Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, March, 2007. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wyoming, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Nov. 10, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 60-73).

The present study examined the concurrent validity of several proposed measures of premorbid IQ, present ability measures, and demographic variables at predicting intellectual, verbal memory, and language performance in a sample of 98 normal elderly Canadians (mean age = 71.9 years). Predictive regression equations were developed to estimate performance on criterion measures in each cognitive domain including general intellectual ability (i.e. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised Verbal IQ: WAIS-R VIQ), verbal memory (i.e. California Verbal Learning Test long delayed free recall: CVLTLDFR), and language domains (i.e. Boston Naming Test: BNT). These new regression equations utilized a combination of measures of premorbid VIQ and present ability measures to account for 63%, 32% and 54% of the variance in WAIS-R VIQ, CVLTLDFR, and BNT performance, respectively. The utility of these new equations for detecting impaired performance and cognitive decline in clinical samples was evaluated by calculation of sensitivity scores for each equation based on the method proposed by Graves, Carswell & Snow (in press). The results indicated that performance would have to decline by approximately 15 points for WAIS-R VIQ, 6 points for CVLTLDFR, and 6 points for BNT scores, to be reliably detected 80% of the time. The implications of the sensitivity of each of these equations was discussed with regard to the clinical application of these equations for predicting premorbid cognition in early Alzheimer's disease. The current study was also the first study to develop predictive regression equations utilizing measures of premorbid VIQ and present ability measures to estimate verbal memory and language performance in a healthy elderly sample. / Graduate

The primary purpose of this study was to measure geriatric patients’ levels of intellectual functioning in order to determine the reliability of several specific test instruments. From the battery of measurements used in the study, it was an additional objective to recommend which of these test instruments, or combination thereof, would be most applicable for geriatric patients, based on the empirical findings of this study. Level of intellectual functioning may certainly be influenced by many factors. Therefore, it was part of this study to measure and control for the effects of the following variable: sex, age, education, and medication.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Psychology / Master / Master of Philosophy

The extent of cognitive deficit in depressed elderly remains unclear. Recent follow-up studies of elderly patients diagnosed as depressed suggest that depression may present as the initial sign of progressive dementia. This raises questions regarding the nature of the depression in those individuals who deteriorate cognitively over time, and encourages the search for clinical indicators of those depressed who are likely to deteriorate. Thirty-five depressed older adult outpatients were comprehensively examined and re-evaluated with a brief neuropsychological battery after one or more years. Twenty-three probable dementia of the Alzheimer's type patients (DAT) provided a comparison with a known progressive disorder. Patients with a decline of four points from their original score on a mental status examination comprised the "depressed with cognitive deterioration" sample (N = 8) and all others made up the "depressed without cognitive deterioration" sample (N = 27). These two samples were then compared on clinical variables from the initial neuropsychological, medical, radiological, and patient history examination. A Multivariate analysis of variance using the following variables: initial age, education, modified Hachinski, initial Mini-Mental State, Wechsler Memory Quotient, vocabulary, digit span, similarities, picture completion, block design, and digit symbol subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, initial Geriatric Depression Scale, and Grocery Store Test of verbal fluency failed to differentiate those depressed elderly that declined from those who did not. A series of Chi-square analyses using the medical and radiological variables demonstrated a significant association between depressed with deterioration and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities, computerized tomography (CT) abnormalities, and Electrocardiogram (EKG) abnormalities. Those depressed patients with cognitive deterioration demonstrated a higher frequency of white matter abnormalities on the combined CT and MRI than did those depressed patients with no deterioration. Leuko-araiosis in depressed elderly may represent a clinical marker for the identification of later cognitive deterioration. Results indicate: (1) a need for the development of more sensitive neuropsychological measures for accurate prediction of deterioration; (2) the importance of follow-up neuropsychological evaluations on depressed elderly; (3) relationship between white matter abnormality and cognitive deterioration in depressed elderly, and (4) support for the hypothesis that depression may present as an early sign of a later developing progressive dementia.

This study investigates the use of response guidance for errorless learning of a perceptual motor task in normal elderly. It provides normative data for a study with stroke patients using this technique for cognitive rehabilitation. While errorless learning has been shown to be more effective on most tasks than trial and error learning for people with memory impairments, its use with normal individuals has received limited attention. The questions of interest were whether errorless training of the perceptual motor task was more effective for improving and retaining accuracy; and whether both accuracy and response speed were more resistant to the effects of increased cognitive demands. A sample of 43 normal elderly in the United Kingdom, ranging in age from 60 to 77, completed an assessment of intelligence, memory, and attention. They then received training, over two sessions one week apart, to mark the midpoint of Judd Arrows presented on a computer screen using a cross cursor moved by an active force feedback joystick (AFF). During training the errorless group received AFF guidance to the correct midpoint, while the errorful group received none, and both received auditory and visual knowledge of results. There was no AFF during baseline or post test measures. Training was to criterion in each session with a discontinue rule if accuracy did not improve. At the end of session two both groups were given a cognitively challenging task concurrent with the arrow bisection. Results revealed that both groups improved their accuracy through training with the errorless group being significantly more accurate and tending to be faster in the final post tests of both sessions. The errorless group was significantly faster than the errorful group under the cognitive challenge, without sacrificing accuracy. These results suggest not only that AFF is an effective means of implementing errorless perceptual motor learning, but elderly individuals trained in this manner do not sacrifice accuracy for speed. Implications of these results are discussed.

This study examined the relationship between perceptions of intellectual functioning and measures of cognitive abilities, personality variables and sociodemographic information. One hundred and fifty-two older community residing adults were asked to define their perception of intelligence by completing a questionnaire that asked the extent to which a variety of tasks are: functionally important, contribute to feelings of intellectual vitality and are the object of worry or concern. They also estimated their skill at performing each task. The hypothesis that cognitive abilities would best predict perceptions of cognitive functioning was moderately supported. Personality variables, specifically anxiety, were more predictive of the meaning variables than abilities.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Georgetown University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2007. / Title from PDF title page (viewed Sept. 21, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 30-34).