Working memory deficits in high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: neurpsychological and neuroimaging correlates

Working memory is a temporary storage system under attentional control. It is believed to play a central role in online processing of complex cognitive information and may also play a role in social cognition and interpersonal interactions. Adolescents with a disorder on the autism spectrum display problems in precisely these domains. Social impairments, communication difficulties, and repetitive interests and activities are core domains of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and executive function problems are often seen throughout the spectrum. As the main cognitive theories of ASD, including the theory of mind deficit hypotheses, weak central coherence account, and the executive dysfunction theory, still fail to explain the broad spectrum of symptoms, a new perspective on the etiology of ASD is needed. Deficits in working memory are central to many theories of psychopathology, and are generally linked to frontal-lobe dysfunction. This article will review neuropsychological and (functional) brain imaging studies on working memory in adolescents with ASD. Although still disputed, it is concluded that within the working memory system specific problems of spatial working memory are often seen in adolescents with ASD. These problems increase when information is more complex and greater demands on working memory are made. Neuroimaging studies indicate a more global working memory processing or connectivity deficiency, rather than a focused deficit in the prefrontal cortex. More research is needed to relate these working memory difficulties and neuroimaging results in ASD to the behavioral difficulties as seen in individuals with a disorder on the autism spectru

Indonesia Neuropsychological Test Battery: Normative Score, Reliability, Age and Education Effects

Shinta Estri Wahyuningrum Marc P.H. Hendriks, Gilles van Luijtelaar Augustina Sulastr

THE INDONESIAN NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TEST BATTERY (INTB): PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES, PRELIMINARY NORMATIVE SCORES, THE UNDERLYING COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTS, AND THE EFFECTS OF AGE AND EDUCATION

Shinta Estri Wahyuningrum 1 , Augustina Sulastri 2 , M.P.H Hendriks 3 , Indonesian NP Consortium 4 , Gilles van Luijtelaar

Indonesia Neuropsychological Test Battery: Normative Score, Reliability, Age and Education Effects

Shinta Estri Wahyuningrum Marc P.H. Hendriks, Gilles van Luijtelaar, Augustina Sulastri

(Hasil Similarity) The Indonesian Boston Naming Test: Normative Data among Healthy Adults and Effects of Age and Education on Naming Ability

The purpose of the current study was to introduce the Indonesian Boston Naming Test (I-BNT) and to present normative data for the BNT based on a sample of Indonesian adults. Two hundred healthy adults, ages range from 16 – 89 years old, participated in the current study. Relationships between BNT variable and demographic characteristics – i.e. age, education, and gender – were calculated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and t-test analysis for dichotomous variable. Both age and education were significantly associated with the BNT, and no gender differences were found. The inclusion of typical Indonesian target words and correct response analysis of items were also investigated. The obtained norms were shown to be relatively lower than published norms for comparable North-American adults, but slightly higher when compared to obtained BNT norms of other countries. Comparing the USA-BNT and I-BNT resulted in conclusion that the adapted I-BNT is appropriate for use in Indonesia, and the reordering of items reflecting difficulty-order of the items for Indonesian sample is presented for clinical use

Locoregional Failure During and After Short-course Radiotherapy Followed by Chemotherapy and Surgery Compared With Long-course Chemoradiotherapy and Surgery:A 5-Year Follow-up of the RAPIDO Trial

OBJECTIVE: To analyze risk and patterns of locoregional failure (LRF) in patients of the RAPIDO trial at 5 years. BACKGROUND: Multimodality treatment improves local control in rectal cancer. Total neoadjuvant treatment (TNT) aims to improve systemic control while local control is maintained. At 3 years, LRF rate was comparable between TNT and chemoradiotherapy in the RAPIDO trial. METHODS: A total of 920 patients were randomized between an experimental (EXP, short-course radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery) and a standard-care group (STD, chemoradiotherapy, surgery, and optional postoperative chemotherapy). LRFs, including early LRF (no resection except for organ preservation/R2 resection) and locoregional recurrence (LRR) after an R0/R1 resection, were analyzed. RESULTS: Totally, 460 EXP and 446 STD patients were eligible. At 5.6 years (median follow-up), LRF was detected in 54/460 (12%) and 36/446 (8%) patients in the EXP and STD groups, respectively ( P =0.07), in which EXP patients were more often treated with 3-dimensional-conformed radiotherapy ( P =0.029). In the EXP group, LRR was detected more often [44/431 (10%) vs. 26/428 (6%); P =0.027], with more often a breached mesorectum (9/44 (21%) vs. 1/26 (4); P =0.048). The EXP treatment, enlarged lateral lymph nodes, positive circumferential resection margin, tumor deposits, and node positivity at pathology were the significant predictors for developing LRR. Location of the LRRs was similar between groups. Overall survival after LRF was comparable [hazard ratio: 0.76 (95% CI, 0.46-1.26); P =0.29]. CONCLUSIONS: The EXP treatment was associated with an increased risk of LRR, whereas the reduction in disease-related treatment failure and distant metastases remained after 5 years. Further refinement of the TNT in rectal cancer is mandated.</p