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Panzavolta A, Cerami C, Caffarra P, De Vita D, Dodich A, Fonti C, L'Abbate F, Laganà V, Lavorgna L, Marra C, Papagno C, Pellegrini FF, Stracciari A, Trojano L, Iaquinta T, Ravizza A, Sternini F, Pandolfi R, Sanzone S, Calore M, Cappa SF. A digital teleneuropsychology platform for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment: from concept to certification as a medical device. Neurol Sci 2024; 45:3125-3135. [PMID: 38378904 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-024-07403-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Innovative digital solutions are shaping a new concept of dementia care, opening additional venues for prevention, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. Hereby, we report the development of a tablet-based teleneuropsychology platform (Tenèpsia®), from concept to certification as Medical Device (MD) Class IIA, as per new MD regulation 745/2017. METHODS The platform was designed for the remote cognitive evaluation and created thanks to the effort of a collaborative working group including experts from three Italian scientific societies and Biogen Italia S.r.l. (hereafter "Biogen"), and developers from Xenia Reply and Inside AI. The development strategy was guided by converting traditional paper-and-pencil tests into digital versions while maintaining comparable neuropsychological features and optimizing patient accessibility and user experience. The experts focused on the choice and adaptation of traditional neuropsychology measures for a 45-min teleneuropsychology assessment. RESULTS The developers created a web and a mobile interface, respectively, for the professional (neuropsychologist) and non-professional (patient and caregiver) use. Recording of voice, drawing and typing information was enabled. Instant dashboards provide a quick overview of the patient's condition. Simulation activities were performed to obtain MD certification, valid across Europe. CONCLUSION Neuropsychology services will benefit from the implementation in clinics of harmonized digital tools with adequate scientific and technological standards. The use of digital cognitive testing for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment is expected to enhance patient and clinician outcomes through simplified, digital objective data collection, sparing of time and resources, with a positive impact on healthcare costs and access to treatments, reducing inequalities and delays in diagnosis and cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Panzavolta
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, Scuola Universitaria Di Studi Superiori IUSS, Piazza Della Vittoria 15, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Chiara Cerami
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, Scuola Universitaria Di Studi Superiori IUSS, Piazza Della Vittoria 15, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
- Dementia Research Center, Mondino Foundation IRCCS, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Paolo Caffarra
- Membro esperto Tavolo permanente sulle demenze del Ministero della Salute, Rome, Italy
| | - Dalila De Vita
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dodich
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Cristina Fonti
- IRCCS, Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Federica L'Abbate
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Laganà
- Associazione Per La Ricerca Neurogenetica Odv, Lamezia Terme, Italy
| | - Luigi Lavorgna
- Clinica Neurologica I, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Camillo Marra
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Costanza Papagno
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Stracciari
- Membro esperto Tavolo permanente sulle demenze del Ministero della Salute, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Trojano
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| | | | | | - Federico Sternini
- InsideAI, Bologna, Italy
- PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico Di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Stefano F Cappa
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, Scuola Universitaria Di Studi Superiori IUSS, Piazza Della Vittoria 15, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Dementia Research Center, Mondino Foundation IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
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Petersen LS, Vestergaard M, Meisner MW, Foldager M, Simonsen E. Atypical semantic cognition in schizotypal personality disorder and borderline personality disorder. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2024; 46:218-232. [PMID: 38704611 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2024.2340813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Increased schizotypal traits have previously been associated with atypical semantic cognition in community samples. However, no study has yet examined whether adults diagnosed with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) display atypical semantic fluency and memory. We hypothesized that 24 adults diagnosed with SPD would name more idiosyncratic words on the semantic fluency task and show decreased semantic recall for animal and fruit category words compared with 29 participants with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and a community sample of 96 age-matched controls. We examined whether atypical semantic cognition was specifically associated with disorganized and eccentric speech and thinking, or more broadly with pathological personality traits and personality functioning. Our main hypothesis was confirmed, as the SPD participants named more idiosyncratic words and recalled fewer semantically related words compared with controls. Surprisingly, participants with BPD likewise named more atypical words compared with controls. More idiosyncratic semantic fluency was associated with more eccentric speech and thinking. Increased idiosyncratic semantic fluency and reduced semantic recall were both coupled to increased detachment and lowered personality functioning, while reduced semantic recall further was related to increased interpersonal problems. Our findings suggest that persons with SPD, and to a lesser degree BPD, show atypical semantic cognition, which is associated with eccentric speech and thinking, and more broadly with impaired personality function, social withdrawal, and emotional flatness. The idiosyncratic semantic cognition may worsen difficulties with social reciprocity seen in SPD and BPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea S Petersen
- Psychiatric Research Unit, Psychiatry Region Zealand, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin Vestergaard
- Psychiatric Research Unit, Psychiatry Region Zealand, Denmark
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Maria W Meisner
- Psychiatric Research Unit, Psychiatry Region Zealand, Denmark
| | - Malene Foldager
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Erik Simonsen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Mental Health Services East, Copenhagen University Hospital, Psychiatry Region Zealand, Denmark
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Quaranta D, Di Tella S, Cassano V, L'Abbate F, Bruno M, Gaudino S, Panfili M, Silveri MC, Marra C. Neural correlates of empathy in mild cognitive impairment. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:171-183. [PMID: 38158451 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01146-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The occurrence of clinically significant changes in empathy is a matter of debate in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Altered empathic mechanisms observed in AD may be a consequence of cognitive impairment, more specifically of reduced mental flexibility and self-regulation. The present study explored possible changes in empathy for subjects in the prodromal phase of AD, namely mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD, and of their neural substrates. Eighteen MCI patients and 20 healthy controls (HC) were included in the study. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) questionnaire was administered to each participant. The IRI encompasses four factors: Perspective Taking; Fantasy; Empathic Concern; Personal Distress. MCI patients underwent a magnetic resonance imaging structural examination and were compared to 30 healthy controls (HC-MRI). A limited number of cortical and subcortical regions involved in social cognition was selected as regions of interest (ROIs). MCI individuals obtained lower scores than HC in the Perspective Taking and Fantasy subscales of the IRI, whereas they obtained higher scores on Empathic Concern. Regarding neuroimaging data, a significant correlation emerged between IRI scores and the neural measurements of different regions involved in empathy, especially covering the temporoparietal junction, which is a critical region engaged in both affective and cognitive dimensions of empathy. The results of the present study suggest that a subtle impairment in regulatory mechanisms of empathy may occur very early during the course of AD, possibly as a consequence of neuropathological changes occurring in brain regions involved in social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Quaranta
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
- Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy.
| | - Sonia Di Tella
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Federica L'Abbate
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Matilde Bruno
- Memory Clinic, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Gaudino
- Radiology and Neuroradiology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" IRCSS, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Panfili
- Radiology and Neuroradiology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" IRCSS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Camillo Marra
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
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Villalobos D, Torres-Simón L, Pacios J, Paúl N, Del Río D. A Systematic Review of Normative Data for Verbal Fluency Test in Different Languages. Neuropsychol Rev 2023; 33:733-764. [PMID: 36098929 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-022-09549-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Verbal fluency tests are easy and quick to use in neuropsychological assessments, so they have been counted among the most classical tools in this context. To date, several normative data for verbal fluency tests have been provided in different languages and countries. A systematic review was carried out with studies that provide normative data for verbal fluency tests. Studies were collected from Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science. 183 studies were retrieved from the database search, of which 73 finally met the inclusion criteria. An analysis of the risk of bias regarding samples selection/characterization and procedure/results reports is conducted for each article. Finally, a full description of the normative data characteristics, considering country and language, verbal fluency task characteristics (type of task) and sample characteristics (number of subjects, gender, age, education) is included. The current systematic review provides an overview and analysis of internationally published normative data that might help clinicians in their search for valid and useful norms on verbal fluency tasks, as well as updated information about qualitative aspects of the different options currently available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dolores Villalobos
- Department of Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychology, Cardenal Cisneros University Center, Alcalá de Henares University. Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- European Neuroscience Center, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucia Torres-Simón
- Department of Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Pacios
- Department of Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuria Paúl
- Department of Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Del Río
- Department of Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
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Guglielmi V, Quaranta D, Masone Iacobucci G, Citro S, Scala I, Genovese D, Brunetti V, Marra C, Calabresi P, Della Marca G. Basal ganglia ischaemic infarction after thrombectomy: cognitive impairment at acute stage. Eur J Neurol 2023; 30:3772-3779. [PMID: 37332125 DOI: 10.1111/ene.15933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE After successful mechanical thrombectomy for middle cerebral artery occlusion, basal ganglia infarction is commonly detectable. Whilst the functional outcome of these patients is often good, less knowledge is available about the cognitive outcome. The aim of our study was to assess the presence of cognitive impairment within 1 week after thrombectomy. METHODS In all, 43 subjects underwent a general cognitive assessment using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and an extensive battery of tests. Patients were classified as cognitively impaired (CImp) or not (noCImp) according to a Montreal Cognitive Assessment score below 18. RESULTS Cognitively impaired and noCImp subjects did not differ either in their National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at admittance, or in their Fazekas score and Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score. At discharge, CImp subjects showed higher scores than noCImp subjects on NIHSS (p = 0.002) and mRS (p < 0.001). The percentage of pathological performances on each neuropsychological test in the whole sample and in CImp and noCImp patients shows a similar cognitive profile between the groups. CONCLUSIONS Some patients who underwent thrombectomy experienced a detectable cognitive impairment that probably led to worse NIHSS and mRS. The neuropsychological profile of such cognitive impairment at the acute stage consists of wide deficits in numerous cognitive domains, suggesting that basal ganglia damage may lead to complex functional impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Guglielmi
- Dipartimento Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Quaranta
- Dipartimento Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
- Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Masone Iacobucci
- Unità di Psicologia Clinica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Citro
- Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Irene Scala
- Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Danilo Genovese
- Dipartimento Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Marlene and Paolo Fresco Institute for Parkinson's and Movement Disorders, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Valerio Brunetti
- Dipartimento Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Camillo Marra
- Dipartimento Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Calabresi
- Dipartimento Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Giacomo Della Marca
- Dipartimento Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
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Lehtinen N, Luotonen I, Kautto A. Systematic administration and analysis of verbal fluency tasks: Preliminary evidence for reliable exploration of processes underlying task performance. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2023; 30:727-739. [PMID: 34543139 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2021.1973471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Verbal fluency (VF) tasks are typically scored by the number of acceptable words generated within an allotted time (i.e., total score). However, total scores do not provide insight into verbal and executive processes underlying VF task performance. Further analyses have been implemented to increase the analytical power of VF tasks, but systematic scoring guidelines are needed. We generated instructions for administration, scoring, and analyses of total scores, errors, temporal parameters, clustering, and switching with strong inter-rater reliability. To investigate the reliability of the proposed analysis, we modeled the performance of Finnish-speaking older adults (N = 50) in phonemic (/k/, /a/, and /p/) and semantic (animals) categories. Our results are in line with previous studies: We observed a higher performance on semantic than phonemic fluency (p ≤ 0.001, d = 0.91) and significant effects for education (p ≤ 0.001, d = 1.11) and gender (p ≤ 0.001, d = -1.11), but not for age (p = 0.10, d = 0.48). Most errors were repetitions. Performance declined over the allotted time frame as measured in 15-s segments (all ps < 0.001 with medium to large effect sizes). Task congruent clustering and switching were productive strategies (all ps < 0.001 with large effect sizes), and participants generated task discrepant clusters in both phonemic (p = 0.004, d = 0.69) and semantic tasks (p = 0.66, d = 0.18). The results substantiate the proposed method, providing evidence that these guidelines are a reliable starting point for VF task performance analyses in various clinical populations investigating VF task performance in depth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Lehtinen
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Ida Luotonen
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Anna Kautto
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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Foldager M, Vestergaard M, Lassen J, Petersen LS, Oranje B, Aggernaes B, Simonsen E. Atypical Semantic Fluency and Recall in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders Associated with Autism Symptoms and Adaptive Functioning. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:4280-4292. [PMID: 36001194 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05677-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
It is unclear whether children with autism spectrum disorders have atypical semantic fluency and lower memory for the semantics of words. Therefore, we examined semantic typicality, fluency and recall for the categories of fruits and animals in 60 children with autism aged 7-15 years (boys: 48/girls: 12) compared to 60 typically developing controls. Relative to controls, the autism group had reduced animal fluency, fruit typicality and recall for fruits. Notably, these measures were associated with more autistic-like symptoms and/or lower adaptive functioning across the autism and control groups. In conclusion, atypical semantics of fruits in the autism group may reflect development of idiosyncratic semantic networks while their lower semantic fluency and recall suggest impaired executive language functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malene Foldager
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Smedegade 16, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, København, Denmark
| | - Martin Vestergaard
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Smedegade 16, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Jonathan Lassen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Smedegade 16, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, København, Denmark
| | - Lea S Petersen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, København, Denmark
- Psychiatric Research Unit, Region Zealand, Denmark
| | - Bob Oranje
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) & Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Psychiatric Center Glostrup, Copenhagen University Hospital, København, Denmark
| | - Bodil Aggernaes
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Smedegade 16, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
- PP Clinic Copenhagen, Gentofte, Denmark
| | - Erik Simonsen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, København, Denmark
- Mental Health Services East, Copenhagen University Hospital, Psychiatry Region Zealand, Region Zealand, Denmark
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Giuffrè GM, Quaranta D, Costantini EM, Citro S, Martellacci N, De Ninno G, Vita MG, Guglielmi V, Rossini PM, Calabresi P, Marra C. Cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light chain and total-tau as biomarkers of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 186:106267. [PMID: 37652185 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION CSF Neurofilament light chain(NfL) is a promising biomarker of neurodegeneration, but its utility in discriminating between Alzheimer's disease(AD) and frontotemporal dementia(FTD) is limited. METHODS 105 patients with clinical-biological diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment(MCI) due to AD (N = 72) or clinical diagnosis of FTD (N = 33) underwent neuropsychological assessment and CSF Aβ42/40, p-tau181, total-tau and NfL quantification. Group comparisons, correlations between continuous variables and ROC curve analysis were carried out to assess NfL role in discriminating between MCI due to AD and FTD, exploring the associations between NfL, ATN biomarkers and neuropsychological measures. RESULTS NfL levels were significantly lower in the AD group, while levels of total-tau were higher. In the FTD group, significant correlations were found between NfL, p-tau181 and total-tau, and between NfL and cognitive performances. In the AD group, NfL levels were directly correlated with total-tau and p-tau181; Aβ42/40 ratio was inversely correlated with total-tau and p-tau181, but not with NfL. Moreover, p-tau181 and t-tau levels were found to be associated with episodic memory and lexical-semantic impairment. Total-tau/NfL ratio differentiated prodromal-AD from FTD with an AUC of 0.951, higher than the individual measures. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSIONS The results support that NfL and total-tau levels reflect distinct pathophysiological neurodegeneration mechanisms, independent and dependent of Aβ pathology, respectively, Combining them may enhance both markers reliability, their ratio showing high accuracy in distinguishing MCI due to AD from FTD. Moreover, our results revealed associations between NfL and disease severity in FTD and between tauopathy and episodic memory and lexical-semantic impairment in prodromal-AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido Maria Giuffrè
- Neurology Unit Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Memory Clinic Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Quaranta
- Neurology Unit Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Memory Clinic Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
| | | | - Salvatore Citro
- Neurology Unit Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Memory Clinic Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Noemi Martellacci
- Memory Clinic Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Grazia De Ninno
- UOC of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology - Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Gabriella Vita
- Neurology Unit Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Guglielmi
- Neurology Unit Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Maria Rossini
- Brain Connectivity Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS San Raffaele Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Calabresi
- Neurology Unit Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Memory Clinic Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Camillo Marra
- Memory Clinic Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
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Quaranta D, Caraglia N, L'Abbate F, Giuffrè GM, Guglielmi V, Iacobucci GM, Rossini PM, Calabresi P, Marra C. Neuropsychological predictors of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to dementia at different timepoints. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e3098. [PMID: 37550896 PMCID: PMC10498086 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Impairment of episodic memory is largely considered the main cognitive marker of prodromic Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nevertheless, the neuropathological process in AD starts several years before and, apart from biomarkers well defined in the Amyloid (A), Tauopathy (T), Neurodegeneration (N) framework, early clinical and neuropsychological markers able to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD before the appearance of memory disorders are lacking in clinical practice. Investigations on semantic memory have shown promising results in providing an earlier marker of dementia in MCI patients. METHODS A total of 253 MCI subjects were followed up every 6 months for 6 years-186 converted to dementia and 67 remained stable at the sixth year of follow-up. Twenty-seven patients progressed in the first 2 years (fast converters), 107 in the third to fourth year (intermediate converters), and 51 after the fourth year of follow-up (slow converters). RESULTS Stable MCI subjects performed better than fast decliners in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), several long-term memory scores, and category verbal fluency test (CFT); stable and intermediate converters differ only in MMSE and CFT tests; and stable and slow converters differ only in MMSE and phonological/semantic discrepancy score. CONCLUSION Early impairment of semantic memory could predict the evolution to AD before the onset of episodic memory disorders, and the discrepancy between phonological and semantic verbal fluency could be able to detect this impairment in advance in respect of simple CFT tests. The assessment of different aspects of semantic memory and its degradation could represent an early cognitive marker to intercept MCI due to AD in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Quaranta
- Neurology UnitFoundation Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCSRomeItaly
| | - Naike Caraglia
- Neurology UnitFoundation Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCSRomeItaly
| | - Federica L'Abbate
- Neurology UnitFoundation Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCSRomeItaly
| | | | - Valeria Guglielmi
- Neurology UnitFoundation Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCSRomeItaly
| | | | - Paolo Maria Rossini
- Brain Connectivity Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and NeurorehabilitationIRCCS San Raffaele RomaRomeItaly
| | - Paolo Calabresi
- Neurology UnitFoundation Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCSRomeItaly
- Department of NeuroscienceCatholic University of Sacred HeartRomeItaly
| | - Camillo Marra
- Department of NeuroscienceCatholic University of Sacred HeartRomeItaly
- Memory ClinicFoundation Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCSRomeItaly
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10
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Wright LM, De Marco M, Venneri A. Current Understanding of Verbal Fluency in Alzheimer's Disease: Evidence to Date. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2023; 16:1691-1705. [PMID: 37179686 PMCID: PMC10167999 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s284645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Since their development, verbal fluency tests (VFTs) have been used extensively throughout research and in clinical settings to assess a variety of cognitive functions in diverse populations. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), these tasks have proven particularly valuable in identifying the earliest forms of cognitive decline in semantic processing and have been shown to relate specifically to brain regions associated with the initial stages of pathological change. In recent years, researchers have developed more nuanced techniques to evaluate verbal fluency performance, extracting a wide range of cognitive metrics from these simple neuropsychological tests. Such novel techniques allow for a more detailed exploration of the cognitive processes underlying successful task performance beyond the raw test score. The versatility of VFTs and the richness of data they may provide, in light of their low cost and speed of administration, therefore, highlight their potential value both in future research as outcome measures for clinical trials and in a clinical setting as a screening measure for early detection of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Wright
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Matteo De Marco
- Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, UK
| | - Annalena Venneri
- Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, UK
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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11
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Banks B, Connell L. Category production norms for 117 concrete and abstract categories. Behav Res Methods 2023; 55:1292-1313. [PMID: 35650380 PMCID: PMC10126059 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-021-01787-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We present a database of category production (aka semantic fluency) norms collected in the UK for 117 categories (67 concrete and 50 abstract). Participants verbally named as many category members as possible within 60 seconds, resulting in a large variety of over 2000 generated member concepts. The norms feature common measures of category production (production frequency, mean ordinal rank, first-rank frequency), as well as response times for all first-named category members, and typicality ratings collected from a separate participant sample. We provide two versions of the dataset: a referential version that groups together responses that relate to the same referent (e.g., hippo, hippopotamus) and a full version that retains all original responses to enable future lexical analysis. Correlational analyses with previous norms from the USA and UK demonstrate both consistencies and differences in English-language norms over time and between geographical regions. Further exploration of the norms reveals a number of structural and psycholinguistic differences between abstract and concrete categories. The data and analyses will be of use in the fields of cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, psycholinguistics, and cognitive modelling, and to any researchers interested in semantic category structure. All data, including original participant recordings, are available at https://osf.io/jgcu6/ .
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Affiliation(s)
- Briony Banks
- Department of Psychology, Fylde College, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YF, UK.
| | - Louise Connell
- Department of Psychology, Fylde College, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YF, UK.
- Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
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12
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Olivito G, Quaranta D, Siciliano L, Caraglia N, Caprara A, Marra C, Leggio M, Silveri MC. The Cerebellum Is a Key Structure in the Neural Network for Mentalizing: An MRI Study in the Behavioral Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10112901. [PMID: 36428469 PMCID: PMC9687564 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10112901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is primarily characterized by deficits in social behaviour and theory of mind (ToM). Although a consensus has been reached on the roles of the cerebellum in social cognition and ToM, its specific contribution to social impairments of bvFTD has never been specifically investigated. The aim of this study was to assess cerebellar structural and functional changes in patients with bvFTD and their potential association with ToM deficits of patients. Therefore, 15 patients with bvFTD and 34 healthy subjects underwent an MRI examination. Voxel-based morphometry was used to assess cerebellar (GM) changes, and a seed-based analysis was performed to test cerebello-cerebral functional connectivity (FC). The performance of bvFTD patients in a ToM task was then correlated with FC patterns. Compared to healthy subjects, patients with bvFTD showed significant cerebellar GM loss specifically involving cerebellar Crus I-II. Additionally, FC changes FC were observed between the cerebellum and cerebral regions related to ToM. Interestingly, patterns of changes in cerebello-cerebral FC correlated with altered ToM performances explored using the "Reading the Mind with the Eyes" test (RMET) of patients. The present findings suggest that specific changes in cerebello-cerebral FC may underlie ToM alterations in patients with bvFTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giusy Olivito
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy
- Ataxia Research Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Quaranta
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Libera Siciliano
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy
- Ataxia Research Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Naike Caraglia
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia Caprara
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Camillo Marra
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Leggio
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy
- Ataxia Research Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Maria Caterina Silveri
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
- Centre for the Medicine of Aging, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
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13
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Nicoletti TF, Rossi S, Vita MG, Perna A, Guerrera G, Lino F, Iacovelli C, Di Natale D, Modoni A, Battistini L, Silvestri G. Elevated serum Neurofilament Light chain (NfL) as a potential biomarker of neurological involvement in Myotonic Dystrophy type 1 (DM1). J Neurol 2022; 269:5085-5092. [PMID: 35575811 PMCID: PMC9363395 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-022-11165-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Background Cognitive and behavioural symptoms due to involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) are among the main clinical manifestations of Myotonic Dystrophy type 1 (DM1). Such symptoms affect patients’ quality of life and disease awareness, impacting on disease prognosis by reducing compliance to medical treatments. Therefore, CNS is a key therapeutic target in DM1. Deeper knowledge of DM1 pathogenesis is prompting development of potential disease-modifying therapies: as DM1 is a rare, multisystem and slowly progressive disease, there is need of sensitive, tissue-specific prognostic and monitoring biomarkers in view of forthcoming clinical trials. Circulating Neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels have been recognized as a sensitive prognostic and monitoring biomarker of neuroaxonal damage in various CNS disorders. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study in a cohort of 40 adult DM1 patients, testing if serum NfL might be a potential biomarker of CNS involvement also in DM1. Moreover, we collected cognitive data, brain MRI, and other DM1-related diagnostic findings for correlation studies. Results Mean serum NfL levels resulted significantly higher in DM1 (25.32 ± 28.12 pg/ml) vs 22 age-matched healthy controls (6.235 ± 0.4809 pg/ml). Their levels positively correlated with age, and with one cognitive test (Rey’s Auditory Verbal learning task). No correlations were found either with other cognitive data, or diagnostic parameters in the DM1 cohort. Conclusions Our findings support serum NfL as a potential biomarker of CNS damage in DM1, which deserves further evaluation on larger cross-sectional and longitudinal studies to test its ability in assessing brain disease severity and/or progression. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00415-022-11165-0.
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14
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De Marco M, Blackburn DJ, Venneri A. Serial Recall Order and Semantic Features of Category Fluency Words to Study Semantic Memory in Normal Ageing. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:678588. [PMID: 34413764 PMCID: PMC8370562 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.678588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Category Fluency Test (CFT) is a common measure of semantic memory (SM). Test performance, however, is also influenced by other cognitive functions. We here propose a scoring procedure that quantifies the correlation between the serial recall order (SRO) of words retrieved during the CFT and a number of linguistic features, to obtain purer SM measures. To put this methodology to the test, we addressed a proof-of-concept hypothesis whereby, in alignment with the literature, older adults would show better SM. Methods: Ninety participants (45 aged 18-21 years; 45 aged 70-81 years) with normal neurological and cognitive functioning completed a 1-min CFT. SRO was scored as an ordinal variable incrementing by one unit for each valid entry. Each word was also scored for 16 additional linguistic features. Participant-specific normalised correlation coefficients were calculated between SRO and each feature and were analysed with group comparisons and graph theory. Results: Younger adults showed more negative correlations between SRO and "valence" (a feature of words pleasantness). This was driven by the first five words generated. When analysed with graph theory, SRO had significantly higher degree and lower betweenness centrality among older adults. Conclusion: In older adults, SM relies significantly less on pleasantness of entries typically retrieved without semantic control. Moreover, graph-theory metrics indicated better optimised links between SRO and linguistic features in this group. These findings are aligned with the principle whereby SM processes tend to solidify with ageing. Although additional work is needed in support of an SRO-based item-level scoring procedure of CFT performance, these initial findings suggest that this methodology could be of help in characterising SM in a purer form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo De Marco
- Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Neuroscience, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel J Blackburn
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Annalena Venneri
- Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Neuroscience, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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15
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Piccininni C, Quaranta D, Gainotti G, Lacidogna G, Guglielmi V, Giovannini S, Marra C. The Destiny of Multiple Domain Amnesic Mild Cognitive Impairment: Effect of Alternative Neuropsychological Definitions and Their Adjunctive Role in Respect of Memory Impairment. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2021; 36:702-710. [PMID: 33313637 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acaa094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Mild cognitive impairment is the main risk factor of dementia. Previous evidence has claimed that subjects with memory disturbances associated with impairment of other cognitive domains (multiple domain amnesic MCI) are at the highest risk of developing dementia. To date, a shared definition of amnesic MCI multiple domain (aMCI-MD) is still lacking. METHOD 163 subjects with aMCI were enrolled and followed-up for 2 years. They underwent a baseline comprehensive neuropsychological battery. The cut-off point for each test was set at 1, 1.5, and 2 SD below the mean obtained in normative studies; aMCI-MD was defined as the occurrence of abnormal scores on at least one, two, or three tests not assessing memory. The Episodic Memory Score (EMS), that measures the severity of memory impairment, was determined. Logistic regressionand Cox's proportional hazard risk models were carried out. The adjunctive effect of the definitions of aMCI-MD on the severity of memory impairment was assessed. RESULTS Fifty-four subjects progressed to dementia. Only restrictive definitions of aMCI-MD (at least three tests below 1.5 SD; at least two tests below 2 SD) predicted conversion to dementia in both logistic regression and survival analysis. None of the conditions showed a significant adjunctive effect on the EMS. CONCLUSIONS The predictive effect of impairment in tests assessing cognitive domains other than memory depends on its psychometric definition. The use of a restrictive definition would be of some usefulness, but the adjunctive effect of such a definition on an integrated analysis of memory impairment may be questionable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Piccininni
- Departement of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Davide Quaranta
- Institute of Neurology, IRCCS Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", Roma, Italy
| | - Guido Gainotti
- Institute of Neurology, IRCCS Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", Roma, Italy
| | - Giordano Lacidogna
- Institute of Neurology, IRCCS Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", Roma, Italy
| | - Valeria Guglielmi
- Departement of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Silvia Giovannini
- Institute of Geriatrics, IRCCS Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", Roma, Italy
| | - Camillo Marra
- Departement of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy.,Institute of Neurology, IRCCS Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", Roma, Italy
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16
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Marra C, Piccininni C, Masone Iacobucci G, Caprara A, Gainotti G, Costantini EM, Callea A, Venneri A, Quaranta D. Semantic Memory as an Early Cognitive Marker of Alzheimer's Disease: Role of Category and Phonological Verbal Fluency Tasks. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 81:619-627. [PMID: 33814440 DOI: 10.3233/jad-201452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The assessment of semantic memory may be a useful marker to identify individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who will progress to Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the early stages of the disease. OBJECTIVE The aim of this five-year follow-up longitudinal study is to assess whether semantic assessment could predict progression in MCI. METHODS A population of MCI (N = 251); mild (N = 178) and moderate AD (N = 114); and a sample of healthy participants (HP; N = 262) was investigated. The five-year follow-up of the MCI group was completed by 178 patients. Semantic and episodic memory measures were used, including a measure of the discrepancy between categorical and phonological verbal fluency, the semantic-phonological delta (SPD). The main outcome was the progression of MCI due to AD to dementia. RESULTS A general linear model showed a significant effect of diagnosis on SPD (Wilks' Lambda = 0.591; p < 0.001). The estimated marginal means were -0.91 (SE = 0.185) in HP, -1.83 (SE = 0.187) in MCI, -1.16 (SE = 0.218) in mild AD, and -1.02 (SE = 0.275) in moderate AD. Post-hoc comparisons showed a significant difference between MCI and HP (p < 0.001). The follow-up was completed by 178 MCI individuals. SPD in MCI patients who progress to dementia was significantly lower than in MCI that will not progress (p = 0.003). Together with the Mini-Mental State Examination, the SPD was the only measure with a significant predicting effect at the five-years follow-up (p = 0.016). CONCLUSION The SPD indicates the impairment of semantic memory in individuals with underlying AD at the MCI early stage, reflecting the early involvement of perirhinal and entorhinal cortices in the earliest stages of AD neuropathological process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camillo Marra
- Memory Clinic, Department of Science of Elderly, Neuroscience, Head and Neck and Orthopaedics, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Piccininni
- Memory Clinic, Department of Science of Elderly, Neuroscience, Head and Neck and Orthopaedics, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Alessia Caprara
- Psychological Unit, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Guido Gainotti
- Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuele Maria Costantini
- Neurology Unit, Department of Science of Elderly, Neuroscience, Head and Neck and Orthopaedics, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Callea
- Neurology Unit, Department of Science of Elderly, Neuroscience, Head and Neck and Orthopaedics, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Annalena Venneri
- Department of Neuroscience, Sheffield University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Davide Quaranta
- Neurology Unit, Department of Science of Elderly, Neuroscience, Head and Neck and Orthopaedics, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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17
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Guglielmi V, Quaranta D, Mega I, Costantini EM, Carrarini C, Innocenti A, Marra C. Semantic Priming in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Healthy Subjects: Effect of Different Time of Presentation of Word-Pairs. J Pers Med 2020; 10:jpm10030057. [PMID: 32610563 PMCID: PMC7564260 DOI: 10.3390/jpm10030057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Semantic memory is impaired in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Twomain hypotheses about this finding are debated and refer to the degradation of stored knowledgeversus the impairment of semantic access mechanisms. The aim of our study is to evaluate semanticimpairment in MCI versus healthy subjects (HS) by an experiment evaluating semantic priming. METHODS We enrolled 27 MCI and 20 HS. MCI group were divided, according to follow up, intoconverters-MCI and non converters-MCI. The semantic task consisted of 108 pairs of words, 54 ofwhich were semantically associated. Stimuli were presented 250 or 900 ms later the appearance ofthe target in a randomized manner. Data were analyzed using factorial ANOVA. RESULTS Both HSand MCI answered more quickly for word than for non-word at both stimulus onset asynchrony(SOA) intervals. At 250 ms, both MCI and HS experienced a shorter time of response for relatedwordthan for unrelated words (priming effect), while only the converters-MCI subgroup lost thepriming effect. Further, we observed a rather larger Cohen's d effect size in non converters-MCIthan in converters-MCI. CONCLUSION Our data, and in particular the absence of a semantic primingeffect in converters-MCI, could reflect the impairment of semantic knowledge rather than theaccessibility of semantic stores in MCI individuals that progress to dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Guglielmi
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli-IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Davide Quaranta
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli-IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Ilaria Mega
- Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy; (I.M.); (E.M.C.); (C.C.); (A.I.); (C.M.)
| | - Emanuele Maria Costantini
- Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy; (I.M.); (E.M.C.); (C.C.); (A.I.); (C.M.)
| | - Claudia Carrarini
- Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy; (I.M.); (E.M.C.); (C.C.); (A.I.); (C.M.)
| | - Alice Innocenti
- Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy; (I.M.); (E.M.C.); (C.C.); (A.I.); (C.M.)
| | - Camillo Marra
- Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy; (I.M.); (E.M.C.); (C.C.); (A.I.); (C.M.)
- Memory Clinic, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli-IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
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18
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Miraglia F, Vecchio F, Marra C, Quaranta D, Alù F, Peroni B, Granata G, Judica E, Cotelli M, Rossini PM. Small World Index in Default Mode Network Predicts Progression from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Dementia. Int J Neural Syst 2020; 30:2050004. [DOI: 10.1142/s0129065720500045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Aim of this study was to explore the EEG functional connectivity in amnesic mild cognitive impairments (MCI) subjects with multidomain impairment in order to characterize the Default Mode Network (DMN) in converted MCI (cMCI), which converted to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), compared to stable MCI (sMCI) subjects. A total of 59 MCI subjects were recruited and divided -after appropriate follow-up- into cMCI or sMCI. They were further divided in MCI with linguistic domain (LD) impairment and in MCI with executive domain (ED) impairment. Small World (SW) index was measured as index of balance between integration and segregation brain processes. SW, computed restricting to nodes of DMN regions for all frequency bands, evaluated how they differ between MCI subgroups assessed through clinical and neuropsychological four-years follow-up. In addition, SW evaluated how this pattern differs between MCI with LD and MCI with ED. Results showed that SW index significantly decreased in gamma band in cMCI compared to sMCI. In cMCI with LD impairment, the SW index significantly decreased in delta band, while in cMCI with ED impairment the SW index decreased in delta and gamma bands and increased in alpha1 band. We propose that the DMN functional alterations in cognitive impairment could reflect an abnormal flow of brain information processing during resting state possibly associated to a status of pre-dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Miraglia
- Brain Connectivity Laboratory, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy
- Via Val Cannuta, 247, 00166 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Vecchio
- Brain Connectivity Laboratory, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy
| | - Camillo Marra
- Memory Clinic, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario, A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Quaranta
- Memory Clinic, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario, A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Alù
- Brain Connectivity Laboratory, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy
| | - Benedetta Peroni
- Institute of Neurology, Area of Neuroscience, Catholic University of The Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Granata
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Elda Judica
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa Cura Policlinico, Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Cotelli
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
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19
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Quaranta D, Piccininni C, Caprara A, Malandrino A, Gainotti G, Marra C. Semantic Relations in a Categorical Verbal Fluency Test: An Exploratory Investigation in Mild Cognitive Impairment. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2797. [PMID: 31920840 PMCID: PMC6927990 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Categorical verbal fluency tests (CFT) are commonly used to assess the integrity of semantic memory in individuals with brain damage. Persons with Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type display a reduced output on CFT, and a similar pattern has been reported in persons with amnesic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI). The aims of the present study were to assess whether the semantic relations between lexical entries produced on a categorical fluency test were different between healthy persons and those with aMCI, and whether this difference was more pronounced in individuals who converted to dementia during a 3-year follow-up period. Methods We recruited 34 individuals with aMCI and 29 matched healthy persons. During the follow-up period, 10 individuals converted to Dementia (aMCI-conv). Two measures assessing semantic relations between consecutively produced word pairs (Path length and Extended Gloss Overlap) were obtained from the Wordnet database. Results The number of word pairs analyzed among the healthy participants (HP) and persons with aMCI were 498 (birds: 262; pieces of furniture: 236) and 395 (birds: 174; pieces of furniture: 221), respectively. Path length was lower in aMCI-conv than in HP (p = 0.035), but no differences were found between stable aMCI and HP, and between aMCI-stable and aMCI-conv. The ANOVA for lexical entries belonging to the "birds" category showed a significant effect of group (F = 5.630; p = 0.004); the post hoc analysis showed a significant difference between HP and aMCI-conv (p = 0.003). The "pieces of furniture" category was significantly affected by group (F = 4.107; p = 0.017); the post hoc test showed significant differences between aMCI-conv and healthy individuals (p = 0.049), and between aMCI-conv and stable aMCI (p = 0.001). Discussion Individuals with aMCI who convert to dementia show a deterioration in the semantic relations between lexical entries, produced on a CFT. This phenomenon may be interpreted as a marker of a very early disruption of semantic memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Quaranta
- Area of Neuroscience, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Piccininni
- Institute of Neurology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia Caprara
- Area of Neuroscience, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia Malandrino
- Area of Neuroscience, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Guido Gainotti
- Institute of Neurology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Camillo Marra
- Area of Neuroscience, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Institute of Neurology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
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Crowe K, Marschark M. Are French Fries a Vegetable? Lexical Typicality Judgement Differences in Deaf and Hearing Learners. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLINGUISTIC RESEARCH 2019; 48:1319-1338. [PMID: 31399872 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-019-09660-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) learners are known to have vocabulary knowledge and language outcomes more heterogeneous than their hearing peers, with a greater incidence of difficulties presumably related (both as cause and effect) to documented challenges in academic domains. In particular, there is increasing evidence that differences may exist in the ways that semantic networks are structured and accessed in DHH and hearing learners. Individuals' judgments of word typicality offers a window into their semantic networks, revealing internal relationships in the mental lexicon. In the present study, 90 DHH and hearing college-aged learners provided typicality ratings at two points in time for 120 words common words considered to be central, borderline, or non-members of six categories. DHH and hearing participants differed in terms of their word knowledge, rating consistency, and rating magnitudes. Relative to hearing peers, DHH participants reported not knowing more of the words, but rated all words as being more typical than did hearing participants and rated the typicality of items more consistently over time. Implications of these findings for understanding mental lexicon structure for DHH and hearing learners, interpreting previous research, and constructing stimuli for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Crowe
- University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland.
- Charles Sturt University, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst, NSW, 2795, Australia.
- National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, USA.
| | - Marc Marschark
- National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, USA
- University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
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21
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Anzivino R, Conti G, Di Nardo W, Fetoni AR, Picciotti PM, Marra C, Guglielmi V, Fortunato S, Forli F, Paludetti G, Berrettini S. Prospective Evaluation of Cognitive Functions After Rehabilitation With Cochlear Implant or Hearing Aids: Preliminary Results of a Multicentric Study on Elderly Patients. Am J Audiol 2019; 28:762-774. [PMID: 32271124 DOI: 10.1044/2019_aja-heal18-18-0176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Recent literature has shown a growing interest in the relationship between presbycusis and cognitive decline, but significant evidence about the long-term benefit of rehabilitation on cognitive functions has not been reported yet. The aim of the study was to analyze audiological and neuropsychological performances in patients with cochlear implant (CI) or hearing aids (HAs) over time. Materials and Method Forty-four bilaterally deaf patients aged more than 60 years (25 with CI candidacy and 19 with HA candidacy) were enrolled. Patients were subjected to audiological evaluation, to a battery of neuropsychological tests (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE], Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task [RAVLT], Rey-Osterreith Complex Figure Test, Digit/Corsi Span Forward and Backward, Multiple Features Target Cancellation, Trail-Making Test, Stroop Test, and Phonological and Semantic Word Fluency), and to a quality of life assessment (Short Form 36, Glasgow Benefit Inventory, Glasgow Health Status Inventory) at the baseline and after a long-term follow-up (6-12 months). Results Speech recognition scores in quiet and in noise were significantly improved even 6 months after auditory rehabilitation. Significant differences between pre- and post-rehabilitation scores were reported in physical and emotional impacts in life, general global health, vitality, and social activities. MMSE and RAVLT scores were significantly improved in both groups after 6 months of follow-up, suggesting a global involvement of memory domain. Mnesic performances remained unchanged between the first and second follow-up, but a further significant improvement in executive functions (Stroop Test) was detected in patients with CI reevaluated 12 months after implantation. A significant correlation of the RAVLT with signal-to-noise ratio at +10 dB speech-in-noise scores and the MMSE with signal-to-noise ratio at 0 dB speech-in-noise scores suggests the pivotal role of executive functions in recognition in noisy environment. Conclusions Our preliminary data confirm that hearing deprivation in aged patients represents a truly modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline, which can be positively faced by acoustic rehabilitation. The improvement of short- and long-term memory performances and the amelioration of executive and attentive functions suggest that hearing restoration with both HAs and CI may provide a recovery of superior cognitive domains probably through a reallocation of cortical resources altered by hearing deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Anzivino
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Fondazione Policlinico “A Gemelli,” IRCCS Rome, Italy
| | - Guido Conti
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Fondazione Policlinico “A Gemelli,” IRCCS Rome, Italy
| | - Walter Di Nardo
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Fondazione Policlinico “A Gemelli,” IRCCS Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Fetoni
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Fondazione Policlinico “A Gemelli,” IRCCS Rome, Italy
| | - Pasqualina Maria Picciotti
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Fondazione Policlinico “A Gemelli,” IRCCS Rome, Italy
| | - Camillo Marra
- Memory Clinic, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Fondazione Policlinico “A Gemelli,” IRCCS Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Guglielmi
- Neurology Unit, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Fondazione Policlinico “A. Gemelli,” IRCCS Rome, Italy
| | - Susanna Fortunato
- ENT Audiology and Phoniatrics Unit, University Hospital of Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesca Forli
- ENT Audiology and Phoniatrics Unit, University Hospital of Pisa, Italy
| | - Gaetano Paludetti
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Fondazione Policlinico “A Gemelli,” IRCCS Rome, Italy
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22
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Venneri A, Jahn-Carta C, de Marco M, Quaranta D, Marra C. Diagnostic and prognostic role of semantic processing in preclinical Alzheimer's disease. Biomark Med 2018; 12:637-651. [PMID: 29896968 DOI: 10.2217/bmm-2017-0324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Relatively spared during most of the timeline of normal aging, semantic memory shows a subtle yet measurable decline even during the pre-clinical stage of Alzheimer's disease. This decline is thought to reflect early neurofibrillary changes and impairment is detectable using tests of language relying on lexical-semantic abilities. A promising approach is the characterization of semantic parameters such as typicality and age of acquisition of words, and propositional density from verbal output. Seminal research like the Nun Study or the analysis of the linguistic decline of famous writers and politicians later diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease supports the early diagnostic value of semantic processing and semantic memory. Moreover, measures of these skills may play an important role for the prognosis of patients with mild cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalena Venneri
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Matteo de Marco
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Davide Quaranta
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario 'A Gemelli', Rome, Italy
| | - Camillo Marra
- Institute of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome; Memory Clinic, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario 'A Gemelli', Rome, Italy
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23
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Zemla JC, Austerweil JL. Estimating semantic networks of groups and individuals from fluency data. COMPUTATIONAL BRAIN & BEHAVIOR 2018; 1:36-58. [PMID: 31179436 PMCID: PMC6555428 DOI: 10.1007/s42113-018-0003-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
One popular and classic theory of how the mind encodes knowledge is an associative semantic network, where concepts and associations between concepts correspond to nodes and edges, respectively. A major issue in semantic network research is that there is no consensus among researchers as to the best method for estimating the network of an individual or group. We propose a novel method (U-INVITE) for estimating semantic networks from semantic fluency data (listing items from a category) based on a censored random walk model of memory retrieval. We compare this method to several other methods in the literature for estimating networks from semantic fluency data. In simulations, we find that U-INVITE can recover semantic networks with low error rates given only a moderate amount of data. U-INVITE is the only known method derived from a psychologically plausible process model of memory retrieval and one of two known methods that we found to be consistent estimators of this process: if semantic memory retrieval is consistent with this process, the procedure will eventually estimate the true network (given enough data). We conduct the first exploration of different methods for estimating psychologically-valid semantic networks by comparing people's similarity judgments of edges estimated by each network estimation method. To encourage best practices, we discuss the merits of each network estimation technique, provide a flow chart that assists with choosing an appropriate method, and supply code for others to employ these techniques on their own data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C Zemla
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 West Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Joseph L Austerweil
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 West Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706
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24
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Quaranta D, Gainotti G, Di Giuda D, Vita MG, Cocciolillo F, Lacidogna G, Guglielmi V, Masullo C, Giordano A, Marra C. Predicting progression of amnesic MCI: The integration of episodic memory impairment with perfusion SPECT. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2018; 271:43-49. [PMID: 29129545 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The present study aimed at assessing if the ability to predict progression from amnesic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) to dementia is improved by considering the presence at the baseline of Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) perfusion abnormalities in addition to a defect of long term memory. The Episodic Memory Score (EMS), a global index which integrates results obtained in subtests of the Rey's Verbal Learning Test and the Rey-Osterrieth Figure recall, were taken into account to evaluate defects of long term memory. The study sample consisted of 42 subjects affected by aMCI, who were followed-up during a two-year period. At the final follow-up 15 subjects progressed to AD. The EMS predicted progression from aMCI to dementia with a high level of sensitivity and a lower level of specificity, but the association of neuropsychological (EMS) and SPECT data (hypoperfusion in the Posterior Cingulate Cortex) increased the accuracy in predicting conversion from aMCI to AD. The association of results obtained by aMCI patients on memory tests and perfusion SPECT may improve the accuracy in detecting subjects who will progress to dementia. The use of currently available and low-cost investigations could be advantageous in terms of public health policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Quaranta
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Rome, Italy.
| | - Guido Gainotti
- Institute of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Di Giuda
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Gabriella Vita
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Cocciolillo
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Giordano Lacidogna
- Institute of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Guglielmi
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Masullo
- Institute of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Giordano
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Camillo Marra
- Institute of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
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25
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Verbal and Figural Fluency in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: Does Hippocampal Sclerosis Affect Performance? Cogn Behav Neurol 2017. [PMID: 28632521 DOI: 10.1097/wnn.0000000000000123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Clinicians commonly use verbal and nonverbal measures to test fluency in patients with epilepsy, either during routine cognitive assessment or as part of pre- and postsurgical evaluation. We hypothesized that patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) with hippocampal sclerosis would perform worse than patients with lateral TLE in both verbal and design fluency. METHODS We assessed semantic, phonemic, and nonverbal fluency in 49 patients with TLE: 31 with lateral TLE and 18 with mesial TLE plus hippocampal sclerosis. We also gave non-fluency cognitive measures: psychomotor speed, attentional set shifting, selective attention, abstract reasoning, verbal and visual episodic memory, and incidental memory. RESULTS Patients with mesial TLE performed significantly worse on figural fluency than patients with lateral TLE. Even though group differences on verbal fluency measures were not significant, the patients with mesial TLE had a pattern of poorer performance. The patients with mesial TLE scored significantly worse on measures of selective attention, verbal episodic memory, and incidental memory. CONCLUSIONS Our study underlines differences in cognitive function between patients with mesial and lateral TLE, particularly in figural fluency. Although we cannot directly assess the role of the hippocampus in cognitive aspects of creative and divergent thinking related to figural fluency, the cognitive discrepancies between these two TLE groups could be ascribed to the mesial TLE hippocampal pathology shown in our study and addressed in the literature on hippocampal involvement in divergent thinking. Our findings could benefit cognitive rehabilitation programs tailored to the needs of patients with TLE.
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Toledo CM, Aluísio SM, Dos Santos LB, Brucki SMD, Trés ES, de Oliveira MO, Mansur LL. Analysis of macrolinguistic aspects of narratives from individuals with Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, and no cognitive impairment. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA: DIAGNOSIS, ASSESSMENT & DISEASE MONITORING 2017; 10:31-40. [PMID: 29159266 PMCID: PMC5675715 DOI: 10.1016/j.dadm.2017.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Introduction The depiction of features in discourse production promotes accurate diagnosis and helps to establish the therapeutic intervention in cognitive impairment and dementia. We aimed to identify alterations in the macrolinguistic aspects of discourse using a new computational tool. Methods Sixty individuals, aged 60 years and older, were distributed in three different groups: mild Alzheimer's disease (mAD), amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and healthy controls. A narrative created by individuals was analyzed through the Coh-Metrix-Dementia program, extracting the features of interest automatically. Results mAD showed worse overall performance compared to the other groups: less informative discourse, greater impairment in global coherence, greater modalization, and inferior narrative structure. It was not possible to discriminate between amnestic mild cognitive impairment and healthy controls. Discussion Our results are in line with the literature, verifying a pathological change in the macrostructure of discourse in mAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cíntia Matsuda Toledo
- Centro de Referência em Distúrbios Cognitivos, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sandra Maria Aluísio
- Núcleo Interinstitucional de Linguística Computacional (NILC), Instituto de Ciências Matemáticas e de Computação, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Leandro Borges Dos Santos
- Núcleo Interinstitucional de Linguística Computacional (NILC), Instituto de Ciências Matemáticas e de Computação, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sonia Maria Dozzi Brucki
- Centro de Referência em Distúrbios Cognitivos, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Sturzeneker Trés
- Centro de Referência em Distúrbios Cognitivos, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maira Okada de Oliveira
- Centro de Referência em Distúrbios Cognitivos, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Letícia Lessa Mansur
- Centro de Referência em Distúrbios Cognitivos, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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