Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 489 in total

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  1. Fulltext Charles Bonnet syndrome: a precursor to Alzheimer disease
    Janaki, V., Rosdinom, R., Hatta, S.
    Medicine & Health, 2015;10(2):146-150.
    MyJurnal
    This case report highlights Charles Bonnet Syndrome as a precursor to the development of major neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly with visual impairment and the possible differential diagnoses that could be considered. We report a case of an elderly lady with no known previous medical illness, who presented for the first time to the psychiatric clinic with complex visual hallucinations consisting of well-formed images of people and inanimate objects of long standing duration of 18 months. About a year later, there was emergence of cognitive impairment which progressed gradually accompanied by other psychotic symptoms such as auditory hallucinations and persecutory delusions. There were no affective or obsessional symptoms. She had poor insight towards her illness. Ophthalmological examination revealed significant reduction in bilateral visual acuity. Otherwise, physical examination was unremarkable. She received inpatient treatment with Rivastigmine patch 4.6 mg/24 hours and Zydis 10 mg noctre. Her cognitive impairment and psychotic symptoms gradually improved over a period of 2 weeks upon commencing treatment and on subsequent follow-ups at outpatient clinic. She had also gained some insight into her illness. Charles Bonnet syndrome could be a possible precipitating factor and precursor to the development of major neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly with visual impairment which is often overlooked or misdiagnosed and hence under reported.
    Study site: Psychiatric clinic, Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition Disorders
  2. Fulltext Anaemia and cognitive function among Chinese elderly in old folks homes
    Suzana Shahar, Lee X.K., Siti Balkis Budin, Mokhtar Abu Bakar, Nor Aini Umar, Junara Mohd Halim
    Jurnal Sains Kesihatan Malaysia, 2005;3(1):1-15.
    MyJurnal
    The relationship between anaemia and cognitive function was evaluated among 35 Chinese elderly (24 men and 11 women) aged 60 to 85 years (mean age 70.1 ± 6.7 years) from five old folks homes in Klang Valley. They were interviewed to obtain information on social and health status, habitual dietary intake and cognitive function. Hodkinson's Abbreviated Mental Test was used to measure the cognitive function. Haematological indices which included Full Blood Count (FBC), serum iron, serum ferritin, Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC), serum folate and serum cobalamine (vitamin B12) were measured using an automated analyzer. Anthropometric measurements and clinical signs of anaemia were also examined. The findings indicated that the prevalence of anaemia as assessed using haemoglobin alone was 22.9%, while iron deficiency anaemia based on low serum iron, microcytic and hypochromic criterion was detected among 5.7% of the sample. Subclinical folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies were diagnosed among 34.3% and 8.6% of the subjects. However, there was no occurrence of megaloblastic anaemia. There was a positive correlation between cognitive score with mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) (r=0.547, p
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition
  3. Fulltext Development of clinical pathway for Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia to quantify cost of age-related cognitive disorders in Malaysia
    Syed Mohamed Aljunid, Namaitijiang Maimaiti, Zafar Ahmed, Amrizal Muhammad Nur, Norashidah Mohamed Nor, Normazwana Ismail, et al.
    Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2014;14(3):0-0.
    MyJurnal
    As the Malaysian population ages, the burden of age-related cognitive disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease will increase concomitantly. This is one of the sub-study under a research project titled by quantify the cost of age-related cognitive impairment in Malaysia, which was undertaken to develop a clinical pathway for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Dementia. The clinical pathway (CP) will be used to support the costing studies of MCI and Dementia. An expert group discussion (EGD) was conducted among selected experts from six (6) government hospitals from different states of Malaysia, Ministry of Health, and United Nations University, International Institute for Global Health, UKM and UPM. The expert group includes psychiatrist specialists and public health medicine specialists. A total of 15 participants took part in the EGD. The group was presented with the different approach in managing MCI and Dementia. Finally, the group came to the consensus agreement on the most appropriate and efficient ways of managing the two conditions. In the EGD, an operational definition for MCI and Dementia was agreed upon and a pathway was developed for the usual practice in the Malaysian health system. A typical case used, as a reference is a 60-year-old patient referred to a memory clinic with complaint of “forgetfulness”. After three outpatient visits in the clinic, the diagnosis of MCI and Dementia could be clinically established. The clinical pathways covered all active clinical and non-clinical management of the patient over a period of one year. The experts identified the additional resources required to manage these patients for the whole spectrum of lifetime based on the expected life expectancy. The Clinical pathway (CP) for MCI and Dementia was successfully developed in EGD with strong support from practitioners in the health system. The findings will help the researchers to identify all-important clinical activities and interventions that will be included in the costing study.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition
  4. Fulltext Factorial validation of “how i think” questionnaire among male inmates in Malaysia
    Mohammad Rahim, K., Nadiah Syariani, M.S., Azizah, O., Geshina Ayu, M.S.
