Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Verbal Learning”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,189 records · Page 66Linked to original sources
PubMed2007

Cognitive performance after carotid angioplasty and stenting with brain protection devices.

OBJECTIVE: Neuropsychological outcomes after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) have been investigated extensively. However, cognitive impacts of carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS), an emerging alternative to CEA, have not been studied. This study is aimed at investigating pattern and degree of cognitive changes after CAS among patients with high-grade carotid stenosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-four patients with high-grade carotid artery stenosis and received elective CAS were followed. Sixty-six patients with similar medical conditions requiring carotid angiography (CAG) were enrolled as controls. Cognitive functions among patients in both groups were evaluated at baseline and follow-ups utilizing a battery of neuropsychometric tests. Results were analysed by inter-group and within-group comparisons. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between CAS and CAG patients regarding demographic characteristics, risk factors for stroke and baseline cognitive performance (p>0.05). CAS patients performed significantly better than CAG patients in Rey auditory verbal learning tests (RAVLT) at week 1 (41.2 +/- 5.2 versus 37.4 +/- 4.0, p<0.001) and week 12 follow-ups (43.3 +/- 7.7 versus 37.3 +/- 4.5, p<0.001). Comparison of z score also indicated CAS patients improved significantly more than CAG patients in RAVLT at both weeks 1 (1.08 +/- 1.29 versus 0.25 +/- 0.99, p<0.001) and 12 follow-ups (1.62 +/- 1.95 versus 0.05 +/- 1.02, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: CAS patients demonstrated improvement in verbal memory after procedures. Correction of cerebral hypoperfusion and reduction of artery-to-artery embolization after CAS are postulated responsible for the cognitive improvement.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Memory performance and the apolipoprotein E polymorphism in a community sample of middle-aged adults.

The apolipoprotein E genotype (APOE) is an established risk factor for Alzheimer disease, with the age-at-onset occurring earlier in individuals having at least one APOE epsilon 4 allele, relative to the APOE epsilon 3 or APOE epsilon 2 isoforms. Moreover, nondemented older adults with the APOE epsilon 4 allele also show diminished cognitive performance, particularly on tests of learning and memory, and an accelerated decline in memory performance with increasing age. The current investigation extends the study of the APOE epsilon 4 allele and cognitive performance to healthy, middle-aged adults. A community sample of 220 non-Hispanic Caucasian men and women, aged 24-60 (average age = 46), were genotyped for the APOE polymorphism and completed a battery of neuropsychological tests. Multivariate analyses were conducted on measures of verbal learning and memory (e. g., learning a list of words and recalling them 30 min later), visual memory (e.g., reproducing a previously copied figure from memory), and attention span (e.g., repeating long lists of digits), after adjustments for age, and estimated IQ. Results indicated that performance on learning and memory tasks was significantly poorer in adults having any APOE epsilon 4 allele, relative to adults with APOE epsilon 2 and epsilon 3 genotypes (P <.01). Attention span did not differ by genotype. These findings, the first in a sample of middle-aged adults, suggest that the APOE polymorphism is a marker for age-related decline in memory (detectable prior to overt, clinical manifestations of memory loss), and/or a marker for individual differences in memory ability across the life span. Am. J. Med. Genet. (Neuropsychiatr. Genet.) 96:707-711, 2000.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Autobiographical memory loss following herpes encephalitis].

We report a patient with prominent autobiographical memory (ABM) impairment, and discussed possible mechanisms of her deficits. The patient was a 36-year-old woman who suffered from herpes simplex encephalitis in November 1994. Four months after the onset, the neuropsychological examination disclosed that her intelligence, attention, language and frontal lobe functions were normal. Moderate anterograde amnesia was evident for visual materials, and she showed difficulties in retrieving visual images. Deficits in verbal learning were minimal. In contrast, her retrograde amnesia (RA) was severe. Further analyses clarified that memory for public events and personal semantic memory were relatively well preserved whereas ABM was severely impaired with no evidence of temporal gradient. Her performance on the ABM questionnaire was even worse than that of alcoholic Korsakoff patients. Interestingly, however, deficits in memory for public events also emerged when questions were presented with pictures instead of ordinary verbal questionnaires. The results suggest that her principle deficits consisted in utilizing visual information of the past events. Her access to and manipulation of the past visual representation/images were impaired. Consequently, her deficits were almost exclusive to ABM because visual information is most crucial for ABM. This material specific ABM impairment demonstrated in the present patient could be differentiated from nonspecific retrograde amnesia observed in typical focal RA patients. MRI, SPECT and PET demonstrated that the present patient had lesions basically in the right hemisphere, specifically in the medical temporal area including the hippocampus.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Memory profiles in parents of patients with schizophrenia.

