The use of neuropsychological tests with regards to language and culture is a relatively under researched area. Previous research has found that cultural familiarity with test-items is important for minimising differences between groups and that completing tests in a second language can increase differences between groups on both language- and performance-based tests. An exploratory mixed methods design was used for this study. Participants were 46 participants with English as a first language (L1) and 23 participants with English as a second language (L2). The L1 and L2 participants differed only on the Language index of the SPANS, with L1 participants scoring significantly higher. Participants whose first language is not English reported generally that the test experience was good and the language used in the testing was clear. They reported some anxiety and worry in relation to memory and numbers. The results of this study support previous research which suggests that language may influence performance on language based neuropsychological tests as well as support for a need for culturally familiar test-items. As there were minimal differences between the two groups this is support for the SPANS’s use with the tested population with caution given to interpretation of the language index.

Visual tracking is the task of repeatedly inferring the state (position, motion, etc.) of the desired target in an image sequence. It is an important scientific problem as humans can visually track targets in a broad range of settings. However, visual tracking algorithms struggle to robustly follow a target in unconstrained scenarios. Among the many challenges faced by visual trackers, two important ones are occlusions and abrupt motion variations. Occlusions take place when (an)other object(s) obscures the camera's view of the tracked target. A target may exhibit abrupt variations in apparent motion due to its own unexpected movement, camera movement, and low frame rate image acquisition. Each of these issues can cause a tracker to lose its target. This thesis introduces the idea of learning and propagation of tracking information over multiple temporal scales to overcome occlusions and abrupt motion variations. A temporal scale is a specific sequence of moments in time Models (describing appearance and/or motion of the target) can be learned from the target tracking history over multiple temporal scales and applied over multiple temporal scales in the future. With the rise of multiple motion model tracking frameworks, there is a need for a broad range of search methods and ways of selecting between the available motion models. The potential benefits of learning over multiple temporal scales are first assessed by studying both motion and appearance variations in the ground-truth data associated with several image sequences. A visual tracker operating over multiple temporal scales is then proposed that is capable of handling occlusions and abrupt motion variations. Experiments are performed to compare the performance of the tracker with competing methods, and to analyze the impact on performance of various elements of the proposed approach. Results reveal a simple, yet general framework for dealing with occlusions and abrupt motion variations. In refining the proposed framework, a search method is generalized for multiple competing hypotheses in visual tracking, and a new motion model selection criterion is proposed.

Personality disorder is common amongst individuals accessing mental health services, with research into its aetiology and impact on services increasing in recent years. This thesis has two parts. The first is a systematic review of the neuropsychological functioning among forensic samples with diagnoses of psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Five databases were searched for cross-sectional studies exploring cognitive functioning in psychopathy and ASPD. Twelve studies were reviewed and indicated that individuals with psychopathy and ASPD demonstrate deficits in executive functions, attention, and memory, and that there are some differences in neuropsychological performance between the two disorders. The second part is an empirical study exploring factors that may influence mental health staff attitudes towards individuals with personality disorder. The study found that staff personality traits, emotion regulation style, empathy and job satisfaction were related to attitudes to personality disorder. Empathy and job burnout predicted attitudes, with higher scores on empathy and lower levels of burnout being related to positive attitudes to personality disorder. Implications for the findings of the systematic review and empirical study are discussed. Further research is required in both areas.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic, neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by motor, cognitive and psychiatric disturbances. Anosognosia, or lack of awareness of symptoms, is commonly observed in neurodegenerative disorders, including HD. Most theories suggest that emotion, executive functioning, and memory play important roles in self-awareness. There is limited research of anosognosia in HD and no theoretical model of how it manifests in the disease. The purpose of this study was to examine Metacognitive Knowledge, or overall beliefs about the self, and Online Awareness, or the ability to predict (Anticipatory Awareness) and evaluate (Emergent Awareness) task performance, in HD. Fifty-six symptomatic HD patients and fifty informants completed the study. Results revealed that those with the best executive functioning and lowest apathy were also better able to report on their symptoms. Those with the best executive functioning and memory and lowest apathy were the best at predicting and evaluating their performance on cognitive tasks. Patient self-report of memory was associated with cognitive performance while self-report of executive functioning and apathy was not. Only informant report of apathy and executive functioning was related to cognitive performance. For both Metacognitive Knowledge and Online Awareness, HD patients tended to have a better awareness of memory than executive functioning. These results suggest that awareness in HD is governed by local monitoring systems rather than a single metacognitive mechanism. It is also consistent with literature that suggests that individuals are least able to evaluate performance on tasks for which they are poorest in skill level, as HD patients tend to have impaired executive functioning and increased apathy with relative sparing of memory.

Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a developmental neurological disorder characterised by vocal and motor tics and is associated with cortical-striatal-thalamic-cortical circuit dysfunction and hyper-excitability within cortical motor areas. TS symptoms often become more controlled throughout adolescence until the individual is largely tic-free by early adulthood. It is likely that adaptive changes occur in the development of brain structure and function throughout the critical developmental period of adolescence in people with TS, which leads to tic remission in some individuals. To investigate this I used multiple brain-imaging approaches including diffusion tensor imaging to look at white matter microstructure, T1-weighted anatomical MR imaging to measure cortical grey matter thickness and MR-Spectroscopy (MRS) to measure neurotransmitters of interest (GABA and glutamate) in a group of young people with TS and a typically developing matched control group. Brain function (measures of excitation and inhibition in M1) was also considered by using transcranial magnetic stimulation. A significant positive relationship was found between white matter structural integrity (FA) measured from the body of the corpus callosum that contained projections to M1 or the SMA and motor tic severity. The TS group had increased levels of GABA in the SMA, as measured by MRS, compared to the control group. SMA- GABA levels had a significant positive relationship with FA from the SMA ROI but a negative relationship with TMS measures of cortical excitability during movement preparation. This suggests that those individuals with the least severe tic symptoms also have reduced callosal white matter from the SMA (an area implicated in the production and suppression of tics) in adolescents with TS, which relates to a reduction in task based cortical excitability and a reduction in SMA-GABA compared to those with more severe tics. The results from this thesis suggest that tic-suppression may occur through decreasing excitatory inputs to M1, either through increasing the inhibition (GABA levels) of the SMA, or by decreasing the number of excitatory interhemispheric inputs to sensorimotor regions.

This study examined the underlying factor structure of the Nova Multilingual Neuropsychological Battery (NMNB) and evaluated the influence of demographic variables such as language fluency and acculturation on test performance. The NMNB is a comprehensive test designed to measure cognitive abilities in Spanish/English bilinguals. The instrument was developed taking into consideration cultural variables believed to influence neuropsychological test performance and it includes a Spanish and an English version. It is comprised of tasks measuring abilities such as short and long term memory, executive functioning, motor skills, visuo-spatial abilities, arithmetic, and vocabulary. The study included 155 participants (71 English monolinguals and 84 Spanish/English bilinguals). Forty-six participants from the bilingual group were tested in English and 37 were tested in Spanish. Participants were normal adults between 18 and 60 years of age who were primarily recruited from a university setting. They also completed a demographic questionnaire that included a measure of acculturation. An exploratory factor analysis was used to test the hypothesis that the subtests from NMNB would load onto five factors including language, perceptual reasoning, memory, executive functioning and psychomotor abilities. Results from four different retention models did not match the hypothesized factor structure, yet they allowed the identification of specific cognitive domains within the factors. These cognitive domains include memory, learning, executive functioning, perceptual reasoning, reading ability, and psychomotor skills. Verbal memory and learning were factors consistently identified across the retention methods. The moderation effects of language fluency and level of acculturation on test performance were examined. It was hypothesized that language fluency, as defined by performance on the Categorical Fluency subtest, on tasks measuring language abilities. It was also hypothesized that level of acculturation would moderate the performance on measures of executive functioning and perceptual reasoning abilities. These hypotheses were based on the alleged pattern of advantages and disadvantages observed in bilingual individuals according to current research studies. Results from regression analyses showed no mediation effects of language fluency and level of acculturation on test performance. Data from this study did not show the purported pattern of disadvantages of bilingualism on language abilities neither demonstrated advantages in areas such as executive functioning and working memory. Overall, the findings did not support the hypotheses of the study However, the results allowed the analyses of the utility of the instrument in the assessment of specific cognitive abilities as well as the need for developing appropriate measures for this population. Furthermore, the findings put into perspective the importance of formal and objective assessment of language abilities and level of acculturation. This study represents a significant contribution to the empirical knowledge regarding neuropsychological assessment of individuals of Hispanic backgrounds. As such, it adds to the scarce literature on this topic. Further examination of the psychometric properties of the NMNB is warranted. Future research should include a larger sample including Spanish monolinguals, older adults as well as individuals with different levels of educational attainment.

Behavior analysts refer to a decrease in response rate following repeated, contingent presentations of a reinforcing stimulus as a product of satiation. Other evidence suggests that these decreases may often be due to habituation to the sensory properties of the reinforcing stimulus. The investigation reported here sought to determine whether decreases in operant responding by 3 adults with developmental disabilities were due to satiation or habituation. During baseline, participants placed poker chips into a container, and no reinforcement was available. Within subsequent phases, participants received diet lemon-lime soda on a fixed-ratio (FR) schedule of reinforcement. In one condition, the color of the soda was constant throughout the session, and in another condition food coloring was added several minutes into the session. Results for at least 2 participants indicated that: (a) soda functioned as a reinforcer for placing poker chips in the can; (b) response rates decreased within the session to baseline levels; and (c) response rates increased following a change in the color of the soda within the session. Results for the third participant were less clear. The results support the argument made by other researchers that the terms habituation (a weakening of a behavior following contact with the reinforcing stimulus) and stimulus specificity (a strengthening of a behavior following a change in the reinforcing stimulus) may be more appropriate descriptors of within-session changes in responding. The factors associated with habituation and satiation, as well as both basic and applied research examples, are discussed.

