological Tests , Task Performance and Analysis , Young AdultABSTRACT
A significant proportion of military personnel deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) has been exposed to war-zone events potentially associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There has been significant controversy regarding healthcare policy for those service members and military veterans who returned from OEF/OIF deployments with both mild TBI and PTSD. There is currently little empirical evidence available to address these controversies. This review uses a cognitive neuroscience framework to address the potential impact of mild TBI on the development, course, and clinical management of PTSD. The field would benefit from research efforts that take into consideration the potential differential impact of mild TBI with versus without persistent cognitive deficits, longitudinal work examining the trajectory of PTSD symptoms when index trauma events involve TBI, randomized clinical trials designed to examine the impact of mild TBI on response to existing PTSD treatment interventions, and development and examination of potential treatment augmentation strategies.
Subject(s)
Brain Injuries/therapy , Military Personnel/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/therapy , Veterans/psychology , Blast Injuries/complications , Blast Injuries/therapy , Brain Injuries/complications , Combat Disorders/complications , Combat Disorders/therapy , Humans , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/complications , United States , WarfareABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To examine the neuropsychologic profile of 3 family members diagnosed with the same mitochondrial cytopathy corresponding to a defect in the respiratory chain. BACKGROUND: The neuropsychologic functioning of patients with mitochondrial cytopathies has been largely unexamined in the literature. These mitochondrial defects often result in cell death and the failure of whole systems, including the brain. There are over 40 known types of mitochondrial cytopathies, which vary greatly in their genetic, clinical, and behavioral manifestations. METHOD: The following project describes the neuropsychologic profiles of a family (a mother and her 2 children) afflicted by the same mitochondrial cytopathy possibly associated with nucleotide 15,924. Standardized tests of premorbid intelligence estimation, attention, executive function, language, verbal and visual memory, visuospatial functioning, motor functioning, visual acuity, mood, and activities of daily living were administered. RESULTS: Participants' profiles were characterized by estimated intellectual ability in the average to superior range with marked variability on a number of assessments, making it difficult to identify a distinct pattern. General trends, however, were reflective of executive function impairment associated with dysfunction of frontal-subcortical systems. CONCLUSIONS: Mitochondrial disorders are extremely complicated and variable in their presentation. A multifactor approach should be adopted when examining neuropsychologic profiles.
