WORKING MEMORY IN ALZHEIMER DISEASE: A 5-YEAR SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL EVIDENCES FROM BADDELEY’S WORKING MEMORY MODEL

The Alzheimer’s disease is the most common of theneurogenerative conditions associated with dementia. Itis known as a pathological frame that comes with severalimpairments in cognitive and psychological processes.This study aimed to understand the relationship betweenAlzheimer’s disease and Working Memory impairments.We adopted Baddeley’s Working Memory Model tosystematically review if impairments in the subcomponentsof this theoretical model – phonological loop, visualsketchpad, episodic buffer and central executive – followdistinct or similar paths. The systematic review consultedMedline, Psycinfo and Scielo databases. From 329 articles,only 11 were accepted by the established criteria. Resultssuggested that episodic buffer and central executive,respectively, decline with AD severity. Phonological loopand visual sketchpad are the last of the Baddeley’s WorkingMemory Model subcomponents impaired

Normative data and construct validity of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test in a Brazilian elderly population

The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) is an episodic memory test that is influenced by demographic variables, such as age, education, and gender. Classic word list learning has also been well documented to be an experimental cognitive paradigm that is very useful for the detection of Alzheimer's disease. The present study analyzed the performance of healthy elderly subjects on the RAVLT, describing the effects of age, education, and gender. To verify its construct validity, the RAVLT was compared with delayed recall and recognition scores on the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (DR-BCSB). The sample comprised 183 cognitively healthy elderly subjects from outpatient care units of two university reference centers in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil. All participants were subjected to physical and neurological evaluation and neuropsychological assessment. Pearson's correlation and Student's t-test were used to investigate the influence of demographic variables on RAVLT performance. To verify convergent-type construct validity, a correlation between RAVLT and DR-BCSB scores was calculated. Significant correlations were found between age and &#931;A1-A5 (r = -.383, p < .01), A5-A1 (r = -.054, p < .01), A7 (r = -.361, p < .01), and REC A (r = -.288, p < .01). Educational level correlated with &#931;A1-A5 (r = .405, p < .01), A5-A1 (r = .184, p < .01), A7 (r = .334, p < .01), and REC A (r = .329, p < .01). No correlation was found between gender and RAVLT performance. A significant correlation was also found between RAVLT and DR-BCSB performance (r = .5, p < .01). These results revealed some normative data and convergent-type construct validity of the RAVLT for a Brazilian elderly population

Predictors of functional impairment and awareness in people with dementia, mild cognitive impairment and healthy older adults from a middle-income country

ObjectiveTo investigate the demographic, clinical and cognitive correlates of functional capacity and its awareness in people with dementia (PwD; n = 104), mild cognitive impairment (PwMCI; n = 45) and controls (healthy older adults; n = 94) in a sample from a middle-income country.MethodsDementia and MCI were diagnosed, respectively, with DSM-IV and Petersen criteria. Performance in activities of daily living (ADL) at three different levels [basic (The Katz Index of Independence), instrumental (Lawton instrumental ADL scale) and advanced (Reuben’s advanced ADL scale)], measured through self- and informant-report, as well as awareness (discrepancy between self- and informant-report), were compared between groups. Stepwise regression models explored predictors of ADL and their awareness.ResultsPwD showed impairment in all ADL levels, particularly when measured through informant-report. No differences were seen between controls and PwMCI regardless of measurement type. PwD differed in awareness of instrumental and basic, but not of advanced ADL, compared to controls. Age, gender, education and fluency were the most consistent predictors for ADL. Diagnosis was a significant predictor only for instrumental ADL. Awareness of basic ADL was predicted by memory, and awareness of instrumental ADL was predicted by general cognitive status, educational level, and diagnosis.ConclusionResults reinforce the presence of lack of awareness of ADL in PwD. Use of informant-reports and cognitive testing for fluency are suggested for the clinical assessment of ADL performance. Finally, assessment of instrumental ADL may be crucial for diagnostic purposes

Performance of 119 Brazilian children on Stroop paradigm: Victoria version Desempenho de 119 crianças brasileiras no paradigma Stroop: versão Victoria

