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PubMed2003

Cognitive mechanisms, psychosocial functioning, and neurocognitive rehabilitation in schizophrenia.

The aim of the present study is to test Brenner's model of cognitive functioning in schizophrenia. It is assumed that elementary cognitive disorders (attention and encoding) and complex cognitive disorders (recall, concept formation) reinforce each other. Cognitive disorders are supposed to cause detrimental effects on functional outcome. We used cognitive rehabilitation as a strategy to induce cognitive changes in 27 patients assigned to treatment groups following the cognitive modules of the Integrated Psychological Treatment (IPT). Ten schizophrenic patients without cognitive impairments worked as a control group. With only one minor conceptual change (replacing concept formation with executive function, a more comprehensive construct), we found that our data fitted with Brenner's model. A relationship has been found between neuropsychological improvements and higher levels of autonomy and social functioning. These findings have important implications not only for cognitive assessment but also for selecting targets in cognitive rehabilitation.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2004

The evolution of learning.

Most processes or forms of learning have been treated almost as special creations, each as an independent process unrelated to others. This review offers an evolutionary cladogram linking nearly one hundred forms of learning and showing the paths through which they evolved. Many processes have multiple forms. There are at least five imprinting processes, eleven varieties of Pavlovian conditioning, ten of instrumental conditioning, and eight forms of mimicry and imitation. Song learning evolved independently in at least six groups of animals, and movement imitation in three (great apes, cetaceans and psittacine birds). The cladogram also involves at least eight new processes: abstract concept formation, percussive mimicry, cross-modal imitation, apo-conditioning, hybrid conditioning, proto-pantomime, prosodic mimicry, and image-mediated learning. At least eight of the processes evolved from more than one source. Multiple sources are of course consistent with modern evolutionary theory, as seen in some obligate symbionts, and gene-swapping organisms. Song learning is believed to have evolved from two processes: auditory imprinting and skill learning. Many single words evolved from three sources: vocal mimicry, discrimination learning, and abstract concept formation.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Performance of children diagnosed with ADHD on selected planning and reconstitution tests.

A sample of 177 children between the ages of 8 and 12 years, 93 participants diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 85 control participants, were administered selected tasks from the WJ-III Tests of Cognitive Abilities, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III (WISC-III), and WISC-III PI that targeted various reconstitution skills such as aspects of planning and reasoning. Planning from the WJ-III Cog, Wechsler Mazes from the WISC-III, and Elithorn Mazes from the WISC-III PI were used to measure the concept of planning Concept Formation and Analysis Synthesis from the WJ-III Cog were chosen to represent reconstitution. Results indicated that age and gender were not contributory factors to differences on the selected measures. IQ was found to be contributory and was used as a covariate in all analyses. The overall results of the study indicated a need to further divide the broad category of ADHD into its subtypes when analyzing performance on measures of executive functions, particularly reconstitution. A large effect size was found for Concept Formation and results of this study suggested that the Predominately Inattentive Type and Combined Type of ADHD had the most difficulty on this task, as shown by the significantly lower scores on the measure when compared to the control group and the Predominately Hyperactive-Impulsive Type. The Predominately Inattentive-Hyperactive Impulsive Type did not have any significant difficulties with any of the measures used on this task as evidenced by the small effect sizes. Further areas to investigate such as metacognitive strategies, distinct problem solving strategies, incorporating feedback, and utilizing response inhibition are discussed.

Aging↗
PubMed1997

NIDDM and blood pressure as risk factors for poor cognitive performance. The Framingham Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if NIDDM and blood pressure are risk factors for poor cognitive performance and if history and duration of NIDDM and blood pressure interact such that the risk of poor performance is greater for subjects with both NIDDM and hypertension. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We used a large prospective cohort sample with 187 NIDDM subjects and 1,624 nondiabetic subjects who were followed for 28-30 years. Cognitive function was assessed using eight tests of learning, memory, visual organization, verbal fluency attention, concept formation, and abstract reasoning. A composite score was also calculated. Odds ratios were used to estimate the relative risk of performing below the lower 25th percentile of z scores on these tests. RESULTS: NIDDM and blood pressure interacted such that diagnosis and duration of NIDDM were associated with greater risk of poor performance on tests of visual memory and on the composite score for hypertensive subjects. Duration of NIDDM was associated with increased risk for poor performance on tests of verbal memory and concept formation. Insulin-treated NIDDM subjects were at higher risk for poor cognitive performance than those NIDDM subjects treated with oral agents or diet. Blood pressure level was associated independently with a measure of verbal fluency. CONCLUSIONS: History and duration of NIDDM and high blood pressure are significant risk factors for poor cognitive performance. Hypertensive people with NIDDM are at greatest risk for poor performance on tests measuring visual organization and memory.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

A model for membrane bioreactor process based on the concept of formation and degradation of soluble microbial products.

