Association study of the functional Catechol-O-Methyltranferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism on executive cognitive function in a Thai sample.

Cardiovascular health profile is favorably associated with brain health and neurocognitive development in adolescents

Correlation of prepulse inhibition and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in schizophrenia and controls: Effects of smoking status

The frontal assessment battery (FAB) reveals neurocognitive dysfunction in substance-dependent individuals in distinct executive domains: Abstract reasoning, motor programming, and cognitive flexibility

Theoretical background: Premature birth is in the focus of research interest as it is the most common perinatal risk endangering the development of children. However, the implications of prematurity for the long-term outcome are far from fully understood. Compromised development of cognitive and executive functions may be underlying academic underachievement in school-age preterm children. Aim: to assess the school-age outcomes of Hungarian VLBW/ELBW preterm children in basic cognitive abilities and executive function as compared to typically developing, full-term children as well as to investigate the background of individual differences. Method: 54 preterm children (27 ELBW, 27 VLBW) and a matched group of 27 healthy full-term children, aged 9–10 years, were tested using the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children (WISC-IV), the Corsi Block Tapping Task (digital version) for measuring spatial–visual working memory and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST, digital version) for testing cognitive flexibility. As background variables perinatal and socioeconomic factors were entered in the analysis. Results: In each measure of the WISC-IV all three groups performed in the normal range. The ELBW children displayed certain developmental lags. They scored significantly lower in the Full-Scale IQ and the Processing Speed than the other two groups, and in the Perceptual Reasoning and one measure of spatial–visual working memory as compared to the non-risk comparison group. Perinatal complications and maternal education were related to the outcome. Conclusions: With the improved perinatal care preterm children have fair chances for good developmental outcomes. However, the individual variations are great and various perinatal and social factors may hamper the development of cognitive and executive functions. A birthweight below 1000 grams is a notable risk, particularly if combined with perinatal complications.

PurposeThe primary purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two different exercise training programs on executive cognitive functions and functional mobility in older adults. A secondary purpose was to explore the potential mediators of training effects on executive function and functional mobility with particular reference to physical fitness gains.MethodsA sample of 42 healthy community dwelling adults aged 65 to 75 years participated twice weekly for 3 months in either: (1) multicomponent training, prioritizing neuromuscular coordination, balance, agility, and cognitive executive control; or (2) progressive resistance training for strength conditioning. Participants were tested at baseline (T1), following a 4-week control period (T2), and finally at postintervention (T3) for executive function (inhibition and cognitive flexibility) and functional mobility (maximal walking speed with and without additional task requirements). Cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness were also assessed as potential mediators.ResultsIndices of inhibition, the functions involved in the deliberate withholding of prepotent or automatic responses, and measures of functional mobility improved after the intervention, independent of training type. Mediation analysis suggested that different mechanisms underlie the effects of multicomponent and progressive resistance training. While multicomponent training seemed to directly affect inhibitory capacity, resistance training seemed to affect it indirectly through gains in muscular strength. Physical fitness and executive function variables did not mediate functional mobility changes.ConclusionThese results confirm that physical training benefits executive function and suggest that different training types might lead to such benefits through different pathways. Both types of training also promoted functional mobility in older adulthood; however, neither inhibitory capacity, nor muscular strength gains seemed to explain functional mobility outcomes.

Background: Hypertension one of the main risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and premature death worldwide. Researches indicate different cognitive activities and executive functions in cardiovascular and hypertension patients compared to non-afflicted people. Objectives: Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on executive functions in patients with hypertension. Materials & Methods: The present study was a randomized clinical trial based on the pre-test, post-test, follow-up design. The statistical population consisted of all the people with hypertension who referred to Heshmat Heart Hospital in Rasht city, Iran, in 2021. Thirty-four qualified volunteers were included in the study by purposive sampling method and randomly assigned to two groups of MBSR and control. Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (computer version) were the instrument employed in this research; and MBSR sessions were held for 2 months (8 sessions, one 120-minute session each week). The research data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc test. Results: In the pre-test design, there wasn't a difference in the completed categories and perseverative errors, between the MBSR group (2±0.485 and 30.06±6.60) and the control group (2.06±0.659 and 29.88±9.4. In the post-test design, a significant difference in the completed categories and perseverative errors was found between the MBSR group (3.29±0.848 and 20.94±5.71) and the control group (2.18±0.636 and 29.94±8.70); which implies the MBSR group outperformed the control group in Improving executive functions of patients with hypertension. Finally, at the follow-up, all changes were still stable. Conclusions: MBSR was effective on executive functions of patients with hypertension. Therefore, it is suggested that the mentioned intervention be used in medical centres to improve the cognitive activities of patients with hypertension, so that its positive results include the condition of these patients.