Recent research shows that categorizing patients with schizophrenia based on frontal-striatal and frontal-temporal memory profiles may yield neurobiologically meaningful disease subtypes. We hypothesize that parents of patients exhibit similar memory profiles. Both parents of 36 patients with schizophrenia (N = 72) and 26 healthy married control couples (N = 52) participated in this study. All subjects were physically healthy and had no history of neurological illness or alcohol/drug abuse. The presence of a psychiatric and/or personality disorder was assessed with the Comprehensive Assessment of Symptoms and History (CASH) interview, the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-lifetime (SADS-L) interview and the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders (SIDP-IV), respectively. Cluster analysis of selected measures from the Dutch version of the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) delineated parents into two subgroups with distinct memory deficits and a third subgroup without impairments. Specific frontal-striatal and frontal-temporal subgroups, however, were not found. In addition, our results indicated that mothers seem to be more protected against the negative effects of genetic liability to schizophrenia than fathers. Furthermore, relatives with a higher level of intelligence may have more cognitive reserve to compensate for the negative impact of implied brain dysfunction on verbal memory than relatives with a low level of intelligence. Although the parents of patients with schizophrenia could be delineated into subgroups with primary memory deficits, frontal-striatal and frontal-temporal subgroups could not be unambiguously identified. The association that emerged between level of intelligence, gender and severity of memory impairment deserves further exploration.

Cluster Analysis↗
PubMed1992

Long-term neuropsychologic sequelae of childhood leukemia: comparison of two CNS prophylactic regimens.

To compare the late neuropsychologic toxicities of CNS prophylaxis in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a transversal assessment was performed in two groups of ALL patients and two control groups. The ALL patients had received one of the following CNS prophylaxes: cranial irradiation, 24 Gy and i.t. MTX 10 mg/m2, 6 doses (RT group, n = 25) or i.t. Ara-C 30 mg/m2 and i.t. MTX 10 mg/m2, 10 doses (ChT group, n = 29). The two control groups were: Siblings (Sb, n = 24) and Solid Tumors (ST, n = 22). Intelligence Quotient (IQ), memory, learning, attention and frontal tasks were studied. Comparative analyses between ChT and RT showed no differences in any of the tests. When RT was compared with ST or Sb, RT showed a 10-point lower mean IQ (p greater than 0.05). The results of ChT versus ST or versus Sb were worse in the ChT group. In many tests the differences were statistically significant. Analyses of the 54 ALL patients compared with the 46 controls showed significant differences in all tests except verbal memory and verbal learning. Neuropsychological sequelae of CNS prophylaxis are discussed, and in particular, the role of cranial radiotherapy and i.t. Ara-C. We conclude that prophylactic CNS therapy may cause cognitive dysfunctions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

[Neuropsychological correlates of cerebral blood flow anomalies and MRI lesions after rupture of anterior communicating artery aneurysms].

The aim of this study was to investigate relations between neuropsychological disorders resulting from rupture of aneurysms of the anterior communicating artery, regional cerebral blood flow anomalies and brain lesions revealed on MRI. Blood flow was analyzed in 22 consecutive patients at least 3 weeks after surgery using single photon emission computed tomography. Flow values were calculated in 10 regions of interest on each side of the brain. Attention, motor control, executive functions, short-term and long-term learning (verbal, visuo-spatial), categorical evocation, general intellectual performances were investigated. Flow drop was observed over frontal areas, which predominated on the right side. The correlation analyses showed that

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Verbal memory deficits associated with major affective disorders: a comparison of unipolar and bipolar patients.