    Malaysian Journal of Psychiatry, 2013;22(2):19-31.
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: Cognitive distortion seems to be a potential force in shaping criminals and antisocial behaviour within an individual. Unfortunately there is no valid Malay psychometric instrument available to measure cognitive distortion in Malaysian settings, especially in prisons. There is an urgent need to have a valid and reliable Malay psychometric instrument to assess the cognitive distortion among Malaysians. Therefore, the present study aimed to validate “How I Think” Questionnaire into the Malay language (henceforth, HIT-M). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among inmates (n= 150) incarcerated within two prisons in Peninsular Malaysia. The validation study commenced with Forward-Backward translations and was followed by content and face validities. Later, construct validity was
    performed via Exploratory Factor Analysis using Principal Component Analysis. Varimax rotation was applied in order to optimize the factor loadings on the extracted component. Finally, reliability testing was
    performed to determine the internal consistency of the items which was done using Cronbach Alpha coefficient method (α). Findings: Initial factor loadings resulted in 11 factors with a total variance of 74.1%. Next, factor analysis was repeated by extracting the items into a four factor structure parallel to the theoretical construct. Items with factor loadings above 0.40 were retained as acceptable factor loadings. After considering factor loadings, item correlation and content of items, the final version of HIT-M consisted of 24 items. The internal consistency of HIT-M was 0.90 which was considered good. Conclusion: HIT-M is a valid and reliable psychometric instrument to measure and assess cognitive distortion among Malaysians.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition
  5. Fulltext Older adults with cognitive impairment living in Malaysian nursing homes - have we met their needs?
    Azlina Wati Nikmat, Syed Hassan Almashoor
    ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, 2015;16(1):84-94.
    MyJurnal
    Objective: Transition of people with cognitive impairment to nursing home is often an option when their disease progresses and their needs become too complex. The aim of this study was to identify the needs of people with cognitive impairment living in nursing homes and factors associated with higher level of needs.
    Methods: A cross sectional survey involving 110 respondents with cognitive impairment aged ≥60 was carried out. Respondents were assessed using the Short Mini Mental State Examination (SMMSE), Camberwell Assessment of Needs for Elderly (CANE), Barthel Index (BI), Friendship Scale (FS), and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS).
    Results: Respondents with cognitive impairment had a mean of 2.81 (SD=3.72) for unmet needs and 11.95 (SD=3.14) for the met needs, with higher mean suggesting a better outcome measure. The most frequent unmet needs were intimate relationships (66.40%), company (40.00%), and daytime activity (34.50%). Unmet needs were significantly associated with depression, social isolation, and cognitive impairment.
    Conclusion: Most of the needs of people with cognitive impairment in nursing homes were fulfilled, except in social area. Therefore, attention should be given in improving the care system, which emphasizes collaboration between people with cognitive impairment, family members, community, and government in helping to reduce the risk of loneliness in those with cognitive impairment.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition Disorders
  6. Fulltext Depression and loneliness/social isolation among patients with cognitive impairment in nursing home
    Azlina Wati Nikmat, Nurul Azreen Hashim, Siti Aminah Omar, Salmi Razali
    ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, 2015;16(2):222-231.
    MyJurnal
    The evaluation of mental health among older adults has become increasingly important in health and social science. Although this has been studied in developed countries, there are also issues for emerging countries, which have aging populations. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of loneliness/social isolation and late-life depression among older adults with cognitive impairment living in institutional care. Methods: A cross sectional survey involving residents of four government nursing homes in West Malaysia was carried out. All residents aged 60 years old and above with cognitive impairment were included in the study. Participants were assessed by the Short Mini Mental State Examination (SMMSE), Friendship Scale (FS) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Results: The prevalence of depression and loneliness/social isolation were 85.5% and 95.5% respectively. Depression was strongly associated with age, education attainment, financial conditions, health, cognitive impairment and loneliness/social isolation. Loneliness/social isolation was strongly associated to depression and relationship satisfaction with children. Conclusion: There was high prevalence of depression and loneliness/social isolation among older adults with cognitive impairment living in institutional care. Depression and loneliness/social isolation are interrelated and influence each other and these problems need to be addressed to improve their quality of life.
