Temperament and character correlates of neuropsychological performance

We investigate the association between temperament and character dimensions, on the one hand,and computerised neuropsychological test performance, on the other hand. Temperament and character dimensions were operationalised as scores on the subscales of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), a 240-item measure that is based on the psychobiological theory of personality. Neuropsychological outcomes were measured on six computerised tests of executive functioning and abstract reasoning from the University of Pennsylvania Computerised Neuropsychological Test Battery (PennCNP). The executive and abstract reasoning tasks included a test of Motor Praxis (MPRAXIS), the Penn Abstraction, Inhibition and Working Memory Task (AIM), the Letter-N-Back (LNB2), the Penn Conditional Exclusion Task (PCET), the Penn Short Logical Reasoning Task (SPVRT) and the Short Raven s Progressive Matrices (SRAVEN). Results from this exploratory study yielded significant associations between neuropsychological performance and temperament and character traits. The temperament traits of Harm Avoidance and Reward Dependencewere positively correlated with reaction time on the AIM and the SPVRT. The character dimension of Self-Transcendence was significantly associated with performance accuracy on the AIM and the temperament dimension of Novelty Seeking was inversely related to performance accuracy on the LNB2. These results confirm the importance of addressing the temperament and character correlates of neuropsychological performance in both clinical and non-clinical studies

Neuropsychological symptoms and premorbid temperament traits in Alzheimer's dementia

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between noncognitive symptoms and premorbid temperament in a group with Alzheimer’s disease. The relationship between premorbid temperament and noncognitive symptoms can be used to understand symptom susceptibility and risk, caregiver burdens, as well as providing insights into the neuroanatomical substrates of temperament and noncognitive behaviour. Sixty-three primary caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients fulfilled the eligibility criteria for this study. Information regarding the noncognitive symptoms and premorbid temperament was procured from the primary caregivers. In fifty-one cases, a secondary caregiver also provided information about the premorbid temperament of the Alzheimer’s patient. The latter was obtained to enhance the reliability of retrospective data. The Behaviour Rating Scale for Dementia, the Formal Characteristics of Behaviour-Temperament Inventory, and the Blessed Dementia scale were used to elicit data on noncognitive symptomatology, premorbid temperament, and current cognitive status, respectively. ii Noncognitive symptoms were grouped into two clusters namely neuropsychiatric and neurobehavioural disturbances. The neuropsychiatric cluster included mood and psychotic symptoms and the neurobehavioural cluster included vegetative and overall behavioural dysregulatory symptoms. Results showed that there is a wide spectrum of noncognitive symptom manifestation in patients’ profiles and that the neurobehavioural dysregulatory symptoms are more common than the neuropsychiatric symptoms in this Alzheimer’s cohort. With regard to symptom manifestation and cognitive status, a Pearson product moment correlational analysis showed that a lower level of cognitive functioning is significantly associated with aggressive episodes and a higher level of cognitive functioning with manifestations of depressive symptoms. In terms of interrater concordance on premorbid temperament ratings, intraclass correlations were significant for five of the six temperament domains, thus indicating a reliable estimate of premorbid disposition. Canonical correlational analysis yielded two significant variates. The first variate indicated that Alzheimer’s disease patients with a proclivity for aggressive behaviours and general behavioural deregulation but lower depressive profiles, were premorbidly more emotionally reactive, had low sensory thresholds (high sensitivity), and greater cognitive deficit. The second variate showed that patients with Alzheimer’s disease who tended to manifest with depressive and dysregulatory behaviour appear to have been premorbidly perseverative in temperament with a low sensory threshold (high sensitivity) and the tendency to maintain and attain a low level of activity (stimulation). Taken together, the significant variates revealed a dimensional relationship between depressive symptoms, aggressive symptoms, and behavioural dysregulation; and sensory sensitivity, emotional reactivity, perseverance, and activity, with cognitive status serving as a moderating variable. In conclusion, the study indicated a dimensional relationship between specific premorbid temperament traits and noncognitive symptoms, thereby highlighting the possible predictive influence of premorbid temperament on noncognitive manifestations in Alzheimer’s disease patients.Thesis (PhD (Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2005.Psychologyunrestricte

Preliminary psychometric validation data for a non-clinical South African sample using a neuroscience-based computerized battery

Normative psychometric test data for computerized neuro-cognitive batteries are scarce in the South African testing literature. The research explores the psychometric test properties of a computerized neuropsychological test battery in a non-clinical South African sample. A non-experimental correlational design was employed to collect data (N=594) and assess internal consistency indices on a number of executive and emotions tasks. The study also investigated the potential effect that certain socio-demographic factors may have on neuropsychological performance indicators and included mother’s education, father’s education, language used in high school, home language and quality of education. In keeping with current research it was found that even though socio-demographic factors do play a role in test performance, the psychometric properties of the battery remain consistent across different groups and further research utilising this tool is encouraged as the battery evidences construct validity.The South African National Research Foundation and the University of Pretoria Research and Development Programmehttp://www.ajol.info/journal_index.php?jid=153&ab=ajpherd2015-06-30am2013gv201

Neuropsychological profiles of adults and older adults with HIV

The wider availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy has resulted in a concomitant increase in adults aging with HIV and the persistence of milder forms of neuropsychological impairment in this cohort. This study investigated the differences in neuropsychological functioning between a group of HIV+ adults and older adults and an HIV− matched control group. Participants from a semi-urban community clinic volunteered to participate in the study. The performance of 50 participants (33 HIV+ and 17 HIV−) who met the inclusion criteria were compared on the following measures: Dementia Rating Scale-2, the Stroop Color and Word Test, the Symbol Digits Modalities Test, and the Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System Trail Making Test. The results indicated that the HIV+ in comparison with the HIV− negative group had poorer performance profiles in global cognitive functioning, memory, executive functioning, visuoconstruction ability, psychomotor functioning, and processing speed. The findings suggest that further research in South Africa will contribute to a better understanding of the neuropsychological profiles of adults aging with HIV and inform intervention strategies specific to addressing the mental healthcare needs of this subgroup.The South African National Research Foundation (NRF)http://sap.sagepub.comhb2017Psycholog

The relationship between neuropsychological performance and depression in patients with traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury is a multi-faceted condition that affects individuals on physical, cognitive, and emotional levels. The study investigated the relationship between depression and neuropsychological performance in a group with traumatic brain injury. A retrospective review was conducted on 75 participants who completed neuropsychological assessments. Information on clinical characteristics, sociodemographic information, neuropsychological outcomes, and Beck Depression Inventory scores were included in the analysis. Results indicated that 36% of the participants reported experiencing severe symptoms of depression, 28% moderate symptoms of depression, and 36% mild/minimal symptoms of depression. Performance on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test indicated inverse relationships with depression scores suggesting that traumatic brain injury patients with lower depression scores perform better on verbal memory tasks. Similarly, findings for the written and oral versions of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test reflected inverse correlations with depression scores, indicating that lower depression scores are correlated with increased processing speed and capacity. A significant positive association between the time taken to complete the Trail Making Test Trail A and Trail B and depression scores was found, suggesting that higher depression scores in this sample were related to slower performance speed and lower executive performance. When specific clinical and sociodemographic variables were included as covariates in a partial correlational analysis, neuropsychological performance indicators and depression scores remained significant for Symbol Digit Modalities Test (oral and written), the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test Retrieval and Recognition trials, and Trail Making Test (Trail B). This study indicates that in a traumatic brain injury cohort, depression levels are significantly associated with specific neuropsychological performance measures. The findings of this study have implications for psychosocial treatment planning after a traumatic brain injury and contribute to our understandings of the inter-relationship between cognition and emotion.http://sap.sagepub.comhj2017Psycholog

Influence of socio-demographic factors on SRAVEN performance

This exploratory study aimed to investigate the influence of specific socio-demographic variables on a computerized test of non-verbal neuropsychological performance. Six hundred and thirty South African first year students were assessed using the University of Pennsylvania Computerized Neuropsychological Test Battery (PennCNP). Fluid intelligence was measured by a computerized version of the Raven’s Progressive Matrices (SRAVENS). Analysis of variance indicated that gender, home language, quality of schooling, language of schooling and paternal education influenced performance on the SRAVEN. Stepwise multiple regression evidenced the importance of language, paternal education and high school language on SRAVENS responses. The assumption of non-verbal test scores as being independent of socio-demographic factors needs to be revisited as such independence cannot be maintained in light of such evidence.http://www.elliottfitzpatrick.com/jpa.htmlgv201

