Daily Functioning and Information-Processing Skills Among Persons With Schizophrenia

Daily Functioning and Information-Processing Skills Among Persons With Schizophrenia

Whereas previous research has focused on the link between (mental and physical) workload and task performance, less is known about the intervening mechanisms influencing this relationship. In the present study, we test the moderating roles of daily recovery and total sleep time in the relationship between work pressure and daily task performance. Using performance and recovery theories, we hypothesized that (a) work pressure relates positively to daily task performance, and that both (b) daily recovery in the form of psychological detachment and relaxation, and (c) total sleep time independently enhance this relationship. Our hypotheses were tested in a 30-day diary study with 110 officer cadets on a cross-Atlantic voyage on a Naval sail ship. The results of multilevel modeling lend support to all three hypotheses. Taken together, our findings suggest that recovery and sleep duration between shifts play a key role in the relationship between daily work pressure and task performance. We discuss the implications of these findings for the stressor-detachment model.

Older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) often experience difficulty completing multi-step tasks such as meal preparation. Existing assistive technologies typically provide step-by-step guidance without determining when assistance is actually needed, which risks undermining the autonomy of the user if intervention is not necessary. Thus, we present a framework for detecting moments when a user requires assistance during a meal preparation task. Using a location-based state representation, we classify three error types observed in a real-world study with older adults: visiting irrelevant locations, retrieving incorrect items, and overlooking necessary items. Our method leverages LLMs to interpret each state, identifies when assistance is required, and provides specific suggestions to resume progression. We evaluate the approach on a synthetic dataset with systematically injected errors and a real-world meal preparation sequence of making a banana split. Our results demonstrate that our method achieves F1 scores of 0.80 and 1.00 in real-world data for the two most common error types. These findings highlight the potential for this method to support timely interventions in assistive systems that promote independence in daily living activities.

Introduction Metacognition is defined as the process of regulating behavior and having self-perception of own performance. An application of video modeling (VM) was used as a technological solution for assessing self-perception in daily situations among typical adolescents, compared to parental reports and to an objective performance-based assessment. Method One hundred and three adolescents (30 boys, 73 girls, mean age =15.1, SD = 1.9), viewed five clusters of videotaped scenarios of teen actors performing daily activities entailing strategy use. Half of the scenarios were classified as “Type A” indicating a more organized approach to accomplishing a task, the other half were “Type B” scenarios indicated a less organized approach to accomplishing the same tasks. Participants were asked to choose the scenarios that best represent their own daily performance using the VM application. The participants then completed the WCPA, an executive function (EF) performance-based assessment. Their parents completed the BRIEF as an indication of EF behaviors in the home environment. Results 46% of the adolescents associated their performance with a less organized approach yet parental reports indicated adaptive daily performance and their ability to complete the WCPA was as correct as it was for the 56% of participants who associated their performance with a more organized approach. Conclusions Unexpectedly, the participants who associated their ability as less organized presented successful behaviors in the home environment and successfully performed the WCPA. Therapists should be aware that clients may achieve success in daily tasks even though they may cope with cognitive challenges in unexpected ways. Implication for rehabilitation Therapists may expect adolescent clients to approach tasks in a variety of ways, using different strategies for coping with everyday cognitive challenge. Therapists need to acknowledge that there is no ideal strategy that provides a solution for all individuals. Mediating a guided discovery of strategies through use of VM technology may customize intervention for each client’s needs, assuring a client-centered approach and may encourage a collaboration of therapists and clients in search for the strategies that work best for them.

Identification of Functional Limitations and Discharge Destination in Patients With COVID-19

People are known to naturally segment meaningful units of activity into individual events. Though an influential body of work demonstrating the relationship between event perception and human performance in daily tasks does exist, less consideration has been given to ideas that event perception can shape driving performance. This paper offers an introduction to event perception for the transportation community with a study measuring drivers’ perceptions for events in simulated driving scenes. The results demonstrate consistency in drivers’ perceptions of events and that specific features of a driving scene can predict event boundaries. This study also provides some evidence for a relationship between event perception and driving skill as measured by driving frequency. Discussed are the study’s implications to predict and shape the cognitive performance of drivers, along with potential benefits for driver training programs.