    Device, Questionnaire & Scale: Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE-12); Friendship Scale (FS); Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15)
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition Disorders
  7. Fulltext A brief review on multimedia-based health education applications: current trend and future potential
    Lua Pei Lin, Nor Khaira Wahida Khairuzzaman
    Education in Medicine Journal, 2014;6(4):0-0.
    MyJurnal
    Objective: This paper intended to review and analyse relevant published articles which have studied or applied multimedia as the educational medium for patients or their caregivers. The benefits were also recorded.

    Method: The search was performed across the databases EBSCO Host, Springer Link, Science Direct and PubMed for relevant studies. Only full-text articles using English as a language of publication were included. Eligible articles included any usage of multimedia intervention as health information delivery for patients or caregivers. No restriction for publication date was set to permit a wider capture.

    Result: Twenty articles met the inclusion criteria involving a total of 1,797 respondents. The studies have been conducted in various countries mostly in North American region followed by Europe. The focused disease for each study varied from asthma to cognitive impairment but most were on cancer. Problems in caregiving and depression were also reported. The overall data suggested that the multimedia-based education had generated modest improvement in self-efficacy, patient satisfaction, coping skills, and perceptions of social support. Cost benefits were also recorded. Additionally, patients’ behavioural changes were well maintained in parallel with the intervention programme.

    Conclusion: The evolution of multimedia as an educational medium is growing and its incorporation has benefited health education management especially in improving patients’ and their family’s psychosocial outcomes. However, due to still limited scientific evidence to support its value, further multimedia-based interventions should be developed out of the need to share information and knowledge among patients as well as caregivers.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition Disorders
  8. Fulltext Depression and quality of life among patients with hematological cancer in a Malaysian hospital
    Priscilla, D., Hamidin, A., Azhar, M. Z., Noorjan, K. O. N., Salmiah, M. S., Bahariah, K.
    Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2011;7(1):65-74.
    MyJurnal
    Objective: To determine the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) in hematological cancer patients and to investigate MDD with quality of life. Methods: The research, which uses a cross sectional design, has been carried out at Ampang Hospital, Kuala Lumpur. The hospital is a tertiary referral center for cancer cases that include non-Hodgkin lymphoma, acute myelogenous leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma and other hematological cancers. In total, 105 patients with hematological malignancies were included in the study. This study employed the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview for diagnosis of MDD, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for symptom severity of depression and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality Of Life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) to assess the quality of life of the respondents. Result: The response rate was 83.3%. The prevalence of MDD was 24.8% (n=26) with the majority of cases classified as moderately severe depression (38.5%). About 92.3% (n=24) of depressed hematological cancer patients were diagnosed with a current episode of MDD. The depressed patients also had significantly reduced quality of life in physical, role, emotional, cognitive and social domains (p
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition
  9. Fulltext Working Memory From the Psychological and Neurosciences Perspectives: A Review
    Chai WJ, Abd Hamid AI, Abdullah JM
    Front Psychol, 2018;9:401.