Influence of socio-cultural factors on SRAVEN performance

The study explored the evidence for the cross-cultural transportability of non-verbal neuropsychological tests to the South African setting. Six hundred and thirty South African first year students were assessed using the University of Pennsylvania Computerised Neuropsychological Test Battery (PennCNP). Fluid intelligence was measured by a computerized version of the Raven's Progressive Matrices (SRAVENS). Analysis of variance indicated that gender, home language, quality of schooling, language of schooling and paternal education influenced performance on the SRAVEN. Stepwise multiple regression evidenced the importance of language, paternal education and high school language on SRAVENS responses. The assumption of non-verbal test scores as being independent of socio-demographic factors needs to be revisited as such independence cannot be maintained in light of such evidence.

Personality and mental health : an investigation of South African police trainees

The relationship between personality and mental health was investigated in one cohort of police trainees at a South African Police Academy (1145 police recruits; 648 men, 497 women). Male trainees reported less somatisation, depression, anxiety, and phobic anxiety symptoms and lower harm avoidance as well as higher persistence than female trainees. A cluster analysis based on the personality scores was used to identify three clusters with personality profiles characterized as Vulnerable, Healthy, and Intermediate profiles. Sociodemographic variables and temperament and character domain scores contributed separately and differentially to the explanation of variance in mental health symptom scores. Selection tools should be developed to identify Vulnerable individuals in terms of personality characteristics during selection and prior to training, to prevent later problems with stress reactions. Additional training modules focusing on coping skills could possibly reduce vulnerability to stress in some trainees

Efficacy of deep brain stimulation of the anterior-medial globus pallidus internus in tic and non-tic related symptomatology in refractory Tourette syndrome

INTRODUCTION : Although refractory Tourette Syndrome (TS) is rare, it poses great challenges in clinical practice. Co-morbid psychiatric symptoms often occur, negatively impacting quality of life. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeting different brain structures seems effective for tics, but specific literature regarding response of psychiatric symptoms is more limited. This study aimed to assess the outcome of tics and non-tic related symptomatology in refractory TS treated with antero-medial globus pallidus interna (amGPi) DBS. METHODS : We included all patients with refractory TS (January 2013–August 2020) from the Brain Nerve Centre and Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa, treated with bilateral amGPi DBS; retrospective baseline, early (up to 3 months) post-DBS follow-up assessment data, as well as prospective data from the latest follow-up (mean 37.4 months) were collected using standardised scoring tools and scales. RESULTS : Five patients were identified. Tics decreased by 63,9% (p = 0,002); quality of life improved by 39,8% (p = 0,015); self-injurious behaviour ceased; obsessive–compulsive symptoms resolved in all but one. The number of different chronic medications used more than halved. Transient stimulation-related adverse events occurred in four patients. CONCLUSION : This study contributes to the data of the efficacy of amGPi-targeted DBS in refractory TS, showing improvement in quality of life and both tic- and non-tic-related symptomatology.https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/clinical-parkinsonism-and-related-disordershj2023NeurologyPsycholog

Psychosis in Alzheimer's disease : prevalence, clinical characteristics, symptom co-morbidity, and aetiology

Alzheimer's disease was identified almost a century ago. Cognitive morbidity (deterioration in memory, attention, language, and executive functioning) was regarded as a sufficient index for the description and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Within the cognitive discourse, the importance of neuropsychiatric and neurobehavioural referents was often eschewed. Recent research studies attest to the profound impact of the non-cognitive symptoms on the quality of life of both patient and caregiver. The purpose of this article is to review studies on psychosis in Alzheimer's disease, examine its prevalence, and discuss its manifestation with reference to the association between neuropathology and psychotic disturbances. The importance of clarifying the validity of the construct 'psychosis in Alzheimer's disease', the specificity of symptoms, and the phenomenology of subtypes with their distinct clinical and biological associations is addressed