Associations Between Cognitive Impairment and Neuroimaging in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Objective: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease which commonly involves cognitive dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have shown that patients with MS (pwMS) have diffuse patterns of brain atrophy, however, the relationship between the presentation of cognitive dysfunction and brain tissue loss remains understudied. Given the integral function of thalamus as a central nervous system relay center and its involvement in various brain circuits, thalamic atrophy may play a key role in the development and progression of cognitive dysfunction.

Standalone Performance Validity Tests May Be Differentially Related to Measures of Working Memory, Processing Speed, and Verbal Memory in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis.

Cognitive functioning may account for minimal levels (i.e., 5%-14%) of variance of performance validity test (PVT) scores in clinical examinees.

"It's on the tip of my tongue!" exploring confrontation naming difficulties in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Background: Naming difficulty is commonly reported by patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Though many cognitive batteries recommended for pwMS include fluency tasks, they do not include naming tasks. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of naming impairment in pwMS by using a measure of confrontation naming and to identify correlates with neuroimaging.

Cognitive outcomes in anti-LGI-1 encephalitis.

Objective: Cognitive impairment is one of the most common symptoms of anti-leucine rich glioma inactivated 1 (anti-LGI-1) encephalitis, but little is known about the cognitive profile of these patients. This study characterized the cognitive profile of patients with anti-LGI-1 encephalitis and compared patterns of impairment to healthy controls and other patient groups with known temporal lobe/limbic involvement.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of adult patients with anti-LGI-1 encephalitis who underwent neuropsychological assessment was conducted.

Clinical utility of the Saint Louis University Mental Status Examination (SLUMS) in a mixed neurological sample: Proposed revised cutoff scores for normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia.

Early detection of cognitive impairment is of paramount importance in clinical settings, with several brief screening tools having been developed for that purpose. The present study sought to evaluate the clinical utility of the Saint Louis University Mental Status examination (SLUMS) at identifying examinees with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, or dementia syndrome using the criterion of a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. Two hundred sixty-three examinees ( age = 67.

Examining the Clinical Utility of Selected Memory-Based Embedded Performance Validity Tests in Neuropsychological Assessment of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Within the neuropsychological assessment, clinicians are responsible for ensuring the validity of obtained cognitive data. As such, increased attention is being paid to performance validity in patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Experts have proposed batteries of neuropsychological tests for use in this population, though none contain recommendations for standalone performance validity tests (PVTs).

Considerations regarding noncredible performance in the neuropsychological assessment of patients with multiple sclerosis: A case series.

Determining the validity of data during clinical neuropsychological assessment is crucial for proper interpretation, and extensive literature has emphasized myriad methods of doing so in diverse samples. However, little research has considered noncredible presentation in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). PwMS often experience one or more factors known to impact validity of data, including major neurocognitive impairment, psychological distress/psychogenic interference, and secondary gain.

Nonmemory Composite Embedded Performance Validity Formulas in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Objective: Research regarding performance validity tests (PVTs) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is scant, with recommended batteries for neuropsychological evaluations in this population lacking suggestions to include PVTs. Moreover, limited work has examined embedded PVTs in this population. As previous investigations indicated that nonmemory-based embedded PVTs provide clinical utility in other populations, this study sought to determine if a logistic regression-derived PVT formula can be identified from selected nonmemory variables in a sample of patients with MS.

The Relationship Between Religiousness/Spirituality and Psychometric Intelligence in the United States.

An inverse relationship between religiousness/spirituality (R/S) and psychometric intelligence (IQ) is well-documented in previous literature. However, the studies that have examined group differences on IQ regarding R/S have limited generalizability. The present study contributed to the literature by evaluating IQ among participants identifying as differentially religious/spiritual (i.

Methodological considerations of assessing meaningful/reliable change in computerized neurocognitive testing following sport-related concussion.

Objective: Traditional reliable change index (RCI) methods may be psychometrically limited due to their inability to account for particularly high or low baseline performance and regression to the mean following serial testing. The current study sought to examine differences between RCI and standardized regression-based (RBz) methods in a cohort of adolescent athletes engaged in sport-related concussion recovery.

Methods: Consultation records and results of computerized testing data via the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) battery were retrospectively reviewed among 240 adolescent athletes involved in return-to-play protocols following a sport-related concussion.

Is computerized screening for processing speed impairment sufficient for identifying MS-related cognitive impairment in a clinical setting?

Background: Annual screening for processing speed impairment (PSI) is recommended for patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). However, cognitive deficits in pwMS are heterogeneous, and whether PSI screening identifies patients with impairment in other cognitive domains is unclear. The objective of this study was to examine sensitivity and specificity of the self-administered, computerized Processing Speed Test (PST) in identifying cognitive impairment defined by a comprehensive neuropsychological battery (NPT).

The dimensionality of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition in a clinical sample.

The parent-report Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition (BRIEF-2) is a widely used pediatric neuropsychological measure. Unfortunately, despite meaningful changes from its predecessor, few studies have examined its internal factor structure (now with Behavioral Regulation [BRI], Emotion Regulation [ERI], and Cognitive Regulation [CRI]), and no available literature has investigated higher order models for the BRIEF-2. This study sought to address this shortcoming in the literature by investigating and reporting on the dimensionality of the parent-report BRIEF-2 in a clinical sample.

