1,721,048 research outputs found
Neuropsychology of sleep and breathing: the effects of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on cognition
Full text linkObstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is a common sleep disorder that has drawn the attention of neuropsychologists because of its possible deleterious effects on cognition. Several are the causes of the impairments this syndrome can produce, like fragmentation of sleep, intermittent nocturnal hypoxia and daytime sleepiness. Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) may also play a role in OSAS and it has been suggested as a trigger of cognitive impairment and of dementia-like patterns.
This dissertation begins with a critical review of the literature, with the aim to provide the current overview of the main controversies about OSAS and its effects on brain and cognition. Three experimental studies aiming to shed light on the nature of the relationship between OSAS and cognition are then proposed. The first two studies focus on the effects of OSAS on information processing speed. Innovative measures have been proposed to clarify whether different components of information processing speed are impaired in OSAS (Study 1), and to evaluate the efficacy over time of the continuous positive airway pressure treatment (Study 2). Finally, Study 3 aims to evaluate the effects of APOE4 on psychometric performance, and to investigate at which sleep stage its presence could be a predictor of cognitive impairments in OSAS patients. Results show that OSAS is associated with impairment of the motor component of information processing speed, which can however be properly recovered after treatment. Furthermore, a retention memory deficit is reported in OSAS patients carrying APOE4, and NREM sleep fragmentation has been found to be directly involved in this impairment. This dissertation supports the hypothesis of a cognitive frailty associated with OSAS, however discouraging its irreversibility, and argues that APOE4 can be considered a risk factor for the memory loss observed in this syndrome
Global cognitive profile and different components of reaction times in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: effects of continuous positive airway pressure over time
No full textObstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has been recurrently associated with cognitive and psychomotor impairments. However, the occurrence and possible reversibility of these deficits are still extremely controversial, also as a result of different methodologies adopted used by scholars. The aim of the present study was to compare over time the global cognitive profile of patients with OSAS undergoing the continuous positive airway pressure treatment (CPAP; N = 23) with that of patients with OSAS who were not (N = 10). A group of healthy participants (N = 30) was also included. This study adopted a specific methodological approach allowing the researchers to distinguish between the cognitive and the motor component of reaction times (RTs). After baseline assessment, the same tests were administered after three and six months. No significant differences emerged between groups at each time point. On the other hand, the analysis of cognitive score trajectory over time revealed differences between groups. While healthy controls and OSAS patients undergoing CPAP showed increased MoCA test scores after three months, patients not undergoing CPAP improved their scores only after six months. In addition, patients treated with CPAP also showed significantly faster psychomotor response in motor RTs over time. Results seem to conceivably support a global cognitive vulnerability of non-treated OSAS patients. Conversely, the RT response of treated patients can be increased over time by CPAP, at least in the motor component of RTs. Therefore, our study suggests that CPAP may play an important role by slowing down the negative effects of OSAS, and by fostering sufficient cognitive functioning and adequate psychomotor speed
Young onset dementia and role of cognitive reserve
No full textThe aim of the present work is to verify whether Cognitive Reserve (CR) maintains its protective role even in patients with an early diagnosis of dementia. This concept has been extensively investigated in the typical onset of neurodegenerative disease, but it is still poorly considered in patients with young onset (Young Onset Dementia, YOD) which is an important clinical condition because of both medical and social consequences (Sampson, Warren & Rossor, 2004). The diagnosis of a neurodegenerative disease may be difficult when considering protective factors such as CR and the young age of the patient at the onset. These factors may mislead the identification of symptoms, even in the case of strong diagnostic suspicions
Investigating the Functioning of Rating Scales With Rasch Models
No full textThe hypothesis implicit in the rating scale design is that the categories reflect increasing levels of the latent variable. Rasch models for ordered polytomous items include parameters, called thresholds, that allow for empirically testing this hypothesis. Failure of the thresholds to advance monotonically with the categories (a condition that is referred to as “threshold disordering”) provides evidence that the rating scale is not functioning as intended. This work focuses on scales consisting of rather large numbers of categories, whose use is often recommended in the literature. Threshold disordering is observed in both an extended 8-point scale specially developed for the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the original 10-point scale of the Behavioral Religiosity Scale. The results of this work prompt practitioners not to take the functioning of the rating scale for granted, but to verify it empirically
Follow-up study of the new experimental test “Plastic of ideal city”: preliminary results
Full text linkBetween normal aging and dementia exists a “transitional zone” defined Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). MCI patients develop an isolated and subclinic cognitive deficit but they are not compromised in their activities of daily life. MCI can manifest in an amnestic variant (memory deficits - aMCI) or non amnestic variant (deficit in a cognitive domain other than memory - naMCI) (Petersen et al., 1999).
Topographical disorientation (TD) is a deficit to orient and to find the right way into a new or known environment. TD can be considered both a marker that points out differences of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) subtypes and an early clue of aMCI conversion to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) (see for a review Iachini at al., 2009). Therefore, new tools to assess TD are required.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate, at follow-up, the performance of MCI patients on a recent instrument designed to assess TD, i.e. the “Plastic of ideal City” (Rusconi et al., 2015)
Cognitive and motor reaction times in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome. A study based on computerized measures
Full text linkObstructive Sleep Apnea syndrome (OSAs) is often reported as mainly associated with executive
dysfunction. Although delayed reaction times in patients with OSAs have also been reported (Kilpinen et al.,
2014), sensitivity of processing speed has not often been assessed.
The aim of this study is to provide sensitive and reliable measures to clarify whether different components of
information processing speed (i.e., cognitive and motor responses) are equally impaired in OSAs
Eye-to-Hand Coordination in Obstructive Sleep APNEA Syndrome: a Descriptive Study
No full textObjective: Psychomotor slowdown was observed in individuals with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS). Previous
studies evaluated separately cognitive and motor reaction times, finding that OSAS individuals show a specific impairment in the
latter. The present study investigates whether eye-to-hand coordination (EHC), a specific psychomotor ability, is compromised
in OSAS.
Method: The EHC was measured in 30 OSAS individuals who were matched with 30 healthy controls by the Two-Hand
Coordination Test analyzing the speed, accuracy, and coordination; the role of these variables was investigated in predicting
the group they belonged to.
Results: The OSAS participants showed poorer performance in the execution accuracy (t(55) = −3.36, d’Cohen = −0.89,
p ≤ .001), which was also found to be the only predictor of the belonging to group (β = 0.43 (0.18), p < .05).
Conclusions: The OSAS individuals show impairments in EHC and in correcting their error (executive slowdown). This is the
first investigation exploring EHC coordination in this population and contributes in understanding the psychomotor slowness
characterizing OSAS
Alzheimer Café: an approach focused on Alzheimer’s patients but with remarkable values on the quality of life of their caregivers
No full textBackground Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects the global quality of life of persons who suffer from it and their caregivers,
because of the behavioral and psychological consequences associated with the pathology and its caring. The
Alzheimer Café (AC) is one example of approach aimed to help persons and caregivers deal with their disease.
Aim This is a pilot study focusing on the efficacy of AC in relieving caregivers’ and persons’ burdens due to dementia.
Methods The quality of life of both caregivers and persons who attended the AC was compared with the quality of life
of those who did not. Basic and instrumental daily activities and neuropsychiatric functioning were assessed. Caregivers also answered to general well-being and caregiving burden questionnaires. The evaluation took place at the beginning
of the intervention and after 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Results Caregivers who joined the AC with their persons
with dementia showed to have significantly benefited in the daily care of persons with dementia, in terms of total wellbeing,
vitality, and emotional burden. Discussion Although improvements were not observed benefits were reported by their caregivers, suggesting that the intervention may produce better management of social and economic problems and lead to better emotional support. Conclusions The AC seems to help families of AD persons to better manage the disease, and also delay the institutionalization of these persons, which is certainly an ambitious goal for an incurable disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease. in persons with dementia who attended the AC, significant
Is obstructive sleep apnea really associated with cognitive impairment?
Full text linkObstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder, associated with cardiovascular, metabolic and cerebrovascular morbidity. To date, the standard treatment of OSAis Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) which reduces the severity of apneas. Several authors (e.g. Canessa et al., 2011) have shown a cognitive impairment related to this disorder, which can be reversed through regular use of CPAP . Conversely, others (e.g. Verstraeten et al., 2004) have not revealed a significant impairment in any neuropsychological domain in patients with OSA. The aim of the present study was to verify whether OSA is associated with cognitive impairment, taking into account the discordant results reported in literatur
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