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Subject: search.filters.subject.Cognitive function

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    Higher socioeconomic deprivation in areas predicts cognitive decline in New Zealanders without cognitive impairment
    (Springer Nature Limited, 2024-11-16) Röhr S; Gibson RH; Alpass FM
    Previous studies identified individual-level socioeconomic factors as key determinants of cognitive health. This study investigated the effect of area-based socioeconomic deprivation on cognitive outcomes in midlife to early late-life New Zealanders without cognitive impairment at baseline. Data stemmed from a subsample of the New Zealand Health, Work and Retirement Study, a cohort study on ageing, who completed face-to-face interviews and were reassessed two years later. Cognitive functioning was measured using Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised, adapted for culturally acceptable use in Aotearoa New Zealand. Area-based socioeconomic deprivation was assessed using the New Zealand Deprivation Index (NZDep2006). Linear mixed-effects models analysed the association between area-based socioeconomic deprivation and cognitive outcomes. The analysis included 783 participants without cognitive impairment at baseline (54.7% female, mean age 62.7 years, 25.0% Māori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand). There was an association between higher area-based socioeconomic deprivation and lower cognitive functioning (B = -0.08, 95%CI: -0.15;-0.01; p = .050) and cognitive decline (B = -0.12, 95%CI: -0.20;-0.04, p = .013) over two years, while controlling for covariates. The findings emphasise the importance of considering neighbourhood characteristics and broader socioeconomic factors in strategies aimed at mitigating cognitive health disparities and reducing the impact of dementia in disadvantaged communities.
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    Memory-related subjective cognitive symptoms in the adult population: prevalence and associated factors – results of the LIFE-Adult-Study
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2018-05-21) Luck T; Roehr S; Rodriguez FS; Schroeter ML; Witte AV; Hinz A; Mehnert A; Engel C; Loeffler M; Thiery J; Villringer A; Riedel-Heller SG
    Background Subjectively perceived memory problems (memory-related Subjective Cognitive Symptoms/SCS) can be an indicator of a pre-prodromal or prodromal stage of a neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s disease. We therefore sought to provide detailed empirical information on memory-related SCS in the dementia-free adult population including information on prevalence rates, associated factors and others. Methods We studied 8834 participants (40–79 years) of the population-based LIFE-Adult-Study. Weighted prevalence rates with confidence intervals (95%-CI) were calculated. Associations of memory-related SCS with participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, physical and mental comorbidity, and cognitive performance (Verbal Fluency Test Animals, Trail-Making-Test, CERAD Wordlist tests) were analyzed. Results Prevalence of total memory-related SCS was 53.0% (95%-CI = 51.9–54.0): 26.0% (95%-CI = 25.1–27.0) of the population had a subtype without related concerns, 23.6% (95%-CI = 22.7–24.5) a subtype with some related concerns, and 3.3% (95%-CI = 2.9–3.7) a subtype with strong related concerns. Report of memory-related SCS was unrelated to participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, physical comorbidity (except history of stroke), depressive symptomatology, and anxiety. Adults with and without memory-related SCS showed no significant difference in cognitive performance. About one fifth (18.1%) of the participants with memory-related SCS stated that they did consult/want to consult a physician because of their experienced memory problems. Conclusions Memory-related SCS are very common and unspecific in the non-demented adult population aged 40–79 years. Nonetheless, a substantial proportion of this population has concerns related to experienced memory problems and/or seeks help. Already available information on additional features associated with a higher likelihood of developing dementia in people with SCS may help clinicians to decide who should be monitored more closely.
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    Neuropsychological assessment of cognitive functioning in individuals with expressive disabilities in addition to traumatic brain injuries : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2000) Babbage, Duncan Ross
    This research programme focussed on individuals who have severe physical and sensory disabilities that interfere with standard neuropsychological assessment. Current assessment guidelines when working with people who have such disabilities were examined, which revealed that while various suggestions have been made, much work is required to empirically evaluate the most appropriate procedures for conducting such assessments. The current research was an attempt to further examine these issues. The first study, a retrospective review of a cohort of individuals referred for neuropsychological assessment after traumatic brain injury, was conducted to determine the focus population for the research. Based on this review, the research was limited to individuals who (in addition to traumatic brain injuries) had severe expressive disabilities. That meant they were unable to speak, write, draw, or manipulate test materials-the common modalities for making responses in neuropsychological assessment of cognitive functioning. This review also examined the types of adaptations to standard measures that were required in order to assess such individuals. The research questions related to whether a comprehensive assessment across the domains of cognitive functioning could be undertaken with people in this group. Therefore, comprehensive cognitive assessment had to be defined. The next study therefore examined the issue of what constitutes a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment of cognitive functioning, by evaluating the domains into which researchers divided cognition in their journal articles. All articles published in four neuropsychology journals over a 12-month period were reviewed. Based on this information, a formulation of the domains of cognitive functioning was developed. In the third study was a survey of neuropsychological practitioners, in which a case vignette of an individual which severe expressive disabilities was presented. Respondents were asked to discuss the assessment strategies they would use in such a case. In addition, the survey examined whether clinicians divided the assessment of cognitive functioning into the same domains identified in the earlier journal review. The case vignette discussions provided suggestions regarding assessment strategies for people with expressive disabilities. The survey provided support for the earlier formulation of the domains of cognitive functioning developed from the research review. This formulation was used, therefore, in selecting the domains to be assessed in the final clinical phase of the research. Based on these studies, a group of measures was selected and adapted that would be suitable for the assessment of cognitive functioning in individuals with expressive disabilities. These measures covered a broad range of cognitive domains allowing for as comprehensive an assessment as possible, while not requiring an examinee to speak, write, draw, or manipulate test materials. Rather, an examinee was required only to select from multiple-choice answers by pointing, or in some cases to spell out answers on an alphabet board. These measures were administered to three groups of participants: individuals with expressive disabilities in addition to traumatic brain injuries, individuals with traumatic brain injury alone, and a healthy normative group. To examine the psychometric properties of these measures, a group of comparison measures, administered in their standard formats, was also included in the protocol. These tests were selected to measure the same constructs as the adapted measures, and were used to provide a benchmark against which performance on the new measures could be evaluated. As these comparison measures were administered in standard format, they could only be administered to the non-disabled participants. To evaluate further the adapted measures, some participants were seen for follow-up assessments two to four weeks after their initial assessments, and the adapted measures were re-administered. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the measures were investigated, and concurrent, construct and discriminant validity were also examined. The measures in this protocol were generally found to be reliable and valid neuropsychological assessment instruments and the results provided support for the types of adaptations trialed in this research. The performances of individuals with expressive disabilities were examined closely, which indicated that people with these disabilities were able to manage the task requirements of the adapted tests and that the tests were generally of appropriate difficulty. Qualitative aspects of conducting assessments with people with expressive disabilities were also discussed. Based on the performance of individuals in the normative group, preliminary norms were presented as both standard scores and percentile scores. These data were presented so that clinicians using the adapted measures described in this research could compare examinees to a reference group. However, the adaptations could not be considered fully standardised measures and the limitations of both the tests and the norms were discussed. The final section reviewed the aims that were outlined at the beginning of this research programme. Each of the 20 objectives of the research were met. The research provided clinically relevant information about working with people with severe expressive disabilities, was conducted in an ethical manner, which considered carefully the specific needs of participants, particularly those with severe disabilities, and did so in a manner that maintained scientific rigour and objectivity.
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    Detection of behavioural and cognitive dysfunction in mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA affected dogs : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Veterinary Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2009) Erceg, Vicki Heather
    This study investigated whether behavioural and cognitive dysfunction caused by mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) IIIA can be detected early in affected dogs’ lives, and to describe the behaviours of these dogs. No other scientific papers have been published on this topic and the population of dogs examined in this study are the only MPS IIIA affected dog colony available worldwide for study. Three main tests were performed on the population of MPS IIIA affected dogs. Physical behavioural assessment tests were performed at six and eight weeks of age and from twenty weeks of age a cognitive function task was taught and then tested to measure the dogs’ performance. A previously validated questionnaire, the canine behavioural assessment and research questionnaire (C-BARQ), was completed at three, six and twelve months of age. The researchers in these studies were blinded to the MPS IIIA status of the dogs examined. The behaviours shown by the MPS IIIA puppies at six and eight weeks of age were not significantly different from the behaviours of the unaffected puppies. This finding supported the research of other MPS IIIA studies and suggests that clinical behavioural changes do not occur at such a young age. The behaviours shown by the MPS IIIA affected puppies appeared to be normal puppy behaviours similar to those described in previous research on puppies. The C-BARQ measured the behaviours shown by the MPS IIIA affected and unaffected dogs. Most of the MPS IIIA affected dogs’ behaviours were not significantly different from the unaffected dogs’ behaviours, but MPS IIIA affected dogs did retrieve significantly more than unaffected dogs at three months of age, and were less distractible at twelve months of age. It would be worth investigating these findings further to decide whether it suggests a subtle alteration in brain functioning. The cognitive function test showed a significant decrease in the success of the MPS IIIA affected dogs in the final maze test. This is the first study on dogs affected with MPS IIIA to find a decline in cognitive function before the occurrence of cerebellar clinical signs and this new knowledge may lead to future developments measuring therapy response and disease progression. The T-shaped maze testing may be valuable in future research on cognitive function in dogs with other diseases such as epilepsy. Thus this thesis provides valuable information on canine MPS IIIA and provides a foundation for future disease investigations.