Contribution of distinctive outcome measures to the assessment of anxiety in the open field: A meta-analysis of factors mediating open-field test variability in rodent models of anxiety.

The aim of this study was to describe the dimensions of Turkish Gazis' transition to civilian life, to explore the main factors that make this process easier or more difficult, and their psychological integration, that is, specifically, satisfaction with their life. To that end, this study examined the impact of combat-related traumatic stressor (e.g., functional limitations), personal resources (social support, sense of mastery), perceived mental health on Turkish veterans' adjustment into civilian life and their psychological integration. The data was collected in Turkey in 2015 by the researcher with the help of Türkiye Harp Malulü Gaziler Şehit Dul ve Yetimler Derneği, a non-profit veteran organization. The final sample included 240 Turkish Gazis. The level of perceived transition into civilian life and veterans' life satisfaction were the dependent variables in this study. A series of ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was conducted. Hayes' PROCESS macro 3.0 was utilized to measure the direct, indirect and moderation effects of variables on transition and life satisfaction among Gazis. The results demonstrated that perceived available social support, perceived sense of mastery and mental health partially mediated the association between Gazis' functional limitations and transition into civilian life and they fully mediated the association between functional limitations and life satisfaction. Among control variables, only household income predicted transition into civilian life, and place of residence was the only significant predictor of life satisfaction. However, neither social support nor mastery had moderation effect on the relationship between functional limitations and dependent variables. Policy implications and suggestions for further studies are also provided at the end of the dissertation.

ObjectiveA test battery that measures cognitive function impairment in patients with schizophrenia, the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS), has been translated into various languages and validated. This study aimed to test the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the BACS in a Chinese-speaking population.MethodsAll participants in this study (66 patients with schizophrenia [mean age: 41.2 years, 57.6% male] and 66 age- and sex-matched healthy controls) were from Taiwan and assessed using the BACS and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Performance-Based Skills Assessment, Brief Version (UPSA-B). Thirty-eight of the 66 patients with schizophrenia received a reassessment using the BACS.ResultsThe BACS had good test–retest reliability, and all BACS subtests had statistically insignificant practice effects. Principal components analysis demonstrated that a one-factor solution best fits our dataset (60.9% of the variance). In both patients and controls, the BACS composite scores were positively correlated with all BACS subscales (P<0.001) and UPSA-B scales (P<0.001). Furthermore, all BACS subtests (verbal memory, working memory, motor speed, verbal fluency, attention and processing speed, and executive function) significantly differentiated patients with schizophrenia from healthy controls (P<0.001), and the BACS composite score had the best discriminative validity (P<0.001).ConclusionThe Chinese version of the BACS exhibits satisfactory psychometric properties, including high test–retest reliability, high internal consistency, acceptable concurrent validity, and good discriminant validity. We suggest that the BACS is a reliable and practical tool for assessing cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia.

In order to provide the best preventative and rehabilitative care, it is necessary to understand the reasons why older adults limit their performance of daily activities. PURPOSE: The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the primary causes of functional limitations as reported by a subsample (n = 32) of older, long-term colorectal cancer survivors who participated in a survey study (N = 938). METHODS: The subsample (mean age = 78 yrs) came into the laboratory for objective function testing using the Continuous-Scale Physical Function Test and balance testing using a balance platform, and also completed the SF-36 function subscale and a newly developed scale, the Physical Function Perception Scale (PFPS). The PFPS assesses functional limitations for 20 activities and asks individuals what they perceive to be the cause of their limitations (e.g., health, pain, fatigue, balance problems or other), and was administered as part of the survey battery in an attempt to validate this measure for future use with older adults. RESULTS: Results indicated that there was a significant correlation (r = -0.82) between the total score of the PFPS and the SF-36 function subscale. In addition, eight specific PFPS items were found to correlate significantly (p < 0.05) with the function tests. Pain (43%) was reported to be the most common reason for functional limitations among this subsample followed by balance problems (23%), fatigue (22%), health (< 1%) and other reasons (< 1%). CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the primary causes of functional limitations as measured by the PFPS are pain, balance problems, and fatigue. The PFPS demonstrates good construct validity, and may provide information regarding self-reported causes of functional impairment. Supported by the Aging and Cancer Program, University of Wisconsin Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center through NIH grant numbers P20 CA103697 and P30 CA14520

Chronic pain has a high impact on individuals and society. (Cost-)effective interventions are desperately needed. We evaluated short- and long-term effects of the Bern Ambulatory Interprofessional Rehabilitation (BAI-Reha) for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. We analysed data prospectively collected from patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain before and after BAI-Reha (at 12 weeks, 1 year and 2 years) using linear mixed-models and logistic generalised estimating equations. The first thirty consecutive patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, aged between 20 and 73 years (mean 44.83, standard deviation 12.57 years) were included. We found significant changes over time compared with baseline for return to work (p <0.001), Euro quality of life visual analogue scale score (p = 0.026), burden of suffering (p = 0.001), self-rated and observed quality of daily life task motor performance (p <0.001 and p = 0.012, respectively) but not for pain intensity (p = 0.16) and observed quality of daily life task process performance (p = 0.28). At the first postintervention visit we found significant differences compared with baseline in return to work (odds ratio 5.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.80-15.39], burden of suffering (mean difference 5.26, 95% CI 2.09-8.44], self-rated quality (mean difference 2.31, 95% CI 1.57-3.05) and satisfaction (mean difference 2.80, 95% CI 1.95-3.66) with daily life task performance, and observed quality with daily life task motor performance (mean difference 0.31, 95% CI 0.02-0.60). This study confirms earlier data and supports the effectiveness of interprofessional rehabilitation for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Approximately half of people on maintenance hemodialysis exhibited impairment on a standardized, performance-based assessment of functional cognition. The functional cognitive test correlated strongly with a traditional cognitive screening tool but weakly with self-report functional assessments. Older age and ethnic minority were significant predictors of functional cognitive impairment. People on maintenance hemodialysis are often unable to perform everyday activities without assistance. The extent to which their functional limitations are related to cognitive impairment is unclear. Our primary aim was to estimate the proportion of people on maintenance hemodialysis who demonstrate impairment on a standardized, performance-based test of functional cognition. We conducted a quantitative descriptive, cross-sectional study across two dialysis centers in Toronto, Canada. We administered a functional cognitive assessment (University of California San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment-Brief [UPSA-B]), a cognitive screening tool (Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA]), and two self-report measures of everyday functioning (Barthel Index and Lawton-Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living [IADL] scale) during the first hour of a hemodialysis session. We calculated the proportion of participants with UPSA-B scores indicating functional cognitive impairment (<78). We also calculated correlations between the UPSA-B and the MoCA, Barthel Index, and Lawton-Brody IADL scale and used multivariable logistic regression to explore predictors of impairment on the UPSA-B. One hundred and five people on hemodialysis consented to participate. The mean age was 68 (12) years, 71% were male, and the median dialysis vintage was 36 months. 56 (54%) participants displayed impairment on the UPSA-B (95% confidence interval [CI], 44% to 64%). There was a strong correlation between the UPSA-B and the MoCA (r=0.67, P < 0.001) and weak correlations between the UPSA-B and the Barthel Index (r=0.38, P < 0.001) and Lawton-Brody IADL scale (r=0.39, P < 0.001). Older age (odds ratio, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.20) and ethnicity (odds ratio, 17.8; 95% CI, 4.71 to 67.50) were significant predictors of impairment on the UPSA-B in multivariable modeling. Functional cognitive impairment appears to be common in people on hemodialysis. Future research should investigate approaches such as cognitive rehabilitation to support everyday functioning in this population.