A mathematical model of soluble microbial products (SMPs) formation-degradation was established based on the activated sludge model no. 1 and was applied to the membrane bioreactor process with high concentration of activated sludge under intermittent aerobic operational condition. The simulation results were in good agreement with the experimental data which indicated that the coefficients used in the model could successfully describe the treatment performance. The most advantage of this modified model over the conventional one was that the significant importance of SMP existence was demonstrated and the model provided an reasonable comprehension for SMP concept. The present study demonstrated that SMPs contributed most to the organic matter in the effluent, and the results coincided well with the observations of many other researchers.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMed2003

Measuring cognition in menopause research: a review of test use.

OBJECTIVE: To examine critically how various aspects of memory functions have been assessed in menopause-related research. METHOD: Twenty peer-reviewed articles on the menopause and cognitive functioning published between 1991 and 2000 were identified through a computerized Medline search. All studies utilized healthy non-demented women, and assessed specific aspects of cognitive functioning using standardized tests rather than self-reporting of perceived functioning. RESULTS: Measures used to assess attention and concentration, verbal memory, learning and verbal expression, visual memory, concept formation and reasoning have all been reviewed. Findings from studies assessing attention and concentration demonstrate inconsistent results with regard to hormone levels or menopausal status. Although five measures of verbal learning and memory have been considered, no articles published in the past decade have reported unequivocal results for any one measure. Only one study reviewed found significant differences in measures of verbal expression between hormone therapy users and non-users. In addition, no strong association between estrogen level and visual memory was identified in the studies reviewed. CONCLUSIONS: This careful analysis demonstrates that, within the studies of cognitive abilities of menopausal women reviewed in this article, a wide variety of tests have been used. However, the body of literature considered neither consistently nor conclusively demonstrates a clear effect of exogenous hormone therapy on memory. It is suggested that verbal memory, visual memory, concept formation and reasoning should be simultaneously investigated in future research, and that covariate measures of attention and concentration, verbal expression and reasoning are also included. In addition, within each specific domain, the psychometric properties of tests, the populations they were intended to assess and the specific aspects of cognitive function they were designed to address need to be more closely considered.

Cognition↗
PubMed1997

Adynamic aphasia: a transcortical motor aphasia with defective semantic strategy formation.

Adynamic aphasia is a form of transcortical motor aphasia characterized by sparse but otherwise normal spontaneous speech that may improve when concepts are introduced by external stimuli. Akinesia, impaired concept formation, inertia of concept generation, a defective semantic network, damage or impaired access to the verbal output lexicon, and defective semantic strategy formation have been proposed to account for this disorder. We studied a patient with adynamic aphasia and frontal lobe systems dysfunction due to bilateral striatocapsular infarctions. The patient was not akinetic but did demonstrate inertia of concept generation that could be overcome with prompting. However, prompting did not improve the number of concepts generated. He demonstrated a generally intact verbal lexicon and semantic network and normal lexical priming. However, his ability to sort closely related items into different classes without prior cuing regarding the nature of the classes was defective. Although his verbal memory was normal, he appeared to use a serial rather than a semantic strategy to recall items. Finally, despite normal lexical priming, he was impaired on a letter fluency task. These results most clearly demonstrate a defect in semantic strategy formation but indicate an additional and possibly related deficit in concept formation and a partial deficit in lexical strategy formation. All of these deficits appear to reflect impairment in the hierarchical organization of knowledge specific to the task at hand. This appears to be a key component of executive functions supported by frontal lobe systems.

Aphasia↗
PubMed1978

New concepts on formation of Brunn's nests and cysts in urinary tract mucosa.

To the present time, Brunn's nests have been conceived as being the result of pinching off of epithelial nests from urothelial buds. Mucosal cysts were considered to originate from Brunn's nests. In the present study, it was observed that under the influence of a strong stimulus of repair, the urothelial cells in the proximity of the focus of repair undergo numerous mitoses. The underlying connective tissue becomes loose, isolated cells of the lining urothelium "drop off" into the lamina propria in which they migrate as in a culture medium. There they multiply and form nests of cells at a distance from the lining urothelium. These migrating cells frequently have an early tendency to become arranged into cysts. Thus, during this process of repair urothelial cells behave temporarily as malignant cells.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Molecular analysis of the LATERAL SUPPRESSOR gene in Arabidopsis reveals a conserved control mechanism for axillary meristem formation.

