1,721,072 research outputs found
Divergent thinking in healthy and pathological aging
Full text linkIn recent decades, constructs such as cognitive reserve (CR) and divergent thinking (DT) have received increasing attention in the study of healthy and pathological aging because of their potential in terms of targets for cognitive stimulation programs and/or early diagnosis. However, the results of studies on DT skills in the healthy elderly population have often been inconsistent. Therefore, a systematic review was performed to systematize these results. This first study showed that this inconsistency may be due to some theoretical and methodological issues. Nevertheless, it was pointed out that more recent studies have shown that older subjects seem to have the ability to think as divergently as younger subjects, when specific intervening variables such as processing speed and working memory skills are considered. Furthermore, a second study showed how this controversial effect may be influenced by the negative impact of psychological symptoms such as apathy and depression (very frequent in the elderly population) on DT performance of elderly subjects and the possible moderating effects of CR. Finally, a third study showed that verbal DT appears to be spared even in the prodromal stages of neurodegenerative diseases (i.e., in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment, MCI). In contrast, figural DT is already impaired in these patients and could be considered by future studies as an early marker of disease. Although these preliminary results need to be confirmed by further studies, some implications can be drawn. It can be argued that, especially verbal DT, with its proven relationship to the CR construct, could be considered a useful target for cognitive enhancement in healthy elderly and for early cognitive stimulation interventions in MCI patients. Finally, as a clinical implication, particular attention should be paid to the detection and possible treatment of psychological symptoms such as apathy and depression in this specific population
The Effect of COVID-19 on Middle-Aged Adults’ Mental Health: A Mixed-Method Case–Control Study on the Moderating Effect of Cognitive Reserve
Full text linkThe COVID-19 pandemic has increased the vulnerability of adults to mental health effects, and the study of protective factors has become crucial. Cognitive reserve (CR) is a well-known protective factor against cognitive decline and several health factors; however, its protective effect on mental health during the pandemic has been rarely addressed. Thus, this study explored, through a mixed-method design, the effect of CR on perceived distress and PTSD-like symptoms in middle-aged participants who have survived severe COVID-19 and a matched control group. A total of 432 participants filled out self-report measures of CR, PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and were also asked to provide narration about their COVID-19-related experience. COVID-19 significantly affected the chances of reporting different mental health symptoms; levels of CR played a protective role in reducing their severity. Moreover, adults with higher CR seemed to be more realistic, focusing less on positive emotions, and elaborating more on the sense of anxiety when describing their experience: this might be an indication of a lower use of suppression to regulate emotions. Practical implications of these findings and future directions have been also discussed
Challenge your Brain. Blogging during the COVID Lockdown as a Way to Enhance Well-Being and Cognitive Reserve in an Older Population
Full text linkBackground: The lockdown linked with COVID-19 restrictions has been reported to have severe consequences at an emotional and cognitive level, this was especially true for vulnerable populations, such as the older adults. This study aims at exploring the effect of a blog-based intervention implemented during COVID lockdown to increase the perceived well-being and cognitive reserve (CR) of a sample of American older adults. Methods: Forty-one participants (63% female), age range from 64 to 83, participated in a blog-based 5-week intervention. Their level of well-being as well as cognitive reserve were assessed before and after the intervention with specific scales. Participants were matched by age, gender and education level to a quasi-equivalent control group living in the same area who was tested on the same variables. Results: Results showed a significant increase in both perceived well-being and CR in the intervention group. A significant difference was also found when comparing the intervention group to the matched controls
Il pensiero divergente nell'invecchiamento sano e patologico
No full textNegli ultimi decenni, costrutti come quello di riserva cognitiva (CR) e di pensiero divergente (DT) hanno ricevuto una crescente attenzione nello studio dell'invecchiamento sano e patologico grazie alle loro potenzialità sia come target per i programmi di stimolazione cognitiva che per la diagnosi precoce. Tuttavia, le evidenze degli studi che hanno indagato le capacità di pensiero divergente nella popolazione anziana sono risultate spesso incoerenti. La nostra revisione sistematica ha evidenziato come questa incoerenza possa essere dovuta a diversi problemi di natura sia teorica che metodologica, i quali hanno reso i risultati degli studi poco comparabili tra loro. Tuttavia, abbiamo evidenziato anche come gli studi più recenti abbiano dimostrato che i soggetti anziani sembrano avere la capacità di pensare in modo divergente, al pari di soggetti giovani, se si tiene conto di specifiche variabili