The verbal learning and fluency of patients with unipolar and bipolar depression were compared to those of normal controls and patients with Huntington's disease. The data demonstrated that the recall and recognition performance of both groups of depressed patients were impaired relative to the performance of normal control subjects. The bipolar patients, however, were more impaired than the unipolar patients on both tasks (P less than 0.024 and P less than 0.022, respectively). In addition, the unipolar patients generated more correct responses on a test of verbal fluency (P less than 0.04). The performance of the bipolar patients was, in fact, similar to that of patients with Huntington's disease, a progressive degenerative disorder that primarily affects subcortical areas.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Atenolol compared with nifedipine: effect on cognitive function and mood in elderly hypertensive patients.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of atenolol and nifedipine on mood and cognitive function in elderly hypertensive patients. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, crossover trial. PATIENTS: Thirty-one elderly volunteers (7 women and 4 men) 60 to 81 years of age with mild to moderate hypertension were recruited from the general community and a Veterans Affairs hospital hypertension clinic. Six volunteers withdrew at early phases of the study for reasons unrelated to adverse drug effects. INTERVENTIONS: Participants had 2 weeks of placebo, to 6 weeks of titration with atenolol or nifedipine, and weeks of treatment followed by similar periods with the other drug. MEASUREMENTS: Psychometric tests designed to assess mood and cognitive function. RESULTS: In the group first treated with nifedipine, the summed recall score on the Buschke selective reminding test (a test of verbal learning and memory) decreased by 9.3 words (95% CI, 2.8 to 15.6 words), or 0%, during nifedipine treatment compared with placebo (P = 0.031). The group first treated with atenolol showed no improvement in summed recall scores when results seen during atenolol therapy and placebo administration were compared (P = 0.10); however, this group had an improvement of 16.1 words (CI, 5.6 to 26.5 words), or of 16%, when the atenolol score was compared with the nifedipine score (P = 0.026). In the group first treated with nifedipine, 6 of 11 patients 55%) showed a decrease of 5 words or more during nifedipine therapy compared with placebo, whereas only 1 of the 14 patients (7%) in the group first treated with atenolol showed a similar decrease (P less than 0.01). On the digit symbol test (a psychomotor test), patients treated first with atenolol tended to improve, whereas patients treated first with nifedipine tended to decline. The difference between nifedipine and atenolol, in terms of the change from the score seen during placebo, was 4.3 codings (CI, 0.7 to 7.9 codings) or 10% (P = 0.043). No statistically significant differences were seen between nifedipine and atenolol therapy regarding the other measures of psychomotor ability, sustained attention, motor performance, verbal fluency, or abstract reasoning, and no effects of either drug on mood or psychopathologic symptoms were noted. CONCLUSIONS: Although atenolol and nifedipine are generally free of gross effects on cognition or mood, nifedipine may subtly impair learning and memory in some elderly hypertensive patients.

Affect↗
PubMed2001

Qualitative analysis of verbal fluency output: review and comparison of several scoring methods.

We compared three approaches to scoring qualitative aspects of verbal fluency performance in 88 healthy young adults. Phonemic and semantic fluency output was scored for word clustering and switching between clusters. Convergent validity analyses using other tests presumed to tap into strategy use (California Verbal Learning Test, Ruff Figural Fluency Test) support scoring of phonemic and semantic clusters on both fluency tasks. Task-discrepant clustering (e.g., semantic clustering on phonemic fluency) may index intentional strategy use on both fluency tasks, whereas task consistent clustering (e.g., phonemic clustering on phonemic fluency) appears strategic only on semantic fluency. Switching can be decomposed into subtypes that appear to reflect different cognitive processes on phonemic versus semantic fluency. Principal components analyses suggest that earlier scoring methods do not fully capture the "process" aspects of verbal fluency performance.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Auditory perception in auditory neuropathy: clinical similarity with auditory verbal agnosia.

The precise features of auditory perception in patients with auditory neuropathy have not been well described. In the present study, we examined auditory perception in a patient with auditory neuropathy. The patient was a right-handed 7-year-old boy. His chief complaint was delayed speech and suspected of verbal learning disability. He could talk, read and repeat rather fluently but could not understand fully what was asked. V-IQ, P-IQ and F-IQ of Wechsler Scale for Children III-R were 53, 118 and 81, respectively. Pure tone audiogram was completely normal. His speech discrimination ability was very poor. He could identify environmental sounds with visual matching. He could differentiate intensity difference but not time difference. This phenomenon was reported in patients with hemispheric symptoms. These clinical features are very similar to verbal auditory agnosia. ABR showed no response at 90dBnHL alternating clicks and tone bursts. Click evoked and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (OAE) were normal. Electrocochleogram was also normal. Motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity was completely normal. Pa of MLR and N1 of SVR were present. His diagnosis should be "pure type" of auditory neuropathy or auditory nerve disease. Importance of both ABR and OAE examination should be widely announced and auditory neuropathy must be campaigned stressed to be clinical entity among personnel who take care of children with speech delay.

Agnosia↗
PubMed2002

Cognitive and neuropsychological outcomes: more than IQ scores.