BACKGROUND: The Stroop paradigm evaluates susceptibility to interference and is sensitive to dysfunction in frontal lobes. Performance in the Stroop changes along the development. Despite its usefulness in research and clinical settings, there are few studies with Brazilian samples. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the performance and age effect on Stroop paradigm of Brazilian children. METHOD: A sample of 119 children, aged from 7 to 10 years, was submitted to the Victoria version of Stroop. RESULTS: The pattern of results observed was similar to that observed in foreign studies with adults and children. Younger children were overall slower than older ones (positive correlation between age and naming time). Also, younger children showed more susceptible to interference than older ones (negative correlation between age and number of errors for the maximal interference condition). CONCLUSION: There was an age effect explained in terms of developmental changes in information processing velocity and attention selectivity.INTRODUÇÃO: O paradigma Stroop avalia a susceptibilidade à interferência e é sensível a disfunção nos lobos frontais. O desempenho no Stroop muda durante o desenvolvimento. Apesar de sua utilidade na pesquisa e na clínica, existem poucos estudos brasileiros. OBJETIVO: Investigar o desempenho e efeito de idade de crianças brasileiras no Stroop. MÉTODO: A versão Victoria do Stroop foi aplicada em 119 crianças (7 a 10 anos). RESULTADOS: O padrão de resultados observado é comparável a estudos estrangeiros com adultos e crianças. Crianças mais jovens foram mais lentas do que as mais velhas (correlação positiva entre idade e tempo de nomeação). Os mais jovens apresentaram maior susceptibilidade à interferência, comparados aos mais velhos (correlação negativa entre idade e número de erros para a condição de interferência máxima). CONCLUSÃO: O efeito de idade foi observado e discutido em termos de mudanças na velocidade de processamento da informação e na seletividade da atenção

Brazilian children performance on Rey&#8217;s auditory verbal learning paradigm Desempenho de crianças brasileiras no paradigma de aprendizagem auditivo-verbal de Rey

The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning paradigm is worldwide used in clinical and research settings. There is consensus about its psychometric robustessness and that its various scores provide relevant information about different aspects of memory and learning. However, there are only a few studies in Brazil employing this paradigm and none of them with children. This paper describes the performance of 119 Brazilian children in a version of Rey´s paradigm. The correlations between scores showed the internal consistency of this version. Also, the pattern of results observed was very similar to that observed in foreign studies with adults and children. There was correlation between age in months and recall scores, showing that age affects the rhythm of learning. These results were discussed based on the information processing theory.<br>O paradigma de aprendizagem auditivo-verbal de Rey é utilizado em todo o mundo, tanto em pesquisa quanto na clínica. Há consenso sobre sua robustez psicométrica e de que seus vários escores fornecem informações relevantes sobre diferentes aspectos da memória e da aprendizagem. No entanto, existem apenas alguns poucos estudos no Brasil envolvendo este paradigma e nenhum deles com crianças. Este artigo descreve o desempenho de 119 crianças brasileiras em uma versão do paradigma de Rey. As correlações entre escores mostraram a consistência interna desta versão. Além disso, o padrão de resultados encontrado foi muito similar àquele observado em estudos estrangeiros com adultos e crianças. Verificou-se correlação entre idade em meses e os escores de evocação, mostrando que a idade afeta o ritmo de aprendizagem. Estes resultados foram discutidos a partir da teoria do processamento da informação

Scoring systems for the Clock Drawing Test: A historical review

ABSTRACT The Clock Drawing Test (CDT) is a simple neuropsychological screening instrument that is well accepted by patients and has solid psychometric properties. Several different CDT scoring methods have been developed, but no consensus has been reached regarding which scoring method is the most accurate. This article reviews the literature on these scoring systems and the changes they have undergone over the years. Historically, different types of scoring systems emerged. Initially, the focus was on screening for dementia, and the methods were both quantitative and semi-quantitative. Later, the need for an early diagnosis called for a scoring system that can detect subtle errors, especially those related to executive function. Therefore, qualitative analyses began to be used for both differential and early diagnoses of dementia. A widely used qualitative method was proposed by Rouleau et al. (1992). Tracing the historical path of these scoring methods is important for developing additional scoring systems and furthering dementia prevention research