Objective: To explore the impact of non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) on the global cognitive function and executive function of patients without dementia, and to observe the differences between different types of AF. Methods: This research is a prospective and cross-sectional study. Non-dementia patients admitted to the department of neurology in the third people's hospital of Chengdu from July 2018 to July 2019 were included. Patients with non-valvular AF were included in the AF group and those with sinus rhythm were included in the control group. General clinical data and compared global cognitive function (mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and montreal cognitive assessment (MOCA)) and executive function (shape trails test (STT) and stroop color and word test (SCWT)) data were obtained and compared between 2 groups, and between different AF type groups. Results: A total of 386 participants were included, including 203 in AF group (52.6%), age was 68 (63, 71) years old, 119 were male (58.6%) and 183 in control group, age was 68 (63, 71) years old, 101 were male (55.2%). MMSE(28 (27, 29)) and MOCA (25 (22, 26)) scores were lower in AF group than those in control group (P<0.05), while STT-A time (84 (64, 140) s), STT-B time (248 (184, 351) s), STT time difference((159 (106, 245) s), SCWT-A time (50 (50, 50) s), SCWT-B time (55 (46, 63) s), SCWT-C time (100 (86, 120) s) and SCWT time interference (46 (34, 65) s) were higher than those in control group (P<0.05). Moreover, there was no difference in above indexes between paroxysmal AF and non-paroxysmal AF. Conclusion: The global cognitive function and executive function of patients with non-valvular AF are both decreased, while there is no obvious difference of the global cognitive function and executive function between paroxysmal AF and non-paroxysmal AF patients.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Atrial Fibrillation/diagnosis* ; Executive Function ; Prospective Studies ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Cognition Disorders/diagnosis* ; Cognition

Humans ; Child ; Executive Function

OBJECTIVES: To comprehensively analyze the characteristics of cognitive impairment of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), and to explore the effects of different lateral patients' cognitive impairment and different clinical factors on cognitive impairment of TLE. METHODS: A total of 84 patients, who met the diagnostic criteria for TLE in the Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, were collected as a patient group, with 36 cases of left TLE and 48 cases of right TLE. A total of 79 healthy volunteers with matching gender, age and education level were selected as a control group. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and the scores of Arithmetic Test, Information Test, Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), Block Design Test (BDT), Hayling Test and Verbal Fluency Test (VFT) of the revised Chinese Adult Wechsler Intelligence scale were retrospectively analyzed in the 2 groups.Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between the clinical factors and the cognitive impairment score. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the TLE patient group had low scores in all neuropsychological tests, with significant difference (all CONCLUSIONS There are multiple cognitive domain dysfunctions in TLE, including language, short-term memory, long-term memory, attention, working memory, executive function and visual space function. Left TLE has greater impairment of executive function and right TLE has greater damage in working memory. Long pathography of disease, hippocampal sclerosis and a history of febrile convulsions may lead to more severe cognitive impairment. Earlier identification and earlier intervention are needed to improve prognosis of patients.
Adult ; Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology* ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe/complications* ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: Single subcortical infarction (SSI) is caused by two main etiological subtypes, which are branch atheromatous disease (BAD) and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD)-related SSI. We applied the Beijing version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-BJ), the Shape Trail Test (STT), and the Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) to investigate the differences in cognitive performance between these two subtypes of SSI. METHODS: Patients with acute SSIs were prospectively enrolled. The differences of MoCA-BJ, STT, and SCWT between the BAD group and CSVD-related SSI group were analyzed. A generalized linear model was used to analyze the associations between SSI patients with different etiological mechanisms and cognitive function. We investigated the correlations between MoCA-BJ, STT, and SCWT using Spearman's correlation analysis and established cut-off scores for Shape Trail Test A (STT-A) and STT-B to identify cognitive impairment in patients with SSI. RESULTS: This study enrolled a total of 106 patients, including 49 and 57 patients with BAD and CSVD-related SSI, respectively. The BAD group performances were worse than those of the CSVD-related SSI group for STT-A (83 [60.5-120.0] vs. 68 [49.0-86.5], P = 0.01), STT-B (204 [151.5-294.5] vs. 153 [126.5-212.5], P = 0.015), and the number of correct answers on Stroop-C (46 [41-49] vs. 49 [45-50], P = 0.035). After adjusting for age, years of education, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and lesion location, the performance of SSI patients with different etiological mechanisms still differed significantly for STT-A and STT-B. CONCLUSIONS BAD patients were more likely to perform worse than CSVD-related SSI patients in the domains of language, attention, executive function, and memory. The mechanism of cognitive impairment after BAD remains unclear.
Cerebral Infarction ; Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases ; Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology* ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Mental Status and Dementia Tests

