Background: The impact of genetic polymorphisms on cognition is assumed to increase with age as losses of brain resources have to be compensated for. We investigate the relation of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) p.Val158Met polymorphism and cognitive capacity in the course of adult development, healthy aging and the development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in two birth cohorts of subjects born between 1930 and 1932 or between 1950 and 1952. Methods: Thorough neuropsychological assessment was conducted in a total of 587 participants across three examination waves between 1993 and 2008. The COMT genotype was determined as a restriction fragment length polymorphism after PCR amplification and digestion with Nla III. Results: Significant effects of the COMT p.Val158Met polymorphism were identified for attention and cognitive flexibility in the younger but not the older cohort. Conclusion: These results confirm the importance of the COMT p.Val158Met genotype on tasks assessing attention and cognitive flexibility in midlife but not in healthy aging and the development of MCI. Our findings suggest that the influence of COMT changes as a function of age, decreasing from midlife to aging.

El propósito de la presente tesis doctoral es el de conocer el papel que tienen las funciones ejecutivas (FE) como predictoras del rendimiento en los entrenadores. Primero, se llevó a cabo un análisis de la producción literaria sobre FE en relación con los agentes deportivos y se comprobó que existía un vacío en el estudio de las FE relacionadas con los entrenadores y que gran parte del esfuerzo se centraba en el estudio del deportista. Segundo, se compararon las FE de entrenadores de baloncesto con entrenadores de deportes individuales y no-entrenadores. Los resultados indicadores diferencias significativas entre los entrenadores de baloncesto y aquellos de deportes individuales así como con los participantes pertenecientes al grupo de no-entrenadores, si bien no había diferencias entre entrenadores de deportes individuales y no-entrenadores. Finalmente, se investigaron si una serie de variables (edad, sexo, logro académico, certificación deportiva, experiencia, excelencia deportiva, tiempo de dedicación) modulaban los niveles de FE en un grupo de entrenadores y entrenadoras de baloncesto. Al dividir al grupo de manera más o menos homogénea entre mayores de 30 y menores de 30, la variable experiencia proporcionó diferencias en inhibición cercanas a lo significativo con un tamaño del efecto pequeño a favor del grupo menor de 30 años. En referencia a la inhibición, se dieron diferencias, aunque no significativas, entre el grupo de graduados universitarios y aquellos que no lo eran. Además, La experiencia parece ser un factor que incide en las FE. Así, el grupo de entrenadores con más de 10 años de experiencia obtuvo mejor rendimiento en flexibilidad cognitiva. El tiempo dedicado a la práctica sólo deja diferencias significativas en flexibilidad cognitiva. En este sentido, el grupo que le dedicó más de 20 horas obtuvo un rendimiento superior que el que menos horas le dedica. En cuanto al tiempo dedicado en los últimos 5 años, sólo se vio una tendencia en aquel grupo de entrenadores que le dedicó más de 10 horas a la semana durante ese periodo. Variables como pericia y edad no produjeron ningún resultado destacable, indicando que son factores que no parecen tener relevancia en los niveles de las FE. Un análisis posterior de los datos mediante conglomerados bietápicos permitió diferenciar dos perfiles de entrenadores, aquellos con nivel bajo de FE y los de nivel alto. El perfil de entrenadora o entrenador de nivel alto es joven, menor de 30 años, con estudios universitarios, con no excesiva experiencia en baloncesto (menos de 10 años) pero una alta implicación. Por otra parte, el perfil de bajo nivel de FE es el de una persona de más de 30 años, también con estudios universitarios, con más de 10 años de experiencia y menos de 10 horas de dedicación semanal.

Yes / Neuronal activity regulates the transcription and translation of the immediate-early gene Arc/Arg3.1, a key mediator of synaptic plasticity. Proteasomedependent degradation of Arc tightly limits its temporal expression, yet the significance of this regulation remains unknown. We disrupted the temporal control of Arc degradation by creating an Arc knockin mouse (ArcKR) where the predominant Arc ubiquitination sites were mutated. ArcKR mice had intact spatial learning but showed specific deficits in selecting an optimal strategy during reversal learning. This cognitive inflexibility was coupled to changes in Arc mRNA and protein expression resulting in a reduced threshold to induce mGluR-LTD and enhanced mGluR-LTD amplitude. These findings show that the abnormal persistence of Arc protein limits the dynamic range of Arc signaling pathways specifically during reversal learning. Our work illuminates how the precise temporal control of activity-dependent molecules, such as Arc, regulates synaptic plasticity and is crucial for cognition. / Open access funded by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

