The aim of this study is to examine the long-term cognitive effects and educational outcomes of being born small-for-gestational-age (SGA). It also assesses whether the family’s attitude towards education modifies the effect of SGA on cognitive performance. A total of 9598 children born in 1953 and living in the Stockholm metropolitan area in 1963 were included in this study. Data were obtained from the Stockholm Birth Cohort. Multiple ordinary least square regressions analyses suggest that SGA children have lower mean verbal, spatial and numerical test scores than appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) children. However, these differences are small. Other results from modification analyses indicate that the effect of SGA status on cognitive performance is modified by the family’s attitude towards education. Additional logistic regression analyses suggest that the unadjusted difference in log odds of attaining higher education is largely explained by the family’s attitude towards education. The results suggest that the detrimental influences of being born SGA on some cognitive and educational outcomes are limited and may be reduced.

New mothers often complain of impaired cognitive functioning, and it is well documented that women experience a significant increase in sleep disturbance after the birth of a child. Sleep disturbance has been linked to impaired cognitive performance in several populations, including commercial truck drivers, airline pilots, and medical residents, though this relationship has rarely been studied in postpartum women. In the present study 13 pregnant women and a group of 22 non-pregnant controls completed one week of actigraphy followed by a battery of neuropsychological tests and questionnaires in the last month of pregnancy (Time 1) and again at four weeks postpartum (Time 2). Pregnant women experienced significantly more objective and subjective sleep disturbance than the control group at both time points. They also demonstrated more impairment in objective, but not subjective cognitive functioning. Preliminary analyses indicated increased objective sleep fragmentation from Time 1 to Time 2 predicted decreased objective cognitive performance from Time 1 to Time 2, though small sample size limited the power of these findings. Implications for perinatal women and need for future research were discussed.

<p>Previous research has shown both positive and negative effects of gaming on academic and cognitive performance. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of gaming on development of working memory (WM), inattention, reading and math ability using a longitudinal design. A randomly chosen sample of 335 (168 girls) 6–25 year olds performed tests of visuo-spatial and verbal WM, reading and math ability twice, with a two year interval. Gaming and inattention were assed with questionnaires. Time spent gaming did not affect development of any of the variables. However, game category did correlate with development of visuo-spatial WM, with action-gamers having a more favourable development. There was, however, no positive interaction with more time spent gaming for action-gamers. These results suggest that gaming should not be regarded as a damaging leisure activity. There could instead be some positive effects of gaming, but future research should try to identify the aspects of gaming contributing to this effect.</p>

Previous research has shown both positive and negative effects of gaming on academic and cognitive performance. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of gaming on development of working memory (WM), inattention, reading and math ability using a longitudinal design. A randomly chosen sample of 335 (168 girls) 6–25 year olds performed tests of visuo-spatial and verbal WM, reading and math ability twice, with a two year interval. Gaming and inattention were assed with questionnaires. Time spent gaming did not affect development of any of the variables. However, game category did correlate with development of visuo-spatial WM, with action-gamers having a more favourable development. There was, however, no positive interaction with more time spent gaming for action-gamers. These results suggest that gaming should not be regarded as a damaging leisure activity. There could instead be some positive effects of gaming, but future research should try to identify the aspects of gaming contributing to this effect.