intervenienti come la velocità di elaborazione e la capacità di memoria di lavoro. Inoltre, secondo i nostri dati, un'altra spiegazione dell'incoerenza dei risultati in questo campo di studio può essere attribuita al possibile impatto di sintomi psicologici come l'apatia e la depressione (molto frequenti nella popolazione anziana) sulle prestazioni ai compiti di pensiero divergente e ai possibili effetti di moderazione della CR. Infine, è stato evidenziato come il pensiero divergente verbale sembri essere risparmiato anche nelle fasi prodromiche di patologie neurodegenerative (i.e. pazienti affetti da Mild Cognitive Impairment, MCI). Al contrario, le abilità di pensiero divergente di tipo figurativo sembrano essere già compromesse in questi pazienti e potrebbero essere considerate da studi futuri come un marker precoce di malattia. Anche se questi risultati preliminari devono essere confermati da ulteriori studi, si possono trarre alcune implicazioni teorico/pratiche. Si può affermare che, soprattutto le capacità di pensiero divergente verbale, con il loro comprovato legame con il costrutto di riserva cognitiva, potrebbero essere considerate come un possibile target per i programmi di potenziamento cognitivo di soggetti anziani sani e per gli interventi di stimolazione cognitiva precoce per pazienti affetti da MCI. Infine, particolare attenzione dovrebbe essere dedicata anche all'individuazione e al possibile trattamento di disturbi psicologici come l'apatia e la depressione in queste popolazioni.In the last decades, constructs such as cognitive reserve (CR) and divergent thinking (DT) have received increasing attention in the study of healthy and pathological aging thanks to their potentiality in terms both of target for cognitive stimulation programs and/or for early diagnosis. However, studies’ results on divergent thinking abilities in the older population have been often inconsistent. Our systematic review has evidenced how this inconsistency might be due to some theoretical and methodological issues which have made these results poorly comparable with each other. Nonetheless, we have highlighted how the most recent studies have proved that elderly subjects seem to have the capacity to think as divergently as younger subjects if specific intervening variables such as the speed of elaboration and working memory abilities are taken into account. Furthermore, according to our data, another explanation of the inconsistency of the results in this field of study can be attributed to the impact of psychological symptoms such as apathy and depression (very frequent in the elderly population) on DT performances and to the possible moderating effects of CR. Finally, it has been evidenced how verbal DT seems to be spared even in prodromal phases of neurodegenerative pathologies (i.e. patients affected by Mild Cognitive Impairment, MCI). On the contrary, figural divergent thinking is already impaired in these patients and it might be considered by future studies as an early marker of disease. Even if these preliminary results need to be confirmed by further studies, some implications can be drawn. It can be stated that especially verbal divergent thinking abilities, with their proven link to the construct of cognitive reserve, might be considered as a useful target for cognitive enhancement for healthy older adults and early cognitive stimulation interventions for patients affected by different types of MCI. In addition, special attention should also be paid to the detection and possible treatment of psychological diseases such as apathy and depression in these specific populations
The Controversial Effect of Age on Divergent Thinking Abilities: A Systematic Review
No full textDivergent thinking (DT) is considered as an indicator of creative potential and a predictor of creative achievement. Furthermore, it is also conceptualized as an indicator of cognitive reserve (CR) in healthy elderly. CR refers to a functional benefit that can potentially offer protection against brain pathologies and is thereby considered a protective factor against cognitive decline. Creativity researchers have therefore attempted to understand the impact of the aging processes on DT abilities; however, it is difficult to draw a
coherent picture from these studies. The aim of our systematic review was to more consistently summarize and interpret evidence about this topic. We selected 16 studies using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Our findings highlight a complex and multidimensional, rather than a simple linear relationship between the aging processes and DT performances, especially if the different DT indexes are considered separately. We also found that findings from more recent studies suggest that older subjects are able to think as divergently as younger people, particularly in the verbal domain, if no time constraints are imposed and if the workload is not too high. We conclude by discussing theoretical and methodological issues and implications for future research
Tele-neuropsychological assessment tools in Italy: a systematic review on psychometric properties and usability
No full textBackground: The current COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly catalysed a shift towards remote assessment in neuropsychological practice (tele-neuropsychology, t-NPs). Although the validity of t-NPs diagnostics is gaining recognition worldwide, little is known about its implementation in Italy. The present review by the Italian working group on tele-neuropsychology (TELA) aims at describing the availability, psychometric properties, and feasibility of t-NPs tools currently available in Italy.