Counseling psychologists are tasked with understanding optimal psychological and cognitive functioning. Recent theoretical predictions (Crisp & Turner, 2011) and growing evidence suggest that cross-race interactions are important ways individuals might improve their cognitive and psychosocial functioning. However, the theoretical predictions from Crisp and Turner have not yet been tested in one model. Further, much of the empirical support for the theoretical predictions has been from studies using 1) undergraduate samples and 2) weak theory-measurement fit. The present study used an online, community survey (N = 270) to test Crisp and Turner’s (2011) predictions that cognitive flexibility would mediate the relationship between cross-race interactions and psychological well-being in both a White sample (N = 198) and a sample of Color (N = 70). Results supported the hypothesized mediational model, indicating that more frequent cross-race interactions were associated with greater psychological well-being, through greater cognitive flexibility. The findings are discussed in the context of Crisp and Turner’s model (2011). Implications for sociological, educational, and psychological professionals are also discussed. Recommendations for future studies include experimental, longitudinal, and intervention studies with strong theory-measurement fit.

The body of work hereby presented aims at better defining the specific mechanisms underlying cognitive control and flexibility, and to investigate the neural substrates that might support these dynamics. More specifically, the anterior cingulate (ACC), dorsolateral prefrontal (dlPFC) and frontopolar (FPC) cortices have been proposed to play a fundamental role in monitoring and detecting the presence of environmental contingencies that require the recruitment of cognitive control (such as competition between responses in the presence of conflicting information), implementing cognitive control, and supporting higher-order cognitive processing, respectively. This thesis investigates the effects of damage to these regions, and of interference with their activity, on these processes. It also argues for the importance of dissociating possible separate cognitive control components that might differently contribute to behavioural adjustments (such as caution and attention/task-relevant processing), and provides one of the first attempts to quantify them within the parameters of a mathematical model of choice response-time, the Linear Ballistic Accumulator (LBA). The results confirm the crucial role of the dlPFC in modulating behavioural adjustments, as both damage and interference with this region’s activity significantly affect measures of conflict-induced behavioural adaptation. It is hypothesized that dlPFC might drive behavioural adjustments by encoding recent conflict history and/or supporting the automatization of a newly advantageous behavioural strategy during the early stages after a change in conflict levels. When a task does not involve competition between a habit and instructed behaviour, lesions or interference with ACC’s activity do not appear to affect behaviour in a manner that is consistent with the classic conflict-monitoring framework. It is suggested that its role might be better described as a more general monitoring and confirmatory mechanism that evaluates both actual and potential outcomes of an action, in order to proactively guide adjustments away from contextually disadvantageous responses. Finally, lesions to the FPC do not affect abstract-rule integration, but do impair the early stages of acquisition of a new abstract rule, when a previously rewarded rule stops being rewarded, and specifically when acquisition is dependent on self-initiated exploration. This suggests a role for FPC in the evaluation of multiple concurrent options in order to aid the development of new behavioural strategies.