A growing body of literature suggests that higher levels of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness, as well as an alternative treatment such as low level laser therapy (LLLT), have beneficial effects on cognition, while sedentary lifestyle-induced obesity and vascular risk negatively influence cognition. However, the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and vascular risk on cognitive function and the effect of an acute bout of very vigorous aerobic exercise (acute exercise) on cognitive performance has not yet been investigated. Additionally, the effects of combined acute exercise and LLLT treatments on cognitive performance have not yet been characterized. Therefore, the goal of this dissertation was to conduct a series of three research studies ranging from a cross-sectional exploratory study about the association of cardiorespiratory fitness, obesity, and vascular risk on cognitive function, to an experimentally designed study that compared the effects of acute exercise, LLLT, and the combination of these two treatments on cognitive performance in young adults. Study1 examined the relationship among cardiorespiratory fitness (maximal oxygen consumption, VO2max), obesity indices (body mass index, BMI; waist circumstance), and vascular risk (C-reactive protein; CRP). Cognitive function included crystalized intelligence (Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test; KBIT), executive functions of inhibition (Stroop test), switching (Trail making test; TMT), attention (Psychomotor Vigilance Task; PVT), and working memory (Delayed-Match-to-Sample, DMS). Study 2 determined the effect of acute exercise on cognitive performance including executive response inhibition (Stroop test) and response switching (TMT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF). Study 3 compared the effectiveness of LLLT and acute exercise on cognitive performance, which included attention (PVT) and working memory (DMS). Results demonstrated there was a beneficial effect of physical exercise-induced improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness on vascular risk and cognitive functions particularly in working memory and inhibitory control (Study1). Acute exercise improved performance in inhibitory control and increased the BNDF level compared to the control condition, suggesting the acute exercise-induced the increase in BDNF level may be at least in part of mediating the cognitive performance improvement (Study 2). All three conditions (acute exercise, LLLT, or the combination) improved performance in attention and working memory, as measured by reaction time and response accuracy, when compared to a control group. Specially, the combined group showed a trend of greater improvement in attention and worming memory performance (Study 3). Taken together, the results of this research series suggest that acute exercise and LLLT can improve cognitive performance, which is also mediated by health indices including cardiorespiratory fitness, obesity, and vascular risk. It is anticipated that these findings will make substantive contributions to the empirical literature concerning the beneficial effect of exercise and LLLT on cognitive health in young adults, given the current paucity of research. / text

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

The term cognitive enhancers are substances that increase cognitive performance. The stimulant methylphenidate is commonly used as a medication for attention deficit hyperactive disorder and is highly popular as a cognitive enhancer. One of its theorized mechanisms of action is to enhance working memory. This systematic review aims to examine literature that tests the effect of methylphenidate on cognitive performance, specifically working memory, in healthy subjects. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted on Web of Science, Scopus, and Medline Ebsco on 1st March 2022. Articles were selected based on the predetermined eligibility criteria. Of the ten selected articles, three found a significant effect of methylphenidate on working memory, and one found a significant effect on spatial working memory. The studies produced varied results due to differential use of working memory tasks and methylphenidate dosage. Further studies on how methylphenidate affects working memory are needed.

A human factors experiment was conducted to assess whether a reduction in noise at the ear would cause an improvement in speech intelligibility, an improvement in cognitive performance, and/or a reduction in subjective mental workload. Modified Rhyme Test (MRT) stimuli were used to determine intelligibility and specific tests within the Complex Cognitive Assessment Battery (CCAB) were used to assess cognitive performance. The tests chosen from the CCAB were: Tower Puzzle, Logical Relations, and Numbers and Words. These tests were chosen because of the specific set of cognitive functions that they measure which corresponded to command and control tasks. Participants performed the MRT and CCAB tests simultaneously in a 114 dBA noise environment at two speech levels, 83 dB (linear) and 96 dB (linear), using two communication microphones, Gentex Model 1453 and a prototype communication microphone developed by Adaptive Technologies Inc. (ATI). The noise used in the experiment was from a recording made inside a US Army Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Subjective mental workload was assessed using the NASA-TLX and Modified Cooper-Harper (MCH) immediately after the experiment. Results indicated that the communication microphone developed by ATI reduced the noise level at the ear better than the current Gentex microphone. However, the Gentex microphone produced significantly higher speech intelligibility scores at the 96 dB speech level. Cognitive performance scores significantly improved with increasing speech level for both communication microphones, with the ATI microphone having the advantage at 83 dB and the Gentex at 96 dB. The results also indicated that the main effects of speech level and communication microphone did not have an effect on subjective mental workload. A correlation analysis revealed that there was a positive relationship between the two workload measurement tools, indicating that either scale may be used to assess mental workload. Therefore, it was concluded that the MCH could have been used instead of the NASA-TLX, since the overall workload score was of interest. / Ph. D.