This study examined the effectiveness of cautioning and education on simulating a mild traumatic brain injury on several neuropsychological measures. The measures used included the Word Memory Test (WMT), Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales® - Third Edition (WAIS®-III), Wechsler Memory Scales®-3rd Edition instrument (WMS®-III), 16-item version of the Rey Memory Test, and a self-report symptom checklist. Five experimental groups were used including clinical and non-clinical controls, as well as three simulation groups. The design and implementation of this study also attempted to correct several methodological short comings of prior research by increasing the incentives for participants, expanding the generalizability of findings and examining research compliance and participant self-perception through debriefing. Discriminant analysis was utilized to determine if specific functions existed that would correctly classify and distinguish each experimental group. Several discriminant functions had at least moderate canonical correlations and good classification accuracy. Results also include utility estimates given projected varying base rates of malingering.

Orientadores: Monica Sanches Yassuda, Anita Liberalesso Neri / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-07T23:56:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Oliveira_BeatrizHelenaDomingos_M.pdf: 1071762 bytes, checksum: bbf416d9287be4204a0e443208e01ce2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Com o processo de envelhecimento humano observam-se alterações em características do sono e no desempenho cognitivo. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi investigar a associação e o efeito de alterações e transtornos do sono sobre funções cognitivas como memória, linguagem, praxia visuo-construtiva e funções executivas, bem como a relação de todas estas variáveis com características sócio-econômicas. A amostra foi composta por 158 idosos (idade entre 60 e 99 anos; M= 70,2; DP=8,2) residentes na comunidade da cidade de Juiz de Fora ¿ MG, integrantes do Estudo dos Processos de Envelhecimento Saudável (PENSA). Foram utilizados subtestes da bateria do Consortium Estabilish a Registry for Alzheimer¿ Disease - CERAD (Morris et al., 1987) e o questionário Mini-Sleep (Zomer et al., 1985). Pelas análises multivariadas observou-se que maior freqüência de sintomas de insônia esteve associada a pior desempenho em fluência verbal, e ainda, por uma análise regressão múltipla observou-se que maior escolaridade, menor idade e menor freqüência de sintomas de insônia são preditores de melhor desempenho cognitivo, com maior efeito da variável escolaridade. Os resultados do presente estudo corroboram os dados de pesquisas nacionais e internacionais, apontando assim para a necessidade de uma maior atenção ao impacto de transtornos do sono e variáveis sócio-demográficos sobre funções cognitivas na velhice / Abstract: Along with the aging process changes in sleep patterns and in cognitive performance are observed. The objective of the present study was to investigate the association and the effect of sleep changes and sleep disturbances on cognitive functions such as memory, language, constructional praxis and executive functions, as well as the relation of the cognitive and sleep variables to the socio-economic variables. The studied sample was formed by 158 community dwelling older adults from Juiz de Fora ¿ MG (age range from 60 to 99; M = 70,2; SD = 8,2), participants in the Estudo dos Processos do Envelhecimento Saudável (PENSA). Sub-tests from the CERAD battery Consortium to Estabilish a Registry for Alzheimer¿ Disease - CERAD (Morris et al., 1987) and the Mini-Sleep Questionary (Zomer et al., 1985) were selected for these analyses. Multivariate analyses indicated that higher frequency of insomnia symptoms was associated with worse verbal fluency performance, and multiple regression analyses suggested that higher education, lower age and lower frequency of insomnia symptoms are predictors of better cognitive performance, with stronger impact of years of education. Results from the present study confirm previous national and international research, indicating the need for more attention to the impact of sleep disturbances and socioeconomic variables on cognitive aging / Mestrado / Gerontologia / Mestre em Gerontologia

This experiment investigated lateralized hemispheric regulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) among high anxious and nonanxious university undergraduate men using a novel laboratory paradigm. Specifically, this three phase paradigm entailed the administration of a verbal fluency (left frontal) and nonverbal fluency (right frontal) task with or without the threat of a painful stimulus (cold pressor) to high anxious and nonanxious participants. Thus, the cerebrums are hypothesized to be engaged in a dual-task experience requiring the regulation of the ANS and concurrent performance on the verbal or the nonverbal fluency measure. Given the literature which supports relative right hemisphere activation among anxious individuals, it was hypothesized that high anxious men would (1) demonstrate greater physiological arousal to the cold pressor, (2) perform relatively worse on nonverbal fluency measures and demonstrate greater difficulty regulating cardiovascular functioning, and (3) demonstrate relatively lower nonverbal fluency scores and increased physiological arousal when presented with the nonverbal fluency task and cold pressor stimulus simultaneously. The results are evaluated using three perspectives: Heller's (1993) hypothesis, Kinsbourne's Functional Cerebral Distance principle, and lateralized regulation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. The results only partially supported the right hemisphere activation hypothesis for anxious individuals, as many of the significant results were counter to hypotheses. Specifically, high anxious men demonstrated lower verbal fluency scores and greater heart rate during the combined stimulus of the cold pressor and verbal fluency task. The data are supportive of relative anterior deactivation among high anxious men. The discussion extends the findings to present questions regarding cerebral regulation of the ANS. Future experiments which may add to the current understanding of lateralized regulation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) are suggested. / Ph. D.