In seed plants, shoot branching is initiated by the formation of new meristems in the axils of leaves, which subsequently develop into new axes of growth. This study describes the genetic control of axillary meristem formation by the LATERAL SUPPRESSOR (LAS) gene in Arabidopsis thaliana. las mutants show a novel phenotype that is characterized by the inability to form lateral shoots during vegetative development. The analysis shows that axillary meristem formation is differently regulated during different phases of development. During reproductive development, axillary meristems initiate in close proximity to the shoot apical meristem and do not require LAS function. In contrast, during the vegetative phase, axillary meristems initiate at a distance to the SAM and require LAS function. This control mechanism is conserved between the distantly related species tomato and Arabidopsis. Monitoring the patterns of LAS and SHOOT MERISTEMLESS transcript accumulation allowed us to identify early steps in the development of leaf axil identity, which seem to be a prerequisite for axillary meristem initiation. Other regulators of shoot branching, like REVOLUTA and AUXIN RESISTANT 1, act downstream of LAS. The results are discussed in the context of the "detached meristem" and the "de novo formation" concepts of axillary meristem formation.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed1983

Concepts regarding formation, action, and pharmacologic inhibition of arachidonic acid metabolites in asthma.

Lipid products derived from the metabolism of arachidonic acid have a central role in inflammatory reactions and probably contribute to the pathophysiology of bronchial asthma as well as other obstructive diseases of the lung. Metabolites of arachidonic acid also modulate numerous physiologic responses. The goal of pharmacologic intervention is to enhance the beneficial effects of certain arachidonate metabolites and to inhibit those which are undesirable. Development of new pharmacologic agents which selectively inhibit synthesis or action of certain arachidonic acid metabolites, particularly the bronchospastic leukotrienes, may provide more effective treatment of asthma in the future.

Arachidonic Acids↗
PubMed2005

[Posthaemorrhagic hydrocephalus in newborns--current concepts of formation and treatment possibilities].

Intracranial haemorrhage is still one of major complications of preterm birth. Transfontanel ultrasonographic examination is a recognized method of peri/intraventricular haemorrhage imaging. Haemorrhages are distinguished according to four degrees Papile classification. Early diagnosis of posthaemorrhagic hydrocephalus is a very important task for neonatologist. Traditional clinical symptoms of ventricular expansion are useless criteria for posthaemorrhagic hydrocephalus diagnosis. Early diagnosis of posthaemorrhagic hydrocephalus is possible with ultrasonographic measurement of ventricular size--for example with ventricular index of Levine. There are four mechanisms responsible for posthaemorrhagic hydrocephalus formation: blockage of cerebro-spinal fluid circulation and its absorption, fibrosis and scarring around the medulla and in subarachnoid spaces and endogenic fibrinolytic mechanisms insufficiency. Authors decribe current known and used methods of neonatal and neurosurgical interventions in posthaemorrhagic hydrocephalus, as well as a new method involving drainage, irigation and fibrinolytic therapy (DRIFT), which seems to be promising in clinical neonatal care.

Drainage↗
PubMed1993

Incorporating prior biases in network models of conceptual rule learning.

A series of simulations is reported in which extant formal categorization models are applied to human rule-learning data (Salatas & Bourne, 1974). These data show that there are clear differences in the ease with which humans learn rules, with the conjunctive the easiest and the biconditional the hardest. The original ALCOVE model (an exemplar-based model), a configural-cue model, and two-layer backpropagation models did not fit the rule-learning data. ALCOVE successfully fit the data, however, when prior biases observed in human rule learning were implemented into weights of the network. Thus, current empirical learning models may not fare well in situations in which learners enter the concept-formation situation with preconceived biases regarding the kinds of concepts that are possible, but such biases might nevertheless be captured within these models. By incorporating preexperimental biases, ALCOVE may hold promise as a comprehensive category-learning model.

Attention↗
PubMed1996

Problem solving by patients with multiple sclerosis: comparison of performance on the Wisconsin and California Card Sorting Tests.

Problem solving by patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS) was examined using the Wisconsin and California Card Sorting Tests (WCST and CCST). On the WCST, the MS patients achieved fewer categories and made more perseverative responses and errors than controls, confirming results of several previous studies. On the CCST, the MS patients generated and identified fewer concepts, but they performed normally when sorting was cued by the experimenter and they made no more perseverations than controls. Although findings from the WCST indicate that the problem solving deficits by MS patients closely resemble those exhibited by patients with various conditions that produce frontal lobe dysfunction, results from the CCST indicate that the problem solving difficulties exhibited by patients with MS are distinct and probably represent a primary deficit in concept formation.

Adult↗