Esta tese tem como objetivo central investigar como a flexibilidade cognitiva se opera no processo de elaboração de modelos matemáticos de relações jurídicas em domínios complexos ou mal estruturados com enfoque transdisciplinar e que conhecimentos matemáticos podem ser mobilizados. Para tanto, uma pesquisa qualitativa foi realizada com bacharelandos do 1º semestre do Curso de Engenharia Ambiental de uma Instituição Particular de Ensino Superior, localizada no município de São Paulo (SP), durante um Curso de Formação Acadêmica e Profissional. A fundamentação teórica está embasada na Teoria da Flexibilidade Cognitiva de Spiro e colaboradores (1988, 1992, 2003) e nas ideias de Robert (1987) sobre níveis de funcionamento de conhecimentos matemáticos. Em relação à Modelagem Matemática, primordialmente nos embasamos nas concepções de D´Ambrosio (1986, 1996, 2009, 2013) sustentadas pelas ideias de Barbosa (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) e Bassanezi (1994, 2002), entre outros. Para análise da flexibilidade cognitiva foram elaborados indicadores com base nos trabalhos de Sternberg (1985, 1988, 1993, 2000, 2005) sobre a Teoria Triárquica da Inteligência e de Ennis (1991, 1993, 1996, 2011) sobre pensamento crítico. Os resultados demonstram que o grupo de alunos pesquisado apresenta dificuldades em mobilizar os conhecimentos intramatemáticos na modelagem matemática de relações jurídicas, provavelmente decorrente de falhas na assimilação de conteúdos matemáticos ao longo de sua formação escolar. Identificamos ainda dificuldades em relacionar a linguagem materna com a linguagem algébrica na elaboração dos modelos matemáticos, bem como na validação dos modelos matemáticos. No entanto, apresentaram indícios favoráveis ao pensamento criativo, prático e crítico, o que favorece consideravelmente a flexibilidade cognitiva e o desenvolvimento de habilidades para se lidar com situações novas em domínios complexos ou mal estruturados. Assim, consideramos o resultado dessa pesquisa satisfatório com relação ao nível introdutório, pois o grupo de alunos pesquisado apresentou indícios de flexibilidade cognitiva durante o processo de modelagem, sendo necessário favorecer a promoção de outras atividades com enfoque transdisciplinar que possibilitem o avanço no desenvolvimento da flexibilidade cognitiva, sobretudo em relação ao pensamento analítico que se refere à abstração. / This thesis main objective is to investigate how cognitive flexibility operates in the elaboration process of legal relationships mathematical models in complex or ill-structured domains with a transdisciplinary view and which kind of mathematical knowledge can be mobilized. Therefore, during a course of Academic and Vocational training, a study was conducted with 1st semester students of Environmental Engineering of a private higher education institution, located in the São Paulo City SP). The theoretical foundation is based in Spiro and Colleagues Cognitive Flexibility Theory (1988, 1992, 2003) and in the ideas of Robert (1987 ) on the working levels of mathematical knowledge. Regarding Mathematical Modelling we have initially based ourselves in conceptions of D\' Ambrosio (1986, 1996, 2009, 2013) supported by the ideas of Barbosa (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) and Bassanezi (1994, 2002 ), among others. Indicators have been developed, to analyze Cognitive Flexibility, based on Sternberg works (1985, 1988, 1993, 2000, 2005) of the Triarchic Theory of Intelligence and of Ennis (1991, 1993, 1996, 2011) on critical thinking. The results have demonstrated that the researched group of students presented difficulties on mobilizing the intra-mathematical knowledge in the mathematical modeling of legal relationships , probably due to fails in the assimilation of mathematical content during their education. We could also identify students difficulties in relating their mother language with the algebraic language in the elaboration of mathematical models as well as in their validation. However, the students have presented favorable signs to creative, practical and critical thought which considerably favours cognitive flexibility and the development of skills to deal with new situations in complex or ill-structured domains. Thus, we consider the results of this research satisfactory regarding the introductory level, as the researched group of students have shown signs of cognitive flexibility during the modeling process. So we have found that promotion of other activities with a transdisciplinary approach should be favoured to enable to students an advancement to develop cognitive flexibility, particularly with relation to analytical thinking which refers to the abstraction.

Chrisler’s (2017) Theoretical Framework of Parental Reactions When a Child Comes Out as Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual suggests that parental reactions to having a non-heteronormative child are impacted by a process of cognitively appraising information about their child’s identity and experiencing and coping with emotional responses, both of which are influenced by contextual factors such as a parent’s value system. However, some religious values can challenge parents in the process of accepting a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) child. The purpose of this study was to test a model that examines the influence of cognitive-affective factors (cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation), religious-value based factors (religious fundamentalism, parental sanctification), and gender and sexual identity on self-reported parental acceptance. Participants were 663 parents of LGBT children who submitted responses to an online survey. A Tobit regression with a single-indicator latent variable approach revealed that religious fundamentalism, parental sanctification, the control component of cognitive flexibility, parent gender, and parent sexual identity significantly predicted parental acceptance. Lower religious fundamentalism, higher parental sanctification, and higher cognitive flexibility scores were associated with parental acceptance of an LGBT child. Participants identifying as a woman or LGB parent also significantly predicted acceptance. Implications of findings are discussed.

The purpose of the study was to investigate, through an experiment, if positive mood promotes creativity and flexible thinking. Participants were a total of 93 college students. The main hypothesis was that subjects induced with positive mood would perform better than subjects induced with negative mood, at a test reflecting creativity. To further explore the implications of priming (subliminal manipulated moods), a neutral control group was included. The cognitive test used in the study was Duncker´s The Candle Problem, a test which aims to get the subjects to apply flexible and creative thinking. The priming methods applied in the study was music and video clips. To measure the participant’s subjective mood a self-report scale, Mood Adjective Check List (MACL), was included as a successful manipulation control. The result showed a clear relationship between positive and negative priming, implying that subjects induced with positive mood performed significantly better than subjects induced with negative mood. There was no significant relationship between the groups induced with neutral and negative mood. / Syftet med studien var att genom ett experiment utforska om positiv sinnesstämning främjar kreativitet och flexibelt tänkande. Deltagarna i experimentet var totalt 93 studenter. Den huvudsakliga hypotesen var att deltagare inducerade till positivt känslotillstånd skulle prestera bättre än deltagare inducerade till negativt känslotillstånd, på ett kreativitetsreflekterande test. För att närmare undersöka påverkan av priming (subliminalt manipulerade känslotillstånd) inkluderades även en neutral kontrollgrupp. Testet som användes var Dunckers The Candle Problem. Syftet med testet var att få deltagarna att tillämpa flexibelt och kreativt tänkande. Priming-metoden som användes i experimentet bestod av musik och filmklipp. För att mäta deltagarnas subjektiva känslotillstånd tillämpades formuläret Mood Adjective Check List (MACL) som en framgångsrik manipulationskontroll. Ur resultatet utlästes en tydlig relation mellan positiv och negativ priming, att deltagare som fått positiv priming klarade testet signifikant bättre än deltagare med negativ priming. Mellan grupperna som inducerats med neutral och negativ sinnesstämning upptäcktes dock ingen signifikant relation.

This thesis investigates long-term cognitive outcome in two cohorts of adolescents and young adults exposed to stressors during the perinatal period: one group born preterm (&lt;37 weeks of gestation and birth weight &lt;1,500 g); one group exposed to two or more courses of antenatal corticosteroids (ACS), to stimulate lung maturation in the face of threatening preterm birth. In fetal life the brain undergoes dramatic growth, and a disruption to the early establishment of functional neural networks may interrupt development in ways that are difficult to predict. Executive function refers to a set of cognitive processes that are important for purposeful regulation of thought, emotion, and behavior, and even a subtle depreciation may influence overall functioning. Study I investigated the stability of executive function development after preterm birth. Executive functions were differentiated into working memory and cognitive flexibility. Both components were highly stable from preschool age to late adolescence. In Study II, we identified subgroups within the group of children born preterm with respect to cognitive profiles at 5½ and 18 years, and identified longitudinal streams. Outcome after preterm birth was diverse, and insufficiently predicted by perinatal and family factors. Individuals performing at low levels at 5½ years were unlikely to improve over time, while a group of individuals performing at or above norm at 5½ years had improved their performance relative to term-born peers by age 18. Studies I and II pointed to the need for developmental monitoring of those at risk, prior to formal schooling. Study III investigated long-term cognitive outcome after repeat ACS treatment. The study did not provide support for the concern that repeat ACS exposure will have an adverse impact on cognitive function later in life. In sum, exposure to perinatal stressors resulted in great variation in outcome. However, for many, their rough beginnings had not left a lasting mark. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Submitted.</p>

Cognitive deficits are the single strongest predictor of the functional outcome in patients with schizophrenia. Current treatments are largely ineffective in improving cognitive impairments and promising pre-clinical research has mostly failed to translate clinically. Despite the advances provided by rodent models, the neurobiological basis of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia is poorly understood. Therefore, this thesis proposes a zebrafish model for studying cognitive impairments of schizophrenia. Although more evolutionarily distant to humans compared to the rat, the zebrafish has emerged as a popular vertebrate model of human disorders due to its genetic tractability, complex nervous system and elaborate behavioural repertoire. We investigated the effects of genetic alterations and neurodevelopmental disruption on behaviour and learning in zebrafish. Using both disc1 mutant lines and sub-chronic phencyclidine (PCP) on larvae from 6-10 dpf, we were able to assess behavioural changes as a function of developmental age. In particular, this thesis aimed to develop appropriate behavioural assays to assess zebrafish learning and executive function relevant to disorders seen in human patients with schizophrenia. It was possible to demonstrate robust learning across several domains, namely, reversal, classical avoidance and non-associative learning, alongside locomotor and anxiety-related behaviours. There were varied deficits associated with each of the two – genetic (disc1 gene mutation) and environmental (sub-chronic PCP) – manipulations, consistent with observations in rat research. Together, the research in this thesis demonstrates that a zebrafish model exhibits behaviour resembling that of mammalian models of schizophrenia and provides a foundation for the utility of zebrafish in examining cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia.