Effects of an individual cognitive stimulation intervention on global cognition, memory, and executive function in older adults with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: To determine the efficacy of a 12-week individual cognitive stimulation (iCS) intervention on global cognition, memory, and executive function of older adults with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Method: Protocolized analysis using data from a multicenter, single-blind, randomized, parallel two-arm RCT of iCS for older adults with probable AD. A sample of 142 people with probable Alzheimer's disease attending 13 Portuguese institutions providing care and support services for older adults were selected.

Reliability and Validity of the Geriatric Depression Scale in a Sample of Portuguese Older Adults with Mild-to-Moderate Cognitive Impairment.

Although the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is a well-established instrument for the assessment of depressive symptoms in older adults, this has not been validated specifically for Portuguese older adults with cognitive impairment. The objective of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of two Portuguese versions of the GDS (GDS-27 and GDS-15) in a sample of Portuguese older adults with mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment. Clinicians assessed for major depressive disorder and cognitive functioning in 117 participants with mild-to-moderate cognitive decline (76.

Home-Based Individualized Cognitive Stimulation (iCS) Therapy in Portuguese Psychiatric Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Cognitive difficulties are common in people with mental health issues, including psychotic disorders, although this population may have difficulty accessing treatments due to various challenges, including transportation, remembering appointments, or discomfort in crowded or unfamiliar places. Home-based services can be crucial and effective for reaching populations with accessibility issues; one home-based intervention technique is individual cognitive stimulation (iCS), which has been shown to be an effective strategy to target and improve cognitive functioning in various samples. Using a previously established Portuguese iCS protocol, based on an initial brief cognitive assessment and the subsequent administration of cognitive stimulation materials and reflection exercises, the current randomized controlled trial explored the effectiveness of the iCS intervention on participants in Portugal with psychotic disorders.

Effectiveness of a year-long individual cognitive stimulation program in Portuguese older adults with cognitive impairment.

Cognitive stimulation is a recommended therapy with positive effects on the cognitive performance of older adults with neurocognitive disorders. However, there are few one-on-one, long-term interventions applied by professionals. The aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of 47-week individual cognitive stimulation (iCS) interventions on cognition, mood, instrumental activities of daily living, and quality of life in older adults, with neurocognitive disorders using a single-blind, randomized, parallel two-arm RCT.

Effectiveness of a Randomized Controlled Trial of Individual Reminiscence Therapy on Cognition, Mood and Quality of Life in Azorean Older Adults with Neurocognitive Disorders.

Reminiscence therapy (RT) is a form of cognitive stimulation therapy that incorporates discussion of past activities, events, and experiences to stimulate individual memories; it has had some success in treating persons with neurocognitive disorders. This research aims to evaluate the ability of individual RT, using a simple reminiscence format, to improve the overall cognitive function, memory, executive functions, emotional status, and quality of life in older adults with neurocognitive disorders who received social care and support services. A multicenter randomized controlled trial was completed in the Azores archipelago (an independent region of Portugal) using repeated measures (pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up).

Factor Structure of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status in Huntington's Disease.

Objective: The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status is a commonly used neuropsychological screening tool that is useful in a Huntington's disease (HD) population given its relatively brief administration time and assessment of multiple cognitive domains. Although 5 index scores are calculated, this structure has not been universally supported in clinical samples, which have often found a two- and three-factor structure to be better fitting. This study explored the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status factor structure in a large HD sample, which has not been done to date.

Improvement of the Quality of Life in Aging by Stimulating Autobiographical Memory.

With notable increases in older adult populations, as well as with the associated cognitive impairments that can accompany aging, there is significant importance in identifying strategies to promote cognitive health. The current study explored the implementation of a positive reminiscence program (REMPOS), a non-pharmacological cognitive therapy that has been previously structured, defined, and tested in a Spanish sample. We sought to improve the quality of life of institutionalized older adults with healthy aging, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease by utilizing this protocol in these samples.

Psychometrics of the AAN Caregiver Driving Safety Questionnaire and contributors to caregiver concern about driving safety in older adults.

Unlabelled: ABSTRACTBackground:The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) updated their practice parameters in the evaluation of driving risk in dementia and developed a Caregiver Driving Safety Questionnaire, detailed in their original manuscript (Iverson Gronseth, Reger, Classen, Dubinsky, & Rizzo, 2010). They described four factors associated with decreased driving ability in dementia patients: history of crashes or citations, informant-reported concerns, reduced mileage, and aggressive driving.

