abstract: With a growing number of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), more and more research has been conducted on majority male cohorts with ASD from young, adolescence, and some older age. Currently, males make up the majority of individuals diagnosed with ASD, however, recent research states that the gender gap is closing due to more advanced screening and a better understanding of how females with ASD present their symptoms. Little research has been published on the neurocognitive differences that exist between older adults with ASD compared to neurotypical (NT) counterparts, and nothing has specifically addressed older women with ASD. This study utilized neuroimaging and neuropsychological tests to examine differences between diagnosis and sex of four distinct groups: older men with ASD, older women with ASD, older NT men, and older NT women. In each group, hippocampal size (via FreeSurfer) was analyzed for differences as well as correlations with neuropsychological tests. Participants (ASD Female, n = 12; NT Female, n = 14; ASD Male, n = 30; NT Male = 22), were similar according to age, IQ, and education. The results of the study indicated that the ASD Group as a whole performed worse on executive functioning tasks (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Trails Making Test) and memory-related tasks (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Weschler Memory Scale: Visual Reproduction) compared to the NT Group. Interactions of sex by diagnosis approached significance only within the WCST non-perseverative errors, with the women with ASD performing worse than NT women, but no group differences between men. Effect sizes between the female groups (ASD female vs. NT female) showed more than double that of the male groups (ASD male vs. NT male) for all WCST and AVLT measures. Participants with ASD had significantly smaller right hippocampal volumes than NT participants. In addition, all older women showed larger hippocampal volumes when corrected for total intracranial volume (TIV) compared to all older men. Overall, NT Females had significant correlations across all neuropsychological tests and their hippocampal volumes whereas no other group had significant correlations. These results suggest a tighter coupling between hippocampal size and cognition in NT Females than NT Males and both sexes with ASD. This study promotes further understanding of the neuropsychological differences between older men and women, both with and without ASD. Further research is needed on a larger sample of older women with and without ASD. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Speech and Hearing Science 2019

Episodic future thinking is defined as the ability to mentally project oneself into the future into a specific time and place. Episodic future thinking has been explored extensively in neuroscience. However, it has not been determined whether the measurement of episodic future thinking might be valuable in a clinical neuropsychological setting. The current study examined the relationship between episodic future thinking and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), which is a domain of adaptive functioning frequently assessed by neuropsychologists to examine independent living potential including the ability to handle finances, prepare food, complete household duties, and manage medications. A secondary aim was to examine whether episodic future thinking is related to IADLs over and above standard measures of cognition. 61 older adults with heterogeneous neurological conditions and 41 healthy older adults completed a future thinking task (the adapted Autobiographical Interview), two measures of IADLs (an informant report measure called the Everyday Cognition Scale and a performance-based measure called the Independent Living Scales), and standard measures of memory and executive functioning. Episodic future thinking was significantly associated with performance-based IADLs when accounting for age, education, gender, and depression (r=.26, p=.010). Episodic future thinking significantly predicted performance-based IADLs over and above executive functioning (R2=.025, p=.030). Episodic future thinking was not predictive of performance-based IADLs over and above memory (p=.157). Episodic future thinking was not significantly associated with informant reported IADLs when accounting for age, education, gender, and depression (p=.284). This study suggests that episodic future thinking is significantly associated with IADLs, beyond what can be accounted for by executive functioning. Episodic future thinking may provide information about IADLs to clinical neuropsychologists so they can improve their recommendations for independent living.