BackgroundOlder adults with cognitive impairments will benefit from multicomponent interventions include cognitive training, exercise, and lifestyle modifications. However, many existing digital therapeutic products predominantly focus on computerized cognitive training, lacking effective approaches to other crucial interventions. We proposed a multidimensional comprehensive cognitive intervention training program – Brain and Body Rehab Training (BBRT), which integrates multidomain cognitive training with physical‐cognitive training and multidimensional lifestyle interventions and developed the digital therapeutic product – BBRT‐online based on WeChat mini‐program. The present study was to assess the effectiveness of BBRT in older adults with subjective memory impairments.MethodUsing the WeChat mini‐program platform, we developed the BBRT‐online digital therapeutics product. Prior to the intervention, users undergo Game‐based Cognitive Assessment – Three‐Minute Version (G3). Subsequently, an individualized training program is assigned consisting of completing four to five daily tasks, including cognitive training, physical‐cognitive training, lifestyle interventions, chronic disease/diet/sleep/emotion management, and traditional Chinese medicine non‐pharmacological interventions among others (Figure 1). The intervention duration ranges 15‐25 minutes per day, and task difficulty is dynamically adjusted based on individual task performance and periodic cognitive assessments. Additionally, remote online administration services and internet communities are strongly recommended to offer emotional support and enhance intervention effectiveness. Sixty older adults reporting subjective memory complaints were recruited, with 30 assigned to receive BBRT‐online training and the remainder serving as the control group. Cognitive function was evaluated using the G3 at baseline and three months later. T‐tests were conducted to assess the impact of BBRT‐online on cognitive function.ResultAt baseline, there was no significant difference in G3 scores between the BBRT group (53.5±10.87) and the control group (55.1±11.77, p = 0.583). Following three months of intervention, the BBRT group demonstrated a significantly higher G3 score (61.5±6.85) compared to baseline (p&lt;0.001, Figure 2). Conversely, no such difference was observed in the control group (55.5 ± 9.34, p = 0.911).ConclusionThe BBRT digital therapeutics enabled cognitive assessment and individualized cognitive interventions and significantly improved cognitive function in older adults. Further studies are required to evaluate its effectiveness.

Objective: There are few direct comparisons between early-onset Alzheimer9s disease (EAD) and late-onset Alzheimer9s disease (LAD) patients. This study aims to compare patients with EAD vs. LAD on neuropsychological and neuroimaging measures and identify distinguishing features between the two. Background EAD, with an onset before age 65, has been overshadowed by the more common LAD. Yet, the literature suggest that there are clinical differences between these two forms of the disease. Patients with EAD patients may have more focal neurocognitive deficits and a more aggressive and symmetrical progression than patients with LAD. Design/Methods: Participants included 21 EAD and 24 LAD patients who met criteria for clinically probable AD and had comparable levels of disease progression and severity. The patients underwent neurological examinations, neuropsychological testing, and resting state FDG-PET of the brain. Demographic neuropsychological, neuropsychiatric, and functional variables were compared using Chi Square analyses, independent samples t-tests, and ANCOVA. FDG-PET data was compared using voxel-based analysis with statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Results: There were significant neuropsychological differences between the two groups: the EAD patients were more impaired in response-inhibition and auditory working memory (measures of executive functions), whereas the LAD patients were more impaired on confrontation naming. Caregivers reported greater prevalence of irritability and anxiety in EAD vs. LAD, and EAD patients needed more assistance with initiating grooming, meal preparation, writing, and dressing tasks compared to LAD patients. On SPM PET analyses, the EAD group had greater focal hypometabolism in both frontal and parietal regions compared to LAD. Conclusions: This study shows clear differences between EAD and LAD. Patients with EAD have more focal and frontal dysfunction when compared to LAD patients, and this is reflected in executive function disturbances. Although these findings are partially at variance with prior research, they confirm the presence of clinical differences between these two forms of AD. Supported by: Merit Review, Veterans Affairs. Disclosure: Dr. Kaiser has nothing to disclose. Dr. Liu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Melrose has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jimenez has nothing to disclose. Dr. Monserratt has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sultzer has received personal compensation for activities with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Forest Laboratories, Inc., Pfizer Inc, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Abbott Laboratories, Inc., and AstraZeneca. Dr. Sultzer has received research support from Pfizer Inc, and Forest Laboratories. Dr. Mendez has nothing to disclose.

Capturing cognitive changes in multiple sclerosis by performance-based functional and virtual reality assessments.