Method: An informant-reported AAN Caregiver Driving Safety Questionnaire was designed with these elements, and the current study was the first to explore the factor structure of this questionnaire.

The impact of oculomotor functioning on neuropsychological performance in Huntington disease.

Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative condition with prominent motor (including oculomotor), cognitive, and psychiatric effects. While neuropsychological deficits are present in HD, motor impairments may impact performance on neuropsychological measures, especially those requiring a speeded response, as has been demonstrated in multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia. The current study is the first to explore associations between oculomotor functions and neuropsychological performance in HD.

Associations Between Original and a Reduced Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), Cognition, and Activities of Daily Living in a Large Neurologic Sample.

A recent confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe) indicated that the basic structure of the FrSBe subscales held after removal of 8 weak items. In a replication of previous studies using the original FrSBe, the present study explored associations between a reduced version of the FrSBe, cognition, and activities of daily living (ADLs) in a large mixed outpatient neurologic sample. Consistent with previous findings with the original FrSBe, significant associations existed between reduced FrSBe scores and the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale-Second Edition.

Deconstructing racial differences: the effects of quality of education and cerebrovascular risk factors.

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of vascular conditions and education quality on cognition over time in White and African American (AA) older adults.

Method: We investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal racial differences in executive functioning (EF) and memory composites among Whites (n = 461) and AAs (n = 118) enrolled in a cohort study. We examined whether cerebrovascular risk factors and Shipley Vocabulary scores (a proxy for education quality) accounted for racial differences.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe).

The Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe) is a 46-item questionnaire that measures behaviors associated with frontal subcortical deficits (apathy, disinhibition, and executive dysfunction) in adult neurologic populations. Based on findings from a previous exploratory factor analysis on the scale, the current study used confirmatory factor analysis to explore and potentially improve on the measurement model fit of current FrSBe scores. Model fit indices and reliabilities (measured using internal consistency reliability) were compared in the original and in several alternative models.

Self-reported depressive syndromes in mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease.

Background: There is suggestion that self-reported depressive syndromes can independently manifest in the general population as cognitive/affective or somatic/vegetative. The Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd edition (BDI-II), a self-report measure of depressive symptoms, has been shown to support this two-factor structure. However, this finding has not been examined in an older adult sample with cognitive impairment.

The Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive-Plus (ADAS-Cog-Plus): an expansion of the ADAS-Cog to improve responsiveness in MCI.

Background: The Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog) is widely used in AD, but may be less responsive to change when used in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods: Participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative were administered a neuropsychological battery and 1.5 T MRI scans over 2-3 years.

A life course model of cognitive activities, socioeconomic status, education, reading ability, and cognition.

Objectives: To cross-sectionally quantify the contribution of proxy measures of cognitive reserve reflective of the lifespan, such as education, socioeconomic status (SES), reading ability, and cognitive activities, in explaining late-life cognition.

Design: Prospective observational cohort study of aging.

Setting: Retirement communities across the Chicago metropolitan area.

The structure and validity of self-reported affect in mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease.

Background: This study determined the reliability, validity, and factor structure of self-report emotions in persons with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) relative to controls.

Methods: Participants (mild AD, n = 73; MCI, n = 159; controls, n = 96) rated current emotions with the Visual Analogue Mood Scales (Stern, 1997).

Results: Internal consistency reliabilities were comparable across groups, as were the factor structures of emotion.

Emotion and executive functioning: the effect of normal mood states on fluency tasks.

Induced positive affect (PA) can improve verbal fluency performance, and induced negative affect (NA) can increase design fluency performance (Bartolic, Basso, Schefft, Glauser, & Titanic-Schefft, 1999). Building on this, the current study investigated associations between everyday mood states and executive functions. Participants (N = 74, mean age = 51.

Emotional complexity in younger, midlife, and older adults.

Questions pertaining to emotional complexity in adult development are being pursued from a number of vantage points. The current studies sought to clarify the study of emotional complexity by comparing and contrasting 2 dominant perspectives on emotional complexity in different age groups (i.e.

Neuropsychologic profile of a high-functioning family with a mitochondrial cytopathy.

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.