Validation Study of the Parkinson's Disease Stigma Questionnaire (PDStigmaQuest).

Background: Stigma is a relevant aspect of Parkinson's disease (PD). Specific stigma tools are needed to address the complex construct of stigma in PD comprehensively.

Objective: To test the dimensionality and psychometric properties of the newly developed Parkinson's Disease Stigma Questionnaire (PDStigmaQuest).

The Influence of Age, Gender and Education on Neuropsychological Test Scores: Updated Clinical Norms for Five Widely Used Cognitive Assessments.

Background: Sociodemographic effects (i.e., age, gender, education) have been shown to influence neuropsychological test scores.

Parkinson's Disease Stigma Questionnaire (PDStigmaQuest): Development and Pilot Study of a Questionnaire for Stigma in Patients with Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Stigma is significant in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, no specific tool is available to assess stigma in PD comprehensively.

Objective: This pilot study aimed to develop and test a stigma questionnaire specific to PD patients (PDStigmaQuest).

Multidomain cognitive impairment in non-hospitalized patients with the post-COVID-19 syndrome: results from a prospective monocentric cohort.

Background: A fraction of patients with asymptomatic to mild/moderate acute COVID-19 disease report cognitive deficits as part of the post-COVID-19 syndrome. This study aimed to assess the neuropsychological profile of these patients.

Methods: Assessment at baseline (three months or more following acute COVID-19) of a monocentric prospective cohort of patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome.

Revealing Perceptional and Cognitive Mechanisms in Static and Dynamic Cocktail Party Listening by Means of Error Analyses.

In cocktail party situations multiple talkers speak simultaneously, which causes listening to be perceptually and cognitively challenging. Such situations can either be static (fixed target talker) or dynamic, meaning the target talker switches occasionally and in a potentially unpredictable way. To shed light on the perceptional and cognitive mechanisms in static and dynamic cocktail party situations, we conducted an analysis of error types that occur during a multi-talker speech recognition test.

Cross-cultural comparison of MMSE and RUDAS in German and Turkish patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: Given the increasing cultural, linguistic diversity in Europe, there is a growing need for cognitive screening tools that minimize the influence of linguistic, cultural, and demographic differences as they are the first means to determine the need for further clinical evaluation of individuals with suspected cognitive impairment. This cross-sectional study compared performance on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients in relation to cultural, demographic, and immigration-related factors (acculturation, bilingualism).

Method: The study comprised Turkish immigrant ( = 21) and monolingual, nonimmigrant German ( = 20) and Turkish ( = 24) patients with AD.

Effects of Sociodemographic Variables and Depressive Symptoms on MoCA Test Performance in Native Germans and Turkish Migrants in Germany.

The validity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in migrants is questionable, as sociodemographic factors and the migration process may influence performance. Our aim was to evaluate possible predictors (age, education, sex, depression, and migration) of MoCA results in Turkish migrants and Germans living in Germany. Linear regression models were conducted with a German ( = 419), a Turkish ( = 133), and an overall sample.

Costs of dynamic cocktail party listening: Investigating the effects of cognitive abilities and hearing impairment.

Situations with multiple competing talkers are especially challenging for listeners with hearing impairment. These "cocktail party" situations can either be static (fixed target talker) or dynamic (changing target talker). Relative to static situations, dynamic listening is typically associated with increased cognitive load and decreased speech recognition ("costs").

Assessment of Affective-Behavioral States in Parkinson's Disease Patients: Towards a New Screening Tool.

Background: Assessment of affective-behavioral states in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) is essential.

Objective: To analyze well-established questionnaires as a pilot-study with the long term aim to develop a screening tool evaluating affective-behavioral dysfunction, including depression, anxiety, apathy, mania, and impulse control disorders, in PD patients screened for DBS.

Methods: Two hundred ninety-seven inpatients with PD underwent standardized neuropsychiatric testing including German versions of Beck Depression Inventory-II, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Apathy Evaluation Scale, Self-Report Manic Inventory, and Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in PD-Rating Scale, to assess appropriateness for DBS.

Combined cognitive and motor training improves the outcome in the early phase after stroke and prevents a decline of executive functions: A pilot study.

Background: The negative impact of cognitive dysfunction on motor rehabilitation as a relearning-process is well known in stroke patients. However, evidence for combined cognitive and motor training (CMT) is lacking.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of combined CMT in early stroke rehabilitation.

Thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation in Essential Tremor Plus Is as Effective as in Essential Tremor.

The new essential tremor (ET) classification defined ET-plus (ET-p) as an ET subgroup with additional neurological signs besides action tremor. While deep brain stimulation (DBS) is effective in ET, there are no studies specifically addressing DBS effects in ET-p. 44 patients with medication-refractory ET and thalamic/subthalamic DBS implanted at our center were postoperatively classified into ET and ET-p according to preoperative documentation.

A Reliable Tool for Assessing MCI and Dementia: Validation Study of DemTect for Turkish Population.

Background And Aim: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia prevalence are expected to increase with aging. The DemTect is a very quick and easy tool to administer and recognize the early stages of dementia and MCI. In this study we aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of a Turkish version of the DemTect and define cut off values for different age and educational levels.

Static and dynamic cocktail party listening in younger and older adults.

Verbal communication often takes place in situations with several simultaneous speakers ("cocktail party listening"). These situations can be static (only one listening target) or dynamic (with alternating targets). In particular, dynamic cocktail party listening is believed to generate extra cognitive load and appears to be particularly demanding for older listeners.

Concordance of Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Parkinson Neuropsychometric Dementia Assessment in the classification of cognitive performance in Parkinson's disease.

Background: Cognitive impairment (CI) is frequently observed in Parkinson's disease (PD) and negatively influences the patient's and carer's quality of life. As a first step, assessment of CI is often accomplished by using screening instruments (level I diagnosis). Three commonly used instruments are the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Parkinson Neuropsychometric Dementia Assessment (PANDA).

[Development of "Cologne Culture ADL" for dementia diagnosis in individuals with Turkish migration background and in German patients].

Background:  Neuropsychological dementia diagnosis of migrants are limited regarding the testing of cognitive abilities as well as the recording of everyday activities (Activities of Daily Living, ADL) such as linguistic, educational, lifestyle and cultural-religious factors have not been taken into account in psychometric instruments.

Aim Of The Study:  We aimed to develop a culturally sensitive ADL scale, which is suitable for both German people and Turkish migrants that takes into consideration gender, cultural-religious and lifestyle aspects. A further aim was to determine the quality criteria for the newly proposed ADL scale.

Deficient allo-centric visuospatial processing contributes to apraxic deficits in sub-acute right hemisphere stroke.

While visuospatial deficits are well-characterized cognitive sequelae of right hemisphere (RH) stroke, apraxic deficits in RH stroke remain poorly understood. Likewise, very little is known about the association between apraxic and visuospatial deficits in RH stroke or about the putative common or differential pathophysiology underlying these deficits. Therefore, we examined the behavioural and lesion patterns of apraxic deficits (pantomime of object use and bucco-facial imitation) and visuospatial deficits (line bisection and letter cancellation tasks) in 50 sub-acute RH stroke patients.

Structured Cognitive Training Yields Best Results in Healthy Older Adults, and Their ApoE4 State and Baseline Cognitive Level Predict Training Benefits.

Background: Cognitive training has been shown to improve cognitive functions in healthy older adults. However, little is known about which specific variables are responsible for the improvement.

Objective: Our aim was to evaluate whether healthy older adults benefit more from a structured cognitive training program than an unstructured brain jogging program and to identify possible predictors for training success, including apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4).

Predicting short- and long-term cognitive training success in healthy older adults: who benefits?

Identifying factors predicting effects of cognitive trainings (CT) is important for developing trainings for individuals with specific profiles. The objective of the present study was to evaluate predictors of CT success in several cognitive domains directly after and 1 year after a 7-week group CT in healthy older adults. Sociodemographic variables, baseline cognitive performance, physical activity parameters, apolipoprotein E-4 (apoE-4), levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were analysed as possible predictors of CT success.

A new scoring system for increasing the sensitivity of the MMSE.

Background: The mini mental state examination (MMSE) has been criticized for its lack of sensitivity, especially in mild cases of dementia. There have been several attempts to increase the sensitivity by adding or deleting items, which never became accepted in clinical practice.

Objective: In the current study a new scoring system for improving the sensitivity of the MMSE is proposed, which preserves the original items and the total score of 30 points.

Effects of a Cognitive Training With and Without Additional Physical Activity in Healthy Older Adults: A Follow-Up 1 Year After a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Combining cognitive training (CT) with physical activity (CPT) has been suggested to be most effective in maintaining cognition in healthy older adults, but data are scarce and inconsistent regarding long-term effects (follow-up; FU) and predictors of success. To investigate the 1-year FU effects of CPT versus CT and CPT plus counseling (CPT+C), and to identify predictors for CPT success at FU. We included 55 healthy older participants in the data analyses; 18 participants (CPT group) were used for the predictor analysis.

[Screening of executive functions in patients with Parkinson's disease using the new rapid test PAL-5].

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent chronic neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, following Alzheimer's disease. Along with the characteristic motor symptoms of the disorder, especially bradykinesia, cognitive deficits can often be found prior to the onset of the disorder. These mainly concern executive functioning.

Causes of failure of pallidal deep brain stimulation in cases with pre-operative diagnosis of isolated dystonia.

Introduction: Pallidal deep brain stimulation (GPi-DBS) is an effective therapy for isolated dystonia, but 10-20% of patients show improvement below 25-30%. We here investigated causes of insufficient response to GPi-DBS in isolated dystonia in a cross-sectional study.

Methods: Patients with isolated dystonia at time of surgery, and <30% improvement on the Burke-Fahn-Marsden dystonia-rating-scale (BFMDRS) after ≥6 months of continuous GPi-DBS were videotaped ON and OFF stimulation, and history, preoperative videos, brain MRI, medical records, stimulation settings, stimulation system integrity, lead location, and genetic information were obtained and reviewed by an expert panel.

Screening for Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's Disease: Improving the Diagnostic Utility of the MoCA through Subtest Weighting.

Background: Given the high prevalence of cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD), cognitive screening is important in clinical practice. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a frequently used screening test in PD to detect mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PD-D). However, the proportion in which the subtests are represented in the MoCA total score does not seem reasonable.

Cognitive training with and without additional physical activity in healthy older adults: cognitive effects, neurobiological mechanisms, and prediction of training success.

Data is inconsistent concerning the question whether cognitive-physical training (CPT) yields stronger cognitive gains than cognitive training (CT). Effects of additional counseling, neurobiological mechanisms, and predictors have scarcely been studied. Healthy older adults were trained with CT (n = 20), CPT (n = 25), or CPT with counseling (CPT+C; n = 23).

Sex differences in cognitive training effects of patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Cognitive training has been shown to be effective in improving cognitive functions in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). However, data on factors that may influence training gains including sociodemographic variables such as sex or age is rare. In this study, the impact of sex on cognitive training effects was examined in N = 32 age- and education-matched female (n = 16) and male (n = 16) amnestic MCI patients (total sample: age M = 74.