The utility of the Wisconsin card sorting test, 64-card version to detect noncredible attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Clinicians who evaluate patients with concerns related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are encouraged to include validity indicators throughout clinical assessment procedures. To date, no known previous literature has examined the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) specifically to address noncredible ADHD, and none has attempted to identify an embedded PVT within the 64-card version. The present study sought to address these gaps in the literature with a simulation study.

DSM-5 Level 1 cross-cutting measure in an online sample: evaluating its latent dimensionality and utility detecting nonspecific psychological distress.

Included in the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is the Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure (CCSM), a self-report checklist with 23 items assessing 13 major psychiatric symptom clusters. To date, minimal literature has examined the factor structure of the CCSM and its utility identifying significant psychological distress, and existing studies pose notable limitations. Four hundred (400) American adults (M age = 34.

Verbal Short-Form FSIQ Estimations for Possible Use With Individuals With Motor and Visual Impairment or in Virtual Environments.

Objective: Abbreviated and virtual neuropsychological assessment practices are growing in popularity and viable alternatives to traditional testing methods are needed, especially in the face of global health concerns. This study generated and examined short form (SF) full-scale IQ (FSIQ) estimations, which lend themselves to virtual test administration.

Methods: Archival data were procured from 318 concurrent cognitive evaluations at a university clinic.

Detecting feigned symptoms of depression, anxiety, and ADHD, in college students with the structured inventory of malingered symptomatology.

Objective: Research consistently shows how easily students can feign symptoms of ADHD on self-report checklists to determine eligibility for curricular and standardized testing accommodations. However, it is unclear how easily students can feign psychological symptoms to accesses academic accommodations, making the assessment of symptom validity important in both populations.

Method: Using a between-subjects design, 75 college students were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) coached feigning of ADHD, (2) coached feigning of depression and anxiety (DA), and (3) honest responding (HR).

Examination of five- and four-subtest short form IQ estimations for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth edition (WISC-V) in a mixed clinical sample.

Evaluating general cognitive ability (i.e., intelligence) is common in neuropsychological practice, and identifying abbreviated assessments of intelligence is often advantageous.

Detecting noncredible performance with the neuropsychological assessment battery, screening module: A simulation study.

Objective: While the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery, Screening Module (S-NAB) is a commonly used cognitive screening measure, no composite embedded performance validity test (PVT) formula has yet been described within it. This study sought to empirically derive PVT formulas within the S-NAB using an analog simulation paradigm.

Method: Seventy-two university students ( age = 18.

Examination of Wechsler adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition short-form IQ estimations in an outpatient psychoeducational sample.

Objective: The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, 4th edition (WAIS-IV) is a commonly utilized cognitive battery across many clinical settings. However, due to various patient variables, an abbreviated assessment of intellectual abilities, may be clinically advantageous to allow for a more thorough assessment of other cognitive domains. The current study represents an attempt to propose additional short-form IQ estimations in an outpatient clinical sample.

Five-Factor Model Personality Traits and Self-Classified Religiousness and Spirituality.

A review of the literature investigating the relationship between religion and spirituality and broad personality traits reveals methodological limitations. The present study sought to contribute to the present literature by investigating differences on personality traits among men and women who identified as either religious only (R), spiritual only (S), both spiritual and religious (B), or neither spiritual nor religious (N). One thousand thirty-seven (1037) adults (M age = 36.

Examining the relationship between neuroticism and post-concussion syndrome in mild traumatic brain injury.

: We sought to examine the relationship between personality traits and post-concussion symptom reporting in individuals with and without a self-reported history of concussion. : Data were collected via a cross-sectional electronic survey from 619 individuals via Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk). Participants completed a background demographic questionnaire, as well as both the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) and IPIP-NEO-120 personality inventory.

Religious Integration and Psychological Distress: Different Patterns in Emerging Adult Males and Females.

This study examined differences between male and female emerging adults on low, moderate, and high levels of religious integration in relation to psychological distress. Participants were recruited from undergraduate courses at a religiously affiliated, Midwestern university and completed the integration scale of the Personal Religious Inventory and the Langner Symptom Survey. Due to significantly higher reports of religious integration in female participants, the sample was separated by sex.

Multidimensionality of the Langner Symptom Survey and Replication of a Cutoff Score in Emerging Adults.

This study investigated the dimensionality of the Langner Symptom Survey and replicated a recent finding regarding a clinically validated cutoff score in emerging adults. Nine hundred thirteen (631 females and 282 males) students at a private university in the Midwestern United States participated online as part of a larger study and completed the Langner Symptom Survey and a demographic questionnaire. Results from exploratory principal components and confirmatory factor analyses provided support for both a six- and three-factor model of the Langner Symptom Survey, with the three-factor model offering marginally better confirmatory fit indices and greater parsimony of interpretation.

Confirming the Tripartite Structure of the Duke University Religion Index: A Methodological Approach.

The present study provided a methodological critique regarding psychometric investigations of the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL) and its variants. Nine hundred seventeen (630 females and 287 males) university students (M age = 19.24) completed the DUREL, the Personal Religious Inventory, and the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale online.

Differential Effects of Family Structure on Religion and Spirituality of Emerging Adult Males and Females.

This study examined measures of religion and spirituality in a sample of male and female emerging adult college students whose parents were either divorced or intact using the Personal Religious Inventory, the Duke University Religion Index, the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, the Spiritual Transcendence Scale, and the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale. Data were collected online, and 66% of participants received extra credit for participating. A main effect of sex was found, as females reported significantly higher scores than men on all but one measure of religion and spirituality, and the dataset was separated by sex.