Methods: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. This work was pre-registered on the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD42021239687). Observational studies reporting telephone-, videoconference- or web-based assessment of cognition/behaviour in Italian both healthy participants (HPs) and patients were included. Bias assessment was performed through ad hoc scales.
Results: Fourteen studies were included from an initial N = 895 (4 databases searched). Studies were subdivided into those focused on psychometric properties and those characterized by a predominant applied nature. The majority of studies addressed either adult/elderly HPs or neurological/internal patients. Multi-domain screening tools for cognition, behaviour, mood/anxiety and quality of life were the most represented. Findings regarding validity, reliability, sensitivity, specificity and clinical usability were reported for cognitive screenings - the telephone- and videoconference-based Mini-Mental State Examination and the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status.
Discussion: Positive albeit preliminary evidence regarding psychometric properties and feasibility in both clinical and non-clinical populations of Italian t-NPs brief screening tools are herewith provided. Further studies exploring clinical usability of t-NPs and psychometric properties/feasibility of tests for the in-depth assessment of specific cognitive domains are necessary
The bidirectional relationship between risk and creativity: a systematic review
Full text linkalongside the concept of risk-taking (RT), the construct of creativity often appears in scientific literature. However, the study of their relationship has been conducted unsystematically, with both theoretical (definition of the constructs) and methodological (different assessment methods) difficulties. Some
studies consider risk as a predictor of creativity, while others consider the opposite direction, which often leads to contrasting results. The present systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to systematize results on this topic and investigate reasons for these conflicting results. Fifteen studies were included from an initial N= 1009 (from three scientific databases). Theoretical and methodological considerations that may explain the mixed results have been investigated in depth. They can be summarized as follows: 1) the difficulty in clearly defining the multidimensional constructs of creativity and risk, 2) the heterogeneity of the instruments used in the studies, and 3) the possible effect of cultural differences. Despite this, much of the evidence in the literature has supported the hypothesis that people with lower creative ability tend to
avoid risky situations and decisions, preferring the status quo, while people with higher creative skills tend not to flinch from challenging situations. Theoretical, methodological future directions and the practical application of these main findings are discussed
The Effect of Psychological Symptoms on Divergent Thinking in Healthy Older Adults
No full textThe study of divergent thinking (DT) ability in the elderly population has experienced a renewed interest because of its proven relationship with cognitive reserve (CR). However, experimental research on DT skills in this population has often been inconsistent. One of the reasons why this may have happened is that the possible negative influence of psychological symptoms, which have been proven to be common during older age, have been frequently neglected. Thus, our study aimed at exploring the impact of psychological symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, and apathy) on DT abilities in 45 healthy elderly participants (age = 74.2 ± 5.71; 33 women; educational level = 6.51 ± 2.58). The results showed that different psychological symptoms have negative effects on diverse DT indexes: apathetic symptoms correlated negatively with total DT, fluency, and flexibility indexes; depressive symptoms with originality. Moreover, educational level (i.e., a proxy of CR) seemed to have a moderating effect on the relationship between apathy and DT. Even if further studies are needed, future studies should consider the variability of psychological symptoms in the elderly population and their negative effects on different DT indexes and the possible role of CR as a moderator of this relationship. Implications are also discussed
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