The Biber Figure Learning Test (BFLT) is a serial figure learning assessment previously been shown to be sensitive to various biomarkers of the aging brain. BFLT is an extensive assessment requiring about 30 minutes for administration. In this study, we investigated BFLT’s associations with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), an early marker for preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), and examined whether alternative BFLT indices could be utilized to considerably shorten the length of assessment without decreasing its sensitivity to SCD.

Participants were 50 cognitively normal older adults (8% Hispanic, 92% Non-Hispanic; 78% White, 16% Black; 64% female; mean age =72.7 (SD =6.2); mean education =17.05 (SD =2.09)). SCD was measured using a 20-item age-anchored dichotomous questionnaire that assessed complaints of cognitive functioning, and the BFLT was administered in full. Pearson correlations were conducted between SCD and BFLT scores including: Trial 1 Learning (T1), Trials 1 to 2 Total Learning (T1T2), Trials 1 to 3 Total Learning (T1T3), Trials 1 to 5 Total Learning (Total Learning), Immediate Recall, Delayed Recall, Proactive Interference (Trial B – Trial 1), Retroactive Interference (Immediate Recall – Trial 5), and Total Discrimination (calculated as [Recognition Total Correct + 0.5]/16) − ([Total False Alarms + 0.5]/31]). A Fishers Exact Test was utilized to compare the correlational strength between SCD and each of the BFLT scores. Lastly, demographically adjusted (age, gender, and education) regression models were conducted to examine SCD as an individual predictor for the various BFLT scores.

SCD was negatively associated with BFLT T1 (r =-0.406, p =0.003), T1T2 (r =-0.331, p =0.019), T1T3 (r =-0.323, p =0.022), Total Learning (r =-0.283, p =0.046), Immediate Recall (r =-0.322, p =0.023), Delayed Recall (r =-0.318, p =0.025), and Retroactive Interference (r =-0.388, p =0.005) and positively associated with Proactive Interference (r =0.308, p =0.029). There was no significant difference in correlational strength between any of these BFLT scores and SCD. Adjusting for demographics, SCD predicted Immediate Recall (B =-0.273, p =0.029), Total Learning (B =- 0.253, p =0.040), T1 (B =-0.412, p =0.002), T1T2 (B =-0.326, p =0.010), T1T3 (B =-0.299, p =0.017), Proactive Interference (B =0.292, p =0.050), and Retroactive Interference (B =- 0.330, p =0.025).

Eight of the nine assessed BFLT scores were strongly correlated with age-anchored SCD and age-anchored SCD predicted seven of the nine assessed BFLT indices when adjusted for demographics. Although additional work is needed, these findings suggest SCD’s sensitivity to changes in visuospatial learning and memory, supporting its use as an early marker for preclinical AD. Likewise, our results suggest that an abbreviated version of the BFLT could be utilized that shortens testing time and reduces participant fatigue without a decrease in clinical relevance. Through ongoing longitudinal work, we hope to further disentangle the relationship between SCD and visuospatial learning and memory as measured through the BFTL and to examine how associations between SCD and the BFLT assessment change over time.

Patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) commonly show memory deficits on neuropsychological tests. The BVMT-R is a widely used test of visual learning and memory that involves accurately reproducing an array of figures in the correct special location. The present study examined performance processes of visual memory in presurgical patients with TLE, including item (i.e., accuracy) and associative memory (i.e., location), which have been shown to be dissociable in studies of visual memory in other neurologic populations.

Participants included nine patients with left TLE (67% female; 67% left-handed; mean age = 46.15 years, range = 24-55; mean education = 14.8 years, range = 9-18) and six patients with right TLE (17% female; 33% left-handed; mean age = 57.64 years, range = 22-62; mean education = 15.52 years, range 11-18). Mean duration of epilepsy was 19 years. Participants had an average of two failed anti-seizure medications prior to surgery. TLE groups were compared to 22 healthy controls (36% female; 14% left-handed; mean age = 33.68 years, range = 2253; mean education = 17.66 years, range = 1620). All participants completed comprehensive neuropsychological testing at a large Northeastern medical center. The BVMT-R was scored using standard and novel scoring paradigms. All data were retrospectively reviewed from archival datasets.

MANCOVA results indicated a significant multivariate main effect for group membership and standard BVMT-R scoring after controlling for level of education, Wilks’ A = 0.59, F(4, 64) = 4.91, p = .002. The multivariate partial eta squared (np2) of .58 indicated a strong relationship between group membership and both immediate and delayed recall, with the control group performing better overall. The TLE groups did not perform significantly different from each other. A significant multivariate main effect for group and novel BVMT-R scoring was found (also controlling for education), Wilks’ A = 0.42, F(8, 58) = 3.97, p = .001. Overall, the control group demonstrated better item learning with no significant difference between TLE groups observed. Both the control (M = (16.5, SD = 2.04) and left TLE (M = 12.33, SD = 4.03) showed stronger associative learning compared to the right TLE group (M = 10.2, SD = 4.27). For item and location delayed recall, controls (M = 4.82, SD = 1.62) had more accurate recall compared to left TLE (M = 1.56, SD = 2.04) with a trend toward better performance compared to the right TLE patients (M = 2.6, SD = 1.82); the TLE groups performed similarly. No difference was observed for associative delayed recall between the three groups.

Patients with right TLE showed worse associative learning compared to left TLE, while performance was generally comparable to their right TLE counterparts on other novel BVMT-R scoring paradigms. Unsurprisingly, patients with TLE performed worse on BVMT-R using standard scoring procedures, though no lateralizing effect was observed. While these findings suggest that associative visual learning weakness may be characteristic of right TLE, findings should be interpreted cautiously the given small sample size and demographic considerations (i.e., uneven gender distribution, lack of data on ethnicity/race).

The Rey Complex Figure (CF) is a popular test to assess visuospatial construction and visual memory, but its broader use in clinical research is limited by scoring complexity. To widen its application, we developed a new CF scoring system similar to the Benson Figure in which 10 primary CF elements are scored according to presence and location. A novel recognition task was also created for each of these 10 items consisting of a 4-choice recognition condition containing the primary rectangle and major interior lines with qualitative variations of target elements as distractors. The current investigation was designed to characterize the relationship between scoring methods and establish whether comparable results are obtained across both traditional and new CF scoring approaches.

Participants from the Emory Health Brain Study (EHBS) who had completed the Rey CF copy during their cognitive study visit were studied. All participants were self-identified as normal, and administered the CF according to our previously published procedure that included the Copy, Immediate Recall (∼ 30 seconds), and 30-minute Delayed Recall (Loring et al., 1990). Following delayed recall, CF recognition was assessed using the Meyers and Myers (1995) recognition followed by the newly developed forced choice recognition. The final sample included 155 participants ranging in age from 51.6 years to 80.0 years (M=64.9, SD=6.6). The average MoCA score was 26.8/30 (SD=6.6).

Mean performance levels across conditions and scoring approaches are included in the table. Correlations between Copy, Immediate Recall, Delayed Recall, and Recognition were calculated to evaluate the relationship between the traditional 18 item/36 point Osterrieth criteria and newly developed CF scoring criteria using both parametric and non-parametric approaches. Pearson correlations demonstrated high agreement between approaches when characterizing performance levels across all CF conditions (Copy r=.72, Immediate Recall r=.87, Delayed Recall r=.90, and Recognition r=.52). Similar correlations were present using non-parametric analyses (Copy ρ=.46, Immediate Recall ρ=.83, Delayed Recall ρ=.91, and Recognition ρ=.42). Table. Mean performance levels across conditions and scoring approaches

The high correlations, particularly for Immediate and Delayed Recall conditions, suggest that the modified simpler scoring system is comparable to the traditional approach, thereby suggesting potential equivalence between scoring methods. When comparing Rey’s original 47 point scoring approach to his 36 point scoring system, Osterrieth (1944) reported a correlation in fifty adults of ρ=.95 and a correlation in twenty 6-year-olds of ρ=.92. In this investigation, lower correlations were observed for copy and recognition conditions, in part representing smaller response distribution across participants. Although these preliminary results are encouraging, to implement the new EHBS scoring method in clinical evaluation, we are developing normative data in participants across the entire EHBS series, many of whom were not administered the new CF Recognition. We are also examining performances in patients undergoing DBS evaluation for Parkinson Disease to explore its clinical sensitivity. Simpler scoring will permit greater CF clinical and research application.

Print Knowledge in children starts with recognizing and characterizing printed figures; it is a precursor of other skills like letter knowledge and phonological awareness. The goal was to assess print knowledge components and their predictive value in emerging literacy in a sample of Mexican preschoolers.

60 children (aged 4 to 6 years old; 50% boys and 50% girls) were tested with an analysis of the visual synthesis and the figure copy from the SNBP-MX and the Rey Complex Figure Test (children’s version).

Children with lower performance in the SNBP-MX cannot use visual information to perform correctly at the Rey Complex Figure. They have problems in the reproduction of the figure, and they do not respect the components of the Print Knowledge: 1) figure building characteristics (size, rotation, orientation) and function (relationship with the background and with other figures).

Early visual perception skills impairments are related to the execution of elements from the Print Knowledge. Therefore, it is expected that children with low performance at visoperception and spatial tasks will have difficulties with early literacy. Since visual information is needed for the copy and learning of writing figures, print knowledge could be categorized as a predictor of the early word and letter recognition skills. We thank project PAPIIT IN308219 for sponsoring this research.

Our objective is to investigate whether handedness is associated with performance on verbal and visual neuropsychological tests in people with severe mental disorders. A recent study, applying a continuous scale of hand preference, reports that handedness is not associated with test performance in people with schizophrenia disorders. Conversely, in a recent large meta-analysis where handedness was applied as a dichotomous variable, right-handers had better performance in spatial ability (but not verbal ability) compared to left-handers, irrespective of gender or health status. We hypothesize that a dichotomous classification of handedness will reveal an advantage of right-handedness on tests of visuospatial functions—but not verbal functions—in people with severe mental disorders. We expect that gender will not be associated with the neuropsychological test results.

Data from a sample of 385 patients with severe mental disorders, mainly within the schizophrenia spectrum, were analyzed. All participants had Norwegian as their first language. Their mean age was 24.8 years (SD=6.2) and 153 (39.7%) were women. Handedness was evaluated by observation of preferred hand in writing and drawing during neuropsychological assessment. Chi-square tests were used to compare proportions of cases with reported frequencies of handedness in the general population and comparable clinical samples. Raw scores on Semantic Fluency and Line Orientation from the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests, and possible effects of gender with two-way ANOVA. Frequencies of low scores were analyzed using frequency analyses.

Overall prevalence of left-handers was 10.4% compared to 10.6% in the general population (χ2=.018, p=.893). Observed prevalence for women was 9.2% compared to expected prevalence of 9.5% (χ2=.026, p=.873) and for men 10.7% and 11.6%, respectively (χ2=.039, p=.844). There was a significant difference in Line Orientation scores (Mdright-handers=18, Mdleft-handers=17; U=5268.0, p=.013) but not Semantic Fluency scores (Mdright-handers=17, Mdleft-handers=18.5; U=7568.5, p=.315). Right-handed men had higher scores on Line Orientation but there was no handedness by gender interaction (F(1)=1.69, p=.194). For Semantic Fluency, left-handed men had higher scores and a gender by handedness interaction was found (F(1)=7.21, p=.008). Using scores corresponding to <5th percentile, 15% of left-handers and 8% of right-handers had scores <5th percentile on Line Orientation, as opposed to 15% and 14% on Semantic Fluency.

Right-handers had significantly better performance on a test measuring visuospatial function, irrespective of gender. Left-handers had about twice the number of scores in the impaired range (i.e., <5th percentile) compared to right-handers. Left-handed men had better performance on a test of verbal functions, which was unexpected. A recent study reported no right-hand associated advantage on visuospatial tests in people with schizophrenia disorders when measuring handedness on a continuous scale. This suggests that the classification of handedness as either a dichotomous or as a continuous variable is important in studies of handedness and cognitive functions.

Visual deficits are common after stroke and are powerful predictors for the chronic functional outcome. However, while basic visual field and recognition deficits are relatively easy to assess with standardized methods, selective deficits in visual primitives, such as shape or motion, are harder to identify, as they often require a symmetrical bilateral posterior lesion in order to provoke full field deficits. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and co-occurrence of hemifield “mid-range” visual deficits. In addition, we looked at the repercussions of these mid-range deficits on higher-order visual cognitive functions, such as visuoconstruction and memory. At a more theoretical level, we investigated whether associations between deficits in 'mid-range’ visual functions and deficits in higher-order visual cognitive functions are in line with a hierarchical, two-pathway model of the visual brain.

In 220 stroke patients and a healthy control group (N=49), we assessed the perception of colour (isoluminant stimuli in the red-green range), shape (Efron shapes), location (dot in a circle), orientation (lines at different angles), contrast (bars with converging grey-level differences), texture (from Brodatz grayscale texture album) and correlated motion (different percentages of dots moving in the same direction). All tasks started with a fixation dot presented at the centre of the screen. After one second, a target stimulus was presented on the horizontal midline at either 5° to the left or at 5° to the right side of the fixation. Then, after 1.5 seconds, two response items appeared in addition to the target stimulus for three seconds. To control for eye movements, we used an eye-tracker to present the target in a gaze contingent fashion. Thus, the target always remained in the correct retinal position independent of eye movements. In a subset of 182 ischemic stroke patients, we also assessed visuoconstruction (Copy Rey-Complex Figure Test), visual emotion recognition (FEEST test) and visual memory (Doors-test).

The results showed that deficits in motion-perception were most prevalent (26%), followed by colour (22%), texture (22%), location (21%), orientation (18%), contrast (14%), shape (14%) and glossiness (13%). 63% of the stroke patients showed one or more mid-range visual deficits. Overlap of deficits was small; they mostly occurred in isolation or co-occurred with only one or two other deficits. Impairments in mid-range visual functions could not predict performance on higher-order visual cognitive tasks. Impaired visuoconstruction and visual memory were only modestly predicted by a worse location perception. Impaired emotion perception was modestly predicted by a worse orientation perception. In addition, double dissociations were found: there were patients with selective deficits in 'mid-range’ visual functions without higher-order visual deficits and vice versa.

First, deficits in “mid-range” visual functions are very prevalent. Since we found no strong patterns of co-occurrences, we suggest that an assessment of deficits at this level of visual processing requires screening the full range of visual functions. Second, the relationship between mid-range visual tasks and higher-order visual cognitive tasks is weak. Finally, our findings are not supportive of the hierarchical, two-pathway model but more in line with an alternative patchwork model.

Social cognition refers to processing, analyzing and understanding information about emotions and social situations. Many studies indicate a frequent deficit of these functions in people with tumors of the cerebellum. Visual search is an important attention process prior to information processing. It also mediates the relationship between cognitive function (attention) and social cognition. There are numerous data showing that disorders of various aspects of attention are fairly common in patients with tumors of the cerebellum. The question arises whether there is any relationship between these functions. The purpose of this study was to find out if there is a relationship between visual search performance and the ability to recognize emotions.

The study included 19 patients with the cerebello-pontine angle (CPA) tumors (mean age = 38.84, SD = 14.27; 10 women and 9 men) and 19 healthy controls (mean age 38.26, SD = 10.40; 10 women and 9 men). The research group consisted of patients from the Department of Neurosurgery, UCK Medical University of Warsaw, the control group was healthy. The groups did not differ demographically. At the beginning, the respondents completed a questionnaire in which they were asked about demographic data and health status. Then, a series of 40 boards presenting the letters T in two colors, blue and orange, scattered in different planes was presented. The letters were right or upside down. The test person’s task was to find and click the correctly positioned orange T letter as quickly as possible. Then, a series of 56 photos of faces representing seven different emotions was presented (happiness, anger, sadness, surprise, disgust, fear and a neutral face). The test person’s task was to decide which of the emotions mentioned under the photo were presented by the presented face.

The results indicated that patients with tumors in the CPA area had a longer mean reaction time and lower accuracy when performing visual searches than subjects from the control group. Likewise, there were longer times and lower accuracy in the emotional recognition task. Moreover, in the group of patients with CPA tumor, the response time during visual search was negatively associated with the correctness of the response in visual search (p = -0.57, p <0.05). There were also negative correlations between the reaction time and the correctness of recognizing particular emotional states: anger (p = -0.48, p <0.05), disgust (p = -0.62, p <0.01) and neutral (p = -0.64, p <0.01). The correctness of answers in visual search correlated positively with the accuracy of emotion recognition (p = 0.72, p <0.01). None of the above-mentioned relationships were found in the control group.

The obtained results indicate a relationship between the quality of visual attention and the ability to recognize emotions in people with cerebellar lesions. In order to better understand this phenomenon, it is necessary to continue research in this field.

Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) commonly show deficits on tests of visuospatial functioning. The Identi-Fi is a new measure of visual organization and recognition composed of two components. The Visual Recognition (VR) subtest asks persons to identify an object that has been broken its pieces and rearranged, akin to the Hooper Visual Organization Test, but using updated and colorful pictures. The Visual Matching (VM) subtest involves showing the same stimuli, but the examinee must select the correct response from among five choices (1 correct and 4 foils), placing greater demand on visuospatial discrimination. Together, the two subtests comprise the Visual Organization Index (VOI), reflecting overall visual processing and organization ability. The present study examined performance on the Identi-Fi in patients with PD and its association with other aspects of cognition.

Participants were 23 patients with PD (95% male; mean age = 69.7 years [SD = 7.8], range = 47-79) and 12 patients with cognitive concerns (CC) who were intact on neuropsychological testing (excluding consideration of Identi-Fi scores; 50% male, mean age = 71.08 [SD = 6.27], range = 60-78) seen for a neuropsychological evaluation at a large Northeastern medical center. As part of a larger battery, patients completed the Identi-Fi, Trail Making Test (TMT), Category Fluency, Test of Premorbid Functioning (TOPF), and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test, Revised (BVMT-R).

The PD group performed significantly worse than the CC group on VR and VM, as well as VOI, of the Identi-Fi (p < .001). Within the PD group, poorer VR, VM, and VOI performance was associated with lower scores on the TOPF (p < .05), BVMT-R learning (p < .05) and delayed recall (p < .05), as well as TMT Parts A and B (p < .05). VR was significantly correlated with Category Fluency (p < .05), while a trend was seen for the association between VOI and Category Fluency (p = .094).

Identi-Fi performance was worse in the PD group than the CC group, which is consistent with prior research indicating that visuospatial processing is often abnormal in patients with PD. Furthermore, findings indicate that poorer performance on the Identi-Fi in the PD group is associated with poorer cognitive functioning in other domains (i.e., visuospatial learning and memory, processing speed, cognitive flexibility, and semantic fluency), as well as lower premorbid intellectual functioning. While these findings suggest that the Identi-Fi is useful in identifying visuospatial dysfunction in PD, findings should be interpreted with caution given the small sample sizes and uneven gender distribution

Periventricular nodular heterotopia (PVNH) is a malformation of cortical development (MCD) characterized by aggregates of gray matter adjacent to the lateral ventricular walls. Clinical presentation is heterogeneous with higher rates of seizures and reading impairments typically in the setting of average IQ (Felker et al. 2011). The majority of neuropsychological inquiry has focused on reading fluency, though a single case study showed a neurocognitive profile consistent with nonverbal learning deficits in a 7-year old boy with suspected autosomal dominant bilateral heterotopia (McCann et al., 2008). Given the periventricular focus and potential for unilateral presentations, non-linguistic neurocognitive sequelae may be expected in cases affecting the non-dominant hemisphere, yet this remains largely unexplored. Surgical ablation by laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is increasingly used for epilepsy management in PVNH (Thompson et al., 2016, Whiting et al. 2020). However, there are no reported studies exploring cognitive outcomes following LITT of focal PVNH.

A 46-year-old, right handed, Black female with 16 years of education presented for management of medically refractory epilepsy. Epilepsy monitoring captured intermittent slow waves in the right temporal lobe, interictal polyspikes in the right temporal lobe, and three epileptic events all emanating from the right temporal lobe. MRI showed extensive migrational anomalies involving the right hemisphere posteriorly consistent with PVNH with no associated mesial temporal sclerosis. Pre-surgical neuropsychological evaluation showed a significant split in IQ, with verbal IQ = 99 and performance IQ = 76. Testing indicated circumscribed deficits in visuoperceptual judgement, visuoconstruction, visuospatial reasoning, non-verbal recall, and several executive weaknesses in the context of otherwise average neurocognitive functioning. Fine motor speed was impaired bilaterally. Her profile was suggestive of non-dominant fronto-parieto-temporal dysfunction, concordant with the remainder of her work-up. By history she reported longstanding academic weaknesses in math and organization with strong verbal and reading abilities.

The patient underwent partial LITT of right PVNH sparing areas involved in visual function. At 6-month follow-up she was seizure free (Engel outcome 1A). Post-surgical neuropsychological evaluation showed reliable improvements in perceptual reasoning, aspects of learning/memory, and verbal naming. Visuoconstruction remained impaired but qualitatively improved. She also reported subjective experience of improved mental clarity and was applying for jobs after regaining driving privileges.

This case demonstrates symptoms and history concerning for a nonverbal learning disorder in an adult woman with epilepsy secondary to right hemisphere PVNH and underscores the importance of exploring the range of neurocognitive profiles in MCD. Her notable neurocognitive and functional improvements following surgical ablation and seizure freedom suggest a possible release of function in the absence of inhibitory neurophysiological influences. This raises interesting questions about the endurance of her developmental profile. This case report contributes to our understanding of neuroanatomical correlates of neurocognitive and neurodevelopmental presentations. Future investigations should explore neuropsychological changes following LITT for PVNH.

Lower levels of social support in persons with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) are associated with myriad poor outcomes including worse mental health, lower quality of life, and reduced motor function (Kever et al., 2021). Social support has also been associated with physical pain (Alphonsus et al., 2021) and sleep disturbance (Harris et al., 2020) in PwMS. Pain is one of the most common symptoms of MS (Valentine et al., 2022) and is also known to be related to sleep disturbance (Neau et al., 2012). With these considerations in mind, the goal of the current study was to examine social support as a possible moderator in the relationship between pain and sleep quality in PwMS.

This cross-sectional study included 91 PwMS (females = 76). A neuropsychological battery and psychosocial questionnaires were administered. For sleep quality a composite was created from the sleep and rest scale of the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP), sleep-related items on the Multiple Sclerosis-Symptom Severity Scale (MS-SSS) (i.e., sleeping too much or sleep disturbance, fatigue or tiredness, and not sleeping enough), and an item from the Sleep Habits Questionnaire (SHQ) ("How many nights on average are you troubled by disturbed sleep?"). This composite (a = .76) has been used in prior research. Lower scores were indicative of worse sleep quality. Pain intensity and pain interference were measured using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). Pain intensity was calculated from four pain indices (i.e., pain at its worst in the last 24 hours, at its least in the last 24 hours, on average, and current pain at the time of the assessment) and pain interference was calculated from seven indices (i.e., general activity, mood, walking ability, normal work, relationships with others, sleep, and enjoyment of life). The Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ) measured average satisfaction with supports. A series of hierarchical linear regressions were conducted with the sleep quality index as the outcome variable and satisfaction with social supports, both indices of pain (intensity and interference), and their interactions as predictors. Then, simple effects tests were used to clarify the pattern of any significant interactions.

Regression analysis revealed that the interaction between pain interference and satisfaction with social support was significant (p = .034). Simple effects tests revealed that when satisfaction with social support was high, pain interference was associated with better sleep quality (p < .001). The interaction between pain intensity and satisfaction with social supports was also significant (p = .014). Simple effects test revealed that at high levels of satisfaction with social supports, pain intensity was associated with better sleep quality (p < .001).

Satisfaction with social support moderated the relationship between pain interference and pain intensity on sleep quality in PwMS. Specifically, high satisfaction with social support buffers against the negative effects of pain interference and pain intensity on sleep quality in PwMS. This provides evidence that interventions aimed at increasing social supports in PwMS may lead improvements in sleep quality and reduce the impact of pain on sleep quality.

Due to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), it is not uncommon for patients to struggle with cognitive tasks involving figure copying. However, figure copying requires involvement from multiple other domains, including visuospatial and frontal-executive abilities. Less clear is whether figure copying performance, as measured by the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF), is more affected by visuospatial or frontal-executive compromise in patients with AD. This study aims to discover whether performance on the ROCF varies more with executive or visuospatial abilities in patients with AD.

A total of 156 patients (79 women, M age = 77.82, M education = 14.21) diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) participated in comprehensive neuropsychological assessment as part of outpatient neurology evaluations. In addition to the ROCF Copy trial, participants completed measures of visuospatial function (WAIS-IV Block Design & Picture Completion) and frontalexecutive functioning (Trails B, DKEFS Inhibition, WAIS-IV Similarities).

Canonical correlations revealed that ROCF Copy was significantly and positively related to the set of tests measuring visuospatial functioning, p < .001, and frontal-executive functioning, p < .001. Post-hoc bivariate correlations showed significant positive correlations between ROCF Copy and each visuospatial, ps < .01, and each frontalexecutive, ps < .04, measure. The relationship between ROCF Copy and each visuospatial measure was significantly stronger than the relationship between ROCF Copy and every frontal-executive measure except WAIS-IV Similarities, ps < .01. Those with visuospatial impairment (>1.5 SD) performed significantly worse on the ROCF Copy than those without impairment, p <.01. This difference persisted even when the effects of frontal-executive measures were controlled, p < .01. In contrast, those with frontal-executive impairment did not perform significantly worse on the ROCF Copy than those without frontal-executive impairment, p < .01. This did not change when controlling for the effects of visuospatial measures. Finally, the significant difference in ROCF Copy between those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and those with dementia (p < .01) disappeared when visuospatial measures were controlled, but it remained when frontal-executive measures were covariates, p < .03.

These findings suggest the figure copying of those with AD is significantly related to both their visuospatial and frontal-executive functioning, but the relationship with visuospatial functioning is stronger. Impairment in visuospatial, but not frontal-executive, functions, seems to have a negative impact on the figure copying of those with AD, and performance on visuospatial compared to frontal-executive measures better accounts for the weaker ROCF Copy scores among those with dementia relative to MCI. Therefore, the pathological effects of AD on figure copying appear to occur predominantly through visuospatial rather than frontalexecutive channels, and interventions for offsetting decline in figure copying may be most effective when targeting visuospatial abilities, such as visual perception and visual construction.

“Brain fog” is one of the most common consequences of developing COVID-19. The available research focuses mainly on the decline in overall cognitive performance. Much less papers refers to the evaluation of particular cognitive domains, and when it does, it focuses particularly on attention and memory disorders. The available data on the effects of COVID-19 infection on visuospatial functions is sparse, so the aim of this study was to investigate the level of visuospatial functioning in adults who have a history of COVID-19 infection. It was also intended to explore whether there is a protective effect of vaccination on the cognitive functioning after COVID-19.

The group included sixty volunteers (age: M = 40.12, SD = 16.78; education: M = 12.95 SD = 2.25; sex: M = 20, F = 40) - thirty seven with a history of COVID-19 and twenty three who were never infected with SARS-COV-2. Of those with a history of COVID-19, twenty-four were vaccinated at the time of the disease, and thirteen were not. Subjects from individual groups did not differ demographically. Participants were examined with a set of neuropsychological tests to assess: a) general cognitive functioning - Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), b) attention - d2 Test of Attention, memory - Rey-Osterieth Complex Figure - delayed recall, and c) visuospatial functions - Rey-Osterieth Complex Figure - copy, Block Design - subtest of WAIS-R and three experimental tasks consisting of: incomplete pictures, rotating puzzles, counting cubes in a 3D tower.

Subjects who had a history of COVID-19 achieved significantly lower scores in the MoCA test (p = 0.033) compared to those who did not suffer from COVID-19. They also needed more time in mental rotation task (p = 0,04). Statistically significant differences were also found in the d2 Test of Attention GP score (p = 0.001). Moreover, in group of adults who had a history of COVID-19, statistically significant differences were found between the vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects. It turned out that those who were vaccinated during their illness performed significantly better than those who were unvaccinated in the following cognitive domains: attention (d2 Test of Attention) and visuospatial functions (Rey-Osterieth Complex Figure test - copy, Block Design from WAIS-R, as well as experimental trials: incomplete pictures, rotating puzzles, counting cubes).

Among adults who have been infected with COVID-19, there is a decrease in general cognitive performance, but also in individual cognitive abilities, including visuospatial functions. Vaccination significantly reduces the risk of cognitive impairment.

Neurofilament light chain (NfL), a plasma-based biomarker for neurodegeneration, is a promising marker for early Alzheimer disease (AD) detection in individuals at increased risk. We previously reported that Presenilin1 (PSEN1) E280A carriers have increased levels of plasma NfL relative to non-carrier family members twenty years before the onset of clinical symptoms. Abstract reasoning is one of the first cognitive abilities to deteriorate in AD. Here, we examined whether levels of plasma NfL were associated with non-verbal abstract reasoning performance in non-demented PSEN1-E280A carriers and non-carriers.

A total of 798 members of the Colombian kindred with the PSEN1 E280A mutation (462 cognitively-unimpaired and 336 non-carriers; mean age= 34.02 (10.53), mean education= 8.23(4.60), 57% females and 43% males) were included in the study. Participants completed the Raven’s Progressive Matrices (RPM), Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), and underwent blood sampling. Plasma NfL concentrations were measured with a single molecule array (Simoa) method. Mann-Whitney U test and education-adjusted Spearman partial correlation were used to examine group differences and associations between abstract reasoning performance and NfL levels.

Non-carriers were older (p<.001) and had higher levels of education than carriers (p=.025). Compared to non-carriers, carriers had higher levels of NfL (p=.014), lower performance on the MMSE (p<.001) and on the RPM (p=.001). In the whole sample, performance on the RPM was significantly associated with age (r= -.144, p<.001), and MMSE score (r=.198, p<.001). In carriers only, performance on the RPM was negatively associated with NfL levels (r=-.121, p=.009). This association was not significant in non-carriers.

Our findings support the hypothesis that plasma NfL levels may be indicators of disease progression and early cognitive dysfunction in autosomal dominant AD. Future work with NfL, abstract reasoning and memory with larger samples across the preclinical/prodromal spectrum will allow a more comprehensive examination of these associations.

22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) and Williams syndrome (WS) are common neurogenetic microdeletion syndromes. The aim of the present study was to compare the neuropsychiatric and neurocognitive phenotypes of 22q11.2DS and WS.

Forty-five individuals with 22q11.2DS, 24 with WS, 22 with idiopathic developmental disability (DD) and 22 typically developing (TD) controls were compared for the rates of psychiatric disorders as well as cognitive executive and visuospatial functions.

We found that while anxiety, mood and disruptive disorders had an equally high prevalence among individuals with 22q11.2DS, WS and DDs, the 22q11.2DS group had the highest rates of psychotic disorders and the WS group had the highest rates of specific phobia. We also found that the WS group demonstrated more severe impairments in both executive and visuospatial functions than the other groups. WS and 22q11.2DS subjects had worse Performance-IQ than Verbal-IQ, a feature typical of non-verbal learning disorders.

These findings offer a wide perspective on unique versus common phenotypes in 22q11.2DS and WS.