ObjectiveEmotions are known to play a vital role in the lives of children; however, not all children possess an equal understanding of emotions. This suggests the influence of cognitive abilities and functions on the development of emotion understanding during different developmental phases. This study aims to explore the link between non-verbal intelligence and emotion understanding in children. Also, it examines a mediation model to assess the extent to which cognitive functions mediate this link. Finally, it aims to compare the strength of mediation paths between boys and girls through testing a moderated mediation model.MethodsTo test the research hypotheses, a sample of 272 children (M = 63.40 months, SD = 3.74) including 81 boys and 138 girls was recruited. The parents of the remaining 53 children chose not to specify their children's gender. Participants responded to scales on non-verbal intelligence, executive cognitive functions and emotion understanding.ResultsThe results suggested that there is a statistically positive relationship between non-verbal intelligence and emotion understanding. Also, the executive cognitive functions were positively associated with both non-verbal intelligence and emotion understanding. The results of multiple mediation analysis revealed that only the inhibition mediated the link between non-verbal intelligence and emotion understanding.ConclusionThese findings suggest that not all executive cognitive functions can explain the underlying mechanism between non-verbal intelligence and emotion understanding, however, inhibition emerged as the stronger mediator in this relationship.

Objective To investigate the correlation between total MRI cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) score and overall cognitive functions and different cognitive domains. Methods Form January 2017 to June 2018, subjects aged 45-80 years and without dementia were recruited from the Neurology clinic, wards, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School and communities. The overall cognitive function, executive function, processing speed, working memory, language function, visual-spatial ability, and depression were assessed with the related scale in all subjects. 3.0 T MRI (T1 -weighted imaging, T2-weighted imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging, liquid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence, and susceptibility-weighted imaging) was used to identify white matter hyperintensities, lacunar foci, microbleeds, and enlargement of perivascular space. The total SVD score was calculated. Results A total of 217 subjects were enrolled, including 24 normal middle-aged and elderly, 65 at risk of cerebrovascular disease, 128 with SVD changes in imaging findings. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that after adjusting for possible confounding factors, the total SVD score and overall cognitive function (β=-0.105, 95% confidence interval[CI]-0.201--0.010; P=0.030), executive function (β=-0.135, 95% CI -0.216--0.054; P=0.001), and language function (β=-0.095, 95% CI -0.182--0.008; P=0.032) showed a significantly independent negative correlation. Conclusion The total SVD score was negatively correlated with the overall cognitive function, executive function, and impairment of language function. Key words: Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases; Cognition Disorders; Cognition; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Neuroimaging

Aim. This study aimed to investigate the effects of integrating Fitlight visual feedback into high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on training load, reaction performance, and executive cognitive function in healthy young adults. It was hypothesized that Fitlight-enhanced HIIT would improve neuromotor and cognitive outcomes without significantly altering cardiovascular or subjective training load Material and method . Twenty -four physically active participants (12 males, 12 females; aged 19 - 23 years) completed two HIIT sessions in a randomized crossover design: a control session (standard HIIT) and an experimental session (HIIT augmented with Fitlight visual cues) Each session consisted of eight 30-second maximal effort intervals with 30 seconds of rest. Training load was monitored using smartwatch heart rate recordings and Borg CR-10 rate of perceived exertion (RPE). Performance metrics included Fitlight-derived reaction time (RT) and movement time (MT). Cognitive function was assessed pre- and post-intervention using the Go/No-Go test (inhibitory control) and Trail Making Test-B (TMT-B, executive function). Results . Fitlight-enhanced HIIT significantly reduced RT (0.36 to 0.33 s, p = 0.001, d = 0.74) and MT (1.20 to 1.12 s, p = 0.013, d = 0.55), and improved TMT-B completion time (75.5 to 69.9 s, p = 0.048, d = 0.43). No significant differences were observed for Go/No-Go accuracy, heart rate, or RPE. Conclusions. These findings indicate that Fitlight-integrated HIIT enhances neuromotor speed and executive function without increasing physiological load, supporting its utility as a time-efficient training modality in both athletic and cognitive-performance contexts.