Improved survival in preterm infants has broadened interest in cognitive and neuropsychological outcomes. The incidence of major disabilities (moderate/severe mental retardation, neurosensory disorders, epilepsy, cerebral palsy) has remained consistent, but high prevalence/low severity dysfunctions (learning disabilities, ADHD, borderline mental retardation, specific neuropsychological deficits, behavioral disorders) have increased. The follow-up literature contains methodologic problems that make generalizations regarding outcome difficult, and these are discussed. Although mean IQs of former VLBW infants generally are in the low average range and are 3-9 points below normal birth weight peers, these scores mask subtle deficits in: visual-motor and visual-perceptual abilities, complex language functions, academics (reading, mathematics, spelling and writing), and attentional skills. There is an increased incidence of non-verbal learning disabilities, need for special educational assistance, and behavioral disorders in children born prematurely. Males have more problems, and there is a trend for worsening outcome over time, due to emergence of more subtle deficits in response to increased performance demands. In addition to IQ and achievement testing in follow-up, there should be evaluation of executive functions and attention, language, sensorimotor functions, visuospatial processes, memory and learning, and behavioral adjustment.

Cognition Disorders↗
PubMed2006

Neurocognitive function in unmedicated manic and medicated euthymic pediatric bipolar patients.

OBJECTIVE: A systematic evaluation of neuropsychological functioning in individuals with pediatric bipolar disorder is necessary to clarify the types of cognitive deficits that are associated with acutely ill and euthymic phases of the disorder and the effects of medication on these deficits. METHOD: Unmedicated (N=28) and medicated (N=28) pediatric bipolar patients and healthy individuals (N=28) (mean age=11.74 years, SD=2.99) completed cognitive testing. Groups were matched on age, sex, race, parental socioeconomic status, general intelligence, and single-word reading ability. A computerized neurocognitive battery and standardized neuropsychological tests were administered to assess attention, executive function, working memory, verbal memory, visual memory, visuospatial perception, and motor skills. RESULTS: Subjects with pediatric bipolar disorder, regardless of medication and illness status, showed impairments in the domains of attention, executive functioning, working memory, and verbal learning compared to healthy individuals. Also, bipolar subjects with comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) performed worse on tasks assessing attention and executive function than patients with bipolar disorder alone. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of differences in the deficits of neurocognitive profiles between acutely ill unmedicated patients and euthymic medicated patients suggests that these impairments are trait-like characteristics of pediatric bipolar disorder. The cognitive deficits found in individuals with pediatric bipolar disorder suggest significant involvement of frontal lobe systems supporting working memory and mesial temporal lobe systems supporting verbal memory, regardless of ADHD comorbidity.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sedative effects of antihistamines: safety, performance, learning, and quality of life.

Antihistamines are frequently part of the treatment regimen for seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis occurring alone or in conjunction with associated airway disorders, such as asthma, sinusitis, and otitis media with effusion. These agents are also frequently prescribed for the treatment of urticaria to eliminate the need for long-term corticosteroids. This paper reviews the side-effect profile of the sedating and nonsedating agents (a classification given these drugs by the US Food and Drug Administration) in terms of patient satisfaction and quality-of-life parameters. Because the sedating antihistamines cross the blood-brain barrier more quickly and easily than the nonsedating antihistamines, they produce more central nervous system (CNS) effects, further exacerbating the decreases in decision-making, verbal learning, and psychomotor skills already experienced by the patient with allergic rhinitis. In contrast the now-preferred nonsedating agents do not readily cross the blood-brain barrier, do not produce CNS side effects, and, therefore, do not cause sedation or performance impairment. The nonsedating agents provide a safer alternative for patients with allergic rhinitis. Their use can increase patient satisfaction with the health care received.

Cognition↗
PubMed2006

Neuropsychological functioning in adults with Asperger syndrome.

There is some consensus in the literature regarding the cognitive profile of people with Asperger syndrome (AS). Findings to date suggest that a proportion of people with AS have higher verbal than performance IQ, a non-verbal learning disability (NVLD) and impairments in some aspects of executive function (EF). However, there are few published studies on adults with AS and many have compared the AS group to an autistic control group alone. We compared cognitive functioning in 27 AS adults without a history of language delay and 20 normal controls who did not differ significantly in age, gender and IQ. People with AS had significant impairments on a test of visual memory and on EF tasks measuring flexibility and generativity, but not inhibition. There was no significant difference between verbal and performance IQ. Our results suggest that impairments on tests requiring flexibility of thought and generation occur at all ages and across a range of autistic disorders including AS.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Cognitive functioning in bipolar patients receiving lamotrigine: preliminary results.

Despite the increasing use of lamotrigine (LTG) in bipolar disorder, little is known about its impact on cognition in bipolar patients. Therefore, we have evaluated 33 bipolar I and II patients on cognitive measures (verbal memory, attention, executive functions) while receiving either LTG (n = 15) or another anticonvulsant (carbamazepine or valproate; n = 18). Patients receiving LTG were generally diagnosed as having bipolar II disorder, had experienced more depressive episodes but a lesser number of hospitalizations, and had better performance than the patients receiving carbamazepine or valproate on the verbal fluency task. A moderate effect size also suggests that both groups may differ on the immediate verbal memory test (California Verbal Learning Test). These preliminary results suggest a safer neurocognitive profile of LTG on bipolar patients, as compared with other anticonvulsants.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Relation between social functioning and neurocognitive test results using the Optional Thinking Test in schizophrenia.

The current study investigated the relationship between clinical evaluations of social functioning and neurocognitive test results, including various fluency tests for assessing divergent thinking, in patients with schizophrenia. The Optional Thinking Test (OTT) was used to measure the ability of individuals to conceive of alternatives. This test assesses alternative thinking, or the capacity to generate solutions to problems. The current study examined 36 schizophrenia patients and 25 normal subjects using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), the Letter Cancellation Test (LCT), the Letter and Category Fluency Tests, and the OTT for neurocognitive assessment, as well as the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), the Social Functioning Scale (SFS), and the Life Assessment Scale for the Mentally Ill - Interpersonal Relations (LASMI-I) for clinical measures. The schizophrenia patients had significantly poorer performances on the MMSE, RAVLT, LCT (time), fluency tests, and OTT than the controls. In the OTT, the proportions of classified strategies were indistinguishable between the schizophrenia patients and the controls. Alternative thinking, as measured by the OTT, was correlated with verbal fluency and attention but was not correlated with the social functioning scores (GAF, SFS, LASMI-I), whereas the Means-Ends Problem-Solving was correlated with the GAF in schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia could conceive of the same categories of alternatives as healthy people, but could not conceive as many alternatives.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Knowing that 'Colorado' goes with 'Denver' does not imply knowledge that 'Denver' is in 'Colorado'.

Patient Boswell, who is severely amnesic for both retrograde and anterograde material, can provide the correct state name for a particular city, given the name of the city, e.g. given 'Denver' he will respond 'Denver ... Colorado', an ability that, by itself, would suggest that he knows about each item in the set and about their connection. However, he cannot name cities in a state, and he is unable to provide even superficial information about the unique characteristics of most cities and states. We investigated this phenomenon with several experiments. In the first (State Completion), Boswell was given names of cities in the U.S.A., and asked to provide the associated state name; in the second (City Generation) we asked him to provide names of cities located in particular states. For State Completion, Boswell correctly supplied state names for 53% of the items, and he improved to 94% correct in a forced choice paradigm. For City Generation, his performance was markedly inferior to that of controls; in fact, he produced only 4 city names for a total of 27 different states. In another experiment, in which Boswell was asked to give specific characteristics of cities and states, he was also severely defective. The dissociations suggest that the ability to complete a well-learned verbal set (e.g. Denver-Colorado), given its first component, implies nothing about (1) the underlying verbal or non-verbal knowledge associated with either item in the set, or (2) their relationship to one another. The maintenance of this ability depends on a circumscribed cortical region of the dominant hemisphere, which includes Brodmann's field 22 and part of fields 21 and 37.

Amnesia↗
PubMed2000

Relationship between EEG dimensional complexity and neuropsychological findings in Alzheimer's disease.

The aim of the present study was to examine the region-specific correlations between electroencephalography (EEG) dimensional complexity (DC), a measure of non-linear dynamics, and neuropsychological performance in 25 right-handed patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Electroencephalography recording sites were according to the international 10-20 system. Neuropsychological tests included Wechelor Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) (Full-scale Intelligence Quotient (FIQ), Verbal Intelligence Quotient (VIQ), Performance Intelligent Quotient (PIQ)); Mini-Mental State Examination; Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM); Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT); seven word pairs-revised Miyake Paired-Associate Word Learning Test; Benton Visual Retention Test; and Rey Complex Figure Test. A partial correlational analysis was carried out, controlling for age and sex (P< 0.005). The FIQ, VIQ and RCPM scores were found to be significantly correlated with DC at the F3, C3 and T3 electrodes. Significant correlations were also found between RAVLT scores and DC at the C3, P3 and T5 electrodes. The study on AD indicated region-specific correlations between DC and neuropsychological performance: one between the DC value in the left frontal, central and mid-temporal areas and intellectual function; and another between the DC value in the left central, parietal and post-temporal areas and verbal memory. Dimensional complexity would therefore seem to be a useful indicator for the assessment of neuropsychological deficits in AD.

Aged↗