    PMID: 29636715 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00401
    Since the concept of working memory was introduced over 50 years ago, different schools of thought have offered different definitions for working memory based on the various cognitive domains that it encompasses. The general consensus regarding working memory supports the idea that working memory is extensively involved in goal-directed behaviors in which information must be retained and manipulated to ensure successful task execution. Before the emergence of other competing models, the concept of working memory was described by the multicomponent working memory model proposed by Baddeley and Hitch. In the present article, the authors provide an overview of several working memory-relevant studies in order to harmonize the findings of working memory from the neurosciences and psychological standpoints, especially after citing evidence from past studies of healthy, aging, diseased, and/or lesioned brains. In particular, the theoretical framework behind working memory, in which the related domains that are considered to play a part in different frameworks (such as memory's capacity limit and temporary storage) are presented and discussed. From the neuroscience perspective, it has been established that working memory activates the fronto-parietal brain regions, including the prefrontal, cingulate, and parietal cortices. Recent studies have subsequently implicated the roles of subcortical regions (such as the midbrain and cerebellum) in working memory. Aging also appears to have modulatory effects on working memory; age interactions with emotion, caffeine and hormones appear to affect working memory performances at the neurobiological level. Moreover, working memory deficits are apparent in older individuals, who are susceptible to cognitive deterioration. Another younger population with working memory impairment consists of those with mental, developmental, and/or neurological disorders such as major depressive disorder and others. A less coherent and organized neural pattern has been consistently reported in these disadvantaged groups. Working memory of patients with traumatic brain injury was similarly affected and shown to have unusual neural activity (hyper- or hypoactivation) as a general observation. Decoding the underlying neural mechanisms of working memory helps support the current theoretical understandings concerning working memory, and at the same time provides insights into rehabilitation programs that target working memory impairments from neurophysiological or psychological aspects.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition
  10. Fulltext Neuropsychological Consequences for Survivors of Childhood Brain Tumor in Malaysia
    Alias H, Lau SCD, Schuitema I, de Sonneville LMJ
    Front Psychol, 2018;9:703.
    PMID: 29896137 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00703
    Objective: This study aimed to evaluate neuropsychological consequences in survivors of childhood brain tumor. Method: A case-control study was conducted over a period of 4 months in a tertiary referral center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fourteen survivors of childhood brain tumor aged 7-18 years, who were off-treatment for at least 1 year and were in remission, and 31 unrelated healthy controls were recruited. The median age at diagnosis was 8.20 years (range: 0.92-12.96 years). The diagnoses of brain tumors were medulloblastoma, germ cell tumor, pineocytoma, pilocystic astrocytoma, suprasellar germinoma, and ependymoma. Eleven survivors received central nervous system irradiation. Seven tasks were selected from the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks program to evaluate alertness (processing speed), and major aspects of executive functioning, such as working memory capacity, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and sustained attention. Speed, stability and accuracy of responses were the main outcome measures. Results: Survivors of childhood brain tumor showed statistically significant poorer performance on all tasks compared to healthy controls. Both processing speed and accuracy were impaired in the survivors, in particular under more complex task conditions. The survivors demonstrated deficits in alertness, sustained attention, working memory capacity, executive visuomotor control, and cognitive flexibility. Longer duration off treatment appeared to be correlated with poorer alertness, memory capacity, and inhibition. Conclusion: Survivors of childhood brain tumor in our center showed impaired neuropsychological functioning. Development of less toxic treatment protocols is important to prevent late effects of cognitive deficits in survivors of childhood brain tumor.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition
  11. Fulltext Mental Health Conceptualization and Resilience Factors in the Kalasha Youth: An Indigenous Ethnic and Religious Minority Community in Pakistan
    Choudhry FR, Khan TM, Park MS, Golden KJ
    Front Public Health, 2018;6:187.
    PMID: 30065918 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2018.00187
    The Kalasha are a religious, ethnic, and linguistic minority community in Pakistan. They are indigenous people living in remote valleys of the Hindu Kush Mountains in northern Pakistan, neighboring Afghanistan. The Kalasha are pastoral, as well as agricultural people to some extent, although they are increasingly facing pressures from globalization and social change, which may be influencing youth and community development. Their traditional world view dichotomizes and emphasizes on the division of the pure (Onjeshta) and the impure (Pragata). There remains a scarcity of literature on mental health and resilience of indigenous communities in South Asia and Pakistan generally, and the polytheistic Kalasha community specifically. Thus, the current study was conducted with the aim to explore the cultural protective factors (resilience) of the Kalasha youth (adolescents and emerging adults) and to explore their perceived etiological understandings and preferred interventions for mental health support systems. The theoretical framework of Bronfenbrenner's (1, 2) ecological systems model was used. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was conducted, considering the advantage of its idiographic approach and the "double hermeneutic" analytic process. This methodology was consistent with the aim to understand and make sense of mental health and resilience from the Kalasha indigenous perspective. A total of 12 in-depth interviews were conducted with adolescents and emerging adults (5 males, 7 females), along with ethnographic observations. The analysis revealed 3 superordinate themes of mental health perceptions and interventions, each with more specific emergent themes: (1) Psychological Resilience/Cultural Protective Factors Buffering Against Mental Health Problems (Intra-Communal Bonding & Sharing; Kalasha Festivals & Traditions; Purity Concept; Behavioral Practice of Happiness and Cognitive Patterns); (2) Perceived Causes of Mental Health Issues (Biological & Psychosocial; Supernatural & Spiritual; Environmental); and (3) Preferred Interventions [Shamanic Treatment; Ta'awiz (Amulets); Communal Sharing & Problem Solving; Medical Treatment; Herbal Methods]. The overall findings point to the need for developing culturally-sensitive and indigenous measures and therapeutic interventions. The findings highlighted the Kalasha cultural practices which may promote resilience. The findings also call for indigenous sources of knowledge to be considered when collaboratively designing public health programs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition
  12. Fulltext Proteome profiling in the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, and striatum of aging rat
    Hamezah HS, Durani LW, Yanagisawa D, Ibrahim NF, Aizat WM, Bellier JP, et al.