Self-report of Cognitive Functioning and Learning in Schizophrenia

Objective To investigate the changes of the N-acetylaspartate(NAA) concentrations in different brain regions and executive function skills in alcohol dependence, and to study the relationship between NAA levels and cognitive functions in subjects. Methods 49 male, non-smoking, alcohol-dependent patients and 45 healthy control subjects were measured with Proton 1H Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Results Alcoholics had lower NAA/Cr ratios in prefrontal grey matter(GM) (1.59±0.13) and white matter(WM) (1.58±0.12) regions and performed poorly on executive function tests compared to controls (P<0.001). NAA/Cr in left prefrontal regions positively correlated with certain parameters of EF testing (number of correct responses 30.37±3.73, perseverative errors 11.49±3.39, random errors 6.18±2.64, categories completed 2.08±1.59)in alcoholic group (P<0.01). NAA/Cr in prefrontal WM regions correlated with certain parameters of EF testing in alcoholic group (number of correct responses r=0.379, categories completed r=0.433, P<0.05). Conclusion Long-term, chronic alcoholism will damage neuronal viability and cognitive functions, which suggests that NAA concentrations can reflect the extent of damage of cognitive functions with decreased levels reflecting neuronal loss. Key words: Alcohol dependence; Magnetic resonance spectroscopy; N-acetylaspartate; Executive function

P. R. Giancola (2000) postulated executive cognitive functioning (ECF) as a mechanism to explain the association between alcohol consumption and aggression. Alcohol intoxication disrupts ECF, which heightens the probability of aggression. This is most likely to occur in individuals with low ECF. These propositions are found lacking. The disruption in ECF by alcohol would be greatest among individuals with high ECF, and low-ECF individuals presumably would not experience much further disruption as result of low baseline functioning. These 2 premises appear to be inconsistent. The concept of ECF suffers from the problems associated with hypothetical constructs. Patterns of aggression emerge in young children before the development of cognitive skills associated with ECF, and the association of aggression and low ECF occur as results of environmental risk factors. ECF is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition to explain aggression following alcohol drinking.

BackgroundCognitive deficits such as poor memory, the inability to concentrate, deficits in abstract reasoning, attention and set-shifting flexibility have been reported in middle-aged women. It has been suggested that cognitive decline may be due to several factors which include hormonal changes, individual differences, normal processes of aging and age-related changes in dopaminergic neurotransmission. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), a common functional polymorphism, has been related to executive performance in young healthy volunteers, old subjects and schizophrenia patients. The effect of this polymorphism on cognitive function in middle-aged healthy women is not well known. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether measures of executive function, sustained attention, selective attention and verbal fluency would be different depending on the COMT genotype and task demand.MethodWe genotyped 74 middle-aged healthy women (48 to 65 years old) for the COMT Val158Met polymorphism. We analyzed the effects of this polymorphism on executive functions (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test), selective attention (Stroop test), sustained attention (Continuous Performance Test) and word generation (Verbal Fluency test), which are cognitive functions that involve the frontal lobe.ResultsThere were 27 women with the Val/Val COMT genotype, 15 with the Met/Met genotype, and 32 with the Val/Met genotype. Women carriers of the Val/Val genotype performed better in executive functions, as indicated by a lower number of errors committed in comparison with the Met/Met or Val/Met groups. The correct responses on selective attention were higher in the Val/Val group, and the number of errors committed was higher in the Met/Met group during the incongruence trial in comparison with the Val/Val group. Performance on sustained attention and the number of words generated did not show significant differences between the three genotypes.ConclusionThese findings indicate that middle-aged women carriers of the Val158 allele, associated with high-activity COMT, showed significant advantage over Met allele in executive processes and cognitive flexibility. These results may help to explain, at least in part, individual differences in cognitive decline in middle-aged women with dopamine-related genes.

Strength training has been reported as a potentially useful exercise to improve psychological aspects in the elderly, but its effects remain controversial. This study investigated the effectiveness of strength training conducted twice a week for 12 weeks for improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and executive cognitive function. The study was a single-blind randomized controlled trial with assessments before and after intervention. HRQOL and executive function were assessed using the SF-36 Health Status Survey and a computerized neuro-cognitive assessment using task-switch reaction time trials, respectively. Subjects comprised 119 participants > or =65 years old, randomized to either strength training (n=65) or health education classes (controls, n=54). The strength training program was designed to strengthen the large muscle groups most important for functional activities and to improve balance. The effects of the intervention on the eight dimensions of the SF-36 in the control and training groups were analyzed. Only the mental health scale of the SF-36 was significantly improved for the training group compared with controls after 12 weeks. Task-switch reaction time and correct response rate remained unchanged. Short-term strength training might have modest positive effects on HRQOL, although this training period may not be sufficient to affect executive function in relatively healthy older people.

Memory and frontal lobe functions; possible relations with dopamine D2 receptors in the hippocampus