Visual Serial-List Learning in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

The current study examined performance on a visual serial-list learning task in patients with epilepsy in order to clarify the role of executive function as a contributing factor to episodic visual memory test performance and primary visual amnesia. The sample was comprised of 37 individuals who were diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy and 34 healthy controls between the ages of 19 and 76 years old. The neuropsychological assessment included a demographic questionnaire and the Biber-Glosser Figure Learning Test. Results suggest that epilepsy patients had a significantly different error profile across trials than healthy controls and committed more errors overall. Furthermore, errors in executive control were predictive of delayed performance among the epilepsy population. Future research should operationally define and analyze different errors committed as this study did when examining neuropsychological measures of executive function in the temporal lobe epilepsy population in order to enhance understanding of these higher level cognitive processes and underlying neural mechanisms involved.M.S., Psychology -- Drexel University, 201

Cerebrovascular Perfusion among Older Adults with and Without Cardiovascular Disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSECardiovascular disease (CVD) encompasses a range of disorders that affect health and functioning in older adults. While cognitive declines have been linked to both cardiovascular and cerebral blood perfusion, protective neurovascular mechanisms raise the question whether cerebrovascular perfusion differs as a function of cardiovascular health status. The present study examined whether cerebrovascular perfusion significantly differs between healthy older adults with and without diagnosed CVD. The study also examined whether previously documented sex differences in cerebral perfusion would be replicated.METHODSTwenty CVD patients without significant heart failure and 39 healthy controls were recruited to undergo a comprehensive assessment, including an interview, echocardiogram, and magnetic resonance imaging). Arterial spin labeling was used to quantify cerebral blood perfusion.RESULTSBoth groups exhibited mean left ventricular ejection fractions that fell within normal limits. In line with previous research, women exhibited significantly higher cerebral perfusion than men. There were no significant group differences in whole brain cerebrovascular perfusion, regional perfusion, or white matter perfusion by patient status after accounting for sex and age.CONCLUSIONSThese findings suggest that the effects of mild CVD on cerebrovascular perfusion are minimal. Future studies are needed to investigate the mechanisms involved in maintaining cerebrovascular perfusion in the context of altered peripheral perfusion and to determine whether this finding extends to more acute or severe CVD.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163612/2/jon12757.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163612/1/jon12757_am.pd

Work–Family Interface and Crossover Effects: Exploring for the Effects of Gender

Despite mixed and sometimes confusing results posed by the role of gender in the work-family (W-F) interface, gender research in WF studies cannot be laid to rest. In this chapter we review W-F spillover and crossover literature involving dual earner couples in different cultural contexts – Anglo/European, Asian and Middle Eastern – to identify gendered patterns in spillover and crossover effects experienced by men (husbands) and women (wives). Gender asymmetry continues to be evident in dyadic couple relationships across cultures, especially when one considers crossover effects