Depression and anxiety are common psychiatric disturbances in Parkinson's disease (PD). Past studies have demonstrated a relationship between depression and cognitive decline in PD; however, the unique influence of anxiety has not been well studied. The objective of the present study was to differentiate the unique influences of depression and anxiety on cognitive functioning in PD. Sixty-eight cognitively intact PD patients with mild to moderate motor disease severity completed self-report questionnaires and neuropsychological tests. Two hierarchical regression analyses were conducted with executive functioning performance as the criterion variable, and two additional hierarchical regression analyses were conducted with memory performance as the criterion variable. Depression and anxiety, as measured by the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS), served as predictors for all analyses. Each set of analyses examined the amount of added, unique variance accounted for by anxiety when depression was entered as the first predictor, and also examined the amount of added, unique variance accounted for by depression when anxiety was entered as the first predictor. It was found that depression significantly predicted delayed recall memory performance when entered as the first and second predictor. In contrast, anxiety did not significantly predict performance on any of the cognitive measures. Two DASS subscales assess for the physical symptoms of anxiety, and these subscales were not significantly correlated with any cognitive variables. However, the DASS subscales tapping into non-physical aspects of anxiety were significantly associated with several cognitive variables. Patients may have endorsed physical symptoms of anxiety due to the symptoms associated with PD, and not as a result of the genuine presence of anxiety. This could have masked a potential relationship between anxiety and cognitive functioning in PD, and suggests that specific components of anxiety may be associated with cognition in PD. Future adaptation of the DASS may be necessary to differentiate the unique influences of depression and anxiety in PD patients.

Self-regulation (SR) and executive functioning (EF) are important factors for successful student outcomes. Research suggests that executive skills facilitate the process of behavioral self-regulation. Well-developed SR and EF skills make learning more likely. Proper SR has the ability to improve attention levels and EF includes the use of working memory, both of which are essential components of the information processing system that students use continuously. One type of SR, referred to as self-management, involves a cycle of observing and recording one’s own behavior, then evaluating one’s self-assessments against those of an external observer. Self-management interventions have previously been found to reduce students’ inappropriate and off-task behaviors as well as increase classroom preparedness, on-task behavior, and academic performance. This study investigated the impact of a self-management intervention on a middle school student’s classroom preparation behaviors and his EF skills. Results suggest the participant’s overall classroom preparation behaviors were enhanced through his participation in the intervention. A few significant changes were also found in the participant’s pre- and post-intervention EF scores.

Substantial evidence from previous research has supported the idea that greater self-regulation in the form of “cool” self-regulation or executive functioning and “hot” self-regulation or effortful control is associated with higher academic achievement within the preschool years and school readiness in the kindergarten years (Anaya, 2016; Carlson, 2005). However, there are only a few studies that assess the prediction of school readiness through validated cool and hot self-regulation tasks (Carlson, 2005; Krain, Wilson, Arbuckle, Kastellanos, & Wilham, 2006; Rothbart, Ellis, Rueda, & Posner, 2003; Thompson & Giedd, 2000). There also few studies examining to what extent cool and hot-self-regulation tasks predict socio-emotional (Blair, 2002) and academic achievement (Bull & Scherif, 2001), which are aspects of school readiness. The current study examined the validity of hot and cool tasks as measures of school readiness within a preschool sample (n = 86) enrolled in one of two programs: one blended Head Start and one full Head Start program. Adapted hot and cool self-regulation tasks, global observer ratings of hot and cool self-regulation tasks (Preschool Self-Regulation Assessment Assessor Report (PSRA-AR) and the Observation of Child Temperament Scale), Woodcock Johnson subtests (Letter Word, Applied Problems, and Picture Vocabulary), teacher ratings of social competence (Social Competence and Behavioral Evaluation) and emotional competence (Emotion Regulation Checklist) were collected in the fall of the school year. Results indicated that performance on cool tasks of measures cool self-regulation were highly correlated with academic performance and that the Snack Delay task and the PSRA-AR component scores (Attention/Impulse Control and Positive Emotion) of hot self-regulation were correlated with socio-emotional competence. Additionally, there were no age differences for hot self-regulation. Regression analyses suggested that hot self-regulation predicted socio-emotional competence and cool tasks predicted academic achievement. However, conclusions regarding hot self-regulation age differences and predictive validity are limited by the sole use of one hot task within this study and the results do not warrant a conclusion regarding whether hot self-regulation and cool self-regulation are separate self-regulation constructs, given the use of only one hot task.

Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) experience significant academic impairment and multiple interventions have been developed to address common academic problems, such as difficulties with homework, organization, and planning skills. Given cost and resource constraints, research is needed on factors that mental health providers can use to select the most appropriate interventions. To date, there has been minimal research evaluating moderators of response to ADHD interventions. Further, many of the variables that have been studied do not have strong theoretical ties to the mechanisms of change invoked by the interventions. This study examined potential moderators of treatment response to two academic interventions for adolescents with ADHD: an organizational skills training intervention (HOPS) and a homework completion support intervention (CHIEF). Specifically, the study evaluated whether the cognitive skills known as executive functions (EF) moderate differential treatment response between the interventions. Results indicated that EF abilities were not consistently associated with differential treatment outcomes. Further, significant associations presented conflicting interpretations regarding which profiles of EF abilities were more responsive to HOPS in comparison to CHIEF.

Les personnes atteintes de troubles cognitifs légers (i.e., Mild Cognitive Impairment, MCI) souffrent d’un déclin cognitif, pouvant engendrer des troubles exécutifs et fonctionnels, pénalisants dans leurs activités de la vie quotidienne. Face à ces déficits, plusieurs programmes d’intervention de stimulations physique ou cognitive montrent des résultats encourageants sur les performances de ces profils. / People with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) suffer from a cognitive decline, which engender executive and functional disorders, punishing in their activities of the everyday life. Given these deficits, several programs of physical or cognitive stimulations show encouraging results on cognitive performances of these profiles.

<p>This thesis examines whether childhood family configuration influences performance on cognitive functions and health in adulthood and old age. All studies examined participants in the Betula Prospective Cohort Study aged 35 to 85 years (Nilsson et al., 1997). Study Ι established whether there are reliable effects of sibship size and birth order in a large sample of participants in adulthood and old age. The results showed that the effects previously demonstrated in children and adolescents (e.g., Belmont & Marolla, 1973; Mercy & Steelman, 1982) have a long-lasting effect and can be demonstrated in an adult sample. These studies concluded that intelligence and executive functioning decreased as the sibship size increased. Birth order, in contrast, had only influenced executive functions and working memory: earlier born siblings performed at a higher level than later born siblings. Study ΙΙ examined whether the effects of sibship size and birth order can be replicated and extended to episodic memory and whether the effects of family configuration are stable over a five-year interval. The results showed that early born siblings and siblings belonging to a smaller sibship size performed at a higher level and that these effects on both recall and recognition were stable over a five-year interval. Study ΙΙΙ explored whether childhood family configuration influences chronic adult diseases (myocardial infarction and circulatory disorders, stroke, and hypertension). The overall results showed that being born in a large sibship is a risk factor for stroke, myocardial infarction /circulatory disorders, and hypertension in old age. The results also suggest that being born early in a sibship is a predictor of stroke.</p>

This thesis examines whether childhood family configuration influences performance on cognitive functions and health in adulthood and old age. All studies examined participants in the Betula Prospective Cohort Study aged 35 to 85 years (Nilsson et al., 1997). Study Ι established whether there are reliable effects of sibship size and birth order in a large sample of participants in adulthood and old age. The results showed that the effects previously demonstrated in children and adolescents (e.g., Belmont &amp; Marolla, 1973; Mercy &amp; Steelman, 1982) have a long-lasting effect and can be demonstrated in an adult sample. These studies concluded that intelligence and executive functioning decreased as the sibship size increased. Birth order, in contrast, had only influenced executive functions and working memory: earlier born siblings performed at a higher level than later born siblings. Study ΙΙ examined whether the effects of sibship size and birth order can be replicated and extended to episodic memory and whether the effects of family configuration are stable over a five-year interval. The results showed that early born siblings and siblings belonging to a smaller sibship size performed at a higher level and that these effects on both recall and recognition were stable over a five-year interval. Study ΙΙΙ explored whether childhood family configuration influences chronic adult diseases (myocardial infarction and circulatory disorders, stroke, and hypertension). The overall results showed that being born in a large sibship is a risk factor for stroke, myocardial infarction /circulatory disorders, and hypertension in old age. The results also suggest that being born early in a sibship is a predictor of stroke.

In this experiment I investigated the relationship between set-switching and transfer learning, both of which presumably invoke executive functioning (EF), which may in turn be correlated with intelligence. Set-switching was measured by a computerized version of the Wisconsin Card Sort Task. Another computer task was written to measure learning-transfer ability. The data indicate little correlation between the ability to transfer learning and the capacity for set-switching. That is, these abilities may draw from independent cognitive mechanisms. The major difference may be requirement to utilize previous learning in a new way in the learning-transfer task.