    Exp Gerontol, 2018 Oct 01;111:53-64.
    PMID: 29981398 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2018.07.002
    Decrease in multiple functions occurs in the brain with aging, all of which can contribute to age-related cognitive and locomotor impairments. Brain atrophy specifically in hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and striatum, can contribute to this age-associated decline in function. Our recent metabolomics analysis showed age-related changes in these brain regions. To further understand the aging processes, analysis using a proteomics approach was carried out. This study was conducted to identify proteome profiles in the hippocampus, mPFC, and striatum of 14-, 18-, 23-, and 27-month-old rats. Proteomics analysis using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q Exactive HF Orbitrap mass spectrometry identified 1074 proteins in the hippocampus, 871 proteins in the mPFC, and 241 proteins in the striatum. Of these proteins, 97 in the hippocampus, 25 in mPFC, and 5 in striatum were differentially expressed with age. The altered proteins were classified into three ontologies (cellular component, molecular function, and biological process) containing 44, 38, and 35 functional groups in the hippocampus, mPFC, and striatum, respectively. Most of these altered proteins participate in oxidative phosphorylation (e.g. cytochrome c oxidase and ATP synthase), glutathione metabolism (e.g. peroxiredoxins), or calcium signaling pathway (e.g. protein S100B and calmodulin). The most prominent changes were observed in the oldest animals. These results suggest that alterations in oxidative phosphorylation, glutathione metabolism, and calcium signaling pathway are involved in cognitive and locomotor impairments in aging.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition
  13. Fulltext Homonymous Hemianopia: A Rare Presentation of Secondary Central Nervous System Neurolymphomatosis
    Awis Qarni F, Tai E, Wh WH, Husin A
    Cureus, 2018 May 29;10(5):e2708.
    PMID: 30062082 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.2708
    Neurolymphomatosis is an atypical complication of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukaemia involving infiltration of neurotropic neoplastic cells in the central or peripheral nervous system. A 28-year-old Malay lady with background diffuse large B-cell lymphoma stage IV presented with left homonymous hemianopia associated with cognitive function deterioration. Her best corrected visual acuity was 6/9 in both eyes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed a lesion suggestive of secondary lymphomatous infiltration of the splenium of corpus callosum. The patient underwent chemotherapy, after which repeated MRI showed a reduction in the lesion size. Homonymous hemianopia is a rare presentation of secondary central nervous system neurolymphomatosis. A comprehensive history, physical examination, and radiological imaging are essential to establish the diagnosis in patients presenting with visual field defects.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition
  14. Fulltext What matters for life satisfaction among the oldest-old? Evidence from China
    Ng ST, Tey NP, Asadullah MN
    PLoS One, 2017;12(2):e0171799.
    PMID: 28187153 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171799
    OBJECTIVE: The world population is aging rapidly and the well-being of older people is of great interest. Therefore, this study investigates the determinants of life satisfaction among the oldest-old (i.e. individuals aged 80 or over) in China.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: We use the 2011/2012 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey data (n = 6530) for this paper. Logistic regression is used to analyse the effects of socio-demographic, economic, health, instrumental activities of daily living, family and community factors on life satisfaction and depression among the oldest-old in China.

    RESULTS: Our analysis confirms the significance of many factors affecting life satisfaction among the oldest-old in China. Factors that are correlated with life satisfaction include respondent's sex, education, place of residence, self-rated health status, cognitive ability (using mini mental state examination), regular physical examination, perceived relative economic status, access to social security provisions, commercialized insurances, living arrangements, and number of social services available in the community (p<0.05 for all these variables). Although life satisfaction is negatively associated with instrumental activities of daily living (β = -0.068, 95%CI = -.093-.043), and depression (β = -0.463, 95%CI = -.644-.282), the overall effect of self-rated health status is positive (p<0.001). This confirms the primacy of health as the determinant of well-being among the oldest-old.

    CONCLUSIONS: Majority of the oldest-old in China rated their life satisfaction as good or very good. Our findings show that health and economic status are by far the most significant predictors of life satisfaction. Our finding on the primacy of health and relative income as determinants of well-being among the oldest-old, and the greater influence of self-rated health status over objective health measures is consistent with the findings of many past studies. Our results suggest that efforts should be directed at enhancing family support as well as health and social service provisions in the community to improve life satisfaction of older people.

    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition
  15. Impulsiveness, postprandial blood glucose, and glucoregulation affect measures of behavioral flexibility
    Riby LM, Lai Teik Ong D, Azmie NBM, Ooi EL, Regina C, Yeo EKW, et al.
    Nutr Res, 2017 Dec;48:65-75.
    PMID: 29246282 DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2017.10.011
    Behavioral flexibility (BF) performance is influenced by both psychological and physiological factors. Recent evidence suggests that impulsivity and blood glucose can affect executive function, of which BF is a subdomain. Here, we hypothesized that impulsivity, fasting blood glucose (FBG), glucose changes (ie, glucoregulation) from postprandial blood glucose (PBG) following the intake of a 15-g glucose beverage could account for variability in BF performance. The Stroop Color-Word Test and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) were used as measures of BF, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) to quantify participants' impulsivity. In Study 1, neither impulsivity nor FBG could predict performance on the Stroop or the WCST. In Study 2, we tested whether blood glucose levels following the intake of a sugary drink, and absolute changes in glucose levels following the intake of the glucose beverage could better predict BF. Results showed that impulsivity and the difference in blood glucose between time 1 (postprandial) and time 2, but not blood glucose levels at time 2 per se could account for variation in performance on the WCST but not on the Stroop task. More specifically, lower impulsivity scores on the BIS-11, and smaller differences in blood glucose levels from time 1 to time 2 predicted a decrease in the number of total and perseverative errors on the WCST. Our results show that measures of impulsivity and glucoregulation can be used to predict BF. Importantly our data extend the work on glucose and cognition to a clinically relevant domain of cognition.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition
  16. Fulltext The Time Course of Dorsal and Rostral-Ventral Anterior Cingulate Cortex Activity in the Emotional Stroop Experiment Reveals Valence and Arousal Aberrant Modulation in Patients with Schizophrenia
    Feroz FS, Leicht G, Rauh J, Mulert C
    Brain Topogr, 2019 01;32(1):161-177.
    PMID: 30288663 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-018-0677-0
    This paper aims to investigate the temporal dynamics within the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and the rostral-ventral (rv) ACC during the interaction of emotional valence and arousal with cognitive control in patients with Schizophrenia (SZ). Although cognitive deficits in SZ are highly relevant and emotional disturbances are common, the temporal relationship of brain regions involved in the interaction of emotional and cognitive processing in SZ is yet to be determined. To address this issue, the reaction time (RT), event-related potential (ERP) and temporal dynamics of the dACC and rvACC activity were compared between SZ subjects and healthy controls (HC), using a modified emotional Stroop experiment (with factors namely congruence, arousal and valence). EEG was recorded with 64 channels and source localisation was performed using the sLORETA software package. We observed slower initial increase and lower peaks of time course activity within the dACC and rvACC in the SZ group. In this particular group, the dACC activity during late negativity was negatively correlated with a significantly higher RT in the high arousal conflict condition. In contrast to HC subjects, at the N450 window, there was no significant valence (ERP and rvACC ROI) modulation effect in the SZ subjects. Using high density EEG and source localisation, it was possible to distinguish various disturbances within the dACC and rvACC in patients with SZ, during emotion-cognition processing.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition
  17. Neural activation patterns and connectivity in visual attention during number and non-number processing: An ERP study using Ishihara pseudoisochromatic plates
    Al-Marri F, Reza F, Begum T, Hitam WHW, Jin GK, Xiang J
    J Integr Neurosci, 2018 Aug 15;17(3):257-269.
    PMID: 30338955 DOI: 10.31083/JIN-170058
    Visual cognitive function is important in the construction of executive function in daily life. Perception of visual number form (e.g. Arabic digits) and numerosity (numeric magnitude) is of interest to cognitive neuroscientists. Neural correlates and the functional measurement of number representations are complex events when their semantic categories are assimilated together with concepts of shape and color. Color perception can be processed further to modulate visual cognition. The Ishihara pseudoisochromatic plates are one of the best and most common screening tools for basic red-green color vision testing. However, there has been little study of visual cognitive function assessment using such pseudoisochromatic plates. 25 healthy normal trichromat volunteers were recruited and studied using a 128-sensor net to record event-related electroencephalogram. Subjects were asked to respond by pressing numbered buttons when they saw the number and non-number plates of the Ishihara color vision test. Amplitudes and latencies of N100 and P300 event related potential components were analyzed from 19 electrode sites in the international 10-20 system. A brain topographic map, cortical activation patterns, and Granger causation (effective connectivity) were analyzed from 128 electrode sites. No significant differences between N100 event related potential components for either stimulus indicates early selective attention processing was similar for number and non-number plate stimuli, but non-number plate stimuli evoked significantly higher amplitudes, longer latencies of the P300 event related potential component with a slower reaction time compared to number plate stimuli imply the allocation of attentional load was more in non-number plate processing. A different pattern of the asymmetric scalp voltage map was noticed for P300 components with a higher intensity in the left hemisphere for number plate tasks and higher intensity in the right hemisphere for non-number plate tasks. Asymmetric cortical activation and connectivity patterns revealed that number recognition occurred in the occipital and left frontal areas where as the consequence was limited to the occipital area during the non-number plate processing. Finally, results demonstrated that the visual recognition of numbers dissociates from the recognition of non-numbers at the level of defined neural networks. Number recognition was not only a process of visual perception and attention, but was also related to a higher level of cognitive function, that of language.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition
  18. Fulltext Group cognitive behavioural therapy (GCBT) versus group exposure and response prevention (GERP) for obsessive–compulsive disorder and comorbid depression: a clinical study in Iran
    Nasim Seyedsalehi, Rohany Nasir, Wan Shahrazad Wan Sulaiman, Ashkan Seyedsalehi, Sadaf Seyedsalehi
    ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, 2018;19(1):0-0.
    MyJurnal
    Objective: The objective of this study to assess the comparative effectiveness of exposure and response prevention (GERP) and cognitive-behaviour therapy (GCBT) in a group of Iranian patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and comorbid depression symptoms (CDS).

    Methods: Ninety OCD patients were selected (both genders, married or unmarried and ages from 18-65 years) using a non-probability sampling (availability sampling) procedure. The respondents subsequently sampled via cluster randomization into three equal groups: a control group (n = 30) that did not receive any treatment intervention during the study and two other groups who received 12 weeks of psychotherapy in the form of GERP (n=30) or GCBT (n=30). This study obtained the required data through a clinical interview with all participants based on the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders text revision (DSM-IV-TR). The statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), Bonferroni correction and Pearson correlations.

    Result: We found that GCBT and GERP are effective treatments for alleviating OCD symptoms among patients. The results demonstrated that OCD scores were significantly reduced among participants after receiving GCBT and GERP treatments, with mean (standard deviation, SD) changes of 0.829 (0.287) and 0.970 (0.258), respectively. The study measured CDS through the Persian-language version of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II-PERSIAN). The study further found a significant correlation between OCD and CDS. The findings suggested that GCBT and GERP improved comorbid depression symptoms (CDS) significantly with mean (SD) changes of 13.57 (3.92) and 12.85 (4.50) respectively.

    Conclusion: GCBT and GERP separately produced equivalent improvements for OCD and CDS.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition
  19. Fulltext Embelin Protects Against Acute Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizures and Positively Modulates Cognitive Function in Adult Zebrafish
    Kundap UP, Choo BKM, Kumari Y, Ahmed N, Othman IB, Shaikh MF
    Front Pharmacol, 2019;10:1249.
    PMID: 31708779 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01249
    Purpose of the research: Epilepsy is a continuous process of neurodegeneration categorized by an enduring tendency to generate uncontrolled electrical firing known as seizures causing involuntary movement all over the body. Cognitive impairment and behavioral disturbances are among the more alarming co-morbidities of epilepsy. Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) were found to be successful in controlling epilepsy but are reported to worsen cognitive status in patients. Embelin (EMB) is a benzoquinone derived from the plant Embelia ribes and is reported to have central nervous system (CNS) activity. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of EMB against pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced acute seizures and its associated cognitive dysfunction. This was done via docking studies as well as evaluating neurotransmitter and gene expression in the zebrafish brain. The principal results: Behavioral observations showed that EMB reduced epileptic seizures and the T-maze study revealed that EMB improved the cognitive function of the fish. The docking study of EMB showed a higher affinity toward gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAA) receptor as compared to the standard diazepam, raising the possibility of EMB working via the alpha subunit of the GABA receptor. EMB was found to modulate several genes, neurotransmitters, and also neuronal growth, all of which play an important role in improving cognitive status after epileptic seizures. Healthy zebrafish treated with EMB alone were found to have no behavioral and biochemical interference or side effects. The immunohistochemistry data suggested that EMB also promotes neuronal protection and neuronal migration in zebrafish brains. Major Conclusions: It was perceived that EMB suppresses seizure-like behavior via GABAA receptor pathway and has a positive impact on cognitive functions. The observed effect was supported by docking study, T-maze behavior, neurotransmitter and gene expression levels, and immunohistology study. The apparatus such as the T-maze and seizure scoring behavior tank were found to be a straightforward technique to score seizure and test learning ability after acute epileptic seizures. These research findings suggest that EMB could be a promising molecule for epilepsy induced learning and memory dysfunction.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition
  20. Fulltext The socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with quality of life among patients with brain pathology in a tertiary referral hospital in Malaysia
    Das, Priscilla, Naing, NyiNyi, Nadiah Wan-Arfah, Naing Noor Jan, K.O., Yee, Cheng Kueh, Rasalingam, Kantha
    JUMMEC, 2019;22(1):50-57.
    MyJurnal
    Background: This paper investigates the quality of life of brain pathology patients in relation to their sociodemographic
    profiles and clinical factors.

    Methods: This is a cross-sectional study done at a tertiary referral hospital in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 100
    patients were recruited in the study after excluding 22 patients who did not met the exclusion criteria. The
    European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life (EORTC QLQ-C30) self-administered
    questionnaire was utilized in the study. The Global health status/QoL, Physical functioning, Role functioning,
    Emotional functioning, Cognitive functioning, Social functioning, Fatigue, Nausea and vomiting, Pain, Dyspnoea,
    Insomnia, Appetite loss, Constipation, Diarrhoea, and Financial difficulties were assessed in this study.

    Results: The most severe impairment in functioning was with lowest score of cognitive functioning (mean
    score=61) and the most severe symptom was fatigue (mean score=45). There were significant differences in
    quality of life scores in different socio-demographic groupsand types of brain pathology patients. Patients aged
    below 40 years old or less had better physical functioning, less symptoms of fatigue and insomnia compared
    to patients who were more than 40 years old. Male patients faced more financial difficulties compared with
    female patients. Patients who were married had increased insomnia compared to the single patients. Employed
    patients had better physical functioning and less financial difficulties compared with patients who were
    unemployed. Patients who earned >RM 2500.00 monthly had better physical functioning, less symptoms of pain and less financial difficulties than patients who earned ≤RM 2500.00. Patients with qualifications lower
    than SPM tended to face more financial difficulties compared to patients with qualifications of SPM or higher.
    Meningioma patients had better social functioning compared with others, whereas Carvenoma patients had
    better physical functioning. Meningioma patients had more symptoms of insomnia compared with other
    patients. All the findings were with p value less than 0.05.

    Conclusion: The quality of life of patients with brain pathology is affected by socio-demographic factors and
    clinical diagnoses. Efforts should be made to improve the overall quality of life of these patients.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cognition
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