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol-induced blackout (blackout) is a typical early symptom of cognitive impairment caused by drinking. However, the first onset age of blackout or the duration after onset of blackout has not been directly compared in previous studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in cognitive function to the first start age of blackouts and their duration. METHODS: Thirty-one male subjects were included in this study. Their age at the first blackout and the duration after the onset of blackout were investigated. Neuropsychological tests were conducted to determine their attention, memory, and executive function. Subjects were divided into three groups according to their age of the first onset blackout (group O1, < 20 years; group O2, 21–39 years; and group O3, > 40 years). Subjects were also divided into three groups by duration after the onset of blackout (P1, < 10 years; P2, 10–29 years; and P3, > 30 years). We then examined differences in neurocognitive function among these groups. RESULTS: O1 tended to have a lower memory score than O2 (F = 3.28, p = 0.053). Significant differences were observed in attention and executive function between groups P1 and P3 (Digit Span_backward: F = 6.07, p < 0.05; visual span_forward: F = 4.19, p < 0.05; executive intelligence quotient: F = 3.55, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Greater memory impairment was detected in subjects having an earlier age of the first blackout. The longer the duration after the onset of blackout, the more impaired their attention and executive function skills.
Age of Onset ; Alcohol-Induced Disorders ; Amnesia, Retrograde ; Cognition Disorders ; Cognition ; Drinking ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Male ; Memory ; Neuropsychological Tests

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cognitive training refers to a series of standardized tasks with inherent challenges that target specific cognitive domains. Positive outcome of cognitive training in persons with Alzheimer's disease has been reported. In this study, the objective was to design sets of cognitive training program, “Gipum-seo” which is combined cognitive training, consists of different levels of difficulty using predesigned paper-and-pencil exercises. Also, to evaluate the effects of the cognitive training on patients' with early stage of Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: The subjects for this study were forty participants who were diagnosed with early stage of Alzheimer's dementia. To test the efficacy of paper-based cognitive training programs to cognition, all patients were randomly grouped to either an intervention group (n=20) or a control group (n=20). The intervention group regularly received 24 sessions of paper-based cognitive training over a 12-week period. Neuropsychological examinations were conducted before and after this training period. RESULTS: After the 12 weeks, the intervention group showed a significant change in Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (25.90±3.8), compared to the control group (23.7±2.8) (p=0.042). The training group also showed a significant improvement in language, attention and executive function, as compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: Paper-based cognitive training might have beneficial effects on the general cognitive functions in the early stage of Alzheimer's dementia.
Alzheimer Disease ; Cognition ; Cognitive Therapy ; Dementia ; Education ; Executive Function ; Exercise ; Humans ; Neurocognitive Disorders ; Neuropsychological Tests

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Semantic verbal fluency test is a neuropsychological assessment that can sensitively detect neuropathological changes. Considering its multifactorial features tapping various cognitive domains such as semantic memory, executive function, and working memory, it is necessary to examine verbal fluency performance in association with underlying cognitive functions. The objective of the current study was to investigate semantic fluency patterns of people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) based on clustering and switching and their relationship with working memory. METHODS: Twenty-six individuals with MCI and 23 normal elderly adults participated in this study. A semantic verbal fluency test (animal version) was administered and the performance was analyzed using the following measures: number of correct words, cluster size, and number of switches. Scores of digit forward (DF) and backward span tasks were employed as working memory measures. RESULTS: Analyses of variance revealed significant group differences in the numbers of correct words and switches. Multivariate logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic analyses showed that the number of switches more sensitively distinguished MCI existence than the number of correct words. Stepwise linear regression analysis showed that DF task and age significantly predicted the number of correct words while only the DF task significantly predicted the number of switches. CONCLUSIONS: Decrement in semantic verbal fluency in MCI seems to be associated with impaired switching abilities. Working memory capacity might serve as the underlying cognitive factor related to decreased verbal fluency in MCI.
Adult ; Aged ; Cluster Analysis ; Cognition ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Logistic Models ; Memory ; Memory, Short-Term ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Semantics

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association between executive functions and time perspectives in patients with adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The executive function including self-management to time, self-organization/problem solving, self-restraint or inhibition, self-motivation, and self-regulation of emotion was analyzed. In addition, the time perspective, including past-negative, past-positive, present-hedonistic, present-fatalistic, future-negative, and future-positive, were investigated. The correlations between the executive functions and time perspectives were analyzed in an adult ADHD patient group. METHODS: Thirty-six participants were divided into 17 in the ADHD group and 19 in the Control group. The participants conduct psychological tests including Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS), ADHD Self-Report Scale, and the Swedish Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory to confirm their executive functions, attention, and time perspectives. The participants were recruited at Samsung Medical Center from April 2017 to November 2018. The collected data was analyzed using a t-test and Pearson correlation analysis. RESULTS: The adult ADHD patients group showed significantly higher scores in the BDEFS and ADHD Self-Report Scale than the control group. In time perspective scores, the adult ADHD patients group was higher in the past-negative, present-hedonistic, present-fatalistic time perspectives than the control group. In addition, the adult ADHD patients group was lower in future-positive than the control group. In the adult ADHD patients group, the future-positive time perspectives were negatively correlated with the executive functions. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the negative time perspective is related to the executive function deficits in an adult ADHD group, particularly in the self-management of time, self-organization/problem solving, and self-motivation.
Adult ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Psychological Tests ; Self Care ; Self-Control

executive function. Since the improvement was especially prominent in memory retrieval ability in elderly with high risk of dementia, it can be said that early application of the program before the diagnosis of dementia is important.]]>
Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; Chungcheongbuk-do ; Dementia ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Education ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Memory ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Program Development ; Stroop Test

OBJECTIVES: The association between thyroid-related hormones and cognitive function has been controversial. The purpose of this study is to compare the levels of thyroid-related hormones in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Furthermore, we investigated the relationship between thyroid-related hormones and cognitive function. METHODS: From January 2011 to December 2018, we retrospectively reviewed 105 patients who were diagnosed with AD and MCI by visiting a dementia clinic at Ilsan Paik Hospital. Thyroid-related hormones [triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)] was measured using chemiluminescent immunoassay. An independent sample t-test was performed to analyze the mean value of thyroid-related hormones in patients of AD and MCI. To investigate whether thyroid-related hormones correlate significantly with Global deterioration scale (GDS), Clinical dementia rating (CDR) and scores of each The Korean version of the consortium to establish a registry for Alzheimer's disease items, we conducted a partial correlation analysis with geriatric depression scale-Korean version (GDS-K) scores as covariates. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the mean serum T3, T4 and TSH levels between patients of the AD and the MCI, but the Construction Praxis Test (CPT) showed a significant positive correlation with the serum TSH concentration (p-value=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the positive correlation between serum TSH level and the CPT associated with executive function was found to be helpful in understanding the association between thyroid-related hormones and the pathophysiology of dementia. Prospective studies in regard of the pathophysiology of thyroid-related hormones on cognitive function will be necessary in the future.
Alzheimer Disease ; Cognition ; Dementia ; Depression ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Hormones ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine